Sermons

Summary: Has your life been a bit smelly lately?

Not many people think about dung beetles because frankly any animal that eats dung and carcasses normally does not end up on our most desired pet or entrée list. They are actually quite beneficial and can be admired for that. There are however quite a few Christians living and feeding in various dunghills. They are not beneficial to themselves or the Body. Indeed, they are destructive. There is always a need for dung removal in the Body and that has been the job of the prophets and polemicists over the years. However, dunghill Christians dwell in and thrive on things they should have tossed, covered, or flushed long ago.

Phil 3:4-11

4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (KJV)

The Apostle truly understood the New Covenant and what was eternal treasure and what was dung. The manure that he could have hung on to and treasured is unfortunately what many Christians still hold on to as if it were platinum instead of dung.

Many bury themselves in the dunghill of fleshly confidence. We live in an age where the emphasis is on being number one and self-assertiveness. Success is all in the mind and if you project the winning attitude you can anything. What the mind can conceive man can achieve.

Is it any wonder that we have more CEOs, cheerleaders, and motivational speakers in the Church than pastors and prophets? Degrees are more important than doctrine or as one man said, scars. Since man looks on the outside and the carnal heart can understand the flesh maybe some of these techniques have merit in the world but they have no place in the spiritual realm and are toxic to the Body of Christ.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (KJV)

This is one of the many flaws in modern psychiatry. They may be able to notice common flaws and patterns in man since we are all sinners and desperately wicked. However, a heart that suffers from the same problems cannot properly analyze or evaluate a deceitful and wicked heart. They see the symptoms but since they use a pseudo-science and seek answers in the wrong places they cannot find the cure. This is how criminals manipulate that false science and get away with murder and other crimes.

There has to be a standard for sanity to develop a cure for insanity. That can only be developed and set by the Creator. If the only cars that a person ever saw were rusty and held together by baling wire you would think that is the normal state of a car until you visited the GM or BMW assembly line and saw a new car come off the line.

There has not been a perfect human being seen since the Fall save that of Jesus Christ and they crucified Him. Therefore we are looking at bad data and making bad assessments based upon that data. Unless we go back to the owner’s manual and schematics we are helpless in repairing those of us that are in what appears to be greater disrepair than the rest of us. He is the standard of sanity and His Word is the medicine that cures.

Indeed, our concept of sanity is flawed. All humans are insane. Only the degree varies for if we were sane we would love the Creator and abide by the laws He gave us for our good. Instead we deny Him and justify our actions though they have caused nothing but pain, suffering, wars, and untimely deaths for nearly six thousand years. We keep doing the same things over and over expecting different results and that is a prime proof of insanity thus mankind is stark raving mad. Trusting in our flesh to do anything right let alone live righteously is insane.

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Jonathan Campbell

commented on Jan 19, 2012

Excellent sermon. Thank you for sharing it.

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