Why X’IAN? (spell it out)
…because we’re going to be talking today about ‘Clayton’ Christians…
Not real Christians
------ Please put your hand up if you don’t believe in God? ---------
That’s unusual. I thought maybe some of you might be brave enough to put your hand up. --------
In America today it is estimated that there are more than 50,000,000 people who don’t believe in God – Atheists, Agnostics, Humanists, Ethical Culturalists.
Unfortunately, over half of these people who don’t believe in God, go to church.
Why? Because of social reasons, family reasons and business reasons.
------ Today friends, I want to talk about another group, possibly an even larger group. Today I’m concerned about:
The X’ian Atheist …
who comes to church;
who firmly believes that God exists;
but who spends most of his life
acting as if He didn’t exist!
Let’s look at the word… ATHEIST. The prefix ‘A’ means ‘not’ or ‘without.' The word ‘theist’ comes from the Greek word ‘theos’ and means ‘God’.
PP2 (An) ‘Atheist’ = (then, is)
One for whom there is no God – (or)
one who is without God.
And I fear today that many people who have their names on a church roll and who claim to believe there is a God, are really practising atheists, living their lives very largely without God. ----
----- The more I thought about this message, the more I really didn’t want to present it. ---- Why? ------
------ Because so many of the examples I am using today apply to me. And maybe they apply to you too.
But we’re not going to use my name, Ray, or your name, whatever that may be. We’re going to call this X’ian Atheist, John.
But please remember friends that he could just as well be a she, and the name of this X’ian Atheist could even be the same as your name or my name. ------
PP1 Imagine a three roomed house. Two of the rooms are quite large – one is very small. Each room has a door opening to the outside.
PP2 (John,) THE X’IAN ATHEIST …
who lives most of his life without God, spends a huge amount of his time living in these two large rooms.
The first large room is called John’s …
PP3 OUTSIDE LIFE (or) PUBLIC LIFE (that’s what everyone sees).
Now the things in this first big room take up a lot of John’s time.
What are some of these things?
PP4
Job, Marriage, House, Food, Garden, Clothes, Car/Transport, Children, Friends, Education
PP5
Finances, Sport, Hobbies, Church, Toys, Travel, Holidays, Shopping, Health, TV
There are some other things that affect John too and we could probably put them in this first big room.
But while we’re talking about …
PP1 TV (you all know …)
PP2 The 23rd Psalm - The Lord is My Shepherd (and so on)
Well, here’s one called …
PP3 The 23rd Channel (it reads like this…)
The TV set is My Shepherd
My spiritual growth shall want.
It makes me to sit down and do nothing for His name’s sake
Because it requires most of my spare time.
It keeps me from doing my duty because it presents so many ‘good’ shows I must see.
It restores my knowledge in the things of this world,
And keeps me from the study of God’s Word.
It leads me in the paths of failing to attend midweek Bible study groups, and doing very little for the Kingdom of God.
Yes, though I live to be a hundred, I shall keep watching my TV as long as it will work, for it is my closest companion.
Its sound and picture, they comfort me.
It presents entertainment before me and keeps me from doing important things with my family.
It fills my head with ideas that differ from those set forth in the (hold up Bible) Word of God.
Surely, no good things will come of my life,
because my TV offers me no good time to do the will of God;
----- So I will dwell --- in the house --- of the devil --- forever.
So that’s the little poem about television that somebody put together!
------- Let’s add some more things to the big room of John’s outer life, his public life. Down the bottom we’ll add …
PP6 News, Weather, Economy, Politics, DVD’s, Books, Movies, Computer Games, Internet
There certainly are a lot of things in this big room of John’s life.
-----At the door of this first big room, John’s outer life, his public life, with all the stuff in it, a knock is heard at the door… and a voice.
It’s in Revelation 3:20. It’s God speaking, it’s Jesus speaking, and what do they say? …
PP
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
Now John hears the knock and the voice. But he only answers the door if an emergency develops that he can’t handle himself.
And then, once God has fixed whatever needs fixing, God is not invited to stay in this big room of John’s life any longer.
You see, John is a X’ian Atheist and has very little time for God. He rarely invites God into this room.
The things in this big room are important to John. ---- But friends, they’re important to God too. Why doesn’t John talk to God more about these important everyday things?
What was his name again? Was it Ray, Sue, Harry? ---
John, the X’ian Atheist! -----------------
------ Let’s go now to the second big room in John’s life. We will call this other big room his …
PP1 INNER LIFE (his PRIVATE LIFE)
This is the room that is full of John’s private thoughts and feelings. He doesn’t invite God or other human beings into here very often at all.
What things would he keep in this big room, his private life?
In here he keeps his …
PP2
Memories, hopes, sadnesses, doubts, jealousies, love, hate, guilt, goals,
PP3 ambitions, regrets, pride, sex, self-worth, embarrassment, blue movies, shoddy deals, anger
----- So there’s a knock on the door, and a voice. It’s the voice of Jesus and God again –
Revelation 3 verse 20 …
PP
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice, and opens the door,
I will come in to him, and dine with him, and he with Me.”
