Detox – Toxic Influences Toxic – anything containing poisonous material capable of causing sickness or even death. Jean Twenge studies generational trends and she discovered something. She discovered that Gen Z and iGen had a significant uptick in all kinds of troubling areas including depression and suicide. And here is part of her eye-opening conclusions as to why… - If you want a teenager that is more dissatisfied with life - and struggle with self-esteem - if you want to increase their odds for self-harm - and depression - and suicide - if you want them to sleep less - and isolate from the family - if you want them to be less optimistic and more pessimistic - if you want to compromise their physical safety then all you need to do is put a cell phone in their hand. Give them a cell phone and have them sign up for social media accounts. Today were talking about toxic influences. Let’s go back to a city named Corinth in about A.D. 55. Corinth is a port city in the Roman kingdom. Paul preached Jesus in Corinth and the power of God fell. Lives were changed but there is this old toxic cultural influence still hanging around that says something like this; my heart is saved but it really doesn’t matter what I do with my body. In other words, “I’m following Jesus but do I really have to stop doing what I use to do?” 1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. 13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. 1 Corinthians 6:14 The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Paul elevates the body, the human body that we have. He says that our body is a member of Jesus, it belongs to Jesus, it is a representation of Jesus. He also says that the body is going to live on. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. We were bought with a price. The price was the blood of Jesus. And he didn’t just buy our soul. He didn’t just purchase our heart. He purchased all of us and our body is what houses our heart and our soul. And then he says that our body is the house or the temple of the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 25:26 (NLT) If the godly give in to the wicked, it’s like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring. Think about this, just because it doesn’t bother you doesn’t mean it shouldn’t bother you. If you can listen to someone take the name of Jesus in vain and it doesn’t bother you, what does that say about you? Paul made this point when he was writing to his young student, Timothy. 1 Timothy 2:20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. The Scripture speaks about a great house with common or dis-honorable vessels. I brought one of these vessels with me today… A cat litter box. You are not meant to be the litter box in God’s house. You are not to be the dumping ground for the nasty things of life. In the Scripture Paul also talks about vessels set apart for special use. I brought one of these with me today; a tray that we use to celebrate communion. Things go into this tray that the family of God will use to remember who Jesus is and what he has done. This is never going to be used as a bedpan. Or litter box. Or a wastebasket. It was made for a select purpose. And in God’s house you are also created and selected and chosen for a special purpose. Look at that Scripture again… 1 Timothy 2:20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. There is an invitation in this Scripture for anyone, for everyone to cleanse himself from whatever is dishonorable, whatever is sinful, whatever is setting us aside an