MELVIN NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(This is a revised version of a message contributed earlier to Sermon Central)
TEXT: Philippians 4:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18; Proverbs 23:7
This morning I want to talk about two passages of Scripture & the theme of “Developing a Positive Attitude in a Negative World.”
A. Probably nothing can contribute more to the quality of our lives than a positive attitude. And yet, sometimes it is so easy for us to become critical. And we end up focusing on the negative.
ILL. Consider the wife who bought her husband 2 new neckties. He was so appreciative that he immediately went to his room & put one of them on. Then he came out to show it to her. She took one look at him wearing the new tie & said, “What’s the matter? Don’t you like the other one?”
Please realize that in talking about “Developing a Positive Attitude” I’m not talking about looking through rose-colored glasses & deciding that everything is just fine. There are many things wrong with our world.
But, yes, there are people who find something good in almost every situation, no matter how negative it might be.
ILL. Have you heard about the older gentleman who was admitted into the nursing home? Four ladies instantly took notice & welcomed him. The first one said, “You’re new here, aren’t you?” And he answered, “Yes, I am.”
The 2nd lady asked, “Where were you before you came here?” He answered, “Well, I’ve been in prison for the last 20 years.” The 3rd one said, “Twenty years? Why were you in prison for 20 years?” He answered, “I killed my wife.” The 4th lady said, “Oh good! That means you’re single, doesn’t it?”
SUM. If you look hard enough, you can find something positive in almost everything. But I’m not talking about that kind of Pollyanna attitude this morning.
B. Rather, I’m talking about realizing that, in the midst of all the negatives, there is still much that is good in the world, in the church, & in our lives. And we need to focus our attention & energy on what is good.
Listen to the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Now that’s positive!
Solomon said, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). So the things that dominate your thinking control the words you speak, the attitudes you have, & the way you react to others.
C. Now, in 1 Thess. 4, Paul talks about the 2nd Coming of Jesus. He says that “One of these days the skies will open, the trumpet will blow, you’ll hear the voice of the archangel, & you’ll see Jesus in all His glory. Graves will be opened, & we’ll all be caught up with the Lord in the air.”
He’s saying, “If anybody has a reason to be joyful, Christians do because no matter what happens in this world, we’re moving toward something better. We will have a reunion with our Lord, & we’ll be with Him for all eternity. So we have every reason to be joyful.”
PROP. Then, in 1 Thess. 5, he comes back to the present. He says, “Okay, here we are, waiting for the Lord to come. In the meantime, as we wait, how can we develop this positive spirit?” And he gives some very practical suggestions.
I. TOWARD OUR SPIRITUAL LEADERS
A. Paul begins by telling us that the best way to develop a positive spirit is by having a positive attitude toward our spiritual leaders, those who work hard among us, those who sacrifice time & energy to serve the Lord. We’re to respect, honor, & encourage them in what they do for God.
1 Thess. 5:12-13, “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord & who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.”
It’s wonderful when the church works together in harmony as we do here, where people love & respect each other. But in a world that is becoming more & more negative in its attitudes, we must be alert to the challenges we face.
Right now we’re drawing near the end of a national political campaign. And we’ve heard a lot of criticism about the people running for public office. In fact, you can hear criticisms every day about people in various positions of leadership.
And in a negative environment it could even happen in the church. It’s so easy to complain, “Well, I wouldn’t have done it that way.” Maybe that’s why the apostle Paul tells us “…to respect those who work hard among you…”
B. Most of us don’t see all the work that goes on. We show up on Sunday & act as if we think things just happen. But they don’t. People have come early to open the building, check the heat or air conditioning, prepare the videos & sound system & make sure everything is ready.
Teachers have worked hard to prepare Bible lessons for the children’s teenage & adult classes. Musicians have practiced. Programs have been planned. Then there’s the Communion meditation & Children’s Church. And all of this has been bathed in prayer, again & again.
Why? Because today, & every Sunday, there are people present who need what Jesus is offering – the forgiveness of their sins, a fresh start in life, & the fellowship of a church family who loves & cares about each other.
C. Often we have people visiting. And they form their first impressions about us from what they see & hear.
Now if you’re a visitor, please realize the spirit in which I’m speaking. I want our time together to be special, to lift us closer to God & to each other, & to give praise & honor to Jesus, our Savior & Lord.
Frankly, I think visitors observe far more about us than we realize.
When they first enter our building they’re not always at ease. “What is it like on the inside? What are the people like, & what am I supposed to do? Will they even notice me? And if they do, how will they act?” And the questions go on.
