Worldliness – Devotional Recap Page

Is the World Smiling at You? – 2 Peter 3:10-14
Worldliness – Philippians 4:8
Do Not Think Like the World – Philippians 2:5
Do Not Talk Like the World – Ephesians 4:29
Do Not Act Like the World – Romans 12:2
Do Not Look Like the World – 1 Timothy 2:8-10
Do Not Worship Like the World – Exodus 20:3

Do Not Worship Like the World

Verse of the Day - Exodus 20:3
You shall have no other gods before Me.

Daily Scripture Reading - Psalm 96

Devotional Thoughts
This is perhaps the most critical area that the we see the world encroaching upon the Church. Beyond how we think, talk, act, and look the world presses in on the church to influence the way we worship! I want you to read this devotional carefully and give it some thought. I am going to say some things that will stretch our minds a bit and help give us a better perspective in the fight against the flesh and the devil and the world that all hate our Savior. Remember, we are in a war! So let us prepare for battle.

Today we will see that we are not to worship like the world. Often we think of worship as what we do on Sunday and Wednesday, or when the church gathers. Some have family worship on a daily basis – a practice commanded by the Scriptures by the way. But often we see worship as something we do for a time and then we get on with our lives. But worship is not an event. It is not just an experience. It is a way of life. Worship is declaring the worthiness of God. Praising, loving, adoring, glorifying, and magnifying Him. Worship is communion, an expression of humble dependence, a sacrifice and surrender of ourselves to God. Worship is not an event or a circumstance. It is how we live. And how we live proves who or what we really do worship.

We cannot forget that the Bible is full of warnings about idolatry. Often we read those passages and we think we are safe because none of us in our post modern sophistication has idols, statues, or altars erected in our churches or homes that honor false gods and demons. Right? But idolatry is about the mind, the heart, the mouth, the life!! Worshipping an idol is a matter of placing anything above God, in His place.

The first command we are given from God through Moses is “You shall have no other gods before Me.” And Jesus tells us, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.”

To have no other gods. To love Him (and thus as we have shown, obey Him) with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. That is the supreme commandment of our God. His first and primary command and expectation of us is that we worship Him alone with all that we are!

So then we see that living a life that worships God at every opportunity is a life that GIVES to God love, glory, obedience, faith, honor, etc. Worship is about GIVING God His proper and right place in our lives. He IS Master, Lord, King, and Sovereign. Do we think, talk, act, and look like it? Do we worship like it?

I ask because in truth the world has its own style of worship. By style I do not mean the type of music or the liturgy. These are but circumstances and elements of our corporate worship of God. By style I mean that the world has a way to worship its gods. How does the world worship?

Every false religion differs from the true faith in that every false religion presents a savior other than the Christ of the Bible and a gospel of works to appease its god. Every false religion worships for what the worshipper can GET as a result of worshipping the deity of choice.

Think about it. Whether it is working for salvation, or being good enough that the good outweighs the bad, or appeasing god through sacrifice or self denial – it all focuses on the benefit to the worshipper. Worldy worship is worship offered with a motive and expectation to GET something in return. It is therefore deep down actually selfish worship. It is greedy. It is proud.

Worldy worship, worship designed to elicit a response from the object being worshipped that benefits ME is a violation of the First Commandment. Think about this now.

The world worships to GET.

But, on the other hand, if we are worshipping God as He commands, then He is our God and we declare HIS worthiness with everything we are and have! If we worship to GIVE God glory, praise, adoration, love, etc, then we worship as He commands. The focus is not on GETTING for self, but on denying self and coming to GIVE God all that He deserves and desires.

Can we ever truly and finally declare the glory of God? Of course not. So then if we want to come even close we had better get started!! We had better remember that we should prepare daily for a life of worship. We should focus on GIVING God what He wants instead of on GETTING what we want!

Listen. Anyone who attempts to enter into the worship of God and does so for what they can GET out of it is actually and truly not worshipping God! If we worship to GET for self, for peace, for happiness, for prosperity, for fulfillment, etc, then who are we ultimately worshipping?? Ourselves!

And so we see how easy it is to place our own SELF up as an idol, as another god before the True and Living God in our lives. And we are told to entice people into coming to church to hear the gospel. We do all that we can do to make people want to come to God for what they can GET from Him. But the gospel, as an invitation and as a command is not preached so that we may come to GET for self – because the very first word of the gospel message is “Repent.” And repentance is a turning away from all that we are without Jesus Christ! The first word of the gospel is death to self.

