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2. Resisting the Desire for Conformity Acts 13:21
Give Us A King
Resisting the Desire for Conformity
Acts 13:21
Prepared by Chris Reeves * University Oaks church of Christ Gospel Meeting * July 21, 2010

3. Background
When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan they were governed on earth by judges and in heaven by God (Judg. 2:16)
There were no earthly kings (Judg. 21:25)
Later, the Israelites rejected God as their King and wanted a king like the nations around them (1 Sam. 8:4-7,19- 20; Ex. 19:6; Deut. 33:1-5; Psa. 74:12)

4. Background
Their motive was wrong: a desire for conformity (1 Sam. 8:7,20)
Sound reasoning did not deter them (1 Sam. 8:9ff)
God granted their request in anger (Hos. 13:11)

5. The Desire for Conformity
We all want to be liked, not disliked (Mt. 10:22; 1 Cor. 4:3; Gal. 1:10; Tim. 3:12)
We will be liked by other Christians, but not by the world (Acts 2:47; Cor. 4:13)
Many want conformity (Rom. 12:2; Pet. 1:14), and friendships with the world (Jas. 4:4)
Many don’t want to be the “odd man out” (Mt. 10:34-35; Eph. 5:11)

6. The Allurement of the World
The world looks good to many Christians (Mt. 13:22; 2 Tim. 4:10)
Many just can’t wait to get dirty (Jas. 1:27; 2 Pet. 2:18-22)

7. God Has Set Us Apart God wants his people stay separate (Judg. 2:2)
We are to be “in the world,” but not “of the world” (Jn. 17:11,16; 1 Jn. 2:15-17)
We must come out and be separate (2 Cor. 6:14 – 7:1)
We belong to God (1 Pet. 2:9-10)

8. What Does It Mean to Be Distinctive?
We follow the one right answer, not the many (sincere) wrong answers (Mt. 16:13-14)
We follow the one, true identity, not the many similarities (Mt. 16:15-16)
We follow the one revelation of God, not the many confessions of men (Mt. 16:17)
We become and remain members of the one, distinctive church that Jesus built, not the many churches of men (Mt. 16:18)

9. What Does It Mean to Be Distinctive?
NT Christians were different from the…
Pharisees (Acts 15:5,24)
Greek religions (Acts 17:16ff; 19:26)
Sadducees (Acts 23:8)
Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6,15; 3:20ff)

10. What Does It Mean to Be Distinctive?
NT Christians were different from the…
Roman religions (Rev )
NT Christians were willing to be spoken against in order to be distinctive (Acts 24:5; 28:22)
NT Christians were more effective when they were distinctive (Acts 17:6)

11. Areas of Conformity Give Us A King…
We want to be a denomination (Gal. 1:11)
We want social activities (1 Tim. 3:15)
We want contemporary worship (Col. 2:23)
We want “scholarship” (1 Tim. 6:20-21)

12. Areas of Conformity Give Us A King…
We want no baptism, or baptism for any purpose (Acts 2:38)
We want open membership (Acts 2:47)
We want women preachers and elders (1 Tim. 2:11-12; 3:2)
We want a Bible of “principles,” not “rules” (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2)

13. Areas of Conformity Give Us A King…
We want preachers who will motivate and entertain (2 Tim. 4:2-4)
We want alternative doctrines (Rev. 2:13-14)
We want to change and progress, not live in the past (Jer. 6:16; 2 Jn. 9)

14. Areas of Conformity Give Us A King…
We want multiple marriages (Mt. 5:32; 19:9; Mk. 10:12; Lk. 16:18; Rom. 7:2-3; 1 Cor. 7:10-11)
We want a Saturday Lord’s supper (Acts 2:42; 20:7)

15. We Have A King!
Let us be content to obey the King we already have, Jesus Christ (Rev. 17:14)
Let us be conformed to Jesus, not the world (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 3:10,21)