A man had been commissioned by the king of Denmark to lead a band of soldiers against the pirates who were wreaking havoc upon ships along a certain coastal area. So he set up his headquarters on a lonely, rocky, desolate island just off the coast, and after a few years was able to clear the pirates out of the area.
Upon returning to the mainland he reported to the king. The king was so pleased that he offered him anything he wanted. All he wanted, he told the king, was a plot of land on the island where he had just lived and fought for so many months. They told him the island was barren. Why would he want to live there? "I want to plant trees," was his reply. "I want to make the island beautiful." The king’s aides thought he was crazy. The island was constantly swept by storms and high winds. He would never be able to get a tree to grow there. But the man, however, insisted, and the king granted him his wish. He went to live on the island, built a home, and finally was able to bring his wife to it.
For years, they worked industriously, persistently, planting trees, shrubs, grass. Gradually the vegetation took hold, the island began to flourish. Eventually the island became a showplace and is now visited by thousands of tourists each year. When he died these words were inscribed on the man’s tombstone: "Make the world a bit more beautiful and better because you have been on it."
All of us, I think, have a desire to make a difference in our world, don’t we? We want to make it a better place to live. When we die, we would like to think that we left the earth a little better than we found it. We want to make a difference. But more than making the world a more beautiful place to live, I think you and I really want to make a difference for God, don’t we? We want to see people saved. We want to see new people added to our church family. We want to make an impact on our community and on our world. But so many times the church has failed to really do something for God. Why is that? If in our hearts, we really do have a desire to make a difference, why do we fail to do so?
Well, I believe there are at least three reasons for this lack of success. And if I could, for a little while tonight I just want to share them with you, and perhaps I can challenge us to be able to succeed in making a difference for Jesus.
I. Form But No Content (Matt. 23:23-28)
The first reason I think in many cases the church has failed to make a difference is because often times there is form, but no content. A rather pompous-looking deacon was endeavoring to impress upon a class of boys the importance of living the Christian life. "Why do people call me a Christian?" the man asked. After a moment’s pause, one youngster said, "Maybe it’s because they don’t know you."
In Matt. 23 we find one of the harshest criticisms that the Lord ever gave during His time on earth. And wouldn’t you know it? He was talking to the church. He was talking to the religious leaders. Let me read a few verses from out of that chapter. Vs. 23-28… Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
As we all know, the Pharisees were very good at making themselves look good. They loved to make sure that people knew they fasted and tithed. They made sure that they were keeping all the traditions and the laws of the elders of Israel. They were always at church. They prayed on the street corners. In short, they had the form of godly men. They made sure that on the outside they looked righteous. But they were hypocrites. The outside was clean and beautiful, but the inside was full of iniquity and uncleanness. They had the form, but they had no content.
Do you know what excuse is most used when critics are asked why they hate church so much? Do you know what one of the greatest excuses sinners use for not wanting to be a Christian? And I realize that it really comes down to their own choice and decision. But do you know what turns them off so badly a lot of times? It’s because they have met up with too many hypocrites. People who said that they were Christians. People who went to church each week and played the part of a believer. People who looked really good. But people whose heart was not what their mouth said it was.
And I think that the church as a whole has often been guilty of producing a lot of form, but having no substance, no content. A lot of us come from backgrounds where this is very true. There’s so much concern for the outside that it almost becomes inconsequential what’s on the inside. And while I’m not saying that how Christians look is unimportant, I am saying that the condition of the heart is more important. Jesus said, you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, but you have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. It is important how a Christian presents himself, Jesus said don’t leave that stuff undone, but we cannot place a higher emphasis upon those things than we do upon making sure that our heart is right.
But even as the most conservative of churches can be guilty of this, I think we have just as much occasion to be guilty as well. I’ve seen so many people who come to church and testify and get caught up in the emotion of worship services, but when we walk out that door, we become a completely different person. I have heard of Sunday school superintendents, who have gained the highest respect from their fellow church members, that once they climbed into their cars after church, their family saw a drastic change. He who had just been praising God with his mouth became a man who cursed his family and abused his family. I have heard of people who had the form of godliness at church, but who have been guilty of sexually molesting their children. I have seen people who have put their smiles on at church and bless each other with encouragement, but walk out that door and immediately stab one another in the back and gossip and show wrong attitudes. Having form but not content.
Am I saying that form is not important? Of course not. But again, we cannot place a higher emphasis upon looking right than we do upon having a heart that is right. Let us not be guilty of having the form but not having the content.
II. Participation But No Charity (1 Cor. 13:1-3)
The second reason that I think the church has failed in many cases to make a difference is because we have participation, but no charity. We get involved, but we don’t love. Paul says in 1 Cor. 13…Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
You know, God has blessed His church with people that have wonderful gifts. You will find some of the world’s greatest thinkers within the church. You will find some of the world’s greatest musicians in the church. You will find many of the world’s greatest orators in the church. You will definitely find some of the greatest cooks within the church. Some of the most generous people in the world are church going people. But Paul says that without love, none of those things really matter. If I don’t have a love for the people who listen to me speak, it doesn’t matter if I’m the greatest preacher alive. If I don’t love my neighbor as myself, it doesn’t matter if I’m willing to give my goods to feed them. If I don’t love the sinners who visit my church, it doesn’t matter if I quickly visit them and let them know it was good to have them here. It’s not about what I’m good at or what I’m willing to do, it’s about how much I love.
