(Jim and Sue are sitting in the living room after dinner. Jim is reading the paper; Sue is knitting -- or something.)
JIM: (Starts to put down the paper.) Well, Sue, I'd better go to bed. I want to get to the office early tomorrow morning.
SUE: Oh, Jim, I'm so glad you like your new job. Isn't it great to be able to work at a place where everyone is a Christian?
JIM: Well, I'm not sure we all are. I know five of the six people in the office are solid believers, but Frank Smith goes to that church over on Oak Street. He says he is a Christian, but I'm not sure they really preach the Gospel there.
SUE: Yes, but I mean it must be wonderful to not have to listen to anyone swearing, telling dirty jokes, or talking about how much money they won at the casino over the weekend. It would just give me the creeps to have to work all day with people who are pagans.
JIM: That's sure true. You know, at my old job Mark Thompson came to work drunk one day. And do you remember Tom Nelson? He was actually living with his girlfriend when I left the company. I am sure glad I don't have to associate with those guys anymore.
SUE: Jim, what makes me happiest, though, is that your bigger salary will make it easier to pay the kids' tuition. I'm so glad we have been able to send all three kids to the Christian school each year. The money will also help when Jimmy goes to college in two years.
JIM: It is hard to believe that our son is almost ready for college. Do you think he will be going to Faith Christian University, Sue?
SUE: Well, I would hope so. It is a solid evangelical school. After all, you and I both graduated from there. My dad went there. And a lot of people from our church have attended there over the years. I'm sure a lot of Jimmy's friends from school will be going to Faith.
JIM: That's good. Oh, Sue, I almost forgot. Marge Kramer called while you were at the store. She said there is going to be a church social committee meeting at 8:00 tomorrow night.
SUE: OK, that will work out. I have to be there for Sunday School teachers' meeting at 6:30 anyway. It will be the fifth night in a row that I've been at church, but I guess that is what serving the Lord is all about.
JIM: Yeah, you're right. Say, do you know what I heard today? Frank Smith told me that the Bremmers may be putting their house up for sale.
SUE: The Bremmers? Who are they?
JIM: That is the family that lives two houses down the street. They moved in about three years ago.
SUE: Oh, yeah. I guess I never met them. Are they the ones who had that heathen music blaring out their window one night last summer?
JIM: Yes, but I was thinking. If they put their house up for sale, maybe Joe and Kim would like to buy it.
SUE: Oh, that would be so cool! Just think, Jim, if that happened, then four of the eight families on our block would go to our church. That will really give us some good chances to witness for the Lord. Every time we have the people from church come over to grill out, the non-Christians on the block who walk by or look out their window can see we are having a great time, and there is no beer or booze around at all. I think that is a real good testimony of how Christ brings joy to our lives.
JIM: That's true. Boy, we sure have been blessed by the Lord to have so many wonderful Christian people around us. Well, I'm off to bed. (Jim leaves.)
SUE: (Getting up and following Jim out.) Oh, I'm going to come too. I have to get up early and go to my Christian Aerobics class tomorrow morning.
Let me ask you a question: What grade would you give Jim and Sue for serving the Lord? An A? Maybe an A+? Now, maybe you don't want to be judgmental, but they are two pretend characters, so just pretend you give them a grade. I think Jim and Sue seem like a very nice couple. It would be great to have them as members of this church. Yet, even though they have a lot of good things going for them, I think they have one serious flaw. They appear to be trying to live the Christian life, trying to serve the Lord, without ever associating with people who are not believers in Jesus Christ. Though Jim and Sue are fictional characters, I know there are plenty of real-life Christians who end up doing pretty much the same thing. I think that is a mistake. Can we really serve the Lord without associating with people who are not believers in Christ? Should our goal be to make it through the week without having to talk with someone who is not a Christian? I don't think so, but I'm afraid that some of us have only a very limited contact with these folks. Let's pause and pray that God would help us better understand how he wants us to relate to the people around us.
Trying to avoid contact with those who don't share our faith in Christ is a mistake that Christians have often made throughout the centuries. Two weeks ago we looked at 1 Corinthians 5 where the Apostle Paul tells folks in that church to expel from their congregation an individual who was leading an immoral lifestyle. He said they should not associate with that type of person. But, the Corinthians had misunderstood what Paul was saying. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people -- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. Paul's instructions are to not associate with immoral people inside the church who refuse to repent of their sin. That is what we talked about on May 21. (If you want a copy of that sermon, there should be some on the table in the vestibule.) He also makes the point that it is foolish to try to avoid associating with immoral people outside the church, with people who are not Christians, because living life requires that you interact with these folks. Even if it was feasible for someone to isolate himself from those who are nonbelievers, Paul would not see it as a desirable goal because the Lord has called us as Christians to do things which require us to interact with those who are not believers in Christ. It is a mistake to try to avoid associating with non-Christians.
