Being faithful to God means not playing it safe, and facing our fear of opposition. God promises a blessing for being persecuted for his sake. Matthew 5:11-12
Christians are not to be a subculture: We are to be out in the world, but no of the world. Our mission is to be a beacon of light for those in darkness.
The following testimony wasn't a part of the sermon on Sunday, but it fits perfectly in this message. Bro. Tony used Bubba Watson, Master's Golf Tournament as an illustration.
Professor : You are a Christian, aren’t you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor: So, you believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD good ?
Student : Sure.
Professor: Is GOD all powerful ?
Student : Yes.
Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?
(Student was silent.)
Professor: You can’t answer, can you ? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good?
Student : Yes.
Professor: Is satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor: Where does satan come from ?
Student : From … GOD …
Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student : Yes.
Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.
Professor: So who created evil ?
(Student did not answer.)
Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor: So, who created them ?
(Student had no answer.)
Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD?
Student : No, sir.
Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD?
Student : No , sir.
Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.
Professor: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student : Yes.
Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.
Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Professor: Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as cold?
Professor: Yes.
Student : No, sir. There isn’t.
(The lecture theater became very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)
Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?
Student : You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?
Professor: So what is the point you are making, young man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Professor: Flawed ? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.
Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)
Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class was in uproar.)
Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?
(The class broke out into laughter. )
Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.
Student : That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.
P.S.
I believe you have enjoyed the conversation. And if so, you’ll probably want your friends / colleagues to enjoy the same, won’t you?
Forward this to increase their knowledge … or FAITH.
By the way, that student was EINSTEIN.
Beatitude Christians
Continuing the Sermon on the Mount after sharing the Beatitudes, and what it means to be a Beatitude Christian, Christ was explaining the mission of being a Beatitude Christian. Christians shouldn't be closet Christians, but, in boldness, go out an minister to the world.
Unfortunately, the world may not want to be ministered to, and Christians stand the chance of being persecuted, and may only have one moment of influence. But, that influence may lay the foundation for others along the way, and/or serve as a seed which may grow into a Faith in Christ.
Boldness doesn't mean being offensive, or self-righteous. And, facing persecution leads to great eternal reward, and being counted among the faithful.
Salt and Light
We must maintain redemptive contact to bear influence for Christ.
Salt not only was used as a flavoring tool, but as a preservative during the life and times of Christ. While Christians should be the salt of the earth to add God's flavor among it's people, Christians should set the right example and influence others to make real everlasting change. This redemptive contact should evoke spiritual hunger in others. They want what you have for eternal preservation.
Light is designed to illuminate darkness. And, as Einstein cited above, darkness is nothing: it's the absence of light. God's light should so shine through us, that non-believers will want to dispel the darkness in their own lives.
Dispelling Darkness
We must be different through Christ to make a difference for Christ. And, Christ warns us that salt is only good when it has the ability to flavor and preserve. Once salt looses its flavor, it is discarded.
All too many times, non-believers insist that Christians are hypocrites. Christians have the same problems non-believers do: divorce, adultery, immorality, addiction, etc. Just when a non-believer needs the Church, the Church proves they are no better than non-believers. This is NOT the way a Beatitude Church, or Christian should be perceived.
Christians are not better, just forgiven, but we must try to live up to the standard Jesus set, and as He instructed through those Beatitudes. Darkness can't dispel light, and Christians can't live in darkness, and by hiding the light we are as ineffective as salt, and should be cast aside.
Christians must guard their lives, without compromise, to walk with Jesus, without fear, to reach people Heart to Heart, and Life to Life. It's our mission!
Recap of message, Rev. Tony Chester, Far Hills Community Church, Centerville, Ohio. www.farhills.org 4/15/2012. eca
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