Caricatures of Christianity
as edited by Henry Shellman
Original Idea and manuscript written by Rev. Aaron McCollough-freshfireministries.com
Preached and Posted with his permission and prayers
Matthew 28: 19-20
John 15: 1-12
Text Scripture:
Matthew 28: 19-20
Matthew 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
John 15: 1-12 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2: Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4: Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6: If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7: If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8: Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9: As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10: If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
• Who knows what a caricature is?
• Dictionary.com defines it as:
a. A representation, especially pictorial or literary, in which the subject’s distinctive features or peculiarities are deliberately exaggerated to produce a comic or grotesque effect.
b. The art of creating such representations.
c. A grotesque imitation or misrepresentation: The trial was a caricature of justice.
So, today I intend to speak upon the distinctive features and peculiarities of the church and Christianity that have been grotesquely distorted – sometimes with even a comical effect?
ILLUSTRATION:
• On the wall between the bookshelf and computer hutch hangs a caricature of me and Patsy.
• We had it drawn while at the Nations in Kansas City.
• The artist talked with us prior to painting the caricature and discovered I was a preacher and she is an executive assistant.
• In the caricature, I have a great big head.
• I have a Bible in one hand and the other is out stretched like I am preaching.
• Patsy has a big head, tiny body and is sitting at a computer.
• This is a conversation piece.
• Many people have gotten a laugh at this caricature.
• However – it’s not a true representation of us!!!
Suppose somebody had never seen either of us and we sent them this caricature.
Wouldn’t it be silly of them to either accept or reject us based upon a caricature?
Sadly, this is exactly what is happening today.
People aren’t rejecting Christ – they’re rejecting the caricature of CHURCHIANITY we are presenting to them!
The Mandate to Make Disciples:
As Christians, Matthew 28: 19-20 gives us our marching orders.
“Go ye” can be better interpreted: “As you are going”
“Teach” can be better interpreted as: “Make disciples”
Let me read those verses to you this way: Therefore, as you are going, disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I gave command to you; and behold I am with you all the days until the completion of the age.
As Christians, our mandate from Jesus Christ is to Go – nowhere does it say they will come – rather for us to go – and as we are going – to make disciples.
The place you’re going in life isn’t really what’s important!
What’s important is that wherever your life path leads you – as you go – make disciples.
My fear today is that we have become good at making “church-goers” a caricature if you will – instead of making real disciples.
We’ve become satisfied with a religion that sort of resembles Christianity – that makes us feel good and laugh – but produces absolutely no deep change in the life of the believer.
Churches today have a consumer mentality instead of a servant mentality!
Today, I’m going to ask you three questions and try to answer them.
1. What is a disciple?
2. What if we fail to make disciples?
3. What then?
1. What is a Disciple?
Dictionary.com says a disciple is: Someone who believes and helps to spread the doctrine of another.
a. A disciple is a student who has a personal relationship with the teacher.
• My friend, you don’t become a disciple of Jesus Christ by knowing “about Him” – You must “know Him!”
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
My fear today is that we have become acquainted with the Caricature of Christ instead of Having a Personal Relationship with the Teacher!
b. What are some of the Caricatures of Christianity?
(1) Spirituality:
• This is the buzz word of the day.
• People are paying good money to buy books and attend workshops to teach them about spirituality.
• People are into all kinds of new age spiritual movements.
But spirituality outside of Jesus is a caricature – it’s occult!
(2) Church attendance:
• Makes no difference what you believe or how you behave – just attend church on Sunday morning – and all is well.
• Church attendance is used as a salve to ease the pain of a guilty conscience.
But Church Attendance outside of Jesus is a caricature of Christianity!
(3) Morality:
• Many people base their eternal destiny on the fact they live a decent moral life.
But Morality outside of Jesus is a caricature of Christianity!
(4) Contributions:
• Some folks are basing their eternal destiny upon the fact that they contribute financially and through their giftedness to the local church.
But Contributions (Financial or Giftedness) outside of Jesus is a caricature of Christianity!
