Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives.
The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist
Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us
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message from God's Word will be a blessing to you.
First Corinthians chapter 5 once again is where we're at this
evening, our final time in First Corinthians after having two
other messages. The first message in First
Corinthians 5 asking why do we have church discipline and what
is church discipline? The second was God's view on
sexual immorality. And tonight we're going to look
at how we interact and how we deal with the world.
It has become quite clear in what we've seen here in First
Corinthians over the last few weeks that God puts a premium on
the fact that the church ought to live in a holy way.
Would you agree with that tonight?
All right, this means yes, and this means no.
All right, good. We all agree that God puts a
premium on the fact that the church ought to be holy.
And if the church ought to be holy, that means, well, we're
not talking about the building. We're talking about the people
who make up the church that we ought to be holy.
We know that we're not perfect. We're not going to be perfect
until we get to glory, but we don't use that as an excuse or
as a crutch to not do our our best through the Spirit's help
and the Spirit's enablement to live a life that is pleasing to
God. It's important that we
individually and then corporately together as a
church, that we are holy, But at the same time, we have to ask
ourselves this question, Does that mean that we are never
around worldly people in our life if we are to live a holy
life? Does that mean that we should
have no worldly people within our life whatsoever?
Now we know the practical answer to that.
Is this how? How on earth are you ever going
to get away from ungodly people? How are you ever going to get
away from the unsaved? In fact, Paul is going to make a
mention of this. You might remember from the
other readings we've had of First Corinthians chapter #5 How
are we ever going to get away from the world?
It is a folly to think that we would ever be able to get away
from the world. And by the way, even if we
could, we shouldn't get away from the world because how on
earth are we ever going to win anyone to Christ if we're never
around the lost people who need to hear the gospel message in
the 1st place? But here's the issue for us this
evening is that yes, we are going to be around the world.
There is no avoiding it. There is no circumventing the
fact that we are going to be around the world, but we are to
be around the world. We are to be with the world, but
we are not to become like the world.
We're to be around the world. We're to be with the world, but
we are not to become like the world.
Because God has called us to be different.
And if we want to win the world to Christ, it is not about us
being as much like the world as possible.
It's about us being as much like Christ as possible, which is the
opposite of the world. So that we can do all that we
can to show them there's a difference than the life that
they're living that is on a road straight to hell.
But rather there's a road to heaven and to victory, but also
to joy and peace within this life as well.
Not just in the life to come, but that you can have a joyful,
a peaceful, a fulfilling life in this life.
And then you get heaven too. I mean, what could be better
than that? But it all comes down to this
issue of how we interact with the world.
We saw the purity of the church, the need for church discipline.
We'll look at that again tonight.
But then how does that balance itself with the fact that we
need to be out amongst the people of the world?
How can we understand both of those things being necessary?
The purity of the church that we need to be living holy lives,
but yet we also must be out amongst the world at the same
time? How do those things go together?
Well, Paul's going to explain it tonight for us in First
Corinthians chapter 5. And so for the last time
tonight, we're going to read all 13, 13 verses.
And I know that you're likely fairly familiar with this
chapter already by this point, but I think it would be best for
us to go ahead and read all 13 verses again tonight.
And it starts by saying it is reported commonly that let's try
that again. I'm sorry.
It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you.
And such fornication is not so much as named among the Gentiles
that one should have his father's wife.
And you're puffed up and if not rather mourned that he hath done
this deed might be taken away from among you.
For I is absent the body, but present Spirit have judged
already as though I were present concerning him that hath so done
this deed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, When ye are
gathered together, and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to deliver such an 1 unto Satan for the destruction
of the flesh, that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the
Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good.
Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out there for the old leaven, that ye may be a new
lump as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is
sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast,
not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth. I wrote unto you an epistle not
to company with fornicators. There is that thought process
we're going to be honing in on tonight from verse #9 and on.
Yet not all together with the fornicators of this world, or
with the covetous, or the extortioners, or with idolaters.
For then must he needs go out of the world.
Basically, Hey, you want to get away from those type of people,
you got to leave this world. They're everywhere, so we can't
get away from them completely. But now I have written unto you
not to keep company. If any man that is called a
brother be a fornicator or covetous, or an idolater or a
railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such and one no
not to eat for what if I do? For what have I to do to judge
them also that are without? Do not you judge them that are
within, but them that are without?
God judgeth, therefore put away from among yourselves that
wicked person. There are two poles, if you
will. There are two sides that we need
to look at here tonight when it deals with how we interact with
worldly people. And the first I want us to look
at tonight is this. The principle of don't keep
company #1 is don't keep company.
There we go. I got my clicker ready.
Now I got to turn it on. I guess that's part of the
problem. All right, number one, don't
keep company. Well, where do you get that,
pastor? Well, let's, how about this
verse #9 I wrote unto you an epistle not to company with
fornicators, verse #11 but I have written unto you not to
keep company. If any man that is called a
brother. So what is the principle here?
