LET MY CHARACTER SPEAK FOR ME

Acts 17:10-12

Mahailia Jackson, the late gospel singer, made a song entitled “Lord, I want to live the life I sing about.” As the title of her song suggests, it is her prayer and earnest desire to synchronize her lifestyle with her faith.

The idea that we are not or do not live and practice what we preach or profess can be a shock to the system. It is difficult for anyone to come to terms with and/or digest the fact that a disconnect exists between the things we say we stand for and what we actually accept, allow, or let slide. It is sobering to find out that the standard we espouse or hold others to is not necessarily the same standard we ourselves live by.

Actually, the English language has a word for this it is called “hypocrisy.” Promoting one standard or way of life, but practicing the opposite or something entirely different.

For the unbeliever hypocrisy is no big deal because God uses a different standard to judge unbelievers than the standard God uses to judge believers. Furthermore, the world expects and accepts hypocrisy as a part of our social fabric. We have come to expect lawyers to be ruthless and to have sold their souls to the devil and will do whatever it takes to win a case, even if it means distorting the truth, withholding the truth, or flat out lying. The irony here is that they are sworn to seek and pursue the truth. We have also come to expect and accept the fact that politicians will say anything to get elected or re-elected and then recant or come down with a case of short-term memory loss once they are in office.

What about believers? How does a believer keep him or her self from being swallowed up in the morass of hypocrisy that pervades our world?

The late John Wooden, former head coach of the UCLA men’s basketball team wrote, “Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” These words from the late John Wooden remind us that the way believers insulate themselves from the infected by the world is by not being affected by how the world thinks and acts. We do this by seeing, hearing, and recognizing what is happening around us, but we pay greater attention to what is going on inside of us. The issue as Mr. Wooden aptly point out is our character. This is where our focus needs to be at all times.

Rather than looking for others to tell us how good we are, let us examine our own character traits and listen to what they say about us. D. L. Moody said that “Character is what you are in the dark.” If we want to know what kind of character we have simply turn the lights off and see how we act. We learn more about ourselves away from people and out of the public eye then we do when people are watching us. If we want to see who we are not, take a snap shoot of how we act in the company of others.

The truth is that our character traits reveal to the world that we really are. As Gamaliel Bradford states, “In great matters men and women show themselves as they wish to be seen, in small matters we show ourselves as we are.” The human agency is such that it has the potential to rise to any occasion. The greater the challenge the higher we are capable of rising. Challenges trigger something within us that enables us to reach deep down inside and summon the wherewithal to come up with an appropriate response to the challenge. On the other hand in more mundane everyday matters we also have the tendency to be dismissive, surly, cantankerous, hypercritical, or passive-aggressive. We want the world to see us as highly motivated, courageous, problem solvers detailed and organized and they must never find out that in our private lives we are not what we seem in public.

The apostle Paul and his traveling companion Silas were run out of the Greek city of Thessalonica and headed for another Greek city called Berea. In Berea, they met up with a group of believers called the Bereans. The text says, “The Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians.” If we were to contrast the two groups, the Thessalonians and the Bereans, we would discover there were stark contrasts between the two groups.

The Thessalonians were driven by jealousy and seemed more intent on creating and perpetuating strife, discord, and acrimony. They were not happy unless turmoil and confusion existed. They appeared to be a very I, self, and me centered group. When things did not go their way, they acted out like spoiled children until they got what they wanted.

The Bereans however were cut from a totally different cloth and exhibited more positive character traits than the rabble rousing Thessalonian sect. The Scriptures tell us that the Bereans “Received the message with great eagerness.” They were hungry for the Word of God. Paul paints the picture of a group of men and women who came to church looking forward to what God had to say to them. You get the idea that these folks simply could not get enough of God’s Word. This is absolutely astounding when you consider over indulging in anything will eventually turn a person off.

