LIFESTYLE DANGER

Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 
(20) idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 
(21) envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” 

There is a grave danger lurking ahead for some who profess to be Christians. It is the danger of being deceived into thinking that we will not be held accountable for a continued lifestyle of sin. The Bible says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10).”

The sinful acts of the flesh described in Galations 5:19-21 is a reference to a lifestyle -- not mere isolated acts of sin. If believers “fall” into such sins, and sincerely repent (1 John 1:9), God will forgive and restore His fellowship. But a continued “lifestyle” identified with this behavior reveals an absence of God’s presence — a soul who is lost, destined to spend eternity in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8). “Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God” (3 John 1:11 NIV). 

The following is a list of the 17 mentioned sinful works of the flesh, along with the original Greek words and their definition. The Bible warns that persons with these kind of lifestyle acts will not inherit the kingdom of God. So, read them carefully and take a self examination of your own life.

1. Adultery - MOICHEUO — “...to apostate (to depart), or to break the marriage covenant.” The Hebrew word for adultery, NAAPH, is similar, meaning to break wedlock. The word adultery does not necessarily refer to sex, but deals primarily with the betrayal of a sacred covenant and commitment. Adultery is a sin of unfaithfulness (Matthew 5:28).

2. Fornication - PORNEIA — “Harlotry, sexual impurity [sometimes used as a spiritual metaphor of idolatry].” This would include premarital sex, homosexual sex or any sexual activity outside the sanctions of marriage (1 Cor. 6:18). 

3. Uncleanness - AKATHARSIA — “Impure, or foul, [demonic]” (2 Cor. 7:1).

4. Lewdness - ASELGEIA — “Licentiousness, lasciviousness, lack of restraint” (1 Cor. 9:25).

5. Idolatry - EIDOLOLATRES — “Image worship.” Idolatry is often associated with worshipping an idol, but scripture links it to covetousness (Col. 3:5), because it can also be the worship of material possessions.

6. Sorcery - PHARMAKEIA — “Drugs, magic, witchcraft [that which deceives, manipulates or controls.]” (1 Sam. 15:23).

7. Hatred - ECHTHRA — “Hostility, opposition, enmity.” (1 John 3:15) Bitterness, hatred and unforgiveness is contrary to every principle of Christianity (1 John 3:15), inasmuch as those who retain unforgiveness cannot be forgiven of their own sins (Matt. 6:14-15).

8. Contentions - ERIS — “Quarrel, wrangle, Variance, contention, debate, strife” (Col. 3:12-13).

9. Jealousy - ZELOS — “Heat” jealous, envy, indignation, emulation (zeal) from ZEO; hot or boil.” 

10. Wrath - THUMOS — “Passion [as if breathing hard], fierceness, or indignation” (James 1:20). Romans 2:8-9 says that those who are contentious and who yield to indignation and wrath, are doing evil, and can expect tribulation and anguish.

11. Selfish Ambition - ERITHEIA — “Faction, contention [provocation]” (James 3:16).

12. Dissension - DICHOSTASIA — “Disunion, dissension, division” (Rom. 16:17).

13. Heresies - HAIRESIS — “A choice, disunion, or sect. [from HAIREOMAI ‘to take for one’s self,’ or to prefer.]” Heresy is a term which can describe false teachings, but it means even more than that. It is teaching of certain “preferences” which brings disunity in the body, and draws persons apart into dissenting groups. Heresy does not necessarily have to be false teaching, but can be pressing opinions which serve to divide, rather than unite God’s people (2 Pet. 2:1).

14. Envy - PHTHONOS — “Jealousy, spite, ill-will” (2 Cor. 12:20).

15. Murders - PHONOS — “Slaughter, unjust killings” (John 8:44).

16. Drunkenness - METHE — “Intoxication, under the influence, drunk” (Eph. 5:18).

17. Revelries - komos — Rioting, wild partying [letting loose] (1 Pet. 4:3).

As we have already stated, the Bible warns “...they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21). It goes without saying, this is an extremely serious warning.

Unfortunately, there are professing believers... people who go to church on Sabbath, who assume that because they call Jesus their Lord, He’ll wink at these so-called little “character flaws.” However, Jesus warned that not all those who profess to be His followers would enter heaven — only those who follow Him with their lives. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21).

If one’s lifestyle consists of works of the flesh, there’s only one thing can detour their dreadful destination. They must repent and forsake a lifestyle of sin, to turn about and live for the Lord. Repentance means to “turn around and walk in a new lifestyle” (2 Cor 7:10). Any person who truly repents and becomes born-again, is empowered by the Spirit of God to walk in a new lifestyle. The Scriptures say that “old things pass away and all things become new” (1 Cor. 5:17). Instead of justifying continued sinful behavior, persons who wish to follow Christ must forsake a lifestyle of sin and walk in the newness of Christ’s life. “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires” (Rom. 6:12 NIV).

Do not misunderstand. In no way do we suggest that you must “earn” salvation by doing good works (Eph. 2:8-9) — nor are we implying that Christians will never stumble in sin or imperfection (1 John 2:1). But what we are saying is that a genuine experience of salvation “produces” good works (James 2:20) — in effect, a godly change in a person’s lifestyle. The same Holy Spirit who brings grace to cover all our sins (Rom. 8:2), also brings a new nature, to which we are to yield our lives. “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal 5:16).

Confess and forsake Sin

His grace and forgiveness is available for all manner of sin, whatever it may be. Jesus will forgive all sins that we confess to Him (1 John 1:9) — but remember, we must also “forsake” them. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Prov. 28:13). 

True repentance means that we will make every effort not to repeat our former sins and will seek to walk in the nature of Christ. Such was David’s desire in his repentant prayer. “Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psa. 51:9-10).

HOW TO KEEP FROM GETTING HURT IN A CHURCH

The title of this writing may seem to be rather unusual. After all, we would suppose the church to be a safe place – right? However, unfortunately, the church has sometimes been a place where many have experienced wounds instead of healing. In fact, statistics show that a great percentage of persons who cease attending church, do so because of some type of offense or injury to their feelings that happened there. Sometimes these occur because of the insensitivity of the church; other times, people are themselves at fault for being too touchy or sensitive to misunderstandings. In any case, it is sad that such experiences ever occur, because the church is an indispensable part of the believer's life. Not only does it provide a place to worship, serve and learn about God, but it is also a community where believers can practice love toward their brethren as the Bible requires; "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

Whatever you do, don't give up on the church. God requires you to be faithful to it and to be accountable to its spiritual leaders. (See Hebrews 10:25; 13:17). If you have been hurt there, don't run away – but equip yourself with the protection of God's Word. You may not be able to stop offensive things from happening, but by applying God's principles you can stop them from hurting you. "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psa 119:165 KJV).

The following 13 steps can help believers protect themselves from getting hurt in a church:

(1) Avoid developing unreasonable expectations of the church— “My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him” (Psa. 62:5).