You see, I can preach out of a feeling of obligation. We can give out of a sense of duty. The things that we are willing to do often times can be done because we feel guilty if we don’t pitch in, or because we feel like we have to. Sometimes we can get involved out of a desire for recognition. And when that’s the case, if we take Paul literally, we might as well not do those things. Because it’s not about obligation or guilt or recognition, it’s about love.
Now, is it wrong to do things and to be involved in the ministries of the church? Absolutely not. In fact, we need people to be involved. We need people to give. We need people to reach out. It’s not wrong to do those things, it’s crucial that we have people to do them. But our involvement must come from a heart that loves God completely and loves others freely. Love must be what motivates our participation. For if I truly love then I’ll want to preach to you the best I can. If I truly love then I’ll want to pay my tithe and give towards other needs. If I truly love then I’ll want to get involved in reaching out to sinners.
There was once a church that was having a guest speaker. This speaker was well known throughout the Christian community, yet was virtually unknown to this particular congregation, except by reputation. The town was a buzz with anticipation of this great speaker coming to the area. On the day of his appearance, the town was out in droves to that church to hear him.
On the way to church that morning, right near the entrance to the church parking lot was a man in shabby clothes, reeking a foul smell, looking very unkempt, very disheveled, smelling of alcohol, and passed out. A fallen down drunken bum lying down at the steps to the church on this day of all days. What will our guest speaker think of us? Well you could image the conversation of these people, especially when they passed this drunk on their way in. Matter of fact some of them actually stepped over this man on their way into the church.
Well, the church pews were packed, the congregation eagerly awaited the arrival of this important guest speaker. While they were waiting for him, they decided to start the worship service with singing. Oh, the beautiful songs that came from that building that morning. When it came time for the guest speaker to come forward a loud gasp came from the throng gathered there that morning. For in walked that fallen down drunken bum they passed at the gate. For that drunken bum was the guest speaker of the morning. His topic? Love is.
You see, that church was full of involved people. They supported their church. They sang beautiful songs of worship and praise together. They gave in the offering. But they forgot to love. May we never be guilty of doing the same. May we be people who love. People who love God with all of our hearts. People who love the sinner, the outcast, the down and out. People whose involvement is driven not by obligation or guilt, but by love.
III. Busy-ness But No Communion (Luke 10:38-42)
Thirdly, this evening, I think the church has failed to make a difference in the world often times because we have busy-ness but no communion. We stay busy doing good things, but we forget about having a personal relationship with Jesus. Look at Luke 10:38-42. Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Does this sound familiar? You go to grandma’s house, where she spends all day cooking. For dinner you have meat, potatoes, corn, at least one vegetable, bread, two salads and a homemade dessert. As soon as dinner’s over she has to wash the dishes. You offer to help or tell her to leave them for later but your help is generally refused. When you get ready to leave she always complains that she hasn’t had enough time to visit.
Jesus was at the home of Lazaraus, Martha, and Mary. And as Jesus was talking there, Martha was very busy making sure that she would serve a good meal. And as she was working, her sister, Mary, was just sitting at the feet of Jesus, soaking in all He had to say. And Martha was feeling a little perturbed at this. But Jesus said, “Martha, you’ve made yourself too busy to take time for what is really important today.” She was someone who was committed to busy-ness, but forgot about communion.
I think in today’s world it’s far too easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of life. We’re so apt to get busy doing so many things. Work is busier than ever. It takes more time to make sure our family is taken care of. School work bogs us down. We can easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life. And it’s easy to forget the important things.
It’s just as easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of ministry. We work so hard to make our particular ministry effective. Pastors prepare messages for hours. Sunday school teachers work hard to make sure their material is prepared and to make sure they have people to teach. People with other ministries stay busy making sure everything is in order. Ministry takes work. Making a church succeed takes a lot of effort.
But in all the busy-ness of life and ministry, let us never forget the importance of maintaining a vibrant, growing, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. George Mueller understood how important it was to spend time in communion with Jesus. After having read the Bible through one hundred times, he made this statement: “I look upon it as a lost day when I have not had a good time over the Word of God. Friends often say, ‘I have so much to do, so many people to see, I cannot find time for Scripture study.’ Perhaps there are not many who have more to do than I. For more than half a century I have never known one day when I had not more business than I could get through. For 4 years I have had annually about 30,000 letters, and most of these have passed through my own hands. “Then, as pastor of a church with 1,200 believers, great has been by care. Besides, I have had charge of five immense orphanages; also, at my publishing depot, the printing and circulating of millions of tracts, books, and Bibles; but I have always made it a rule never to begin work until I have had a good season with God and His Word. The blessing I have received has been wonderful.”
No matter how busy our lives or our ministries may be we dare not try to go without having communion with God. Let us make sure that every day we are taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus. Let us make sure that we are getting into the Word every day. Let us make sure that we are approaching the throne of God in prayer every day. Let us make sure that we are making time for communion with our Lord. For busy-ness without communion will quickly lead to an overwhelmed, empty, and meaningless life. Busy-ness without communion will lead to ineffectiveness, defeat, and burn-out in ministry. We must make communion with God a priority.
This evening, there are probably many more reasons why the church has not been as effective as it should have been. I don’t know what they all are. But I do know that if we strive for form and forget the content, and if we strive for participation but forget the love, and if we strive for busy-ness and forget communion with God, we are setting ourselves up for failure. I don’t know about you, but I want to be an effective tool in the hands of God; I want our church to be effective in our ministry. And for that to happen we must make sure that in seeking form and participation and busy-ness, we don’t forget to put the priority on content, love, and communion.
