GETTING OFF THE BEAM
1 John 2:15-17
INTRO: Aviation is one of the most fascinating sciences in the world. With every passing year new discoveries are being made in the realm of aeronautics. One of the marvels of science is the radio beam, which the pilot uses regularly, but especially when he is likely to get off the course because of bad weather.
Here is a plane going from Los Angeles to New York. A terrible storm comes up, and the pilot cannot see where he is going. Now a radio beam shoots out between these two stations. The pilot finds this beam and sticks to the course and lands safely at his destination. If he goes off to one side, the beam flashes a warning and he brings his ship back into the right place. If he goes too far off he gets into danger and could wreck his plane.
Now, for the Christian this “beam” is the will of God, or God’s plan for his life. The text tells us that “whosoever doeth the will of God abideth forever.” If you stay on the “beam” of His will, you will be happy and useful and arrive safely at your destination. If you get “off the beam,” you will lose your influence, your power, your usefulness and your spiritual happiness.
I. YOU GET OFF THE BEAM WHEN YOU NEGLECT SIMPLE CHRISTIAN DUTIES.
There are some fundamental duties such as church attendance, tithing, living a consecrated life and serving God day by day. When you neglect these simple duties you are “getting off the beam.”
Here are two men who join the same church. One man goes to church every Sunday, supports God’s work with his money and engages in good service for Him. The other man seldom enters the church. He never gives anything, and is so busy with other things he has no time for the Lord’s service. Which one lives closer to God and His will? Which one has a greater influence for good? Which one is the happier and the more useful Christian? You know the answer.
ILLUS: A missionary returned from New Guinea and, someone asked him, “What did you find when you arrived there?” He replied, “I found a hopeless situation. The people were worse than beasts. Often if a baby began to cry, the mother would become angry and throw it in the ditch and leave it to die. If a man saw his father break his leg he would leave him on the side of the road to die... People simply had no compassion and no moral sense.” “Well, did you preach to them?” he was asked. “No,” the missionary replied, “I did not preach, I just lived. When I saw a baby crying I picked it up and comforted it. When I saw a man with a broken leg I mended it. I took care of them in the best way possible, and when they asked me why I did it, I told them of Jesus.” “Did you succeed?” “Yes, I left a thriving church there.”
You can see, then, that a good Christian life is effective. If you want to be the best Christian, if you want to have the most influence, you do not have to preach. Just look after your Christian duties. Stay on the job and be faithful to Him. You have a duty to your church to give and to live just as much as the preacher does. The soldier owes a duty to his country, the pilot gives his best to his plane.
II. YOU GET OFF THE BEAM WHEN YOU NEGLECT PRAYER AND BIBLE READING.
God has given us these means to help us, to strengthen us and to keep us on the right track. I can tell when a man is reading his Bible and praying, for I can see a change in his life. He grows in grace; he is more interested in his church; he is not criticizing and gossiping; he is working for the interests of the kingdom.
III. YOU GET OFF THE BEAM WHEN YOU GET ANGRY.
All of us are guilty right here. Something comes up that goes against us and we boil over like a pot of water on a hot stove. We are “off the beam” then. We are not showing the Christian spirit which we should
“But,” you say, “this is the way it is with me. I get angry, but it is soon over.” That may be true, but think of how much damage you do yourself and others in the few minutes that you are angry. Billy Sunday said, “It is like the discharge of a shotgun. It takes only a minute, but it destroys everything near it.”
ILLUS: I know a preacher who used to work at a storage battery company. In the back of the building that had shelves where the automobile batteries were placed to be charged. These batteries were filled with acid, and the acid often spilled out and ate away the wooden shelves.
In like manner, anger eats away the sweetness of our religion, the peace of our hearts and the power of our influence. You get “off the beam” when you get angry.
IV. YOU GET OFF THE BEAM WHEN YOU HAVE AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT.
The unforgiving spirit is certainly the unchristian spirit. The Bible tells us not to let the sun go down on our wrath. We are told to forgive 70x7. We are never told to get even nor to hold malice in our hearts. Jesus on the cross is the supreme example. We have never been as badly mistreated as He was yet we often have an unforgiving spirit.
