Scriptures to Help with Peer Pressure
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Good evening! Glad you’re here!
Our assigned topic for tonight is “Scriptures to Help with Peer Pressure.”
Before we head down that road tonight, I want to ask you something:
Do you care about what people think about you? (Probably so, right?)
And the next question becomes:
SHOULD you care about what people think about you?
The answer might surprise you! (or maybe it won’t)
But the answer is YES! You should!
The Bible says in Ecc. 7:1:
A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;
It says in Prov. 22:1:
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
And Matt. 5:13-16 (probably most familiar with):
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
But … Can we care TOO MUCH about what people think about us?
(Yes!)
And that’s what I want to caution you about tonight when we talk about peer pressure.
Introduction to Peer Pressure
Introduction to Peer Pressure
Let’s define our terms tonight — What is peer pressure?
Peer - “one that is of equal standing with another”
Pressure - “the burden of physical or mental distress; the weight of social or economic imposition”
Now you say what does all that mean?
When we put “peer” (someone with equal standing with another) and “pressure” (burden or mental distress; weight of social or economic imposition — [wanting to fit in], what we get is the idea of the intense desire to be like our peers, to not be DIFFERENT than our peers.
So that’s what we’re talking about! My question to you this evening is:
Do we sometimes let our peers have POWER over us in the sense that we let them influence to do what we know to be WRONG, but we do it anyways because of peer pressure!
(Sadly, yes — That is far too often the case)
Let me give you probably the most often referenced Bible verse when it comes to peer pressure:
1 Cor. 15:33.
Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
The NASB says 1 Cor. 15:33.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
1 Cor. 15:33 - ASV:
Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals.
So the question I have for you before we move on is this — Can the people you hang around negatively impact your Christianity?
Can the friends that you have at school, or on the team, or in a club, etc. influence you to be a less faithful Christian?
And the answer is a resounding YES!
If we are around bad influences long enough, one of two things will happen — We will either influence the bad to become good (That’s why Jesus sat down with sinners, right? — There’s certainly a place for that! [But Jesus didn’t join them in their sin!])), OR the bad will influence the good to become bad …
Think about the progression mentioned in Psalm 1:
The text says Psalm 1:1-3:
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalm 1:4-6:
The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
So what we have there in verse 1 (back up slide!) is not to be like a man who first does what?
WALKS in the counsel of the ungodly — perhaps he’s walking by a particular store at the mall that sells very ungodly things, and it catches his eye as he walks by!
The next day as he walks by he STANDS outside the entrance of the store and lingers and stares a little longer!
Finally, on day three, he goes into the store, and he SITS DOWN and partakes of the sinful things the store has to offer!
What happened? I’ll tell you what happened — He played with fire! (and He got burned — See Prov. 6:28!)
There was a man in your OLD Testament by the name of Rehoboam — You can read about Rehoboam in 1 Kings chapter 12 (But I’ll just tell you the gist of what he did right now):
Rehoboam was king Solomon’s son!
Do you remember anything about Solomon? (Wisest man in the world at the time! And richest too!)
Solomon wrote a book to his SON — Do you know what the name of that book was? (Proverbs!)
Over and over again, Solomon writes to his son (Rehoboam) in the book of Proverbs — “Here’s how to be wise!”
Included in that book, Solomon tells his son (and US) that with many counselors (good advice!) there is safety!
Well, there comes a time in Rehoboam’s life where it’s time to ask for advice!
Solomon his father had died, and it was time for Rehoboam to take over!
Rehoboam asks the older (and wiser) men of his kingdom, should I let the people rest, or should I increase their burdens? (The old men tell him to let the people rest)
Well, Rehoboam also asked the young men (his friends/his PEERS) what they thought.
You know what they said? (“We think you should INCREASE the people’s burdens! Work them even harder!)
So that’s what Rehoboam did! He increased the people’s burdens, he caved in to PEER PRESSURE, and you know how the people of the kingdom responded?
They REVOLTED! REBELLED! And split the kingdom of Israel in two!
Let me tell you about …
Three Areas of Life (impacted by peer pressure)
Three Areas of Life (impacted by peer pressure)
Your Speech
The things that you SAY with your mouth, the words that you choose, the things that you talk about, when you leave out of the doors of this building matter!
