Cowboy Joe was had just come back from going to church for the first time, and was in the bunkhouse telling the other cowhands about his experience.
He said, “When I got there, I parked my pick-up in the corral. Charlie, a worldly cowboy said, “That would be the parking lot, Joe.”
Joe continued, “I walked up the trail to the door.” Charlie said, “That would be the sidewalk.”
Joe said, “Inside the door was this dude in a fancy suit.” Charlie explained to the other cowpokes, “That would be the usher.”
Joe said, “This dude led me to the chute.” Charlie said, “That would be the pew.”
Joe said, “Yeah, that’s exactly what that pretty young lady said when I sat down next to her.”
Cowboys are often made fun of, but they have always been there to do the work for the rest of us. We wouldn’t have top sirloin today if it weren’t for the ranchers and cowboys. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have wool sweaters, horses, or any dude ranches, would we? Cowboys even have their own language.
For instance,
... ‘amigo’ means friend;
... ‘buckaroo’ means cowboy;
... ‘cayuse’ means horse;
... ‘chips’ … well it doesn’t mean Pringles, does it?
Cowboys are a distinct group of people. Whether it be the cowboys from Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, or from here in Oklahoma, these men and women have helped settle this country like no others could have done. And they had courage to say what they thought.
AMOS 1:1 starts of by saying;
‘The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa - - what he saw concerning Israel ….’
Amos was a shepherd. During that time, the people of Israel had experienced peace and prosperity. But they were also much like America is today; there was much corruption in society.
Amos was a good man, and he was a good shepherd. I prefer to think of Amos as a cowboy preacher. He also had courage to stand up and say what he thought, too. Amos preached about God’s justice and righteousness. He condemned those who made themselves powerful at the expense of others.
His main message can be found in AMOS 4:12 –
‘Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.’
That wouldn’t be a bad message to start spreading around America today, would it? Just like Amos did then, we too living in a corrupt society. We refuse to let God take His rightful place in the public square. We do all the things that Israel got punished for in their time.
Look at it from this perspective. We begin our lives with God, even though we do not realize it. We grow up and live our lives with God, even though we do not acknowledge it. And we end our lives with God, even though some people try to deny it. There is a saying that I have heard all my life; ‘History repeats itself.’
If that is true, why can’t we learn from it? Can we read? Then why don’t we start reading the Old Testament and see how closely we resemble ancient Israel, and then start paying attention to how God punished them over and over again. I guess they didn’t learn from history either, did they?
In truth, life is nothing more than a time of personal preparation to meet our God in person! It is a time for us to become as righteous as possible for that meeting.
HEBREWS 9:27 tells us,
“… man is destined to die once, and after that- to face judgment.”
The people of America need to prepare to meet our God. This is why we are called to preach the truth about God and Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and no one approaches the Father except through Him!
Let’s take a look at some of the things a cowboy must do to keep his herd safe.
1. THE COWBOY RIDES OUT TO FIND THE CATTLE
One man told his friend about his first experience riding a horse. He said that it started out okay, but soon the horse started bouncing out of control and started going faster and faster. He said that is when his foot got caught in the stirrup. Finally, he lost his balance and got thrown off the horse and was being dragged by the wayward horse.
He said he thought he was going to die being strapped to this horse, but that was when the manager of Wal-Mart came out and unplugged it.
In MATTHEW 28:19, it says,
‘Therefore, go …’
Cowboys have to get up and go, don’t they? But for most of us, that is one of the biggest problems we have. We do not get up and go anymore. Jesus said for us to “go”, but all too often, we say “WHOA”. It seems like our ‘get up and go’ has ‘got up and gone.’
When I lived in Arizona, I used to go to Denny’s almost every day and have coffee with some friends. A few months before I came up here, I had a nice heart-to-heart with one of them. He had been raised in church, and at one time had even felt called to go into the ministry, but as time dwindled away from inaction on his part, that calling got more and more distant until he could no longer see it.
He agreed that we all need God in our lives, and he saw the necessity of Christians being in church every Sunday, but that is as far as he could go. His wife and children go to church regularly, but he doesn’t. In fact, he told me he hadn’t been in church in over 20 years!
He said that he was so disillusioned years ago that he just cannot get over it. I asked him what had disillusioned him so badly, and he said that when he was a young man, he gone into a church desperately seeking guidance of some kind. He said he was told to sit in the pew until the minister had time to talk to him.
He said the pew was beautiful. It was hand-carved wood, lined with expensive velvet. He said he sat there quite a while and noticed the sunbeams coming in through the largest stained glass windows he had ever seen. He said he heard organ music coming from a pipe organ that covered the entire front wall.
After a while, the minister came in wearing flowing gowns of silk trailing behind him and walked over to a beautiful ornate wooden pulpit. He opened this big leather bound Bible and marked a spot in it with a silken marker.
I asked him how this had hurt him so badly, and he said to him, the man was living a lie. He said the minister read,
"If any man will be my disciple, said Jesus, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me."
He said the man then preached hard on the necessity of leaving all worldly things behind as one follows the steps of our Lord!
