Church Covenant Part 3: Before the World (Continued)

And if you'll take your Bibles, going to be in several passages but we'll be reading here in a few minutes from Titus chapter two. We're gonna start out in Matthew five sixteen. I'm going to put it up here on the screen in just a moment. Matthew five sixteen. As I mentioned earlier, we have been going through.

We, I like every couple years to to read our church covenant and then use it as an outline of sorts for a few messages to remind us of some responsibilities and privileges we have not only as members of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church but more importantly as members of the body of Christ and of the family of God. What a privilege it is to be a child of the king and to serve our Lord Jesus Christ who served us so immensely and and unbelievably on the Cross Of Calvary. We this morning are going to continue and we're going to start up here with Matthew chapter five and verse 16. We read this last week as well. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for this day, for this wonderful privilege to worship you together in this place. We thank you Lord for all that have come. Thank you Lord for our visitors today. I pray Lord in particular that we would be a blessing to them and we pray Lord that you'd help us all to have understanding through your spirit.

Lord, today, what your word would have to teach us that we might be conformed more to the image of your son that we might be a better bright and shining testimony for our savior in the world in which we live and Lord, if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ, Lord, that today might be their day of salvation. For it's in Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. God has left his children here on this Earth for a time that we might be a bright and shining light in a dark world.

To reveal to them the holiness, the love, the mercy, and grace. Of Jesus Christ, our savior. That they might know the Lord. That they might glorify the Lord in their lives as he desires to be glorified in ours. As we discussed briefly earlier, the church represents the interest and character of its head and the head of the church is not the pastor, the head of the church, or not the deacons, or the board, head of the church is Jesus Christ and we are here to bring glory to him.

People are watching us. The light of the world is not so much us. The light of the world is Jesus. We become the light of the world around us as we reflect the light, the glory, the holiness, and the love of our savior to a world around us and they are watching. They are watching us.

Particularly, those of us who let it be known that we are Christians, that we are the children of God. They are watching to see if there's anything different. About us. They are learning about our God through us. In advancing the testimony of the church and our community and among our acquaintances, we also advance the testimony and the kingdom of our Lord.

We must glorify him. We must rightly and accurately represent and declare his holy nature. They need to see him. They need to know him and that often starts with us. That's why in first Corinthians 10 and verse 31, Paul says this, he says, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do or you might say, wherever you go or whoever you're with, do all to the what?

Do all to the glory of God. As Paul writes the church in Corinth, he he emphasizes to them. God expects us his children to live in such a way, to bring glory to God, wherever we are, with whomever we're with, and whatever we're doing, we represent Jesus Christ, our savior. Before the world. They need to see Jesus.

In us. First first Peter chapter two. Verses eleven and twelve. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims. Now, when he says strangers and pilgrims, he's not talking about strangers and pilgrims to him.

We are strangers and pilgrims in this world. As Christians, our home is not here. We're just passing through here on our journey to where our home is and that is in heaven. We are citizens of heaven first and foremost. So, that's what he's referring to here.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conversation or your your conduct, your way of life, honest among the Gentiles, the Gentiles here mean the unsaved world that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may buy your good works which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Among certain groups in our society, being a Christian is a bad thing. Sometimes when you go out in the world and you try to talk about Christ, you will find out to some people being a Christian is a bad thing. The Bible says that the devil will convince people to call good evil and evil good and to them, we are the enemy. But we can we can crack through that, that barrier.

We can demonstrate to them. And even in some cases, by God's grace, win them to the Lord Jesus Christ, our savior. As we live a consistent Christian life before them. As we show them, that our love is real. Our love for them, our love for the God we serve.

And that God has truly made a difference in our lives. That in the day of visitation, they might glorify God. The day of visitation. What is that? No, that's not, you know, something we have once a week or once a month to go and to witness door to door.

We sometimes call that visitation, okay? Now, what that means is one day, God is going to visit us. One day, God is going to call us before him. The Bible says, it's appointed on the man once to die and after this the what? The judgment.

The day of judgment is coming. We who know Christ as savior will be ushered into the presence of God. Where we have a home with him for all eternity. The lost who have rejected Christ as savior will stand before him at the great white throne judgment. For those whose names are not written, the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire.

