Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble (Job 14:1). No matter how old or young you are, one thing is certain, you will soon leave this earth. I am quite old, so take my word for it, life will pass by so quickly that you will be amazed that it is so soon gone. As my grandfather used to say, “life is like a dream and passes quicker than a tale can be told.”

Materialism and prideful living in this life will never satisfy or make us happy . The prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 spent his entire inheritance living a riotous life, yet it left him dead to his father, and in a quite miserable state. This old world is fleeting and elusive and we will all soon pass from it. The riches we store up here are all vanity, for we cannot take a single thing with us when we leave this life (I Tim. 6:7). We can never be pleasing to God if we love this world, for the things of this world are not of the Father (I John 2:15). The world equates success with prestige, fine houses, cars, bank accounts, and being able to pamper our every whim and fancy. God calls for our complete separation from all this and tells us not to so much as touch the unclean things of this world (II Cor. 6:17-18). Many so called religious people are striving to have all the riches and indulge in all the pleasures of this world and still go to heaven. I John 2:15-16 tells us the folly of such a plan. Also James 1:27 teaches that worldliness can spot us and make our worship vain and worthless. God has always demanded to be put first in our lives, if we are to follow him and be his sons and daughters (Matt. 22:37-39). If we seek first the kingdom of heaven, and his righteousness, God will add to us the things we need in this life (Matt. 6:33). When we are friends with the world, it destroys our credibility, in our effort to do God’s work and bring souls to Christ. Eph. 5:11, tells us to have no fellowship or participation with the worldly works of darkness. Not only should we not be a part of them, but we should reprove and expose the evil that runs so rampant in this world.

Worldliness is anything that characterizes the age or time we live in and weakens our love for God and puts us at odds with his will. When we associate with those of the world we tend to grow more like them and less like children of God (I Cor. 15:33). Our conversation reflects where our heart is centered. When our talk is constantly of worldly concerns, then one can be sure that is where our heart is also. Our priorities are quite obvious to those around us and our speech truly betrays us (Matt. 26:73). Our attitude toward marriage and the home also reflect where we stand with God. The world certainly does not look on marriage as a permanent institution. Matthew 19:3-9 tells us that marriage is to last for life, there being only two exceptions, fornication by an offending spouse or death of a partner. As Christians we are not to be conformed, or fashioned after the world by our speech (Eph. 4:29), dress (I Tim. 2:9-10), or actions.

The word church is from the Greek word, “ekklesia”, which means the called out. Thus we who follow Christ are called out and set apart from this world. The church must be kept glorious, holy, without spot, wrinkle, or blemish (Eph. 5:27). Jesus plainly tells us that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). The church must be in the world, but not worldly; on this earth, but not earthly. As a ship is in the ocean, but the ocean must not be allowed in the ship, so the church is in the world, but the world must, at all cost, be kept out of the church.

We invite all who would, to come together with us each Sunday morning at Kedron on the Coopertown Road, Russellville, Kentucky, to worship God in spirit and in truth. We neither add to God’s word or take from it. Bible study at 10:00 and Worship at 11:00.