HOW TO BOIL A LIVE FROG
1 Peter 3: 13-17
1. An “urban legend” has been around for a long time that has excellent instructional value for us – even if biologists question the scientific veracity of the experiment. The theory states that you can boil a live frog in a pot of water, if the water is heated slowly enough — according to the story, if you place a frog into boiling water, it will immediately jump out, but if you place it in cold water that is slowly heated, it will gradually acclimatize itself to the increasing temperature and be unable to jump out before it is too late.
2. Whether or not that legend is factually correct – I believe it is clearly being demonstrated in the growing a-morality of our society and not just the apathy and indifference towards Christianity, but the outright hostility and opposition being demonstrated on a number of fronts towards the Christian faith.
3. Had the enemies of Christianity in this country, back in the 1940’s and 50’s, and perhaps early 60’s instigated a full frontal and radical attack to ban Christmas and call for the removal of “In God We Trust” from our money and the removal of the 10 Commandments from the court houses, the acceptance and legitimizing of homosexual marriage, the recognition of pedophilia as as a consitutionally-guarded "personal freedom" - there would have been an immediate, massive, and passionate rejection of such views from by far the greater majority in this country that such a plan would have been relegated to only a mere handful of proponents on the lunatic fringe.
4. So rather than throw “the frog” into a pot of boiling water, they have been willing to bide their time and just ever so gradually and imperceptibly turn up the heat to the point where the frog has become complacently comfortable in the water without realizing that it’s death is immanent.
5. There comes a point of no return in this process where the frog loses control of its ability to save itself and control is then in the hands of the one turning up the heat. It would seem in many respects that we have already reached that point in this society.
6. At our Annual Church Conference, our District Superintendent Mike Graef shared a video with us describing how much of the Pacific Northwest is already described as “The None Zone”, with numbers of people now publicly describing themselves as having no religious beliefs or affiliation.
7. King County Executive, Ron Simms, issued a memo back in November 0f 2001 that required religion-neutral language and prohibited the wishing of anyone in the workplace a “Merry Christmas”. It is also taboo for any teachers or students to wear Christian or Christmas jewelry at school.
8. The two week vacation in the latter portion of December is no longer referred to as the Christmas holidays but as the “winter break”. The tall decorated trees during this season are now “holiday trees” and no longer “Christmas trees”.
9. The ACLU has a concerted campaign to go after the emblems of cities that portray any Christian symbol or motto as being divisive.
10. In July 2002 in NEW YORK CITY the Rev. Joseph Jenkins was arrested as he preached to his congregation of 500. As he said, ‘The Bible says it is a sin for a man to lie with a man!’ four federal undercover agents rose from their seats in the crowded church and handcuffed the pastor. He was later charged before a US Magistrate under the federal ‘Hate Crimes’ law.
11. Go to the NAMBLA website – North American Man Boy Love Association – and you will read their philosophy “open to everyone sympathetic to personal freedom. Our goal is to end the oppression of men and boys who have freely chosen, mutually consensual relationships.” What once would have been rejected as pedophilia is now openly promoted as just another legitimate “personal freedom”.
12. When God’s Word and the clarity of the Christian faith are removed as the standard and moral compass for a healthy society then anything goes and one opinion or lifestyle has as much validity as another.
13. It is only a Christianity that implicitly believes these Scriptures to be the inerrant Word of the living God, lives by them and proclaims them without embarrassment or compromise that is a thorn in the flesh and threat to such increasingly aggressive and hostile secularists. But by and large the church in much of the Western world has been silent and passively timid to the challenges that started out as small ripples and have just gotten ever larger as we showed little or no resistance. Now we are faced with tsunamis of filth and perversion and pornography as being simply “alternative lifestyles” and any rejection of them is regarded as bigoted, arrogant, and hateful. In addition, the scandals of sexual immorality and sexual abuse, and financial charlatanism that have pervaded sizeable segments of the church have contributed significantly to its inability to stand against this onslaught in the righteousness, power and authority of God.
14. So how are we as God’s people to respond in this increasingly hostile environment? What is the mindset that should govern us as we prepare to celebrate and proclaim the coming of Christ in a culture bent not only tuning us out but actively opposing us?
