April 10, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. But
first here's the message, A Pure Walk in a Polluted World.
Part two.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We are to live pure lives in a polluted world.
So how I want us to take the word pure
p you are e and with it and with this
word from God, Let's see how we can be pure today,
knowing that God has commanded it, knowing that.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
It is a battle we all face every day all
of our lives.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
How can we maintain moral purity? Number one, pursue godliness.
P pursue Godliness. Verse one, be imitators of God as
his own dear children. The word there is mimic. It
(01:10):
is to mimic and measure your own life by your father,
like father, like child.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
And of all the.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Things we can say of God, his primary attribute is
his holiness. One Peter one fifteen through sixteen says, But
just as he who called you is holy, so be
holy in all that you do, for it is written,
Be holy because I Am holy. The way we maintain
(01:39):
moral purity as believers and followers of Jesus is.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
To pursue holiness. Now, of course, this is impossible in
our own strength.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
So God has given us the Spirit, and his name
is the Holy Spirit. God has given us his holiness,
his Holy Spirit, and we can live with the strength
that Christ gives us. Back in Ephesians chapter three, we
learned of this power that we have in Christ verse
(02:15):
sixteen of chapter three of Ephesians, that He may grant
you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in
your inner being.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
You have the power because you have the Spirit.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Don't say you are a helpless victim of some temptation
of any kind, and certainly of the sexual kind. Don't
say that you are helpless, because you are not the helper.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
The Holy Spirit lives in you.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
And that is why the scripture goes on to say
in verse nineteen, and to know the love of Christ
that surpasses knowledge.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
That you may befell with all the fullness of God.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
And our lives are therefore to be lived in pursuit
of Him. Pursuing Godliness is the call of every Christian.
I'm going to say it again, Pursuing God, Pursuing godliness, holiness, righteousness,
(03:29):
purity is the pursuit of every Christian.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I don't know about you, but that deeply humbles me.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Unfortunately, some people, even believers, think negatively about the whole
idea of holiness. I don't want to be a holy Joe.
I don't want to be that guy. I don't want
(04:06):
to be that girl too righteous to self righteous. Well,
the fact is, we don't pursue self righteousness. That creates pride,
but when we pursue God and his holiness, it produces humility.
(04:26):
Because I know and you know, we have a long
way to go, don't we. It's a lifetime journey, and
it's the pursuit of our hearts. Avoid temptation and feeding
the flesh. Romans thirteen and verse fourteen says, rather clothe
yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, that is put on Christ,
(04:50):
and do not think about how to gratify the desires
of the flesh. We say, starve the flesh and feed
the spirit. Starve the flesh and feed the spirit. And
the more you pursue God, the stronger you will become.
(05:10):
Every time you say yes to God, his will, his way,
you strengthen yourself against temptation to sin. Every time you
say yes and do the right thing to God. It
enables you to build spiritual muscle. Faith is like a
muscle that must be exercised. And every time you exercise
(05:33):
your faith and believe God and trust God to live
a pure life, it strengthens you morally, and the moral
core of your being and the character of your life
is strengthened.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Each day.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Purity begins with the priority of seeking first the Kingdom
of God and His righteousness, and all these things then
that we need to satisfy us will be added to us.
This is how you live as a victor, not a victim.
Concerning moral behavior. Number two, undoe defiling associations. P is
(06:13):
prioritize and pursue the holiness godliness.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
In your life.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Then undue defiling associations. Look in Ephesians chapter five, verses.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Six through nine.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because
of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the
sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not become partners with them.
For it's one time you were darkness, but now you're
the light of the Lord.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
What a beautiful description of salvation.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
You were living in a dark room, and when Christ
came into your life. The lights came on. You are
now in the light of the Lord. Therefore his children
of light. For the fruit of the light is found
in all that is good and right and true, and
here it is verse ten.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
So we're saying undo, as the scripture says, defiling associations.
The Bible says that we are to live separately from
the world. In fact, the whole idea of holiness means separation.
