We Believe in Biblical Separation Part 4

Alright, if you take your Bibles, turn to second Corinthians chapter six, second Corinthians chapter six this morning and we'll continue this series on biblical separation. We might call it sanctification. As we've been looking at sanctification or separation, the Christian from from the world, from sin, We have been set apart unto Jesus Christ. We we focus on God's nature and the aspect of holiness. It says in God's word, both old and New Testament, Leviticus and first Peter, be you holy for what?

For I am holy. God says, I want you to be like me. I am set apart from sin. I want you to be set apart from sin. I want you to live in such a way to bring glory to your father which is in heaven.

Whether for we eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God and that should be as Christians, one of the things we are striving for is to be more like our savior, Jesus Christ. For God is working in our life to do that. We can partner with him and join with him and make it an easier process or a harder one but we need to be holy but there's another aspect to this and I'm going to focus on that this this morning particularly as it relates to the unequal yoke. We're going to look at in second Corinthians chapter six and as it relates to something that's happening on Friday called Valentine's Day. Not only a separation based on the aspect of God's holiness but it's all based also based on love.

Why are we to be set apart unto our God? Why are we to separate our from our thing from the things which offend him that detract from his glory, that bring dishonor to his name. Why are we to do that? Because we want. Because we love him.

It's not just a matter of holiness. It's also a matter of love. Who do you love? Who is it that you love most? God's very clear in his word.

There is one God, there is one Lord, and he commanded Israel in Deuteronomy six to love the Lord their God with all their what? With all their heart. God is asking for their total allegiance. And to always put him first in their life. That he is to be their greatest love and if God is our greatest love and if we love him with all of our heart, with all of our strength, our soul, our mind, our might, then, being set apart unto him from the things that offend him, from the things that detract from his glory.

Are going to come natural. Natural not our sinful nature natural but if we're walking in the spirit, the things of the spirit become what? Natural. To us who know the Lord. So, it's not based only on God's holiness but as we'll see this morning, it's also based on God's love and this command here as we read it, again, it's going to sound negative but it's not negative, it's positive because we are to put God first and if God is our first love, then everything else is going to fall into place.

But if we elevate someone or something else to a greater love in our heart, a greater allegiance than our God, that thing becomes an idol and that thing becomes a stumbling block and this is one of those things we'll talk about today. So, second Corinthians chapter six, second Corinthians six, beginning in verse 14, be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? What concord or agreement have Christ with Belial or Satan?

What part hath he that believeth with an infidel? The word infidel simply means an unbeliever. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people.

Wherefore, come out from among them and be you separate, saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord almighty. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for this day and this opportunity to look into your word and be challenged, Lord. To make you the greatest love of our life which Lord might mean being willing to give up some others that might be obstacles in our path of service to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ and if that's the case today, I I hope you would help us to recognize it and to act upon it, to deal with you about it today. Lord, if there are decisions we are contemplating Lord, in our relationships with others that we might look to your word for wisdom and direction.

That you might guide us and direct us. In your love and wisdom and holiness. To make the right decision. Lord, thank you for your word today. Bless it we pray as it goes forth.

In Jesus name, amen. I have a picture up here this morning for you. It took me a while to find the picture that I thought would best be able to portray this verse here. This says, be not unequally, be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. This is a man.

He's plowing his field. He's got two oxen that are out there in front of him. They're pulling a log, a rod that is connected to some type of plow that's going plowing the ground And the two oxen are connected. As you see just behind their heads there is a stick, a big rod that goes across. And that connects the two oxen to one another and to the plow and therefore to the person behind them.

And so that they can pull together as a team in order to till the ground so that this man can plant it and harvest it. Now, we don't see this too much around where we live today. I did go with my wife and her parents to Amish country up in Ohio and we still see some of that up there. You see buggies being pulled by horses still and they don't use tractors. So, of em still plow using in most cases horses and not oxen but so this would be maybe more familiar to them than it is to us but this is what this word yoked is a reference to.