The definition of disappointment is “the failure to attain one’s expectations.” Don’t expect things from the church or the minister that they can’t deliver, or that the Bible doesn’t teach for them to do. Many expectations have to do with preconceived “traditions” which we have come to associate with a church, perhaps from another fellowship we once attended or grew up in, etc. It’s a good idea to meet with the pastor and ask what you can expect of his ministry and the church. 

Occasionally people get disappointed when they find out their church can’t supply all their earthly needs. Most ministers and churches do attempt to help people in every way they can – especially the needy during crisis and emergencies. But some people come to expect the church to meet all their material needs or pay their bills like the early church did. Unfortunately, this just isn’t possible unless everyone agrees to sell all their property and possessions and give them to the church like the early believers (Acts 4:34-35). Most churches would be blessed if everyone merely paid their tithes, however statistics show that only a small percentage of churchgoers give a full tithe regularly. 

Neither is it realistic to expect the pastor to spend all his time with you, to attend every social function, or for him to show you constant attention. Instead, learn to place your expectations upon God — He will always be faithful to His promises in His Word and will never let you down. 

(2) Don’t place an absolute trust in people —   “Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD” (Jer. 17:5).

Come to terms with the fact that everyone is human and will fail you at sometime or another. Even the pastor will make mistakes. The only one you can trust entirely without fail is God.

Realizing that any human can fall short, the degree of trust we place in people must be limited and will depend on their track record. The more we get to know a person’s character and the history of their behavior, we’ll be able to determine how trustworthy they are. This is one of the reasons why the scriptures tell us to get to know our pastors and spiritual leaders — so from their godly lifestyle, we’ll be able to trust their leadership. “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.” (1 Thes. 5:12).

There’s a difference between “love” and “trust.” It’s possible to love and forgive someone, without placing an absolute trust in them. To illustrate this, let’s say there’s a school bus driver who has a drinking problem. One day while transporting a load of children he becomes intoxicated, wrecks the bus and kills all the children. As the lone survivor of the crash, he turns to the church to seek God’s forgiveness for this horrible act of irresponsibility. If he repents of his sin, will God forgive him? Absolutely. Should the church love and forgive this person? Of course. And what if he would then like to volunteer to drive the church bus for us? Do we trust him? Absolutely not! It would be unthinkable to put a person in the driver’s seat who has shown such recent negligence. Certainly, we love and forgive him, but because of this man’s poor track record, we could not risk the lives of our passengers. Over a long period of sobriety and safe driving, this person may be able to prove that he is again reliable or trustworthy. 

Remember that love and forgiveness is granted unconditionally, but trust must be “earned.” Trust is the acquired confidence in a person’s actions. We certainly can, and should trust persons who show trustworthy behavior, but because all men have the potential for failure, we should never put an infallible sense of trust in anyone but God. 

(3) Focus on common ground — “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10).

Avoid becoming highly opinionated. Opinions are the interpretations and ideas of men, which if constantly pressed on other people, can cause division or promote sinful debates and quarrels (Rom. 1:29). Opinionated people are prone to get hurt when others disagree with them. 

The Bible teaches for all Christians to “speak the same thing” so that there will be unity in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 1:10). The only way such unity is possible, is for Christians to focus on the common ground of Christ and His Word. That is, we need to “say what the Word says,” to let the Word speak for itself and not try to promote divisive opinions about it. In scripture, we see that Paul instructed Timothy to “Preach the Word,” not his opinions (2 Tim. 4:2). A preacher is intended be a delivery boy of God’s message, not a commentator of the message. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job (1 John 2:27). 

Similarly, at one time the news media was required to comply with a very strict code of ethics. They were to report the facts of the news accurately without adding their opinion or commentary. However, as time has passed, news reporting has become less factual and more opinionated — corrupted with rumors and gossip rather than real information. Reporters have evolved into commentators which manipulate what people think about the news. Like reporters, preachers need to stick with the facts. 

Naturally every believer has his or her own convictions about a great many things, but if you continually try to push your opinions on others, conflict will eventually emerge. Avoid controversy over scriptures which are vague and foster many interpretations — stand fast upon those common, basic truths — Jesus, His life, death and resurrection — and don’t add to what God’s Word says. “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar” (Prov. 30:5-6).

(4) Don’t expect any church to be perfect — “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Rom. 7:18-19)

It is remarkable to consider that the Apostle Paul — the great author of scripture — openly confessed that he was not perfect. Like us, he experienced struggles in his flesh to do the right things. If one of the leading authors of scripture and apostles of the early church admitted to this, it should not seem too strange if we find other brothers and sisters in the church struggling with imperfections too. 

Since churches are made up of people like you and me who have imperfections, there will never be such a thing as a perfect church. Unless people understand this, they’ll have an unrealistic view of the church, and will eventually become disillusioned and hurt. 

One of the jobs of the church ministry is to help perfect the saints — like a spiritual hospital, where people go to get well. Instead of resenting persons in the church for their flaws, be thankful they’re there trying to grow in Christ to get better. Learn to love and accept people for what they are — they’re not any more perfect than you are. 

Just as it has been said of beauty, imperfection is in the eye of the beholder. A person with a negative attitude can find fault wherever they wish. In contrast the person with a positive outlook can always find the good and beauty in things. The well adjusted person in the church should seek out the good and encouraging things as the Bible teaches (Phil. 4:8). Those who dwell on the negative or continually find fault with the church will eventually get hurt. 

(5) Don’t seek to promote yourself or your own agenda — “Do not lift up your horn on high; Do not speak with a stiff neck. For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another” (Psa. 75:5-7).

Have a humble and meek attitude like Christ (Matt. 11:29, Rom. 12:3). Besides being obnoxious, pride and arrogance will set you up for a fall (Prov. 16:18). Don’t promote yourself, campaign or strive to attain an appointed or elected position. God is the one who puts persons in such positions, and unless He does it, stay away from it. Lift up the Lord in all that you say and all you do. Don’t boast or talk about yourself. “He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him” (John 7:18).

Avoid an attitude of competition which creates conflict in unity. A competitive attitude compares self with others, and strives to rise above that comparison (2 Cor. 10:12). The philosophy of Christianity is not to try to outdo one another, but to submit to and lift up one another (Eph. 5:21). We are even told to “prefer” our brother above ourselves. “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Rom. 12:10). Competition between churches and Christians is divisive and contrary to the faith.

Don’t expect to receive preferential treatment or to get your way about everything. The Bible teaches that favoritism is wrong, and the church will try to make decisions and do things in the best interest of the whole congregation, not just a certain few. “...but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:9). If you do things for the church or give generous offerings, do it to bring glory to God, not to bring attention to yourself or to gain influence (Col. 3:17). The Bible even says that when you give charitable offerings, do it anonymously so to gain God’s approval, not merely man’s (Matt. 6:1). 

