Facing a culture of death

Okay, brothers and sisters, as I said, we're going to be addressing verses 14, 15, and 16. We're going to be speaking about facing this culture of death, this culture of abortion. And I want to change this title, and instead of making a prepositional statement, I want to make it a question. Are we, as the people of God, are we, as the children of God, facing this culture of death, which is abortion? I'm going to read with you from verse 12 through verse 18.

Once again, we're going to pay attention to verse 14 and 15 and 16, which is what we're going to be using for this session. Let us read together. This is the word of the Lord. Philippians chapter 2 verse 12. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only as in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Verse 14. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you might be blameless and innocent children of God, without blemish, in the midst of a crooked and twisted or perverse generation, among whom you shine as light in the world. holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I might be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me. Amen. This is the reading of God's Word. My dear brother and sister, perhaps one of the greatest blessings that we have as Christians when we become Christians, when we are born again, is this new set of relationships that we have as the children of God. The most important of those new relationships that we have as the children of God is, of course, with God himself.

Before we were dead in our trespasses, and the Bible tells us that we were children of the devil. But when the grace of the Lord comes and opens our eyes to the message of the gospel, we become the children of God, and we initiate, we begin a new relationship with God, the Father. The beginning of that new relationship with God the Father is also the new beginning of a relationship with self. Before we were Christians, before we were dead in our trespasses, we were the center of our own lives. We were the king or queen of our own lives.

We seated ourselves in the throne of our hearts and absolutely everything and everyone was a servant to our own pleasures. But when the grace of the Lord comes, and opens our eyes to Jesus Christ and what He has done, we gain an understanding of who we are, and more importantly, who we are not, in light of who God is. And by the grace of the Lord, we start a new relationship with self. But the beginning of that new relationship with self is also the beginning of a new relationship with sin. Before we were Christians, when we were dead in our sins and our trespasses, we loved sin, and we were slaves to sin.

We were in bondage to sin. But when the grace of God comes, and opens our eyes to Jesus Christ and what He has done and His death upon the cross. Then now we have the life in Christ in us and the sin that once we loved, now we hate because we know that He separates us from our God and His Son and the Spirit. This is the beginning of new relationships, relationship with the father, relationship with God himself, relationship with self and relationship with sin. And the result of those new relationships with God, with self and with sin is also the beginning of a new relationship, a new relationship with the world.

the world to which we belonged, and according to the Scriptures, the world in which we were. Now we have been rescued by the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we have been taken from the kingdom of the world, the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the sun. But the Scripture tells us that we are not taken out of the world. We remain in the world.

We are not of the world, but we remain in the world. And as the people of God, we are called not only to be in the world, but we are called to face the world. Because now this world of darkness has the presence of someone, and not only Christ, but His church that has the light of God in them. The Scripture calls us to face the world. And that is the message of the Apostle Paul here in these verses 14, 15 and 16, when he is exhorting the Philippian church and telling them that they are to be holy and blameless in the midst of this crooked and twisted generation that he calls the world.

And if you pay attention and you read the text once again with me, please, in verse 14, he's going to call us to be holy. so that we will remain blameless in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation that is the world, so that we will be light in the midst of this darkness. It says in verse 14, do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked, or untwisted or perverse generation. And then he says, you children of God, among whom you shine as light in the world, holding fast to the word of life. We have been rescued from the kingdom of the world into the kingdom of the sun.

And the scriptures not only Paul, but also the Lord Jesus Christ calls us to be light in the midst of this darkness of this crooked and twisted generations. This is the command that the Lord has given us that because he has saved us and has rescued us from this world, we are to reach the world with the message of Christ with Christ himself. And that which is darkness is to be pushed back with the light of the Lord Jesus Christ. When it comes to abortion, of course, my dear brother and sister, this is one of these crooked and twisted manifestations of the kingdom of the world. When the world comes and takes the life of a baby, this is the crooked and perverse manifestation of a generation that has been taken by the unrighteousness of the evil one.

