Does your reputation shadow God's character? How important is it to you to have a good reputation? Why is reputation so important? How will you and I be remembered? What legacy will we leave behind?
Six weeks ago I attended a funeral and this may sound crazy, but did you know it's better to attend funerals than parties? Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes, chapter 7 and verse 2, and I'm reading this from the Living Bible —
Ecclesiastes 7:2
Vs. 2 — "It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals: for you're going to die and it is a good thing to think about it while there is still time."
The funeral I attended was the funeral of my own father. He was eighty-eight years old when he died and he lived a full, rewarding life. He worked for the Church for several decades and was a pastor for over twenty-five years.
My father and I were close, at least as close as we could be considering the miles that separated us over the years, and we talked about most everything. I felt I knew him very well, but I must tell you I was surprised by a lot of what I heard others say about him before, during, and after the funeral.
Several commented about his depth of character, his dedication to serving others. He helped people in ways that I never knew. People came to me who had been baptized by him on several of the tours that he went on, particularly across Canada. They talked to me about how he had counseled them for marriage difficulties or how he had solemnized a marriage and I must admit I was moved. I didn't know all those things about my Dad.
That day several, like I said, especially during the eulogy part of the funeral, mentioned that he had a good reputation as a person. He had a good reputation as a father and a grandfather and as a servant and a spiritual guide. As I mentioned, I knew some of what he had done, but I was encouraged to hear others acknowledge even some things that I was not aware of.
The experience caused me to think deeply, as I believe Solomon wanted us to do, in that admonition we found in Ecclesiastes. It made me think deeply about character and reputation. The Ambassador Bible Center's theme is "Building Godly Character". We utilize class time. We utilize instruction, service activities and personal interaction with the faculty, to reinforce this theme throughout the year.
But, what is character? What does it look like? Do you realize the word character is not even in the Bible? So, what do we look for in Scripture to give us some guide to defining and contemplating and thinking about this subject of character?
While I was doing some research preparing for this message, I ran across an interesting quote from Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln wrote: "Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it. The tree is the real thing." And, like the shadow of a tree, it can disappear very quickly with a cloud. We're going to talk about that in a little bit.
Reputation is sometimes very fragile. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to build and it can disappear in a single moment. Since reputation is what we think of when considering character, I want to talk about reputation today. It is, after all, the shadow of character and I think we will see that as we go through some of these examples.
Webster's has defined reputation this way: "It is the overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general." So it's a judgment that people make from observations. "It is a recognition by other people of some characteristic or ability." Like somebody could have a reputation as a good pianist or a good ball player. "Or it is a place in public esteem or regard." A good name is a synonym.
Reputation is defined as the estimation in which a person or thing is commonly held. In other words, it is what others believe about you based on the actions that you have or are believed to have had. I'll give you an example.
And, sometimes, reputations can be built immediately by first impressions. In fact, we all do this. When we meet people, we ask their name and where are you from and what do you do for a living, and we almost immediately formulate in our own minds a reputation about that person, if we haven't met them before, don't we?
Like I said, I'll give you an example.
Several years ago when I was living in the Boston area, a member called me up and said, "Dave, I have tickets to a charity program. Would you like to take my place because I can't go? I now have a conflict in my schedule. My company gave me these two tickets. Would you take my place?"
He said they were very expensive tickets and it's a nice dinner and, like most people, "free food, I'll go," so I accepted the tickets and we went to this lovely charity, as it turned out, charity auction, and it was also a program that was recognizing the most successful women in Boston education and business, and it was hosted by Barbara Walters and we were assigned at a table, near the front, and we sat there with six other people (there were eight people at each round table), and I immediately recognized a couple of these people, but I also recognized that they were people of high standing and high regard in the community.
