Be different!
Preached August 4, 2003
It’s not easy to be different, you know. You see a young lady with pink hair spiked up like a porcupine at Pizza Hut. Her clothes are black, her eyes are black, her fingernails are black. All is black except for the silver glint of her countless metal accessories. You say to yourself, “She’s different.” No one else in Pizza Hut looks anything like her.
Now, you pass the same girl on Friday night at the coffee shop. She looks the same—hair still pink. However, the girl next to her has pink hair, and so does the one behind her. The one next to her has purple hair, but same idea. You’ve haven’t see so much head color since you went to the parrot exhibit at the zoo. Now, you look different in your kaki pants and button down shirt; she looks like everyone else. The reality is that we all like to be accepted, even in our difference. We don’t mind being different as long as someone else is different with us. It’s not easy to be truly different.
During this past week were you different than anyone else? Did anyone notice that you did not belong? Did you stand out in the crowd? Did you go against the flow?
Whether you like it or not, you are different. Sure, we’re just as foolish, frail, and faulty as the next guy. Different sins, same sinful weakness. Just because people can’t see the lust or hatred struggling in our heart doesn’t make us better than the adulterer and the murderer. But, you’re different because God chose you as his child from eternity. You are loved, forgiven and saved. You’re a Christian, a follower of Christ. You are different than the world around you.
So were you different this week? Did you stand out? Did you go against the flow? Today God tells you, “You are different, so be different!” That’s who you are, so act who you are! He talks about this in our lesson:
Ephesians 4:17-24 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. 20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
The command
A college classmate of mine was sort of wild. For instance, he once had some friends tie him in between two mattresses and launch him off the balcony of the auditorium. I think that was just one of the times he had to be rushed to the hospital for a concussion. Years later, I saw him, dressed nicely, sitting on a couch talking in a quiet and gentle voice. Surprised to see him I said, “Nice to see you, Matt!” The first words out of his mouth were, “I’m sorry.” “For what?” “For what you remember me as.” He was trying to put his old self behind him.
Paul writes something similar in our lesson: “Put your old self behind you. Be different than what you once were; be different than vile, unbelieving culture you came from.” You have to remember that most of the people Paul wrote to came to faith when they were adults; their old life was still very real for them. Those of you who learned about Jesus as adults can understand Paul’s thought more easily. Those of us who have been Christians from infancy have a tougher time relating.
Either way, his point is clear: God commands us to be different than the vile, unbelieving culture around us. Again, verse 19 says, “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity with a continual lust for more.” “Indulge” literally means “busy-ness” or “diligence.” The culture around us diligently seeks one thing: self-satisfaction, at any cost, constantly craving the next self-indulgent experience, the next thrill-filled roller coaster ride. If it feels good, do it, no matter how it affects anyone else.
How many of you have seen the movie called “The Family Man?” It’s about this selfish guy who abandons his fiancé for a career and a self-indulgent life. An angel gives him a glimpse of what life would have been like if he had married his fiancé. He shows him how wonderful she would have been and how great his kids would have been. He falls in love with that life, realizing how much more fulfilling it is. I saw an interview with the actor who plays his character. He basically says, “Either life was great; he just had to pick which was right for him.” In other words, as long as you’re happy, you’re doing great, whether you’re living as a family man or a self-indulgent, money-grubbing sexaholic! That’s the way of the vile, unbelieving culture around us!
Our culture believes that your happiness is the most important thing in the world. So, if you want to ruin your marriage because you crave porn, good for you. If you want to mess around before marriage, good for you. If you want to sit around all day watching worthless shows while the world turns, good for you. If you don the religious mask on Sunday but live the way you want the rest of the week, that’s fine. Inconsistency is fine, so long as it makes you happy. If you want to retire from serving God and others when you retire from work, great. If you want to max out your credit cards on new clothes and DVDs while sickly children starve on our streets, go ahead. If you want to spend all your time playing games and warming bar stools while your children grow up without you, you go right ahead; it’s your life.
But God commands us to be different. We don’t exist to indulge ourselves at the expense of everyone else. Paul adds to this thought in Colossians (another letter he wrote): “This means that you must try to kill everything in your body which belongs to this earth, things like sexual sins, and unclean thoughts and actions, sinful sexual urges and desires and greed, which is idolatry (worshiping something besides God). It’s because of these things that God’s holy anger is coming…now you must also try to get rid of all such things as anger, bad temper and hatred. And there must be no insulting or shameful words coming out of your mouths. You must stop lying to one another, since you have stripped off your old self and all the things it does and have put on your new self.” God commands us to live selfless lives of sacrifice, compassion and care.
By the way, this brings me to a topic that has been burdening my conscience for some time. Lately, I’ve heard a lot of people say, “I know that my brother hasn’t been to worship in months or he is living a completely selfish life, but he still believes in God.” Belief, or trust, in God is not the mere acceptance of his existence. It’s relying on him. Even the devil believes that God exists. But he doesn’t rely on him. How can you rely upon Jesus when you won’t have anything to do with him? How can you rely upon him when your entire life is consumed with your own happiness? How can you be his child if you refuse to be different than the world? I’m often afraid that more of these loved ones have turned their backs on Christ than we realize. Psalm 2 says, “blessed (happy) are those who trust in him.” But it also says, “Kiss the Son (Jesus) lest he be angry and you be destroyed.” Membership at St. Paul’s won’t hold any water with God at the heavenly gates. These loved ones need our encouragement and prayers. Pray that God would take them out of the world and make them different again.
The power
After thinking about it, it seems really difficult to be different, doesn’t it? Selfishness says it’s no fun to live for others; sinfulness says it’s boring to obey the rules. But look at verses 23 and 24, “to be made new in the attitude of your minds: and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
This ever happen to you? (have keys in left hand) “Where are my stupid keys? I just had them here in my pocket.” (put pencil in ear) “Where’s my pencil? I just had it.” It’s right there in front of us, any closer and it would bite us.
So God tells us today that the ability to be different is right in front of us. While we still have a rebellious sinful nature (our old self) to contend with, God given us something right here: a new self, a new person, created to be like him in true righteousness and holiness.
You see, when Jesus triumphantly touted “It is finished,” from a crimson cross, he accomplished two amazing things. First of all, he finished paying the punishment for every rebellious romp in your life. Second, he completely conquered the power of sin in your life. When it comes to being saved, Jesus did it all for you; forgiveness and peace with God are yours. And when it comes to living godly lives, he has given you the power over sin. That’s why Paul wrote, “Sin shall not be your master.” God has given you a new self who has the power to be different, a new self who says, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” You are not stuck in your sin; you are not clamped to your culture; you’re not helpless or hopeless. You have the power to be different through Jesus Christ and his life-changing Word.
So, how will you be different this week? Will you forgo the game and give your kids some of the time they need? Will you take on a ministry in your church or your community? Will you pass up that top or that skirt you don’t really need to help someone in need? Will you fight that addiction to lust, angry outbursts or self-indulgent living? How will you be different?
Sesame Street had some great songs. Remember the “different” song? “One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong.” They showed your four different men, three dressed up as firemen, one dressed up as a policeman. You were supposed to point out which one was different. My friends, you are different. You’re not like the others. That’s because our merciful God chose you as his child from eternity. You’re forgiven and loved beyond measure. You’re different. Now let’s be different!