Avoid the trap of presuming that your opinions are always divinely inspired or are indisputable. Share your suggestions and ideas with church leaders, but don’t press your opinions or personal agenda. Sometimes, persons feel that all their ideas come from God. They may attempt to add clout to their suggestions or complaints by saying “God told me so.” Indeed, God does speak to His children, but you will not be the exclusive source through which God reveals himself in a matter. If your opinions really come from God, the Bible says that others will bear witness with it, especially His pastors and leaders (2 Cor. 13:1, 1 Cor. 14:29). (You won’t even have to invoke God’s name — they’ll be able to tell if your ideas came from Him. Be cautious, lest you find yourself using His name falsely, a very dangerous thing — Ex. 20:7). Pastors are His representatives in His ordained chain of command, and if He wants to get something across to His church, He’ll bear witness with the persons in charge. 

(6) Avoid blaming the church for personal problems — “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

When you go to church, you should try to dissociate the church from the other personal problems you deal with. The majority of hurt feelings in a church result from wounds and sensitivities people carry in with them. This kind of emotional distress can create “distorted perceptions” which may prevent you from seeing reality the same way others do. Such things as a low self esteem, abuse as a child, marital problems, personal offenses, family conflict, a root of bitterness, health problems or job dissatisfaction can twist your interpretation of words and actions. You may imagine that people don’t like you (paranoia), or misinterpret well-intended words as an offense. Trivial problems will seem like big problems. Blame for unhappiness may be transferred to the church, its leaders or the people. You may lash out against others or be quick to find fault with the church. Remember this: Don’t jump to conclusions over anything, because things are usually not as bad as they seem. 

(7) Treat others as you wish to be treated — “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12).

Human beings tend to be “reciprocal” creatures. That is, they reflect the way they are treated. This is why Jesus gave us the Golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you.” The way that most people interact with you is as a direct result of how you interact with them. If you have a frown on your face, you won’t get many smiles. If you offer friendliness, it will usually be offered back (Proverbs 18:24). Be gracious, encouraging, and a blessing for others to be around. If you have a negative, critical attitude toward people it will tend to generate their critical attitude toward you. “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).

Many hurt feelings can be avoided if we will realize that people usually react to how we deal with them. Take a close examination at the way you say things, or even how much you talk. “...a fool’s voice is known by his many words” (Ec. 5:3). Don’t be rude and impolite. Check your attitude that you’re not overbearing and bossy — people will be turned off and will seek to avoid you. 

(8) Have a teachable, cooperative attitude — “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17).

The Bible teaches believers to be cooperative and submissive to their spiritual leaders — something that’s not possible unless the believer is committed to a church and accountable to a local pastor. Accountability to a godly shepherd is a part of God’s order for the spiritual growth of every Christian. God’s Word gives the pastor authority to organize and maintain order of the church, and to teach God’s truth, to correct, and to discipline when necessary to hold his flock accountable to biblical principles. In Paul’s encouragement to ministers, he stated, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:2). (See also 2 Tim. 3:16, Tit. 2:15, 1 Tim. 5:20.)

A lack of proper respect toward authority is a common problem today. People don’t want to be told what to do, or be corrected if they are wrong. This is one reason why the modern church is turning out so many immature believers. When some people hear something they don’t like, or are corrected in some way, they simply pack up and go to another church down the street, or church-hop until they find one that says things they like to hear. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers” (2 Timothy 4:3). 

As long as you are a part of any particular church, you must come to accept that the pastor and leaders are in charge there. Regardless of how unqualified you might think they are, God recognizes them as the authority in that body and will hold them accountable to that responsibility. Consequently, God holds you accountable to respect their authority, to pray for them, and to cooperate — not to be defiant and rebellious. 

Always be cooperative, willing to humble yourself. If you have a rigid, inflexible attitude in the church you will probably get hurt. 

(9) Don’t oppose or hinder the church — “These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Prov. 6:16-19).

One of the things that God dislikes most are those who sow discord — who create division and strife in the body of Christ. Don’t be a gossip, a complainer, or stir up turmoil. If you’re displeased with the church in some way, offer your help to make improvements, pray for it, or as a last resort, find another church you’re happier with — but never become a source of agitation or hindrance. 

Don’t badmouth a man of God — if you do so, you’re asking for problems. One time when Paul was punished for preaching the Gospel, he unknowingly condemned Ananias, the high priest, who had ordered the apostle slapped. However, when Paul realized who he was, he apologized for speaking against Ananias, knowing that it’s forbidden to speak against God’s representative — despite the fact that Ananias’ treatment of Paul was in error (Acts 23:5). It is a serious matter to “touch” God’s anointed — either with our words or our actions. Imperfect as they may sometimes be, they are His representatives. “He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He reproved kings for their sakes, Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm” (Psa. 105:14-15).

If a minister has done you wrong in some way, don’t incriminate yourself by responding in an unbiblical manner — don’t lash out against him, retaliate with rumors against him, or run him down behind his back. You should go and confront him privately according to the scriptural fashion described in Matthew 18:15-17. If the first and second attempts do not bring a resolution, take the matter to the spiritual body, such as the church board, or denominational overseers to whom he is accountable — any correction or discipline should be left to them. Keep in mind, an accusation against a minister is a serious matter and will not be accepted unless the matter can be substantiated by other witnesses (1 Tim. 5:19). 

When things are not as they should be in the church or with its leadership, there are honorable ways to help promote improvements or resolve inequities. However, it’s unethical to oppose the church or attack its leadership, and persons who do will likely end up hurt, bitter or possibly worse. 

(10) Be committed to forthrightness and truth — “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. “But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matt. 18:15-17).

When someone has wronged you, Jesus says that you are to first go to them and confront them privately between yourselves. Most offenses in the church result from misunderstandings, and many could be quickly resolved if offended parties would just go to the source and find out the facts. Unfortunately, some offended people will just absorb the offense silently, while growing bitter and resentful. It is important to God, and a matter of obedience to His Word, that such issues are confronted so that (1) you will not become bitter and withdraw from the church, (2) that the offender is held accountable to not repeat his offenses which could harm the faith of others, and (3) so that the offender who has perpetrated sin might be reconciled with God. If they are uncooperative with your first private effort, you are to try a second time, taking witnesses with you. Finally, if no success, turn it over to church leadership. 

You should never take one side of a story and accept it as fact without verifying it with the other party. There are always two sides to a story. The scriptures address this very problem, that before we believe a rumor, we are to investigate thoroughly, to verify all the facts. “...then you shall inquire, search out, and ask diligently... if it is indeed true and certain that such an abomination was committed among you...” (Deut. 13:14).

Without doubt, it is not possible to have a relationship with a group of people without occasional misunderstandings and offenses. And unless you will commit yourself to confront these issues in the way Jesus described, you will become hurt in the church. 

(11) Be devoted to love and forgiveness — “He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:10).

Christians will avoid a lot of problems if they will just commit themselves to an unconditional love for their brethren. The practice of loving the brethren — all the brethren, not just the lovable ones — keeps us from stumbling. Never forget that Jesus takes personally how we entreat our Christian brothers and sisters. When we love even the “least” of our brethren, Jesus accepts that love toward Himself (Matt. 25:40). You cannot love the Lord any more than you love the least in the body of Christ. “If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).