We should not ever think about worship or the gospel in terms of what we can GET. Because it is about what we can GIVE.

Again, think! Before we are saved we cannot worship God. We cannot understand His Word. We cannot submit to His law. We cannot please Him! We are unable and incapable. So to think that we can come to God as we are for what we can GET is to miss the whole point that the gospel frees us to GIVE to God what He commands – worship!! The gospel removes our sin and guilt not so that we can then GET whatever else we want from God (in Jesus’ name of course). No! The gospel removes our sin and guilt so that now we can GIVE God the glory He is owed.

The Church has switched the focus of the gospel. Because we have become accustomed to worshipping our god for what we can GET for ourselves we have missed the truth. We have started to preach a man centered gospel instead of a Christ centered gospel! What are we to preach? Christ, and Him crucified. Why? So that we can GIVE God all that He desires and deserves.

Worship is not about us. It is about having no other gods before Him!

Bible Reading For Further Study
Psalm 29:2; 45:11; 66:4; 81:9; 95:6; 96:9; 97:7; 99:5
Revelation 4:10-11; 7:11; 15:4; 19:10; 22:8-9

Recommended Songs for Worship
O Worship the King
Glorious Is Thy Name, O Lord

Do Not Look Like the World

Verse of the Day - 1 Tim 2:8-10
I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

Daily Scripture Reading - Proverbs 31

Devotional Thoughts
We have followed a fairly simple progression, or digression, through the influence and affect that the world has on the church. We have seen that followers of Jesus Christ do not belong to this world. We are not of the world. And if we befriend the world and adopt worldy thinking, speaking, and behavior then we make ourselves an enemy of God. Do we even realise how serious a charge that is? To make ourselves an enemy of God?

And just as we are not to think, talk, or act like the world today we will see that we are not to look like the world. We are a peculiar people! That does not mean we dress in peculiar fashions, necessarily. But it does mean we are in EVERY WAY conceivable different and distinct from the world.

Let me state right off that some in circles I have traveled think that this means we are to shun all that is fashionable and dress in clothing and in styles that were “in” 30 years ago. The truth is, first, that those nasty styles have unfortunately come back in vogue, and secondly, purposefully dressing out of date proves nothing when it comes to our spirituality.

The bottom line is that Christians should always be presenting themselves from the inside out as modest, moral, and mature. The world dresses in the opposite way. The world is immoral, immodest, and immature. Let’s think about these as we examine the Scripture and what it tells us about our outward appearance.

1 Timothy 2:8-10 truly sums this discussion up concisely:

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

Admittedly, some people think that these verses address specifically the women. They think that modesty is a topic women need to study but a man can wear whatever he wants! However, we see in context that this is for men and women. It is for all of us.

The men are expected to pray and be holy without wrath and doubting. Women adorn yourselves in modest apparel and don’t look like the world. It is really a shame that we should even have to say that we need desperately to teach young people (and old alike) not to dress like the world. But we must teach each other not to talk, think, act, or dress in any way like world because we don’t belong to the world. And if we love dressing up in the latest immoral and immodest fashions and cannot wait to shop for these revealing cloths, then the truth is we are embracing the world and the love of God is not in us!

Again, men, you are expected in every way inwardly and outwardly to be known for your holiness and communion with God. You are to openly and actively shun and reject uncontrolled anger and immaturity in the faith! You are to stirve to be self-controlled, spiritually mature, and HOLY. You should be known for your prayer not your profanity, your spiritual maturity and not your fantasy sports team.

Women, you are to be modest. Modesty of course is lost when the inside does not match the outside. Really, if the outside appears modest but the inside is not then worldy attitudes and words will tip off the observant observer. And if the inside is rebellious, self saturated, and immodest, then the outside will most likely reveal that true state of being.

Modest

What is modesty? For men and women it is humility, love, gentleness. It is the fruit of the Spirit. For men it is being manly and strong, a leader yet also transparent and holy. For women it is being feminine and submissive to your husband.

In fact, the measure of beauty men is your wife. She, not the cheap counterfeit images that the world offers, she is the measure of true beauty for you. Wives, your husband is the ideal man. Teach this to your kids and they will not fall for the vain images presented all around us today.

Men, if you want to know if you are being immodest or flirtatious, ask your wives. They know what women are looking for. Women, if you need to know if you are dressed seductively, ask your husbands. They know!