Yet the Scripture calls us to face this culture of death. And I suppose the practical question that comes from the implicit teaching of the Apostle Paul here is, are we? Are we facing this culture of death? Are we as Christians facing this kingdom of the world? Are we facing it practically?

What are we doing? Are we speaking about these matters or are we doing something? Are we brothers and sisters facing this culture of death in abortion or have we perhaps Choosing the path of ignorance. I do not know what is going on. I don't really understand what is happening with this world of abortion.

I prefer not to know what is going on here in Australia, and in America, and in Europe, and in South America, in Asia. I choose the path of ignorance. I do not know. Or perhaps we choose just simply the path of indifference. We may know what is going on.

We might understand what is happening in our country. We might understand what is happening across the Atlantic. We must understand what is happening across the Pacific. We must understand the things that are happening. And we may know what the Lord says in the Scriptures, but rather we're just choosing the path of indifference.

I'm busy living my life. I'm busy with my work and education and being a Christian and doing these things. I don't have the time to engage actively or practically with these matters. Perhaps it's not the path of indifference, but might we be choosing perhaps the path of passivity? That we do understand when it comes to the Scriptures, and we do understand the evil and the unrighteousness of abortion and what it is, but might we be just choosing the path of passivity, brethren?

Are we facing this culture of death? This is the question that I want us to consider, my dear brother and sister. And I don't want you to think that I'm one that is just speaking as one who has a positive answer to this question. I'm speaking as one who has been convicted himself as I consider these matters more biblically and as I come to the Scriptures and consider these by the providence of the Lord. So I want us to consider this.

Are we facing this culture of death? I don't want to put you in a prison of guilt, may your brother and sister, but rather what I want us is to be encouraged, to know that when we do something for the Lord, we do not strive unto victory. We actually work for the Lord from His victory. Because He has already been victorious. He has already been a victor upon the cross.

So when we as the church are entrusted any commission or any task, we are not thriving or doing things unto victory and pursuing a result or a practical manifestation. Rather, It is because when we see the cross and when we see the Lord Jesus Christ, what He has done, what He has achieved, then the Spirit of God works in us the light that is needed for us to go into the world and to be light to those who are in darkness with grace. with compassion, with clarity, with love, and with the truth of the Scriptures. Because the problem of abortion, my dear brother and sister, does not happen when a boy or a girl arrive to an abortion clinic. The problem of abortion has started way before that moment, and it has started here.

That's why we as the Church are to face this culture of death with the weapons that the Lord has given us, and that is the message of the Gospel. Now, I want us to ask ourselves the question, are we facing this culture of death. And of course, for us to ask ourselves that question, we need to know what is this culture of death. And second, I want to encourage you and me to know how to face this culture of death. So these are the two things that I want us to do from this passage.

First, I want us to consider what is this culture of death that is the first thing that we are going to do. And second, I want us to answer this question. How do we, as the children of God, the people who have the light of Jesus Christ, how do we face this culture of death that is abortion? As I said in the very beginning, I'm just going to clarify once again. I'm speaking to the culture of death.

I'm not speaking to the victims or to the people who have been involved in abortion or any of those things. And for that reason, I'm very glad that the Lord gave this compassionate and very encouraging word to Brother Troy in the beginning. I'm not speaking to perhaps a person who might be struggling because of a past abortion or something like that. I'm speaking to the culture of death. I'm speaking to the system.

I'm speaking to the system of the world. I hope you understand that, brother. We're going to answer these two questions. What is the culture of death? And second, how do we face this culture of death?

Let us start with the first one. What is this culture of death, or this culture of the world? Here in the passage that we have in verse 15, the apostle is using two adjectives to speak about this generation of this world. Here in the ESV that I'm reading, it says this crooked and this twisted. You have there in the New King James, this crooked and this perverse generation.

