(PLATE: Gets stuck in your brain)

Destroys our witness for God:

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!  But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.  –  Genesis 19.14

Lot had lived so long and so contended among ungodly people that he was no longer a believable witness for God. He had allowed his environment to shape him, rather than he shaping his environment.  Do those who know you see you as a witness for God, or are you just one of the crowd, blending in unnoticed?  Lot had compromised to the point that he was almost useless to God.  When he finally made a stand, nobody listened.  Have you too become useless to God because you are too much like your environment?  To make a difference, you must first decide to be different in your faith and your conduct.

Don’t compromise commitment to God:

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.  And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?  We must take a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us.”

Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far.  Now pray for me.”

Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only be sure that Pharaoh does not act deceitfully again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.”  –   Exodus 8.25-29

Pharaoh wanted to compromise. He would allow the Hebrews to sacrifice, but only if they would do it nearby.  God’s requirement, however, was firm: The Hebrews had to leave Egypt.  Sometimes people urge believers to compromise and give only partial obedience to God’s commands.  But commitment and obedience to God cannot be negotiated.  When it comes to obeying God, half measures won’t do.

The Israelites would be sacrificing animals that the Egyptians regarded as sacred, and this would be offensive to them. Moses was concerned about a violent reaction to sacrificing these animals near the Egyptians.

(The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the LORD had said.  – Exodus 8.19.  Some people think, “If only I could see a miracle, I could believe in God.”  God gave Pharaoh just such an opportunity.  When gnats infested Egypt, even the magicians agreed that this was God’s work (“the finger of God”) – – but still Pharaoh refused to believe.  He was stubborn, and stubbornness can blind a person to the truth.  When you rid yourself of stubbornness, you may be surprised by abundant evidence of God’s work in your life.)

(Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.”  –  Exodus 9.1.  This was the fifth time God sent Moses back to Pharaoh with the demand, “Let my people go!”  By this time, Moses may have been tired and discouraged, but he continued to obey.  Is there a difficult conflict you must face again and again?  Don’t give up when you know what it the right thing to do.  As Moses discovered, persistence is rewarded.)

How alliances can lead to:

“Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honour among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them.   –  Numbers 25.11

Of Solomon:

1 Kings 11.3

We’re under great pressure to:

1 Kings 11.4

Comes from partnerships with unbelievers:

2 Chronicles 18.1

Ezra 4.1-3

Ezra 9:2

Real success doesn’t compromise integrity:

Proverbs 12.3

Adjusting to culture without compromising convictions:

Deuteronomy 1.12

Dangers of:

Mark 15.15(2)

Revelations 2.13-15

Of Pilate in sentencing Jesus:

Luke 23.13-25

How Jewish & Gentile believers worked out a good compromise:

Acts 15.20-21

Of non-essential issues Acts 21.23-24

Avoid relationships that compromise your faith:

2 Corinthians 6.14-18

In witnessing:

Galatians 2.11

Tolerating sin compromises the church’s witness:

Revelations 2.2