A certain man was sick and was told that he was dying. He called in his enemy and offered him his forgiveness. In a few minutes they were rejoicing in a period of sweet fellowship. But the sick man said, “Now, just remember if I do get well, the old grudge still holds.” Why not forgive and forget and really mean it?
ILLUS: It is said that during the Boxer uprising in China, Christians prayed for those who were killing them. One of the killers came to see a missionary and said to him, “Religion like that really has something in it. Please tell me about it.” Oh, when we have a forgiving spirit people are going to see it; they are going to know that we have a real religion!
V. YOU GET OFF THE BEAM WHEN YOU QUIT SERVING GOD.
I have heard people say, “The Church doesn’t need me.” The Church needs every single member to help carry on its work. There are many spokes in the wheel, but if any spoke is broken the wheel is that much weakened. Here we see 100 men in the line of battle, but if one falls out the company is that much weakened. Whoever you are, if you are not in your place, you are weakening the Church just that much. Some people serve God simply by being faithful.
Many Christians served God well in other days; they were “on the beam” then; but now they are “off the beam” and their lives are not counting for Him. I can think of some in our own church. They used to come to church every Sunday; they tithed, they served well in various places; but now they never come, and God seems to be left out of their lives and plans. Surely the real Christian does not feel right when he is not serving God. You are “off the beam” if you are not busy for Him every day.
VI. YOU ARE OFF THE BEAM WHEN YOU SEEK HAPPINESS ELSEWHERE EXCEPT IN JESUS AND IN HIS SERVICE.
This old world is filled with unhappy people. They have no stabilizing influence in their lives today. They have no hope in their lives for tomorrow. They are hungry-hearted people in every way. They are looking for happiness, but they are looking for it in the wrong places. They seek it in the world, in pleasures, in the pursuit of material things. They are “off the beam.” Happiness is found only in Christ and in His service.
VII. YOU GET OFF THE BEAM WHEN YOU FAIL TO TRUST GOD COMPLETELY.
He wants us to trust Him completely, and most of us are guilty right here. Some trouble comes up and we begin to worry and not trust.
There are two things which ought to make us trust God:
1. We ought to trust Him because He promises to care for us. A husband promises to care for his wife and she trusts him to do that. A father promises to feed and clothe his children and they trust him for it. God’s book is full of promises to care for us and He always keeps His promises.
2. Past experiences ought to make us trust God. We look back over life and remember how He brought us out of our trouble so many times. He has done it be-fore and we know that He will do it again. When we fail to trust Him you are getting “off the beam.” It is His will for you to look up into His face and trust Him implicitly.
VIII. YOU GET OFF THE BEAM EVERY TIME YOU SIN.
God’s line is a straight line. When you get off that line you are sinning and you are “off the beam.” Many a plane crash has been charged to the fact the pilot was off the beam. If you get “off the beam” and get into sin it may mean the wrecking of your whole life.
Too man people blame their sin on their environment or their companions.
ILLUS: A preacher tells of going into a mining town where everything was dirty and dingy. He saw coal dust on every house, every tree, and every blade of grass.
But near the mine he found a beautiful white flower, clean and pure. He said to a friend, “The owner of that flower must take good care of it to keep it free from dirt and dust.” “No,” said the man, “that isn’t the secret.” He then took a handful of coal dust and threw it right on the flower. The dust fell to the ground and the flower was as clean and as pure as ever. “You see,” said the man, “the flower has an enamel which prevents the dirt from clinging to it, and that is the reason it is clean.”
If Jesus is in your heart you have the greatest prevention in the world against sin and you can go any-where and with anyone and yet you do not have to sin.
CONC: A boy and his mother one day passed a candy store. At his request the mother gave the boy a dime. He went into the store and walked up and down before all the show cases that were filled with good candy. The mother opened the door and said, “Hurry, son.” And the boy replied, “but, mother, I have but one dime to spend and I want to spend it in the right way.”
Oh, my friends, we have just one life to spend. Let us be careful to spend it in the right way. Let us find God’s place for our lives and let us live always for Him.
