THIS WORLD IS CRAZY. BUT IT CAN’T SEE THAT. THIS WORLD THINKS CHRISTIANS ARE THE CRAZY ONES, AND THAT CONCLUSION IS USUALLY BASED ON THEIR PERSPECTIVE. THEY BELIEVE EVIL IS GOOD AND GOOD IS EVIL.
1. THE WORLD THINKS CHRISTIANS ARE CRAZY.
BUT WHEN THEY LIVE FOR GOD, THEIR LIFESTYLE IS SO DIFFERENT, THE WORLD THINKS IT IS CRAZY WHEN IT IS NOT.
Acts 26:24-25 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
2. CHRISTIANS LOOK BAD WHEN THEY STRAY FROM THE WILL AND COMMANDS OF GOD.
SOME THINGS THAT CHRISTIANS DO MAKE PEOPLE THINK THAT CHRISTIANS ARE CRAZY WHEN ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE DO STUPID, UNTHINKING THINGS.
1 Corinthians 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad ?
3. TRUE BELIEVERS SOMETIMES HAVE LOST THEIR SANITY FOR A VERY SHORT TIME.
THIS IS NOT A LONG SPIRITUAL BATTLE, AS SOME CLAIM AS AN EXCUSE. IT IS A FALLING AWAY WHICH IS OF SHORT DURATION.
Numbers 12:11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
1 Samuel 13:13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
2 Samuel 24:10 And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
1 Chronicles 21:8 And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.
REFUSE TO BECOME LIKE THE WORLD ! EVEN A SHORT TIME CAN RUIN YOUR TESTIMONY AND HURT THE NAME OF THE LORD.
4. GOD BRINGS INSANITY, BLINDNESS, AND ASTONISHMENT AS JUDGMENTS UPON PEOPLE WHO THROW OUT HIS WORD.
MANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE THE ONES WHO CONDEMN CHRISTIANS AND ACCUSE THEM OF NOT BEING MENTALLY STABLE.
Deuteronomy 28:28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
PEOPLE WHO FIGHT AGAINST GOD SEE THE RESULTS OF THEIR ACTIONS NOT ONLY AFFECTS THEM, BUT EVEN THEIR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. BY 70 AD, THE JEWS WERE EITHER KILLED OR LED INTO SLAVERY.
Luke 6:11 And they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.
5. FIGHTING AGAINST GOD IS INSANE !
EVEN RELIGIOUS PEOPLE WHO AREN’T PART OF THIS WORLD CAN BE INSANE BY IGNORING REALITY OF THEIR TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
2 Chronicles 13:10-12 But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him. And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.
JUST BECAUSE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE OK WITH THE LORD DOES NOT MAKE IT SO. ARE YOU SO CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR OWN FEELINGS OR THE FEELINGS OF THE LORD ? IF YOU ARE CONCERNED MOSTLY ABOUT YOUR OWN FEELINGS, IT WILL BE EASY FOR YOU TO BE DECEIVED AND THINK YOU ARE OK WHEN IN FACT YOU ARE FIGHTING AGAINST GOD !
James 1:22-26 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
6. GOD’S GRACE PROVIDES FOR FORGIVENESS AND HEALING.