~ We live in a time now where integrity means nothing.
Webster’s Dictionary defines integrity as “a firm adherence to a code of especially moral values” INCORRUPTIBILITY
~ A person like that seems hard to come by these days.
The bible says a lot about integrity – it’s a very spiritual issue.
1 Chron. 29:17
I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.
Prov. 10:9
The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
Prov. 11:3
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
Prov. 13:6
Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.
In these passages God contrasts integrity to being crooked, unfaithfulness, wickedness, and having a life of duplicity.
~ Are you a man or woman of integrity?
I think too many of us when we think of integrity we think of just doing what you say.
Biblically it means to be incorruptible.
I. Integrity – No Compromise
Genesis 39:1-20
Joseph was a man of deep integrity, he refused to compromise even when it would’ve been so easy to do so.
What motivated his integrity?
Vs. 8-9 Look what God has given me charge over, how in the world could I ever do such a wicked thing?
He didn’t even consider it. The answer was absolutely, positively NO!
Vs. 10 says “day after day” she was determined – yet he was more determined.
How are we unlike Joseph?
How easy is it for us to just finally give up and say O.K. to something that we know is wrong.
~ What are our limits?
~ What voice calls out to you day by day?
Lust – hey look at me, I’m hardly wearing anything at all today.
~ Internet – Hey, come to my site
~ Magazines – Hey come look inside at my new bathing suit issue.
Anger – Did you see that, he just cut you off
~ He can’t talk to you like that.
~ Hey, he gave you the finger.
Q.T.’s – Hey, stay in bed man you were up late last night.
~ Hey man, God will understand.
~ Hey, look at this mornings headlines, read me first.
Sacrifice – Hey man, you sacrifice enough, let someone else do it.
~ Hey, you don’t need to go to that late night prayer in the desert after all you have to get up early.
~ Hey, you don’t need with that struggling brother, let him deal with it.
Cleveland Stroud had coached the Blue Collar Bulldogs for 18 years before his basketball team made it to the championship. Stroud recalls that “it was a perfect night” when they won. “A night you dream of”. He was carried around the gym on the shoulders of his triumphant players and their proud parents. But the excitement was short lived.
Two months after the championship, during a routine grade check, Stroud discovered that one player was academically ineligible. The player in question had only played 45 seconds in the regional qualifying tournament. Stroud says, “I thought it was all ruined. I went through a phase where I was really depressed.” He struggled with what to do next. Yet, his commitment to integrity led him to the right decision. “Winning is the most important thing for any coach,” he said. “But your principals have to be higher that your goals.” He reported the error to the league and the Bulldogs forfeited their trophy. When the team lamented their loss in the locker room, he told them, “You’ve got to do what is honest, what is right, and what the rules say. People forget the scores of basketball games, but they don’t ever forget what your made of.”
Just like Joseph we have been given responsibilities. If it’s not a ministry or a BT it’s a family or a household.
The bible says that Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care because with him in charge, he did not concern himself with anything.
~ Can God say this about us in our families?
~ Does he worry about your families? Non Christian spouses. Are you leading your home spiritually?
~ Father’s are you teaching your kids integrity or duplicity?
II. Integrity – No Negligence
Daniel 6:1-5
These men searched and searched and the bible says they found no corruption in Daniel.
Let’s say that we found about 100 people that didn’t like you very much and they were going to investigate your life. They’re looking for some area that you have been corrupt in, either intentionally or negligently.
What would they find?
Negligence: Often times we judge ourselves based on the things we do, not what we haven’t done.
James 4:17
Anyone, then, who know the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
I believe that as Christians, this is the area that we will judged in the most.
~ Because hopefully the acts of commission, the intentional sins, are diminishing as you grow older in the faith..
~ But this is harder.
How are we negligent?
Raising our families to be God fearing families. Are we neglecting our children? It is not the churches responsibility to teach your kids, it’s yours.
Marriage: How much time do we spend making our wives feel special? How often do you ask them how they think they’re doing spiritually? Do you know what your spouse is studying in their Bibles?
What about God? Have you neglected Him? He’s been calling some of you for years and you’ve neglected to answer.
A lack of integrity not only kills you, but often other innocent people around you.
It was a chilly Tuesday morning, the 28th of January 1986, when Christa McAuliffe climbed aboard the Challenger Space Shuttle for her historic mission as the first citizen in space. She was a teacher. I only pray that we learned something about the consequences of getting an “F” in integrity. You see though the weather was cold a group of engineers were fighting back the hot sweat of worried anticipation. Would the booster seals hold in this kind of weather? Was it safe to launch? Knowledgeable engineers and designers said “No”. Influential executives said “Yes”. A group of top managers failed to listen carefully to the warnings of those down the line who were concerned about the operational reliability of certain parts of the booster rocket under conditions of abnormal stress. The people in charge were confident that they knew best and that they should not change the launch schedule. They were wrong.
Negligence kills integrity. What area of your life have you been neglecting. Decide right here and now that you will neglect it no longer.
If God is who you have been neglecting – what are you waiting for?
III. Integrity – No Lie
In the middle of an interview for acceptance to a prestigious Ivy League school back east, the interviewer asked his “sure of himself” candidate, “If no one would ever find out, and no one got hurt, would you lie for $1M?” The young man thought for a moment and said,
“If no one found out, and no one was hurt? Sure, I think I would!” The interviewer then asked, “Would you lie for a dime?” The young man shot back, “No way, what kind of man do you think I am?” The interviewer responded, “I have already determined that, I am just trying to determine your price.”
What is truth anymore?
I heard Rush Limbaugh explain why he felt the Democrats might win the election and he said “People in this country like to be lied to”
They don’t want to hear the truth – the truth hurts.
The word’s “I tell you the truth” appear 76 times in the gospels.
Jesus was a man of truth.
John 18:19-24
What are some of the ways that our honesty is challenged?
“Till death do us part”
“Bro, how are you doing?” “Fine”, “Good”, “Great”
“How’s your evangelism?” “Awesome” How many? 1 or 2
Bro, how is your giving, are you being sacrificial? Oh Yea, I give 10.00 a week.
But you spend that in one day alone on your fast food. 40.00 a week on your cable T.V.
What about at work? Do you slide on the truth there?
What about your taxes? Are you completely truthful there? Share.
What about shifting faults when you know your guilty?
What keeps us from being real and completely honest? Pride, self preservation, looking out for #1
Reuben Gonzales was in the final match of a pro racquetball tournament. In the 4th and final game, at match point, Gonzales made a “super kill” shot into the front wall to will the game. The referee called it good. Two linesman affirmed that the shot was in. But Gonzales, after a moments hesitation, turned around, shook his opponents hand, and declared that his shot had hit the floor first. As a result, he lost the match and walked off the court. Everybody was stunned. They couldn’t believe that a player with everything officially in his favor, with victory at hand, disqualified himself at match point and lost!
When asked why he did it, Reuben said, “It was the only thing that I could do to maintain my integrity.” “I could always win another match, but I could never regain my lost integrity.”
Being a Christian is more than just having faith, it’s being a man or woman of character, with integrity as your flagship.
“I know my God that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.”