Why is modesty important? Because to be immodest is to literally make an offer of yourself to another person in a sexual way – a person that has no right to think or act toward you in a sexual manner. To entice a member of the opposite sex through dress, attitudes, or speech is to defraud others, to betray your marriage and purity, and to sin against God and your family. Even if you are single, to offer to a person who is not your spouse what rightly and truly only belongs to your spouse is to lie and defraud. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT AWARE THAT YOU ARE BEING IMMODEST, immodesty is still a sin!

As a side note, it is true that if a person is filled with lust they can lust at another person who is modestly dressed. But we as believers should be aware, educated, and active in our living, talking, and looking so that we are what we appear to be – holy. We should never give the world an opportunity to cast its eyes upon us in a lustful manner!

Moral

Just as we are to be modest, we are also to be moral. The word modest means “well arranged” and the word moral means “clean.” In truth, this brings up a point I have been pondering for some time. In this day and age it seems that there is a lot of discussion going on about sex before marriage. Some teens in a recent poll even explained that many “acts” that were once considered taboo are now not even considered “sex”. Sex has come to refer only to intercourse. And we in the church have let the world define the terms to the point that a former President of the United States argued about what the meaning of the word “is” is when he was accused of having sex with an intern!

But when it comes to not looking like the world here is what we must remember. While the Bible is specific in why God has given us sex within the context of marriage we must not let the argument descend to the point that we are arguing what is and is not sex. No. The discussion needs to be about what is and is not IMMORAL. Immorality, uncleaness, lust – it all refers to those actions, thoughts, and words that defile. So we are to be moral. Good, right, and clean, above reproach. If our words or actions lead others into sin then that is immoral! If the way we dress is designed to draw attention to our bodies, or designed to draw a man or woman’s eye to features that are in fact reserved for admiration by our spouse in the privacy of the marriage, then we are being immoral.

Let us raise the standard to where the Scriptures firmly place it – not on sex or even on lust. But on being moral!

Mature

Third, in not looking like the world we need to be mature. We need to look and act our age. The world is obsessed with youth. As if growing old were a curse. In truth the Bible has lots of positive things to say about growing old!! It is God’s plan for us. If we continue to live we will get older.

And yet the world has gone to extremes from injecting toxins into the body to erase wrinkles all the way to radical make-over surgeries that reconstruct our every feature. Listen, if you have such a bad self image that you need radical surgical mutilation in the name of feeling better about yourself then you have more serious problems than a big nose, chin, or thighs!

Chasing youthfulness in dress, cosmetics, or through surgery is really fearing man and being driven by pride further and further into sin. Why do we fear the world? Why do we fear what other people think about us? Like Del Fehsenfeld, Jr., used to preach about fearing men, “We should be more concerned with what God knows about us!”

Maturity is expressed in dressing nicely, being well put together, and being deliberate in how we present ourselves inside and out. It is more than the clothes we wear. It is so much more that the outward appearance. But the outward appearance is a factor in determining what our standards of modesty, morality, and maturity are. In other words, being a slob, a snob, a siren, or a saint starts in the heart and works its way out in how we present ourselves to others.

The church needs to wake up and see that the world has invaded. It is telling us how to think, talk, act, and dress. And in the end, the result is that we cannot tell by looking who is and is not a follower of Jesus Christ. And if someone has to ASK us if we are a follower of Jesus then we surely must not look much like Him!!

Today, with purpose and determination, strive to think, talk, act, and look modest, moral, and mature.

Bible Reading For Further Study
Proverbs 2:5-20; 5:1-23; 22:14; 1 Cor 5:9-11; 6:18; 1 Thess 4:3
Psalm 29:2; 90:17; Prov 31:30; 1 Peter 3:6

Recommended Songs for Worship
Pure Within
Brethren, We Have Met to Worship

Do Not Act Like the World

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

Daily Scripture Reading - Ephesians 2

Devotional Thoughts
We have seen in these last few devotionals that as disciples of Jesus Christ we are to be being conformed into His image. We are supposed to look like Him. In order to do that we have to start with the heart and the mind. We cannot think like the world. We cannot have worldy attitudes, thoughts, or desires! Just the same, what we think comes out of our mouths so if we are thinking as we should then we will also be talking as we should. In fact, some think we can be pure in our minds and hearts and still talk like the world, but in reality it is our mouth that tells the truth about our hearts! There is NO excuse for Christians who use profane and vulgar speech. For them to do so is to deny the Lord who bought them and truly is to take His name in vain.

