Standing for Good

Go to the home page: Do You Need A Winning Game Plan For Your Life?

Titus 2:1-8                                                         Audio file is at the end of this text.

Friday evening during the girl's softball state championship playoffs something happened that made me proud and happy.  Jonathan, one of our teachers who is also a football coach, graciously volunteers on a regular basis to photograph school events.  He was told where he could stand to take pictures during the softball game and while he was doing what he had permission to do, adult fans of the opposing team heckled him.  One fan was so rude to Jonathan that any normal person would probably turn around and return rude words or even call officials to remove the rude fan.

Jonathan made the decision to react with dignity, as a Christian gentleman.  He ignored the harsh words being directed at him and it was noticed by the Assistant Commissioner of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.   I received the compliments for Jonathan's powerful performance from the commissioner and it made me so proud and happy.  This incident made me think:  How did Jonathan get to be the fine person that he is?  Where can we go to learn how to be like Jesus no matter what is thrown at us?  How do we learn to act out our faith even in harsh situations?  How do we react to bullying?

Let's look at Titus 2:1-8 because Paul makes it very clear how we are to act so as to draw people to Jesus and never away from him.  Keep in mind that  Paul was a seasoned missionary when he wrote I and II Timothy and Titus to young pastors who needed encouragement.  Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Crete must have been relieved when they received advice from their mentor.

Here's this passage in The Message translation:  Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine.  Guild older men into lives of temperance, dignity and wisdom, into healthy faith, love and endurance.  Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness.  By looking at them, younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives.  We don't want anyone looking down on God's Message because of their behavior.  Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives.  

But mostly, show them all this by doing it yourself, incorruptible in your teaching, your words solid and sane.  Then anyone who is dead set against us, when he finds nothing weird or misguided, might eventually come around.

I have said before, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.  Satan's way to get at us is to creep into situations in our lives when we may not be expecting him.  Jonathan was doing what he was supposed to do, minding his own business then wham, he is attacked.  Jonathan proved in his reaction to evil that he is standing for good. He is dignified and wise.

Look around at the way most people live and we don't see much dignity.  In women we don't see a lot of purity.  It is sad to see the promiscuity and how damaging it is to women.  Satan is having a field day lying to young women.

And just because you are here today and you are young, under 30, you are not off the hook.  Paul writes in I Timothy 4:11 that even the young are to, "Teach with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity."

Can we here, right now, this day, decide to take these versus as our guide to a good life with God on our side?   We are up against Satan but we are promised in I John 4:4,  "Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world."

4 29 2012 by Robby4747 on Mixcloud

What Next?

Go to the home page. Do You Need A Winning Game Plan For Your Life?

John 21:12-25  Audio file is at the end of this text.

Last week we answered the question, what now?  This week we answer the question, what next?  The resurrection happened and the disciples were a bit undone.  They were rudderless, floundering, and this is because they were being tested.  Their faith had been shaken.  This situation teaches us that we will all be tested, shocked and surprised by life.

In verse 12 Jesus is on shore and invites the disciples to eat breakfast with him.  During his three-year ministry of healing and teaching, the disciples had seen Jesus perform miracle on top of miracle and this day they were the beneficiaries of still another miracle.  Last week we talked about it.  They had been fishing all night, doing things their way and caught nothing.  As soon as they followed Jesus' instructions they caught so many fish they could hardly bring the catch to shore.

While our faith will be shaken, we must draw close to Jesus for our next instruction!  We find the disciples are eating breakfast with Jesus and this is the third time he had appeared to them since his death and resurrection.  Now that they are happy with their amazing catch and full of breakfast, Jesus starts to teach again.  By giving specific instructions to Peter he speaks to us all.

Jesus says, if you love me you must do three things with your lives. He says, "Feed my lambs, shepherd my sheep and feed my sheep."  Lambs are the young and we know from other scriptures that a person who harms a child is to be, "thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck."  If we love Jesus it is clear we are to take care of the children.

Remember that sheep are stupid and not like so many of the fend-for-themselves breeds.  For example, lions in the wild don't need help to survive.  Jesus is saying to us that we must be shepherds.  We must be helpful, be teachers, mentors and guides because all around you everyday people are likely to get into trouble.  We are to be the shepherds who guide the ones we love away from danger and into green pastures.

Third we are to care for all who are in need.  This is Jesus bringing his commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" into focus again.  Peter was a fisherman by trade and now Jesus called him to be a shepherd.   You may be a teacher or coach or sales person by trade and at the same time you are called by Jesus to be a shepherd.

Next Jesus warns Peter that he will die a death by crucifixion.  In verse 20 Peters asks what will happen to John?  Jesus basically says, "you just mind your own business."  What a great insight we get from Jesus here.  We learn what we are to do with our lives and while we go about being obedient, we are not to be concerned about what will happen or not happen to another Christ-follower.  This is a profound warning:  while you may suffer, another follower might appear to have an easy life.

God's plan for you is to protect children and love your neighbor as yourself.  Be about the business of serving others and Jesus will take care of the rest.

4 22 2012 by Robby4747 on Mixcloud