Be quick to forgive and don’t hold grudges. Unforgiveness and bitterness is one of the greatest reasons why people get hurt in the church and probably the greatest cause of apostasy — falling away. Remember that unforgiveness is one of your greatest enemies. If you refuse to forgive, it will prevent God’s forgiveness of your sins and could keep you out of Heaven. “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matt. 6:14-15).

(12) Don’t get caught up in the offenses of others —  “Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend” (Psa. 15:1-3).

One of the great characteristics of the body of Christ is to care about the burdens and sufferings of one another. However, as we seek to console and encourage friends that have been offended, we may be tempted to take up their offense against another. In sympathy, we may tend to take their part against the pastor, the church or whoever they blame for the offense. This is very unwise and an unscriptural thing to do, considering that your friend may be the cause of his own offense. His hurt feelings may be due to a misunderstanding, a difference of opinion, his own rebellious attitude, emotional instability — or he may be childish and immature. There are always two sides to a story, and only an idiot develops an opinion based on one side or without all the facts. 

Sometimes offended persons will seek sympathy from naive, listening ears. They go about pleading their case, pouring out their bleeding-heart of injustice to those sincere, tenderhearted persons who will listen. Their goal is to seek out persons who will coddle them, support their opinion and take up their offense against the offending party. You should love and encourage a friend with hurt feelings, but reserve your opinion and avoid taking sides, lest you find yourself a partaker in other men’s sins, or you also become offended and hurt with the church. 

(13) Don’t personalize everything that’s preached — Obviously, every pastor preaches with the hope that everyone will take the message personally and apply it to his or her own life. “If the shoe fits, wear it.” However, there are always a few who think the minister is pointing his sermon specifically at them. This is a common misunderstanding which causes persons to get hurt.

Feelings of personal focus from a sermon may occur if persons are (1) under conviction about a particular matter, (2) especially self-conscious, (3) under emotional distress, (4) if they spend a lot of time counseling with the pastor, or (5) if he has previously corrected them or hurt their feelings in some way. Keep in mind, a pulpit preacher doesn’t focus his attention solely upon one person. His concern is for the broad range of people in attendance. 

Occasionally persons think their pastor focuses on them, the same way they focus on him. When a pastor stands in front of a congregation week after week, they develop a feeling of close friendship with him — they come to know personal details of his life, his family, and other traits. However, even if the pastor knows each person in his flock, it’s not really possible for him to concentrate on each with the same detail that they do on him. It’s easy for dozens of people to know him well, but not realistic for him to know dozens of people in the same way. Consequently, some develop the illusion that the pastor focuses on them when he preaches — that he remembers their personal details in the same way they remember his. But the pastor has too many other people to consider. He counsels with dozens of people, hears scores of similar problems and details. It’s not likely he will single someone out and preach at them, while trying to minister to the whole congregation. If there’s something specific that the pastor needs to say only to you, he will deliver it to you personally, in private — not in subtle hints from his sermon. 

Besides this, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to personalize God’s Word to us so that we’ll examine ourselves and search our own hearts. When the Lord is dealing with us about His Word, it may seem like the pastor is speaking directly to us. Sometimes the Holy Spirit may even direct the preacher to unwittingly say things that may pertain specifically to us. The best attitude to have is to listen to each message objectively. In every sermon from the Bible, God has something to say to all of us. Be open to whatever the Lord would have to say, willing to accept His correction or guidance. Defensiveness is usually a sign of resistance to conviction. 

It is my prayer that these principles will help and encourage you in your relationship with the church. If you been injured there or have merely strayed away, I urge you to find God's grace to forgive those who may have hurt you and return to the fellowship of God people. As challenging as it may seem sometimes, the church is Christ's plan for His people, and it is there that He will develop and mature you into a fully equipped disciple of His kingdom.

WHEN GOD SHUTS ONE DOOR, HE OPENS ANOTHER

Sometimes our disappointments in life can become God’s appointments, so don’t let closed doors bother you. The things we think of as failures and problems can often end up being

blessings in disguise.

 It seems doors of opportunity open and close before us

in life. Is it God opening and closing these doors? For

many years I’ve heard the saying, “When God shuts

one door, He opens another!” Well, no, those exact

words are not found in the Bible anywhere. However,

of all the phrases we’ll examine in this series this statement is closer to the truth. I haven’t found the

original source of the saying, but it sounds similar to a

famous quote by Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor

of the telephone. He said: “When one door closes,

another opens; but we often look so long and so

regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”

 The best example of open and closed doors is found in Acts 16:6-12. Paul and his friends launched

their second missionary journey from Antioch. Along the way, they encountered some closed doors

and then an open door. “Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been KEPT

BY THE HOLY SPIRIT from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border

of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the SPIRIT OF JESUS WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO. So thy passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night, Paul

had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come

over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got

ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding [“knit together”] that

God had called us to preach the gospel to them. From Troas we put out

to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace and the next day to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city

of that district of Macedonia.” God called Paul to take the gospel to the Gentiles and he was obeying

God. As he was traveling, he decided to try to go northeast into Asia

Minor, but Holy Spirit said “no.” God shut the door. Then he traveled

on and tried to go north into Bithynia toward Russia, and once again

God shut the door. It must have been a puzzling time for Paul. He was

on mission for God and the doors kept shutting in his face. But he didn’t go back, and he didn’t camp out, he kept moving west. When he

came to Troas, God opened the door for him to go over into Macedonia,

which is modern-day Greece. He had a vision of a man standing in

front of him saying, “Come help us!” Paul understood this to be God’s

directive, so he took the gospel into Greece instead of Asia Minor. That

was the first time the gospel penetrated the European continent, and many of us have a European heritage. We should be glad Paul paid

attention to God’s closed and opened doors. As we consider open and

closed doors, let’s learn four things about finding and following God’s

will. 

1. GOD WILL GUIDE YOU IF YOU’LL TRUST HIM 

You aren’t just placed on this earth to stumble around in the dark

trying to find out what you should do. The God of the Universe is

interested in you. He has a plan for you; He has a pathway for you.

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge

him, and he will direct your paths.” God wants to guide you, but there is a lot of confusion about finding

God’s will. As you seek to follow God, it will be helpful to understand

two very important guiding principles:

 (1) The wrong question: is God’s will for my life? You may be surprised and wonder what’s wrong with

that question. 

Here’s the right question: “What is

God’s will?” On the surface, the difference between

those two questions may seem minor–but they are as

different as a lightning bug and lightning. 

In the first question the focus is on me. What’s God’s will for ME? In the second question, the focus is on God and what

He is already doing in the world. God is already

active in this world and our job is to find out what God

is doing and to join Him in His work. In Acts 16, God was at work saving the Gentiles. God

was in the process of taking the gospel to the Roman

Empire, and Paul found closed doors until he got in on

God’s plan. So, stop asking God to show you His will

for your life and ask Him to show you what He is doing, and then join Him! (2) God often reveals His will in segments When God first called Paul to take the good news to the Gentiles, He didn’t tell him all the details.

