Lights In A Dark World - Philippians 2:14-15 Series

Philippians 2:14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Introduction

A Crooked and Depraved Generation

Verse 14 says that we are living in the midst of a crooked and depraved generation. Is there anyone who would argue with that? North Carolina passed a law that says if you go into a public bathroom, men have to go in the men’s room – they can’t go in the ladies’ room. That law has caused a huge uproar, and North Carolina is now being sued by the United States over it. The federal government is saying, “That’s a violation of the civil rights of those men.” They are claiming that the Constitution somehow requires that we let the men go in the women’s locker room and showers if they want to.

At Mt Holyoke Women's College, when you go to fill out the application and you get to the question that asks your gender, there are eight options. This is a statement from their website:

The following academically qualified students can apply for admission consideration:

? Biologically born female; identifies as a woman

? Biologically born female; identifies as a man

? Biologically born female; identifies as other

? Biologically born female; does not identify as either woman or man

? Biologically born male; identifies as woman

? Biologically born male; identifies as other

? Biologically born with both male and female anatomy; identifies as a woman

The following academically qualified students cannot apply for admission consideration:

? Biologically born male; identifies as man.

If you’re a man and you know it, you can’t go. But men who think they are women, or who don’t know what they are – they are welcome.

And if you think eight gender options sounds like too many, on Facebook, when you fill out your profile, there are 58 possible gender options. And not to be outdone by the US, in England there are 71, because the 58 just weren’t inclusive enough. I think our generation qualifies as a twisted and perverted generation. Many of our highest public officials cannot bring themselves to agree with the statement, “All lives matter.” Pornography is speech – valuable, protected free speech, but the Word of God must be banned from schools and all public life, lest we violate that precious wall of separation between us and God. We have laws against discrimination on the basis of skin color, ethnicity, age, or gender, but not location. If you happen to be located in your mother’s womb, there is no protection at all. You can be tortured and killed, and it’s perfectly legal. There are absolutely no absolutes, and it’s wrong to say anything is wrong, and the only immorality is for you to say something is immoral. People march and protest and fight to preserve the right to use the Lord’s name in vain on TV and in school and government, and fight even harder against anyone using his name not in vain.

We Are to Shine

How much more twisted could the culture become? Why are they like that?

Romans 8:7 The sinful mind is hostile to God.

The reason they are so twisted and perverse is because of a deep seated hostility toward God, and toward the way God does things. That is the darkness of our world. And what the Lord Jesus Christ wants is to have a people of his own who stand out in stark contrast to that. Look at verse 15. He wants us to become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe. When God looks down, he wants to see the same thing we see when we look up – a whole bunch of lights against a black background. He wants to see his people shining like bright lights in a depraved, dark generation.

And what is it that will bring us to that point? How can we get so that we are holy and separate and completely different from the world - children of God, set apart from their wickedness and evil, shining like lights in the darkness? Do what verse 14 says. Look at the first two words of verse 15 - so that.