In our daily life it is important too that we look like Jesus. Do not act like the world! The world is obsessed with self and with sin. The Church, the bride of Christ cannot and will not be chasing after the world. Did you hear that? The TRUE church will not chase after the world, lusting and yearning for sinful pleasure and self-fulfillment. The TRUE church seeks what John the Baptist described – that they might decrease and Christ increase. The world around us does not need to see itself in our lives. It needs to see more and more of Jesus.

The Bible commands us, telling us that we are not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We also hear Jesus tell us that He is the light of the world and Paul in Ephesians 5 tells us that we were once darkness but now we are light. We have been transformed. And as we ARE now light we must walk in the light. Listen to the Word of God:

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

We are expected and commanded to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. As Peter wrote to us in 1 Peter 4:3-5:

For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. 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. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

We have spent (wasted)enough time already walking in the lust of our flesh. Why keep doing so? We will give an account to God and we are expected to follow Jesus. Following Jesus does not mean we claim to be His and to love Him all the while doing whatever WE want. HE is Lord. We are not. HE has bought us. We are His. And to claim to be His and to love Him is to obey Him (1 John 2:3-5; 5:3)!!

All that this world has to offer is passing away. It leads to destruction. It builds up self and destroys faith. Why would we even want to be like the world? Well the sad truth is that we are still sinners. Though saved by grace we do fight the flesh every day. That war, that epic battle is one we will fight until we die or Jesus returns. Okay. We know and accept that. What next?

Next we must make up our minds, and speak with our mouths the truth that we belong to Jesus and will follow Him no matter the cost. In fact, we learn that denying the flesh is the only way to be truly satisfied. When we hunger and thirst after righteousness (being right with God) then Jesus Himself promised we would be completely satisfied (Matthew 5:6).

We think that the world offers satisfaction, but how often do you sin and then think, “Wow! I am so satisfied. I think I will never want to do that again!” No. When we sin, if we are His, then the Spirit convicts us and we detest what we have done and want to never do it again not because of any satisfaction it brought us but because we despise our weak and sinful flesh. Sin never satisfies. It may give us a temporary sense of fulfillment but ultimately when we live to sin we are driven to sin more and more to find any semblence of this temporary and cheap fulfillment.

The temptation to sin always tugs at our flesh. It always over promises and under delivers. But Jesus can and will satisfy us. He is the light. The living water. When you drink of Him you will not ever thirst again! If we act like the world we are denying His Word. We are falling for a cheap counterfeit. We are settling for less than the best and will always come out worse rather than better.

Don’t worry if the world hates you and thinks you are weird. Don’t fear man more than God. Don’t buy the lie that you have to please others in order to find fulfillment. The only person you HAVE to please is GOD and you can only do that by faith in His Son.

Don’t waste your time today trying to fit in where you don’t belong. We are not of this world (John 15:19; John 17:14, 16). Don’t deny your Savior by acting like those who hate Him. Don’t act like the world!

Bible Reading For Further Study
Psalm 1:1-3; 15:1-3; 78:9-11; 81:11-13; 84:11
Psalm 119:1, 3, 35; 128:1

Recommended Songs for Worship
Walk in the Light
Dare to Be A Daniel

Do Not Talk Like the World

Verse of the Day - Eph 4:29; 5:3-4
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Daily Scripture Reading - James 3

Devotional Thoughts
As we continue now in our examination of the influence of worldliness in our midst in the church, we move from the mind to the mouth. We learned that we are not to think like the world, but are instead to have the mind of Christ. We are not to be conformed to this world, but are to be transformed by renewing our minds in the Word daily. And one sure way to see what is in the mind is to listen to what comes out of the mouth!

Jesus is clear when He says in Matthew 15:

Those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man.

It is not what we eat that defiles us (as in eating unclean foods under the Old Testament Law), but it is what we say! It is what comes out of our mouths that reveal the true thoughts of our hearts and minds. And if we are not to think like the world then why in the world should we be allowed or expected to talk like the world?

Ephesians 4:29 makes the point in a way that I believe ends all debate. And yes, sadly, lots of people out there in the world will tell you that it is absolutely fine for a follower of Jesus Christ to use profane, vulgar, rude, and shocking language. They will offer all sorts of defenses – logical, philosophical, and even an attempt at a Scriptural defense of this undefensible position. You see, the Bible makes it clear. If we are not thinking like the world then we will not talk like the world, and to talk like the world shows the world (and the church) what is in our hearts and minds.

So back to Ephesians 4:29:

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Let NO, NONE, NOT A SINGLE corrupt word come out of your mouth! We are to think on things that are “true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and are of good report,” with “virtue” and being “praiseworthy.” Since that is TRUE, then what we say should reflect what we think. Why? Because the words we speak have the ABILITY to impart GRACE to those to whom we are speaking.