God didn’t say, “Paul, go to Philippi, then to Athens, then to Corinth.” God just said, “Go!” And Paul

went. As Paul traveled, God revealed each step. That’s the same thing God told Abraham in the Old

Testament. He didn’t say, “Abraham, I have a land for you and your descendants.” God simply said, “Go.” And Abraham went. Many young people want God to show them the full picture of His plan

for them. Wouldn’t it be nice if God would say, “This is where I want

you to go to college, these are the classes I want you to take, this is

who I want you to marry, this is where I want you to live, this is the

job I want you to work at, and here’s where I want you to retire, and

here’s where I want you to die and be buried!” But it doesn’t work that way. Following God isn’t about the destination; it’s all about the

journey. 

2. DON’T BE DISAPPOINTED BY CLOSED DOORS 

As Paul followed God, he encountered a closed door into Asian Minor.

Then when he tried to head north toward the Black Sea, God shut the

door again. Sometimes a child of God can become frustrated because it

seems as if doors of service and opportunity are constantly being

closed. When you look in the Bible for references to opened and closed doors,

you’ll find there are six or seven times it speaks of God “opening a door

of opportunity.” However, there is only one verse that infers God

“closes doors.” In Revelation 3:7-8 Jesus is speaking to the church at

Philadelphia. He identifies Himself by saying, “These are the words of

him who is holy and true...what he opens, no one can shut; and what he shuts, no one can open. See, I have placed before you an open door

that no one can shut.” So, it is true that God shuts doors, but He isn’t

the only one who shuts doors. When you are trying to serve God and

you encounter a closed door you first question should be, “Did God

close this door?” Sometimes other people “close” the door, and

sometimes the devil and his demonic forces will try to place obstacles in the way of your service and devotion. So just because you encounter resistance or difficulty, it doesn’t necessarily

mean God has shut the door. If God has clearly sent

you in a certain direction and the devil tries to close

the door–then knock it down! 

When Satan, our adversary, tries to block out

way, knock through his resistance! But if you are certain that God closed a certain door,

don’t be discouraged, just start looking for the door

that He has open for you. 

“When you begin to follow God and circumstances seem to close doors of opportunity, go back to the Lord and clarify what God said. He most often is

not calling you to a TASK, but to a RELATIONSHIP. Through that relationship He is going to do

something through your life. 

 When God said, “no” to Paul it was because he was going to say “yes” to something better.

Sometimes our disappointments in life can become God’s appointments, so don’t let closed doors

bother you. The things we think of as failures and problems can often end up being blessings in

disguise.  When one door is shut, don’t

be disappointed! That leads to the next principle about doors and God’s

will.  

3. BE ACTIVE AS YOU LOOK FOR GOD’S OPEN DOOR 

When Paul encountered the closed doors at Galatia and Mysia, he didn’t

give up and return to Antioch. Nor did he sulk and complain. The worst

thing he could have done would have been to sit still and say, “Okay,

God I’m not moving until you show me which way to go.” Instead, he

kept on moving; he took another direction–West. And as he was

moving West, God directed him to take the gospel into Europe. Have you ever been excited about an opportunity and suddenly found

the door closed? The worst thing you can do is to camp out at that

closed door. Don’t quit–keep on moving, and God will direct your paths.

Do may object, “But what about ‘waiting on the Lord?’” Waiting is not

a passive experience. “Waiting on the Lord” is acting like the waiter or

server in a restaurant who takes your order and brings your food. Waiting on the Lord is asking God, “May I take Your order? Is there

anything else You need?” God doesn’t tip–but His retirement benefits

are out of this world! There is an important principle I call “spiritual momentum.” It’s easier for God to direct

a person if he or she is already in motion serving Him.

A boat sitting dead still in the water can’t be turned by

the rudder. That vessel is “dead in the water.” It has

to have forward motion in order for the rudder to be

effective. In the same way, if you are seeking God’s direction, don’t sit still–if you do, you’re “dead in the

water.” If you are active in serving God anywhere you

can, it’s easier for Him to direct you into different

paths of service. You can walk through God’s open door of opportunity,

and you’ll often be confronted by angry people who

oppose you. Paul had an open door in Ephesus, but He

also faced great opposition. He wrote: “But I will stay

on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a GREAT

DOOR FOR EFFECTIVE WORK has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.” (I Corinthians 16:9)

When you are actively looking for God’s open doors,

you may face opposition, and it may not feel right–but go through the door anyway. The most important consideration is not whether is seems right to

you–but will God be glorified if you proceed. When you find God’s direction, move immediately. Acts 16:10 says they “sailed immediately.” As

they headed west they made a “straight line” to the coast–in other words, they had a heavenly tail

wind. When you are going in the right direction, there may be human opposition, and it may not feel

right, but you’ll have a tailwind from heaven!

 4. DON’T DEPEND ON “DOORS” ALONE TO FIND GOD’S WILL 

Circumstances aren’t the best way to discern God’s direction. I

remember speaking with a couple in Rumphi who met when they

worked together at the post office. They were both already married,

but they became romantically involved. The result was two divorces

and two broken families–and when I spoke to them, their new

marriage was unraveling. Both of them claimed to be Christians. I’ll never forget a question the man asked me: “If God hadn’t wanted us

to be together, why did He open door for us to meet each other? And if

He didn’t want us to proceed into a romantic relationship, why didn’t

He close the door?” Whew! I politely suggested to him that perhaps it

wasn’t God who opened the door, and it doesn’t do any good to lock

your door after the thief is already inside! Using opened and closed doors to find God’s will can be risky business.

Circumstances can be deceiving when you look at them from the

wrong perspective. 

“Be very careful how you

interpret circumstances. Many times we jump to a conclusion too

quickly...A whole lot of wrong things can happen if you try to look at

God from the middle of circumstances. When you face difficult or confusing circumstances, the Spirit of God will take the Word of God

and help you understand your circumstances from God’s

perspective.” ( When it

comes to finding God’s will, I think there is a good way, a better way, and the best way. Let me give you three sources for finding God’s Will. Three sources for finding God’s Will: 

(1) Good: 

Circumstances Circumstances can often be God’s external guide for

us. This is often called God’s providential guidance.

Sometimes you can determine God’s will by looking at

circumstances that seem to reveal open and closed

doors. God has promised in Psalm 32:8-9: “I will

instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. (KJV: “I will

guide thee with mine eye’) Do not be like the horse or

the mule, which have no understanding but must be

controlled by bit and bridle, or they will not come to

you.” The key is to have such an intimate walk with the

Lord that He can guide you with His eye. When my

girls were little, if they misbehaved in a public setting,

all I had to do was give them the old “raised eyebrow” look, and they knew that I meant, “Settle down, or you’re going to get it!” It worked for them, but it

doesn’t work for other kids…see…because they aren’t as close to me as my kids. 

