Disturbed Christians

Introduction

And may that indeed be so for all of us here. May our time together certainly lead us in that direction. Words are a funny thing. They can be extremely destructive and hurtful and precipitate war.

But at the other end of the spectrum, words can be encouraging, uplifting, helpful. As we read in Proverbs 25 and verse 11, a word spoken in right circumstances, or the King James Version says, a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. God chose to speak to us in words, compelling words. And as one who preaches this message, it is my desire to, in the most compelling way that I can, to encourage people to successfully live these words, all of them, to the glory of God and to the salvation of our souls. And so we’re always trying, those of us who want to accomplish that, to say things in such a way that will make an impact on the hearts and lives, the thinking of believers.

And so I choose titles, sometimes very carefully, sometimes just to provoke some thought to make you wonder where is he going with this? For example, as I have been announcing, as I told you several weeks ago, I originally postponed this lesson. Tonight is the night, and unfortunately, Gary and Christina are not here. Christina was so excited about this sermon. She thought it was all about her. She’s not here because Gary’s sick. But in their assets, maybe we’ll all have to give them a play by play, a blow by blow of what happened in this sermon and how much was it just about Christina. Disturbed Christians. Are you one? Should you be? And I want to begin with an observation that I think is very important. I don’t want to be misunderstood.

You know, you always have to clarify what you mean. I first want to tell you, while there are some indeed different characters in the kingdom of our God. And so people that are quite a bit different than you are, or than I am. And we might look at them as being very eccentric. Christians are the only people in this world who really possess sound minds. So when I use the term disturbed Christians, I certainly don’t want to make fun of someone who has a mental illness or who is disturbed in that way. I want to make that clear. And I want to say to you that people in the world often do not regard Christians as being just this. They think we’re a little bit off our rocker to believe the things that we do.

Particularly in our times when you even discuss the subject of marriage and what the Bible says about one man and one woman or life, what therefore God is joined together. Let no man separate. You say that to somebody in the world, and they think these people have a really strange idea. Their mentality is more love the one you’re with. Make that relationship work. But if it does, well, move on to another one, a better one, and make that one work. And so they look at us and the ideals that we have based on the scripture, and they think those people are strange. After all, do not the scriptures tell us that we are a peculiar people. And again, there’s the people in the kingdom of God that we might think of as fairly peculiar.

But the idea of that word in 1 Peter 2 and verse 9 isn’t that we are strange and abnormal, that is, we’re different in the way we do everything. We’re just really strange. It’s the idea of being owned by God. Or as the New American Standard says, being special as God’s own possession. Rather than being just really odd, weird, and strange. But the Lord’s people were often accused of being crazy. Jesus himself was accused in Mark 3. His own people. It says in Mark 3 in verse 21 were wanting to take custody of him, and they were saying, he has lost his senses. Some of Jesus’ claims and the way he was going about his ministry didn’t fit the messianic mold. It didn’t even seem to fit with his family’s view of things.

And they said he has lost his senses. There was a time when even his brothers were not believing in him, John 7 and verse 5, his brothers in the flesh. And that’s the context, Mark chapter 3, where he makes the statement we quoted this morning. For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and my sister and my mother, because they were waiting outside to talk to him. Paul and Silas, during their missionary journeys in Acts 17, were accused of upsetting the whole world. Or again, the King James says, they turned the whole world upside down. And remember, when Paul was before Festus, he accused Paul of being mad and out of his mind. Paul, you are out of your mind. Your great learning is driving you mad.

Acts 26 and verse 24. But Paul said, and I’ve always loved this, I’m not out of my mind. Most excellent Festus. But I utter words of sober truth. And so, as I talk about disturbed Christians, I want to make it very clear that Christians, those who utter words of sober truth, who live utter words of sober truth, are really only those who are in their right minds, or those who are of sound mind. Let me tell you what is unsound. Toby Keith’s latest album. He’s a country singer. I thought some in this area might know about Toby Keith’s hope on the rocks. That whole album is about beer drinking. His red solo cup. And perhaps the song that you’ve heard lately, I like girls who drink beer.

