100 Sermon Illustrations on Compromise

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). When an individual or a congregation has the attitude of compromise in regard to spiritual values and truths, dark days are ahead. All who strive to be Christians feel a certain amount of pressure from the world. Through the strength that Christ gives, we can overcome the world and its temptations. A man starting a fish business put out his sign that read, "Fresh Fish For Sale Today" and invited all to visit his place of business on opening day. Many came and congratulated him on his new business, but one suggested that he change his sign. "Why the 'Today'? It is today." So he removed the "Today". Someone else said, "Why, 'For Sale'? Everybody knows you have fish for sale-or else why the store?" The words "For Sale" came off the sign. Another said, "Why the word 'Fresh'? You are a man of integrity, that guarantees your fish to be fresh." "Fresh" came off the sign. Only one word was left, "Fish" and one complained about it. "I smelled your fish two blocks away." The individual or congregation that tries to satisfy everybody ends up by pleasing nobody. If we start compromising, we will end up serving the devil. The man should have put up his sign and then stood by it. This is what we are to do in life. Accept God's will for our lives and stand on His promises. The Uncertain Soldier Paul Harvey tells the story of the uncertain soldier in our Civil War who, figuring to play it safe, dressed himself in a blue coat and gray pants and tiptoed out onto the field of battle. He got shot from both directions! The Bible is full of examples of individuals who compromised in one form or another and their ensuing losses. Lot who separated from Abram and moved as far as Sodom (Genesis 13:12-13; Gen. 19:1-29); Samson who compromised with Delilah (Judges 16:1-2); and Solomon who loved many foreign women (1 Kings 11:1-4) are but a few examples. What about times when we are tempted to compromise our faith or beliefs? Will we stay strong or try and wear the blue and gray? Think about it! "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might" (Ephesians 6:10).

Many people today treat religion as a matter of convenience. They have to belong somewhere to be considered respectable. A clergyman once met an old schoolmate of whose activities he had long been ignorant, and finding him a judge of good standing congratulated him upon his success in life. As they were parting, the clergyman said to him, "And best of all, Judge, I find you are a member of our church." "Well," said the judge, "that's more a matter of chance than anything else. You see, when I was getting established in my profession, my wife and I thought we ought to join a church-it was the respectable thing to do. So, after mature deliberation, we settled down with a certain denomination and got on very well for a time; but they kept harping on faith, till we pretty soon discovered that they required more faith than we had; so it became necessary to make a change. We turned the matter over considerably and at last, for various reasons, made up our minds to join another denomination. Here we found the demand was work, work incessantly; and it was presently apparent that they demanded more work than we were able to perform. It was with great reluctance that we concluded that we must change again, and we cast about with much caution, that this move might be final. At last we decided to connect ourselves with your church, sir, and have gotten along famously ever since without either faith or works." A Sermon without the Gospel The story is told of three people who went into a church. The first was a business man who had failed and was contemplating suicide. The second was a prodigal youth, deep in sin, who was planning a robbery. The third was a young woman who was tempted to depart from the path of virtue. The service started. The choir arose and sang an anthem about building the walls of Zion. The minister addressed an eloquent prayer to the Lord and then preached on the theme, "Is Mars Inhabited?" Afterward, the businessman committed suicide, the boy stole and landed in jail, and the young woman began a life of moral shame. What might have happened if only the gospel of personal salvation in Christ had been preached! The Sermon's Omission Years ago it was the custom in a certain theological college for the student who had preached a sermon in class to go into the principal's office next morning for a quiet talk about his work. On one such occasion, the revered and saintly old principal said to the young man before him, "It was a good sermon you gave yesterday; the truth you dealt with was well-arranged and well presented. But your sermon had one omission, a grave one. There was no word in it for a poor sinner like me."

I one day met one of the ten missionaries from America, and I asked him why he didn't belong to the great body of the American portion of the churches laboring in India. He replied that there were differences between them that could not admit of union. "Pray," I said, "what are these differences?"—"Well," he said, "there is one tremendous thing: they sing hymns." That is as worthy a man as lives, a most excellent man. I then asked if he would not, in consequence of those differences, worship Jesus Christ with them. "Yes," he replied, "under protest." I could not help saying that his was the worst Brahminism I had ever seen in India.

— Dr. McLeod

Burgomeister Guericke constructed a gigantic barometer, with a tube thirty feet in height, part of which projected above the roof of his house, at Magdeburg. The index was the figure of a man, who, in fair weather, was seen standing full size above the roof; but, when a storm was brewing, he cautiously withdrew for security and shelter. Antitype of religionists and politicians! When the sun shines brightly, and the breezes scarcely breathe across the landscape, how erect and bold they look! But let the clouds gather, and the thunders mutter, and what a drawing-in of diminished heads! O rare, satirical Burgomeister! you must have had an alderman's experience. Dr. W. F. Warren.