God is separate and holy, different from all sin. And
therefore the pursuit, the passion of our hearts is to
(07:36):
pursue God and this holiness, and therefore not to live
in the world and like the worldlings, as he calls them,
here the sons of disobedience, the sons of disobedience.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
To walk like the world, to live like the world.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Verse thirteen, Chapter thirteen of Romans, verses twelve following, the
night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So
let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put
on the armor of light. Let us behave decently as
in the daytime, not in the carousing and drunkenness, not
in sexual immorality, and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy,
(08:18):
as I noted earlier.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Rather clothe yourselves.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
With the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about
how to gratify the desires of the flesh. The Bible says,
do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Earlier in Ephesians,
don't give place to the devil. Don't give the devil operating.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Room in your life.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Undo every defiling association in your life, that includes the
media you consume, the music you hear. There is so
much sin and sensuality in the media that many Christians
(09:11):
have accommodated and accepted as a part of their lives.
We've gotten used to the darkness. What used to shock
us amaze us now amuses us.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Undo those things.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Keep away from anything that could hurt you and knock
you down. And so often it's like the old boxer said,
you know, it's the punch that you didn't see coming
that knocks you out. To be fore warned is to
be forearmed. And I'm telling you you are to get
(09:49):
away from anyone or anything in your life and undo
these defiling associations in your life that prompt you to
sinful behavior. On the positive side, that means that we
can seek godly counsel. It's one reason that we want
to stay connected to godly people in our lives. It's
(10:12):
the reason that God has given us the Church. So
I'm encouraging you to stay connected and to stay accountable,
and to undo those things in your life that defile
your mind and your soul. Number three is remember the
consequences of disobedience. So we read verses six and seven
(10:35):
when it speaks of the wrath of God that comes
upon the sons of disobedience.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
We read there of the judgment.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
When we choose to obey God, we invite his favor
is blessing. But when we choose our own way, we
invite judgment and discipline. God will judge sin. We are
broken when we break the commandments. Commandments of God are
for our benefit and are for our blessing. They are
(11:05):
God's rules for relationships and life, and when we break them,
we're broken upon them.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message A Pure Walk in a Polluted World, Part two
in his powerful book Ask Doctor Graham helps you unlock
the power of prayer in your life. Using Jesus' teaching
to ask, seek, and knock. As you follow these three
simple commands, you'll completely transform how you pray. We want
(11:35):
to help you discover a deeper, more meaningful, and more
powerful prayer life by sending you a copy of Ask
as our thanks for your gift of ten dollars or more.
Call now to request your copy of this powerful resource.
Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
(11:57):
You can also text the word ask to five nine
seven eight nine. Don't let stress rob you of peace.
It is possible to break the destructive grip of stress
on your life and enjoy the peace and abundance God
desires for you. That's what doctor Graham helps you do
in his booklet Breaking Free from Stress. We'll send you
a digital download of Breaking Free from Stress when you
(12:18):
sign up for email updates from PowerPoint Today. Just go
to PowerPoint dot org slash stress and sign up today.
Now let's get back to today's message, A Pure Walk in
a Polluted World Part two.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Just think about our culture and what promissiveness has produced
sexual addiction and sexual abuse. Pornographic plague, serial adultery, systemic sin, homosexuality, transgenderism,
(12:54):
physical and mental illness. We're not smarter than God. You
play with fire and you get burned. And remember this,
dear people. With God, there are no secrets. There are
(13:15):
no small things that we cover up hide from God.
The scripture says, be sure your sin will find you out.
A couple of stories in the Old testallor one is
well known. The story of David. He sinned with Bathsheva,
committed adultery, spent the next year covering his sin, covering
(13:39):
it up, hiding it. He even committed murder of a
dear friend, and he put it at the front of
the battle. It's a familiar and terrible story. David was
a man after God's heart, and yet he sinned, and
he was not above the laws of God. Though he
was the king of the nation, he could not run
from the discipline of the Lord. And so you find
(14:02):
David physically mentally tortured by his sin until he came
to repentance.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
And yes, God.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Forgave him, and he forgave him fully. But David, hear me,
now lived with the consequences of his behavior and his sin.
The rest of his life. It began to show up
in his children and even in his nation. So remember
the consequences. There was another man by the name of
(14:36):
Aiken in your old Testament. After Joshua and the children
of Israel conquered Jericho, they were feeling.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Strong and mighty and powerful.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
God told them to conquer all the nations in Canaan
and take their Canaan, which is a picture of the
abundant Christian life, by the way. And so they're moving,
and so they come up against the little city Ai.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
And they come against Ai and a.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Small army, and the mighty Israeli army went in to
take them out, and they were ignominiously defeated by at Ai.
