People of the Change
Game Changer Series
11.21.10
“Close your eyes. Count to 10. Open your eyes.
Imagine every second, every minute, every day of your life is visually blank.
Charlie Wilks is 100 percent blind. He can sense only extreme light. He is a smart, witty 14-year-old kid who even finds time to tell blind jokes.
At age 5, a brain tumor crushed Charlie's optical nerve and stole his eyesight. After multiple surgeries, Charlie was completely blind by age 6. He saw football on television before he went blind and heard plenty of stories from his grandfather, Al Reynolds, who played in Super Bowl I for the Kansas City Chiefs.”
(Ben Houser http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/e60/columns/story?id=4637537)
By the way, Charlie plays football also. Here’s his story.
VIDEO: CHARLIE WILKS
Ultimately the game is changed by people every time.
There are people throughout the history of mankind and throughout your own history that you can point to and say, this person changed everything. Most folks who fit in that category had no idea they would make such an impact. They just tried to play the cards that were dealt them the best way they could, Yet they changed the world around them.
Homework Assignment One really cool thing to do in your devotion time this week is to make a list of 3-5 people that you see as the top game changers in your life and in your world. They could be as close to you as in your house or as far removed from you as in the Bible, but somehow their life has touched yours.
When you finish your list. Thank God for them in prayer, then eat a turkey in their honor this Thanksgiving.
If you will indulge me I want to share a few of my top Game Changers. (this is as close to a three point sermon using assimilation as I get, but it only applies to me. Sorry.)
• Dad
• David
• Disciples (Jesus was awesome, but he was still Jesus)
After Jesus went to be with the Father, someone needed to step up. As these guys did, they actually saw that Jesus never left them. He was there with them in the Holy Spirit and He was there with them physically. That’s right, I said Jesus was still physically there with them after the ascension.
Jesus put it this way…
Matthew 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
He was there in the face of the prisoner, in the hands of the beggar, in the thirst of a child.
What’s ironic is that they could barely figure out who Jesus was when he was with them, and after the resurrection they saw Him everywhere because they understood the deep connection between Jesus and those in need. Do we?
Something happened with these guys. Acts 4 explains it…
Acts 4: 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
“It takes transformed people to transform the world.” (75)
Martin Luther once said we should, “Live as if Christ died yesterday, rose this morning and is coming back tomorrow.”
My fear is that the church thinks and acts more like pre-resurrection disciples than post-resurrection ones. We love to learn like the disciples at Jesus’ feet, but when it all comes down, we are scared to do what we’ve learned.
James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Verse 18 is enough to push the faith that we experience within to the outside. It’s there that our mind and hearts move our hands.
“It’s not what you believe that counts, it’s what you believe enough to do.”
The pre-resurrection disciples could have never accomplished what they did in Acts. These same guys after the resurrection became Game Changers, not just for people in Acts but for every person in this room. Without these men, we would not be here reading the Bible. None of it would exist.
They could have easily gotten compassion fatigue. They could have easily been overwhelmed by the odds and statistics of their situation. 12 men against the world. I’m glad they didn’t get overwhelmed and give up. Have we?
These men realized that if they didn’t step up, no one else would. They took personal responsibility. Not political responsibility alone, not prayerful responsibility alone, not even pecuniary responsibility alone (p-word for money), but personal responsibility.
If it was dark, they didn’t just preach, pay or pray the light in, they lit a match.
John Stott put it this way:
If the house is dark when nightfall comes, there is no sense in blaming the house; that is what happens when the sun goes down. The question to ask is, ’Where is the light?’ Similarly, if the meat goes bad and becomes inedible, there is no sense in blaming the meat; this is what happens when bacteria are left alone to breed. The question to ask is, ’Where is the salt?’
Just so, if society deteriorates and its standards decline until it becomes like a dark night or a stinking fish, there is no sense in blaming society; that is what happens when fallen men and women are left to themselves, and human selfishness is unchecked. The question to ask is, ‘Where is the Church? Why are the salt and light of Jesus Christ not permeating and changing our society?’
It is sheer hypocrisy on our part to raise our eyebrows, shrug our shoulders, or wring our hands. The Lord Jesus told us to be the world’s salt and light. If therefore darkness and rottenness abound, it is largely our fault and we must accept the blame.”
Ouch.
Sometimes I would like to ask God why He allows poverty, suffering, and injustice when He could do something about it, but I’m afraid He might ask me the same question.