Those are the two characteristics that Paul gives to this generation, speaking of the darkness of this world. These two words are going to tell us something very important. That which the world is and that which the world does. That which the world is, is that this generation, this world is crooked. That means that this world, this system, the culture of death, it is deviated from the will of the Lord.

It's not in alignment. It's not straight. It's crooked, has deviated from the will of the Lord. That is what this generation is. Second, the puzzle tells us what this system of this generation does in the word perverse or twisted.

It's not that the world is passively crooked. It's not that the world is just passively not in alignment with the world of the Lord. But rather, by this word twisted or perverse, it speaks of the active disposition of the system of the world to continue to walk away from the will of the Lord. to continue to be unrighteous, to continue to abide in darkness, to continue to choose those things that are opposite to the will of the Lord. And if we were going to summarize these two words, crooked and perverse, in only one word to understand the heart of this culture of death, that word will be rebellion.

The heart of abortion and the culture of abortion, my dear brother and sister, is rebellion against God. It's the rebellion of humanity against God. This system of darkness, this system of the world, this crooked and twisted generation is rebellious in nature. God says, I am the creator of life. And then the system of the world says, there is no God.

There is not such a thing as a creator of life. We are the owners of life. God comes and says, I am not only the creator of life, but I'm also the authority over life. I'm the one who gives life, and I'm the one who takes life. And the system of the world comes and says, there is no God.

There is no authority of God over life. We are the authority over life. We are the ones that choose life and death. We are the owners of our bodies. And because we are the owners of our body, it is my body.

It is my choice. I am the one who decides because there is no God. God comes and says there is going to be judgment for the one who sheds blood of the innocent one and the government of the system of the world. The system of darkness comes and says there is no such a thing as God. And there's no such a thing as a judgment that is to come.

This is the rebellion of the world. The system of culture of death, it is summarized in one word, and that word is rebellion. Rebellion against the God of the Scriptures. Deviation from the will of the one who gave us this word. But I know that perhaps these are things that you already know.

Perhaps these are concepts that you have already considered. And I think that perhaps the most important thing to do here is not so much to speak about the what of the culture of death, of this culture of abortion, but actually I just want to give you two or three or perhaps four, depending on the time here, characteristics of this culture of death. that I think are going to help us to understand what is the mission of the church when facing this culture of death. If we don't understand these two, three, or perhaps four characteristics that I'm going to give you about this culture of death, this culture of the world, then we are not going to be able, as a church, as Christians, to discern how to face this culture of death. So let us start.

Let me just give you the first one. This rebellion of this crooked and twisted generation of this system of this world, this rebellion that abortion is, a rebellion of this system, again, God who is the giver and the authority of life, this rebellion, first of all, is spiritual in nature. And for that, I want to call your attention to Romans chapter five. If you come with me, please. This rebellion is spiritual in nature.

This is very important for the church to understand. The problem of the culture of death is not a political problem. The problem of the culture of death and abortion is not a government issue. The problem of this culture of death in abortion is not a history problem. The problem is a spiritual one.

And that started in the garden. That happened back then in the book of Genesis. But we're reading the comment of the apostle about that in Romans chapter 5 verse 12. So turn your pages there to Romans chapter 5 verse 12. The Apostle tells us right into the Romans and going back into the reality of the garden, he says, Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin.

Did I say 12? 5, 12. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, so death spread to all men or to all people because all sin. The insertion, the beginning, the initiation of death into the system of the world is not through the government, is not through politicians, is not through history or through mistakes that people have made throughout generations. The problem of this system of the world is a spiritual one.

Death entered into this world through the disobedience of Adam, and then that death spread to all people because all people sinned. The problem of the culture of death is not found in the culture. The problem of the culture of death is found here, brother and sister. It is found in the heart of human beings. It is a spiritual thing.

