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Introduction:

The Hollywood branch of the American Cancer Society decided to hold a benefit night in conjunction with a professional tennis tournament. It turned out to be embarrassing for them, however, when they learned that a major tobacco company was sponsoring the competition. Officials of the society found out too late that they had committed themselves to selling 500 tickets to an event that was named after a well-known brand of cigarettes.  The publicity sent out by the Hollywood chapter portrayed a young woman with a tennis racket in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

That situation reminds me of Christians who, while trying to live for the Lord and speak in His behalf, frustrate their own purposes and bring reproach to Christ's cause by making commitments to the wrong parties.  James 4:4; I John 2:15-17

We must not give in to our enemies. Why?

I.   Because of God's Judgment on Tolerance (18-24)

A. The One Speaking (18)

1. The One Who is all Powerful--the Son of God

2. The One From Whom nothing is Hidden--"Eyes"

Oscar Hammerstein had seen a picture, a photograph of the top of the Statue of Liberty from a helicopter.  And he said, "This picture reveals the intricate detail that has been sculpted on Lady Liberty's head, her hair and her crown and all of those things at that angle which no one could ever see," and he said, "I got to thinking that sculptor must have realized that never will anyone see the top of the Statue of Liberty's head, since there were no airplanes or helicopters when the statue was set in place.  But he spent the same kind of detail and care and painstaking craftsmanship on the top of Lady Liberty's head as he did down at the feet and everywhere else that would be seen by everyone."  Little did he know that someone could see it from above, someday!

That's the way it is with our lives.  Someone is looking down from above carefully noting the progress and quality of our existence.

Psalms 32:5; Matthew 10:26; I Corinthians 4:5

3. The One Who has Authority to Judge
"Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."  (Acts 17:31)

B.  The Words Spoken (19-25)

1. Aware of our Productivity (19)

2. Alarmed at our Insensitivity (20)
"And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,"  (Deuteronomy 6:10)

"And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;"  (Deuteronomy 6:11)

"Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."  (Deuteronomy 6:12)

"Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name."  (Deuteronomy 6:13)

"Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;” (Deuteronomy 6:14)

"(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth."  (Deuteronomy 6:15)

"Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah."  (Deuteronomy 6:16)

"Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee."  (Deuteronomy 6:17)

"And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,"  (Deuteronomy 6:18 II Kings 23; II Corinthians 6:14)

3. About to Judge your Activity (21-23)

When I stand at the judgment seat of Christ
And He reviews His plan for me--
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way, and I see.
How I blocked Him here, and checked Him there,
And would not yield my will --
Will there be grief in my Savior's eyes,
Grief, though He loves me still?
He would have me rich, and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While memory runs, a haunting thing
Down paths I can't retrace.
Then my desolate heart will surely break
With tears I cannot shed;
I shall cover my face with my empty hands,
I shall bow my uncrowned head...
Lord of the years that are left to me,
I give them to Thy hand;
Take me, break me, mold me to
The pattern Thou hast planned!

II.      Because of the Reward of Victory (25-29)
The Separatists and Overcomers shall:

A. Prevail over the Nations

B. Possess the Morning Star
The Society that will name a star after one.

CONCLUSION:

J. Willard "Bill" Marriott didn't start his business from scratch. He's merely made Marriott Corp -- founded by his father J. W. Marriott Sr. as a root beer stand in 1927 -- grow 20 percent a year for the last decade to over $7 billion in sales for 1988.

He was asked recently:  How else do you measure your service?  We have a program called the "Phantom Shopper."  Imagine an inspector, posing as a customer, visiting a unit and rating the service he's received.  Then he pulls out his ID card.  If the service has been good, he turns over the card and hands the server a $10 bill clipped to the back.  If the service is bad, there's no $10 bill.  On the card it says, "Oops!"  If someone gets the "Oops!” we send him in for retraining.  We believe an employee deserves three chances to retrain.

How would your church rate, Pastor, if the "Phantom Shopper" showed up this Sunday?