It was announced, some years ago, that old Bigotry was dead and fairly buried. I am sorry to be under the necessity of informing this audience, that it has been discovered, of late, that he left behind him an only child, a prodigal son, who is arrived at man's estate. This son is known by the name of Liberalism. Young Liberalism is the very antipodes of his old father. He is handsome, polite, insinuating, and, although somewhat superficial, possesses that polish and tact which impose upon general observers. He speaks all languages, subscribes to all creeds, holds a levee with all sects and parties, is friendly with everybody, but stands identified with nobody. He professes to abhor religious controversy, and disposes of all doctrinal questions by a motion of indefinite postponement. He can swallow the wafer with the Papist, receive the cup with the Protestant, and thrust the Westminster Confession and the Methodist Discipline into the same pocket. You can never find Liberalism at home, or, rather, "he is never at home but when from home." He sails all waters under all colors; he exhibits the papers of all nations; but he hails from no port; he charters to no country; and therefore we strongly suspect that he is, in reality, a pirate.

— G. C. Cookman

Pliny tells of a mongrel eagle, that has one foot like a goose for the water; and another natural, by which it seeks its prey in the air. It would seem to have the advantage of air and water; but it loses both. The common crow seizes upon it, and makes it an easy prey,—fit emblem of those who seek to serve both God and Satan.

God's people have often compromised with wily enemies of His cause, simply because they argued antiquity. Better to consult God's Word than compromise with any sect that plays the Gibconitish stratagem

God has given us a leader for every crisis, so it is not necessary for His people to compromise with the world, if they will trust Him. Through Christ our King we may have the victory

Haydon, the painter, was an ill-used man; but it was purely his own fault. He would paint high art when people did not want it--would paint acres of hooked-nosed Romans, and bore the public with Dentatus, Scipio and Co., when they wanted something else. He was like a man taking beautiful pebbles to market when people wanted eggs, and telling that they ought not to want eggs, because they led to carnality and had a nasty and disgusting connection with bacon. But people would not have it--eggs they wanted, and eggs they would have, how beautiful soever the pebbles might be. So with Haydon. He persisted that the people ought to have what they did not want, and he went from a prison to a lunatic asylum, and died a suicide.

— GEORGE DAWSON

A great Christian statesman of a former day set us a beautiful example of the right kind of compromise. William Wilberforce was elected to the House of Commons in 1785. As an evangelical, he was unutterably opposed to slavery of any kind. For over 20 years he remained the parliamentary leader of the antislavery movement. He became convinced that the first step for which he could get support was the elimination of the slave trade. Many of his evangelical friends repudiated him because he settled for this half-way measure: He compromised. But in 1807, enough legislators agreed to join forces with him so as to abolish the slave trade throughout the British Empire. Through slavery continued, Wilberforce continued to work, bit by bit and with persistence and patience, to lead his nation to the abolition of slavery in any form.

He never lived to see the victory. One month after his death in 1833, Parliament finally abolished slavery throughout the entire British Empire. Had Wilberforce set his mind on the "quick fix" or had he not been willing to compromise in his battle against slavery, he would never have accomplished his goal or brought the blessings of human freedom to society. Evangelicals in the twentieth century could learn from his example.

#1804

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Bees are not native to America. They were brought by European settlers, called "white man's flies" by Indians. Brought to Ohio by hurricane in 1740's.

Killer bees will reach Texas by 1990. They have killed at least 350 people in Central and South America. Twenty to thirty swarms of Africanized bees accidentally released in Brazil in 1956. More defensive around hives and tend to attack more aggressively and pursue people. Inspired 1978 horror film, "The Swarm."

Scientists had assumed the Africanized bees would become Europeanized by mating the gentler variety, and thus lose their tendency to sting in potentially deadly swarms. But in a surprising finding, researchers report that the dilution of Africanized genes appears only to be temporary and the bees' genetic makeup eventually becomes almost purely Africanized again in the wild swarms that have spread up through Central America and Mexico.

Compare with sin, which cannot be diluted by goodness. Sin will win out and monopolize a person.

Recently, Karen and I had the chance to visit the Civil War battlefield at Vicksburg, Mississippi. I asked Karen if she had any firsthand memories of the war that she wanted to share with me, which almost started another battle at Vicksburg. Now, President Lincoln had called Vicksburg the “key” to the Confederacy and he told his generals, “We do not yet have the key in our pocket.” Standing on high cliffs overlooking the Mississippi, it was a daunting challenge for the Union Army. For more than a year there were bombardments from the river and from the many hills, numerous clashes on land and, at the end, a siege that actually drove Vickburg's residents to live in caves. Everywhere we drove, there were markers indicating Union and Confederate regiments that had battled it out for the hills all around the city. Some of the bloodiest fighting took place as Northern forces mounted bold attacks on the Southern strongholds atop the highest points. As in so many battles, the fight for the high ground helped determine the outcome of the battle.

