Compromise
1) Introduction
a) The word compromise does not appear in in the Holy Scriptures, though it is a common word in our Evangelical vocabulary today.
Compromise is a common word in political, labor, marital, and parental disputes.
Can we use this principle in religion? In our relationships with God? The world? Sin? etc.
Compromise involves conceding, concessions, sacrifice of principles, etc.
As Christians may we do this?
NO!!! Ten Thousand Times, NO!!!
Compromise involves partial surrender of one’s position in concession to another party.
In our case the enemy is Satan and his cohorts.
b) Biblical Illustrations of Compromise...
1) God told Joshua to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan (Joshua 9:24), but the Gibeonites tricked Joshua and got a compromise. They became his servants.
2) God told Saul to utterly destroy Amelek and all his possessions (1Samuel 15:3), but Saul compromised and saved some to sacrifice (15:15). For this compromise he was severely reprimanded and the kingdom was taken from him.
c) Illustrations of Compromise Today...
1. Evangelicals compromising with modernists,
2. Christians compromising with sin,
3. The Church compromising with the world, etc.
2) First compromise offered by Pharoah...
a) Stay In The Land...
Exo 8:25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.
b) God’s command=Exo 5:3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
Exo 7:16 And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
c) God’s command are specific. God intended it to be obeyed to the full extent, in every detail.
Pharoah’s compromise was but a partial fulfillment of the will of God.
God’s command specifically required that Israel be separated from Egypt by a three day journey.
Why three days? Likely, it was to be a picture of living on resurrection ground, separated from the world by three days as Christ was.
Today God is issuing the same order of separation.
(Luk 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.)
Go as far from the world and place of sin as possible!
Beware of compromise! Launch out into the deep of divine strength! Launch out into the deep of God’s infinite love! Into the deep of His faithfulness! The deep of His blessings!
For Israel to have sacrificed in Egypt would have been an abomination to the Egyptians, and would have resulted in riots and the stoning of Israel.
To sacrifice sheep and goats before the Egyptians would have meant anathema (excommunication) because these were sacred animals to the Egyptians.
Not to mention what God would say to this type of disobedience.
Moses would not accept any compromise. God demanded 100 percent obedience.
True worship requires separation, Separation from that which is wicked, profane, and ungodly.
Politically the Israelites were slaves to Egypt, but religiously they needed to be free, completely free.
If they would have been given the freedom of religion in Egypt it would not have made a difference.
The average person today feels that all religion is good as long as one is sincere.
It is only by an uncompromising faith that we can prove otherwise.
People today prefer a compromise. A little bit of religion, a little bit of the world and sin.
The devil also wants a comprimised, watered-down religion.
Launch into the deep and away from a comprimising, watered-down religion!!!
Away from mediocre Christianity!!!
Into the true church, true worship which requires true dedication, an uncompromising faith, and seperation from sin!!!
3) The Second Compromise of Pharoah...
a) Don’t Go Far...
Exo 8:28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: entreat for me.
Instead of three days into the wilderness, go just over the border. Just a mile or so over the border.
It sounds good! Separation, no Egyptians, but did Moses accept this? NO!!! Why? Because that’s not what God commanded of him.
See, Pharoah was afraid that once outside the land that they might try to escape to Canaan, and he wanted to keep a close eye on them so he could bring them back if necessary.
Moses rejects it because:
1) It’s not what God commanded,
2) The line of separation was too close, to near Egypt (the world)
3) Too limited, too near the leeks and flesh pots.
After conversion launch right out into the deep, be baptized, maintain a bold testimony, burn all the bridges behind you so that you can’t return to the world!!!
When you get converted smash the liquor bottles, flush the drugs, burn the paraphernelia, throw the old music out to make room for the new, burn the porn, dump it out of your computer.
Jesus has delivered you from all of that!
Don’t keep it around so that the devil can use it as a tool to tempt!
Make a loud proffession for Christ and stand by it!!!
Make the gap between you and your former life as great as possible.
Giving yourself time to grow and build up a resistance to temptation before you go back into the world (kosmos) to fulfill the great commission.
Don’t be like the boy who took a bathing suit in case he was tempted to go swimming in forbidden waters.
b) Border-Line Christians
Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
To follow Christ and then to return to the world is a terrible thing.
Satan is well-pleased with border-line Christians!
If you are one of these border-line Christians my advice to you is to rebuke satan, quit compromising, and to launch way out into the deep. Amen!?!
Why? Because of how God reacts to these border-line/Lukewarm individuals.
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
4) The Third Compromise of Pharoah...
a) Let only the men go...
Exo 10:8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?
Exo 10:9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
Exo 10:10 And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
Exo 10:11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
Pharoah knew that if the men went the full three days into the wilderness that they would soon return to their wives and families, and to slavery.
Just like the devil doesn’t mind if you go to Church as long as you come home and serve him in the same manner afterwards.
He’ll play second fiddle for one hour a week as long as he gets the other 167 hours!!!
b) Wives and children too...
Here’s a subtle compromise for you... Parents claiming to serve the Lord but not including their children!
They are our precious gift to give back to the Creator.
Men in the wilderness while their children are in Egypt- What an anomaly! Can one serve both? No!!!
Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Claim it and believe on Lord Jesus!
It works! I know!
My dad claimed me and God was faithful! Amen? Not just in my salvation, but He miraculously turned this ex-gang banger from a convict to a convert and then to a minister of the Gospel. Amen? God Is Good!
Parents, let’s not just get the young people saved, but let’s get them out of Egypt,
Away from the border-line, out beyond the camp with our Lord Jesus.
Beware of the compromise of sending just one delegate to Church or prayer meeting!
Take the whole family! Claim the whole family!
Moses said everyone must go! Male, female, old, and young!!!
5) The Fourth Compromise of Pharoah...
a) The people, but not the cattle...
Exo 10:24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
Exo 10:25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
Exo 10:26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
Did Moses accept this wonderful offer?
Everybody could go, even to make the three day journey to the very spot that God wanted them to go and worship! NO!!!
Moses rejected it because it was still incomplete obedience.
It was still compromise.How could they sacrifice without animals? Impossible!
b) Unconditional worship...
How can we worship without presenting our possessions to give Him as He requires?
Joke:
A man being baptized discovered that he had left his wallet in his pocket. He took it out and gave it to a friend saying it has nothing to do with this baptism. The minister replied I either baptize you with the wallet or not at all.
Here is one point where we cannot permit compromise.
God told them to go and worship with sacrifices, but did not specify which animals or how many.
God demands us unconditionally.
All that we have. Husbands, wives, children, possessions.There’s no compromise. We cannot bargain with God.
He’s either Lord of all or not Lord at all.
Praise God, Jesus is worthy of all. Amen?
Let not one hoof remain behind. Everything to Him we give.
Our mind, strength, heart, soul, body, possessions, time.
And not just what’s left of these things, but the best of these things.
6) Conclusion...
a) The subtleness of Satan’s compromises...
1. He sought to keep Israel in the land.
2. He sought to keep Israel close to the land.
3. He sought to divide Israel.
4. He sought to send them forth empty handed without the ability to serve the Lord.
b) No compromises...
Moses refused to accept the four compromises and held out for 100 percent obedience which was finally granted after the death of the first born on that first passover night.
When Paul was converted he made a clean break from his former life.
Separation from the world is an indespensible quality in true service for Christ.
May a Christian compromise?
The answer is no because compromising is sacrificing principles.
James 1:27 speaks of pure religion and undefiled . Pure not mixed, not watered down, no compromise.
Jam 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
