Living Out Loud

 In 391 A.D., Telemachus, a Christian monk living in a remote village in Italy, heard the voice of God telling him to go to Rome. Weeks later, he arrived at the time of a great festival and followed the crowd surging down the streets into the Coliseum. He saw the gladiators stand before the emperor and say, “We who are about to die salute you.” When he realized these men were going to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowd Telemachus cried out, “In the name of Christ, stop!”

He rushed down the aisle, climbed over the wall, and dropped to the floor of the arena. The crowd thought it was part of the show and began laughing.

As Telemachus pleaded with the gladiators to stop, one of them plunged a sword into his chest. He fell to the sand. As he was dying, his last words were, “In the name of Christ, stop!”

The gladiators did stop and stood over his body. A hush fell over the Coliseum. From the upper rows, a man got up and made his way to the exit. Others began to follow. Soon, all the people left.

That was the last battle between gladiators in the Roman Coliseum. Never again did men kill each other there simply for the entertainment of the crowd, all because one small voice spoke the truth in Jesus’ name.

Can you imagine being that one voice? It takes guts to be the lone man or woman, sticking out in a crowd. It takes boldness to speak out when it’s easier to keep quiet. It takes courage to stand up when you’re standing alone.  It takes conviction to be the only one in the room choosing God.

1Kings 18:20 So Ahab sent a message among all the sons of Israel and brought the prophets together at Mount Carmel. 21 Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word. 

1Kings 18:23 Now let them give us two oxen; and let them choose one ox for themselves and cut it up, and place it on the wood, but put no fire under it; and I will prepare the other ox and lay it on the wood, and I will not put a fire under it. 24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the LORD, and the God who answers by fire, He is God." And all the people said, "That is a good idea." 25 So Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it." 26 Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, "O Baal, answer us." But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made. 27 It came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, "Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened." 28 So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them. 29 When midday was past, they raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention. 30 Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near to me." So all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD which had been torn down. 31 Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, "Israel shall be your name." 32 So with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two measures of seed. 33 Then he arranged the wood and cut the ox in pieces and laid it on the wood. 34 And he said, "Fill four pitchers with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood." And he said, "Do it a second time," and they did it a second time. And he said, "Do it a third time," and they did it a third time. 35 The water flowed around the altar and he also filled the trench with water. 36 At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37 Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again." 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God." 

Hesitate between two opinions – dance around the point with no convictions. Choosing to go with the flow because we’re afraid not to.

Caught in the middle of a decision. Want to turn left across traffic but it’s too heavy so you give in, turn right and go with the flow. But this isn’t the direction I want to go.

Paul before Agrippa: Acts 26:6 And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; 7 the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. 

God has made a promise that everyone believes He will fulfill someday. I believe that day is now. And for that I’m being accused of unfaithfulness to God, that I’m taking my belief to a fanatical extreme. Though what they want to be true is true, they choose not to accept it as true. And accuse me of teaching false doctrine.

Hannah Whitall Smith in The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life. - The standard of practical holy living has been so low among Christians that very often the person who tries to practice spiritual disciplines in everyday life is looked upon with disapproval by a large portion of the Church. And for the most part, the followers of Jesus Christ are satisfied with a life so conformed to the world, and so like it in almost every respect, that to a casual observer, there is no difference between the Christian and the pagan.

James: Double-minded man unstable in all his ways.

Commitment requires single-mindedness.

1Cor 7:35 This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord. 

George Barna, The Frog in the Kettle, "Commitment is viewed negatively because it limits our ability to feel independent and free, to experience new things, to change our minds on the spur of the moment and to focus on self-gratification.”

He chose his title from the lab experiment of boiling a frog. The intention of the frog to jump out of hot water is compromised when the water becomes hot gradually. As he danced (or swam) in his opinions that this wasn’t that bad, he slowly boiled to death.

That was Elijah’s warning: How long will we continue to dance around our opinions? Start standing on your convictions: Shad, Mesh, Abed.

Dan 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." 

Daniel: People who know their God will do exploits. Heroic acts of faith.

Paul and John before the council: Acts 4:18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." 

You dance around your opinions. You stand on convictions. What is a conviction? What you are convinced is true. What I’m convinced is true, is what I commit myself to.

Hitting a point in life where only God can handle what I’m going through is no time to dance around undecided about what I believe.

            Kids, job, illness, finances, relationships, temptations, fears, frustrations

 Abraham Lincoln said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My wisdom and that of all those around me seemed insufficient for the day.”

By setting my convictions, I determine in advance what I believe so that when the moment comes, I know what to do:

Bad news from the doctor: I choose to trust God.

Bad report about my family: I choose to trust God.

Bad day in overwhelming grief: I choose to trust God.

Elijah didn’t have what it took to resolve the dilemma with Baal’s priests. 450 to 1. But he did have the conviction that God could resolve it. It was God’s reputation not Elijah’s that was being tested: not, may they see I’m your faithful prophet, but may they see You are my faithful God.

A man was going skydiving for the first time.  He took lessons and was going up for his first jump.  When he left the plane, he panicked and couldn’t remember how to open his chute.  As he was falling to the earth, he met a guy coming up.  He yelled out to the guy, “Hey buddy, do you know how to work a parachute?”  The Guy shouted back, “No, but I can tell you how not to light a propane stove.”

What’s the important thing: deciding in advance to choose God.

Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life…

 

Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. 

 

Josh 24:14 Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." The Lord, He is God!

 

1Sam 8:18 Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day. 19 Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." 

But I don’t want to stand out as different from the rest. I don’t want to be labeled as a fanatic. I don’t want to shout my convictions at the top of my lungs. I just want to get by.

Two guys riding a motorcycle, driving through the country.  The leather jacket one guy was wearing had a broken zipper.  After a while he stopped and said, “I can’t drive anymore.  The air is hitting me in the chest and I’m freezing.”  His friend said, “Well, turn your jacket around and wear it backwards so the air won’t hit you.”  He did and they continued their ride until they came to a sharp curve too fast.  Neither bike made it and they both wrecked.  A farmer that lived nearby heard the crash and ran over to see what happened.  He called the sheriff.  When the deputy got there he asked him, “Were either of them showing any sign of life when you got here?” “Well sir, he said, that fellow over there kept moaning and groaning until I turned his head around the right way. Hadn’t said a word since.”

Let’s get our heads on straight for 2022. We’ve been in a destructive pattern that has challenged our lives for well over two years. More of the same may be coming. Stuff we aren’t asking for. Let’s quit dancing around our opinions about God and decide this year to move into conviction. Let’s choose to trust God no matter what comes.

TAKEAWAYS:

 

1. It’s impossible to plan for every bad thing that might happen.
2. In fact, trying to do so makes us paranoid and fearful.
3. We can’t stop what comes against us, but we don’t have to dance around while it boils us alive.
4. By choosing in advance what we know to be true, we can be ready for whatever comes.
5. Because God is faithful, we are able.