Now, someone might say, "Wait a minute, Pastor Dan. Hasn't God called us to be separate from those who don't follow the Lord?" I often hear Christians, especially Baptists, quote that verse and talk about "biblical separation." Now, that verse is indeed true, but what exactly is "biblical separation"? I think there is some confusion at this point. #1) Biblical separation is not refusing to associate with other Christians who disagree with us on some different issues. There are some people who call themselves Christians but who are apostates, people who deny the faith. For example, John Shelby Spong is an Episcopal bishop who rejects the basic Christian teachings like the deity and resurrection of Jesus. As another bishop says, "Every time Spong says the Apostles' Creed, he commits perjury." Now, I think the Bible, including our text today, does call for us to separate and not associate with individuals like that. As we said before, biblical discipline is warranted not only when people in the church are unwilling to repent after doing wrong things, but also when they insist on teaching wrong things.
Some people, however, maintain we should also refuse to associate with Christians who compromise with apostasy. For example, there are some folks who want nothing to do with the ministry of Billy Graham because they claim Graham has been guilty of compromising the faith by allowing churches and pastors which do not clearly proclaim the Gospel to participate in the crusades. Graham responds that he faithfully preaches the Gospel, and if these other folks want to be a part of a crusade where that is happening, so much the better. Now, I can see both sides of that argument, but sometimes this type of separation gets absolutely ridiculous. I remember reading a Christian newspaper known as The Sword of the Lord. There was an article in there blasting Bob Jones University. Why? Is it because of their policy against interracial dating or because of their claim that the Pope is the antichrist? No. The article claimed Bob Jones was compromising the faith because their school newspaper had contained an advertisement for a book written by W. A. Criswell titled, Why I Believe The Bible is Literally True. How could an advertisement for Why I Believe The Bible is Literally True be compromising the Christian faith? Well, Criswell is a Southern Baptist, and everyone knows that many Southern Baptist churches associate with Billy Graham, and everyone knows that Billy Graham associates with some theological liberals. Therefore, the logic went, Bob Jones is compromising with liberals who deny the faith. Friends, I can assure you that that type of thinking has nothing to do with biblical separation.
#2) Biblical separation is not living a life totally insulated and isolated from those who are not believers. That would be like Jim and Sue in our little skit. People like that have really no significant contact with anyone who is not a Christian. Oh, they know people who are not believers, they may work with some, they may even have non-Christians in their family, but they really don't associate or interact with these people. Often these folks are very proud of the fact that they are living a separated life, separated from all of the ungodly people around us. But again, Paul says that it is not what a Christian's goal should be. To totally isolate one's self from those who are not believers in Christ is not biblical separation, and it is not what God has called us to do.
So, if that is what biblical separation is not, then what is it? Well, first, it includes not associating with those who call themselves Christians who refuse to repent of serious sin. That is what we learned in 1 Corinthians 5. Paul sums up that chapter in Verses 12 and 13 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you." Again, if you missed that sermon a couple of weeks ago, you may want to pick up a copy. Secondly, biblical separation includes not being "yoked" with a non-Christian. This is spelled out in 2 Corinthians 6:14,15 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? Paul continues that line of thought and then concludes in Verse 17 Therefore come out from them and be separate,... So biblical separation means a Christian should not be yoked to someone who is not a believer in Jesus. We should interact with these people, we should associate with them, we should befriend them, but we should not be yoked together with them. Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the analogy Paul is using. In those days, a pair of oxen would be bound together with a yoke which would ensure that they would work together as they were pulling a load. Interestingly, it would be hundreds of years before man would learn to use a harness to yoke horses together.
So, Paul is saying that a Christian must not be bound together with a nonbeliever. What are the types of situations he has in mind? Clearly, one is marriage. A Christian should not marry someone who is not a follower of Jesus Christ. Now, as we will see in a few weeks, if a Christian is for some reason married to a nonbeliever, he or she should not divorce and leave the non-Christian partner. But, when a Christian chooses to get married, it ought always be to another believer in Christ. Because that is the clear teaching of Scripture, it is one of the few restrictions we have here at First Baptist Church when it comes to weddings. When one individual is a Christian and the other is not a believer, we will refuse to do the wedding ceremony because we don't want to be part of yoking two people in a way which God says is wrong. Many folks also believe this prohibition of being yoked means that it is wrong to be involved in a business partnership, or other types of business relationships, with someone who is not a Christian. That is certainly possible, but because every situation is a little different, the individual Christian who is involved in these situations is going to have to decide what is appropriate. Young people often wonder whether or not dating a non-Christian falls into the category of improper yokes. I suspect that depends on the situation, but any serious relationship which is moving toward marriage should only be with another Christian. All of us who are believers in Jesus Christ need to make loving and obeying Jesus our number one priority. We are to seek first God's Kingdom and His righteousness. When we are doing that, it is almost inevitable that the people closest to us, the people who share our perspective on life, will be other Christians. Because of the unity we are given in the Holy Spirit, it would be somewhat strange if our best friends were not Christians. It is good if the people closest to us share our faith in Christ. So, we are not to be yoked or bound to an unbeliever, but that does not mean we should not associate with and befriend these folks.