Think about this. Why on earth would the world, the flesh, and the devil want to corrupt our speech? Well, bluntly put, because to corrupt our speech removes the grace giving qualities of what we say! And if our words can impart grace, and people are saved BY GRACE, then why do you think there is such a battle over the words we use?

So what is a corrupt word? It is a word that is by definition “rotten, putrefied, corrupted by one and no longer fit for use, worn out, of poor quality, bad, unfit for use, worthless.”

Another Scripture that helps us understand is found in Ephesians 5:3-4:

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

We are not to talk about filthy uncleanness! Foolish talking and coarse jesting refers to taking sin lightly, or joking about immorality and depravity. To have a wrong attitude about the seriousness of sin to the point that we LAUGH at sin is to violate this verse of Scripture. Bad language simply is not fitting for a follower of Jesus Christ.

Today, watch your mouth! Do not talk like the world. If you do it reveals a heart problem that needs immediate attention. And remember, it is not enough to not say inappropriate words. We should not think them either!!

Bible Reading For Further Study
Psalm 34:13; 35:28; 37:30; 39:1; 119:172; 120:2; 139:4
Proverbs 10:31; 12:18, 19; 15:2, 4; 17:20; 21:23

Recommended Songs for Worship
Wonderful Words of Life
O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing

Do Not Think Like the World

Verse of the Day - Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…

Daily Scripture Reading - Psalm 19

Devotional Thoughts
The warning from our study this week is a warning against worldliness. As we continue in this study we need to be discerning. Worldliness is all around us! And discernment is one of the weapons we have to use in the fight against the world and its wayward ways.

I want you to be discerning. In fact, it struck me in last week’s sermon as I was preaching and we read Romans chapter 1 and chapter 2, we saw a long list of sin that was being judged. One of the sins listed there was that they were undiscerning.

I had been taught (erroneously) years ago that discernment was a gift from God and that you either had it or did not have it! But to be un-discerning for the believer is sin. We are told that the undiscerning are willfully sinning, and so we must teach one another to be discerning.

Part of discerning when it comes to worldliness is to remember that the Bible tells us “whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” If that is true then what can we say about a church that is overrun by the world instead of overcoming it? Think about that for a moment – “whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that overcomes the world our faith.” What does that mean to us if the church is not overcoming the world? Then they don’t have faith!

So many churches try to entertain and so many try to water down the gospel and the world floods in and they allow youth groups that are full of immorality, singles and college groups that are full drunkenness and parties, churches that are full of people chasing after the world to fulfill their own lust in whatever form they can find it. And yet, if the church is not overcoming the world then it is not rightly to be called a church – for “whatever is born of God overcomes the world.”

And it is not that we fight a battle to overcome the world on our own because the battle has already been won! Jesus states “I have overcome the world”, and if you’re trusting in Him then that is what Romans 8:28 tells us. We are “more than conquerors.” But we really do try to make it more of a battle that it is. The truth is we are more than conquerors and the world has already been defeated, so why do we surrender and fall so often? Why is it so easy to stumble into sin and into worldliness? Why is it that our lives are shaped by the pressures of the world around us instead of we in the church turning the world around us upside down?

The church needs to be reminded about who she is in Jesus Christ. We should be ashamed! We should be disgusted! We should be angry when the church looks like the world. We shouldn’t tolerate it because the world is passing away in the judgment of God and to embrace worldliness is to reject the very grace of God (see Romans 6).

Quite simply we learn from Scripture that we cannot afford to love the world. We cannot be like the world. We must protect ourselves against worldliness. The first step in fighting this fight is that we must not think like the world.

Philippians 2:5 tells us (in this deeply moving passage where the writer is talking about the humiliation of Christ as he has come and become a man and lives among us in his dying to death of a thief on the cross), “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Also we read in Psalm 19:14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations on my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord my strength and my Redeemer.” In Philippians 4:8 we read, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Proverbs 20:37 tells us “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Examine those verses and then answer this question:

Do you think like the world?

It is hard, since we are surrounded by the world and we began to think like the world and while we may not speak like the world or hear the words they use often come out of our mouths, is it any better to think those words and have them in our head? We are told not to think like the world. We are told to take every thought captive to Christ. If it is praiseworthy, if it is true, if it is noble, if it is just, if it is pure, if it is lovely, if it is a good report – think on these things!