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “The High Ground.”

You can see it over and over in military history - he who holds the high ground often wins the battle. It's a principle that goes far beyond military engagements. It's a principle of winning in life - hold the high ground, whatever it takes.

That's why integrity is so important, and honesty, and purity, and transparency. That's the moral high ground - and the deciding factor in the blessing of Almighty God.

The Apostle Paul expresses - and actually models - this passion for holding the high ground in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 8:19-21. He's been collecting an offering from the churches to be given to the persecuted and impoverished believers in Jerusalem. He's explaining here the team he's assembled to take this money to Jerusalem. He says of Titus, “He was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering.”

Then Paul explains why he's going to all this extra effort. “We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.” Well, there's the high ground - taking pains to do what is right before both God and man. And frankly, sometimes doing what's right is a pain. It usually takes longer to do it right. It costs more to do it right, and it's harder to do it right. But it so worth it to have the full blessing of God? Will people always agree you're doing what's right? Not always - often because they don't have all the facts. But you need to know that the more people find out about what you're doing the better you will look. Nothing to hide!

The high road: submitting yourself, as the Bible says, “for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted by men.” (1 Peter 2:13) Never repaying anyone “evil for evil” but overcoming “evil with good.” (Romans 12:17, 21) No word games. No money games. No cutting corners on what is right in God's eyes. If the auditors never come to check, you can be sure that we'll all be audited by the Auditor who knows everything about us.

Maybe it's tempting to compromise, to take the easy road instead of the high road. But when you forfeit the high ground - however tempting it might seem to surrender - the battle starts to turn against you. Whatever it takes, whatever it costs - hold the high ground!

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Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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[Original illustration at this number has been added to HolwickID #16628]

Solzhenitsyn directly challenged the Soviet Orthodox hierarchs' longstanding reason for capitulating to the authorities:

"By what reasoning is it possible to convince oneself that the planned destruction of the spirit and body of the church under the guidance of atheists is the best way of preserving it? Preserving it for whom? Certainly not for Christ. Preserving it by what means? By falsehood? But after the falsehood by whose hands are the holy sacraments to be celebrated?"

Solzhenitsyn's advise can be summed up by his famous admonition: "Live not by lies!" He believes strongly that the moral corruption in Soviet society caused by widespread lying and deceit will be reversed only when each individual determines to live by the truth.

Interview with Bill Hybels on the Willow Creek phenomenon:

WHEN WE TALKED TO THEOLOGIAN DAVID WELLS, HE CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING QUESTION AND ANALYSIS: "WHAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN FAITH WILL YOU PRESENT OR BE LEFT WITH IF YOU ARE OBSEQUIOUSLY PROSTRATING YOURSELF BEFORE BABY BOOMERS--A GENERALLY SELF-CENTERED, RELATIVISTIC, UNLOYAL GENERATION? YOU'RE GIVING THEM A CHRIST-CULTURE THEME THAT THEY CANNOT POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND, GIVEN THEIR INHERENT NATURE. WILLOW CREEK AND ITS CLONES VIEW ALL OF CULTURE AS HARMLESS AND NEUTRAL; THEREFORE, WHY NOT ADAPT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH TO IT? THE PROBLEM IS THAT CULTURE IS LADEN WITH VALUES THAT INEVITABLY GO AGAINST THE THRUST OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE." HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND?

I think the values of our society are blatantly opposed to the values of Christ. But what we try to do at Willow Creek is say, "Come as you are. Come with your BMW and your Rolex, because even though you have caved in to the values of this sick culture, you still matter to God." And when they confess their sins and see what Christ did for them at the Cross, we begin a very aggressive value-transformation program that will not stop until they go to their graves.

HOW DO YOU MOVE A PERSON FROM A CONSUMER ORIENTATION OF FULFILLING FELT NEEDS TO A CHRISTIAN FOCUS ON SELF-DENIAL?

Through teaching, prayer, fellowship, service, discipleship, mentoring, discipline. Through all the means of grace that people have been using for 2,000 years. This isn't the first culture that's been sick. What has the church been doing for 2,000 years? It's been taking people out of a sick culture, leading them to Jesus, and then trying to inculcate his values in them.

