Pastor Elwin Ahu
July 22, 2007 - W0729

Have you ever had an experience at a restaurant or store that was so bad that you say you’ll never go back there again?  Because of that one experience, we make a judgment or decision about the establishment that may prevent us from ever going back there again.  Or what about stereotypes?  When we first brought our adopted son Jared home from China, we tried to put him in the car seat but he fought and squirmed when we tried to strap him in. You see, in China, they don’t have seat belt laws so Jared was used to moving around in the back seat while we are driving but when we got home, we needed to strap him into the car seat but he wouldn’t sit still until I said, “Jared, you need to sit in the car seat otherwise the police…”  At the sound of the word police, he quickly sat in the seat and allowed us to strap him in.

Something about the word “police” hit a chord with Jared and he immediately had a reaction based on some previous experience he had.  We don’t like stereotypes however we are all influenced by previous experiences and it is natural to form opinions, or make assumptions, on things based on our previous experiences.  So have you ever wondered why people have a bad impression of the Church?

Recently, the Catholic Church settled a sex abuse case by 550 victims for $660 million.  In 1990, they had settled another such case for a sum of $85 million.  Some of you may be thinking, “…but they’re Catholic, we’re Christian…”  A researcher did a study about Christians and Non-Christians, and this is what he found:  there was statistically no difference in the percent of Christians versus Non-Christians who had extra-marital affairs, lied on their resumes, lied about their giving, and thought that speeding on the highway is morally acceptable in spite of the fact that it is breaking the law.  His conclusion from his study was…where Christians can have the greatest impact, they are having no (or a destructive) impact.

The most destructive force against Christians is not the anti-Christian but rather the non-authentic Christian.

Let’s take an example.  I have two bills in my pocket; one bill is a $50 and one bill is a $20.  Which bill would you want?  The $50 of course.  Well here is the $50 bill (visual:  a blown up, color-photocopy of a $50 bill – looks exactly like a $50 but unmistakably fake because of its size.) And here is the $20 bill (looks normal.)  Now which would you want?  The $20 of course.  Why?  Because it looks authentic.

People are looking for authentic Christians, ones who are willing to walk the talk.  People are always watching the Church and judging it  based on its members. 

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” (Matt. 5:13 NKJV)

Why does God compare us to salt?  Well back in those days, salt was a very valuable commodity.  With no refrigeration, salt was needed to preserve food, it was used to enhance the flavor of food, and it was also known to have certain healing properties.  It was so valuable that Roman soldiers would receive some of their pay in salt.  That’s where the saying “worth your weight in salt” comes from.

When God compares us to salt, He is saying, “You are valuable to me and you can enhance the world.” But the passage also warns that salt can lose its flavor and be compromised – “mixed with dirt.”  If salt is mixed with dirt, nothing can grow there.  It will suck the life out of the dirt.  Have you ever asked yourself what taste do you leave behind?

Continuing this series called Excel Still More, today we are talking about upgrading our walk (our reach and influence on the world) by being truly authentic Christians, so…

WHAT INCREASES OUR INFLUENCE:

The first thing that increases our authenticity and influence is…

1.      WHEN INTEGRITY REPLACES THE DOUBLE-LIFE.

We all have a few face we wear including the public one that we show to the outside world, the private one that we only share with a few people, and then the personal which we don’t really share with anyone – it’s who we are on the inside.  Unfortunately, so many of us wear our clean (well-behaved) faces to Church but when we leave this place, we fail to practice what we heard in Church and end up slipping back into that other mask/face.

“How terrible it will be for you…Hypocrites!  You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are filthy – full of greed and self-indulgence!...First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too.” (Matt. 23:25-26 NLT)

The word “hypocrite” comes from the days when there weren’t enough actors to play all the parts on the stage so some actors would run back and forth behind the curtain and change masks to play different characters.  As Christians, we need to have just one face.  We need to build integrity in our lives.  The word “integrity” comes from the word integrated, or one. 

