How Honest Is Your Faith

Last Sunday, I was truly blessed. Some of you know, that I was battling with high blood pressure during Sunday School and Church. I had a headache. My vision was a little blurred. And, I felt all-around lousy.

Up until last Sunday, I had denied having high blood pressure.

· I know high blood pressure runs in my family. But, I denied it!

· I know that African-Americans are more prone to high blood pressure. But, I denied it!

· I knew that being overweight increased the risk of high blood pressure. But, I denied it!

· I knew the doctors and nurses had told me my blood pressure was high. But, I denied it!

I denied my families history, my racial predisposition, my natural feelings and even the expertise of the doctor. Why? Because I didn’t want to believe I had high blood pressure. High blood pressure is what happens to other people, but not me!

· I’m too young!

· I don’t add salt to my food!

There is NO WAY I have high blood pressure, right? Wrong!

Want to know one of the things that made last Sunday such a blessing? I, for the first time, was honest with myself, about having high blood pressure … and I did something about it!

· I went to the doctor and got a prescription for my high blood pressure!

· I started to read the food labels, and rediscovered that sodium can be found in more places other than a salt shaker!

· I began cutting back on my meals, to lose … a few pounds!

· I began to live my life as someone who has accepted the fact that he has high blood pressure.

But, there’s another reason why last Sunday was a blessing. And, that reason is YOU!

Last Sunday, before the message, I asked the church to say something good about Pastor Noel. Not having any real expectations, I just stood there and waited for somebody to say something, anything.

And to my semi-surprise, and somewhat embarrassment, men and women… boys and girls… stood up and spoke words of kindness… words of encouragement… words of edification … about me…their Pastor.

I have to admit, I was truly touched by the words that you shared with the church. This impromptu … unrehearsed … spontaneous, gesture of Christian grace …

· couldn’t fit on a paycheck!

· It couldn’t be measure by the hands of men!

· It couldn’t be captured and duplicated, with the same results!

It has such a blessing because it wasn’t spoken for a birthday. It was spoke for an anniversary. It wasn’t spoken over a casket. Last Sunday, Grace And Glory gave me my flowers while I was living. And for that, I will be eternally grateful.

You spoke what was on your hearts, in …what I feel was 100% honesty, and touched the heart of the man of God, in a way that is hasn’t been touched before.

And, it’s on that note that I want to speak today: Honesty!

· We live in a word where honesty is seen as a moral flaw. A defect.

· We live in a time when lies are expected, and the truth is sometimes a necessary evil.

· We live in a society where some look down on the virtue of honesty, and yet hold in high esteem the ability to ‘spin’ the truth.

I’m here to tell you, church family, the truth has been spun far too much.

· It’s been spun so much that it’s dizzy!

· It’s been spun so much that it’s getting’ ready to blow chow!

· It’s been spun so much that it’s is unrecognizable!

And, there is an area in which the truth has been spun, twisted, shaked-and-baked, so bad… that mankind may never be the same. And, that area is the area of our faith.

For far too long, Christians have said things like…

· “I believe and receive!”

· “I’m counting it done, in Jesus name!”

· “I’m believing God for a miracle!”

· “My breakthrough is just around the corner!”

· “We need to touch and agree”

· “I’m believing those things which are not as if they were”

· and the list goes on and on and on!

And, there’s nothing wrong with this sayings. Yet,

· do we really believe what we we’re saying?

· Do we really, ….honestly …. believe that I believe and I’ll receive?

· Do we really, truly,….HONESTLY … believe that ‘I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me?’

We may say yes, but the facts of our lives say NO! Why do I say this? Because Matthew 17 tells us that all we need it the faith of a tiny mustard seed and we can command a mountain to remove itself from where God planted it, and the mountain would obey.