Common Crooks

Terry Siverd
02/03/19 - Sun AM

COMMON CROOKS

Sermon By Terry Siverd

Cortland Church of Christ / February 03, 2019

Our nation's founding fathers inscribed our country's Declaration Of Independence with many noble ideas.

Among the many expressions we read in this important document is

a key sentence located at the beginning of the second paragraph: 

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal,that they are endowed by the

Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Now, I'm not eager to pick a fight with the likes of Adams, Jefferson, Madison, etal..

Neither am I questioning the wording of this noteworthy phrase:  life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

However, from a Biblical point of view, I want to ask us all to consider this:

Is it possible that some of life's pursuits of happiness end up bringing us heartache rather than happiness?

In his book, The More Of Less, Joshua Becker lists nine common pursuits that rob us of happiness.

This morning I want to look at several of his “robbers”.

We have already discussed a couple that he mentions - -

Chasing Wealth (the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil / 1Tim.6:10)…

and Succumbing To Fear (do not be anxious for your life / Mt.6:25).

This morning I want to discuss three among these other seven that he highlights.

I may choose to visit the remaining four next Sunday or a future date.

Joy (which runs far deeper than happiness) can sometimes be so elusive.

How is it that we as a society can search so desperately for something, but still struggle to find it?

The answer to this question comes in the form of another question:

Could it be that in our quest for happiness, some of our pursuits are actually keeping us from finding joy?

FOLLOWING THE CROWD

A missionary recruit to Spanish-speaking people arrived late in the town he came to scout out.

After he finally found his way to the church building, a large crowd had assembled for worship.

Only one seat was vacant, and it was on the front pew.  Since he was new and yet unskilled in the language,

he decided to pick someone out of the crowd to imitate.  He choose the man sitting next to him on the front pew.

As they sang, the man clapped his hands, so he clapped as well.  When the man stood to pray, he stood up also.

When the man sat down, he sat down.  When the man communed in the Supper, he did likewise.

During the preaching, the missionary didn't understand a thing being said.  He just sat there and tried to  look

just like the man beside him on the front pew.  Then he perceived that the preacher was giving announcements.

People clapped, and he looked to see if the man beside him was clapping.  He was, so he did as well.

Then the preacher said some words that he didn't understand and he saw the man next to him stand up.

So he stood up too.  Suddenly a hush fell over the entire congregation.  A few people gasped. 

He looked around and saw that nobody else was standing.  So he sat down.

After the service ended, the preacher stood at the door shaking the hands of those who were leaving.

When the missionary recruit stretched out his hand to greet the preacher, the preacher said, in English,

“I take it you don't speak Spanish.”  The missionary recruit replied, “No I don't.  It's that obvious?”  “Well yes,”

said the preacher, “I announced that the Acosta family had a new-born baby and would the father please stand up.”

One of the greatest challenges of childhood and adolescence is learning the danger of following the crowd.

All of us (from one generation to the next) have grown up hearing our parents lecture us about “the crowd”?

Just because everybody's doing it doesn't make it right - - “If others jumped off a bridge, would you?”

Every conscientious parent speaks repeatedly to their child(ren) about learning to think for himself/herself.

It is not a once-and-done admonition but it's a anti-mob mentality lecture than needs to be drilled home.

There is probably not an adult among us who could not testify of the high cost of following the herd.

One of my biggest regrets was making fun of a very tall, awkward-looking and backward-behaving girl in high school.

Everybody made fun of her and so did I.  To this very day, I remain very ashamed of my behavior.

I apologized to her later in life when she became a Christian and married a good friend of mine.

Ex.23:2a/NASV states, you shall not follow a multitude in doing evil...

The New Century Version reads:  you must not do wrong just because everyone else is doing it.

Peer pressure can be so strong.

Sometimes it works for the good - - Heb.10:25 / do not forsake the assembling of yourselves...

But quite often (it seems more often than not) peer pressure works for the BAD.

Opie Taylor got caught up in throwing rocks to break street lamps - - all because his buddies were egging him on.

It may seem fun and happy to run with the crowd, but that happiness is short-lived when the price comes due.

Regrets over misbehavior brought on by following the crowd can linger for a long time.

