What Is Really Worldly

[00:00:00] We want to worship the Lord together. I was working on a message and something that's been on my heart for a while. And then it seemed like the Lord kind of changed my course this week a bit. I want us to think this morning about something that probably every one of us think about on a, I'm not sure what kind of a basis we think about it, I suppose probably more regularly than we realize, is the subject of worldliness. [00:00:51] I'd like to have us think the title of the message is, What Really Is Worldly Anyway? If I was to ask you this morning what you think of when you think of worldly, I'd probably get a different answer from each one of you. It's a subject that's pretty fig. It's a subject that we often use to put people into a box. [00:01:31] It's a subject that we use to... There we go. Sorry about that. I put the battery in backwards. Not good. At least that was easy to fix. It's a subject that is used by a lot of people. And it's used in opposite ways. Just to illustrate, my father believed very, very strongly that a tie was worldly. [00:02:08] I have some Baptist friends who, if you were to go to church on Sunday morning without a tie, they would consider you to be very worldly. And we could look at a number of issues like that. There's oftentimes when we think about this subject of worldliness, clothes come into the picture. But as I thought about this, even as a young man, I did a lot of thinking about this [00:02:39] And I thought, you know, why is it that certain clothes need to be different But you know what, the shirt that I wore come from the same place that everybody else's shirts come from So it's a subject that's got a lot I mean, I want us to, you got to put your thinking caps on this morning with me because I want us to think. And I want us to go and look at what the scriptures say, what God says really worldliness is. [00:03:16] Is everything that the world does sinful? Is it automatic just because the world does it, it's sinful? Is that true? No, of course not Is it wrong for the world, for people that are not, when I say the world I'm talking about people that are not Christians Is it wrong for them to eat? Of course not Is it wrong for them to breathe? Of course not Not everything that the world does is sinful [00:03:47] Is everything that Christians do right and good? No, we sin. We do things that we shouldn't do sometimes. Can an inanimate object, an object that does not have life, can it have morality? Can this chair here be right or wrong? No. [00:04:20] Something that does not have life cannot have morality. Cloth, a pulpit, it's not right or wrong. A car, it's not right or wrong. So then when we think about that, if objects that do not have life do not have morality, Then what gives moral consequence to the objects? [00:05:00] That's how they're used, right? It's the motive, perhaps, why they're used that gives moral significance to an object. Have we made our own set of rules for what is worldly? Sure, we all have. And part of it has to do with how we've been taught, how we've grown up. And we tend to do that. [00:05:33] You remember back a few years I had preached a message and I had a picture of an airplane cockpit. and I talked about how that those gauges and those instruments in that cockpit give us direction and we can choose whether you know we can take a screwdriver or whatever and adjust those things so they suit what we think is right or we can let them tell us what's right and that's the way it is [00:06:08] What happens with the scriptures? We can go to the scriptures and we can find whatever we want to find there, or we can go to the scriptures and we can let the scriptures speak to us. What happens when we, us, when we determine boundaries apart from scripture? What happens? Do good things happen? Or do things come that probably aren't as good as they could be? [00:06:44] Can we tell if a person is a Christian by seeing them on the street? Not always, you're right. You know, there have been different times when I've been touched. I looked at a person and in my mind I decided, nah, no way, that person cannot be a Christian. But then as I watched some of the things that they did and I heard their testimony, found out they had recently come to Christ and all of a sudden I realized, you know what, I made a bad judgment. [00:07:27] I made a wrong call things things were not the way they appeared what would you say is the best way to distinguish between worldly and Christian and this is this is just for you to ponder in your own mind now what God tells us is worldly I want us to go to the scriptures and I want us to look I want us to look this morning at some things that God tells us specifically are worldly. [00:08:02] And I want us to stop and ask ourselves, is this something that I honestly look at as worldly, or do I look at it as being very Christian and very religious and right and good? The first one is seeking the temporal and worrying about future security. Anybody worry about what's going to happen tomorrow? [00:08:33] Hello? Anybody worried about what's going to happen tomorrow? What might happen? Yeah. Okay, let's just look at some scriptures. Matthew 6, 32. He says, don't worry, in the verses before this, he says, don't worry about what you're going to eat, what you're going to drink, what you're going to put on, God takes care of the birds, God takes care of the flowers, and the flowers are just beautiful, they're well taken care of. [00:09:08] He says, and by the way, I've used scriptures related to the Gentiles, to sinners, to publicans. These are the ones that stand over against Christians as understood in the scriptures. Matthew 6.32 