I Do Not Know The Man/Friday, August 28, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man."
Matthew 26:69-72
Don't let your mouth profess Christ while your life denies Him.
There are a plethora of sports in our society. But notice something different about one of them. While there are different types of cars and different types of racing, the Indianapolis 500 speedway has a unique practice. It is no secret that racing is a dangerous sport and some drivers have even died while racing. But at the Indianapolis 500, no driver has been pronounced dead at the speedway. Drivers have crashed there and been pronounced dead later, but officials have made it a rule that no one is to be pronounced dead at the track. No memorials are set up for them, and the speedway's museum contains no list of drivers who have died at that location. As racer Scott Goodyear states, "You don't go look at where it happened. You don't watch the film on television. You don't deal with it. You pretend it never happened." In fact, track officials have embraced this idea, and when a crash occurs, the track closes for a day and crews paint over any evidence that a crash has taken place.
Many people want to ignore the fact that people have died at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While that seems sad or callous, what is even more sad is when Christians act like the crew at the speedway-painting over any sign of Christ in their lives.
Sadly, many Christians are Christians in belief only. They believe that God is Lord, that Jesus died for their sins, and are trusting Christ for salvation, yet they don't show any other signs of Christianity. They may attend church each week, but people at their workplace, or even their friends have no idea they are a Christian.
Have you ever met these types of Christians? Their mouths profess Christ yet their lives deny Him. These Christians are all too common in our world. Notice someone who also denied Jesus in our verse today. Peter had faithfully followed the Lord for three years. He had heard His sermons, studied His teachings, observed His miracles, and witnessed the lives He had changed. Yet because of the danger he faced, he denied Christ.
The devil is an expert at getting Christians to believe that claiming Christ will cost them more than they can give. He threatens their pride, reputation, comfort level, and way of life to convince them to keep Christ hidden in their lives.
If someone were to ask your friends if you were a Christian, what would their answers be? If a bystander were to observe your life for one day, would they witness your beliefs, or would your life say, "I do not know the Man"?
God shouldn't be Someone you only believe in, but Someone who has an affect on every aspect of your life. He should shine through every activity you partake in, no matter how mundane you think it is! God should be on the tip of your tongue, at the front of your mind, and constantly in your thoughts.
How well are you showing the Lord through your life? Does your life proclaim, "God has saved me and controls me!" or are your actions stating, "I do not know the Man"? Keep God in the forefront of your life. Allow Him to permeate every action, thought, and word you speak. Don't cover Him up like the pit crews, but proudly let the world know that you serve the all-powerful Creator of the world.
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man."
Matthew 26:69-72
Don't let your mouth profess Christ while your life denies Him.
There are a plethora of sports in our society. But notice something different about one of them. While there are different types of cars and different types of racing, the Indianapolis 500 speedway has a unique practice. It is no secret that racing is a dangerous sport and some drivers have even died while racing. But at the Indianapolis 500, no driver has been pronounced dead at the speedway. Drivers have crashed there and been pronounced dead later, but officials have made it a rule that no one is to be pronounced dead at the track. No memorials are set up for them, and the speedway's museum contains no list of drivers who have died at that location. As racer Scott Goodyear states, "You don't go look at where it happened. You don't watch the film on television. You don't deal with it. You pretend it never happened." In fact, track officials have embraced this idea, and when a crash occurs, the track closes for a day and crews paint over any evidence that a crash has taken place.
Many people want to ignore the fact that people have died at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. While that seems sad or callous, what is even more sad is when Christians act like the crew at the speedway-painting over any sign of Christ in their lives.
Sadly, many Christians are Christians in belief only. They believe that God is Lord, that Jesus died for their sins, and are trusting Christ for salvation, yet they don't show any other signs of Christianity. They may attend church each week, but people at their workplace, or even their friends have no idea they are a Christian.
Have you ever met these types of Christians? Their mouths profess Christ yet their lives deny Him. These Christians are all too common in our world. Notice someone who also denied Jesus in our verse today. Peter had faithfully followed the Lord for three years. He had heard His sermons, studied His teachings, observed His miracles, and witnessed the lives He had changed. Yet because of the danger he faced, he denied Christ.
The devil is an expert at getting Christians to believe that claiming Christ will cost them more than they can give. He threatens their pride, reputation, comfort level, and way of life to convince them to keep Christ hidden in their lives.
If someone were to ask your friends if you were a Christian, what would their answers be? If a bystander were to observe your life for one day, would they witness your beliefs, or would your life say, "I do not know the Man"?
God shouldn't be Someone you only believe in, but Someone who has an affect on every aspect of your life. He should shine through every activity you partake in, no matter how mundane you think it is! God should be on the tip of your tongue, at the front of your mind, and constantly in your thoughts.
How well are you showing the Lord through your life? Does your life proclaim, "God has saved me and controls me!" or are your actions stating, "I do not know the Man"? Keep God in the forefront of your life. Allow Him to permeate every action, thought, and word you speak. Don't cover Him up like the pit crews, but proudly let the world know that you serve the all-powerful Creator of the world.
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