Really? I wonder how that’s going to work out for you as a life philosophy. I like girls who drink beer. And then the other one that’s called Beers Ago, 1,452 beers ago. Really? 1452? Well, I’m way behind on that. I haven’t had one. Can you imagine that as your life philosophy? Who’s really lost their mind? Who really has a sound mind? So within God’s book, we have the path of true wisdom. If we follow the teaching of this book, we possess the soundest thinking that is. If you think about the fact that if this book is true, and I believe that it is, it is affirmed by the testimony of eyewitnesses. It is confirmed by miraculous deeds done by the spokesman of these letters of Jesus Himself, who is our Savior, we can have confidence in this message that extends beyond this life to immortality into life beyond.

Okay, so Christians are those who possess sound minds. So, what am I talking about when I talk about disturbed Christians? We tend to take that term and think of some kind of mental disorder. Well, it is having to do with what we are mentally. Let’s turn to Romans chapter 12 and verse 11. And that’s the verse I’m going with tonight, Romans chapter 12 and verse 11. As it talks about the nature of being a living sacrifice, not being conformed to this world, but being transformed, it says to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, give preference to one another in honor, verse 10. Then verse 11, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Fervent in spirit. The Greek word there for the word fervent.

This is what should describe us. If we are truly transformed, the living sacrifice that Paul talks about in Romans chapter 12 and verse 1. He says, we are fervent in spirit. The idea of that word is the idea of boil over. And so when you put a pot of water on the stove and you turn up the temperature and you see those bubbles start to come up, and you bring it to a boil. I know you guys is way over your head. This is what the women take care of, right? But when you boil, I’m sure you’ve boiled water or boiled an egg. That water becomes agitated, and it’s the opposite idea of tranquility or smoothness. And he says, we are to be disturbed or agitated in our spirit.

Again, Webster’s dictionary definition for disturbed is to break up the quiet and serenity of, to agitate what is quiet or still.

I mentioned Roland Williams passing this morning. My friend who was one of my golfing buddies when I lived in Baytown, but he was also, as you could tell by his two-time national tasking champion distinction, that he was an excellent fisherman. And when we would drive out to Chambers County for our Monday morning round of golf, we would cross the old and lost rivers, which I’m sure most of you all have crossed many times on Interstate 10 as you were headed east. And sometimes we would go over the waters, and I remember one particular morning where it was very calm. I mean, it was as still as could be. And Roland says, that’s why I’m not fishing. Because the fishing is best when the waters are a little bit agitated.

When they’re not tranquil and serene. And fervent may also be illustrated then by what our washing machines do. As they spin around and they agitate the water, and that’s the cleaning process that takes place in our laundry. And so Christians are to be fervent in spirit. There needs to be a little bit of agitation. I wonder sometimes if things get too tranquil and serene with Christians. Isn’t that what Jesus is saying about the church in Laodicea? In Revelation chapter 3, I would that you were hot or cold. I would that you were a little bit agitated in one way or another, a little bit disturbed, if you will, but you’ve gotten a little bit too comfortable. Things have become a little bit too tranquil. You are lukewarm, he tells this.

1. Never Forget Where We Came From

And so I want to talk to you for a few moments tonight and make five observations about the fact that we need to be fervent in spirit. And some areas where we need to show a little agitation. To be disturbed. As I mentioned Toby Keith’s album a minute ago. I don’t know about you. I find that a little disturbing. One thing that I want to look at is the idea that we are disturbed Christians in the fact that we never forget where we came from. Always anchored in a memory of our past. Look at 2 Peter chapter 1. This is a passage to me that indicates the kind of agitation or disturbing of our spirits that we are to possess. Because we have been granted magnificent and precious promises and have become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Look, we’ve escaped that corruption, and we should never want to go back. Do not be conformed to the former lusts, which were yours in your ignorance, Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 14. But be holy in all your behavior as God is holy. We have escaped the corruption that is in the world. And we need to be mindful of that from which we came. And as a result, now applying all diligence in your faith, supply. That’s not tranquil and serene. That’s not the status quo. That is, we are showing diligence. We’re putting forth some effort and perspiration and sweat, if you will. Applying all diligence, add to your faith moral excellence. Supply moral excellence or virtue. In your virtue knowledge. And so we’re going to have to get out of the comfort of our surroundings sometimes, compel ourselves to come to a place where the Bible is taught, where the Lord people are meeting, and so we can increase our knowledge.

In your knowledge, supply self-control. In your self-control, perseverance. Those two ideas are sometimes challenging for us because there are times where we don’t want to exercise the restraints that are necessary to please God and have pure minds and pure lives. Self-control requires an agitated spirit. Perseverance.

Godliness.

