Love Not The World

Today is known as Black Friday in the retail business. Most retailers will earn their annual profits in the next 5 weeks. Many enter this weekend in the red, but after this weekend they'll enter the black.

News programs this morning are focused on shoppers who spent all night last night in line at major retail stores so they could take advantage of discounts that start today. At some stores the stampede was so fierce some shoppers were trampled when the doors opened at 5am. Reports of fist fights are rather common as shoppers protect their place in line. Theft is rampant at area malls as some prowl the parking lot for cars stuffed with holiday gift items. Everywhere you look there is the quest for stuff - stuff people want, but don't yet have.

There's nothing sinful about searching for a bargain. And it's not sinful to shop, provided it doesn't interfere with our service to God. Covetousness is sin. And there are other sins that tempt men during times like these. So, it seems fitting to spend just a few moments considering how God wants us to view this world and the stuff it offers.

1 John 2:15-17 “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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. There is no contradiction between what we’re commanded to do in refraining to love the world and what God did when He loved the world. The world in John 3:16 are the people who inhabit the world. That’s what God loved. God’s interests were in seeing the people of the earth saved through obedience to Jesus Christ.

The world spoken of in 1 John 2 is the sphere of evil that men turn themselves over to. The love forbidden in 1 John 2 is a love of those things that serve self, those things that cause us to rebel against God.

Consider 3 verses in 1 John chapter 2.

In verses 12 – 14 the children, fathers and young men have been addressed. Each of these groups is commended for having good control in their respective circumstances. Even so, they are all in the world and subjected to the lures and temptations of Satan.

Now, the exhortation is to love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. The “world” that we’re commanded to not love is the sphere of evil that exists in this life. There is a universal pursuit in this life that is opposing God. We have to neglect loving that world. But we’re forbidden to love even the things in the world.

The story is told of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19. Here comes a young man to the Lord asking what he lacks in order to have eternal life. The Lord tells him to obey the commandments of the law. The young man responds by telling the Master that he’s does all that since he was a child.

Matthew 19:21 “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.”

It would seem this young man was so sincere and dedicated that he’d have done whatever Jesus commanded, but this final admonition was too much. Here is what the scriptures say about his response to the Lord’s final admonition…

Matthew 19:22 “But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”

Jesus goes on to teach the disciples some more about the wealth of this world and the dangers associated with them.

Matthew 19:23, 24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”

The young ruler would have surrendered to the Lord except for this one thing. He had something in this life that he cherished more than his obedience to God. This one thing was something of this world, not heaven. He put it before God.

We may lack “one thing.” It might not be money or wealth, but it might be love of pleasure. It might be love of ease. It might be obsession about our health (or our sickness). It might be the attraction of our house, or land or business. It might be a desire for fame or prominence or worldly honor. It might be career ambition. It might be family. There are many things of this world capable of drawing us away from God and the Truth of the Church.

Whatever stands between you and your pursuit of heaven is of this world. I’m reminded of people who make the claim that you can have it all. They’re liars. You cannot have it all. You cannot have everything this world affords and have heaven, too. I’ve known many people who have made sacrifices because they realized the truthfulness of that idea. Some have sacrificed athletic pursuits. Others have sacrificed academic pursuits, or career pursuits. A few have sacrificed family because they understood that it was NOT possible to please God and have something valuable in this world. Frequently we find ourselves forced to make a decision between something of this life and something spiritually pleasing to God.

Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

Each of us must decide what we’ll serve. We can only give allegiance to one master. So strong is the pull toward material or worldly possessions that the Lord talks about this in the very next verses in Matthew 6.

Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

The Lord knew the pull that this world would have on us. The shame is that too few understand the sin of falling in love with this world or the things of this world.

“If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Loving the world and loving the Father are completely incompatible with one another. They can’t exist together in the same heart.

Romans 8:5-9 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

The phrase “do mind” means that these people deliberately focus their attention on things of the flesh. These people, perhaps us from time to time, devote themselves to those things that are solely devoted to THIS LIFE. Your career, your money, your hobbies, your family and even your health will not propel you into eternity with salvation in Jesus Christ. All these things may hold some importance in our lives, but they can hardly become our focus or concern to the exclusion of being what God wants us to be.

Carnally minded people are not necessarily evil, wicked people who do dastardly deeds. They might be Christians who have surrendered to the lusts found in this world. They might be people who have forgotten that they were purchased and purged from their sins. They might be people caught up in the game of advancing a career, building a portfolio of investments, or improving their physical health. They cannot please God by pursuing a life based in this world, according to Romans 8.

Another warning is found in the book of James.

James 4:4-8 “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Spiritual adultery is what is talked about here. This adultery is one where a Christian is unfaithful to the Church. How does that happen? It happens everytime a saint falls in love with the world and denies the work needed by the bride of Christ, the CHURCH. In contrast to being unfaithful to the Lord we can submit to Him and resist the devil. Both require effort and work! I’m sure there’s a lesson there about our willingness to pay the price for faithfulness.

Another scripture points out the same lesson. 2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”

It’s difficult for young and old alike to be separate. It’s hard to come out from among them, meaning from among the people of the world – the people we are constantly surrounded by. The Old Law had things that were considered unclean. They were specific things. Today, under the Christian law there are many things that can be considered unclean – anything that takes us away from faithful service to God. In and of themselves, they might be okay, but when they get in the way of our Christian service – they’re unclean!

1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

God didn’t establish these things. The world created them and they are of this world. Three specific things are listed here: 1) the lust of the flesh, 2) the lust of the eyes and 3) the pride of life.

The lust of the flesh is the desire that exists in the minds of men to do evil. The term “flesh” here is the darkest sense of the word. It means the animal nature of man, the source of evil appetites. The lusts of the flesh are made manifest in the works of the flesh. Over in Galatians chapter 5 we have a catalog of these:

Galatians 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The lusts of the eyes provide the source for us to seek after things that distract us. We see what we long for. Living in a physical world that provides so many temptations, it’s easy to permit ourselves to focus on the things around us rather than on the spiritual things that can help us overcome temptation.

The pride of life encompasses the things that feed our selfish nature. Pride of life prevents men from serving anything or anyone other than their own desires and appetites.

People have long pointed out the temptation of Eve in the garden and the temptations of Jesus after the 40 day fast in the wilderness. It’s true that every temptation is encompassed in these three concepts. That makes it true that the temptations of Eve and our Savior contained these aspects.

Awareness is the first step toward improvement. It’s clear that God’s people have to get and maintain an awareness of these 3 aspects of temptation. If we don’t, we’ll surrender to them. But I fear there may be too many people who enjoy temptation. The lure of the temptation is strong and the resolve to avoid it too weak. For that reason, too many young people may put themselves into situations that cause temptation. For that reason, too many mature people may put themselves into situations that are tough to escape from.

Our failure to clearly understand these 3 aspects of temptation will cause us to be weaker than God wants us to be. We need a devotion to clear understanding. We need a devotion to draw nearer to God. We need a devotion to avoid EVERYTHING that would take us away from the Church.