Joshua was crying out to God as to what happened
and why it happened. God said it, Joshua, stop your
whining and crying. You've got a problem. You have sin
(15:22):
in your camp. And sure enough there was a man
by the name of Aca who disobeyed God and the
commands of Joshua, the commander of Israel. And when they
conquered Jericho, they were told to leave the contraband to
leave all the goods, to leave all the gold, to
leave all the things, to leave it and not take
(15:44):
it for themselves. But this man took some gold, bricks
and a few other things, and he hid them in
his tent. Says, well, that's a small thing, But it
wasn't a small thing to God. It wasn't a small
thing to Israel. This man's sin brought down the whole
army of Israel, and his secret sin was exposed, and
(16:07):
he and his family were severely punished. He brought his
entire family, his entire nation into judgment because.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Of secret sin. What did Jesus say?
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Jesus said that which is held in secret, covered in secrecy,
will one day be shouted from the housetops. I'm just
telling you, if you are a follower and a believer
in Christ, you need to remember the consequences.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Don't live a double life.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Did you know that the word hypocrisy hypocrite comes from
the actors on the stage which would wear masks and
hide behind their mask and play a character of some kind.
So many Christians are wearing a mask, and behind the
mask is a double life. And the Bible says a
double minded man or woman is unstable in all of
their ways. Don't wear a mask, be real, be true.
(17:04):
Remember the consequences. What think about them? A broken marriage,
losing the respect of your children, your grandchildren, potentially losing
your job, your career, or your calling in life, destroying
your witness, defaming the testimony of your church, losing your
(17:28):
own influence. There's so much to lose when you consider
the cost and the consequences for disobeying God. So pete
is pursue God and the holiness of God. Then undoe
defiling relationships in your life.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
And then.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Remember the consequences, and finally, exercise spiritual disciplines. Now look
at verses nine and ten. Look at it again. These
are spiritual disciplines. For the fruit of the Light is
found in all that is good and right and true.
And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
(18:14):
That is our motive, that is everything to us as believers,
that we would.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Please God and not live to please ourselves.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
And in order to do that we exercise these spiritual disciplines.
Fortify your faith with God's word. It's been said this
book the Bible will either keep you from sin, or
sin will keep you from this book. Jesus said, sanctify
them with thy truth. Song one hundred and nineteen and
(18:52):
verse eleven. How shall a young man cleanse his way
by giving attention? By paying attention to God's word Again,
your faith is like a muscle when you exercise it,
when you feed your body.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
And your soul, feed the spirit star of the flesh.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Even Jesus himself, when he came against the onslaught and
the attacks of Sathan in the wilderness, he answered by
drawing the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God, and he ran him through and defeated the
devil in temptation. Fortify your faith with the word of God.
How do you expect to win over sin? If you're
(19:30):
weakened because you don't have the stamina and the strength
of God's word, Then purify your thought life.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
The battle is what we think.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
We've already been told in Ephesians chapter five that we
are to renew our minds Romans twelve. Don't be conformed
to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your minds. Don't indulge your mind in fantasies in imaginative sin.
Don't indulge your mind because that's where it begins. Ask
(20:04):
God to cleanse your thought life. Next, identify accountability partners.
Be accountable if you're marriage, starting with your spouse. Be
accountable to one another in this area of your life.
Be accountable to other believers. Don't isolate yourself.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
If you need help, seek the help you need.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Then, then finally, magnify the Lord, exalt Christ in your life.
Put him first in your life. If you love Jesus
with all your heart and mind, soul and strength, and
your neighbor as yourself the first and the second commandment,
as Jesus gave them. When you love God and you
love people, then you will pursue the righteousness and the
(20:51):
holiness and the purity, even in a sinful, sensual world.
Because we walk now in the light.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
You know.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
This passage of Scripture concludes with an invitation. Those final
words of Chapter five says Awake, O sleeper. This comes
most likely, we're told from a song that early Christians
sang when inviting people to Christ, much like we have
an invitation.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
At our church.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Awake and arise from the dead, and let the light
of Christ shine on you. I was watching the Ken
Burns special on country music. It was a fascinating study,
beginning in the way back of country music, of course.
