1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,360 First Corinthians chapter 5 once again is where we're at this 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,360 evening, our final time in First Corinthians after having two 9 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:33,560 other messages. The first message in First 10 00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:37,880 Corinthians 5 asking why do we have church discipline and what 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:41,360 is church discipline? The second was God's view on 12 00:00:41,360 --> 00:00:44,760 sexual immorality. And tonight we're going to look 13 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:48,480 at how we interact and how we deal with the world. 14 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:52,200 It has become quite clear in what we've seen here in First 15 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:57,520 Corinthians over the last few weeks that God puts a premium on 16 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,640 the fact that the church ought to live in a holy way. 17 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:01,880 Would you agree with that tonight? 18 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:03,520 All right, this means yes, and this means no. 19 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,040 All right, good. We all agree that God puts a 20 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:09,280 premium on the fact that the church ought to be holy. 21 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:11,720 And if the church ought to be holy, that means, well, we're 22 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,200 not talking about the building. We're talking about the people 23 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:17,000 who make up the church that we ought to be holy. 24 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,480 We know that we're not perfect. We're not going to be perfect 25 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,680 until we get to glory, but we don't use that as an excuse or 26 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:26,320 as a crutch to not do our our best through the Spirit's help 27 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:29,440 and the Spirit's enablement to live a life that is pleasing to 28 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,320 God. It's important that we 29 00:01:31,320 --> 00:01:33,880 individually and then corporately together as a 30 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,520 church, that we are holy, But at the same time, we have to ask 31 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,320 ourselves this question, Does that mean that we are never 32 00:01:41,320 --> 00:01:46,000 around worldly people in our life if we are to live a holy 33 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,480 life? Does that mean that we should 34 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:51,560 have no worldly people within our life whatsoever? 35 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,560 Now we know the practical answer to that. 36 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,840 Is this how? How on earth are you ever going 37 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:59,240 to get away from ungodly people? How are you ever going to get 38 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,040 away from the unsaved? In fact, Paul is going to make a 39 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,000 mention of this. You might remember from the 40 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,600 other readings we've had of First Corinthians chapter #5 How 41 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:10,280 are we ever going to get away from the world? 42 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:13,800 It is a folly to think that we would ever be able to get away 43 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:15,840 from the world. And by the way, even if we 44 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,520 could, we shouldn't get away from the world because how on 45 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:21,880 earth are we ever going to win anyone to Christ if we're never 46 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:24,880 around the lost people who need to hear the gospel message in 47 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,600 the 1st place? But here's the issue for us this 48 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:31,000 evening is that yes, we are going to be around the world. 49 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,560 There is no avoiding it. There is no circumventing the 50 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,000 fact that we are going to be around the world, but we are to 51 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:39,800 be around the world. We are to be with the world, but 52 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:41,720 we are not to become like the world. 53 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,960 We're to be around the world. We're to be with the world, but 54 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,280 we are not to become like the world. 55 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,480 Because God has called us to be different. 56 00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:52,840 And if we want to win the world to Christ, it is not about us 57 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:55,000 being as much like the world as possible. 58 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:58,720 It's about us being as much like Christ as possible, which is the 59 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:02,040 opposite of the world. So that we can do all that we 60 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,240 can to show them there's a difference than the life that 61 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,880 they're living that is on a road straight to hell. 62 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,760 But rather there's a road to heaven and to victory, but also 63 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:14,320 to joy and peace within this life as well. 64 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,440 Not just in the life to come, but that you can have a joyful, 65 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,040 a peaceful, a fulfilling life in this life. 66 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,520 And then you get heaven too. I mean, what could be better 67 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,400 than that? But it all comes down to this 68 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,760 issue of how we interact with the world. 69 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,920 We saw the purity of the church, the need for church discipline. 70 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:31,360 We'll look at that again tonight. 71 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,280 But then how does that balance itself with the fact that we 72 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,160 need to be out amongst the people of the world? 73 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,920 How can we understand both of those things being necessary? 74 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,120 The purity of the church that we need to be living holy lives, 75 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,120 but yet we also must be out amongst the world at the same 76 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,480 time? How do those things go together? 77 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,280 Well, Paul's going to explain it tonight for us in First 78 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,160 Corinthians chapter 5. And so for the last time 79 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,120 tonight, we're going to read all 13, 13 verses. 80 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:58,680 And I know that you're likely fairly familiar with this 81 00:03:58,680 --> 00:04:01,520 chapter already by this point, but I think it would be best for 82 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:03,960 us to go ahead and read all 13 verses again tonight. 83 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,240 And it starts by saying it is reported commonly that let's try 84 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:09,080 that again. I'm sorry. 85 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:12,440 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you. 86 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:16,440 And such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles 87 00:04:16,720 --> 00:04:18,440 that one should have his father's wife. 88 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,280 And you're puffed up and if not rather mourned that he hath done 89 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:24,720 this deed might be taken away from among you. 90 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:28,040 For I is absent the body, but present Spirit have judged 91 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:32,200 already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done 92 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:35,440 this deed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, When ye are 93 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:39,240 gathered together, and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus 94 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,920 Christ, to deliver such an 1 unto Satan for the destruction 95 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,080 of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the 96 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,160 Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. 97 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,000 Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 98 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,160 Purge out there for the old leaven, that ye may be a new 99 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:59,000 lump as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is 100 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,840 sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, 101 00:05:01,840 --> 00:05:04,320 not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and 102 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,640 wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity 103 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,160 and truth. I wrote unto you an epistle not 104 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:13,760 to company with fornicators. There is that thought process 105 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,240 we're going to be honing in on tonight from verse #9 and on. 106 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:21,720 Yet not all together with the fornicators of this world, or 107 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:25,240 with the covetous, or the extortioners, or with idolaters. 108 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:28,880 For then must he needs go out of the world. 109 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:31,720 Basically, Hey, you want to get away from those type of people, 110 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,960 you got to leave this world. They're everywhere, so we can't 111 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:38,520 get away from them completely. But now I have written unto you 112 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:41,680 not to keep company. If any man that is called a 113 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,440 brother be a fornicator or covetous, or an idolater or a 114 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:49,640 railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such and one no 115 00:05:49,640 --> 00:05:53,840 not to eat for what if I do? For what have I to do to judge 116 00:05:53,840 --> 00:05:57,360 them also that are without? Do not you judge them that are 117 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,600 within, but them that are without? 118 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,600 God judgeth, therefore put away from among yourselves that 119 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,960 wicked person. There are two poles, if you 120 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:08,960 will. There are two sides that we need 121 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:13,480 to look at here tonight when it deals with how we interact with 122 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,160 worldly people. And the first I want us to look 123 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,680 at tonight is this. The principle of don't keep 124 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,280 company #1 is don't keep company. 