Take a Stand:
I want you to take a moment to make a mental list of four things that you would die for. These are things you feel so strongly about that you would deny all who are against you and would go to war to protect.
Back on July 4, 1776 the colonies decided that their freedom was worth dying for. Our nation was born because a group of people decided to stand up and fight for what they believed was right.
Throughout history we have reveled in these liberties because of the stand that each generation has taken for freedom.
Similarly, Christians have had to fight for the freedom of having a public relationship with God. Many can remember the Columbine High school massacre of 1999. One particular student, Cassie Bernall, had only seconds to decide what she was going to stand for. "Do you believe in God?" Denial or death were her options, and she chose death. Is God real enough to you that you would lay down your life.
Now I want you to turn your attention back to your mental list. Do you still believe that you will die for each of those things? This is where we have to draw the line between conviction and preference/ standards. For example, I had a sunday school teacher who once told the class that she would rather die than put on a pair of pants. I was very little at this time but it did not settle well in my mind. I have now come to realize that this is because this is a standard and not a conviction for me. If someone placed a gun to my head and told me to put on a pair of pants or die, I would be in those pants within seconds.
Christians need to get back to the foundation. We fight so much over who is right and who is wrong. What I see happening is that we are preaching religion and not Christ. My dad has always told me that "you must stand for something, or you will fall for anything". I agree with this statement but believe that we should each take the time to sort through and challenge our own "beliefs". There is nothing wrong with searching for truth, but there is everything wrong with being a lazy, lukewarm Christian who swallows everything we hear.
Back on July 4, 1776 the colonies decided that their freedom was worth dying for. Our nation was born because a group of people decided to stand up and fight for what they believed was right.
Throughout history we have reveled in these liberties because of the stand that each generation has taken for freedom.
Similarly, Christians have had to fight for the freedom of having a public relationship with God. Many can remember the Columbine High school massacre of 1999. One particular student, Cassie Bernall, had only seconds to decide what she was going to stand for. "Do you believe in God?" Denial or death were her options, and she chose death. Is God real enough to you that you would lay down your life.
Now I want you to turn your attention back to your mental list. Do you still believe that you will die for each of those things? This is where we have to draw the line between conviction and preference/ standards. For example, I had a sunday school teacher who once told the class that she would rather die than put on a pair of pants. I was very little at this time but it did not settle well in my mind. I have now come to realize that this is because this is a standard and not a conviction for me. If someone placed a gun to my head and told me to put on a pair of pants or die, I would be in those pants within seconds.
Christians need to get back to the foundation. We fight so much over who is right and who is wrong. What I see happening is that we are preaching religion and not Christ. My dad has always told me that "you must stand for something, or you will fall for anything". I agree with this statement but believe that we should each take the time to sort through and challenge our own "beliefs". There is nothing wrong with searching for truth, but there is everything wrong with being a lazy, lukewarm Christian who swallows everything we hear.
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