by Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
I. A. It is difficult to be a Christian<\/p>\n B. We live in a world that says it follows the Bible, but doesn’t care what the Bible\nsays\n
C. As result we face many temptations and those we know don’t recognize the sins.<\/p>\n
II. What do we do?<\/p>\n
A. Live like a hermit or monk? Withdraw from all contact with others?<\/p>\n
B. Take a “If you can’t beat them, join them?”<\/p>\n
C. We have a job to live in this world, along side the wicked and stand for the truth.<\/p>\n
1. It is like trying to hold your ground while standing chest-high in the ocean.<\/p>\n
2. James 1:27 – Keep unspotted from the world<\/p>\n
3. Rom. 12:1-2 – Be transformed by renewing our minds<\/p>\n 4. II Tim. 2:4 – We are at war! Don’t let the world’s affairs prevent you from\ncarrying out your duties.\n
III. Determining Right from Wrong<\/p>\n
A. Is it specifically forbidden?<\/p>\n
1. Lists like Gal. 5:19-20, I Cor. 6:9-10, Col. 3:5-9<\/p>\n 2. By the Bible doesn’t list all sins. Can you image how big the book would\nbe?\n
B. Will it offend your conscience?<\/p>\n
1. Rom. 14:23 – Doing anything that you believe to be wrong is a sin.<\/p>\n
2. Conscience isn’t reliable to tell you what is right.<\/p>\n
C. Will it cause to you lust? (i.e. desire things that are wrong)<\/p>\n
1. I Jn. 2:16-17 – Lust is of the world<\/p>\n
2. I Pet. 2:11 – Abstain form fleshly lust<\/p>\n
D. Is it associated with things that are wrong?<\/p>\n
1. I Thess. 5:22 – Avoid all appearences of evil<\/p>\n
E. Will it place you in the wrong company?<\/p>\n
1. I Cor. 15:33 – Evil companions will corrupt good morals<\/p>\n
2. Eph. 5:11 – Don’t fellowship evil workers. Instead teach them.<\/p>\n
F. Will it harm your body?<\/p>\n
1. We belong to God – I Cor. 6:19-20, Rom. 12:1, I Cor. 3:16-17<\/p>\n
G. Will it hinder your influence on others to doing good?<\/p>\n
1. We are examples to the world – Mt. 5:13-16, Tit. 2:6-8<\/p>\n 2. We should not engage in things that the world thinks is wrong for a\nChristian to do.\n
3. Watch that we don’t cause another Christian to stumble.<\/p>\n
IV. Application: Dancing<\/p>\n
A. What does the Bible say?<\/p>\n
1. Favorable mentions<\/p>\n
a. An act of celebration<\/p>\n
(1) Ex. 15:20-21 – After crossing the Red Sea<\/p>\n
(2) Other passages<\/p>\n
(a) Judges 11:34<\/p>\n
(b) I Sam. 18:6-7<\/p>\n
(c) Lk. 15:25<\/p>\n
b. An expression of happiness<\/p>\n
(1) No dancing when sad – Lam. 5:15<\/p>\n
(2) Lk. 15:25 – Party for prodigal son<\/p>\n
(3) Other passages<\/p>\n
(a) Ps. 30:11<\/p>\n
(b) Jer. 31:4,13<\/p>\n
(4) Like the dance football players do after a touchdown<\/p>\n
c. Praising God<\/p>\n (1) David’s dance before the ark – II Sam. 6:14-23, I Chron.\n15:29\n
(2) Suggested by psalmist – Ps. 149:3<\/p>\n
d. Notice<\/p>\n
(1) The people danced alone or with members of their own sex<\/p>\n
(2) It was an expression of the dancer’s feelings<\/p>\n
(3) It was not done for excerise or entertainment<\/p>\n
2. Unfavorable mentions<\/p>\n a. A sign of idle wealth was to teach your children to dance – Job\n21:11-12\n b. A part of a drunken celebration party – I Sam. 30:16, Gal. 5:19-21\nmentions reveries (wild parties) as a work of the flesh.\n
c. A part of idol worship – Ex. 32:6,19<\/p>\n
d. Entertainment that lead to John’s beheading – Mt. 14:6-8, Mk 6:22<\/p>\n
e. Notice<\/p>\n
(1) Were a form of entertainment<\/p>\n
(2) Celebrated man’s work instead of God’s<\/p>\n
(3) Associated with wild parties<\/p>\n
B. Where would you put modern day dances?<\/p>\n 1. They are usually a form of entertainment, rarely do they celebrate\nanything.\n
2. They are sexual in nature<\/p>\n
a. Sexual arousal is the main reason it is so popular<\/p>\n b. Would you think it normal for a man to dance with a man or a\nwoman with a woman?\n
c. Why do you reject the idea?<\/p>\n d. Would you like to see your mother, or your husband, or your wife,\nslow dancing with someone else? Why?\n
e. What types of movements are used in modern dances?<\/p>\n
(1) A slow dance that involves close contact<\/p>\n (2) A fast dance that involves hip thrusts and other suggestive\nmovements\n
3. What are the popular places to dance?<\/p>\n
a. Bars<\/p>\n
b. Dance halls where alcohol is served<\/p>\n
