Pastor John R. Reed (Pastor Rob) has been pastoring for over 20 years. He is following in his father's footsteps, John C. Reed, who was the former Pastor of Hazelgreen Baptist. Pastor Rob has a love for people and for the Word of God! He is bi-vocational, and works a full-time job in the trucking industry.
Kevin joined the staff of Hazelgreen Baptist Church in January 2022 as Assistant Pastor. He is married, with 2 beautiful children. Kevin comes from a Catholic background, and came to faith in Christ his Freshman year of college. He is excited to serve in this local congregation!
Today’s topic is Worldliness
Part 1: It is unwise, unspiritual and unfruitful. The Bible states ‘Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.’ God gave us a principle which is profitable for this life and for the next. God was telling us that we should delight in the flowers, beautiful mountains, great valleys, attractive birds and remarkable animals.
He was not referring to physical things at all, because God has given us all these things to enjoy. God made flowers to bring happiness in a peculiar way to our hearts.
Next week I will explain the effect of worldliness in the heart of a believer. Read Galatians 1:4 between this Sunday and the next Sunday I will explain. Stay tuned.
Part 2: WORLDLINESS-UNWISE, UNSPIRITUAL, UNFRUITFUL 1 John 2:15 and Galatians 1:4
We thought of the wonderful things God has given to us to delight in last week such as flowers, mountains, glorious valleys, birds, animals etc. I would like you to think of worldliness in the heart of the believer.
Paul wrote about the Christians and the Savior in Galatians 1:4” Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”
Remember the unsaved are part of this world; they live for this world and are only interested in this world. We can expect that the results we note are found in the lives of those who do not permit the Lord Jesus to be the Lord of their life and do not allow the Holy Spirit to change them and direct their lives.
Worldliness makes a Christian uncomfortable, read 2 Timothy 4:10” For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world”. This is one of the first efforts of worldliness on those who profess to know Jesus Christ. They would rather leave the company of God’s people for other attractions. They no longer care for the conversations of Christians and the preaching of the Word of God which characterizes the gatherings of Christians. They feel uncomfortable around those who want to live for God and who enjoy going to the house of God.in closing this week, remember those who fall in love with the ways of the world, fall out with the ways of Christ! For these are opposite ways. Here is a thought for the coming Thanksgiving season, those who seek for the blessings which the world can give are no longer interested in that which God can give.
Pastor John R. Reed