HORNS OR HALOS?
Deut. 30:19
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: A butcher joke
1. Bubba walks into ‘Hal Mitchum Butchers’, goes over to Hal and says, "So, Hal, I hear that you’re something of a betting man."
"Yes," replies Hal.
2. "Well," says Bubba, "You’re a tall man, so I bet you $100 that you can't reach those pieces of meat hanging on those hooks up on that wall."
3. "I'm not taking your bet," says Hal. "Why not?" says Bubba, "I thought you were a betting man." "I am," says Hal, "but the steaks are too high!"
B. TEXT
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” Deut. 30:19.
C. THESIS
1. We humans have both a heavenly origin (made in the image of God) and a hellish origin (the implantation of the fallen nature). We are a hodgepodge of good and bad natures.
2. In most, there’s a warfare between the halos and horns. On some days you see us rise to the heights of unbelievable greatness and self sacrifice; on other days, we may stoop to lying, cheating, treachery, brutality, or sensuality.
3. "Man," said Pascal, "is an incomprehensible monster." Isn’t it amazing how much God loves us?
4. Nowhere is this dichotomy and struggle more apparent than among preacher’s kids. The day Franklin Graham was born, he received a telegram; “Welcome to this sin-sick world,” the Western Union message said, “and to the challenge you have to walk in your daddy’s footsteps.”
5. It didn’t take long for Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, to decide to go the other way. After a rebellious youth, Franklin found Christ. He now preaches and runs his father’s evangelistic association.
6. But for every Franklin Graham, there’s a Friedrich Nietzsche (the atheist philosopher whose father was a Lutheran minister). For every Condoleezza Rice, there’s an Alice Cooper (the heavy-metal singing, fake-blood spouting son of a preacher man).
7. Being a Christian doesn’t mean we’re actually acting like a Christian. At work, at home, in our marriage, with our kids, with the needy – do they perceive us as having Halos or Horns?
I. HORNS/ HALOS: ON THE JOB?
A. REAL WORLD SITUATION
1. In studies done of management styles, there is a phenomenon known as the “Horns & Halos Effect.”
2. This is described as when a supervisor picks certain employees to favor (they get a halo), and the others he/she disfavors (horns). How does this play out?
3. When there’s a personality conflict between a “favored” employee and a “disfavored one,” the supervisor usually defends the favored one (regardless of who’s right) and puts down the ill-favored employee.
4. The supervisor picks sides and unconsciously presses the rest of the employees to do the same.
5. Outcome? Every time "George" (disfavored) speaks, people will roll their eyes or even worse, send visual daggers. There’s nothing George can do right, because he’s already earned his horns.
6. On the flip side, there’s Sean. Sean is the "golden boy" who’s always right, even when he’s wrong. The department will make George's life miserable until he quits or shuts up.
B. REAL WORLD CHRISTIANITY
1. The problem with this is, there’s an absence of the love and acceptance that God shows equally to all people. The law of love says to ‘treat others as you’d have them treat you.’ Obviously none of us would want to be treated like that, so we shouldn’t do it either.
2. Also it’s judging people.
3. ILLUSTRATION
a. Pastor Ray Stedman told about a young man who had stopped attending his church.
b. The young man said that when he was at work he would sometimes lose his temper and treat co-workers poorly. Then, when Sunday rolled around, he didn’t want to go to church because he felt like a hypocrite.
c. Stedman told his young friend, “A hypocrite is someone who acts like something he isn’t. When you come to church, you are acting like a Christian. You are not a hypocrite at church.”
d. Suddenly, the young man realized where he was being a hypocrite. He recognized that the answer was not in avoiding church but in changing the way he was at work.
II. HORNS/ HALOS: IN THE HOME?
A. TOWARD SPOUSE
1. All married people know how easy it is to get self-centered in marriage. People often show their worst sides at home, -- their anger, criticism, jealousy, meanness, crudity, etc. -- thinking their spouse is stuck with them – “for better or for worse.”
2. But in an easy-divorce country that’s not true. If people would listen to the Bible they’d find out what attitudes create a successful marriage.
3. ILLUSTRATION: the “Love Potion”
a. Bill O’Donovan, a missionary to the Kagoro Bible College in Nigeria told his students that he had discovered a special medicine that would drastically reduce fights between husbands and wives.
b. All of the students eagerly looked forward to the day when the missionary would bring the medicine to class so each of them could stop having fights with their wives.
c. After 14 weeks Bill O’Donovan came to class and said, "Today I will reveal the medicine that is a preventative measure against fighting between husbands and wives."
d. Then he drew a picture of a big bottle on the blackboard and wrote, "I Cor. 13:4-7 - the “Love potion."
