Wearing A Tie At The Dump

In 1 Peter 2, Peter uses a whole cadre of terms to describe Christ-followers.  Why we're not only God’s people (1 Peter 2:9) we’re also “…a chosen people…a royal priesthood…a holy nation….” (1 Peter 2:9); distinctive, unique, special categories.   

And for good reason:  as God’s people we’re not to blend in with the crowd; we’re to stand out from the crowd as distinctive, holy, men and women. Translated: folks are to sense:  there’s something different about us.  And so:  what’s different about you? 

My Dad was a unique character.  Why he loved tacky auctions, featuring the junkiest most useless stuff, ever – he relished greasy, fattening food, delicacies like pigs-feet, souse and hog-maw – and he cherished weird music, like the sound of Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians.  But the strangest thing about my Dad was the way he dressed; most notably: my Dad always wore a tie; in fact I can’t remember a time when my Dad didn’t wear a tie.  The weirdest place my Dad wore a tie, was to the Washington County Sanitary Landfill; translated the Washington County dump.   And boy was I embarrassed!  Why everyone else wore work clothes to the dump, and blended right in.  But not my Dad; my Dad wore a tie to the dump; right in the midst of that smelly place Dad wore a  tie, and stood right out!  

But you know, I think my Dad was on to something:  we should stand right out, in smelly places.  Why as Christ-followers, in particular, we shouldn’t just blend in.   Isn’t that what Jesus is suggesting in Matthew 5:  why you’re not only the salt of the earth, you’re also the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).  And as the light of the world, you shouldn’t put your light “…under a bowl…Instead…put it on a stand…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven…”  (Matthew 5:15-16).   

   

And so how does your light shine; how are you different, because of Jesus?  Why for Josh McDowell, the famed apologist, it's the red button he always wears on his shirt; for 19th century Brethren and Mennonite folk, it was their plain clothing and prayer coverings.  But in addition to outer differences are inner differences and frankly they have the greatest impact.  Why it could be that you no longer lose your temper like you use to.  It could be you no longer abuse alcohol like you once did.  It could be that no longer fixate on career and money, like you always tended to do.  And folks are startled, amazed:  there’s something different about Paul – Denton – Sarah – Tony – Alice – Irene.  How come?  And bingo:  there’s your 'chance,' your open door, your invitation to give a God-centered response.  How come?!!  It’s because of Jesus.  That’s why I longer lose my temper –that’s why I no longer abuse alcohol – that's why I no longer fixate on career and money.  It’s because of Jesus!

Bottom line:  nothing prompts an opportunity to share Christ like a changed life. In this smelly world, when people experience someone who’s different, they look away from their garbage, and gravitate toward the glow of a transformed life.  

And so our challenge:  "live a life that demands an explanation."  Dustin Stoutt

The Heart Of Hypocrisy

The heart of hypocrisy?  Biblically it's a lack of congruence between word and deed; translated:  being two-faced.   

It’s interesting:  the phrase two-faced originated with the Greek god Janus who literally was two-faced.  But in actuality, two-faced refers to any of us who live a life facing in two directions.  Exhibit A is Lot’s wife in Genesis 19 who claimed to face God and forsake evil.  But as she ran from evil, from wretched Sodom and Gomorrah, she was two-faced, looking not only to God, but also back to Sodom and Gomorrah.  And “the rest is history” as Lot’s wife became “…a pillar of salt…”  (Genesis 19:26).   

But God doesn’t want any of us pillars of salt; two-faced.  Rather God wants us dispensers of salt, one faced, in His direction.  For we’re destined, Jesus declares in the Sermon On The Mount, to be “…the salt of the earth…” (Matthew 5:13) pouring out, spiritual seasoning, Godly flavor: to preserve life.   Well, how do that; how do you pour out spiritual seasoning, Godly flavor: to preserve life?

For starters, avoid "The Titanic Syndrome." Yes "The Titanic Syndrome,” a tendency to believe, we’re unsinkable, indestructible, no matter what.    Frankly such belief is at the heart of hypocrisy.  Why many of us live unsalty lives, two-faced lives, because we honestly believe our sins will never catch up with us; that we’ll never get caught.  But listen:  your sins will catch up with you; you will get caught!  Moses is so adamant about this in Numbers 32:23 – if you keep looking back to Sodom and Gomorrah, if you’re two-faced, if you keep sinning “…you may be sure your sin will find you out…”  (Numbers 32:23).  Notice Moses didn’t say your sin might find you out; no, Moses said:  surely your sin will find you out.

It’s interesting:  the builders of the actual Titanic built the hull of the Titanic with 16 watertight compartments.  The theory:  even if the Titanic had a bad episode, taking on water, the Titanic could compartmentalize, hide, the bad episode and not sink.  But the Titanic did sink because the compartments didn’t hold, giving way, messing up the balance of the boat, prompting the Titanic not only to sink, but to literally break in two.  We also break in two if we try to compartmentalize bad episodes; if we try to hide rough water, iniquity and sin.   