(21:47):
One of the well known celebrities and stars of the
nineteen forties, in particular fifties.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Was Hank Williams. Hank Williams was raised in church.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
He had a mother who loved but he wandered far away,
and he struggled most of his life, really all of
his life. One evening, he was driving. He was sleeping
in the back seat of the car as his mother
was driving them to an airport. He was he was drunk,
(22:19):
and yet he was awakened when his mother, seeing the
seeing the airport, said said, I see the lights amazingly.
In a drunken stupor, this backsliden believer, Hank Williams wrote
(22:40):
these words, I wandered so aimlessly, life filled was sin.
I wouldn't let my dear Savior in. And then Jesus
came like a stranger in the night.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Praise the Lord. I saw the light. I saw the
I saw the light. No more darkness, no more night.
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow, insights.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Praise the Lord. I saw the light. And when the
light of Jesus fills your heart and your soul changes everything,
no more darkness, no more night.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
A Pure Walk in a Polluted World Part two. Nothing
lights a fire in your faith like experiencing the power
of prayer firsthand. As you begin to see God as
a personal, loving father who desires to hear and answer
your prayers, it transforms your life, and thanks to friends
(23:49):
like you, more people all around the world are hearing
about their loving God and his son Jesus through the TV,
radio and online outreach of PowerPoint. That's why your support
of this ministry is so vital. We'll say thanks for
your gift of ten dollars or more by sending you
a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. This is a
great resource to help you strengthen your own prayer life
(24:11):
and teach you to approach God with boldness and confidence.
So call now to request your copy. When you give,
call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ASK to five nine
seven eight nine, and don't forget to visit Jack Graham
(24:33):
dot org, where you can shop our Eastore, give a
gift online, or sign up for doctor Graham's free daily
email devotional. Our website again is Jack Graham dot org
and also be sure to sign up for doctor Graham's
podcast Bible in a Year pastor what is your PowerPoint
for today?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Really ask God to make you a holy man or woman,
one who lives separate from the world and yet contacting
the world with the love and grace of God. Then
don't just deny your heart what is unholy, but fill
it with what is holy. In other words, if I
try constantly not to do the wrong thing, I will
(25:14):
end up maybe not doing the right thing. Start doing
the right things, and before you know it, your heart
will be full of what is right, righteousness, and then
determined to live a God honoring, spiritual life, a life
that is pure because it doesn't just happen. It's really
the result of your discipline. And as you discipline yourself
in scripture and in prayer, in church attendance and biblical worship,
(25:38):
as you discipline yourself in your mind with God's truth,
then you will discipline your life into godliness. Many of
us try to keep ourselves in good shape physically. We're walking,
we're running, we're lifting weights, and that's a good discipline.
In fact, the Bible has a good word about that.
It says, bodily exercise profits a little. It's a good
(25:59):
thing to do. But then the Bible says, but all
the more spiritual exercise. Spiritual discipline is even more important.
So practice the spiritual disciplines. If you want to be holy,
then guard your heart, protect yourself. I mean, don't give
the devil a stick to hit you. If something weakens you,
(26:19):
if something causes you to stumble, don't go near it.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
I heard about a.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Sign of young man had on his dormitory room which
said he who would not fall down should not walk
in slippery places. So we need to make sure that
we discipline not only our thoughts, but that we discipline
our actions, and that we don't go places, or hang
out with people, or subject ourself to things that weaken us.
A man is a fool who somehow knows that he's weak,
(26:46):
knows that he's struggling in an area, and then yet
throws himself right in the midst of the fire. If
you feed your heart with scripture, prayer, praise, and worship,
you can actually reprogram your mind, and instead of just
thinking all the wrong things, you can start thinking and believing,
and before long you'll be acting in the right things,
(27:08):
be willing to pay the price, to practice the spiritual disciplines,
to protect your heart, and to pray that God will
make you a holy man or woe.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
And that is today's power Point. Remember when you give
a gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll
send you doctor Graham's book Ask as our thanks. Call
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ASK to five nine
(27:40):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how you can succeed
in the journey of life. That's next time on PowerPoint
with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by
PowerPoint Ministry s
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. But
first here's the message, A Pure Walk in a Polluted World.