(2) Better:

 Holy Spirit God’s Spirit dwells inside His children, so this is His internal guide. It’s interesting in Acts 16 that

Luke writes the Holy Spirit prevented Paul from going into Asia Minor. Then he writes that Paul was

prevented by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Those are two and the same. The Holy Spirit IS the Spirit of Jesus as well as the Spirit of the Living God. In John 14-16 Jesus

promised He would send the Holy Spirit who would “guide the

disciples.” As He spoke about the Holy Spirit in John 14:18, He said,

“You know Him for he lives WITH you (that was Jesus in the flesh);

and will be IN you (that’s the Spirit of Jesus). It means we need to be

listening for that still small voice. If we are seeking God’s guidance, He will speak to us. In Isaiah 30:21 God says, “Whether you turn to the

right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘this is

the way; walk in it.’” Have you ever heard God’s still small voice? When

God speaks to your heart, He usually doesn’t employ an audible voice:

It’s louder than that. The problem with many of us is that God IS

speaking, we just aren’t listening very carefully. 

In Bible times many flocks of sheep were placed in a central sheepfold.

When a shepherd entered the sheepfold, he could call out, and only

those sheep belonging to him would follow. They recognized his voice.

If you belong to Jesus, you will recognize his voice. Jesus said, “My

sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John

10:27)

 (3) Best: God’s 

Word Circumstantial guidance is good, the inner voice of God’s Spirit is

better, but the very best is to read and study the Bible. It is God’s

eternal guide.

The way you find God’s will in the Bible is not to flop

the Bible open and randomly point at a verse or two.

One man tried that and his finger pointed to, “and

Judas went out and hanged himself.” He didn’t like

that, so he tried again. This time his finger came to

rest on a verse that said, “Go thou, and do likewise.” But if you are a serious and consistent student of

God’s Word, you will find the Word of God will light

your pathway. Psalm 119:104-105 says, “I gain

understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate

every wrong path. Your Word is a lamp unto my feet;

and a light unto my path.” Reading God’s Word will teach you the wrong paths. You start walking on

wrong paths when you enter the wrong doors. God’s

Word teaches you what not to do as much as it

teaches how to live. As you regularly devour God’s

Word, you’ll find God will use a phrase, or verse, or

passage and apply it your current life situation. It’s as if the words literally jump off the page and grab you by the throat. 

God has provided three lights for us, and when you line up circumstances, the voice of the Holy Spirit, and His Word, you know you can proceed safely. 

WHAT IS MODESTY

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." -1st Corinthians 10:31

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;" -1st Timothy 2:9

"For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life." -Proverb 6:26

"And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart." -Proverb 7:10

"But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." -Matthew 5:28

"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." -Romans 8:6

"Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying." -Romans 13:13

"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 an one no not to eat." -1st Corinthians 5:11

   Also read Proverbs 31:25-31.

I remind you of something in Genesis 39:9, that Joseph, enticed by a wicked woman, did not answer, "I'm afraid I might get caught." Instead he said, "I cannot sin against God." This matter of your life, your action, your appearance are either for God or against God; for righteousness or against righteousness; for good or for evil.

We come to the text: "Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." "...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." That little text is big enough for everything you want to say, big enough fro any message to Christians everywhere. "...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Everything, everything to the glory of God.

What is modesty? 

"Modesty is behaving according to a standard of what is proper or decorous or decent, pure, now especially not displaying one's body."

 Modesty concerns behavior. Behavior concerns dress, speech and action.

The Christian is to be modest. He is to do all to the glory of God--men and women, young and old alike. The Christian is to so live that Christ will be seen in him. This concerns every bit of his life--Sunday, Monday, Tuesday; business, social life, school life--whatever it may be. The Christian should consider three questions: How can I glorify God? How can I help others? How can I grow in grace? Three things that should be for us. 

 

I. KEEP YOUR LIFE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE

Show forth Christ. Your intention always should be to let others see Jesus in you.

There are some words that we must consider. The first is "rebellion."Rebellion against God, against God's rules and the rules of decency. Men rebel against these things, and turn away from them. Satan causes Christians to rebel.

Satan causes Christians to rebel. He'll cause some to rebel in the service. Some of the church members of our church--will rebel against what I am going to say. They'll say, "Well, I'm not sure that I agree." You may not agree, and you may be wrong, too. Satan causes young people to rebel against the rules and wishes of parents. They turn away from here.

The second word is "conforming." Conforming to present-day society. Now, the Apostle Paul said, "...be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." "...be not conformed...but be ye transformed...."

The tragedy of this day is that many feel they must conform. Girls and women are afraid that others will laugh at them if they do not conform to the fashions of this day. Therefore, they go for the short skirts and for men's apparel because they are simply conforming. It's not a matter of just something nice and easy. It is not the matter of just saying, "Well, this is so much better than anything else." No, it's a matter of conforming. You are falling in line with what other people do, and what other people say, what other people wear. You conform to the things of this world.

My convictions are steadfast. I've never change them! I'm not making anything up today. I've had them the same all the way through. I'm against women wearing men's apparel. You understand that. If I'm not very gracious to you women when I meet you out somewhere and you are wearing pants, you'll understand why. It would be far better if you didn't see me at all. I have watched some women sit in cars until they were sure I was gone before they got out--at hospitals, and so forth, because they are ashamed. Why are they ashamed? I don't say much about it here, but they simply know what I stand for, and what we as a church stand for.

Now ladies, you know what is right and wrong, whether it be in the matter of man's apparel, which is contrary to the Word of God or, whether it be in the matter of abbreviated clothing that displays the body. You know. But your danger is that you want to conform to the ideas of this world.

Then men and boys are afraid others will laugh at them. I was sitting in a barber's chair the other day and the barber said to me: "I had a fine young man in here to get his hair cut. I never saw such a head of hair upon the boy. here is what the young man said: 'Sir, I want you to trim my hair just a little if you will, please.' Then he said, 'I'll be so glad when the style changes so that I can get a decent haircut again!"

The barber said, "I'll cut it right now, it you want me to."

"Oh," he said, "no! no! This is the style. I've got to wear it this way!"

I don't think that true. I can show you quite a few young men who are not wearing it that way. The barber said, "A fine lad, but he felt that he had to conform to this present world, that others might not laugh at him because of his stand."

Now, my friends, your clothes reveal what you are--a man or a mouse; a lady or a compromiser.

The third word is "indifference." Indifference or carelessness towards others and what they think. I'm sure we have some; just indifferent.

The Christian has to remember that he has to face his life. The judgment seat is coming. If you are a child of God, you have got to face your life. You had better think about that.

The forth word is, "pride." A desire to be noticed, a desire to be up-to-date. "...vanity of vanities; all is vanity," saith the Lord. There are so many like this.

Keep your life on the positive side. Let there be no question mark about your life, none whatsoever, so that people can see and know exactly what you are without explanation. They know what you are. If there be any doubt about what you are doing, then you say, "I'm not going to do it."

Be positive in appearance, in cleanliness, in speech, in actions--in all ways. Keep your life on the positive said.

 

II. BUILD AN INFLUENCE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Don't be blind to the power of influence. Don't be stubborn about your way. You have an influence. Lady, you've got an influence! Mother, you have an influence! Young people, you have an influence! You may disregard all that and say, "So who cares? What's the difference? I don't care." You can't do that.

