Welcome to Mountain View Church Audio. Striving to introduce people to Jesus through scripture, biblical instruction, and prayer with authenticity and vibrancy. You don't need to know anything about the Bible. Just sit back, relax, and let God do the rest. Please consider subscribing to this podcast and leave a rating and review. And please consider supporting this ministry through a tax deductible donation at mountainview.church.com. That's mountainview.church.com. Now here's this week's message.
Welcome to Mountain View Church. My name is Ruben, and we are so glad you decided to join us today. We'd love to connect with you. For those of you attending online, you can click the connect link or text connect to the number on the screen. And for those attending in-house, you can fill out a connect card that is under the seats in front of you and hand it into the welcome desk. Thank you for choosing to be a part of our gathering today.
Imagine you're at a bus stop on a warm summer day. As you wait, you're reading a book or scrolling through social. All of a sudden, someone walks by and steps on your toes. The worst part is you're wearing sandals. The pain is excruciating. You immediately yell, hey, you just crushed my toes. As the person turns around to apologize, you notice they're not looking you in the eye. Then you notice the white cane. Suddenly, you're the one apologizing for how you reacted.
The context of the situation instantly changed your response. Now let's flip the situation. What if, as you were relaxing, you got lost in your book and stretched out your legs onto the sidewalk? Someone walks by who can see perfectly well and determines that your legs are in their way. They decide to kick them out of the way and continue walking. How do you respond? Are their actions justified? Why or why not? And who determines that justification? Is there a sidewalk law that would apply in that case? Is there a societal understanding or a cultural acceptance that governs sidewalk situations?
Probably not. Both of these situations, although seemingly insignificant, cause us to ask some important questions related to morality. Morality can be defined as the principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. But who gets to decide what's right and wrong? How do we establish which actions and behaviors are good or bad? What if someone disagrees?
Taking the previously stated situations as examples, there's evidence that morality can change depending on who the offender is, or better stated, who we decide the offender is. All of a sudden, we realize that we're making an internal judgment call based on our own personal beliefs and ethics, on whether or not they should have or could have known better in that given situation. But it doesn't end there. It's not just about the internal beliefs and ethics. Morality is also contextual. If you disagree on what is right or wrong, but the majority disagrees with you, does that mean that a collective change is established in the moral code?
And if so, is that the best course of action for everyone? This is a constant struggle in our Western context. One cultural viewpoint sees certain behaviors as acceptable or even celebrated, and yet another viewpoint sees them as completely detestable. This might be resonating with some of you. Perhaps you've been struggling with issues of cultural morality over the past decade. You feel like the Western moral compass has been pointed in the wrong direction, and you're seriously concerned as to where we might end up.
And yet, you're completely shocked when your neighbors and coworkers believe the Western culture has improved in leaps and bounds over the past decade. They believe that Western moral compass is on point, leading to our best life. How did this happen? Who gets to decide what happens next? Who will determine the line of morality for our future?
Today we're going to tackle this difficult topic as we continue our Gospel Culture series, Embracing a Call to be Different. We'll explore how the gospel impacts morality, not by instituting or abandoning religious rules, but by fully experiencing the grace of Jesus. We'll discover that the standard of morality and culture can shift, but it begins in the hearts of individuals, not institutions. By taking our gospel call seriously, we can have an impact on the morality of our culture in the future. I will be reading from 1 Peter 1, 13-21.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. But as he who called you is holy, you also will be holy in all your conduct. Since it is written, you shall be holy, for I am holy. And if you call on him as father who judges impartially according to each one's deed, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers.
not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. The rules of religion will always lead to hypocrisy, but there's hope in the grace of Jesus, which is the only way to find true and lasting morality. Think of it this way. The rules of religion lead to hypocrisy. The grace of Jesus leads to morality. And when I say religion, I mean every time humanity tries to establish a rule for life on what is morally right or wrong and what constitutes as bad or good behavior.
In every situation, we end up crossing the very lines that we've drawn. We're constantly setting a standard for morality, then falling into hypocrisy. But how does this happen? Let's take our core passage as an example. If you have a Bible, turn to 1 Peter 1, verses 13 and 14.
