If you want to have the kind of a church Like the kind of a church you like,
You needn’t slip your clothes in a grip, And start on a long, long hike.
You’ll only find what you left behind, For there’s nothing that’s really new.
It’s a knock at yourself when you knock your church –
For the it isn’t your church – it’s YOU!
Real Churches are made, not by people afraid Lest someone else gets ahead.
When everyone works and nobody shirks, you can raise a church from the dead!
And if when you make your personal stake, Your neighbor can make one too.
Your church will be what you want it to be,
For it isn’t your Church – it’s you!
We’ve been asking ourselves the question “what is the church supposed to look like?” We’ve talked about the church being a caring community, how we need to reach out to the community through difficult times. That we need to move out of our comfort zones to bring people to Christ. It’s a place where everyone has to be involved and be part of God’s team! If we are the church we really long to be we will share the gospel of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, with those who so desperately need to hear it.
Today’s message recognizes that there is a world of people watching us, and we need to be models of integrity. It recognizes that we are all examples to the world – some of us are good examples and some of us are bad examples; but we all have great influence on others, either for or against Christ! In 1 Corinthians.11:1, Paul tells the Corinthians: “You should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s.” That is a powerful statement of integrity, if you ask me! Integrity is defined: “A being complete; wholeness. An unimpaired condition; soundness. Uprightness, honesty and sincerity.”
Let me read to you 2 different passages from the Book of Acts, and you tell me there is a message that needs to be proclaimed here. OK?
§ Acts 5:1-11 and Acts 20:16-36
Ananias and Sapphira got put into the Book because they lied to God, because they lacked integrity. Now why do you think God would even tell us about this couple if it weren’t as an example for us? Maybe God knew what kind of people He would be dealing with in 21st Century America. Talk about lack of integrity! Listen to this:
Documented in a book by James Patterson and Peter Kim, The Day America Told the Truth, (1991), Americans were asked: “What are you willing to do for $10,000,000?” Two-thirds of Americans polled would agree to at least one, some to several of the following:
§ Would abandon their entire family (25%) Would abandon their church (25%)
§ Would become prostitutes for a week or more (23%)
§ Would give up their American citizenships (16%) Would leave their spouses (16%)
§ Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
§ Would kill a stranger (7%) Would put their children up for adoption (3%)
Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor about 100 years after Paul’s ministry, and philosopher, identified the following traits of a successful person: 1) Consciousness of an honest purpose in life. 2) A just estimate of himself and everyone else. 3) Frequent self-examinations. 4) Steady obedience to what he knows to be right. 5) Indifference to what others may think or say.
Charles Swindoll, in Growing Deep in the Christian Life, tells about a man who bought fried chicken dinners for himself and his date late one afternoon. The attendant at the fast food outlet, however, inadvertently gave him the proceeds from the day’s business--a bucket of money (much of it cash) instead of fried chicken. Swindoll writes:
"After driving to their picnic site, the two of them sat down to enjoy some chicken. They discovered a whole lot more than chicken--over $800! But he was unusual. He quickly put the money back in the bag. They got back into the car and drove all the way back. By then, the manager was frantic.
"Mr. Clean got out, walked in, and became an instant hero. ’I want you to know I came by to get a couple of chicken dinners and wound up with all this money here.’
"Well, the manager was thrilled to death. He said, ’Let me call the newspaper. I’m gonna have your picture put in the local paper. You’re one of the most honest men I’ve ever heard of.’
"To which the man quickly responded, ’Oh, no! No, no, don’t do that!’ Then he leaned closer and whispered, ’You see, the woman I’m with--she’s, uh, somebody else’s wife.’ One can be honest and still not have integrity. When we say that we are modeling integrity, there is a wholeness to it! It is not just one aspect of life – but through and through – this one is a man of integrity!
Let’s examine Paul’s life and see if we can see some of the major characteristics of a man of integrity!
1. INTEGRITY HAS ONE DEBT: To serve (“douleuo” = be a slave) Christ. (19)
Paul W. Powell said, “God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. His goal is not to pamper us physically but to perfect us spiritually.” I believe Powell has it right. When we come to Christ, we do not put ourselves in a position to bargain or negotiate. “I’ll serve you IF I don’t have my life threatened” or “I’ll serve you BUT don’t send me to Africa!”