Folks, I hope that from the moment they enter that they think, “There is such a warm & friendly feeling about this place. And the people seem to be nice. Why, there were so many who greeted us."
"And oh, I like the music, the combination of hymns & choruses, & the way almost everybody joins in the singing - & the smiles on the people’s faces. It’s all so alive, & yet so worshipful. And what about that preacher?” Yeah, what about that preacher?
SUM. Our attitude makes all the difference. And it needs to be a positive attitude – one that projects joy & peace & harmony, a church that really loves the Lord & desires to put Him first in all things.
II. TOWARD EVERYONE ELSE
Now the 2nd thing we need in developing a positive & joyful spirit is to have a positive attitude toward everyone else.
Listen to 1 Thess. 5:14-15. “And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other & to everyone else.”
That is great advice! Paul is saying, “We really need to be positive, not just toward the leaders, but toward each other, too.”
So how well are you doing in that category? As you go out to your car will you be saying positive things, or negative? Are you a positive person, or a negative one?
B. Listen again to what Paul wrote, “…encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” We need to be patient with each other. We make mistakes. We make wrong decisions sometimes. We aren’t perfect. So cut some slack. Be patient with each other.
If something is wrong, don’t pay back wrong for wrong. But “…always try to be kind to each other & to everyone else.” That was one of the first things you learned in Sunday School, wasn’t it? And it is a trait that desperately needs to be restored in our society today.
Paul writes in Colossians 3:12-13, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy & dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, & patience.
"Bear with each other & forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you.”
III. IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES
A. The last thing Paul suggests in developing a positive spirit is to be positive in all circumstances. Listen to vs’s 16-18. He says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Now we don’t always do that. If things are going well for us then we’re joyful. And we do pray whenever a crisis arises. And we’re usually thankful in Nov. because that’s when Thanksgiving Day comes.
But Paul says "in all circumstances," regardless of what’s happening in our lives, we’re to be joyful, & pray, & give thanks. That’s an important lesson to learn.
ILL. Mary Lyons had cerebral palsy & was restricted to a wheelchair. Her hands didn’t work the way she would like for them to work. And she was not able to speak clearly, although her mind was as sharp as yours or mine.
Her brother, Tom, took her to the Valley View Christian Church in Dallas every Sunday when he was in town. When he was not in town he always made sure she had a ride to church. That ride was usually provided by the minister’s wife, Violet.
Her wheelchair had to be placed in the trunk of the car, & as they approached the church both ladies would pray that some handsome man would be out in the parking lot when they got there to help them get the wheelchair out of the trunk.
On the days that Violet brought Mary to church, Mary also ate Sunday dinner with them. Mary was a delight. She was always telling Violet, “You’re a good woman.” And she was always telling the minister, “You’re a good preacher.”
Kids loved her. They would run up & throw their arms around her. She loved them in return, & she always had a wonderful smile. The circumstances of her life weren’t good. But she was an outstanding example of what Paul is talking about.
Do you think you could handle her circumstances? Do you think you could deal with the wheelchair or the frustration of not being able to communicate your thoughts easily? And yet Mary was so positive. She loved the Lord. She loved His church. And she loved God’s people.
B. So what is your problem? “Not enough money? Don’t feel well today? Kids don’t obey?” Maybe you need to rethink your attitude, to remember that when you got up this morning there was hot water in the hot water heater.
You had a bed to sleep on last night, & there was food to eat before you came to church today. You have everything you really need, & a whole lot of stuff that you don’t need.
So we ought to be thankful, & joyful, & we ought to praise & pray.
C. You know, when we read these words of Paul about being positive, it’s important to realize that he didn’t write them while sitting in a penthouse enjoying the luxuries of the world.
He wrote them while he was in prison - quite likely in a Roman dungeon where moisture was dripping down the wall & the stench was unbearable, where rodents ran across the floor, & bugs were everywhere.
While chained to a Roman guard 24/7 he wrote, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
So do you have a problem with negative attitudes this morning? If you do, Jesus is the only one who can really change you. He can change you inside & out. He can give you new words to speak, & a new relationship with others.
He can make you into a person who experiences the fullness of life in Christ & whose witness is positive to those around you.
INVITATION: If Jesus is not your Savior, we invite you to come forward & join with us in proclaiming your faith in Him, & proclaiming your willingness to experience Him in Christian baptism.
If you’re already a Christian & you need a church where you can be a part of things that are happening in a positive way, we invite you to come & join with us here. We know that Jesus can meet your needs, so we offer Him to you.
