Living a Praiseworthy Life Before the World

First Corinthians chapter 10 this morning is where we will begin. Living a praiseworthy life before the world. You say, well, you know, that's not really important. God only cares about what's on the what? What's on the inside.

The bible says, man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the what? On the heart. So, it really doesn't matter what other people see. It really doesn't matter how I, you know, what I do before the world because all that matters is God. Well, that's true.

All that matters is God. What I wanna show you from scripture this morning is God clearly indicates in his word that he cares about what the world sees in us. It matters to him. What they think of us because what they think of us affects how they think of him. So, though it does matter most what's on the inside and our first priority is to glorify God or to do those things which please God, it clearly says in his word that God whom we want to please and serve and love cares about how others see us because it affects how they see him.

Look if you would in first Corinthians chapter 10 and we are going to read verses 31 through 33. We've already read Acts two forty seven, praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily such you should be saved. We already read Matthew five sixteen, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Now, let's read first Corinthians ten thirty through 31. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but that the profit of many, that but the profit of many, that they might be, last word, saved. Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you Lord for your word today. Lord, may you cause it to sink into our minds and to our hearts that we may apply it to our life that we might become more like you.

That you might be truly glorified in the lives of your children. That us with around us would see Jesus in us. That they Lord would be drawn to you. Through us and through your word. That they might be saved.

We pray Lord particularly if there be one here today that doesn't know you as savior. Above all things today, that they might be saved too. In Jesus' precious name we do pray. Amen. Amen.

This passage again says, Paul is writing, says, whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do. That pretty much covers everything when he says whatsoever you do. Just in the smallest aspects of life, we need to remember that we represent who? We represent the Lord and he must be glorified. Others need to get the right idea of who he is as they watch us live this life that belong belongs to him.

Therefore, he says, do not give offense to the Jews. He said when I Paul said in another passage, when he goes into work with Jews and if he were to invite them over to his place, and he were to serve them a meal, did he feel it was necessary to no longer eat pork? He was a Jew, but he felt that that was no longer necessary because the dietary restrictions were the what? They were the old covenant, the law, and he was now not just a Jew but he was part of the New Testament Church of God. He was under the new covenant.

So, Paul could eat pork. But when he invited his Jewish brethren over, would he serve them pork? No, he wouldn't serve them pork. That would be an unnecessary what? Offense, stumbling block to them.

So, he said, give none offense to the Jews, give none offense to the Gentiles, just think about what you do. Verse 33, even as I please all men in all things, seeking not mine own profit. Paul says, I didn't do I don't do this for myself, but I do this for the profit of others that they might be what? That they might be saved. That God might be glorified and that they might be saved.

The responsibility of every child of God, Not just an apostle, not just a missionary, not just a pastor or a deacon, but every Christian represents who? Every Christian represents Jesus Christ. And every Christian is an ambassador for Jesus Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ in what we say and what we do. If you look up here on the screen, we have a section in our church covenant we read a few weeks ago together on that's labeled before the world. And if you'll just follow along silently as I read it again to you, it says, to walk circumspectly in the world, to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment.

To avoid tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger, to abstain from the sale of and use of destructive drugs or intoxicating drinks as a beverage, to shun pornography, to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of God. Part of our responsibility as a member of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church, and more particularly as a member of the kingdom of God and the family of God, is to be careful about how we live before the world. Because the fact is, they're watching you. They're watching you. You may not realize it, but they're watching.

Particularly in the world we live in today, We as Christians are becoming more of an anomaly. We're an odd thing that doesn't fit. They're watching us to see if we're real, to see if we're sincere, to see if we are the real thing, if if we really do what we believe, practice what we preach, if there's something really different about our lives. We're not just another religious group. They're watching to see.

And in reference to that, we do have a responsibility to help them to see the right thing. If they perceive us to be hypocrites, then they may likely believe the same about our God, that he says a lot of things that he doesn't really mean. If they perceive us to be unfairly judgmental, then they will think the same thing of our God, that he is unfairly judgmental. And they usually start at that point. They don't recognize the justice and the fairness of punishing sin.

If they perceive us to be unloving, they will think the same of our God, that he's an unloving God and many of them think that today and sometimes Christians haven't helped. If they perceive us to be selfish, they will think the same of our God. If they perceive us to be angry, they will think the same thing of our God. If they perceive us to be out of touch and insensitive, they will think the same thing of our God. I used to sing a song years ago titled, You're the Only Jesus Some Will Ever See.

