CREDENTIALS OF A COMMITTED CHRISTIAN
II Cor. 11:16-33
INTRO.- ILL.- The Indian in Arizona heard his first Christian sermon. Asked for his opinion, he replied, "Big wind! Loud thunder! No rain!"
I’ve heard some sermons like that and I’ve preached many of them!
ILL.- In 1974 when I went to try out for the church in Iberia, MO, elder Ralph Riemensnider introduced me. He said some things about my college experience and then said, "He says he’s a preacher. We’ll find out!"
What an introduction. That was kind of like saying, "He says he’s a Christian. We’ll find out!" And people will find out if you are a Christian or not. Your life will tell the story.
ILL.- A farmer drove his team of mules into town one day and was very late getting home. "What took you so long?" asked his wife. "Well," the farmer explained, "on the way to town I picked up the preacher and from then on, those mules of ours didn’t understand one word I said."
Apparently, that farmer talked differently to his mules when the preacher showed up. Our speech tells a lot about us.
ILL.- Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda describes his battle with bad habits: "I took a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, stared at it and said, ‘Who’s stronger, you or me?’ The answer was me. I stopped smoking.
"Then I took a vodka martini and said to it, ‘Who’s stronger, you or me?’ Again the answer was me. I quit drinking.
"Then I went on a diet. I looked at a big plate of linguine with clam sauce and said, ‘Who’s stronger, you or me?’ And a little clam looked up at me and answered, ‘I am.’ I can’t beat linguine."
Brothers and sisters, it’s hard to hide who we are and what we are. Our habits, actions, etc. tell on us. We think we are thus and so, but others see us as we really are. It’s hard to hide who we really are.
ILL.- Poem "You Tell On Yourself"
You tell on yourself by the friends you seek,
By the very manner in which you speak,
By the way you employ your leisure time,
By the use you make of dollar and dime.
You tell what you are by the things you wear
By the spirit in which you your burdens bear.
By the kind of things at which you laugh.
By the records you play on the phonograph.
(This is old, isn’t it?)
You tell what you are by the way you walk,
By the things of which you delight to talk,
By the manner in which you bear defeat,
By so simple a thing as how you eat.
By the books you choose from well-filled shelf,
By these ways and more, you tell on yourself.
So there’s really no particle of sense
In an effort to keep up false pretense.
Everything about us, tells about us. But the good thing is this: no matter who we are or what we are, the Lord can change us and make us better!
II Cor. 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old has gone, the new has come!"
PROP.- In our text, let’s examine some credentials of a committed Christian and see how we stack up.
1- Honest dealings
2- Painful sacrifices
3- Stressful concerns
4- Helpful weaknesses
I. HONEST DEALINGS
V. 20 Paul said, "You even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you...."
ILL.- A busload of politicians were driving down a country road when, all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer’s field. The old farmer, after seeing what happened, went over to investigate. He then proceeded to dig a hole and bury the politicians. A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus and asked the old farmer where all the politicians had gone.
The old farmer said he had buried them. The sheriff asked the old farmer, "The coroner wasn’t here. Are you sure they were all dead?" The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren’t, but you know how them politicians lie."
In our text, Paul is not talking about lying politicians. He is talking about lying false prophets.
ILL.- Remember the Branch Davidians and David Koresh of1993? The USA Today paper of April, 20, 1993 had a headline reading, "Koresh ruled with scripture, fear and charisma."
David Jewels, father of a former Branch Davidian, said of Koresh, "He had the capacity to discern your emotional weaknesses and capitalize on that. He had this incredible ability to turn your head around."
One writer said, "Inside the Waco compound, Koresh set all the rules, convincing his followers that God had talked to him. He convinced the men that he (Koresh) had a right to sleep with their wives and daughters, even those as young as 12."
David Koresh said such things as: "If the Bible is true, then I’m Christ..."
Brothers and sisters, David Koresh was a big liar! He did not deal honestly with people! But we must! We are to speak the truth, but at the same, we are to speak the truth in love.
Eph. 4:15 "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."
Speaking the truth in love, with love is a matter of Christian maturity. It is the sign, the credential of a mature Christian!
Some people seem to have the motto in life, "Do unto others before they do it to you." They may feel like they have to lie, cheat and steal their way through life.
ILL.- It’s like the story about the man who was applying for life insurance. The agent asked him, "How old is your mother?" He said, "She’s dead." "How old was she when she died?"
"She was 41."
"What did she die of?"
"Tuberculosis."
"How old is your father?"
"He’s dead too."
"How old was he when he died?"
"Forty-three."
"What did he die of?"
"Heart attack."
Immediately, the agent tore up the form and said, "You’re a terrible risk! There’s no way you can get this insurance!" So the man decided to go to another insurance agent. And the agent asked him the same questions.
