January 28 Mind Your Manners! II Peter 3:10-11
Good morning from Pastor Glen Brock, Baptist Tabernacle Church, Wendell, North Carolina… "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness." (II Peter 3:10-11)
The past 10 months have produced some amazing and disappointing behaviors from professing believers! The pressures of politics and cultural demands and the social unrest and upheaval, have caused many of us to abandon our ultimate responsibility of being a true and effective witness for Christ, and adopt a more worldly and militant witness! Sadly, early on in this struggle, I found myself, caught up in the hysteria! Gratefully, one of our wise and focused church members; told me, point blank, “If it doesn’t involve the sharing of the Good News of Jesus, leave it alone, because it does not matter!” I thank God for her wisdom and Spiritual strength! These words triggered a thought about my Mother and one of her absolutes! I can hear her, still today, Glen Brock, Mind Your Manners!! Mama was strict when it came to being “Mannerly!” She said, many times, that how I acted, reflected on her… How true is was, and How true it is for us as Followers of Christ!! For us, as the children of God, to bring honor to His name through our actions, we must be mindful of manners! Consider three areas of our Christian life where "minding our manners" is so very important. The first area is the way that we talk…MIND YOUR MANNER OF SPEECH: The age-old proverb is quite true: "Two things thou canst not recall…the spent arrow or the spoken word." James 3:8-10 warns us: "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." David prayed: "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14. "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." Colossians 4:6. The second area is the way that we act…MIND YOUR MANNER OF CONDUCT!
"But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ’Be holy, for I am holy." I Peter 1:15-16. "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ." Phil. 1:27. “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10.
The third area is what we believe…MIND YOUR MANNER OF DOCTRINE! Ephesians 4:14 admonishes us: "that we should no longer be children, tossed about with every wind of doctrine."
“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine… Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will bless both yourself and those who hear you.” I Timothy 4: 13, 16. “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:42. Folks, over the last several months, I have witnessed the erosion, if not, the destruction of many professing believer’s witness for Christ! What do you consider more important, a temporal political position or an eternal commitment to witness for Jesus and to share the eternal message of His Love, Grace and Salvation? So, as Mama instructed me…PLEASE MIND YOUR MANNERS, and as “Miss” Ruth Driver used to admonish those who were traveling, “REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU CAME FROM!!” Politics will change, Social thought will change, Popular culture will change, but the Love of God, through Jesus Christ, NEVER CHANGES!!! Who are you serving? Stay Strong, Stay Focused…THE BEST IS YET TO BE!!!