Partnered together in a task is two oxen or horses plowing a field. They were connected together in such a manner that required them to pull together in like manner to complete the task. Good thing or bad thing? Good thing, good thing. This farmer is counting on these two oxen who are connected together to work together to perform a task which he direly needs.

It is important to his life that this get plowed and that he get it planted. Being yoked together is in general a good thing. Not a negative thing but a good thing. And necessary in this case also necessarily necessary in human life. Paul is using this reference to these oxen being yoked together here of human relationships which are binding in nature where the character and the motives of one will impact the other.

Where mutual goals and tasks are involved. So he's using this to reference human relationships where one another's character and motives will impact the what? Will impact the other one. If one of these oxen decides just to stop is it going to impact the other one? Yes it is.

If one of the oxen wants to go faster is it going to impact the other one? Yes, it is. Maybe for good in that case. But this is the type of relationship metaphor he's using to define human relationships where another's character and motives impact the other. Where mutual goals and tasks are involved.

There's a mutual goal here and task involved with plowing this field. And often in human relationship there are mutual goals and tasks that come into the relationship as the two or three or how many work together to finish those goals. For instance, marriage and dating relationships. Boyfriends and girlfriends hold much power over one another as one desires to please or to woo the other. I have a picture on my phone I got yesterday of David and Emily standing.

I won't show you. You can't see it from back there anyway. Standing in the snow in Greenville. So, they were excited. It was snowing.

Really big deal for Floridians. But they have a little bit of influence over one another because they really care about what the other one thinks and that relationship that care binds them together and one affects the other. This binding tie will only grow greater if they should marry at which point two lives are interconnected presumably for life. That doesn't get weaker when you get married. That bond only gets what?

Only gets stronger and the effect that one has over the other when you live with each other twenty four hours a day and you have children and other things is is intense. Their desires in regard to honesty in their marriage, in dealings with others will affect the other spouse. As will their desires in respect to God, church, Christian service, and especially the raising and training of children. Those differences or those similarities. Will affect that relationship particularly as it relates to God and training of children.

Their goals in regards to their career and vocation will have a profound effect on their home. This is the kind of relationship of which Paul speaks. Wanna a binding relationship. But not only marriage. For he does not actual reference marriage.

He doesn't actually say marriage here. It may be a lot of what he is focusing on but he doesn't come out and say, this is only true in what? In marriage or in dating Because there are other relationships also to which this yoke, this binding also applies. Close friendships where one can be distinctly influenced by the other. I had a friend in high school, his name was Gary.

Gary, I did stuff with Gary as often as I could. We went church together. Spent time at his house. He spent time at my house. We were almost sort of like brothers.

What Gary did had an effect on me when I did maybe had an effect on Gary because we were best friends. I got to college. I met a fellow named Robert. The first week I was there, he was a pre med student. At the time, I was a physics major.

We had some things in common. He became my best man and later the best friend and later the best man in my wedding. Close friendships do impact us. I'll come back to Gary in particular here in just a few minutes. Business partnerships are another relationship where goals and honesty in business practice is a centerpiece and concern for fair and honest business practice is paramount.

It's important when we partner in business with somebody that we know who we're partnering with and that you have the same what, goals and integrity. Now that's not a bad thing. That is often a what? A good thing. We'll get to the other here in a minute.

Partners in ministry in which both the spiritual nature of a partner as well as their character goals and methodology are vital. We not only bind ourselves in marriage and bind ourselves with close friends and bind ourselves together in business but we also bind ourselves together in what? In ministry for the Lord. And as we do that, that again, you influence one another and so it's important that you have the same goals. If you do, that's a what?

That's a good thing. That's a good thing. These kinds of relationships are necessary in life. They're good. They're beneficial and God honoring.

Turn if you would. Hold your place. Turn if you would to Ecclesiastes chapter four. Ecclesiastes chapter four. I'll give you a moment to find that.

Ecclesiastes chapter four. Up here on the screen, I have another verse. It's Proverbs thirteen twenty. We're going to look at it twice this morning. Proverbs thirteen twenty says, he that with that walketh with wise men shall be what?

