Church Covenant Part 6: Before the World (continued)

We do have church covenant back there on the back table if you like a copy of it. We read through it a few weeks ago and bringing a series of messages from it the first part of this year. We're at the section entitled Before the World. It says there that we should walk circumspectly in the world to be just in our dealings or honest that is faithful in our engagements to keep our word exemplary in our deportment or our behavior to avoid all tattling and backbiting 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 our savior and that's the portion of our covenant that we're looking at this morning. We've been through most of it.

We've got down to the last section there on pornography and immorality that we will address this morning in the service. In Matthew chapter five and verse 16, it says, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. As Christians, we have been given the wonderful privilege of being the ambassadors of Jesus Christ, our savior to a lost world. That others might see Jesus in us. That others might learn of our savior from us, our actions, our words, our testimony.

What a privilege it is to be his ambassadors to this world and so we must be careful. We must be zealous to live in such a manner. Not as to bring glory to ourselves. But to point men to who? But to point others to Jesus, to bring glory to our God, to demonstrate who he is and how we live.

So, before the world is a very important thing, as Missouri Avenue Baptist Church, we're not here just to bring glory to Missouri Avenue Baptist Church. We're here to bring glory to God. We're not here just to grow Missouri Avenue Baptist Church. We're here to grow the kingdom of God. What a what an incredible mission.

Is ours. In Jesus Christ and in advancing the testimony of the church in our community and among our acquaintances, we also advance the testimony in the kingdom of our Lord. It is declared in first Peter one fifteen but as he which hath called you as holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation. We serve a holy God. Others need to see the holiness of God reflected in us.

He is the light of the world. Back in Matthew chapter five, when it says, you are the light of the world. It's speaking of us reflecting the light of our savior too. The world around us. Goodness of his love, his character, his holiness, justice, mercy, and grace.

What does it mean to be holy? It means to be like Jesus. That's what it means. And God says in Romans eight twenty nine, he saved us that he might conform us, change us, mold us into the image of his son. So, our lives should be God honoring, morally good, separate from sin.

Spirit controlled. Like our savior. How we behave before one another in the world matters greatly. Even our language, our appearance, attentiveness, appropriateness, timeliness, and kindness reflect on the savior we represent. For others will judge him.

By us. Let's take a quick look this morning as we finish up this section. At a few specific areas of our conduct mentioned here in our covenant. The first one was avoid tattling and backbiting or gossip. And the like.

In Ephesians four twenty nine, it it says, get there. Ephesians four twenty nine, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers. Watch it come out of the mouth of a Christian's things that uplift. Things that point people to Christ. To that which is good.

Things that edify or build up others. Not things that tear them down. Gossip and and insulting and slander. Do the very opposite. Why mention that in our church covenant because it's a problem that churches experience today.

It's a problem that Christians have that we need to rethink. Because it is not honoring to our God. The second thing there was of excessive anger. Ephesians four twenty six B says, be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Yes, sometimes things happen and we well up inside with anger. We must deal with that anger justly and righteously. Lashing out at others. Holding it in and becoming bitter. These are not the right ways to deal with anger.

We need to learn to give that anger to God. We need to learn to be forgiving. Christ Jesus forgave us of so much. We need to be more patient and merciful with others who wrong us. And then abstain.

We looked at abstain last week from the use and sale of illegal drugs and alcoholic beverages and my verses got out of order. Ephesians five eighteen and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be what? But be filled, led, controlled by the spirit. Can you be controlled by alcohol and drugs and also be controlled by the spirit at the same time. The answer to that is no.

If we are to be led and controlled by the spirit, we must be able to put down and put away the drugs and the alcohol and let God give us victory over substances which would affect our ability to walk in the spirit and serve the Lord. One cannot serve God with all your heart if you're obsessed with your next fix or your next drink and the best way to avoid any such addiction is to never drink or do drugs in the first place. The Bible says in Proverbs, to not look upon the wine when it is red in the cup. What does that mean? Well, when it's red means when the grape juice has turned to what?