125 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:26,640 There we go. I got my clicker ready. 126 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,600 Now I got to turn it on. I guess that's part of the 127 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,400 problem. All right, number one, don't 128 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,600 keep company. Well, where do you get that, 129 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:35,680 pastor? Well, let's, how about this 130 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:41,040 verse #9 I wrote unto you an epistle not to company with 131 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,720 fornicators, verse #11 but I have written unto you not to 132 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,560 keep company. If any man that is called a 133 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:49,800 brother. So what is the principle here? 134 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:53,200 First of all, that if there's someone who calls himself a 135 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,600 brother, if there's someone who is a member of the church, 136 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,000 remember the context of what we've been looking at so far. 137 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:02,000 That someone is a part of the church. 138 00:07:02,080 --> 00:07:06,360 Someone is in gross sin. That person has been gone to in 139 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,440 a Matthew 18 style. Remember, they've been gone to 140 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,440 with one person, then they've been gone to with a group of 141 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,400 people, then they've been brought before the church. 142 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,400 The issue is plain and clear rebellion. 143 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,120 It's not the fact that well, you know what you're saying, pastor, 144 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:22,040 everybody has to be perfect and everybody. 145 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,720 No, no, we're far beyond the fact that we all sin and fall 146 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:28,160 short of the glory of God on a day-to-day basis. 147 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:31,080 Of course we know we are saved, we're forgiven, we have a home 148 00:07:31,080 --> 00:07:33,560 in heaven. But yet first John 19 is real 149 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,440 for the believer on a daily basis as well. 150 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,360 No, no, we're far beyond that. We're talking about someone who 151 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,280 has been talked to again and again. 152 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:43,120 And here's the issue. They don't want to do right. 153 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:47,240 They have no desire to do right. And we are told that in those 154 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:50,560 situations they are not to be kept company with that church 155 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,600 discipline is to be enacted against the network Company, as 156 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:56,520 I mentioned before, literally means to mix up together. 157 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:00,520 It means that you are together as one, just as a church is 158 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:03,560 together as 1A body. First Corinthians chapter 12, 159 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,560 the local church is a body. No, no, that we're not to keep 160 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,880 company, that we're not to have that appendage, if you will. 161 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,160 Just as First Corinthians chapter 12 calls us all 162 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,160 different parts of the body, that diseased appendage has to 163 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:18,840 be removed so that they can have health brought to them again, so 164 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:21,120 they can be reattached to the body. 165 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,760 And we saw that happen with this man, didn't we, in First 166 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:25,560 Corinthians 5? Because by the time we got to 167 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:29,560 2nd Corinthians, Paul said this, get that man, bring him back in, 168 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:31,800 and he's going to get overwhelmed with sorrows. 169 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:35,080 He's right with the Lord and he needs to be brought back into 170 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:38,159 the church body once again. But we see that when there's 171 00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:41,799 somebody who is will not repent, they are rebellious. 172 00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:46,080 The the very last tool that is being used of church discipline 173 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:49,960 says don't keep company with those people. 174 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,320 Now turn quickly to leave your spot there, but go to 2nd 175 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:56,600 Thessalonians chapter 3. We I quoted a couple of these 176 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,440 verses a few weeks ago, but I'd like to read a little bit more 177 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:03,120 because this will give us again more context of what church 178 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:08,280 discipline is all about. Second Thessalonians three, just 179 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:17,360 a few pages over, beginning in verse #6 2nd Thessalonians 3, 180 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,560 verse 6. Now we command you, brethren, in 181 00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:22,920 the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw 182 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:27,240 yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not 183 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:31,120 after the tradition which he received of us for yourselves. 184 00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:34,400 Know that you ought to follow us, for we behave not ourselves 185 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:38,520 disorderly among you, neither did we eat any man's bread for 186 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,920 not but wrought with labor and travail night and day, that we 187 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:46,640 might not be chargeable to any one of you, not because we have 188 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:51,320 not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow 189 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:52,880 us. Now just stop here for just a 190 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:55,000 moment. The word that keeps coming up 191 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:59,880 here in verse #6 and also in verse #7 is the word disorderly. 192 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:04,120 He says there are people who are not walking in order in the 193 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:06,200 church now. It reminds me of what Paul will 194 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:10,640 say in First Corinthians 1440 where it says let all things be 195 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:13,960 done decently and in order. In everything that we do in the 196 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,920 Christian life, whether it's outside of the church or inside 197 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:19,520 of the church, we're to do it decently and in order. 198 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,880 What does in order mean? Well, it means that we follow 199 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,080 what the word of God tells us to do, that we don't go rogue, that 200 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:29,120 we don't go on our own path or decide what I want to do or even 201 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,720 say something like, well, I know what the Bible says, but in my 202 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:34,440 situation, hey, stop right there, You've already got 203 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:36,960 yourself into trouble. Whatever the Bible says that 204 00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:39,560 applies to you, God didn't give you exception. 205 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:42,680 God didn't give you a special clause for your situation. 206 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,160 We don't exempt ourselves because, well, I live in 2025 207 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,360 and this was written around 2000 years ago. 208 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:52,720 No, no, God wrote His word for all time, for all situations. 209 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,520 Yes, you are included. We all have to live in an 210 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:57,480 orderly way. But there are some who are 211 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,120 living disorderly. And Paul says this, listen, we 212 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,280 were among you and we lived orderly to be able to show you 213 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:05,920 how to live orderly. But you weren't listening, but 214 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,640 you weren't paying attention. We were an example unto you. 215 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:12,720 And in sample it says in verse #9 but it says in verse #10 216 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,560 where we pick up, says, for even when we were with you this week, 217 00:11:15,560 --> 00:11:18,800 commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 218 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:20,560 By the way, that's still a good principle today. 219 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:22,960 If you can work, you ought to work. 220 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,360 If you as as popular as I thought it was, all right. 221 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,360 But if you have the ability to work, I know people retire and 222 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:31,160 things like that. I understand there's nothing 223 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,520 wrong with that. But there is a time in life 224 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:37,000 where work is necessary and if you are physically able to work, 225 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,080 you ought to be working. I'm thankful that there are 226 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:43,000 programs to be able to help people when there are situations 227 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,480 in life that come and temporary circumstances. 228 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:48,280 That is a a thing that I think it's good that we're able to 229 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:50,840 have as a nation. But I will say this, a good 230 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,080 general principle is this. If you could work, you ought to 231 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:55,440 work. If you are at the time of your 232 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,200 life where you can work. This is a biblical principle. 