"WOULD WE HAVE BELIEVED THEM?"
INTRODUCTION
- I have often wondered...
- How many of us living today, had we been living in the first
century...
- Would have been receptive to the preaching of those like:
- John the Baptist?
- Peter?
- Paul?
- Most of us would probably say, "Of course, for we receive them now!"
- But maybe that is because what they taught has become socially
acceptable...
- And more often than not, their teaching is presented to us in a
non-offensive manner
- But how was the truth originally presented? By what manner of men?
If we had been there, would we have believed them?
- I hope in this lesson to challenge our thinking along these lines...
[Imagine, then, would we have believed men like...]
- THE HARSH HERMIT?
- JOHN THE BAPTIST, WHO...
- Did his preaching in the wilderness, forcing people to come
out to hear him? - Mt 3:1-2
- Dressed himself in camel's hair and a leather girdle, eating a
diet of locusts and wild honey? - Mt 3:4
- Called religious people coming to be baptized a "brood of
vipers"? - Mt 3:5-7
- I SERIOUSLY DOUBT WE WOULD...
- IF we balk at having to travel some distance to study God's
Word!
- As is sometimes the case today (e.g., going twice on
Sundays, etc.)
- But consider what Jesus taught in Mt 12:42
- IF we tend to judge people by the clothes they wear!
- It is easy to be affected by the "Dress For Success"
philosophy
- But we need to remember God's perspective - 1 Sa 16:7;
Jm 2:1-4
- IF we get upset or offended when a preacher points out our
faults!
- Some would have preachers never preach "negative" sermons
- But even Jesus demonstrated that sometimes the occasion
calls for strong measures - Mt 23:13-15
[Or how about the...]
- THE HILLBILLY HYPOCRITE?
- THE APOSTLE PETER, A MAN...
- Whose "country ways" demonstrated his lack of formal religious
training? - Ac 4:13
- Who denied Jesus three times? - Mt 26:69-75
- Whose hypocrisy on one occasion split a church? - Ga 2:11-13
- IT IS UNLIKELY...
- IF we expect a man to be formerly educated before we would
want him as a preacher!
- In some churches, a preacher is required to have a degree
to be considered acceptable
- But the wrong kind of learning can be a dangerous thing -
cf. 1Co 1:18-29
- IF we aren't willing to give others another chance who fail
us, especially more than once!
- If Peter had been treated like we sometimes treat fallen
preachers today, would he have
remained an apostle?
- Fortunately, the early church took to heart what Jesus
taught Peter about forgiveness - Mt 18:21-22; Lk 17:3-4
[And then, what about...]
- THE NOTORIOUS NERD?
- THE APOSTLE PAUL, WHO...
- Had been a blasphemer, persecutor of the church? - 1Ti 1:13
- Was not a fluent speaker? - 1Co 2:3-4
- Had a physical appearance described as "weak"? - 2Co 10:10
- I DOUBT WE WOULD HAVE KINDLY RECEIVED PAUL...
- IF we hold a person's pre-Christian life against them!
- Such people must not believe in the power of the gospel to
transform lives
- But consider what it did for the people of Corinth - 1Co
6:9-11
- IF we don't care to hear preachers whose sermon presentation
lacks "polish"!
- Many people will not go to hear preachers who may be young,
inexperienced, or who are not eloquent
- Yet "smooth words and flattering speech" can oftentimes be
used to deceive - Ro 16:17-18
- IF we tend to judge people by their physical appearance (size,
weight, etc.)!
- So people first judged Abraham Lincoln
- Again, we need to remember God's perspective on things - 1 Sa 16:7
CONCLUSION
- What I am suggesting is that how we receive people today is a strong
indication as to whether we would have received such as John, Peter,
Paul and even Jesus! - cf. Mt 13:54-58
- While we would like to think we would have been quick to listen and
believe their message, perhaps we might have acted differently!
- I hope that we appreciate the importance of looking beyond the
messenger and how his message might be presented, to the message
itself
- But there is another way to determine if we would have believed them
back then: HAVE WE OBEYED THEM TODAY?
- It may be speculation on our part to say we would have believed
these men back in the first century...
- But one thing is sure...if we are unwilling to obey them today,
we certainly would not have done it then!
How about you...?