Part two.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
We are to live pure lives in a polluted world.
So how I want us to take the word pure
p you are e and with it and with this
word from God, Let's see how we can be pure today,
knowing that God has commanded it, knowing that.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
It is a battle we all face every day all
of our lives.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
How can we maintain moral purity? Number one, pursue godliness.
P pursue Godliness. Verse one, be imitators of God as
his own dear children. The word there is mimic. It
(01:10):
is to mimic and measure your own life by your father,
like father, like child.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
And of all the.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Things we can say of God, his primary attribute is
his holiness. One Peter one fifteen through sixteen says, But
just as he who called you is holy, so be
holy in all that you do, for it is written,
Be holy because I Am holy. The way we maintain
(01:39):
moral purity as believers and followers of Jesus is.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
To pursue holiness. Now, of course, this is impossible in
our own strength.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
So God has given us the Spirit, and his name
is the Holy Spirit. God has given us his holiness,
his Holy Spirit, and we can live with the strength
that Christ gives us. Back in Ephesians chapter three, we
learned of this power that we have in Christ verse
(02:15):
sixteen of chapter three of Ephesians, that He may grant
you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in
your inner being.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
You have the power because you have the Spirit.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
Don't say you are a helpless victim of some temptation
of any kind, and certainly of the sexual kind. Don't
say that you are helpless, because you are not the helper.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
The Holy Spirit lives in you.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
And that is why the scripture goes on to say
in verse nineteen, and to know the love of Christ
that surpasses knowledge.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
That you may befell with all the fullness of God.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
And our lives are therefore to be lived in pursuit
of Him. Pursuing Godliness is the call of every Christian.
I'm going to say it again, Pursuing God, Pursuing godliness, holiness, righteousness,
(03:29):
purity is the pursuit of every Christian.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I don't know about you, but that deeply humbles me.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Unfortunately, some people, even believers, think negatively about the whole
idea of holiness. I don't want to be a holy Joe.
I don't want to be that guy. I don't want
(04:06):
to be that girl too righteous to self righteous. Well,
the fact is, we don't pursue self righteousness. That creates pride,
but when we pursue God and his holiness, it produces humility.
(04:26):
Because I know and you know, we have a long
way to go, don't we. It's a lifetime journey, and
it's the pursuit of our hearts. Avoid temptation and feeding
the flesh. Romans thirteen and verse fourteen says, rather clothe
yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, that is put on Christ,
(04:50):
and do not think about how to gratify the desires
of the flesh. We say, starve the flesh and feed
the spirit. Starve the flesh and feed the spirit. And
the more you pursue God, the stronger you will become.
(05:10):
Every time you say yes to God, his will, his way,
you strengthen yourself against temptation to sin. Every time you
say yes and do the right thing to God. It
enables you to build spiritual muscle. Faith is like a
muscle that must be exercised. And every time you exercise
(05:33):
your faith and believe God and trust God to live
a pure life, it strengthens you morally, and the moral
core of your being and the character of your life
is strengthened.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Each day.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Purity begins with the priority of seeking first the Kingdom
of God and His righteousness, and all these things then
that we need to satisfy us will be added to us.
This is how you live as a victor, not a victim.
Concerning moral behavior. Number two, undoe defiling associations. P is
(06:13):
prioritize and pursue the holiness godliness.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
In your life.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
Then undue defiling associations. Look in Ephesians chapter five, verses.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Six through nine.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because
of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the
sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not become partners with them.
For it's one time you were darkness, but now you're
the light of the Lord.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
What a beautiful description of salvation.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
You were living in a dark room, and when Christ
came into your life. The lights came on. You are
now in the light of the Lord. Therefore his children
of light. For the fruit of the light is found
in all that is good and right and true, and
here it is verse ten.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
So we're saying undo, as the scripture says, defiling associations.
The Bible says that we are to live separately from
the world. In fact, the whole idea of holiness means separation.
