February 12, 2006, Boy Scout Sunday

Lesson: Matthew 24.9-14

Sermon Title: The Integrated Christian

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INTRODUCTION:

After the failure in the use of our cell phone for Children's Time, Mr. Favreau kindly offered me two sermon titles.

If God calls, will he get your answering machine?

If God calls, will he get the wrong number?

  1. It is okay to be wrong.

    1. It is not okay to stay wrong.

    2. I gave LaVerne our cell phone number, but it was the wrong number.

      1. I gave him 608.574.7070

      2. It should have been, 608.574.0707.

  2. Perhaps that is why the pastor in the following story didn't get it right.

Heaven (1)

A boy was waiting on his mother to come out of a store. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, "Son, can you tell me where the post office is?"

The boy replied, "Sure, just go straight down the street two blocks and it's on your right."

The man thanked the boy and then said, "I'm the new preacher in town, and I'd like for you to come to church on Sunday. I'll show you how to get to Heaven."

The little boy replied with a chuckle, "I don't think so. You don't even know the way to the post office!"

  1. But there are some areas where being wrong may be very hazardous to your present life and future destination.

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MAIN BODY:

  1. You are sitting with Peter and Andrew and, James and John when Jesus paints a rather bleak picture of your future, the conditions in Jerusalem, Judea, and parts of the then known world.

    1. Eight different areas are mentioned.

      1. "Then they will hand you over to be tortured."

      2. "They will put you to death."

      3. "You will be hated by all nations because of my name."

      4. 'Then many will fall away."

      5. "They will betray one another and hate one another."

      6. "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray."

      7. "And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold."

    2. He concludes this section with two observations:

      1. "But the one who endures to the end will be saved."

      2. "And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come."

  2. The Disciples listened, learned and prevailed.

    1. They experienced what Jesus had said could happen.

    2. They met the trials and temptations, the conditions and circumstances with heads held high, and with words of comfort, encouragement, and support.

    3. They experienced anxiety, but were never fearful.

    4. They suffered and probably talked about it, but they did not complain.

    5. They died for their LORD without hesitation.

    6. How did they do this?

    7. They were Integrated Christians.

      1. When I conceived of this sermon title, I had no idea that we would be mourning the death of Correta Scott King.

      2. I was not thinking of the Integrated Christian in terms of segregation or racism.

      3. I was thinking of it in terms of the Disciples of Jesus and how they achieved the vision that they had received.

    8. If you listen, observe, and learn, may we also grow to the place where we can live like Peter and Andrew, and James and John?

      1. Why not?

      2. What is stopping us?

      3. We ourselves may be our own stumbling stones to great achievements in our spiritual lives.

  3. How may we relate positively to what Jesus is describing.

    1. "Then they will hand you over to be tortured."

    2. "They will put you to death."

    3. "You will be hated by all nations because of my name."

      1. The Integrated Christian will not be fearful.

      2. In 1 John 4:18-19 (NRSVA), John writes:

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us.

      1. The relationship between fear and love is proportional.

      2. The less we love, the more we will fear.

      3. The more we love, the less we will fear.

    1. 'Then many will fall away."

      1. The Integrated Christian will not fall away.

      2. The Integrated Christian will not fall away because he/she has a vision, a goal, a purpose that goes beyond the present life to the life to come.

    2. "They will betray one another and hate one another."

      1. The Integrated Christian will not betray or hate another.

      2. That is because we have learned to love one another.

      3. We have even learned to love our enemies.

    3. "And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray."

      1. The Integrated Christian will not be led astray.

      2. The Integrated Christian has learned how to test the spirit of a prophet, priest, pastor, teacher.

    4. "And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold."

      1. The Integrated Christian's love will not go cold.

      2. Because we have learned to love Jesus Christ, we know that there is no other love so strong, so true, or so beneficial.

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  1. There is only one thing to do.

    1. That is to persevere.

    2. "But the one who endures to the end will be saved."

