WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:03.759 2 Corinthians chapter 6 starting in verse 14. 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:09.359 Don't become partakers with those who do not believe. 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:12.560 For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:14.960 Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:17.359 What agreement does Christ have with Belial? 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:20.399 What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 00:00:20.559 --> 00:00:23.519 And what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:28.559 For we are the temple of the living God, as God said, I will dwell and walk among them. 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:32.719 I will be their people, I will be their God, and they will be my people. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:35.759 Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:38.640 Do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:43.039 I will be a father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. 00:00:43.200 --> 00:00:45.280 And continuing in verse 1 of chapter 7. 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:54.960 So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:57.039 Lord, I thank you so much for this morning. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:58.240 I thank you for your word. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:02.640 I thank you that it is the compass that guides everything that we do. 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:10.879 And I ask that you would fill me with your spirit to teach your word, and that you would fill the hearers with your spirit to rightly divide and discern what is from you. 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:15.840 And I ask that we would grow closer to you and deeper in love with you as a result. 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:16.640 In your name. 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:17.519 Amen. 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:19.920 Alright, go ahead and have a seat. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:25.519 So we have a little bit of a fun passage this morning. 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:29.359 And I have a I learned a little bit about something about myself as I was prepping this. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:35.359 Because in times past I've had like bigger chunks in this, I'm like, man, this is a lot of verses to get through. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:36.480 How am I going to do this? 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:39.760 And then this time I'm like, wow, there's not very many verses. 00:01:39.920 --> 00:01:40.799 How are we going to do that? 00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:42.480 I'm never happy, is the punchline. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:48.480 So with that in mind, this is a little bit fun because Paul shifts gears. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:57.519 What we've been going through as we go through 2 Corinthians, we have been seeing him dealing with a divided church in Corinth. 00:01:57.599 --> 00:02:01.840 Some of them who are loyal to him, and some of them who just don't like him very much. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:07.599 They have their own little super apostles, which Paul will call false teachers later. 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:11.840 And they say that they're impressive and Paul's not. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:23.599 That Paul's writing is impressive, but when he shows up, not so much, he's not a great speaker, he's not so impressive to look at, and so he's not the political figure we would expect, who's tall and loud and an eloquent speaker. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:26.719 It's that he's he's kind of like, hmm. 00:02:26.879 --> 00:02:31.680 And so Paul went and visited them, it went very bad. 00:02:31.919 --> 00:02:42.479 And then when he left, he decided to write a letter in the midst of that to make sure that that is handled with that, and then he's writing this letter after that letter has already been delivered. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:46.639 So this is kind of Fourth Corinthians, if you put it that way. 00:02:46.879 --> 00:03:07.599 So he and thus far he has been talking very relationally and trying to more or less explain his ministry and how he is following Jesus in this ministry, in in weakness, in suffering, in uh giving up of himself for others and for this ministry, and doing that as an example. 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:14.639 And so this is one of the first times in 2 Corinthians that he gives them an imperative that tells them what not to do. 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:21.120 So, and he he gets a little poetic in this, and so we get to uh we get to unpack that a little bit. 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:32.400 Uh way back in the day, um there was a we had a uh extension campus at Cabachapol Bible College, and I ran that and I used to teach there. 00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:46.639 And an interesting thing that I learned when teaching through introductory Greek and Hebrew and such is that uh it's like a swimming pool where the shallow end is about here, and then it just drops. 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:53.039 So we get this much is useful, and then the deep end is really deep. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:58.080 And so here's what I like to say with this why, because we're gonna go through some of these words. 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:06.800 We're gonna we're gonna unpack this a little bit, and uh the reason why is because I feel that it is in the intent of the passage. 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:14.879 The intent when we go into languages is always to add color and texture to what's already there, not to redefine it. 