Be Not Conformed to This World
This world right now is in a state of panic, with the real estate bubble bursting and
many banks closing, and the stocks on wall street falling. They are in fear of
another depression and if you are getting your information from the news reports,
it does look bad; but we are told not to conform to this world; conform is to cause
to be of the same form, to comply.
The world’s system operates by their natural senses, what they can see, feel,
hear, touch and smell. The world system refuses to operate based on God’s
word, they choose to believe that they came from slime millions of years ago.
They blame God for all the problems of the world, yet they won’t acknowledge Him
as the Creator, and some think that God is mean, sending people to hell. But
God doesn’t send any one to hell, people simply accept the destiny of the god
they serve. The choice is yours.
The Bible tells us many times to “walk by faith, and not by sight”, believing and
acting on the word of God.
We are told to come out from among them (II Corinthians 6:16-7:1) which says
“and what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of
the living God, as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be
their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them,
and be you separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean things and I will
receive you. And will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and
daughters says the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear (reverence) of the Lord”.
In the book of Ephesians we are told what we should do and not do; we are told to
“be you therefore followers of God as dear children” (5:1); verses 6-8 warns us
what not to do and it says “let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of
these things, comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not
you therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes darkness, but now
are you light in the Lord; walk as children of light”; verses 11-12 says “and have
no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it
is a sham even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret”. In
Chapter 4:22-25 it says “that you put off concerning the former conversation, the
old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind. And that you put on the new man, which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every
man truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another”. Going on to
say “let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be
put away from you, with all malice. And be you kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven
you” (4:31-32).
Romans 12:1-2 enlightens us with the secrets, it says “I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed
to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may
prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God”. Notice this is
your reasonable service, in other words, it is what is expected of you.
As you present your bodies a living sacrifice, the good news is that a living
sacrifice is not as the old testament sacrifices were, which had to physically die.
Only your will has to die, remember Jesus as He was praying for another way
other than the cross, then He says to God the Father “O My Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless not as I will, but as You will”
(Matthew 26:39).
Adam in the Garden of Eden fell into sin by exercising his will over what God had
told him, Jesus on the other hand in the Garden of Gethsemane relinquished His
will to God, and did what the Father’s will was. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 30:
19-20 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set
before you, life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both
you and your see may live. That you may love the Lord Yahweh your God, and
that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life, and
the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord Yahweh
swear to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them”. Think of
it like this, God has given you an open book test, and tells you what you should
choose. Everyday we have to choose what we will do; and deal with the outcome
of that choice.
James 4:7-8,10 gives you wise counsel, it says “submit yourselves therefore to
God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will
draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you
double minded. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you
up”. And then III John 2 it says “beloved, I wish above all things that you may
prosper, and be in health, even as your soul prospers”. Remember that your soul
is your mind, will and emotions. Your mind is like a computer and there is a
saying which says “garbage in, garbage out”; or you can say that your mind is like
a sponge and will soak up whatever you put before it.
We are told to examine ourselves to see if we be of the faith, and a good thing to
examine is what you are letting in through you eyes and ears, and what is going
out of your mouth. These are the gate ways to your heart, and Proverb 4:20-27
says “my son, attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not
depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to
those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all
diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a forward mouth,
and perverse lips put far from you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your
eyelids look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your
ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the life, remove your foot
from evil”.
God who knows the end from the beginning, has called you “more than
conquerors”; “the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath”. You have
to do like Gideon did and believe it and see it come to pass. God called him a
mighty man of valor when he was hiding out, but as he believed, he came to be all
that God had called him. You only have to be willing and God is able to use you,
and accomplish much through you (Philippians 1:6) “being confident of this very
thing, that He which has begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of
Jesus Christ”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 5 2008
This world right now is in a state of panic, with the real estate bubble bursting and
many banks closing, and the stocks on wall street falling. They are in fear of
another depression and if you are getting your information from the news reports,
it does look bad; but we are told not to conform to this world; conform is to cause
to be of the same form, to comply.
The world’s system operates by their natural senses, what they can see, feel,
hear, touch and smell. The world system refuses to operate based on God’s
word, they choose to believe that they came from slime millions of years ago.
They blame God for all the problems of the world, yet they won’t acknowledge Him
as the Creator, and some think that God is mean, sending people to hell. But
God doesn’t send any one to hell, people simply accept the destiny of the god
they serve. The choice is yours.
The Bible tells us many times to “walk by faith, and not by sight”, believing and
acting on the word of God.
We are told to come out from among them (II Corinthians 6:16-7:1) which says
“and what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of
the living God, as God has said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them, and I will be
their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them,
and be you separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean things and I will
receive you. And will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and
daughters says the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear (reverence) of the Lord”.
In the book of Ephesians we are told what we should do and not do; we are told to
“be you therefore followers of God as dear children” (5:1); verses 6-8 warns us
what not to do and it says “let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of
these things, comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not
you therefore partakers with them. For you were sometimes darkness, but now
are you light in the Lord; walk as children of light”; verses 11-12 says “and have
no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it
is a sham even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret”. In
Chapter 4:22-25 it says “that you put off concerning the former conversation, the
old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And be renewed in the
spirit of your mind. And that you put on the new man, which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every
man truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another”. Going on to
say “let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be
put away from you, with all malice. And be you kind one to another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven
you” (4:31-32).
Romans 12:1-2 enlightens us with the secrets, it says “I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed
to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may
prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God”. Notice this is
your reasonable service, in other words, it is what is expected of you.
As you present your bodies a living sacrifice, the good news is that a living
sacrifice is not as the old testament sacrifices were, which had to physically die.
Only your will has to die, remember Jesus as He was praying for another way
other than the cross, then He says to God the Father “O My Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless not as I will, but as You will”
(Matthew 26:39).
Adam in the Garden of Eden fell into sin by exercising his will over what God had
told him, Jesus on the other hand in the Garden of Gethsemane relinquished His
will to God, and did what the Father’s will was. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 30:
19-20 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set
before you, life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life, that both
you and your see may live. That you may love the Lord Yahweh your God, and
that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life, and
the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which the Lord Yahweh
swear to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them”. Think of
it like this, God has given you an open book test, and tells you what you should
choose. Everyday we have to choose what we will do; and deal with the outcome
of that choice.
James 4:7-8,10 gives you wise counsel, it says “submit yourselves therefore to
God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will
draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you
double minded. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you
up”. And then III John 2 it says “beloved, I wish above all things that you may
prosper, and be in health, even as your soul prospers”. Remember that your soul
is your mind, will and emotions. Your mind is like a computer and there is a
saying which says “garbage in, garbage out”; or you can say that your mind is like
a sponge and will soak up whatever you put before it.
We are told to examine ourselves to see if we be of the faith, and a good thing to
examine is what you are letting in through you eyes and ears, and what is going
out of your mouth. These are the gate ways to your heart, and Proverb 4:20-27
says “my son, attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not
depart from your eyes, keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to
those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all
diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a forward mouth,
and perverse lips put far from you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your
eyelids look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your
ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the life, remove your foot
from evil”.
God who knows the end from the beginning, has called you “more than
conquerors”; “the head and not the tail, above only and not beneath”. You have
to do like Gideon did and believe it and see it come to pass. God called him a
mighty man of valor when he was hiding out, but as he believed, he came to be all
that God had called him. You only have to be willing and God is able to use you,
and accomplish much through you (Philippians 1:6) “being confident of this very
thing, that He which has begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of
Jesus Christ”.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: December 5 2008
