You’re Being Watched- Sila Church

INTRO: Video- Photobooth
Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? Do you ever feel like someone’s watching you?
I’m not paranoid or anything, but with all these shows with hidden cameras and stuff, sometimes I can’t help but to think someone is watching me.
When I was growing up, I used to wonder if I was the only one in this world, and everybody was set up to be a player or actor in my life. Silly idea. But then the Truman show came out and I was like, whoa! It’s true!
(chuckle) Well, today I want to make it clear to you… YOU ARE BEING WATCHED. Really, I can prove it to you in the bible.
Who are we being watched by?

You are being watched by Unbelievers.
We are being watched by non-Christians.
Seriously, they are all around you! Think about it… in your class, at your school, in the mall… what do you do every time you find out someone is a Christian? You go “Whoa! That’s so cool! I’m a Christian too!”
Why is it so exciting? Because I think we assume and acknowledge that there are so many people around us who aren’t Christians. It’s just an accepted fact.
So when you discover someone is a Christian like you, you get excited as if it’s rare.
Jesus even says so in Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world, a city on a hill cannot be hidden”
Jesus was talking to the people of Jerusalem. See because Jerusalem was this big city that sat right on top of the Mountain, and many people can see the city. But not just that, they were the People of God. They were always noticed by those surrounding them…There was no way they could go without being unnoticed.
In the same way, we as Christians, as the people of God, are always being watched. There is no way that we can go without being watched.
Unbelievers are watching, whether they are seeking truth and wanting to observe how we live, or if they’re just looking for reasons to accuse of doing wrong or being hypocrites.
Remember in Acts 20:8, Paul and the Christians would always keep the rooms where they met well lit, so that all the people outside knew what they were doing. There were unbelievers who were accusing Christians of doing immoral things at night during their meetings, but Paul didn’t want anyone to have anything to say against them. He knew they were being watched by unbelievers.

Everyday I read the news and often times there will be an article involving Christians.
And often times it’s to pick on something wrong that a famous Christian or a group of Christians did. I really feel that we are being watched more than ever.
But Jesus continues in Matthew 5:16 to say that since you are the Light of the World, you need to “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in Heaven.”
Because we know we are being watched, we ought to do good at all times so that when people see us, they can’t help but to praise God in Heaven.
In Titus 2:7-8, Paul tells a young Christian named Titus, “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
EX: Hudson Taylor…Years ago the communist government in China commissioned an author to write a biography of Hudson Taylor with the purpose of distorting the facts and presenting him in a bad light. They wanted to discredit the name of this consecrated missionary of the gospel. As the author was doing his research, he was increasingly impressed by Taylor's saintly character and godly life, and he found it extremely difficult to carry out his assigned task with a clear conscience. Eventually, at the risk of losing his life, he laid aside his pen, renounced his atheism, and received Jesus as his personal Savior.
Whether we realize it or not, our example leaves an impression on others.
Unbelievers are watching you.