I imagine you hear all kinds of sinful talk from your peers at school!
(Cuss words, inappropriate jokes, gossip, slander, lies)
My question for you tonight is when you hear those things, are you going to join in with your friends? Or will you dare to be different?!
Matt. 12:34-37 says - “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
How’s your heart when it comes to the things that you speak with your mouth?
Your Entertainment Choices
It is no secret that our world around us is literally OBSESSED with entertainment, OBSESSED with technology too!
If you don’t believe me, ask yourself how many social media platforms are you on? (Tik tok, Youtube, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Pinterest, and who knows what else?!)
Ask yourself how many entertainment subscriptions does your family have? (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, Paramount+, and that list can go on and on!)
How many new smart phones, tablets, gaming systems, laptops, and TV’s has your family bought in the last 2 or 3 years?
When you started adding them all up, it proves that yes, we’ve got a LOT of emphasis on these sorts of things!
Anything wrong with having entertainment/having technology, per se? Anything inherently sinful with the concept of entertainment?
No, but I think we would all agree that we probably do put TOO MUCH emphasis on these things!
To the neglect of more important things like reading our Bibles and prayer and fellowship with the saints!
Question: What about the CONTENT of our entertainment choices?
What are the LYRICS of the music we’re listening to?!
What is the CHARACTER of the CHARACTERS in my favorite show?! (Get it?)
What are the IMAGES I’m putting forth for my mind to dwell on in my gaming, or on my computer?!
We need to ask ourselves this from time to time, and if they’re not good, then maybe we need to be different than our friends and stop watching and listening to and playing the things that “EVERYONE else is watching and listening to and playing,” right?!
Psalm 101:3 says “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.”
Your Relationships
This isn’t just about romantic relationships (dating), although that CERTAINLY is important too!
But when it comes to the type of people you surround yourself with, when it comes to the relationships that are most important to you, who are they?
Christians, or someone else?
The Bible says in Romans 12:10 that Christians are to “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving PREFERENCE to one another!”
Who are we to prefer? (Christians!)
The Bible also talks about the concept of FAMILY, and that the true family of Christians is other Christians!
The church is the HOUSEHOLD of God! A family! Do we act like it?
And finally when it comes to our relationships, we must ask ourselves whether or not we are unequally yoking ourselves to unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14) — That’s not just about marriage!
(Although we can gain some important application for marriage there, certainly)
Finally this evening, really quickly, let’s look at the fact that …
The Scriptures Will Help US
The Scriptures Will Help US
Very quickly I want to give you a few verses to hone in on when you’re dealing with peer pressure!
First, Christian remember that it’s okay to be different!
1 Peter 4:4 says:
In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
That’s talking about heathen-acting people thinking it STRANGE that you won’t join them in their sinfulness!
When you don’t go to the party that all the other kids at school it seems are going to, they make think it strange, but you’re the better for it!
1 Peter 2:9 — What are we supposed to be as Christians?
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
“A PECULIAR people” (among other things)!
You know what that means?
It means DIFFERENT! And yes, STRANGE (to the sinful people around you), but that’s okay!
Next, remember that we are not here to please men — we’re hear to please GOD — period!
Paul wrote in 1 Thes. 2:4 - “We speak NOT as pleasing MEN, but GOD!”
But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
Paul also wrote in Gal. 1:10 -
For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.
And finally, Peter said in Acts 5:29 - “We ought to obey GOD rather than men!”
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Finally, remember this — We are living primarily for THIS life, or for the NEXT?
(The next!)
A lot of the things that you’re worried about RIGHT NOW when it comes to peer pressure — Will “so and so” like me if I do this? Will “so and so” not like me if I do that? If I go here or don’t go there?
None of that is going to matter in 10 or 15 years!
Probabaly won’t matter in the next 5 years (or less)!
You know why? (Because you won’t even be around many if any of those people in the next 15, 10, or possibly even 5 years! So don’t worry about it!)
Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
And so take a look at these few verses — Heb. 9:27:
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
John 5:28-29:
Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
2 Cor. 5:10:
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
Php. 1:21-23:
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
I hope these verses will help you as you deal with peer pressure!
(Give invitation).