15. The environment in which Peter wrote his letter was certainly one that was hostile to Christians and so is as applicable to us now as it was to his hearers almost 2000 years ago: 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. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
16. Now Peter’s build up to these words has included a number of essential and foundational steps I need to mention so that these words convey their full impact:
• In his opening chapter he reminds us that we have been hand picked, specially selected by a holy and pure God and are called to reflect His goodness and purity in all our behavior. He has washed us and cleansed us by the precious blood of His Son and now expects us to stay that way as evidence of His good work in a filthy world and not go back to playing in the muck.
• In the next chapter and a half he reminds us that this world has become foreign turf for the believer and is not our real home. We are to regard ourselves as “resident aliens” on this planet with our true and ultimate allegiance to God. Though this is just our temporary residence, our lives are to be proclaiming by word and example the good news of God’s rescuing and transforming grace so that others will see and hear and believe. We are to live in this way in our relationship to the governing authorities, to our employers, to an un-believing spouse, and everyone we meet that they might be attracted to Christ through our example.
17. Instead of being intimidated into silence and seclusion by an increasingly hostile environment - instead of being overcome with alarm and anxiety, we are to live confidently and joyously before our critics. And now we come to our selected passage where he underscores five key principles that should characterize our lives as we respond to a hostile world:
A. BE PASSIONATE ABOUT DOING GOOD
1. In verse 13 he talks about us doing good “with heart and soul” and says that when doing the good thing and the right thing is our joy and delight that is much harder to criticize and attack – not impossible, but certainly less likely. It becomes a lot tougher for the opposition to find stones to throw at us when we are passionately pursuing kindness and mercy and generosity and humility and thoughtfulness and consideration of the needs of others.
2. And when doing good is the driving force of our lives then the wrong things quickly start to lose their fascination and attraction for us. When you are zealous to bless and enhance the lives of others in whatever way you are able, with a humble and serving heart, it has a powerful way of neutralizing destructive, aggressive, and foul passions both within us and within others towards us.
3. So the first response to a hostile world that Peter encourages is for us to be passionate about doing good.
B. ACCEPT THE POSSIBILITY OF SUFFERING
1. Peter wants us to understand that goodness on our part is not a 100% guaranteed blanket protection from all attack. It certainly helps make an attack less likely, but since the darkness hates the light it will do all in its power to snuff it out – because the light exposes, the light makes visible the corruption and evil of the world – it clearly lets it be seen for what it is and unmistakably highlights the contrast between what belongs to the light and what prefers to remain in the darkness.
2. Jesus came among us as the very essence of all goodness and yet the darkness plotted and planned and eventually accomplished for just 3 days the removal of the Light.
3. So even as you and I pursue goodness we are to accept the possibility and likelihood of suffering. It comes with the package. It is part and parcel of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in this world.
• Jesus said, "If you want to be my disciple, then take up your cross and follow me".
• He said: “In this world you will have tribulation”. But thank goodness he didn’t just leave it there – He went on to say, “But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world”. God’s blessing, God’s presence will never leave us and His comforting and strengthening presence is particularly promised to us when we suffer in His name.
• In the Beatitudes Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falesely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven..." (Matthew 5:11-12)
• When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was being stoned to death, his opponents saw that "his face was like that of an angel" as he prayed "Father, do not hold this sin against them" - forgiving his persecutors just as his Lord had done from the cross. And then Stephen said, "I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God". Some commentators have reminded us that when Jesus ascended to heaven He "sat down at the right hand of the Father" - but here He is seen standing up. The understanding might be that Jesus was standing to honor the godly conduct of His servant. Wouldn’t you rather have the applause of heaven than the applause of earth?
4. In the first chapter of his letter Peter writes of how suffering serves to purify and perfect the genuineness of our faith – just as the fiery furnace works to refine gold – attacking and destroying the impurities so that what survives is the 100% pure stuff.
5. Now even the opposition seems to be a little reluctant to attack goodness – at least to do so openly and brazenly. They schemed and connived to have Jesus betrayed in the dark of a lonely garden and had Him tried and sentenced in a secret night time religious kangaroo court. But just let them have justifiable grounds for accusation because we have stepped out of line and they will shout it loud from the rooftops and make it national headlines in all the media, exposing the hypocrisy and duplicity of Christians. Suddenly these opponents of all that is holy are able to become so passionate about righteousness and truth and goodness.
