Sunday Sermons
Urge the Young Men - Part 3
Urge the Young Men III
This is the third and final lesson in this particular series. The purpose for these three lessons is summarized in the introduction to the book Thoughts for Young Men. “This book is written for boys who hope to make something of their lives. It is for young men who want to live a victorious life for Christ and transcend the mediocrity which has come to define our modern culture” (Doug Phillips). I was struck by the closing line, mediocrity, which has come to define our modern culture, and sadly, “mediocrity” is all too often a term that describes far too many professed Christians, both young and old. Young men need to realize that Christianity is for people who want to avoid living a mediocre life. God’s standards are high because they are true and God did not create us to underachieve, “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles” (1 Peter 2:12). The word excellent means “praiseworthy, morally good, noble” (Thayer p. 322). This is in contrast to the vain manner of life that we had formerly been engaged in living (1 Peter 1:18). “Lovely, fine, attractive, winsome the Christian must make his whole way of life so lovely and so fair and so good to look upon that the slanders of his heathen enemies may be undeniably demonstrated to be false” (Barclay p. 239). We should be encouraged by the word excellent. Instead of being drawn to a lifestyle that is mediocre, average, and morally unchallenging or boring we should rather be drawn to a lifestyle that is noble and appealing. One reason why people are upset with Christians is that Christians are not settling for ethical mediocrity and the lives of faithful Christians shame those who are aiming for a very low standard.
Abstain from every form of evil
“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22).“And yet you must scrutinize it all carefully” (Knox). The phrase all things reminds us that we cannot just assume that something is right. Hendriksen notes, “Test all things cannot mean try everything once, or enter every place of wickedness and find out for yourselves what it is” (p. 140.) In addition, do not overlook the phrase “hold fast to that which is good”, this “denotes firm acceptance of the good. There must be no half measures” (Morris p. 178). “It signifies basically ‘that which meets the eye’, ‘the external appearance’. But from this it develops the secondary meaning of ‘kind’ or ‘species’---‘avoid every kind of evil’” (Morris pp. 178-179). First, we do not want to make the mistake of calling things “evil” that are not evil or making rules where God made none. Yet there is plenty of evil in the world (1 John 2:15-17). Ryle reminds us, “This is one great reason why idleness is to be avoided. It is not that doing nothing is of itself so wicked; it is the opportunity it affords to evil and empty thoughts” (p. 81). Thus it is not enough to ask, “Is this wrong”, rather we also need to ask, “Is there anything here that might cause me to sin?” For example, it was not necessarily sinful for the naïve young in Proverbs 7:7 to be passing by a corner where an adulteress lived—yet he did become ensnared. Remember, you are involved in a battle against Satan (Ephesians 6:11ff), and placing oneself in tempting situations is giving Satan an advantage. “He has a battle to fight, and he gives his enemy the help of sun, and wind, and hill. It would indeed be strange if he did not find himself continually overcome”. “Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil men, avoid it, do not pass by it; turn away from it and pass on” (Proverbs 4:14-15). “Do not enter”: This infers that evil is a choice, it is not genetic and God rejects the excuse, “but I could not help myself”. “Enter”: Do not even “enter” this path for a moment, do not flirt with evil, do not fall for the line, “Don’t knock it until you have tried it”. “Avoid it”: This suggests that we will all encounter many invitations to enter the broad way. “The injunction, so absolutely stated, to have nothing to do with sin, is required, if not indeed prompted, by the knowledge of the fact that youth, confident in its own power of resistance, frequently indulges in the fatal mistake of imagining that it can dally with sin with impunity” (P.P. Comm. p. 89). “Turn away from it and pass on”: I like this statement. Pass on by because there is something much better to do with your life and your time! Pass on because you don’t want to miss out on the real fun in life (1 Peter 3:10-12). Consider equally such passages as, “Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly” (Proverbs 23:31). Please note that the man who wrote this verse had been a drinker (Ecclesiastes 2:3).
Never forget the eye of God
“The eye of God! Think of that. Everywhere, in every house, in every field, in every room, in every company, alone or in a crowd, the eye of God is always on you. “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good’ (Proverbs 15:3), and they are eyes that read hearts as well as actions. Remember that you have to deal with an all-seeing God, a God who never sleeps, a God who understands your thoughts, and with whom the night shines as the day. He knows you through and through. He heard what you said as you came here today. He knows what you are thinking at this minute. How little is this really felt! How many things are done continually, which men would never do if they thought they were seen! How many matters are transacted in the rooms of imagination, which would never bear the light of day! Yes, men entertain thoughts in private, and say words in private, and do acts in private, which they would be ashamed of and blush to have exposed before the world” (Ryle p. 85). “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).