Augustine wrote this to you thousands of years ago… “That bread which you keep belongs to the hungry; that coat which you preserve in your wardrobe, to the naked; those shoes which are rotting in your possession, to the shoeless; that gold which you have hidden in the ground, to the needy. Wherefore, as often as you are able to help others, and refuse, so often you did them wrong.”
It’s not societies fault that ___________________. It’s ours. That’s a game changer. When the church starts taking personal responsibility for things that can easily be blamed on others, the game will change and a revolution with explode.
“The first Reformation… was about creeds; this one’s going to be about our deeds. The first one divided the church; this time it will unify the church.” – Rick Warren
First we need to figure out who our king is… Remember this video?
VIDEO: THAT’S MY MONEY
DAVID
Enough! We get it! We want to do something, but what? Let’s take the rest of our time in this series to figure that out together.
A real game changer involves not just seeing how we picture the game, but also how we picture our role in the game.
Step One: Remove your plank.
Luke 6: 41 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Satan never discourages the sermon of the hypocrite. He knows that the hypocrite’s actions will do more damage than words ever could.
All of us have temptation and failures, but there’s a difference in honest struggle with sin and a lifestyle that rushes into it.
The scariest part of all of this is how blind we can truly be to our own plank. Like this guy…
Matt.19:16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’” 20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
What if Jesus had actually taken this guy under his wing knowing that he had this issue with money? What would have become of him and the people he influenced if one day he decided to take money and run? Jesus already had one Judas in his crew. He didn’t need another.
Do your possessions and position compete with God’s primacy?
“No preacher. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in a recession and I’m no Donald Trump.”
Stop and think seriously about this. We’ve already spent a whole sermon last week talking about how blessed we really are. (DVD’s are available for the low low price of 1.00 in the hallway. If you would like a signed copy, that’ll only be $10’s more. Kidding) Ok, now think seriously about this.
Do your possessions and position compete with God’s place?
In America, which has prided itself in being a land of opportunity, it is not uncommon for us to make value judgments about rich and poor. The reality is we are far more likely to trust a rich man than a poor man. If a man has money, I assume that he’s a hard working, self-motivated, shrewd person. On the other hand, if I see a poor man, I assume he did something to get that way. He is obviously lazy, apathetic and foolish.
Shockingly, Jesus seemed to see things the opposite way. How else can you take Luke 18:24?
24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
Poverty is not a personality trait. We start by repenting of our attitudes of superiority. Otherwise we will be the next Sodom. “Wait, I thought they were judged because of sexual sin.” That’s not the whole picture…
Perhaps you skipped this verse…
Ezek. 16:49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.
That’s just one verse right? Let’s try Isaiah 1:10-17 (msg)
10"Listen to my Message, you Sodom-schooled leaders. Receive God's revelation, you Gomorrah-schooled people.
11-12"Why this frenzy of sacrifices?" God's asking. "Don't you think I've had my fill of burnt sacrifices, rams and plump grain-fed calves? Don't you think I've had my fill of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats? When you come before me, whoever gave you the idea of acting like this, Running here and there, doing this and that— all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?
13-17"Quit your worship charades. I can't stand your trivial religious games: Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings— meetings, meetings, meetings—I can't stand one more! Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them! You've worn me out! I'm sick of your religion, religion, religion, while you go right on sinning. When you put on your next prayer-performance, I'll be looking the other way. No matter how long or loud or often you pray, I'll not be listening. And do you know why? Because you've been tearing people to pieces, and your hands are bloody. Go home and wash up. Clean up your act. Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings so I don't have to look at them any longer. Say no to wrong. Learn to do good. Work for justice. Help the down-and-out. Stand up for the homeless. Go to bat for the defenseless.
We’ve got more steps, but we need to stop at step one this week.
Step One: Remove your plank.
Do we have a plank in our pocket? If Jesus told you to sell everything and give it away, could you do it?
If your answer is “no,” the sermon stops here for you. Nothing else I say from this point on will matter, because your first step is to repent of this dependence you have on your stuff. I don’t know what that repentance should look like for you, but you can start by praying that God would show you what it would look like.
1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
God knows your heart and He can help you fix it on this issue.
Like I said earlier, a real game changer involves not just seeing how we picture the game, but also how we picture our role in the game.
What is God’s will for my life? That’s the magic question for Christians isn’t it? We act as if that’s a mystery.
Lean in, I now where to find the answer to this great mystery… (whisper) It’s in Micah 6:8
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Anything other than this is a plank.
**** I am indebted to Mr. Richard Stearns’ book “The Hole in Our Gospel” for much of the content of this sermon. The quotes and page numbers you see here are mainly from this book. It’s well worth the read.