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:19.759 So let's put it this way: Do we have any garlic lovers here? 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:21.120 Yes. 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:27.199 You put garlic in your pasta sauce. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:29.279 Okay, it's amazing. 00:04:30.560 --> 00:04:36.879 You put garlic in your cookies, not so much. 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:45.040 And so sometimes we are garlic lovers who want to stink garlic in everything because that is our personal passion. 00:04:45.120 --> 00:04:48.160 And that's sometimes how the languages are used, unfortunately. 00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:54.160 And it's great as a spice and as a flavoring for what's already there. 00:04:54.560 --> 00:05:02.399 But you have to get really deep into the pool to actually be able to, with authority, say, Well, I know the scripture says this, this is what it really means. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:04.480 And uh, by the way, I'm not there. 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:12.879 I actually uh there are times where um some of you know John Fulweiler, who has done extensive studying this, and I will email him and go, What is what? 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:14.560 What does this even mean? 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:18.560 And then he emails me back, and I don't even understand what he's talking about. 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:26.000 So, with that in mind, we're gonna be looking at some things and adding flavor to this passage. 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:34.399 I love how we're teaching out of the CSB translation, and I love how in verse 14 it says, Don't become partners with those who don't believe. 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:36.720 Because most translations say what? 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:37.519 Unequally yoked. 00:05:37.759 --> 00:05:38.959 Unequally yoked. 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:44.800 And here's what happens: we say, don't become unequally yoked with those who do not believe. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:51.680 And then 80% of the room goes, don't marry non-Christians, check, moving on. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:54.240 Thinking about lunch already. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:56.639 And it's so much deeper than that. 00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:01.199 So I love how they gave us a little bit of nuance here. 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:03.759 We have to figure out what on earth this means. 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:10.240 Because again, this is one of the first times that Paul directly tells the church in 2 Corinthians, don't do something. 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:15.439 Don't become partners with those who don't believe. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:21.040 We're gonna be a little part, a little bit participatory today so that I'm not the only awkward one here. 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:24.800 So, can you guys say heterozugeel? 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:33.360 That's the beauty of this, is that if you're with enough confidence, and you go, your neighbor thinks you are so smart. 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:40.399 So, heterozugeel, that is the word here with for partners or unequal yoking. 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:43.519 If you look at zugas, that is the word for yoke, which we'll talk about in a minute. 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:47.680 Hetero, different other. 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:53.040 So, what on earth does that mean? 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:55.519 First of all, let's look at what a yoke is. 00:06:56.160 --> 00:07:01.279 Because uh we don't really necessarily use those in our everyday life. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:05.600 If you do, either you are a farmer or I have questions. 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:23.920 Think about a piece of wood, usually, big piece of wood with loops in it, for an animal to have their head through in order to pull a plow or other farming implement. 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:25.600 That's what a yoke is. 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.639 Uh, that word is also sometimes translated as a scale. 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:32.879 So you have the picture of like those dangling scales like Lady Justice holds. 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:35.759 Same visual image of that loopy thing. 00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:45.120 And you have the animal with its head in this yoke and it holds for the purpose of work. 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:53.279 And it's telling us there is a way to be imbalanced in the way that we are yoked. 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:55.040 Think about two holes there. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:57.839 We're in one of them, who's in the other one? 00:07:58.000 --> 00:07:59.519 Well, what does the passage say? 00:07:59.759 --> 00:08:04.000 Don't become partners with those who do not believe. 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:06.240 So this word unbelievers. 00:08:07.519 --> 00:08:11.759 12 out of 23 times in the New Testament, he says that to Corinth. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.560 So there's a thing going on in Corinth. 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:17.040 So there are two big chunks of where that happens. 00:08:17.120 --> 00:08:23.199 Number one, in 1 Corinthians 7, 12 through 15, when he's relating to how to handle marriage. 00:08:23.360 --> 00:08:26.720 I'm not going to unpack that whole thing because we went through it and we went through it very, very well. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:29.920 So I recommend you check that sermon out on the website. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:39.840 But ultimately, he's saying if you uh come to faith in Christ and your uh spouse doesn't, don't leave them. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:45.519 However, if they leave, you don't need to chase them in that sense. 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:55.279 And then also in chapter 14, 22 through 24, talking about spiritual gifts and how some gifts are assigned to believers and some are assigned to unbelievers. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:09:03.519 He's making a very big distinction to the Church of Corinth of how to handle people who confess Christ and how to handle people who don't confess Christ. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:09.840 And so here, somebody uh who is an unbeliever, the dividing line in the distinction is Jesus. 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:11.759 Why am I saying that? 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:13.759 Because people, it's like, yeah, well, yeah, duh. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:20.720 Because in practice, we want to make this anything we don't like. 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:32.399 So anything that is not uh according to our preference or something that personally bothers us, that's what we tend to make verses like this about and how you need to stay away from that and not touch that underneath. 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:34.399 And it's like it clearly says unbelievers. 00:09:34.559 --> 00:09:38.159 So people who are not confessing Christ. 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:47.039 Do not put yourself on one side of the yoke with someone who does not confess Christ on the other side of the yoke. 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:48.879 That's what we're looking at here. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:57.840 Uh we see that same word, by the way, uh, in the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament in Leviticus 19, 19. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:08.480 And then also we see the imagery of that in Deuteronomy 22, 10, where in the law the Lord says, don't yoke together an ox and a donkey. 00:10:09.759 --> 00:10:12.559 Because they are, this is gonna blow your mind. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:13.840 Different. 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:17.039 So why not? 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:19.200 Because it's cruel to both. 00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:22.159 It's cruel to both animals to do so. 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:32.639 They're different sizes, different strengths, different uh complete makeup, how the the way that they're built, it's just they're both going to get hurt, is the punchline in that. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:41.759 So, what he is saying is don't yoke yourself together with those who do not confess Christ. 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:51.360 We will talk a little bit more about what that may and may not look like in a little bit, but we may want at this point ask ourselves, why? 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:52.480 Why not? 00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:54.720 What's the big deal? 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.159 And he gets poetic on us. 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:09.840 So this is the nice thing, is he goes into full Greek oratory mode where he's taking the same picture and he's going to paint it over and over and over and over again. 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:22.799 And so uh for any of you who have ever tried to uh lead people in any capacity, uh you know that saying it once is useless. 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:32.240 Repetition in different ways, in different styles, and then at the end of it all, they're like, oh hey, no, I did that. 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:36.320 Or if they are a teenage child, they heard it from the youth leader. 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:40.159 But not better, just saying. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:47.200 So here's what he's saying: don't become partakers with those who don't believe. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:51.039 For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:52.480 Continuing in verse 14. 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:54.399 What fellowship does light have with darkness? 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:56.559 What agreement does Christ have with Belial? 00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:59.840 What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:09.759 See how he's taking this picture and painting it over and over and over in different ways and different words to answer why not, in a very clear oratory way. 00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:15.200 So, what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:23.759 We all say metohe, that it's partakers to part as if kind of like taking a meal together. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:30.720 And so, where we see that picture is in 1 Corinthians 10, 21, you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:34.720 You cannot share in the Lord's table and the table of demons. 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:47.840 When he's telling them in back in 1 Corinthians 10 that you guys can't follow Jesus and fully participate in these idolatrous practices in the pagan temples, he's saying, look, you can't share that together in that way. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:50.240 And that's what that word is. 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:51.679 So what's sharing together? 