A Better Way To Live

Introduction

Good morning. We have a very good crowd present today and a number of visitors in our midst. We thank you for coming. Lord willing, as of next Lord’s day, there will be fewer in our midst. Sort of an unprecedented year of how many graduates we’re losing. And one of them is my own son. As they go on to a new era in their lives. Full-fledged college students. And I want to tell all of you, as I have tried in these last couple of weeks to say some things particularly tailored to you, and I will do so again today. I want to tell all of you how much we’re going to miss you. You’ve done so well being a faithful part of our group and diligent, good examples.

And we’re going to miss you just as we have missed others who have left us in the last couple of years to go on to their college days. Sometimes they don’t return permanently.

And admonish you to continue to remember your Lord. And that’s what this lesson’s about this morning. And even somewhat about tonight, though it’s not going to be directed primarily to young people. It certainly has an application to you and to all of us. The lesson tonight is called the Golden Excuse. You need to know the Golden Excuse. And so that’ll be tonight at 5 o’clock. Drugs killed him.

At least it’s drug related, I know that. Those were the words of Gus Girard. He is a drug counselor. These are the words that he spoke to the Houston Chronicle eight years ago when he was reporting on the death of Ken Kemenidi. Some of you who are baseball fans or at least know anything about baseball in Houston know that Ken Kemenetti played third base for the Houston Astros for quite some time and was a talented baseball player, but he died tragically. Wealth, fame, family, a dream job. Kemonity had it all. Or did he? Apparently there was something missing yet in the life of Ken Kemenidi. Emptiness. Tragedy. A powerful testimony to our need for God. I want to address all the young people today, as I mentioned.

That is everybody under the age of 60. Okay, I’m going to include y’all too. I want to begin in Proverbs chapter 23 and verse 26. Wisdom cries out. The wise author cries out. As a father pleading to his son. Or a mother pleading to her daughter. Or both parents pleading to their children. Give me your heart, my son. And let your eyes delight in my ways. That’s a summary of all that I preach and teach from the Word of God. It is an appeal to all people, but particularly young people. While all of life is out there in front of you. Remember your creator in the days of your youth, Ecclesiastes 12 and verse 1. Parents plead to their children, listen to me. I’ve been down the road.

I’ve seen things that you haven’t. I understand things about the Word of God from my many years of study of that. Listen. Let your heart delight in my ways. And really, that’s the message every Lord’s Day, every Wednesday night, every Bible class, every sermon. Folks, delight in the ways of God, in the ways that are right in the ways of wisdom. Proverbs chapter 6, verses 20 through 23. Similar instruction.

Tie them around your neck. When you walk about, they will guide you. When you sleep, they will watch over you. And when you awake, they will talk to you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light. And reproofs for discipline are the way of life. I have a twofold purpose in this lesson. Number one, to encourage parents to do just that, instructing your children in regard to the good and right way, as Samuel spoke of in 1 Samuel chapter 12. And also, I want to assist the instruction that we need and should want to impart to our children, or our grandchildren for that matter, with a letter that was written by a brother in Christ to his son as he went away to college.

1. A Father's Letter: Three Temptations

And I thought how appropriate that would be for our young people today. This brother is Rusty Miller. He is one of the elders of the Westside Church in Irving, where some of us were last week. I saw Rusty. I even saw the son to whom he wrote this letter. And here’s what he said. My son, as you prepare to go away to college, I thought I should warn you about some things the devil will use to attack you. Please do not think this is all he will do. Remember, 1 Peter 5 8. Be sober, be vigilant. Our adversary, the devil, prowls about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But I believe there are three areas in which he will attack with the most effort, and I wanted to offer advice on how to deal with each one.

Number one, the temptation to sin sexually. At college, there will be more young women your age than you have ever known. A great many of them will dress provocatively, and indeed many of them will have already been sexually active. Some of them confused by such cultural phenomena as sex in the city. Will promote the myth of casual sex. The idea that sex is not a big deal and can be engaged in without thought to consequences, particularly to the soul. As I said, this idea is a myth. Besides the dangerous and troubling physical consequences of such action, there are eternal consequences that make this matter of grave importance. Two, the temptation to sin with alcohol. Among the biggest temptations facing college students away from home is the temptation to abuse alcohol.

Many will tell you that alcohol is harmless and that one little drink isn’t going to hurt you. But there are several things I would have you consider. First, for most of your days in college, the state says it is illegal for you to even possess an alcoholic beverage. As Christians, are we not to obey the laws of the land? But second, the rehab centers and hospitals are filled with those who thought alcohol was harmless, only to find themselves hopefully addicted, hopelessly addicted to it. In addition to that, the morgues are filled with those whose deaths were caused by the poor decisions that so often accompany the consumption of alcohol. And there are thousands of families torn apart by the sin of alcoholism. There is a cost to your soul to consider.