And then this in verse 9 for he who lacks these qualities is blind, short-sighted. And what else is happening? He or she has forgotten the purification of our former sins.

When we lose sight of our past, that’s when we become tranquil and serene, like the Laodiceans, lukewarmed and not agitated in our spirit. What is it that compels me? What is it that drives me to pursue spiritual things to persevere to do all of those qualities supplied moral excellence in my thinking and character? What drives me to that spiritual pursuit in my life? It is a continued reminder of where I’ve been, and a continual reminder of what was done for me in my redemption. After Peter says, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, he reminds them of their redemption by the precious blood of a lamb without spot and without blemish. You were not redeemed with material or futile things, but you were redeemed with the precious blood of a lamb.

2. Perturbed by Sin

So if you want to stay properly agitated, and that’s what this lesson is about, or properly disturbed in the right direction. You need to remember your past. But secondly, as I mentioned, Toby Keith’s despicable album. Oh, by the way, he had help. He didn’t do that alone. The writers of those songs had contributions, not that Toby Keith came up with all of those thoughts, but they were all packaged in a nice beer drinking way for the foolishness that album talks about. But the second thing is, we need to be perturbed by sin. You don’t wonder if Toby Keith was here tonight what he would think of what I’m saying. I’m selling records. That’s all I know. This strange guy talking negatively about a record that sold, I don’t know how many millions of copies.

What’s wrong with him? Well, again, Christians are those who possess sound minds, and it really doesn’t matter to me what he might think. If he was sitting in the audience. The fact is, do you think God approves of those kinds of lyrics of that kind of an approach to life? Should we approve? I want you to look at Psalm 119. We quoted that passage this morning at the beginning of Psalm 119 as we talked about the word, have I treasured in my heart that I might not sin against you? Look at this. Psalm 119, verse 128. There are several passages that have this sentiment. Therefore, I assume right in all thy precepts. I esteem right all thy precepts concerning everything. I want you to hold on to that thought.

And then he says, I hate every false way. In verse 104, prior to that, he says, From thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. Does sin agitate you? Does it disturb you? Or have we become comfortable and desynthitized to it? When we hear profanity, which seems to be increasing at an ever alarming rate in our culture, in every form of media and in the halls of our schools. Everywhere you go. Have you become so desensitized by its commonality in our world that it doesn’t affect you anymore? Do you just not even react? Do you not mentally say that is something God hates? That is something that I hate because I’m his child. Because I think the way God wants me to think.

3. Ruled by Conviction

I possess this sound mind that we talked about that’s ruled by the scripture. We need to be perturbed by sin in whatever form it takes. We need to be agitated about its destructive presence in the hearts and lives of people. And thirdly, getting back to Psalm 119, 128 in the first part of that verse, we are disturbed in the sense that we are ruled by conviction. In Psalm 119, 128, he said, Therefore I esteem right all thy precepts concerning everything. We are agitated by sin and we are motivated to act and do and to believe on the basis of what we become convinced of in the Word of God. I take the stand I do about sin because of what I read in this book, because I have every confidence that what God has revealed in this book is right.

God is right, as we sang in the Psalm, in the Psalm number five in our supplement. I love the ending of that song. God is right. This message is right. And thus I’m ruled by conviction.

4. Not Fearful of Disturbing Others With This Message

And when you have that kind of spirit about you, when you’re zealous or disturbed in this way, fervent in spirit, you’re able to stand before a king and say, I’m not going to defile myself. As Daniel did in Daniel chapter 1 and verse 8, when he had that resolve, or when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, We don’t have to give you an answer concerning this. How do you stand before kings when you’re disturbed in spirit? When you are fervent in spirit and ruled by conviction. Furthermore, as we talked this morning, not only are we disturbed by the message of salvation in Christ, but we are not the least bit concerned or the least bit fearful or hesitant about disturbing others with this important message. He who does not confess me before men, Jesus says, I will not confess before my Father who is in heaven.

