Well, welcome back to the Seminary. And in this
episode, which was a short sermon from our dinner
church, we talk about how in our lives, we as
Christians are called to be different, to be
weird when compared with the normal world. And
we realize that scripture teaches us that if
we want what normal people have, we do what normal
people do. But if we want what's better, what's
blessed. We have to live like few people live
and do what few people do and be weird. I hope
you'll enjoy. So tonight I want to talk about
being weird. And I want to start off. Let me
ask you guys a question. How many people know
some weird people? But they're not weird in the
right kind of way, right? They're probably weird
in the bad kind of way. Everybody is weird at
a certain extent. But that's well, and there's
also people that are weird in a good kind of
way, right? Tonight I want to talk about being
weird in a God kind of way. So here's what Jesus
said. Our opening scripture tonight comes to
us from the gospel according to Matthew. If you
join us. next Wednesday night for our Bible study
series on Matthew. We'll talk more in depth about
chapter 7. But in chapter 7, we read verses 13
and 14. Jesus said, Enter through the narrow
gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the
road that leads to destruction, and many enter
through it. Think about this. Broad and wide
is the road and the gate. which the majority
of people travel. Unfortunately, it's in that
crowd. That's where we often find our comfort,
saying, look at all of the people doing the same
things we're doing, going where we're going,
living how we're living. We're normal. We must
be okay, because this is the majority. We're
the majority of people. It's going. Fortunately,
though, Jesus said many, the crowd, we could
say normal people are on the road that leads
to destruction. And then he said this. He said,
but small is the gate and narrow is the road
that leads to life. And only a few find it. If
you're on the broad road, let me just say as
soberly as I can, if your life seems to look
like everybody else's life, if you look at your
life and see yourself doing the things that everyone
else is doing, if you feel like you're pretty
normal, it could be that you're on the broad
road that leads to destruction. Because when
you leave the normal road and you get on that...
smaller one where many or i'm sorry where few
are the normal people will think that you're
weird that you're different your life just doesn't
look the same as theirs does so i want us to
follow the teachings of jesus and we're going
to lead a weird life because even even if we
just take the bible and put it aside and we just
look at this practically we wouldn't you agree
In our world today, that living with the quotes,
living normal, just isn't working. Think about
it. What's normal in our schedules today? Overwhelmed,
rushed, stressed, panicked, never enough time
for what's truly important because we're overwhelmed
with the urgent and we're missing out on the
quality. What's normal when it comes to money
today? I mean, let's just be real honest. Normal
is the pursuit of material things, which we all
know never makes us happy. Normal is broke, right?
Normal is debt. Normal is financial fear. Normal
is fighting with our spouses about money. Think
about our professional lives. What's normal today?
Just working for a paycheck. Doing something
that you really don't like just to get by. Normal
is feeling like there's got to be something more,
but you just can't quite find out what it is.
What's normal in relationships? Hopping from
bed to bed to bed with different people until
you finally get married, and then seven years
into marriage, since things aren't going all
that well, normal is for half of us to end up
in divorce. Normal is not working. Here's the
truth about normal. If you want what normal people
have, do what normal people do. But if you want
what few people have, you have to decide to do
what few people will do. Think about it. If you
want a normal life, then live like normal people
live. If though. If you want something better,
if you really believe that there is something
different and better than the normal life where
the majority of people are traveling, you'll
need to leave that broad road and get on to that
narrow path where people will begin calling you
weird. And if you want what few people have,
things like peace or joy or security, a sense
of fulfillment, an eternal destiny. If you want
what few people will have, you're going to have
to decide to do what few people will do. Think
about the teachings of Jesus, right? Mega weird.
Think about how weird His teaching is compared
to the world's normal. Normal says, don't commit
adultery. Jesus says, You've heard it said, don't
commit adultery, but I say unto you, don't even
look lustfully at a woman. Whoever looks lustfully
at a woman has already committed adultery in
his heart. That's weird. Jesus said, if you want
to be first, you need to be last. If you're already
last, then you can be first. That's weird. Jesus
said, when you give, it will be given to you.
That's weird. Because normal says if you take
it, it will be given to you. The teachings of
Jesus, the teachings of Scripture lead us off
of that normal broad path and onto a narrow and
different path. And if you want what normal people
have, just keep on doing what normal people are
doing. And you just go right on with the flow
of the world. If you want what few people have,
you're going to have to do what few people do.
