Strength of Character

Strength of Character
Sermon Notes – Ps. Jim White
Sunday 30th May 2010
• As I was preparing for today, I kept getting drawn back to our scripture from last week, which speaks of persistence and perseverance in our faith and our Christian walk. It’s as if God was saying, we’re not quite finished here. There’s more... I keep hearing those words that God spoke to Joshua – be strong and of good courage. Am I the only one that God is speaking to about being strong at the moment?

• Rom 5:2,3, which is where we were at last week, says, in the NLT – “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us to develop endurance [persistence]. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.”

• As we develop endurance, we then develop strength of character. In other words, in dealing with and overcoming the challenges we face in life, our character is shaped and tested. Some versions use the word “experience” rather than character. Experience and character are entwined.

• So this morning I want to speak about character, but don’t think that this message is going to be simply about how to be a good person.

• Strength of character is actually one of the most powerful qualities that we can have as Christians. Who you really are on the inside is what God cares about the most. He doesn’t deal with superficial stuff – or whitewashed appearances – He’s looking for the real deal – the real person!

• And it is possible to live your life in a way that people are drawn to Christ simply because your strength of character shines as a light. The way we live our lives every day can have implications that reach all the way into eternity.

• You can be as zealous and passionate and bold as you like, in evangelising the world – but if the foundation of your life in the form of your character, is flawed or vulnerable, you have the potential to end up actually being a destructive force in the kingdom of God.

• It’s a bit like the person who swears and curses in a rage when someone cuts them off in traffic – and on the back of their car they have a big sticker – “Jesus loves you.” Or you get overtaken by someone speeding – and they have a Christian fish sticker on their bumper. Sometimes you can understand it when people say, if that’s what Christianity looks like – then forget it!

• Your character is created and established through your choices. And strength of character is something that is built over time. In fact, it’s a consistent lifelong process. It comes from persistence and perseverance over the long haul.

• There’s even the scripture – Luke 2:52 – which says that, “...Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.” Even His life, was one of growing in His humanity - to become all that He was destined to be.

• There are a lot of things that we don’t have much control over in life. Our particular gifts and talents – the family we are born into – our parents – many circumstances that we were confronted with growing up as children.... These are all things that we didn’t get to choose.

• But, particularly as born again, Spirit filled sons and daughters of God, you can choose the kind of character that you create for yourself. Remember, character is created over time. There’s no magic wand – but there’s a daily choosing to walk in righteousness.

• And this is really good news... because we’ve all made mistakes – we’ve all done things and said things that we regret – but none of us is locked in there. We can all begin the process of walking in a new direction and bringing strength to our character.

• Next, we are kingdom people. Luke 17:20,21 – “Now when He [Jesus] was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, The Kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, See here, or see there! For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within you.”

• In other words, God extends His rule, favour, and blessing – His Kingdom – to our lives here and now. This is an amazing thought. Our character will be established and nurtured by nothing short of the Kingdom of God – living and reigning right in our own heart – if we allow it to and make room for the Kingdom to come in our hearts and lives as it is in heaven.

• Not only that – we are filled with the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Christ. He equips and strengthens and comforts us – He leads us, reveals things to us – gives us the wisdom we need daily.

• The supernatural miraculous power of God is at work in you – to refine and define your character.

• But none of that takes away from the fact that to a large extent, we choose the kind of character that we live by. Deut 30:19 says that God sets before us, life and death, blessing and cursing – and He says, therefore, choose life...

• We make choices every day – choices that will either transform us more and more into the image of Christ – or choices that will compromise who we were created and destined to be. Every choice that you make in this life reveals the kind of person you really are on the inside.

• And those choices become even more critical when problems and trials come our way. But God has a bigger and higher plan for us than to simply have to deal with problems, and overcome the issues of life.

• Most of you would probably know how a pearl is formed. It all starts when a particle of sand or when some other foreign object finds its way into an oyster or some kind of mollusc. The oyster secretes a liquid called “Mother of Pearl” in order to protect itself from the irritation. The liquid hardens and forms a smooth surface around the offending grain of sand. The layers created eventually produce a beautiful, valuable pearl.

• But this is an analogy of what God wants to do in our lives as well. When the problems and irritants of life come our way, the Lord wants to release His anointing upon our lives. He too wants to cause something beautiful and strong and eternal to be established on the inside of us. And it happens, layer upon layer.

• Problems and trials can actually bring out the best in our life – if we allow the anointing of the Holy Spirit to wash over those difficult and challenging times.

• But we mightn’t get the response right all the time. Sometimes we fall short. Sometimes we react because we are vulnerable, we are hurt, we are misunderstood, or whatever. But in the process, God is able to reveal what is in our heart.

• Deut 8:2 – God says to His people – “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

• This always makes me smile, because – as if God didn’t already know what was in their hearts. He knew. The real issue was that they themselves needed see what was really on the inside of them. He wanted them to see their own heart condition. Because it’s only when we face the truth – the reality of our heart’s condition – that we can begin to turn our lives around.

• This leads to one of the most important aspects of character. And that is – integrity. The best definition of integrity I have found is “wholeness of heart.”

