How to Find a Hero
Function: The listener will be able to identify healthy people to mimic and avoid those who drag them down.
Some of you will remember times when no one gave a second thought to hitchhiking -- the roads were assumed to be safe. When you walked into a store, no one would scan your bags and tape them shut. Some big deals were sealed with a handshakes instead of a legal contract. If you watched movies, you might hear a few swear words, but only on movies rated adult -- never on a Disney film. Violence in schools was a non-issue. You didn’t have to worry about people suing you. Letting your children walk alone, even in the city, wasn’t considered foolish.
What’s happening? Why the slide? I don’t want to oversimplify things; after all, each generation has its problems. Things were not all roses at any time. But on a basic level, here is, I think, what has been happening.
Many people have lost standards for their lives. Biblical foundations are becoming a distant memory. Now, people see each other as their own standard for right and wrong. The morals just keep slipping downward on the slime of human nature and it’s sucking people down with it.
As humans we’re tempted to mimic downwards. "She gets to watch those movies, why can’t I?" "When he goes fishing, he brings home a couple extra over the limit, what harm is there if I do it?" "My friends share copyrighted music and at the price they’re charging these days, why wouldn’t I?" "People under-report their income all the time. Why should I be the one to let the government waste more of my money?" "Skimpy, skin-tight clothes are in style, I have to wear them."
What happens if there’s no one standing against the downward flow? You get an ugly, directionless, wishy-washy society and miserable people. And you get sucked in and become one of them, if you end up
I. Following Downward
The last days mark the time period between the first and second comings of Jesus. In some ways, it’s not much different than other times, except that the slide will go further and further, until we’re back to the low Noah saw in his day.
[vv 1-5] This is a general description of lives gone berzerk. We’re not going to pull apart each character trait here, but it’s worth looking at the trends -- what does it look like to be trapped in a vortex of evil?
Everything else flows from the first corruption. As people we so easily misplace our love. Some things we shouldn’t love at all. Some things we should love much less. And other things we don’t love enough. We tend to love what other people love instead of taking our cue from God.
Self-love is the starting danger point. To be balanced humans, we need to value ourselves -- God does. But when you give in to self-worship, where you daily fall in love with yourself, you become quite another creature. Self-worth? Yes. Self-worship? No.
A little poem goes, I had a little tea party, this afternoon at three. ’Twas very small, three guests in all, just I, myself and me.
Myself ate up the sandwiches, and I drank up the tea. ’Twas also I who ate the pie, and passed the cake to me.
If the standard for your behaviour is "me, me, me" you’re a prime candidate to become a moral monster. You will not forgive people who hurt you. You will despise people with authority over you. You will not share or be generous. You will criticize, not compliment. You will talk and not listen. You will be conceited. You will push hard to get your way, sometimes even becoming brutal. You will be vicious with those who don’t like you.
You are told this all the time in current media. "Look for life’s answers from within. Believe in yourself. You can do anything if you try. You are your own hero."
If everyone is so good inside, why are so many people so miserable? Why are psychiatrists in higher demand than ever? Why are people drugging themselves and distracting themselves with every form of entertainment?
Another misplaced love is loving money. One insurance adjuster I talked to estimates that 80% of the people he deals with are way too consumed with money. Money has them wrapped around its little finger. All that matters to many people is getting more, or saving what they have, or getting the best deal. They put a dollar value on everything they have and do, including their relationships.
Others love pleasure. Comfort can become the god of all. We organize our time around the least difficult activities, or no activity at all. Our great motto becomes, "If it feels good, do it; If it doesn’t feel good, don’t." We come to hate this word called self-discipline.
These misplaced loves make it impossible for us to love God and good. And in loving ourselves too much, we end up hating life, others, and even God. And you know what’s scary? We might think all the while that we have God in our lives.
Verse five says we can have a form of godliness but not the power. We can have the trappings of religion, but not the life change. Power is the ability to effect change. One version says, "They will appear to have a godly life, but they will not let its power change them."