1 John 2:17 “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

The reason to avoid temptation is clearly stated here. The world, which may entice us to love it, will pass away. The lust, that we may enjoy for a season, will also pass away.

Hebrews 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

The ability to understand long-term versus short-term is a wonderful ability. It’s an ability that every Christian must possess. Moses had it. For that reason, he could make up his mind that he would not enjoy the pleasures of Egypt. Instead, he decided to be true to God and endure the hardships of the wilderness wanderings. Moses had respect for the eternal reward. He respected the reward that would come to faithfulness. Do we have that respect? Or do we respect the reward of this life and the things we can gain here?

Do we value the short-term pay offs in this life over the long-term eternal pay offs in the life to come?

He that “doeth” the will of the Father means the person who literally keeps on doing the will of the Father. It’s not enough to do the will of God one time. It’s not enough to obey the gospel, then slide back into sin. We have to devote ourselves to keeping the commandments of the gospel always.

In contrast to Moses we have another name revealed in the scripture, Demas.

2 Timothy 4:10 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.”

We’re not certain what temptation snagged Demas, but suffice to say, the world snagged him. He loved the present world more than he loved the idea of reaching heaven. As a result, he forsook the apostle Paul and the work.

In contrast to not loving the world or the things in this world we’re commanded to love the Lord and one another.

Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

Luke 10:27 “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”

Loving the Lord is more than lip service. It’s active, it’s determined and it’s intentional.
John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

John 15:10 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.”

Our goal is to make heaven our home. That won’t happen if we view this world as our home. The word we constantly use is “pilgrim.” It fits. It’s a Bible term. I leave you with two verses.

Hebrews 11:13 “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

1 Peter 2:11 “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;”

Helping Novices Grow To Maturity

Titus 2:1-6 "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded."

Recently, I found myself in a conversation about "young peoples' meeting." The observation was made that these are a rather recent phenomenon having begun in earnest within the last 25 years or so. For those of us past the age of 40 we recall young speakers being given the night of New Year's Eve at the annual Oklahoma New Year's Meeting - a tradition Lynwood relished for years, one he knew firsthand from his days as a young aspiring preacher. Otherwise, young people and old alike frequented what we merely referred to as "gospel meetings." Young men were often called on to lead songs, but the young people were never put in positions of leadership. Congregations rarely placed the burden of leadership or authority on the shoulders of young people.

We have unwittingly placed a danger upon our young people - the danger of being in authority. We've sometimes put them in positions for which they're ill equipped. This certainly isn't a condemnation of so-called "young speakers' meetings" or "young peoples' meetings." It is, however, an expression of concern for putting young people in positions of leadership for which they aren't ready.

I applaud the older, wiser heads who protected us when my generation was growing up. They knew we were not mature enough, or knowledgeable enough to take on the mantle of leadership. Somewhere along the way, the older folks sat back and decided it was time to put that mantle on a generation lacking experience, wisdom and knowledge. It was unwise of the older generation to do that. It hasn't served to help the novices (which all of us were at one time) develop into mature Christians. Rather, it has served to harm their spiritual development and oftentimes, resulted in a rebellion against the standards of God's Word.

How do we help young people, or any novice in the faith, grow to maturity? Biblical principles show us the way.

Older people are given the responsibility to teach the younger. There are 2 obligations given: 1) to the older to teach and 2) to the younger to learn. If the older refuse to teach properly, then we can hardly place blame on the younger for failing to learn. It's time for the older folks to look in the mirror. Too often the older retire from leading, teaching and bearing the responsibility of helping the novices mature.

While it is entirely possible for an older person to hold on to the past and refuse to pass on the mantle (for whatever reason), it's necessary that the younger generation be taught responsible service to the Lord in the local congregation. Age catches up to all of us, if we live long enough. Our memory, our abilities and our physical strength sometimes hinder us from serving as we once did. That should help spur all of us to teach and mentor the young while we're able - and so they'll be prepared for service when our abilities wind down.

Young people need instruction. Older women are obligated by the scriptures to teach the younger women. Older men are obligated to instruct the younger men. Passing on the Truth of the Gospel to younger generations is the duty of every responsible adult Christian.

So, what can we do to improve?

One, the older generation has to be grounded in the Gospel. If we're not devoted to the Gospel, then we can hardly be successful at teaching our young people. If we're not living for the Lord in the way befitting age and wisdom, then we're unable to have the positive influence demanded of us.

Two, the older generation can seize every opportunity to help the younger people - in every way. Preparation for godly service is needed. We need to teach our young people how to study the Bible. We need to teach our young people what God demands of them. We need to ground our young people in the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. We need to instruct our young people in Christian behavior. We need to pray for our young people. We need to lead them by example.

Three, we need to give our young people opportunities to serve. Young women need to learn how to cook and take food to those in need in our congregations. They need to learn how to visit the sick with their mothers, grandmothers or older women of the congregation. They need to learn their role in their own future Christian home. They need to learn that their role in the Church is vital to the strength of the congregation.

Young men need to learn public service, if they've got that ability. If not, they need to learn what they can do. Church buildings need to be cleaned, lawns need to be mowed, sick need to be visited, those less fortunate need to be cared for, songs need to be led, sermons prepared and delivered...on and on it goes.

In both cases, young women or men need to be involved, but not relied upon for leadership. It's a mistake for a young person to be thrust into a position prematurely. I have seen too many young people overtaken with arrogance and conceit because a congregation thought too highly of them and their ability. While our brotherhood has many talented young people, we must avoid placing the mantle of leadership on them too soon. Maturity and sober-mindedness are required before a person can responsibly accept leadership.

It does take time. There is no substitute for the passage of time, but the mere passage of time doesn't necessarily result in maturity or sobriety. We have to make wise use of that time to teach our young people what it means to serve God responsibly. We have to make wise use of that time to show them the things others showed us. Yes, we ought to remind them that we were once young, and inexperienced, and uninformed. Somebody taught us and now we want to teach them.

Accountability is central to responsible growth. If we neglect to hold our young people accountable to us (as parents) and to God, then we will fail them completely. We should expect hard work and good effort from our young people. We should expect them to behave as Christians, no matter the situation or circumstance. We should correct them when they need it. We should encourage them to serve loyally in the local congregation. We need to teach them the importance of their own Christian influence. And brethren, we should watch for their souls by guarding them from poor associations, both in and out of the Church.

Young people are subject to pressures and temptations somewhat unique to youth. We need to be mindful of this and help them through the difficult years of growing up. Subjects like dating only in the Church, how to behave on dates, how to behave in the public worship, how to answer those who will criticize their dress, how to talk to their friends about the gospel and a host of other subjects should be easily discussed with young people. No, every older person won't be able to successfully affect every young person - but every young person needs one or more older persons who can and will openly discuss things that will help them grow in faithfulness to God.

We owe it to our children to save them. We'll never save them unless we instill the gospel into their hearts. They must establish their own faith based on the Word of God.

