INTRO.- Our behavior in this world.
ILL.- Admiral David Glasgow Farragut (July 5, 1801 – August 14, 1870) was the first senior officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War.
When Admiral Farragut’s son was about ten years old, the father said in his hearing, that when he was old enough to make a compact, and keep it, he had a bargain to offer him.
The son asked his father what the compact was. The admiral said, “The proposal I intend to make it this: If you will not smoke or chew tobacco, drink intoxicating drinks nor strong wines, till you are twenty-one years of age, I will then give you one thousand dollars.”
“I am old enough to make that bargain now,” said young Farragut: “I will accept the offer.” The bargain was closed; and, when young Farragut was twenty-one, the cash was handed over.
If a father made this offer today it would be a very rare thing and secondly, it would probably be even more rare if the son kept his commitment not to drink or smoke. Why is this? Because we live in a society that is filled with bad stuff! Bad stuff is everywhere and the temptation to do it abounds!
ILL.- Recently, television executives in Britain asked comedian Joan Rivers to leave their show during a commercial break. They were angry that she had just used two ugly and profane words.
Joan Rivers was exhibiting bad behavior! She had already been warned not to use profanity but she did it anyway. WHY? I guess because she thought it would be funny.
Bad behavior is everywhere in America: profanity, lack of respect for others, road rage, indecency, hatred, violence, etc.
But what about Christians? Are Christians any different from anyone else? Is their/our behavior different in this world?
ILL.- George Galllup reported this some years ago: There’s little difference in ethical behavior between the churched and the unchurched. There’s as much pilferage and dishonesty among the churched as the unchurched. Religion, per se, is not really life changing. OUCH!
In our text, the apostle Paul speaks of his own behavior in this world...His behavior as an apostle of Christ. As "one sent" on a special mission. And we all have a special mission, believe it or not! Is our behavior supposed to be different from most people in the world? Absolutely!
Titus 3:1-2 "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men."
That sounds like good behavior! It is and we should live it as best we can.
PROP.- Let’s consider Paul’s behavior and how it applies to us.
1- Authoritative - no
2- Gentle - yes
3- Blameless - yes
I. AUTHORITATIVE - NO
"As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you." We could have been hard on you.
ILL.- A boy said to his father, "Dad, can you write in the dark?" "I think so. What is it you want me to write?" "Your name on this report card."
ILL.- A little girl came home from school and said to her mother, "Mommy, today in school I was punished for something that I didn’t do."
The mother exclaimed, "But that’s terrible! I’m going to have a talk with your teacher about this ... by the way, what was it that you didn’t do?" The little girl replied, "My homework."
Who has the authority at home and at school? Hopefully, it’s parent at home and not the child. And at school it’s the teacher and not the student.
Someone has to have authority in life: at home, at school, in the work place, in the world, and even in the church.
WHO RUNS THIS PLACE, ANYWAY? That could be a question that some people might ask when it comes to the church. And some people might answer in these ways: the preacher, the elders, or the church board, etc. And all of these would be wrong. WHY? Because there is only one person with all authority and rule in the church!
Even though every church has it’s leaders who exert a certain amount of authority, there is only true authority in the church, whose will must be done! And we must never go over His head!
ILL.- I knew of a preacher many years ago in one church who kept spending the churches’ money. And I was told that it wasn’t a little amount of money either. If he thought the church needed something he just got it and charged it to the church. The church board told him to "cool it." But he didn’t "cool it." He kept right on spending money. Why? I guess because he thought he was "running the show," so to speak. WRONG.
And wrong move on his part, because that board showed him the door. No one person has the right to run the church, unless it’s the Lord Jesus. This goes for any preacher/pastor, elder, board member, etc.
Ephesians 1:22-23 "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."
Col. 2:9-10 "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."
Matthew 28:18 "Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Christ is the head of the church and rightfully, has all authority and rule. Everything that’s done in the church and for the church should be done with His authority in mind. For example, what does His Word say? How does it read? How do we do things in the church? WHATEVER HE SAYS.
Obviously, some things are left up to our discretion but otherwise, we try to go by the book as best we can, because it’s His Word.
"As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you." What did Paul mean by these words? He could have been a burden in regard to His authority. He was an apostle! He could have run roughshod on the church.
II Cor. 13:10 "This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down."
Having some authority in life is one thing but how you use that authority may be something else. And even though Paul had a certain amount of authority as an apostle, he wanted to use it so as to build people up, not put them down or tear them down.