There was lots of bling, you know, lots of jewelry they were wearing, and after the first round of introductions, then we started talking about things that are important to Bostonians, on which you have a reputation in the Boston community, and the first question they asked, and we all went around the table, the first question they asked was where do you live, because immediately people determine a reputation about you. They think they know something about you based on where you live in the community and, as we went around the table, well, Beacon Hill is where I live, and I live in Brookline or I live — and when they got to me, you know, I said, well, we live Wellesley.
Now, Wellesley is kind of a middle-class neighborhood. It's a fairly nice community. Wellesley College is where our Secretary of State went to school, so it's a — you know — fairly nice community, and I survived the first round.
And the second round and the quotient they asked about was where did you go to school? Now, Boston is the home of about 145 or 6 colleges and universities. Some of the nation's best colleges and universities — Harvard University, MIT, Eastern, Boston College, Tufts, Northeastern — you get the idea. So we started going around the table and, so-and-so, he's from Harvard. Somebody else is MIT and I knew that by the time they got to me, you know, this is going to be a short conversation, I think. Where did you graduate from? Ambassador. Where's that? Well, East Texas. Hmm. I could just see the glasses going to the end of the nose. Hmm.
Well, immediately they kind of pigeon holed me. Well, he doesn't have much of a worthwhile education like us. They were formulating an opinion about me at the table and it was really interesting. The rest of the discussion for the evening was between the six of them and I was a bystander. My wife and I were, you know, we were watching the ping pong of conversation going on, but we were kind of excluded, based on the fact that we didn't graduate from one of the schools. We didn't quite make the grade, if you know what I mean. I felt judged. I felt like I had been pigeon holed and my reputation had kind of been formed for the evening. It was a good meal though. I really enjoyed the dinner.
Let me give you an example of what I am talking about with historical figures and maybe we can see how people's actions actually create a reputation. If I mention the word Judas, the name Judas, what do you think of? Most of us think of the betrayer of the Savior, don't we? The betrayer. In fact, that's a common term that's almost used like an adverb or a verb. You know, somebody is a Judas; therefore, they are a betrayer.
We normally do not think about the people that He healed, the demons that He cast out, the fine job he did at accounting, although he seemed to take some out of the till for himself, we find out later. We normally don't think of his positive attributes, which are there if you look hard enough, in Scripture you can see them, we normally think of him by what he did towards the end of his life; that framed his reputation, did it not? That was his reputation.
Who do we normally think of, what do we normally think of with John Wilkes booth? Well, he's the man who is notorious for having assassinated President Lincoln, right? We know that.
What most of us probably don't know is, when you research a little deeper, John Wilkes Booth was probably one of the foremost actors in America. He was a great dancer. He was an acrobat. He would be the Brad Pitt of today. He was that well known, especially around the East Coast and Washington circles. He was very well known, but we don't remember him for being a great actor, do we? His reputation is frozen in time. We remember him as the man who shot the President, one of our best presidents, President Lincoln.
Rob Blagojevich. Three weeks ago, we probably couldn't spell his — I mean pronounce — his name, if we saw it written, could we? But we know who he is now, don't we — a man who for money tried to sell a senate seat, apparently — a man who was impeached as governor of his state in Illinois. A man who has a pretty terrible reputation now, but apparently, he did some pretty good things for his constituents, at one time or another.
The Apostle Peter. What do we think of when we think of the Apostle Peter? Well, most of us probably have pretty positive thoughts about his reputation. He left us two terrific letters that we read from frequently, that give us good Christian living principles. He was the man that Christ appointed to kind of take some of the lead in the early New Testament Church. He was a natural born leader.
We've, generally — when we're thinking about that reputation of his, we, generally, do not consider the fact that while he was in training he did some pretty stupid and foolish things. He was a fisherman who tried to become a swordsman — remember that? He was presumptuous. He was envious of the other disciples. In his early ministry, he was a little hypocritical because he — in public — he abstained from eating with the Jews — I mean with the Gentiles — when he did that in private.
But, we don't remember him for those negative things because towards the end of his life he did some things that were very positive and, when we remember him, his reputation is formed by those positive things we remember, right?