Hell will also be filled by those who thought one little drink won’t hurt me. Consider Proverbs 23, 29 through 35, as Solomon relates the degradation of the drinker. And we’ll get to that text in a moment. 3. The temptation to skip church. Satan makes this one very easy. You don’t have to make to make a decision to do wrong. You don’t have to do something vile. In fact, you don’t have to do anything. All you have to do is sleep late on Sunday morning. It will be easy because most of your dormmates will be doing the same thing. Well, Brett’s better not be. No one’s going to wake you up and make you go. It’ll be easy. Do not be so easily convinced. Well, the temptations of sex and alcohol are very dangerous.

I believe in many ways, this is even more so. When you decide to sleep in, you give in to Satan just a little bit. But no one goes from Christian one day to reprobate the next. It’s a gradual process. And when you give in just a little, the next time it will be easier, and before long, you will find that you are giving in on bigger and bigger matters. Sacrificing your Christianity and values for what is easy. Hebrews 10 25 teaches us that we are not to forsake our own assembling together, but the erosion on your values and indeed on your soul is what really matters here. You know, this is applicable whether you’re a college student or not. There will be many times you may think that you’re too tired to get up and go.

Get up, get dressed, and go anyway. You will think that you can simply go to the evening service. Get up, get dressed, and go anyway. You may be the only one in your dorm who gets up and goes. Get up, get dressed, and go anyway. As I said, these will not be the only ways Satan tries to entice you. But these are prominent ways. Do not give in. Remember that you may be all that many of your friends ever see of Christianity. Be a shining example to them with love. Dad. Three major temptations the letter addresses. As he admonishes his son about a better way to live. And I want to speak to you about that briefly this morning. These pitfalls that he addresses, these three major temptations, are no way to live.

2. These Pitfalls Are No Way To Live

They lessen the quality of your life. When you reject the principles of righteousness in the New Testament, you might imbibe in what the Hebrew writer calls the passing pleasures of sin, but when you do that, you have lessened the quality of your life. Sometimes I think we forget that. Every occasion of neglect, every occasion of immorality and vice, we have lowered the quality of our lives and characters. And that’s why Rusty wrote get up and go anyway. Get up, get dressed, and go anyway. Because it’s about the development of your character and keeping your character in line with the principles of righteousness. Parents, elders, preachers, Bible class teachers, again, can often see what young people cannot about these decisions and where they ultimately take you. A tragic story in the media this week.

Tragic to me, at least. Randy Travis. Earlier this week. Found drunken and naked on a highway. Or a roadway, not a major interstate, but a roadway outside of the Dallas area where he lives. It reminded me of the story of Mike Binko that I told you about a couple of years ago, who ran over somebody in the road. Remember that story about Mike Binko? I saw Mike Binko a couple of weeks ago. He hugged me when I came in the door at the Highway 65 church in Conway. Could have happened to Randy. Fortunately for him, someone saw him and did not hit him, a driver, a passerby, and called police. He even threatened police when he was then taken into custody. The real tragedy is that Randy Travis is a Christian.

I have known people who have actually worshipped with him. Bob and Geraldine Paul Cell were in Hawaii on vacation and they worshiped with the brethren there, and Randy Travis was there that day. What has happened to our brother in Christ? I mentioned Ken Kemanidi earlier. Fame, tremendous talent. What a silky, smooth, country voice. Randy Travis has. But life has taken its toll. One more passage in the Proverbs, chapter 4. Again, the wise writer says, Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father. And give attention that you may gain understanding. For I give you sound teaching. Do not abandon my instruction. When I was a son to my father tender and the only son in the side of my mother, then he taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words.

Keep my commandments and live. Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is get wisdom. And with all your getting, get understanding. Prize her, and she will exalt you. She will honor you. If you embrace her. She will place on your head a garland of grace. More important than any Olympic wreath that someone might wear. She will present you with a crown of beauty. Hear my son and accept my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. He’s not guaranteeing a long life. This is a maxim. This is a proverb, but this is going to be well with you if you do it.

That you may love life and see good days. Peter quotes in 1 Peter chapter 3 and verse 10. I have directed you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in upright paths. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like it when my steps get impeded by something. And I’m slowed down from the journey or where I want to be. He goes, This will not impede your steps. Sin will. And if you run, you not only can walk, you can run. And you will not stumble. Take hold of instruction. Do not let go. Guard her. For she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked. And do not proceed in the way of evil men.

