Hazards: Why Can't We Be Friends
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Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
II cor. 6
Please grab your Bible and turn to
________
I am tired!!
Jon and I had the blessing of heading to Louisville, KY this past week with 2 others from CAChurch to sit under some fantastic teaching.
It was not teaching about slick programs or how to grow your church to 2000, it was wonderful teaching about the importance of Christ- Centred preaching, loving your church, and listening and trusting God.
We joined with the voices of 12000 others at the KFC Yum centre (worst name ever) worshiping Jesus and I’m not gonna lie....there was weeping. It was good for our soul.
All of that meant alot of travel by plane and by mini van, some really bad sleeps and getting back yesterday, rushing from the airport to see my daughters final performance of her show in Maple Ridge.
And in all that making sure I had a message for you this morning.
So with all of that let me say I am happy to be here this morning to walk through God’s words to us.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Prayer
Last week we started a series called Hazards, and the reason we are going through this series is not too make life a burden. The reason Scripture tells us to obey the commands of God as Christians is not only that he may be glorified
which is a very good goal by the way,
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew
So we are meant to live good lives, holy lives, obedient lives, so that people will see through us or perhaps in us and see the goodness of God.
But also, and Scripture does not shy away from this idea, obedience brings blessings; not necessarily because of judgement, but because in the same way that there are natural laws, and if you challenge gravity, you will lose every time, but in the spiritual and emotional world there are laws as well and when we ignore them, there are consequences.
That is why over and over in the OT when God is explaining his laws for living, he says that he is giving these laws so that it may go well with you.
Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time.”
Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God.
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’
“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
These were promises specifically to the Hebrew nation, but Paul has not problem when writing to Greek believers about holy living to obey so...
“that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
And it is our plea, it is God’s plea with you, to place guardrails in your life, live as wise people who walk carefully Paul is says in
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
Who understand that a life lived without consideration of the real and very present areas of danger can often lead to regret; regret because of damage done to our families, our marriages, our work, our bodies, because we had not set strong warning signs in our hearts and minds
Also mentioned last week that when it comes to hazard signs or guard rails, they are not set up in the midst of danger, they are set up WELL before you are in danger.
We were in Israel years ago, when we visited one sight there were signs on the sids of the path leading from the parking area to the ancient ruins. There were fences with signs that said WARNING: Do not climb over fence- land mines present.
I was very happy we did not walk for a bit only to find a sign that said…danger you are standing among land-mines!
Safety comes from setting up warnings in our hearts and minds in advance.
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty." -
What does it mean to be yoked?
Explain:
Cattle trying to walk with a different ox.
-Different pace
-Different direction
-Different reason
Random bike
Staff trip
Slower faster leaning this way when you want to go that way.
Hitting the breaks for seemingly no reason. And not hitting breaks fast enough at other times. Or at all!!!
Over and over in scripture we see God playing with his people, return to me and time after time they move away to their detriment.
This applies to Christ followers.
If you are not a Christ follower you can ignore if you'd like. However, I would argue that Jesus will give you new life beyond what you could create for yourself.
You are not smarter than God. When he gives us warnings in our lives, it is our of wisdom and love!
So if you are not a Christ follower, you may not be compelled by the argument of deeper life with a him as a desired outcome of being careful with our relationships.
Also, if you are happy to have Sunday morning be the deepest extent of the gospel in your life. If you are happy to have Jesus
ALL OF THIS
NOT BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO PROVE OUR LOVE OR GAIN GOD'sLOVE, But because it does damage to the relationship we already have with God's through Christ.
"Put on Christ make no room for the dedires of the flesh"
(4 questions)
Conclusion
Ill- Lion trained since birth
When animals kill. Model shampoo commercial. Laying in a make lion
Don't play with lions!!
It will turn on you
Conclusions
Not moral deism
Gospel response to Jesus.....YES, But also
God's commands are not chains they are ......
You were bought with a price so glorify God with your body I cor. 6
Questions:
A lack of hazard sign in our relationships:
I. Denies our new nature (vv14-15)
II. Replaces our centre (vv16-17)
III. Moves us away from our first love (v18)
You are what you love.
We become what our heart chases
Last week as I preached from Ephesians, I mentioned that Paul seemed to think.... and when I look at my own life I agree, that many of the changes necessary in our lives to bring about faithfulness are not from a lack of knowledge on what God's will. It is an unwillingness to let go. Which comes from a lack of trust.
Isn't that what most sin is?
Adam and Eve were not ignorant of what God required of them.
They didn't trust him!!
Do we trust him??
Abide with me
Friendship and abiding comes from obedience
Today I want to talk to you specifically about dangerous relationships.
but also that it “may go well with us.”
Today I want to talk to you specifically about dangerous relationships.
And before you think to yourself, “Right that makes sense I should be careful of relationships that make feel bad about myself or where I have friends that are mean to me; that’s toxic I should stop” Yeah you should.
But far more concerning to me is that we are extremely comfortable in a relationship, where we hang out with people and in environments where we are completely comfortable, .....and we shouldn’t be”
There certain types of relationships that we need to be running from.