And there is no person, there is no political power, there is no government that is going to come and solve the problem of death that is so pervasive through our generation in our society. It is only the power of Jesus Christ through His gospel and the truth that can change the hearts of men, so that we are rescued from the kingdom of death into the kingdom of life. And then when we see a baby, when we see a mother that is pregnant, we understand the value of what it is, not because we have read a book, but because we have the Spirit of God in us that aligns our will with His, and we appreciate the work of His hand. Because apart from the Spirit of Christ, were crooked and twisted, just as the verse that we have just read there in Philippians chapter two. The rebellion of this culture of death is spiritual.

Second, this rebellion of this system of this culture is not only a spiritual brethren, but it's satanic. Come with me, please, to Ephesians chapter two. Speaking of the system of the world, a very well known verse there in Ephesians chapter two, you will see it. The apostle will tell us Ephesians chapter two. Another characteristic of the rebellion of the system of the world is not only a spiritual, but because it is a spiritual, it is also satanic.

Ephesians chapter two. And once again, by using those difficult worlds, I just want to remind you, I'm speaking about the system of the world. I'm not speaking about the people who have been involved in that. You understand that, brethren, right? Ephesians chapter two, verse one.

and you were dead. in the trespasses. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1. And you were dead in their trespasses and sins, in which you once walked following the course of this world. The same world that the apostle Paul describes in Philippians chapter 2.

The crooked and twisted or perverse generation of the darkness of this world. He says in verse 2, in which you once walked following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, Who is the prince of the power of the year? And then says the spirit that is now at work, pay attention to that preposition in the sons of disobedience. The spirit, the spirit of the prince of the power of the year that is now at work in the sons of disobedience. among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind or humanity, brethren.

The problem of the system of this world that is crooked and that is twisted in which they celebrate abortion. And abortion is the flag that they put in their hands. It's a spiritual problem and it's also, brethren, a satanic problem. We have the Prince of the Power of the Earth, that according to 1 John 5, verse 19, He has the power over this world. Apart from the Spirit of God that comes and rescues us and takes us out of this system of darkness, brethren, we belong to it by nature.

This is the greatest manifestation of the gospel of Christ Jesus, that He came to rescue us from that. This is the mercy of Christ. This is the love of God, that He sent His Son to rescue us from that system to which we naturally belong. to give us an insight into the blessing and the preciousness of what is life. First, this rebellion that we find in the system of this culture of death is spiritual.

Second, it is satanic. And third, it is atemporal. I don't know how you pronounce that in English, but I hope that you understand. Atemporal. Atemporal.

It is not a thing of a generation. It is a thing that permeates every single generation. Come with me to Romans chapter 8, and I will briefly make a comment about that. This problem of rebellion of this system of the world, this culture of death, is one that is not only spiritual, second, is not only one that is demonic or satanic, but third, is one that is atemporal. Romans chapter 8.

Pay attention, please, to verses 20 and 21. for the creation was subjected to futility. Not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope. Remember, sin came into the world through the disobedience of Adam. That sin came into the cosmos, into the world, and then death spread to all people, to all creation.

Then he says in verse 21, that the creation, that the cosmos, that the creation itself, will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the Children of God. Verse 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the Spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for the parentheses future adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Pay attention to verse 21. Once again, the creation itself will be set free.

If the scripture tells us that the creation will be set free, what does that tell us about the creation now? that is not free, that is under bondage, that is under corruption. And the corruption of the creation did not start when certain political party took the power 20 or 30 years ago. The corruption of creation started when sin came into the world. The problem of the system and the culture of death and the darkness of the world is not the result of the mistakes of men or certain political powers or structures of government.

It is the result of sin, and hence the problem of this culture of death is atemporal. You only have to go through the Scriptures and go to Genesis chapter 4, and then you will find a brother killing another brother. You have to go through the Scriptures to Leviticus chapter 18 and 19, and you will see the pagan societies and the pagan nations giving their children in burnt offerings as sacrifices to pagan gods. You usually have to see through the history of the Scriptures and find the people of Israel, when they did not have sufficient food, they were eating their children. You have to just go through the scriptures and see the prophets and see what the pagan nations were doing with their children.