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:56.000 Like if you imagine we're gonna do a potluck, perfect timing, thank you, Carol. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:13:02.240 Uh so we are, you can't potluck together righteousness and lawlessness. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:06.240 Having an upright standard and then having no standard together. 00:13:06.399 --> 00:13:09.200 You can't, those don't eat together well. 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:15.360 Next, you have what fellowship does light have with darkness? 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:29.200 Fellowship is a word that we use and hear often koinonia, and that is a joint participation, a sharing together as well, but it's kind of like a acting together and working together in that way. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:34.480 And how can light and darkness fellowship together? 00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:35.919 How can that work together? 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:40.639 Uh if you have dark, you have a dark room, right? 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:51.440 Yes, you turn on the light, the darkness doesn't go, okay, well, this is my side, and this is your side, and there's a gray line in the middle, it doesn't work that way. 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:53.039 Either it's dark or it's light. 00:13:53.120 --> 00:13:54.720 They cannot hang out together. 00:13:55.039 --> 00:14:00.240 And we see that demonstrated in the same words in 1 John 1, 5 through 7. 00:14:00.320 --> 00:14:04.559 This is the message we've heard from him and declare to you, God is light. 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:06.639 There's absolutely no darkness in him. 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:13.840 And if we say we have fellowship with him, but we walk in darkness, we're lying and not practicing the truth. 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:23.200 If we walk in the light, as he is himself in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from all sin. 00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:32.320 In that passage, John is telling us that our fellowship is based on Christ, then therefore we are in the light, and there is no darkness to be had in that. 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:34.799 You can't stick the two together, it doesn't work. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:39.200 So he's layering these things on over and over. 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:43.840 First, how can these, how can righteousness and lawlessness potluck together? 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:49.120 How can light and darkness fellowship together and have community? 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:52.320 And then continuing on in verse 15. 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:55.840 What agreement does Christ have with Belial? 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:00.399 Okay, first of all, Belial, he's taking a Hebrew word, throwing it in here. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:01.360 Satan. 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:02.320 It means Satan. 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:02.799 Okay? 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:06.960 We can back, like we're all clearly it means Satan. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:09.200 So agreement. 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:19.120 Sumphones, it's a warm day, and so really I'm doing this just to make sure everyone's still awake. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:24.240 So sumphones sounds like symphony. 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:25.440 Yes. 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:33.519 Soon, prefix with together, phonos, sound. 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:34.799 Sound together. 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:36.720 The word means harmony. 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:42.559 So you have a note and another note. 00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:47.279 If they harmonize together in the correct frequencies, it sounds great. 00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:50.080 If they're off, it hurts. 00:15:53.039 --> 00:16:14.240 And so one of because I'm a child, one of my favorite things to do when someone up here is tuning with their phone or whatever, and they're like, eh, eh, and I'm like, eh, and they're just like drummer and uh with with that, when it's together, it's beautiful. 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:18.000 When it's not in accordance, it's painful. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:24.320 And so Christ and Satan cannot harmonize together. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:28.000 Continuing forward here. 00:16:28.320 --> 00:16:31.360 Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:35.360 The word is medis, which is a portion or a share. 00:16:35.600 --> 00:16:40.320 Think about this idea of a uh when the Israelites are dividing up the land in the Old Testament. 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:44.320 It's a good picture of that, and they all have their different tribe and their different portion together. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:52.320 They can't have the same portion together because they have different goals and uh intentions in that. 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:59.759 And then, finally, here, what agreement does the temple of God have with idols? 00:17:00.240 --> 00:17:04.000 This word agreement here, sun kata thesis. 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:05.119 That's a fun one. 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:06.480 You don't have to say it. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:09.680 Stun with kata, according to empathes. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:16.799 What this means is a joint vote or approval, like taking your vote and putting it into the same pot. 