The chorus goes, you're the only Jesus some will ever see. You're the only words of life some will ever read. So, let them see in you the one in whom is all they'll ever need because you're the only Jesus that some will ever see. In advancing the testimony of the church in our community and among our acquaintances, we also advance the testimony and the kingdom of God. We must glorify him.

We must rightly and accurately represent and declare the nature of the one who has saved us by his grace. Forgiven our sins. And given us a home in heaven as his children. We have a responsibility. Yes, in reference to what others see.

It matters. Not because we care what they think about us, but because we care what they think about who? What they think about God. Because what they think about him may if will determine whether they come to him to be saved or not. The first thing listed up here on the section in our our covenant is to walk circumspectly, to walk circumspectly.

Now, how often this week have you used the word circumspectly? Well, it's probably not a word that you use often, okay. This word means to conduct our lives in a cautious, thoughtful and considerate manner. With our eyes wide open and our minds and our hearts always in gear. To walk circumspectly is to walk carefully, cautiously and looking around so you don't stumble and fall or cause others to do so.

To be cautious, thoughtful and considerate. There's a bible verse, Ephesians five fifteen, it says, see then, as children of God, that ye walk circumspectly, with your eyes wide open, with your mind in gear, not as fools, but as what? As wives. Fools rush in. You ever heard that saying, fools rush in?

What does that mean? It means fools jump, run without thinking. They just pull straightforward. And, we have to be careful. God has called us to work circ walk circumspectly in this world.

We often make uncorrectable mistakes when we're flying by the seat of our pants, when we just say whatever hits us and do whatever seems right at the moment. Reacting to the stimuli around us rather than thinking things through, We often get ourselves and sometimes others in trouble. And rather than bringing glory, we bring dishonor to the one who has saved us and changed our lives. There's a little book, maybe in the library, I'm not sure. It's by a man named Peterson, a Christian.

It's entitled Your Reactions Are Showing. I remember reading it several years ago, and I've never forgotten that little book. It's only it's more like a pamphlet, it's about this big and just a few pages thick. But it makes a very important point. Most of the problems that we have in life are not actions that we prepare ahead of time for.

They're not things that we plan. We don't usually plan to sin. We react in the heat of the moment. And the heat of the moment reveals what is where, what is truly inside and others see it. You ever hit your hammer, hit your thumb with a hammer?

I've heard people several times, I worked construction for just a few months when I was younger. And, you know, it doesn't take long working construction for somebody to hit their thumb with a hammer. And they let out a string of cuss words. And they would excuse it. And they would say, well, I don't normally talk like that, it just happens when I hit my thumb with a hammer.

But what comes out of your mouth when you hit your thumb with a hammer is what's running around where? In your head. I remember when I worked at tire factory over the summers that I would hear people cuss around me all the time. Some of you still work in jobs like that. You're surrounded by people, their language is terrible.

And remember as a young man, I I allowed some of those words to get in my head. And I would I would grab a hot tire that had came off the presses. We had these these special gloves that were supposed to protect us from the heat of these tires after they dropped out of the presses, but every now and then get a hole in it. And you grab the tire and it would burn you. And I remember after a couple of summers and a few months, words running through my mind that never would have run through my mind before.

But the things that you hear, you watch, you see, those things they enter into your mind and if they're not washed out with the word of God, then they stick and eventually, they run around in your head and then at a moment of weakness, they come out your what? They come out your mouth. They come out your mouth and your reactions tell others something about you. We aren't justified in doing that which is wrong because of the heat of the moment. God expects his children to live circumspectly, cautiously, carefully, thoughtfully.

We have an enemy, the devil, and he uses those circumstances and he uses other things to try to ruin our testimony, to ruin our lives. It says in first Peter five eight, be sober. You know what that means? That doesn't mean just mean don't be drunk. What that means is be circumspect, be serious, be thoughtful, be sober.

This isn't a game. This life that you live, it's a war between good and evil. Be sober. Be watchful. Be vigilant.

Because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour and he wants to devour you. You say, but pastor, I'm a Christian now. I've trusted Christ. So, he doesn't care about me. Well, I beg to differ.