John Seel, the author of "Evangelical Forfeit," presented us with this concern: "If you convert a person under the seeker-sensitive philosophy, how does that affect their spiritual maturity and the nature of their discipleship?" In other words, does the seeker-sensitive church's brand of discipleship inhibit the spiritual development of its members?

I don't think Willow Creek is cranking out believers who aren't maturing in their Faith. I would stack the committed core of Willow Creek against that of any church, because they not only have a growing understanding of the facts of the faith, but they also have hearts that are hurting for the lost and the poor and suffering.

We have a bench out in our lobby called the fool's bench. It got its name because sometimes when our people invite their friends to a service, they stand out in the lobby waiting for them to come. Sometimes they are still standing out there 15 minutes into the service. And their friends don't show up. They're heartbroken because they've been praying for their boss, and he said he was going to come, but he didn't show. This goes on every week at this church. That's the stuff that doesn't get attention.

We get press about our buildings, about our budgets, about our drama--but what the spotlight ought to be on is the fact that we gave away 85 vehicles to single moms last year; that we feed 350 people a month with our food pantry; that we just gave a quarter of a million dollars to our local benevolence ministries. These are the real signs that Christ is being honored in the church, and the spotlight has not been on them.

MANY CRITICS HAVE OBSERVED THAT YOUR CHURCH IS MADE UP OF WHITE, AFFLUENT SUBURBANITES--A HOMOGENEOUS PEOPLE GROUP. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR THE CHURCH'S SUCCESS FOR IT TO BE HOMOGENEOUS?

Willow Creek is almost an exact representation of our community's demography, so we are not intentionally homogeneous. It's a function of where we are. We want to be as inclusive and as integrated as we can possibly be.

DO YOU ENDORSE THE IDEA CALLED THE "HOMOGENEOUS-UNIT PRINCIPLE" IN CHURCH-GROWTH CIRCLES?

I never have. I think a church ought to reflect its neighborhood. If the neighborhood is diverse, I hope the church would be. If the neighborhood is not diverse, it's pretty hard for a church to be.

JOHN PERKINS AND OTHER LEADERS OF THE CHURCH'S RACIAL-RECONCILIATION MOVEMENT SAY THAT BECAUSE OF LONG-STANDING RACIAL BARRIERS IN OUR SOCIETY, ONE OF THE MARKS OF TRUE FAITH TODAY WOULD BE TO GO BEYOND LOCAL DEMOGRAPHICS AND TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT RACIAL DIVERSITY.

Periodically we meet with some of the minority groups from our church, and we say, "How do you feel? Are we doing enough? Can you help us understand how we can be a more racially and ethnically diverse congregation?" But we have not come up with initiatives that we think would be effective. So, we're interested, but we're frustrated with our ineffectiveness.

IN HIS BOOK "SELLING JESUS," DOUG WEBSTER QUOTES YOU AS SAYING, "GENERALLY A PASTOR CAN DEFINE HIS APPROPRIATE TARGET AUDIENCE BY DETERMINING WITH WHOM HE WOULD LIKE TO SPEND A VACATION OR AN AFTERNOON OF RECREATION." THAT PHILOSOPHY SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD LEAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT.

What I was trying to say was that, beyond our broad calling, it's fairly common for people to have a passion for a particular people group. The example I always turn to is the apostle Paul, who had a passion for planting churches among the Gentiles. Similarly, there are some who feel called to Generation X or to inner-city crowds or to the international student population.

ISN'T IT A PROBLEM, THOUGH, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE COMING UP WITH THE SAME CALLING: TO WHITE, AFFLUENT, SUBURBAN BABY BOOMERS?

So are you saying that pastors are deceived--that they're not really authentically seeking God--or are you blaming God for the way God is leading those people?

IT SEEMS THAT NUMBERS PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE SEEKER-SENSITIVE MOVEMENT. CAN A SMALL CHURCH OF 100 BE SEEKER-SENSITIVE?

Absolutely.

DO YOU MEASURE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS IN PART BY NUMERICAL GROWTH?

It would be one aspect, but certainly not the most important. What we're about as a church is biblical values. We're always monitoring the values.

LET'S SAY YOU DECIDE TO DO A SERIES OF MESSAGES THAT PRESENT THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL WITH A STERN, NO-NONSENSE APPROACH. YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE MESSAGES AND PLAN TO DO THEM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS, BUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS INTO THEM YOU REALIZE ATTENDANCE IS GOING DOWN ON A REGULAR BASIS. WHAT DO YOU DO?

Easy answer: We keep going. We've done it in the past. If the values are right, we believe in the long run God will honor what we're doing.