Considering all that Christ has done for us, the debt that we have is to serve him “as a slave”! Paul faced some serious opposition, so it is not like he is saying “it’s a piece of cake to serve God!” Hardly! But the opposition or lack of it is not the determining factor for the person of Integrity: There is a debt to be paid – and I will pay it, no matter the price!
The great philosopher, Plato, lived more than 400 BEFORE Christ was born. Even then, he understood the meaning of integrity: “And yet, my friend, I would rather that the whole world should be at odds with me, and oppose me, than that I myself should be at odds with myself and contradict myself.”
DO YOU CARRY THAT DEBT?
2. INTEGRITY HAS ONE DECREE: Turn from sin and turn to God and have faith in Jesus Christ. (21)
Doesn’t make any difference – Jew or Gentile, 1st or 21st Century: “The necessity of turning from sin and turning to God, and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul was a “one-sermon preacher!” In fact, that was the same message that Peter harped on, once he got his personal integrity straightened out: (4:38) “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
DO YOU CARRY THAT DECREE?
3. INTEGRITY HAS ONE DECISION: To go where the Holy Spirit compels you to go. (22) There were times when Paul would have liked to go some places to preach the Gospel, but the Spirit prevented him from going there. And he never anticipated going to Macedonia until the Spirit showed him that was where he was supposed to go. Are you at the place in your spiritual development where you are “drawn irresistibly by the Holy Spirit” to do some thing, or go some where, or to speak to somebody? Don’t you think that one who models integrity should be guided by that Higher Power of God?
What would it take for you to be a person of integrity and be guided, directed by the Holy Spirit? Are you willing to pay that price?
4. INTEGRITY HAS ONE DESIRE: To finish the task the Lord Jesus has given to you. (24)
Abraham Lincoln said, “I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me.” That is noble. But Paul’s was even more noble! NLT says “But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about God’s wonderful kindness and love.”
Is that your burning desire, friends? If you are a model of integrity, don’t you think you should have a desire that consumes you? One that you are willing to live to accomplish and die if you have to?
5. INTEGRITY HAS ONE DISCLAIMER: You know, that statement down in the fine print of the ad telling you about the great deal some car dealer is going to make you: Zero down, Zero Interest, Zero Payments (Disclaimer: That’s only on the 3rd Tuesday of the 6th week of 15th month)
Paul’s Disclaimer is a bit more straight-forward: “I am innocent of your blood – BECAUSE I have faithfully proclaimed to you the whole will of God.” (26) (READ NLT)
Now of course, if you have not faithfully proclaimed all that God wants for your family and friends, you can’t make that Disclaimer, can you? Can you honestly say “I am innocent of your blood” if you have not been faithful to make know the claims of God? Paul is presenting an Old Testament concept of personal responsibility for proclaiming the warning! Listen to what the Prophet Ezekiel says, Ezekiel 33:1-9
6. INTEGRITY HAS ONE DEDICATION: “Now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace – his message that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.” (32)
I understand what Paul is saying here. I’ve done the best I could do, before God. When you have done your best, all that is left to be done is commending the hearers to God! Ultimately, of course, it is very safe to dedicate people to God because He loves people so much that He gave his only Son on the cross for them. It is He, and He alone, who is able to build us up and give us an inheritance. If we are going to get an eternal inheritance it will come from our Loving Heavenly Father!
7. INTEGRITY HAS ONE DUTY: I showed you how to live as a Christian! (35) You can argue about my methods. You can compare me to the silver-tongued orator, Apollos. You can think I’m rude; that I have something against women! You can make all kinds of complaints about my ministry – but folks, one thing you have to say “He lived like Christ!”
That’s the question I must leave you with: Are you living like Christ? Are you a walking, living, breathing model of Christian integrity among the people God has given you?
I think the Church God wants us to be is a church full of models of integrity – certainly not hypocrisy. Am I right? I certainly hope our highest aspiration is not to be like Ananias & Sapphira who lied to the Holy Spirit! How much better to “Follow Paul as he follows Christ!”
Prayer: “Lord, if we are going to be the kind of a church that you want us to be, we are going to have to be empowered, instructed and changed by your Spirit! You have started a good work in each of us, God. Would these next few minutes be a natural part of the work of God in our hearts. Amen.”
We are going to sing a chorus of commitment. If you would like to say yes to what ever God is saying to you right now, I invite you to step out of your seat and come. Someone will join you and pray with you.