I often have to think of this story because it’s true of many people. It’s told by John Ortberg, "Ned has attended the same church for more than four decades. He was, by all accounts, a crabby little kid who grew into a crabby young man. After his religious conversion, he joined the church and became a crabby Christian.
He gives no evidence of uncertainty in his faith. He believes the Bible from cover to cover, and he believes the cover is genuine leather. But there doesn’t seem to be any record over the last forty years of Ned ever changing his disposition, his mind, his expression, or his pew.
He complained to me one day about the lack of commitment of young people in the church, and he launched into a litany of his own devotional habits.
"But Ned," I thought, "You’re still crabby. You’ve crabbed your way through 14,200 quiet times without changing. What’s the point of doing all this religious activity and still being the crabgrass in the church lawn?"
And you know what? If I am a Ned, think this way in church. All that matters is if I like whatever’s offered -- if it suits me. Who cares about others? Who cares about the overall health and future of the church? My main concern is, "Do I like it?", whether it’s the music, the teaching, the carpets, or the styles.
A church with enough of these religious crabs becomes an absolute mess. A "me-centred" attitude sucks away the attention that belongs to God and His purposes. I’m so thankful that this is the exception rather than the rule here.
Wilbur Reese says something like this, "I know that many people who come to church reflect the attitude that says, I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul, or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a Black man [a native man], or to ... [disturb my schedule]. I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy just $3.00 worth of God, no more."
The risk is that we learn about the most powerful Change Agent this world knows, and yet remain unchanged.
People who lower their standards, yet keep a religious veneer drag can also drag others down with them. You can read about it in 6-9.
People who are outwardly religious but inwardly bankrupt can be dangerous. Most Christians are not really that tempted to copy the behaviour of a foul-mouthed, rebellious, head-banging, drug-abusing scoundrel.
But if someone who seems attractive and "normal" in the church is doing wrong, some others will surely follow, particularly those with weak minds and emotional imbalances. V. 5 says, "Have nothing to do with them." Don’t follow their downward slide.
You don’t want to follow people to lower standards. If we all do that, we’ll settle to the lowest common denominator and it will get ugly for all of us.
You have to stand for something. You want to surround yourself with quality people who have principles.
Paul points his friend Timothy in another direction, that of
II. Following Upward
Let’s look at Paul’s advice [vv 10-11]. Before you start to copy what someone else is doing, you do well to ask some hard questions about them.
1. What do they believe about life? Is God central for them, or do they want just $3 or less? If you start out with mistruth, you end up at some very dark places. If you start with truth, you at least have a chance.
2. What is their lifestyle really like? Are they successful in life -- not just at their talent? Many singers, movie stars, and athletes succeed at their profession, but fail as husbands, wifes, fathers and mothers, or even as citizens.
This week I heard Theoran Fleury, once a 31 million dollar hockey star proclaim himself the best hockey player ever; yet he has been hurt by his drug addictions and failed marriage. I’m not saying it’s a simple matter; he’s got some great attributes, but high profile doesn’t make people worth following.
3. What is their purpose? Many people live without much of any purpose. That finds expression in a poem by Kevin Valez, "My passion was taken from within. Without passion for living i`m driven by sin. Im on a pilgrimage to find my purpose for living. Why am i here ? Is the question i ask! Why was i put on this earth ? What is my task? ... Need to find my passion soon!....
Your purpose is the reason you are alive. It’s your job to find it, know it and live it. On a discussion board, Lauren said, "It’s scary because I’m trying to think of what i deem my purpose to be and I’m having a hard time figuring that out."
Kris said, [my purpuse] is "to to enjoy the pleasures of this earth and life as much as i can now." Vic was on a different track, "My purpose is to be the best servant I can for God. Whether it’s through writing, photography, or just listening to others needs...."
If Paul would have responded he would have said, "I want to know Christ and his power. I want to proclaim Him and make people whole in Christ (Col 1.28)." He was purpose inspired and purpose-driven.