233 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,120 This isn't some kind of politic that we're talking about here 234 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,200 tonight. I'm about trying to stump some 235 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,840 sort of a political speech here this evening. 236 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,360 It's just a Bible principle. Can you work then? 237 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,440 Work again, retirement, that's a wonderful thing. 238 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,880 Praise the Lord for that. But there is a time of life 239 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,640 where you got to get after it, and that's what you do, that you 240 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:20,160 do that and you provide for your family or you provide for 241 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,840 yourself, whatever your situation may be. 242 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:24,880 All right, then it goes on and it says this. 243 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:29,760 It says for we hear verse 11 that there are some which walk 244 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:31,760 among you disorderly. There it is again. 245 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,800 They're disorderly, They're working not at all, but are busy 246 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:35,920 bodies. Well, it sounds like they are 247 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,440 working, aren't they? The only thing that's working 248 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,120 though is they're gums, right? They're walking around, they're 249 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:43,560 talking, they're gossiping, but they're not doing the things 250 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:46,080 that they're supposed to do. They're basically they're 251 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:50,080 causing havoc within the church. They're taking the orderly or 252 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,800 rather the order and the unity that the church is supposed to 253 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,440 have and they're causing turmoil within. 254 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,960 Well, what do they do? Verse 12 for now, them that are 255 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:02,800 such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with 256 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,560 quietness they work and eat well their own bread. 257 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:09,760 But ye brethren, be not weary in well doing, and if any man, obey 258 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,080 not our word. This is what we read before any 259 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:15,520 man obey not our word. By this epistle, note that man 260 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,160 and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. 261 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:22,360 Again, if there are people who are walking disorderly, they 262 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:24,960 continue to walk in disorder. What happens? 263 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,120 They have to be removed from the fellowship of the church. 264 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,240 They had to be removed from the membership roles of the church. 265 00:13:31,240 --> 00:13:33,440 They are no longer part of the body. 266 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:36,880 Again, that doesn't mean, well, forget what I'm about to say, 267 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:38,400 Let's just see what the next verse says. 268 00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:42,680 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. 269 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:44,840 Again, we're not talking about Amish shunning. 270 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,120 We're not talking about pride and arrogance in the part of the 271 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:50,840 people who say that there is someone that's disorderly, that 272 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:55,080 has to be removed, but with sorrow of heart, but with real 273 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:58,480 purpose. They say, well, this has to take 274 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:03,000 place because God has commanded it and it is necessary for us as 275 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,120 a church to make sure that we are all walking orderly. 276 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:08,920 Now, why is this so important? Well, I want to look at that. 277 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,000 First of all, we don't keep company with those who are 278 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:15,400 disorderly, disorderly within the church because of their 279 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:19,720 effect on you, their effect on you when there was someone that 280 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:21,680 was in the church that is walking disorderly. 281 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:26,040 Listen, it can infect entire body, just like one small part 282 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:30,000 of the body can be infected. It can quickly go to all parts 283 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,360 of the body. Listen, we don't think about 284 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,320 that much today because if we have an infection, we go to the 285 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:37,040 urgent care, you go to the doctor, you get some antibiotics 286 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,720 and hey, you're doing better. I did that just a few days ago. 287 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:42,720 But there was a time not that long ago in our history that if 288 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:44,160 you had an infection, guess what? 289 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:47,680 You could die. Yeah, we have penicillin today, 290 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:48,840 by the way. I'm not so thankful for 291 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:50,320 penicillin because I'm allergic to it. 292 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:53,400 But for the rest of you that can take it, hey, that's great. 293 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,240 It can stop an infection. But there was a time a simple 294 00:14:56,240 --> 00:15:01,360 infection from a simple cut could kill somebody if it wasn't 295 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:05,280 remedy. Sin is an infection, and if it's 296 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:08,360 not remedied within the church house where it is not supposed 297 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,240 to be, what happens? It can have a grave effect on 298 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:12,920 others. Go back to First Corinthians 299 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:16,200 chapter 5. You say, Pastor, this isn't very 300 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:17,920 encouraging tonight. I would say it's a lot more 301 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:20,200 encouraging than the last two messages we've had in First 302 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:22,280 Corinthians chapter 5. This is like a walk in the park 303 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:23,440 tonight, you know what I'm saying? 304 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:28,280 What's the effect? Well, look at verse 6. 305 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:32,320 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven 306 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:35,920 leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out there for the old 307 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:40,960 leaven, that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened sin 308 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,400 hidden in the shadows grows just like yeast. 309 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:46,960 What happens when you're trying to bake bread? 310 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:51,080 Bethany, a few days ago for the Thanksgiving feast that we had 311 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,600 with her, wanted to bake rolls, these Thanksgiving rolls, and 312 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:58,520 she was so proud of them, and she got them old, mixed it all 313 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:00,320 up together. And then you know what she did? 314 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:04,800 She put a towel over it and put it somewhere that was dark, made 315 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:06,840 sure it was a temperate place. Why? 316 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:09,920 To make sure that the yeast had the best opportunity to grow. 317 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,600 Before you knew it, the rolls were about twice the size of 318 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,480 what they were before. And by the time I was done 319 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,200 eating them, they felt like 4 times the size in my stomach. 320 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,240 Because that's just the way it was. 321 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,920 But but what sin, that's the way it is. 322 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,400 It lurks in the darkness. It finds the places to be able. 323 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:30,040 It doesn't want the sunshine. It doesn't want to be out in the 324 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:32,200 open. Why does the Bible say for men 325 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,760 are lovers of darkness, that men love darkness rather than light? 326 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,160 Why? Because their deeds are evil. 327 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,080 And so when things are hidden in the dark, what happens? 328 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:45,040 Well, it has an effect on everybody when sin is not taken 329 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,440 care of within the church. Again, not being, as I told you 330 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:50,160 a few weeks ago, pious policeman, not going around and 331 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:52,480 saying why I've got a problem with you or I've got a problem 332 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,480 with you. I feel like Jesus covered that 333 00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,560 in the in the Sermon on the Mount or talked about, you know, 334 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,760 getting the telephone pole out of your own eye before you get 335 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:03,160 the toothpick out of someone else's eye. 336 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:05,400 OK, He didn't put it that way, but you understand, that's kind 337 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:06,480 of the way we would put it today. 338 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,440 The same idea. You know, we're not talking 339 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,040 about having the wrong spirit. But at the same time, listen, 340 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:13,680 Paul said that he judged in the verses before. 341 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:16,000 I have to judge. I'm apart from you, but I got to 342 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,520 judge because right is right and wrong is wrong, and right needs 343 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:22,560 to flourish in the church, and wrong does not need to not only 344 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,599 be accepted, but to be embarrassed faced within the 345 00:17:25,599 --> 00:17:27,599 church as it was there in Corinth. 