Will the Real Christian Please Stand Up
Steve Wagers
Micah 6: 8
INTRODUCTION
The story is told of a pastor, of a small country church, who tended to major on the negative, 'thou-shalt-nots,' of the Christian life. On one occasion, after a Sunday morning service, in which this had been his theme, he was invited to the home of a farmer for dinner. After dinner, the farmer said to the pastor, "I would like for you to come and meet my donkey." Not wishing to offend the man, the pastor agreed, but asked why he wanted him to see his donkey. The farmer replied, "Because my donkey is a Christian!" The pastor, completely taken back, and surprised, said, "Don't be ridiculous. No donkey can be a Christian." The farmer looked back, and said, "Well, according to your sermon this morning he can. Why, my donkey doesn't drink, swear, smoke, or work on Sunday. So, according to your sermon, he must be a Christian!" 1
If I were to ask you today to describe, define, and depict a real Christian, what would your answer be? Needless to say, in these days, there are varying opinions as to what a Christian is. As a matter of fact, a recent survey, conducted by George Barna, revealed our country's perception of Christianity. It showed that:
? 60% of Americans claim to be religious
? 67% claim to be born again
? 70% claim church membership
? 41% say they are committed Christians
? 44% say they are moderately committed
? 27% say they are mindful of Christ 2
The Princeton Research Center reported that, of Americans, regarding the Bible:
? 39% believe it is the literal Word of God
? 46% believe it is the inspired Word of God; and,
? 14% regard it is a mere human work 3
Thus, if the truth be known, in these days, no one truly knows what a Christian is, who a Christian is, and how a Christian is supposed to be. In a day, where last year alone, 2 billion dollars were spent on Christian books, it is apparent that we have neglected the TRUE BOOK th ...
Steve Wagers
Micah 6: 8
INTRODUCTION
The story is told of a pastor, of a small country church, who tended to major on the negative, 'thou-shalt-nots,' of the Christian life. On one occasion, after a Sunday morning service, in which this had been his theme, he was invited to the home of a farmer for dinner. After dinner, the farmer said to the pastor, "I would like for you to come and meet my donkey." Not wishing to offend the man, the pastor agreed, but asked why he wanted him to see his donkey. The farmer replied, "Because my donkey is a Christian!" The pastor, completely taken back, and surprised, said, "Don't be ridiculous. No donkey can be a Christian." The farmer looked back, and said, "Well, according to your sermon this morning he can. Why, my donkey doesn't drink, swear, smoke, or work on Sunday. So, according to your sermon, he must be a Christian!" 1
If I were to ask you today to describe, define, and depict a real Christian, what would your answer be? Needless to say, in these days, there are varying opinions as to what a Christian is. As a matter of fact, a recent survey, conducted by George Barna, revealed our country's perception of Christianity. It showed that:
? 60% of Americans claim to be religious
? 67% claim to be born again
? 70% claim church membership
? 41% say they are committed Christians
? 44% say they are moderately committed
? 27% say they are mindful of Christ 2
The Princeton Research Center reported that, of Americans, regarding the Bible:
? 39% believe it is the literal Word of God
? 46% believe it is the inspired Word of God; and,
? 14% regard it is a mere human work 3
Thus, if the truth be known, in these days, no one truly knows what a Christian is, who a Christian is, and how a Christian is supposed to be. In a day, where last year alone, 2 billion dollars were spent on Christian books, it is apparent that we have neglected the TRUE BOOK th ...
There are 26063 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