Let's go to Proverbs, chapter 22 and verse 1. Proverbs 22, verse 1.
When we were defining this word a minute ago from Webster's, one of the synonyms of reputation was "good name" and here in Proverbs 22, verse 1, we see the wisdom of Solomon.
Proverbs 22:1
Vs. 1 — "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." Solomon said wisdom dictates that a good name of good reputation and honorable being is more important than winning the lottery. "Loving favor" — and most commentators say that it's talking about loving favor with God — "loving favor rather than silver and gold" — because loving favor from God comes from having a good reputation. It says in Luke 2 that Christ grew "in favor with God and man," doesn't it?
The process of establishing a reputation is based on, primarily, our actions and what we do. What we did yesterday, what we do today and what we will do in the future, will determine what people think about us, as well as how we will be remembered.
Our reputation becomes who we are in this way. First, we do something and word spreads about us. Next, people label us based on what we've done. Finally, we accept the label and then we often become what is said about us. It's a very simple process, but it can take, in some cases, many years.
Let's go to Luke, chapter 7. Luke 7.
Christ understood this process. He understood that actions, in fact, do speak louder than words.
Luke 7:18, 20-23
Vs. 18 — These disciples of John were sent by John to Christ, and John commissioned them to ask one question, and we find that in verse 20.
Vs. 20 — "'Are you the coming one'" — are you the Messiah? — "'Or do we look for another?'"
Now, Christ could have said, well, Cousin John, you know me. Yes, I can confirm I am the Messiah. He could have just said a word. He could have written it in a letter, sealed it, send a note back to them, but He didn't. What did He say — because He understood this process we're talking about — our reputation.
He said in verse 22 —
Vs. 22 — "'Go and tell John the things that you have seen and heard.'"
Vs. 21 — We read in verse 21 that "that very hour" when they came, "he cured many infirmities, afflictions, evil spirits; and many blind he gave sight to."
Vs. 22 — So, He said, "'Go tell John the things you have seen and heard.'" Tell him about the reputation I'm developing, "'that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.'"
Vs. 23 — "'And blessed is he, who is not offended because of me.'"
And some of the disciples went back and reported to John and that was the proof that was in the pudding.
You know, this thing of reputation is very interesting. It wasn't too long ago that somebody pointed out to us, at ABC, to the faculty, that there was an ABC student that had some pictures on Facebook that weren't very good; so, we went to Facebook and we looked at these pictures, which were very public, and it looked like a young lady was lying on a bed with no clothes on, so invited her into the office and chatted with her for a moment and explained that we had seen the Facebook and it looked like she was lying on the bed with no clothes on and did she see that maybe this could damage her reputation, damage her family's reputation, damage ABC's reputation, and damage the reputation of the whole Church.
Well, apparently, when we first started our discussion, that didn't seem to — it hadn't dawned on her — and besides that, she said she was wearing clothes, it just looked like she wasn't, in the picture. And, we said, that could be very damaging to your reputation and she took the correction and, so far as I know, she changed her Facebook, but I don't know how many, particularly young people who are involved in these social networks, which are very dynamic and interesting places to be and keep in touch and track of your friends, but whatever we put on those Facebook pages, MySpace, Twitter, Linkedin, whatever you put out there on these social network pages, is for the whole world to see and it lasts forever. Forever! Forever!! It has the half-life of a styrofoam cup. It doesn't ever go away.
I tried to explain this to my daughter, you know, who has pictures on her Facebook and I said these things last forever and they reflect on you and they reflect on us, as your family, and they reflect on the Church indirectly, don't they? That's why reputation is so important and we need to be aware of it and cognizant of it.
I'll throw out another name. Michael Phelps. A man that we thought, just a few weeks ago when he came back from Beijing and won a record eight gold medals, here's a man with a sterling reputation. Kellogg's contracted him so they could put his picture on their boxes of cereal. And just a few weeks ago, we found out that he'd been arrested for drunk driving and that he had smoked marijuana at a college party. Somebody got a picture of it and posted it on the internet.