346 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:33,160 Galatians 59 also says a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 347 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:37,480 Second Timothy 217 says, and their word will eat as doth A 348 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:42,720 canker, which is hymanius and philetus, that that sin that is 349 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:47,440 not taken care of is like yeast that grows like a canker that's 350 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:50,000 there that grows. It must be taken care of. 351 00:17:50,280 --> 00:17:52,680 And then there's something that we've really not concentrated on 352 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:57,000 over the last few weeks in this in this text, but something very 353 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,120 interesting when it says the end of verse #7 for even Christ, our 354 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:06,480 Passover is sacrificed for us. Now I will say this, it's a 355 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,120 reminder to us this evening. This is not necessarily the 356 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:12,480 direction I want us to go this evening, but it's a reminder. 357 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:16,480 We don't take the Passover anymore because Jesus Christ 358 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,440 died on the cross and He is our Passover. 359 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:24,360 That the Passover is a picture of what Jesus Christ was going 360 00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:27,560 to do on the cross as sacrificial death, burial, and 361 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:29,680 resurrection. Now, I think it's wonderful that 362 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,120 we can look at the Passover today and even see some who are 363 00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:36,040 Jewish and know the Lord is their Savior who can take the 364 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,440 Passover and show us Jesus in the Passover. 365 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:39,720 I think that's a wonderful thing. 366 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,120 But for us, we don't celebrate the Passover. 367 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:44,040 What do we celebrate? The Lord's Supper. 368 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:46,800 That the Lord's Supper is a memorial of the death 369 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:51,240 sacrificial atonement of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. 370 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:53,400 No, no, not the literal body and blood. 371 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,320 But what do you say this do in remembrance of me? 372 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,360 Christ is our Passover today. Now keep reading and I'll give 373 00:19:01,360 --> 00:19:02,800 you the application in just a second. 374 00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:05,800 Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, 375 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:08,920 neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with 376 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,200 the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 377 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:13,480 Now, we've talked about this before in the past, but let me 378 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:15,960 talk about it again for you tonight because, well, you know, 379 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:17,880 we've slept a few times since the last last time I've talked 380 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,360 about the Passover here at Liberty Baptist Church. 381 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:24,400 But if you were to keep the Passover, there were some very 382 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,840 stringent requirements upon you to be able to keep the Passover. 383 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:29,280 We're talking about Old Testament times. 384 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:31,400 You couldn't just say, hey, everybody, come on over. 385 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:33,080 We're going to have a party and I think we're going to get some 386 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:37,400 lamb over at ALDI and we'll cook it up and, you know, we'll fire 387 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,720 up the insta pot and we'll have some lamb and, you know, bring 388 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:42,600 some side dishes, you know, that kind of thing. 389 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,200 And you know, just kind of come as you are. 390 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:48,360 That's the kind of no, it was very highly regulated by the 391 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:50,200 word of God. Where'd you get the lamb? 392 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:54,000 Well, had to be a lamb without blemish, had to be without spot. 393 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,800 Even the things that were used along with it in the the Seder 394 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:03,320 meal and the as it was gathered together over time, each of them 395 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:07,480 ended up being, in God's Providence, things that pointed 396 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:10,160 to Jesus Christ. And by the way, our Jewish 397 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:14,120 friends even today that don't know Jesus Christ, their Savior, 398 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:18,520 that are lost and so many of them are that still will have 399 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:21,640 the Passover, not even realizing that it points to Jesus Christ 400 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:25,080 as they deny Jesus Christ. But what I'm saying is this, 401 00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:28,000 that the Passover was all about this purity. 402 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:32,280 What had to be swept out of the house before the Passover 11? 403 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:36,560 Every last bit of it. Tradition says that the mother 404 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,320 would go through the house for the week before and get out 405 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:41,840 every bit of 11 she could. And then the father, the 406 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,320 husband, would inspect the home for an 11. 407 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,960 Mom would leave just a ceremonial speck out for him to 408 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,920 take, and he would carefully take it, pick it up, put a 409 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:57,280 napkin over it and dispose it outside and say that the home 410 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,760 was clean. What was it all about? 411 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:02,800 Hey, the Passover is all about cleanliness. 412 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,560 Now why is that? Because Christ is our Passover. 413 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:08,600 And what do we know about Jesus Christ? 414 00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:13,360 He was clean. What kind of cleanliness are you 415 00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:16,080 talking about? I'm talking about the purity of 416 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:20,960 His life, that he never sinned whatsoever, that He gave himself 417 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,800 a sacrifice. And So what is Paul saying here? 418 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,000 The Passover, it was all about cleanliness. 419 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,160 Christ is our Passover. It's all about cleanliness. 420 00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,920 Then what should be the church house about friendliness and 421 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:40,480 holiness if that leaven couldn't be found in the Passover and 422 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,200 that leaven was not found in Jesus Christ body? 423 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,880 Which is, by the way, why we use unleavened bread for the Lord's 424 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:48,760 Supper. We don't buy a loaf over at 425 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:50,000 Market Basket. Why? 426 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:54,160 Because if we did, it would not picture the pure body of Jesus 427 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:56,160 Christ. We don't use wine, the 428 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:58,280 degradation of the fruit of the vine. 429 00:21:58,280 --> 00:21:59,920 Why? Because it would represent the 430 00:21:59,920 --> 00:22:03,000 degradation of Christ's blood. We don't do that. 431 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,040 What do we do? No, used the unleavened bread. 432 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:08,480 Why? It presents the fact that Jesus 433 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,960 Christ was pure in his body and holy. 434 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,400 And what should the church be as Christ's body? 435 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:22,200 We are Christ's body. What should we be pure and holy? 436 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:27,520 He says there's an effect on you when there's leaven found within 437 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:32,200 the group. It must be purged when it was in 438 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,480 the group. Again, that doesn't mean that we 439 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:40,760 kick someone out Amish style. That doesn't mean we excommute, 440 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:43,400 excommunicate someone Catholic style. 441 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:47,200 Now we're talking about biblical discernment and biblical 442 00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:50,680 discipline. That must take place out of love 443 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:55,480 and concern for the person, but it is necessary. 444 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,520 Hebrews 10/1 through 4 talks about the very purity of the 445 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,840 Passover and the purity of the sacrifice, and of course the 446 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:05,240 purity of Christ being what it is. 447 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:10,520 So we have to not keep company with those who are disorderly 448 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:14,000 within the body because of their effect on you, but also because 449 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:16,760 of the need for caution, the need for caution. 450 00:23:16,760 --> 00:23:20,520 You say, well, well, well, why is caution necessary in this 451 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:23,080 situation? Well, look at verse #9 and says 452 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:26,200 this I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with 453 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:29,000 fordicators. Now this is First Corinthians, 454 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:30,360 the book we're reading right now. 455 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:32,760 It is an epistle. What is an epistle? 456 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,840 Well, it's really just a fancy word for letter, right? 457 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:38,480 It is a letter. First Corinthians would be the 458 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:41,440 first letter that we have in the word of God to the Corinthians. 459 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:45,240 Second Corinthians get this is the second letter that we have 460 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:46,600 in the word of God to the Corinthians. 