By the way, if you don't have a Bible, you can go to Bible.com. You can use your mobile device and download a Bible app, or you can text the number on the screen, and we will send you one. And if you're in-house, you can just grab a Bible under the seats in front of you. If you're new to looking passages up in the Bible, it's not that difficult, especially if you use the table of contents in the front. Just go to the very end of the New Testament or near the end of the New Testament. You'll find 1 Peter. You'll get a page number there, and then we're in chapter 1, verses 13 and 14. Let's read that together. Here we go.
Therefore, preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance. Now, if you grew up in church, there's a temptation to view these verses as a list for spiritual success or Christian ethics. You might even quite literally make a checklist. Step one, prepare your mind for action. Step two, be sober-minded. Step three, be an obedient child. Step four, don't conform to previous enjoyed passions.
It might sound absurd when I state it like that, but this thought process is so common in the Western church. We can be tempted to do this with any number of scripture passages, but it's rarely the correct interpretation. And this is true with today's passage. Peter's not trying to offer a Christian code of ethics. Now, on the other hand, perhaps you didn't grow up in the church. You might be tempted to disregard Peter's statements altogether, regarding them as irrelevant for our modern context. You might view them as optional behaviors that only apply to uber-religious types. And you'd be right without the critical piece of information that's found in the middle of all these behaviors, which provides deeper meaning to the entire passage. For those inside and outside the church, none of these stated actions are attainable, nor are they even understandable unless we fully capture the first part of verse 13.
where Peter writes that we must set our hope fully on the grace that is found in the revelation of Jesus. We must set our hope fully on the grace of Jesus. According to Peter, only then can we escape the passions of our former ignorance. But maybe you're wondering, what does Peter mean by former ignorance? Surely ignorance is in opposition to religious rules and ethical systems, but that's not the case. Ignorance is often displayed in the moral codes that we cling to. In the culture to which Peter originally wrote this letter,
People were far more comfortable in stated religious beliefs. People believed in God or even multiple gods within the non-Jewish culture. The monotheistic Jewish leaders who called for Jesus to be executed had a well-laid-out religious system. And the polytheistic Roman leaders were the ones that carried out his crucifixion, and they also had a well-laid-out legal system with mixed religions all into it. Both were opposed to the gospel teachings of Jesus because it challenged both systems of morality. Within our culture, many would claim that they don't follow a religious rule of life.
A great example is atheism, which is pitched as the escape from organized religion. The problem is the well laid out rules are based on theoretical science and not absolutes. And yet a good atheist must hold the line, which becomes extremely religious and almost institutional. Whether we want to admit it or not, the hypocrisy of the human heart will eventually unfold. Whether we claim to follow a religious belief or not, we're all establishing an internal moral system that ultimately consumes itself.
All of it is, as Peter defines, ignorance that can only be escaped through the gospel and grace of Jesus Christ. But maybe you're still skeptical. If so, let's work through some of the pushbacks. Maybe you're thinking, what about the Crusades and colonialism in residential schools? How does Christianity fit into that framework for morality? These are valid arguments. This is a good question. How can Christianity proclaim to carry a standard of morality when we consider these aspects of church history?
As a Christian and as a pastor, I'm ashamed of these outcomes. I can only apologize and ask for forgiveness. However, if we consider our core text and the ultimate outcome, these events actually provide further evidence. Throughout history, Christianity has always lost its way when it becomes a religion. I would suggest that the motivation behind those tragic events was not centered on the gospel.
They may have been waving a Christian flag, but history has proven that their goals were more religious than Christ centered. In the end, they were forcing people to follow Jesus, which is morally wrong within the core beliefs of Christianity and completely contradictory to the character of Jesus. I wish I could say that events like this won't ever happen again, but the fallen nature of humanity tells me otherwise. I know that whenever the human heart makes following Jesus into a religion, hypocrisy is always the end result. If we can't set our hope fully on the grace of Jesus, we're just turning Christianity into another religious system. God already gave us the law in the Old Testament, to which the hypocrisy of the human heart is well laid out in the prophetic writings. God therefore did not send his son to create a new set of laws for us to follow, but instead to fulfill the law and prophets through Jesus with his gift of grace. Now, maybe you have more of a secular agnostic approach. If so, you're not alone.
