NXR Podcast - DAILY TRUTH - Responding to Injustice Aired: 2023-01-30 Duration: 07:24 === Claiming Power Through Oppression (03:16) === [00:00:00] All right, listen, guys, I get it. [00:00:01] Many of you are unable to financially support this ministry because you're spending your cash and your lives on raising young children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. [00:00:10] Praise God for you and that endeavor. [00:00:13] However, algorithms are a thing. [00:00:16] Shadow banning, sadly, is a thing. [00:00:18] And one major way that you can help to expand the reach and effectiveness of this ministry that doesn't cost you a dime is by spending just a few moments leaving us a five star review. [00:00:31] Also, perhaps even more effective than that, you can share our podcast with a friend. [00:00:36] We hope you'll take the time to do so. [00:00:38] Thank you so much. [00:00:39] God bless. [00:00:42] Jesus said, Man cannot live on bread alone, but from every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. [00:00:47] You're listening to Daily Truth. [00:00:52] First and foremost, what we'll see in the sermon today is that there are many who claim to be victims in our culture who are not. [00:01:00] They are victims of once having a bad day. [00:01:03] And even the bad day that they experienced is relative. [00:01:09] Whether or not it's actually a bad day, everybody in our culture seems to claim victim status. [00:01:15] Everybody in our culture seems to find some way to spin some narrative to claim that they've been mistreated, to claim that they've been oppressed. [00:01:26] We do this in our culture today because we want power. [00:01:30] We want power. [00:01:31] And in our culture, we have devised schemes of. [00:01:36] Of somehow proving to the culture at large, to society, that we've been mistreated, that we've been oppressed. [00:01:43] And if we can prove that, if we can spin that narrative and get others to accept it as true, then we are granted a certain measure of influence, a certain measure of power. [00:01:55] This is what intersectionality is all about. [00:01:59] It's seeing how many minority statuses we can claim. [00:02:05] Right? [00:02:05] That if you're a white male, And you're heterosexual, you're in trouble. [00:02:11] Right? [00:02:12] But if you're black, well, you have some status. [00:02:17] If you're a black man, that's one thing, but if you're a black woman, then you have more status, more influence, more power. [00:02:24] If you're a black woman in a wheelchair, it's a force to be reckoned with. [00:02:30] If you're a black man in a wheelchair who cross dresses and calls himself a woman, aka transgender, you have all the power in the world. [00:02:40] You might as well be a czar, a sultan, a king. [00:02:46] You can be on late night talk shows, and everybody has to listen to what you say, even if you speak about things that you have no knowledge about. [00:02:52] It doesn't matter. [00:02:53] Research, hard work, diligent study, not necessary. [00:02:59] You have a unique oppressed position and opinion, and who is anybody else to disagree? [00:03:06] That's the culture that we live in today. [00:03:08] So, first and foremost, probably just about anyone in this room. [00:03:15] Is not a victim. === Pursuing Justice Without Passivity (04:07) === [00:03:17] So the first thing that we should do as Christians, as followers of Jesus, when we feel as though we're victimized, is we should remind ourselves that we're probably not. [00:03:26] That's the first step. [00:03:28] The second step is as we consider our alleged oppression, as we consider our alleged mistreatment, we should consider it by the eternal and perfect standard of God's Word. [00:03:42] We should consider it not based off of these fleeting, flawed standards of our. [00:03:48] Culture today, not by our own personal, self absorbed standard, but rather by the unchanging, perfect, righteous standard of God's Word. [00:03:57] By God's Word, by God's standard, have I truly been mistreated? [00:04:02] And if so, the first thing that we should consider is can I let it go? [00:04:08] The Proverbs say that it's a man's glory to overlook an offense. [00:04:13] So the first thing that we should consider is can I let it go? [00:04:16] 1 Corinthians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul, he says, why not rather be wronged? [00:04:21] Can I let it go? [00:04:24] So, one, am I actually oppressed? [00:04:26] Probably not. [00:04:27] I'll save you the time, but feel free to do the biblical homework to see if you are. [00:04:31] And if you are, the next thing, the second step is can I let it go? [00:04:36] The third step is if you truly are oppressed and it's something that you believe in seeking counsel from your elders and deacons and other mature believers in Christ, something that you believe you should not let go, then the next question is how do I pursue justice in this circumstance? [00:04:56] While maintaining a humble, self sacrificing, honoring attitude. [00:05:04] Now, as a very important pastoral disclaimer, please do not miss this. [00:05:10] There is real suffering in this world, and there are times when that suffering should not be passed over, where an offense is something that you should not let go. [00:05:20] And there are certain practical steps that are righteous and biblically sound that you should pursue. [00:05:28] So, listen to me as I read this from your notes. [00:05:31] If you're being sexually or physically abused, you must immediately seek outside help. [00:05:36] While it is still necessary for you to apply the principles found in our text today regarding your attitude, the elders and deacons of our church do not want you to mistakenly think that God requires you to endure such abuse passively. [00:05:52] A sexual offender or a physically violent abuser should be brought Under both church discipline for their sins and the consequences of the law for their crimes. [00:06:05] Do not miss that. [00:06:07] The elders and deacons of this church, as I speak about what it is to suffer well, because I believe that's one of the main points that we see in our text what it is to have a Christian posture, a Christian attitude, what it is to suffer humbly, to suffer well when you are genuinely being mistreated, when your circumstances truly are unjust. [00:06:30] As I preach this sermon, Do not miss that disclaimer. [00:06:33] You can suffer well with your Christian posture, with the posture of your heart, with your attitude, while also calling the police. [00:06:43] These are not pitted against one another. [00:06:46] It's not either or, it's both and. [00:06:49] And specifically, when we think of oppression, if the alleged oppression that you are experiencing falls anywhere near the category of sexual or physical abuse, Then you need to call the elders of this church and the police. [00:07:08] Thanks so much for listening. [00:07:09] But, real quick, before you go, do us a small favor take a moment and leave us a five star review if you enjoyed the show. [00:07:17] This is undoubtedly the best way that you can help us get this biblically faithful content to as many people as possible. [00:07:24] Thanks so much.