Why? Because the problem of this culture of death is not a 21st or 20th century issue. It's an issue of the heart. It is true that you have a device now in your pocket that gives you access to absolutely everything that is happening on the other side of the world. Something that people did not have 50 or 100 years ago, and hence, they did not know what was going on on the other side of the earth.

But because they did not know, it does not mean that it was not happening. It only means that you have unprecedented amount of information, which, by the way, you are not made to have. But you have this amount of information, have access to so much information, Now you know what is going on in America, in Europe, in Asia, in China, in Colombia, in Argentina, in Brazil, and then you're mesmerized and you're surprised by what is going on. But brethren, the problem of the heart has always been here. Humans have always been fallen.

We have always chosen to be crooked and twisted. We have always chosen everything that is opposite to Christ Jesus. There is one thing that is immutable and unchanging, and that is our God. That is the One who sent His Son to die upon the cross for us, to give us the weapon of freedom and liberty and light, which is the Gospel and Himself. But this culture of death is a spiritual, satanic, atemporal one.

But let me just simply say this one. It's one that is under God's control. Even though we look back and we see to Genesis and we see the beginning of death there through the sin of Adam. And even though we know that the prince of the power of the air is the one that is dominating and ruling this world. Even though we know that this is an a temporal situation that happens through our generation.

Brethren, we also know that there is one who is in charge of all things. And that happens to be our God. That is not Satan. That is not the Prince of the Power of the Earth. This is our God.

This is the One who sent His Son to die upon the cross. So then that means that even the pain and the sufferings of this culture of death is under the sovereign control of our God. And if we are going to face this culture of death, brethren, we are to face it according to the ways of the Lord. Let us return to our text, and now let me please answer the second question that I put on the table as we began. I said that I wanted to answer two questions.

What is this culture of death? And second, how do we face this culture of death? In answering the first question, what is this culture of death? I wanted to bring your attention this word rebellion. The heart of this culture of death is rebellion against the Lord.

And I said to you that this rebellion is first a spiritual rebellion. Second, that this rebellion is one that is satanic. The third one is a temporal. And then the fourth one that is under the control of the Lord, the sovereign control of the Lord. So now, how do we, as the people of God, then face this culture of death?

Are we supposed to come now together and sign something and put what you call the English signatures together just to form a political party against abortion? What are we to do to face this culture of death? What are we supposed to do as the people of God to face this culture of death? We are supposed to do two things. We are to face this world spiritually and second, practically.

We're going to see it there in the text in Philippians chapter 2, but pay attention to first as I frame this point and then we will get into the text. First, spiritually and then practically. Practically, we, the church, the people of God, are to face this culture of death spiritually and practically. And the priority to the means by which we face this culture of death is spiritually first and then practically. I'm going to submit to you that the way that God builds up his kingdom is from here outwardly.

It is not from outside in the things that we see or observe. The kingdom of the Lord is one that is observed with the eyes. That is what the apostles and the people of Israel thought. The kingdom of the Lord is one that is built from within the heart of a person and is manifested outwardly. So hence, when you read the scriptures carefully, you will see that that which is spiritual takes priority to that which is external.

Hence, faith without works is dead. The life of works, which is external, is something which is spiritual faith. Hence, the way that we face this culture of death has to be spiritually and practically, but knowing that the spiritual aspect of our facing this culture of death takes priority over the practical. So that we avoid the idolatry of pragmatism. So that we avoid the idolatry of just simply doing things when we are not things.

Christ has not called us primarily to do. Christ has called us primarily to be like Jesus, so that by being like Jesus, we will do the things that He did, not because of who we are, but because of Christ Jesus in us, spiritually and then practically. Spiritually, first of all, I want you to pay attention there to verse 14 and 15. The apostle is exhorting the Philippians to be light in the midst of this crooked generation. And in doing so, the apostle is going to tell them that they are to be obedient, that they are to be holy, that they are to be Christlike, so that they will be blameless in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation.

