THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
Joshua 24:15; I Kings 18:21; Luke 11:23; Luke 16:13.
Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. (KJV)
1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. (KJV)
Lu 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. (KJV)
Lu 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (KJV)
INTRODUCTION: All throughout Israelite history the people were faced with choosing between God and Baal. That same decision faced Eve in the Garden of Eden. We still have the same problem today in the 20th Century. The real problem is the gap is getting wider and wider. Everyone is going to have to choose sooner or later one or the other. We can’t have the “Best Of Both Worlds”.
You can’t be an All America football player and be a champion beer drinker at the same time.
You can’t be a happy married man and have a girl friend in every port.
An old saying is, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.”
You can’t live a spirit filled life and be a partaker in Hollywood movie channels on TV.
You can’t live a spirit filled life and attend the movie theatres.
You can’t be tops in academics and be #1 in night life.
The pay—off for this kind of life is a life of misery.
Which will it be for you?
Let me give you four areas in which you will have to choose. Each of these will demand a choice. If you don’t choose these then you will wind up a failure as a Christian or even lost and going to hell.
I. YOU MUST CHOOSE YOUR OBJECT OF WORSHIP. John 4:22&23.
A. Old Testament Worship Consisted Mostly Of “Bowing Down” Or “Giving Obeisance”. Dan 3; Gen 22:5.24,26&48.
B. New Testament Worship Is Different. It Ranges From “Giving Glory And Honor”, Luke 14:10; “being reverent”, Acts 17:25; •‘a religious ceremony”, Col 2:10; and several other methods.
C. Jesus Instructions To The Woman At The Well. John 4:23. “Worship In Spirit And In Truth.”
1. In spirit. God is a spirit. Vs 24.
a. Our spirit with His Spirit. Flesh cannot worship God. Flesh worships flesh.
b. Spirit is within.
c. Worship may be done in private, in a closet.
2. In truth.
a. Worship must be real. Much of today’s worship is outward only.
b. Worship in truth brings godliness to the life of a Christian. No godliness — no worship.
D. Much Of Today’s Worship Is Idol Worship.
1. Trophies. (graven images)
2. Success.
3. Money.
4. The pastor. A lot of churches worship the pastor or the church.
They never even realize that worship means “an awareness of the presence of God.”
5. The program.
6. A car.
7. A home.
8. A career.
9. Athletics.
Too many of you want the best of both worlds. You want the blessings of God and recognition from the world. You can’t have both.
Choose which one you will worship; the world of God, self or the Saviour.
II. YOU MUST CHOOSE YOUR OBJECT OF COMMITMENT. I Kings 18:21; Luke 11:23.
A. Everyone Is Committed To Something. What Are You Committed To?
B. Your Commitment Must Be Voluntary. God May Give Materialism Back To You In Return; But When You Enter Into A Covenant With God, It Must Be With No Strings Attached.
C. Elijah Is Calling For A Commitment To Either Follow God Or Follow Baal. I Kings 18:21.
D. Luke Recorded These Words Of The Saviour. Luke 11:23; “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth”. You will have to choose your object of commitment.
1. If you don’t commit you won’t do it.
2. Some of you have yourselves committed to things and activities that require you to miss church. Did you know that we have “Little League Football” on Sunday now?
We have had occasions when some of our men could not come to Sunday School and church on Sunday morning because they played softball until 4:00 or 5:00 O’clock on Sunday morning. I’m talking about having started at noon on Saturday, playing a game, then later on play another one, and so on until daylight on Sunday AM, all day and all night.
You say, “Well, I’m playing on a church team”. I don’t care who’s name you stick on it. If it interferes with your attending church and worshipping God, then it is wrong. Who are you committed to?
E. Jesus Calls For Total Commitment. Luke 9:62; “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
F. Some Of You Are Trying To Be A Christian And Other Things Too. I’ve got news for you. You can’t be a Christian and anything else. You are a Christian, period.
You can’t have the best of both worlds.
III. YOU MUST CHOOSE YOUR OBJECT OF SERVITUDE. Joshua 24:15; Luke 16:13.
A. Every Christian Serves Something Or Someone.
B. What Determines Your Object Of Service? Your heart does. Prov. 4:23; “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”
C. Jesus Said, “For Where Your Treasure Is, There Will Your Heart Be Also.” Luke 12:34.
D. Luke 16:13. Lu 16:13 No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (KJV)
IV. YOU MUST CHOOSE YOUR OBJECT OF SACRIFICE. II Tim. 2:12; 3:12.
A. It Will Cost You Something To Be A Soul Winning Committed Christian. II Tim. 3:12 says; “.. shall suffer persecution”. It doesn’t say. “may or might suffer”. “Shall suffer.” If you haven’t suffered because of your living for Christ or making a sacrifice, then you haven’t sacrificed.
B. If Christians Are Supposed To Live A Life Of A “Bed Of Roses”, What About Heb. 11:33—40? Modern Christianity can’t qualify for the honor that we see in the “Heavenly Hall of Fame”.
C. It Doesn’t Matter If You Give $50,000.00 A Year In Tithes And Offerings. If it doesn’t cause a change in your lifestyle, you haven’t sacrificed. The suffering may be only temporary, but there will be suffering. Luke 12:48; “For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required.”
D. If You Are Serious About A Sacrifice, Then Let’s See Some Step Down In Homes, In Cars, And In Lifestyle. Rom. 12:1&,2.
Now listen to me. You can’t have the best of both worlds. You must choose one or the other. God or Baal, God or mammon.
E. Sacrifice May Seem Great Now, But When We Step Over Into Heaven We Will Look Back And Say. “I Chose The Right Way”.
Illustration: “The Old Man In The Wagon. In the earlier days of American history an old man had gone to town in a horse drawn wagon. He parked the wagon in front of the general store, tied the horses to the hitching rail, and went inside. Soon afterwards a dog came up to the horses and began nosing around their legs and hoofs. The horses began to move about and this caused the dog to begin barking. The horses being nervous from the barking, started to side step and twist around. After a few minutes of this, the action became so intensified that the horses reared up, breaking the tie rope and with a swift movement begin to run away. The old man, hearing the commotion, came out of the store just as the horses started to run away. He quickly ran to the side of the horses and climbed up onto the wagon. trying to calm them as they were running down the street. As he was pulling and tugging at the reins of the horses, he slipped under the wagon during the struggle. Finally, after having been drug several hundred feet and the wheels of the wagon having run over his body: he managed to contain the horses and they stopped. Several people had gathered to watch the incident. One person shouted to him and said. “Old man, why did you risk your life for a wagon and a team of horses?”
The old man with his broken and bloody body replied, “Look in the wagon! Look in the wagon!”
A couple of the men ran to the wagon and looked in the back of it. There under a blanket was a small boy awaking from a nap not knowing anything of the sacrifice his grandpa had paid.
Listen closely as I close. Most people will not realize you have sacrificed or are sacrificing to meet certain commitments that you have or will make, Some are going to say to you, “Old man. why did you risk your life for that church or that community there in Moore? Why? Why, did you do it? Why did you sacrifice your family and the nice things they could have had? Why? Why? Why?
The only reply you can make is. “Look in the wagon!”
They still won’t understand, but when you step over into the portals of Glory and you see there hundreds of boys and girls, or you see a man that was saved as a result of this ministry, you will be pleased. Maybe an alcoholic or a prostitute that had gotten saved comes up and says. “I’m in heaven because you sacrificed and gave of your time and money.” Then you will understand the words of the song that says:
“It will be worth it all.”
INVITATION
