Mixing the Profane & Holy: Part 2

Leviticus chapter 10. We started here this morning. So, we'll review quickly and then get back into the message and as I said when I close this morning, didn't get into some of the details. Some examples, some areas where we can apply this and some scriptures about certain things this morning. So, we're gonna take time to get to that this evening but quick recap from Leviticus chapter 10 and Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them in his censer and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not and there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them and they died before the Lord.

Praise God. We don't live under the law. We live under grace. And there's a lot of things that they had to do that we don't but God himself hasn't changed. God is still holy and we as his children still have the opportunity and the responsibility to worship him, to represent him, to serve him.

We don't do it with incense and coals of fire in the Tabernacle today. But we do worship him. Collectively together as a church and also individually every day as we yield ourselves to him as our Lord and savior and following his steps. The Lord takes his worship and the service of his children seriously. And even though we're no longer under the law but under grace, there are there's a lot of instruction in this New Testament.

Paul wrote John and Peter wrote letters to churches to instruct them on how to live for the Lord and what God expects of his children. Things that are important. And those things must not be just swept under the rug as I'm afraid sometimes happens today. Over in in verse eight, says, the Lord spake unto Aaron saying, do not drink wine nor strong drink thou nor thy sons with thee. When you go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest you die, it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

Evidently, Nadab and Abihu were intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol when they went into the Tabernacle and it's why they didn't do things properly and they used incense or or coals that were not properly off of the brazen altar which led to their death because they did not honor who? They did not honor God and properly represent him before the people. It says in verse 10, and that you may put difference between the holy and the unholy and between the unclean and clean. That you may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. Most definitely, a responsibility laid upon pastors to teach and preach the word of God, to rightly divide, study, and rightly divide the scriptures.

To teach it, preach it, proclaim it, help others to apply it to their life. However, as we learn this morning, we only have one priest, one high priest that is and that's who? That's Jesus Christ. And we don't go to a priest today as a go between because Jesus Christ is the one go between. But in a sense, we are all priests.

We are all saints before the Lord. First Corinthians six nineteen and twenty, we look at this morning. What know you not that your body is the temple, the holy ghost which is in you, which you have of God and you're not your own for you're bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's. You see, the Bible says that we are all saints as we looked at this morning, holy ones, set apart unto God for his service and that we are all priests in service of our Lord.

We're not go betweens for others to get to God. There's only one go between and that's Jesus only one mediator and that's Jesus Christ but we do serve the Lord and we do represent him in whatever we do and therefore, in this verse, it says, but you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and holy nation, set apart group of people, peculiar, people that you should show forth the praises of him who have called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. In the Old Testament, we talked about the tabernacle and the things used in worship of God. They were set apart unto him and the priest were set apart unto him. They were what?

Holy, sanctified, consecrated. In the New Testament, this building is not holy so to speak. It isn't a temple. It's a church building. There is some difference but what we learn in the New Testament is that particularly what is holy is who?

Us. For we are the temple for God has bought us with a price and he has set us apart and he has filled us with his spirit. We might walk according to his word and according to his spirit. That we might bring glory to him. We are holy.

We have been set apart unto him and to his service and our lives should reflect that and should show forth the praises of him who has called us out of the darkness of sin into the marvelous light of his love and grace and mercy. Says in first Peter one hundred fifteen and sixteen, but as he which hath called you as holy, so be you holy in all matter of conversation or conduct, but because it is written, be you holy for I am holy. God expects those that have been dedicated and consecrated unto him to live lives that reflect his holiness, his nature. God is honest. So, he expects us to be what?

Honest. God is merciful. Therefore, he expects us to be merciful. God is loving. He expects us to be loving.

God is kind. God is you can go on and on. God values human life. He expects you to value human life too. Jesus Christ humbled himself and put others before him and that's what he expects of us as well.

He expects us as his children. Jesus said, as the father has sent me, can we finish the verse? As the father has sent me what? So, send I you. As the father sent Jesus down to Earth to serve us through his death on the cross.