There's a growing perception that culture needs to completely move away from all legal and religious institutions so that everyone can establish their own standard of right and wrong. This belief is based on the notion that human beings are inherently good and therefore will return to our best nature without legal and religious constraints. The main problem with this position is determining how anarchy and morality can coexist in a society. As an example, consider the recent roadblock for LGBTQ2 advocates. Although Western culture has seemingly been unfazed by the secular pride movement over the past decade, bringing certain pride initiatives into elementary schools suddenly crossed the line. When parents saw videos of drag queen story time in school libraries, it felt wrong. Looking for answers, parents started researching pride materials and curriculum, which sent them down a rabbit hole of LGBTQ2 agendas. How did this happen? Well, it turns out that even in a secularized culture, there's a form of moral law that exists, that the sexualization of children is wrong.
Therefore, actions and behaviors associated with the sexualization of children are bad and should be stopped. The question is, why is that the line? Why does it exist? How do we know that it's the correct line? How did the line get crossed in the first place? The answer is the hypocrisy of the human heart, trading identity for sexuality and celebrating it. Then, all of a sudden, even a secularized society is shocked when that celebrated sexual identity continues to explore more deviant behaviors.
How didn't they see this coming? Now let's widen our perspective to a global level. It's no surprise why some African countries have shifted away from secularism in their culture. Recently, after Uganda upheld laws preventing LGBTQ2 advancement, the president of the United States went public, stating that Uganda's position was, quote, a tragic violation of universal human rights. From his Western perspective, Uganda's position is morally wrong, but his statements had no effect because they hit a moral barrier. Many African countries have looked at what's happening in the West, and they've shifted their societal perspective.
Western secular ideals, including drag queens and libraries, are giving them a picture of what will happen if they shift the moral line in their culture. For them, the risk is not worth the reward. It turns out that open secular society promotes a system that makes the most vulnerable the least protected. How has this become justified as morally right? As you can see, whether we lean into strict legalism or embrace open secularism, the result is the same. They are both forms of religious experience where the hypocrisy of the human heart is on display. And so, I'm wondering, is the needle of your moral compass starting to shift?
Are you struggling to get a bearing? Is the grace of Jesus becoming an option worth considering? If not, allow me to give you one more piece of historical evidence where the power of the gospel actually shifted the morality of an entire culture. Let's consider for a moment the ancient Greco-Roman culture that dominated the world during the first century. In that culture, human beings justified and celebrated extremely abhorrent practices and behaviors to fulfill their lustful and violent desires.
And yet, in the midst of that Greco-Roman era, there was a light that had been ignited from a divine source. It caused an internal heart change that had never been witnessed before and would eventually shift history. Human beings were able to grasp a more profound sense of morality, not from following a set of religious rules, nor from allowing each person to establish their own truth. All of that had been tried before. This change to the human condition stemmed from an understanding of God's grace, offered through the sacrifice and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ, then implanted into human hearts through the Holy Spirit.
This was the birth of true Christianity, which spread and called into question the Greco-Roman perceptions of morality. Denise D'Souza, the author of What's So Great About Christianity, explains this shift in an article titled How Christianity Shaped the West. She writes, in ancient Greece and Rome, individual human life had no particular value in and of itself. The Spartans left weak children to die on a hillside. Fathers who wanted sons had few qualms about drowning their newborn daughters. Human beings were routinely bludgeoned to death or mauled by wild animals in the Roman gladiatorial arena. Many of the great classic thinkers saw nothing wrong with these practices. Christianity, on the other hand, contributed to their demise by fostering moral outrage at the mistreatment of innocent human life.
Christianity was ignited not by religious systems or rules for life, but by individuals who place their hope fully in the grace that is found in Jesus. Under that mission of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, these individuals impacted the morality of that culture. Little by little, the moral bar was raised to a higher standard and brought about massive societal shifts in laws and human rights. Much of which, by the way, we unpacked in last week's message. Make sure you check that out.
Now, up until this point, we've been talking about big picture moral outcomes. Maybe you're wondering, how does this happen? What takes place inside the individual? Better asked, how does Jesus bring about supernatural change? What does the gospel provide that humanity can acquire on our own? Well, to answer that, there's a series of things that happen. You see, when you accept the gospel and place your hope fully in the grace of Jesus, you will receive a vision of eternity, which brings the realization that your life continues after death. You'll also receive a conviction of sin.
which brings a desire to avoid destructive behaviors and lifestyles. You'll receive a compassion for humanity, which brings a willingness to show authentic love, charity, and forgiveness. You'll receive a recognition of materialism, which will bring about an ability to let go of earthly goods and pleasures. You'll also receive a purpose for life, which brings a call to serve God and serve others through spiritual gifts. Lastly, you'll receive a mission from God, which brings a mandate to share the gospel so others might experience the same redemption and understanding morality that you have experienced. And so we'll conclude on this point. We will eventually cross every moral line that we set for ourselves because we're human. Fallen human beings are destined to design fallen moral systems. You, like every other human being, need a supernatural source for morality. Thankfully, God loved you enough to provide that source through the grace of his son Jesus. You can be healed and restored through him.
