Pastor: Five Problems Christians Should Avoid

Rev. Si Duoyong shares a sermon in a service.
Rev. Si Duoyong shares a sermon in a service. (photo: ChristianTimes.cn)
By Elsie HuMarch 26th, 2018

The book of Exodus tells the story of the Israelites wandering in the wilderness for forty years after being led by Moses out of Egypt.They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea (1 Corinthians 10:2), gained life renewal and transformation, and became the children of God. However, not all of them entered the land of Canaan. A portion of the hundreds of thousands of Israelites were scattered along the ground in the desert. 

Why? Rev. James Si from Hangzhou Heart to Heart Fellowship said they had five problems every Christian should avoid along his spiritual journey. 

Crave evil things 


Don't crave things like money, fame, position, or beauty. 

Although the Israelites left Egypt and followed Moses to walk in the wilderness, they thought about worldly things. They shrank back in the face of any difficulty. 

Jesus said, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."(Matthew 6:24)

Worship idols 

The Israelites made a golden calf and worshiped it when Moses appeared before God on Mount Sinai. It made God angry and Moses broke the tablets to pieces because of their sin. 

"Don't worship other idols. Don't make yourself as an idol for other people. Don't establish idols in our hearts. " Rev. James said. 

It is written, "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me." (Exodus 20:4-5)

Commit sexual immorality 

"1 Corinthians mentions several times that the result of sexual immorality is death." The pastor stated. 

He added that Christians should be holy after being baptized into Christ. Committing adultery means that one has been stained by the sin. 

God regarded making the golden calf as a great sin because of its nature --- great wrongs refer to marital infidelity in Syria and Egypt. In God's eyes, the Israelites' deed of making a molten calf resulted in unchastity in their relationship with God. 

Test the Lord 

God rained down manna from heaven in the morning and brought quail down around their camp in the evening. They were all fed. 

God commanded Moses to tell every man to gather as much manna as he would need and not leave it until morning. But some of them left of it until morning and it bred worms and became foul. 

God is faithful and His word is failthful and powerful. Obey His word rather than test Him according to the will of man. 

Jesus said to Satan who tempted him, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

This marks an important part of Christian life. 

Grumble 

We grumble about sufferings. Moses also said, "You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord." (Exodus 16:8)

Stop grumbling because complaints drive us away from God.

"When we encounter difficulties, dilemmas or feel that we can't go through the situation, don't consider ourselves as the most miserable or the worst lucky persons in the world. Believe that God reigns and will work for us. So Christians should guard their hearts and lips, away from grumbling. Don't tell God, 'God! I don't want sufferings or adversity.' " Rev. Si claimed.

Be aware that hardships and adversities are the best gifts in our life as well as the best stepping-stones. Instead, expect every suffering to draw us nearer to God.  

- Translated by Karen Luo

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