The Bereans apparent voracious appetite for the Word of God speaks to their attitude that God has something to say to us about whatever situation or circumstance we face. The Berean posture also provides us with an example of how we should approach church. The church should not be seen as a place where our attendance is compulsory or required, nor should we come feeling as though we have some obligation to fulfill. Rather the church should be seen as the place where we come to meet and dialogue with God. It is here in God’s house where God will offer us a prescription for our ailments, a balm that will soothe our aches, and revelation that will help us to fit the pieces of the puzzle called life together. The Berean appetite for the Word of God says something too about their perspective about God’s Word. Too often we really only want to hear “Good News” and bristle at the thought that God would chastise us. In reality even what is perceived, as bad news is “Good News.” What some would consider God’s chastisement is God offering correction, guidance, and direction to His children. Bad character traits do not just happen; they become ingrained and reinforced with practice. The Word of God then becomes a teaching tool to help correct and eradicate bad character traits and behavior patterns that will ultimately prove detrimental to our wellbeing.

The text tells us that the Bereans were not only hungry for hearing the Word of God, but they also “Examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” After reading this I decided to do some research. Saying that “Americans love their Bibles so much that they keep them in pristine unopened condition” can summarize the findings of my research. The available statistics on reveal that:

- 19% of American Christians are Bible readers
- 92% of households in America own at least one copy of the Bible
- 59% read the Bible occasionally
- 37% read it at least once a week (probably on Sunday in church)
- 14% belong to a regular Bible study group
- Women are 42% more likely than men to read the Bible

These statistics taken from Christianity today and other sources point to a growing problem in America, Biblical illiteracy.

The Bereans according to the apostle Paul’s eyewitness account searched the Scriptures daily for themselves to confirm that what they were hearing was indeed consistent with what was actually in the Bible. There is no substitute for finding something out for your self. A believer who fails to check the Word of God for him or her self is relying on hearsay and to repeat what you hear without first checking is called spreading rumors. One of the questions we must ask ourselves is my faith based and build upon what I have heard or what I know? Until we have seen for ourselves, on what basis can we determine the teaching we are receiving is credible, true and consistent, or even found in the Word of God.

Christians are a microcosm of our society. In today’s world people are listening more and reading less. Although this in and of itself is not a horrible thing, the idea of taking someone else’s opinion as fact without first checking the validity of their statements is just plain lazy. For the longest time I was under the impression that the phrase “God helps those who help themselves was actually in the Bible.” I heard my mother say it, I heard it on TV and I remember reading it, so why would I not think it was true. Once I became a serious Bible student I discovered it is not in the Bible and it is not true.

The Bereans teach us that even nice well meaning people make mistakes, get things wrong, and take things out of context. Therefore, the only way we can know for sure is to do our due diligence and search the Scriptures for ourselves.

Finally, the Bereans hunger for the Word of God coupled with their diligence in searching the Scriptures daily put them on the road to Discovering God for themselves. No matter how much someone tells you about God, it is not the same as discovering God for yourself.

When we look at the Bereans we see a group of men and women whose character traits spoke loudly about them. As a result of their character traits –

1. They were grounded in the Word of God – The Word of God was in them sown and planted deep into their hearts, mind and souls. These were a people that could not be duped or easily fooled by clever sounding arguments. They knew the truth when they heard it and people who saw them were able to recognize that the truth lived in them.

2. They had a daily personal encounter with God in Christ – Every time they opened the Word of God, God in Christ spoke to them personally and directly. Whenever they set out for worship they did so with the expectation that God had something to say to them and whatever they heard other people say God said they went back to see if God actually said it.

3. The Word of God moved them – The Bible says many believed. In other words, they changed their position. The Word they received opened their eyes to the fact that they needed to change. It helped them to see that they needed to change the way they operated, change the way they did business, change the way they viewed things. The Bereans discovered that in their willingness to change their position God could and would move closer to them. They found out that when we become willing to move, God is willing to lead us. As long as we are anchored in cement, we cannot experience the fullness of God’s love nor can we experience the depths and breadth of God’s grace and mercy. The moment we make the decision and say OK, Lord, do it your way, God begins to go to work on us and in us. God goes to work reshaping our attitudes, behaviors, and our character inside of us and God goes to work reshaping our present, future and destiny on the outside. As this change occurs we also begin to look at life differently. We are able to see God opening doors that once appeared to be closed and taking us places we once never dreamed or imagined we could go.

