16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves. 17 But be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues; 18 and you will even be brought before governors and kings on My account, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. Matthew 10: 16-18

Our relationship with God. Our relationship with people. Pay attention to these two relationships because they’re the most important. It goes without saying, our personal relationship with God remains our most vital and integral bond. We know the value of keeping this relationship robust and sturdy. However, many of us lose our way when it comes to personal relationships. We surround ourselves with the wrong people. The Bible warns us of the danger of bad company. “Be on the guard against people…” (Mathew 10: 17) or “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

Now is a good time to examine your relationships with a sober eye. The Bible says, “Do not judge, or you will be judged too.” Of course, you cannot damn others to hell, but for the health of your faith, you must rigorously examine and judge people. And it should all be according to faith. Does this person, this relationship, bolster my faith? Do I feel closer to God through this person? Does this relationship urge me to betray God, my faith, and everything I hold to be true? We must gauge our relationships and keep people at their proper distance, some close and some far.

But how do we get to the point where we know someone’s character? How do we know if this person is someone we want in our lives or someone to keep at a distance? There’s only one way. You have to “experience” them. Take the time and effort to study and get to know them. That’s how important human relationships are! A bad relationship can destroy your life. A great relationship can save you. So look at them for a year, then another, and then another. How is their relationship to God? How were they in times of crisis? How were they when things were good? Bad? When you reach a conclusion after years of observation, it might sound cruel, but there are some people you should never meet again. For some, the Bible says, “do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.” For others, you should bring closer and cherish. Be a student of your relationships and make the right decisions because these relationships can change your life. 

Among all the types of people, who should you be on guard against the most? Self-centered people. Do you have people like this in your life? Everything they do ends up being self-serving and self-absorbed. They don’t care about the Lord or want you to get closer to God. They want you to get closer to them, to serve them, and feed into their need and warped perception of the world. When you meet this person, you slowly but surely become closer to the world. Their desires and pursuits pique your curiosity. “Hey, maybe I need that, too.” Distance yourself from self-centered people! Cherish those people who bring you closer to God, closer to the version of the person you want to be. 

And the Bible says, “be on guard against people, for they will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues.” That person, who you thought was your best friend… that person, who was like a brother or sister to you… if you ignored all the signs and kept this person close to you for reasons that excluded God, someday that person will betray you. He will hand you over to the courts. He will flog you. They will betray you because they’re at the center of their universe, and God does not have a place to stand. 

Be wary of people who will harm your faith and relationship with God. Be wary of self-centered people who will betray you in the end. Take a hard look at your relationships. Study them. You’ve probably experienced them for years, even decades. Remember bad company corrupts good character. After doing this, there are some people you need to bring closer and others you need to shoo away. Put your relationships in order and see how your life changes! Next to our relationship with God, this is our most important job. 

Click for Korean sermon https://soundcloud.com/yhpaik/1985-10-14-long