A. Caution not to love this present world:

JAM 4:4. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

1JO 2:15. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1JO 2:16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

B. The pilgrim's attitude:

1PE 2:11. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

TIT 2:12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

TIT 2:13. Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

HEB 11:24. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

HEB 11:25. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

HEB 11:26. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

HEB 11:27. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

JAM 1:27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

1PE 1:17. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

2PE 3:11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

2PE 3:14. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

1JO 2:16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1JO 2:17. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

C. We should resist being influenced by trends fads & media:

EXO 23:2. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

PSA 1:1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

PRO 1:10. My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

ROM 12:2. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1COR 7:31. And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

COL 2:8. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

1PE 3:2. While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

1PE 3:3. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

1PE 3:4. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

D. Warning against indiscriminate worldly entertainment:

PSA 101:3. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

PSA 119:37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

ISA 33:15. He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

2KI 17:15. And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

E. The detrimental effect of this wicked world on believers:

2PE 2:7. And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

2PE 2:8. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

2PE 3:17. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

F. Peer pressure & influence:

1KI 12:3. That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,

1KI 12:4. Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

1KI 12:5. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.

1KI 12:6. And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?

1KI 12:7. And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

1KI 12:8. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:

1KI 12:9. And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?

1KI 12:10. And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

1KI 12:11. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

1KI 12:12. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.

1KI 12:13. And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;

1KI 12:14. And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

1KI 12:15. Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

1KI 12:16. So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.

G. Don't compromise or tolerate worldly ways:

EXO 23:32. Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

EXO 23:33. They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

1TIM 5:22. Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

H. Avoid wanton worldly parties & activities:

ROM 13:13. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

ROM 13:14. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

1PE 4:3. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:

1PE 4:4. Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

EPH 2:2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

EPH 2:3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

TIT 2:12. Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

I. But don't go to the opposite extreme:

MAT 9:9. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

MAT 9:10. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.

MAT 9:11. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

MAT 9:12. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

MAT 9:13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.