(5) Family Heritage
• Some folks are basing their eternal destiny upon the fact that momma or daddy is an outstanding member of the community or church.
• You cannot ride somebody else’s coattails into heaven!
But a good family heritage – outside of Jesus is a caricature of Christianity!
c. A disciple is a student who is under the total authority of the teacher.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
• Discipleship is not a democracy
• Discipleship is freely surrendering our will to the will of Jesus Christ
Psalms 100:3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
My fear today is that we have become acquainted with a Caricature of being totally submitted to the Authority of Christ instead of being Totally Surrendered to Him!
d. What are some of the Caricatures of Partial Surrender to Christ’s Authority:
• Tradition – We’ve never done it that way before!
Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: any many such like these do ye.
• Authority – It doesn’t say Hanes until I say it says Hanes! Deacon Boards.
• Judgmentalism
• Arguing with God
• Ownership – it’s my pew!
Again I say to you: Discipleship is not a democracy – discipleship is freely surrendering our will to the will of Jesus Christ.
e. Sometimes this means you must do things you don’t want to do!!!
• A disciple is a student who has a personal relationship with the teacher.
• A disciple is a student who is under the total authority of the teacher.
• A disciple is a student who possesses and demonstrates the Character of the Teacher
f. The teacher plants the seeds of knowledge into the disciple
g. The seed germinates within the disciple
h. The only acceptable fruit of the disciple is from the seeds the teacher planted!
As Christians – WE should desire to bear fruit.
John 14:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 No ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5:1 I am the vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
*Jesus never says the branches PRODUCES the fruit!!!!
A peach tree can no more “produce” “or make” a peach than you or I!!!!
The peach tree merely bears or bring forth what God has placed in it!
• It doesn’t make a difference how the seeds are packaged – the seed determines the fruit – not the packaging!
WHATEVER IS IN THE WELL COMES UP IN THE BUCKET!!!
My fear today is that we have become acquainted with a Caricature of Christian Character instead of REAL Christian Character
ILLUSTRATION:
Pig and Chicken went into business together
They opened a restaurant
Their specialty was going to be breakfast – ham and eggs
The pig thought about this and backed out of the deal
When asked why by the chicken he replied: BECAUSE ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MAKE A CONTRIBUTION – I HAVE TO MAKE A TOTAL COMMITMENT
2: What if we fail to make disciples:
ILLUSTRATION:
Thom Rainer states that by the year 2050, 60% of churches in existence today – will no longer be in existence.
As the WW2 Generation dies out and the Baby Boomers retire – simple economics alone will close these churches.
If we continue to make caricatures instead of disciples – Christianity will no longer exist in the form we know.
In short – re reproduce – or die!
3: What Then?
CLOSE:
I want to close today with an illustration by Pastor Greg Brown, who was raised by his grandparents.
His grandfather was a Spiritual sage
When Greg was about 12 he and his grandfather became concerned over the Spiritual state of Greg’s cousin – who was similar in age.
One day Greg and his grandfather were sitting on the porch when his cousin came bounding up on the porch.
As only a grandfather can do – he began to quiz his grandson.
He said: Son, what do you plan to do with your life?
He replied: Well grandpa, I guess I’ll graduate high school.
Grandpa: What then?
Grandson: Well I suppose I’ll go to college.
Grandpa: What then?
Grandson: Well, I suppose I’ll get a job in my chosen profession and start a career.
Grandpa: What then?
Grandson: Well grandpa, I suppose I’ll get married and raise a family.
Grandpa: What then?
Grandson: Well grandpa, I suppose I’ll retire.
Grandpa: What then?
Grandson: Well grandpa, I suppose I’ll grow old and die.
Then one final time grandpa asked the question: WHAT THEN?
And this is the question we as God’s church must ask ourselves today: WHAT THEN?
We can place our trust in our Caricatures of Christianity
But one by one they will be stripped away
Each time we will be forced to ask the questions: WHAT THEN?
I end today with that question: WHAT THEN?
Is your relationship with Christ real – or is it merely a cheap caricature?