Pay attention to the text. Verse 14, do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may be blameless and innocent children of God with a blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as light in the world. Personal spiritual virtue takes priority over social transformation. Personal individual virtue takes priority over social transformation. I cannot engage in social transformation if my heart is a mess.

I cannot go on and speak about the value of life if I don't value the life of my children at home. If I don't value the life of my wife at home. If I speak words that are death and darkness in the secret place. Because outward or external transformation is the result of what Christ does inside of us. Christ in us, Christ likeness, the power of the Spirit in us, that we will be blameless, that we will be holy.

And then the Lord Jesus Christ, you remember, says in Matthew chapter 5 that we are the light and the salt of the world, you remember? And then he says that we have the light of God, that when the others will see this light of God, they will give glory to the Lord. Brother and sister, we don't have that light. It is not that we just simply move a switch or something and we produce that light in ourselves. That is not the light of people.

That is the light of Christ. We ought to have the light of Jesus in us. Personal, spiritual virtue. takes priority over social transformation. The role of the church is for us to set our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, to preach the gospel in a biblical way that people will be saved, that people will be edified and conform to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that these people will be the means by which the kingdom of God permeates into this earth, and then reaches to the lost, and then pushes back that darkness.

We don't have that power in and of ourselves. We need Christ in our heart. Personal spiritual virtue takes priority over social transformation. Second, the means of those spiritual means, verse 16, pay attention to verse 16, holding fast to the word of life. And I just loved it.

I just love it that he calls it the word of life. when he could have called it the Word of Truth, which is true, it is the Word of Truth, he calls it the Word of Life. We are to be these vessels of light into the world, my dear brother and sister, by holding fast to this Word of Life. And the question is not, what is this word of life? But rather, the question is, who is this word of life?

But because before we answer the question, what is this word of life? The most important question is, who is this word of life? And let me tell you with my heart filled with joy that the one that is the word of life is Jesus Christ. We are to hold fast to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through His Word, to learn His commandments, to learn His statutes, to have the power and the life of Christ in us. By holding fast to the Gospel of Christ, His Word and His truth is that we can be vessels of light in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.

We don't have the power to do it in and of ourselves. And that's why in the flesh, brethren, many times we choose ignorance of the issues, or we just simply choose indifference, or we just choose passivity. Because doing, confronting, or facing a culture of death in the flesh is a fearful thing. They are bigger. They are more powerful.

They have more resources. They're much more than who we are. But it's not about us, brethren. It's about Christ Jesus in His church. It is when the power of the Spirit of God is in us and through us that we can bring the truth of the Gospel and the Scriptures to those who are going through the difficulties and the pains and the sufferings of the culture of death in abortion.

Second, how are we going to do it, I said, spiritually, but also practically, and with this I'm going to finish in the next seven minutes, I hope. Practically, it is not only about a spiritual, all of these things that I've said of faith, of coming to the Lord Jesus Christ, holding fast this word of life, holding fast to the Savior, to the Lord Jesus Christ, abiding in Christ. That is our vine. We can do nothing without Christ. We are the branches where to be in Christ.

That is the spiritual aspect. But also, brethren, there is a practical thing. There is a practical manifestation of it, because faith without works is? dead. We need to have works that manifest the reality of that faith.

And I'm not going to take this from the text, but rather I'm just going to tell you this from the canon of the New Testament. Practically speaking, first of all, we need not to choose ignorance, but we are to choose recognition of this problem. Come with me, please, to Proverbs chapter 24. And let me just show you something very powerful that I've just seen this week. Proverbs Proverbs chapter 24.

Pay attention to this. Verse 11. Read this with faith, brethren. Verse 2411. Rescue those who are being taken away to death.

Hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, behold, we did not know this. That's not he who weighs the heart perceive it. In other words, God. Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it?