Deut. 6:7 "And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

Their time for leadership will come soon enough. Without the proper preparation our congregations and brotherhood will suffer. Without sufficient preparation they will not be rooted and grounded in the Truth. We owe them better preparation so their spiritual future can be bright for the Lord.

As they prove themselves responsible in small things we're able to pass on to them larger things. Step by step we help them reach their full potential and spiritual maturity. We guide them and work hard for their success - because their success becomes our success. They become objects of our pride, rightfully so.

May the Lord bless our young people with wisdom to always live for Him. May He bless the older people with the wisdom to teach the younger the ways of the Lord. And may God bless all of us to live until the very end of our lives in faithful service.

Take Therefore No Thought For The Morrow

Dan. 2:20-22 "Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him."

Recent events show us the fragility of mankind. We cannot control the weather, in spite of our ability to build computers capable of calculating millions of equations in a keystroke. We cannot always determine our circumstances, in spite of our ability to explore the outer limits of our universe.

The laws of nature, put into place by God, cannot be suspended. We're unable to defy gravity. We're unable to control the weather.

God is not to blame for the tragedy of the Gulf shores, including the loss of New Orleans. Nature created a storm that became a beast named Katrina. From hurricanes to illness, and death - they're part of the human condition. Yet another reason why we should never want to make this world our permanent home. We're pilgrims. Heaven is home.

Heb. 11:13 "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

1Pet. 2:11 "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;"

Through it all, we're made to realize our need for God. Many problems are bigger than us. In short, we need God. He's in control.

Matt. 11:28-30 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Pride prevents some from leaning on God in obedience to His Word. Failure to recognize God's authority prohibits others. Most of us like to feel that we are in control, but there are many things in our lives beyond our control.

All men should make up their mind to serve God. God gives us the choice to serve Him or something else.

Matt. 6:24-34 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

By serving God today - and every day - we successfully deal with life's problems. That doesn't mean they go away, or that they're fixed to our liking. It means God provides the strength needed to endure or overcome.

Each day brings us new problems and challenges. Each day presents us with enough problems to keep us occupied. There's no need to fret about the necessities of this life. We ought to be fretting over our obedience to God because He is in control.

Yes, we're commanded to provide for our families. Yes, we're to be wise stewards of the blessings in our life. And in all our earthly endeavors we're commanded to put God first.

Matt. 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

We must be thoughtful about our eternity. The worries of this life are real for us. But our greater concern must be to reach heaven - our home being built by the Lord.

John 14:2, 3 "In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

Picking A Spouse

Recent conversations with people about dating and the prospects of marriage have made me give greater thought to the challenge facing God's young people. Some members of the Lord's Church in another state recently talked about their worries that so many young people in the Church seem to be dating non-Christians. A young man admitted his difficulties in finding a girl who shares his convictions based on the Gospel. A young woman talked of her desires to find a young man desirous of being a strong Christian.

Our future as God's people hinges on the ability of one generation to pass along to the younger generation the wisdom necessary to make one of life's most important decisions - the decision of who we will marry. Brother Gay wrote a wonderful series of articles back in the 1940's. We still refer young people to his words almost half a century later. Click here to read his articles on building a Christian home.

Young people may confuse the interest of older folks with interference. Often the conversation between older Christians turns toward a concern for the younger Christians. That's only appropriate given the responsibility of the older to pass along the heritage of godly service.

Few conversations stir more concern among older saints. Frustration is easy when talking to a young person about their choice of boyfriend or girlfriend, especially when the selection has been made for all the wrong reasons. Chemistry and good feeling too often overcome good sense and scriptural-based judgment. Although talking to kids about who they date and who they'll end up marrying may be like talking to a wall, parents and older Christians can't hesitate to issue a few warnings about what is really required to create a Bible-based family life.

Ephesians 6:1-4 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment with promise), that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord."

All happily married Christian couples can attest to the change and growth necessary to build a strong Christian home. They can also verify the need to make the selection of a spouse carefully and prayerfully.

We urge young people to come up for air, free yourselves from one another's embrace and look beyond the physical attraction so you can more carefully examine your future.

First, pick a spouse who respects God's Word.

Even babes in Christ understand that God's ways and the ways of the world are always in conflict. God insists that we live by His principles of righteousness. Scriptures show us that the world lives by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. We're to avoid those things and shun them.

1 John 2:15, 16 "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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."

People who aren't devoted to God freely devote themselves to the pleasures of the world. God's people have a different devotion.

Many heartaches are caused when a Christian marries an unbeliever. Without a unified purpose for building a home and marriage, chaos often erupts. Moral issues arise because the unbeliever isn't bridled by the Word of God. But it goes deeper. The coupling of a Christian to an unbeliever disrupts God given roles in the home. The duties of each member of a home, if not sanctioned by God, often become unclear and worldly. For instance, what godly woman seeking to be the keeper at home God wants could make a happy home with an ungodly man who pressures her to leave the home and earn money?

Sadly, this problem isn't limited to unbelievers. Young people must be mindful that some of God's people lack the proper respect for God's Word. Dating another Christian isn't the only requirement for seeking a fitting spouse. Find a boy or girl who demonstrates the proper respect for God's Word by obeying it - not arguing against it.

Two, select a spouse who has spiritual values and goals.

You must first have spiritual values and goals. If your life lacks the spiritual focus it must have, first take care of yourself. You can hardly recognize what you need in a spouse if you are not what you should be. Are your goals focused on entertainment, fun and pleasure? Then fix your own life by getting focused on those things that are eternal.

Sadly, I see too many young people in the Church who are interested in nothing other than a good time. As they grow older they sometimes lament how difficult it is to find somebody to date who is spiritually compatible. Well, they've not put themselves in a position to attract the right boy or girl. They've been acting as though Church and serving God were less important than being popular, having fun and enjoying entertainment. You reap what you sow. Take care of business in your own life, then you may find it easier to seek out the person who will serve as a faithful spouse capable of helping you reach heaven.

Values must be directed by God. The goal must be heaven. If the person you date has different values and different goals - STOP! Don't continue to put yourself at risk.

You must not con yourself into thinking that good qualities will suffice. Righteous living is not merely being good morally. There are many good people who are not Christians. Date people who are devoted to the Lord and the Church. Being a good person isn't the same as being a righteous person.

Ask yourself, "Am I made a better Christian by this person? Will this person help me live closer to the Lord and the Church?"

Three, find someone willing to make corrections.

Nobody is perfect. We're all a work in progress. However, some problems are larger than others. It's foolish to think that after marriage problems will be fixed, if they're not fixed before marriage. Too often we've seen somebody, usually an unbelieving boy, attend church services faithfully while dating a Christian girl. After marriage, his attendance stops. Don't bank on changes happening after marriage. If his attendance was merely a front so you'd date him, then you should realize that your relationship is equally shallow.

Drinking, gambling, hanging out at all hours and countless other poor behaviors won't be fixed by marriage. Neither will hot tempers, unkindness, being argumentative, lying and other traits.

