When The Chickens Come Home To Roost
A Sermon by Roosevelt Wright, Jr.
For the Tabernacle Baptist Church
Monroe, La.
November 2005
SCRIPTURE: And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the
word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt
deny me thrice. Luke 22:61
Introduction
What happens when our past comes back to haunt us? Has it ever happened to you? It’s when a chapter in your life that was once closed is suddenly reopened or revisited. It’s when you stare at the results of a failed experience returned before your eyes. In happens in all areas of life. It’s that moment when you look at the bad habits of one of your children and realize that you are looking at yourself at the same age. It is very frustrating when we see it unfold in front of our eyes.
In 1963 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, most of white America became angry with Black Muslim leader Malcolm X when he made a disturbing analogy. Malcolm said that America operates with a double standard. Abroad, it opposes governments that do not support freedom for all citizens; then denies freedoms to its own. In addition, he said, the nation attempts to assassinate and remove leaders of opposing nations through the covert actions of the CIA and other secret government organizations. He said the assassination of John F. Kennedy was a case of “When the chickens come home to roost.”
The phrase, “When the chickens come home to roost” is a colloquialism that refers to the tendency of chickens on a farm to roam freely. In the day, they are often seen under the house or pecking long distances from the coop. However, when the sun begins to set, without fail, chickens will always come back home to perch themselves on the roosts.
In America today we are living in difficult times, caused partially by the errors and mistakes of our national past. The chickens have come home to roost.
We have promoted violence and explicit sex in the media, even to the point that daytime soaps and cartoons are now filled with violent and irreverent material. The results are before us. We have a violent society that takes murder and violence lightly and expects every good movie to have at least one hot sex scene. The chickens have come home to roost.
In the 1960’s we began a “War on Poverty” that was supposed to eliminate poverty in America. Decades later, we see a subclass developed before us. This subclass has become dependent upon public assistance, food allotments, free lunch, subsidized rent and other acts of charities. Before us today is a generation of which a growing number is trapped in an endless cycle that is destroying our families and the moral fiber of our communities. The chickens have come home to roost.
We have removed God from our schools and public places. Prayer at athletic events, assemblies or in classrooms has been abolished. In many areas, Christ has been removed from Christmas, substituted with an X or a mere “Happy Holidays.” Now, we see a nation that has less respect for God and no fear of him. It is a nation that is gradually degenerating. The chickens have come to roost.
Even in the church, the chickens have come home to roost. There are many who are looking at the results many years of neglect and spiritual decay before. Churches that allowed their men’s programs to die are now frustrated with the scarcity of males in the fellowship. Churches that have treated their teaching ministries lightly have fallen prey to “Praise, Worship, and Prosperity” cults that have outgrown the body of Christ. The chickens have come home to roost.
As Christians, we know that whatever we do today, will meet us again in a few years. We should do our best to lift Christ up before this present generation. When we fail to do what we should do with enthusiasm and power, we deny him to a world of unbelievers. That denial will come back to haunt us one day, “when the chickens come home to roost.”
Exposition
This text focuses on Jesus as he tells Peter that he would deny him instead
of standing with him.
Jesus was on trial and being falsely accused. On the outside, while Jesus was
being tried on the inside, Peter waited to hear the result. As people recognized
him as a disciple of Christ Peter became afraid and began to deny knowing
Christ. After his third denial, he heard the cockcrow. Then he remembered what
Christ had told him earlier, that before the cock crowed he would deny him three
times.
Peter was one of Christ’s elect leaders. There were 12 disciples selected out
of many. Peter was among three out of the 12 disciples that became Jesus’ inner
circle. Yet, when Christ needed him the most, Peter denied him.
The crowing of the rooster, perched on its roost, reminded Peter just how far he had strayed.
The crowing of the rooster, firmly attached to its roost, forced him to look at the contradictions of his life. In private, he professed a great faith in Christ, but in the face of a hostile public, he denied him.
The crowing of the rooster brought it all home.
Peter was so hurt when he looked at how far he had drifted away from the
savior that it made him weep. Later, he ultimately, revived himself and became a
strong leader of the faith, but not before the "chickens came home to roost."
Church leaders must answer too
Today, there are many in the church who began their service in the same way
that Peter began; they came with a fiery passion that his faded almost to a
point of denial. However, believers need to be aware that we will give an
account of everything we do for the Lord as members of the body of Christ.
GIVING: When the chickens come home to roost, members who began their service as tithers but have reduce themselves to "nickel and dime" donors, will stand before God and answer Malachi’s question, "Will a man rob God?" In reality, many believers rob God each week, forcing the church to operate at less than its maximum potential. The same believers often use portions of funds that would have been their tithes to purchase lottery tickets, gamble or to pay their cable bill. Such members do the same as Peter, they deny Christ at the offering table.
WORSHIP: When the chickens come home to roost, those who refuse to worship or sit in worship services like statues refusing to say "Amen" or show any sign of gratitude for the blessings of the Lord, will find themselves outside of the ark of safety and in their place, the rocks will cry out “glory and honor!” When God has blessed us, we should be willing to praise him and lift him up in the sanctuary so that everyone can see the joy we share in the Lord. Instead, many whom God has blessed richly, choose to stay home regularly and refuse to praise him publicly, or if they do worship, it is in a very unresponsive manner. Like Peter, these believers deny Christ in the sanctuary.