First of all, that if there's someone who calls himself a
brother, if there's someone who is a member of the church,
remember the context of what we've been looking at so far.
That someone is a part of the church.
Someone is in gross sin. That person has been gone to in
a Matthew 18 style. Remember, they've been gone to
with one person, then they've been gone to with a group of
people, then they've been brought before the church.
The issue is plain and clear rebellion.
It's not the fact that well, you know what you're saying, pastor,
everybody has to be perfect and everybody.
No, no, we're far beyond the fact that we all sin and fall
short of the glory of God on a day-to-day basis.
Of course we know we are saved, we're forgiven, we have a home
in heaven. But yet first John 19 is real
for the believer on a daily basis as well.
No, no, we're far beyond that. We're talking about someone who
has been talked to again and again.
And here's the issue. They don't want to do right.
They have no desire to do right. And we are told that in those
situations they are not to be kept company with that church
discipline is to be enacted against the network Company, as
I mentioned before, literally means to mix up together.
It means that you are together as one, just as a church is
together as 1A body. First Corinthians chapter 12,
the local church is a body. No, no, that we're not to keep
company, that we're not to have that appendage, if you will.
Just as First Corinthians chapter 12 calls us all
different parts of the body, that diseased appendage has to
be removed so that they can have health brought to them again, so
they can be reattached to the body.
And we saw that happen with this man, didn't we, in First
Corinthians 5? Because by the time we got to
2nd Corinthians, Paul said this, get that man, bring him back in,
and he's going to get overwhelmed with sorrows.
He's right with the Lord and he needs to be brought back into
the church body once again. But we see that when there's
somebody who is will not repent, they are rebellious.
The the very last tool that is being used of church discipline
says don't keep company with those people.
Now turn quickly to leave your spot there, but go to 2nd
Thessalonians chapter 3. We I quoted a couple of these
verses a few weeks ago, but I'd like to read a little bit more
because this will give us again more context of what church
discipline is all about. Second Thessalonians three, just
a few pages over, beginning in verse #6 2nd Thessalonians 3,
verse 6. Now we command you, brethren, in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw
yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not
after the tradition which he received of us for yourselves.
Know that you ought to follow us, for we behave not ourselves
disorderly among you, neither did we eat any man's bread for
not but wrought with labor and travail night and day, that we
might not be chargeable to any one of you, not because we have
not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow
us. Now just stop here for just a
moment. The word that keeps coming up
here in verse #6 and also in verse #7 is the word disorderly.
He says there are people who are not walking in order in the
church now. It reminds me of what Paul will
say in First Corinthians 1440 where it says let all things be
done decently and in order. In everything that we do in the
Christian life, whether it's outside of the church or inside
of the church, we're to do it decently and in order.
What does in order mean? Well, it means that we follow
what the word of God tells us to do, that we don't go rogue, that
we don't go on our own path or decide what I want to do or even
say something like, well, I know what the Bible says, but in my
situation, hey, stop right there, You've already got
yourself into trouble. Whatever the Bible says that
applies to you, God didn't give you exception.
God didn't give you a special clause for your situation.
We don't exempt ourselves because, well, I live in 2025
and this was written around 2000 years ago.
No, no, God wrote His word for all time, for all situations.
Yes, you are included. We all have to live in an
orderly way. But there are some who are
living disorderly. And Paul says this, listen, we
were among you and we lived orderly to be able to show you
how to live orderly. But you weren't listening, but
you weren't paying attention. We were an example unto you.
And in sample it says in verse #9 but it says in verse #10
where we pick up, says, for even when we were with you this week,
commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
By the way, that's still a good principle today.
If you can work, you ought to work.
If you as as popular as I thought it was, all right.
But if you have the ability to work, I know people retire and
things like that. I understand there's nothing
wrong with that. But there is a time in life
where work is necessary and if you are physically able to work,
you ought to be working. I'm thankful that there are
programs to be able to help people when there are situations
in life that come and temporary circumstances.
That is a a thing that I think it's good that we're able to
have as a nation. But I will say this, a good
general principle is this. If you could work, you ought to
work. If you are at the time of your
life where you can work. This is a biblical principle.
This isn't some kind of politic that we're talking about here
tonight. I'm about trying to stump some
sort of a political speech here this evening.
It's just a Bible principle. Can you work then?
Work again, retirement, that's a wonderful thing.
Praise the Lord for that. But there is a time of life
where you got to get after it, and that's what you do, that you
do that and you provide for your family or you provide for
yourself, whatever your situation may be.
All right, then it goes on and it says this.
It says for we hear verse 11 that there are some which walk
among you disorderly. There it is again.
