Plays On Word Radio
An in-depth look at the Word of God, the Plays On Word community, and the Plays - with original music - we perform, that are based on the Word of God. New episodes drop Fridays at 7AM EST! To find out how Plays On Word Theater can perform 'LIVE on YOUR STAGE' and to support this missionary & podcast visit: https://playsonword.org/
Plays On Word Radio
Ep 115: Beyond Bitterness - Operating From a Position of Victory (Part 2)
"Have you ever heard the phrase, “You are what you eat?” Well, that also applies mentally & spiritually. Today’s episode is a challenge to check our media consumption and guard our speech."
We are back again to continue our conversation as Pastor Teddy, a.k.a. Fred Kenney, Jr., offers a powerful examination of how our spiritual consumption shapes our outlook and speech. He challenges believers to consider whether they're getting more news than Scripture while reminding us that we operate from a position of victory in Christ.
• What we consume spiritually impacts our overall outlook just as what we eat affects physical health
• Christians have victory in Christ and should operate from that position of strength
• Being "in the world but not of it" means engaging without being conformed
• Corrupting talk grieves the Holy Spirit by Whom believers are sealed
• The Holy Spirit gently convicts before, during and after we speak unwisely
• Conviction draws us to the cross while condemnation drives us away
• Christ didn't shed His blood so we could reflect the world but reflect Him
• Sanctification is God's ongoing restoration process—declaring us perfect then working on us
• Rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving lead to the peace that surpasses understanding
• When we focus on who God is, our problems shrink in comparison
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace! ~ Numbers 6:24-26
Listen to Part 1 of this interview here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2110391/episodes/16870855
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Lord you know. Hey guys, you are now listening to Plays on Word Radio.
Speaker 2:It's the best, we'll be right back your name, your name, your name.
Speaker 1:Hello and welcome to Plays on Word Radio, where we discuss, analyze, work and play on the Word of God. Thank you for joining us on this excursion. Today let's join Pastor Teddy, also known as Fred David Kenny Jr, the founder of Plays on Word Theater, as he does a deep dive into the Word of God.
Speaker 2:Okay, okay, okay, amen. So last time we were talking, I spent most of the time talking about CBI in the Philippines, but I didn't want to eat up all the time. But I did and I started to talk about just being bitter, started to talk about just being, uh, just being bitter, being bitter, walking around upset. Hey, and the news has a lot to do with that what are you consuming? Okay, if you, if you drink Coca-Cola with every meal and eat Skittles and potato chips, the chance of you becoming a diabetic goes way up. I mean, what are you consuming? If you're consuming junk, it's going to have an impact on your overall outlook.
Speaker 2:Why not consume the Word of God, man, the truth, the word of God. Consume that and then everything else will be in perspective. It's not that you can't have some Coca-Cola or Pepsi or some Skittles or something, or some potato chips. It's not like you can't have it. Just don't make it the staple of your diet.
Speaker 2:And unfortunately, many of us have made the news, particularly cable news, the staple of our diet. As far as what we consume on a daily basis, what type of poison are we consuming? Hey, I mean, I'm not knocking anybody who wants to stay updated and aware of what's going on. No shame in that. But when that becomes, let me put it this way step on some toes. Are you getting more Fox News than Scripture? Let me flip it for the other side of y'all Are you getting more CNN than scripture? Be honest with me. Just I tell you what. How much time have you spent in the Word versus how much time have you spent being Verse? How much time have you spent being how do I say this malnourished? Huh, I'm stepping on some toes right now. Please forgive me if it hurts. What are you consuming as believers in Christ? I said this last time we have the victory. Do I have to make a trophy and send it to one of you, each of you? We're operating from the victory. Victory. We have victory in Christ. You are not defeated doesn't mean you can't be involved in what's going on in the world. If anything, you should be involved. You're the salt of the earth. You're the light of the world.
Speaker 2:Jesus never called believers to isolate themselves away. He said you're in the world, though you're not of the world. You're in it, so be in it, but don't let the world be in you, man. Don't let the world conform you to its image. Why, well, you end up grieving Him by whom you have been sealed. In Ephesians it talks about that. You know, don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God. What do you mean grieve? How can I grieve the Holy Spirit? Listen, it's in the Scripture. You can grieve the holy spirit by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. How does that happen?
Speaker 2:By letting corrupting talk come out of your mouths. Oh, I'm stepping on some toes right now. Corrupting talk what do you mean if you had an audio recorder running 25 hours a day next to you? Are there times when you sound exactly like the world sounds? Corrupting talk, whatever that is, don't let it come out of your mouth, but only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Now, listen, I'm not preaching as some holier-than-thou guy. This is convicting me. This is convicting me. This is convicting me.
