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COUNTERFEIT CHRISTIANITY
This morning I brought something with me to church that most of you
have probably never seen before. It is known as a ‘V-chip’ or a ‘smart
card.’ It is found in a satellite dish receiver. I also have this, a
debit card which contains my banking account information. Lets see what
else is here: awe … my Sam’s Card, my library card, my driver’s
license, and look … hotel cards. Does anyone know what is common with
each of these items? They all contain parts of my life … my personal
information. Believe it our not, this problem is not just for individuals
….
Sometime back the United States Treasury tackled one of its most vexing
problems. Sophisticated, hi-tech resources now available to the average
citizen have become real problems to the Treasury Department. With the
introduction of high quality ink jet printers, computer scanners and other
office equipment into homes and offices across the nation, the amount of
counterfeit money almost doubled in the years between 1992 and 1997.
Counterfeit money became hard to distinguish from the real thing. Because
of this fact, in 1998 the United States Treasury introduced a new
weapon--a new twenty dollar bill--because this was the most widely
counterfeited bill. This new twenty contained a few new wrinkles that made
it almost impossible to reproduce. Not the least of which is a new
magnetic strip which has the amount of the bill encoded within it.
Counterfeits … a problem for today … a problem of ‘yesterday.’
In today’s lesson, Jesus warned his disciples about counterfeit
Christianity. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in
heaven.” (Pause) It appears from Jesus’ teaching that it is possible
to know all the right phrases, maintain a pious expression on your face,
even show up every time the doors of the church are open and give your
tithe--and still be far from the kingdom.
STRONGEST OF THESE PROBLEMS WHICH JESUS WAS SENSITIVE IS COUNTERFEIT
CLERGY. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not
prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name
perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew
you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
Bishop William Cannon said it rightly, “On the journey of life we run
into false teachings and dishonest advisors.” (1) It is easy to exploit
religious responsibilities for personal gain. Some think of past scams
like “Heritage USA” or other cases, but the story which I remember to
keep me humble is this:
Perhaps some of you remember an old comedy routine about a famous
athlete receiving a telephone call from a distinguished advertising agency
requesting that he pose with a bottle of Gordon’s Gin for a billboard
campaign. The athlete replied: “Because of my religious beliefs I simply
cannot do it.”
The executive said “You will receive $1 million for your efforts.”
There is a pause--then the athlete says, “Let me think it over.”
He goes to his Bishop for some advice. The Bishop says, “It would be
a bad example and message for our young people to see. Don’t do it.”
So the athlete calls the ad executive and says, “I just cannot do the
ad.”
Two weeks later he is driving down Hollywood Boulevard and he is
shocked when he sees the Bishop on the billboard holding a bottle of
Gordon Gin with the words, “It has a divine and heavenly taste.”
(Pause)
Yes, Jesus was particularly sensitive to the problem of counterfeit
clergy. That is why you will find him saying things like: “Watch out for
false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they
are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15, NIV). It is important to remember
that this was not all ‘clergy.’ Jesus had great respect for the rabbis
and priests. But he also noticed that many of the teachers of the law had
a ‘superficial righteousness.’ For many, obedience became a public
performance for others to see rather than an inner devotion to the living
God. Christ wanted conduct which flowed out of character--not out of a
desire to play to the gallery. Thus Jesus warned us of those who
masquerade an outer beauty, but inwardly are rotten and shallow.
Appearances can be deceptive and destructive. All that glitters is not
gold.
A bank put up this sign: “It is better to be short of cash than to be
short of character.” Jesus warned us of those who appear to have the
calling, but do not have the character. That is not a failing of clergy
alone, of course. Many today, lay and clergy are lacking in our commitment
to Christ. And thus we turn to Jesus’ words to help us remedy that which
is wrong.
In the verses just preceding this one about counterfeit faith, in
verses 16-20, Christ gives us a way to discern if our faith is real or
not. He gives us the image of a tree bearing fruit. “Every good tree
bears good fruit,” says Jesus, “but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” And
he adds, just for emphasis, “Thus, by their fruit you will recognize
them.”
The image of a tree and its fruitfulness or fruitlessness is found in
many places in the gospels. The Bible even has the listing of the seven
“fruits” of the Spirit. Good fruit is important. An unhealthy tree can
have good bark and branches, but its worth and real value is found in
whether or not it produces fruit.
During the 1970's the group known as the Jesus people produced a poster
that became well-known throughout the Christian community. In my opinion
it was a marvelous poster--with an even greater message. This is what the
poster said: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there
be enough evidence to convict you?”
Jesus asks, “What kind of fruit are you bearing?” Are you bearing
the fruits of love, kindness and justice? Or are you bearing the fruits of
anger, hate and small-mindedness?
You may remember the story of a dear woman who, with great sincerity
and dedication, was leading a Vacation Bible School. A young lad recently
moved to the community and began to attend the Vacation Bible School
classes. The teacher noticed that he only had one arm. The poor teacher
tried her very best to be sure all her comments and activities would not
bring attention to this lad’s handicap. The focus that night was on the
church. Without thinking she said: “Let us all now make our churches.”