You are being watched by Believers.
You might be surrounded by unbelievers when you go out and go to school, but you also got to realize that you are also surrounded by Christians. Just look around. Christians everywhere.
Just as we need to be in good behavior, living a righteous life in front of non-believers, we to need to live in good behavior among the Believers, because they too are watching you.
Paul encourages Christians to learn from each other. He told the Christians in Corinth to “follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”
We are to be setting examples for each other. As your leaders follow Christ, you follow them. And as you follow their example, you can be sure other Christians will be watching you and following your example.
But it goes the other way too!
In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul tells them, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for believers in speech, life, love, faith and purity.”
Even you, though you are in your youth, are to set examples for other believers. Examples aren’t only for the leaders to set.
EX: My Brother read the bible entirely in 6th grade! The college people at my church saw this, and started doing it themselves!
But what happens when we sin and other Christians are watching? They stumble! Meaning it may cause them to sin or lose faith. It might discourage another Christian.
Biggest Complaint: Christians. I think it’s sad that one of the biggest reasons people who used to call themselves Christians, or people who used to go to church, are no longer, is Christians.
They say Christians are all hypocrites. They blame the way Christians say one thing and do another, and say that don’t want to be like that.
EX: College…When I was in College, I was praying about whether or not I should commit to going to this fellowship. One day I was going to the Library to study, and I saw the Worship leader and his thug friends smoking outside of the library.
I was so shocked an upset. Guess what, I never went back to that fellowship again. I left because I was stumbled by another Christian.
I’m SO holy right? I won’t attend a fellowship where people smoke.
EX: Smoking New Life Leader: I was reminded of when I was in High School, and did the same thing. I would take cigarettes from my friends.
We had a mtg at my house one day, and I pretended to take out a cigarette and smoke. One of the leaders was so upset, that she went and told all my friends at school, and she never came back to the club.
Matthew 5:16 “You are the Light of the World, you need to “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in Heaven”.
EX: Pelicans…For many years Monterey, a California coast town, was a pelican's paradise. As the fishermen cleaned their fish, they flung the offal to the pelicans. The birds grew fat, lazy, and contented. Eventually, however the offal was utilized, and there were no longer snacks for the pelicans. When the change came the pelicans made no effort to fish for themselves. They waited around and grew gaunt and thin. Many starved to death. They had forgotten how to fish for themselves
The problem was solved by importing new pelicans from the south, birds accustomed to foraging for themselves. They were placed among their starving cousins, and the newcomers immediately started catching fish. Before long, the hungry pelicans followed suit, and the famine was ended.
We are just like Pelicans. We can’t help but watch others around us and naturally follow their example.
We need to set an example for believers in speech, life, love, faith and purity.”
You’re not only being watched by unbelievers, You are being watched by believers. Make sure you are living as a light.
But most importantly, do you know who’s watching you?

You are being watched by God.
This is the most important reason why we should live holy lives at all times… because God sees you.
God knows everything we do, all the good things and all the bad things.
The bible tells us so over and over again. Jesus says it all the time.
In one sermon, he says it over and over and over.
Your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
When you fast in secret, The Father will see you and reward you.
When you pray in secret, the Father will see you and reward you.
When you give in secret, the Father will see you and reward.
God sees all things! But it’s amazing how sometimes we play him for a fool.
EX: Jung’s dogs. He had these dogs that were really cute, but they smelled like Shitzus! And our roommates would get annoyed because they would be all over our furniture and on the rug.
He would put them in the kitchen, but if they got out, he would get all Korean on them!
Well these dogs were smart, they would know when Jung was coming. And they would run back into the kitchen and put on their innocent puppy dog face. But Jung of course knew, and would get Korean on them.
These dogs have no idea the intelligence level of Jung, a human. They can’t comprehend how much understanding and knowledge he has.
Well sometime we humans play God down and try to find relief when we do wrong.
But we forget that God is on a whole different level than us. He has knowledge and understanding beyond what we can comprehend. He knows everything and sees everything at once.
God is watching you, you cannot hide your sin from him.
But here’s the thing. I wanted to talk about how God sees everything we do, and how the Bible teaches that we will be judged for everything we do. Whether good or bad, God will bring it all to light and judge us according to the what we’ve done.
As I was preparing this, I realized that I can try to scare you guys into Holy Living, by telling you that God is a wrathful God who sees all things and will judge you when you stand before the throne.
But I think there is a greater motivation for living a holy life, and letting our light shine.
Because God is a Good God, and He’s worth it! God is worth our life and all that we do should be because he deserves it.
QUESTION: How is your heart? In your heart, do you love God? What goes on in here regarding your view of God?
EX: Water in a bottle. What happens when I shake this? Water comes out
Jesus teaches us that whatever is stored up in the heart, that’s what’s going to come out in the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we live.
If you truly love God, and see Him as a Holy and Worthy God, when we are shaken by temptation, what we believe about God will come out in the way we live.
If you see God as a God who sees all things, but also a Holy God, and one who is worthy of our obedience, it will show in the decisions we make. It’ll show in the way we live.
You guys can try as hard as you want to try to live a good life, but if our inside is not changed and transformed, good will not come out.
If we are not holy from within, and we don’t believe God as a Holy God, Holiness will not come out.
POSER: You’ll try for a while to live holy, and you may pull off a few good deeds, but you will burn out. Why, because there isn’t at the root of us a reverence and love for an All-seeing, all-knowing God.
If we see God for who He is, the Holy and Awesome God that he is, we will start living like he is an Holy and Awesome God.
So our view of God has to change. How do you view God? Our heart has to change, who do you believe God is? Our Mind has to change, Who do you know God is?
Is God the Most important thing to you in your life? Is he your greatest priority?
John Feng: I was deeply impressed by a prayer of one of the brothers from my church. He was praying one night, “God, help us to prefer you over everything else in life.”
IF it comes down to sin, or God, I prefer God!
If it comes down to money or God, I prefer God!
If it comes down to popularity or God, I prefer God!
If it’s between finding love from another person and God, I prefer God!
If it’s between pornography and God, I prefer God.
EX: FIREPROOF. I was blessed when I watched the movie Fireproof. In the movie, there’s this couple who’s marriage is about to break up.
One of the reasons was because of his addiction to Internet pornography. In one scene, he’s struggling with temptation, but knowing that that stuff hurts his wife and kills her inside, he rips out his computer, takes it outside, and in a godly way, destroys it with a baseball bat.
But the best part is that when she comes home, she sees on the desk where the computer used to be a vase of Roses, and a note that says “I Love You More”.
So here’s this thing that he loves in his life, something that had taken great priority. And yet, he made a choice, and said, “NO, I love my Wife more. I prefer my wife.”
Would you be able to place a note in place of the temptations and sin that you face, and say, “God, I love you more.”
I’m willing to give this up, I’m willing to not to gossip/look at pornography/ use foul language/ watch these movies/ talk about that girl/ , because I love you more. I prefer YOU over sin.
Guys, God is SO good, and He’s so Worth it. He deserves the first and greatest place in our lives.
And he says, there should Be NO other gods before me. There should be nothing else in this life that takes greater place than Me. No the things we love. Not the bad sinful things. Not even things that are good. Nothing is to take greater place than God.
24:14 "Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