Certainly, you want to stand before him on that day knowing that Christ is your Lord that you have eternal life in him And that you are about to receive your reward. Reward not that you earn but one that Jesus earned for you. When he died on your in your place on Calvary's Cross. That through faith in him, by God's grace, that reward would be put on your account. There are others around us who don't know Jesus but through our testimony and through the spoken word of the gospel, they too can know Jesus Christ as savior.

So, that on that day, when they stand before God, they will have that same assurance that you will and they can glorify God as we do. On that day, for what they saw in you and for the message that you brought to them so that they might be saved and they might not have to face the great white throne judgment. That's what that verse is telling us. So, as we live in such a way as to bring glory to our God, as others come to know Christ as savior, they will have reason to glorify God on that day as well. It is vitally, vitally important.

Thus, in our church covenant, we have a section that's entitled before the world. I'm I'm going to read just will take a moment. It says here, to walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, exemplary in our deportment, to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger, to explain abstain from the sale of and use of destructive drugs or icating drinks as a beverage, to shun pornography, to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our savior. This morning, we're going to look at the fourth one point in this paragraph. We looked at the first three last week and that is to be exemplary in our deportment.

Exemplary in our deportment. Well, what does that mean? If I don't remember using the word department in the last week. So, some people might not be real familiar with the word department. Department is a reference to our behavior, to our conduct before others.

To how we act in public. And God is particularly concerned as we've already looked at as we've already set up this morning. Our conduct before others in this world and as Christians and as members of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church we represent Christ and we want and desire, that our life and our conduct before the world bring honor and glory, to our God. And so this is very important to us and it is very important to our God and something happened to my PowerPoint. It just died.

Okay. So if you want to turn to first Peter chapter one you're gonna have to turn now to some of these passages because the the projector just went offline. Alright, first Peter chapter one verse 15. First Peter one verse 15. It says here, but it's he which hath called you as holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation.

Now, who has called us to himself? Our savior, our God who made us. Through his son has called us to salvation and the service and he has called us to be holy What does that word mean? What means to be like him? That's what it means In in our in our thoughts, in our actions, in our interactions with others.

There was a fad thing back a few years ago. People wore these bracelets around. It was it said WWJD. So, may remember what that stood for? What would Jesus do?

Now, sad to say, a lot of people were wearing those things around that had no idea what Jesus would do because it was just a popular thing to do but it is a good question. What would Jesus do? What would Jesus do in this instance? How would Jesus react to this situation? How would Jesus react to this temptation?

To be holy is to do what what Jesus would do. To live a life separate by God's grace from sin and and to live to the praise of his glory and not worldly. God wants us to be holy, God honoring, morally good, separate from sin. Appropriate, and self rather than spirit control. God wants us to be self controlled.

God wants us to be spirit. It is important that our portment display the love of God in each and every area of our life. In In first Timothy chapter four and verse 12, oops, don't have it up there. Turn if you will back to first Timothy four twelve. Imma put this thing away so I quit clicking it.

There we go. First Timothy four twelve Paul speaks to Timothy and he says, let no man despise thy youth. Now, when I first read that, when I was a youth, I thought Paul was saying to Timothy, don't let anybody look down on you. Don't let anybody think ill of you. You you you don't let anybody say, well, you're you're just a youth.

You make em respect you. That's not exactly what what Paul is telling Timothy here, okay? Isn't telling Timothy that nobody should look down on him because he's young. What he's telling Timothy is to live in such a way that nobody will look down on him because he was young. If you keep reading the verse, let no man despise thy youth but be thou an example or a pattern of the believers.

In word, what you say, in conversation, and that word conversation means conduct or behavior, in charity, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Paul says to Timothy, you live as a pattern an example of a believer. Despite the fact that you are young, you can be the testimony that you need to be before the world. In all of these aspects of your life, in your conversation, and in which is a reference to our conduct or or deportment. Others ought to be able to look at us as Christians.

And learn what a Christian is like. That is certainly true of pastors but it should also be true. Of Chris, of all Christians. It is important. In if you would turn to Titus chapter two, it's just a couple pages to the right.

If you're in Timothy, second Timothy, just a couple pages to the right, you'll come to the small book of Titus. Titus chapter two and I'm going to read several verses from here. Titus two beginning in in verse one. But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. Imma stop there for just a moment.

Paul encourages Titus who is a young man that he has sent to establish churches on the island of Crete. He says, but as you preach, speak, or preach the things, teach the things which are fitting, becoming of sound doctrine. There are two things here that Paul expects of Titus. Number one, that he teach sound doctrine. That he teach the truth.