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:25.279 So, how can God and idols cast their vote together? 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:27.200 Does it work that way? 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:31.599 Clearly, they have different intrinsic goals and intentions. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:37.519 So, here Paul in this chunk, first he gives us the what. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:45.680 Don't yoke yourself together or become partners with those who do not confess Christ. 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:46.880 Why not? 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:59.359 Because it doesn't work, because there's different goals, different intentions, different uh morals and values foundationally, and it's not going to work. 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:02.319 So why not? 00:18:03.200 --> 00:18:06.480 Can't we just all get along and it'll be fine? 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:15.200 Number one, if I can put this to you, pulling in different directions is painful. 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:28.079 If we're going this way and the other individual is going this way, it is not only is it not productive, it hurts both of them. 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:35.839 And so uh the obvious um application here would be in marriage. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:44.079 That's that's the that's the low-hanging fruit that we usually use with this passage, is if you are married to someone who does not believe, it's hard. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:45.680 Think about this. 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:55.599 If you truly believe that Jesus and faith in Jesus is the only way to be made right with God and therefore to spend eternity with him, how hard is that? 00:18:55.839 --> 00:19:04.880 Therefore, because of your foundational belief system, to have the person that you have mingled soul with, full with, on their way to hell. 00:19:05.359 --> 00:19:09.839 That is hard and it's a crushing burden constantly. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:11.759 Can the Lord use that? 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:12.559 Yes. 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:17.279 We've actually heard testimony about that when we're going through 1 Corinthians. 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:19.839 The Lord can work through that and use that. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:23.680 It's hard though, and it hurts. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:28.640 And also, the problem and the challenge is that is that we go. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:35.200 I bet I can drag that person this way, and it'll all be okay. 00:19:35.440 --> 00:19:45.119 And I bet if I pull hard enough, I can uh bring that person into alignment with the basic culture of Jesus. 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:57.039 And the problem with that is we are lousy saviors, and we cannot accomplish such things, and it only hurts. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:01.039 So, number one, why not? 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:06.799 Because it's hard, because it hurts, because it's challenging for both people. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:13.279 Number two, yoking influences where you walk. 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:29.119 If you have on this side someone who wants to go this way, and on this side, someone who wants to go this way, it's really hard to actually go one way or the other, and you end up doing this. 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:37.519 It doesn't work for the entire purpose of being joined together. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:41.119 And that is the difficulty with that. 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:49.200 Something that I've learned very early on, uh where the head goes, the body goes. 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:58.960 Learn that with rough upbringing, learn that in sports as well, wherever the head, the direction the head is moving, the rest of the body necessarily will follow. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.960 It's just going to happen. 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:10.319 If you ever see a clip or a picture of a baseball player just launching a home run, their head's not back like this. 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:12.799 They're down on that ball. 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:14.160 In the same way. 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:17.119 Wherever your head is, your body follows. 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:25.200 And so if your head is yoked and being pulled this way, you're going to go this way. 00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:30.640 Two warnings that I see in here in Scripture that stood out to me in this. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:37.279 Number one, how many thinks the story of Balaam is not weird? 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:40.079 Okay, good, we're all on the same page. 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:46.400 Okay, you have this guy, he's hired to curse the nation of Israel by a neighboring country. 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:50.799 And all he does, we're skipping the talking donkey part. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:51.759 That's a whole nother weird. 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:52.960 This is the other weird. 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:59.759 All he does as he goes to curse Israel is bless them over and over and over again because that's what the Lord has. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.119 Intent on doing. 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:07.200 And if you only read the book of Numbers, the beginning of it, you go, Oh, that's such a cool story. 00:22:07.519 --> 00:22:12.079 Because he was sent to curse Israel, but the Lord wouldn't have it. 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:17.839 And so the Lord said, No, you're going to bless them and bless them and bless them, even in the face of their enemies. 00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:20.240 More happened. 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:21.359 Sorry. 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:24.799 Numbers 31, verses 8 and 16. 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:26.319 We get a little bit of the background. 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:39.039 Because if you don't get this background, all you're going to see is high point, Israel's being blessed by the Lord, and then they are sleeping with the pagan nation next to them and causing all kinds of crazy. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:41.039 And you go, what on earth happened? 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:57.519 If you look at Numbers 31, 8 through 16, and oddly enough, if you look at Revelation 2, 12 through 17, that same Balaam got with that king and said, Look, the Lord is not going to be the one that breaks this deal here. 00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:12.720 What you need to do is influence the people to walk away from the Lord by bringing your people in Moab to sleep with them in her marriage together, as their God commanded not to do. 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:15.599 Which, by the way, is the exact same thing that happened in the Garden of Eden. 00:23:15.759 --> 00:23:16.720 This is the same trick. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:22.160 God doesn't let go of us and the enemy, but he also is not a dictator. 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:27.599 And so the enemy is very adept at trying to entice us to walk away from him. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:40.000 And that's what we see happens here, is that in this midst of the time where the Lord is intent on blessing them and has given them all these promises and blessing, they instead walk away at Balaam's advice. 00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:41.359 Here's another one. 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:45.920 Solomon starts out really, really good. 00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:59.440 And then we see in 1 Kings 11, 1 through 4, his heart was turned away when he married a lot of women who worshiped other gods. 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:00.880 His heart was turned away. 00:24:00.960 --> 00:24:02.480 And what ended up happening? 00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:07.039 He worshiped the Lord and built idols. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:15.359 That's the problem that happens is that suddenly it's I can have this and that. 00:24:16.160 --> 00:24:28.799 When we are yokes together, partner together with a person who has not confessed Christ, it is really hard not to be pulled in that direction, not to make a compromise. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:35.680 And what that looks like in reality is going into a situation saying Jesus is okay with this behavior. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:49.359 And that's one of the problems we see to the Church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians especially, where they're acting in such a way to where they're like, we have confessed Christ, and now we can do this and still be okay with Jesus. 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:54.720 And we'll talk in a moment here that that's not the case. 00:24:56.799 --> 00:25:00.240 That's the challenge in being yoked together in that way. 00:25:00.400 --> 00:25:18.079 The lowest level we've talked about being married, it's just really hard to be committed for life with somebody who does not believe what you believe, and to where you believe that unless they confess Jesus, they will spend eternity in torment. 00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:20.559 Really hard, right? 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:21.200 Okay. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:23.920 It goes beyond that though. 00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:29.759 Any kind of yoking together, anything that could turn your head. 00:25:30.319 --> 00:25:31.359 That's the challenge. 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:37.279 So that's the what we're gonna get to at the end, but ultimately I want you to be thinking: what turns our heads in our life? 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:43.839 What has the capacity to do that in a way that is not aligned with Jesus? 00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:47.680 Let's roll forward as we do this. 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:50.240 What are we to do instead? 00:25:51.440 --> 00:25:54.480 Verses 16 through 18. 00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:58.240 What agreement does the temple of God have with idols? 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:07.359 For we are the temple of the living God, as God said, I will dwell and walk among them, I will be their people, they will be my I will be their God, they will be my people. 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:11.279 Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:14.160 Don't touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. 00:26:14.319 --> 00:26:18.880 I will be a father to you, you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:21.200 So, why not? 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:23.599 We are the temple of the living God. 00:26:23.759 --> 00:26:28.000 He says that multiple times to them in 1 Corinthians 3.16 and 619. 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:33.279 This idea that, well, to put it this way, what is a temple? 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:40.160 A temple is a building that houses your center of worship and deity. 00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:42.799 God lives in us. 00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:54.799 So therefore, we cannot yoke the house of God, for lack of a way to put that, with somebody who rejects him and expects to thrive. 00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:57.599 So here's what he says instead. 00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:09.759 And so verses 16b through 18, we get this mashup of Ezekiel 37, 26 through 27, Isaiah 52, 11, and Jeremiah 31, 9. 00:27:09.839 --> 00:27:14.799 He has three different chunks he's putting together, probably from memory, because Paul. 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:30.319 And putting all of those together, we see them saying, God saying, I will dwell and walk among them, I will be their people, they will, or I will be their God, they will be my people. 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:35.519 I will dwell and walk among them, I will be their God, they will be my people. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:39.359 God is near, present, and in the midst. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:41.440 He's not a God who is far off. 00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:46.960 And therefore, in verse 17, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:50.000 Don't touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. 00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:55.279 Come out, come away, from that Isaiah 52, 11 verse. 00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:57.839 Don't touch any unclean thing, I will welcome you. 00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:01.599 Verse 18, the promise as a result, I will be a father to you. 00:28:01.839 --> 00:28:06.799 You will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty, we see from Jeremiah 31.9. 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:15.359 So, God's determination to dwell among them, his exhortation, come out, be separate. 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:20.319 And the promise, I will be a father to you, sons and daughters to me. 00:28:20.559 --> 00:28:26.640 So, what they need to understand in here is they are already yoked to God. 00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:32.640 So don't uncouple that and yoke to something else. 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:36.400 And this is the cool thing in this chunk here. 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:42.319 First question in verse 17, verbiage, come out, be separate. 00:28:43.359 --> 00:28:48.079 These are the two big things that are juxtaposed against each other in Paul's message here. 00:28:48.319 --> 00:28:56.640 On one side, you have being yoked together, and on the other side, you have being separate and coming out of. 00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:10.640 And he's saying, don't intermingle in this way, instead, be separate in this way, in the way our hearts, intentions, thoughts, and actions are being driven. 00:29:11.119 --> 00:29:13.680 There's nuance to that that we'll talk about in a moment. 00:29:13.839 --> 00:29:22.400 But that's the big chunk and juxtaposition here of being partners versus being set apart. 00:29:22.559 --> 00:29:26.160 And set apart, there's a word for that, holy. 00:29:27.599 --> 00:29:33.599 The Christian ease word holy means to be set apart, distinct, separate. 00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:36.240 So he's calling us to be holy. 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:45.680 He is calling us to be children in holiness, to be under his care and under his direction. 00:29:47.119 --> 00:29:48.400 News flash. 00:29:48.880 --> 00:29:51.359 Parents tell kids what to do. 00:29:52.240 --> 00:29:54.480 Kids are expected to obey. 00:29:54.799 --> 00:29:55.440 Right? 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:02.400 And so when God tells us to do this, he does this, and parents tell kids what to do for their own good. 00:30:03.920 --> 00:30:09.599 Nobody, no parent, I don't know, it's an obvious thing, but no parent just has a vendetta against the hot stove. 00:30:09.680 --> 00:30:12.480 They don't want their kid to touch the hot stove and get hurt. 00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:23.279 Same way the Lord disciplines us, chastens us, guides us for our own good, and compliance is expected. 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:32.960 So we see here in verse 1 of chapter 7, before we put it all together. 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:38.079 So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, pause there. 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:38.960 What promises? 00:30:39.440 --> 00:30:48.400 The Lord living among us, dwelling among us, inhabiting us, being our Father, us being his children. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:58.079 Because we have those promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 00:30:59.039 --> 00:31:02.960 So, because of these promises, let us cleanse ourselves. 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:05.920 Oh, wait, that's an active verb. 00:31:06.559 --> 00:31:07.759 We don't like that. 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:15.359 That's not a let us do nothing, and as we do nothing, God will osmos us into holiness. 00:31:17.200 --> 00:31:19.519 Let us cleanse ourselves. 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:23.359 We'll talk about that in a second. 00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:30.000 From every impurity of the flesh and spirit. 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:35.839 That is an interesting distinction of the flesh and spirit. 00:31:38.799 --> 00:31:51.440 May I suggest we all have a bent towards one of those two and a bent to despise the other one. 00:31:52.240 --> 00:31:55.920 So let me first lay out a list here. 00:31:56.160 --> 00:32:12.240 Impurity of the flesh are these overt sins that we can talk about, whether that is sexual immorality, whether that is drunkenness, whether that is covetousness, you look at the Ten Commandments, stealing, murder, things like that. 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:15.599 If you struggle with murder, please don't let me know. 00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:17.359 I don't want to go to court today. 00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:26.319 Impurity of the spirit, pride, envy, self-righteousness, bitterness. 00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:41.759 If we struggle with pride and self-righteousness and envy and bitterness, we will despise those who struggle with impurities of the flesh. 00:32:42.559 --> 00:32:47.279 Because they don't take this seriously and they're doing gross stuff. 00:32:47.839 --> 00:32:59.839 If we struggle with the impurities of the flesh, we will despise those who struggle with self-righteousness, who struggle with bitterness, with pride, because they're the Pharisees, right? 00:33:01.039 --> 00:33:04.240 That's the challenge that we have as believers. 00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:14.079 And here the Lord cuts across both and says, both of those we are to be cleansed from, we are to be sanctified from in the midst of that. 00:33:14.480 --> 00:33:20.000 One of the issues we have as believers is that we tend to go to one or the other extreme. 00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:24.079 And the Lord requires complete holiness. 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:30.960 And the good news is that that complete holiness is paid for by the blood of his son and not by our own works of righteousness. 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:38.319 But having that said, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and the spirit. 00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:43.200 And as I'm going flesh and spirit, I know some of you are like, Can I change to the other side of the room? 00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:44.880 This is making me uncomfortable. 00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:49.920 But bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. 00:33:50.079 --> 00:33:56.400 That word holiness, set apartness, in contrast to yoked togetherness. 00:33:56.880 --> 00:34:04.240 Bringing that to completion, to maturity, to full-grownness in the fear of God. 00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:12.639 And I know that we don't like that word, and we want to kind of downsize that word as much as possible, but I'll put it this way, because we talked about this a few chapters ago as well. 00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:15.360 So this is one of the motivating aspects of Paul's ministry. 00:34:15.599 --> 00:34:18.000 If we respect the Lord, we will do what he says. 00:34:18.239 --> 00:34:19.519 Same thing with parents. 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:28.719 Ultimately, if we respect them and their wisdom, and not only that, but fear the consequences of disobedience, we will do what they say. 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:33.039 And it is when we don't respect our parents that we don't obey. 00:34:33.679 --> 00:34:41.039 And so bringing holiness to completion requires revering the word of the Lord as law. 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:45.360 So that's the challenge we have for the Church of Corinth. 00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:46.960 You have a mixed group. 00:34:47.199 --> 00:34:56.639 Those who follow Paul, those who follow the gospel of Jesus, and those who follow these other apostles, these superapostles, who make their own rules. 00:34:56.800 --> 00:35:18.239 And so there's a big mixture of that, and ultimately what we're seeing here is the concern is holiness being set apart, not from each other, but from that which destroys us, and instead being yoked together and joined with God because he is our Father and we are his children. 00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:23.119 There's a balance that must be struck here. 00:35:23.679 --> 00:35:24.880 There's nuance. 00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:32.239 Because we see on one side in 1 Corinthians 15, 33, bad company corrupts good morals. 00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:33.119 Right? 00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:35.840 He says it just straight up with that. 00:35:36.079 --> 00:35:39.840 So the company we keep can corrupt us. 00:35:40.239 --> 00:35:49.840 He also says in the same book, 1 Corinthians 5, 9 through 10, look, when I told you not to associate with sinners, I didn't mean those who didn't know Jesus. 00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:54.480 Because otherwise, at that point in time, you would have to completely separate yourselves from the world. 00:35:54.719 --> 00:36:00.800 So in the same letter, he provides the two ditches that we need to avoid here. 00:36:01.039 --> 00:36:15.119 Number one, of allowing the company we keep and the things that influence us to corrupt us, and on the other side, becoming monks and separating ourselves from everything to pursue our own righteousness. 00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:17.440 There's a middle ground in that. 00:36:17.760 --> 00:36:24.880 And what it is here is being able to function in the world. 00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:32.960 Because remember that when Paul in the book of Acts is ministering and he's going to the marketplaces, that's not a good place to be. 00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:36.559 He goes to the synagogues, he goes to the market. 00:36:37.519 --> 00:36:46.079 And it is possible to interact in that place if we are not being influenced in that way. 00:36:46.320 --> 00:36:48.079 And the issue is influence. 00:36:48.239 --> 00:36:54.559 When we looked at that verse in 1533 of 1 Corinthians, bad company corrupts good morals, corruption is a result of influence. 00:36:55.199 --> 00:36:57.760 So the question is: how do we keep from being influenced? 00:36:57.840 --> 00:36:59.119 How do we function in this world? 00:37:00.480 --> 00:37:04.159