Who is influencing you? 1 John 2.15, I quote it often. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Now, I can really simplify this for you. Women, for example, you can't love Peter at work and Mike at home. Right? That's basically what he's saying here. You can't love this person at home and this person at work. or men. Same thing, right? You can't do that. That's exactly what this is talking about. Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So if the love of the Father is not in you, how are you going to make the right choice? What happens is, and I hate to keep bringing this up, But it's part of this how to make right choices. And here's what happens. If we're inundated with the world, the world's mindset, that's when the cosmos, the world, do not love the world, the world's mindset, the world's media, the entertainment, the friendships, everything's of the world. And that's what we're feeding. That's what we're getting. That's what we're putting in here. When it comes time to make a decision, what's going to come out? Well, what I've been putting in. It's very simple. So that's why we love not the world or the things of the world, but you have to start to love the things of God. And as you love the things of God, look to the things of God, look to the Word and worship, and that's what we're trying to do on Wednesday nights, right? Get us all back into that. Then your choices will flow from that relationship with God. It's very easy. Very easy. When you're living in the world, you want to go after that person, attack that person, angry, vindictive, and get them back, because I've been filling myself with that. But when God's in you, you know, just love your enemies. I'm turning the other cheek and just, I wish them the best, but I'm moving forward. And that decision right there just spared you a lot of pain and a lot of hurt. I mean, you get in this little mess over here, it can go on for weeks and months, where God says, forgive and let go and move on. But I'm filled with the world, so that's what's gonna come out. When you get into an argument with your spouse, if you're filled with the world, what's gonna come out? Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. And I'm not the roadrunner. Right? That's what's going to come out. But if you're in God's word and in the things of God, you're going to hold your tongue easier. You're going to say, you know what? It's probably been a hard day. Let's just talk later. Because that's what's in. You see how that works? It's not difficult to make right choices. We make it difficult because we live in the world, yet we want God. This is where we live, yet we're mad at all of our choices. Why can't I make right choices? You start positioning yourself in the will of God, you will make right choices. And in the heart of God. So the spiritual test, who's influencing you? Think about that right now. Are you affecting the world? Are you affecting the culture? Are you affecting your home? Are you affecting your neighborhood? Or is the world infecting you? that we're either making an effect on the world or the world is infecting us. And the reason I beat this drum a lot is because if I beat this drum two months ago, it probably hit somebody a lot different than it's hitting them tonight. Two months ago, they didn't want to hear it. Tonight, they want to hear it. And we have to remind people that the love of the world and the love of the Father can't dwell in the same body. How can somebody love the things of the world and still love the things you can't? They're like enemies. Actually, the carnal mind, the Bible says, is an enmity with God. It's a war with God. So if I'm feeding all this stuff in my mind, I'm actually at war with God. And do you ever feel that war inside when you're making choices? I don't want to forgive. I mean, isn't it hard to forgive? I mean, there's not a situation that come up once a month for me. It's like, I just got to move past it. I just got to forgive. But the flesh wants to go get them. But if you're in the Word and you see, God, how God in Christ forgave me, even while I was a sinner, Christ died for me. God has loved me through all of this. He's led me. He's given. He's blessed us. And see, that starts to change your heart. Oh, I can let that go. So I believe that what we put in here fuels more than we think. It feeds more than we think. It influences more than we think. Because that's what's coming out is what we put in. So regularly ask. I'm going to actually read an excerpt from a book I wrote a long time ago titled, What Works for Young Adults, Making Solid Choices in Unstable Times. And if you want any, we've got free copies, I'm sure, hopefully. for a young adult, we can get those to you, but I ask this to young adults and I'll ask it to you. Is God truly guiding you? Psalm 32, 8, I will instruct you and I will teach you in the way that you should go. I will guide you with my eye. See, I take that as a promise. God says, I will instruct you and I will guide you with my eye. I will show you the right path. I'm holding God on that. So when I come to a decision, right, for example, Saturday night decision, People are like, should we stay here? What do we do on Saturday? I just say, God, you direct me. You guide me. We're going to hold tight. We're going to do this until you open or close the door. You're in control. You show us. You think he's going, oh, no, you