I REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST 2 THESS. 1:1-12
As you all know my family and I are from the area of Ft Lauderdale in S. Florida. We first arrived in this area of the country in January of 1986 when I entered the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville; and we immediately fell in love with the whole region. We love the beauty of the country side, the old homes, and, as you know - even the winter weather.
But one of the things that really impressed us when we first arrived was just how polite people were. You see, I’m sure you have heard stories about rude New Yorkers - but I am here to tell you that New Yorkers don’t have much on people in South Florida. People down there are generally rude and unfriendly.
But here in this part of the country, Betty and I immediately noticed that just the opposite was true. We noticed that for the most part people are even polite when they drive their cars! And that is definitely not true in Florida.
Not that all the drivers in S. Florida are rude and unsafe but they seem to have an unfair share down there. In fact, there used to be a story going around that in order to move to Florida and become a legal resident - you must first take a safe driving course - and fail it!
While driving in Florida, it seems that you just can’t go anywhere without at least once - someone cuts you off and nearly causes an accident. Of course, when this happens a person tends to get a little upset and frequently you are inspired to yell out a few unfavorable descriptions of the offending driver!
Now I am sure that none of you would ever do so - but I will admit that once or twice in my sinful past - I have let myself go! I have really let some people have it - verbally!
I have some very good friends who own a shop called Busy Bee Florist back in Florida. At times in years past, on Mother’s Day and other holidays, they would get very busy and they would ask me to help them by making deliveries. Of course, on such occasions, I would drive one of the company vans.
One particular Mother’s day, I had just left the shop with the van loaded to the brim with beautiful flower arrangements and planters - all intended for eager mothers.
When suddenly a car shot around the corner right in front of me! I slammed on the brakes, barely missing the car --- and you could almost hear the cry of disappointed mothers as their flower arrangements and planters crashed to the floor of the van.
Well - I’ll tell you- right then an unfavorable description of that driver and every one of his ancestors formed in my mind - I opened my mouth --- and I caught myself! And didn’t say anything!
You see, I was in my friend’s van. On the side in bright, tall letters it said BUSY BEE FLORIST. If I had yelled out and told that fellow what I thought of him - people would have heard me -- but they would have seen BUSY BEE FLORIST.
At that moment I was representing the florist shop and my friends. My actions and words would reflect on the image people had of my friend’s business and on them. So I had to be careful.
*When we call ourselves "Christian" - we represent Jesus Christ in the eyes of the world. When I say I am a Christian all my actions and words affect the image other people have of Christ - whether for the good or for the bad.
Paul spoke of this in our scripture passage . "With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of His calling, and that by His power He may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."
Did you catch what that said? "so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you." My actions and my words either bringing or failing to bring glory to Jesus.
But let’s stop just for a minute. In churches we tend to use certain words quite a bit. We use words like glory, grace, sanctified, and a whole lot of other "God talk."
I have often wondered how many of us may not really understand all this "God talk" we use. How many of us have heard and used these words over and over again without really understanding what they meant?
I know that as I sat growing up in the church - for a long time I grew up hearing people using the word "grace" and I often wondered just exactly what grace was. But everyone else seemed to know so I didn’t ask. I wasn’t going to be the only dummy!
Some of us may not understand certain words but we don’t say anything because we don’t want to appear ignorant. Then there are some of us that may know what the words mean -- but we have heard and used them so often for so long that the words have lost much of their meaning and power.
Sometimes we need to slow down and take a closer look to re-discover the meanings and the power tied up in the words we use in church.
Our scripture just told us that our actions and words are supposed to bring "glory" to Jesus. What does that mean?
Well, in this case, it means making Jesus look good in the eyes of the world. Now if Jesus were here in His resurrected person -- His own goodness, purity, and love would show through so strong that no person could help but love and obey Him. I believe that with all my heart!
But He is not here in person -- we are! The scriptures teach us that Jesus is the head of the church and the church is His body in the world. Therefore as the world sees the church or the body of believers - so it sees Jesus Christ!
That is what it means to bring glory to Jesus. It means to allow the world to see Jesus’ own natural glory through us.
Just like that day when I was in the florist truck - our actions and words reflect on someone other than ourselves. As a Christian, my actions reflect on the way people see Jesus.
I REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST!! If you are a Christian, you represent Jesus Christ. In everything we do or say - we represent Jesus Christ!
It is a great responsibility that we carry. When we allow the love of God to show itself in our lives then we properly represent Jesus and we bring glory to Him.
