"The Real Thing"
March 12, 2006

The new Testament Lesson: Matthew 23: 23 - 28

Being a contagious Christian necessitates being an authentic person.

I.  Why Is authenticity so Important?
   A. What is sin today: in-authenticity.
        1. Some of you know that I am taking a course at the seminary on communicating Christianity.
        2. The professor is an anthropologist who grew up with missionaries
            a. As such, he got to witness people talking about Christianity
            b. He observed carefully the mistakes people made.
            c. He has written about communicating sin across cultures as necessary for people to understand they need a Savior.
            d. He believes that we most often miss the mark in this area.
            e. We talk about sin as though we’re in Elizabethan England
        3. That led me to thinking about our post-modern culture.
            a. How has our communication about sin been affected?
            b. no longer consider many sexual aberrations to be sin
        4. I think the primary sin in our day is in-authenticity.
   B. Authenticity is one of the prime values of the Postmodern culture
        1. Think about all the slogans that push sincerity.
            a. We are always encouraged to “just be ourselves.”
            b. “If it feels good do it” people say.
        2. People expect us to honest
            a. honest with ourselves.
            b. honest with our feelings.
            c. We are pushed to be open with others and let down our hair
        3. Sin in many people’s minds is the opposite of these traits
            a. There may be nothing worse than to be called a hypocrite.
            b. If you don’t say what you’re really thinking then you’re dishonest.
        4. The slogan for coke some years ago was “It’s the real thing!” What could be better than that?
   C. If this is one of the Prime values, we had better grow in this area!
        1. Jesus, BTW, was a strong proponent of honest and authenticity.
        2. He harshest criticisms of the religious leaders came in this area.
            a. It wasn’t because they weren’t perfect, no one was!
            b. It was because they lives a life of pretense!
        3. Jesus accused them, repeatedly of being hypocrites.
            a. locked people out of the joy of the kingdom of God to retain power
            b. They obeyed the minutia of the law while ignoring the Spirit.
            c. The put up a good front of righteousness, left the inside unchanged.
            d. Built monuments to the prophets, but ignored their message!
        4. Jesus would agree with this post-modern value
            a. No one can be expected to be perfect.
            b. But we need to be honest with who we really are!

II.  What are the barriers to this kind of Authenticity?
   A. Walk into any group of non-Christians and ask them about the church.
        1. If you dare, ask them if they think Christians are authentic, sincere
        2. You will probably be offended by what you hear (if they’re honest!)
            a. You will certainly hear that they think Christianity is a front.
            b. It is for people who think they are holier than everybody else.
            c. People who get all pretty on Sunday for Church and talk love
            d. but there’s no action to back up their words.
        3. Which is not to say they will not respond to a “real Christian”
            a. A person who is really living their faith is very attractive.
            b. They want all the characteristics Jesus talked about.
            c. They just don’t believe we have them!
   B. That is because they are right at least in part.
        1. When we come to church, we often appear better than we are.
        2. In conservative churches, people pretend perfection
            a. They talk as though they have no struggles.
            b. They wouldn’t think of mentioning their doubts.
            c. They project a persona of “having it all together”
        3. We do that as well, though often a little differently.
            a. We take a more intellectual approach, so questions are OK
            b. But many people hesitate to speak of their troubles.
            c. We want everyone to believe that we’re doing just fine.
            d. And most of us are willing to leave the façade unchallenged.
        4. I got a Christmas letter that was a breath of fresh air.
            a. my friend started by noting how all the letters present perfection.
            b. Kids are all getting honors and careers always moving forward.
            c. Sound like Lake Woebegone “where all the girls are pretty and all the boys above average.”
            d. then told the truth about the rough year she and her family had
            e. I felt the miles melt away because she was really there!
   C. To be believed as real people, we have to be willing to remove masks

III.  How do we become authentic and contagious in our Christianity.
   A. non-churched People are used to “plastic” Christians, hard to break
        1. Some powerful honesty is needed in order to gain a hearing.
        2. That often means being honest with our difficulties.
            a. Any body can be honest with the things that are going well.
            b. But when you admit to struggles, people can hear the truth.
        3. To accomplish that we need three levels of honestly.
   B. The Three levels of honesty.
        1. Internal honesty.
            a. This is not as easy as it sounds.
            b. We have a powerful capacity for fooling ourselves.
            c. We can believe that everything’s fine when it’s not.
            d. We rationalize our problems and make it sound lot’s better.
            e. We make comparisons that throw us into a good light.
            f. To be authentic, we have to tell ourselves the truth about us.
        2. Secondly, we practice that honesty with our family and friends.
            a. This is where authenticity also requires openness.
            b. We have to be willing to speak out about fears and hurts.
            c. We have to volunteer that information, not wait for them to ask.
            d. This is the proving ground for being our real self.
        3. Lastly, we have to take that awareness on the road.
            a. We open up to others with our challenges and struggles.
            b. We then talk about the real ways in which Jesus has helped us.
            c. And that’s what draws them, because everyone needs a little help.

Most everyone knows that Jill and I have been struggling with Peter. We have not kept that a secret (like we could anyway!).  But it has been a marvelous experience.  As we have shared our hurt and worry, people have come along side of us to support us.  They have shown sympathy and understanding.  I have felt wonderfully supported and people have encouraged me with stories of the prodigal returning (though one person mentioned it wasn’t until 36 years of age!).  It has been a relief to know I don’t have to always have a Christmas letter kind of family.  But it has also opened up many opportunities for ministry and witness.  For my openness has let others be open with me and I have had a chance to talk about the resources I have through my faith in Christ.  And that’s what authenticity really does.  Pretended perfection tells people they’d better not admit to imperfection.  Honesty lets others open up and hear from us about what faith can offer to them.

  We are being called to give a witness to the reality of God’s impact on our lives in Christ.  Now, not one of us is perfect.  But we had better be able to show someone we are on the way.  We need to be able to talk about our faith and to show someone what a follower of Jesus is like.  The quote I used from Bill Hybels is a crucial insight.  People are “not interested in committing their lives to Christ unless they observe attractive and consistent patterns of living in the Christians they know.”  And it’s not something we do alone!  One good example will be obliterated by a bad example!  Unless the entire Church is growing toward God, our witness to faith is without substance.

I am inviting you to join me this Lent in taking a really good look at your Character.  Are you growing into the kind of person that others would want to emulate?  When someone sees you, do they have a good example of what Jesus can do for them?  We must be growing into the people God has designed us to be in order to complete our mission for Christ because, my dear friends, character counts!