God is separate and holy, different from all sin. And
therefore the pursuit, the passion of our hearts is to
(07:36):
pursue God and this holiness, and therefore not to live
in the world and like the worldlings, as he calls them,
here the sons of disobedience, the sons of disobedience.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
To walk like the world, to live like the world.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Verse thirteen, Chapter thirteen of Romans, verses twelve following, the
night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So
let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put
on the armor of light. Let us behave decently as
in the daytime, not in the carousing and drunkenness, not
in sexual immorality, and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy,
(08:18):
as I noted earlier.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Rather clothe yourselves.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
With the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about
how to gratify the desires of the flesh. The Bible says,
do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Earlier in Ephesians,
don't give place to the devil. Don't give the devil operating.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
Room in your life.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Undo every defiling association in your life, that includes the
media you consume, the music you hear. There is so
much sin and sensuality in the media that many Christians
(09:11):
have accommodated and accepted as a part of their lives.
We've gotten used to the darkness. What used to shock
us amaze us now amuses us.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Undo those things.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Keep away from anything that could hurt you and knock
you down. And so often it's like the old boxer said,
you know, it's the punch that you didn't see coming
that knocks you out. To be fore warned is to
be forearmed. And I'm telling you you are to get
(09:49):
away from anyone or anything in your life and undo
these defiling associations in your life that prompt you to
sinful behavior. On the positive side, that means that we
can seek godly counsel. It's one reason that we want
to stay connected to godly people in our lives. It's
(10:12):
the reason that God has given us the Church. So
I'm encouraging you to stay connected and to stay accountable,
and to undo those things in your life that defile
your mind and your soul. Number three is remember the
consequences of disobedience. So we read verses six and seven
(10:35):
when it speaks of the wrath of God that comes
upon the sons of disobedience.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
We read there of the judgment.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
When we choose to obey God, we invite his favor
is blessing. But when we choose our own way, we
invite judgment and discipline. God will judge sin. We are
broken when we break the commandments. Commandments of God are
for our benefit and are for our blessing. They are
(11:05):
God's rules for relationships and life, and when we break them,
we're broken upon them.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
You are listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the
message A Pure Walk in a Polluted World, Part two
in his powerful book Ask Doctor Graham helps you unlock
the power of prayer in your life. Using Jesus' teaching
to ask, seek, and knock. As you follow these three
simple commands, you'll completely transform how you pray. We want
(11:35):
to help you discover a deeper, more meaningful, and more
powerful prayer life by sending you a copy of Ask
as our thanks for your gift of ten dollars or more.
Call now to request your copy of this powerful resource.
Call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
(11:57):
You can also text the word ask to five nine
seven eight nine. Don't let stress rob you of peace.
It is possible to break the destructive grip of stress
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a digital download of Breaking Free from Stress when you
(12:18):
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Now let's get back to today's message, A Pure Walk in
a Polluted World Part two.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Just think about our culture and what promissiveness has produced
sexual addiction and sexual abuse. Pornographic plague, serial adultery, systemic sin, homosexuality, transgenderism,
(12:54):
physical and mental illness. We're not smarter than God. You
play with fire and you get burned. And remember this,
dear people. With God, there are no secrets. There are
(13:15):
no small things that we cover up hide from God.
The scripture says, be sure your sin will find you out.
A couple of stories in the Old testallor one is
well known. The story of David. He sinned with Bathsheva,
committed adultery, spent the next year covering his sin, covering
(13:39):
it up, hiding it. He even committed murder of a
dear friend, and he put it at the front of
the battle. It's a familiar and terrible story. David was
a man after God's heart, and yet he sinned, and
he was not above the laws of God. Though he
was the king of the nation, he could not run
from the discipline of the Lord. And so you find
(14:02):
David physically mentally tortured by his sin until he came
to repentance.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
And yes, God.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
Forgave him, and he forgave him fully. But David, hear me,
now lived with the consequences of his behavior and his sin.
The rest of his life. It began to show up
in his children and even in his nation. So remember
the consequences. There was another man by the name of
(14:36):
Aiken in your old Testament. After Joshua and the children
of Israel conquered Jericho, they were feeling.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Strong and mighty and powerful.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
God told them to conquer all the nations in Canaan
and take their Canaan, which is a picture of the
abundant Christian life, by the way. And so they're moving,
and so they come up against the little city Ai.
Speaker 3 (14:57):
And they come against Ai and a.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Small army, and the mighty Israeli army went in to
take them out, and they were ignominiously defeated by at Ai.
