This will probably be the most basic sermon you have ever heard. Nothing I will say is new or profound. You have heard it all before, but it needs repeated because the very simplicity of what I will be saying is the reason it is so often overlooked and ignored. So many times we want to plunge into the depths of the Christian life and forget the foundation of what it means to be a Christian, and how it plays out in everyday life. I am going to assume today that you understand that a Christian is not just a good person, but a person who has been transformed by the grace of God and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. You already know that a Christian is one who has come to God in humility, asking for the forgiveness of his sins and wanting God to take control of his life. That is the crisis experience that ushers us into the Christian life, but what does this look like, or should I say, what should it look like in everyday life?
I will give you the three points of the sermon in the very beginning. The three attitudes which will help you to enjoy life are: 1. Be nice, 2. Be positive, and 3. Be thankful. I told you it was going to be simple. Let’s begin with the first point: Be nice. This, like the other points, should go without saying, but nevertheless the Christian community seems to have more than its share of people who walk around with scowls and disapproving looks on their faces. Sometimes people who say they are Christians are just downright mean. They have a sour religion, and an unpleasant disposition to match. They always see a problem, a fault or a reason for suspicion. They have a negative attitude toward most everything. They are sharp and impatient with people. They are always better at seeing what is wrong than they are seeing what is right. They are insulting. They are judgmental and critical.
It is even worse in the non-religious world. Many of the observers of our society have commented about the coarsening of our culture. Good manners and courtesy are things that seem to have become lost in our world. Simple kindness and social graces have been left behind. People are rude and pushy in the fast-paced world in which we live. Roadways and other public places are filled with rage. Our speech is vulgar and our humor is crude and gross. We live out of the dark side. We need to return to being nice.
I think that we have so overreacted to the misconception that just because a person is nice they are a Christian, that we have forgotten that being nice is an important part of being a Christian. What does it mean to be nice? It means to be a genuinely good person. To treat people with patience, kindness and respect. It means to be humble and gentle, thoughtful and considerate. It means to be self-sacrificing and generous. It means to tip the waitress well. It means to smile at the person who is serving you at the store, even though they may be rude.
I like the way the Bible tells what happens to us when we genuinely encounter God: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). The problem is that many people who claim to be Christians seem still to have a heart of stone. I have never understood why the church is so intolerant of some sins and so accepting of others. If someone falls morally we are all over them, but if someone is mean, divisive, gossiping, and have a critical spirit we don’t take it nearly so seriously. Someone may cut others to pieces with their tongue, yet we say, “Oh, he is such a good worker in the church. You just have to understand him. I know that she talks about people a lot, but she does so much for the church that you just have to overlook her.” How is it that we tolerate someone who attacks people, but we do not tolerate a struggling parent with a fussy baby? Help me to understand this. Especially when the Bible says things like this: “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:10).
This is obviously not something that God tolerates, because the Bible says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:30-32). When we are not kind, we grieve the heart of God. If we are going to please God we have to be kind, compassionate and forgiving.
But this is not just church behavior, it should be everyday behavior. What do you think it says to those around when a person prays before their meal at a restaurant, and then is rude to the waitress? What does it say when you don’t leave a tip, or what you leave is a token rather than a tip? Worse yet, some people leave religious literature instead of a tip. What kind of witness is that to a world already cynical about Christians? Listen to the scripture which says, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? . . .faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do” (James 2:14-19). You cannot separate faith and action.
We have just seen what mean-spirited religious people can do — they can become vicious terrorists. We are not members of the Taliban; we are members of the kingdom of love. If you think that Christians would never do the things these terrorists have done, let me be quick to remind you of Christian history when it has veered off course from the teachings of Christ. It can and does happen when we forget the basic principles of our faith.
Being nice is crucial to our witness in an unbelieving world. The Bible says, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
Part of being a Christian means that our disposition is changed. The Bible says, “At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. . . .” (Titus 3:3-5).
But the second thing that we need in order to have a Christian disposition is: Be positive. The biblical word for a positive attitude his hope. We should be more positive in our attitude than anyone, for the Bible says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope. . . .” (1 Peter 1:3). We are not to live as those who have no hope. We are to be positive in our outlook and optimistic about life. We don’t wag our heads with the rest of the world and look negatively at life. The problem for Christians is that we know what the world should be like from reading the Scriptures, and we see what the world, in many ways, is like in reality. It is easy to despair, or to talk about how bad the world is, but we are a people who are rooted, not in this world, but in eternity. We are living for the next world. We know that God has a purpose for the world and that he is working to fulfill that purpose now, and will complete his work at the coming of Jesus Christ. This is what the Bible calls “the blessed Hope.” Here is the positive attitude the Bible expresses: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14). You ought to be the best worker with the most upbeat attitude in the place where you work. Your attitude and your ethical behavior should shine because of what Jesus Christ has done in your life.
