Pure Religion

Lord, You're worthy of my praise I stand in wonder Of Your beauty and Your power I stand on holy ground Singing glory and honor Power forever to You, Lord Just to dwell here in Your courts is better, better In Your presence I have found I'm standing on holy ground Singing glory, honor, power, forever Singing glory, honor, power, forever to You, Lord I've searched and I've searched Couldn't find anything better Nothing more purer than holy, holy You are holy Holy, holy You are holy There is no one like You There is no one else beside You You are holy, yes You are There is no one like You There is no one else beside You You are holy, yes You are There is no one like You There is no one else beside You You are holy, yes You are There is no one like You There is no one else beside You You are holy We sing in glory to the Father Our Lord forever We sing in glory to the Father Sweet in the mouth of the Lord We sing in glory to the Father Our Lord forever We sing in glory to the Father Our Lord forever And ever and ever Amen Thank you, choir and musicians, for glorifying the Lord today. Welcome to God's house on this Lord's Day. We may be honoring fathers, but today's the Lord's Day. And I honor all of you dads. Father, we go to your word now. And we ask for insight. And we pray for clarity, understanding. We want to be strengthened, and guided, and not just informed,

but transformed. I ask all of these things in the name of Jesus. Amen. Smile at somebody on the way down. I'm going to be doing some teaching this morning. But I want to say something first about this hubbub in our country about a movie that came out. I think it was called Disclosure. And I heard things like, this will cause every Christian to question their faith. This will bring things to light that have never been known before. And I've had a lot of people. Let me take that back. I've had some people ask me if I was going to see it. I even considered it, because it's about aliens, and spacecraft, and how the government's covering up. Of course the government's covering up. The government's covering up everything. And we were out eating the other night. And we were near a theater. And I saw a couple of people come out. And I just walked up and said, did you see that movie? Yes. What do you think? Wow. Really makes you think. I said, well, what's it about? Well, I'm not going to tell you, because that would give it away. And so I went to someone else. And they said, you know, it really, really makes you think.

And so there's this chatter today about aliens, and beings, and flying saucers, and UFOs, and all kinds of things. And I thought the church understood. I thought we understood there are demons and devils. And as we get closer to the coming of the Lord, they're going to manifest themselves more and more, but not to me, only to those who are open to it, who have no faith and nothing to stand on. Let me just make some things clear today. God and angels always appeared as men in the Bible. Satan is the one that appeared as a snake. And we know from scripture he can transform himself into an angel of light. He has the power to do that kind of thing, if need be. But it's important for us to understand God doesn't do things deceitfully. When Jesus appeared to Abraham, he was with two angels. And Abraham thought there were three men, not squiggly creatures, not slick creatures with big swollen heads, and big bugging eyes, and no ears. They appeared as men. When Joshua was confronted by a man before he crossed over into Jericho, it was a man who looked like a warrior. He looked like a man so much that Joshua said, are you for us or for our enemies? He said, I'm the commander of the armies of the Lord. And I could go on and on about how angels rejoiced at the birth of Jesus. There's nothing spooky about angelic appearances

or manifestations. I could talk about how Peter was delivered from jail that night by an angel of the Lord. And if you go to Revelation chapter 11, two witnesses are going to appear and they will perform mighty signs and wonders. They won't be creatures. The Bible says two witnesses, two men empowered by God. Revelation calls the devil a dragon and the false prophet and the Antichrist, he calls beasts. So God doesn't do things in a spooky way. God is truth, God is light, God comes directly, God is pointed, God is plain. He doesn't slither in, he doesn't try to deceive you. So I believe that all this stuff that people are saying are indeed demonic manifestations. Of course. I don't know but have we forgotten that Paul said we don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places. The devil does his best to deceive people everywhere. He can find a group of people who are opened to the supernatural and have no foundation of truth. So I believe people are captured by aliens and on spaceships and stuff like that. I don't know. I think you have to have a demented spirit and mind for that to even happen to you, to be open. You've already opened yourself through some kind of witchcraft or necromancy. Nobody talks to the dead who is saved. These preachers that say they talk to an old friend, that's necromancy. That's talking to the dead.

That's forbidden by God. God's people don't have to talk with the dead. We talk to the living Lord Jesus Christ. And I don't want to talk to somebody that died. I want to talk to him who lives. So I decided I wouldn't waste my time with that movie. Steven Spielberg, a Christ-rejecting, spiritually blind, totally lost, Christianity-hating, billionaire, Hollywood filmmaker. Why would I subject my pure mind to anything that comes out of Hollywood? Don't you think it's fascinating, pastor? Really, this is the most fascinating thing I've ever read in my life. I'm serious. And for those of you listening by radio, I'm holding up God's Word, the Bible. This is the most fascinating thing you will ever read. And the more you get into it, the more intriguing it is. Sometimes you just can't even put it down. Once you start connecting the dots and putting the pieces of the puzzle together, you become totally enamored with the truth, the Word of the living God. So why would I allow the filth and the lies of Hollywood and lost people to even find a small place in my pure mind? Folks, everything you want to know about everything that's going on is in the Bible. Everything. Yeah, but don't you understand? Every question is answered in God's Word. All of these manifestations can be explained by God's Word. I'm going to say it until I say it. I don't need a lost filmmaker or author or producer or politician to tell me something that God has already revealed to me in His Word. See, all of this creates confusion. And the master of confusion is the devil.

I don't know why that word hit me so hard the other day, confusion, so I did what I do. I looked up the etymology of the word and how it has come down to us through the ages. And confusion means to blend different things. It goes on to say to blend conflicting and contrary things. Confusion. It means to perplex or bewilder. In fact, I think it's the Latin word, confusus, means to mix, mix. It means to mix the spiritual with the unspiritual. It's the attempt to pour the world into the church. Not long ago, somebody asked me, what do you think the greatest danger to the church is? You know what I said? Christian music. The Christian music industry has found a foothold in the body of Christ. You thought I'd say false teachers and people like that. No. The Christian music industry, because people love beat and rhythm and harmony and melody, they don't really care what the lyrics are. I have songwriters sitting on this stage and some of the songs you helped them sing today they wrote. But you won't find anything that's anti-Christian about anything that was written. But I fear how people get caught up, almost hypnotized with Christian music and Christian groups and how these people can fill up coliseums and actually sing words that are contrary to Scripture, which are pro-evil, evil in the world we're living in. So this thing of confusion means to try to marry the flesh with the spirit. To bind the carnal to the spiritual. To blend the holy with the profane and the clean with the dirty. I'm going to read a Scripture to you and I think probably most of you would say I've never seen that in my life. It's in Exodus chapter 12 and this is when Israel is coming out of Egyptian bondage. They're being set free.

Let me just read verse 35, the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses and they had asked from the Egyptians, Egyptians, articles of silver, articles of gold and clothing and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians so that they granted them what they requested. They plundered the Egyptians. And the children of Israel journeyed from Ramesses to Sukkoth, about 600,000 men on foot besides children. Next verse, a mixed multitude, a mixed multitude went up with them also and flocks and herds, a great deal of livestock. Have you ever read that? A mixed multitude. These were not Israelites. They were not in the land of Goshen with the Israelites. There was no blood applied to the lentils of their doors. It was just that when Israel was leaving Egypt, these people too from all tribes and nations who were also in slavery just kind of joined up with them and marched right out with them and crossed the Red Sea with them and spent another year with them until they came to Mount Sinai where God gave them the law, a mixed multitude. They didn't belong. They weren't part of it. They blended in. It was confusion. And the next time you see anything about a mixed multitude is in Numbers 11 verse 4. Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving. So the children of Israel also wept again and said, who will give us meat to eat? Boy, I've dug into this. And the scholars all imply. that Israel was going to complain. That's what they do. But they complained quicker and stronger because the mixed multitude,

the ones who still had their hearts in Egypt, were saying, this is not right. We had it better in Egypt than we do here. And they were just stirring things up. And those commentators say that Israel was going to build a golden calf, but the mixed multitude cried out for a God and only increased the activity of it, the quickness of it. The mixed multitude. May I tell you again? They weren't Israelites. They didn't belong. They didn't go through the same thing. They weren't redeemed by blood. They just blended in. And they caused confusion. And they made the Israelites question themselves. And that's what the devil does. Got a cup of water here. Cup of water. So you know what water looks like, right? Ah, but if I take coffee and put it in that water, you don't call it a cup of water anymore. You call it a cup of coffee, right? What else have I got down here? Okay, let's call this a glass. Glass of water. You thought water was in it, didn't you? I wouldn't even take that chance. Glass of water.

Who's thirsty for a glass of water? But put some tea leaves in it and a little bit of sugar. You don't call it a glass of water anymore. You call it a glass of tea. So I have a bottle of water. There's no question about it, right? You've all drunk this water before. Bottle of water. But you just let me add some sugar and caramel and caffeine and a few more secret elements and you know what you have? This is 89% water. But you don't call it a bottle of water anymore. And just to drive home the point, I got a bottle of water here. You know what that is. But add a little sugar and cocoa and whey. My favorite non-soda health drink right here. A Yoo-Hoo. You get the point? The additive changes what you call it. The additive changes what it is. And that's what Satan is doing through confusion, through trying to mix and blend. And it was in this very service last week that I went to 2 Peter chapter 2. And I read those words about, oh, here we go. Let me just do it again. Will you bear with me this morning? I'm teaching you something. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption.

For by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, a dog returns to his own vomit and a sow having washed to her wallowing in the mire. You see, that's when the pigs and the dogs left Egypt and tried to mix. And those mixed multitudes could not become Israelites. It was not possible. So they followed them around and enjoyed their bodies. blessings and eventually negatively influenced them. And these people right here, which the church on earth today, the real church of the living God, is infiltrated with just this very thing. Mixed multitudes of people. They have never been born again. They've never had the blood applied. They know how to sing. They know what to sing. They know what to do. But they have never been regenerated. They've never been made a brand new creation in Christ Jesus.

Do you know when the mixed multitude finally left Israel and scattered and went on out into the desert? When God was ready to give the law, they could not handle God and His law anymore. That's what the rabble will do. That's what mixed multitudes will do. The truth will upset them. They will try to alter the truth, but they can never truly be part of the truth because they have never been born again by the Spirit of God. Here's something else that's, by the way, as I was praying and working on this, it got bigger and bigger, and this is going to have to be a two-Sunday sermon here. Because then I looked at this thing called mixed marriage. I'm not talking about skin color and culture. I'm talking about spiritual marriage. Paul was giving instructions to men and women who maybe lost a spouse and simply said, you're welcome to remarry only in the Lord. You can never remarry an unbeliever. I want to tell all the young people here, God's Word forbids you marrying an unbeliever if you are a believer. I don't care how much they want to go to church with you. I don't care how receptive they are now to the move of the Spirit and the songs and the preaching and all of that. You better make sure

that that person has been born again by the Spirit of God because unless two are agreed, they cannot walk together. That's what the Bible says. I know of people who have married unbelievers thinking, I will win him, I will win her. That's not even the point. The Bible said, don't do it to start with. So if you really want to see something that will blow your mind as it did mine, I turned over to Nehemiah chapter 13. I'm being very slow and cautious today and giving all these references because I pray to God somebody will study this after it's over. The book of Nehemiah, they have rebuilt the walls in the city and this is what I read. In those days, I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Notice the difference? I saw Jews, God's people, who had married women of Ashdod, not God's people, Ammon, not God's people, and Moab, not God's people. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people. This tears me apart. Nehemiah is saying, all these Jewish guys started marrying all these pagan women

That happens and you start having children. The pagan belief, the pagan language, the pagan ideology always seems to overcome the ways of the Lord. They couldn't even speak the language of Judah. They didn't understand church talk, Bible talk. Those children didn't understand spiritual things. They just know or knew that their daddy was a Jew, an Israelite, and apparently they were supposed to be some kind of special people, but what has that got to do with me? I tell you, we'd better be careful. We just might be raising a generation of children that don't know how to speak the language of Judah, the language of the church, the language of the Scripture. They are unfamiliar with the Word of God because we have married the world and the world seems to overtake the words of the living God. But let me go on. So I, Nehemiah said, contended with them and cursed them. I think he had a temper tantrum. Struck some of them. Now I know he had one. And pulled out their hair. I don't know what you say about that. That's a man who has gone berserk. But he's gone berserk for the cause of the Lord, you see. Do you mind if I read this again? So I contended with whom? With these people who married pagans and are raising pagan children right under the shadow of Judah. In the ranks and the homes and the houses of Israel, the children don't even know the true and living God. So I contended with them.

I cursed them. I struck some of them. I pulled out their hair and made them swear by God saying, I shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. He held them down. He said, you say it. You make a vow. Do it now. Here's the reason. Did not King Solomon of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him who was beloved of his God. And God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women? That's in the Old Testament. Folks, God doesn't change. Paul hasn't changed. No believer can marry an unbeliever. It doesn't work. Nothing about it works. To prove it to you, I have to go to 2 Corinthians and read these words that are oh so familiar to us. Beginning with verse 14. Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. Who heard it? Who heard it? Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.

For what, notice the wording, fellowship, has righteousness with lawlessness? Oh, it's not the nice thing to say, but there are righteous people and there are lawless people and there is no in between. And what, notice the wording, communion, has light with darkness? Light is light and dark is dark and there are people who are in the light and there are people who are in the dark and they can never have communion. And what accord? Oh, accord. Has Christ with Belial? What does Christ have in common with the devil? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? Look at it, look at the words. Fellowship, communion, accord, part, agreement. Blending, mixing, attempting to put light in dark and dark in light, attempting to make everybody feel comfortable. It's always at the expense of the holiness of God. Any church that makes that kind of accommodation is jeopardizing the spiritual integrity of that church. And he goes on to say, You are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them, I will walk among them, I will be their God, they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.

He's talking to you and me. But pastor, didn't Jesus say go into all the world and preach the gospel? Go into the highways and byways. Yes, and we've got the modern movement now called ministry in the marketplace. And everything's about going downtown and having sandwiches at lunchtime with all the unbelievers. There's not a thing wrong with any of that. If you realize, sometimes your greatest testimony is to pull out, not go in. Sometimes the greatest influence of a church is not when it mixes and mingles with all the other faiths and beliefs, but when it stands back and says, No sir, there is only one God. Only one way to God. You must be born again by the blood of Jesus. Therefore, we will not accommodate your beliefs. We will not walk in agreement with you. We are not just trying to make a good impression on the community by all of the faiths getting together. There is only one faith. It's the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every other faith is false and dark and devilish. Why is this important? Listen to these words. Why is purity important? James said, Pure religion. Ah, there's that word. Pure religion and undefiled before God is to visit widows and orphans and keep oneself unspotted from the world. Be pure. Stay separate.

Don't let their trash get in your pants cuffs. Don't let their thinking get in your head. Be different. Be holy. You want pure religion? Walk a holy life. Take care of people who need you, but you walk in a way that pleases God no matter what anybody else does. How about this one? Titus. To the pure, all things are pure. That's a statement right there. To the pure, all things are pure. If you have a pure mind, everything you do will be pure. It took me a long time to come to that basic seedling of truth. To the pure, that means those who are living an unadulterated life, clean, separated, holy life, everything you do is pure. Purity drives you. So, to the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. Lost people can't do a pure thing. A lost government can't do a pure thing for its people. A good thing, sometimes, but not a pure thing. But to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. But even their mind and conscience are defiled. Folks, this is drastic. Pure people have open eyes, clean heart, clean hands. They know what's going on. They understand.

People who don't know Christ are lost in trespasses and sins, and they walk in darkness. They have no understanding. They have no comprehension of purity. They cannot do anything that's pure. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him. That's what it says. They profess to know God. I was trying to find a sermon the other day from one of my favorite, well my favorite preacher, and ran across this little thing, it was like three minutes long, a list of all of the celebrities that claim they're born again. And they had little clips of athletes and politicians and all kinds of people saying, I want to thank my Lord Jesus Christ. I want to thank my God. I want to thank God in heaven. But the life they're living is foul. And that's why I'm trying to get somebody to understand, it's not what you say about God, it's how you live for God. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him. Being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. Do you see? Nothing an unbeliever does is acceptable to God. Feed the hungry. I'm not going to do a list. Nothing an unbeliever does pleases God. Those with pure minds are the ones who please the Lord because their life is pure. You know, John said, the Lord is coming back in the clouds.

We're going to see Him. We'll see Him just as He is. We will be made like Him. And every man who has this hope purifies himself. Even as Christ is pure. Meaning, every day when you get up, the first thing on your mind is not working out. It's not getting on the internet. It's not trying to see what the stock market did. It's not any of that. It's you getting up saying, oh, I need Him. But more importantly, I want Him. Lord, speak to me before anybody else does. Lord, do something in my life before something else can do something to my life. Your life is not your own. You've been bought with a price. It's Christ in you. He's the hope of glory. And when you get up and the first thing you do every day is call on Him who is pure, He will keep your mind pure. And then you have a greater strength to do what Paul admonished. Whatsoever things are pure. Whatsoever things are lovely, of good report. If there's any virtue, if there's any praise, think on these things. And the God of Israel shall be yours. Understand that, folks. It matters what you think about.

Your purity comes from your mind. And your mind is affected by your heart. So this is what I want to close with today. It's in Philippians chapter 1. Ready? They're going to put it on the screen. I told you I was going to teach today. Philippians chapter 1. What verse did I say? OK, 9. And this, I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ through the glory of God. And the phrase I see this morning is that you may approve the things that are excellent, not just good things, not just acceptable things, not get-by things, but excellent things, pure things. The mentality of many Christians who don't really seek the Lord is that they want to get by. What can I do and not go to hell? What can I not do and still go to heaven or vice versa? I'll go to church, and I will pay I'll create my conscience and I'll get by and I'll go out and live another week. I'll make a decision and hope it's right. Let me tell you something, especially you young people who are choosing career paths or maybe a spouse, I've kind of been on you today, haven't I?

If you want to make good decisions, go after things that are excellent. If you want to do the right thing, have a pure mind. Reject everything from movies to books to influencers. What else can I make? Because I'm old, I don't know all those other terms, internet, YouTube. That's not where you get purity. Purity comes from the knowledge of the Word of God. You will not be pure because you listen to people all the time. Purity comes from the knowledge of the Lord. Now I want to talk to everybody for 30 seconds. Are you about to make a big decision in your life? I'd say you ought to go somewhere and do a house cleaning and get rid of all of the stuff, the impurities, the chocolate, the caffeine, the whey, all that other stuff. Folks, can I tell you one more time, I said I wasn't going to yell. A cup, that yoo-hoo I just showed you is 98% water. A book is 89% water. A cup of coffee is 98% water. But you don't know it as water anymore. It changes everything. And if there's something you have added to your life that's in your house or in your mind or in your heart, an additive from this world, it will affect everything you do, every step you take, every decision you make. That's why to be pure is of utmost importance because when you seek after purity, God will help you make excellent decisions all the days of your life. Stand with me please. Heavenly Father, my heart is thumping inside of me right now. I'm burdened for young people who are overwhelmed with filth and worldly stuff and are trying to make the right decision. And I'm overwhelmed thinking that there are young men and women who are so madly in love with an unbeliever that they are willing to risk mixing their life up with darkness.

I'm also overwhelmed Lord with the thought that many who are sitting here today and watching themselves continuously mingling, mixing in the business world with those things that God does not accept. So I'm praying now in the name of Jesus that you will help us to follow after purity. Lord I remember you told the young preacher Timothy, keep yourself pure. Run from money mindedness, run from lust, run from the things that young men naturally go after. Run from people who cause disagreement and arguments and confusion and division. Keep yourself pure. How about an altar call? I feel like I want to be down here. You guys don't have to come down, you can stay right up here. Does anybody feel the need to ask the Lord Jesus for help so that you might approve excellent things through a pure mind? Raise your hand. Come down here then. Come just join with me. Oh Lord, oh Lord, a pure mind, a pure heart. free from deceit. I know you can hear me while I'm talking, but I promise you there are a lot of people in this building today and watching me that made the wrong decision about something because your mind was not pure at the time. I'm not going to ask for an amen. Because I've done it. I don't want you to ever do it again. I don't want you to have a path strewn with bad decisions because you tried to balance and mix and mingle the holy with the unholy. I'm just very curious.

Did this make sense to anybody? Did this make sense, church? Then what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do about it? I know what I'm going to do. I've already started. Get things out of my life that I don't need. Get rid of stuff that incites confusion. Get rid of it. Be done with it. Make excellent decisions. And now I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord of glory, who laid this message on my heart for you. I pray that this very day there will be something inside of you, maybe you're working it up, but something inside of you that says, I want more of the purity of Christ. I want to walk worthy of the calling of God upon my life. I want to rid myself of all of that which constantly creates misunderstanding and confusion in my life. And so Lord, I just prayed it out loud and I see lots of nodding heads. So they sang a song. They sang it this morning, Lord. Ask and it will be given. Seek and you'll find. Knock and it shall be opened. And I believe with all my heart if I seek purity, I'll find it. And if I keep knocking at the door of holiness, I'll walk through it. I believe that.

God waits to give it. Do you mind just taking 30 seconds? Whether you look up or down, it doesn't matter to me. But I want you to tell God in your heart that you mean business about this prayer today. Go right ahead. You're all I want. That's my prayer. You are all I want. All the way to the back. Help me sing it. You're all I want. You're all I've ever needed. You're all I want. Help me know you are needed. I know it's not very professional to do this, but I'm not going to drink it. I'm just reminding you. God's Word is pure. The law of the Lord is perfect. The commandments of the Lord are pure and righteous altogether. Don't add anything to it, just obey it. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Amen. We pray that today as you watch Pastor Livingston's message, you will be encouraged and ready to dig deeper into a life with Jesus. To help you on this journey, Central has two resources for you. First, you can sign up to receive Central's Jail and Prison Correspondence course through the mail by writing to Central Church, Jail and Prison Ministries Discipleship Center, 5143 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270.

Second, by using Central's app and clicking on the button below, you can read a short daily devotional that will encourage you to read and pray daily as you draw closer to Jesus. Thank you for watching. ♪