July 6, 2008

Incarcerated Lives on Independence Day

Roman 12:1-4

Romans 12:1-4 ¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. ⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function

I love the story of the man who was fed up with the rising price of eggs. He decided to raise his own chickens. However, he needed to build a chicken coup before the chickens arrived. He went to the store and bought the needed supplies. When the supplies arrived he went to work like there was no tomorrow. He never took a break and when he finished the chicken coup a great sense of satisfaction filled his heart. He looked at his final product. It looked great! It took him a second to realize his mistake. He never built a door in his chicken coup and he was trapped inside. He was trapped in a prison of his own making. I love that story because it illustrates my point for this morning so perfectly.

How many people do you know that are trapped in a prison of their own making? Just stop and take a little inventory with me. How many people do you know are trapped in a prison of selfishness built by their own self-centeredness? How many people do you know are trapped in a prison of negativity? The Mahoning Valley has specialized in negativity. No one is harder on us than us. How many people do you know are in a prison of drugs and alcohol because they are trying to escape? How many people do you know are trapped in the prison called “the good old days” because they refuse to accept change? How many people do you know are trapped in a prison of hate because they refuse to tolerate others? How many people do you know are trapped in a prison anxiety because they are afraid? How many people do you know are living in a prison of their own making? How many people in this land of the free are living incarcerated on this Independence Day?

Let me make the question a little more personal. Are you living in a prison of your own making? The great Danish theologian Kierkegaard said we are like that wild duck that was flying south for the winter. As he flew over a barnyard he spotted a large supply of corn. He took a second look and then a third. He decided to stop and eat some of the corn with the farm animals. As the story goes he spends the entire winter in the barnyard eating the corn. When spring came he made a horrible discovery. He had grown to fat to fly. He was unable to join his family and friends. He was designed to experience the adventure of the world but he was trapped in the boredom of the barnyard. He was trapped in a prison of his own making. Can anyone here relate to that story? Is anyone here living an incarcerated life on Independence Day?

The Apostle Paul understood how easy it is for people to be trapped in a prison of their own making. Verse two is so important. It says, “Do not comfort yourself to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In other words, Paul says we are not to be trapped by the things of this world. Don’t accept the world’s standards in your actions. Don’t accept the world’s standards in your attitudes. You were designed to experience the world. You weren’t just designed to exist in the world. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

This weekend I want to talk about two attitudes we hold that are imprisoning us. They are popular in this world but they have no place in the Kingdom of God. It is my hope that you eliminate them from your life so you can experience life as God intended. God expects you to live your life to the fullest. So if you are ready say, “Amen!”

Halfheartedness

First, we imprison ourselves with our halfheartedness about Jesus. The world says there are many ways to heaven but we understand the only way to heaven is Jesus. The Master was not a prophet or a great teacher. He was the very son of God, God incarnate. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. This is the truth and here is the kicker. If you don’t understand Jesus as your Lord and Savior then you don’t understand Jesus at all. He was the greatest life that ever lived. You are saved by grace and by grace alone. You are going to heaven because he died for you. Your response to Jesus should not be half-hearted. You should be passionate about Jesus. How passionate are you about the Master? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

One of the great British actors of all time was a man named Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: "I wish you would explain to me something." Macready replied, "Well, what is it? I don't know that I can explain anything to a preacher." The preacher asked, "What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all." Macready's answer was this: "This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction." It was the actor’s way of telling the preacher he lacked passion. When was the last time you really got excited about Jesus? When was the last time you told someone what Jesus has done for you?

Are you conforming to the ways of this world? Do you act like Jesus is one more name on a list of religious characters or are you acting like he is your Lord and Savior? Are you conforming to the ways of this world or have you been transformed? If you still get excited about Jesus say, “Amen!” First, we imprison ourselves with our half-heartedness about Jesus.

Mix-Up Priorities

Second, we imprison ourselves with our mixed-up priorities. Bob Pierce once said, “We cannot decide whether or not we will live or die; we can only decide what we will die for.” What is the top priority in your life? The world tells us the most important things in our lives is our possessions and our accomplishments. The church teaches us the top priority in our life is our relationships, our family and friends, our personal relationship with Jesus. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”

One of the great preachers of our lifetime is Fred Craddock. I have mentioned him in the past. He taught homiletics at Emory University’s Chandler School of Theology in Atlanta. He is known for his story telling and once told the story of meeting Albert Schweitzer. Craddock was a young man of twenty and living in Nashville. Schweitzer was in his eighties. Craddock read in the newspaper that Schweitzer was coming to Cleveland to play a new organ in the city. Schweitzer was blessed with that gift too. Craddock wanted to meet him so he bought a bus ticket and journeyed north. As he rode he read Schweitzer’s book, The Quest for the Historical Jesus. The truth is Craddock wasn’t too impressed with the work. Craddock was young and arrogant. He wrote comments in the margin and questions to ask Schweitzer. He was going to expose Schweitzer as a theological light weight. When Craddock arrived at the recital he heard Schweitzer play that wonderful instrument. After the performance came the cookies and punch. This would be Craddock's opportunity to expose Schweitzer’s poor theology. With his book in hand, Craddock sat there waiting for his opportunity. When Schweitzer arrived he announced to the crowd that he could not stay. He had to get back to Africa. They were opening a new medical clinic. More people would receive help! Schweitzer said, “I have no time to entertain your questions but I do have to time to issue you an invitation. Come to Africa with me and help more people, whom God loves.” With those words, Craddock was humbled. He could never go to Africa. He felt like a fool. He felt like a dragger had been pushed into his heart. He admitted to himself he was the spiritual light weight. He was a Christian fraud. He was consumed with words but Schweitzer was consumed with people. Fred Craddock was living in a prison of his own making. He was a victim of his own mixed up priorities.

Keeping your priorities straight is not easy. It is true in the world but it is also true in the church. It is easy to get so involved in church work that you forget the work of the church. The church is in the disciple making business. We do not exist to maintain buildings. We do not exist to entertain people or keep them happy. We do not exist to keep me happy. We do not exist to keep dead traditions alive. We are not in the good deeds business. The only reason we exist is to make and develop disciples. Nothing else really matters.

Are you conforming to the ways of this world? Are we letting our possessions and accomplishments dominate our lives? Or do you remember that your top priority in your life is your relationships. The ultimate relationship in your life is the one with Jesus. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!” Let me end with these words.

In 1838 New York City opened a new prison on the corner of Centre Street and Leonard Street in Manhattan. They called it the Tombs. It was considered to be the most modern jail of its time. It stayed in operation until 1903. The architect of the Tombs project was a man by the name of John Haviland. There is only one thing interesting about him. History tells us shortly after the completion of the complex Haviland was found guilty of forgery. The architect was sentenced to several years in the prison he had built!

How many people do you know are serving a life term in a prison of their own making? They are not living the life that God intended for them from the very beginning. Instead they have conformed to the ways of this world. How many people do you know are half-hearted about Jesus, their Lord and their Savior? How many people do you know are living with mixed up priorities? Do not conform to this world but be transformed by the God of the universe. And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”