461 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:50,080 Now he's saying this here I wrote unto you in an epistle, 462 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,480 which means this. Listen before First Corinthians, 463 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,640 he had written another letter to the people of the Corinthians. 464 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:00,280 Now, it was not saved for us. It was not inspired by the Holy 465 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:02,880 Ghost we have here. But at the same time, he had 466 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:06,000 talked to them before. He had to go over some issues 467 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:07,840 with them before. Here's what he's saying. 468 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:12,840 We've talked about this before. I had to remind you of this 469 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,080 before, and you're still not listening. 470 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:18,240 You're still not getting it. Don't you understand the 471 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:22,720 seriousness of what is taking place, the need for caution 472 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:27,200 here, for you to take heed and to not just allow things to keep 473 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:31,280 going for the sake of going? Too many times I will say that 474 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:35,880 churches and pastors have looked the other way in the membership 475 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,680 when there are issues that can arise, like a festering tanker 476 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:43,080 or like rising yeast. Too many times I've seen this 477 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,640 happen in the past where someone has been allowed to remain in 478 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,480 the membership when they are in rebellion against that which the 479 00:24:49,480 --> 00:24:53,480 Lord has said in His word. Now why would pastors look the 480 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:56,320 other way? Well, it could be because the 481 00:24:56,320 --> 00:25:00,920 person maybe gives money. By the way, I'll remind you, I 482 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,680 don't know what you give. That is a very freeing thing. 483 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:07,400 I don't want to know what people give because I just want to 484 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:08,920 preach the Word of God and preach. 485 00:25:09,120 --> 00:25:12,000 When I preach on tithing, you know that whatever I preach on, 486 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:14,400 I'm just preaching on because it's in the Word of God, not 487 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:15,800 because I'm trying to shake someone down. 488 00:25:17,240 --> 00:25:19,560 But we preach because it is what's in the Word of God. 489 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:21,480 There are churches that won't preach, right? 490 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,520 Because of finances or maybe because of fear, or maybe 491 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:27,880 because the pastor wants to be popular or he wants to be loved 492 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,080 or he wants to be accepted. Listen, I'm far beyond that 12 493 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,760 years in. I want to be your friend. 494 00:25:34,400 --> 00:25:37,360 I want you to like me. I mean, I don't have a complex 495 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:39,360 where I was like, I got to, I got to make sure everybody hates 496 00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:41,280 me. I don't want to do that. 497 00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:45,360 But I will tell you this, as much as I want to be loved and I 498 00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:49,120 want to be your friend, that is not my highest goal. 499 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:53,680 My highest goal has to be this. Now, I please the Lord in 500 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,360 everything that I say, in everything that I preach. 501 00:25:56,760 --> 00:26:00,040 And listen, if it just happens to be that you love me and you 502 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:02,560 appreciate me on the way, hey, all the better. 503 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:08,200 But I cannot dip the flag of truth to try to allow that. 504 00:26:08,200 --> 00:26:10,040 And listen, that's what's happening in Corinth here. 505 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:12,520 They're letting anything go. Why? 506 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:13,680 I don't know. But he says this. 507 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,400 You better take caution. This is not the way to have a 508 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,680 church grow. In fact, it may even seem like 509 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,360 the church is growing for a little bit, but it won't last. 510 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,960 And far too many times I've seen this be the case and churches 511 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:28,440 implode from the inside out. Why? 512 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:33,320 Because that Levin rises to the point that, well, the church has 513 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,560 been contaminated such a way before you know it, it may 514 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,600 split, it may close, it may just change its doctrine. 515 00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:42,200 It just may no longer be recognizable as a church. 516 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:43,800 It may no longer meet as a church. 517 00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:45,600 And it doesn't have to be that way. 518 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,760 As long as there are people who say this, hey, we got to be 519 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:52,840 careful about this issue of church discipline. 520 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:55,080 Now I know we've talked about church discipline quite a bit, 521 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,920 but I don't want to miss the fact of what I want us to look 522 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,760 at here tonight. Because as I mentioned before, 523 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:04,320 as we looked at those last few verses here in First Corinthians 524 00:27:04,320 --> 00:27:08,160 chapter #5 we do have this strange juxtaposition. 525 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,360 The idea of, OK pastor, you have hammered it into us for like 3 526 00:27:12,360 --> 00:27:14,240 messages. Now from First Corinthians 5. 527 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,200 The church has to be holy. But then what do we do with all 528 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:20,120 of these unsaved people we're around every day? 529 00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:24,200 Well, thank the Lord Paul covers that for us here in our text. 530 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:27,400 So what do we do? We need to not keep company with 531 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:31,440 those who are not doing right within the membership of the 532 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:33,440 church. But look at #2 don't, don't cut 533 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:37,200 the world out. Don't just cut off the world. 534 00:27:37,400 --> 00:27:42,040 Look at verse #10 yet not all together with the fornicators of 535 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:44,920 where? Let's try that again. 536 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,000 Verse 10. Yet not all together with the 537 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:52,000 fornicators, where of this world, OK, not the Church of 538 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:55,640 this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with 539 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:58,880 idolaters. For then you must needs go out 540 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:00,680 of the world. And you know, the interesting 541 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:05,920 thing is that religion has been trying to do this for centuries. 542 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:12,760 They build these strange areas where they believe that they can 543 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:17,520 keep the world out. Convents, compounds. 544 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:19,920 People build them all the time, don't they? 545 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:23,360 And they're the most godliest places you can find, aren't 546 00:28:23,360 --> 00:28:26,080 they? They end up often times being 547 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:32,000 cesspools of sin, aren't they? It would seem to be, hey, maybe 548 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,920 we can just keep the world out. No, no, listen, the world is the 549 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:37,440 world. Now, I'm not saying you need to 550 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,480 jump in headlong into the world, but I will say this. 551 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:43,080 You just can't get away from the world. 552 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:45,920 You're going to eventually need to get groceries. 553 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,040 You're going to eventually need to get your car worked on. 554 00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:51,480 You're eventually need to get gas. 555 00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:54,320 You're eventually going to need to get a cup of coffee because 556 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:55,880 you're a Baptist. You're eventually going to need 557 00:28:55,880 --> 00:28:58,360 to get a cup of coffee. Some of you, I think, need a cup 558 00:28:58,360 --> 00:28:59,440 of coffee tonight. Amen. 559 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:02,400 All right. Eventually. 560 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,120 Oh, I hit the mark. All right. 561 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,280 What are you gonna. You can't get away from the 562 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,440 world, Say, well, I'll just have all my groceries delivered. 563 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:19,000 I'll buy everything on Amazon, and I'll live up in Vermont, up 564 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,680 in a remote corner where I won't see anybody. 565 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:27,320 You can't get away from the world no matter what you do. 566 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,880 So here's the point. You can't cut out the world, but 567 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:34,840 you have to make sure that you have a right relationship with 568 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,120 the world so that you can affect the world. 569 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:40,440 Listen, while the world doesn't affect you, see, that's the 570 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:43,400 issue tonight. We have to be a changing force 571 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:47,160 for the world without the world being a changing force for us. 572 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:51,000 We as a church must be a changing element for this world 573 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,960 without the world being a changing element for this 574 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,360 church. Like I've said before, the water 575 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,160 is good for the ship. The ship doesn't work unless 576 00:29:59,160 --> 00:30:01,240 it's in the water. There's a problem when the water 577 00:30:01,240 --> 00:30:04,520 gets in the ship. Look, the church has to be out 578 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,400 in the world. It's the way it works. 