Found where? In the word of God. It is vitally important that we, Bible says, contend for the faith. I'm not up here today to preach man's word. I'm up here to preach and proclaim whose word?

God's word. And when I read this, it carries the authority of almighty God. When I expound on it and give my opinion, I hope that I'm how I am helping you to apply it and to understand it. But this word right here, this is God's word. And this is where our doctrine needs to come from because this is the authority.

This is the standard and so Paul tells Titus, you preach the word. You stay true to it but also, you need to help people to do what? To apply it. The Bible says, be you doers of the word and not hearers only. It's not enough to have sound doctrine.

We also have to live sound doctrine. We have to apply that which we have learned, in fact, to how we conduct ourselves in this world. And so Paul tells Titus, you need to teach them how. How to live in accordance with the doctrine that they believe and then, he goes into some detail here with Titus concerning the churches. Look if you would in verse two.

He says, teach them that is the aged men to be sober, grave, temperate, self controlled that is, sound in faith, in charity, or love, and in patience. The aged women likewise that they be in behavior as become it 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, chase, 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, showing thyself a pattern of good works. Now, this is the same as Paul told Timothy.

Paul told Timothy, let no one despise thy youth but be thou what? An example in these areas of your life. Now he says the same thing to Titus. In all things showing thyself a pattern of good works and doctrine showing 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. It wasn't just important that Titus got the doctrine right.

It was important that he helped people to apply it right and it was important that he lived it right himself. So that others would see Christ in him. So that he might help them. And exemplify what it means to be a Christian and to serve the Lord. Lord You say, but pastor, he's talking to you and people are watching you.

That's true That is true. But he's also talking to you because there are people watching you How we behave when we are in public does matter. Our language matters. Our language matters. We live in a a world that is coming more vile in its language.

There are words that are used now in everyday conversation. When I go to talk to my neighbor, there are things that come out of his mouth. That I will not let my kids watch and hear on TV. It is just become common language but it must not become the common language of God's people. The Bible says, not let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth but that which is good to edify the building up of others.

How we behave in public matters, our language, our attentiveness. Have you ever talked to somebody and you knew they weren't listening? Have you ever taught a class and you knew that people weren't listening? Ever preached a sermon? I have and you knew that people weren't listening.

That's none of you today. But it's frustrating when you're talking to somebody and they're not listening. That shows a lack of respect. A lack of love and care. That that's important.

Our appropriateness, our appropriateness. We say, well, what do you mean by that? Well, if I came up in the pulpit this morning and I had my sandals on and my shorts and an old shirt that had all kinds of spots on it and you might look at me kind of strange. Now, I might walk around in my house that way. I might walk around in my backyard that way but we would think maybe it was a tad inappropriate seeing I'm I'm speaking for the Lord here this morning that that I showed up that way when I, you know, I can show up this way.

Okay. You might think it kind of weird if all of a sudden in the middle of my sermon, I decided to belch. That might be a little bit wide. In appropriate, okay? Is there anything sinful about belching?

No, but it would be a bit inappropriate in the midst of my message maybe, okay? I try not to pick my nose in public. That maybe a bit inappropriate. Some people might think, you know? You say but that's that's not important.

It's not a matter of right and wrong but it it does matter in that I don't want to distract from my Lord and what's important. So, I try to act appropriately. Have you ever tried to talk to somebody that was smoking a cigarette and they don't do that. Even people that smoke are are more careful these days. But but it can distract from your testimony if you're puffing on a cigarette while you're trying to tell somebody.

About Jesus. Our timeliness, our timeliness. We start our service at ten this morning. We just moved our, I mean, at eleven this morning, we just moved our service times two weeks ago from 10:45 to eleven. So most everybody here was earlier and we were able to start right on time.

I got to talk to people. I got to welcome visitors and we got started right at 11:00. That was a surprise to some of you that we got started right on time. But it's you know when you have a meeting with somebody and you've prepared, you've got there early and prepared for the meeting and it's five minutes goes by, ten minutes goes by, twenty minutes goes by and you haven't heard from them and you're not they're not there, what goes through your mind about their respect for you? Well, if we want to show others respect then we need to be what?

We need to do our best to be on time. That's important. Why? To show them that their time matters to who? That their time matters to us.

