Living a Praiseworthy Life Before the World: Part 2

We're gonna finish something we started last Sunday morning. Really something we started on January 1 as we read our church covenant together, and I've been preaching messages that are related to our church covenant. Most important thing is not the words of written on a paper of the church constitution but these things are a reminder of what we read and what we are taught in scripture. God's word, what God expects of his children, what God expects of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church. What God desires for us and for his glory.

We discussed last week, the church represents the interest and the character of its head, of its leader and that head, that that leader is Jesus Christ. He is the head of the church. As we mentioned last week, God looks on the heart but man can only go by what he perceives from the outside. And you say, well, the heart is all that matters because all that matters is what God thinks but we read in God's word as we've seen last week as we'll see this week that God is concerned about how other people see us. Primarily for his glory and for their good.

They need to see Christ. In us. You probably noticed for better, for worse that people do judge us by what they see. It's not necessarily a matter of right and wrong, it's it's the way things are. You need to practice what you.

Preach. Preach. Because if you don't, they call you out on a double standard very quickly. Sometimes, they judge unfairly. Sometimes, they don't.

But regardless, if we name the name of Christ, our testimony affects the testimony of our God. The testimony of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church not only affects the testimony of the church and of baptists, more importantly, we represent Jesus Christ and what people see and hear in us tells them a lot about our God. If they perceive us to be hypocrites and condescending, they will sometimes think the same of our God. If they perceive us to be unfairly judgmental, they may think the same of our God. If they perceive us to be unloving, they will think the same of our God.

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 of our God. If they perceive us to be out of touch and insensitive, they will conclude the same of our God. We are his ambassadors. He is not here in person.

He is here in our hearts but they can't see the holy spirit. What they can see is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is not this building. It is every Christian who knows the Lord Jesus Christ. As savior. Let's look at this verse first of all.

It says, whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do what? Do all to the glory of God. That means this, do all to give the right representation opinion of God to others around you. We want them to see in us God for who he really is and give him the glory. 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.

Recognizing as we give glory to God that it is God that is doing this in our life. None of the credit is ours. It all belongs to Jesus that they might give him the glory for what they seen him do in the lives of his children. Having said that, I gotta flip ahead just a little here. We read this part of our covenant last week.

We'll read it again this morning. There's a section entitled Before the World because what we do, the life we live before the world, not only reflects on our church, but more importantly, it reflects on our God and so therefore, it is important for us to keep some things in mind as members of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church and more importantly, members of the family of God. Let's you just follow along, you don't have to read out loud as I read it. It says, to walk circumspectly in the world, and to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment. To avoid all tattling, 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.

As we advance the testimony of God in our lives, we not only advance the testimony of the church but we advance the testimony of the kingdom. Our savior and each one of us who know Christ have that responsibility and that great privilege For indeed it is a great privilege. We took this apart step by step last week. We started with walk circumspectly. First phrase there says that we must walk circumspectly in the world.

That comes from this verse, Ephesians five sixteen, see then that you walk circumspectly not as fools but wise. The word circumspect means to conduct our lives in a cautious, thoughtful, and considerate manner. Let me say it again, cautious, thoughtful, and considerate of others manner, with our eyes wide open and our minds and hearts always in gear. One of the things that God has given us besides the word of God, besides the holy spirit is a sound mind. God, Paul told Timothy, God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind and God says, as we go through this world, as we live each day, we need to engage this brain.

We need to be sober. That means to be thoughtful and cautious and careful, doesn't mean just to not be drunk, okay? The bible uses that word quite often along with this word circumspect that is used more less frequently. We often say things, do things without what? Thinking.

Thinking. And as Christians, we need to be careful to think through what we do because we still live in this flesh and we still battle with our sin nature. It has been dethroned and one day, it will be completely eradicated when we stand before God in heaven but for now, if we react in the flesh, we will say things and do things we regret. And sometimes we do. We need to be circumspect.

We need to think through. We need to look ahead. When I was dating my wife, in college, we set down certain rules when we started dating of things that we would not do. And we didn't. And that kept us out of a lot of trouble.

We recognize. We all should recognize temptation in our life. It is there. We need to have a plan. We need to think things through, we need to be prepared for battle against those things.

Bible says in Proverbs 27 12, a prudent man or wise man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the symbol pass on and are punished. The prudent, the wise man, he sees the temptation coming. He sees the trouble coming and he avoids it. He takes steps to avoid the trouble, but the simple or the foolish one, he pays no attention and he just goes headlong right into it. And when that happens, we often succumb and we often get ourselves in trouble but more importantly, we do dishonor to the name of our God rather than bring him glory.