MANY PASTORS RAISE THE CONCERN THAT THE SEEKER-SENSITIVE AND MEGACHURCH MOVEMENT CREATES A JOB FEW CAN DO SUCCESSFULLY--THAT IT WILL INEVITABLY BURN YOU OUT.

It is demanding. It necessitates the move toward team ministry, which flies in the face of entrepreneurial, autocratic, one-man-show types. The kind of person who likes the challenge of planting a church like Willow Creek tends to be a self-starter, a freethinking, risk-taking individual. That person can get one up and going, but keeping it going is almost sure to ruin him; there's too much to pay attention to.

ARE YOU SPEAKING AUTOBIOGRAPHICALLY?

It's been well-documented that in 1989 I almost became unglued emotionally because of the stresses associated with leading this ministry. I was 38 years old and had been an evangelical Christian most of my life and had never heard of the term that's now known worldwide-- team teaching.

That was a novel idea to me, so I went to a bunch of people and asked them about it. They said it would destroy my church. One guy said to me, "Bill, you've almost killed yourself for 15 years building this great church. If you move to team teaching, you'll watch it disintegrate right in front of your eyes." And I said, "I'm already disintegrating right in front of my eyes." So we moved to team teaching.

We've been at it for five years now, and our people would never want to go back to solo teaching. They enjoy hearing the Word of God through different voice boxes.

THE SEEKER CHURCH HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF MINIMIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF FORMAL THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION. SOME CLAIM THEY'VE HEARD YOU SAY QUITTING SEMINARY WAS ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS YOU EVER MADE.

I don't recall ever having said that. I quite often say that I feel handicapped that I did not finish seminary. When young men or women come to me and say, "I think I want to be a teacher someday in the kingdom of God, should I hang in with seminary?" I say, By all means.

SOME CHARGE THAT YOU'RE NOT REALLY ATTRACTING SEEKERS BUT DISENCHANTED CHRISTIANS FROM OTHER CHURCHES.

That's not true. We've never changed our orientation, which is toward nonchurched people.

WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS ANTIDENOMINATIONAL?

No. I would say I'm adenominational. I just don't think it's the wave of the future. I see very little loyalty to denominations anymore, especially among nonchurched people.

SINCE YOU ARE "ADENOMINATIONAL," HOW DO YOU HANDLE TRICKY DOCTRINAL ISSUES, LIKE THE CHARISMATIC GIFTS OR MODE OF BAPTISM?

Our elders just study the Scriptures, led by the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we seek counsel from the outside. We'll call in different theologians and have them sit with us and mentor us in a topic. But in the final analysis, our elders will make that call.

ANOTHER CRITICISM OF THE SEEKER MOVEMENT IS THAT IT DEVALUES THE SACRAMENTS.

The Scriptures say, "Believe and be baptized." So if you become a recipient of amazing grace and haven't obeyed the Lord in this, we ask you why not? We have baptisms twice a year and Communion once a month at our believers' service.

IF YOU COULD SAY ANYTHING TO THE LEADERS OF OTHER SEEKER-ORIENTED CHURCHES, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I would just tell them to preach the Scriptures unapologetically, to hold very close to the Acts 2 definition of a biblically functioning community, and to concentrate more on being the church than building great buildings.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE MINISTRY OF BILL HYBELS AND WILLOW CREEK COMMUNITY CHURCH IS SAYING TO THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE?

I think what I'm trying to help the body of Christ understand, if I can be so presumptuous is 1 Corinthians 12, where it says there is one Spirit, but many ministries. I have never contended that every church should be a Willow Creek. I think that would be a travesty. But I think there needs to be some Willow Creek-style churches around the country and around the world, because God is pleased to reach some of the lost through them.

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Copyright (c) 1994 Christianity Today, Inc./CHRISTIANITY TODAY Magazine

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Sermon in Acts series. Jerusalem Council Acts 15:22-33

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COMPROMISE OR CONSENSUS?

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I. Conflict is a fact of life.

II. Principles cannot be compromised.

A. Issue in Acts 15 is the basis of salvation. Acts 15:1,5

B. Background in book of Galatians. Gal 2:12f

C. There can be no compromise on Christian principles.

III. Preferences should be settled by consensus.

A. Not every issue is worth dying for.

B. The church made its decision together.

C. The restrictions were reasonable. Acts 15:20

D. Sensitivity is important.

IV. Priorities must be kept focused.

A. We must know what we are fighting for.

B. Areas where the church must take a stand today:

1) Godly lifestyles.

2) Sanctity of life.

3) Objective truth of God's Word.

C. In all things practice love.

Sermon in King David series. David with Achish, and in Ziklag. 27,29,30

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DAYS OF DECEPTION

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I. What do you do when everything is pressing in on you?

