Dare To Be Different
Daniel Rodgers
Proverbs 2:20
Sunday, January 14, 2007
TEXT: Proverbs 2:20, That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
ILLUS: I ran across something this week that I would like to share with you. It was written for the Radio Bible Class by Joe Stollen. He begins...
My dad was a pastor, so I got stuck with the label known to every pastor's kid: P.K. But, much to the congregation's disappointment, the title didn't stop me from being my mischievous little self. I'd like to have a $5 bill for every time somebody came to me and said, "Little Joe, you're the pastor's son. You should be an example." They wanted me to be different, but they didn't understand. I didn't want to be an example! I was only a kid and wanted to have fun with my friends.
Nobody wants to be different. We want people to like us, and the safest way to do that is to blend in, to be like them. But following Christ has never been about blending in. Following Him means to be like Him, to respond to life and relate to people the way He would.
Inevitably, there are times that doing that makes you different. Granted, it can be risky and uncomfortable to be different. But that's what being a follower of Jesus is all about—bringing the difference of your King to bear on the territory you've been assigned to: your home, your office, your friendships.
We need to keep in mind that Jesus never promised that following Him would be a cakewalk. In fact, He made it clear that following Him would often create tension in a world that is going in the opposite direction. Just before His death, He spoke candidly to His disciples: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also (John 15:18).
He continues...
Just ...
Daniel Rodgers
Proverbs 2:20
Sunday, January 14, 2007
TEXT: Proverbs 2:20, That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
ILLUS: I ran across something this week that I would like to share with you. It was written for the Radio Bible Class by Joe Stollen. He begins...
My dad was a pastor, so I got stuck with the label known to every pastor's kid: P.K. But, much to the congregation's disappointment, the title didn't stop me from being my mischievous little self. I'd like to have a $5 bill for every time somebody came to me and said, "Little Joe, you're the pastor's son. You should be an example." They wanted me to be different, but they didn't understand. I didn't want to be an example! I was only a kid and wanted to have fun with my friends.
Nobody wants to be different. We want people to like us, and the safest way to do that is to blend in, to be like them. But following Christ has never been about blending in. Following Him means to be like Him, to respond to life and relate to people the way He would.
Inevitably, there are times that doing that makes you different. Granted, it can be risky and uncomfortable to be different. But that's what being a follower of Jesus is all about—bringing the difference of your King to bear on the territory you've been assigned to: your home, your office, your friendships.
We need to keep in mind that Jesus never promised that following Him would be a cakewalk. In fact, He made it clear that following Him would often create tension in a world that is going in the opposite direction. Just before His death, He spoke candidly to His disciples: "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also (John 15:18).
He continues...
Just ...
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