Steps to Christlikeness - a podcast by Lewis Marsh

Life Under the Sun, Pt. 10

Steps to Christlikeness

By Louie Marsh, 10-30-2022

1. Drop Kick Me Jesus (Through The Goal Posts Of Life.) Written by Paul Charles Craft
2. I Don't Care if it Rains or Freezes 'Long as I Have My Plastic Jesus Sittin' on the Dashboard of my Car a.k.a. "Plastic Jesus" by Ernie Marrs
3. I've Been Roped And Throwed By Jesus In The Holy Ghost Corral.
4. I Went Back to My Fourth Wife for the Third Time and Gave Her a Second Chance to Make a First Class Fool Out of Me by Rev. Billy C. Wirtz
5. Hand me the Pool Cue and Call Yourself an Ambulance (- it’s not real)

Things aren’t always what they seem. The same is true of us.

A story from American Indian folk lore – a brave one day found an eagle’s egg had fallen out of its nest, since he couldn’t reach the nest he decided to put the egg in the next of a prairie chicken. After a while the eagle hatched and was raised by the mother prairie chicken to be one of her brood.

          The eagle lived his life thinking and acting just like a prairie chicken, not knowing anything else. He scratched in the dirt for insects to eat, he clucked and cackled, and flew no more than a few feet in a hurried thrashing of wings, just like all the other prairie chickens did.

          Then one day he looked up and saw an eagle soaring high above. It was magnificent as it soared on the thermals through the cloudless sky. The young eagle asked his mother what is that bird that looks so wonderful?

          That’s a eagle, chief of the birds, she said, but don’t give it a second thought, you could never be like him.” So the eagle lived out his life as a chicken, never knowing the greatness he had been born too.

          Christians are very often just like that! Made to soar into the heaven’s with our Father, we scratch in the dirt, accepting a ho-hum life of mediocrity when God wants us to be world changers!

 

1) Always PURSUE GOD in my heart.

 

“2A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left.” (Ecclesiastes 10:2, ESV)

 

One commentator suggested this should be the slogan of the Republican party – NOT!!  Actually right refers to the place of God’s pleasure.

 

“Christianity is a religion of the heart.” - DLMoody

 

“30And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ (Mark 12:30, ESV)

 

Jesus told us to love God with all our hearts- making our faith a thing of the heart and not just the head.

 

Example:

     IN his Sunday sermon a preacher’s subject was “Forgive your enemies.” After the sermon he asked how many present we willing to forgive – about half held up their hands.

     No satisfied he harangued the congregation for another 20 minutes and repeated the question. About 80% raised their hands, so he lectured them for another 15 minutes and then repeated the question.

     All but one elderly man raised his hand.

     “My Jones,” the preacher asked, “are you not willing to forgive your enemies?”

     “I don’t have any,” he said.
    “Mr, Jones, that is very unusual, how old are you?”

     86 he said

     “Would you please come down in front and tell the congregation how a man can live to be 86 and not have an enemy in the world?”

          The old man shuffled to the front, turned to the congregation and with smile he said, “I outlived every last one of ‘em!”

Cute story – but it misses the point – it’s a great example of surface level, Pharisee type Christianity not heart deep Christianity.

 

2) Remember: There’s no such thing as a SAFE SIN!

 

“1Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.” (Ecclesiastes 10:1, ESV)

 

Seemingly little things can destroy your life and spoil your reputation. A few flies can destroy a wonderful perfume. A few moments of folly can ruin or severely damage your life.

 

     Illustrations: Nixon and Watergate, Clinton and Monica.

 

3) When opposed STAND FIRM & REMAIN CALM.

 

“4If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.” (Ecclesiastes 10:4, ESV)

 

   It’s in the nature of a chicken to quit and run away when the going gets tough. But if we are to be eagles then we’ll be firm in our convictions – and calm and loving at the same time.

    Don’t yell and scream – you’ll get much more respect if you remain calm and speak as calmly as possible about whatever the issue is. People don’t respect quitters, yellers etc. They DO respect people who stand by their beliefs and don’t run people who disagree.

 

4) Risk is good – but I must think STRATEGICALLY!

 

“8He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.” (Ecclesiastes 10:8, ESV)

 

5) SKILL  succeeds where strength fails.

 

“10If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.” (Ecclesiastes 10:10, NASB95)

 

6) My speech should be KIND & THOUGHTFUL.

 

“12The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him.” (Ecclesiastes 10:12, ESV)

 

7) TRUST GOD – only He knows the future.

 

“14A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him?” (Ecclesiastes 10:14, ESV)

 

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