Wise. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise. If you walk, if you bind yourself in relationship with someone who is wise, it is going to make you what? Wiser and is that a good thing? Yes it is.

That is a good thing. Now the rest of this verse talks about the bad thing. We'll get to that in a moment. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise. In Ecclesiastes four and verse nine it says, two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow but woe to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they of heat but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him and a three fold cord is not quickly broken. Relationships with others, close relationships with others, binding relationship, relationships where you are care for one another are important and necessary in life because you don't want to be alone. You are more susceptible.

When you are alone. Especially if you feel like you're all alone. As Christians, we know we are never truly alone because our God will never leave us. What? Nor forsake us and we are not alone but you know it helps.

It helps to have a partner in life. A spouse. It helps to have a partner in business. So, not everything is on one person's shoulders. It helps to have partners in ministry.

And I consider you, my partners in the ministry of this church. It is necessary It is profitable. It is good. Being yoked together is not a bad thing. And I want us to see that before we look at the next point which is the unequal part.

Jonathan and David. Partners. Best friends They encouraged, they challenged, and they helped one another. David might not have been the David we know if it weren't for a friend named Jonathan. Who befriended him?

And helped him. Barnabas and Paul. Barnabas and Paul were also known as Saul. The Paul that we know from scripture is the Paul we know in part due to a man that God put in his life named Barnabas and Barnabas, mean the son of consolation or encouragement. May not be a name as you're you are as familiar with as Paul.

But he was an important part part of Paul's life and ministry. He was his best friend. And his partner in ministry. Abraham and Sarah God didn't call just one. He called two to leave their homeland because they were a team and they went together.

They had some stumbles along the way but they stayed together and they grew in their faith and God gave them a son named Isaac in their old age. They were a team and a good one. Aquila and Priscilla, they were partners in ministry with Paul. They were also husband and wife. That ministered with him in Corinth and later in Ephesus together.

Being yoked together can be and often is a good thing. So, don't think of it as a bad thing. But there is a command here that we read. Be not and watch the qualifier, unequally yoked. Be not unequally yoked.

See, that's that's where the concern comes here. It's not with being yoked. It's with being unequally yoked that we have the concern. When we've got the oxen here attached to the plow, when one wanted to go left and the other wanted to go right or straight, that was a problem. When one wanted to go slow and the other wanted to go fast, that was a problem.

When one dug in his heels and didn't want to go at all, that was a what? That was a problem. They were unequally yoked. The task was unlikely to get finished because they weren't properly matched together to fulfill the task that was before them. And so then the yoke which was good actually became something what?

Bad. That wasn't the yoke itself. It was the fact that they were unequally yoked. That was the problem. As it applies to human relationships it is important and it is very wise counsel to make sure before entering into such a binding relationship whether it be romantic in nature or platonic or in business or ministry that you and the person you are binding yourself to are compatible in your character your desires, your goals, your faith, and your practices.

Because you are going to affect one another in the task that is laid out before you. So, before you sign that contract with that business partner, before you join that ministry, before you enter into that marriage covenant. Give some thought. Follow Paul's warning. Do not be unequally yoked.

If you do not listen to God's wisdom, it will likely end how? Badly. Proverbs twenty four one and two. Be not thou envious against evil men. Neither desire to be with them.

For their heart studyeth destruction and their lips talk of mischief. We're warned here by the Lord not to be envious, not to follow after, not to join in with those who are evil. For their heart studyeth or goes after what? Destruction. Goes after destruction.

So, be careful. Be thoughtful because your life, your ministry, the testimony of your Lord are going to be affected by who you're what? By who you're yoked with. In the Old Testament, Israel was expressly commanded by God to stay separate from other people groups which were idolatrous and immoral and to keep themselves, their culture, and their faith distinct. That was the goal.

To keep themselves, their culture, and their faith distinct. Distinct as in hero Israel, the Lord thy God is what? One Lord. There's only one God. God says, thou shalt have no other what?

