The Punk In Me

Title: The Punk In Me

Date: 11/27/16

Place: BLCC

Text: Matthew 1.18-21, John 1.9-14, Colossians 1.19,27

CT: Only Jesus can deal with the punk in me.

[Screen 1]

FAS: I had the privilege to sit and listen to Max Lucado back in October down in Pigeon Forge. He opened with a story that many of us can probably relate to. It was the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and the streets around the shopping malls had turned into controlled chaos.

A young driver made an illegal U-turn (illegal) right in front of Max and he had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the young man. Max blew his horn. Not a friendly and polite toot but it was a blaring held out blast that screamed, “Do you know what you almost did?”

The car was an old low riding, wide wheeled, two toned, exhaust puffing junker that dated in the eighties. It also needed a much more mature driver. The car accelerated and a long arm came out of the passenger window and gave Max a backhanded, one fingered wave.

Max sped up.

Thanks to a stoplight the young man with his buddy beside him had to stop beside Max at the next light.

Max rolled down his window and said, ”You need to watch that wave, son.”

This young man with a sideways cap on said, “Make me.”

I did say this was Max Lucado. A sixty year old revered Christian author and renowned preacher. Max found himself stunned at what he had started here.

The boy repeated, “Make me.”

Common sense was urging Max to drive away.

But something took hold of Max and out of his mouth came, “Okay, where do you want to go?”

The boy’s eyes got as big as pancakes. He couldn’t believe what Max had just said.

But he said, “Let’s meet in the shopping mall parking lot.”

The light changed to green and Max pulled out. Max started to imagine what must be going on in the minds of these two young “punks”.

“Who was this crazy guy? Was he packing? Reckon he is with the mafia?”

The testosterone filled young boys decided to make a quick left and disappeared from sight.

Max started to breathe again. Max’s inner punk had almost got the best of him.

[Screen 2]

Luckily I had listened to this and one week later I made a trip to Lexington to get some paint in my Big Tan Van. Beautiful vehicle. (Sarcasm here) Kathy was with me and we were going around New Circle and had to stop at a light. I had my window down because the air wasn’t working in my beautiful van and it was hot. A car load of college age guys pull up beside my wonderful machine and yelled at me and blew their horn. Took me a second to realize they were talking to me. I am getting old.

Then one young college student yelled, “Hey buddy, my friend here wants your number.” They all started to laugh their eyes out.

Max’s story came to my mind. I said to myself, “Don’t let your “punk” out.

So, as I gave a huge smile I said, “My number 1 is God and I would love to tell you about Him. And by the way I thank you for this great illustration you just gave me for a sermon I’m working on called, “The Punk In Me.”

They looked at me like I was crazy or maybe weird.

I then asked them (Should have just kept quiet), “You all like my Big Tan Van. It is my pride and joy. You have a great day.”

They seemed to have lost their urge to communicate with me. But the passenger did finally say, “Well, God bless America then.”

Don’t really think it was sincere. He was I believe making fun of my faded flag bumper sticker magnet that had been on my Big Tan Van for 18 years. Really proud of that sticker. My brother gave it to me. I digress. The nice polite college gentlemen sped off never to be seen again.

My beautiful wife looked over at me and said, “Those boys didn’t realize you just called them punks, did they?

I said, “No and I guess I was a bit of a “punk” at them.”

Glad I had heard Max Lucado the week before or it might have been ugly and my “punk in me” might have revealed itself as these boys tried to “punk me”

LS: We all have a little “punk” in us. We all do. We all are born with a sinful nature that we by ourselves cannot overcome. You buy that. [Screen 3]

King David believed it. Psalm 51.5, Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.