sure missed that one. You're going to stay there now for three years and suffer. He wants us to say, Lord, show me, guide me. What do you want to do? The humble he teaches his way. The inner promptings of the Holy Spirit are like gauges in an airplane. If the pilot ignores them, he will miss his destination. The Holy Spirit is like an umpire in the soul going, Stop, no, don't go there, don't go there, don't go there. As a believer, you know how hard it is to make the wrong decision, don't you? It's almost like, no chocolate, no chocolate, no chocolate, no chocolate, get chocolate. Or I wanna eat good, and here comes Panda Express, I'm driving by Panda Express. And every time I say that, people go, what's wrong with Panda Express? Well, don't get me started. Nothing that will sustain life, all junk, but enjoy it. I'm not perfecting that error either. I'm just showing you though that it's hard to make the right decision. The Holy Spirit will convict us. The Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift from God. Listen to Him. I often hear people say, God is leading me to do this or that, and all too often they find that they made a very poor decision. What happened? The Holy Spirit did not lead them. Human nature and emotions did. Many will jump into a dating relationship or marriage, buy an expensive vehicle, recreational toy, charge thousands of dollars on credit, believing that God's Spirit is leading them. I'm amazed at the number of people who don't help those in need, they don't budget their income, and they don't make smart financial decisions, and still think that they are using wisdom in the area of finances. I've said this before, but I think it would be good to repeat. I'm equally alarmed at the number of couples who are convinced that God is leading them toward marriage, yet they engage in premarital sex and are considering living together before they're married. Let me be clear, God directs us to make wise decisions that correspond with His Word. Disobedience leads to disappointment. That's why we must ask, is God truly guiding me before making an important decision? I'll close with this on this point. If you're not in the Word, the Word will not be in you. One of the best ways to know if God is truly guiding you is to stay and obey. Stay in His Word, obey His principles. J. I. Packard said that God is more likely to direct me through wise teaching than He is through inner voices. Those inner voices can get you in trouble because the devil will whisper to you. And I'm not getting away from the direction of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can direct us. But the Word of God and the Holy Spirit go together. The Holy Spirit will bring things to remembrance from the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will direct you according. So watch those little inner voices. Because I've heard, I can list, a half dozen people have told me what God told me. And I'm like, that clearly goes against His scripture. Clearly goes against the Word of God. Yeah, but that little voice, right? So be careful because little voices can get you in big trouble. And of course I'll throw this in here. Compare your feelings to the Word of God. Compare your feelings to the Word of God because feelings should not lead us in our decision. I try not to make a decision based on feeling alone. I feel a certain way because I want to pour that feeling in the filter of God's Word. I want to pour those feelings in taking time. That's why it's so important to wait on God. Those who wait on God shall renew their strength. When you sit before God every morning or every evening and you say, Lord, show me what these feelings are. I'm sifting these feelings through your Word. And as the days go by, those feelings to do something aren't as strong. It's like, you know what? I'm glad I didn't do that. I don't have peace about that anymore. But I felt good, because what happens with feelings, we have this impulsive nature. And sometimes it's good, but these feelings, I want to do this, maybe I want to start a ministry, and then two weeks later they don't want to start a ministry. Or they get impulsive. I want to help in children's ministry. And then two weeks later, I don't want to help in children's ministry. You fired me up during your sermon, but I know I don't want to do that. OK, but feelings. So that's why it's good to put them through the grid of time, if you can. Obviously, sometimes you have to make a quick decision. You rely on God to help you with that. But if you have a feeling to do something, like sell your home. I've had those feelings even recently. Or move. I've had those. Don't worry. But, or to do this, or to do this, or put those feelings, okay Lord, you sift through these feelings for me. You show me, and as I wait on God, I look for peace to come in, and He will confirm it. That's one advantage of waiting on God. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Because many times you feel like you're losing strength, don't you? I'm just getting so beat down with these decisions. Should I sell this? Should I do this? Should I take it here? Should I, should I, should I? And if God just says, listen, I'll show you in time, but just wait, just wait on me. And as the days go by in that relationship, you come out there with peace and you're like, okay, Lord, you have this. You're going to control me versus letting the world control me.