Do you notice that there are no doorknobs on the outside of the doors? The door knobs are only on the inside. -----
PP (photo of Jesus knocking)
God doesn’t force us to open the doors to our life. God is a gentleman. Jesus is a gentleman too! They knock, and hope John will open the door and let them in, but John rarely does – because remember, John is a X’ian Atheist.
------- Now we come to the third room.
PP1 (drawing - Spiritual Life )
It is very small. This little room represents John’s spiritual or religious life. He spends very little time in here. ---- When he get’s inside, there’s a knock at the door, and the voice ….
PP2
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears My voice, and opens the door,
I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
----- John hears the knock and the voice. ---- On weekdays – early in the morning – if there’s nothing more important in the other two big rooms to take up his time, you’ll find John inside this room, and he opens the door, and let’s God in too.
Once God is inside, God waits while John quickly reads a few sentences from God’s love letter to John, the Bible. God leans forward eagerly, hoping they will be able to discuss some of the things John has just read. ----
---- But before God can say anything, John pulls out his shopping list. Some call it a Prayer List.
(Take out of pocket, unfold and read fast)
Let’s see –
John asks for the usual guidance, protection from harm and danger, blessings on his wife and kids and on God’s workers everywhere around the world.
And of course, the standing order for forgiveness, nothing specific, just a blanket order.
And finally, John finishes off with his standard request that God will keep everyone faithful and true and that they may all be saved at last in His Kingdom when He comes, without the loss of one.
(Fold up and put in pocket)
Thank you God – I’ll put that away for use again tomorrow.
I must go now because I’m very busy and I’ve got a lot to do. Goodbye. ----- And he leaves. ------
----- So John has gone, and God is left behind in the small room – He waits alone – hoping John will return soon or that John will even invite God to spend the day with him in the other two rooms of his life.
PP Did you hear that? God is hoping that John will invite Him into those other two rooms. (John’s public life and private life).
Well John doesn’t come back so God leaves, disappointed. He goes to one of the other big rooms where John is busy and He knocks.
PP “JOHN, I’m standing at the door …” NO ANSWER!
God wants to be with John, but John doesn’t let Him in.
John doesn’t take any notice, and God probably won’t hear from John until early tomorrow morning in the small room – UNLESS THERE’S AN EMERGENCY.
PP1 Then comes the Sabbath Day on the weekend
when God has asked John to spend a whole day
with Him, maybe even at church.
He’s supposed to spend a whole day in the little room.
PP2 In the fourth one of the ten commandments, God asks John,
“John, ‘Remember the Sabbath day, TO KEEP IT HOLY.’ ”
------ But it’s very hard because he’s not used to it. John thinks about many other things in the other two big rooms of his life.
He tries very hard for a few hours while he’s at church. Then he starts to watch the clock more and more and he listens less and less. -----
In Australia, a preacher went past 12 o’clock, and a third of the people walked out!
Maybe some people seem to have the idea that nobody is saved after 12 o’clock!
In the black churches in America they often go on long after the normal closing time – as long as the people are saying “AMEN, AMEN and PREACH MAN PREACH!”
------ An Australian preacher was preaching in one of these churches, and when he looked at his watch it was 12 o’clock. So he rounded off his sermon and sat down. After about half a minute, the black elder on the rostrum looked across at him and said “Brudder, is you finished or is you just havin’ a liddle rest?”
I guess there weren’t too many John the X’ian Atheists in that church! -----
----- So John finds it hard while he’s in church because he’s not used to spending much time with God during the week.
PP So on the weekend, on the church day, there’s a knock.
“John, I’m standing at the door and knocking…”
----- Sometimes John invites God in. He feels he wants to know God better. He promises to spend more time in the small room.
Sometimes John ignores the knocking and thinks God is happy with him just thinking religious thoughts and doing churchy things.
PP1 Friends, God would like to break down the walls between
these three rooms and be with us all the time!
Sometimes we treat God like a dog. …
PP2
We just give Him the scraps of our time at the beginning or
end of the day.
PP3 (And ….)
God is deeply hurt when we only meet Him in the small room
of our life.
------ Friends …
PP1 WHY DID GOD CREATE US?
Well, I can think of at least three reasons.
PP2 1. To make God happy
PP3 2. For companionship
God wants to have friends just like we want to have friends. ----
And….
PP4 3. To love us and see us love Him back.
God wants to share His unlimited love with us.
But sin changed all that, and now we tend to shut Him out of our full and busy lives and only let Him into the small room.
One day soon, when Jesus comes back to take genuine Christians home, all that will change. But God is not satisfied to wait till then.
PP1 God WANTS you and me –
and He wants us NOW!
PP2 God loves you and me deeply
and He wants to spend
more time with us NOW!
----- Here’s a little poem that explains it. It’s called –
PP1 THE ROBIN AND THE SPARROW
PP2
Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.”
PP3
Said the Sparrow to the Robin:
“Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.”
Well it looks that way to the Robin and the Sparrow, but …
PP The problem is simply that we, as humans, don’t let God get into our WHOLE lives.
His interest in us is very great. He wants to know even the smallest details about us.
