10 Illustrations on worldliness

1 To be worldly is only to think horizontally and to forget about the vertical

2 Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould

3 If someone kills your brother you would not be his friend. Given the crucifixion of Christ, why would you want to be the world’s friend?

4 When negotiating hair pin bends in the Alps, the thing to do is not to see how close to the edge you can get but to drive safely all the way

5 Keep the boat in the water and the water out of the boat

6 A characteristic of adolescents is often their eagerness to follow the latest fad - worldly Christians often behave similarly

7 A stick insect can so blend with its environment that it can’t be seen - some Christians look no different to unbelievers

8 If two live electric wires touch there will be sparks. To prevent this there are two options - isolation or insulation. It is the latter that pictures the Christian - in the world but not of it.

9 Gollum and his detrimental obsession with the ring

10 Accents People often pick up an accent from others if they spend time with others, sometimes quite quickly. Others retain their original accent even after years of living with those with a different accent

Impressing by means of the flesh

In Galatians 6:12, 13 we find four marks of false teachers to be on the look out for.

The first is that they are out to impress, Paul suggests that part of the motive the false teachers have for insisting on circumcision is that they are out to impress people by means of the flesh. They know that for some circumcision will be difficult and so in a rather fleshly way they insist on it as a means of impressing people.

This is something to watch out for with false teachers. They insist on one fleshly requirement or another partly in order to impress people. They insist on a certain period of fasting or of vigil or wearing certain clothes or speaking in tongues or some other marker that is simply a fleshly act designed to impress people.

To take two examples. On the last day of July in Ireland people climb the mountain Croagh Patrick barefoot in an act of devotion, mass being celebrated at the summit. Or even more extreme, every Easter in the Philippines certain men will flog themselves with whips and even get themselves crucified (usually without actually dying). Such acts of the flesh are designed ultimately to impress people. What devotion! What commitment! Don't be fooled.

Advisory Warning

You know everything has to have a warning on it these days. Cigarettes, advertisements for mortgages – if you do not keep up payments, etc. We are aways being warned about the weather or given content warnings by TV and radios stations. Whenever there will be flashing ligts they like to warn you too.

We always need to issue a warning when we declare the gospel. We cannot simply say, come to Cjrit and all will be well. No, we says come to Christ but realise it may cost more than you bargained on. It is going to cost you everything.