• Integrity means there is no mixture in our character – no hidden motives – no compromise. What you see on the outside is exactly what you would find on the inside.

• 2Chron 16:9 – “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”

• Again – this is about choice. A great example of choosing wholeness of heart is Daniel. Daniel was a young man who knew God, was raised in Jerusalem, but was taken away to Babylon when Jerusalem was overtaken by king Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel and some of his friends were chosen to be educated and to learn the culture and ways of the Babylonians.

• But even from the very beginning, Daniel chose not to even defile himself with the rich delicacies and wines that the king provided for them. The king presumed these rich foods would bring out the best in the young men. But Daniel was used to eating vegetables and drinking water – and he knew this was what he needed to remain strong and healthy. Besides that, I read somewhere that some of the king’s food may have come from the offerings given to the Babylonian gods- and Daniel would not defile himself with such offerings.

• Daniel 1:8 – “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank...”

• Daniel purposed in his heart... and as he quietly and humbly negotiated with the king’s representatives, he made room for God to move in the situation – and whilst many of the other young men had to eat from the king’s table, Daniel’s integrity in what he knew to be right in his heart was upheld. And that was only the beginning of Daniel’s stand for righteousness and integrity.

• To us, this might seem only a small matter – but integrity is wholeness of heart. If we compromise in one area – we no longer have integrity. One little fib – one little deception – one little misappropriation...

• What area in your life do you need to purpose in your heart to uphold? What is the Holy Spirit saying to you personally about bringing wholeness to your heart?

• It speaks of discipline as well, doesn’t it? To remain steadfast and consistent and faithful to what you truly believe – it requires discipline.

• I don’t have time to look at all the different aspects that make character strong – which you are probably relieved to hear... but one thing that is often overlooked in strength of character, is “sacrifice.”

• Jesus Christ of course became the sacrifice for our sins – and He alone was the only One who could redeem us, and purchase our salvation through His own blood – and the sacrifice of death.

• But just because we aren’t able to save ourselves, doesn’t mean we are no longer called to sacrifice.

• Rom 12:1-2 – NLT - “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

• That’s interesting isn’t it? You find the perfect will of God through sacrifice.

• Sacrifice is a powerful gift – but it’s usually people who have strength of character that are able to give of themselves in this way. Sacrifice is not co-dependency. It’s not manipulation to get something in return. Sacrifice comes from a place of humility and a heart simply to love and to serve. In the place of loving, caring, giving – you find God’s will for your life.

• In a world where many people have become focussed on themselves and their own needs, even at the expense of others – sacrifice can have a profound impact on others.

• We can learn a lot from the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross – the sacrifice of death – of what it also means to be a living sacrifice – a sacrifice in life.

• Sacrifice means that even when you are hurting and suffering yourself, you still care about and look out for the needs of others. John 19:26 – while Jesus was suffering on the cross - “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, Woman, behold your son!” In other words, he was saying, mother, John will now take care of you as a son.

• This is the kind of strength that Jesus had. He was thinking of the needs of others right to the end. His suffering was all about others. Sacrifice for us – in life – means we also continue to look to the needs of others, even when we have our own issues and struggles to deal with.

• Sacrifice means you persevere til the end – until you can say – it is finished. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, to become a ransom for many – bring salvation to the world.

• What are you called to do? What living sacrifice will it require? Whether it’s raising a family, going on a mission, building finances for the kingdom, simply telling your neighbours about Jesus... Are you willing to persevere to the end – until it is finished?

• The sacrifice that Jesus made, tore the temple curtain into two. He made a way for us all to enter the presence of God.

• Sacrifice removes barriers. Your living sacrifice could remove the barriers of poverty and starvation through your giving. Maybe it would be a sacrifice for you to be the one to reach out in a relationship and forgive. There are all kinds of barriers in relationships – workplaces – schools – homes... is there a sacrifice that you can make, that costs you something of yourself? It takes strength of character to do that.

• When Jesus died on the cross, the earth shook. Your living sacrifice could shake and impact your world – because sacrifice is not normal. Many don’t understand it – and yet it touches them profoundly when they see it in action.

• And through the sacrifice of Jesus – also came resurrection life. New life came out of death.

• Sacrifice can bring life to a dead marriage. It can bring life to a dead relationship between a father and a son – a mother and daughter. It can bring life to a dead workplace. It can bring life even to your own soul. Where can sacrifice release resurrection life in your world?

• There’s just one last thought I want to leave with you about strength of character.

• To undertake the journey of steadfast, consistent growth in strength of character – you need to be secure in God – and secure in who you are in Christ. Not valuing or measuring ourselves by the words and feelings of others – but by knowing who God says we are.

• If we base our security on any other thing – we will be all over the place, and trials and problems will lead us in all kinds of directions. A sense of personal security means that we remain secure in the midst of the circumstances of life.

• We can be secure in the choices we make, secure in the work of the Kingdom of God within, secure in the Holy Spirit’s work – His anointing – secure in living with a whole heart – a heart of integrity – and secure enough to be living sacrifices – loving, serving, giving – whatever it is that God calls us to do.

• If we live according to these principles, we will find the perfect will of God for our lives – and nothing will be more satisfying, more meaningful, more exciting, and more glorifying to God.