"How old is your father?"
"He’s dead."
"How old was he when he died?"
"Ninety-four."
"What did he die of?"
"He fell off a horse, playing polo."
"How old is your mother?"
"She’s dead too."
"How old was she when she died?"
"Ninety-one."
"What did she die of?"
"CHILDBIRTH."
Some people think they have to lie and cheat their way through life in dealing with people, but we, like Paul, must be as truthful and honest with people as possible. And it is possible.
Eph. 4:25 "Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body."
ILL.- During his time as a rancher, Theodore Roosevelt and one of his cowpunchers lassoed a maverick steer, lit a fire, and prepared the branding irons. The part of the range they were on was claimed by Gregor Lang, one of Roosevelt’s neighbors. According to the cattleman’s rule, the steer therefore belonged to Lang. As his cowboy applied the brand, Roosevelt said, "Wait, it should be Lang’s brand."
"That’s all right, boss," said the cowboy.
"But you’re putting on my brand," Roosevelt said.
"That’s right," said the man.
"Drop that iron," Roosevelt demanded, "and get back to the ranch and get out. I don’t need you anymore. A man who will steal for me will steal from me."
Brothers and sisters, we must deal honestly with all people and speak the truth in love to all people. This is a credential for every Christian.
II. PAINFUL SACRIFICES
ILL.- One time a preacher wrote a letter to one of the richest men in the world, asking for a donation to his church. The billionaire sent back a check for ten dollars. The minister said, "I don’t know whether to cash it or frame it."
A ten-dollar gift is no sacrifice for a billionaire, is it? Far from it. And for most of us, a ten-dollar gift is also no sacrifice. Many Christian people spend $10 a day on frivolous things and think nothing of it, but few of us would think of giving that much money to the Lord each week!
ILL.- I heard about some Christian who made $200,000 a year and gave to his church $2,000 a year. I’m not a good mathematician, but I know that isn’t 10 percent. And it’s far from sacrificing.
In verses 24-27 Paul lists some painful sacrifices that he endured for the cause of Christ. He talked about being constantly on the move, going without sleep, being hungry and thirsty, and cold and naked. I would say those things constitute sacrifice.
ILL.- One preacher said, "When I first started in the ministry I thought I would like to be a traveling evangelist. In my first year, I preached a two-week revival meeting at one church. The host preacher thought it would be a good idea for me to get acquainted with people by staying in a different home every night, so I had to live out of a suitcase.
He said, "I would eat three meals at three different homes every day. I stayed at homes where I slept on the couch and had no privacy. I stayed in homes that didn’t even have inside plumbing. One night before I went to bed, I told my host that I needed to use the bathroom. The guy grabbed a flashlight, went out on the back porch, and shined the light down a path. He waited on the porch while I kept walking and walking. Finally, he said, ‘ANY PLACE OUT THERE WILL BE OKAY!’"
That preacher said, "About that time I decided I didn’t want to be a traveling evangelist."
Brothers and sisters, when it comes to making painful sacrifices for Christ, we either don’t know about it or else we don’t want to do it.
ILL.- J. H. Goldner wrote, "The prevailing tendency in the present-day church is to make religion too easy. It is kept within the realm of convenience and comfort. Rarely is there a call for real sacrifice. By means of suppers and sales people are tricked into giving. Through entertainments and other alluring programs an effort is made to inject a little religion into the unsuspecting. And when people have come into the church the greatest care is exercised to spare them, so that only a minimum of anything is asked of them."
You might be interested to know that J. H. Goldner wrote these words about the church in 1926. And he accused the church of that time of little sacrifice. I wonder what he would say about the modern day church?
ILL.- I read about a church that had an auction. The people were asked to sacrifice goods they had in their homes that were of value. One man rode up to the auction site on a beautiful motorcycle. He got off the motorcycle, put his helmet on it, and walked away. Someone asked him why he had donated his motorcycle to the church. He said, "That’s the most precious non-essential item I have in my possession. We were asked to make a sacrifice, and I’d never done that before. I just wanted to demonstrate that Christ and the church meant more to me than anything."
One credential of a committed Christian is the willingness to make sacrifices for Christ.
III. STRESSFUL CONCERNS
V. 28 "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches."
Concern for the churches. I call that "stressful concern."
To be concerned about just one church would be stressful enough, but Paul was concerned about all the churches where he had preached or served. One credential of a committed Christian is that he or she is concerned about their church.
ILL.- A known backslider told his preacher after the church service, "Wonderful sermon, preacher. Everything you said applies to somebody or other I’ve known or met."
Brothers and sisters, we should have a concern for the church, but not a critical concern, not a condemning concern. Our concern should be discerning, but not damning. It should be perceptive, but not policing.
