From Calvary Chapel of Roswell

Pastor Jim Suttle

Msg #515                     Wednesday, July 16, 2008

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"But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness,

let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; 

neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting,

which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks." (Eph 5:3-4) 

Imagine the scene with me.  You are walking down a road and you see a building.  The sign on the building reads “Good News Printing, Inc”.  Curious about it, you enter the building and discover that this is a company whose purpose is to manufacture Gospel Tracts.  They print simple flyers and even complex books – all for the aim of leading people to know God through Jesus Christ.  As you hear this and see the work they are doing – you are impressed. You wander into the printing room and have the privilege watch the printing presses at work – cranking out Gospel tracts.

But then something happens – you see someone sneak in the back.   He approaches the printing presses – and he begins to make alterations to the tracts.  In the middle of the tracks he begins to place pictures and stickers.  In one set of tracks he places alcohol advertisements.  In the next he puts pornographic pictures.  In the next, ads for “get rich” schemes.  Then as quickly as he came in, he leaves.  But you saw the whole thing!

How would you feel, what would you do?  Surely you know that some unsuspecting person will hand out some of those tracts – intending that the recipient get the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ…but only to discover that right in the middle of the tracts are ads, stickers, and pictures – that contradict everything the tract is about.

Is this story true?  Yes it is – O not literally, this did not happen to a tract printing company…but figuratively.   The truth is that this is happening everyday in the lives of believers.

The Bible tells us that as Christians we like a living Tract for God – known and read by those around us (2 Cor 3:2)  Our lives, our words are the only Bible that some people will ever read.

So…

• when we live immoral lives or lives bent on financial gain – it is as if that message is distorting the message that God wants to present thru us
• when obscene stories or jokes are recounted on the lips of a believer – it is like a placing those words in the middle of a gospel tract.
• when foolish talking – offensive and insulting words come from a believer – it is like seeing them in a gospel tract
• when alcohol or drugs are discussed in a casual way from a believer – it is like an ad for such in a tract.
• I could continue illustrations…but you get the idea. When our lives are telling a different message than the gospel–we are messing up the message

Truly we can see why it says here in our verse – that such things are not fitting in our lives – they don’t go with who we are supposed to be.

Christian,  can I challenge you today.  You are a living tract for Jesus – don’t let anything come out of your lips or life that is a contradiction to the message that God wants to display through your life!

"Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—

these are not for you.“ (Eph 5:4, NLT) 

Jim

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