The Bereans discovered that who I am in Christ is more important than who I am in the world. As far as the world was concerned some of the Bereans were prominent men and women, but after hearing the truth they concluded that social status could only carry us so far. After this life has ended our social status is worthless.
What about us? What does our character say about us? Do we live the life we sing about or do we need a character overhaul? A significant number of the Bereans who came to Christ were members of their societies upper class and they recognized the need for some character tweaking after receiving the Word. What about us?

A RADICAL KIND OF FAITH

Romans 4:18-25

In Matthew 6:28 Jesus said, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.” In this verse Jesus articulates a maxim of life, every living thing needs time to grow and develop. When we look at life and living things as a whole we must conclude that no living thing starts out full-grown. This is true of people, plants & vegetation, animals and all organisms. What about faith? Is anyone born with great faith? Based on Jesus’ statement I would suggest that if we are talking about a living faith then it too needs time to grow and develop. If we were to examine the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we would see that everyone in Hebrews 11, the faith chapter was not born a faith giant, but rather over time their faith grew and developed to the point that they were able to be remembered for their great faith.

What causes faith to grow? When we look at Scripture it is clear that God uses life challenges, situations and difficult circumstances to grow and develop the seed of faith planted in our heart. The various situations and difficulties that we encounter along the journey of life will either cause faith to grow and develop or wither and die.

To illustrate this point, the apostle Paul lifts up Abraham. Abraham and Sarah had lived their entire lives childless. Yet, God promised them that at the ripe old age of 100 and 90 respectively they would have a son. Paul points out that Abraham “Faced the fact that his body was as good as dead…and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.” In other words, the fact was that physically they were unable to conceive. The laws of biology and human physiology suggested that in their present state conceiving a child was impossible and they on their own could not make it happen.

There are real barriers that stand between the realization of the things we hope for, dream of, want to achieve and us. The facts say:

• Debt is standing between me and financial freedom
• Poor or declining health is compromising my independence
• The recession is the reason I cannot find a job, afford to go to college right now, or retire
• I have been hurt and I will never be able to totally trust, love or have a healthy relationship again
• The guilt and shame I feel as a result of my past I will take to the grave

The facts and reality say the barriers that need to be overcome are too great, too big, and too many. Therefore, do not bother because it is not going to happen for me.

According to the Scriptures, Abraham did not ignore the facts or the reality of his situation, but rather he embraced and accepted it. Not only did he accept the reality of his situation, but also the Bible says, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed.” This statement is the definition of “A Radical Kind of Faith.” Most people have been taught that in order for faith to work it must ignore the facts and that to embrace the facts of our situation is a sign of weak faith. This is simply not true according to our text. There are at least two principles we learn about faith here,

a) Faith is not static and it does not grow and develop in a vacuum, it needs other components to work with it – namely, the facts, hope and time.

b) The facts, hope and time, these things go together. They are needed to produce a strong growing faith.

There are a lot of erroneous ideas regarding faith and faith development. To further illustrate how intricately linked faith, the facts, hope and time are, let us consider:

- Faith without the facts is Dogmatism – belief based on an ideology
- The facts without faith is Rationalism – basing outcomes on logical conclusions without factoring God into the equation

- Faith without hope is Idealism – hope is the essence of faith without hope everything is riding on an idea
- Hope without faith is Optimism – Well, some kind of way this thing is going to work out

- Faith without time (waiting) is Elitism – believing that because of my status in society, I do not need to wait on God because I have the resources, position, and the power to get and do what I want
- Time (waiting) without faith is Procrastination – you are simply putting things off or just lazy

As we can see faith without facing the facts, hope and time is really not faith at all. It is a lot of other things, but it is not faith.