Christ in turn has sent us to a lost and dying world. To proclaim to them the good news and to serve one another. And God expects our conduct. That's what the word conversation means up there. To reflect the holiness of God.

He expects us to think about others. He expects us not to sit around in judgment of everybody else but he wants us to examine who. He wants us to examine ourselves and our own heart. That's what revival is about. Revival isn't just about inviting people, getting new people in.

Revival isn't just about the proclamation of the gospel and the salvation of souls. Oh, it's both of those things. Yes, but it doesn't end there. A matter of fact, it doesn't begin there. Revival is about God getting a hold of who?

Me. Because when God gets a hold of me and when God gets a hold of you and we recognize some things in our life that are a hindrance to our fellowship and our service for Christ. When we yield those things to him, people will come. People will get saved. God will be glorified.

We need revival We need God to do a mighty work by his spirit. We need God to reach into people's lives and convict them of sin and bring sinners to a savior but it starts with us. In Romans fourteen thirteen, I don't have this on the screen. Paul writes, let us not therefore judge one another anymore. Why did he say, don't do this anymore?

When he says don't do this anymore, what was he implying? That that's exactly what they were doing. So, stop doing it. Stop judging one another but judge this rather that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. What Paul means there is stop judging what everybody else is doing and nitpicking them.

Look inward. Look at your own life. Examine your heart and examine your actions to see if there's anything that's happening in your life before the world or before your brother and sister in Christ that could cause them to stumble in sin. You see, maybe you invite them to your home and you offer them a beer to drink you might have just done something that could change their life in the wrong way for a very long time Maybe you sit down and show em a movie that they should watch or maybe the music you listen to might draw them back into some music they lose to listen to. You see, Christ says, we need to stop judging other people.

We need to take a closer look at us than what we're doing in our life doesn't cause another harm because believe it or not, other people are watching you. Younger Christians are watching you. People that aren't saved that are wondering if this is real. They're watching you. We need to be careful to examine ourselves and our own conduct.

They're not our judge. No, God is. However, as Paul said, though I am free from all men, I've made myself the servant of all. Because they need Jesus and they are looking at me. First Corinthians ten thirty one, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Like the priest of the Old Testament were to show in their actions, in their behavior, in their worship that God is holy. He is to be honored. He is to be respected. He is to be trusted. He is to be obeyed and that God's expectations are are are firm and real.

Just as they were to show and teach the people that Today, Who does God look to to do that? He looks to those that he calls saints. To those he has set apart in his service. Who is left here? If the only reason God saved us to to take us to heaven, where would we be?

We'd be in heaven but we're not. We're here. Why? Because God wants others to see our good works and glorify our father which is in heaven. So, what are we doing in our lives?

To show others the difference between the holy and the unholy, Between the clean and the unclean. What are we doing in our worship services? What are we doing in our home? What are we doing in our activities at work? What are we doing in our relationships with our neighbors and friends?

What are we doing to be sold in light? And to make a clear distinction between that which is holy and that which is unholy. You see, before the world is going to come to God for salvation, before they come to Jesus to be saved, they need to see in us. The difference and they need to see that they're sinners in need of a savior. For without that, they'll never come.

But God has asked us today to give that distinction, to be that light, to live our life in such a way that the world sees, that other Christians who are growing in the Lord and looking to those who've been Christians for years for guidance. We'll see in us. Jesus Christ and the holiness of God. Why must then we look to the trappings and trends and pleasures of this world and long after and desire to be like them. Why do we look to Hollywood to set how we dress and how we talk and what we think about Sad to say today, it seems that most people are more interested in what Tom Cruise is doing today than they are interested in what's happening in Houston, Texas.

Or certainly where they're going to spend eternity and what's sad is sometimes we get caught up in that mess. We know better. We know better. We know better than to allow the world to tell us how to talk, to go, and how to dress, and how to act. We don't take our marching orders from the world.