You know that picture is going to be out there forever? He can't take it away. He can't take it back. In one instant, when that picture appeared and reporters started calling him, his reputation took a big nosedive, didn't it? He was suspended from Olympic athletic competition for three months. He lost his big multi-million dollar contract with Kellogg's. In one split second, his reputation was in the tank.
I could go on and speak of other athletes, politicians, whose seemingly good reputations were tarnished and went away in a second.
I would like to focus for a few minutes on some people with good reputations in the Bible, that we can look to as good examples and emulate. Let's go to Acts, chapter 4. Acts, the fourth chapter and verse 36.
We've recently heard messages on this particular personality. I'm not going to spend a lot of time, but I just want to point out this aspect of his life that's reported for us that has to do with his reputation. His name is Joses.
Acts 4:36
Vs. 36 — It says, "He was also named Barnabas by the apostles (and Barnabas means Son of Encouragement)."
Here's a man who was so encouraging to other people that became his reputation. Remember his actions and what people perceived? This became his reputation. He was called the man or the son of encouragement. If you were down and kind of gloomy and you needed some encouragement, you could go to this guy and he could cheer you up — "The Son of Encouragement".
I remember when I was pastoring in Canada, almost thirty year ago, thirty-five years ago now, there was a lady in our congregation who had one lung. She was born with one lung and she was susceptible to all kinds of lung infections and she had — it seemed to me like she had pneumonia about three or four times every year and she would invariably go into the hospital and I would visit her there and the doctors told her she probably wouldn't live much beyond twenty.
But, interestingly enough, she lived well beyond twenty. She actually got married. Doctors told her not to stress herself, but she got married and she had two children and she was in and out of the hospital all the time because of her delicate condition, but she always had a cheery attitude.
I would come visit her in the hospital. She would have a mask on, taking oxygen, and I'd come in and start talking and she would take her mask off and talk, and then back and forth with the oxygen, and when I was discouraged or disappointed in my ministry at some point, or I was kind of down because there were several people ill, or something was going on, I could go visit her, sometimes in the hospital, and she would encourage me.
She was in the hospital, but she was encouraging to me. She was a daughter of encouragement. I remember her that way. She is now dead. She died in her forties. She died young, but she lived twenty-seven years beyond what the doctors predicted she would and she had two wonderful children and she was truly a daughter of encouragement, even though she was handicapped.
Maybe you know some people like that in life who have obstacles to overcome and yet they are very encouraging people.
Let's go to chapter 11 and verse 24. Acts, chapter 11 and verse 24.
It's talking about Barnabas again, as he and Paul are visiting Antioch. And it says here in verse 24 of Acts 11 —
Acts 11:24
Vs. 24 — "For he was a good man."
I don't know about you, but I would be happy with that reputation, wouldn't you? If somebody could say of you, he's a good man, she's a good woman — I think we would all esteem to that, wouldn't we? But, there's more.
Vs. 24 — "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit."
Wow. Wouldn't any of us Christians love to be accused of being full of the Holy Spirit and to have that kind of a reputation? What would that mean? That would mean the fruit of the Holy Spirit is exuded from us. Those characteristics we read about in Galatians, chapter 5, exude from us and we would have this reputation — wow! So-and-so, Dave, is full of the Holy Spirit. I could live with that kind of reputation, couldn't you?
Vs. 24 — "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith" — full of faith — "and a great many people were added to the Lord."
In the context of this description of Barnabas it seems that his example, his reputation, had an influence on the growth of the Church.
I knew a minister once that I would call a man of faith. He was a good man. He was a man filled with God's Holy Spirit and full of faith. He was a minister in the Church and it seemed like to me, I was just a teenager at the time, but it seemed to me that just about everyone that he anointed was healed.
