“The Answers To America’s Problem”
Introduction:
*A preacher went to call on one of the ladies in his congregation. When
he arrived at her house, her front door was open with the screen door
closed. Windows were open and the TV was on. He walked up to the door and
knocked. “Sister Jones. Sister Jones.” There was no response. So he
knocked again. “Sister Jones, its your preacher.” There was no answer. So
he decided to do something cute. He pulled out one of his business cards
and wrote on the back of it a Scripture verse - Revelation 3:20 which
says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” He left and didn’t think
much more of it. The next Sunday as his family was headed out to their
car after church, he noticed a note on his windshield which read had just
one verse written on it: Genesis 3:10 which says, “I heard you in the
garden and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
*Last week I began to discuss the issue of morality in America and today
I want to answer the dilemma I raised then by sharing with you three
questions I have learned to ask when considering ethics and morals. These
three questions allow me to keep a gospel of grace and still insist that
we be a holy and pure bride for the LORD Jesus.
I. How should I live in view of the CHARACTER of Jesus?
*I believe a good starting place is asking the question: What would Jesus
Do? Many of you have probably seen the Christian garb that includes those
four letters on it: WWJD? I think some of that is actually a good
reminder for us to ask ourselves what would Jesus do.
*1 Peter 2:21 says: For you have been called for this purpose, since
Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in
His steps, (NAS)
*The Greek used there for “example” was the word that they used of that
plate that they would use to teach their children to write. And they
would put that paper over that plate and they would trace on that plate.
And Peter’s point is that what you’ve got to do is you’ve got to pattern
or trace your life after the example that Jesus left. When I was in Bible
college I was taught about Pattern Theology, and we were warned of its
problems. My feeling is there isn’t a problem as long as Jesus is the
pattern. If Jesus is the pattern I believe in pattern theology.
*So we’ve got to regularly ask ourselves: Am I trying to trace Jesus or
am I trying to trace the pattern of the world? Your task as a disciple of
Jesus is to try to lay your life over His and try to reproduce His image.
*One of my favorite stories along this line involves a man by the name of
Bill Roberts. Now Milton Jones preaches for the Northwest Church of
Christ in Seattle, WA. He also happens to be the preaching professor at
Puget Sound Christian College. One Sunday Milton was preaching on the
second coming of Jesus, that judgment might come any day. A member of his
church brought Bill Roberts for the first time to the building. And Bill
Roberts called Milton the next Monday and said, “Can I come see you? I
need to be baptized.” So Milton said, “Come on over!”
When Bill Roberts got there he said, “I need to be baptized, Jesus is
coming back any minute.” So Milton said, “Well let’s study a little bit.”
And he opened up his Bible. And Bill Roberts said, “Well that’s a first.
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen an open Bible.” So Milton began to
study with Bill about what it means to be baptized. And this went on for
about two hours and Bill reached over and closed Milton’s Bible and said,
“I promise you, Milton. I’ll read this for the rest of my life, but could
I please get baptized? Jesus is coming back.” And Bill kept his promise.
He attended and been a member there for two or three years.
One Sunday Milton preached out of 1 Peter 2:21 and he told the story of
the writing of that great classic by Sheldon, “What Would Jesus Do?” And
he asked his church, “I want to know today how many of you are ready to
do whatever Jesus would do? Write me a letter, come down front. I want to
know today, who in this church is ready to do what Jesus would do?” They
stood to sing the invitation song and out stepped Bill Roberts.
*And Milton expected Bill to say, “That was the finest sermon on
discipleship I’ve ever heard. I’m ready to give my life fully to Jesus to
do what Jesus would do.” Bill Roberts walked down to the front and said,
“Milton, that was the most confusing sermon I’ve ever heard.” Now Milton
thought about his sermon, he had been quite precise in what he said. He
said, “What do you mean Bill that’s the most confusing sermon you’ve ever
heard?” Bill looked at him and said, “Are you telling me that for two
years I have been coming to a church that hasn’t decided yet it’s gonna
do what Jesus would do?”
*I think it’s a good question. Are you telling me that me that we’ve been
coming to church for years and we still haven’t decided we’re gonna do
whatever we think Jesus would do.
*JESUS THE DELIVERER MUST ALSO BE JESUS THE DISCIPLER.
*So I think that’s a good question. How should live in view of the
character of Jesus?
II. How should I live in view of the COMING of Jesus?
*I read an article one time about one of the astronauts who had been on
the moon. Actually he told the story of being interviewed before his
trip. The person said, “Now how are you gonna get off the moon?” He said,
“Well, we’re gonna get into our little module - fire those rockets - and
take off.” He said, “Well, what if the rockets don’t fire?” He said, then
we’re stuck.
*He then asked the astronaut, “Well how much life support do you
have?”
“About six hours.”
“Well, do you mind if I ask you what you’d be doing for those six
hours?”
“I’d be working on those engines.”
*You see, when time is short priorities get clarified.
*In view of Christ’s return, it easily becomes a topic for speculation. I
don’t remember any preaching on the return of Jesus when I was growing
up. Except a sixteen week Sunday night series against Pre-millennialism.