Search for a person of Christian character willing to fix those things that are wrong in their life. If they're unwilling to listen to God's Word (disrespect the Word of God) and put their life in compliance with what God wants - STOP!

Four, pick a spouse who is mature.

Marriage isn't for kids. That's one reason why more than half of all teenage marriages end in divorce. Maturity is a requirement for the establishment of a Christian home.

Age won't guarantee maturity. Maturity is something you can gain by working at it. Behave with maturity and you may become mature. Put away childish behaviors. Grow up. Don't just grow older. Be sober (that means, be serious).

Be mature yourself. Being irresponsible and selfish are not qualities fit for marriage. If you are self-centered and immature, then you've got some work to do in your own life. It's likely that your behavior fosters dating people who share your immaturity and self-centeredness. You have little hope of building a relationship that will lead to the establishment of a Christian home.

There is no single secret to having a successful marriage, but one indispensable ingredient is unselfishness. Behave selfishly during dating and you're not likely to behave any differently after marriage. Don't fool yourself thinking the selfish person you date will stop being selfish when you marry.

Again, look in the mirror. What are your displays of maturity? You can hardly expect to attract a mature person if you're not mature yourself.

Some signs that you're immature:

- You think mainly of what you want. You are self-centered.
- You have little awareness of how you affect others.
Sometimes you just don't care.
- Your life centers around having fun and being entertained.*
- You're not terribly comfortable being by yourself.
Partying and hanging with others consumes most of your time.
- You stay up late as often as possible.
- You sleep late as often as possible.
- You have little structure and discipline in your life.
And you really don't want any.
- Your life has little direction and little purpose.
- You don't regularly read or study the Bible.
- You don't regularly pray.
- You don't regularly consider spiritual things.
- You don't seek the wisdom of others.
It's easier to just follow your own desires.

*Just snoop around at the blogs of many young people in the Church and perhaps like me, you'll be surprised at how going to the movies is widespread among a generation that has never heard how the "old-timers" were warned of them based on the Gospel's demand for purity in our lives. It's difficult enough to guard your heart in today's world without purposefully subjecting yourself to temptations. And don't argue that you only go to PG or PG13 movies. I know better because I've read blog after blog of young people who regularly attend R rated movies. Besides, since when do God's people go by the standards of a Hollywood movie group who establish those ratings? Spiritual maturity has little chance with behavior that feeds on the world.

By the way, watching filth on your own TV at home (via tapes or DVD's) is no better. Both are sinful. Neither demonstrate a devotion to guarding your heart! Brethren, somewhere along the way we did a horrible disservice to our kids by failing to show them how important and powerful it is to guard the heart! We stopped preaching it. We stopped warning people. As a result, too many Christians have joined the world in thinking it's foolish to guard your heart.

"It doesn't affect me," they often say. That amounts to calling God a liar. Please consider that the next time you watch some profane filled thing or listen to some profanity laced song. By subjecting your heart to that type of entertainment you display disregard for God's Word. You show your spiritual immaturity - the belief that it will not harm you. Immature people can be fearless to the point of neglecting their own safety. It's true physically. It's equally true spiritually.

Attractive, isn't it? No, of course not. It's quite pathetic, but unfortunately it is the picture of so many lives. Young and old alike are plagued too often by self-centered behaviors that are anything, but mature. We see it at work, at school and at church.

Immaturity is rampant even though the Gospel demands that we live sober lives. Remember, it's a command - not a suggestion. As people grow up, they must become mature. That requires mature behavior. It's a choice. It requires young people begin to behave like adults. It requires responsible conduct. Consider some important verses found in Titus.

Titus 2:1-15 "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee."

Be mature. Be sober. Look for a mate who is, too. Physically, emotionally and most of all spiritually.

Five, pick a spouse who can communicate.

Relationships are impossible where there is poor, little or no communication. Problems go unsolved if a couple cannot clearly communicate with one another. Thoughtful dialogue can help build a relationship. Monologues aren't profitable.

If you find yourself dating somebody who is unable to express themselves to you, STOP! You'll never build the relationship necessary to establish a Christian home. If you find yourself dating somebody with whom you're unable or unwilling to have serious dialogue, STOP!

Talking and listening are both necessary qualities for making a relationship grow. By the way, yelling and arguing are not quality forms of communication. If your communication consists of lots of arguing, STOP! Find somebody else to date.

Six, look beyond physical attraction or physical qualities.

People date specific people for lots of reasons - most of them physical. And I mean more than beauty or good looks. Personality, being fun, being popular and scores of other attributes are part of physical attraction. These are the most shallow attractions.

I've known young men who dated girls because they knew lots of other young men were attracted to them. After all, it's quite satisfying to be dating the girl who is the envy of all the other guys. Ridiculous? Sure, but it happens.

I've known young men who lamented at the dimwittedness of a good-looking girl they dated, but they wouldn't stop dating her because she was so attractive. I've known young men who dated a girl because she was always so much fun. Or because she enjoyed the same entertainment, the same music and so on. None of these things are sufficient foundations for a Christian marriage. In fact, they're not even suitable foundations for dating!

The object of dating is to build a mature relationship. While there is no denying that couples need to find one another attractive, it is hardly the stuff of which strong Christians home are built.

Proverbs 31:30 "Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised."

Seven, pick a spouse who will be a good friend, your best friend.

A man's best friend should be his wife. A wife's best friend should be her husband.

Too many young people are involved in relationships where they argue, fuss and fight. They're foolish enough to think the relationship might have a future. Well, they're right, but the future is going to be the ruination of them both if they don't stop and move on.

It's one thing to enjoy somebody's company. It's another to find them a person with whom you can share your innermost thoughts and cares.

It's one thing to find somebody attractive - even kissable. It's another to find them a person with whom you can improve your Christian life.

Life is routine. Do you find this person your best friend during the most routine times of your life? Make certain that the boy or girl you date are friends, good friends.

Friends help us become better. They benefit us and we benefit them. They seek our welfare in the Church. We seek their spiritual welfare, too. Friends work to strengthen one another.

Does that describe the relationship you are in? If not, it's time to move on.

Lastly, pick a spouse who believes marriage is for life.

What God joins together can't be put asunder by man. "Til death do us part," is not just a phrase uttered by couples madly in love. Those are vows made before God, ordained by His Will.

Problems will arise. You can't just walk away. That's what dating is for. That's why the advice to STOP is given to dating couples who find themselves battling issues that are harmful for them both. Once you are married, there is no stopping. You are in it for life.

The walking away needs to happen while you are dating. It's not an option in marriage.

Permit a brief comment about intimacy. STOP. Fornication is a sin. Intimacy outside of the marriage union is forbidden by God.

1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."

Know the difference between sex and love. Society bombards all of us with images of sex. While intimacy can be an expression of love, it is restricted between a husband and his wife. TV and the media do us all a disservice by putting sex in front of us. You must take pride in your virtue. You must behave while you date.

Love is mandatory in marriage. Intimacy is not the only expression of love in marriage. Young people must guard their hearts by restricting their passions.