3. Christianity Is About Being Something

Stay far away from it. Avoid it. Do not pass by it. Turn away from it and pass on. Such simple but important instruction as it relates to these major temptations that Rusty warned his son about. Do not look on the wine when it sparkles in the cup. The wise writer told us in Proverbs chapter 23. Well, obviously, there are some challenges in this quest for character. And that’s really what it’s about. Christianity. And if you don’t remember, young people, anything else I’ve tried to teach you, Christianity is about being something, not just about avoiding wrong things. It’s about the development of your character. The story of Job. That’s what it’s really. What’s the story of Job about? Suffering! Suffering. I got it. Got the right answer.

Really, that’s secondary. Did you realize that? The real issue in the book of Job is his integrity. And that’s evidenced in things that are said in chapter 2. The only thing that his wife ever says in the whole book, which you better pay attention to that. His wife is going to be an integral part of his suffering. I mean, here he is suffering, and I know these three friends say a lot of stuff. His wife is quoted only once. And she said, Yes. Curse God and die. That’s not all she said. She said before that, do you still hold fast your integrity? I want to suggest to you that’s why she’s quoted. Because that’s the issue in the book of Job, that despite his horrific circumstances, despite all of the awful things that have unfolded, he is going to hold fast his integrity, who he is, his character, despite every challenge and despite every adversity.

And that’s what it means, folks. How many times have we quoted the verse? Colossians 3, verse 16. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. What is that? Somebody describe that to me. That’s integrity. That’s character. That’s being a certain kind of person because of salvation in Christ. I’m going to be that person despite every challenge. And the temptations that are continually wooing me away from character. It’s always about being something, not just avoiding wrong things. That contributes. Avoiding the wrong things contributes to the character, but ultimately it’s about this integrity. Jesus said it in the Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are the pure in heart. For they shall see God. That’s more than just purity, moral purity, and abstaining from sexual immorality that I talked about.

4. The Killer D's, the Killer E and the Killer P

Being pure in heart is the idea of being single in mind and purpose. I am here to please God. Regardless of the circumstances that I face. Well, but let’s get to those. Because here’s the problem. The adversaries are severe. I mentioned Ken Kemenidi, who played for the Houston Astros. There was a glorious era for Houston baseball. They actually went to the World Series. Remember that seemed so long ago now. It actually wasn’t that long, but it seems like forever. When we had the killer bees. Remember them? Bagwell and Biggio. Who was the other one? Berkman. Yeah, who’s still playing. Bagwell, Biggio, and Berkman. Then they tried to add Beltram, but he wouldn’t stick with the Astros. He was there for one year. The killer bees. And that was all based on the killer bees of the Miami Dolphins, but that goes way back.

Well, I want to talk to you about some killer letters, but not bees. The killer D’s. And the killer E and the killer P. The killer D’s of disillusionment, disappointment, and dullness, the killer E of exhaustion, and the killer P of pain. Because you see, in our quest for character, these are the things that we’re going to confront. That’s why Paul said, let us not lose heart in doing good. For in due time we shall reap if we do not faint. I talk about that verse in every meeting that I preach because I know that’s going to relate to everybody in the audience. Why did Paul say that? Not just to a single church, but to a group of churches, the churches of Galatia. Why did he say, don’t lose heart in doing good, for in due time you shall reap if you do not grow weary?

I’ll tell you why he said that, because so many do. He knows that’s a challenge. People lose heart. They grow weary. And that’s why the two previous verses say what they say. God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. He that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. My son, listen to me. You can’t get around that. You can’t circumvent it. You can’t make that go away. That is what it is. That’s an eternal principle. He that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. He that sows to the spirit shall of the spirit, this quest for character we’re talking about, he that sows to the spirit shall reap everlasting life. This is a better way to live.

But ours is the Advil age. We live in a pressure cooker world. Some of what Chuck Swindah writes is a little fluffy. But I like what he said in this statement. People like you and me find themselves hanging dangerously, heavy weights of anxiety on very thin threads of patience. Those threads frequently snap and knee mending, tempers flare, stomachs turn, ulcers bleed, hearts break, nerves unravel, minds blow. Some drop out. Most tighten their grip and try to cope. Who hasn’t experienced times in their lives where we get confused and bewildered and disillusioned when things aren’t going like we thought that they would. I’ve always maintained that was the problem of Peter when he denied the Lord three times. He was not lacking in courage. I mean, after all, he took out his sword and the guard, and he was ready to kill someone.

