“FROGS OR LIZARDS” Matthew 18:16-20
FBCF – 7/23/23
Jon Daniels
INTRO – My wife hates frogs & lizards. That’s not a good thing for 2 mischievous 3 yr-old grandsons to know!
Question: Are we a “frog” church or a “lizard” church? FBC, B’haven literally was a lizard church! When I was Youth Minister there, once during a morning worship service, a lizard came out on railing in front of congregation. Pastor handed me his handkerchief & made me catch it & take it outside!
Truth is that it is better to be a lizard church than a frog church. According to an article in SBC Life, “frog” churches are churches that “sit fat & complacent on their lily pads & wait for the world to come to them.”
- Great programs, staff, facilities, people
- “Y’all come!” mentality
These churches are becoming a thing of the past. Churches that have this mindset & stay in this mindset will miss out on all that God desires for them to accomplish for His Kingdom.
“Lizard” churches on the other hand are churches that “adapt to their surroundings & aggressively pursue converts…they are willing to do change their colors & expend enormous amounts of energy to bring the lost into the family of God…it’s a ‘whatever it takes’ attitude.”
- Still have great programs, staff, facilities, people
- But instead of “Y’all come”, it’s “Let’s go!”
Truthfully, churches like ours run the risk of becoming a “frog” church.
- Been here a long time
- Well-established in community
- Strong financially (NO reason whatsoever for us to be behind in our budge!)
- Strong programming
- Strong heritage
- THE Baptist church in town
- Don’t want things to change, both in community & in church
I’m so thankful for all that God has done & is doing in this HIS church. Don’t believe that we are a “frog” church. But there is always the possibility that we could slip into a “frog” church mentality if we don’t stay vigilant & guard against it.
So how do we avoid being a “frog” church & be the “lizard” church that God wants us to be? 3 principles from our passage:
OBEY – v. 16
Do you see the obedience in the disciples’ lives in this verse? Jesus said go to Galilee & to the mountain & that’s what they did: They went where He told them to go.
- Matthew 26:32 – Jesus told Peter, “after I have arisen, I will go ahead of into Galilee.”
- Matthew 28:7 – Angel told women who went to tomb to go & tell the disciples & remind them that Jesus would be in Galilee.
- Matthew 28:10 – Jesus Himself met the women & said, “…Go & tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
If the disciples had not obeyed Jesus & had skipped out on going to Galilee, they would have missed out on hearing some of the greatest words ever spoken. If they had decided they didn’t want to go the mountain Jesus told them to go to, they would not have heard the most important commandment that Jesus gave them at their end of this earthly life.
Simple, consistent, faithful obedience will be the difference in our church being a “lizard” church instead of a “frog” church.
Obedience in costly.
- Reading 19 Minutes to Live – story of helicopter pilots in Vietnam War – avg life expectancy – 19 minutes.
- Courageously flew their helicopters into enemy territory to attack enemy, support troops on ground, & rescue downed pilots or retrieve bodies of those killed.
- Did it in obedience to command of their superiors & love for their fellow warriors
- Costly obedience – 4800 KIA
We must remember that we, too, are in a battle – a battle against our enemy, Satan, & all his forces. We fight against him for the salvation of those who are lost. We must simply be obedient to our Commander, Jesus Christ! We have to be willing to pay the price to be obedient.
WORSHIP – v. 17a
“When they saw Him they worshiped Him” – We need to see Jesus! Not physically, of course, although we will one day! But “see” Him in His Word – “see” Him as He works – “see” Him as He walks w/ us & lives in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
One reason that we don’t worship deeply & passionately is b/c we’ve become so familiar w/ Jesus.
- These disciples had spent virtually every waking moment w/ Jesus for 3 years, & yet, they still worshiped Him when they saw Him.
- Author Philip Yancey story about Old Faithful. Restaurant close to geyser. Large digital close close by. At one minute until eruption, everyone in diner rushed to windows to witness the event. Yancey glanced back & noticed that waiters & busboys descended on the tables to fill glasses & clean tables. Not a single one, not even those who had finished their jobs, looked out the huge windows. Old Faithful had grown too familiar to them – had lost its power to impress them.