So, the Bible says, we need to walk circumspectly in this world. Number two, we need to be just in our dealings. We looked at Romans chapter 13 and it talks about our responsibilities, our relationship to government, and to others and that we need to honor those who deserve honor, fear to whom fear, obedience to whom obedience and give tribute or taxes onto those who deserve our taxes, which is our government. We need to be fair, righteous and honest in our dealings in this world, because other people are watching you, other people are watching you, Christian, to see if you are going to follow the law, to see if you are going to complain all the time about the law, to see if you are going to be very honest in your dealings because they may not be honest in theirs but they're watching you to see if you're honest in yours and if you're not, they'll call you on it. Yep.

Or worse, they may not call you on it out loud. But in their head, in their heart, and in effect, they're thoughts about God. We need to be righteous in our actions, we need to obey God's authorities, we need to not cheat or steal from others, we need to pay back our debts, we need to treat others fairly and give them what they deserve and sometimes more than they deserve, or that's what our savior did for us. We are also to be faithful in our engagements, first Corinthians four two, moreover, if required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. You serve a faithful, trustworthy God.

He will never let you down. We need to do our best by his grace to not let others down, so that they see that characteristic that God has placed in our lives. And that they not believe that God is unfaithful because of the actions of his children. For we represent him. Be a person of integrity.

God has called you just and righteous and he has empowered you by his spirit to be so and more so every day. So, be that person and let others see it in your life. Keep your word, do what you say you're going to do. If you do otherwise, it will bring dishonor rather than glory to his name. The fourth one we looked at, I know I'm moving kind of quickly, but this part's review, okay?

Be exemplary in your deportment. First Peter one fifteen and sixteen, but as he which hath called you is holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation because it is written, be you holy for I am holy. God told Israel in the Old Testament, he said, be holy for your God is holy. In the New Testament, Peter repeats this command for the church, okay? And here God says, you be holy in all manner of conversation because your God is holy.

Now, the word holy means to be separated or set apart particularly from sin and from worldliness unto the will and service of almighty God who has saved us by his grace. So, we are to be holy and it says in all manner of conversation. Now, I believe that phrase is in there be to make sure that God isn't just talking about the inside though that's where it begins but God also cares about our behavior and conduct before the world. The word conversation isn't is a word we use today to describe speech, having a conversation with somebody. But in the day the King James version was translated, it meant your conduct, your manner of life, your behavior.

And so, God wants us not only to be holy and justified by his grace in our heart, but he wants that to affect our mind and our what? And our actions. So that others watch our behavior, They recognize that there's something different about the children of God. That our desire first and foremost is to honor Jesus, to honor the Lord, and to do his will. Above the things of the world.

He has called us to be holy in our behavior Ephesians five, three, and four, the fornication, all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become a saints, neither filthiness or foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks. God said, these things that are of an immoral nature, they need not be once named among us. In other words, they don't, you don't need to treat them lightly. You'd only say, oh, I slipped up here and I slipped up there. No.

God says, don't slip up. The Bible says, if we do slip up, we need to what? Confess our sins. His faithful fuss to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness but God doesn't want us to take these things lightly as the world we live in does today. They celebrate these things.

Our God does not and we need not as Christians. We have something better. God has something better for us and God says that these things should not be once named among us as become a saint or is as is fitting for those who profess the name of Christ. It is understandable though it will bring judgement upon the world that they live for and practice these things. They don't know God.

They don't have the forgiveness. They do not have the understanding of God's word in them. They don't have the holy spirit and so they practice these things. Yey, they live for these things but God says, this is not fitting for us. For God has something better.

For us. God desires something better for us and these do not reflect well on the glory of our God. They are not fitting in the lives of his children. The word deportment that's used in our covenant, it speaks again of our behavior, our public behavior before the world. As Christians, it should always be proper, appropriate, and under control.

The Bible word is temperate, temperate, under control. We need to be a pattern for others to follow. Paul says to Titus in chapter two seven and eight, I don't have it up there, I'll just read it for you. In all things showing thy showing thyself a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity and sincerity. Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

Paul says to Timothy, you live your life in such a way that you bring glory to God and that you do not give ammunition to those who hate you, to those who oppose you in the preaching of the gospel in Jesus Christ. No, you live by God's grace in such a way as to bring glory to his name. So, that they have no ammunition. To throw at you. Of hypocrisy or double standards.

In your life. Paul says to Titus, this is so important. So, so important that you be a pattern. And you say, well, Titus was a preacher, pastor. Yes, he was.

Timothy was a preacher, a pastor. Yes, he was. So, that's only for pastors. No, it's not. God didn't write this and put this here just for pastors.