See, God could force you to love him, and force you to do things that please him, but he chooses to give us the freedom to choose Him.
Instead, He sits back and Watches you. God is watching you.
And he watches to see what you will choose. Sin? Or Him?
EX: When I was young, I used to fear my dad a lot. He used to lay it down, and he has a short temper, and so he hit me whenever I acted up, which was quite often.
He would always say “Don’t be so hyper!” No matter what it was, “Don’t be so hyper!” And then he’d hit me and make me cry.
Well, one day, I was playing kickball against our house. And I kicked it, and the ball went straight through my sisters window, and I knew I was dead meat.
My dad heard it, and he runs outside, and he stares at the shattered window, he looks at me, and then walks back into his room where he continued reading.
I was like, “Eh? Oookay.” Then I was like, “Phew! I’m off the hook! He didn’t get mad!”
So that night, after dinner, I got all hyper and I was acting up and being a bad kid, my dad comes to me, and spanks me!
I start crying like a baby. And after I get a hold of myself, he says:
“When you broke the window today, I was furious! But I didn’t say anything and I didn’t spank you. I wanted to see if you were sorry for what you did, so I kept my mouth shut and just watched you all night.
If you were truly sorry, your behavior and your actions should have changed, and I would have let you go.
But he says, “Nothing you done tonight shows me that you are truly sorry.” So I beat you down.
What my dad wanted to see was if there was something really going on inside my heart, and if there was, it would have showed in my actions. I would have responded accordingly and changed my behavior.
But my dad, who does love me, that day chose to watch to see how I would act. Unfortunately, a day was enough for him and he was ready to take action.
Our heavenly Father is SOOOOO patient with us.
He could wipe us out each time we sin, he has every right to.
But 2 Pet 3:9 says “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance”.
And so for now, he just watches. He watches you to see what’s going on in your heart. Because what is truly in your heart, will show in the way you live and the things you do.
Do you love God? Do you prefer God? Do you see him as holy? Is he your greatest priority?
Let your light shine bright, because unbelievers are watching you.
Let your light shine bright, because believers are watching you.
Let your light shine bright, because God is watching you.