However, Abraham did not allow the facts of his situation to diminish his hope, in stead he lived in his hope. This is what the text says, “Abraham in hope believed.” The phrase “in hope” suggests that he wore his hope like we wear clothes. He put it on as a man would put on his trousers or a woman would put on her dress or blouse. The moment we put something on it becomes a part of us and with ever step we take it is there, with every movement it is there. We do not have to go looking for it because we are in it going through life wearing it.

Paul also points out “Without weakening in his faith…he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith.” Abraham did not abandon his hope because things did not happen immediately, but grew stronger in his conviction and belief that it would happen. Here we see how another of the components work, specifically time. Time unfortunately is one of those things that we often feel as though we do not have enough of, but in actuality all we have is time. Abraham helps us to see that time feeds a living faith causing it to grow stronger and not weaker. How? In hope believing, as the text says, “That God has the power to do.” Doctor’s will tell you that the most crucial element in a patient’s recovery is that they believe they can and will recover. The reality is that it takes time to come to believe.

I think that it is important for us to understand that “time” is not for God, but rather time is for us. God does not need time to do anything. God however works in “time” so that like Abraham “we will become fully persuaded.” The question we must answer for ourselves is, what will it take for us to become fully persuaded that God has the power to do, fulfill, or bring about – for Abraham it took time.

Abraham could not have become persuaded that God could do what He said He would do unless Abraham got to know God better. God at some point and through the course of His relationship with Abraham had to also demonstrate that He was trustworthy. This is where life’s difficulties and challenges come in. Let us remember that Abraham and Sarah had faced other life challenges before they tried to conceive a child. It was through these previous challenges that God revealed Himself to Abraham. As Abraham reflected on what God had done for him in the past he became fully persuaded in his present situation that whatever was going to happen for him and Sarah it would be by God’s power alone.

God gives us time to work through our personal issues and resistance to the notion that He, God, has the power to do. How does God do this? In most cases God uses difficult and challenging situations and circumstances knowing full well that we will try to solve the problem ourselves and then become so frustrated when we are not successful. It is at this point we must recognize that part of the reason God allowed the situation to develop in the first place is so that He, God could demonstrate to us our need for Him in our lives. Think of parents and children, there are times when parents have to allow their children to go through some things so that they will learn how to ask for help. If a parent is always coming to the rescue of their child or children that child will never learn how to ask for help and in stead come to expect that if I get into trouble my parents will get me out of trouble.

In time with each difficult and challenging situation that we turn to God and God in turn provides us with the help that we need, over time we become fully persuaded that God alone has the power to do.

It is also interesting to note that nothing happened for Abraham until his relationship with God was right. The phrase, “It was credited to him as righteousness” can be interpreted to mean God added to Abraham’s account making things right between Abraham and God. Prior to putting his confidence and trust in God, Abraham’s account with God was in the minus column. Looking at this from a purely business vantage point, as long as our account is minus it means that we are carrying a balance and before we can purchase anything we must first pay what we owe. After we pay what we owe then our balance is wiped out and our creditors are more inclined to work with us. The issue is do we intend to use God or partner with God.

Abraham points the way for us to see that everything begins with our relationship with God. Before we can expect God to do anything for us or act on our behalf we need to enter into a partnership with God. In relationships where one party is always doing something for the other party that is called being used. Partners work together. Partnering with God means that we have become fully persuaded and have decided that our success in this life rests in placing our total trust and confidence in God’s ability and power to do, over our own. It means that when we are confronted with situations and circumstances that seem untenable, unworkable, or even impossible though I may fret and even become discouraged I will never lose hope because God is my partner and He is an ever present in the time of trouble.

Partnering with God means that the longer it takes the stronger I will become in my conviction that God alone has the power to do and work things out. It means that while I am waiting on God, I will praise Him and give God the glory because even though I do not physically see it – I know that God in His time will reveal it to me.

To the unbeliever this is simply nonsense, but to believer’s,

- Embracing the facts
- Hoping against the odds
- Growing stronger in faith as time passes

These are the components of A RADICAL KIND OF FAITH!