He preserved it for all of us because we are all the ambassadors of Jesus Christ and people are watching you. Say, well, who's watching you? Well, the people you work with, the neighbors, your friends, your relatives, and they're not watching me because they don't know me. They know you. And you represent not only Missouri Avenue Baptist Church, but the Lord in your behavior.

There's four things that follow in our church covenant. In respect to our behavior that we particularly felt was worth reminding people about in concern respect to our behavior before the world. There are many things beside these four, but we'll look at the four that are in the church covenant this morning. First of all, we are to avoid all tattling and backbiting. Tattling and backbiting.

I don't use that word tattling as much as I did when I was in elementary school. Their tattling was a big thing, you know, you didn't dare tattle on anybody. Tattling is telling on someone or someone's solely in order to get them in trouble when their failure did not involve you, you know. They're doing something, hey teacher, look, they're doing that, you know. Not because they're causing you a bunch of trouble, but because you want to get them in trouble, okay?

You say, well, adults don't do that. Yes, they do all the time. They may not go to the teacher, they might go to the pastor, or they might go to a friend and say, look, did you know they're doing this? Tattling. Backbiting is speaking ill of someone to others who are not involved behind their back.

So, go to a friend and say, hey, did you know what they did? Why would you do that? Why would you do that? Well, this is so often done to exact revenge or gain some advantage over them. We also call it slander or gossip, and it's something we are prone to in our human nature.

We are prone, rather than to go to the person who did something wrong, to try to help them, we are prone to go to somebody else and say, look, did you see what they did? That makes us feel good and powerful, makes them look small and bad. And it's wrong. It's wrong. God condemns it for very good reason.

Not only does it not represent him well, not only is it a sin but it is a sin that is very very destructive. In our lives, our families, and our churches. Bible has a lot to say. We'll look at a few verses. Proverbs eleven thirteen, a talebearer revealeth secrets, but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

Well, who he that is a faithful spirit, who that is following the Lord, who is a faithful friend. They don't go around blabbing to everybody else. They want to help you but the talebearer, they have another agenda. Proverbs sixteen twenty seven twenty eight, an ungodly man diggeth up evil and his lips in his lips, there is a burning fire, a forward mouth, so a strife and a whisper separateth chief chief friends. I ask for a show of hands here this morning, how many of you have been separated from a friend by the gossip of another?

If you think about it long enough, most of us could raise our hands and have felt the sting of that. And maybe sad to say, sometimes we may have even been the cause of that. It may feel good to put down someone else. But it is so destructive and so wrong. Proverbs six sixteen through 19, these six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are abomination unto him.

I just put the last two up there for you. A false witness that speaketh lies and he that soweth what? Among brethren. And that's often the reason for gossiping is to sow discord, to manipulate people, to divide them maybe because you're jealous or maybe because you feel inferior. Whatever the case may be, we need to be careful what comes out this mouth, because sometimes we're not.

Sometimes we say things we regret that we can never take back. How are going to fix the problem of discord? Psalm twenty six twenty, Where no wood is, the fire goeth out, so where there is no talebearer, the strife seeth. Where the talebearer learns to control what he says, the strife goes away. And there can be constructive dialogue, and being brought back together again.

Sad to say that doesn't happen many times. The strife continues till siblings no longer talk to one another and churches are split and husband and wife go their separate ways. It is a very destructive element of our society, in our heart, our families, and in our churches. We must avoid tattling and backbiting. The next one also mentions also to avoid excessive anger.

Proverb, Ephesians four twenty six through 32, be ye angry and what? And sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil be speaking, be put away from you with all malice and be you kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. Yes, we have an emotion and it's called anger.

And the emotion in itself is not necessarily sin. But the reason we get angry and what we do with that anger can make it sin. Be ye angry and sin not. Do not give place to the devil. The devil loves anger.

The devil loves to use it to get us out of control, and to say things and do things, which we will forever regret. We need to be circumspect in how we deal with our anger. One of the reasons we often get angry is because of how others treat us. Well, they said this about me. Well, they did this to me, or they didn't do that.

And we get upset because we're all concerned about who? We're all concerned about me. Me, me, me, me, me. How dare you treat me that way? We get angry and that's part of the problem.

We are proud, selfish by nature. We need to allow God to change that. So, we don't get so angry about how other people treat us. There is one who has treated me in such a way that I do not deserve, in such a wonderful way, that I could never repay. It is his treatment and his care and his grace.

That matters. Not so much how other people treat me. But how my God has already by his grace treated me. The Bible says, rather than getting angry losing our temper, we need to learn to turn the other what? To turn the other cheek.