They're disorderly, They're working not at all, but are busy
bodies. Well, it sounds like they are
working, aren't they? The only thing that's working
though is they're gums, right? They're walking around, they're
talking, they're gossiping, but they're not doing the things
that they're supposed to do. They're basically they're
causing havoc within the church. They're taking the orderly or
rather the order and the unity that the church is supposed to
have and they're causing turmoil within.
Well, what do they do? Verse 12 for now, them that are
such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with
quietness they work and eat well their own bread.
But ye brethren, be not weary in well doing, and if any man, obey
not our word. This is what we read before any
man obey not our word. By this epistle, note that man
and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
Again, if there are people who are walking disorderly, they
continue to walk in disorder. What happens?
They have to be removed from the fellowship of the church.
They had to be removed from the membership roles of the church.
They are no longer part of the body.
Again, that doesn't mean, well, forget what I'm about to say,
Let's just see what the next verse says.
Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Again, we're not talking about Amish shunning.
We're not talking about pride and arrogance in the part of the
people who say that there is someone that's disorderly, that
has to be removed, but with sorrow of heart, but with real
purpose. They say, well, this has to take
place because God has commanded it and it is necessary for us as
a church to make sure that we are all walking orderly.
Now, why is this so important? Well, I want to look at that.
First of all, we don't keep company with those who are
disorderly, disorderly within the church because of their
effect on you, their effect on you when there was someone that
was in the church that is walking disorderly.
Listen, it can infect entire body, just like one small part
of the body can be infected. It can quickly go to all parts
of the body. Listen, we don't think about
that much today because if we have an infection, we go to the
urgent care, you go to the doctor, you get some antibiotics
and hey, you're doing better. I did that just a few days ago.
But there was a time not that long ago in our history that if
you had an infection, guess what?
You could die. Yeah, we have penicillin today,
by the way. I'm not so thankful for
penicillin because I'm allergic to it.
But for the rest of you that can take it, hey, that's great.
It can stop an infection. But there was a time a simple
infection from a simple cut could kill somebody if it wasn't
remedy. Sin is an infection, and if it's
not remedied within the church house where it is not supposed
to be, what happens? It can have a grave effect on
others. Go back to First Corinthians
chapter 5. You say, Pastor, this isn't very
encouraging tonight. I would say it's a lot more
encouraging than the last two messages we've had in First
Corinthians chapter 5. This is like a walk in the park
tonight, you know what I'm saying?
What's the effect? Well, look at verse 6.
Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven
leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out there for the old
leaven, that ye may be a new lump as ye are unleavened sin
hidden in the shadows grows just like yeast.
What happens when you're trying to bake bread?
Bethany, a few days ago for the Thanksgiving feast that we had
with her, wanted to bake rolls, these Thanksgiving rolls, and
she was so proud of them, and she got them old, mixed it all
up together. And then you know what she did?
She put a towel over it and put it somewhere that was dark, made
sure it was a temperate place. Why?
To make sure that the yeast had the best opportunity to grow.
Before you knew it, the rolls were about twice the size of
what they were before. And by the time I was done
eating them, they felt like 4 times the size in my stomach.
Because that's just the way it was.
But but what sin, that's the way it is.
It lurks in the darkness. It finds the places to be able.
It doesn't want the sunshine. It doesn't want to be out in the
open. Why does the Bible say for men
are lovers of darkness, that men love darkness rather than light?
Why? Because their deeds are evil.
And so when things are hidden in the dark, what happens?
Well, it has an effect on everybody when sin is not taken
care of within the church. Again, not being, as I told you
a few weeks ago, pious policeman, not going around and
saying why I've got a problem with you or I've got a problem
with you. I feel like Jesus covered that
in the in the Sermon on the Mount or talked about, you know,
getting the telephone pole out of your own eye before you get
the toothpick out of someone else's eye.
OK, He didn't put it that way, but you understand, that's kind
of the way we would put it today.
The same idea. You know, we're not talking
about having the wrong spirit. But at the same time, listen,
Paul said that he judged in the verses before.
I have to judge. I'm apart from you, but I got to
judge because right is right and wrong is wrong, and right needs
to flourish in the church, and wrong does not need to not only
be accepted, but to be embarrassed faced within the
church as it was there in Corinth.
Galatians 59 also says a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
Second Timothy 217 says, and their word will eat as doth A
canker, which is hymanius and philetus, that that sin that is
not taken care of is like yeast that grows like a canker that's
there that grows. It must be taken care of.
And then there's something that we've really not concentrated on
over the last few weeks in this in this text, but something very
interesting when it says the end of verse #7 for even Christ, our
Passover is sacrificed for us. Now I will say this, it's a
reminder to us this evening. This is not necessarily the
direction I want us to go this evening, but it's a reminder.
We don't take the Passover anymore because Jesus Christ
died on the cross and He is our Passover.
