Government
Luke 20:19-26 – Faith + Fantasy = Frustration (May 29, 1994) – MP3 / YouTube
A problem that has haunted the Christian church from almost the very beginning, is the problem of confusing religious reality with religious fantasy. One of the ways we can fall into a fantasy, is through our own sense of pride and our own sense of self-importance. Sometimes we are tempted to feel so important and so special and that we have such a special faith, that we believe that God is going to do some spectacular thing for us, which God has not promised in His word at all. When you leave the solid ground of the promises in God’s word, it is easy to move into fantasy land and to believe all sorts of things that our own minds and other minds create, which have nothing to do with the promises in God’s word. The Bible is the only guide we got. If we turn aside to imaginary ideas, mirages and fantasies, we are going to reap the consequences of that. We need to keep our heads in the Bible and reject the fantasies that exist all around us. Other passage mentioned Romans 13:1-2.
Luke 22:35-38 – The Glory of Christian Rejection (January 1, 1995) – MP3 / YouTube
Even though rejection is never a pleasant experience, for a Christian (a person who has believed in the Lord Jesus Christ for the free gift of eternal life) rejection can be a badge of honor. We have opportunities in this day and time to share in the rejection of Jesus Christ and to identify ourselves with Him and with the rejection that men give to Him. We are called to bear the reproach of Jesus Christ. We can wear the reproach of Jesus Christ as a badge of honor because it leads us to rich reward. Other passages: Hebrews 13:12-14; Isaiah 53; Luke 6:22-23, 26.