This man was spiritually crushed by seeing a man who claimed to be of God, talking about focusing on the rewards in Heaven, while living in all the earthly trappings of wealth and splendor here on earth. He said it was obvious that this man was living in total contradiction to what he was preaching.
As Christians, we must be sure that we actually follow Jesus, and not just go through the motions. If we go through the motions, just trying to ’appear’ like a devoted Christian, we could do much damage to someone who is seeking Christ.
When is the last time you talked to anyone about the necessity of having Christ in their life? If you have never done so, what are you going to tell God on the day you bow before His throne to be accountable for your life?
We need to ride out of our comfort zones and start doing what Amos did; sharing God’s truth with others.
It is easy to see a fire. It ignites everything it meets. Any fire that does not spread will eventually go out. It is easy to see a real church, too; it spreads the Word of God through evangelism. A church without evangelism is not a church, just as a fire that doesn’t burn is not a fire.
Martin Luther once said, “A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing … is worth nothing.”
2. THE COWBOY ROPES THEM
MATTHEW 28:19, it tells us -
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…’
Cowboys are known for going out into the far reaches of the ranch and rounding up cattle. When they find them, they rope them so the cattle will not run away. Christians are called to do the same thing.
We are called to go into the far reaches of our world, rounding up the unsaved and the unchurched. We are to throw the rope of God’s Word to them so they will be brought nearer.
In JOHN 12:32, Jesus says it better –
‘… if I be lifted up, I will draw all men to Me.’
It is our duty to lift up the name of Jesus so that people will be drawn to Him. One of the best ways of doing this is to try and live the Christian life every day of our lives.
Now, keep in mind that we are not told to go out and save people, because we offer nothing that could save anyone, but we are commanded to go out and make ’disciples’. We need to ‘get up and go’ so that we can encourage others to become lovers and followers of Jesus, too. May I ask you a question? Have you ever helped anyone become a follower of Jesus? Let me ask you another question; If not, why haven’t you?
The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he complained, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” The manager replied, "Your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.” So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with the passion of Christ that we create a thirst in others for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It seems that all my life, people have tried to get me to follow whatever is important to them. Some people have tried their best to get me into all kinds of scams, and others have tried to get me into playing golf or go play poker with them. In Arizona, some of my friends would try their best to get me to go camping with me up in the mountains, or go fishing or hunting with them.
Now, let me say that I have no use in my life for money-making scams. As far as I am concerned, one dish soap is as good as another, and I have no desire whatsoever to play cards while betting my hard-earned money on the outcome of a losing chance.
I used to box. I used to follow boxing very closely. As far as hunting, camping, and fishing goes, I was raised in the back hills of the Appalachian Mountains and these are not alien to my life, but for the last 20 years or so, I have all but lost interest in these activities, too. I have come to love spending my time in the pursuit of Christ more than in the pursuit of other things. I think that comes with the territory of being called later in life to preach for the kingdom though, don’t you?
What do all those people who have tried to get me involved in their passion have in common with each other? They have their passion in common. They are excited. They are focused because of that excitement.
Christians who are not excited about their Jesus will not be able to help anyone see their Jesus. And, Christians who are not excited about their Jesus end up just go through the motions when they talk to others about Him.
Too many Christians settle for having the attitude of a follower. We are followers of Christ, but like Christ, we are to live our lives with a believer’s attitude, not a follower’s attitude. The difference is the passion; the excitement; and the boldness one has for Christ.
Do you remember how Andrew found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus? That is our responsibility today, too. We must bring others to Jesus, and if we don’t, we will someday have to explain why we chose not to.
3. THE COWBOY BRANDS THE CATTLE
Cowboys round up the cattle that do not have brands on them. They rope these cattle so they will not run away, and they apply the branding iron to their backsides to make sure everyone will recognize who they belong to.
Going back once more to MATTHEW 28:19, Jesus said,
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
When a person gets baptized without the proper feelings in their heart, it becomes nothing more than a quick bath. But, when a person yearns to have a relationship with Jesus as Savior, their baptism becomes a sort of brand. It signifies that they are now set apart from their old life and are now obedient to Jesus. It shows who they now belong to.
You are told by Jesus to go and make disciples. You make them by offering a true Christian friendship to them. You take them under your wing and you tell them about Jesus. Then, you are commanded to baptize them into the kingdom of God.
Peter told us in ACTS 2:38, to -
‘Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’
When you teach someone about salvation, and they choose to be baptized, do not wait. Get them baptized as quickly as possible, lest something happen to them that would keep them from it.
If you are a baptized believer in Jesus, you are able to baptize them yourself if you desire. And, you can baptize them in anything that will get them totally under the water, even a bathtub. Or, you can call me or any of the leaders of this church and we will come a runnin’.
ACTS 22:16 also tells us not to wait.
“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.”
4. FINALLY, THE COWBOY CORRALS THE CATTLE
After a cowboy has rode hard, roped his livestock, and branded them, then he needs to corral ‘em. He needs to herd them into the corral and keep them there. This keeps them together with the rest of the cattle and keeps them safe.