And I remember one man who later became my pastor who was anointed by him and he was a World War II veteran. He had been shot up pretty good with a machine gun and he came back from Europe as a paraplegic and he was given a full Veteran's disability payment. He was paralyzed from the waist down and when God called him into the Church he was anointed. And over the course of a few months, he began to regain feeling in his legs and then began to be able to walk, slowly, and when he got to be my pastor a few years later, he could play racquetball. I mean, an unquestionable healing. He went into the V.A. office and said, you know, you don't need to send the checks anymore. I'm healed. And they looked at him and they looked at the record and they said, it can't be, and they continued to send him his V.A. checks.
But, this minister who I thought was full of faith, he died young, tragically from injuries he suffered in a car accident. Died in 1958. His name was Richard Armstrong. Maybe some of you old-timers would know him or know about him. He was one of those men that I knew of, even as a teenager then, as having a reputation of a man who was full of faith. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had that kind of reputation? People could say of us, he's a good man. He's full of God's Spirit and he's full of faith.
You know, this statement about Barnabas' reputation reminded me of something that I was asked to do. My mother and I were asked by the Veteran's Administration, because my Dad served in World War II and he's buried in a Veteran's cemetery now. And they offer a stone and they ask you to pick out two lines to go on that stone. What do you want to go on that stone if you are — in my case, my father's grave? I thought about that long and hard, as my mother and I both did and we discussed it. I'm not going to tell you what we put on there just yet. In fact, I may not tell you. It's pretty private, but while you're thinking about your own epitaph right now, what might somebody put on your grave, so I thought I would share a couple with you that I found in my research.
In Ripsford, England, in a cemetery under the name of Anna Wallace, this is written: "The children of Israel wanted bread and the Lord sent them manna. Old Clerk Wallace wanted a wife and the devil sent him Anna." This is written on a lawyer's gravestone in England: "Sir John Strange. Here lies an honest lawyer and that's strange." (Apology to any lawyers in the room, but apparently this one had a good reputation.) Someone in Winslow, Maine, didn't like Mr. Wood. "In memory of Beza Wood. Departed this life on November 2, 1837, age 45 years. Here lies one Wood enclosed in wood, one Wood within another. The outer wood is very good, we cannot praise the other." In a Thermon, Maryland, cemetery: "Here lies an atheist. All dressed up and no place to go."
I read these this morning and probably half a dozen people came to tell me about their favorite gravestone epitaph, but I can't remember all those, there are many.
I came across one in Newport, Rhode Island, as I was looking through the graveyard there looking for Sabbatarians, and I came across one, apparently hand carved by perhaps the man himself. Roger Baster. "Here lies Roger Baster, bachelor, block maker and founding member of the first Sabbatarian Church of God in America." And when you go to that cemetery, we all remember him because of what he wrote there, that becomes his reputation. He was one of the original seven founding members of the first Sabbatarian church in America and now, because I said this, all of you know that too. His reputation lives on in a very positive way.
There's a gravestone near my brother's gravestone in Altadena, California. I didn't put the man's name down, but on the gravestone under his date of birth and death and that dash that seems so inadequate to describe — a person's life — "He was kind." He was kind. I don't know about you, but I would be happy with that reputation, wouldn't you? Living forever on a gravestone: "He was kind."
What would you like written about you on your gravestone? Your epitaph? How would you like to be remembered? Perhaps, a better question is this. How important is it to you to have a good reputation?
I would just like to share with you a couple more examples in Scripture. Let's go to Acts 9. It's back just a page in my Bible. Acts, chapter 9 and verse 36. I didn't want the women to feel left out in my message today.
Acts 9:36
Vs. 36 — It says, "At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas," — which means gazelle — she was probably a very elegant, perhaps beautiful, lady — it says, "this woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did."
I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind that being said about me. She was full of good works and charitable deeds. This is the reputation we have for this woman, Tabitha. There are other things. Being resurrected from the dead. Others things that we know about Tabitha, but this one, this is really good. This woman was "full of good works and charitable deeds which she did."