Turn to alcohol. That's when purple turns to red. So, when it turns red, people tell me, the Bible says I doesn't say I can't drink alcohol. No, it doesn't say you shouldn't drink. You can't drink alcohol.

This is what it says. Don't even what? Don't even look upon it when it's red in the cup. So, that seems to me to indicate that God does not want us to be drinking. Those things that would alter our minds and keep us from being fully led and controlled by the spirit and then this this morning to shun, it says in our covenant there to shun pornography or for that matter of fact, any immoral activity which is both destructive to the individual and to their testimony.

Look if you would in first Corinthians chapter six. First Corinthians chapter six and we'll begin reading in verse 18. So, Corinthians chapter six and verse 18 says, Flee fornication. Flee. What does that mean?

It means run away hastily. What else might a person flee? I can tell you what I flee. I flee big dogs with sharp teeth that come out of nowhere and chase me when I'm on somebody's property trying to knock on their door. I don't walk, wait around, especially if their tail's not wagging.

I do what? I flee, okay? The Bible says, flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body but he that committeth fornication. The word fornication is another word for sexual immorality.

For he but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit which are God's. There were some in the church at Corinth in that day who were being taught by false teachers that as long as your spirit is is is good with God as long as you you know feel spiritual or whatever that what you did physically didn't matter.

The body didn't matter. You could do anything you wanted with the body. It was only the spirit that mattered but Paul has to deal with that here and he says, yes, the body matters. Why? Because the body belongs to who?

The body belongs to God. It's no longer your body to do with it what you please. It's his body. Not only is it his body but is the dwelling place of his what? Spirit.

Therefore, God is very concerned with what we do this body because what we do with this body reflects on the spirit that lives where? Inside of it. It reflects upon the creator and savior who owns it, who bought it with his what? Who bought it with his blood. Therefore, yes, God is concerned what I do with my body.

Particularly, he addresses here this issue of sexual immorality. First Thessalonians four, Paul addresses it there with the church at Thessalonica. He said, 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. The vessel is another word for body. In sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence or not in passionate lust even as the Gentiles which know not God.

Much of the Gentile world is driven. Bisexual immorality. Paul says to those he's writing, that must not be you. We need to be driven again not by alcohol but by the wine but by the spirit. Be not drunk with wine but be what?

Filled with the spirit. Neither to be drunk with fornication or sexual immorality. Or passionate lust. But to be driven by the spirit. The Bible is succinctly clear on this matter.

Look in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse four and we're just showing you a few passages. There, the writer of Hebrews says, marriage is honorable in all and everything it goes with marriage. The intimacy and all of that is honored created by God. It's beautiful. It's wonderful.

But whoremongers and adulterers God will what? God will judge. Two categories. Adulterers are those who commit sexual immorality who are married. They are involved in extramarital sexual immorality.

Warmongers are those who are not married, who just involve themselves in all type of perverse activities. Pretty much those two terms cover all sexual immorality. God says, marriage is honorable and what happens in marriage is honorable. But if the intimacy that is for marriage is done outside of marriage, it becomes what? Sin.

And God says, he will judge it. But of course, the world, our culture, and society today no longer treat fornication, sexual morality, pornography, adultery, as the destructive sins they are but simply see them as part of life. As a matter of fact, they actually encourage what they call experimentation. Among our young people. Experimentation with yourself.

Experimentation with multiple partners. Experimentation with people of the same gender. These are all perversions. And an offense. To almighty God.

And they are destructive sins that eat away at men's souls and the fabric of our society. This is considered to many a natural part of the maturation process of teenagers. Just the same as they consider rebellion. And use of alcohol and drugs. It's just sowing your wild oats.

Just the natural process. Yeah, it is. The natural, sinful process. But it is God's process. It isn't God's expectation.