Paul says in this text that certain relationships,
I. Deny our new nature (vv14-15)
Our new identity in Christ
II. Replace our centre (vv16-17)
and certain relationships
III. Move us away from our first love (v18)
First: certain relationship DENY OUR NEW NATURE (vv14-15)
V 14“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers”
and maybe I’ll add—or those who live like unbelievers
walk very carefully in your relationship with unbelievers.
What does it mean to be yoked?
So still today when two oxen are being used together to plow a field, they will be yoked.
Why..so they go at the same pace, they work together, in the same direction to get the job done.
Now if one ox set a slower pace the other one is slowed down or tired from resisting will simply go wherever the other ox goes.
Explain:
So what Paul is saying is that in our relationships when we are unequally yoked- when we are connected emotionally with with those who do not see themselves in the same narrative as Chris followers do -we will move at....
-Different pace
-Different direction
-Different reason
than they do
Tandem bike
Staff trip
Slower faster leaning this way when you want to go that way.
Hitting the breaks for seemingly no reason. And not hitting breaks fast enough at other times. Or at all!!!
Over and over in scripture we see God pleading with his people, return to me and time after time they move away to their detriment. yokes to, attached to those with a diametrically different world view- moving at a different pace, in the different direction and for different reason a purpose.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
Paul is saying that to connect yourself in an unhealthy way to someone who has no desire to follow Jesus- is to completely ignore that you belong to Jesus- That you have been bought with a price, that you are his possession and that in Him you have your true identity. And you are basically in an open relationship.
Now press PAUSE--This applies to Christ followers.
If you are not a Christ follower, you may not be compelled by the argument of deeper life with a him as a desired outcome of being careful with our relationships.
You are not smarter than God. When he gives us warnings in our lives, it is our of wisdom and love!
So if you are not a Christ follower, you may not be compelled by the argument of deeper life with a him as a desired outcome of being careful with our relationships.
Also, if you are happy to have Sunday morning be the deepest extent of the gospel in your life. If you are happy to have Jesus
Also, if you are happy to have Sunday morning be the deepest extent of the gospel in your life. If you are happy to have Jesus just something you’ve checked off and you have no interest in being bound to him, your content to just walk your own path as long as he promises to meet up with you on the final day and make sure you’re covered.
Than you can ignore this!!
But if you desire a deep walk with your saviour, who as scripture says laid down his life for his friends, than this will be important to you.
Walking with those who share no desire to walk with Christ, will surely walk you away from Him
"Put on Christ make no room for the dedires of the flesh"
(4 questions)
to a deny your new nature your new life in Christ.
SECOND- because those who who do not love Jesus will walk at a
Different pace -Different direction -Different reasons
There is always a danger that we will replace our centre:
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
We are quick to allow our hearts and minds to wander, first when we ignore that we find true acceptance and true life in Christ, but we also are prone to allow our hearts to wander when we forget that we are what scripture calls the temple of Holy Spirit.
That we are as Jon has preached before “mini-walking-talking-temples” God is tabernacling within us, the Triune God—Father Son and Holy Spirit dwells in you.
Now in ancient times when a temple was build to a god, the finish piece was to place a replica of the god in the centre of the temple.
So when you build a temple for the worship of Saturn you place an image of him in it.
If the it is for Hermes, you place an image of Hermes in it.
Paul is saying you are the Temple of God. Whatever temple you used to be, your temple has been cleaned, washed, rededicated to a new GOD, THE GOD!!
SLOWLY-
And what Paul is saying is that when we give ourselves over to relationships that are moving
Different pace -Different direction -Different reasons
if we haven’t yet, we are in danger of removing Christ in us, and placing another god in his place.
Conclusion
A. Alarms should sound when you realize that your core group of influence is moving in a direction you don’t want your life to move in
they talk about kid in a way you would never want to talk about
B. Alarms should sound when you catch yourself pretending to be somebody you know you are not
a clue to see if this is true
if your spouse, says your different
a good friend...
THE HOLY SPIRIT says....I love you....but what are you doing?
C. Alarms should sound when you hope that the people you care about the most don’t find out what you’ve been doing
I can only imagine that pastoring used to be much easier than it is today.
Facebook and instagram give me far more info than I want.
And the problem for a pastor is that not only am I aware of stuff that I don’t want to be aware of, but so is everyone else
So.....its quiet!!!!
Ill- Lion trained since birth
When animals kill. Model shampoo commercial. Laying in a make lion
Don't play with lions!!
It will turn on you
Conclusions
Not moral deism
Gospel response to Jesus.....YES, But also
God's commands are not chains they are ......
You were bought with a price so glorify God with your body I cor. 6
Questions:
A lack of hazard sign in our relationships:
I. Denies our new nature (vv14-15)
II. Replaces our centre (vv16-17)
III. Moves us away from our first love (v18)
You are what you love.
We become what our heart chases
Last week as I preached from Ephesians, I mentioned that Paul seemed to think.... and when I look at my own life I agree, that many of the changes necessary in our lives to bring about faithfulness are not from a lack of knowledge on what God's will. It is an unwillingness to let go. Which comes from a lack of trust.
Isn't that what most sin is?
Adam and Eve were not ignorant of what God required of them.
They didn't trust him!!
Do we trust him??
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Abide with me
Friendship and abiding comes from obedience
Abide with me
Friendship and abiding comes from obedience