We take em from who? We take them from the Lord or at least we should be. God doesn't expect the world to stop acting like the world but you know what he does expect? He expects those who he have he has changed in here and given his spirit. To take this responsibility he has given us.

Seriously, like he did these priests in the Old Testament. Why must we see how close we can come to the precipice without falling off? Why must we push the envelope? Why must we ride the fence? Why must we live in the the gray area?

We talked about that this morning. Why not see how close we can get to God and not how close we can get to the world? What happens? Well, you say but we're not like the world. So, here's the world and here's us.

The world is always gonna move away from who? My way from God. So, let's say God's over here and his standard. Here's the world, here's us, over here is God and his way and his expectations, his law. Praise God.

We're not saved by law because we would never, we would never match up. It's by his grace but here we are and here's the world. The world moves away from God and what do we do? We stay right here, right? And the world moves away from God and we get further from them.

We move worlds way. We stay put right here. We don't move. We stick with God. We stick with the Lord's standards.

We don't allow the world to infect and influence us. We stay right here and the world moves further and further away from God and before you know it, we're not don't look anything not speaking of appearance but in our actions and thoughts anything like the world anymore. Is that right? Is that what tends to happen? Maybe.

But usually, this is what happens. The world moves here. And what do we do? We move here. The world moves here.

We move here. The world moves here. And we move here. Now, where did the world start out? Here.

And now, where are we? Here. Maybe that's not quite an accurate illustration but you get the point. It used to be that all Christiandom condemned immorality. The Bible says, marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled but adulterers and whoremongers.

God will judge. And so, we simply declare what the Bible said. Physical relations outside of marriage is what? Wrong. Sin.

Plain and simple. But is that what a lot of Christians seem to believe today? It doesn't seem to to be because there are a lot of young Christians. It seems that are comfortable living together for a while before they get married. What's going on there?

What's happened? The world's moved. We've moved. The world's moved. We've moved.

Has God changed? No, he hasn't. God hasn't changed. Why have we? Why can't we see how holy we can be and how much like the savior rather than like the world?

Love not the world. Neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. What does it mean when you love something? That's the word agape that's used in this verse.

It means that you treasure it, that you value it so highly that you won't let go of it, that you, that you embrace it. Who are we to embrace? Jesus Christ. What are we to embrace? His word.

Word embrace others with the love of Jesus Christ. To look not only on our own things but on the things of others to not allow those opportunities, those people the word of God to slip by but to embrace them and to hold on to them. Tenaciously because they're of great value to us. But instead sometimes what it seems is that Christians are holding on to the things instead of the what? Of the world.

And we can't let go. And God wants to bring revival and God wants to change us. He wants to be glorified. He wants to save souls. He wants to do great and wonderful things.

But we are holding tightly so tightly on the things of the world that we don't wanna let go. We're not yielded to him. God can do the work in us that he wants to do. Because we're not walking in the spirit. We're being led by the flesh.

We're being led by the world. What if I challenged you? For the week preceding revival, I'm I'm not doing this not at the moment, but what if I challenge you for the week preceding revival Rather than watching TV, you spent that time in prayer. Should that be a difficult thing? Should it be a difficult thing?

To let go of that. Shouldn't. Shouldn't? I went to college for five years where there were no TVs. For eight months out of the year I never watched TV.

You know something? I didn't miss it. You know the sad thing is? I'd miss it more today than I miss it then. That's not good.

There are things that are maybe not altogether wrong but altogether unprofitable. We're not willing to let go for the sake of the Lord and seeing him do a mighty work in our lives. Maybe it's not just TV, maybe it's some things we watch on there that we know we shouldn't. But we like them and We can handle it. Be careful if you think you stand, lest you what?

Lest you fall. Why do we consume, consume with mixing the holy with the unholy and blurring the lines between right and wrong. That makes sense for the world. And for the lost but doesn't make sense for us. Why can't we choose entertainment, entertainment which doesn't mock our faith and promote the way of sin?