You know, not everyone is remembered for their good deeds and good works. I remember in my first pastorate, there was a woman whose husband was not a member of the Church. In fact, he was an alcoholic and she struggled in her marriage with him over many, many years and, finally, he drank himself to death. I remember on the day that he died he apparently bought several bottles of booze and drove off and drank himself to death. And I was asked to do the funeral and, like I said, it was very early on in my ministry and I knew that one thing we should ask the family is get someone to do a eulogy. And he had children and so I said can you get one of the children to do the eulogy? How about a friend? Somebody that knew the family? Somebody that knew him? We found no one. There was no one willing to do the eulogy for this man's funeral. Sad, isn't it? Very sad.
You know, reputations also apply to congregations. Let's go over to Romans, chapter 1. Romans, chapter 1.
While you're turning there, I'll tell you about another funeral I was asked to do. This was for a man who was a member of the Church who died and I noticed at the funeral that not all of his children came and just a few members came to that particular funeral. And the wife asked me to conduct the funeral and there were a couple of Church members who offered to do a eulogy and I remember the day after the funeral I went to the widow's home to try and give her some encouragement and comfort. That's probably one of the most awkward moments for a minister is to go to the home of someone whose loved one has died, particularly a mate, and to give them encouragement.
And she made some tea for us and we were sitting there at the table and I asked her, I said, how are you doing? She said, oh, I'm doing fine. I'm doing good. And I said I bet you really miss him, don't you? And she said, no, not really. Boy! I still remember the surprise. Not really? You know, it really made an awkward moment really awkward. And I said, oh, really? You wanna' share?
And for about the next hour and a half she told me about her dead husband and he was not a really nice guy. He had a reputation in the apartment building of being a grouchy old man and he yelled at people. He was short-tempered. It was pretty ugly. Nobody in the Church knew that. It was like he had two lives. One in the Church and another life. What he really was. He had that reputation with his children who didn't like him very well, but he had that reputation in the apartment building where they were retired, that reputation on his job from which he had retired — that was his reputation.
Let's look here in Romans, chapter 1 and verse 8. In this doxology, Paul writes about the Church at Rome. Now, before we read the verse, I would like you to think about this congregation. They are in sin city — Rome — this is where Nero is worshipped. It's where people are sacrificed, eaten by animals just for entertainment. It was a terrible place, particularly for a Christian, to live.
When you think about the context of the city in which this congregation lived, let's read verse 8.
Romans 1:8
Vs. 8 — "First" — Paul writes — "I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."
Now, here's a congregation that has a reputation for being a faithful congregation. Wow. Wouldn't it be great if you could go up to Mr. Frank's office and say, Mr. Franks, you know, that P.M. Cincinnati congregation, they have a reputation for being full of faith. They are the most faithful congregation I have ever been in. You can feel the faith they're so faithful. Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing? To have that kind of reputation?
The Church at Rome had that kind of reputation. It was talked about over the whole world. That means people conversed about it. They talked about it. They talked it up. They discussed it in Asia Minor, in Judea, Alexandria. They talked about the faith of the Church at Rome. Even a congregation can have a reputation.
Those of us who are pastors know, when you go from one Church to the next, they do have reputations. I, personally, enjoy those congregations that have a reputation for good potlucks. You know, even spiritually, there are congregations that are known as lively and warm and friendly and they have good reputations.
We can take it on ourselves, as a party of one, to make sure that we do our part to contribute toward the reputation of the Cincinnati P.M. Church.
A couple more Scriptures. Let's go to I Timothy. I Timothy, chapter 3 and verse 7.
I Timothy 3:7
Vs. 7 — This is talking about the qualifications of an elder. It says in verse 7 — I am breaking in, in the middle of a thought: "Moreover he must have a good reputation" — as the King James says — a good testimony as it says in the New King James — "among those who are outside" — outside the Church — "lest he fall into the reproach and the snare of the devil."
