Christians Believe Weird Things!
Intro:
1. Our Christian faith must seem weird to the world.
a. God gives us all a choice - heaven or hell. Then He gives us salvation as a free gift!
b. If this choice is so easy, why doesn’t everybody come flocking to the church door?
2. Maybe it’s because:
a. They haven’t heard the good news. They don’t know what the choice is!
b. They don’t want to give up what the world offers (temporary) for eternal life (permanent).
c. They are afraid of being hypocritical. The Christian standards seem so high.
d. They don’t want to commit to anything!
3. Or maybe - God’s way just doesn’t make sense.
I Corinthians 3:18-23
a. It sounds too easy - there’s got to be a catch!
b. Fool (μωρός) = dumb or stupid. It’s where we get our word “moron”.
c. Some people are too intellectually proud - too sophisticated for things that don’t make sense.
d. To them, God’s simple plan of salvation becomes an insult!
4. God’s way & Satan’s way (the world) are opposed to each other.
a. Satan’s world encourages us to be independent - do our own thing - be our own boss - don’t count on others - don’t trust.
b. God’s way is to Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. - I Pet 5:7.
c. God’s wisdom seems too foolish to those oriented in this world - but it’s the power of God for sal- vation non-the-less! (Rom 1:16)
5. What do we Christians believe that sounds weird to the world?
I. You’ve Got to Lose Your Life to Find It!
A. What the world says.
1. “Get out there & make something of yourself” - usually money.
2. “You’ve got to provide for your family” & “I want my kids to have it better than I had it!”
3. “You’ve got to keep up with the Jones’.”
4. “To be a success - prove yourself!”
B. God says. Matt 10:34-39 - Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law — a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
1. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
- Matt 6:33. Give up every temporary interest that’s a barrier to your commitment to God & you’ll have real permanent life!
2. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. - Matt 22:37. This doesn’t leave much room for earthly loyalties does it?
3. Matt 10:37 implies if you love your father, mother or children more than you love God - you love them too much!
4. Lose your earthly life in Jesus & you will find heavenly life in eternity!
II. You Must Be Last to Become First!
A. What the world says.
1. Strive to get ahead in this life for “he who hesitates is lost”.
2. Try to be # 1!
B. God says. Mk 10:28-31 - Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields — and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
1. There’s no room for selfish pride in the Kingdom of God - Matt 23:12.
2. ILL: The laborers who got paid last - Matt 20:1-16.
3. God doesn’t use the standards of this world for His judgments. Humbleness & dependence are more important than achievements!
III. You Must Be Weak to Become Strong!
A. What the world says.
1. “This is a dog eat dog world”.
2. “You’ve got to be tough, healthy & crafty to survive”.
B. God says. II Cor 12:7-10 - To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
1. The more you rely on God’s power instead of your own, the stronger you will be to accomplish His work!
2. The reason most of us are not as effective with our witness as we could be is we try it on our own without God’s direction & power.
These things sound foolish from the world’s point of view. But who are you going to trust? God or the world?
1. Lose your life in God.
2. Be last in your own eyes & the eyes of the world for His sake.
3. Regard yourself as insufficient for the task without His direction & power.
You can become a dynamic influence in this world
As a shining light
You can prove to this world
that the wisdom of God
is the only genuine way to life!
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