Scripture tells us, But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Without Jesus, we're blind. Without the revelation of the gospel, we are navigating this world in spiritual darkness. If you crave a society that has a higher moral standard, stop looking to human systems.
Instead, embrace the gospel and share it with friends, neighbors, co-workers. We'll never be able to convince the blind to see. They need to receive a miraculous healing of the heart before their eyes can be fully opened. Let's pray. Dear Father, I thank you for the Apostle Peter who gave great principles and conducts for living, but they didn't stop there. They all stem from a heart change that can only happen through your salvation plan that is brought about through the gospel of Jesus.
Father, if there's anyone here who's been wrestling with thoughts and ideals of morality and maybe they're to the point where they realize that the compass is pointing to Jesus, Father, I ask that they might hear your call and submit to the gospel, that they might repent of their sin and receive your spirit, that they may start a new life that's everlasting. Father, for those of us that already proclaim to follow Jesus, I ask that we wouldn't get caught up in the temptation to make Christianity religious, that we remember that it's a grace-filled faith. It's not just the law. It's the fulfillment of the law in Jesus. And Father, as John wrote, I just pray that we might be in the light as you are in the light, that we would be that light in the darkness of our world. As our culture is grasping at all sorts of different systems and moral codes to try to get a bearing, that we might offer them the North Star, that we might offer them Jesus so that they might find their bearing and find the answer to all the questions they're searching for answers for.
And we ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Hello again. We want to thank you for joining us at Mountain View Church. If you have given your life to Jesus today or if you would like to submit a prayer request, please click the connect link, text connect to the number on the screen or fill out a connect card.
Before you go, we have a few updates, followed by this week's discussion questions and prayer focus. And if it's anything like last time, cars will start showing up right at 12, and it will be busy, busy, busy until 4. Just a reminder, junior youth do need to have a parent along for the 12 to 4 car wash lot. So, you know, bring your mom, bring your dad, bring someone who's an adult along. And after the work is done, we'll clean up as a team so that we can all head inside together for some pizza and some wings and some cake, and it'll be awesome. And then, well, then, we'll have a little something else. But I'm not going to tell you right now because it's a surprise. What I can say is it will be both hilarious and also fun, so you don't want to miss it. You've got to be there.
And hey, grownups, adults, hey, listen to me, listen to me. Okay, this time I'm also inviting you to come down, roll up your sleeves, scrub some cars with us. Extra hands are always welcome. So drop in on Saturday between 12 and four for the car wash to show your support for our amazing youth group. And they're very humble and overworked youth leader. Thanks so much, everyone. Have a great week. We want to extend a special thank you to those who have continued to support our church. To continue that support or to make a one-time tax-deductible donation, simply click the give link or text give to the number on the screen. And if you're in-house,
feel free to use one of our giving envelopes found under the seats in front of you, then drop it into the donation box at the back of the auditorium. Now, let's bring Pastor Jeremy right back for this week's discussion questions and prayer focus. Before you go, I have a discussion question for you, maybe just a contemplation question if you're on your own, but if you're with people, gather together and ask them this question and answer it for yourself, figure it out. And then hopefully you'll go down some rabbit holes of great discussion because we don't want it to just be... listening to content. We want you to have some application and to do that, you have to talk about it. That's the way it works. So here we go. The question for today is how have you experienced the hypocrisy of human established morality in our culture?
How have you experienced the hypocrisy of human established morality in our culture? And then once you've had a conversation for a while and maybe subsequent conversations, please, before you go, take some time to pray. I would ask that you would pray for an opportunity to share the gospel in your context or pray for an opportunity to invite someone to next week's gathering, either online or in-house. Again, pray for an opportunity to share the gospel or to invite someone to next week's gathering. Thank you so much for being here at Mountain View Church and we hope to see you next week as we continue our gospel culture journey. Mountain View Church Audio.
If you've given your life to Jesus today or would like to join, serve, or support Mountain View Church, please let us know at mountainview.church slash connect. That's mountainview.church slash connect. Have a blessed week.