Gods before me. So, God wanted them to stay pure in their faith, in their religion, in their culture, to be committed in themselves to him and to him alone which was his right. So, he's told them to separate themselves. Deuteronomy seven two and three and when and when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them. Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor show mercy unto them.

Neither shalt thou what? Make marriages with them. Thy daughter, thou shalt not give unto his son nor his daughter shalt thou not take, shalt nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. Why did God say this? Because the one that entered into this binding relationship who was an idolater will no doubt influence the other.

Solomon, who was Solomon? If you, if I just said Solomon what would you say back? The wisest man that ever lived except in one area of his life He married many foreign wives. And they turned his heart away from who? They turned his heart away from God.

We see this sadly in the story of Israel. God said to Israel, if you will keep my commandments, if you will stay true to me and not go after other gods and idols, I will bless you but if you abandon me to go after other idols, then I will what? I will bring a curse upon you. What did Israel do? They didn't listen.

They did not cast the Canaanites, all of the Canaanites out of their lands. They intermarried with them. They partnered with them in business and in other areas. They began to mix in their religion with the worship of the one true God and eventually, it brought the destruction of Israel down upon them. God's judgment down upon them.

They were to put God first and foremost in each decision and above every human relationship. To the world, romance is the greatest expression of love but God's love for us and our love for him must supersede them Thus, the greatest commandment, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Sadly, Israel didn't keep that and they suffered because of it. The church is clearly not Israel. We're not commanded to cast people out of the land.

But we are commanded to separate ourselves from them from false doctrine from sin worldly behavior and to stay true to who To stay true to God. We're not called to isolate ourselves. No, that's not what that means. Don't go live in a monastery on top of a mountain and say pastor Rick told you to do that. No.

No. But we are to stay distinct and what how do we do that? We love God with all of our hearts so much that we're willing to think about the other ties that we make and how those ties are going to reflect our relationship on our relationship with who? With God and that's what Paul That's what Paul is saying here Proverbs thirteen twenty back to Proverbs thirteen twenty He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be one. Destroyed.

If you choose the wrong companions, it will destroy you. So, Paul is warning us. God is warning us. It says here in first Corinthians fifteen thirty three, be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners.

You hang out with the wrong people. It's going to corrupt your manners. It's going to corrupt your your thinking and your actions. It will. Don't deceive yourself into thinking that you can hang out with the party and the drug and the crowd and it isn't going to affect you.

It will. Don't think that you can hang out with the immoral and the one who despises God and think that it's not going to affect you. It will. One of the things that concerns me is today, we don't have to go anywhere to hang out with those people. We can just turn on our TV set and in a sense, hang out with those people in our living room and laugh at their dirty jokes and laugh at their irreverence to God.

Be careful. Be careful. It will have an effect on you. So, we have yoked. Yoked, not bad, good, if you are equally yoked and not what?

Unequally yoked. Particular here number three, Paul is talking about unbelievers. He said, believers do not be unequally yoked with what? Unbelievers because the two have nothing in common. You have nothing in common.

You need to be yoked together with believers. Paul here used it. He's specifically dealing with Christians yoking themselves together with those who do not profess their faith or practice their faith. And I believe both are important. You say, well they say they're a Christian.

Yes. But do they live like a Christian? Is God important in their life or they simply saying it? Because a lot of people say it. They profess it but they don't want.

They don't live it. And I think God is concerned about both. An unbeliever is not well matched with the believer as a team to perform the will of God. Does that make sense? It does.

No, the unbeliever will be an obstacle to the believer's growth in the Lord. Be an obstacle to believer in serving the Lord or in marriage raising children to know and to serve the Lord. Now, some of the Corinthians had this problem and I'll take just a moment on this brief rabbit trail. The Corinthians had gotten married both as unbelievers but some of them had got saved and their spouses hadn't and they wondered to Paul, should we leave our spouse because they were an unbeliever? Paul said, no, don't stay with them because your testimony can influence what?