II. Every solution - but God. 1 Sam 27:1-7

A. Humanistic, pressimistic, rationalistic. 27:1

B. There is a way that seems right to a man... Prov 14:12

III. The devious scheme. 27:2-4

A. David and his men move their families to Gath in Philistia.

B. Finessing the dilemma.

C. A consequence of the scheme.

IV. Compromise always bears a price.

A. The adversary's cause was adopted. 27:5

B. David becomes duplicious and a liar. 27:10

C. He becomes vague. 27:10

D. He becomes spiritually ineffective.

V. The hustler gets hustled. 1 Sam 29

A. David may think he is making a fool of Achish, but in end,

B. Only resistance of enemy generals saves David's hide. 29:1-7

C. Compromise crumbles. 1 Sam 29-30

VI. David hits bottom, and turns back up to God.

A. "But David found strength in the Lord his God." 30:6

B. What will it take for us to turn back to God?

#3420

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Gaining access to the power of God is critical for anyone who wants to avoid physical, emotional and especially spiritual exhaustion.

That’s according to a new book titled “Battle Fatigue,” released by the Baptist Sunday School Board’s Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Written by Joe B. Brown, pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, N.C., the book warns readers Christians will not be able to access God’s power if they hold on to “bits of Baal.”

Referring to Baal -- a pagan god mentioned in the Old Testament -- Brown writes, “We must remove all false gods from our lives, those things that we thought would bring the rain but could not because they are powerless.”

He lists five “bits of Baal” that may hinder a Christian’s access to the power of God:

1) Ambition to achieve fame, success or glory -- no matter what the cost to one’s spiritual life: “It involves replacing God with your own ego and self-will.”

2) Unholy desires: “Ask yourself this question, ‘What is it that I want that God doesn’t want for me?’”

3) Memories of the past: “Is there anything in your life that you cannot let go of? Does your mind carry you back to an event and hold you captive there day after day? If you spend too much time and energy there, it can become a Baal.”

4) Unhealthy relationships: “There are people in our lives who try to draw us away from our power source, directing us toward a path that leads away from God, not toward him. Be careful not to let unhealthy relationships become a Baal.”

5) Business activities and recreational endeavors: “It has well been said, ‘We worship our work, we work at our play and we play at our worship.’ If we expend more energy making a living and entertaining ourselves than building a relationship with God, we have created a Baal in our lives.”

Copyright (c) 1995 Baptist Press

Young people are going to do it and there is nothing you or I can do to stop them. As a result, we should instruct them in a way that is amoral, how to do it responsibly. This represents the current conventional wisdom in approaching young people about unmarried sex. It is said to be the only rational and common sense approach to the issue. Anyone suggesting an abstinence message is scoffed at and branded puritanical at best and an irresponsible fool at worst.

It is interesting to note that the "we can't do anything about it" approach is only taken in regard to sex. All other serious issues facing young people are approached in a much more legalistic fashion. Although teens have historically engaged in a variety of risky behaviors with potentially negative consequences, sex is the only activity we surrender to.

Cheating, for instance, is an activity that high school and college students have engaged since chalk was invented. Several recent studies indicate that the deceptive practice is on the rise. With increased competition for admission into top colleges and graduate schools, some students give in to the pressure and cheat. They plagiarize, share answers, steal tests, buy term papers and/or utilize cheat sheets all in an effort to obtain an eye-popping G.P.A.

Students are going to cheat and nothing that can be done about it. Anyone who thinks otherwise is simply foolish and/or living on another planet. I propose that we take the same conventional "common sense" approach that is currently utilized in reference to unmarried sex and apply it to cheating.

Classes should be introduced and students instructed in the pros and cons of cheating. A variety of effective study methods should be presented and the virtues of each extolled. Care must be taken so this instruction is accomplished in an amoral way. Students should not be given the impression that cheating is somehow inherently wrong while choosing to be studious is virtuous.

Since there will be those who are going to cheat, no matter how much they are told that by choosing to cheat they are only cheating themselves, there should be instruction on how to cheat effectively and discreetly. However, information alone will not be enough. In order to insure that we do not stigmatize those who choose to cheat, an area must be set up where a student can have access to the best in cheat sheets and plagiarized papers. Cheating paraphernalia must be dispensed discreetly and without cost. There should be no barriers to keep students from cheating once they determine that is what they truly want to do.

If a student chooses to access the cheating materials, should the school tell the parents? Of course not! If parents were to find out, they might overreact. They might even revert to the Stone Age practice of grounding the student. Many parents don't realize that just because a student experiments with cheating once or twice it doesn't mean they are cheaters. Who knows, in experiencing cheating a student might realize that he or she is not really ready for the emotional consequences of cheating and will return to studying.