He cares about you a lot. He wants to ruin your testimony because he doesn't want God to be glorified. He wants to ruin your life. He doesn't want you to experience the joy and the peace that is yours in Jesus Christ. He is still and much more your enemy today than he was then.

He didn't have to worry about you when you were on his side, but you now you belong to the Lord. You're his enemy too. Be sober, be vigilant. Peter wrote this verse to a church of professing Christians. Satan is trying to trip you up.

Your flesh will try to trip you up. We must be on guard. We need to walk circumspectly in this world in which we live. Number two, the second area is be just in our dealings. Turn if you would to Romans chapter 13.

Romans chapter 13, be just in our dealings. Well, does that mean? It means be righteous in our actions toward God and toward others. Be righteous, be be just, be right. Do what's right in your actions toward God and toward others.

Be righteous. God is righteous. Jesus was righteous. He always did the right thing toward others. Always fair, always honest, God is righteous.

God desires that we be righteous, just in all of our dealings with others. Look if you would in Romans chapter 13. We're going to read down through verse eight. First few verses have to do primarily with our relationship with government. We have a responsibility to be righteous and just in relation to our government.

It finishes with broadening the scope to other relationships and areas of life as well. For chapter 13 verse one, let every soul be subject under the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. The word damnation there doesn't necessarily mean that they will go to hell.

What it does mean is they will be severely judged. It's a very harsh word for judgment, often used in scripture in reference to eternal damnation. Verse three, for rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Will thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same.

For he is the minister of God to thee for good but if thou do that which is evil, be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Now, obviously, some governments and some governors are more godly than others. They are all imperfect human representatives of God. Some of them far less imperfect than others.

But in general, government is put in place for our good and God says, we need to obey and submit ourselves to those that God has placed over us. Verse five, wherefore, you must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake. For for this cause, pay tribute also. For they are God's ministers attending continually upon this very thing. People say, well, you know, I don't think the government should take my money.

I'm not going to pay my taxes. There are Christians that believe that and Christians that try that. Christians that end up in jail or with their assets taken by the government. The bible says that you should pay tribute. What's tribute?

Your taxes. Your taxes. You say, but their government was better. No, their government wasn't better. Their government was what?

Rome. Rome wasn't better. Maybe we're almost as bad but Rome wasn't better. Okay. Next verse, render therefore all to all their dues, tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Oh, no man anything but to love one another. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. We have a responsibility in all our dealings with our government, with our family, with our job to be righteous and just and fair and honest in all our dealings because we represent who? We represent the Lord who is righteous and just and fair. In all of his dealings.

We need to obey God's ordained authorities. We should never cheat or steal from others. We need to pay back our debts. We should not treat others unfairly but give them what they deserve and sometimes more than they deserve. Remember in Matthew five, God said, if someone strikes you on the cheek, do what?

Turn the other cheek. If they say, can I borrow your coat? Give em your cloak also. If they say, go with me a mile, go with them what? Two.

By going the extra mile, you show that you are the children of who? The children of God. Because the world doesn't expect that. That's not human nature. That's God's nature and since God lives inside of our heart, our lives should reflect not only the nature of man but also the nature of God.

We should be faithful. Third one, faithful in our engagements, faithful, faithful. First Corinthians four two is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. Seems like this is one of those verses that this month is the the verse for the month. It just keeps, it keeps coming up.

But we should be faithful. What does that mean? Trustworthy? Dependable? You know, people say things all the time.

They don't mean. People purposefully lie to your face and deceive you. People don't keep their word They They do do what you say and they don't do what they do. They're going to say what they do. They don't say don't say you are going to do something.

If you're not sure that you can. And we'll do it. Bible says, let your yay be yay and your what? Maybe. Maybe nay.

Don't don't make a vows all the time. Don't swear I'm to do this and swear I'm going to do that. Today, we as Christians, we don't often use the word swear. That's that's become sort of a bad word in our vocabulary. But we do use the word promise.

Sometimes, we overuse it a bit. Bible says, just let your yay be a and your nay be nay. What does that mean? It means, be honest, be trustworthy. So, that when you tell people yes, that means yes and when you tell people no, that means no.

And they know what you're going to do. There have been things in my life, times when I, for good reason in my mind, was hasty to say, yes, I'm going to do that. And I didn't count the what? Didn't count the cost. It didn't happen.