I remember talking with a friend of mine one day, and I was despairing about something. He expressed a much different outlook than mine, and when I said something about how positive he sounded, he said, “I have always considered optimism to be an important part of faith.” I have never forgotten that, even though I have not always lived up to it. Christians should be positive and optimistic because this is our Father’s world. He shines through everything around us. He is in complete control. He is at work in the world to bring about his plan, and he is returning to claim the world he owns.
We can complain about how terrible things are, or we can say with Paul, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39). We are loved and cared for by God. What better reason can we have for having a positive mental attitude and hopeful outlook on life?
The third attitude you need in order to enjoy life is: Be thankful. You are not going to enjoy life if you do not learn the art of being thankful. Negativism and complaining will destroy your joy. Worry will consume you and your heart will be heavy. Joy comes with the ability to look at your world with eyes of gratitude, because everywhere you look, you see God at work, and you know he is taking care of you. The Bible says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Jimmy Dean, country-music star turned pork-sausage king, co-wrote a song about celebrating life’s little blessings called “Drinking From My Saucer.” The key verse goes like this:
So, Lord, help me not to gripe
‘Bout the tough rows that I’ve hoed,
I’m drinking from my saucer
‘Cause my cup has overflowed.
It may be a little hokey, but there is a lot of truth in it. Take another look at your saucer and see if you cup has not overflowed. Lighten up, look up and be thankful.
Mark Tidd of Webster, New York, describes an experience from his college days: “An old man showed up at the back door of the house we were renting. Opening the door a few cautious inches, we saw his eyes were glassy and his furrowed face glistened with silver stubble. He clutched a wicker basket holding a few unappealing vegetables. He bid us good morning and offered his produce for sale. We were uneasy enough that we made a quick purchase to alleviate both our pity and our fear. To our chagrin, he returned the next week, introducing himself as Mr. Roth, the man who lived in the shack down the road. As our fears subsided, we got close enough to realize it wasn’t alcohol but cataracts that marbleized his eyes. On subsequent visits, he would shuffle in, wearing two mismatched right shoes, and pull out a harmonica. With glazed eyes set on a future glory, he’d puff out old gospel tunes between conversations about vegetables and religion. On one visit, he exclaimed, ‘The Lord is so good! I came out of my shack this morning and found a bag full of shoes and clothing on my porch.’ ‘It’s wonderful, Mr. Roth!’ we said. ‘We’re happy for you.’ ‘You know what’s even more wonderful?’ he asked. ‘Just yesterday I met some people that could use them.’”
Being nice. Being positive. Being thankful. It is essential to develop these qualitites if we are going to enjoy life. It is also essential if we are going to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. But more than all that, it is essential for our spiritual growth and health. In our scripture reading this morning, Peter said, “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:5-8).
Rodney J. Buchanan
October7, 2001
Mulberry St. UMC
Mt. Vernon, OH
www.MulberryUMC.org
Rod.Buchanan@MulberryUMC.org
FEELING GOOD ABOUT LIFE:
DEVELOPING A CHRISTIAN MINDSET
2 Peter 1:1-9
“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8).
The three attitudes that will help you feel good about life are:
1. Be ________________________ .
2. Be _________________________ .
3. Be ____________________________ .
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION (October 7, 2001)
1. Read James 2:14-19. Many Christians seem to keep their faith (what they believe) and their actions (what they do) separate. Why is this unacceptable in God’s eyes? In the world’s eyes?
2. What does it say to an unbelieving world when someone is frequently talking about their faith, but they are not kind?
3. Have you known someone who lived a moral life, but when they witnessed about their faith they were obnoxious? How did it go over with others?
4. Read Ephesians 4:30-32. What is it that grieves the Holy Spirit? How can we please God by the way we live?
5. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. What is the relationship between hope and faith?
6. Why should Christians, more than non-Christians, have a positive attitude?
7. Why is gratitude an important element of our Christian experience?
8. Read Philippians 4:6. Why is the quality of living in continual thankfulness so difficult in a time and culture where we have so much?
9. Are you encouraged to grow in your relationship with God by someone who is judgmental and critical or someone who encourages you in spite of your failures?