So how do we build integrity?  We build integrity by having convictions that hold us together. 

• CONVICTIONS TIE TOGETHER WHAT WE SAY WITH WHAT WE DO.

“…we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth.  Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ…” (Eph. 4:14-15 NLT)

Take this $20 bill for example.  If I crumple it and crush it, how much is it worth?  $20.  But how about if I smash is and throw it on the ground?  It’s still worth $20.  But what if a step on it and grind it into the ground?  It’s still worth $20!  Why?  Because the value this bill

2.     WHEN WE CAN BE REAL AND NOT JUST RELIGIOUS.

depends on what it’s made of, not what it looks like.  Similarly, our convictions define what we’re worth – the value comes from the inside.  And when you define your value on the inside, it determines how you’re going to live your life on the outside.

Our convictions anchor us down and keep us steady regardless of the circumstances around us.  I was reading the book of Amos recently and a particular scripture really jumped out at me that said seek good, not evil.  That same morning, I ran into some situations that were very frustrating and aggravating but that scripture kept popping into my mind.  With everything that happened that morning, things could’ve easily escalated to an ugly situation but because I had adopted that scripture – seek good, not evil – as a conviction, it helped me to keep my cool and manage the day’s events. 

Set healthy convictions in your life otherwise you’ll end up moving with the tide or drifting into a harbor where you don’t belong.  But with convictions, you’ll be anchored with God in love and truth.  Convictions give you integrity that help increase your influence but the second way we can influence people is…

The Salt of the earth needs to be involved in the world.  "Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath.  Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down.  Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up…don’t be the great somebody.” (Rom. 12:14-16 MSG)

This passage says, “Don’t be stuck-up.”  Don’t separate yourself from the world – both physically and emotionally. Don’t suppress your emotions either just because someone once told you if you worry, you don’t have enough faith.  Non-Christians want us to talk about our struggles and how our faith allows us to deal with our struggles.  If we’re not careful, we can get caught up trying to cover up our sins however… “If we say we have not sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth.  But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” (1 John 1:8-9 NLT)

We tend to cover up our problems and not deal with our emotions.  We may end up protecting our image but destroying our ministry.

Then lastly, we can influence others for God…

3.      WHEN WE PERSIST RATHER THAN WAVER IN OUR FAITH.

Life is like a rollercoaster ride full of twists and ups & downs.  So what does the Bible say about this?  “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.   And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

Note, it doesn’t say “Be Happy!”  Happiness is based on happenstance.   God tells us to consider it all joy.

Imagine standing in line waiting to get on the giant rollercoaster when you see two people stepping off of the ride.  The first one is shaky, looking so happy to be back on solid ground whereas the second one is cheering, smiling, and encouraging others to enjoy the ride.  Which would you like to ride with?  The one who is expressing joy, right?

“And we desire that each of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end…This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast…” (Heb: 6:11, 19).

Think about it, what taste you will leave behind when you’re with other people?  Are you going to enhance their lives or leave a bad taste.?

To excel still more, we need to upgrade our walk to increase our influence in this world.  We can do that by allowing our convictions to build integrity in our lives instead of the double-life we often lead.  When we are real, and not just religious, there is an authenticity about us that attracts others to us.  Then lastly, when we persist rather than waver in our faith, God can use us as an example to others.  Be the example by upgrade your walk today!

DISCUSSION SUGGESTIONS:

How many faces or masks do you have?  Why do you have so many?

Name a conviction that has saved you from doing the wrong thing.  Or, name a conviction that you should adopt to save you from doing the wrong thing.

What does it mean to be “real”  versus “religious?  How can you use this to influence people for God.

Do you waver in your faith from time to time?  What gets you back on course when that happens?

As a result of this week’s lesson, what ideas do you have for upgrading your walk?

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong with our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NLT)

 Sermon Notes Ministry: Debbie Chang, Leighton Loo,

                                                Doreen Rabaino & Jay Tsukayama