579 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,600 How are we going to win people to Christ if we just cloister 580 00:30:09,600 --> 00:30:12,320 ourselves here together? We never see anybody. 581 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,520 But listen, when the world gets into the church, it's a big 582 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,360 problem, just like water getting into a ship. 583 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,000 So what do we do? Well, kind of similarly to what 584 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,560 we saw before. What's your effect on the world? 585 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,200 What should it be? Well, Jesus put it this way, 586 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,600 Matthew 513 and 14. You're to be salt, and you're to 587 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,920 be liked salt and light. What a difference from the 588 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:37,240 darkness where yeast flourishes. What the difference for the 589 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:39,520 darkness where they canker flourishes? 590 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:41,840 Well, we see ye are the salt of the earth. 591 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:44,960 But if salt have lost its savour, where with shall it be 592 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:46,400 salt? It is thenceforth good for 593 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:48,560 nothing but to be cast out, and to be trod under the foot of 594 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:50,760 man. Ye are the light of the world. 595 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:55,000 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid when we go out in 596 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:56,800 this world. When you go to work tomorrow, 597 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,240 when you go to school tomorrow, when you are in your 598 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:01,400 neighborhood tomorrow, when you're with your cross family 599 00:31:01,400 --> 00:31:02,920 tomorrow. God has said this. 600 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:06,040 Don't run away from them. Run towards them. 601 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:10,040 But as you do, run towards them as salt and run towards them as 602 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:15,080 light, because salt and light are elements of change. 603 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:18,960 Light changes the properties of many of the things that comes in 604 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:22,960 contact with. Salt changes the properties of 605 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:24,920 many of the things that comes in contact with. 606 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,200 We are to be the ones that change. 607 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:30,480 Listen, as salt, If we are the ones who are changed by the 608 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:31,960 world, what does he say? Well, what good are you? 609 00:31:31,960 --> 00:31:35,040 You'd be tossed aside, trod under the foot of men. 610 00:31:35,800 --> 00:31:38,360 But we are to be the ones who are to make the world. 611 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:41,000 Could we put it this way? Thirsty for God? 612 00:31:41,480 --> 00:31:44,240 Isn't that what salt does? It causes thirst. 613 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:46,600 And that's what we're to be doing for the world when we are 614 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:50,520 out in the world. Listen, Jesus is our example 615 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:52,960 because Jesus hid from the world, right? 616 00:31:56,120 --> 00:32:00,200 In fact, he was controversial because he was around, well, 617 00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:05,480 everybody, when the disciples said, you know what, let's avoid 618 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:08,880 Samaria, Jesus said, I want to go to Samaria. 619 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:12,800 That was bad enough. But then they go away for a few 620 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:14,720 minutes and when they come back, what's Jesus doing? 621 00:32:14,960 --> 00:32:19,680 He's talking to a harlot, a woman that been married five 622 00:32:19,680 --> 00:32:23,080 times and is living with a man who's not her husband. 623 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:25,600 And they're looking at him say, what are you doing? 624 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:29,720 He says, I have meat that you know, not of meaning this. 625 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:33,000 I have a job and a task to do which you don't understand. 626 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:36,600 They thought that they were going through there just to cut 627 00:32:36,600 --> 00:32:39,400 through the quick way to be able to get back to Jerusalem. 628 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:41,400 But he said, no, I went here because there was a city named 629 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,480 Sycar where there's Samaritans that Jews don't want to talk to, 630 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:47,640 and there's a woman that the Samaritans don't want to talk 631 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,080 to. And I've got to talk to all of 632 00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:53,360 them. Listen, I know that we can get 633 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:58,040 worked up into a froth and a frenzy by the media today. 634 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,360 And I'm talking about conservative media as well as 635 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:03,960 just any type of media. And they like to put us into 636 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,440 groups, don't they? And pit US one against another. 637 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:09,760 And listen, there are some groups that believe some pretty 638 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:12,720 dark stuff, and there's some groups that believe some pretty 639 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:15,480 unbiblical stuff. And there's some groups that are 640 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:19,040 preaching some doctrine that'll send people straight to hell. 641 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:21,560 Don't be. I won't deny that here tonight. 642 00:33:21,560 --> 00:33:24,520 But I will say this. Those are the very same people 643 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:26,160 that we need to be giving the gospel to. 644 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:31,040 Now, we don't like that because we don't want to interact with 645 00:33:31,040 --> 00:33:35,560 those people because they can offend our sensibilities. 646 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:40,560 But I will say this, if we don't reach them, who will? 647 00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:43,760 If we don't love them to the gospel, who will? 648 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:45,520 I'm not talking about approving their sin. 649 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:49,080 We won't do that. We ought not to do that. 650 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:51,840 But we do need to reach them with the gospel. 651 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:54,080 You say, well, what's the difference, pastor? 652 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:57,320 You're saying I'm supposed to be around these wicked people in 653 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:00,680 the world, but yet they're not allowed to be in the church. 654 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:02,840 Well, I'm first of all, I'm not saying that Paul's saying that. 655 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,960 But secondly, Paul's basic argument is this. 656 00:34:08,280 --> 00:34:13,320 The church ought to act like God's church and expect the 657 00:34:13,320 --> 00:34:16,080 world to, well, act like Satan's world. 658 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:19,480 That's what you ought to expect when someone comes to church. 659 00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,120 They ought to expect God's people act like God's people. 660 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:25,239 And when we go out in the world, we ought to just expect that the 661 00:34:25,239 --> 00:34:28,080 world well, acts like the world. Why are you surprised people are 662 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:31,280 yelling at you when you drive? Why are you surprised about 663 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:32,840 that? Why are you surprised that 664 00:34:32,840 --> 00:34:35,000 somebody would lie to you or cheat you? 665 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,480 Why are you surprised that someone would tell you one thing 666 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:41,159 and then have no intention of fulfilling their promise? 667 00:34:41,360 --> 00:34:44,360 Why are we surprised that a neighbor might seem neighborly, 668 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:47,920 but if they had an opportunity, they might take advantage of 669 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:50,679 maybe your neighborliness? Why are we surprised these 670 00:34:50,679 --> 00:34:52,480 things? The world acts like the world. 671 00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:54,920 I'm not approving it. I'm not saying it's right. 672 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,720 I'm just saying it's what's natural when we see a cat act 673 00:34:58,720 --> 00:35:00,640 like a cat. Well, I shouldn't have said 674 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:05,240 that. We see a cat act like a cat, 675 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:09,880 we're not surprised. But we see a dog act like a dog, 676 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:11,800 We're not surprised. What do you see? 677 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:14,280 The world act like the world? Why are you surprised? 678 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,080 It's just a reminder. We need to win them to Christ. 679 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:22,120 We need to influence them, not allow them to influence us. 680 00:35:22,320 --> 00:35:24,920 Can I tell you one of the ways they influence us is they make 681 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:32,200 us so sour and they make us so negative and they make us so 682 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:33,840 unhappy. Listen, we ought to be the 683 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:37,200 happiest people on earth. We're going to have true joy 684 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:40,000 within us because we know Jesus Christ. 685 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:44,920 We know where we're going and we know where we're heading before 686 00:35:44,920 --> 00:35:47,800 we get there. We ought to have joy, but the 687 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:54,520 world will infect us with their cynicism and their anger, and 688 00:35:54,520 --> 00:35:58,400 it's hard for us to even radiate the joy of Christ because we so 689 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:04,520 radiate their junk. No, we need to be affecting 690 00:36:04,520 --> 00:36:07,120 them. People ought to look at you and 691 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:08,840 say, why? Why is he so happy? 692 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:13,280 What's his problem? What, why? 693 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:15,600 Why is she handling this so well? 694 00:36:16,240 --> 00:36:19,000 What's her deal? What an opportunity to be a 695 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:23,160 testimony of Jesus Christ to the people that are around you. 696 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:27,560 We can't win the world if we don't interact with that very 697 00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:29,360 same world. Now, again, we got to be 698 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:31,040 careful. Well, pastor, I'm, I'm, I'm 699 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:32,960 going to the bar room, I'm winning people to Christ. 