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul says that trying to isolate ourselves from those who are ungodly should not be our goal simply because it is not at all practical. However, there are also reasons why we as Christians want to associate with nonbelievers. Let me just mention two of them. First is that we are called to be salt and light in our world. It is Jesus Himself who uses this analogy. Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Now, I suspect one could argue that a Christian can function as a light without interacting with nonbelievers. The city on the hill can be seen from a distance. Yet, I'm not sure that people will really look out their windows and see the good deeds we do to each other. Oh, sometimes they do. I know people who have been very impressed with how this church is concerned about providing financial help to members of our congregation who are in need. But, I suspect most folks will only see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven when we are doing those good deeds to them. When we are willing to take time to help a co-worker finish a project; when we are willing to let our brother-in-law borrow our car; when we bake cookies and bring them to the couple next door who is not married but living together; that is how the world will see our good deeds. And as salt, there is no way we can function effectively if we stay in the salt shaker, enjoying our time with the other salts. As Becky Pippert says, "We need to get out of the salt shaker and into the world, if we are to fulfill the role to which God has called us." The primary purpose of salt is a preservative, keeping meat and other things from rotting. The Lord intends that we get involved with people around us, that we interact with them, so that we can be used to help keep their lives from being destroyed by the rot of sin.
The second reason we want to associate with nonbelievers is because we are called to be Christ's ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:19,20 ...that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. Paul is speaking of his own ministry, but it is really true for all of us who are believers in Christ. We are not all called to be pastors, or evangelists, or even Sunday School teachers, but we are all called to represent the Lord and the Gospel message, in whatever situation we find ourselves. Now, as ambassadors we are not really at home here. As Paul says in Philippians 3:20, our true citizenship is in heaven. It is no surprise that we as Christians don't always feel comfortable with the world around us. I'm sure when the American ambassador walks down the street in Beijing, China, he doesn't feel totally comfortable. The people there speak another language, their skin is another color, and frankly, they are just different than he is. But, because he is our ambassador, he cannot just stay inside the embassy all of the time. If our ambassador to China decided he was only going to talk to other Americans in that country and did not want to associate with the Chinese at all, it would be time to call him home. An ambassador represents his government to other people. As Christians, we represent Jesus Christ to other people. To do that, we have to be willing to associate and interact with them. We cannot stay inside the embassy, inside this church building, all of the time.
OK, I hope you are convinced that you need to be willing to associate with people who are not Christians. I realize this sermon probably doesn't apply to everyone here. Some of you may have no problem at all being around people who are not Christians; it is believers in Christ that make you uncomfortable. You are here in church today, but you can't wait to get out of here. If that is the boat you are in, not much of what I have said today applies to you. I am afraid, however, that you may have a very serious spiritual problem, and it is something I would love to discuss with you. Not wanting to be around Christians is usually a characteristic of someone who is not a Christian and who has never experienced God's grace and has never received Jesus as Lord and Savior. If you have not done that, your whole life is on a dead-end road. Others of you may be very comfortable being around Christians and very comfortable being around people who are not believers at all. Your secret is that you act one way when at church and a totally different way when you are at work or school. If you are the type of person who just blends in with whomever you are around, you also have a spiritual problem and I would also be delighted to talk to you about that.
There are many of us, though, who can relate very well to this sermon. Some of you thought the skit about Jim and Sue was about your life. How can we change? What are some practical ways to interact with non-Christians? (The Lighthouse is a good place to start.) Build relationships with the contacts you have who are non-Christians. Many of us have co-workers, fellow students, family members, and next-door neighbors who are believers in Christ, but we don't talk to them. We need to start doing that. And rather than just telling them about what we think, we need to ask questions and listen. We need to find out what is important to them, what they are concerned about, and why it is that they so far have rejected Christianity. If we don't have contacts who are not Christians, we need to make some. As a pastor, I spend a lot of time with people who don't go to church. One of the reasons I coach youth baseball and basketball here in Chisholm, one of the reasons I have done that even before my boys were old enough to play, is because it gives me an opportunity to get to know people who don't come to this church. Don't get me wrong, I love the people of this church, and I would probably be content to spend all my waking hours with you folks, but I know the Lord wants me to get out of the salt shaker sometimes. If you don't have any opportunities to relate to people who are Christians, think of something that you like to do, in which you are interested, which would give you a chance to meet some different people, and then do it. I don't think God wants you to spend all your time in the salt shaker either.
During a football game, a team will usually spend about 20-30 seconds in a huddle, getting ready for the next play, and then they go to the line of scrimmage and "interact" with the other team as they run the play. Friends, as Christians this is our huddle. Meeting like this on Sunday mornings is our time to encourage, instruct, challenge, and inspire each other. It is an important time. But we can't stay in the huddle. Even though at First Baptist Church we have a wonderful huddle, we need to be willing to leave. We need to go to the line of scrimmage. And when we are there, we can't just talk to each other, we need to interact with those who are on the other team, with those who are not believers in Christ. Oh, we are not trying to knock them down like in football, we are trying to win them over to our team, to persuade them to become believers in Jesus Christ through our prayers, actions, and words. That is why God has put us on the field -- not to stay in the huddle, but to play the game. May God give us the grace, courage, and strength to do that this week and in all the weeks ahead.
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Go to www.life.1stbaptist.org/sermons.htm for Pastor Dan's full text Bible based sermon site