6. So should you or I ever be required to suffer for our faith, do so with courage and confidence and let it be because of the world’s attempt to snuff out the light and never because of any deeds of darkness.
C. HONOR CHRIST AS LORD
1. Even if the world should attack us as we go about doing what is good and right – we should not be surprised or stunned or shocked – because they are simply doing what is the nature of this world to do. Their actions against us should all the more lead us to honor and worship and set apart Christ as Lord in our lives. The Message version of the scripture puts it this way: “keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master”.
• The United States Code (4USC4) states that when delivering the Pledge of Allegiance, all must be standing at attention, facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.
• So to be “at attention before Christ your Master” means that you are watching and waiting to hear from Him and ready to respond to His command. You are not allowing yourself to be physically, mentally or emotionally distracted by other matters or even by the attacks and accusations of others. Let the devil do what he will - but we will not take our eyes off our Master. Give Him your full and complete attention and allegiance and He will honor and bless that trust with His strength and grace.
D. BE PREPARED TO TELL WHY YOU LIVE THE WAY YOU ARE
1. If the world cannot specifically attack us for "what we do" – for even the world recognizes and acknowledges and respects kindness and generosity and gentleness and truthfulness – they will attack us for "who we are" and "what we believe". Somehow or another they will trump up charges against us and want to know why we do what we do and live the way we live.
• Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me". He didn’t say "There are many ways to heaven and I am just one of them - go ahead and choose whichever path seems best to you". You go ahead and proclaim what He said and watch how many will accuse you of arrogance, intolerance, and being divisive.
2. Peter says we are to be ready at all times to answer that question of anyone who asks us. So I encourage all of us to take some time to think through the essentials of your faith – what is it that gives you hope and courage and the ability to love and forgive in the face of opposition? What gives you the determination to keep on keeping on even when your life circumstances are urging you to quit?
3. And when you are called on to respond to the question of others – do so not with haughtiness, arrogance, or defiance - but with gentleness (that’s strength under control) and with respect for God and even for the one who now is attacking you.
E. KEEP A CLEAR CONSCIENCE
1. Our conscience is the moral and spiritual compass God placed inside every human being to direct us in the decision and choice-making processes of life. It is through our conscience that the Holy Spirit leads and guides and directs. The more we yield and respond to those gentle nudges He gives us, the more doing the right thing will become a normal and natural way of life for us.
• Obeying our conscience fills us with the peace and joy of the Lord and delivers us from internal conflict
• Disobeying our consciences brings us into a state of guilt and shame and condemnation.
2. Of course there are two main ways people can deal with their conscience:
• One is to respond by doing the right thing or immediately repent when we have done the wrong thing and start doing what is right. That way we enjoy the peace of the Lord.
• The other is to persist in doing the wrong thing until the voice of conscience is silenced within us. In Matthew 12:32 Jesus refers to such behavior as "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit" for which there never is any forgiveness.
• Now let’s be very clear here - Jesus is not saying there is one sin that is so terrible that if you commit it He will never forgive us no matter how much seek it. The point He is making is that the Holy Spirit is the one who brings the Light and truth of God to us so that we can and will repent. But if we have chosen, through our persistant and stubborn rebellion and hardness of heart, to put ourselves in a place where we keep shutting out God’s Light and Truth, then we put ourselves in a place where we will never repent. And without repentence there can be no forgiveness.
• Such behavior is also called searing our consciences to the point where we feel no further guilt or condemnation over our evil behavior and little chance of change without radical divine intervention. That is the ultimate path of the psychopath.
3. The Message again puts this 5th principle so simply and plainly, “Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They’ll end up realizing that they’re the ones who need a bath.”
• Be passionate about doing good
• Accept the possibility of suffering
• Honor Christ as Lord in every aspect of your life
• Be prepared to tell others who might ask why you life the way you do
• Keep a clear conscience
4. Make these principles part and parcel of your life and they will:
• Keep you from being lulled into complacency and indifference and becoming the proverbial frog boiled in the pot.
• They will also enable you to give due honor and reverence to Christ as you prepare to celebrate His coming into our world.
• They will allow your life to be a witness to the Light and truth about God that may even win over some of the opposition.
AMEN
Let’s pray . . .