Unfortunately we also know the results when we represent Jesus poorly. We all know people who say, "I’m not coming to church because the church is full of hypocrites." We may claim, and with good cause, that they are only making an excuse -- but where did the excuse come from?
It came from some Christian acting or speaking in some way that poorly represented Jesus. And when it happens you can almost hear the people say "....and he calls himself a Christian!"
Paul wrote a letter to the pastor of a small church on the island of Crete. In that letter he strongly urged good behavior on the part of the believers and stated why it was so important. I want to read you a part of that letter. It can be found in Titus 2:7-8.
"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."
You see, the inhabitants of the island of Crete in that day were notorious for lying and immorality. "To act the Cretan" had become a way to say that someone was a liar.
Because of this terrible reputation and because of the Jews who were always looking for any angle to stir up trouble for the Christians - Paul was urging the believers not to give a bit of evidence that could be used against them and in fact to behave in a way better than that expected of others.
The same holds true today. Many actions that are accepted and even approved of for non-believers will be held against anyone professing to be a Christian - especially if you happen to be a minister or a leader in the church.
A number of years ago, we made a weekend visit to my mother-in-law over in Illinois. We were talking and she told me a story about a minister in town whose daughter had just received a very handsome scholarship to Evansville University.
However the award had been based on a false statement made by the parents regarding the girl’s plans for the future. Somehow the story had gotten out.
This minister was serving in a small farming community. Newton, Ill smaller than Jackson. The story had already been repeated many times. And sure enough, my mother-in-law said, "I expected better of a minister."
That one little falsehood - that would have been accepted - even considered smart and clever for a non-Christian to help his daughter to get a college education - had done un-measurable damage to his ministry and to the image of Christ.
I know that I am not telling you anything new. We all know our actions often do not measure up. We all know the damage it can do to our witness. I could stand here and recite a long list of dos and don’ts. But you would have heard them all before.
I would rather give one simple suggestion - that maybe could help us all to do a better job as Christ’s representatives.
Can you imagine what it would be like if tomorrow morning, as you got ready to leave the house, the last thing that you did was to pick up and pin right here on your shirt a large, brightly colored button!
And on that button, in bold letters, it read: I REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST.
Everywhere you go people are going to read your button - I REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST. When you stop at the Wal-Mart - the clerk will see your button. When you go to work - the people you work with are going to see your button. When you go to school - your friends and teachers are all going to see your button.
When you finally get home - your neighbors and family are going to read that button. Everywhere you go - everyone is going to read that button - I REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST!
Now think - how will wearing that button affect your actions and your words? Will you walk around with a frown, complaining about this and that and who knows what else - with a sour attitude?
If the clerk in the store gives you too much change or forgets to ring up that bag of dog food on the bottom of the cart - will you keep on going without saying anything - knowing that the clerk had read your button?
Will you goof off at work, even a little, knowing that fellow employees had seen your button?
At school - will you cheat - even a little - or act up in class - knowing that everyone has read that button?
When you get home, will your temper be quite as quick with your family - knowing that they too had read that button?
Just how would that big button hung right there on your chest - I REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST - how would that affect the way you walked through your day tomorrow?
Well, the fact is, when we first called ourselves Christian - we all put on that button - and we can not take them off! They’re right there for all to see and to judge our actions and our words and our Christ accordingly!
What kind of a representative for Jesus Christ have you been? Now don’t judge yourself too harshly - because we all fail to glorify Jesus in our lives too often.
But maybe if we will just think about the idea of that button - I REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST - think about that button as you go through your days maybe it will help us all to do a little better job! Maybe!
*And why should we be so concerned with being good representatives of Christ? Simply because He represented each of us first.
Each of us had our own appointment with judgment and eternal death because of our own sin. But Jesus kept that appointment for us.
Jesus represented you and He represented me on the cross. But that wasn’t the end of it. Even now He represents each of us with the Father in heaven. Sitting at the right hand of the Father Jesus speaks for each of us.
Jesus Christ represented us on the cross and now He represents each of us before the Father in heaven -- therefore we must represent Him in the world.
As His representatives we must be busy with what He would be busy with were He here. At the ends of your arms - those are His hands - they must be about His work.
I would ask you to examine yourself. What kind of a representative of Jesus Christ have you been?
This coming week - as you go though your days - think about that button. Remember that it is right there for everybody to see! I REPRESENT JESUS CHRIST!
If we will think about that button - with God’s help and a little honest effort we can represent Jesus properly - and just maybe help someone else to become His representative as well.