Ephesians 5:25-33 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself: for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church; because we are members of his body. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church. Nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she fear her husband."

As a dating person, behave yourself with all the godly qualities befitting a potentially good spouse. Make sure you possess these positive qualities first. It will make attracting the right prospective spouse that much easier.

Devote yourself to:

- respecting God's Word
- having spiritual values and goals
- having a willingness to correct the poor behavior in your own life
- maturity and sober thinking in the Lord
- being a good listener and good communicator
- offering more than physical attraction to others
- being a good friend
- the firm conviction that marriage is one man with one woman for life

Doing that will provide you with a superior opportunity of attracting the right Christian person to become your mate.

Pray for wisdom. Pray for strength to overcome the temptations that come with being young. Read and study your Bible. Talk with your Christian parents about your problems and concerns. Lean on others in the Church. Guard your heart by protecting yourself from watching things, hearing things and experiencing things that would harm your soul.

Date only in the Lord. And when it comes to choosing a spouse, be picky - even in the Lord. Select a person who can and will help you reach heaven. Your entire future depends on the choice you will make!

Choking To Death

Luke 8:14 "And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection."

Most people agree that nausea is among the worst feelings in the world. It's one thing to be nauseated because we've got a bug of some sort, but it's quite another to be nauseated because a person has been partying and getting drunk. Listen to Dr. Luke.

Luke 21:34 "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares."

Surfeiting is a word describing the nausea felt after drinking alcohol. This is the only place in the New Testament where we find this word. We're warned to be careful so we don't allow our hearts to be overcharged with this behavior.

Some translations use the word "dissipation." That means intemperance, or indulging in sensual behavior, or wasteful consumption.

Have you ever seen video of fraternity initiations where new pledges are encouraged to consume enormous amounts of alcohol? In spite of vomiting, some of these kids die of alcohol poisoning. They've given into the sins of the flesh. Their sin has a high price.

We're warned to not allow our hearts to be overtaken, but we're equally warned by the term "overcharged" to not allow ourselves to let our hearts be deceived. Like the young fraternity pledge who thinks his self-indulgence will not kill him, we're all able to think the affects of the world will not kill our spiritual service to God. It's a horrible miscalculation when God's people fool themselves with worldliness.

We can choke to death. And that's the warning Jesus gives when he talks of the seed of the gospel falling among thorns and being choked by the world.

Even worst than nausea is the inability to catch your breath, choking!

Literal choking can happen in one of two ways: internal or external.

That is, we can ingest something that prevents us from being able to breath. Maybe we take in so much of something that we're unable to breath. Or maybe something "goes down the wrong way" as we say and we start choking.

Or, we can be crushed by something around our throat or our chest so that we're prevented from breathing. We're strangled or crushed by something that prohibits us from breathing properly.

In the parable Jesus refers to external choking because He's talking about how a seed will sprout, but the thorns will literally choke the seedling and prevent its growth. External choking.

But in Luke 21:34 the choking can be internal, too. And after all, choking is choking. If it's not remedied, it results in death; spiritual death, in the case of these verses.

At first glance, we might conclude that when Jesus talks about that which fell among thorns we're to believe that these external circumstances - the thorns - are beyond a person's control. Jesus tells us that the soil is the heart of a man. Men can control their heart, their soil.

Luke 8:11-15 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."

So are we to believe that we have no control over our own heart?

Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Matthew 12:35 "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."

Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

Those who crucified Christ had the ability to change their heart. Earlier they cried for His blood. Now they're crying out to discover what they must do to be saved.

Acts 2:37 "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

We have the ability to control our heart. That means we can control our desires, passions and priorities. We control the choices we make.

While circumstances affect all of us, our response to those circumstances is completely up to us. Consider Job's reaction to his challenges. Consider Abraham's obedience to God's demand that he give up his only son. Consider Christ's response to God's desire that He sacrifice Himself. In every case, choices were made. In every case, desires were determined by the heart. Every man controls his own choices.

2 Corinthians 9:7 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

Galatians 6:5 "For every man shall bear his own burden."

James 1:14 "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed."

Accountability equals being answerable. It means being responsible to someone, or being responsible for doing something. Spiritually, it means answering to God for our behavior toward Him.

The first part of Romans 10:10 declares, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness..."

Romans 14:12 "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

We can't blame anybody else or anything else for our refusal to obey the gospel or our inability to bear fruit for the Lord. We can't hide behind our circumstances or others when it comes to our Christian duty. We have to behave like God's people or suffer the consequences.

There are countless obstacles, but I'd like to focus on the thorns of worldliness because they may present one of the greatest enemies to Christians.

When we think of worldliness we might think of drinking, being immoral and partying. We might think of gambling, dancing and all kinds of things, but God's Word has a different definition.

1 John 2:15-17 "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. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

The world here isn't God's creation. Nor is it the world that God so loved that He sent Jesus as a sacrifice. "World" here are the thorns of the world - the lusts, passions and activities of people who want to do what they want to do. There's no sacrifice happening here. There is only indulgence. There is no discipline, only a child-like quest to satisfy our own desires. There's little long-term consideration, but mainly there is the quest to fulfill desires right now.

We're told of the three sins that exist:
1. lust of the flesh or sensuality
2. lust of the eyes or materialism and
3. pride of life or pomposity (showing off, if you will).

All sins fit into one or more of these categories. These represent the thorns of worldliness capable of choking the Word and making us unfruitful.

The lust of the flesh involves a fleshly way of thinking and acting. "Flesh" involves more than the elements that make up the human body. It is a way of thinking and living that is contrary to the way of God. It is contrasted with spiritual living in Romans 8 and Galatians 5. These chapters suggest that the word "flesh" includes the mind of the person and his reasoning abilities.

The word "lust" (desire) can be for things good or bad. God has given to man certain desires and these are all good within themselves. We have the desire for food, for drink, for sleep, for sex. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of these desires. But they can be directed in the wrong channels and become sinful. While the desire for food is natural and good, gluttony is sinful. While the desire to quench thirst is proper, drunkenness is a sin. Sleep is a normal need, but "a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest -and your poverty will come in like a vagabond" (Prov. 6:10-11). Laziness is a sin. The fulfillment of sexual desires within marriage is of God and is, therefore, holy. But sex taken outside the bounds of a husband and wife is fornication and is sinful. When we have desires for what is forbidden, we are headed toward "love of the world."

The lust of the eyes has to do with pleasures that gratify the sight and the mind in such a way to lead one away from God. It's found in people who want everything they see. It is the attitude that believes that happiness can be found in things which money can buy, of what the life can experience and what the eye can see. We must remember that the things which are seen are temporal (2 Cor. 4:18). This is what worldliness is: emphasis on that which is temporal.

The boastful pride of life is the spirit that attempts to show people how important we are. This is why we buy houses, cars, clothing, appliances, and other luxuries which we cannot afford. We want to impress people. We want to boast about our own greatness. The "buy now, pay later" advertising gets millions of people to buy things beyond their means. Why? To impress people with our material possessions. That is worldliness.