When Jesus becomes so familiar to us that He loses His power to impress us & inspire awe within us; when we are not moved to worship Him when we see Him; we are in danger of becoming a complacent “frog” church w/ a “ho-hum” attitude toward Jesus.
Favorite def of worship – extravagant love & extreme obedience. When those 2 factors are characteristics of our lives & our worship, we will become the aggressive, soul-winning church that God desires for us to be.
TRUST – v. 17b
What a telling comment – “but some doubted.” Even in the very presence of Jesus, some folks still doubted.
- Maybe doubted that it was really Jesus.
- …that the experience was real.
- …what others were saying about Jesus.
- …that the other disciples were really as committed to Jesus as they said they were or acted like they were.
Bottom line: Some still had feelings of doubt or uncertainty in the presence of Jesus. They could not let go of those feelings & place their trust in Him.
One thing that holds a church back from being the “lizard” church w/ a “whatever it takes” attitude is that there are those who doubt.
- Doubt that God is really at work in the church.
- Doubt that God could really use them.
- Doubt that the church will ever be more than it is right now – “We’ve always run about 250 in SS.”
- Doubt that they could ever change.
Think about your response to these questions:
- Do you think our church could ever have 700, 800, 1000 people in worship each week?
- Do you think we could ever have the facilities we need to reach that many people w/ the Gospel?
- Do you think that we will ever add the additional staff we need to help us continue the Kingdom work God has called us to?
- Do you think we could every baptize 100, 150, 200 people each year?
- Could we ever start another church or multiple churches?
- Do you think every Christ-follower in this church could be involved in discipling someone else in their walk w/ Christ?
“Lizard” churches say, “YES, we’ll do whatever it takes to build the K’dom of God!” “Frog” churches say, “I doubt it.”
CONCLUSION – Story of Jeff who spent 4 years as “Ronald McDonald” for the McD’s corp. Visited many hospital rooms w/ many sick children.
Very satisfying job. 2 rules:
1. Ronald had to be accompanied by McD’s & hospital employees.
2. Ronald not allowed to touch patients to avoid germ transfer.
Jeff appreciated the rules & knew that breaking them could cost him his job.
Visiting hospital one day. Heard weak voice calling – “Ronald…Ronald.” Gingerly opened door & found frail 5 y/o boy who seemed to be hooked up to every imaginable piece of medical equipment. Asked his name – “Billy.”
Jeff did few magic tricks to make Billy smile. Turned to leave. Billy stopped him & asked, “Ronald, will you hold me?:” Jeff knew policy. Told him he’d color picture w/him.
Finished picture & turned toward door. Billy asked again, “Ronald, will you hold me?” Jeff’s heart cried YES, but mind shouted NO. Decided he could not pass up opportunity to bring a little happiness & hope to a dying child. Sent family & McD’s employees out of room. Nurse stayed in room but asked her to turn away as he reached out & gently lifted Billy’s fragile body out of his bed.
Billy stayed in Ronald’s arms for nearly an hour as they laughed & cried together. Billy told him about the things he was most worried about – this his little brother might get lost coming home from kindergarten next year w/out his big brother there to show him the way, or that his dog wouldn’t get another bone b/c Billy had hidden them in the house & couldn’t remember where he put them.
Later, through tear-stained makeup, Jeff gave Billy’s parents his real name & phone number. Let him know if he or the McD’s corporation could do anyting for them.
Less than 48 hrs later, received call from Billy’s mom that little Billy had died. She & her husband wanted to thank him for the difference that “Ronald” had made in his life. Shortly after Jeff had left room, Billy told his mom, “Mama, I don’t care anymore whether I see Santa this year…b/c I was held by Ronald McDonald.”
Jeff made a difference by taking a personal risk to do “whatever it took” during a little boy’s struggle to live. How much more should you & I determine to do the same – to take a risk – to do “whatever it takes” to make an eternal difference in someone’s life? When we commit to do that, we will be the “lizard” church that God desires for us to be! (Told by Bob Reccord, On Mission magazine, May-June 2000)