And it hurt my testimony. And if it hurts my testimony, it hurts the testimony of who? It hurts the testimony of the church and the testimony of the Lord. But that only goes for preachers. It goes for all of us because others are what?

Others are watching. And we need to be faithful in our engagements, trustworthy, and dependable. And then number four, this morning, we need to be exemplary in our deportment. Now, there's another word that was used a few generations ago that we don't use the word deportment all that often. Deportment is a reference to our public behavior which should be as Christians always proper, appropriate, and under control.

A pattern for others to follow. Turn if you would to Titus chapter two. Titus chapter two, if you would. Titus two. We're going to begin reading in verse one of Titus chapter two.

So, we're to walk circumspectly in this world, thoughtfully, considerably, with our eyes open and our mind in gear, watching how we react because others will learn about our God from that. We need to be just in our doings and not justify disobeying the laws of our government or not treating others fairly. We need to be faithful in our engagements. We need to be people of integrity because our God is a god of integrity and we need to be exemplary in our deportment. Titus two verse one, But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine, that the aged men may be sober, grave, temperate, that means self controlled, sound in faith, in charity or love and patience.

The aged women likewise that they be in behavior as becometh 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, chaste, 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 forth a pattern of good works and doctrine, showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that which is of the contrary part may be ashamed having no evil thing to say of you. Look back particularly in verse seven.

Now, there's obviously a lengthy list there and then we're not going to go through all those things but Paul is careful to speak to the older man, the older women, of the young women, and to the younger men, because all of them are important. All of you are important. You set an example for others, your age and younger. They're watching you. They're watching you.

Look at again in verse seven. All things showing thyself a what? A pattern of good works. A pattern of good works. He says to Titus, make sure that you're setting a good example, that your life is a pattern that others can follow of what it means to be holy, what it means to be submitted to the will of God in your life, What it means to be a Christian.

In first Timothy four twelve, Paul wrote Timothy and he said, let no man despise thy youth. Do not let anybody look down on you in your youth. Now, some take that verse to mean, don't let anybody despise the fact that you're young. You know, don't let em look down on your young. Don't, you know, don't, you know, they they respect their elders.

They don't respect youth. You don't let them do that. That's not exactly what Paul means here. Paul means this, as we finish reading the verse, let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, that means in conduct or deportment, in charity, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. What Paul means is, says this to Timothy, he says, you live in such a way that others will not despise your what?

Youth because you set a good example. Why is it that sometimes people despise the youth because they give them reason to. Paul says, don't give them a reason to. You be a good example to them. Just like he said to Titus, you'd be a pattern for them to follow.

And you don't have to be a pastor for others to be watching you and looking to you as a pattern to follow. Here in Titus in verse eight, back to Titus two and verse eight, he says, sound and speech that cannot be condemned that he that does have a contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. You live in such a way that those that don't want to listen to you, those that come at the gospel already in opposition to it, that they will have nothing in your life wherewith to accuse you. And to hurt my testimony. To embolden their rejection.

Of my gospel. In other words, what we do before the world reflects not only upon us but it reflects upon our church and most importantly, it reflects upon who? Our God. God desires that others see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven. How we behave when we are in public matters, our language, our attentiveness.

You know, if people are talking to you and you're not listening all the time, what does that tell them about you? You're self centered. You don't care about them. Our appropriateness our appropriateness in what we say, even how we dress matters. Matters.

Why? Why? Why do I wear a coat and tie and a suit? Is there anything magical about a coat and tie and a suit coat? The answer is no.

Many of you aren't dressed like I'm dressed, you know what? That's okay. But but we do tend to dress up a little bit. Maybe a little differently than we do when we're running around the house at home. When we come to church.

Why is that? Because we are honoring who? We honoring God and so we dress up a bit. Some more than others but we dress up a bit because God is God is honorable. He is holy.

He deserves our our respect. See, and those those things, they do, they do relate something. They they communicate something to others. Our timeliness. They all speak to the character of our God.

Our speech should be without profanity. Our speech should be without slander and and foolish jesting as the scripture puts it. Turn if you would to Ephesians chapter five. Ephesians chapter five. Ephesians five and we're we're going to look at this more few things that are in the covenant there.

A little more detail. Next week, we're going to we're going to look finish here this morning by looking at some of these things briefly. Our speech. Ephesians five verse one. The Lord says, be therefore followers of God as dear children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor.