That the Passover is a picture of what Jesus Christ was going
to do on the cross as sacrificial death, burial, and
resurrection. Now, I think it's wonderful that
we can look at the Passover today and even see some who are
Jewish and know the Lord is their Savior who can take the
Passover and show us Jesus in the Passover.
I think that's a wonderful thing.
But for us, we don't celebrate the Passover.
What do we celebrate? The Lord's Supper.
That the Lord's Supper is a memorial of the death
sacrificial atonement of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
No, no, not the literal body and blood.
But what do you say this do in remembrance of me?
Christ is our Passover today. Now keep reading and I'll give
you the application in just a second.
Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven,
neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Now, we've talked about this before in the past, but let me
talk about it again for you tonight because, well, you know,
we've slept a few times since the last last time I've talked
about the Passover here at Liberty Baptist Church.
But if you were to keep the Passover, there were some very
stringent requirements upon you to be able to keep the Passover.
We're talking about Old Testament times.
You couldn't just say, hey, everybody, come on over.
We're going to have a party and I think we're going to get some
lamb over at ALDI and we'll cook it up and, you know, we'll fire
up the insta pot and we'll have some lamb and, you know, bring
some side dishes, you know, that kind of thing.
And you know, just kind of come as you are.
That's the kind of no, it was very highly regulated by the
word of God. Where'd you get the lamb?
Well, had to be a lamb without blemish, had to be without spot.
Even the things that were used along with it in the the Seder
meal and the as it was gathered together over time, each of them
ended up being, in God's Providence, things that pointed
to Jesus Christ. And by the way, our Jewish
friends even today that don't know Jesus Christ, their Savior,
that are lost and so many of them are that still will have
the Passover, not even realizing that it points to Jesus Christ
as they deny Jesus Christ. But what I'm saying is this,
that the Passover was all about this purity.
What had to be swept out of the house before the Passover 11?
Every last bit of it. Tradition says that the mother
would go through the house for the week before and get out
every bit of 11 she could. And then the father, the
husband, would inspect the home for an 11.
Mom would leave just a ceremonial speck out for him to
take, and he would carefully take it, pick it up, put a
napkin over it and dispose it outside and say that the home
was clean. What was it all about?
Hey, the Passover is all about cleanliness.
Now why is that? Because Christ is our Passover.
And what do we know about Jesus Christ?
He was clean. What kind of cleanliness are you
talking about? I'm talking about the purity of
His life, that he never sinned whatsoever, that He gave himself
a sacrifice. And So what is Paul saying here?
The Passover, it was all about cleanliness.
Christ is our Passover. It's all about cleanliness.
Then what should be the church house about friendliness and
holiness if that leaven couldn't be found in the Passover and
that leaven was not found in Jesus Christ body?
Which is, by the way, why we use unleavened bread for the Lord's
Supper. We don't buy a loaf over at
Market Basket. Why?
Because if we did, it would not picture the pure body of Jesus
Christ. We don't use wine, the
degradation of the fruit of the vine.
Why? Because it would represent the
degradation of Christ's blood. We don't do that.
What do we do? No, used the unleavened bread.
Why? It presents the fact that Jesus
Christ was pure in his body and holy.
And what should the church be as Christ's body?
We are Christ's body. What should we be pure and holy?
He says there's an effect on you when there's leaven found within
the group. It must be purged when it was in
the group. Again, that doesn't mean that we
kick someone out Amish style. That doesn't mean we excommute,
excommunicate someone Catholic style.
Now we're talking about biblical discernment and biblical
discipline. That must take place out of love
and concern for the person, but it is necessary.
Hebrews 10/1 through 4 talks about the very purity of the
Passover and the purity of the sacrifice, and of course the
purity of Christ being what it is.
So we have to not keep company with those who are disorderly
within the body because of their effect on you, but also because
of the need for caution, the need for caution.
You say, well, well, well, why is caution necessary in this
situation? Well, look at verse #9 and says
this I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with
fordicators. Now this is First Corinthians,
the book we're reading right now.
It is an epistle. What is an epistle?
Well, it's really just a fancy word for letter, right?
It is a letter. First Corinthians would be the
first letter that we have in the word of God to the Corinthians.
Second Corinthians get this is the second letter that we have
in the word of God to the Corinthians.
Now he's saying this here I wrote unto you in an epistle,
which means this. Listen before First Corinthians,
he had written another letter to the people of the Corinthians.
Now, it was not saved for us. It was not inspired by the Holy
Ghost we have here. But at the same time, he had
talked to them before. He had to go over some issues
with them before. Here's what he's saying.
We've talked about this before. I had to remind you of this
before, and you're still not listening.