Can influence them. So, don't leave them. If they leave you, well, then let them go but you don't leave them, okay? Having said that, I have a aunt and an uncle. Well, my aunt's still alive.

She's almost 100 years old. My uncle died a little while ago. My my aunt is a is a Baptist. My uncle was a Catholic and though if you talk to my uncle Pep at times, you would think, you know, he sounds like a Christian and other times, he sounded like all of his hope and faith was not in Christ but the what? But the Catholic church.

But here's the problem, their faiths were different. They had 10 children. The boys, the boys didn't go to church. Their father quit going to church because he was excommunicated because he married a what? A So, he didn't go to Catholic church anymore.

His sons didn't go to church. They ended up in drugs and alcohol and all kinds of problems. The girls went to church with who? With mother. And they ended up most of them marrying Christian men and serving the Lord.

But it was a difficult life and you can see the profound effect that it had on their children because their faiths were what? Their faiths were different. So, God says, be careful. Who you join with? In marriage or in other areas.

Particularly with one who is an unbeliever, with one who has a different faith. Can one be unequally and poorly matched another way? Yes. Paul's concern here is with primarily unbelievers or those who seem to indicate that they are not. He says, come out from among them.

Sometimes, you may have to leave a certain relationship or friend behind. Proverbs one hundred ten and fifteen. My son, if sinners entice thee what? Consent thou not. My son walk not in their way with them, refrain thy foot from their path.

Don't go with them. Now, we command you brother in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after tradition which he received of us. Paul says, you've got a brother who says he's a Christian but he is walking contrary to the to the teaching of scripture. You need to be careful. You may need to do what?

You may actually need to withdraw yourself from them because else it's going to have effect on who? It's It's going to have an effect on you. You may have a weakness to alcohol. Stop hanging out with people who drink. Stop going to places where they drink.

You may have to say no to their parties or decline their invitations. It's worth it. Because God should have first place. Not them. You may need to tell them you can't go with them to the restaurants they go to anymore Or be in the atmosphere places that are not honoring God.

You may have to say no to going on trips with a certain couple that you've hung out with for years. But do it for love of who? For love of Christ because he has first place. Bible doesn't say it would be easy but it may be what? Necessary.

I haven't talked to my friend Gary in many years. It breaks my heart. I love Gary to this day. He is my best friend. But Gary and I took two completely different paths after high school.

We went to the same church. We heard the same lessons. We professed faith in the same God but he went a completely different path than I. I had to quit hanging out with Gary because of the alcohol and other stuff in his life that was prevalent. And I just knew I couldn't.

Didn't keep me from trying to contact with him or pray for him. It doesn't mean I stop loving him. But I had to not hang out with him anymore. The same may be true of you. Love God with all your heart.

That made me breaking off some relationships with others. Jesus walked up to Levi and he said, follow me and Jesus and Levi left. Levi left his business behind. At first, he had Jesus come and he wanted to introduce Jesus to his friends and Jesus did that because they needed Jesus and some no doubt responded and some no doubt were saved but some no doubt didn't respond and Levi's new life as a disciple, we call Matthew and their lives were no longer what? Compatible.

Who did Matthew choose? He chose Jesus. Choose you this day whom you will serve. Blessed is the man who walketh not in the council of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that give it forth his fruit and his season.

His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall what? Prosper. Follow the word of God. Put God first. If that means you have to withdraw from certain things and places and people Do it.

Put him first. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you Lord for your word and thank you for what you did for us and for love that you have shown toward us and Lord, I pray that we would give you first place in our life. Following you, serving you would have first place in our life and as we make decisions with whom we bind ourselves that we would choose to bind ourselves with those who share that faith and who share that love that we might work together for the cause of the kingdom of Jesus Christ and the love of our savior. Lord, if there are relationships that are influencing us, against you.

Lord, help us to see that and to deal with it today and if there's one here that's never come to you in faith, Lord, I pray for the love of Jesus Christ where with he loved them, that they would come today and accept him. And his love. And his forgiveness. This day. In Jesus name we pray.