Rom. 14:1 "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters."
Rom. 14:19 "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
Rom. 15:1-3 "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself..."
Our concern for the Lord’s church should be to build up, not to tear down. It should be toleration for one another in the church, not torment of one another. It should be edification, encouragement, helpfulness, kindness, consideration, compassion, and sympathy.
I Cor. 16:14 "Do everything in love."
ILL.- Dwight Morrow, the father of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, once held a dinner party to which Calvin Coolidge had been invited. After Coolidge left, Morrow told the remaining guests that Coolidge would make a good president. The others disagreed. They felt Coolidge was too quiet, that he lacked color and personality. No one would like him, they said.
Anne, then age six, spoke up: "I like him," she said. Then she displayed a finger with a small bandage around it. "He was the only one at the party who asked about my sore finger."
And daddy Morrow said, "And that’s why he would make a good president."
Brothers and sisters, genuine concern for people makes the difference. It makes the difference in life and in the church. Concern for the church must mean concern for one another. And when is this evident, good things will happen. Genuine love, genuine concern will build a church and bless the world around it.
John 13:35 Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Genuine concern for the church, genuine concern for one another is a credential of a committed Christian.
IV. HELPFUL WEAKNESSES
V. 30 "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." Things that show my weakness.
ILL.- Josiah Perkins was celebrating his one-hundredth birthday when a reporter called and interviewed him. "Do you think you’ll live another hundred years?" the reported asked. "Don’t see why I shouldn’t," Josiah replied. "I’m a heap stronger than I was a hundred years ago today."
We all know that babies are weak, but so are hundred-year-old men. Are you weak? Everyone is weak in certain ways or in certain areas.
The apostle Paul was willing to admit his weaknesses or the fact that he was weak at times in his life.
II Cor. 12:9-10 "I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses... For when I am weak, then I am strong."
It’s only when we recognize our weaknesses that we will begin to get stronger. Christ sheds his grace and power on those who humbly recognize how weak they are without him.
Sometimes a person’s weakness can be an asset.
ILL.- A man walked into the First Christian Church and said, "Look, I’m not a beggar, but I don’t have a job and I need some money. I would be willing to work." So they put him to work mowing the grass, and they gave him a few other things to do. He worked for several days and then they said, "We’ll hire you as our janitor. Just fill out these employment papers."
He said, "I can’t read or write." They said, "Well, if you can’t read or write then we can’t hire you as our janitor." And they gave him a check for his work.
The man wouldn’t give up. He took the money, and bought some fruit and set up a fruit stand along a certain road. With his profit he bought some more fruit and before long, he had a very profitable fruit stand business. In fact, over a period of several years, he made more than a million dollars.
One day, he took his money to the bank and said, "I want to set up a savings’ account." "That’s great. Please fill out these forms." He said, "But I can’t read or write." The banker replied, "You can’t read or write? Do you know what you’d be today if you were literate?"
He said, "YES, I’D BE THE JANITOR OF THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH."
Sometimes our weaknesses can be our greatest asset. And this is really true when it comes to our relationship to Christ. The Lord will not use a strong person. That is, He will not use someone who thinks he is strong! God often used weak and unimpressive people.
Acts 4:13 "When they (the people) saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."
Peter and John were uneducated, ordinary men, but God used them in a mighty way. It’s not that God can’t use mighty and wise people. He can if they will humble themselves before Him. The problem is that they are often so wise and mighty that they won’t or can’t humble themselves.
I Cor. 1:27-29 "God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."
I Cor. 1:31 "Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.’"
We must go down in order to go up. We must go down in order to be lifted up and used by God. God uses broken and humble people.
ILL.- Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a Large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. He told the large congregation all that Taylor had accomplished in China, and then presented him as "our illustrious guest." Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, "Dear friends, I am only the little servant of an illustrious Master."
How true. And one credential of a committed Christian is that he or she always gives the Lord the credit for the good or good ministry in his or her life.
CONCLUSION----------------------------------------
ILL.-There is a story about Lloyd George, former prime minister of Britain, who was accosted by a woman after a speech. She gushed, "Before I saw you in person, I thought you were a much taller man."
He carefully replied, "Madam, in Wales, where I come from, we measure a man from his neck up, not from the neck down."
Brothers and sisters, we are not measured by our looks or by our dress or by our material possessions. We are measured by our lives, by the things we do, the way we speak, how we treat others, etc.
What are your credentials? What proves to the world that you belong to Christ? Are you humble? Are you concerned about others? Are you concerned about your church? Have you sacrificed anything for Christ? Are you kind and honest to all people?
God wants His people to shine in this world of darkness. We need to let Him work in us and through us!