You're still not getting it. Don't you understand the
seriousness of what is taking place, the need for caution
here, for you to take heed and to not just allow things to keep
going for the sake of going? Too many times I will say that
churches and pastors have looked the other way in the membership
when there are issues that can arise, like a festering tanker
or like rising yeast. Too many times I've seen this
happen in the past where someone has been allowed to remain in
the membership when they are in rebellion against that which the
Lord has said in His word. Now why would pastors look the
other way? Well, it could be because the
person maybe gives money. By the way, I'll remind you, I
don't know what you give. That is a very freeing thing.
I don't want to know what people give because I just want to
preach the Word of God and preach.
When I preach on tithing, you know that whatever I preach on,
I'm just preaching on because it's in the Word of God, not
because I'm trying to shake someone down.
But we preach because it is what's in the Word of God.
There are churches that won't preach, right?
Because of finances or maybe because of fear, or maybe
because the pastor wants to be popular or he wants to be loved
or he wants to be accepted. Listen, I'm far beyond that 12
years in. I want to be your friend.
I want you to like me. I mean, I don't have a complex
where I was like, I got to, I got to make sure everybody hates
me. I don't want to do that.
But I will tell you this, as much as I want to be loved and I
want to be your friend, that is not my highest goal.
My highest goal has to be this. Now, I please the Lord in
everything that I say, in everything that I preach.
And listen, if it just happens to be that you love me and you
appreciate me on the way, hey, all the better.
But I cannot dip the flag of truth to try to allow that.
And listen, that's what's happening in Corinth here.
They're letting anything go. Why?
I don't know. But he says this.
You better take caution. This is not the way to have a
church grow. In fact, it may even seem like
the church is growing for a little bit, but it won't last.
And far too many times I've seen this be the case and churches
implode from the inside out. Why?
Because that Levin rises to the point that, well, the church has
been contaminated such a way before you know it, it may
split, it may close, it may just change its doctrine.
It just may no longer be recognizable as a church.
It may no longer meet as a church.
And it doesn't have to be that way.
As long as there are people who say this, hey, we got to be
careful about this issue of church discipline.
Now I know we've talked about church discipline quite a bit,
but I don't want to miss the fact of what I want us to look
at here tonight. Because as I mentioned before,
as we looked at those last few verses here in First Corinthians
chapter #5 we do have this strange juxtaposition.
The idea of, OK pastor, you have hammered it into us for like 3
messages. Now from First Corinthians 5.
The church has to be holy. But then what do we do with all
of these unsaved people we're around every day?
Well, thank the Lord Paul covers that for us here in our text.
So what do we do? We need to not keep company with
those who are not doing right within the membership of the
church. But look at #2 don't, don't cut
the world out. Don't just cut off the world.
Look at verse #10 yet not all together with the fornicators of
where? Let's try that again.
Verse 10. Yet not all together with the
fornicators, where of this world, OK, not the Church of
this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with
idolaters. For then you must needs go out
of the world. And you know, the interesting
thing is that religion has been trying to do this for centuries.
They build these strange areas where they believe that they can
keep the world out. Convents, compounds.
People build them all the time, don't they?
And they're the most godliest places you can find, aren't
they? They end up often times being
cesspools of sin, aren't they? It would seem to be, hey, maybe
we can just keep the world out. No, no, listen, the world is the
world. Now, I'm not saying you need to
jump in headlong into the world, but I will say this.
You just can't get away from the world.
You're going to eventually need to get groceries.
You're going to eventually need to get your car worked on.
You're eventually need to get gas.
You're eventually going to need to get a cup of coffee because
you're a Baptist. You're eventually going to need
to get a cup of coffee. Some of you, I think, need a cup
of coffee tonight. Amen.
All right. Eventually.
Oh, I hit the mark. All right.
What are you gonna. You can't get away from the
world, Say, well, I'll just have all my groceries delivered.
I'll buy everything on Amazon, and I'll live up in Vermont, up
in a remote corner where I won't see anybody.
You can't get away from the world no matter what you do.
So here's the point. You can't cut out the world, but
you have to make sure that you have a right relationship with
the world so that you can affect the world.
Listen, while the world doesn't affect you, see, that's the
issue tonight. We have to be a changing force
for the world without the world being a changing force for us.
We as a church must be a changing element for this world
without the world being a changing element for this
church. Like I've said before, the water
is good for the ship. The ship doesn't work unless
it's in the water. There's a problem when the water
gets in the ship. Look, the church has to be out
in the world. It's the way it works.
How are we going to win people to Christ if we just cloister
ourselves here together? We never see anybody.
But listen, when the world gets into the church, it's a big
problem, just like water getting into a ship.
So what do we do? Well, kind of similarly to what
we saw before. What's your effect on the world?
What should it be? Well, Jesus put it this way,
Matthew 513 and 14. You're to be salt, and you're to
be liked salt and light. What a difference from the
darkness where yeast flourishes. What the difference for the
darkness where they canker flourishes?
Well, we see ye are the salt of the earth.
But if salt have lost its savour, where with shall it be
salt? It is thenceforth good for
nothing but to be cast out, and to be trod under the foot of
man. Ye are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid when we go out in
this world. When you go to work tomorrow,
when you go to school tomorrow, when you are in your
neighborhood tomorrow, when you're with your cross family
tomorrow. God has said this.
Don't run away from them. Run towards them.
But as you do, run towards them as salt and run towards them as
light, because salt and light are elements of change.
Light changes the properties of many of the things that comes in
contact with. Salt changes the properties of
many of the things that comes in contact with.
We are to be the ones that change.
Listen, as salt, If we are the ones who are changed by the
world, what does he say? Well, what good are you?
You'd be tossed aside, trod under the foot of men.
But we are to be the ones who are to make the world.
Could we put it this way? Thirsty for God?
Isn't that what salt does? It causes thirst.
And that's what we're to be doing for the world when we are
out in the world. Listen, Jesus is our example
because Jesus hid from the world, right?
In fact, he was controversial because he was around, well,
everybody, when the disciples said, you know what, let's avoid
Samaria, Jesus said, I want to go to Samaria.
That was bad enough. But then they go away for a few
minutes and when they come back, what's Jesus doing?
He's talking to a harlot, a woman that been married five
times and is living with a man who's not her husband.
And they're looking at him say, what are you doing?
He says, I have meat that you know, not of meaning this.
I have a job and a task to do which you don't understand.
They thought that they were going through there just to cut
through the quick way to be able to get back to Jerusalem.
But he said, no, I went here because there was a city named
Sycar where there's Samaritans that Jews don't want to talk to,
and there's a woman that the Samaritans don't want to talk
to. And I've got to talk to all of
them. Listen, I know that we can get
worked up into a froth and a frenzy by the media today.
And I'm talking about conservative media as well as
just any type of media. And they like to put us into
groups, don't they? And pit US one against another.
And listen, there are some groups that believe some pretty
dark stuff, and there's some groups that believe some pretty
unbiblical stuff. And there's some groups that are
preaching some doctrine that'll send people straight to hell.
Don't be. I won't deny that here tonight.
But I will say this. Those are the very same people
that we need to be giving the gospel to.
Now, we don't like that because we don't want to interact with
those people because they can offend our sensibilities.
But I will say this, if we don't reach them, who will?
If we don't love them to the gospel, who will?
I'm not talking about approving their sin.
We won't do that. We ought not to do that.
But we do need to reach them with the gospel.
You say, well, what's the difference, pastor?
You're saying I'm supposed to be around these wicked people in
the world, but yet they're not allowed to be in the church.
Well, I'm first of all, I'm not saying that Paul's saying that.
But secondly, Paul's basic argument is this.
The church ought to act like God's church and expect the
world to, well, act like Satan's world.
That's what you ought to expect when someone comes to church.
They ought to expect God's people act like God's people.
And when we go out in the world, we ought to just expect that the
world well, acts like the world. Why are you surprised people are
yelling at you when you drive? Why are you surprised about
that? Why are you surprised that
somebody would lie to you or cheat you?
Why are you surprised that someone would tell you one thing
and then have no intention of fulfilling their promise?
Why are we surprised that a neighbor might seem neighborly,
but if they had an opportunity, they might take advantage of
maybe your neighborliness? Why are we surprised these
things? The world acts like the world.
I'm not approving it. I'm not saying it's right.
I'm just saying it's what's natural when we see a cat act
like a cat. Well, I shouldn't have said
that. We see a cat act like a cat,
we're not surprised. But we see a dog act like a dog,
We're not surprised. What do you see?
The world act like the world? Why are you surprised?
It's just a reminder. We need to win them to Christ.
We need to influence them, not allow them to influence us.
Can I tell you one of the ways they influence us is they make
us so sour and they make us so negative and they make us so
unhappy. Listen, we ought to be the
happiest people on earth. We're going to have true joy
within us because we know Jesus Christ.
We know where we're going and we know where we're heading before
we get there. We ought to have joy, but the
world will infect us with their cynicism and their anger, and
it's hard for us to even radiate the joy of Christ because we so
radiate their junk. No, we need to be affecting
them. People ought to look at you and
say, why? Why is he so happy?
What's his problem? What, why?
Why is she handling this so well?
What's her deal? What an opportunity to be a
testimony of Jesus Christ to the people that are around you.
We can't win the world if we don't interact with that very
same world. Now, again, we got to be
careful. Well, pastor, I'm, I'm, I'm
going to the bar room, I'm winning people to Christ.
That's foolish. That's foolish.
Again, we have to be cautious in how we do this, and I'm going to
talk to you more about that in a second.
But we don't go into openly worldly, ungodly places to be
able to try to influence people for Christ.