These things are sins. God says, I will judge them. We have gone in just a couple generations from condemning premarital and extramarital sexual relations to encouraging them. Most cases, abstinence and chastity are treated by the world not just as outdated but repressive. We've gone from just being outdated now to in the eyes of many in the world.

We're we're holding everybody back. I'm not very concerned about what they think. I'm concerned about what he thinks. I'm not answer to them. I answer to him.

The Bible predicted that they would call evil good and good evil. He says, professing themselves to be wise, they would become fools And be given over to a reprobate mind. To perverse thoughts, obsessions, and practices to their own harm and destruction. Look if you would in Romans chapter one. Romans chapter one and we're going to read begin reading in verse 18.

Romans one in verse 18. Again, these aren't my words. These are whose words. These are God's words. You either accept God's word or reject God's word.

My word isn't necessarily a it's not anywhere near perfect. But his word is. Verse 18 says this, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth or suppress the truth and unrighteousness because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, in our conscience. For God has showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen.

Being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and godhead so that they are what? Without excuse. Someday, every man, Bible says, point on the man wants to die but after this, the judgment. We've all give account to God. Those who have rejected him.

Will be, he says, his words not mine. Without what? Without excuse. Verse 21, because when that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. It seemed like every culture and society is is birthed so to speak.

Often times in this world with a revival before God. Our our our very nation was founded by many who were yes very imperfect but who largely believed in the God of the Bible. Many who actually believed and trusted in Jesus Christ as their savior. Our country was founded on many ways upon biblical biblical principles but how far we have fallen. He says that, again, verse 22, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.

They changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like the corruptible man and the birds of four footed beasts and creeping things. You say, well, we we're not idol worshipers in this country. Yeah, we are. What idol do we worship? We worship man.

Our religion today is is largely secular humanist. We have become our own one. We have become our own God. We make the rules. Not God.

That is how many people at least and practically seem to believe. Verse 24, wherefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie and worship and serve the creature more than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause, God gave them up into vile affections. Even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet or befitting their rejection of their creator and even as they did not like to retain God and their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient.

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetous maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, boasters, proud inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents without understanding, covenant breakers without natural affection, implacable, and unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them and others that do the same. Sadly, in many ways that describes the society in which we live in today. Thinking ourselves to be wise, we have become fools. Jesus Christ says that we who are the children of God are to be salt and light in this world. This church needs to be salt and light in this kind of world.

We must be different. We must be different in every aspect including this aspect of immorality. It is a destroyer of homes. How many homes have been broken? Because of adultery.

Is destroyer of one's health disease, stress, guilt. David puts it this way in Psalm 32 as he was dealing with his own. Immorality. He says, when I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night, thine hand was heavy upon me.

My moisture has turned into the drought of summer, Selah. When we turn from God and we participate in those things they bring stress. They bring guilt. They cannot only cause emotional but physical ailments. It is a destroyer of one's testimony.

The marriage between a man and a woman including the intimacy therein is a testimony to its founder and his relationship with the church, his bride. He says in Ephesians five twenty five up on the screen, husbands love your wives even as Christ what? Love the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. The bride is us.

And thankfully, we serve a faithful God. Faithfulness in the marriage relationship. Reflects the faithfulness of God towards his what? Towards his church. Infidelity destroys.

That beautiful picture and testimony. It is a destroyer of churches and ministries. How many churches and ministries have you heard about that were destroyed? Because of the immorality of its leaders. How many has Satan taken down?

It is a destroyer of one's fellowship and usefulness to God. As long as David was harboring this sin in his life, he was useless to God. It wasn't until he confessed it. That he became useful again. How many Christians are out there That want to be useful to God but they're not dealing with sin in their life like they should and they find themselves useless rather than useful.

There was a day in our society when adultery was illegal and there were consequences for cheating on one spouse to whom you had made a covenant before God and man to be faithful. Today, it is assumed that most will be unfaithful. In some form or fashion, in some cases, people go into marriage with the understanding that they need not be monogamous. That hardly ever ends well. That is if ends well is defined as having something to do with a lasting marriage relationship.