You know, there have been many wonderful servants in the Church and yet they cannot be ordained as elders because they have a bad reputation with the business community or they have a poor reputation in their neighborhood and, in fact, it's incumbent upon the ministry to look into the background of people who are recommended as elders and we have a process in United, it's several layers.
It has to go through the pastor, the Regional Pastor, Ministerial Services, and approved by the Council, before an elder is ordained. We want to check them out and make sure they've got a good reputation, not just within the church, but even outside as it says here, before an individual is ordained as an elder. I think that's pretty important, don't you? Reputation is important for the servants of God.
Another familiar Scripture is in John, chapter 13. John 13, verse 34 and 35. You've read it many times
John 13:34-35
Vs. 34 — "A new commandment I give to you," — Christ said — "That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."
Vs. 35 — "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another."
Having a reputation of love is a sign of the true Church of God. Our reputation has to be one of a Church of love, that's what Christ asks of us. You see reputation is important because it, in fact, is a shadow or reflection of our character.
Let's go to II Corinthians, chapter 13. II Corinthians, chapter 13. We're now less than eight weeks from the Passover, the days of Unleavened Bread, and many of us are beginning the process of introspection. We're starting to examine ourselves and to look at ourselves and to find out if we're truly in the faith. And I think a good place to look is in this area of reputation. Asking ourselves what is our reputation?
II Corinthians 13:5-7
Vs. 5 — It says, "Examine yourselves, as to whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not know your selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?"
Why do we want to have a good reputation, even with those outside the Church? Because we have God's Spirit and we are reflecting God. Many people will judge God based on the actions that we do, that we perform.
Vs. 5 — "That Jesus Christ is in you, less indeed you are disqualified."
Vs. 6 — "But I trust that you will know that you are not disqualified."
Vs. 7 — "Now I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable."
To have a reputation of honor is very important to God, that what we do is honorable, not just, maybe, technically legal, but honorable, upright, righteous.
Vs. 7 — "I pray to God that you do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable" — very important.
Let's go to II Peter. I would like to end here. II Peter, chapter 2.
Being honorable is going above and beyond what is required. Not trying to get close to the line and say, well, I'm on the right side of the line here and the end kind of justifies the means of what I've done. No. What is our reputation? Are we men and women of honor? Where we can say, no, I don't get close to that line.
I Peter, chapter 2 and verse 11 — I'm sorry — I Peter 2:11. I'm in the wrong place — my apologies to those of you taking notes.
I Peter 2:11-12
Vs. 11 — "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims" — in II Corinthians 5:20 we're reminded that we are ambassadors and ambassadors are chosen for their reputation and their ability to maintain a reputation, even in a foreign land — "Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, that war against the soul;"
Vs. 12 — "Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles (those without the Church)." Why? "That when they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation."
When I'm tempted to be angry with somebody, maybe somebody that cuts me off in Cincinnati traffic, my wife reminds me, they will remember you in the day of visitation. Be careful.
We need to be reminded of that once in awhile, don't we? "That they may by your good works, which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." We are always in a fishbowl. We are always, whether we are at work or school or in Church or in our neighborhood, we are all building a reputation.
Why is reputation so important? It's because when we become a child of God our character becomes melded and intertwined with God's Spirit and people will often judge what God is like by what they see in us.
Barnabas, Tabitha, the Roman congregation, had a highly creditable reputation amongst the Church of God and amongst those outside the Church. They were known as righteous people, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, people of integrity, honor and influence, in and out of the Church.
In the shadow of these outstanding examples of character, the questions we need to ask are these. How will you and I be remembered? What legacy will we leave behind? What will they say about us when our time on earth is finished? There's still time, as the wise man said. We should contemplate these things while there's still time.
Remember. Reputation is the shadow of character. What will our record of character be like? If we look at our reputation, we probably will have a good barometer.