Listen, it is much more likely they're going to influence you
than the other way around. But those people that go to that
bar room at the next day at work when they're having a hangover
at their desk, they're going to need someone who will show him
Jesus Christ. That guy's gonna pull into his
house at 2:00 in the morning with a whole lot less money in
his pocket, and you might see him in his driveway the next day
when you're both going out to work.
You can show him Jesus Christ. What do we need to do with the
world? Hey, find excuses to talk to
people in the world. Find excuses.
As a pastor, I've told you before, it's hard to be able to
be out around worldly people because, well, I'm around you
all and you're not worldly people.
So what do I have to do? I have to find excuses to get
out in the community, to meet people, to talk to people.
That's why I do things with the television station, including
calling baseball games for the high school, Getting to call
high school baseball games the last two years, one kind of gave
me a fulfillment of a lifelong dream that I got to be a Joe
Castiglione out there at at the park.
But you know what? I had to meet a whole new group
of people. They say, oh, you're a pastor or
you'd tell them, oh, right after this game, I'm going to church
tonight. You're going to you're going to
a baseball game, then you're going to church.
Yeah, that's what I do. You go to church on Wednesday
night. Are you part of a cult?
Why does it always come back to that?
Are you part of a cult? No, I just go to church.
We're going to read about the Bible, that we're going to talk
about the Bible. We're going to preach about the
Bible. Find excuses to be able to talk
to people. If you go to places on a
frequent basis, get to know the people's names that are there.
You go to the same coffee shop, ask someone what their name is
at some point. So I've known them for years.
Well, it's a good time to start asking.
I feel I've seen you forever. I don't know your name.
What's your name? Get to know your neighbors that
live around you. Get to know him.
I was blessed a couple weeks ago.
The I Monday said we want to pray for our new neighbors.
We get to influence them for Christ.
That's what we ought to be doing.
Got to meet a new neighbor today.
The neighbors come and go. When you have 25 people, 25
units in your apartment building, they come and go so
fast it's hard to keep track of them.
But we do what we can to be able to meet people and get to know
them, know their names, carry tracks with you.
Pray for a door of utterance. Colossians 4, verse 3, where
Peter says pray, Paul says praying for us, that God would
open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mysteries of
Christ, for which I'm also in bonds.
Maybe there's somebody you're working with, Lord, can I have
an opportunity to be able to speak to them today?
Would you open up a window? You know what's amazing when you
pray that I find sometimes the Lord opens up the window, and
sometimes the window's always been there, but now you're aware
because you've been praying for them.
We got to influence these people for Christ.
You're never going to get away from worldly people.
So you have to learn how to deal with them and interact with them
and sway them to Jesus Christ, not let them sway you the
opposite direction. Letter B.
There is a need for caution. There is a need for caution.
You might say tonight, pastor, isn't first John 215 still in
the Bible? Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him.
You say, pastor, isn't James 4/4 in the Bible?
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with
the world is enmity with God. Whosoever, therefore, will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God.
And the answer is yes, that's still in the Bible.
That's why we're to live holy lives.
You know what also is in the Bible?
Romans 58. But God commendeth His love
toward us. In that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us first.
John 410 Hearing is love, not that we love God, but that he
loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Meaning this when we were in the world he loved us and brought us
to himself. May I remind you that Jesus
mission was to what? To seek and to save that which
was lost. Luke 1910 To seek and to save
that which was lost. Here's the issue.
Should we have love for the world system?
No. Should we have a love that sways
the lost to Jesus Christ? Yes.
That we don't love their sin. We don't love the world system
that governs so many of the things that we see around us.
But we realize if Jesus Christ could love them so much that He
would die for them, then I must do what I can to influence them
for Christ as well. That's what we have to do.
But Jesus was on a search and rescue mission to seek and to
save that which was lost. Now think about this.
Imagine a little child being lost out into the woods the
middle of the day and the child is gone.
The parents recognize the child is gone.
Immediately. Search parties are put together,
20-30 people combing the woods, acres and acres of land, trying
to find this child, knowing that it's going to get cold at night
and their time is short. But can imagine those 20 or 30
people out there combing the land and as they do so, they
think, you know what, it's a beautiful day.
Look at that lake out there. You know, let's just sit down
here for a few minutes. Let's just look at the lake.
Some have a fishing pole. Maybe we could throw a line and
you know, it would catch something starts to grow dark
and starts to grow cold. And instead of getting their
flashlights, they decide, you know what?
It'd be great. Let's build a fire.
Maybe we can make s'mores. We can sing songs out here.
Would that be cool? Would that be neat?
Hey, we, we have we have a fun time out there.
You'd say, what's the matter with you?
Are you crazy? All of you were out there to
find this lost child. And you've become so enamored
with the the forest that you've missed the fact that you're
supposed to find this child. And I would submit to you
tonight that we can, if we're not careful, miss the whole
point of what we're supposed to do as believers.
What are we supposed to do? Just like Christ, to seek and to
save that which is lost. Not that we can save them, but
that we can point them to Christ.