4. “Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything He does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already one in marriage.” Eph 5:25-26; Message Bible.
5. Forgiveness is another important ingredient. Some people get angry for days. When I asked a friend the secret to his 52 years of marriage, he replied, "We never go to sleep angry." "That's a great philosophy," I noted. "Yes. And the longest we've been awake so far is five days."
6. Instead of focusing on your spouse's flaws, focus on their strengths. “Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them” Col. 3:19.
7. Practice the courtesies on your spouse that you routinely extend the strangers. Do the little things that make each other feel special. Create the best marriage possible by two imperfect human beings.
B. TOWARD KIDS
1. Children are the seismographs of the family; they are aware of all the unseen rumblings in the home. Someone has said, “You may fool the neighbors, the people at work, but you’ll never fool your kids.”
2. It's interesting that the apostle Paul, when advising parents about raising kids, twice said, "Don't provoke your children to anger" Col. 3:21; Eph. 6:4.
3. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” Mt. 20:25-26.
4. Sometimes parents “lord it over” their kids; it’s a form of prideful domination, not tender love, and it can alienate the hearts of our children. We must demonstrate tenderness, even to big hairy teenagers. They’re still people and desperately need our love and acceptance.
5. HUMOR.
a. Paul & Becky only go to church 2 or 3 times every year. At the end of the service, Paul shook Pastor Rose’s hand and says, "Becky and I both thoroughly enjoyed your service today."
b. Pastor Rose replied, "It’s nice of you to say so, Paul, so why don’t you and Becky come here more often?"
c. "It’s difficult," replies Paul, "but at least we keep the Ten Commandments." "That's really good to hear," says Pastor Rose. "Yes," said Paul proudly, "Becky keeps 6 of them and I keep the other 4."
III. HORNS/ HALOS: THE NEEDY?
A. A CANDID ASSESSMENT
1. What do you think when you see a person beside the road holding a placard saying, "Please help me"?
2. Undoubtedly you notice whether they’ve had a bath, a haircut and a shave, if their clothes are dirty, the look on their face -- and you form judgments about what kind of person they are.
3. Honestly -- probably not favorable opinions. We sit in our nice cars with the air conditioner running wondering where we’re going to eat next.
4. The "beggar" is perceived as probably dangerous, a nuisance, and disease-ridden. Most wouldn't think of inviting such a person into your car and much less your house.
5. What do we think about ourselves? Why – we’re good Christians! We’re righteous, good, and godly people -- models for the society. But are we really?
6. Even though we're good Christians, it's easy for us to credit our success to superior qualities in ourselves. We then contrast ourselves with others who haven’t achieved our level of success & the natural tendency is to think of ourselves more highly than them.
7. Are we showing them “horns or halos?”
B. ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
1. It’s not uncommon for people to look down on the poor and less fortunate as inferior. Such an attitude is a manifestation of pride.
2. But what do we have that God didn't give us? God was the one who determined where we’d be born, what our physical and intellectual capabilities would be, and what levels of opportunity we would have. God should get all the glory, for He gave us all we have.
3. “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 in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 Jn. 3:17-18.
4. James talked about preferring people based on their nice clothes or wealth as being sin (James 2:1-5). “But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers” Jm. 2:9. The Bible tells us that if we love God, we’ll love people.
5. “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” 1 Jn. 4:7-8.
CONCLUSION
So what kind of head adornment do others perceive us to have? Horns or halos? We’ve discussed our attitudes on the job and in the home, and lastly our attitudes toward the poor.
A. ILLUSTRATION: A True Winner
1. Craig Saunders told how, at a Special Olympics, he was watching the 220 track race. There was a very fast runner named Andrew who was 50 yards ahead of the rest of the runners.
2. Suddenly Andrew glanced back and saw that his best friend had fallen. The crowd at the finish line was yelling to Andrew, "Come on, come on, come on!"
3. But Andrew stopped and went back, took his friend's hand, and lifted him to his feet and they ran together to finish the race.
4. The entire crowd stood to their feet and applauded. As Saunders said, "It was an amazing sight because that's what the Special Olympics are about. People don't consider being 'Number One.' The most important thing is that people finish the race."
5. That’s also the perspective of heaven. It’s not so important whether we as Christians win the race, but how we help others finish their race.
B. THE CALL
1. If we could look in a spiritual mirror, would we be more likely to see horns on our heads or halos?
2. Let’s make a new commitment to be like Jesus in our attitudes toward others on the job, at home, and out in society.
3. Salvation call and commitment to be Christlike.
[The Franklin Graham paragraph was derived from Daniel Burke’s “Preacher's Kids: Beyond Stereotypes A Stressful Life For Children Of Clergy.” In “Halos or Horns,” Jason J. Zigmont describes the management application.]