Build an influence for righteousness until people know you are living for God, that you are on God's side. No one has to explain it. You don't have to say a word. They know what you are. Don't be stubborn about your way.

Now, consider the matter of modesty in your influence. Which way do you direct people? Towards Heaven or toward Hell? No one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. All people have an influence. Every man, woman and child had an influence. You have an influence of some kind, so you have to exercise care. Consider modesty and your influence. It is showing forth Christ? Do people see Jesus in you as you daily walk and talk among men? Consider this matter. Build an influence for righteousness.

Again, consider modesty and peace of mind. You say, "But Brother Wiza. I have no questions about this." Yes, you do have questions, and I'm just a little insignificant  preacher. "I shouldn't wear clothes like this." That's the reason you are self-conscious. Build peace of heart and righteousness in your life. Consider modesty and peace of mind. To be carnally minded is death. To be fleshly minded is death. This is the Word of God. Have an untroubled mind about it. Live in such a way that you are untroubled.

Some of you dear women here you wouldn't wear pants to church, but you wear them outside. What's wrong? Do you see what I'm getting at?

You say, "Well, I don't know. I don't wear them on Sabbath. I wouldn't wear them to church." Why? Why not? It they are decent for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, they would be decent on Sabbath, too. You see, you confess that it's wrong when you have a troubled mind about it. Have peace of mind and heart about the way you dress, the way you act, the way you talk.

In Luke 8 is the story of the insane man. He was wild, and the Bible says he wore no clothing. Jesus met with him and gave healing to him and sanity to his mind. And the Bible says very plainly that he out on clothes, that he was clothed and in his right mind. Interesting statement, isn't it?

Clothed and in his right mind is the account given in Luke 8. Modesty and peace of mind.

Then again, consider modesty and soul winning. You waited for me to get to that, didn't you? "...Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died" (Romans 14:15). Modesty and soul winning! Your life must be right to be a soul winner. A Christian is a failure who does not try to win souls, and to win souls the appearance and actions must be right.

Not many souls are won, excuse me, by a smoking man or woman, and I'm not on that theme today. Not many. Not  many souls are won dance floors. Have you ever heard of one? No. Yet, some Christians say, "There's nothing wrong in dancing." But try to win a soul on a dance floor. Try to win a soul when you compromise the matter of modesty and turn away from that which is right and honest in the sight of God.

I do not want someone to fall into Hell because of my life. I would rather be somewhat strange to the world outside if I could just make sure that I was not causing someone to got to the wrong direction. This should be true of all of you mothers, all you housewives, all you people in business offices. With your children, with young people around you, with all people around you, it should be true that you are living so none of them would be sent to Hell or caused to go to Hell because of stumbling over you.

You cannot help others and walk in the world. The direction of this world is down. When you follow the world, you are going down. Live so that you can take others with you into the presence of the eternal God.

Immodesty affects the consecration of life. Immodesty affects the prayer life. Immodesty affects the witnessing power of the individual. Build up your faith in Christ. Build it by your walk with Him day by day. Paul kept talking about the walk, the Christian walk. Walk so that others may see Christ in you.

 

III. EXALT THE CHRIST WHO DIED FOR YOU

The saved person desires to please Christ. Now, you can easily find out what it is. There's no question about that. You can know the thing that would please Him. We are citizens of another world, and we must exalt the Christ who saved us. We are followers of the Son of God, and we shouldn't want anything that might take away from His glory, that might cause someone to doubt our sincerity, our profession of faith and our position as a Christian in this world. We have got to avoid it all.

This is for young men as well as young ladies; this is for men and women--all people. You have to determine, "This is the life that I want to live." Exalt the Christ who died for you, avoiding everything that tends to exalt Satan.

First, discipline your life. Many temptations all around us, but we can overcome. Control this life. By the indwelling Spirit of God, do that which is right. By the Word of God, by the instruction of this Book, do that which God would have you do. Discipline your life. Don't expect someone else to tell you. I don't have to. It's not necessary for a pastor to do it. And I haven't done it up to now. I've said very, very little about the things I'm saying today, but you have known my position. Discipline your life!

Secondly, refuse to follow the world's fashion. Be decent. Be clean. Live a separated life. Don't be afraid to be different from the world. It will help you. If you get identified as being a "goodie goodie," that's not going to be bad. That's better then what some people might say about you. If somebody says, "Your just an old-fashioned mother," that's not too bad. As they say to our young people here, "Oh, your too straight-laced. You stand your ground and take it. I love folks who have something inside that will make them stand.

You are to be righteous in the sight of God and you must refuse to follow the world's fashions.

I dress a certain way, and I've done it all my life for certain reasons. First of all, it pleases me. Second, it doesn't cost much. Third, I'm safe in doing it. So i don't vary much. I just dress the same way all the time.

Refuse to follow the world's fashions, but say, "O God, let me live a separate life, a life that will show forth Christ."

Then, number three, sell out to God. Complete dedication. Everything for the glory of God.

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:" --1st Peter 2:21

Life is not made up of just big things. It is made up of little things too. In fact, life is made up of a series of small things, of habits, of decisions, or actions, of words spoken from time to time. So you have got to say, "O God help me to so live that I'm walking after Christ and selling out to God; that God has full control in my life; that He is in full control of all that I have." Sell out to God.

Did you know that there's virtue to that? Every single day do you best in the thing that God has given you: in your talk, by the way you walk, by the way you dress, by the way you appear before others. There's something of consistency, something of a solid foundation that exemplifies Christ. Big things, little things--all things.

A young lady said to me, "Being a Christian has nothing to do with how I dress." But, my friend, it does have something to do with how you dress.

Now, you are a child of God by faith in Christ. You are saved by faith. You are saved by the grace of God. That is settled. But letting people on the outside know what you have in inside is important. They have got to see Christ in you day by day.

Being a Christian calls for a man's best. Everything he does should glorify God--how he walks, how he talks, how he dresses, how he appears to every man. The wearing of correct things, the doing of correct things, the exemplifying of Christ in the life of both young and old should be a definite thing. You should want to do your best.

Paul says, "If meat causes my brother to offend or stumble, I will not eat no meat. I will give up those things in my life that might hinder. I will be what God would have me be. I want my life to show forth Jesus Christ."

What is modesty? I gave the definition a moment ago. We have tried to enlarge somewhat upon this so we can see and understand what God wants for us. I'm not trying to make you into something strange according to the world and according to man. Not at all. I'm trying to make you what God wants you to be--a quite, dedicated, consecrated, separated Christian so that others can see and know what you are and understand it without explanation. So they will know you are not joining with the world's crowd. So they will know you are walking with God's crowd.

My friend, God sees and knows all of it. God understands these lives of ours, and he wants to help us be what he wants us to be.