Let it go. Let it go. Why hold on to it? It doesn't in the end matter what they say or what they think. It only matters what what he thinks of me.

They are not your judge but he is and he has said, be angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. Learn to forgive like your heavenly father has what? Forgiven you. We sin when we lose our temper and say things, insulting, and derogatory which we can never take back.

How many times have you gotten angry and said something and you wish you could take it back but you can't. Once it's out there, it's out there. And it does damage. We sin when we throw or hit or kick things or people. Things we can never take back.

How many? Homes today are in dire trouble because of a husband and even sometimes a wife that cannot control themselves and when they get angry, they throw and they kick and they hurl insults. And it's a sin. It's what it is God had to teach me the hard way. I have never thrown at or kicked or punched any person in anger since I was probably six and I was on the public school bus and I was being tortured by the high schoolers.

But I have thrown a few things at the floor and one day, I was doing something at the church where I was youth pastor and I was trying to move something and it would move and I got angry and I kicked the door and I thought it was a hollow core door. Didn't realize it was a solid door and my foot wasn't as solid as that door was. And what the people of Missouri Avenue Baptist Church didn't know is I was trying real hard not to limp when I came here to candidate twelve years, eleven years ago because it was about a month before that I kicked that door and my foot hadn't healed yet. I thought I broke some. That's stupid.

Many of us have done stupid things like that and it is stupid and it is a sin. It's what it is that needs to be confessed and forgiven. We sin when we stew and steam and refuse to forgive others. We are not acting like our father in heaven who sent his son to die for us, who deserve his righteous anger. We sin not only when we explode but we sin when we become bitter.

The Bible warns allowing bitterness to take root in your heart for it will destroy your testimony. It will destroy your relationships. It will affect not only the person you're bitter with but it'll start affecting other people in your life. It is a devastating sin. Bitterness, not being willing to forgive, not being willing able to let things go.

I learned in the ministry about twenty years ago that I have to let things go. People say things to your face sometimes when you're trying to help them and sometimes they say them behind your back. You have to be able to let them go. To forgive. And to continue on and to not get bitter with other people and pray that other people won't get bitter with you because well, you're not perfect either.

We have to learn to forgive. We have to learn to love. Others more than ourselves. Be you angry and sin not. Do not give in to excessive anger.

How many people have died? How many people are in prison today because they couldn't control their anger and that does not exclude Christians. There are Christians in jail today because they did something in anger. And they blew their testimony. And they brought ruin to their life.

How many friendships? How many families? How many ministries destroyed? Because we couldn't control our anger. No, because we didn't control our anger.

The Bible says, in Philippians four thirteen, I can do what? All things through Christ who strengthens me. There is no excuse child of God for an out of control temper. I've been around those people. Well, I just have a temper.

Well, yes, you have a temper. But the Bible says there is victory in Jesus Christ. Walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill what? The lust of the flesh. There's no excuse, Christian.

The fruit of the spirit is long suffering. Gentleness, meekness, temperance which is self control. An out of control temper is the work of the flesh, not of the spirit. We are to avoid backbiting and tattling and excessive anger. We are to abstain from the sale of and use of destructive drugs or intoxicating drinks as a beverage.

Now, we could make an entire sermon out of this one point but we're going to go through it quickly this morning. But we felt it necessary to leave this in our covenant. Been there for a long time. There's a lot of Christians today that drink. When I was a Christian, I grew up in a baptist church.

It was just understood that baptist didn't drink. Alcohol was something you stayed away from. It's not necessarily the case today and people right away say, well, take me the verse that says, it is a sin to drink alcohol. And I cannot do that. You know why?

Because there is not a verse that says, it is a sin to drink alcohol. Well, pastor, why is it in the covenant? Because the Bible warns against the use and abuse of alcohol and it can have a devastating effect on your testimony. For Jesus Christ. Alcohol is not our friend.

And in today's society, there is no reason to go there. Plenty of other things to choose from. It says destructive drugs, because not all drugs are destructive. There are some drugs that can be helpful if they're used according to the doctor's prescription or in moderation. But we always must be careful.

But there are some drugs that are clearly destructive, that are clearly illegal. They have no place in the life of a Christian. The Bible says, be not drunk with wine whereas in excess but be filled with the spirit. Let's look at there. Be not drunk with wine whereas in excess but be filled with the spirit.

Now, in Jesus's day, the main drug was what? Alcohol but there are many other drugs today and they have similar or worse effects than even alcohol does. If we're to be controlled by the spirit, we cannot be under the influence of what? Alcohol and drugs. We need to stay away from those.