Those type of things are deportment. They matter. They reflect on our savior. Let's in closing this morning, let's take a quick look at two of them that are mentioned specifically in our covenant following exemplary and appointment. The first of these is to avoid all tattling and backbiting.

To avoid all tattling and backbiting. What are these words means? Well, tattling is telling on someone or someone's solely in order to cause them harm when their failure did not involve you. Did you ever get accused of tattling when you were in school? Probably.

Sometimes you were tattling, sometimes you needed help and you still got accused tattling. But, tattling is going about telling of other people's sins in order to get them in trouble and to make you look really good. Yeah, tattling. Backbiting is speaking ill of someone behind their what? Behind their back.

We also call that slander or gossip, okay. Slander or gossip. These two things do not belong in the life of a Christian, but they are very prevalent in the world in which we live. They are great temptations of human nature, but as we learned in Sunday school, we that walk in the spirit have the power by God's grace to overcome them. Those temptations to tattle and backbite.

And to live a life that's honoring to our God and I'm going to read you some verses seeing the screen isn't working. I'll just read em to you. Leviticus nineteen sixteen says, thou shalt not go up and down as a tail bearer among thy people neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor. I am the Lord. Proverbs eleven thirteen, a tail bearer revealeth secrets but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Proverbs eighteen eighteen, The words of a talebearer are his wounds. They go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Those that would tattle and those who would gossip and those who would insult others the saying sticks and bones may bricks, sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me is just simply a lie because that isn't true. You can hit me with stones and I might have some bruises but a couple weeks from now, I'll heal. But if you gossip behind my back and if you insult me, some of those injuries go down into the heart and they can stick around for a very long time.

And as Christians again, our language should not be corrupt, but it should be that which builds up and ministers grace to the hearers. Proverbs 2,620 says, where no wood is, there the fire goeth out. So, where there is no tail tail bearer, the strife ceases. Where there is no one gossiping the strife and the division, the contention goes away. Why mention this specifically in our church covenant?

Well, because it is an extremely divisive and destructive, destructive, worldly practice. Causing great damage to the spirit of God's children. How many of you have been hurt? And you still remember the hurt and maybe for a long time, the hurt of a friend that betrayed you, that talked behind your back, or that called you names. Left an injury to your heart and your soul that stayed with you.

It can cause great damage. It can sometimes cause unrecoverable damage to the unity of the church. Churches rarely split over serious doctrinal issues. Churches usually split and people usually leave because they got what? They got hurt.

Okay. That's why churches usually split. That was why there's usually division. That is why often people leave a church is because they got hurt. Sometimes, in some cases, they perceive a hurt, they perceive something that wasn't real but sometimes the hurt was real and sometimes it is caused because of tattling and backbiting.

The devil, as I've said before, if he wants to harm our church, if he wants to harm your family, he doesn't come in the front door and wave his arms and say, I'm here. No, the devil comes, he sneaks in the back door. He infiltrates. He uses the weaknesses even of Christians. To tattle and backbite and gossip.

And cause hurt, division within the ranks. And finally, backbiting, gossiping, slander can cast a tremendous stumbling block in the way of the lost coming to Christ. As I mentioned last week, if you go and you try to talk to people about Christ or coming to church, sometimes people will say, well, yeah, I tried that but they're just a bunch of what? They're a bunch of hypocrites. One of the reasons people say that is because they saw people in church sitting, standing, singing, smiling their faith, shaking hands, everything's great, I love you brother, and then they get to work and they start yapping and opening their mouth and they run down their church and they run down their pastor and they run down their fellow believers in Christ and it casts a terrible stumbling block to their coming to Christ.

That's why we felt it necessary to mention this in our church covenant because it can destroy the testimony of our Lord in the eyes of people who need to see it. Turn if you would to James Chapter three James Chapter three. That's right after the book of Hebrews just a little further in the back of your bible from where you were at Titus James Chapter three and we're gonna start reading in verse three and read down through verse 10. James three three through 10. It's concerning our tongue and what damage it can do.

Behold, we put bits in horses' mouths, mouths that they may obey us. We turn about their whole body. Behold also ships which though they be so great and are driven of fierce winds yet are they turned about with a very small helm, a rudder, whethersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.