BIBLE STUDY: When the chickens come home to roost, Sunday school teachers who refuse to come to teacher’s meeting and members who refuse to come and be taught, will remember the words of 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved, a workman that needeth not be ashamed but rightly diving the word of truth." Too many believers are trying to live the Christian life without learning the word. Others are attempting teach information without first learning it themselves. Those who refuse to study the word, like Peter, deny him by refusing to study of the study of the word.
LEADERSHIP: When the chickens come home to roost, Church leaders who fight and jockey for power, position and control in the church, will remember Jesus’ words that, "He that is greatest among you, let him be your servant." When James and John asked Jesus for high seats and positions, he warned them that prestige in the kingdom does not come from titles but from service. Unfortunately, there are many who fight for control and power in the church, who are unable to drink from the cup of service; instead, they deny Christ in humility and followship.
PREACHING: When the chickens come home to roost, associate ministers who constantly want to preach but fail to follow the instruction regime of the pastor, will remember the words of Paul instructing them to study, follow and humble themselves. Those who share the preaching ministry should follow the model of Paul and Timothy. The associates should learn, study and carry out ministries assign to them in preparation for the time that their turn comes. However, today, many associates are just that “associates” who sit in the pulpit, but deny Christ in the fulfillment of the ministry.
HOMOSEXUALITY: When the chickens come home to roost, gays and homosexuals who flaunt themselves openly in worship saying they were born gay, should remember Christ’s words to the rich young ruler, "You must be born again." Many churches have turned a blind eye to this growing problem. God loves every person, despite his or her sexual purposes. However, does not love the sins of his people. Because the church is often silent in this area, homosexuality even within the church is increasing. In the area of morality, often the church denies Christ.
Like Peter, many believers have denied Christ in one or more ways. Their actions speak louder than their words because they declare, “I don’t know him!”
Reap What We Sow
If there is one certainty in life it is that we shall reap what we sow.
Moreover, we shall reap in accordance to that which we have sown. 2 Corinthians
9:6 says "But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly;
and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."
Those who are intolerant of the views of the others will be the most
irritated when their views are not tolerated. That’s when the chickens come home
to roost.
Those who are impatient with others, will be the most disgruntled when
others complain that they themselves act too slow. That’s when the chickens come
home to roost.
Those who are insensitive to the needs of the poor or elderly will be among
the first to complain when they themselves appear neglected when the chickens
come home to roost.
Those who steal from others will cry the loudest when someone steals from
them. They’ll learn that, when the chickens come home to roost.
Those who stab others in the back, will die a slow death when they become
the victims of their own ways, when the chickens come home to roost.
Those who pass up a person in distress along the way will complain the
loudest when they themselves are passed up, when the chickens come home to
roost.
The tragedy of evil deeds is that we do them also unto Christ. In Matthew
25:40 he reminds us that what we have done to the "least of these" we have done
also to him. It will all be remembered, when the chickens come home to roost
Evil deeds haunt us, good deeds reward us
Yet while the word teaches us that the evil that we do comes back to us,
there is also a promise to those who do good, it will come back as well.
We are encouraged to do as much good as we can for as many as we can as long
as we can.
If we sow goodness, when the master returns, instead of haunting us with
punishments he will have blessings for us.
Therefore every believer should do great works in the church and lift the
cause of Christ.
We should cast our bread on the water. Casting our bread on the waters means serving with the same passion and fire that we brought to the faith in the beginning.
When we cast our bread on the waters it will come back, but not without a blessing.
Casting our bread upon the waters, means reaching out to hungry people with
a loaf for the spirit and a word of hope for the soul!
Casting our bread upon the waters, means reaching out for the homeless with
a comfortable place to rest and a chance for a heavenly home!
Casting our bread upon the waters means looking beyond the rough exteriors
of wayward children and seeing the sensitive interiors that cry out for love and
affection!
Casting our bread upon the waters is giving a helping hand when we see no
chance that the favor would ever be returned.
Casting our bread upon the water means to return to the Sunday School,
Usher Board, Women’s Ministry, Deacons service, Music Ministry and a plethora of
areas of service as resolve that, "For God I’ll live and for God I’ll die."
When the Lord pays, that which we have cast upon the water comes back in
mighty ways!
We must tell the world about the bread of life! We must tell them about
the Love of God through his Son Jesus Christ!
We must tell everyone we meet about the Lord.
We need to tell somebody about the Love of God!
We need to tell somebody about Jesus! Who died! And arose from the grave!
Tell them he’s coming back again! I hear him saying:
"You helped the poor and the needy...Come and go with me!"
"You gave a plate of food to a hungry man...come and go with me!"
"You stood up for those who could not defend themselves...come and go with
me!"
"You showed compassion to the helpless....come and go with me!"
"Come and go with me to my father’s house!"
In my father’s house there is peace!
In my father’s house there is joy! Joy! Joy!