He was disillusioned. He didn’t understand. And I’ll tell you, things will happen in your life when you get discouraged and disillusioned and you don’t understand. And there’ll be for sure disappointments. People will disappoint you. They won’t live up to your expectation. Perhaps it’s even your own spouse or your children or your parents or your brothers and sisters in Christ. People will fail and disappoint. And that’s why we have to be reminded that we serve a God that will never disappoint. I’ll tell you, there’s some people sitting here in this audience this morning who’ve had a fair share of disappointments in their lives. And then it’s just life is so every day. It’s just something new every minute, it seems. Just when you get one thing tackled, something else falls on your plate.

And just going through the motions. Sometimes we feel that way about services. Just another sermon, just another service. Here we go again. Get ready, get the kids ready, get all four of the kids ready. Get all eight or ten, or how many you have. Get them all ready.

I think about Randy Travis again. I don’t know what it was. But it was probably something in the killer D’s that have affected his path. And beyond all that, in the midst of life’s pressure cooker, we get tired. And the older you get, the tiredier you get. You just don’t have the energy you had when you were younger. You don’t feel as good. I’ll tell you, when I woke up when I was 30, I felt pretty good most every day. You wake up when you’re, well, not quite 50. When you wake up when you’re a little bit older, you don’t feel good every day. And I hear it gets worse.

5. Strive, Persevere, Endure, Keep On

Energy. And even if you take some good vitamins and work out and get a little help doing that, you’re still going to get tired. Some days you’re just really tired. Add all of that into the killer D’s and then add some pain on top of that. Isn’t it interesting that these words get mentioned over and over again in the New Testament? You think about how many times this appears. Strive, persevere, endure, keep on. See, all of those things are telling us. Life is going to have its challenges. And we’ve got to keep pressing on. In Romans chapter 5, I believe that’s what’s written all over this text. In Romans chapter 5, where we are admonished. Those who have been justified by faith and have peace with God through Jesus Christ, we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we exalt in hope of the glory of God.

And then look at this. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations. Yes, in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. And perseverance proven character and proven character, hope. And hope does not disappoint. Because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Are we allowing the love of God to shape our character and our lives? We pursue the things that are written in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Love is patient, and love is kind, and love does not seek its own. As we keep pursuing all of those things, we develop this character, and that, my friends, is a better way to live. Strive to enter by the narrow door, Jesus said.

Are there just a few who are being saved? I love that question. The man asked in Luke 13. Wish I could get more people asked that question. Who’s going to be saved? Lord, are there just a few? He didn’t give a direct answer to the question. He had in other places. In Matthew 7, and we’ll conclude with that in a moment. But he said, strive. That was the first word out of his mouth. Strive to enter by the narrow door, for many will desire to enter and will not be able.

When he says, Yeah, we’re not of those who shrink back to destruction. We are those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Young people, that’s what I want to challenge in you, regardless of what you face, regardless of what your new environment is going to look like, regardless of the challenges that are going to present themselves, even if you go to Florida College. The challenges that you are going to face, you must say, I will not shrink back. I am not of those. I will have faith to the preserving of my soul. And he says, you have a better possession and an abiding one. He said earlier in verses 34 and 35. And then he says, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.

6. Why Should I Listen?

But that’s what people do. Throw it away like it’s garbage. Why should I listen to you, Dad? Why should I listen to you, preacher? Why should I listen to that letter from a father to a son? Why should I be interested in the scripture? Why should I not daydream and goof off during assemblies and Bible classes? Why should I give myself wholeheartedly to knowing God’s will and worshiping Him? Why should I remember my creator in the days of my youth? We’ll give you four answers to that. You will diminish the damage in your life. You will reap unrivaled blessings. You will have an exalted purpose and rich fellowship with God and his people. And all of that is wow. And that’s why the wise writer of Proverbs says, Hear my instruction.

Conclusion

I’ve been talking to you this morning about a better way to live. I’m talking about the best way to live. And I’m talking to you really about the only way to live. The only way to really live. So avoid sin. Pursue purity. Worship God. Enjoy fellowship. Serve others. And stay heaven focused. Narrow is the gate and the way that leads to life. And few there be that find it. You found it. Don’t throw it away. I want to conclude with two verses. Matthew 13, 44, three verses, two parables. Matthew 13, 44 through 46. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid. And from joy over it, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. And upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. If you walk away from the Lord and make shipwreck of your faith, that doesn’t change the truthfulness of these parables.

And if your faith is in a real struggle right now, and again, whether you’re 15 or 75, if your faith is in a real struggle right now, you need to spend some time in communion with God and remembering these truths about what you know. The path of righteousness, doing right, walking in truth, worshiping with his people. If you truly understood it, you’d sell everything that you had to maintain it, to hold on to it. It’s the pearl of great price. It’s the hidden treasure in the field. And if you’ve not put on Christ for the remission of your sins, if you’ve not been baptized so that your sins can be washed away, you’ve not yet understood the value of this kingdom.