We're capable of choking on the very thing we feed on. That's a problem in the lives of too many Christians. They feed on the pleasures of the world and ultimately, they choke on them.

We're capable of allowing things to crush out the Word and strangle us. We wrap ourselves too tightly with things that distract us from the Christian walk. They sometimes choke us.

Some people busy themselves with entertainment, pleasure, fun and excitement. They commit treason against their own heart. That is, they betray their heart's allegiance to God by devoting too much of themselves to things that are worldly. Brethren, worldliness doesn't have to be immoral. Acts of worldliness might be things innocent enough if kept in balance - if put in proper perspective with service to God.

Luke's account gives us 3 things that make up this worldliness: cares, riches and pleasures.

The cares or worries of this life deal with our anxieties over material things such as our food, clothing, or shelter. They can also deal with our cares about life's experiences - what fun are we going to have, what entertaining things are we going to do? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus, with His masterful word pictures, teaches us not to worry about our physical life.

Matthew 6:31-33 "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Anxiety about these physical needs or desires are indicative of little faith according to Matthew 6:30 "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?"

Instead of worry, our lives must be characterized by prayer (Phil. 4:6) and action (Matt. 6:33 - "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness"). Anxiety about these things can choke out the word and that is worldliness.

The riches of this life are another source of worldliness.

1 Timothy 6:9-12 "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses."

Two metaphors are used by Paul. One of a trapped animal unable to free himself and one of a drowning swimmer. That's how the quest for riches affect us. The condemnation isn't for unlawful gain - the condemnation is the desire to be rich in what this world has to offer. It's a foregone conclusion that gaining wealth dishonestly is sinful. We can desire wealth through completely honest means and still be worldly because we're permitted that desire to overwhelm our commitment to the Lord through the Church.

At the conclusion of the story of the rich man who decided he needed bigger barns for all his worldly goods, Christ pointed out that his soul would be required of him. "Then whose shall these thing fall to," was the question Christ asked. Who will get it when you die? Then He concludes in Luke 12:21 "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

The pleasures of this life also constitute worldliness. These would be any pleasures that would draw us away from the godly life dictated by the Word.

Worldliness falls into 2 categories. There are things that are wrong within themselves because God has declared them to be wrong. Anything that falls within the description of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 is sinful because God declares that it is. This includes sexual sins, sins of the disposition, sins of action. Peter speaks of this kind of worldliness when he talks about "a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousals, drinking parties and abominable idolatries" (1 Pet. 4:3). Paul is emphatic in ordering us to "flee fornication" (1 Cor. 6:18). Anything that falls into this category is sinful - it is of this world.

Many movies are sinful because of these passages. Parents, do you exercise control over what your children see? We've got too many kids in the Lord's Church going to movies and feeding themselves on the filth of the world. The Internet and television are too often unchecked in the homes of God's people. These worldly temptations aren't conducive to a godly, spiritual life. They constitute worldliness and they'll choke the Word. Parents, I encourage you to get the televisions and computers out of your kid's rooms. Become educated on what your kids are watching and what they're doing. Don't be naive. Don't let worldliness grab your children. Be the example before them that you ought to be. Live what you preach. Be responsible for the soil of your children's hearts. Guard their hearts, as you must guard your own. Teach them to guard their own hearts.

There is a worldliness that is very destructive to Christians. It has to do with things that are not wrong within themselves, but constitute worldliness by their use. Paul said that Demas loved this present world. I rather doubt that Demas got involved in immorality or drunkenness. My guess is that Demas was probably afraid that he would die if he stayed with Paul in Rome. He loved this present world and was not ready to leave it. We all have to be very careful so we don't become worldly in this way - where we love this life more than serving God.

These are the people who have so many interests in life that the things of God are choked out. People become too busy to pray, too busy to study, too busy to visit the sick, too busy to be involved in responsibilities at home and too busy to come to all the services. That's worldliness!

Some people charge God with not giving them enough time to do His Will. "I don't have enough time" is something we hear quite often. God gives us all the same number of hours in a day. He gives us time to do everything to please Him. It's amazing that people still have time for sports, for TV, for entertainment, for higher education or for anything else they want to do. The truth is that we find time to do what we want to do.

When we get so involved in the desire to make money that we have no time for Jesus, that's worldliness! When we're so involved in entertaining ourselves that we neglect our Christian obligations, that's worldliness! When we're busy jumping from one exciting thing to another while the Church takes a back seat, that's worldliness! These are childish behaviors. These are behaviors that lack the discipline necessary to live successfully for God.

Moral worldliness. That's what happens when we allow other things - things not sinful within themselves - to choke out our spiritual life. These things become the most important things in our life. Here's the truth of the matter. You can get by without sports, entertainment, movies, and a host of other things that consume people. You can't get by without the Lord and the Church that He died for.

Colossians 3:1, 2 "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

Jesus tells us that worldliness will "weight us down" and "choke" us. These processes seldom take place immediately. Usually they gradually and slowly grow in our lives. Thorns begin to grow as the seed grows. The thorns grow a little each day.

Worldliness creeps up on us, ultimately choking us.

The Christian gradually accepts and then adopts the ways of the world. Matthew 24:38, 39 "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

The people of Noah's day were going on with their regular lives totally oblivious to the fact that the flood was coming. People come to feel comfortable in their worldly way of life. They come to look upon even sinful activities as being the normal way of life. We accept our "respectable worldliness" as the way that most decent people live. We fail to see the choking effect of this kind of worldliness. Worldliness is deceptive.

It's important that we understand worldliness will destroy us! Choking will kill us.
James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

The Lord is emphatic. Worldliness places us in hostility to God. It is destructive. We have already seen John's statement that "if any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). Our love of the world will result in our being destroyed along with the world.

Paul shows that those who are guilty of the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19-21 "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Philippians 3:18, 19 "(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)"

These are worldly people because they set their minds on earthly things. Their end is definite: it is destruction! Worldliness will lead a person to Hell. People who are traveling the pathway of worldliness are traveling toward eternal destruction.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 "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? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

God's people have no business making alliances with non-Christians. That would include marriage to a non-Christian, but Christians should take care so as not to marry a nominal Christian who might lead them toward worldliness. Our closest friends can’t be those of the world. Our closest friends ought to be God's people - people who have heaven as their goal.

Our dreams and behaviors ought to be so distinctly different from the world that we find ourselves not having enough in common with them to run closely with them. As temples of God we have nothing in common with pagans. At least we shouldn't unless we've become so worldly that we find ourselves having more in common with unbelievers than believers. And that's a terrible place for a Christian.

Christians need an uneasiness in being around people of the world. We should be uncomfortable with their behavior, their language, their aspirations, their desires and their lifestyle. Unfortunately, it's not always so. We see Christians who are sometimes MORE comfortable around unbelievers. That tells us they're worldly and attracted to the world more than they're attracted to God. They're not guarding their hearts. Rather, they're allowing their hearts to envy the lifestyle of the world - of sinners. Their secret (and sometimes not so secret) desire is to be like the world.