It says, alcohol is a beverage, because there are still a few necessary medicines which contain alcohol. Paul told Timothy, he said, drink a little bit of wine. Timothy was a teetotaler. He had nothing to do with alcohol but he had dysentery. He had stomach infection and the only medicine they had in that day was a little bit of wine to destroy the infection in his intestines.

So, Paul told Timothy, take a little bit as a what? A medicine. Sometimes, when I've got a really bad cold, I take something called Nyquil. It's the only alcohol I've ever drank. And it doesn't taste good and it's yucky but it does help to sleep and rest.

The Bible is clear concerning the dangers of the use of alcohol as a drink, as an intoxicant. As it says here, we're not to be drunk with wine, we're to be filled with the spirit. It says in first Corinthians six twelve, all things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient, all things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the power of any. Paul was talking about concerning dietary restrictions of the law to the Jews and he said, those things are I can eat pork. I I don't have to abide by those dietary but he said, I will not be brought under the power of food or drink.

Or drugs for that matter and obviously, alcohol poses a great threat. In that area. The easiest way to avoid it, don't drink. Don't drink. Turn if you would.

We'll look at the warning here in Proverbs 23. Proverbs chapter 23. Proverbs 23 and we're going to begin reading in verse 29. Proverbs twenty three twenty nine. Who hath woe?

Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?

Now, answers the questions. They that tarry long at the what? Wine. They that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red in the cup, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

Well, what does that mean? Well, that means this, When you squeeze grapes, particularly concord grapes, which is the most common type of grape used for wine, it's what color? It's purple. Go buy grape juice at the store. It's purple.

But the same grapes not only make purple grape juice but they're used to make red what? Wine. When it becomes alcoholic, the the color begins to change from purple to red and when it's really red, that means it's really full of what? Alcohol. So, the writer of Proverbs under the leading of the holy spirit says, don't look at it.

Don't be tempted by it. When it's red, At the last, it biteth like a serpent. It stingeth like an adder or a poisonous snake. Thine eyes shall behold strange women. Thine heart shall utter perverse things.

Yey, they shall be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea or is he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick. They have beaten me and I felt it not. When shall I awake? Last phrase, sadly, I will seek it yet again.

I will seek it yet again. That's the sad thing of alcoholism. That's a sad thing of being drunk with wine or any other drug is it is addicting? It gets power over you and despite the fact of all the terrible things that it causes, you go back to it again and again and again. That is not fitting nor necessary in the life of a child of God.

And if that has been something in your past, it's something that praise God, he can deliver you from. Amen. And he can give you victory over. But the best way to never have that problem is to just stay away from alcohol and destructive drugs and so that's why it's in our church covenant because we not only desire the best for the glory of God but for one another. It mentions also the sale, the sale of alcohol.

Habakkuk two fifteen, it says, woe unto him that giveth his neighbor to drink, that putteth thy bottle to him, that makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness. The writer of Habakkuk says, woe to him that gives to others to drink because that can be a stumbling block for them for sin. So, that's in there too. We have a responsibility not to be a stumbling block to others. You may say, but pastor, I never get drunk.

Pastor, I'll never get drunk. Maybe you're right. And maybe you're wrong. But remember, other people are what? They're watching you and they may be emboldened to drink and it may go very differently with them than it does with you.

Therefore, give not to your brother to drink. Why be a stumbling block to another? We have a responsibility. As we started out this study in our church covenant on January 1, we have a responsibility not only to the glory of God, but to each other, and to the world around us. How we live before the world and one another impacts many lives.

For the glory of God. We have a wonderful privilege and a great responsibility. We have one more point. We're not going to get to it this morning. So, we'll save it for another day.

How are you doing, Christian? And maybe you're here today and you say but I'm not a Christian you can be and you say but I can't do this and I can't do that and I shouldn't do this and I shouldn't do that. You're missing the point. These are not things that are good These are things that are destructive and more importantly, these are things that are sin and the Bible says, the wages of sin is what? Death.

Death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Would you receive him today? He cannot only forgive you of sin and give you a home in heaven. He can deliver you from the power of sin.

That you might live for him. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word. We thank you Lord for your goodness to us. We thank you Lord for delivering us from the power of sin.

Lord, we have all seen the power of sin in our life. Lord, we thank you that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. I pray Lord for your children that are here today. That if there is something a sin that is crept into their life and found a foothold that you would open their eyes to help them see that in Christ, they already have the victory. To not believe the lie of the enemy that says, you're without hope For how can we be without hope in Jesus Christ?

For he is our hope. Not only for heaven but for here. And Lord, we pray that if there be one here today that's never trusted in Jesus,