We are to walk in what? In love for others. It should be evident in our lives. Verse three, but fornication and uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become a saints. Fornication, unclean living, covetous greed in our lives, those are not fitting for a Christian.

They do not represent the nature of our God. They are selfish and not loving. So, they should not be once named among us. They shouldn't be something that we justify or say, well, yeah, once or twice, it doesn't matter, does matter. But then we get to verse four.

It says, neither filthiness that would reflect upon our thoughts, our mind, as well as our our words. Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient, but rather giving of thanks. The world loves to tell dirty jokes. Matter of fact, you can't watch stand up comedy anymore as a Christian with a good conscience, because most of it is what? Dirty jokes.

That's what the world thinks is funny. Poking insults, constant sarcasm, that is the language of the world. That should not be the language of a Christian. Just as fornication and uncleanness and covetousness should not be part of the life of a child of God neither should. Filthiness, foolish talking, nor jesting.

But giving of thanks. The places we frequent and the company we keep tells other people about us. If you spend time in a bar, what are you telling the people around you? You say, but but I don't carouse and and I don't, maybe you don't even drink alcohol in the bar. Maybe you go in there and get a Coca Cola.

But other people see that and they make judgments and you say, but pastor, that's their problem, not mine. If they judge wrong, but God says that he looks on the heart but he does say that man looks on the what? The outward appearance. Whether they're right in their judgment or wrong in their judgment, we should do our best not to give them reason to think what? To think wrong.

Not because of our own prophet but because we represent who? Jesus Christ. So, therefore, if I'm going to drink a Coca Cola, I will go some place other than a what? Other than a bar. If I want to go watch a football game, I'll go some place other to watch it than in a bar because the places I frequent and the company I keep reflects on my God.

The Bible says, be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. The attitudes we express towards others is important to God. Love and concern rather than disdain or pride or condescension. You know, we're saved by what? By grace.

You don't deserve it. Neither do I nor do they. It is by God's grace alone that we have entered into life, that our sins be forgive, have been forgiven, that we have become the children of God, and there's nothing we can claim as credit to ourselves. It is only by his grace. He has saved us.

We have no reason to look down in condescension upon others. We are no better than they. We have a better God. And that has made all the difference our lives. Wanna conclude this morning by reading from first Corinthians chapter nine.

First Corinthians chapter nine and we'll read verses 19 through 23 this morning. We're going to use this as a bookend to the passage we read earlier from first Corinthians chapter 10, just a chapter later. Verse 19, for though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant on unto all, that I might gain the more. Under the Jews, I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the law is under the law, then I might gain them that are under the law, to them that are without laws without law, being not without law to God, but under the law of Christ, that I might gain them that were without law. To the weak became eyes weak, that I might gain the weak, I made all things to all men, that I by all means, by all might, by all means, save some.

And this I do for the gospel's sake that I might be partaker thereof with you. Paul says, I'm free from all men. You're not my judge in light of eternity. Who is? God is.

I'm not your judge. God is. However, Paul says, for the sake of the gospel I'm careful of my testimony before others. I'm careful not to bring them unnecessary offense. If the gospel offends them, it offends them.

And the gospel is offensive often to sinners who do not want him. But let us not by our life and conduct. Offend them in things. That we shouldn't. Let not by our conduct, they get a wrong impression of who our God is.

It is our joy to represent him. It is our privilege. We must do by his grace. Our best. In all manner of conduct.

Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you Lord for this day, this opportunity to worship you, to look into your word. We pray for those Lord who struggle been struggling in this area. Maybe Lord, you brought something to their heart and mind. That hasn't been right.

They've justified things. Lord, others are getting a wrong impression maybe of who their God is by watching their life. Lord, we've used liberty as a chance for license. To do what we want to do and not what you want to do. Lord, I pray that you would help us to confess our sins before you.

That you might forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lord, that you might be glorified in us And even a greater way than in the past. And in our church, for the name of our savior. Lord, I pray if there's one or two here today that have never trusted Christ as savior. They're unsure if they died this day, they were they would go.

Lord, the reason that our testimony is so important is because they're watching us and they're listening and they need you. Lord, I pray as we give this hymn of invitation. If there's one here today, that's never trusted Christ as savior that they would come. We might show them today from your word how they might be saved