Good morning and welcome in. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many years ago I grew up on the lake. A neighbor of ours had a boat that he decided to put two large outboards on. They were the exact same model and horsepower. I’m not much of a mechanic but I think that this was done to increase the horsepower of a boat. When I think back to that time, I can’t imagine putting a 100 horsepower outboard next to a 50 horse. They would be different because they are of a different power rating. The boat probably wouldn’t have pulled in a straight line. Although those two outboard motors work at the same job together, they would have been unequal and different. Whatever it is that you yoke together for work, you need to make sure that they are equal.
Up here in Northern Minnesota we have sled dog races. Many times the mushers will use Alaskan Malamutes or Siberian Huskies to pull their sleds, but can you imagine hooking up a sled dog team with a horse or a donkey? That sounds ridiculous doesnt it? They are two completely different creatures. They are going to pull in different ways. They are not going to work the same way together if at all.
Hundreds of years ago they used to have chariot races. You have to remember that they always picked horses that were similar in size and stature. This is so that they would work well together. What kind of similarities does a dog and a cat have? Not a lot really. How similar are a squirrel and an owl? They are completely different creatures. We learn from the scriptures that when you are unequally yoked together it means that you are working alongside others who are dissimilar to yourself.
2 Cor 6:14-18
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
When something is unequal they are not alike.
Take an example of people who are in law enforcement. A lot of policeman have a partner that they are constantly with, whom they work very closely with. A work partner is somebody who is very close to you and you know them very well because you work each week together. Just as you shouldn’t yoke up a dog and a cat to try to plow your garden, you should never try to yoke in work with people who do not share your faith.
A work is something that you donate your time to or get paid for. In the scriptures the yoke represents a work of some sort that binds you together in a group work atmosphere. In verse 14 it clearly teaches us to reject the unequal yoke. That’s not because we don’t care about unbelievers (because Jesus loves them and died on the cross for them) but what matters is that because of their state of unbelief they hold different values than what a Christian currently holds.
There have been numerous stories over the years about someone who professes Christianity as their faith who starts a business with four or five other people who are complete unbelievers. Biblically speaking this is not a good thing to do in the eyes of God. A Christian is called to certain ideals that God wants us to live by. An unbeliever doesn’t share the same ideals. A Christian is trying to please God even in his work ethic. God calls a Christian to a higher calling than the way you lived in the world.
To be involved with people in some sort of work with others who don’t share what you believe is to join up with those who don’t believe in Jesus.
It’s not that a Christian is better than somebody else it’s just the fact that God has called us to a higher standard. All of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God, but you surely don’t want to yoke up with people who don’t accept biblical truth.
Verse 17 teaches us to come out and be separate saith the Lord. When we go out in society you’re going to run into people at the grocery store or visit with people at the gas station. That’s is a fact of life. This verse teaches us to be separated according to labor because the yoke represents labor.
A yoke is a wooden beam used to help carry or pull heavy objects by distributing the weight evenly on both shoulders and can be used by humans and animals a like. There are three main types of yokes and it depends on what it is being used by. The first type of yoke is used by humans.
Can you imagine carrying a yoke with 10 lb of water on one side of your body and 30 lbs on the other? That’s an unequal yoke. It’s no different if a Christian decides to yoke with a non-believer in a work situation. Not only is it unequal but it upsets the Lord Jesus. In order to claim this promise in verse 18 we have to be capable of coming out and being separate.
I really believe that some of the closest relationships that you share in this world are with people who you work with side-by-side each day. many people are so concerned about making a living that they yoke up with people who do not share the teachings of scripture. it simply shows that they love money more than Christ.
Remember this is a commandment of Christ Jesus to come out and be separate.
As a true believer in Jesus we have to be capable of being separate from the world. Again, I stress the fact this is not to be rude to others in the world or to be cruel to them but it’s simply to be faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ who gives us his command.
Remember in the story of the prodigal on he hooked up with a man who sent him to feed swine, but he longed to be back working with his dad.
So when you spend time at work are you are surrounded by followers of Jesus Christ? Are they true Christians in their heart?
Can you imagine seeing sled dogs alongside a bunch of goats? God does not want us yoked up with people who do not share our faith.
Are you keeping separate? just take a look at who you work with and then you’ll know if you can claim this promise.
Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody.❤
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 