4. What about the ads for theater dances?<\/p>\n a. Is it just me or have you notice how little people are wearing in\nthose ads these days.\n b. Even when they are dressed it is so skin tight you can see every\nmuscle.\n c. Do you think theater owners know what will draw an audience? Is\nit the same thing that Christians ought to go to see?\n 5. It is good exercise, but so is running or aerobics. Why associate with\nsomething questionable?\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I. A. It is difficult to be a Christian B. We live in a world that says it follows the Bible, but doesn’t care what the Bible says C. As result we face many temptations and those we know don’t recognize the sins. II. What do we do? A. Live like a hermit or monk? Withdraw from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[155],"class_list":["post-9194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon","tag-dancing"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":88309,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/dancing-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":0},"title":"Dancing (Pickford)","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Michael Pickford There is considerable confusion and even some debate over the idea of dancing. Some believe dancing is a sin simply because it is dancing. However, the Bible does not condemn dancing in itself. It never says, \"Thou shalt not dance.\" To the contrary, the Bible says that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":53933,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-moral-danger-of-the-modern-dance\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":1},"title":"The Moral Danger of the Modern Dance","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 20, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"by Frank Walton Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 6, June 2006. \"Dancing\" can be defined simply as \"the rhythmic movement of the body to music\" (II Samuel 6:16; Luke 15:25; Ecclesiastes 3:4). The\u00a0Ryrie Study Bible\u00a0notes on religious dancing in Psalms 149:3: \"In the Old Testament, whirling motion done by a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/ModernDancing.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8246,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/which-women-were-considered-liturgical-dancers\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":2},"title":"Which women were considered liturgical dancers?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 21, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Concerning liturgical dancing, who were the women in the Bible that were considered the dancers? Answer: The word \"dancer\" does not appear in the Bible. There are occasional mentions of women dancing, but there is no indication that it had any fixed part of worship. The article Dancing in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":12676,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-a-sin-for-church-members-to-watch-tv-shows-like-dancing-with-the-stars\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":3},"title":"Is it a sin for church members to watch TV shows like “Dancing with the Stars?”","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 3, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it a sin for church members to watch tv shows like \"Dancing with the Stars?\" Answer: I have never seen the show referenced, but then I rarely watch television, so I'll address the problem of watching dancing. One of the problems with many dances is that they are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9085,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/shall-we-dance\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":4},"title":"Shall We Dance?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 6, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Text: Romans 6:1-2 \u00a0 I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Dancing covers a broad range of action \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It can be rhythmic movement in time to music \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It can be movement that expresses feelings, such as joy or enthusiasm \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It can be complex movements designed to create emotions in another person II.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Dancing in the Bible \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We can\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9192,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-dances-at-a-wedding-reception-be-bad\/","url_meta":{"origin":9194,"position":5},"title":"How can dances at a wedding reception be bad?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 1, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I am a young man who is going to be getting married. I would have loved to use the preacher at my congregation (a church of Christ) but he gave me a pamphlet of his \"Do's and Don'ts.\"\u00a0 Two things that he made clear of were no alcohol\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9194\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}