On the screen up here, Psalm one zero one three. David says, I will set what? No wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside. It shall not cleave to me.

Now, I wish David would have followed that all the time. He didn't. Caused him and his family a great deal of heartache. A man is life, a child is life. But it's a good thing for us to follow.

I will set no wicked thing before my night. Now, he didn't have a TV set back then. They didn't have a movie theaters and they didn't have rock and roll music back then. But you can bring some awful wicked people right into your living room. When you turn on that TV set.

And you can set some awful wicked things before your eyes. Is that the way to edify and grow us in the Lord or do those things tend to pull us down? Are we mixing the holy which is us by the way with the unholy? Why can't we use language which is unquestioningly clean, edifying, and honoring to God. Ephesians four twenty five, not no 29, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace into the hearers.

I don't know how many times I hear Christians say the word gosh. You say, well, there's nothing wrong with the word gosh. It's what's gosh? Well, I tell you what it is. It's a word that's used in place of what?

God. Oh my. We're told specifically in scripture, do not take the name thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. So, we use gosh. So, therefore, we're okay.

Is that really? Is that really what we should be doing? Or should we just avoid that that language altogether? Which do you think God expects? Which is the best testimony?

We say, what the world does it all the time. Of course, they do. We're not supposed to be of the world. The world hears people say, gosh, all the time. What do they hear from you?

They need to hear something different. Why can't we be modest in our appearance and chased in our actions and thoughts? Showing respect towards God. Why is it that Christians have issues with modesty? Well, Florida beaches don't help any.

People get used to dressing for the beach. Maybe we should rethink how we dress for the beach. That's a public place by the way. Immodest dress and appearance is not a problem all by itself Because he is connected to immodest often thought process and a desire to be noticed. By others.

Who are we to draw attention to? We're to draw attention to Jesus not us. You see, I I don't condone it but I understand why teenagers struggle with What I don't understand is why 30 and 40 and 50 year old Christians struggle with it. We shouldn't. Sometimes we do.

God expects us to be respectful of others and of him and he expects us to be pure and careful with this body that now belongs to who? To Jesus and this mind that now belongs to who? To Jesus. Ephesians five three to five, but fornication, uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become a saints neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks. For this, you know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man which is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Alright, the Ephesians, you know how the world lives. They live to fulfill the lust of the flesh. They live to gratify the flesh. They live for this. They think this is fun.

They celebrate it. They glorify it. That's what the world does. But you're not of the world. And these things do not have a place in the Christian life.

God says, if we will confess our sins, he is faithful and just forgive us our sins and to what? Cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You have problems with your thought life? Take it to who? Take it to God and tell him what you're doing and ask him for help and when you do it again, talk to him again and again and again until he starts to change the way you think because our thoughts often lead to actions.

The world, yes, acts like this. We don't need to think like this. We don't need to act like this. We know these planes should have no place in our lives. We should not get close enough to touch him with a 10 foot pole.

Why do we wanna dress like them? Why do we wanna talk like them? Why do we want to be entertained with a lot of their entertainment? When we know better. Why do we listen to their dirty jokes?

And laugh at them. Are you afraid to say, I'm a Christian? And that's not funny. First Thessalonians four three, for this is the will of God even your sanctification that you should abstain from fornication that everyone of you should know how to possess his vessel and sanctification honor not in the lust of concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God. Again, Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica, same issue.

Don't you know better? We do. And we should stay as far away from that or any indication of that in our lives. As we possibly can. Why can't we stick to God honoring music and expressions of faith and gratitude in our worship instead of gratifying the flesh.

This shouldn't be popular in most churches today. Psalm 40 verse three and he hath put a new song in my mouth even praising to our God. Many shall see it in fear and shall trust in the Lord. The word new means fresh or excellent. God has put a fresh a new a song, a different song.

An excellent song in my mouth. Even praise unto my God. Different from what? Different from what it was before, before you were what? Before you were saved, Before you knew the Lord.