Proverbs 23:17 "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long."

The Gospel is the seed. It's the same for all people. Our heart is the soil. Its condition is dependent on how well we've prepared it, how well we tend to it, and how well we protect it.

If you were going to plant seed of any type, you'd first prepare the soil. Imagine tossing seed in the middle of a briar patch full of thorns and weeds. What hope would we give it? How senseless would that be? We often do that with our own soul. We take God's Word and attempt to mix it in with all the stuff of this world that we so dearly love. We want our life to center around pleasure, fun, entertainment and getting ahead - but we want to kinda, sorta live the Christian life, too. We want our worldliness and we want our Christianity, too. IMPOSSIBLE. We can't expect that to succeed any more than we can expect seedlings in a literal garden to flourish with weeds and thorns that would choke it.

There are 2 contrasting ideas or questions:
a) What will the world do to the Word?
b) What will the Word do to your cares of the world?

In caring for the soil of our heart we have to deal with both questions. We must decide.

We know the answer to the first question is found in the theme of our lesson - the world will CHOKE the Word. It will cause the Word to be unfruitful. It will cause the Word to die in our heart where we serve it no more.

What will the Word do to our cares of the world? The Word will cause us to put the world in a position of lesser importance. It will cause us to see the world as temporary. It will prevent us from serving the world and our own desires. It will inspire us to seek heaven and God's Will. Knowledge of the gospel coupled with a commitment to live by it is crucial.

What are you sacrificing for heaven? What worldly pursuits, though moral or decent, are you giving up so you can be a stronger Christian? What is the priority of your life?

Those temporal things that consume you represent the thorns in your life. In a literal garden we pull up the thorns and weeds that might choke the seed we've planted because we know those things have NO VALUE. The seed we've planted is far more valuable than the briars that try to grow up around it. So, rightfully (and wisely) we get rid of the things that have no value. Spiritually, it's no different.

It's interesting that the valuable seed requires diligence. That's why our Christian walk is described as work. Paul talked to the Thessalonians about their work of faith. It is a work to maintain faithfulness to the gospel. Thorns require no work. They just grow.

Peter tells us 1 Peter chapter 1 to give diligence to make our calling and election sure by adding things to our life. Faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity are the things we all have to work to add into our lives. These are opposite of indulgence and doing what we want. Why do some Christians fall? Because they refuse the admonition of 1 Peter 1:5-11. It's not surprising because Peter warns us that those who don't add these things are blind, can't see long-term and have forgotten they were purged from their sins.

Crave a clear, clean spot where the seed can flourish. Work to prepare the soil of your heart. How much more attractive and sensible is it to have an area where we've turned over the soil, pulled out all the weeds and briars, and prepared the soil as best we can? Think of your life in the same way. Clear away the things that get in your way of improved spiritual service.

Brethren, we see worldliness creep into our lives whenever we devote ourselves MORE to the pursuits of our own desires than we do to serving the Lord. Sometimes we're fostering things of NO VALUE instead of fostering the seed of the Gospel.

Today, if pleasure, entertainment, money, houses, cars, toys or other pursuits dominate your thoughts, time and energy then you're deceived by the cares, pleasures and riches of the world. They're choking the Word in your life. You're serving things of no value and giving up your soul in the process.

Matthew 16:26 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

If we refuse to make time to clear away the clutter in our spiritual life then we'll never be the person God wants us to be. The constant going back and forth in service to self, then to God will not result in a fruitful life. We'll be giving up our soul in exchange for something far less valuable.

For some, it's the need to grow up and become more mature in Christ, in their faith. It's time to become more sober minded in walking with Christ. Some don't take their Christian life seriously enough.

Ephesians 4:14-16 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

Paul points out two kinds of people who behave as children. There are those who are taken with whatever is right before their eyes, the most recent novelty. Take any small child through the toy aisle of Wal-Mart and you'll soon find out they want every toy they see. Some Christians behave the same way. They follow whatever is right in front of their eyes. Long-term is never a consideration. Right now is all they know. They're like children who can't behave seriously.

The other category of childish people is those who are deceived. They allow other people to influence them away from the Truth. They're not dedicated enough to the Truth to withstand the deception of others. Predators of children know exactly how to entice kids. They deceive them with all sorts of tricks. Kids often are unaware of the real dangers. Spiritually, we have to be mature enough to avoid deceptions that would cause us to abandon the Faith.

Our growth hinges on our stedfastness to the Truth of the Gospel. It hinges on our willingness to clear out those things that would get in our way. It hinges on putting first things first. It hinges on our willingness to sacrifice things in this life so we can have heaven someday.

Choke or grow. The seed of the gospel will do one of these two things in our life. Don't work at being a Christian and choke. Or work at being a Christian and grow.

Tend the garden of your heart. Be careful what you permit to enter your life. Be careful of the things that might overtake your spiritual life. Don't allow thorns to ruin your hope of heaven.

adapted from a sermon delivered at Fossil Creek Church of Christ

Watch Out For Yourself

Rom. 14:12 "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

2Cor. 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

Everyone has the responsibility to behave obediently toward God. We'll all be held accountable for our own behavior. Others might influence us for good or bad, but ultimately - at Judgment - we'll stand before Christ to give an account for our own life.

There is another aspect of individual responsibility that I'd like to point out - the obligation to take care of oneself. We have a duty to put our own spiritual welfare first.

In a monotone voice the flight attendant utters these words: "In the case of a loss of cabin pressure oxygen masks will drop from the overhead compartment. Those traveling with small children should put on their own mask first, then place a mask on the child." Some of us have heard that announcement so many times we're numb to hearing it. The point is clear though - take care of yourself first so you can help the child traveling with you.

A lesson about hypocrisy also teaches us that if we would be helpful to others spiritually, then we'd better take care of our own spiritual situation.

Matt. 7:3-5 "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye."

I often see people who get involved in helping somebody else when they need more help themselves - a person who works to find a job for somebody else, when they have no job; a person who has debt problems trying to help somebody else escape debt; or a person with their own weight problem helping somebody else lose weight. In short, it's seen in the countless times people neglect their own needs as they focus on the needs of others.

I'm not talking about failing to help others. I'm not talking about ignoring the needs of others. I am talking about successfully focusing on our own spiritual needs so we can be of good service to others.

Watch out for yourself spiritually. Obey the gospel in your own life. Be responsible for your own life. Protect your own steadfastness.

2Pet. 3:17 "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."

Choices: The Difference In Serving God or Serving Ourselves

Josh. 24:15 "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

The bold choice made by Joshua serves as a template for making the wisest choice of all - the choice to serve God no matter what. Spiritually, every person has only two choices: serve God or serve self (do what you want to do no matter what). Choices are rarely presented quite so clearly. That's because Satan is hard at work creating all that grey area, making it difficult for people to discern between foolishness and wisdom.

