Words have a power in and of themselves. Words can hurt and words can heal. Words can encourage and words can discourage. Isn’t it wonderful when you come up with just the right words for a particular situation? Isn’t it painful when you say something utterly dumb and stupid and get a good taste of your foot in your mouth?

The truth is that we talk a pretty good game. While at college our 3rd baseman talked a good game, somewhat equivalent to Mike Schmidt, but his actual play revealed a different story. The same is often true with our Christian talk and walk. We are prone to too much talking and too little walking. We verbalize well but actualize poorly. In any given church 20% of the people do 80% of the work while 80% of the people do 20% of the work. That is a normal church. You need to know that I have never wanted us to be a normal church. It’s my goal that every member of SUMC be involved in both discipleship, i.e. personal spiritual growth, and in ministry, i.e. serving Jesus in some capacity through our church. Talking a good game is not enough. When our words are supported and backed up by our actions then our faith and witness is authenticated as real and genuine. It’s not enough just to hear it from the pulpit and sing hymns about it. It’s not enough to learn correct doctrine and Biblical knowledge. Faith is more than intellectual understanding. Faith is a lifestyle—a way of living. This is what Paul meant when he wrote, “Let you manor of life be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Your manor of life is your behavior, your words, your actions, your attitudes, what you read and what you watch. Is it pleasing to Jesus?

The Bible calls this holiness. John Wesley, founder of Methodism, spoke of personal holiness as well as social holiness. Holiness is personal piety, i.e. avoiding sin, walking close to Jesus, being in the world, but not of the world. Holiness is also confronting sin in the market place because as Christians we have a social responsibility to our neighbors to apply the truths of God’s world to our world. How we treat people is an issue. What is taught in our schools is an issue. What is shown in the movie theaters is an issue. What is spilled into our rivers is an issue. How we treat people of a different racial or ethnic origin is an issue. How we treat our children and our unborn babies is an issue. The body of Christ needs to be both personally holy and socially holy.

Our Christian faith is not primarily philosophical arguments, intellectual ideas, rituals, theological beliefs or doctrines. Christianity is primarily a way of living every day—a way of acting and responding, what you do and don’t do, a way of relating both to God and one another. If we live out this relationship to Jesus only in the confines of our church, then we are not living as Jesus called us to live. Jesus has called us to live in such a way as to revolutionize the whole fabric of society. The purpose of the gospel is to transform both the believer and the society.

In Matthew’s gospel we see Jesus’ words to the Pharisees who were not walking their talking. They talked a good religion; but their actions spoke louder than their words. In this story we definitely do not see Jesus as meek and mild, sweet and gentle Shepherd. We see a different side of Jesus. He called these Pharisees hypocrites and pronounced judgment upon them, “Woe to you, Pharisees and Scribes.” In verses 23-24 Jesus accuses them of majoring on the minors and minoring on the majors. These religious people were very careful in the minutiae—tithing the spices, but forgot the weightier matters of mercy, fairness, and faithfulness. Jesus said that these Pharisees were so careful to pour their wine through a filter less they become defiled by an errant gnat, and yet easily swallow a camel.

Jesus doesn’t end it there. He piles on and compares these religious leaders to tombs—beautiful on the outside, but inside full of dead bones and rotting flesh. Outwardly we can go through all the motions of religion, but be very self-centered, prideful, hypocritical and wicked on the inside. The Pharisees were simply not walking their talking. Let’s be careful though about how quickly we condemn this Pharisees. How many of us are 21st century Pharisees giving the outward appearance of righteousness, but if the truth be told the septic tanks of our own hearts and lives would overwhelm us.

This problem isn’t new to us, nor was it new to Jesus. The prophets Micah, Isaiah, Amos and Hosea all faced the same kind of legalistic religiosity of their own time—great words, little action. Keith Green wrote and sang a song several years ago that captures the essence of this dilemma, “To obey is better than sacrifice. I don’t need your money, I want your life.” (1 Samuel 15:22) If religion doesn’t produce right living, then our religion is a stench before God.

How sad that churches (and we are not exception) often get caught up with the non-essentials of our faith that we miss the real work of God’s Kingdom. It amazes me how churches and Christians can spend so much time arguing and bickering over the dumbest things, while a world is dying and going to hell. Our petty priorities so very often replace the priority of the gospel that Satan renders us ineffective in our witness for Jesus.

Talking a good game is not enough. Walking the walk and talking the walk is what Jesus calls us to do. When we walk our talk then our actions becomes compelling and people take notice. John Mott decided he needed to discover the power of prayer in his life. He read books, attended seminars, and studied the Bible on prayer, but it wasn’t until he prayed that prayer became a compelling force in his life. Walking our talk enables people to see our Christianity in action and in practice and that is when our faith has the greatest impact and influence. The most effective argument for Christianity is a real Christian. The supreme argument for our holy faith is a holy life. Why else did God send His love wrapped up in Jesus?

People don’t care so much about our programs, our activities, or even our worship, as important as they are. What they really want to know is this, “Does it work? Is it real? Or is all talk and a sham?” Harry Emerson Fosdick told the story of a Turkish soldier who chased down a young Armenian girl and her brother into a dead-end alley. The soldier killed the brother, she escaped. Later she was captured by the Turks and put to work as a nurse. One day the soldier who murdered her brother was seriously wounded and place in her ward. Terror flashed over his face as they met in recognition. A battle raged within her. A part of her cried out for vengeance—no one would ever know. But the Spirit of Jesus won out and she nursed him back to health, praying for him each evening. After his recovery, he asked her, “Why? You recognized me. Why did you care for me so faithfully?” She replied, “Because I serve Him who said, ‘Love your enemies and do them good.’ That is my faith.” After a pensive moment the soldier said, “Tell me more of your religion. Tell me more of your Lord. I would give anything to have a faith like yours.” When we are walking our talking, our walk and our actions not only become compelling, they become contagious.

When we walk our talk and talk our walk, then people will see Jesus living in us and through us. They will ask us why we are so different. They will say something like, “Whatever it is you have, I want it.” Our light, our compassion, and our caring will attract them. Our holiness, our standards, our faithfulness, and our constancy will marvel them. Our tenderness, our sensitivity, and our love will convince them that Jesus is the real deal. The sobering thought for each one of us who claims to be a Christian is that you are the only Bible some people will ever read. You will be the only connection that some people will have to Jesus.

Therefore watch carefully how you live, watch carefully your words, watch carefully your actions and decisions, watch carefully how you affect other people. Are you drawing people to Jesus, or are you driving people away from Jesus? A writer expressed it this way:

“We are writing a Gospel a chapter each day By deeds that we do and words that we say. People read what we write, whether faithless or true….

So, what is the Gospel according to you?”

Thank You for Taking The Time to Read This Message.
May God Use These Words to Help You and Strengthen You.