Speaker 2:I saw this one politician guy that was on TV. I really don't watch much TV, but I don't know how it ended up on TV and it caught me at the wrong time. Man, I was a little tired, a little fatigued. I didn't have my coffee yet. I was a little fatigued. I I didn't have my coffee yet, I was a little hungry, um, and my my dashboard was all lit up on me on the things I need to watch so that I don't end up being driven by my flesh.
Speaker 2:And you know, I said some stuff about that politician which no doubt grieved the Holy Spirit, and I apologize. And you know what Listen you can. You can know when you're grieving him. He's a gentleman. He will let you know before, during and after. So, before I said what I was going to say about that politician, before it happened, the Holy Spirit, in the most gentle way, said hey, don't say that, don't say what you're going to say. That's not the way to do it. Don't go down there, don't do it. But I was more led by my flesh than I was the Spirit and I didn't listen to that still small voice and oh, let me tell you that Scripture is not exaggerating Still small voice that Elijah heard. That's the Holy Spirit. He lets us know don't do it, don't say that, don't say what you're going to say. Then, as I'm saying it now, I'm being convicted.
Speaker 2:I don't feel condemnation, but I feel conviction, and conviction always has to deal with right and wrong. He just calls it the way he sees it. You're not right in how you're characterizing this person. That's not how I would have you speak of another human being and then, when I was done so, he gets you before, during and then after. After it's black and white. It is a righteous, perfect judgment.
Speaker 2:That was not right how you said that, and there's another way to let me help you to speak about certain issues or certain things. Speaking from your flesh is not going to bring about the righteousness of God and it's always a direction towards him. So that's that is complete conviction. Conviction brings us to him and to the cross. That we would crucify our flesh and put him on the throne. That's where conviction brings condemnation from the enemy throne. That's where conviction brings Condemnation from the enemy, condemnation from our own rotten flesh. But condemnation primarily from the enemy is, like you know, you can't go back to God. Look what you said, look what you did, look what you thought. Man, god doesn't want to hear you. So that's condemnation. Condemnation always drives us away from the cross. Conviction drives us to the cross and to true repentance which leads to true righteousness. And that's how we know we're hearing from him. Well, we can grieve him, though, man. We can grieve him with corrupting talk, of course, joking stuff.
Speaker 2:I push the line sometimes on jokes and fooling around and just being silly and stuff like that. It's not that you can't have fun, and I think that's where the pendulum swings too hard. I think the Holy Spirit lets us know when we are getting too close to an edge, especially if it's making fun of someone, and he has convicted me of that. I'm on a text group with a bunch of my buddies and we bust each other's chops hard. I mean, we crack jokes hard on each other and they give it as much as they get. But the Lord has convicted me on that, and he's like listen, man, you don't. No, no, you don't need to go there, you don't need to say anything like that, you know, and so I was like you know. I tell you I'm convicted in this myself, as the Lord has been sharing this with me. So I just want to encourage all of you and everyone you know.
Speaker 2:In Philippians he's talking about that, I mean Ephesians, he's talking about that, ephesians 4, and this is the part of Ephesians where you know, it's the Christian walk, it's the how do we walk and live this life. Well, paul's given us. He's given us the bullet points on how to do that. The first part of Ephesians is all about being seated with Christ in the heavenly places. It's a heavenly perspective. But from chapter 4 to chapter 6, it's walk, and then it ends with us standing. That's. You know, that great commentary, watchman Nee made sit, walk, stand. That's what it's about.
Speaker 2:And this section here you know, he's especially chapter 4, man, be angry and do not sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger. I've gone to sleep angry at certain stuff in the world. You know, give no opportunity to the devil. Wow, you're giving him an opportunity when you let the sun go down on your anger, you know. And then Paul goes on and said let the thief no longer steal, but let him labor doing honest work with his own hands. That's kind of odd. I didn't know there were thieves in Ephesus that were part of the church, but hey, he's bringing it. And then verse 29, man, this is key. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up as fits the occasion. I mean this should be convicting.
Speaker 2:If we sound like the world, then red alert, red flag, red alert. Let's make the adjustments. That's an indication that the enemy is taking that opportunity. Man is taking that opportunity. Man, he's taking the opportunity. And I know some people that don't even realize that they sound like and worse than the world in their language, which comes from their thoughts and their heart. And the whole point is, man, we don't want to let, we don't want to give the enemy. Uh no, well, I'm not worried about that, pastor. I ain't worried about that. I got this. I'm not giving the enemy an opportunity, are you, aren't you? I should say, aren't you, aren't you, aren't you?
Speaker 2:If we sound like the world, look like the world, act like the world, we are giving them a mirror. The world doesn't need a mirror and Christ did not die so that we could reflect the world. Can I get an amen? Christ didn't shed his blood so we could reflect the world. Can I get an amen? Christ didn't shed his blood so we could reflect the world. He shed his blood so we would reflect him. I can't do that in my own strength, of course you can't. That's the point. We can't do it in our own strength. That is the point. So what did he do? He gives us of his spirit to lead us and guide us and convict us when we're off the rails. That's all I'm saying. I'm not trying to beat nobody down, I'm not even trying to beat myself down. The point is, when we're off the rails, the Holy Spirit's going to let us know and he's conforming us to the image of what, come on, finish it. For me, church, that's right Into the image of his son. We are being conformed into the image of his son.