But what do we do? God puts us on the search and
rescue mission, but we get so enamored with this world.
Hey, look at this car. Oh, this is nice.
Oh, look at my time. I'm too busy.
Look at all this money, look at all these things, look at all
this stuff. And listen, even good Christians
can forget that there's lives on the line because we've got so
enamored with all of these other things that we miss what we're
supposed to do. That's when you know you've got
in too far. I called the message tonight.
This the way of the sway. I don't usually give you the
title like 3 minutes before the sermons done, but I need to give
it to you. And the reason why is this.
You need to be in a place in your life where you have put
yourselves in situations where you can sway someone else.
But when you recognize that they are going to sway you back
towards the world, that that's a situation you need to be getting
out of. I want to be swaying them to the
world. I always want to sway them to
Christ. But if they start swaying me
towards the world, I want to be careful.
Listen, for instance, playing in a playing in a rec league,
playing basketball with a bunch of lost men, guys that that
could be a good thing, could be a good way to meet guys.
It might not be good to go with them out afterwards, though, and
listen to the stories. Listen to them curse what the
way the sway says. I think I'm safe here,
prayerfully, but I wouldn't want to be influenced by them there.
Being around Co workers is necessary, isn't it?
Could you imagine not being around Co workers?
I mean, some of you probably like that, but I think somebody
tries. People try to experience that in
2020. But being around them and trying
to influence them for Christ is a good thing.
But maybe not having lunch with the same one every day.
It could be that they could play more influence on you or their
friend group. What do you need prayerfully?
Lord, am I having an influence on them or they having an
influence on me? It's the way of the sway.
You need to be careful. You prayerfully ask yourself
what to do. Friends at school, who's
influencing who in the family, who's influencing who?
It's all about just knowing Lord, I want to influence them
for Christ, but I do not want to be influenced to live like the
world. Because then what ends up
happening? We get we are in the world.
We become worldly like they do, and what do we do?
We bring it back into the church.
And now we brought a problem into the church as well.
I had a man that I was witnessing to for some time when
I was in Bible college. His name was Jay, and I worked
at Kay Jewelers with Jay. And one of the hard things about
working in a jewelry store, worked at Gordon's Jewelers and
then Kay Jewelers. One of the hard things was, is a
lot of times, a lot of shifts, you'd only work with one other
person unless it was the weekend.
There's usually two people in the store.
And so you could spend hours and hours and hours with somebody
and you better hope you got along with them because if not,
it will be a very, very long shift.
And I remember Jay and I remember trying to get to work
on him. He knew I went to Bible college.
He knew I was a preacher trying to talk to about the Lord.
He lived so much like the world it was he was, He was my age, we
were both about 22 years old. And he was doing ever the party
scene, the nightlife, the substances, you name it, Jay
would do it. And then he would come to work
and he would sell twice as much of me.
And it infuriated me, to be honest with you.
But I knew I needed to be an example to him.
I had to pray. Lord, what do I do?
There were times he would say, hey, you want to go out with me
afterwards? You want to go somewhere?
Well, I mean, we'd go to a bar. I didn't have to drink, Jay, I'm
not going to do that. I'm not going to do that.
I remember one night Diane was out of town and I said, Jay, he
invited me to go out plays it. Why don't you come over to my
house so we can just, you know, have a soda.
You know what he did? I was able to have a sway in a,
in a place that was safer than being influenced awards.
So were you afraid of a bar? I'm not afraid of a bar.
Like, I'm not afraid of going in there and like, you know, having
something attack me or something.
But I'm just saying this as a believer.
I should be held to a better standard and I should be showing
them, no, we live differently. Some kind of kooky guy.
Well, yeah, if we're saved, I wouldn't call it kooky, but I
would call it peculiar, which is what Titus called it.
They were to be peculiar people, zealous of good works.
And I'm thankful that Jay and I spent a lot of time together,
and after a while that Jay went to a place that I was preaching
and walked the aisle and got his life right with the Lord and
brought his girlfriend with him. Another young lady I work with,
about the same age, she was just as far out in the party scene,
and I didn't even think I had any influence on her.
And I found out several years ago that she goes to a Christian
Church out in Oklahoma City and she and her family there, she
got married and she's raising her kids for the Lord.
It's like, well, how will that happen?
Listen, just be a testimony where you are, but be careful
about letting the world influence you.
We have to be pure in the church.
Listen, not perfect, but pure out in the world.
We don't have that luxury to be around purity, but we can be
sold and we can be like, don't run away from them.
Jesus didn't run away from them, but He also didn't dip His
Holiness one bit. He was all love, He was all
holy, and He was all about reaching the lost.
And really, shouldn't that be what we are in our life as well?
Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of
Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing
to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us
know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org.
Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton,
MA. May the Lord bless you as you
grow in His Word.