When you apply the current conventional wisdom used in approaching the subject of unmarried sex with people to any other subject -- like cheating, alcohol, drugs or tobacco you see just how foolish it really is.

Any behavior that has the real potential of adversely altering a student's life should be discouraged rather than encouraged. Will we ever stop all students from engaging in unmarried sex -- or cheating? No. There will always be some who will embrace that which is harmful. However, that is no justification for waving the white flag of surrender. All I am saying is give virtue a chance.

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A real-life testimony of a severely compromised Christian who was not accommodated by a church, but confronted with love.

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Leon Hebrink was raised in a Dutch Reformed home that went "Pentecostal" in the early 70's during a charismatic renewal of sorts. When Leon was 14 his family moved to an Assembly of God Church. Leon was baptized as a believer at age 15 and spent the next three years traveling as a youth evangelist and "Athlete with a witness."

He went to a Christian college and was introduced to drugs and alcohol in the "Football Dorm." Leon loved it and went whole hog into the debauchery of a Jock lifestyle. For sometime he tried to keep one foot in both worlds. Church on Sunday, Bible Study on Wednesday and party, party, party the rest of the time.

After a failed marriage and a shot at a teaching and coaching career Leon continued to waver back and forth in his faith. He made one attempt to reenter the church but was kicked out of the Sunday School Class he was teaching when the Elders found out Leon was divorced. While teaching and coaching at the same Christian college Leon had attended he grew very cynical with the frauds on campus who put up a "holier than thou" facade while living like hell under cover of secrecy. Leon got an opportunity to manage a sports bar that also booked Rock and Blues bands. He jumped at it and thumbed his nose at the church and the college.

Leon spent about five years riding the wave of wealth, drugs, and women, all the while witnessing to people about the reality of Christ, God's Word, and the Gospel. He still rejected the church or any Christian institution but told many people about Jesus over a glass of scotch and a line of coke. His life was a mess.

About 5:00 a.m. one morning Leon looked in the mirror while trying to scratch one more spoon full of coke out of his vial. This was after a 3 day "bender." What he saw looking back at him was a dead man. He knew he was dead spiritually and he sensed he would soon be dead physically either from drugs or guns. Leon decided to move far away from anyone he knew and seek a teaching job. In a matter of a few months he was teaching physical education in Miami, Florida, of all places. A drug dealing bar manager living in Miami in the mid-80's - what a hoot!

The first part of his return journey was primarily back to physical health. Leon ran along the ocean and hit the gym regularly, lost 70 pounds and made some huge lifestyle changes. Then he had to work up enough courage to step into a church. This was hard and he bounced around a lot from church to church and meeting to meeting. Leon was usually in some church 2 or 3 times a week but seldom in the same one more than twice.

At 4:00 a.m. one morning the Lord spoke to him as clear as could be. "Leon, where have you been? What about the call you answered when you were 14? Will you still serve me?" Leon thought, no way, God could never use me now. The sweet spirit of the Lord convinced him that God can and would forgive him as well as use him to work in His Kingdom.

It all just about blew up in his face when Leon faced the scrutiny of a seminary admissions board who had seen him on TV ads for his bars just a couple years earlier. Leon was also turned away at the first few churches he visited. Then along came the pastor of First Baptist Church. The message was loud and clear: "We love you, God loves you, repent and come back home." After discipling with him for a few months the pastor offered Leon a ministry position at the church and the rest is history. Now ten years later Leon is the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church in Lansing, Michigan.

God did indeed work a miracle in his life. He praises God someone finally refused to soft-sell him on the truth or accommodate his sin. In his ten years of ministry Leon has seen God work miracles like his over and over again. The world really doesn't want to be excused or accommodated, it wants the truth.

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In a discussion on September 5, 1999, on whether churches should accept active homosexuals into full fellowship, Leon responded, "When I was living a life of drugs, sex, and violence while running a chain of night clubs nobody from the church welcomed and affirmed my lifestyle as an alternative choice. Nobody from the church dismissed my lifestyle with 'soul freedom' or 'individual faith journey' cliches. The clear message an American Baptist church and pastor gave me was, 'We love you, God loves you, repent and come back home.' If we cannot stand firm on the Word of God and speak the truth in love our denomination will decay and die. Sadly, many of those who cry 'the sky is falling' are those who want us to crawl in bed with Jezebel."

Winter was coming on and a hunter went out into the forest to shoot a bear, out of which he planned to make a warm coat. By and by he saw a big bear coming toward him and raised his gun and took aim. "Wait," said the bear, "why do you want to shoot me?" "Because I am cold," said the hunter, "and I need a coat." "But I am hungry," the bear replied, "so maybe if we just talk this over a little, we could come to a compromise." So the hunter sat down beside the bear and began to talk over the pros and cons. In the end, the hunter was well enveloped with the bear's fur and the bear and had eaten his dinner.