For after all these things do the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [00:09:40] And then Luke chapter 12, 29 to 31, Seek not what ye shall eat. This is Jesus speaking to his disciples. Seek not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. And that means don't worry. and Matthew I think he makes it maybe just a little plainer don't be worried about what's coming tomorrow for all these things do the nations of the world seek after [00:10:12] is that worldly or what? he says all the nations of the world seek after these things and your father knows that you have need of all these things but rather seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Now how often have you personally thought of worry [00:10:45] and of pursuing materialism as a worldly thing? You see, we've taken and replaced some things that God has said with things that fitted us better, I'm afraid. Now, secondly, to return love for love, kindness for kindness, or benefit for benefit is a worldly thing. [00:11:17] How many times have you stopped to help somebody and they said, what can I do for you? And you said, you just do that to somebody else. Just help somebody else. Return the favor, basically, is what you're saying. Matthew 5, 46 to 48. This is in the context of what we call the teaching of nonresistance or the way of love. Before this, Jesus said, if your enemy's hungry, feed him. [00:11:50] If he thirsts, give him drink. If he mistreats you, pray for him. And then he says, if you love those which love you, what thank have ye? What reward have ye? Don't the publicans do the same? It's worldly. To love those that love you only. Obviously we love them, but he says if that's the only thing that's happening If you salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? [00:12:25] Don't the publicans do that? The tax collectors? Those heathen people? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect And then over in Luke he says it this way, and I like this Because it really speaks to me Luke chapter 6, 32 to 36 If you love them that love you, what thank have ye? Sinners also love those that love them. If you do good to those that do good to you, what thank have ye? [00:12:58] Sinners also do the same. If you lend to those of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again. But love your enemy, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the highest. For he is kind unto the unthankful, and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, even as your Father also is merciful. [00:13:36] Which one do you find the easiest to do? to invite people that you know are going to invite you back to do good to people that you know are going to return the favor or to use that same energy towards someone who actually might spit in your face. Jesus here is teaching us again. [00:14:09] he says look this is the worldly way the way of the world is to love those that love you to do good that do to those that do good to you I want you to be merciful like your father in heaven he is kind to the unthankful and to the evil he pours out his blessings even on those now here's and there's another one, to exercise dominion and authority. [00:14:44] How long does it take among children till you start hearing them say, mom told me that I was supposed to be in charge and you are gonna do this and you are gonna do that, okay? Matthew 20, 25, Jesus called them unto him and he said, You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. [00:15:16] And he goes on and he says, but it's not supposed to be so among you. If anyone wants to be great, let him be a servant, a minister in the sense of a servant, not in the sense of ordained. In Mark 10, he says the same thing. Called them to him, he said unto them, You know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority upon them. The desire for power and authority is worldly. [00:15:53] But how often do we desire that and use that? Now, here's some that probably don't apply to us as much. This is the kind we look at, we say, oh yeah, this is really worldly here. Having a vain mind, a darkened understanding, being alienated from God, ignorant, blind, corrupt, deceitful, lustful. Ephesians 4, 17-24 Therefore, this I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk. [00:16:28] He's talking to Gentile Christians. He says, look, don't be worldly. Don't walk like the world, the rest of the Gentiles around you, in the vanity of their mind. You know, just what I think is really important. having their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart maybe we have some blind spots [00:17:01] in this area of worldliness who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness greediness That doesn't apply to any of us, does it? But ye have not so learned Christ. If so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust, [00:17:31] and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Uncleanness. Sexual impurity is listed as worldliness. Let me ask you something. Why is it, and I've read quite a bit that says that among so-called Christian people, [00:18:02] The rate of sexual immorality, whether it's unmarried or married or any situation, is just as high or higher than those that don't call themselves Christians. And why is it that some of the plainest people accept sexual immorality as a way of life? An acceptable way of life, when the scripture speaks of it as something that is not to be among Christians, it's something that exists among those that are not Christians. [00:18:48] 1 Thessalonians 4, 5-7 Not in the lust of concupiscence. Concupiscence is having stronger sensual desires than spiritual desires. That's concupiscence. So he says, Not in the lust of my strong sensual desires, even as the Gentiles which know not God, that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter [00:19:20] because the Lord is the avenger of all such as also we have forewarned you and testified for God has not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness. Listen, it doesn't matter what kind of clothes we put on if we go out and we commit these kind of acts it is sin. It is worldly. It is not acceptable in the sight of God. [00:19:52] We can't cover it up by redefining worldliness or by putting on something that we say is not worldly. Now, here's another one. Speaking against God's children is a way of the world. 