Believe me, the mystical teachings of jesus are really outstanding. They stand out in any crowd. They make God sick. They make fellow Christians sick, and they make the whole non-Christian population despise God’s gift of salvation.
Number two are the worldly Christians. They are so much like the unsaved that they blend in completely until someone finds out they are Christians. Then the people of the world say, ‘What is the point of Christianity? It requires nothing. It is no different than anything else.’ In a world constantly seeking satisfaction through something ‘new’ and ‘different’ worldly Christianity has no appeal. The worldly Christian is a beacon leading nowhere. They are lukewarm at very best. They make God vomit.
Number three are the Christians who show their heart felt commitment to God in how they live their personal lives. They apply Bible teachings to personal actions. God can use such people to turn the tide of battles, both great and small.
I just watched ‘The Patriot’ again. Toward the end, the armies of the Colonies are beginning to retreat. The hero, seeing defeat as unacceptable, raises up the flag of the United States, and runs against the tide of the retreating army shouting ‘HOLD THE LINE’. The soldiers stop to watch him run in what appears to be the wrong way. Then some turn and began to follow him. Then the entire army turns around, charges up the hill, and wins a decisive victory.
My Christian brothers and sisters, today is such a day for Christianity. Christians are running in retreat instead of charging to victory. The armies of darkness are crushing the freedom to worship our God and our King throughout the world. ‘Outstanding Christian’ types one and two are aiding and abetting the enemy! America, the beautiful, bastion of freedom, is gasping for breath. Yet there is hope. Out God is a God of victory, not of defeat. He is willing to help those who are willing to change their lives to suit God. Will you be such a Christian? Will you be a light that leads the lost to God? Just by claiming the name of ‘Christian’ you have become an ‘Outstanding Christian’. The question is , ‘Which type of Christian will you be?’
Will you be:
a Christian that stands out as obnoxious? (type one)
a Christian that stands out as nothing special? (type two)
a Christian who charges up the hill to victory? (type three)
Whether you make a choice or not, you will fall into one of those categories.
To be a ‘Type 3 Outstanding Christian’ begins when a Christian becomes willing to change what is bothering God in his or her own life. Just do a quick self check and see if you find pride, lack of thankfulness to God and forgiveness to others, gossip in the place of help, lies in the place of truth, lack of honor where honor is due, wicked thoughts in place of Godly thoughts, or lack of reverence and awe for the God who created you.
The Type 3 Outstanding Christian wants to please God more than they want anything else. Hebrews 13:16 says, ‘but to do good and communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
In the movie ‘The Patriot’, the hero charging up the hill wasn’t really looking to see who followed him. He was looking forward to victory. That is what every Type Three Christian needs to do. Christians need to fix their eyes on Victory in Christ Jesus our Lord. They look beyond the day and even the years. Type Three Christians understand they are not playing a ‘numbers’ game.
