Drawing In The Sand

If you draw a line in the sand, you establish a limit beyond which things will be unacceptable. The idea is that you establish a line that shouldn't be crossed or there will be severe consequences. It is easy to cross that line since there is not a physical barrier that would keep you from crossing the line.

When we say that someone crosses the line is because they have start behaving in a way that is not acceptable. If someone tells a vulgar joke in a place or occasion that is not appropriate you may say that that person crossed the line. Crossing the line is to change from being acceptable to being unacceptable.

1. Crossing the Line in our social Relationships

2. Crossing the Line with God

3. Writing in Sand

4. Learning how to draw the line

1. Crossing the Line in our relationships

We all have boundaries in our relationships. I usually avoid hugging women. I don't have a problem hugging my wife but I don't like to engage with physical contact that may place me or another person in a situation that "crosses the line". This is my personal boundary and I'm not telling you to do the same, thats up to you. However my advice is that you be careful in your relationships and if you feel that someone "crossed the line" you may have to tell them.

Respect can only be maintained if you define boundaries in your relationships. Let me give you a simple example. When my kids learned how to speak they realized that my name is Tony and my wife's name is Sara. Eventually they all did the same thing and tried to call me and Mom by our names. Is this wrong? Not really but in order to keep respect and and the right order of things we had to teach our children that we are not Tony and Sara but we are Mom and Dad. Respect is maintained by understanding social boundaries.

In all realms of life we learn how to interact with others. Our teachers should be respected, a police officer, a judge, a president, etc. We learn how to address others without crossing the line. In Church we have to learn how to do the same. If I call my doctor I don't say "Hey, Nathalie what's up?" but I would say something like. "Good morning Doctor Nathalie, how are you doing today?". Otherwise I might be crossing the line. If our Prime Minister comes to our Church I will not address him by his first name because I want to show him respect. I respect his office, position and authority. If I gain trust and get to know him, eventually he could say, "Skip the title and just call me Stephen". I then know that in moments that I am alone with him I can skip the formalities.

If social lines are crossed society can come apart. One of the reasons of the failure of public education is because the liberal way of thinking gives no importance to draw the line between students and teachers. One of the reasons why some Churches fail is because there is no line between members of the congregation and those that are called for full time ministry. If you start to compare yourself with your pastor you just crossed a line not because you cannot compare yourself with somebody else as an individual but there is a social line that if broken can place you on the wrong side of things.

In Mark 6:4-5 Jesus affirmed that a prophet is without honor in his home town, and in view of that reality, He could not perform any miracles in Nazareth except for healing a few sick people. The people of Nazareth were apparently plagued by unbelief and paid little attention to the claims of Jesus. Because of Nazareth's rejection of the person and message of Jesus Christ, He went on to other cities that did respond to and receive Him. We have no evidence that Jesus ever again returned to Nazareth. Yet he was nicknamed as "Jesus of Nazareth". Most people of Nazareth had no respect for Jesus because they where on the wrong side of the line. A few people in Nazareth received miracles through the ministry of Jesus because they where able to separate things and honored him as a prophet and not as baby Jesus.

Christmas is a meaningless celebration for most people because Jesus means nothing to them. You can celebrate Christmas without Christ as you can come to Church and receive nothing from God because a line is being crossed. My role as a pastor is to tell you how to keep yourself on the right side of this social (and spiritual) line.

2. Crossing the Line with God