1 Peter 2, verse 12. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. [00:20:27] They speak against you as evildoers. Hmm, that sounds to me like some Christians speaking about other Christians, speaking against them as evildoers. Be careful, we might be more worldly than we think we are. To have stronger sensual than spiritual desires, to be self-pleasing, to be involved in excesses, wild parties, orgies, [00:20:59] to have a lack of perspective, to have disgusting false gods. 1 Peter 4, verses 3 and 4. He says, look, in time past, before you were Christians, while you were worldly, you might have walked like this, to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, going after our own lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquetings, abominable idolatries. [00:21:31] He says, they think it's strange that you don't run with them, speaking evil of you. There's that speaking evil again. Here's one we probably don't think we fall under, but maybe we're not as sure about this as we could be. Not knowing God. John 17, 25. Righteous Father, the world has not known you. It's worldly not to know God. [00:22:02] But I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me The knowing here is intimate relationship It's something very close, something very real He says the Gentiles don't know God They don't have that deep, close relationship with God Are you worldly this morning? is your relationship with God deep, personal, close. [00:22:38] You're talking with God all the time. It's just natural, you find yourself just in any situation, just talking to God, God, what do you think? God, what shall I do? God, where are we? I think it's probably something that we need to think about. Now, being dead spiritually, following Satan, being disobedient, walking in our own desires and thoughts. [00:23:11] Ephesians 2, 1-3 says, You have be quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world. You were worldly, because you were outside of Christ, outside of God. According to the prince of the power of the air, Satan, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Among whom we all had our conversation in time past, or our life, or the way of life [00:23:42] In time past in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind And were by nature the children of wrath, even as others Let me ask you something Do you walk in your own desires and thoughts? That's worldly. That's what he says. That's how our world lives. All day long, they're walking in their own desires and thoughts. [00:24:14] How much different are you? Am I? How much of my day is spent in my own desires and thoughts? and how much of it is spent in deep personal relationship with God. Being without Christ, having no hope, without God in the world. Again, Ephesians chapter 2 verse 12, that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, [00:24:47] having no hope, without God in the world. to be without Christ, without hope, without God is the situation our world is in. No wonder they do the things they do. No wonder they turn to the drugs. No wonder they turn to the alcohol. No wonder they want to head for the weekend and party all weekend. There's no hope. There's no life. There's nothing there of meaning. [00:25:22] How meaningful are our lives? Now, here's one that might get me in trouble, but pay attention, this is a scripture. Following man's traditions and philosophies is the way of the world. Colossians chapter two, verses 20 through 23. Wherefore, if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, Why, as though living in the world, why are you living like the world, subject to ordinances, touch not, taste not, handle not, which are all going to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men? [00:26:08] This is the Apostle Paul, right? This isn't me stating my opinion. All these things are going to perish with the using, which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and humility and neglecting of the body, not in any honor to the satisfying of the flesh. He says look, there are lots of things and if we go back to the time of Jesus, the Pharisees had a list a mile long of all kinds of things that were worldly. [00:26:47] It was worldly to walk more than so many steps on the Sabbath day. It was worldly and the list just grew and grew and grew and grew. And Paul says, look, those are all the traditions of men. Be careful that we don't base our standard of worldliness on the traditions of men. Be careful that we're basing worldliness, what's worldly and what's righteous and what's godly, [00:27:23] contrasting those on the basis of scripture. Not in our own wisdom and philosophy. Now here's one that probably comes closer to us than we really want to think about. Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6 about riches. He says, he talks about there those that wanna be rich. He doesn't say those that are rich. He says those that will be, those that want to be, those that have a desire for riches, for lots of money. [00:28:00] But notice what he says here in 1 Timothy 6, verse 17. Charge them that are rich in this world. You know what? Every one of us here are rich in this world. Go with me to Nepal sometime. Go along to Haiti sometime. Go anywhere in this world and you will see a me. You say, I'm not rich. Well, okay, you're comparing yourself to somebody around you here. Just compare yourself to most of the world. [00:28:31] Every one of us are rich. Having enough to eat, having food, shelter, and raiment is rich compared to the whole world. Because there's a lot of people don't even have that. So don't excuse yourself. Charge them that are rich in this. Paul tells Timothy, speak to all of those that are rich in this world, every one of us, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches. [00:29:04] Now, you think that the things that you have don't mean much. and you know what that's easy to say while we have them but let them get taken away you find out real quick they meant a whole lot more to you than you ever thought they did just let the electric go off for 24 hours and see how frustrated and how you know how [00:29:39] Oh man, we've got to get some things going. Something has to happen. But he says this, Don't trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God which giveth us richly all things to enjoy. It's easy for me to attach my value to riches. That's why he says don't be high-minded. How many times have you seen where someone is given a job in the church based on their financial position? [00:30:19] That's being high-minded. That's trusting in uncertain riches. or somebody feels like because I'm fairly well off, I have the right to say how things are going to be. That's being high-minded and it happens all the time in our plain circles. It's a worldly thing. Paul says, look, don't be worldly. Don't trust in uncertain riches. [00:30:49] Don't be high-minded. Don't think, you know what? I can see, I'm not prophesying, I'm not saying that it's going to happen, but I can see the possibility of how it could happen in the next five or ten years in our country that every one of us could be paupers. I can see that as a possibility. Don't trust in uncertain riches. [00:31:19] Don't think I've got enough or don't worry and think I've got to get more so I have enough. Trust God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. He's blessed us. He's given us. Thank him for them. Enjoy them. Return the blessing to him and to others. Don't be worldly in your view of money [00:31:50] The last one I want us to look at is loving things in this world And again, I say, you know, we think that doesn't apply to us I don't love things I don't, you know, that stuff is all stuff It's going to burn I can walk away from it it doesn't mean a thing. Oh yeah? 1 John 2, verse 15 through 17. [00:32:23] Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. Things, things, how many things do you have? Most of us have our houses and our barns and our garages and every other place we can find full of things, don't we? Love not the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [00:32:53] 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, it's of the world. And the world passeth away and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. I'd like to ask you a question. How many of the things that came to your mind [00:33:26] when I mentioned worldly were in this list? And I'm sure I didn't exhaust the scriptures, but I did a pretty thorough study. I think there's enough here for every one of us to work on the rest of our lives. Without making a lot of other things on our list as priorities. [00:34:01] And I believe that God would have us to pay attention to what he says and give it a lot more priority than what we think or what we've learned or what we might like to believe. And I just challenge us to allow the Spirit of God to speak to our hearts Because I believe this list hits every one of us somewhere [00:34:35] There's none of us, we're people And we have this tendency to be what is around us And God has spoken to us specifically, warning us, where do we need to change? Let's stand together for prayer. I'd just like to ask you this morning, if the Spirit has spoken to you specifically this morning, and you know that there's an area that you've been worldly in and that the Lord wants you to change, [00:35:16] You say, I know that. I want to commit it to him. I want to, by his power, by his strength, make that change in my life. Would you want me to pray for you this morning? Just slip up your hand. Father, you see all those hands. You see all the hearts. You know, dear Lord, what our desires are, what our longings are. Father, I confess for my own self that there's areas here that you've spoken to me in. [00:35:52] Lord, I pray that you help us all, Lord, as you speak to us to really desire by your power to change and to be what you want us to be. Father, forgive us when we've changed the standard to make ourselves look good. And help us, Lord, to allow your word to speak to us and to be the standard of our heart and our life. We thank you, Lord, for your presence with us. [00:36:25] We ask that you continue to go before us. You've given us richly all things to enjoy. You've blessed us beyond measure. We live in the best of conditions in our world. And Lord, yet oftentimes we're ungrateful. We long for more. We wish, Lord, that we could be more blessed, more wealthy, have more riches. [00:37:01] Forgive us, Lord, for those attitudes and I pray that you help us to be content with such things as we have. And to use the things that we're blessed with to honor and glorify you, to fulfill your purpose in our lives. We just pray it in your precious name. Amen.