Let me tell you, when you do what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 10, and take your stand for him and for righteousness, regardless of the cost, that’s going to agitate the waters. That’s going to cause a reaction or a response. And it may not always be favorable. In Matthew chapter 5 and verse 11, it seems that Jesus anticipates this in the Sermon on the Mount when he talks about the blessed life and what his kingdom is all about. And he said, Blessed are the poor in spirit, rule by conviction. Going back to point number three. We are people who pursue poor in spirit. Humbling ourselves, possessing a lowly mind, understanding, reminded of our past, that we are what we are, by the grace of God. We possess this lowliness of mind toward God and toward others, thus ruled by our convictions.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are they who mourn. Blessed are the gentle. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. But as you go on down this list, he says, in verse 10, blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. Blessed are you, verse 11, when men cast insults at you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely on account of me. Because we are engaged in confession by the way we live and the words that we speak and the behavior that we refuse to partake in. Sometimes the waters will indeed be disturbed or agitated. Jesus had to tell things the way they are, even if the religious leaders of the day didn’t like it.

In Matthew chapter 15, he came down hard on them when he said, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do they worship me, teaching us doctrine the commandments of men. And after he finished this little section, the disciples came and said to him, and I’ve always found this amusing. The disciples come and said, Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when you made these statements? They didn’t like this. Why? Why disturb the waters? Why get them so agitated? Because every plant which my heavenly father did not plant shall be rooted up. You know the modern mentality is live and let live. You can do whatever you want. That’s okay. Just don’t tell me that what I’m doing is wrong.

You do your own thing. I’ll do my own thing, well, I’ll be fine. Live and let live. Is that okay? It’s okay to just let people go on drinking without saying a word of the contrary. I don’t want to say that your lifestyle may not be acceptable because that’s what you want to do. So just say nothing when every plant not planted by my heavenly Father shall be rooted up. So we’re just going to let them experience that eternal rejection that comes from rejecting his righteousness, and we’re not going to see anything. You see, confession leads to this. When you are engaged in confession, there will be a backlash. Let them alone, Jesus says they are blind guides of the blind, and if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into the pit.

5. Motivated in Our Service

He’s not saying there will be no more attempts to rescue or reason with these people, but he says if they’re going to persist in this course, then they’re going to be lost. And everyone who follows them is going to be lost. We need to be disturbed in spirit to be willing to make a confession of our Lord. And finally, to be fervent in spirit will mean to be motivated in our service.

How many years have you been a Christian? For some of us, it’s been quite a long time. And if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, I would say, even if it’s been a couple of years, you will be able to say, and you have noticed that your enthusiasm for the Lord and his things does not remain a constant. There will be an ebb and flow. There will be ups and downs. We will find times in our lives when we won’t feel good. Or there’ll be circumstances in our lives that are distracting, and we won’t have the same kind of fervor and zeal that we had at some other point in our lives. And when we find ourselves there, we have got to get disturbed and agitated again.

I think that’s one reason why God wanted us to preach.

But the purpose of preaching is to get people agitated, to disturb them in their spirits. Preach the word the instant end season out of season, because there is a response that you’re looking for in the audience. I think one of the purposes of preaching every first day of the week is to agitate our spirits, to motivate us to action, to generate the kind of zeal and affection for the Lord and his things that sometimes ebbs and flows in our lives.

So I will gauge the successfulness of this sermon tonight based upon did I get you agitated in any way? Did I disturb your tranquility? I’ll tell you, when you look at a church and you attend there, you’re visiting and you look around, this thing seems dead. You know, it’s in need of agitating. It needs someone to stir people unto love and good deeds. That’s what Paul says to Titus in Titus chapter 2 and verse 14. So in the pursuit of all of these things, and some of them are very challenging in Romans 12. In fact, each of them is deserving a sermon in and of itself. To rejoice with those who rejoice and to weep with those who weep and be devoted to prayer, and we talked about that this morning.

Conclusion

What about this? Not lagging behind in diligence, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Has your zeal for the Lord been rekindled today? I hope so. And if you’re in this audience tonight and you’re not a Christian, it will be your understanding of what the Lord did for you that will be the disturbing factor in your mind. You know, people that obey the gospel, they get disturbed. They get agitated. That’s why they take the step out into the aisle or they make the phone call even in the middle of the night. They can’t sleep. They’re disturbed. They’re agitated. I’ve got a problem. And that problem is if I don’t respond to this message, and I die, I won’t go to heaven. I won’t be ready to meet the Lord.

Because you see, again, they’ve developed some convictions. And once you develop convictions, you’ll never be the same. If there’s someone who needs to respond to their agitation, don’t dismiss it. Don’t say, well, okay, maybe some other time. Let’s think about something else. Why don’t you respond now, if you need to, for the saving of your soul? Act upon this agitation of spirit, this conviction that you have about Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer and hope of immortality. Won’t you respond while we stand and see?