And so tear down the compartments of life; open up all the hiding places where secret sin flows, and come clean before the Lord!!   For as Peter reminds us, we are “…a  people belonging to God…who [has called us] out of darkness [out of hiding] into his wonderful light…”  (1 Peter 2:15).  And so with David pray:  “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me…Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit…O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise…” (Psalm 51:10, 12;15, ESV). For a non-compartmentalize life,  (Psalm 51: 10; 12; 15, ESV), open lips, produces a credible life.  

But frankly we're called to do more.  Yes, come clean before the Lord, but also deepen life in the Lord, seeking the deeper things of God, the fulness of Jesus.  Prior to Billy Graham, Billy Sunday was the greatest evangelist of his day.  Though a bit theatrical, Billy Sunday was effective in reaching thousands of people for the Savior.  Why in Columbia, S.C. alone, Billy Sunday reached over 479,000 persons in 70 different meeting during a 6 week crusade.  Not surprisingly, persons wondered what was the secret of Billy Sunday's success:  was it his athletic prowess as a former professional baseball player; his oratorical skill?  Actually, according to one biographer, Sunday's success was found in his first pulpit at the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago.  You see, shortly after beginning his ministry there, Billy Sunday insisted a plaque be installed the Mission's pulpit that only the preacher could see.  Frankly, it's a bold plaque that can't be missed; for Billy Sunday didn't want it missed, for the words on the plaque summarized not only the secret of any effective sermon or proclamation of the gospel -- but also -- the secret of integrity, of wholeness, of congruence in life.  The words:  the text of John 12:21:  "Sir, we would see Jesus."  And that's what Billy Sunday did; he preached -- and lived -- so that persons saw Jesus -- and that was the secret of his success.

Frankly, that's the secret of our success:  persons seeing Jesus.  For persons are so weary of conflicted/divided people, two-faced people, hypocritical people; they long for godly people, "salt of the earth people," who face in one direction:  God and God alone! 

Face in one direction:  God and God alone!  In a world with so much pretense, project so much disclosure, so much confession, so much honesty, that people wonder:  "how come?"  

And then just tell them:  its because of Jesus!

Now More Alive Than Ever!

Does the name Mel Blanc “ring a bell?  Probably not!  But I’m guessing the characters Mel “voiced” in hundreds of Warner Brothers cartoons are familiar to you.  Characters like Bugs Bunny, Tweedy Bird, Willie E. Coyote. 

But my favorite Mel Blanc cartoon character is the most cantankerous, ornery piggy ever: Porky The Pig.  Now as Mel gave Porky “voice,” Porky got in all kinds of scenarios, most often with Daffy Duck and Sylvester the Cat, with Porky playing straight-man or ‘second-banana.” But “in the end” Porky “came out on top,” because “in the end,” Porky literally ended each and every Warner Brothers cartoon, with one of the most famous signature phrases of all time:  “that’s all folks.”  Why that signature phrase was so impactful, it became Mel Blanc’s favorite phrase.  In fact, if you visit Mel Blanc’s grave site in Los Angeles, it’s not Bugs Bunny’s signature phrase or Tweedy Bird’s signature phrase that’s on his tombstone, but Porky’s phrase: “that’s all folks.” 

I’m curious:  what signature phrase will be on your tombstone?  Frankly, I find Mel Blanc’s phrase a downer:  that’s all folks?!  But there are alternatives, like the phrase I’ve chosen for my tombstone: “now more alive than ever!”  I mean because of Jesus, I will be more alive than ever, even when I die. 

But a lot of folks can’t grasp that, because they’ve never grasped Jesus.  And so a lot of folks default to Porky’s phrase: “that’s all folks” -- a sad, temporal word.  

In Romans 10, Paul doesn’t want the Jews left with a sad, temporal word.  But Paul’s clear:  the Jews will be left with a sad, temporal word, unless persons help them grasp Jesus.  You see the Jews were like a lot of us:  they were convinced that life is grasped through self-effort and achievement.  Commonly called The Law, it was a “formula for life” based on getting more “merit badges, blue ribbons, and trophies.” 

But Paul is clear:  you can never get enough “merit badges, blue ribbons and trophies” to find life.  The only way you find life is by grasping Jesus.  Why it’s in confessing “…with your heart that Jesus is Lord and [believing] in your heart that God raised him from the dead” Paul clarifies – “[that you grasp life, that] you will be saved…” (Romans 10:9).   

Increasingly we need to help persons confess with their heart that Jesus is Lord, raised from the dead.  For that’s the only signature truth, that delivers life, both today and for eternity.   

And so let’s deliver the signature truth that delivers life.  For how can persons “…believe in [truth, in Jesus, if] they have not heard. And how can they truly hear without someone preaching to them [sharing with them;  evangelizing them]…”  (Romans 10:14).  Frankly such declaration is crucial, for our destiny is not found in the words: “that’s all folks,” but the reality: we will be more alive than ever, forever, because of Jesus.  

  

Claim the reality:  we will be more alive than ever, forever, because of Jesus; claim the gospel!  Be saved from self-effort, pride and sin!  And then go and save others, declaring:  Jesus is Lord, risen from the dead, empowering us to rise, and live -- as well!