Thinking of God what they think of Us
In 2011, Bill Hadley was running for a vacant seat on the county board in Freeport, a small town in northwestern Illinois. Everyone knows that running for political office brings criticism, but, a string of false statements that distorted his reputation began appearing from an anonymous commentator named Fuboy. Fuboy’s comments were more than Hadley was going to tolerate. So he began a personal legal mission to uncover who this anonymous critic was. After four years of court battles to force information from newspapers and internet host sites, and after personally spending $35,000, and narrowing his search from 37,000 residents, Bill Hadley won in Illinois’ Supreme Court to force Comcast to hand over the information of the man accused of defaming him. Fuboy’s real name was Frank Cook.
Bill Hadley was driven by something: the reputation of his name. And the tireless fight he engaged in to uphold his name is something to read about. Would you do the same for your name? What about God’s? Today we’re looking at our responsibility to uphold the name of God in this world.
Our kids reflect on us. Church members reflect on the Church. Employees reflect on the business. Athletes reflect on their team. Students reflect on their schools. Citizens reflect on their country. Christians reflect on God.
The purpose of Christians is to glorify God’s Reputation through our Reputation. Ezekiel 36:20-23 shows God’s zealous concern for the reputation of His Holy Name. Second Corinthians 9:13…. It seizes the principle that what people think of us they will think of God. A good church is going to make people think highly of God because they think highly of that church. Exalt God’s name through your name.
Three people specifically are mentioned in connection with making God look good in how they carry on in their lives. Young women (v5), young men (v8), and slaves (v10) are to conduct themselves so that others think highly of God.
Young Women (v4-6) Proverbs 31; 14:1; 11:16
Young women make God look good. Read verses 4-6.
Notice first the environment Paul speaks of with In what environment does Paul speak of in these verses? It is the home. I read an article last week where Pew found that only 14% of US families are structured in a traditional arrangement: meaning that the children live with a working father, a stay at home mother who are both in their first marriage and the children belong to both parents. Fourteen percent. In 1960 it was 50% of children living in that arrangement.
We must recognize that it is in the home a woman plays the most crucial role in who she is as a Christian, and, in witnessing to outsiders, in the home. Who is she is to her husband and to her children? It should not surprise us that our Christian homes would be the first place that people watch and then judge our God.
Notice secondly the excellences of a young Christian woman: Love husband and children. Love = sacrifice, service, affection.
1)Kind. Proverbs 14:1 and 11:16
2)Self-controlled.
3)Pure. They must be pure. This is emphasizing internal purity, for that is where purity starts. Luke 11:40 Jesus says “you clean the outside of the cup but inside you are full of greed and wickedness!” In Mark 7 Jesus said uncleanness, defilement, or impurity comes from the heart. In Mark 7:18-23 he says, ….” they must be treated with absolute purity (1 Timothy 5:2).
4)Busy at home. Proverbs 31:10-31
5)Submit to husband, Ephesians 5:22-24; 1 Corinthians 11:7-10;
Application #1: This passage, this point today, reminds and reassures us that we can and should glorify God where we are and with who we are. Young or old, male or female, slave or free, employee or employer, married or single, we can and are supposed to bring glory to God where we are
Application #2: Young Christians learn from the older.