" There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people, a mind that thinks up wicked plans, feet that hurry off to do evil, a witness who tells one lie after another, and someone who stirs up trouble among friends," Proverbs 6:16-19 ( Good News Translation )
INTRODUCTION
A. Proverbs 16:16-19 is a passage that should serve as a guideline in choosing friends and in joining social and other organizations.
1. When one becomes a child of God and a follower of Jesus, his priorities also change.
2. What does the Bible say when a Christian faces " worldly orgnizations?" Let us know the truth, John 8:32
B. Christian's Response to Worldly Attitudes and Actions
1. Proud Look and Lying Tongue
2. Hands That Kill Innocent People; Mind That Thinks Up Wicked Plans
3.Feet That Hurry Up To Do Evil; A Lying Witness
4. Someone Who Stirs Up Trouble Among Friends
DISCUSSION
A. Proud Look and Lying Tongue
1. Joining Organizations, whether social and others is a " status symbol."
2. It caters to PRIDE and the Bible speaks against it: I John 2:15-16 " Love not the world...for all that is in the world- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the PRIDE of LIFE, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
3. Lying Tongue- membership in campus and other organizations have pledges and oaths of promise which cannot be broken
4. Because of its exclusivity, members are bound to a particular level of devotion, restricting them from helping members of other groups
5. The Bible says something about this attitude/action:
a .Matthew 25:45 " If you have done it the least of My brethren you have done it to ME."
b. Matthew 22:39 " You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
c. " Love one another as I have loved you," John 15:12
d. " Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves," Philippians 2:3
B. Hands That Kill Innocent People; Mind That Thinks Up Wicked Plans
1.Organizations, not led by God and engage in questionable activities may opt to eliminate people who are threats to the group
a. Joel 3:19 " Egypt and Edom became a desolation for violence done to Judah and for shedding innocent blood in the land."
b. Deuteronomy 27:25 " Cursed is anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood."
c. 2 Chronicles 21:4 " When Jehoram ascended the throne of his father, he killed all his brothers with the sword."
2. Mind That Thinks Up Wicked Plans
a. An organization, to survive and to be well known, will make plans to eradicate competitors
b. If the organization is not led by God, it will surely be influenced by the devil
c. Psalm 36:4 " He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil."
d. Psalm 37:12 " The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth against him."
e. " With perverted heart, he devises evil and continually sows discord," Proverbs 6:14
C.Feet That Hurry Up To Do Evil; A Lying Witness
1.Plans will be done with action; organizations will implement their schemes
a. Feet here symbolize action and organizations will not only plan but execute their plans
b. Proverbs 1:10-19 " men lie in wait to ambush and attack passerby to rob them. They resort to open violence in their eagerness to run to evil."
c. Proverbs 8:13 " The fear of the Lord is to hate evil:pride and arrogance, and the evil way "
2. A Lying Witness- As was stated earlier, social and other kinds of organizations have " exclusivity status!"
a. Members are bound to certain levels of devotion, limiting them from helping members of other groups
b. Jesus in Matthew 5:33-37 " You have heard that it was said ' Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.'
But I tell you, ' Do not swear at all either by heaven for it is God's throne, by the earth, for it is His footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
Simply, let your ' Yes' be ' Yes' and your ' No' be ' No', anything beyond this comes from the EVIL one."
D. Someone Who Stirs Up Trouble Among Friends
1. As was stated earlier, organizations have " exclusivity status" and members are bound to certain levels of devotion.
2. To a brother, cousin and even to bosom friends, who are not members of an organization..loyalty and devotion maybe lessened.
3. As God's children, this should not be so for Paul in I Corinthians 12:24-27 wrote:
a. God has combined the members of the body ( church ) and has given honor to the parts that lacked it
b. So that there should be no division in the body but that its parts should have EQUAL concern for each other
c. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it
d. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one is a part of it."
4. Instead of " stirring up trouble," Jesus said " By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you LOVE one another, " John 13:35
CONCLUSION
A. Paul issued this warning "Be not deceived: evil company corrupts good manners," I Corinthians 15:33
1. " He who walks with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed," Proverbs 13:20
2. " Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
B. How To Break Off From Social and Other Kinds of Organizations?
1. " You are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord has chosen you to be a special people to Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth," Deuteronomy 7:6
2.Paul in Ephesians 5:8- 14 " For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord, live as children of light.
For the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth; find out what pleases the Lord
Have nothing to do with the fruitless works of darkness, but rather expose them.
For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible. For it is light that makes everything visible."
C. If you are not yet a New Testament Christian
1. Believe and be baptized to be saved, Mark 16:16
2. Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38
3. Now is the day of salvation, 2 Corinthians 6:2
4.Christ will take vengeance on those who do not obey the gospel, 2 Thessalonians 1:8
5. Come to Christ now, Matthew 11:28-30