She said, “Let us put our hands together like this. Next our index
fingers to make the steeple. Next our thumbs for the doors . . .” and
then she looked to the young lad and realized that the very thing she
hoped not to do, she had done. The boy was standing awkwardly, not able to
participate. The teacher froze. However, one of the other boys in the
class said: “Joshua, take my hand--and let’s make the church together.”
(2)
There’s a young man who is not far from the Kingdom. False prophets
build their own little kingdoms--and divide the body of Christ. They point
out everyone else as lacking, while preaching their own perfection. They
draw attention to themselves and demand honor and glory. It can be hard to
notice at first, but over time one can tell the difference. It is as
obvious as the difference between lightning and a lightning bug. It is
like the difference between Dr. Billy Graham and his organization and
someone like David Koresh or Jim Jones.
Our fruits tell other just how true we really are. Because of this
fact, we should continually ask our selves are we showing fruits or dead
limbs. Over time I have discovered that one of the greatest marks of a
fruitful church is more often found outside of the doors than inside the
building. It is often shown in a true concern for mission and ministry
beyond the four walls of its own structure. To put it in plain English,
Does our church have anything to offer to those who are the least, the
last, and the lost? The African-American spiritual declares
forthrightly, “Everybody talkin’ about heaven ain’t going there.”
This is basically what Jesus is saying. “Not everyone who says to Me,
‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Pause)
It is dangerous to give lip service, but not life service, to the
kingdom of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You can have eloquent
words but an empty witness, and believe me … Jesus knows the
difference!!! We are never to substitute talk for a truthful
testimony. The Apostle’s Creed is great, but apostolic power to produce
apostolic faith is even greater. In plain terms: “Authentic creeds
lead to dynamic deeds.” (3) Sound doctrine and sound living walk
hand-in-hand. (Pause)
Dr. Clarence Jordan wrote a popular translation of the New Testament
known as the “Cotton Patch” version of the Bible. Jordan is a rare
man. He earned a B.S. degree in Agriculture from the University of Georgia
and a Ph.D. in New Testament Greek. In the midst of the racially
segregated south in the 1960s he attempted to build a Christian community
across racial lines. He established the famous Koinonia Farms to help poor
southerners, black and white, establish cooperative farms. His critics
used every legal trick they could to stop his work.
For help in these matters he turned to his brother, Robert, who was a
distinguished attorney. They had both accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord
and Savior, were baptized, and joined the Baptist church the same day.
Something interesting happened when Clarence Jordan asked his brother
Robert for his help. His brother recently had been nominated to the
Georgia Supreme Court. Robert told Clarence: “I’m sorry. I just cannot
do it. You know my political aspirations. If I represented you, I would
lose everything.” Then he said to Clarence, “You see, it’s different
for you.”
Clarence said, “Why is it different? I remember, it seems to me, that
you and I joined the church on the same Sunday as boys. And I expect that
when we came forward the preacher asked me the same question that he asked
you, ‘Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?’ I said, ‘Yes.’
What did you say?”
Robert said, “Clarence, I follow Jesus up to a point.”
Clarence replied, “Would that point by any chance be the cross?”
“That’s right,” Robert said. “I follow him to the cross, but
not on the cross. I am not going to get crucified.”
Then Clarence said, “I don’t think you’re a disciple. I think you
are an admirer of Jesus, not a disciple. I think you ought to go back to
our Baptist church that we belong to and tell them that you are an admirer
of Jesus, not a disciple.”
Disciples are called upon to do more than be an admirer of Jesus. To
carry the cross is a distinguishing mark of a disciple.
Bob Wendel, a Presbyterian pastor, wrote tongue-in-cheek what he calls
the “Cross of the Scale of Commitment.” It is similar to David
Letterman’s Top Ten List and I would like to end with it this morning
because it is a good test to see if we give lip service or life service to
the will of God. On a scale of one to ten, see how far you would go:
10 Go to the cross and rise in three days.
9 Go to the cross and rise in two days.
8 Go to the cross and rise in one day.
7 Watch someone else go to the cross.
6 Visit Golgotha on vacation.
5 Wear a cross at work.
4 Wear a cross to church.
3 Buy a cross for a friend.
2 Look at crosses in a religious bookstore.
1 Write with a Cross pen. (4)
As an individual believer in Christ and as a church of believers we
must always keep ourselves in check and ask just where would we rate on
this scale and what are the fruits which we are producing? Because in the
end, we might fool everyone must of the time, but we can never fool God.
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1. William R. Cannon, THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, The Upper Room, 1982, page
36.
2. Thanks to the late Dr. Harold Brack of Drew Theological Seminary for
this story he gave me in Voice and Diction class.
3. Eric S. Ritz, pastor of 1st UMC Schuylkill Haven, PA.
4. Thanks to Rodney E. Wilmoth, Hennepin Avenue UMC for this
illustration. |
"but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15b,
NASB).