This reminds me of a

Russian named Ivanovich who visited the Moscow Zoo for

the first time. To his amazement he found a little lamb sharing the

cage that

held a big fierce bear. Ivanovich expressed surprise to his communist

guide.

The guide smiled and said, "That is peaceful coexistence." When

Ivanovich

doubtfully shook his head, the guide reluctantly went on to explain

"Of

course, we have to put in a fresh lamb every morning." You see

peaceful

coexistence between right and wrong, God and the devil is not

possible. You

must learn to whom to say "No."

I really got a scare

once. I was stopped at a red light, next to me was a

cement mixer. It was just barely creeping forward, and when I noticed

the

movement, I immediately jammed on the brakes thinking I was rolling

backward.

It was quite frightening. I should have kept my eyes straight ahead

instead

of on my neighbor.

The early 1st century Christian were offered their lives if they would but cast a touch of incense on the fire that burned before the image of the Emperor. A very small gesture of political support compared with being fed to the loins or being burned at the stake. They could have argued that they could do more good by living than by dying. “He who fights and runs away, will live to fight another day. Better a live dog than a dead lion.” But, when men catch a glimpse of the face of God, they do not fear the face of man!

-- W. A. Criswell, DANIEL, Vol 12, p. 109

For many years, our family had been going to Ocean City, New Jersey, for vacations and conferences. It has a three-mile boardwalk, great Atlantic beaches, and a family atmosphere. Well, those are all things that we can all get excited about, but something happened over those years at the beach. The beach shrank. Well, not all at once; a little at a time. It just got eroded. Eventually, the city fathers had a major challenge on their hands - to rebuild their bread-and-butter - those beaches that were slowly disappearing!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Standing Against The Tide.”

Some great places have been really damaged by the slow process of erosion. So have some great people. That's why you've got to make the choices that will stop the erosion in your life.

And we've all got a powerful example for that in our word for today from the Word of God in the Book of Daniel, chapter 1, beginning with verse 5. Daniel is one of a handful of promising Jewish young men who have been taken to Babylon after King Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of their land. The king includes them with some of his own Babylonian “first-round draft picks” in a leadership development program that will ultimately propel them to greatness in the kingdom.

Everything was fine until the king, “assigned a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table.” This was a special “training table diet” designed to make them into the best physical specimens possible. But that kind of food was totally out of bounds for Jews back then, as defined by the laws of their God. Tough choice here. You're on your way to greatness, and right here at the beginning you're being asked to compromise a little. At stake could be your whole future - maybe even your life if you defied the most powerful man in the world.

But the Bible says, “Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel.” This official was afraid he might be executed if Daniel and his Jewish comrades ended up looking worse than the others. So Daniel persuaded him to allow a ten-day test of an alternate diet of vegetables and water. Long story short, Daniel and company, the Bible says, “looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food,” and “the king found none equal to Daniel” and his friends.

Now, God may be asking you to risk everything right now on what looks like a very expensive faithfulness. It could really cost you to do what's right, to hold to your convictions, to refuse to compromise your integrity or your purity. You're risking everything on the faithfulness of your God. It's tempting to give in to get ahead ... to get that need met ... to get out of that jam. But with your compromise goes a huge piece of you and the blessing of Almighty God. Resist that eroding tide.

And remember that God's favor is for God's faithful. You may, like Daniel, find yourself in different environments, pressured by different expectations, but you've got to be sure that it's always the same you! You have to “resolve not to defile yourself” - to build an uncompromising wall against even the first step that would take you outside the ways of your God.

In the words of Psalm 4:5, “Offer right sacrifices, and trust in the Lord.” In other words, do what's right - even if it's a sacrifice - and trust the Lord for what happens after that. His greatest rewards are reserved for those who will not betray Him, even for another king. Erosion will take what you cannot afford to lose. Stand against that temptation, stand against the tide, and let God give you what you could never have any other way.

________________

Copyright © Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc., PO Box 400, Harrison, AR 72602. Used by permission. Written by Ron Hutchcraft. "Practical Answers to Real Life Issues"

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #4558]

Mrs. John Welch, daughter of John Knox, partook of her father’s spirit. Her husband was imprisoned for his faith, and was severly stricken with tuberculosis, when she made her way before King James to plead for his release.

“I will send him home with you,” said the king, “if you will persuade him to submit to the bishops.”

Holding out her apron, she said, “Please, your majesty, I’d rather carry his head home there, than tempt him to sin against his conscience.”