How often do we willingly take into our minds things that do not meet the standard given in Philippians 4:8 when it comes to what we think about? Maybe it is for the sake of entertainment? Whether it be on the radio, in movies or on TV – whatever area that we are exposed to – why is it that we so willingly embrace the thinking of the world and let it in a our hearts and our minds instead of holding everything up to the Scripture to test it? We just open the door wide instead of refusing to think like the world. Why?

Think about it!

Bible Reading For Further Study
Zech 8:17; Matt 5:17; 6:7; 9:4
Matt 17:25; 18:12; 21:28; 22:17; 22:42

Recommended Songs for Worship
The Thought of God
Heart and Mind, Possessions, Lord

Worldliness

Verse of the Day – Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Daily Scripture Reading – Philippians 2

Devotional Thoughts
In my sermon on Sunday we examined the influence of worldliness in the church today. It is actually a frightening thing to look at. AW Tozer is known for a quote where he says something along the lines that he went looking for the church and found her in the world and then went looking for the world and found her sitting comfortably in the church. And yet so much of the New Testament is devoted to telling us the dangers of worldliness – why can’t we stay away from the world?

There truly is a lot at stake here. If we are worldly then we cannot be holy. If we cannot be holy then we cannot commune with or worship God. This week we will study a few facets of this message I preached as we search the Scriptures to see how we are not to be like the world.

Consider this as we lay the foundation today for our study:

We are commanded to be holy. We are commanded to live godly lives. We are commanded to be without spot and blemish because Jesus is coming and He when He does He will judge the living and the dead. In 1 John we read, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

There has been a theme in our sermons these last few weeks. Jonah told Nineveh, “Repent or you will be destroyed.” Nahum said to Nineveh, “You’ve embraced your sin. You’ve not turned to God. You will be destroyed.” Jesus says, “Behold I’m coming quickly” and Peter tells us when He comes the elements we dissolve this world will be done away with. So we are awaiting a new heavens and a new earth. Indeed, we are told in 1 John 2 that the world is passing away.

Think about the foolishness here then when the church embraces the world. The church is holding on to something that will not last. To try to do things like the world, to think like the world, to talk like the world, to dress like the world, to act like the world, to worship like the world, to try to entertain ourselves, to try to please ourselves, to try to build up self, to try to do all these things is to do things in the way of the world and the world is passing away.

The Bible is clear. Friendship with the world makes one an enemy of God. We are told in no uncertain terms “Do not love the world. Do not love the things in the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him.” That is a powerful verse that we don’t hear preached very often. If anyone loves the world – and who it is written to? This is written by John to the church. This is the church – if anyone in the church loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. If you love the world, if you crave the things of the world, if you embrace the world, if you live for worldly entertainment and pleasures, the love of the Father is not in you.

Why? Because all that’s in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, it is all passing away. It’s not of the Father but it’s of the world and everything in this world is passing away and all the lust of it “but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

Romans 12:1-2 tells it to us this way. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world” – this is a hard truth to grasp because we have been so influenced and infected by worldliness in the church that it is hard for us to recognize that it is even there. But we are not to be conformed to the world. We are not to be driven by what motivates the world, we are not to desire what the world desires, we are not supposed to look like them, think like them, act like them, or live like them. We are to come out from among them and be separate. We don’t belong to this world. Don’t be conformed to the world but “be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The church in the West, the church in America is dying today because she is so infected with worldliness.

As we look at the church today this is the truth that we must remember – to love God is to obey God. “His commandments are not burdensome and whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” Now listen to this. The Bible tells us whatever is born of God overcomes the world. Then what can we say about a church that is overrun by the world instead of overcoming it? “Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.” What does that mean if the church is not overcoming the world? They don’t have faith!

Why do so many gather for worship and try to entertain themselves? Why do so many try to water down the gospel? And why when the world floods in do they allow it? Churches are full of people chasing after the world to fulfill their own lust in whatever form they can find it. But the truth is that if a “church” is not overcoming the world then it is not the church! “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. Who is he who overcomes the world he who believes the Jesus is the son of God.”

How did Jesus say it in John chapter 16? “Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

This week then we will study the following topics that relate to worldliness:

1. Do Not Think Like the World.
2. Do Not Talk Like the World.
3. Do Not Act Like the World.
4. Do Not Look Like the World.
5. Do Not Worship Like the World.

So I will see you tomorrow as we pick up with the topic Do Not Think Like the World.

Bible Reading For Further Study
Matthew 13:22; John 1:10; 15:18-19; 16:33

Recommended Songs for Worship
The World is Very Evil
Holy, Holy, Holy