Speaker 2:And I've given the example a bunch of times about the um, a barn find, like a car that's all beat up, it's a jalopy and it's in this barn. And this guy, he sees it and he's like whoa and he goes and sells all that he has to get this beat up jalopy and he says I'll take it, that thing is perfect. And the person that's selling it is like what Are you kidding me? It's a rust bucket man. The tires are flat, it's all. The windows are all busted, it's just, it's all rusted out. And this guy says no, no, that thing is perfect.
Speaker 2:And he takes it. And he first declares it perfect and then he takes it to his shop and he starts working on it and he breaks out the grinder and then he breaks out the welder and starts fixing. He breaks out the fiberglass putty, starts fixing the holes and he puts new tread on the tires, new glass in the windows and he gets the engine running right. It was completely wreck windows and he gets the engine running right. It was completely wrecked but he gets the engine running right and works on it, works on it and he's on the outside and he's polishing and polishing and it's not done until he can see his reflection in the car, like in the metal and in the paint. When he sees his own reflection, then he knows it's done in the car, like in the metal and in the paint. When he sees his own reflection, then he knows it's done.
Speaker 2:And that's what the Lord's doing to us. He is conforming us to the image of his Son. He is looking for his reflection in us. He has declared us perfect Hebrews 10, 14,. By the one sacrifice he has perfected for all time those that are being sanctified right. So when you get a chance, check out Hebrews 10, 10 and 10, 14.
Speaker 2:And so the declaration's gone out. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places. That was before. He said let there be light. How do you like that Before the foundation of the world he chose us in Christ. Before he said let there be light.
Speaker 2:So the declaration has gone out, but yet there is a period of time. A linear period of time meaning it has a start point. Period of time. A linear period of time meaning it has a start point. There is an end point to our sanctification. I believe that's a good theological question. I need to research that At some point we will have been brought to completion, we will be what he originally designed us to be for eternity holy, righteous and blameless before Him for all eternity. So there is a. It makes sense there would be a stop point to the sanctification. But that's a process that is sanctification. But that's a process that is in Hebrews. Going back to Hebrews, it says we have been sanctified, those he has sanctified. But then in 14, he's saying those he is sanctifying, those he is working on. So the declaration went out.
Speaker 2:We're declared perfect, we meet the righteous requirements of God in Christ, but yet he is working on us slowly to conform us into the image of Christ. Practically we don't meet the righteous requirements because practically we live in these bodies day by day and we fall short and fail catastrophically fail, miserably fail. But yet he knew we would fail before. He said let there be light. And he still set us aside in Christ before anything happened. So the only person surprised in us failing is us. Think about that the next time we slip up or fail. Not that I want anybody to, we don't want anybody to slip up and fail. But the one person that is not surprised is the Lord. Okay, we're surprised, and the enemy's probably even surprised. Like what? And then he pounces you call yourself a Christian. You said that, you did this, you did what.
Speaker 2:The bottom line is the Lord absolutely loves us and wants us to rejoice. He wants us to live with gratefulness. And that comes from? How does that happen? Well, look what Paul says in Philippians 4. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness like why do I have trouble with that Reasonableness? Be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.
Speaker 2:Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, there you go being thankful. Let your requests be made known to God. He already knows anyway. He already knows what's on your heart. But you know what. For the sake of relationship, that's right. Keep it real with him and he'll keep it real with you. Let him know how you feel and let those requests be made known to make it official.
Speaker 2:And verse 7 is the promise and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. And that's a promise. And if you don't have the peace of God guarding your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus, then try to rejoice in the Lord. Try to rejoice. Take that anxiousness and trash it. I'm not going to be anxious about anything. What I'm going to do is, in everything I'm going to pray. That's right. I'm also going to be thankful, even when you don't feel thankful.
Speaker 2:Say thank you, lord, and then let your request be made known to God and the peace I'm telling you, because what's happening is by doing that, you're realigning to a spiritual, heavenly perspective, which is the correct perspective, and the size of your issues and problems they start to shrink in comparison to who it is we are before, who it is we belong to, who it is that loved us, gave himself for us and allows us to be co-inheritors with him. Hey, if God is for you, who can be against? You See how this works. You put things in that perspective, start focusing on him, and whatever we're dealing with, no matter what, it will shrink in comparison to who he is and who you are in him. Amen, amen, hallelujah. Hey, that's all the time we have. We have something good for you coming up though next week. Okay, until then, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you. What? And give you peace. Come on.
Speaker 1:This program was made possible by the Plays on Word family of supporters. To find out more, check out our website at playsonwordorg.
