Seeing What's Heard!

Yesterday morning (Sunday) the sermon I preached focused on the example of Jesus practicing what He preached. As He exhorted others toward loving and praying for enemies ( Matthew 5:43-45), He demonstrated that mercifulness when He was arrested ( Luke 22:50-51) and the willingness to pray for His enemies as He endured the cross. ( Luke 23:33-34) Jesus has not asked us to do anything He was not willing to do Himself. Looking at His walk on earth we should see the most CONSISTENT model there is for patterning our life and so live pleasing to God.

The story has been told of a preacher preaching a sermon based on the commandment, “Thou shalt not steal.” The next morning he got on a bus and handed the bus driver a dollar to which he was given change. After the preacher moved to the back of the bus, he began counting his change and realized he had been given a dime too much. Ten cents was not much money. Surely the bus company wouldn’t go broke on a missing dime. However, the pressing realization was that the dime did not rightfully belong to him. Therefore, he returned to the front of the bus and told the driver he had been given too much change. With a smile, the bus driver informed him that he had actually done it purposely because he happened to have been in attendance the previous day and heard the sermon he’d preached. Viewing the preacher in his mirror, the bus driver had watched him count the change and waited to see what he would do. “If you had kept the dime,” the driver stated, “ I could have no confidence in your preaching.”

Ten cents! One thin dime! Simply on that hinged a determination between CONSISTENCY or the failure to put into practice what one preached. We too need to live mindful of even the little things that might indicate a lack of genuineness in what we claim to believe.

Jesus levied the following charge against some of the leaders of that day:
“(1) Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, (2) ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, (3) so practice and observe whatever they tell you -- but not what they do. For THEY PREACH, BUT DO NOT PRACTICE.’” ( Matthew 23:1-3 ESV)

Practicing what we preach is not just the rule for preachers and teachers, but for all of us who claim to be Christians. Paul also touched on this subject, noting that such a lack of CONSISTENCY caused the name of God to be blasphemed by others. ( Romans 2:21-24) With eagerness to note any discrepancies, the world is watching to see how CONSISTENT we are between what we say and do.

Writing to the church at Rome Paul urged…
“Repay no one evil for evil, but GIVE THOUGHT TO DO WHAT IS HONORABLE IN THE SIGHT OF ALL.” ( Romans 12:17 ESV)

And in his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul noted his own attitude in stating…
“for we aim at what is HONORABLE NOT ONLY IN THE LORD’S SIGHT but ALSO IN THE SIGHT OF MAN.” ( 2 Corinthians 8:21 ESV)

As the bus driver looked in the mirror to watch what this preacher would do, we also look in the mirror at ourselves. Even if others don’t know about our INCONSISTENCIES, we do and so does God. Let us seek to live in a manner that others can recognize the CONSISTENCY between what we say and do so as to come to understand the wisdom of God’s standard and our genuineness as Christians. It could possibly be only a dime’s worth of wisdom that creates an inestimable impression in another’s life and bring glory to God.

Have a great day LIVING THE LORD’S LIFE LESSONS!
Carl

See other teEn-MAIL on Consistency