PRAY

• get anybody wearing a brand name item to stand up.
• Ask the following of these people:
  • What is it you are wearing that is a brand name?
  • In five seconds tell me everything you know about this item?
  • Why are you wearing this item?
  • Does it make you fell any different when you wear this item?

Isn?t it interesting that brand names raise the price and value of something? Why do they do this?

• Because it represents something ? you?re buying the image it represents
• get anybody wearing a cross or a Christian bracelet or shirt to stand up?

Ask the following questions:

• What is it that you are wearing that is Christian in nature?
• In five seconds tell me everything you know about this item.
• Why are you wearing it?
• Ask them how much did you pay for it?
• When you bought this item, what made you pick out that particular one?
• When you wear this item do you feel any more/less a Christian?
• Are there any times that you have chosen not to wear that particular item (or hidden it)? Why?

What I have just done has absolutely nothing to do with what I?m going to talk about tonight?(just kidding)

What?s the point of this little exercise? ? to hit home with the reality that we live in a world where image means everything?

Before we go any further I?d like to read a couple of scriptures,

Isaiah 29:13-16 (NIV)

13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

Psalm 51:16-17 (NIV)

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

• These scriptures are very clear that in God?s eyes image is nothing. It?s not how you look, or what you say, or what you do but what is in the heart that counts with God?
• There are a lot of people that walk around presenting the image that they are Christians but man their hearts are far from God. They are living what I like to call a Brand Name Christianity
• Some of you here tonight may not be ready to call yourself a Christian and you would readily agree with me from what you see in so-called “Christian” peoples lives. This is sad.
• And some of you may be here tonight and you?re saying to yourself ? “zip, I?m tuning you out ? you?re not talking about me.” Well I sure hope that?s the case ? but before you close your ears and eyes can you answer a couple of questions for me?

• If I was to take a poll of your friends or family would they all know you are a Christian?
• When you find yourself watching a movie with some friends (Christians or otherwise) and there is a lot of “objectionable content” swearing or nudity do you stop watching it or say anything?
• When someone tells you about something awful that?s happened in their life do you offer to pray with them?

• The point I?m trying to make is that there is a lot more to Christianity than a name, following a set of rules, attending church, hanging out with Christian friends, wearing Christian clothes, listening to Christian music, or having a bumper sticker that says “Honk if you love Jesus”. Christianity is more than just an image to be lived out ? being a Christian is about getting the life of Christ in your heart.
• Let?s talk about why image means nothing to God.

God knows that when push comes to shove if the image doesn?t match the heart ? the image will shatter.

• I?m sorry to give a wake-up call here ? but we live in a world that is fundamentally anti-Christian. Has anybody noticed this?
• In fact we live in a world that is very similar to the one that Shack, Mack, and Benny lived in?

• In Babylon there was the worship of many gods
• It was a very rich land
• Emphasis was on how much pleasure can you get in life.

There is nothing that we can do to please God.

• you see with God it?s not what you do that pleases Him it?s who you are.
• Who you are is defined by what is in your heart

John 6:28-29 (NIV)

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” 29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

• Christianity is not about a religion ? that is a set of rules that everyone is to follow?it is a relationship?a relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ the son.
• If works could please God then why would God send His son to Earth to die for us?
• God sent His Son to earth (came Himself) to die for us so that through Him we could become children of God.

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John 1:12-13 (NIV)

• But in order to become a child of God we have to be willing to die to our self and allow Jesus Christ to not just be a part of our life but ALL of our life.

Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.

• The beautiful thing about all this is the fact that this takes care of all the excuses we make for not responding to the tugging of God on our heart. “God would never love me because of what I?ve done or haven?t done”, “I?m not good enough for God”. You?re right ? you aren?t good enough for God but the point is God?s love isn?t extended to us on the basis of what we?ve done or haven?t done ? it?s extended to us on the basis of His grace ? all it takes is simple belief in the gift that He offers in His son Jesus Christ to gain the FULL acceptance AND approval of God!

Image is a temporary thing. What we do doesn?t determine who we are ? who we are determines what we do!

• The saying, “What Would Jesus Do” is not just to be a catchy slogan that we wear or say but a critical question we ask with everything we do as we realize that what we do flows out of who we are?
• the truth of the matter is that when we pass from this world to the next it is not what is on the outside that will be carried with us but what is on the inside that tags along. And it is what?s on the inside that will determine our final destination.
• The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

Luke 6:46-49 (NIV)

46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 47 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

So I leave you with this question tonight:

Where?s your heart tonight? You see that is really the most important question of your life and all eternity. You see you are either a child of God or not?