      1. The one who endures is not a "nice person."

Robert Glover offers his own solution to the Nice Guy Conundrum, steering his clients toward becoming what he calls an "integrated male"--a leader with a strong sense of self, who is comfortable with his own masculinity and who acts with integrity and purpose, providing for and protecting those he cares about. (2)

      1. Who is a nice guy?

        1. He is the relative who lets his wife run the show.

        2. He is the friend who will do anything for anybody, but whose own life seems to be in shambles.

        3. He is the guy who frustrates his wife because he is so afraid of conflict that nothing ever gets resolved.

        4. He is the man who lets people walk all over him because he doesn't want to rock the boat.

        5. He is the dependable guy at work who will never say "no," but would never tell anyone if they were imposing on him.

        6. He is the man whose life seems so under control, until BOOM, one day he does something to destroy it all.

      2. Endurance does not appear glamourous.

      3. Endurance takes energy.

      4. We are energized by the relationship with Jesus Christ through the abiding and powerful presence of the Holy Spirit.

      5. Isaiah 50:6-9 (NRSVA) is one of the Servant songs.

      6. It speaks of the "Servant's Humiliation and Vindication"

6I gave my back to those who struck me,
    and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;
I did not hide my face
    from insult and spitting.
7The Lord GOD helps me;
    therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
    and I know that I shall not be put to shame;
8  he who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
    Let us stand up together.
Who are my adversaries?
    Let them confront me.
9It is the Lord GOD who helps me;
    who will declare me guilty?
All of them will wear out like a garment;
    the moth will eat them up.

      1. Jesus set his face like "flint" to the task that he accepted.

      2. We can also set our faces like flint to complete the work that he has given us to do.

      3. The work of spiritual transformation and development.

  1. Finally there is an answer to the question of "How long?"

    1. It is not in code.

    2. I believe it is the surest sign of the coming of Jesus and the end of the age.

"And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come."

    1. This is where profession and performance come together.

    2. Think about the conflicting images of Christianity.

      1. The Christian is the follower of Jesus Christ.

      2. The Christian is the applicator of the principles of the kingdom.

      3. The principles are simple and abundantly clear.

      4. Jesus teaches with a clear thoroughness that cannot be misunderstood.

    3. When there is sufficient witness of those whose profession is fulfilled in their performance, then the end will come.

 

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(Back to Sermons Home Page)   (Back to Shultz Home Page)CONCLUSION

  1. Until then we patiently wait, hope, pray, prepare, profess and perform.

    1. This is clearly seen in the following story:

Love (3)

The young woman was married and had two beautiful children, but one day as she was standing over the sink, washing dishes, she thought, "There must be more to life than this." When her husband came home, he found a note she'd written and began to weep. She would call him once every week to check on the children, and he would always tell her of his great love for her and beg her to come home. She would always say no and hang up.

Finally, he hired a private investigator to find her and he went to the apartment where she was staying, nervously holding flowers in his hand as he stood at the door. He had rehearsed over and over what he would say and he finally got up the nerve to knock on the door. She opened the door and he started to speak, but she suddenly began to weep and fell into his arms. Through her tears she said, "Let's go home."

Months after, when things were starting to heal, he finally asked her something that had been bothering him: "All those times I talked to you on the phone; I asked you to come back and you refused. Why did you come back now?"

"Before," she said, "you were just telling me that you loved me. When you came, you showed me."

    1. The Bible tells us of God's love, but Jesus came and showed God's love.

    2. The world needs another and significant demonstration of God's love.

    3. This time it will not be Jesus in person, but the Jesus of those who profess his name.

Amen.

1. Retrieved from: PreachingNow [preachingnow@preaching.com]

2. Robert Glover, "The nice guy syndrome," No More Mr. Nice Guy! Web Site, nomoremrniceguy.com/ngs.php. Retrieved March 26, 2003. Copyright 2003 Christian Century Foundation. Reprinted by permission from the March 22, 2003 issue of Christian Century Foundation. Subscriptions: $49/yr. from P.O. Box 378, Mt. Morris, IL 61054.

3. from Chad West, at SermonCentral.com Retrieved from: PreachingNow [preachingnow@preaching.com]

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