"What’s my Bottom Line Responsibilities as a Believer?"
Hope Christian Church
Tamarac, Florida
Dr. David L. Haun
Introduction
A. I remember when I was a young boy living in West Virginia. On Saturday mornings, I would wake up all excited. "It’s Saturday, and I’m free from school. It’s a day to play!" In excitement that only a young boy can stir, I’d throw on my play clothes and run to the kitchen to eat. And then disaster would strike.
For most every Saturday, it seemed, my mother would look across the table and say, "Before you begin to play, there are some things I need done around the house. And with those few words, it seemed to me my day of play would die. Looking back on it, I’m sure that the Saturday labor was not all that disastrous. But each Saturday, each time I’d conclude one task, mother would point out another that needed done. I remember begging her to give me a total list of all the chores so I could know when they were over. But never did she do it. On and on she’d add to the tasks, ignoring my desire for a bottom line list of jobs.
B. Wouldn’t it be a help to know the bottom line responsibilities for our Christian life? If we only could know all the demands we have to fulfill to be satisfactory in God’s sight. So often in our spiritual walk, it seems that however much we do, however much we try, however much we succeed, there’s still something out there ahead we are supposed to do.
C. Well, there’s some good news today. About thirty years after the resurrection of Jesus, the Apostle Peter wrote a letter to Christian believers scattered in cities across Turkey. In the letter Peter lists four areas God orders for the Christian life. In effect, Peter gives something my mother never could accomplish. He spells out the bottom line that a believer is to follow.
I.
Our Bottom Line Responsibility in our
DAILY INVOLVEMENT
A. God wants me to be a Model of Christ’s Character.
Far too often, we live lives of confusion in morality. We’re like the father who was explaining ethics to his son who was about to go into business. He asked: "Suppose a woman comes in and orders $100 worth of material. You wrap it up and give it to her. She pays you with a $100 bill. As she goes out the door you realize she has given you two $100 bills. Here’s where the ethics come in. Should you or shouldn’t you tell your partner?" (1)
God’s # 1 purpose: for us is to live as Jesus would.
"Get rid of your feelings of hatred. Don’t just pretend to be good! Be done with dishonesty and jealousy and talking about others behind their backs. Now that you realize how kind the Lord has been to you, put away all evil, deception, envy and fraud. Long to grow up into the fullness of your salvation; cry for this as a baby cries for milk" (I Peter 2:1-3 - Living)
B. Honesty and Maturity are not measured by learning but by lifestyle.
One day Sam Jones got 50 cents too much in his pay envelope, but he didn’t say a word. During the week the paymaster found out his mistake, and on the next payday deducted 50 cents. Jones said, "Excuse me, sir, but I’m 50 cents short this week." "You didn’t complain last week," replied the paymaster. Sam came back, "No, sir, I don’t mind overlooking one mistake. But when it happens twice, then it’s time to say something." (2)
II.
Our Bottom Line Responsibility in our
PERSONAL LIVING
A. God wants me to Trust Him with my Life.
You see, if we don’t trust God, then we will seek something else to trust. It may be money, work, pleasure, sports, ourselves.
"Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord I Peter 3:13-15a - NIV)
B. Robert Schuller is said to have stated: I would rather err on the side of faith than on the side of doubt.
C. Your God is what you think of most.
III.
Our Bottom Line Responsibility in our
COMMITMENT to His BODY, THE CHURCH
A. God wants me to Share in his Family.
The Book of Acts Christians began their new life meeting together.
He has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s family.
(I Peter 1:3)
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."
(I Peter 4:8-9 - NIV)
B. We serve in the church - Christ’s body to fulfill his purpose on earth. The church helps us keep close to Christ’s fulfillment in our own lives.
We don’t want to be like the fellow described in the Reader’s Digest. A minister was having a cup of coffee in the restaurant across the street from the church. He was reading his paper when the fellow next to him noticed his clerical garb and asked what church he was with. He pointed across the street to the Methodist Church and the fellow said "Why that’s the church I go to myself." At this the pastor perked up and said "That’s strange. I’ve been preaching there for five years and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you." The man responded, "Come on now, preacher. I didn’t say I was a fanatic." (3)
IV. Our Bottom Line Responsibility as a
REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRIST
A. God wants me to Minister in Christ’s Love.
B. We are Christ’s ambassadors... His hands... His voice... His example...
Christ has no hands but our hands
To do His work today.
He has no feet but our feet
To lead men in His way.
He has no tongue but our tongue
To tell men how He died.
He has no help but our help
To bring them to His side.
We are the only Bible
The careless world will read;
We are the sinner’s gospel,
We are the scoffer’s creed,
We are the Lord’s last message
Given in deed and word.
What if the line is crooked?
What if the type is blurred?
What if our hands are busy
With other work than His?
What if our feet are walking
Where sin’s allurement is?
What if our tongues are speaking
Of things His lips would spurn?
How can we hope to help Him,
Unless from Him we learn? (4)
C. There are only 2 things you can’t do in heaven that you can do on earth: Sin ... and Witness to Unbelievers.
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, ...do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, ...do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." (I Peter 4:10-11- NIV)
Conclusion:
In the first century, the people recognized that the believers had been with Jesus (Acts 4:13)
That’s the bottom-line responsibility for believers in the twenty first century today.
FOOTNOTES
(1) Henny Youngman, Take My Book, Please. Submitted to AutoIllustrator by Douglas Ehrlich
(2) Rotary Magazine., shared by Bruce Rowlison, Gilroy, California.
(3) Autoillustrator
(4) Annie Johnson Flint from kidsnewspress.com