700 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:36,280 That's foolish. That's foolish. 701 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:41,240 Again, we have to be cautious in how we do this, and I'm going to 702 00:36:41,240 --> 00:36:42,600 talk to you more about that in a second. 703 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:49,400 But we don't go into openly worldly, ungodly places to be 704 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,520 able to try to influence people for Christ. 705 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:54,680 Listen, it is much more likely they're going to influence you 706 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:58,720 than the other way around. But those people that go to that 707 00:36:58,720 --> 00:37:03,320 bar room at the next day at work when they're having a hangover 708 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:07,680 at their desk, they're going to need someone who will show him 709 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:11,400 Jesus Christ. That guy's gonna pull into his 710 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:13,920 house at 2:00 in the morning with a whole lot less money in 711 00:37:13,920 --> 00:37:16,800 his pocket, and you might see him in his driveway the next day 712 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:18,120 when you're both going out to work. 713 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:22,640 You can show him Jesus Christ. What do we need to do with the 714 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:24,600 world? Hey, find excuses to talk to 715 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:27,240 people in the world. Find excuses. 716 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:30,240 As a pastor, I've told you before, it's hard to be able to 717 00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:33,600 be out around worldly people because, well, I'm around you 718 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:34,960 all and you're not worldly people. 719 00:37:35,880 --> 00:37:38,520 So what do I have to do? I have to find excuses to get 720 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:41,600 out in the community, to meet people, to talk to people. 721 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:44,320 That's why I do things with the television station, including 722 00:37:44,520 --> 00:37:47,280 calling baseball games for the high school, Getting to call 723 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,240 high school baseball games the last two years, one kind of gave 724 00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:53,280 me a fulfillment of a lifelong dream that I got to be a Joe 725 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:56,400 Castiglione out there at at the park. 726 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:58,200 But you know what? I had to meet a whole new group 727 00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:01,640 of people. They say, oh, you're a pastor or 728 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:03,600 you'd tell them, oh, right after this game, I'm going to church 729 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:04,960 tonight. You're going to you're going to 730 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:06,280 a baseball game, then you're going to church. 731 00:38:06,280 --> 00:38:08,680 Yeah, that's what I do. You go to church on Wednesday 732 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:10,720 night. Are you part of a cult? 733 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:12,240 Why does it always come back to that? 734 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:16,840 Are you part of a cult? No, I just go to church. 735 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:18,600 We're going to read about the Bible, that we're going to talk 736 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:19,840 about the Bible. We're going to preach about the 737 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:22,160 Bible. Find excuses to be able to talk 738 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,520 to people. If you go to places on a 739 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:27,440 frequent basis, get to know the people's names that are there. 740 00:38:27,720 --> 00:38:30,280 You go to the same coffee shop, ask someone what their name is 741 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:32,120 at some point. So I've known them for years. 742 00:38:32,120 --> 00:38:33,480 Well, it's a good time to start asking. 743 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:35,640 I feel I've seen you forever. I don't know your name. 744 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:38,760 What's your name? Get to know your neighbors that 745 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:40,880 live around you. Get to know him. 746 00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:41,760 I was blessed a couple weeks ago. 747 00:38:41,760 --> 00:38:43,720 The I Monday said we want to pray for our new neighbors. 748 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:46,040 We get to influence them for Christ. 749 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:47,240 That's what we ought to be doing. 750 00:38:48,240 --> 00:38:49,280 Got to meet a new neighbor today. 751 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:52,120 The neighbors come and go. When you have 25 people, 25 752 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:54,400 units in your apartment building, they come and go so 753 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:55,840 fast it's hard to keep track of them. 754 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:00,840 But we do what we can to be able to meet people and get to know 755 00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:03,120 them, know their names, carry tracks with you. 756 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:07,680 Pray for a door of utterance. Colossians 4, verse 3, where 757 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:10,880 Peter says pray, Paul says praying for us, that God would 758 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:13,440 open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mysteries of 759 00:39:13,440 --> 00:39:15,400 Christ, for which I'm also in bonds. 760 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:17,240 Maybe there's somebody you're working with, Lord, can I have 761 00:39:17,240 --> 00:39:18,960 an opportunity to be able to speak to them today? 762 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:22,240 Would you open up a window? You know what's amazing when you 763 00:39:22,240 --> 00:39:25,560 pray that I find sometimes the Lord opens up the window, and 764 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,760 sometimes the window's always been there, but now you're aware 765 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:29,960 because you've been praying for them. 766 00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:34,160 We got to influence these people for Christ. 767 00:39:35,520 --> 00:39:37,760 You're never going to get away from worldly people. 768 00:39:38,080 --> 00:39:41,160 So you have to learn how to deal with them and interact with them 769 00:39:41,440 --> 00:39:44,760 and sway them to Jesus Christ, not let them sway you the 770 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:46,600 opposite direction. Letter B. 771 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:50,280 There is a need for caution. There is a need for caution. 772 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,720 You might say tonight, pastor, isn't first John 215 still in 773 00:39:53,720 --> 00:39:56,800 the Bible? Love not the world, neither the 774 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,920 things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the 775 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:01,520 love of the Father is not in him. 776 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:04,160 You say, pastor, isn't James 4/4 in the Bible? 777 00:40:04,240 --> 00:40:07,560 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with 778 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:11,280 the world is enmity with God. Whosoever, therefore, will be a 779 00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:13,840 friend of the world is the enemy of God. 780 00:40:13,840 --> 00:40:16,960 And the answer is yes, that's still in the Bible. 781 00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:19,440 That's why we're to live holy lives. 782 00:40:20,320 --> 00:40:21,480 You know what also is in the Bible? 783 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:25,400 Romans 58. But God commendeth His love 784 00:40:25,400 --> 00:40:27,880 toward us. In that while we were yet 785 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:31,520 sinners, Christ died for us first. 786 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:36,320 John 410 Hearing is love, not that we love God, but that he 787 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:40,280 loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 788 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:47,160 Meaning this when we were in the world he loved us and brought us 789 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,040 to himself. May I remind you that Jesus 790 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:53,520 mission was to what? To seek and to save that which 791 00:40:53,520 --> 00:40:58,640 was lost. Luke 1910 To seek and to save 792 00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,040 that which was lost. Here's the issue. 793 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,000 Should we have love for the world system? 794 00:41:04,600 --> 00:41:09,120 No. Should we have a love that sways 795 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:12,680 the lost to Jesus Christ? Yes. 796 00:41:13,960 --> 00:41:17,520 That we don't love their sin. We don't love the world system 797 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:20,360 that governs so many of the things that we see around us. 798 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:24,280 But we realize if Jesus Christ could love them so much that He 799 00:41:24,280 --> 00:41:28,320 would die for them, then I must do what I can to influence them 800 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,600 for Christ as well. That's what we have to do. 801 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:36,640 But Jesus was on a search and rescue mission to seek and to 802 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:40,480 save that which was lost. Now think about this. 803 00:41:40,480 --> 00:41:45,200 Imagine a little child being lost out into the woods the 804 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,240 middle of the day and the child is gone. 805 00:41:48,240 --> 00:41:50,040 The parents recognize the child is gone. 806 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:52,080 Immediately. Search parties are put together, 807 00:41:52,720 --> 00:41:57,960 20-30 people combing the woods, acres and acres of land, trying 808 00:41:57,960 --> 00:42:01,160 to find this child, knowing that it's going to get cold at night 809 00:42:01,560 --> 00:42:04,560 and their time is short. But can imagine those 20 or 30 810 00:42:04,560 --> 00:42:07,000 people out there combing the land and as they do so, they 811 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:10,000 think, you know what, it's a beautiful day. 812 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:13,520 Look at that lake out there. You know, let's just sit down 813 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:15,120 here for a few minutes. Let's just look at the lake. 814 00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:19,720 Some have a fishing pole. Maybe we could throw a line and 815 00:42:20,040 --> 00:42:23,200 you know, it would catch something starts to grow dark 816 00:42:23,200 --> 00:42:26,640 and starts to grow cold. And instead of getting their 817 00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:28,800 flashlights, they decide, you know what? 818 00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:30,040 It'd be great. Let's build a fire. 819 00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:33,560 Maybe we can make s'mores. We can sing songs out here. 820 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:35,640 Would that be cool? Would that be neat? 821 00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:37,400 Hey, we, we have we have a fun time out there. 