1 Corinthians 15:33 - Do not be Deceived (11-13-11)

1 Corinthians 15:33 - "Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”

Many Christians will keep company with bad company, and their excuse is that we need to be a witness to them, and there is an amount of truth to that. Jesus said that we are to be in the world but not of the world, and Paul talked about becoming all things to all men in order to win some. But that doesn't mean we become a drug dealer in order to reach the drug addicts, or an alcoholic to reach the drunks. He simply meant that he would not consider his own interests or rights in order to reach people with the gospel.
God is interested in the company that we keep, and He doesn't want us to be deceived about the impact that our friends have on us. We're told in Proverbs 13:20 - "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm." You've heard the phrase 'birds of a feather flock together', and that's the idea that's being communicated here. Whatever kind of people you hang out with, that's the kind of person you become. Our friends have a great influence on us. Even if we have been raised in the Word of God and have good morals ingrained in us, if we keep bad company those good morals will be corrupted. Paul put it this way in Galatians 5:9 - "A little leaven leavens the whole lump."
We're given several examples of this in the Bible, I'll only mention a few of them. When the children of Israel entered the promised land God told them to drive out the inhabitants of the land, but they didn't do it. They compromised on the commands of God and began dwelling with the inhabitants of the land. Although these were Gods people and had been given instruction by Him, and had been led by His hand they thought that they would be able to live with the people of the land and not be affected by them, but they were terribly wrong. By Judges chapter 3 we see them intermarrying with the people of the land and worshiping their gods. Bad company corrupts good morals. I'm sure that if you had asked them beforehand, they would say that they would never turn from the one true God, but they did simply because you become like the people that you dwell with. 
Another example is given in the life and family of David. In Second Samuel chapter 13 we're told this - "Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her. Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man." Isn't that interesting? It seemed hard for Amnon to do anything to Tamar, BUT he had a friend, a cousin named Jonadab who convinced him to take action. Amnon had a desire to do wrong, but he held himself back. But because of the company that he kept his good morals were corrupted and he committed a horrible sin which turned his brother Absalom against him and ultimately cost him his life.  
Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals. If we keep company with immoral people we become immoral. If we keep company with lukewarm Christians we will become lukewarm. Even among professing Christians we need to be careful to chose our friends wisely. Because just as bad company corrupts good morals, "He who walks with wise men will be wise."

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Do not be deceived (11-9-11)

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God."

So many people today have been deceived about how one gets into heaven and who will be allowed in. How and who are basics to the gospel and no Christian should be deceived about this. And so we're given this exhortation here in 1 Corinthians 6. Paul begins by saying - "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?" No one who is unrighteous will be allowed into heaven. But just in case we're unsure about what unrighteousness really is he goes on to give us a list of those who will not inherit the kingdom of heaven."Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." 
Romans 3:10 says - "as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one."" and this list we're given confirms that. The unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. We may look at this list and consider ourselves to be pretty good, but when we consider how God views these things we realize that we are helpless to enter the kingdom of God by our own merit. Idolaters are listed here as unable to enter the kingdom of God, and we may look at this and say, "I've never bowed down to any statue, I'm not an idolater." But idolatry was the concept that Jesus was communicating in Matthew chapter 6 when He said "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal...No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." If anything, or anyone becomes more important to us than God then we are by definition an idolater. The next thing on the list is adulterers. We may exclude ourselves from this one also, but again, we remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 - "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." In Gods sight, if you even look at someone with lust you have already committed adultery with that person in your heart. Thieves are also listed here. If you have ever taken something that doesn't belong to you, you are, according to God, a thief. Covetous is also listed here. If you have ever wanted something that didn't belong to you then you have coveted and have broken Gods law.
We could go on but suffice it to say that no one who is unrighteous will enter the kingdom of God. This is something that the devil is very good at deceiving people about. All sorts of people are convinced that they are going to heaven when they die, and they would consider themselves to be pretty good, but according to God, pretty good isn't good enough. God demands perfection, and all humanity has fallen short. We cannot reach heaven by our works, and even those are filthy rags in Gods sight. In light of this what hope has anyone of entering the kingdom of God?
Well, the list we're given in 1 Corinthians is directly followed by this statement - "Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God." When we come to Christ He clears our name. We may have been, idolaters, adulterers, thieves and covetous, but when Christ saved us He changed our identity. We are no longer unrighteous but we have been declared righteous by God. And notice it's not anything that we've done. It says we have been washed, sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God. There was nothing we could do to enter the kingdom of God, but in Gods grace He reached out to us. And He is the only way anyone will ever get to heaven. Acts 4:12 says - "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved." Don't be deceived, the Lord Jesus is the only way. 

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."

2 Corinthians 11:3 - Do not be Deceived (11-8-11)

2 Corinthians 11:3 - "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."  

Once we are saved by the grace of God the devil would like nothing more then to deceive us about the things we believe. That's why we're exhorted throughout the New Testament and in the epistles especially to "not be deceived." The word used here, "deceive" means: to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way, to go astray, wander, roam about, to lead away from the truth, to lead into error, etcetera. This word is used by Jesus in the parable of the shepherd and the sheep found in Matthew 18:12-14 - "What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish." We're told in Isaiah 53 that "all we like sheep have gone astray" but Jesus sought after us and found us. But now that we're saved it's the devils desire to keep leading us astray, to keep deceiving us. Jesus also uses this word when He's talking to the Sadducees in Matthew chapter 22 when He said "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God." We need to take heed to the things that God has told us in His Word and guard our hearts and minds lest we be led astray by the deceiver.

1 Peter 1:13 - "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

The Endurance of Job (11-5-11)

James 5:11 - "We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful."

The third example we're given in James chapter 5 is the example of Job. First we're instructed to behold the farmer, second we're told to take the prophets, and now finally we're told to remember what we've heard about the endurance of Job. All throughout the severe trials in the book of Job, Job holds on to his faith. Sure, his faith is weak and imperfect (a lot like ours) but throughout the book you can see hints that his faith, however small, is still there. Lets consider the endurance of Job. 
The book of Job begins by telling us that Job was a very wealthy man, and yet by the end of the first chapter the Lord allowed Satan to take everything from Job except for his health and his wife, which he lost in chapter two. But the response to his loss is simply amazing. Job 1:21-22 - "He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God." Most of the rest of the book is a conversation between Job and his three friends, and all through this conversation we see glimpses of Jobs faith. In Job 13:15-16 he says - "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. This also will be my salvation, for a godless man may not come before His presence." Job 19:25 - "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth." Job 23:10 - "But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."
This is the endurance of Job. And if we go to the end of the book we will see the outcome of the Lords dealings with him. Just like he had previously said, after he was tested he came forth as gold, his faith was stronger and God also restored his fortune and gave him even more then he had before. In Job 42:10-17 we read - "The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased all that Job had twofold. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the Lord had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold. The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; and he had 14,000 sheep and 6,000 camels and 1,000 yoke of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys. He had seven sons and three daughters. He named the first Jemimah, and the second Keziah, and the third Keren-happuch. In all the land no women were found so fair as Job’s daughters; and their father gave them inheritance among their brothers. After this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days." 
We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. God was not obligated to restore the fortunes of Job. Nor was He obligated to even deliver him from the trial of his faith, but He did so just because that's who He is. He is full of compassion and is merciful. God cares for us and shares our sufferings. He desires our best in every situation and wants to alleviate the suffering once it has accomplished it's intended purpose. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says - "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Trials are painful, but they're absolutely necessary.
Job endured the fiery trial that came into his life, and his endurance resulted in a blessing both spiritual and physical. In spite of us, the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

James 5:8 - "You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."

The Farmer (11-4-11)

James 5:7-8 - "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."

Right after these verses James tells us to take the prophets as an example of suffering and patience. Throughout this whole context we're exhorted to be patient and endure until the return of Christ. He likens the suffering and endurance to the prophets, and here he likens the patience that we're to show, to that of a farmer waiting for the produce of the fields.
Farming isn't always ideal, and there are a lot of things that can determine whether a crop will be good or bad. Drought or floods or swarms of insects or hail or other storms will affect a farmers crop, but you don't see a farmer picking up his family and moving to another location just because of a bad season. A farmer knows that, as far as farming goes, there are different seasons. Seasons of plenty and season of want, times of great produce and seasons when the crop is destroyed, but the farmer waits patiently for the outcome.
The christian life is the same way. Throughout life we go through all kinds of seasons. Seasons where everything seems to be going our way, and season when everything seems to be going wrong. But whatever is going on we know that God is the same. Who He is does not depend on our circumstances, and just like the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it no matter what season he is in, we also need to be patient until the coming of the Lord.

James 5:8 - "You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand."