Wiser Than Children of Light (II)
Luke 16:1-13
Introduction

Two major lessons
•Danger of the love of money
•Forethought and wisdom of the
world

World sees spiritual truth easier
•Rulers (John 12:42)
•Felix (Acts 24:25)
Preaching What Is Needed
“The church that is away from the
masses is away from Christ, and the
church that is with Christ is with the
masses. The departure from Christ
and the people is the prime cause of
all the formality, and coldness, and
indifference, and proud-heartedness
in the churches which are guilty of it
and suffering from it. The remedy for
all is to remove the cause by coming
back to Christ.”
Preaching What Is Needed
“We have not the sturdy faith, and
consuming zeal, and deep-toned piety
in the churches now which we had
fifty years ago. Instead thereof, we
have a lightheartedness, and worldlymindedness which was not so much
as named among the saints in those
days. We have not the spiritual power
and doctrinal convictions in the pulpit
now which we had then, but instead
of those old-time elements of pulpit
Preaching What Is Needed
“strength we have a disposition to
astonish and please the world by
sensational sermons, ethical lectures,
beautiful speeches and soft sayings to
which the old-time preachers never
gave place for a moment. There is a
need of a reformation in all these
things ‘whereunto you do well that
you take heed’”
(Seventy Years in Dixie, p. 380)
Is Smoking Wrong?

Some Christians say NO
•“No worse than being overweight
•“The Bible doesn’t say not to”
Is Smoking Wrong?

The Bible says, YES
•Application of principles
•Some are self-condemned
(Romans 14:23)
•Christians are saints, disciples
(Matthew 11:29;1 Peter 1:15)
•Jesus was undefiled, sinless, etc.
(John 8:4-6; 18:38; 19:4, 6)
Rick Lanning

“Instead I have turned to what
many might consider a simple
answer given by a simpleton. To me
the absolute purity, the radiant
holiness, the snow-white innocence
of Jesus my Lord stands in total
contrast to a Christ peering through
smoke-filled
eyes
and
smelly
clothes while a poisonous weed ….”
Rick Lanning (continued)

“…hangs from His smoking mouth
as He says, ‘Come learn of me.’
What man or woman who wears
that holy name, who imbibes His
spirit and imitates His example, who
seeks to walk even as He walked,
and to be holy in all manner of
living, can in his wildest imagination
picture the holy, harmless, ….
Rick Lanning (continued)

“… undefiled Jesus asking Peter for
a light, or pulling a cigarette from
His garment, or putting a pinch
between His cheek and gum? I
could as easily draw in my mind our
Savior at a disco party or a poker
game or seated at a bar as I can
puffing on a rolled up cancer stick
or spitting before offering a …
Rick Lanning (conclusion)

“…‘holy kiss!’ Any saint (holy one)
who can think otherwise, “hath not
seen Him, neither know Him.”
(Imhoff Avenue Bulletin, Port Arthur,
TX, November 1980)
Is Smoking Wrong?

Wisdom of the world
•I was in a book store asking for
religious books … clerk replied as
she removed her cigarette, “You
can see from this cigarette that I
don’t have any religious books in
here.”
•Why can’t we tell if it’s wrong?
Is Dancing Wrong?

Many Christians say, NO
•“It’s just exercise.”
•“It doesn’t bother me.”
•“I have total control.”
Is Dancing Wrong?

The Bible says, YES
•Take heed (1 Corinthians 10:12)
•Lasciviousness (Greek- aselgia),
(Galatians 5:19)
Lasciviousness
Webster- “… lewd, lustful”
 Thayer- “… unchaste handling
of males and females”

Is Dancing Wrong?

The Bible says, YES
•Take heed (1 Corinthians 10:12)
•Lasciviousness (Greek- aselgia),
(Galatians 5:19)
•Could one pray and dance at the
same time? (Matthew 6:13)
•What about John the Baptist?
(Mark 6:22)
Is Dancing Wrong?

Wisdom of the world
•Article about Anita Bryant seen
dancing after speaking out
against homosexual rights in
Dade County, FL
•Why was that newsworthy?
Is Dancing Wrong?

Wisdom of the world
•Luther Blackmon was once asked,
“Why do you preach against
dancing?” He replied, “If you saw
me on the dance floor next
Saturday night, knowing that I
am a preacher of the Gospel,
what would you think of me?”
Is Dancing Wrong?

Blackmon (Conclusion)
•She answered without hesitation,
“I wouldn’t think you were much
of a preacher.”
(Truth Magazine, Volume 18, p. 550)
Can We Know What is Modest?

Many Christians say, NO
•“How short is short?”
•“It is totally subjective”
Can We Know What is Modest?

The Bible says, YES
•Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7, 21)
•Naked does not always mean
total nudity
(Job 22:6; James 2:15, 16)
Can We Know What is Modest?

Modest dress
•Commanded (1 Timothy 2:9, 10)
Modest

“orderly, well arranged, decent,
modest… ‘the well ordering is
not of dress and demeanor only,
but of the inner life, uttering
indeed and expressing itself in
the outward conversation’
(Trench)”
(Vine’s Expository Dictionary)
Shamefastness

“a sense of shame, modesty” …
‘shamefastness is that modesty
which is fast or rooted in
character…’(Davies, Bible English)…
‘that which would restrain a good
man from an unworthy act’ “
(Vine’s Expository Dictionary)
Sobriety

“denotes soundness of mind… ’it is
that habitual inner self-government,
with its constant rein on all the
passions and desires which would
hinder the temptation to these from
arising…”
(Vine’s Expository Dictionary)
Can We Know What is Modest?

Modesty dress
•Commanded (1 Timothy 2:9, 10)
•Reflects the heart (1 Peter 3:1-7)
•Is it determined by what we call
it?
Can We Know What is Modest?

Wisdom of the world
•Advertisers know the difference
Brooke Shields Jeans Ad

“What comes between me and
my Calvins?” Reply: Nothing
•Don O’Brien of CBS standards
division suggested Klein may
have started the “pants flap”
•He denied it by saying, “the
tighter they are, the more people
want to buy them.” (12/12/80)
Can We Know What is Modest?

Wisdom of the world
•Advertisers know the difference
•Clothing designers know the
difference
Comment on Miniskirts

“I don’t mean that you won’t see
even shorter skirts on some women
some of the time. Among the
teenaged, the near-anorexic and the
deliberately provocative, minis are
bound to be popular. (Among
prostitutes, they never went out of
fashion) …
Comment on Miniskirts

“…The miniskirt is the relentless
enemy of modesty.”
(Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune,
4/29/87)
Can We Know What is Modest?

Wisdom of the world
•Advertisers know the difference
•Clothing designers know the
difference
•Exception for athletic events?
•Why do we have trouble deciding
what is modest?
Food For Thought
Conclusion
The wisdom of the world
must not be better than ours
 Live in order to glorify God