The only thing I knew about end-times growing up was how it wasn’t going
to happen.
*You know Alexander Campbell was Post-millennial. James Harding was
Pre-Millennial. Most people int he Christian churches are A-millennial,
but all that doesn’t amount to a hill of beans to me. I’m a
Pan-millennialist myself. I think it will all pan out in the end.
*When I read what the Bible says about the end-times, I notice that it
doesn’t take time to deal with speculation. When Scripture talks about
the return of Jesus, it always has a very practical significance.
Profoundly shaping our choices.
*And so you have verses like 1 Peter 4:7-8 which says: The end of all
things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober {spirit} for
the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one
another, because love covers a multitude of sins. (NAS)
*2 Peter 3:11 says: “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this
way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,
(NAS)
*1 John 3:2-3 says: Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not
appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall
be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has
this hope {fixed} on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (NAS)
*Over and over in Scripture, when Scripture talks about the coming of
Jesus, Scripture quickly jumps into the realm of ethics. How do we live
as people who believe the coming of Christ is eminent.
*Now I could take these texts I’ve shared and show how the present
impacts the future, and that would be legitimate. They we live now will
impact the judgement that is coming.
However, Scripture seems to do the reverse. Scripture seems to put the
emphasis on how our decisions should be of those who realize the future
impacts the present. In other words, the Scripture doesn’t say so much
that the present impacts the future, but it seems to say - Don’t you
understand how the future impacts the present? God is preparing us now
for then.
*Like Paul said, “I’m confident of this that He who began a good work in
you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” And so
when I talk about Jesus is coming soon, the point I should stress, is
that God is doing something in us. He has a goal for us. And in view of
all that God’s got coming for us, how should we be living now? I want to
live consistent with the future God has prepared for me.
*And so I want to use language that reminds you that you really are
strangers, you are aliens. We have to live our lives by the values of a
kingdom that we are soon to inherit.
III. How should we live in view of the CROSS of Jesus?
*In my view the cross is the foundation of Christian ethics in the NT.
There was a book written by a man by the name of Bill Love published by
ACU called The Core of the Gospel. The first part of that book deals with
20 to 25 ethical matters in the NT where Paul goes straight to the cross
to deal with the answer.
*Do you struggle with bitterness and resentment? The Bible says you must
forgive one another as Christ forgave you.
*Do you struggle with sexual purity? The Bible says you’re not your own,
you were bought with a price - so glorify God with your body.
*Do you struggle with sectarianism? It says in Romans 15, accept one
another as Christ accepted you.
*So on and on, I think you can find that the cross is Paul’s returning
point when people’s morals and ethics are out of line.
*I had a buddy growing up who was Southern Baptist that focused heavily
on ethics (Don’t drink, don’t chew and don’t date girls that do.) But
there doesn’t seem to be a focus on the cross in that message.
*I have even read tracts that tell how a person should become a Christian
that never mention the cross. God forgive us.
*I have tried with all that is within me to make the cross the center my
preaching. To be a minister of the gospel of grace.
*I suspect though that as I preach the grace of Christ that some
misunderstand. This is particularly true if you have grown up where you
have heard sectarianism and legalism. People can mistake freedom from law
for grace. And they are not the same thing.
*People for years who have grown up hearing sermons on topics like: you
can’t go to the prom, you can’t drink a beer or even swim with people of
the opposite sex. My Baptist buddy grew up on those kinds of sermons for
years. What he may hear when I preach on grace is freedom from law but
not grace.
*Now the reason I think that is true there is something that occurs in
many churches that someone called the “Pet-Sin Heresy”. Now the pet-sin
heresy goes like this: Now you know preacher says you can’t be saved by
being perfect. And I know I shouldn’t be that way with _______ (lust,
alcoholism, etc..) But its just real hard and after all you can’t be
perfect. So what happens is people make allowances for their pet-sins.
*Now if people are making allowances for their pet-sins they haven’t
heard and understood the gospel of grace yet. Their just hearing freedom
from law.
*Paul said in Romans 6: and do not go on presenting the members of your
body to sin {as} instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves
to God as those alive from the dead, and your members {as} instruments of
righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are
not under law, but under grace. (NAS)
*Now what is inevitably going to happen when a preacher like myself
starts preaching on grace (and I know this will happen because it
happened to Paul) is that somebody will misunderstand and say - Well then
we should sin so that grace can abound. I am not so arrogant to think
that I am gonna preach grace better than Paul and not have someone
misunderstand me. But what some guys do to avoid this is they start
preaching grace plus law means your saved.
*That is exactly what was going on in Galatia. Paul preached against this
mindset in Galatians.
*We must exchange life under law for life under the cross. That is the
essence of Paul’s message in Galatians when he said “I have been
crucified with Christ and therefore I no longer live...”
*We are called to live CRUCIFORMED lives. We must have our behavioral
patterns changed by the image of Jesus on the cross. What does a
crucified life look like?
*We have everything we need to see to live our lives found in the image
of Jesus on the cross. Strange isn’t it - they way to live is by modeling
a death.
Invitation