Time is short. God says this is the time to live for Him. This is the time to say, "O God, I surrender my life to Thee." This is the time, young people, to say, "Once and for all, for the rest of my days, I care not what may happen or where I may go, Christ will have first place. All of my days, as long as I live, I'll be on the side of Jesus. I'll not change at vacation time, in school time, at home, or away. I'll be the same everywhere. I'll be a consistent child of God living for Christ, for the time is short."

We know not what a day may bring forth. You don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Do what God says tonight. I don't know what is going to happen in the morning. Do what God says right now. You are here right now. You are in this spot when you can respond and say, "O God, I give myself to Thee."

Sinner friend, will you say, "I come to Christ. I take Him as my Saviour"? Those who should come by letter or statement, and those who should come for rededication of life should come now. Give yourself to the Lord now. This is the time. God's time is now.

My friend, it doesn't.

David said, "...There is but a step between me and death." There's less than a step--just the beat of your heart and it's all over. I know that and you know that. Then I beseech you today to do what God says and to take your stand for Christ today. If God has spoken to your heart by this message, I want you to come to Christ.

Sinner friend, come to Christ. Christian friend, come to Christ.

What about tomorrow? Just a flash and it's all over.

"What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

Do what God says, and do it now. Amen.

COME OUT OF HER MY PEOPLE

Revelation 18:4 .....'And I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues.'

At a time when the people of the world are looking for unity between church denominations and religions through this ecumenical / interfaith movement, God is calling His people OUT. To seek unity between the different churches and faiths of the world is a direct rejection of God's call to come out. This message is of great importanceand I hope you will prayerfully study it. Now to help us understand this better, we need to find out who the "her" is in Revelation 18 that God is calling His people out of. And we find the best description of her in Revelation 17:

The great whore that sitteth upon many waters (people). (verse 1)

The kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. (verse 2)

She is arrayed in purple and scarlet and decked with gold and precious stones. (verse 4)

She is called Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots. (verse 5)

She is drunk with the blood of the saints and martyrs of Jesus. (verse 6)

She sits on (is supported by) a great multitude of people. (verse 15)

She reigns over the kings of the earth. (verse 18)

In the Old Testament, Babylon was a pagan nation which took God's people into captivity and defiled His Temple. They worshipped idols and their king, and trod the Word of God underfoot. But this great city was finally destroyed as the prophets had predicted; Jeremiah 51:26,39-43. And as these Bible verses explain, the literal city of Babylon would never rise again.

Now a woman in Bible prophecy represents a church, just as the woman in Revelation 12 who is clothed 

with the sun represents the pure, true church of God. So if literal Babylon could not rise again, then this "Babylon the Great" is symbolic and actually represents an apostate church that reigns over the world and tramples on the Word of God in the Bible and His Commandments. So what church is this whore of Babylon? It is a church that has taken on the paganism of old literal Babylon and trampled underfoot the Word and commandments of God. There is only one church that matches this description and the description given in Revelation 17, and that is the Roman Catholic Church, otherwise known as the Papal Church of Rome. The Catholic Church has the largest membership of over 1 billion people (sits on many waters). Her main colours are purple and scarlet and she has a wealth that no man can number. She is the only church that has power over the rulers of the earth, and she is guilty of murdering tens of millions of Christians during the dark ages. Please study about the Roman Catholic Church being the antichrist religion and find out the truth.

Take a look at this interesting verse ..... 1 Peter 5:13 .....'The church that is at BABYLON.' ..... Who was Peter referring to when he said "Babylon"? It couldn't have been literal Babylon, because it was in ruins and had never been rebuilt. No, Babylon was now the spiritual name of ROME! There is a general agreement between commentators that Peter was using a "veiled" reference to Rome. Peter was talking to the church in ROME. So in reality, Revelation 17 and 18 is talking about the WHORE OF ROME.

Let's quickly look at the Bible definition of a WHORE .... Ezekiel 16:26-32 ....'You have also committed FORNICATION with the Egyptians your neighbours, great of flesh; and have increased your WHOREDOMS, to provoke me to anger. You have played the WHORE also with the Assyrians, because you were unsatiable; yes, you have played the HARLOT with them, and yet couldest not be satisfied. How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord God, seeing you doest all these things, the work of an imperious WHORISH WOMAN; In that you buildest thine eminent place in the head of every way, and makest thine high place in every street; and have not been as an HARLOT, in that you scornest hire; But as a wife that committeth ADULTERY, which taketh strangers instead of her husband.' .... So those who profess to be God's people, but mingle with the world and take on Pagan traditions (Like treating SUN-day as the sabbath), are considered by God as whores and are guilty of committing spiritual adultery, like the Roman Catholic Church.

Now notice one more point, the whore of Babylon is the "MOTHER" of harlots. Who are the daughter harlots? They are the protestant churches that were BORN from the Roman Catholic Church and parted from her during the reformation, but held onto some of her doctrines (represented by wine in prophecy). But how can the protestant churches be the daughters of the Roman Catholic Church when they split from her? Because in 1844, when God revealed the full truth about His sactuary and His law, the majority of people within the protestant churches rejected these truths (one of those truths being about the bible sabbath) and fell into apostasy with the Papal Church of Rome by holding onto her false doctrines, and only a small remnant group of "Advent" believers "CAME OUT" of these churches and followed God's truth.

So this message of come out of her My people, is to the people who are members of the Roman Catholic Church and members of the fallen protestant churches. God has one true church, not a number of different churches, but one .... Revelation 14:12 ....'Here is the patience of the saints, here are they (GOD'S TRUE CHURCH) that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.' .... A lot of God's people are still within the fallen churches, which is why He is giving them a chance to come out. But how do we know what church is God's true remnant church?

What Church is Giving This Message?

The angel in Revelation 18 that gives this call to come out of her My people is not a literal angel. Nor is it the literal voice of God booming down to the earth. No, this angel is a MESSENGER and in Bible prophecy this represents God's true church (messengers) on earth. It is God's remnant church who give these warnings to the world, not literal angels. God speaks to the world through His people on earth. So what church is giving this message? Well, we just need to find the church that is giving this warning to the world to "come out of the Roman Catholic Church and the fallen protestant churches", and the other warnings of Revelation, like the three angels messages of Revelation 14, and the truth about the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. 

Lets be faithfully standing apart from the rest of the Protestant churches, proclaiming these endtime warnings to the world. "keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus". It is amazing to think that the name Protestant was introduced because the reformers who formed the Protestant churches were "PROTESTING" against the Roman Catholic Church and revealing the Papal Church as Antichrist. And yet now, the majority of Protestant churches reject what the reformers did and are starting to join back with her.

Will You Come Out of Her?

Are you a member of Babylon, the mother of harlots, or a member of one of her daughters? God is calling you out today! Don't settle for half truths from your pastor, study God's Word for yourself and let Christ Jesus light up your life with the whole truth. God is waiting to save you!

2 Corinthians 6:14,15,17 ...'Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.'

The churches of the world are saying "LET'S JOIN TOGETHER FOR A COMMON CAUSE", but we say "COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM AND BE YE SEPARATE". Please heed the warning.

Revelation 18:4 .....'And I heard another voice from heaven saying, come out of her My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues