WEBVTT 00:00:04.429 --> 00:00:06.629 You're listening to the Christ Our Cornerstone 00:00:06.629 --> 00:00:09.789 podcast ministry of Christ Our Cornerstone Church 00:00:09.789 --> 00:00:12.470 in O 'Neill, Nebraska. I'm Pastor Logan Merrick, 00:00:12.470 --> 00:00:14.650 and it's our prayer that this message strengthens 00:00:14.650 --> 00:00:17.609 your faith and draws you closer to Christ. Let's 00:00:17.609 --> 00:00:24.410 dive in. Hello and welcome back, friends. My 00:00:24.410 --> 00:00:26.429 name is Pastor Logan and it's great to be with 00:00:26.429 --> 00:00:31.329 you. It is a wonderful, wonderful Thursday today. 00:00:32.030 --> 00:00:36.350 and gearing up for Advent week number two. Excited 00:00:36.350 --> 00:00:38.270 to preach that sermon on Sunday. Would love to 00:00:38.270 --> 00:00:40.130 invite you out if you live in the O 'Neill or 00:00:40.130 --> 00:00:42.649 surrounding areas. Would love to have you join 00:00:42.649 --> 00:00:45.869 us. If not, feel free to listen online. But either 00:00:45.869 --> 00:00:48.789 way, glad that you're here today. We've got kind 00:00:48.789 --> 00:00:50.750 of a unique one. I've got several questions that 00:00:50.750 --> 00:00:55.469 I felt like, you know, aren't necessarily questions 00:00:55.469 --> 00:00:59.649 that require one whole episode for answering 00:00:59.649 --> 00:01:02.530 your mailbag questions. So I'm just calling this 00:01:02.530 --> 00:01:05.530 a mailbag segment, okay? And so I'm going to 00:01:05.530 --> 00:01:08.549 answer three different questions today. We're 00:01:08.549 --> 00:01:11.290 going to be talking about who is Melchizedek? 00:01:11.750 --> 00:01:15.530 What does he mean to us? Like, why does he matter? 00:01:15.549 --> 00:01:18.269 Because he's kind of mysterious. Number two, 00:01:18.269 --> 00:01:19.290 we're going to be talking about what does it 00:01:19.290 --> 00:01:20.969 mean to grieve the Holy Spirit when it talks 00:01:20.969 --> 00:01:23.689 about it in Ephesians chapter four, verse 30. 00:01:24.469 --> 00:01:27.209 And then the last one is if you are new to the 00:01:27.209 --> 00:01:30.599 faith, What do you do when all your friends are 00:01:30.599 --> 00:01:33.840 unbelievers? And should I continue to be friends 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:38.659 with them? So let's go ahead and let's get rolling 00:01:38.659 --> 00:01:43.780 on these from a biblical worldview for that last 00:01:43.780 --> 00:01:46.400 one especially. So question number one. So who 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:50.840 is Melchizedek? Crazy cool name. If you want 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:54.359 to name any one of your kids Melchizedek or grandkids, 00:01:54.439 --> 00:01:56.500 feel more than free. I think it's a great name. 00:01:57.770 --> 00:02:00.849 But Melchizedek is actually a really mysterious 00:02:00.849 --> 00:02:04.390 kind of character in Genesis. So he shows up 00:02:04.390 --> 00:02:10.310 right after Abraham has rescued Lot from Chetolaumer, 00:02:10.710 --> 00:02:17.210 who is an evil, wicked king. Chetolaumer is a 00:02:17.210 --> 00:02:19.650 part of that kind of Titan race that you guys 00:02:19.650 --> 00:02:22.289 have heard me kind of talk about a little bit, 00:02:22.909 --> 00:02:26.069 part of that Nephilim breed. And so he is a wicked, 00:02:26.110 --> 00:02:29.520 wicked man. and Lot is captured by him. And then 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:35.300 Abraham goes to war with him, with his servants 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:37.639 and others that were willing to help him and 00:02:37.639 --> 00:02:40.060 other family members, which I think is just interesting. 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:43.360 It's an interesting thought. And so after Abraham 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:48.259 defeats Chetolalmer, gets Lot back, this king 00:02:48.259 --> 00:02:52.860 shows up named Melchizedek. And this is in Genesis 00:02:52.860 --> 00:02:57.759 14. And out of nowhere, here's Melchizedek and 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:02.560 it says the king of Salem, which means king of 00:03:02.560 --> 00:03:06.939 peace. It also can mean priest of God most high. 00:03:07.460 --> 00:03:10.319 And so he blesses Abraham. He offers Abraham 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:14.300 bread and wine, which is also very interesting 00:03:14.300 --> 00:03:16.280 that he would offer him bread and wine and give 00:03:16.280 --> 00:03:18.620 it like, well, of course, like it's what they 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:20.840 ate back then and blah, blah, blah. Yes, but 00:03:20.840 --> 00:03:23.979 they also had cheeses. Ed meets that a lot of 00:03:23.979 --> 00:03:25.879 other things. So I think it's interesting that 00:03:25.879 --> 00:03:31.939 he offers him bread and wine. And then Abraham 00:03:31.939 --> 00:03:35.080 does something very interesting. Abraham tithes 00:03:35.080 --> 00:03:37.860 to him. And then all of a sudden, Melchizedek 00:03:37.860 --> 00:03:42.419 is gone. He just disappears from the story. So 00:03:42.419 --> 00:03:46.000 why is that interesting? Well, just wait a second. 00:03:46.199 --> 00:03:50.560 We'll keep going. Melchizedek is not irrelevant, 00:03:50.699 --> 00:03:53.159 though. Because in Psalm 110, David says that 00:03:53.159 --> 00:03:57.060 the Messiah will be a priest forever after the 00:03:57.060 --> 00:04:01.780 order of Melchizedek. Interesting. Fast forward 00:04:01.780 --> 00:04:03.939 again, and let's get into Hebrews in the New 00:04:03.939 --> 00:04:07.199 Testament and look in Hebrews chapters five through 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:10.080 seven, where the writer of Hebrews, more than 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:12.840 likely the writer of Hebrews is Paul, brings 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:16.100 Melchizedek front and center, and he says something 00:04:16.100 --> 00:04:21.500 really strange. And this is very hotly debated. 00:04:21.620 --> 00:04:25.959 I'm going to say that. But hotly debated by theologians 00:04:25.959 --> 00:04:29.500 because we're trying to figure out what exactly 00:04:29.500 --> 00:04:31.899 the writer means. But he says this, he says, 00:04:32.019 --> 00:04:37.079 he is without a father or mother, without genealogy, 00:04:37.319 --> 00:04:43.899 without beginning of days or end of life. Now 00:04:43.899 --> 00:04:47.319 he shows up in Genesis where Genesis continually 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:51.199 shows us genealogies. Yet we don't get a genealogy 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:56.100 from Melchizedek. Hmm. That's interesting. Also 00:04:56.100 --> 00:04:59.519 says he's without beginning of days or end of 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:04.180 life, making it sound like he's eternal. So that's 00:05:04.180 --> 00:05:07.319 interesting. So is the writer of Hebrews saying 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:10.560 this is literal or is he saying this is figurative? 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:13.519 And honestly, this is where the debate happens. 00:05:13.540 --> 00:05:15.800 This is where theologians are genuinely split. 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:19.600 And so view one says Melchizedek Was the pre 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:23.300 -incarnate Christ, okay, so some believe this 00:05:23.300 --> 00:05:25.759 is a literal statement I tend to believe that 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:29.740 this is this this is my view Okay, I am more 00:05:29.740 --> 00:05:31.839 than willing to be wrong about it. Okay, like 00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:37.399 this isn't a major salvation issue, okay But 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:40.339 this is my view. I think that he is the pre -incarnate 00:05:40.339 --> 00:05:43.540 Christ So I believe it's a literal statement 00:05:43.540 --> 00:05:47.139 that the writer of Hebrews is making and it's 00:05:47.139 --> 00:05:50.439 a and basically like Melchizedek really had no 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:52.959 earthly origin, so we don't see a genealogy. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:56.079 And he says that he has no beginning and no end. 00:05:56.079 --> 00:06:00.379 And so to me, that's like, okay, he is the eternal 00:06:00.379 --> 00:06:06.060 God. He is Christ. And so Abraham didn't just 00:06:06.060 --> 00:06:09.920 meet some earthly king. He met Jesus himself 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:13.259 in the Old Testament. So this is what is called 00:06:13.259 --> 00:06:19.389 a Christophany. That view is very certainly possible. 00:06:20.149 --> 00:06:25.110 And so, like I said, I take it as that. Because 00:06:25.110 --> 00:06:28.189 we do see pre -incarnate appearances of the Lord 00:06:28.189 --> 00:06:31.529 elsewhere in Scripture, okay, like the burning 00:06:31.529 --> 00:06:35.490 bush. And there's other places where we see Christophanies. 00:06:36.990 --> 00:06:41.129 So the view, the second view is that it is more 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:44.189 of a figurative way of saying it, and it's more 00:06:44.189 --> 00:06:49.480 symbolic. And so others would say that he's a 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:52.920 real historical king, Melchizedek was, but the 00:06:52.920 --> 00:06:55.120 Genesis account intentionally leaves out his 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:58.639 genealogy so that he becomes a type of Christ, 00:06:59.160 --> 00:07:03.040 a symbolic pointer of Jesus's eternal priesthood, 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:07.519 if you will. So what I mean by that is how you 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:09.740 guys have heard me say, if you listen to my sermons 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:11.420 or you attend our church, you've heard me talk 00:07:11.420 --> 00:07:15.519 about foreshadowings of Christ. whether it's 00:07:15.519 --> 00:07:19.100 David or whether it's Joseph or Noah or Moses, 00:07:19.420 --> 00:07:22.879 you know, all these, they're different foreshadowings. 00:07:23.060 --> 00:07:26.639 They're symbolic pointers to Christ's coming. 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:31.120 They're just saying that view says that it is 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:35.620 that Melchizedek was one of those pointers. He 00:07:35.620 --> 00:07:39.259 was a historical king, but he would ultimately, 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:41.500 you know, he is ultimately a type of Christ. 00:07:42.420 --> 00:07:45.959 And so, Which is it? Like I said, it's debated. 00:07:45.959 --> 00:07:47.860 It doesn't really matter where you kind of land. 00:07:47.860 --> 00:07:52.779 I tend to take it more literally and so You know 00:07:52.779 --> 00:07:57.279 the priesthood Jesus is the greater Levi and 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:02.839 a greater King priest and so that's why When 00:08:02.839 --> 00:08:06.560 Abraham gives him the tithe the tithes that's 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:10.360 why I find it interesting is because He is showing 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:13.459 that Abraham or Abraham is showing that this 00:08:13.470 --> 00:08:21.389 man, if he is a man, is more spiritually above 00:08:21.389 --> 00:08:24.790 him. He's a greater spiritual authority. So he 00:08:24.790 --> 00:08:28.910 gives him a tithe. And that's also why I go, 00:08:28.930 --> 00:08:33.029 gives him bread and wine. Could be foreshadowing, 00:08:33.070 --> 00:08:35.850 in my opinion, when we think about communion. 00:08:36.169 --> 00:08:41.350 And then he's also saying, hey, this is a greater 00:08:41.350 --> 00:08:45.200 spiritual authority than I. So, yeah, I that's 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:49.879 where I tend to land. So let's move into the 00:08:49.879 --> 00:08:52.539 second question, one that gets really practical 00:08:52.539 --> 00:08:55.340 for Christian daily living. All right. So question 00:08:55.340 --> 00:08:58.879 number two, what does it mean not to grieve the 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:03.659 Holy Spirit? OK, so this is an Ephesians chapter 00:09:03.659 --> 00:09:07.580 four, verse 30. OK. To be able to answer this 00:09:07.580 --> 00:09:11.220 question, though, we have to look back. typically 00:09:11.220 --> 00:09:14.139 when people ask questions about verses or passages, 00:09:14.360 --> 00:09:18.480 whether it's a believer or whether it is an atheist 00:09:18.480 --> 00:09:22.399 or a skeptic, whatever, when they ask me a question 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:26.360 about a verse or a passage, the biggest thing 00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:29.980 that I like to do and what everyone should do, 00:09:30.039 --> 00:09:33.200 honestly, is look at the context of what's happening. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:37.220 It's really hard to just talk about a verse if 00:09:37.220 --> 00:09:40.250 we don't know what's going on around it. To answer 00:09:40.250 --> 00:09:42.809 this question about what does it mean to not 00:09:42.809 --> 00:09:47.070 grieve the Holy Spirit, we need to look at the 00:09:47.070 --> 00:09:51.909 verses before this, okay, starting in verse 17 00:09:51.909 --> 00:09:56.370 and then going through verses 24. And so what 00:09:56.370 --> 00:10:01.230 is that talking about? Well, if you're driving 00:10:01.230 --> 00:10:03.649 or something like that, I will read this for 00:10:03.649 --> 00:10:06.210 you. Okay, but you should go and look at this 00:10:06.210 --> 00:10:08.710 yourself. So it's starting at verse 17 and starts 00:10:08.710 --> 00:10:12.669 talking about the new man Okay, and so this this 00:10:12.669 --> 00:10:14.590 is what Paul says He says this I say therefore 00:10:14.590 --> 00:10:17.230 and testify in the Lord that you should no longer 00:10:17.230 --> 00:10:21.110 walk as the rest of the Gentiles As the rest 00:10:21.110 --> 00:10:24.090 of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their 00:10:24.090 --> 00:10:28.009 mind having their understanding darkened, being 00:10:28.009 --> 00:10:31.350 alienated from the life of God because of the 00:10:31.350 --> 00:10:34.250 ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness 00:10:34.250 --> 00:10:39.490 of their heart. Who, being past feeling, have 00:10:39.490 --> 00:10:44.350 given themselves over to lewdness, to work all 00:10:44.350 --> 00:10:48.769 uncleanness with greediness, but you have not 00:10:48.769 --> 00:10:53.710 so learned Christ. If indeed you have heard him, 00:10:53.850 --> 00:10:56.850 and have been taught by him as the truth is in 00:10:56.850 --> 00:11:01.129 Jesus that you, here's the important part, put 00:11:01.129 --> 00:11:05.289 off concerning your former conduct the old man 00:11:05.289 --> 00:11:08.570 which grows corrupt according to the deceitful 00:11:08.570 --> 00:11:12.870 lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind 00:11:12.870 --> 00:11:17.549 and that you put on the new man which was created 00:11:17.549 --> 00:11:20.470 according to God in true righteousness and holiness. 00:11:21.809 --> 00:11:24.049 So then there's this word that you guys for me 00:11:24.049 --> 00:11:25.690 talk about before but if not, if this is your 00:11:25.690 --> 00:11:28.830 first time ever tuning in Therefore is what he 00:11:28.830 --> 00:11:32.669 said is what Paul says in verse 25 Therefore 00:11:32.669 --> 00:11:35.309 goes back to what he was just talking about. 00:11:35.309 --> 00:11:37.490 He's like I'm gonna make a point on what I just 00:11:37.490 --> 00:11:41.730 said So therefore putting away lying let each 00:11:41.730 --> 00:11:45.610 one of you speak truth with his neighbor For 00:11:45.610 --> 00:11:49.399 we are members of one another Be angry and do 00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:52.179 not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:55.620 nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole 00:11:55.620 --> 00:11:59.299 steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working 00:11:59.299 --> 00:12:03.200 with his hands, what is good that he may have 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:08.279 something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt 00:12:08.279 --> 00:12:10.799 word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:15.049 for necessary edification. that it may impart 00:12:15.049 --> 00:12:17.929 grace to the hearers and do not grieve the Holy 00:12:17.929 --> 00:12:20.789 Spirit of whom by you were sealed for the day 00:12:20.789 --> 00:12:25.169 of redemption." So when that is all put into 00:12:25.169 --> 00:12:27.169 context, Paul is saying, hey, don't grieve the 00:12:27.169 --> 00:12:30.169 Holy Spirit by going back to who you were. You 00:12:30.169 --> 00:12:34.289 put off the old self to put on to be a new man 00:12:34.289 --> 00:12:39.179 or woman in Christ. So don't go back to the old 00:12:39.179 --> 00:12:42.700 way of doing things. Don't go back to your old 00:12:42.700 --> 00:12:46.559 self, okay? And so it's all about being in the 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:48.840 likeness of Christ. So when Paul says in verse 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:50.720 30, do not grieve the Holy Spirit, he's saying 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:55.000 when you claim to be in Christ, but keep picking 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:58.460 up your old life, it breaks the heart of the 00:12:58.460 --> 00:13:00.840 spirit who lives in you. That's what he's saying. 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:04.320 Now, let's talk about this word grieve for just 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:11.549 a second. Who does an inanimate object, does 00:13:11.549 --> 00:13:16.009 it grieve? Does my desk that my computer is sitting 00:13:16.009 --> 00:13:22.149 on right now, does it grieve? No. So who grieves? 00:13:22.529 --> 00:13:25.809 Well, people grieve. You can only grieve someone 00:13:25.809 --> 00:13:28.470 who loves you, right? And so you can grieve someone 00:13:28.470 --> 00:13:31.610 who cares about you. You can grieve someone that 00:13:31.610 --> 00:13:37.169 you work for. But you can't grieve a force You 00:13:37.169 --> 00:13:40.570 can't grieve an object. You can't grieve an energy 00:13:40.570 --> 00:13:44.250 field, right? You grieve a person Why what am 00:13:44.250 --> 00:13:47.730 I saying the Holy Spirit he feels? it's important 00:13:47.730 --> 00:13:51.230 that you see that like we especially in charismatic 00:13:51.230 --> 00:13:53.429 circles we can make the Holy Spirit out to be 00:13:53.429 --> 00:13:57.669 this force or this like energy if you will and 00:13:57.669 --> 00:14:01.049 not a person he is the the third person of the 00:14:01.049 --> 00:14:04.539 Godhead So he is a person and it's important 00:14:04.539 --> 00:14:08.460 that you see that Because it's it's crucial to 00:14:08.460 --> 00:14:11.360 our doctrine as Christians. And so the Holy Spirit 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:17.539 he feels he cares he responds He convicts Okay, 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:20.100 so this this is part of what it means to be made 00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:25.399 in God's image We feel because he feels We're 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:30.200 grieved because he can grieve Right like we can 00:14:30.200 --> 00:14:35.389 be we can feel conviction because of the Holy 00:14:35.389 --> 00:14:39.309 Spirit, because he convicts. And so what grieves 00:14:39.309 --> 00:14:41.190 the Holy Spirit? That's the next question, right? 00:14:41.429 --> 00:14:43.789 So what can grieve him? Well, if you look at 00:14:43.789 --> 00:14:47.250 what we just read, Paul actually lists some examples. 00:14:47.450 --> 00:14:51.570 And so he talks about unwholesome talk, bitterness, 00:14:52.629 --> 00:14:56.169 uncontrolled anger, lust and impurity, harshness, 00:14:56.330 --> 00:15:00.899 slander, malice. and just any return to the old 00:15:00.899 --> 00:15:04.740 self. And so when we walk back into the patterns 00:15:04.740 --> 00:15:08.259 that Christ died to free us from, then the spirit 00:15:08.259 --> 00:15:11.080 is grieved by that because he's actively working 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:15.039 to sanctify us to make us more like Christ. And 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:18.580 so we're resisting the very one who lives within 00:15:18.580 --> 00:15:22.320 us when we go back to our old self. And so, but 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:25.360 here's the beautiful part. Like Paul says, that 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:28.940 the spirit is the one by whom you were sealed 00:15:28.940 --> 00:15:33.080 for the day of redemption. Meaning his grief 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:36.600 is not a rejection, it's a relationship. And 00:15:36.600 --> 00:15:39.240 he is the one that does all the heavy lifting, 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:44.179 as I like to say. It's the grief of a father 00:15:44.179 --> 00:15:46.919 who loves a child and wants what's better for 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:50.120 them. And so when he seals us for the day of 00:15:50.120 --> 00:15:54.259 redemption, you can't lose your salvation, okay? 00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:57.860 So he does all the heavy lifting, but don't grieve 00:15:57.860 --> 00:16:01.440 him by going back to who you were. And so Paul 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:04.860 gives the remedy immediately. Okay, this is what 00:16:04.860 --> 00:16:07.399 he says. He says, be kind, be tenderhearted, 00:16:08.059 --> 00:16:12.240 forgive one another. In other words, okay, live 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:16.039 from your new self, not from the old one. So 00:16:16.039 --> 00:16:20.259 hope that helps answer your question. And I hope 00:16:20.259 --> 00:16:23.320 that was kind of clarifying for everyone listening. 00:16:24.059 --> 00:16:25.840 It was actually a good reminder for me as I went 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:28.080 back and was reading the passage. It was really 00:16:28.080 --> 00:16:31.240 good. It was really helpful for me as well. So, 00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:34.100 all right, let's let's wrap up with our final 00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:39.879 question, and it's one I think is best to really 00:16:39.879 --> 00:16:41.519 wrestle with for everyone, but especially new 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:44.620 believers. And so here it is. I'm new to the 00:16:44.620 --> 00:16:47.019 faith and all of my friends are unbelievers. 00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:51.399 Do I need new friends? So here's my honest answer. 