I sometimes get this question put to me, concerning certain worldly amusements, “May I do so-and-so?” I am very sorry whenever anyone asks me that question, because it shows that there is something wrong, or it would not be raised at all. If a person’s conscience lets him say, “Well, I can go to A,” he will very soon go on to B, C, D, E, and through all the letters of the alphabet…

When Satan cannot catch us with a big sin, he will try a little one. It does not matter to him as long as he catches his fish, what bait he uses. Beware of the beginning of evil, for many, who bade fair to go right, have turned aside and perished amongst the dark mountains in the wide field of sin ( Spurgeon)

I Why Is Worldliness So Serious? 1. Worldliness opposes everything the Christian stands for –Jesus –Jesus: Jn.17:16 His disciples were not perfect, but at least they were not worldly –Jesus’ death –Jesus’ death: Ga.1:4

–The Father –The Father: Ja.4:4 Spiritual adultery: when the “wife” courts another husband (idolatry; worldliness) Mt.6:24. Ja.2:23 What (who) occupies your time? –The Father’s love –The Father’s love: 1 Jn.2:15 The solution is not to move out of the world; it doesn’t work anyway The solution is to love God –Heaven –Heaven: Col.3:1-2

2. Worldliness blinds us to spiritual things 2. Worldliness blinds us to spiritual things, Lk.12:13-21 –13, the mistreated brother could convince himself that he was spiritual because instead of stealing from his brother, his brother stole from him; he was fighting injustice –14, worldliness blinded him not only to his condition, but to the proper view of Jesus

–15, this man is no different from his brother! His covetousness will bring him more harm than losing his share of the inheritance 1 Co.6 GuardGuard. We are under attack and must protect ourselves –16-20, the illustration Mymymygoods…myMy crops...my barns...my goods…my soul In the end, nothing was his –21, the application

Signs we are slipping: WHEN the way to the meeting house SEEMS TOO FAR WHEN it seems TOO MUCH TROUBLE to get ready or to get out in the weather to go to the assembly WHEN the singing comes HARD and SEEMS DREARY WHEN the sermon seems much TOO LONG WHEN you see much you DISLIKE in the brethren

WHEN the preacher’s or teacher’s lessons make you MAD WHEN the members frequently say things that OFFEND you WHEN PRAYER is a BURDEN WHEN the reading of the BIBLE is DULL and puts you to sleep WHEN it FRETS you to be called on to GIVE more WHEN you try to make EXCUSES FOR YOUR SINS and persuade yourself that God will NOT PUNISH or judge WHEN you feel you are being SLIGHTED or NEGLECTED… –Watch out!

3. Worldliness hinders our service 3. Worldliness hinders our service, Lk.10:38-42 –Martha prepared her hospitality (everything had to be just right) –Irritable because she thought Mary wasn’t working as hard as she was for the Master –But Mary also prepared – her heart –Lk.8:14, cares, riches, pleasures of life…

II Examples Of Worldliness 1. Immodest dress –Gn. 3:6-10 –Adam and Eve knew they were naked and hid themselves –Many today lack the spiritual insight to admit it clothed –God made tunics of skin and clothed them (20)

“Nakedness” in the Bible a. A “loin covering” –What Adam and Eve wore, yet were still “naked” (Gn. 3:7, 10) –Exposing the torso is nakedness b. Showing the waist and thighs (Ex. 28:42) –Priests wore “linen breeches” (linen undergarments, ESV) that covered their loins and thighs (to “cover their nakedness”) –These covered them from the hips to the knee

c. Ex.32:25, break loose, cast away restraint c. Ex.32:25, break loose, cast away restraint (NRSV : running wild). LXX: to dissipate let go, let alone…uncover –BDB: let go, let alone…uncover. 1. let go, let loose, people i.e. remove restraint from them, Ex.32:25 (p. 828). –Pro.29:18 Most today are under no restraint Daily we see one consequence: immodest dress This behavior delights the enemies of God!

without clothing lightly clad without an outer garmentISBE: “ Both the Greek and Hebrew forms mean ‘without clothing,’ but in both languages they are used frequently in the sense of ‘lightly clad’ or, simply, ‘without an outer garment’ –So, probably, is the meaning in Jn.21:7… and so perhaps in Mk.14: –The Jews objected vigorously to exposure of the body (even athletes insisting on a loin-cloth [compare 2 Macc 4:12-13], and compulsory nudity was the extreme of shame and humiliation”

d. No clothing at all (Job 1:21) e. Showing the buttocks e. Showing the buttocks (2 Sm.10:4; Isa. 20:4) accents rather than hides –Why would this not include partial showing, as well as tight and form fitting clothing which accents rather than hides this part of the body? –1 Co.12:23

f. Exposing the breast f. Exposing the breast (Ezek. 16:7) –Word picture, 7, 8, 10 –Uses same word for “clothed” in Gn. 3:21 –Showing the breast or part of it (e.g., cleavage) is nakedness that needs to be covered

2. Immoral Music early fornicationRaunchy music lyrics can lead teens to early fornication (rd) – Rand study in the journal Pediatrics conscienceless fornicationLyrics about conscienceless fornication affected both males and females –1,461 teens, three years; compared music they listened to with their self-reported sexual activities, comparing those who listened to such music with those who did not

“Death to America!” Gn.6:5, every intent of the thoughts… –American teens between the ages of 15 and 18 listen to 1.5 to 2.5 hours of music a day, with a quarter of them listening to more than 3 hours Mk.7:21-23, what do you think? –Thirteen-part list; exposes the evils that live in the human heart –One doesn’t have to travel very far to find the source of these sins

–Men first indulge the thought of evil, and then the imagination of evil. Then, picturing it before their mind’s eye, they excite their own desires after it. These grow into a thirst and kindle into a passion –Ph.4:8, “But I can’t help what I think!” we are responsible for our thoughtsNot true! This shows that we are responsible for our thoughts and can hold them to holy ideals We can help what we listen to!