Consider how we choose to spend our time. A person might choose to work hard at their career, neglecting service to the Church. People may rationalize that they're providing for their family, they're not behaving immorally and it's just how things are. Perhaps they say, "After I (get my career established, or get that bigger house, or pay off some debt, or earn a little bit more toward retirement or "fill in the blank") I'll devote more time to the Church." They're living in that grey area where poor choices are often made.

In reality, they're serving themselves. They're doing what they want to do instead of doing what God wants them to do. They think little of it because they convince themselves that God really doesn't mind. Maybe they think God will wait for them to complete their choices before they get around to fulfilling His choices for them. So, in addition to serving themselves, they've elevated themselves to God's level by deciding what God will accept. Satan is crafty. It works well.

The sentiments of Joshua speak volumes about how we should choose. We ought to focus on what God wants and what we're able to do about it. With no regard to what others were doing, Joshua made up his mind how he and his family would behave - the choice they would make. "We will serve the Lord," he said. Simple. Concise. Wise.

Our ability to look at our life in light of the scripture is necessary. Do we measure up? If not, what are we going to do about it?

James 1:22-25 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

God's word tells us what manner of person we are, as God sees things. It also tells us what manner of person we ought to be. The Bible tells us what choices we should make so God will be pleased with us.

Knowing God's word is critical to the process of choosing wisely. How many people attempt to make choices without even knowing what manner of person they should be? How can we possibly make wise choices when we don't even know what God would like us to do?

An employee may decide to take some action he thinks will please the boss, even though he has no idea what the boss wants. His decision might be counter to the company policy or philosophy. He thinks the boss will like it, but his lack of knowledge about what the boss wants can lead to his being fired if his choices continue to displease the management.

The wise employee learns what his boss wants and does his best to deliver. It's no different in God's kingdom. We give him what we want to give Him hoping He'll be pleased - or we behave wisely by making choices we know will please Him. It's not hit or miss. We are able to know God's will by knowing His word - the Bible.

Study the scripture. Examine the lives of Bible characters. Look at the decisions they made. Learn from them. Samson, David, Lot and others show us how we can make better decisions in our own lives. We can learn from their foolish choices. Moses, Paul, Abraham and Christ show us how to make wiser choices in our own lives.

Be sober. Take your Christian life seriously. Study God's word. Decide to obey God, no matter what. Watch out for Satan's attempts to get you into the grey areas where compromise happens.

1Pet. 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"

Questions About Entertainment & Worldliness

1John 2:15 "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."

Questions are best answered by searching the scriptures. These questions deal with the influence of entertainment on Christians. Get out your Bible and soberly consider these questions. And permit yourself to ask others that come to mind, too.

1. How focused is your life on entertainment? (How important is it to you?)

2. Are you more likely to read about the latest movie release or musical release than to read the Bible?

3. Do you devote more time and money to entertainment than you do to Christian living?

4. Does your devotion to entertainment (however strong it may be) draw you closer to God or closer to the world? (be honest with yourself)

5. Is the entertainment in your life wholesome and pure?

6. How well do you think you protect or guard your heart (your mind)?

7. How long has it been since you were shocked by sinful behavior? (a song lyric, a scene from a TV show or DVD or movie, a passage from a book)

8. Do you ever get embarrassed or feel ashamed (of what you hear, what you see, what you read, what you participate in, etc.)?

9. Could you more easily live without your Bible than your entertainment? (your CD collection, your DVD collection, your sport, your recreation, your "fill in the blank")

10. Describe your sense of sacrifice when it comes to entertainment.

11. Are you aware that your devotion to entertainment can be a form of worldliness (your devotion and love of things of this world)?

12. What are you prepared to sacrifice in order to gain heaven?

Asking the questions is easy.
Answering the questions is difficult.

Rom. 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Click here and take the time to read an excellent article by Rick Martin entitled, "The People Rose Up To Play"

Resisting The Truth

Learning is something that comes naturally. You can't stop a child from learning. Sadly, as we grow older we can resist the very thing that came so naturally to us earlier in life. Lifelong learning is worthwhile - something we should all seek.

Fear is often associated with learning. Suppose we want to learn to play the piano. We've never played the piano before, but we have some ideas of what learning to play will be like. We enjoy hearing the piano played. We are thrilled at being able to play like our favorite piano player. We're scheduled to begin our lessons.

At our first lesson, fear takes over. The piano teacher is a middle-aged lady. The lesson is boring. We don't like her. We don't like the lesson. It's not at all what we thought it would be.

Resistance takes over. That's why so few kids who begin piano lessons stay with it. They want the end result, but they resist the process necessary to get there. Instant expertism isn't part of the learning process. It takes time. It takes practice. But we had an idea of what it would be like. And this isn't at all the way we thought it would be. So we resist. The resistance helps us deal with our fears.

Resistance is powerful. Millions resist the Truth of the Gospel every year. They have an idea of what serving God is supposed to be. If they read the Bible or hear the Gospel preached, they realize that's not what they had in mind.

It's even possible for the person who was converted to the Truth to reach a place where they develop an expectation of what God's Truth is. Rather than growing closer to God by obeying the Gospel, they resist when they discover a Truth that is something other than what they expected.

Resisting the Truth hinges on us - on our mind being determined to do what we want, as opposed to being open to do what God wants us to do. God permits us to resist. He also permits us to obey. The choice is ours.

Don't attempt to get out of change, where change is necessary. Don't allow fear to stop you from learning the Truth (or more of the Truth). Growing closer to God requires learning, improving and changing. The Hebrew writer admonishes us to "draw near with a pure heart."

Comparing ourselves with others hurts us in learning. We can always find others who know less, or are less able. We can also find others who know more, or are more capable. Resistance is the easy solution for this dilemma. Why should I learn the piano from a middle-aged woman? She's not Billy Joel and I surely can't learn much from her. But, it might be possible that my piano teacher is a professional piano player in a band. Maybe we think he's an incredible player and we're intimidated by him. You'll never be as good as he is. Both notions can cause us to resist learning to play the piano.

2Cor. 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

To learn the Truth of God's Word we have to avoid comparing ourselves to others. It will get in our way of serving God.

Lastly, good intentions can derail our success and cause resistance. How often have we seen people who embraced the Gospel, only to fall away in short order?

The parable of the sower addresses this sad truth. Some hear the word, but they don't have root. When any adversity strikes, they abandon the Truth of the Gospel. It takes more than good intentions to accomplish serving God. It takes more than good intentions to learn the piano, too.

We begin our piano lessons with the good intentions of learning to play. We imagine being able to play. Unfortunately, it's not quite what we expected. And pretty soon, our disappointment in not being able to rattle off a Billy Joel tune with ease by the end of our first week causes us to give up.

We can't begin our Christian life with the intentions of being full-grown. Christian maturity takes time. That doesn't mean learning can't happen daily. It must. We can't let good intentions cool and cause us to resist the Gospel Truth. Rather, we have to embrace the process of Christian growth.

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

We can grow. We can mature in Christ. We can change and improve our lives. The scriptures teach us to resist the devil. Let's work hard to avoid resisting the Truth.