Even after one seeks forgiveness - - I tell you this with first-hand experience.

In Scripture, nothing bears this out more that Israel's demand for a king.

Listen to the language spoken by the crowd to Samuel (1Sam.8:5) - - Behold, you have grown old,

and your sons do not walk in your ways.  Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations...

These words displeased Samuel and he prayed and then warned the people (vs.10ff), yet the persisted - -

Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said,

'No, but there shall be a king over us, that we also make be like all the nations... (1Sam.8:19-20).

Lk.23:15f tells of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus.

Pilate declared that he saw nothing in Jesus worthy of death, I will therefore punish Him and release Him.

A choice was set before the crowd (Mt.27:17) - - Barabbas … or Jesus who is called Christ?

The crowd clamored for Barabbas and cried out to crucify Jesus.

I have wondered if Pilate (in the days following) regretted yielding to the crowd.

And what about all of those who got caught up shouting in unison, “crucify Him, crucify Him”.

I wonder if any of them stood at the cross and watched Him die?

Did they see the darkness that fell over the land (Mt.27:45)?

Did they feel the earth quake and did they see the rocks split open (Mt.27:50b)?

Did they hear the centurion's declaration  - - Truly this was the Son of God (Mt.27:54)?

Did they find out that the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom (Mt.27:50a)?

Did they come to see and hear Jesus risen from the dead (Mt.28:7)?

Did they hear Peter's charge in - - this Man...you nailed to a cross (Acts 2:23)?

In our modern world there are many ways to comply with the crowd.

It doesn't always require that we walk lock step with an angry crowd in an actual march of protest.

It might come to be seen by the simple and sometimes hasty click of a “like” button on Facebook.

This can be a daunting choice for teenagers, because they like to be liked - - they want so badly to “fit in”.

TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYBODY

One thing we preachers ought to learn rather quickly is that you can't please everybody all of the time.

The sooner we realize that proclaiming The Word of God is not a popularity contest, the better off we will be.

This also applies to all of us in Christian walk - - our ultimate aim is to please God, not to be popular with everybody.

One of the sternest rebukes we read about in the New Testament is found in Gal.2:2:11-13, where Paul writes  - -

When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came,

he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision.  And the rest of the

Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that every Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy.

Our beliefs as Christians are not determined by some pollster.

If such were that case - - in light of the current winds of change going on in our culture, 

we preachers and all of us as Christians, we would feel compelled to zip our lips on a number of matters.

Is pre-martial sex okay?  Should we keep silent about adultery if it comes to light in our midst?

Is homosexuality an acceptable-to-God alternative lifestyle?

Are same-sex marriages to be smiled upon?  Is harmful gossip to be ignored?

Are those who sow seeds of discord to be held in good standing among us?

Should we refrain from affirming the sanctity of human life (especially that of a baby in the womb)?

The answers to all of these questions are, No!  No!  No!  No!  No!  No!  and No!

We have no right to be mean and rude to others who may be caught up in sinful behavior.

We must love sinners of all stripes and we must be willing to speak the truth in love.

But we must not feel driven to become so accommodating that others conclude that “anything goes”.

FIGHTING FOR RECOGNITION

A third crook that robs us of joy is the pursuit of recognition.

It seems to be intrinsically intertwined with following the crowd and trying to please everybody.

Perhaps it is to yearning for recognition that causes us to do the first two.

It is an upside-down strategy to make our primary aim in life to seek joy from the mouths of others.

There is something in our human nature that longs for approval and recognition, but our joy

will be hampered severely if we count on the accolades of others to sustain us.

It is nice to be affirmed by our peers, our parents, our pedegagos (instructors).

And it is good to look for ways to affirm others.

As Paul directs, to give honor to whom it is due (Rom.13:7).

But the real joy in life comes from knowing that we are serving THE LIVING GOD.

Even when and if we may be surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (cheerleaders, or sorts),

our aim is TO PLEASE GOD, first and foremost.  cf. 2Cor.5:9

It is the applause of heaven that we ought to be seeking.

The “well-done” recognition that we must stay focused upon is from the Lord (Mt.25:23).

When this remains our emphasis we will find joy even in the midst of obscurity.