All His love and care and interest, He constantly focuses on us. And what does He hope from us in return? --- Friends, He longs for us to open our lives totally to Him – to share our fears and failures, thoughts and feelings, joys and dreams, our inner life and our outer life – with Him. ------ And He will share back.
God is a living, feeling being, and Christianity is built on that fact.
------ This is what I believe about Christianity: Firstly ….
PP1 I believe that Christianity is not primarily a lifestyle,
as important as that is.
PP2 I believe that Christianity is not primarily an organisation.
PP3 I believe that Christianity is not primarily what Jesus taught
and did.
PP4 I believe that Christianity is not primarily correct doctrine.
PP5 I believe that Christianity is not even primarily a matter of
salvation.
Friends, above all these things, I believe that ….
PP6 Christianity is a personal relationship
between Jesus and you --- and between Jesus and me.
----- It’s worth thinking about isn’t it? ------
------ Some of you may object to thinking of religion in such terms as we’ve considered it here today. But remember, …
PP Genuine Christianity is first of all a love affair.
When we let God into our lives and talk with Him
freely about our everyday things,
we get to know Him, and we get to love Him more.
------- How can a young man or woman increase their love for the other person, if they don’t communicate with the other partner?
If they are not open with each other about their joys and problems, dreams and thoughts and feelings, and doubts and hopes, then how can they get to know and love each other better? ------
And that’s how it is with God too. -----
----- I want to read you …
PP A LOVE LETTER
from Jesus
“How are you? I just had to send this letter to tell you how much I love and care about you. I saw you yesterday as you were walking with your friends. I waited all day, hoping you would walk with Me also.
As evening drew near, I gave you a beautiful sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you, and I waited. You never came. Oh yes, it hurt Me, but I still love you because I am your friend.
You awakened late and rushed off for the day … My tears were in the rain. Today you looked so sad, so alone. It makes my heart ache because I understand. My friends let me down so many times too, but I love you.
I try to tell you in the quiet green grass; I whisper it in the leaves and trees, breathe it in the colours of the flowers. I shout it to you in the mountain streams, and give the birds love songs to sing.
I clothe you with warm sunshine and perfume the air. My love for you is deeper than oceans and bigger that the biggest need you have. ---
---- I want you to spend eternity together with Me. I know how hard it is on this earth. I really know, because I was there, and I want to help you.
My Father wants to help you too. He’s that way, you know. Please, just call Me, ask Me, talk to Me. It is your decision. It’s your choice. I have chosen you, and because of this, I will wait a little longer … because … I love you!
Signed - Your Friend and Saviour, Jesus ----------
------ My brothers and sisters, think seriously about the rooms of our lives. Will we tell God that we are now ready to share with Him our innermost thoughts and feelings? Will we share with Him our outer, secular world as well? ------
PP Or will we be John, the X’ian Atheist – getting around as if God doesn’t exist – a walking contradiction, who claims the name Christian after the name of the One he shuts out? --------
It’s serious isn’t it friends? The X’ian Atheist! The lukewarm Christian. Friends, are we going to let Him in? We’ll have to if we’re really serious about not being a lukewarm Christian. ----
PP (Photo of Jesus knocking at the door)
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock!”
We hear that voice every day of our lives – and we hear it now. And I want to open the door and invite God to come into my Spiritual Life AND into my everyday life. ----
Do you? ------
I’m going to read the words of the hymn we sang earlier.
‘The Saviour is Waiting’
The Saviour is waiting to enter your heart
Why won't you let Him come in?
There's nothing in this world to keep you apart
What is your answer to Him?
Time after time He has waited before
And now He is waiting again
To see if you're willing to open the door
Oh how He wants to come in.
If you'll take one step toward the Saviour, my friend,
You'll find His arms open wide.
Receive Him, and all of your darkness will end,
Within your heart He'll abide.
Time after time He has waited before
And now He is waiting again
To see if you're willing to open the door -
Oh, how He wants to come in. ------
------ Friends, if you are able, please stand with me as we pray.
Thank you.
PRAYER
Father, we are Your children, and we come to You now.
Father, am I allowing You every day into my public, private and spiritual life perfectly? No, not at all!
I believe I still have a long way to go. But, along with my dear brothers and sisters here, it’s a journey we are on, and we need to be walking together on that journey, as we travel the road together towards Your Golden City, Lord. -----
Father, I pray that we will band together and pray for each other, that we will receive the blessings that You so much want to give us as we invite You fully into the rooms of our lives.
Thank You Lord, in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Friends, I’d like to offer you and your friends a free copy of my DVD message called ‘THE HOUR’ as you leave today, or you can see it as number 004 in the LIFE LESSONS Index, along with many other messages, on my website called … www.rememberthesabbathdaytokeepitholy.com.au
Thank you again and blessings to you all for a wonderful, wonderful week.
PP
Friends, if you’ve been blessed and challenged by this message
then please take time now to send it on to your friends.
To God be the Glory!
Thank You,
Ray Archer
The words of this little book guarantee a reduction in stress and depression, and an increase in happiness and good attitude in life, whether you are an atheist, agnostic, Christian, or someone searching for meaning in life.
Best wishes for ‘A Better Life’ – guaranteed!