“With whom we have to do”: No man or woman can escape his or her meeting with God at the Judgment. One cannot run from or hide from God forever. Many people in our culture have tried to distance spiritual realities from their lives, but God will not respect this division. Resist the temptation of thinking that if one ignores God or pretends He isn’t there then He will go away. “Young Joseph understood this well when his employer’s wife tempted him. There was no one in the house to see them, no human eye to witness against him; but Joseph was one who lived by seeing Him that is invisible: ‘How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’ (Genesis 39:9). Young men, I ask all of you to read. I advise all of you to learn it by heart. Make it the test of all your dealings in this world’s business: say to yourself often, ‘Do I remember that God sees me?’ Live as in the sight of God. This is what heaven itself will be, the eternal presence of God. Do nothing that you would not like God to see. Say nothing you would not like God to hear. Write nothing you would not like God to read. Go to no place where you would not like God to find you. Read no book of which you would not like God to say, ‘Show it to Me’. Never spend your time in such a way that you would not like to have God say, ‘What are you doing?’” (Ryle pp. 86,87).
Yes, heaven will be eternity in the presence of God, so it is a good idea to practice living in His presence now. Concerning Moses, the Hebrew writer notes, “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen” (11:27). In reference to Enoch, Scripture says, “Enoch walked with God” (Genesis 5:22). The expression “walked with God” denotes intimacy and fellowship. Enoch as well as others who walked with God lived continually with the awareness that they were in God’s presence, they continued to pray to God and they equally knew that God was always watching over them.
Keep control of your head
The real challenge is guarding our thoughts (Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 4:23). The devil will do everything he can to bring about in your thinking a hostile attitude toward God and His truth (Colossians 1:21 “hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds”). “Satan will try hard to fill your minds with arguments against the practices of Christianity. He will draw your attention to the numbers of persons who use them and are no better for using. ‘See there’, he will whisper, ‘do you not observe that those who go to church are not better than those who stay away?’ But do not let this move you. It is never fair to argue against a thing because it is improperly used. The value of the practices of Christianity, like other things, depends, in a great measure, on the manner and spirit in which we use them” (Ryle pp. 88,89). Thus beware of looking for arguments that conveniently offer you an excuse and yet which do not address or solve the real problem. One cannot hide behind the hypocrites among professed Christians for God will condemn them (Matthew 24:51). Equally beware of the argument, “But even Christians do not agree on what the Bible says”. The fact that finite human beings in an area may have disagreements does not cancel out the fact that absolute truth does exist (John 17:17),God expects us to live by such truth (John 14:15). Deviations from the truth will be condemned (2 John 9), and we will be judged by that truth (John 12:48).
The importance of preaching
Meeting with Christians (Hebrews 10:24), attending the Bible classes and listening to sermons is a very valuable use of your time. Yes, I know that many people in our culture have not obeyed the gospel, yet even in such cases the influence of the Bible does have a restraining effect. There are many people who do not steal or murder because they know that the Bible condemns such things. No, they are not Christians and they are not saved; yet the influence of the Scriptures has made them better members of society. Whitefield observed, “The gospel keeps many a person from going to jail and from being hanged, if it does not keep him from hell” (Ryle p. 90). Do not let the devil or his servants convince you that attending services is unnecessary. Listening to the word of God Sunday after Sunday has a good effect on the soul. “It makes it far harder afterwards to run out and commit sin” (p. 90). “Once you don’t consider Sunday’s important or anything special in your Christian life, then in the end you will give up caring for your soul. The steps that lead to this conclusion are easy and common. Beginning with not honoring the Lord’s Day and you will soon not honor God’s people; cease to honor God’s book, and in time you will give God no honor at all. Let a man lay the foundation of having no respect for God’s worship or the fellowship of the saints, and I am never surprised if he finishes with no God” (pp. 91-92).
Prayer is work
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17); “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10). “Young men, be sure no time is so well spent as that which a man spends on his knees. Make time for this, whatever your situation may be. Think of David, King of Israel, what does he say? ‘Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice’ (Psalm 55:17). Think of David. He had all the business of a kingdom on his hands; yet he prayed three times a day” (p. 96). “And here it is, I say it with sorrow, here it is that men fall short so miserably. Few indeed are to be found who pray: there are many who go down on their knees, and say a form perhaps, but few who pray; few who cry out of God, few who call on the Lord, few who seek as if they wanted to find, few who knock as if they hungered and thirsted, few who wrestle” (p. 94). Be determined to be one of the few! Finally, how do you want to be remembered? Josiah left this world and all Judah mourned (2 Chronicles 35:24); Jehoram died and the text says, “he departed with no one’s regret” (21:20).
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net/mdunagan@easystreet.com
