July 15, 2007

Attitude Adjustments: Ownership

Does Your Dog Bite?

John 10:7-18

Opening Words: Austrian psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor Victor Frankl said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: To choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.” He knew what we often forget, our attitudes about life are extremely important. They affect the way that we experience life. It is for this reason that I decided to dedicate this section of the year to examining our attitudes. I have called this fourteen week sermon series, Attitude Adjustments. Today, we look at our attitude about ownership. Do you consider yourself a responsible person? Let me call this weekend’s message, Does Your Dog Bite?

John 10:7-18 ⁷Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

¹¹"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

¹⁴"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me- ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father-and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-only to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

I love the story of the man who walked into a hotel lobby and went up to the desk to register. There was a large dog lying there and he was a little uneasy about it. He asked the desk clerk, "Does your dog bite?" The desk clerk said, "No. “The man reached down to pet the dog and was immediately bitten. He looked up in pain and surprise and said, "I thought you said your dog doesn't bite?" "He doesn't," the clerk said, "That's not my dog!" At the very heart of that silly story is the issue of ownership. If the clerk would have claimed ownership for the dog then he would have been responsible for his actions. However, were there is no ownership there is no responsibility.

This weekend I want to talk about the complex issue of ownership. Let me say this clearly. I am not talking about ownership in a negative sense, possessing something arrogantly or hoarding something selfishly. I am talking about ownership in the in positive light. Claiming ownership means you love something and are committed to it. Claiming ownership means you are going to act responsibly with that part of your life. Were there is no ownership, there is no responsibility.

That is what makes this the Gospel message so amazing. Jesus seizes responsibility without ownership. We are in the tenth chapter of John. In this passage Jesus calls himself the good shepherd. Some understanding is required to fully understand that phrase. In his day most shepherds were really nothing more then hired hands. They did not own the sheep. They only watched the sheep. They were just doing their job. There was no emotional investment in the animals. They did not care less about the sheep. Usually, their indifference didn’t matter. It only mattered when danger came. When the wolf came over the hill the hired hands run away to save themselves. The sheep fall victims to the attaching animals. You should not be surprised. They did not own the sheep. They were just indifferent hired hands. However, Jesus is more. He is not just another hired hand. He is the good shepherd. He stays to fight off the wolf and is ready to lay down his life for someone else’s animals. For no reason he claims ownership and responsibility. It would be like the desk clerk taking responsibility for the biting dog who did not belong to him. The story illustrates for us the significance of ownership.

Can I state the obvious? There are many people in our world today who act in the opposite way of Jesus. They do not want to claim ownership some part of their life because they do not really want to be responsible for it. How many people do you know who do not claim ownership in some aspect of their life because they do not want to responsibility that comes with the ownership? Today, I want to make four proclamations. As disciples of Jesus Christ I want to talk about four areas of your life where you need to claim ownership. My four proclamations are a nice mixture of common sense and Bible. Briefly let me state them for you. You need to claim ownership of your very life. You need to claim ownership of your own faith. You need to claim ownership of your gifts. You need to claim ownership of your own church. I hope you never forget, with ownership comes responsibility. Does your dog bite? So if you are ready to claim ownership say, “Amen!”

Take Ownership of Your Life!

God expects you to take ownership of your life! That is not necessarily a Christian principle. I believe it is a principle for anyone. This takes two forms. Do you know anyone who has not taken ownership of their own life? They live their life in a depressed state because their plan for their life is not working out. They are quite comfortable wearing the mask of a victim or a martyr. Their shortcomings are never their fault. It is always someone else’s fault for their present state. They wanted to go to college but they didn’t get any encouragement from home. They would have traveled but they are afraid of terrorism. They always meant to start their own business but the economy is always bad. They would have done better on the test but they had a bad teacher. They meant to get involved in the church but the minister was strange. They waited for the perfect time to act but the perfect time never comes. There is always a reason to do nothing. The reason they never went to college, traveled, started your business, passed the test or went to church was themselves. They just didn’t do it. They are responsible. Do you know anyone who hasn’t taken ownership of their own life?

Do you know anyone who permits the people in their life not to claim ownership? One of the great things about being in a family is that family makes you accountable for your actions. In a perfect model family should be the place you go when you need a hug or a kick in the seat of the pants. (We are better at hugging.) Is anyone here tired of people who are always making excuses for family members who are not living up to their potential? They are permitting family members to not take ownership of their very life. There is always some excuse for underachieving. The truth is they are enabling them to waste their lives.