In other cases, people excuse their infidelity for many frivolous reasons and regardless of how the betrayed party feels, refuse to repent and forsake their ways. In both cases, the marriage eventually will end in what? Disaster, divorce, misery, their children will suffer. Those that are in a church often their church will suffer. Their work may suffer.

It doesn't have to be this way. It's sad and in the end, many people just end up sleeping around and never settling down. They just throw in the towel and end up living with someone to whom they're not married because hey, why bother? Makes it easier this way when we separate if we never get married in the first place. They say, hey, well, if we do stay together, well, then, it's out of love and not of duty.

Which again they hardly ever do because there's no commitment and by the way, love and commitment are not mutually exclusive. They're mutually necessary for commitment is a demonstration of what? Love. Love for God, love for your spouse. Often such activity is fueled by something we call today pornography.

Where do we get the term pornography? We get the term pornography from the Greek word that we read here, fornication. The Greek word that's translated fornication or might be translated in modern translations as sexual immorality is the word porneia. That's the word porneia. Now does that sound anything like pornography?

Yes it does. Pornography is pornography. It is writing that draws one into a mindset or activity of sexual what immorality or fornication and it is rampant in our society it has become more acceptable even among Christians. Like the consumption of intoxicating beverages and drugs but it's not acceptable to who? It's not acceptable to God and it is very destructive.

Matthew chapter five verse twenty twenty seven and twenty eight say, this, you have heard that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery. That's one of the what? One of the 10 commandments, okay? But Jesus goes further. He says, if you think just because you haven't committed a physical act of sexual immorality you're okay.

Let me let me tell you this. He says, but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. God says to fantasize romantically or sexually about another woman is adultery in the eyes of who? In the eyes of God. You do not actually have to physically commit adultery to be unfaithful.

You can do it in your mind and that is no better. It is not inexcusable. Why would Jesus say this in his sermon on the mount in Matthew five? Well, because it was a problem with particularly the religious crowd. You see, the Pharisees thought, hey, we're okay.

We don't commit adultery and Jesus said, no, you're not okay because you're doing it in your head. And that isn't any better. Their hearts were full of lust and envy and many times would end up divorcing their wives to be with another. All the while, excusing themselves because they hadn't actually been unfaithful. Thus, Jesus felt it necessary to say this to them in verses thirty one and thirty two.

He said, it hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement but I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife saving for fornication, causes her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery. So, Jesus said to those who would say, hey, well, you know, I didn't. I wasn't unfaithful. I I divorced her properly so I could be with somebody else. Jesus says, you are no one.

You are no better than the adulterer. You use the law to try to justify your immorality. And where did that begin? Well, that began back in verse 27 where they looked at other women and were fantasizing about them and lusting after them and one thing led to another and they end up divorcing their wives and marrying another. The world seems to be on a mission, particularly the pop culture and entertainment industry today to fill the minds of both young and old with sexually explicit images and activities, desensitizing them to perverse sexuality at younger ages.

Giving them an unhealthy obsession and appetite for sexual pleasure long before they can righteously fulfill it. I remember when I was in high school, rock music was was packaged which is largely sexual in nature was packaged and sold advertised for teenagers. Now, it is being packaged and advertised and sold to younger and younger and younger and younger and younger kids. Satan says, the sooner I can get them, the longer I can what? Longer I can keep them.

And he is hard at work. But Satan and our culture is not the final arbiter of that which is right and wrong. Our God is and we as God's children cannot excuse our behavior. Our God and heavenly father demands better. Of us.

He demands. He expects his children to be faithful. In their marriages. He expects them to flee fornication. To run from the fire.

Rather than playing with it. He says in Ephesians five one through five, turn there with me if you would and we're almost done. Ephesians chapter five. Ephesians chapter five. He says, Be you 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.

