Valuing What God Values (part 1): Introduction

Agathos Ministries - Sermons

In this series, Peter is going to be addressing about five or six “controversial to the world but not controversial to God” topics. We are going to address those topics from the Word of God, and where helpful, Peter is also going to pull in some empirical evidence to help us see just how true the Word of God proves (Ps. 18:30). The first topic we are going to address is creation – and therefore we will also address evolution. If we don’t know what the Word of God says on these controversial-to-the-world matters, we will have what the Word of God calls a “weak conscience” (1 Cor. 8:7). When you know the Word of God on the matter, that’s what gives you a strong conscience! The core focus of Jesus’ life was to imitate the Father (Jn. 5:19-20). In other words, Jesus’ philosophy of life was to do what the Father was doing and say what the Father was saying. There is a great humility in Jesus’ philosophy of life (Mt. 10:24-25). He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. This is the mind of Christ: “I can do nothing of Myself, but what I see the Father do; for whatever the Father does, I do in like manner; it’s enough for Me to be like Him.” In the world, there are two philosophical operating systems available to us. The one was subscribed to (through deception of the serpent) by Adam and Eve. They ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but God never made man to be able to discern good and evil for himself. But Jesus was not like the first Adam. Instead, we hear from Jesus, “I can say nothing of Myself other than what I hear the Father say.” That’s it. There are two philosophies for life. The one is “I am going to discern good and evil for myself.” The second philosophy is “what my Papa says is what I say.” The second philosophy says “I’ve decided that’s enough. I’ve decided that it’s enough for me to be like the Father.” This is THE ROOT of Christian philosophy. Having a value system – a philosophy – that is like Christ! 1 Corinthians 2:16 says that we (as believers) have “the mind of Christ.” Jesus was saying “here’s how I operate. I say what He says and I do what He does.” And we have that mind of Christ! What many of us have done is use the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as the “operating system” for our entire lives, and what we’ve done is taken the Word of God and put it into that operating system as a program. And the Lord is saying, “I want My Word and My ways to be the whole operating system – not just a program.” Like the Lord told Peter, “your mind has been on the throne of your heart, and I want to be.” This is that! Pastor Brad taught on humility a couple years ago. This is a follow-up to that humility series. THIS is humility. It’s saying, “I know I have a right to have my own thoughts; I just choose to have His.” This is the philosophical foundation to this sermon series. Now let’s apply a Christ-like philosophy to some issues God is very clear about. Amen!