How Does Your Christianity Taste?
Marc Naugler
Children’s sermon:
Mr. Hershey of Hershey Chocolate Corporation never wanted to advertise his chocolates because he wanted people to come back for his wares because they liked his chocolate for its taste, not it’s looks.
Myth - “I am not as good at that as Brother Anychristian.” - Colossians 3:23,24
Fact 1. You are the best person to do what you do best.
What do you think you do best?
What do you do that gives you the most satisfaction?
Myth – “Nothing I do matters anyway.” - I Corinthians 12:4-7,11
Fact 2. You have been given ability/gifts from God for a purpose.
Everyone is gifted and has significant ability.
Once upon a time, the animals decided they should do something meaningful to meet the problems of the new world. So they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming; in fact, better than his instructor. But he made only passing grades in flying, and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to drop swimming and stay after school to practice running. This caused his webbed feet to be badly worn, so that he was only average in swimming. But average was quite acceptable, so nobody worried about that - except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of his class in running, but developed a nervous twitch in his leg muscles because of so much make-up work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing, but he encountered constant frustration in flying class because his teacher made him start from the ground up instead of from the treetop down. He developed "charlie horses" from overexertion, and so only got a C in climbing and a D in running. The eagle was a problem child and was severely disciplined for being a non-conformist. In climbing classes he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but insisted on using his own way to get there..."
The obvious moral of that story is a simple one - each creature has its own set of capabilities in which it will naturally excel -unless it is expected or forced to fill a mold that doesn’t fit. When that happens, frustration, discouragement, and even guilt bring overall mediocrity or complete defeat. A duck is a duck -and only a duck. It is built to swim, not to run or fly and certainly not to climb. A squirrel is a squirrel - and only that. To move it out of its forte, climbing, and then expect it to swim or fly will drive a squirrel not. Eagles are beautiful creatures in the air but not in a foot race. The rabbit will win every time unless, of course, the eagle gets hungry. What is true of creatures in the forest is true of Christians in the family; both the family of believers and the family under your roof. God has not made us all the same. He never intended to. It was He who planned and designed the differences, unique capabilities, and variations in the Body
Everyone has a responsibility. – I Timothy 4:11-16
Myth – “Well, that’s not my responsibility.” - Ephesians 2:8-10
Fact 3. You are responsible for making the most of your purpose.
The account of Samuel as a boy in the temple with Eli, the High Priest, gives us the example of what we are when we are called. Samuel heard the right voice, but he needed the right response. The same responsibility is relevant for us today. We need to respond to God’s call. The responsibility is in how we respond.
(I Samuel 3:8)
All we are is a hearing and a response. – Os Guinness, The Call
Responsibility is obedience by another name. – Os Guinness, The Call
It is with great care and exercise that we make our calling to be God’s children, an act of continual obedience and live responsibly with our gifts and abilities. God has deemed us worthy as His children to do great works in His Name. Can you, therefore, honestly say you have done, according to your purpose, everything you are able in being responsible to our Audience of One, Jesus Christ?