Paul had authority but he was not authoritative, in the sense of throwing his weight around. And that’s a good lesson for us all.
II. GENTLE - YES
7But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
Who said, "We need a kinder and gentler nation"? 84 year old George H. W. Bush said those words when he was the President. Of course, it was actually Peggy Noonan, his speech writer, who came up with those words. Bush said those words at the 1988 Republican National Convention.
And we do need a kinder and gentler nation. More importantly, we need kinder and gentler Christian people, because we are not always kind and gentle.
ILL.- A noted preacher was asked by a colleague why the loud, vehement preaching of his earlier days had given way to a more quiet, persuasive manner of speech. The man laughed. “When I was young,” he said, “I thought it was the thunder that killed people, but when I grew up I discovered it was lightning. So I determined that in the future I would thunder less and lighten more.”
Remember the old days of loud, thunderous preaching? Sometimes I think it may be warranted but for the most part, I think people respond better to kindness in preaching. Perhaps encouragement more than criticism or condemnation.
ILL.- Rabbi Jehuda Satmarer would always ridicule his audience. During one sermon, when he realized what he had done, he paused and said, “My friends, don’t think for a moment that I intended all those harsh words only for you. In reality I meant myself. But since I am aware that you are no better than I am, I spoke a little louder so that you too should hear.”
Good story. I guess loud, lambasting preaching should be done to self more than anyone else. Overall, being gentle with people will do more good than being harsh or cruel.
7But we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
ILL.- The story is told by a visitor who was once staying with Mrs. Wesley when Charles was a little boy. Charles came in and asked his mother a question, which his mother patiently answered. In five minutes he came back and asked the same question, which his mother answered patiently as she had done the first time.
The visitor said to her, “Why do you waste time in answering that troublesome boy’s question seven times?” “Well,” said Mrs. Wesley, “because six times were not enough.” A mother’s patient gentleness. And so Paul was when it came to the church.
Eph. 4:2 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
Phil. 4:4-5 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
Gentleness goes a long way in correcting people and in evangelizing people. Someone said, “Let your enemies be disarmed by the gentleness of your manner."
III. BLAMELESS - YES
10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
Paul was a "yes" man in regard to blamelessness.
ILL.- Dwight L. Moody said, "A holy life will make the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns, they just shine."
ILL.- The Teacher was checking her student’s knowledge of proverbs. “Cleanliness is next to what?” she asked. A small boy replied with real feeling: “Impossible.”
Holiness, righteousness and blamelessness may be impossible for some but not for us who possess the Spirit of Christ. We may not be clean but we can become cleaner as time goes on.
Blamelessness should be a goal in life but not perfection. We’ll never reach perfection. But blamelessness is possible. Do you know how it is possible? There’s a catch to this thought.
II Cor. 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
On the one hand, there is no way that we will ever become blameless in God’s sight but on the other hand, we already are blameless in His sight! And it’s because of Jesus!
Why can’t we become blameless? Because of sin. Because we all sin in various ways and very often. Sometimes we are totally blind to our sin and at other times, we are totally humbled by our sinfulness. Embarrassed and humbled as in: "I can’t believe I did that!"
Then on the other hand, we recognize that no matter how bad we are or how good we become, we are still righteous or blameless in God’s eyes and it’s all because of Jesus!
Even though we are not righteous and we are not blameless, we should strive for blamelessness. And don’t you feel better about yourself when you do better in life? Sure you do!
When I spend much time in prayer or study or in calling, I feel like I’m finally accomplishing what God wants me to do in life. And I feel much better about myself. However, I’m always aware that I can accomplish nothing good in life without the grace of God enabling or empowering me.
How can any person become more blameless, righteous, free from sin? There is only one answer. Christ. His Word. His Spirit who lives within. As we study, pray, yield, surrender He will make us better, more spiritual, kinder, purer, etc.
Blameless - yes. This is what we should want and seek. "Make me purer, Lord!"
CONCLUSION---------------------------------
ILL.- Quarterback ESPN commentator Joe Theismann, allegedly explaining to his soon-to-be-ex second wife why he had an affair: "God wants Joe Theismann to be happy."
Wrong. God isn’t against us being happy but holiness is His goal for our lives. Holiness, not happiness, is the kind of behavior that will do more good in this world and point people to Christ.
