Behind Closed Doors

Text—Matt. 5: 14-16

Introduction

A. Who knows that you are a Christian?

1. Family

2. Friends

3. Co-workers

4. Classmates

5. Social media

B. How do you prove you’re a Christian?

1. Clothes

2. Possessions

3. Mannerisms

4. Matt. 5: 14-16; 26: 73

C. Is your life the same behind closed doors as in public?

I. Closet Christians

A. Behind Closed Doors—Suit of Christianity

1. Dress up on Sunday

2. Walk and Talk like a Christian

3. Sunday night hang up suit

4. Monday—member of the world

B. Mild-mannered worldly person

1. Don’t discuss politics and religion

2. “Leave me alone and I’ll leave you alone”

3. Won’t you defend the faith?

a. Jude 3

b. 1 Peter 3: 15

c. 1 John 2: 15-17

4. To say nothing is to agree with them.

C. The Golden Calf—Ex. 32: 1-6

1. Moses delayed

2. People wanted gods to follow

3. Aaron make calf, created feast day

a. People removed their religion

b. Got tired of “playing church”

c. Suffered consequences

D. Is the shield heavy? (Eph. 6: 16)

1. Long road as Christian

a. Trials and tribulation

b. Triumphs and tragedies

c. Are we still as faithful?

2. Backsliding

a. Can’t hold out anymore.

b. Drop shield, remove armor

c. 2 Pet. 2: 20-22

II. The Closet Sinner

A. The Supposed Christian

3. Behind closed doors—Worldly behavior

a. Example—“Christian” smokes marijuana

i. Reads bible, talks to people about Jesus

ii. Behind closed doors—does drugs

iii. Defense—Matt. 15: 17-20

iv. God gave us plant, no command to smoke it. Tomato plant; no one smokes it.

B. The Wayward Christian

1 Moved away from parents

2. Attends services, not frequently

b. Not controlled by parents

c. Other family checks up on them.

d. Was their conversion genuine?

C. Shall we continue in Sin?

e. Rom. 6: 1

f. Grace will cover it—Jas. 2: 17, 24

“Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself…Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.”

D. Consistency in life—1 John 1: 6-10

Bible example—Achan (Josh. 7)

i. Touch nothing in Jericho—6: 18

ii. Achan ignore it—vs. 1

iii. Jews failed at Ai—36 men perished, vs. 5

iv. Man by Man—14

v. Achan’s confession and death—20-21, 25

III. What it means to be a Christian

A. Lifestyle change

1. Walk in newness of life—Rom. 6: 3-4

2. Take off old man—Col. 3: 9-10

3. New Creature—2 Cor. 5: 17

4. Inward attire—1 Pet. 3: 3-4

a. Dresses in Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts

i. His defense: laid back, not stuffy

ii. Who will take him seriously?

iii. Same who have same inward attire

iv. If you don’t attire yourself mentally in a proper fashion, you won’t dress physically.

b. Man dresses in a suit for service

i. Considered modest

ii. Comments it cost him $200—becomes immodest.

iii. Further immodest if only put $20 in plate.

c. Set your mind—Col. 3: 1-2 (9-10)

B. Outward Attire

4. “God doesn’t care what we wear…”

a. Adam and Eve—Gen. 3: 21, “Also the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.”

b. If God doesn’t care, why did he make clothes?

c. Example—Woman wore dirty sweats to see if anyone would comment. Others t-shirt, shorts, sandals

i. Testing congregation

ii. Start with inward attire first

iii. Know what’s proper to wear.

iv. Sometimes an exception can be made.

5. Peter and his “nakedness”—Jn. 21: 7

ASV—“That disciple therefore whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his coat about him (for he was naked), and cast himself into the sea.”

NKJV—“Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea.

a. If God doesn’t care, why did Peter put his coat on and dive into the sea?

6. Look at me, I’m a Christian!

a. Shirts with religious slogans

i. Heard laughing at an obscene joke

ii. Making a comment that can be taken different ways.

b. Cross jewelry

i. Would Jesus wear something similar?

ii. On cross for 6 hours

iii. Need to be reminded?

iv. Clutch it to give you strength (idol)

c. Fish symbol for car

i. Driving 60 mph in a 40 zone.

ii. Multiple lane changes

iii. Yell or shake fist at people as you roar past.

d. Matt. 5: 16, “…let your light shine.”

C. Our Speech

1. Peter—Matt. 26: 73-75

a. Known by speech

b. Curse and swear

c. Wept bitterly

2. Paul said—Col. 4: 6

a. Not salty language

b. Worthy speech

c. No gossip, idle talk

3. Jesus said—

a. Salt—Matt. 5: 13;

b. Have salt within you—Mk. 9: 50

c. Idle talk—Matt. 12: 36

Conclusion

Rom. 2: 16

Heb. 4: 12-13