And take scripture seriously. And you can have
something way, way, way better than normal. So
I want to give us just two simple thoughts. They're
things that I don't feel like I really probably
need to tell you. They're things you already
know anyway because they're pretty obvious. Two
thoughts. The first one, it's in your notes there
I've given you. My first thought for this evening
is this. Weird people don't think like normal
people think. Here's what Scripture says in the
12th chapter, 2nd verse of the letter to the
Romans. Do not live any longer the way this world
lives. Don't live like normal people. The Apostle
Paul would say, that's stupid. Let your way of
thinking be completely changed. Then you'll be
able to test out what God wants for you. Not
what the crowd, not what everybody else, not
what the normal people want for you, but what
God wants for you. And we'll all agree, I hope,
that what he wants for us is what? Right? Is
right. I love the way the message, it's kind
of a devotional style translation or version
of the Bible. I love the way that the message
translates this. It says it like this. Don't
become so well adjusted to your culture that
you fit into it without even thinking. Wouldn't
you agree that there are people today Many people
that just seem to fit into the worldly culture
without even thinking. The Bible says instead,
fix your attention on God. Not on everybody else.
Not what's normal, but on God. And you'll be
changed from the inside out. Weird people don't
think like normal people think. If you want what
normal people have, do what normal people do.
If you want what few people have, do what few
people do. It's time for us to get a little bit
weird. Weird people don't think like normal people
think. Second thought for our little discussion
this evening is this. Weird people don't live
like normal people live. When you take Scripture
seriously and you pursue God diligently, you
will be different from the world. And if you're
not different, if you seem to look like everybody
else and act like everybody else and live like
everybody else, I would submit to you that you
may not truly know the God of the Bible. Because
the more you pursue after Him, the more different
your world will be. Your values will change.
Your motivations will change. And the way that
we live will change. Apostle Peter says this
in 1 Peter 2, verses 11 and 12. Peter says this,
Dear friends, I urge you, and I love the way
he says this, as aliens and strangers. In other
words, this world isn't even your home. This
place is kind of weird to you. Why do people
live according to this world? He said, as aliens
and as strangers in this world, I urge you to
abstain from sinful desires which rage war against
your soul. In other words, you know, if this
world is your home, then you go right on and
do whatever in the world you want. Whatever you
feel like. That's normal. But you, you're not
going to be normal. Verse 12, he says, live such
good lives among the pagans, among those who
don't understand, amongst those who are non -believers.
Live such good lives amongst them that though
they accuse you of doing wrong, in other words,
the world, The normal say, hey, hey, don't leave
us. Hey, stay on the normal path with us. Where
are you going? Hey, don't go. This is normal.
This is better. That's stupid. Because you're
going to be weird. Though they accuse you of
doing wrong, in the end they may see your good
deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
When you seek the God of the Bible, He will lead
you to a life that is very different. And He
doesn't have a cookie cutter weird for all of
us. He has for you a custom weird that He wants
to give specifically to you if you seek Him.
And I don't know what that is for you, but I
invite you, I beg you, join me and other committed
followers of Christ of leaving that normal road.
Because you have to admit, normal isn't working.
It's broke, it's overwhelmed, it's miserable,
it's fear, it's shame, it's regret. And it doesn't
have to be that way. It can be full of peace
and joy and purpose and momentum and a deep sense
of fulfillment and knowing that our lives are
making an eternal difference. When I read scripture,
Jesus said, if you want to find your life, you
lose it. That's weird. And I'm telling you, right,
you can go to church all day long. And that's
still, at least in our part of the world, that's
normal, right? To worship one day a week in church.
That's normal. But friends, when worship for
you becomes a seven days a week passion, when
worship of God becomes something that you are
and not just something that you do for one hour
a week, one hour a day on one day a week, That's
when you become that God kind of weird. We're
not talking about a shallow, me -centered Christianity.
We're talking about a wholehearted, full surrender
to the God of the Bible that will take us off
that normal path and onto one in which the world
will not understand, but God will empower and
direct. You can settle for normal. Or you can
choose something better than normal. If you want
what normal people have, friends, do what normal
people do. If you want what few have, leave that
normal path. And I invite you to a journey with
the God kind of weird. So, as always, you are
a part of the sermon. So if you will flip your
little notes over there, you will find. Thanks
for listening to the Semi -Seminarium. Please
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you'll keep coming back. Be blessed and be a
blessing.