00:16:51.940 --> 00:16:57.220 Yes and no. Okay. So don't ditch your unbelieving 00:16:57.220 --> 00:17:04.339 friends because you can be a light to them. You 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:07.180 could be the reason, the influence that God uses 00:17:07.180 --> 00:17:11.619 to draw them to himself. So don't just ditch 00:17:11.619 --> 00:17:16.740 them, but you do need to evaluate the friendship. 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:21.779 Okay. Here's what I mean. When Jesus saves you, 00:17:22.509 --> 00:17:25.569 He we just in that second answer I just gave 00:17:25.569 --> 00:17:30.390 about the old self. We talked about having a 00:17:30.390 --> 00:17:32.690 newness, a new being, a new person. So that means 00:17:32.690 --> 00:17:35.650 like he changes our desires and he changes our 00:17:35.650 --> 00:17:39.049 habits and he changes our relationships and he 00:17:39.049 --> 00:17:42.549 changes things about us. So that way we draw 00:17:42.549 --> 00:17:46.450 closer to him. We become more like him. And so 00:17:46.450 --> 00:17:49.890 some friendships are built around things that 00:17:49.890 --> 00:17:52.660 you should honestly be walking away from. whether 00:17:52.660 --> 00:17:55.859 it's partying, whether it's sexual relationships 00:17:55.859 --> 00:17:58.400 outside of marriage, whether it's gossip, self 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:02.740 -destructive habits like alcohol, alcoholism 00:18:02.740 --> 00:18:09.740 and drugs. Honestly, just shared emptiness. Things 00:18:09.740 --> 00:18:13.240 that you hide behind the idea of quote unquote 00:18:13.240 --> 00:18:16.200 fun with your friends is really just shallow 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:18.940 emptiness. And you have no way to actually connect 00:18:18.940 --> 00:18:22.619 on a deeper level with friends. because there's 00:18:22.619 --> 00:18:26.660 no deepness, there's no depth to you. And so 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:29.819 with those types of relationships, you need to 00:18:29.819 --> 00:18:34.119 distance yourself from, but not completely. And 00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:38.859 here's why I say that. OK. Because, like I said, 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:44.279 God could use you to draw them to yourself. Now, 00:18:44.299 --> 00:18:46.519 here's the important part. If you're for the 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:48.539 person that asked this question, this is important. 00:18:49.319 --> 00:18:53.490 Who is influencing who? That's the other key 00:18:53.490 --> 00:18:57.710 part to this answer I'm gonna give you If being 00:18:57.710 --> 00:19:00.490 around certain people constantly pulls you back 00:19:00.490 --> 00:19:04.190 towards the old self That we talked about like 00:19:04.190 --> 00:19:09.569 I said in question two And it and it really kind 00:19:09.569 --> 00:19:16.609 of Stamps out your Christian witness it kills 00:19:16.609 --> 00:19:22.240 your desire and appetite for the word of God 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:26.019 for Jesus, for fellowship with others. It's not 00:19:26.019 --> 00:19:31.299 good. OK, we must have wisdom and we must be 00:19:31.299 --> 00:19:35.920 aware. Of how people are influencing us, and 00:19:35.920 --> 00:19:40.460 so wisdom says you may need distance for a season. 00:19:41.579 --> 00:19:44.000 Not because you're better than them, that's not 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:46.259 that's not the mindset, but because you're spiritually 00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:49.400 vulnerable. You can be drawn into things that 00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:53.200 are lethal. to your walk, and honestly can be 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:57.079 destructive to you physically as well. But if 00:19:57.079 --> 00:20:00.900 you can love them by being around them and still 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:03.660 walk faithfully with Christ, then don't completely 00:20:03.660 --> 00:20:07.539 cut them off. Many people come to Christ because 00:20:07.539 --> 00:20:10.640 of a transformed friend, I mean honestly. But 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:13.680 I would say this, don't show up to parties. Like 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:17.950 by still being around them does not mean Go into 00:20:17.950 --> 00:20:20.289 parties and and putting yourself in situations 00:20:20.289 --> 00:20:23.410 that are bad That could ultimately really ruin 00:20:23.410 --> 00:20:28.490 your witness or even you know ruin Completely 00:20:28.490 --> 00:20:33.710 your walk so I Would say be just be careful on 00:20:33.710 --> 00:20:35.869 who's influencing who and really think about 00:20:35.869 --> 00:20:39.269 that But Jesus calls us to be a witness, but 00:20:39.269 --> 00:20:43.849 not a casualty. Okay, be a witness not a casualty 00:20:44.740 --> 00:20:47.200 Jesus ate with sinners. Yes, we hear that all 00:20:47.200 --> 00:20:50.099 the time. But Jesus wasn't influenced by them. 00:20:50.579 --> 00:20:53.700 He loved them. He also spoke truth to them. That's 00:20:53.700 --> 00:20:57.380 the other part you have to remember. He spoke 00:20:57.380 --> 00:21:01.420 absolute truth in grace. He didn't allow them 00:21:01.420 --> 00:21:06.279 to stay where they were. He loved them that much. 00:21:09.099 --> 00:21:14.549 But here's the other part. If they're not Friends 00:21:14.549 --> 00:21:16.829 that are really kind of if they feel like a drain 00:21:16.829 --> 00:21:19.710 to you from in a relationship standpoint, then 00:21:19.710 --> 00:21:23.029 just cut it off. I mean, anything that's spiritually 00:21:23.029 --> 00:21:28.329 draining someone that is not a good friend, like 00:21:28.329 --> 00:21:31.930 their guilt trips, their their, you know, saying 00:21:31.930 --> 00:21:34.549 mean and hurtful things and, you know, all you've 00:21:34.549 --> 00:21:35.990 changed as you become a Christian or you're a 00:21:35.990 --> 00:21:37.490 loser since you become a Christian and blah, 00:21:37.569 --> 00:21:39.650 blah, blah, blah, blah. Then just cut them off. 00:21:39.730 --> 00:21:42.789 I mean, in all reality, don't don't waste your 00:21:42.789 --> 00:21:47.829 time. The goal isn't about isolation, okay? The 00:21:47.829 --> 00:21:50.950 goal is transformation for you and for your friends. 00:21:51.609 --> 00:21:54.170 And so here's the non -negotiable. You absolutely 00:21:54.170 --> 00:21:57.390 do need Christian friends though, period. Go 00:21:57.390 --> 00:22:00.529 to church, find friends your age, find friends 00:22:00.529 --> 00:22:05.750 who are solid believers. They know the word, 00:22:05.829 --> 00:22:07.809 they're walking in the word, they're helping 00:22:07.809 --> 00:22:10.960 you grow. Find those people. If you don't know 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:13.539 any of those people, find a church that has some 00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:16.539 people like that and start asking around. Period. 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:19.539 Find people that will pray for you, who will 00:22:19.539 --> 00:22:22.140 encourage you, who will challenge you. And like 00:22:22.140 --> 00:22:26.200 I said, help you grow. If unbelievers are your 00:22:26.200 --> 00:22:29.819 only community, then you really need to pull 00:22:29.819 --> 00:22:33.140 back because you will find yourself in your old 00:22:33.140 --> 00:22:36.619 life. And so you need people that are helping 00:22:36.619 --> 00:22:40.420 you build a new life. So the healthiest place 00:22:40.420 --> 00:22:43.359 to land is this, keep loving your unbelieving 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:46.779 friends, but make sure that your closest friends, 00:22:47.859 --> 00:22:49.920 the ones that are shaping your relationships, 00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:53.980 are with people who love Jesus. And so that's 00:22:53.980 --> 00:22:56.539 wisdom, honestly, and that's biblical. And that's 00:22:56.539 --> 00:22:58.680 how you grow without cutting yourself off from 00:22:58.680 --> 00:23:01.599 the mission field that God has placed you in. 00:23:02.480 --> 00:23:06.220 That'll do it for this podcast episode, this 00:23:06.220 --> 00:23:09.319 mailbag episode. If you've got a question you 00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:13.599 want answered, that you would like answered on 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:16.960 this podcast, please reach out to me. My email 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:23.559 is in the show notes, or if I am, you belong 00:23:23.559 --> 00:23:26.390 to Christ Recourse on Church. then you know how 00:23:26.390 --> 00:23:28.150 to get a hold of me. You can text me. You can 00:23:28.150 --> 00:23:30.230 hit me up on Facebook, whatever it is. I'd love 00:23:30.230 --> 00:23:32.529 to answer your question and help you dive a little 00:23:32.529 --> 00:23:36.069 bit deeper into your knowledge and into discipleship 00:23:36.069 --> 00:23:39.230 of Jesus. So thank you for listening. Grace and 00:23:39.230 --> 00:23:41.930 peace to you. I'll see you next time. Bye -bye.