And will he not repay men according to his work? Ignorance is not an excuse for the church. Choosing to ignore something that is going on in a culture of death is not an excuse and it's not an option for the people of God. To choose the path in which we say these innocent souls are being taken to death and to ignore that this is happening is not an excuse for the people of God. Because we have not only received the light of God in the Scriptures that tells us otherwise, but we have also received the revelation of God Himself, Christ Jesus, in the Spirit that illuminates the Scriptures to us and that points us to that which is righteous.

And we know better than the lost that the taking of an innocent life is wrong and is evil. Ignorance, my dear brother and sister, is not an excuse. But second, indifference is not an excuse. Come with me, please, to Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5.

Ephesians chapter 5. Read with me, please, carefully this passage, and let the Word speak to us through His Spirit. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 7. Ephesians 5.7 Pay attention to this, brother, dear sister.

Therefore, do not become partners with them. For at one time you were darkness. You remember Paul in Philippians is speaking about darkness and we are light. Verse eight. For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.

Walk as children of light. For the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true. and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Verse 11. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible. For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Brethren, indifference is not an excuse.

Indifference is not an option. We have the light of Christ Jesus, and we have the light of the gospel, and we are to shed that light of Christ to this culture of death, so that by God's grace we hope, not only that they will understand that abortion is wrong and that it's evil, but more importantly, that by seeing the evilness of these ways, they will turn to the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Because when we rescue a person from being aborted, or a boy or a girl, then it is a great manifestation of joy. But if that boy or that girl do not come to Christ Jesus, at some point in their future they are going to face another type of death. And if they do not come to Christ, the type of death that they will face, it is worse than the first one.

We are to bring the light of the gospel to those who are victims of this culture of death, those who are affected by it, because the hope of the gospel is the only hope that they have. And then finally, and when this I finish, go there please to Ephesians chapter 6. It is not only with a recognition of it, and it's also without indifference, but thirdly, it is with resistance. We have the weapons that the Lord has given us to resist these things of the devil. So let us go to Ephesians chapter 6, I think I said, and let us just read together this passage, and I will make my final remarks with this.

Ephesians chapter six verse ten. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore, speaking to all Christi, and having done all to stand firm, Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace, in all circumstances, please pay attention to 16, in all circumstances, take up the chill of faith, with which you can extinguish all, all the flaming darts of the evil one.

Not most of them. Not the easy ones. But with the shield of faith, we are able to stand against all, to extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication. Brethren, it is not only about the spiritual thing, but it's also about the practical thing. And when I say the practical thing, I'm not speaking about creating a movement against abortion, but I'm speaking about prayer.

How much have we prayed about this, brethren? How much have we been on our knees with those who are in this culture of death? How much have we prayed this week for this? As we knew that this conference was approaching, how much have we prayed for those mothers and those babies that are killed? How much have we come before the throne of the Lord?

We don't need to be eloquent. We don't need to be powerful. We don't need to have resources. We don't need to be money. Each one of us, brethren, has access to the throne of grace to bring supplication for these people who are in this culture of death.

We have the time and we have the entrance to come before the presence of the Lord to intercede for our brothers and sisters who are in the front lines preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have on our knees and we have the grace that is needed for us to intercede for the ones that suffer in this culture of death that is abortion. We are the salt and the light to this world through what we do in the secret place. not only in prayer, brethren, but also the Word of the Lord. We are to treasure up the Word of the Lord in our hearts.

Not only that we may not sin against the Lord, but also that we may be able to have an answer for those who are broken, for those who are doubting, for those who are suffering because of the pains of this culture of death that is abortion, that we may have a word from the Lord to those who are tempted to kill their baby. That we might be able to have a word of grace and compassion from here, not from here, to those who are struggling and going through these difficulties. This is the way we are salt and light to this world. On our knees, through the scriptures, by brothers and sisters, biblical churches. We need Biblical churches so that there will be Biblical families.

We need Biblical husbands and Biblical wives so that they will raise Biblical children. So that then these children, when they are faced with the seriousness of the consequences of what they've done, they will not choose the path of the world, but they will remember what they were taught from the Scriptures. The problem of society and the problem of abortion does not start when a woman or a man try to kill their baby on the abortion clinic. It has started way before in their home. when a father was absent, or when a mother was absent, or more importantly, when the Word of the Lord was absent.

We need biblical churches, and we need to support our churches and our biblical churches, so that we will continue to minister the Word of the Lord. When one of these children, when one of these young people listen to the Scriptures, and they learn the Scriptures, brethren, the fruit of this work is not seen now. It is seen down the track, and only the Lord knows. So we are to support and to love our church, so that we will be the vessels through which the Word of the Lord is proclaimed. But it's not only prayer, it is not only the Word of the Lord, it is not only biblical churches, it is gospel proclamation.

Brethren, We have the message of life and we not ought to be evangelists to be on the street. Perhaps some might be called to that, some others may not. But the Lord gives us the opportunity many times to speak to someone at work or when we're studying or whatever it is, to share the message of light that is the message of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're not to be indifferent. We're not to be ignorant.

We're not to be passive. We have the weapons that the Lord has given us to face this culture of death, brethren. And we may not know what is going to be the effect of what the Lord has entrusted us. But the only thing that we do know is this, that this world is darkness, that this generation is crooked and is twisted, and that the Lord has been pleased, not only in come tonight upon the cross, but also to rescue a people that is his church, that is his children, so that we may be in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation as light, shining through the light of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, proclaiming and communicating the word of truth, the word of life, so that the decree of the Lord from eternity past will be displayed as we are obedient to the Lord. This is the glories of Christ, my dear brother and sister.

When we look outside and we see the evil and the unrighteousness of this world and the darkness of this culture of death, yes, we are surprised by the things that we see. But brethren, we're to be more surprised by the things that God has done for us. That even though we live in a world like this, He sent His only Son to die upon the cross to rescue us, us, that we belong to that system, that spiritual, satanic, demonic, atemporal system. He rescued us to be His people, and now has entrusted us the Word of Life. That is the means by which we face this culture of death.

And the Lord will rescue and will save those who are his. And the Lord will continue to build up his church. And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against his people. And Christ will be victorious, because he has already been victorious. We are not working towards victory.

We're not striving towards victory. But rather, when we look back to the victory of Christ, is that we're empowered to have the light of our Savior, and to move on, to move ahead, and to be obedient to him. Brethren, I'm not speaking as one who has been fully obedient to this. I'm actually speaking as one who has failed in all of these matters. But may our churches and our people be encouraged not only to be hearers of the Word, but to be doers of the Word.

So the next time that you're on your knees with your family, with your children in the church, that you may remember this culture of death. And even though we might not be outside there with pamphlets or brochures or doing these things that we have a power, the power of prayer, the power of the word, the power of the church, the power of the proclamation of the gospel. And we all can be partakers of the weapons that Christ has given to his church. And we can all be partakers of the establishment of the kingdom of Christ, because one day he will come. And on that day, the corruption of this earth will pass away, and we will see finally the victor, Christ Jesus, establishing His kingdom once for all.

To Him be all the glory, because He is the Word of life, and He is the giver of the Word of life. Amen? Amen. Let us pray. Father Lord, we give you thanks for your goodness, your kindness, and for the Word that we have in our hands, Lord.

I pray, Lord, that you will help our churches to be strengthened and empowered by your Holy Spirit and by your Word, that we will learn, Lord, to face this culture of death. We pray, Lord, that you will forgive us if there has been instances in which we have not obeyed your commandments. But we also know, Lord, that you're just and faithful to forgive our sins, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You are the one that purifies and makes us more like you. We ask, Lord, that even as we have considered these things and we're going to consider these things tomorrow, Lord, that you will strengthen your people, that you will grant us, Lord, a glimpse into the glories of Christ.

And as we do so, that we might be light and salt unto the world. And we pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.