Know big huge forest fires in California. How did they start? Stroke of lightning, campfire that somebody didn't didn't put out. It says, and so the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity, so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and set it on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of hell for of every kind of beast and of birds and of serpents and of things in the sea is tamed and hath been tamed of mankind, but the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison There with blessed we God even the father and there with curse we men which are made after the similitude of God.

Out of the mass, same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing my brethren, these things ought not so to be. And that brings us to the final point this morning, which is in our covenant excessive anger. Excessive anger includes anger which is uncontrolled or ongoing which is often selfish and always destructive. I'm gonna read from Ephesians chapter four if you wanna turn there. Ephesians chapter four.

We're gonna read just three verses there. Verse 26 and then bound to verse thirty one and thirty two. Verse 26 of Ephesians four says, be ye angry and what? There are times for righteous indignation. It isn't always a sin to be angry, but anger can quickly become a sin and often does when we handle it the wrong way.

We need to learn to turn over that anger to Christ. We need to walk in the spirit that did not consume others. Be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Deal with it quickly.

Verse 31, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind one to another. Tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake have forgiven you. We all do get angry, but the problem is both in the reason why and how we deal with it when we lose our temper. Say things, ungodly things, harmful things to others. We can do them lasting damage.

Not only them but the testimony of our savior. People hit their thumb with a hammer. A cuss word comes out. Doesn't have to come out. It came out because it's where?

It's in here and we hit and then it came out. Say, well, yeah. Well, that's because I hit my thumb with a hammer. The person who's watching you Christian and hears that cuss word come out. They don't excuse it because you hit your thumb with a hammer.

They don't excuse you lashing out in anger and neither does the Lord. When we throw, hit, or kick things or people, we can undo a lifetime of testimony. Anger can destroy lives and testimony so quickly when we can't control our temper. We can by God's grace, and we must because there is no excuse for hitting somebody just out of anger. There's no excuse for doing damage to somebody's property out of anger.

We must live differently than some of the world around us. We know better. And as they watch us, they expect better of those who claim the name of Christ. How many people have died and are in prison because out of out of control anger? How many friendships and families destroyed?

How many ministries destroyed? How many people lost and on their way to hell because a Christian couldn't control their tongue? Or couldn't control their anger. These things are important. And when we stew and steam and refuse to forgive others, we're not acting like our father in heaven.

Who sent his son to die for us on the cross. We deserve his wrath. We deserve his anger but instead, he has offered to you his what? His forgiveness. Out of mercy and out of love.

Rather than just giving us what we deserve, he hung on a cross. To take our punishment for us. And for you. And he expects us to be able to do similarly. Back in verse 32 again, it says, but be kind one to Tender hearted, forgiving one another even as who?

As God for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. As you sit there today, if you know Christ as savior, you have been forgiven. Not because you earned it, not because you deserved it, but because God simply chose to forgive you when you put your faith and trust in what his son did for you on the cross of Calvary. And God ask that we be willing to forgive others also. If you're here today and you've never trusted Christ as savior, Jesus hung on the cross for you and God offers to you something that you can get no other way and that is the forgiveness and pardon for your all your sins.

That is eternal life in heaven. That's what he did for you and as we give this hymn of invitation this morning, will you come? Will you come and receive God's mercy today and his grace? Will you put your faith and trust in his son? And if you're here today and you're a Christian, maybe there's something in this message this morning that was for you.

Maybe there's an area of anger in our life that we're not controlling. We're not reacting as we should. Maybe we've allowed our tongue to get the best of us. Maybe we struggle with telling others things that they don't need to be told. Let's ask the Lord to help us to be a better testimony.

Forgive us of that sin and to be more like him. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for Jesus Christ, our savior. Thank you Lord for your testimony and what you did on the cross Of Calvary for us. Thank you for the word of God that you've given us that we might know your will.

Thank you for the spirit that you've given to us that you might help us and enable us through your word to live and honor you that others might see our good works. Glorify our father which is in heaven. Lord, that others might glorify you on the day of judgement because they will be able to stand before you redeemed and forgiven. Through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ that they heard from our lips, that they saw in our life. Lord, I pray that if there's something in our life today that's hindering our testimony and the testimony of our savior.

Lord, help us to deal with that as the sin it is. To confess it that you might cleanse us from all unrighteousness and Lord, we pray if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ as savior. We plead that they might come as we sing today and we might show them how they too might be saved and know the forgiveness and love of Jesus Christ. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.