Rev. David Holwick F Church Covenant #5
First Baptist Church [original Sunday was snowed out]
Ledgewood, New Jersey
February 26, 2006
Titus 2:7-8
WATCH HOW YOU WALK
Church Covenant: "...To walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our
dealings; faithful in our engagements and exemplary in our conduct..."
I. It matters where you walk.
The news accounts from Florida said the man was in his 70's and
that he went for a walk the night before.
Now, the reason his walk made the news was because he was
sleeping during this walk - and because of where he ended up.
Apparently, James Currens got up out of bed, grabbed his cane,
went outside, and started walking.
He did all of this without ever waking up -- until he walked
right into a lake.
He found that his legs were stuck in the mud and his eyes were
staring into the faces of several alligators.
It was a good thing he still had his cane, because he used it to
beat off the alligators.
A neighbor heard his screams and called the police at 5:00 a.m.
One officer saw 8 to 10 alligators just a few feet away from
Currens.
But the old man held out his cane and was pulled to safety.
Talk about a rude awakening!
#17933
A. Awake or asleep, we all end up somewhere.
B. It is better to be aware of where you are going.
C. And you'd better make sure you are going in the right direction!
II. Walking Circumspectly.
A. Being careful how you live.
1) Literally, "looking around" as you walk or live.
2) Your actions speak louder than words.
a) The writer Emerson once said, "What you are speaks so
loudly I cannot hear a word you say."
#16652
b) "In the world" - take special care of your reputation
before non-believers.
B. Even if you are not "circumspecting," God is.
1) He watches all that we do.
2) He will call us to account some day.
III. Just in Your Dealings.
A. Your business practices should be Christian.
1) A New York farmer.
Stories from the man who witnessed to me about Jesus:
he was mentored by a Christian farmer.
The farmer would bring visitors into the kitchen and start
a Bible study with Scofield Reference Bibles.
He had around 15 of them stacked in his kitchen.
This farmer never cheated anyone.
He always went out of his way to be fair.
Nothing was going to get in the way of his witnessing.
2) No cheating, above-board finances.
B. Honest work for honest pay.
1) Paul's advice to slaves [/workers]: Eph 6:6-8
Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is
on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God
from your heart.
Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord,
not men,
Because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for
whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.
2) Have a Christian work ethic.
a) In Bible, work can bring glory to God.
1> Luther: every job can be a vocation (calling).
b) Do a good job because of who you are.
c) Go beyond "eye service."
C. High moral standards.
1) Modern business wants to avoid doing wrong - they might
get sued.
2) Christians should seek to do what is right, in every
situation.
D. Be more than just - be compassionate.
1) Give people more than they deserve.
2) Do right even to people who cheat you.
IV. Faithful in Your Engagements.
A. Your word should be your bond.
1) The essence of promise keeping.
"If you want to take the meaning of the word integrity and
reduce it to its simplest terms, you'd conclude that a
man of integrity is a promise keeper.
When he gives you his word, you can take it to the bank.
His word is good."
-- Bill McCartney, founder of Promise Keepers #16634
2) Apparently Bill is a little out of touch:
Glen Garrett is a 66-year-old banker from Purdy, Missouri.
He does business the old-fashioned way - his handshake
seals every deal.
He never signs a contract because his word is good enough.
Garrett believes in integrity so much, he has spent
$2 million to prove it.
In one paperless deal, Garrett hired himself to construct
a bank building.
Regulators with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
were upset because there were no competitive bids.
They sued him, and he has spent the $2 million defending
himself.
An independent appraiser later said that Garrett built
the bank for about $300,000 less than the market price.
#28037
B. Keep your commitments.
1) Honor your contracts.
2) Finish the job.
V. Exemplary in Your Conduct.
A. Not just acceptable or ordinary, but exemplary.
1) Means to serve as a model.
a) Ironically, it can mean a good or bad model.
b) Be a good one!
2) We set an example even when we don't want to.
B. A good reputation is worth something.
One benefit of a life of integrity is the respect of others.
Rob Mouw played on the soccer team in his senior year at
Wheaton Christian High School.
It was the final seconds of a big game against favored
Waubonsie Valley and his team was behind by one goal.
Rob was dribbling the ball in front of him, running at full
speed toward the opponent's goal.
Just before he kicked the ball, though, he caught sight of
the scoreboard.
The clock read 00.00.
But like any good athlete, Rob kicked the ball anyway and
it went in.
The referee signaled that the goal counted, and the game
finished in a tie.
Rob had a choice to make.
He could say nothing and avoid a loss.
After all, it was the referee's job to decide the calls,
not his.
Or Rob could do what was right.
Rob asked the referee whether the official time was kept on
the scoreboard, or the referee's stopwatch.
The referee said the scoreboard time was official and then
ran off the field.
Rob went to his coaches and explained that just before his
kick, he had seen zeros on the scoreboard clock.
Since he hadn't heard a whistle, he kept playing.
But his goal was late, and he didn't think it should count.
His coaches agreed, and so they went over to the opposing
coaches, explained what had happened, and conceded victory
to Waubonsie Valley.
Listen to what this young man of integrity said after the
incident:
"Every time in your life you have an opportunity to do right,
you should be thankful.
For a person to know what right is, and then not to do it
- that would be a sin.
To have won the game - I mean, really, who cares?
Doing the right thing is more important.
It lets you have peace."
But that wasn't the end of the story.
Sometime later Rob received a handwritten letter from a total
stranger that said,
"Dear Rob, I read the newspaper story about you.
I love sports and true sportsmen.
My faith in our future was renewed and lifted by the story.
Never lose your principles.
Always stand for what's decent and right.
That's what you told us all when you refused the victory at
that game."
The letter was signed by former President George Bush.
When we do what's right, it sometimes gets the attention and
approval of the newspaper and even U.S. presidents.
But it always gets the attention and approval of God.
#15406
VI. How are YOU walking?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#15406 "Doing The Right Thing Is More Important," from Kerux sermon #13519
by Rev. Mark Adams, "The Costs And Benefits Of Personal
Integrity."
#16634 "Quotes On Integrity, Honesty, Conscience," edited by Jim Rohn and
others, August 21, 2000.
#16652 "Actions Speak Louder Than Words," Donald MacLeod, Rev. Brett Blair's
Illustrations by Email, www.sermonillustrations.com, August 20,
2000.
#17933 "Sleepwalking Into Alligators," Ron Hutchcraft, A Word With You
#4075, August 23, 2002; other news reports were also used.
#28037 "His Integrity Was Worth $2 Million," from "News of the Weird" and
other sources, March 30, 1998.
These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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