But fornication and all uncleanness or immorality, all covetousness and lust, let it not be, what's the next word, once named among you as becometh or as befitting saints or children of God. God says, these things, they shouldn't be in our church. They shouldn't be in our lives. We need to flee them. They are not befitting the Christian.

I don't expect the unsaved world to see it my way. I don't expect them to do a 180 and change their behavior until they come to know who? Jesus. Then they should. We who have been given God's spirit have been enabled and empowered by that spirit.

To walk in newness of life that we have been given in Christ Jesus. And to be different. And God does expect that. And the world whether you believe it or not, the world out there is watching you and they sort of expect it too. They expected of Christians.

When they don't see it in Christians, what do they call us? They call us hypocrites and you know maybe, they're right. He goes on to say here in verse four, neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather what? Giving of thanks. Giving of thanks.

For the new life we have in Christ Jesus. For freedom from the bondage of sin is right. He says, for this you know in verse five, no whoremonger or unclean person or covetous man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Those whose lives are defined by these things, They're not Christians and we who are Christians shouldn't allow ourselves, shouldn't allow these things into our lives at all. We should not.

How are you doing? May I ask you a question? I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand. But how many of you this month have watched a movie or a show at the theater or on the TV? Or read a book or a magazine that contained pornography?

Which by the way is anything that is formulated to produce a sensual or sexual response. It doesn't require nudity. It can be words or even sounds. Now, be honest. Not with me but with yourself and God You might say, well, I'm happily married and it won't hurt affects your heart It reflects, it affects your thoughts towards God and towards your mate.

It is sin. It is destructive and it is offensive to God. I don't know you. I don't know what goes on in your head. I don't know what goes on in the privacy of your home.

But I know somebody who does. Our God does. Our God who died to save us does. A god who desires to be glorified in our life does. And we should care about that.

Why mention this in our church covenant? Because it's a problem in our society today. Sadly, it's also a problem in our church today. Christians have let down our their guard, their own guard, the guard of their children. Christian families and ministries are powerless and falling apart at the seams.

It is an epidemic not just in the world but it is to some extent an epidemic in the church. It must not be overlooked. It can't be swept under the carpet. Christians need to be warned and we need to help each other. Pray for each other.

Trust God to help us to avoid it and to get victory. Jesus Christ died to save who? Sinners. If you're here today and you're a sinner, join the group. If you're here today and you're a sinner, Christ died for who?

He died to save you. The question not is not are you a sinner? The question today is, are you a sinner who wants to be saved? Because there are a lot of sinners who don't. Christ Jesus Christ came to save you from eternal penalty of sin and hell.

He came to save you from the bondage and ensavement of sin. Here and forever. He came to rescue and deliver you from whatever particular sin is on your mind right now. Jesus Christ died to save you. Will you let him?

Will you come to him? In a moment, we'll give a hymn of invitation. Will you come and trust Christ? Will you confess to him? That you are a sinner.

Will you receive his saving grace and his son as your Lord today? And are you a Christian who wants to get victory? For Christ came to give Christians also victory. He came to help you to get victory over that sin. He came to help you avoid sin.

That would rob you of your joy. And rob you of your testimony. Will you confess that sin to him? As we bow our heads to pray this morning. Dear heavenly father, you say in your word, if we confess our sins, you're faithful and just forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Lord, some of us today need to be cleansed from unrighteous thoughts. And activities. Lord, I pray. That as we confess that you would forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness Lord and give us victory over the sin which just so easily beset us. Rob us of our joy.

Destroy our testimony, Lord. Forgive us and cleanse us today and give us the victory in Jesus Christ, we pray. And Lord, if there be one here today that's never trusted Christ as savior, I pray Lord today. As we give this hymn of invitation, they might come. And be saved.

Be receive God's gift of everlasting life By God's grace, receive forgiveness and be justified in the sight of God. I pray Lord as we sing may they come. In Jesus name, amen.