Joshua was crying out to God as to what happened
and why it happened. God said it, Joshua, stop your
whining and crying. You've got a problem. You have sin
(15:22):
in your camp. And sure enough there was a man
by the name of Aca who disobeyed God and the
commands of Joshua, the commander of Israel. And when they
conquered Jericho, they were told to leave the contraband to
leave all the goods, to leave all the gold, to
leave all the things, to leave it and not take
(15:44):
it for themselves. But this man took some gold, bricks
and a few other things, and he hid them in
his tent. Says, well, that's a small thing, But it
wasn't a small thing to God. It wasn't a small
thing to Israel. This man's sin brought down the whole
army of Israel, and his secret sin was exposed, and
(16:07):
he and his family were severely punished. He brought his
entire family, his entire nation into judgment because.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Of secret sin. What did Jesus say?
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Jesus said that which is held in secret, covered in secrecy,
will one day be shouted from the housetops. I'm just
telling you, if you are a follower and a believer
in Christ, you need to remember the consequences.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Don't live a double life.
Speaker 2 (16:38):
Did you know that the word hypocrisy hypocrite comes from
the actors on the stage which would wear masks and
hide behind their mask and play a character of some kind.
So many Christians are wearing a mask, and behind the
mask is a double life. And the Bible says a
double minded man or woman is unstable in all of
their ways. Don't wear a mask, be real, be true.
(17:04):
Remember the consequences. What think about them? A broken marriage,
losing the respect of your children, your grandchildren, potentially losing
your job, your career, or your calling in life, destroying
your witness, defaming the testimony of your church, losing your
(17:28):
own influence. There's so much to lose when you consider
the cost and the consequences for disobeying God. So pete
is pursue God and the holiness of God. Then undoe
defiling relationships in your life.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
And then.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Remember the consequences, and finally, exercise spiritual disciplines. Now look
at verses nine and ten. Look at it again. These
are spiritual disciplines. For the fruit of the Light is
found in all that is good and right and true.
And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
(18:14):
That is our motive, that is everything to us as believers,
that we would.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
Please God and not live to please ourselves.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
And in order to do that we exercise these spiritual disciplines.
Fortify your faith with God's word. It's been said this
book the Bible will either keep you from sin, or
sin will keep you from this book. Jesus said, sanctify
them with thy truth. Song one hundred and nineteen and
(18:52):
verse eleven. How shall a young man cleanse his way
by giving attention? By paying attention to God's word Again,
your faith is like a muscle when you exercise it,
when you feed your body.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
And your soul, feed the spirit star of the flesh.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
Even Jesus himself, when he came against the onslaught and
the attacks of Sathan in the wilderness, he answered by
drawing the sword of the Spirit, which is the word
of God, and he ran him through and defeated the
devil in temptation. Fortify your faith with the word of God.
How do you expect to win over sin? If you're
(19:30):
weakened because you don't have the stamina and the strength
of God's word, Then purify your thought life.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
The battle is what we think.
Speaker 2 (19:40):
We've already been told in Ephesians chapter five that we
are to renew our minds Romans twelve. Don't be conformed
to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
your minds. Don't indulge your mind in fantasies in imaginative sin.
Don't indulge your mind because that's where it begins. Ask
(20:04):
God to cleanse your thought life. Next, identify accountability partners.
Be accountable if you're marriage, starting with your spouse. Be
accountable to one another in this area of your life.
Be accountable to other believers. Don't isolate yourself.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
If you need help, seek the help you need.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
Then, then finally, magnify the Lord, exalt Christ in your life.
Put him first in your life. If you love Jesus
with all your heart and mind, soul and strength, and
your neighbor as yourself the first and the second commandment,
as Jesus gave them. When you love God and you
love people, then you will pursue the righteousness and the
(20:51):
holiness and the purity, even in a sinful, sensual world.
Because we walk now in the light.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
You know.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
This passage of Scripture concludes with an invitation. Those final
words of Chapter five says Awake, O sleeper. This comes
most likely, we're told from a song that early Christians
sang when inviting people to Christ, much like we have
an invitation.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
At our church.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
Awake and arise from the dead, and let the light
of Christ shine on you. I was watching the Ken
Burns special on country music. It was a fascinating study,
beginning in the way back of country music, of course.
(21:47):
One of the well known celebrities and stars of the
nineteen forties, in particular fifties.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
Was Hank Williams. Hank Williams was raised in church.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
He had a mother who loved but he wandered far away,
and he struggled most of his life, really all of
his life. One evening, he was driving. He was sleeping
in the back seat of the car as his mother
was driving them to an airport. He was he was drunk,
(22:19):
and yet he was awakened when his mother, seeing the
seeing the airport, said said, I see the lights amazingly.
In a drunken stupor, this backsliden believer, Hank Williams wrote
(22:40):
these words, I wandered so aimlessly, life filled was sin.
I wouldn't let my dear Savior in. And then Jesus
came like a stranger in the night.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Praise the Lord. I saw the light. I saw the
I saw the light. No more darkness, no more night.
Now I'm so happy, no sorrow, insights.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Praise the Lord. I saw the light. And when the
light of Jesus fills your heart and your soul changes everything,
no more darkness, no more night.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
A Pure Walk in a Polluted World Part two. Nothing
lights a fire in your faith like experiencing the power
of prayer firsthand. As you begin to see God as
a personal, loving father who desires to hear and answer
your prayers, it transforms your life, and thanks to friends
(23:49):
like you, more people all around the world are hearing
about their loving God and his son Jesus through the TV,
radio and online outreach of PowerPoint. That's why your support
of this ministry is so vital. We'll say thanks for
your gift of ten dollars or more by sending you
a copy of doctor Graham's book Ask. This is a
great resource to help you strengthen your own prayer life
(24:11):
and teach you to approach God with boldness and confidence.
So call now to request your copy. When you give,
call one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ASK to five nine
seven eight nine, and don't forget to visit Jack Graham
(24:33):
dot org, where you can shop our Eastore, give a
gift online, or sign up for doctor Graham's free daily
email devotional. Our website again is Jack Graham dot org
and also be sure to sign up for doctor Graham's
podcast Bible in a Year pastor what is your PowerPoint
for today?
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Really ask God to make you a holy man or woman,
one who lives separate from the world and yet contacting
the world with the love and grace of God. Then
don't just deny your heart what is unholy, but fill
it with what is holy. In other words, if I
try constantly not to do the wrong thing, I will
(25:14):
end up maybe not doing the right thing. Start doing
the right things, and before you know it, your heart
will be full of what is right, righteousness, and then
determined to live a God honoring, spiritual life, a life
that is pure because it doesn't just happen. It's really
the result of your discipline. And as you discipline yourself
in scripture and in prayer, in church attendance and biblical worship,
(25:38):
as you discipline yourself in your mind with God's truth,
then you will discipline your life into godliness. Many of
us try to keep ourselves in good shape physically. We're walking,
we're running, we're lifting weights, and that's a good discipline.
In fact, the Bible has a good word about that.
It says, bodily exercise profits a little. It's a good
(25:59):
thing to do. But then the Bible says, but all
the more spiritual exercise. Spiritual discipline is even more important.
So practice the spiritual disciplines. If you want to be holy,
then guard your heart, protect yourself. I mean, don't give
the devil a stick to hit you. If something weakens you,
(26:19):
if something causes you to stumble, don't go near it.
Speaker 3 (26:22):
I heard about a.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
Sign of young man had on his dormitory room which
said he who would not fall down should not walk
in slippery places. So we need to make sure that
we discipline not only our thoughts, but that we discipline
our actions, and that we don't go places, or hang
out with people, or subject ourself to things that weaken us.
A man is a fool who somehow knows that he's weak,
(26:46):
knows that he's struggling in an area, and then yet
throws himself right in the midst of the fire. If
you feed your heart with scripture, prayer, praise, and worship,
you can actually reprogram your mind, and instead of just
thinking all the wrong things, you can start thinking and believing,
and before long you'll be acting in the right things,
(27:08):
be willing to pay the price, to practice the spiritual disciplines,
to protect your heart, and to pray that God will
make you a holy man or woe.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
And that is today's power Point. Remember when you give
a gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll
send you doctor Graham's book Ask as our thanks. Call
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
That's one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word ASK to five nine
(27:40):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how you can succeed
in the journey of life. That's next time on PowerPoint
with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by
PowerPoint Ministry s
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