Before you follow anyone, you also need to ask,
4. What is their character like? Do they live for themselves or for others? Do their actions line up with their beliefs?
Paul points to character traits like faith, patience, love, and sacrifice. In early days and in many countries today, every Christian could expect severe harrassment for their faith (12). There are enough people bent on evil to hate the good that Christians stand for. You will get pressure to lower your standards, sometimes from people with a lot of power.
We all need local heroes to follow [14]. For me, some of you are my heroes. I look at some of you and learn what it means to be a better father, or more generous, or more devoted, or less impatient. And it’s so important to get close enough to others so we can learn.
So far, I have been encouraging you to follow the right heroes. But people are human too. They have blind spots. They’re not perfect. If you just measure yourself against others, the standard can still slip.
Here’s the final test:
5. How does what they do line up with Scripture?
[15-16] The Bible is useful for teaching. It explains things about God, the world and human nature that otherwise would be difficult to nail down. It’s for rebuking and correcting -- convicting you of behaviour that does you or others no good.
It’s well-suited for training in righteousness -- that means you can use it as a training manual to work wonderful new habits into your personality. The Bible message helps you move from sick and harmful ways of relating, to helpful and healthy ways of living.
But here’s an important reminder. The Bible itself does not save anyone -- it points to Jesus who can save us. In the Bible, "you will find revealed a Person, and he will become even more real to you than the Book itself." (Ray Stedman) There is no higher standard than Jesus.
The Bible is like a telescope. Here you can see Ruth and the telescope [picture]. If she were looking at the equipment, she might appreciate the black finish, the lenses, the controls, and the workmanship. All that would be fine, but that’s not the point of a telescope.
The point is to look through it at wonders you can’t see with your human eye alone, to probe the mysteries of space [picture - moon]. Wouldn’t it be a shame if you were a telescope technician but never saw the stars?
The Bible is for looking through to see Jesus. He is the ultimate hero in every area -- in spiritual depth, in purpose, in character, and in caring for others.
Conclusion
If you’re not becoming like Jesus in purpose and character, then why not?
It could be you are too cerebral. You might love study, but you care little for people. You are not designed to just study the Bible, but to become like the one it magnifies. Your answer is to "know less" and love others more. Study your character. If you’re brave, ask someone to tell you where you need work. If you just study the Bible more, you could just end up being another Crabby Ned.
It could be that in following Jesus you are too casual. Maybe it just hasn’t been a priority. You need to develop discipline. That may include finding a mentor, getting into a small group or perhaps a Sunday School class, or beginning a study.
Maybe you’re too distracted. How about limiting your TV or entertainment, recreation or even your over work if it’s dominating your life. TV is one of those areas we can end up watching plenty of evil -- that’s the first step in weakening our defenses and destroying good attitudes. Your answer? You may need to scale back non essentials, like your sports involvement or even workaholism. Jesus has a perfect design for your life. If you’re too busy to think about it, you’re too busy.
It could be you are just beginning. God bless you if that’s the case. Make the most of growth opportunities in front of you. Find a hero worth following. Study, read, pray, learn, grow with others. You’ll never regret that kind of effort.
Benediction: But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. -2 Peter 3:18
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Multimedia Outline (graphics available on request):
How to Find a Hero
Why the downward spiral?
Misplaced love
Self-love -- self-worship
If the standard for my behaviour is "me, me, me" I’m a prime candidate to become a moral monster!
Misplaced loves...
Love of money
Love of pleasure
In loving ourselves too much, we end up hating life, others, and even God.
We can have the trappings of religion, but not the life change.
Risk: We learn about the most powerful Change Agent this world knows, and yet remain unchanged.
Following Upward
Questions to ask before you follow:
1. What do they believe about life?
2. What is their lifestyle really like?
3. What is their life purpose?
4. What is their character like?
5. How does what they do line up with Scripture?
Not becoming like Jesus?
Too cerebral?
Change focus to character, love
Too casual?
Develop discipline
Too distracted?
Scale back non essentials
Just beginning?
Use growth opportunities