You had your music and you had your entertainment but now that you know Christ, that should what? That should change. There's no reason our music should sound just like what? Should should just like their music. Particularly, our worship music.

Colossians three sixteen, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Teach and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. The word spiritual means not carnal. And say, well, that's that that's just the words.

Is music just made up of words? Or is music also made up of notes? And rhythms and chords. Yeah, all of that makes up music. Why is it we want to take God's words and we want to put them to carnal music and then we want to praise God with it in the church.

That doesn't make sense to me. Yet, that seems to make sense to a lot of people. It seems to me that God wants us to sing a new song. He doesn't mean new by contemporary. What he means new is different from the different from the world, distinct.

That's the kind of music we should worship God with. That's the kind of music we should edify ourselves with. Doesn't that make sense? I think it does. We need to show a distinction because the holy and the own holy between the holy and the profane.

If we don't make that distinction in the world, who is going to make it? Nobody. It's up to us. It's up to us and why can't we look at take opportunities to speak to our neighbor about Christ? And gossip less to our friends.

There's a song I used to sing with the teenagers. It's it's a song where you repeat and I say something and they say something. I sing something, they sing something and one of the verses went like this, you can talk about me just as much as you please. You can talk about me just as much as you please. You can talk about me just as much as you please but I'll talk about you down on my knees.

All my sins are washed away. Praise the Lord. That's what we should be doing and yet sometimes we see ourselves falling into this trap. That's the world's way. Out of our mouth comes blessing and what?

Cursing. My friends, James three, this ought not so. Ought not so to be. This ought not so to be. Those whose worship and lifestyle reeks of the gray area would tell us that the more we are like the world, more likely they are to listen to us, to feel comfortable around us but Jesus says, we're to come out from among them and be separate, to be different, to be light, to be salt that others may see our good works that are different and glorify our father which is in heaven.

Christ said not to be the surprise if the world hates you. Why did he say that? So that we would recognize that and make a decision to be more like them so they don't hate us? No, I don't think that's what he had in mind. Matter of fact, I know that's not what he had in mind.

Matthew ten thirty four to 36, Jesus told his disciples, think not that I am come to send peace on the earth. I came not to send peace but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father and a daughter against her mother and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and a man's foe shall be they of his own household. Well, why would that be? Because the gospel and the word of God is divisive and offensive to who?

To the world. And sometimes it's divisive, I'm afraid and offensive to Christians. Who aren't fully yielded to the Lord or maybe just aren't taught We're following the wrong people. It's offensive but we must follow who? We must follow Jesus But he said this, and low I am with you what?

Always. Even to the end of the world. God said, I will be with you. So, closing again this evening as this morning What needs to change? We need to purpose in our heart as David did, not to defile ourselves with the things of the world.

Not to compromise with the world, not to become conformed to the world, but be transformed by the one renewing of our mind. As we read the word of God as we receive the word of God and as we trust in the Lord, the God of the word, that he knows what he's doing, and that he's always right. Let's glorify God first and he will bring the increase. He will bring the increase. Let's pray.

Dear God, thank you Lord. For the opportunity to serve you. Forgive us of our sins. Forgive us of our compromise. Forgive us of looking to the world.

For acceptance, looking to the world, and envy allow the world to to set our standards or to determine our culture Lord, I pray that we would be salt and light and have an influence upon our culture, upon people for the cause of Jesus Christ. Let us not yield ground in our lives and in our church and in our homes and families to the world and to the enemy For the sake of getting along for the sake of being accepted Let us stand firm in Jesus Christ our savior Let us be students of the word and hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against you. Lord, help us to walk in the spirit and take our eyes off the things of the world and quit being driven by the flesh. Lord, forgive us and help us. To glorify you this day, this week, to be reminded of your word.

To be reminded when we watch things and listen things and go places and do things with other people. We represent you. We are your royal priesthood. We are your saints. Lord, help us to reflect the holiness of God to a world around us and to be salt and light that you have asked us to be.

In Jesus' name, we do pray. Amen.