God expects everyone to take ownership of your life! The greatest gift we will ever receive is Jesus. He escorts us through life today and promises to be with us for eternity. The second greatest gift you will ever receive in time. How are you using your limited time? Richard L. Evans once said, “The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.” And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Does your dog bite? Are you taking responsibility for your own life?

Take Ownership of Your Faith!

God expects you to take ownership of your faith! Do you know anyone who has not claimed ownership of their own faith? When judgment days comes we stand their alone. God is not going to ask you about your grandmother’s faith. God will only be interested in your spiritual condition. If you answer to every question is, “We all believe in one god,” then you have a little problem. God expects us to take ownership of our faith and cultivate a relationship with Jesus!

That is one of the reasons the church exists. The church exists to make you a disciple of Jesus Christ. Sometimes that means a hug. Sometimes that means a kick in the seat of the pants. In the perfect model of the church we hold each other spiritually accountable. That is part of our tradition. John Wesley formed his followers in such methodical way to make them accountable for their faith. You are accountable for your own faith. It is another way of saying have you taken ownership of your faith?

Chuck Swindoll is in a group of pastors who hold each other accountable. They came up with seven questions and challenge each other with them periodically. These are the seven questions. How do you answer them?

1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?

2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?

3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?

4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?

5. Have you given priority time to your family?

6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?

7. Have you just lied to me?

God expects you to take ownership of your faith! Judgment day is coming! And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Does your dog bite? Are you taking responsibility for your faith?

Take Ownership of Your Gifts!

God expects you to take ownership of your gifts! Do you know anyone who has not claimed ownership of their own gifts? Martin Luther once said, “I have held many things in my hand, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands that I still possess.” Wouldn’t it be nice if we lived out that quote?

I am a big believer in how you spend your money reveals the condition of your soul. If that is true we have a big problem. A recent George Barna survey revealed that charitable giving in America has dropped significantly in the past year. Did you know 17% of all church goers claim to give a full ten per cent of their income? The research don’t really support that figure. In reality only approximately only six percent of people attending Christian churches actually gave a full one-tenth of their income. There are many in our churches that are holding back and not just financially. If we would use a full ten per cent of our time, talent and financial resources then we would really make a difference for Jesus in this world. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Does your dog bite? Are you taking ownership of your gifts?

Take Ownership of your Church!

God expects you to take ownership of your church! Do you know anyone who has not claimed ownership of their own church? Do you know anyone who is coming to church just to be entertained? How great of an investment have you made in this congregation?

Several years ago it was stewardship time. It is not an easy time on the church calendar. It is no fun sitting through stewardship sermons. It is no fun delivering stewardship sermons. However it is an important time in the church calendar because how we spend our money does reveal the condition of our soul. Someone had the wonderful idea to get people to stand in the pulpit and give testimonies about what this church means to them. We are not just collecting money to pay utility bills we are making a difference in people’s lives. One of the gentlemen who stood in the pulpit to speak has been here from the very beginning. I respect him so such so I wasn’t surprised that his words moved me. He talked about coming to this church as a young man, raising his children in the church, he sang in the choir, sat on every committee numerous times, supporting the church during good times and bad and the church supporting him during good times and bad. His voice cracked near the end of his testimony. He said, “This church was not just part of my life. This church was my life.” There was a few moments of reverence and the service moved on. When the service was over a newer member, a person I have grown to respect came to me and referred back to the testimony. He said, “Someday, I want this church not just to be part of my life. I want it to be my life too!” Both gentlemen said the same thing. They both claimed ownership of this church and with ownership comes responsibility. Have you taken ownership of your church? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Does your dog bite? Have you taken ownership of your church?

In February 2001 police found a man shot to death near the city limits of La Crosse, Wisconsin. And it was the place where he died rather than how he died that gave them their biggest problem. You see, he was shot so close to the city limits that the police aren’t sure whether he was shot in the county of La Crosse or over the limits in the county of Onalaska. If he was shot within La Crosse then the case falls to the La Crosse police, but if the man was shot across the border then it’s the responsibility of the Onalaska sheriff. As neither agency was particularly eager to pay the costs of the murder investigation surveyors were brought in to determine exactly where the city limits are.

Here is the Good News! You do not need a surveyor to tell you what is your responsibility. You need to claim ownership of your life. Stop making excuses for your life and live it! You need to claim ownership of your faith. Judgment Day is coming! You need to claim owner of your gifts. Do something for Jesus today! Finally, you need to claim ownership of your church. Don’t make it part of your life. Make it your life. Does your dog bite? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”