822 00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:39,880 You'd say, what's the matter with you? 823 00:42:39,880 --> 00:42:42,720 Are you crazy? All of you were out there to 824 00:42:42,760 --> 00:42:46,560 find this lost child. And you've become so enamored 825 00:42:46,840 --> 00:42:50,680 with the the forest that you've missed the fact that you're 826 00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:55,240 supposed to find this child. And I would submit to you 827 00:42:55,240 --> 00:43:00,880 tonight that we can, if we're not careful, miss the whole 828 00:43:00,880 --> 00:43:03,680 point of what we're supposed to do as believers. 829 00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:07,560 What are we supposed to do? Just like Christ, to seek and to 830 00:43:07,560 --> 00:43:10,320 save that which is lost. Not that we can save them, but 831 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:11,560 that we can point them to Christ. 832 00:43:12,040 --> 00:43:14,640 But what do we do? God puts us on the search and 833 00:43:14,640 --> 00:43:17,760 rescue mission, but we get so enamored with this world. 834 00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:20,160 Hey, look at this car. Oh, this is nice. 835 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:21,960 Oh, look at my time. I'm too busy. 836 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:26,320 Look at all this money, look at all these things, look at all 837 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:30,320 this stuff. And listen, even good Christians 838 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:36,440 can forget that there's lives on the line because we've got so 839 00:43:36,440 --> 00:43:39,840 enamored with all of these other things that we miss what we're 840 00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,960 supposed to do. That's when you know you've got 841 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:46,360 in too far. I called the message tonight. 842 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:49,920 This the way of the sway. I don't usually give you the 843 00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:53,160 title like 3 minutes before the sermons done, but I need to give 844 00:43:53,160 --> 00:43:54,760 it to you. And the reason why is this. 845 00:43:56,240 --> 00:43:59,280 You need to be in a place in your life where you have put 846 00:43:59,280 --> 00:44:02,760 yourselves in situations where you can sway someone else. 847 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:06,200 But when you recognize that they are going to sway you back 848 00:44:06,200 --> 00:44:09,120 towards the world, that that's a situation you need to be getting 849 00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:14,120 out of. I want to be swaying them to the 850 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:16,240 world. I always want to sway them to 851 00:44:16,240 --> 00:44:17,600 Christ. But if they start swaying me 852 00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:19,000 towards the world, I want to be careful. 853 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:23,360 Listen, for instance, playing in a playing in a rec league, 854 00:44:23,880 --> 00:44:26,960 playing basketball with a bunch of lost men, guys that that 855 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,680 could be a good thing, could be a good way to meet guys. 856 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:34,920 It might not be good to go with them out afterwards, though, and 857 00:44:34,920 --> 00:44:38,760 listen to the stories. Listen to them curse what the 858 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:41,520 way the sway says. I think I'm safe here, 859 00:44:41,520 --> 00:44:45,240 prayerfully, but I wouldn't want to be influenced by them there. 860 00:44:46,400 --> 00:44:48,800 Being around Co workers is necessary, isn't it? 861 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:51,240 Could you imagine not being around Co workers? 862 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:54,480 I mean, some of you probably like that, but I think somebody 863 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:55,920 tries. People try to experience that in 864 00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:59,640 2020. But being around them and trying 865 00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:01,400 to influence them for Christ is a good thing. 866 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:04,080 But maybe not having lunch with the same one every day. 867 00:45:04,880 --> 00:45:07,480 It could be that they could play more influence on you or their 868 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:10,320 friend group. What do you need prayerfully? 869 00:45:10,320 --> 00:45:14,000 Lord, am I having an influence on them or they having an 870 00:45:14,000 --> 00:45:16,440 influence on me? It's the way of the sway. 871 00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:19,600 You need to be careful. You prayerfully ask yourself 872 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:22,920 what to do. Friends at school, who's 873 00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:27,800 influencing who in the family, who's influencing who? 874 00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:32,720 It's all about just knowing Lord, I want to influence them 875 00:45:32,720 --> 00:45:36,320 for Christ, but I do not want to be influenced to live like the 876 00:45:36,320 --> 00:45:37,760 world. Because then what ends up 877 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:40,400 happening? We get we are in the world. 878 00:45:40,680 --> 00:45:43,000 We become worldly like they do, and what do we do? 879 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:44,800 We bring it back into the church. 880 00:45:45,720 --> 00:45:48,440 And now we brought a problem into the church as well. 881 00:45:49,880 --> 00:45:53,280 I had a man that I was witnessing to for some time when 882 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:56,920 I was in Bible college. His name was Jay, and I worked 883 00:45:57,240 --> 00:45:59,960 at Kay Jewelers with Jay. And one of the hard things about 884 00:45:59,960 --> 00:46:02,600 working in a jewelry store, worked at Gordon's Jewelers and 885 00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:04,520 then Kay Jewelers. One of the hard things was, is a 886 00:46:04,520 --> 00:46:09,480 lot of times, a lot of shifts, you'd only work with one other 887 00:46:09,480 --> 00:46:11,880 person unless it was the weekend. 888 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:13,560 There's usually two people in the store. 889 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:16,400 And so you could spend hours and hours and hours with somebody 890 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:18,680 and you better hope you got along with them because if not, 891 00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:20,680 it will be a very, very long shift. 892 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:27,080 And I remember Jay and I remember trying to get to work 893 00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:28,640 on him. He knew I went to Bible college. 894 00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:30,640 He knew I was a preacher trying to talk to about the Lord. 895 00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:34,720 He lived so much like the world it was he was, He was my age, we 896 00:46:34,720 --> 00:46:38,680 were both about 22 years old. And he was doing ever the party 897 00:46:38,680 --> 00:46:42,560 scene, the nightlife, the substances, you name it, Jay 898 00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:44,160 would do it. And then he would come to work 899 00:46:44,440 --> 00:46:46,120 and he would sell twice as much of me. 900 00:46:46,120 --> 00:46:47,640 And it infuriated me, to be honest with you. 901 00:46:49,800 --> 00:46:51,920 But I knew I needed to be an example to him. 902 00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:55,080 I had to pray. Lord, what do I do? 903 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:57,960 There were times he would say, hey, you want to go out with me 904 00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:00,440 afterwards? You want to go somewhere? 905 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:04,680 Well, I mean, we'd go to a bar. I didn't have to drink, Jay, I'm 906 00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:07,280 not going to do that. I'm not going to do that. 907 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:12,880 I remember one night Diane was out of town and I said, Jay, he 908 00:47:12,920 --> 00:47:15,120 invited me to go out plays it. Why don't you come over to my 909 00:47:15,120 --> 00:47:18,000 house so we can just, you know, have a soda. 910 00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:24,720 You know what he did? I was able to have a sway in a, 911 00:47:24,760 --> 00:47:28,920 in a place that was safer than being influenced awards. 912 00:47:28,920 --> 00:47:31,280 So were you afraid of a bar? I'm not afraid of a bar. 913 00:47:31,280 --> 00:47:35,600 Like, I'm not afraid of going in there and like, you know, having 914 00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:36,920 something attack me or something. 915 00:47:36,920 --> 00:47:40,200 But I'm just saying this as a believer. 916 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:44,880 I should be held to a better standard and I should be showing 917 00:47:44,880 --> 00:47:47,440 them, no, we live differently. Some kind of kooky guy. 918 00:47:47,440 --> 00:47:52,600 Well, yeah, if we're saved, I wouldn't call it kooky, but I 919 00:47:52,600 --> 00:47:55,560 would call it peculiar, which is what Titus called it. 920 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:58,160 They were to be peculiar people, zealous of good works. 921 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:02,040 And I'm thankful that Jay and I spent a lot of time together, 922 00:48:02,560 --> 00:48:06,320 and after a while that Jay went to a place that I was preaching 923 00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:10,120 and walked the aisle and got his life right with the Lord and 924 00:48:10,120 --> 00:48:14,160 brought his girlfriend with him. Another young lady I work with, 925 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:17,680 about the same age, she was just as far out in the party scene, 926 00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:20,200 and I didn't even think I had any influence on her. 927 00:48:20,200 --> 00:48:23,520 And I found out several years ago that she goes to a Christian 928 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:26,120 Church out in Oklahoma City and she and her family there, she 929 00:48:26,120 --> 00:48:29,080 got married and she's raising her kids for the Lord. 930 00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:30,600 It's like, well, how will that happen? 931 00:48:30,920 --> 00:48:35,880 Listen, just be a testimony where you are, but be careful 932 00:48:35,880 --> 00:48:37,880 about letting the world influence you. 933 00:48:38,240 --> 00:48:39,880 We have to be pure in the church. 934 00:48:40,080 --> 00:48:43,560 Listen, not perfect, but pure out in the world. 935 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:47,840 We don't have that luxury to be around purity, but we can be 936 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:51,120 sold and we can be like, don't run away from them. 937 00:48:51,120 --> 00:48:55,200 Jesus didn't run away from them, but He also didn't dip His 938 00:48:55,200 --> 00:48:59,640 Holiness one bit. He was all love, He was all 939 00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:02,120 holy, and He was all about reaching the lost. 940 00:49:02,520 --> 00:49:05,000 And really, shouldn't that be what we are in our life as well? 941 00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:08,640 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 942 00:49:08,640 --> 00:49:11,520 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 943 00:49:11,520 --> 00:49:15,000 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 944 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:19,600 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 945 00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:24,440 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 946 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:27,240 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 947 00:49:27,240 --> 00:49:28,440 grow in His Word.