The corral, however, that I am thinking of this morning is the local church. When people come to believe in Jesus and they decide to follow Him, they need to be encouraged to become a part of the church. And they need to be taught, which comes from within the church.
Some people don’t want to join a local church or fellowship of believers. One reason is because they will feel responsible to attend that church and support that church in service and in giving. And you know what? HALLELUJAH! THEY SHOULD FEEL THAT WAY!
On November 27th, we are starting a series of four classes in this church. All four of these classes are meant to take each believer, step by step, from being unsure, unknowledgeable, and unfocused, to being stronger in their faith and more clear in their goals as a Christian. It has been said that every believer should take every one of these classes. They are called the CHRISTIAN LIFE and SERVICE SEMINARS. They start with CLASS 101 and conclude with CLASS 401. We look forward to each person in church attending these classes.
On November 29th, we are starting our Small Groups Ministry. These groups are held in homes, and serve the purpose of growing Christians to maturity in Christ through Christian fellowship and teaching.
We have a sing-up sheet in the lobby bulletin board for all who wish to participate, and there is also a registration form in your morning worship folder.
Many people look at church as an entertainment arena. They will church shop, not for the most meaningful sermons, but for the most entertaining service. This is not what the church is all about.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Church should be enjoyable to the Christian, but church should also teach the Christian – and I will go one step further; the Christian is supposed to pursue information about God through the teachings of the local church.
All over this country, church attendance has been dwindling over the last several years. Something is wrong when we have to beg and cajole people to come in and listen to the message we are preaching. Of course, the problem might be the message we are preaching.
A church is not to concentrate on delivering easy listening messages, but on messages that explain and teach the word of God to those who need it.
There are four main bones in every church.
First, we have the wish-bones: These people always wish somebody else would do something about the problem.
Secondly, we have the jaw-bones: Jawbones do all the talking but take very little action.
Next we have the knuckle-bones: They knock everything no matter what it is, but never come up with any solutions themselves.
Finally, we have the back-bones: These are the ones who carry the brunt of the load, and do most of the work. These are the core of every church. The ones who actually make it happen. What type of bone are you?
And I’ve always heard it said that in any organization, 20% of the people carry 80% percent of the load. BUT THAT’S NOT THE WAY IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE! If every body who believed in Christ, joined the church and got involved in service, JUST THINK WHAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE LORD!
Those outside the church need to get their selves into church, and those inside the church need to get their selves involved in some area of service. There are many ways that each one of us can become involved.
Ray and Luther are great at working behind the scenes, doing much that has to be done to keep these buildings in repair. All the Sunday school teachers help the children get focused on the Lord so as they grow, they will grow in Him.
Jerry is one of the most loving greeters I have ever met. Every person he greets knows without a doubt that they are welcomed and loved in this church.
WILL THE VICTORY SINGERS PLEASE COME BACK ON STAGE?
IN CONCLUSION
The cowboy’s job is to ride out, rope the strays, brand them so people will know who they belong to, and then corral them for their safety.
A Christian’s job is to go out and make disciples, and then to baptize them into Christ, and then teach them to spiritual maturity within the confines of the local church.
A lady called the police and said she had a skunk in her basement and she needed help getting it out of her house. The police said to lay a trail of bread crumbs from the basement to outside in the yard and then leave her doors open. Sure enough, the skunk followed the bread crumbs and left.
Two days later, however, she noticed two skunks in her basement, looking for more bread crumbs. That is exactly how people come to Christ. We give them the Gospel and pretty soon, they get someone else to come and listen to it.
One church in Kansas City has these words as its motto: We will “wake up, sing up, preach up, pray up, pay up; but we will never give up, let up, back up, or shut up until the cause of Christ in this church and in the world is built up.”
I believe every believer should adopt that motto as their own personal motto - - to be lived each day of their life.
All of you are familiar with the children’s game called “Simon Says”. That is where one kid stands in front of the others and says “Simon says ……” and all the kids try to do it very fast.
Well, the world is Simon. There are too many Christians doing what Simon says without doing what Jesus says. They put on a fine show, but that is all it is – a show.
INVITATION
I sat this day up as COWBOY SUNDAY just so I could get to one point.
Here are two of my western hats. See, this one is nice and clean. It has a pretty band on it, and this is the one I use when I dress up.
This other hat is rather worn and is very dirty. It has long since lost its original shape. The band is gone, and it isn’t very good looking, is it? This is the hat I use when I work out in the sun.
Both hats were made for the same purpose; to protect my head from the sun. One hat is my work hat and the other is my "look how good I look" hat. One hat actually does its job, and the other just looks like it does its job.
Too many Christians are wearing their "look how good I look" hats. They are not doing their jobs as Christians, but they want it to look like they are, so they wear their dress hats instead of their work hats.
Which kind of hat are you wearing? One hat will be hung on a hatrack inside Heaven’s gates, and the other will not even make it to the coming judgment.
If you need to change the hat you are wearing, can I get you to just walk up here with me this morning?
