False Advertising
“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” - Matthew 16:18
I read this story once about a young husband who knocked on the door of this retired doctor in a small town in order to get help for his wife. The doctor came to the door and said, “Hello, may I help you?” and the young man said, “Sir, my wife has had an accident and is in the car bleeding. She is dying and needs help to save her.”
Much to the concerned husband’s surprise, the retired doctor said, “I’m sorry son, but I can’t help you. I stopped practicing many years ago. I don’t have any equipment here. I don’t have any medical supplies. There is nothing I can do.” Frustrated and distraught the young husband said, “Sir, if you can no longer help hurting people, if you no longer facilitate healing for those in need, then you should just take down your sign. Why have a sign saying this is a clinic, if you’re not able to be of any assistance to those in need?”
The story is sad, but it speaks to a prevailing concern in the world regarding the church. There is a world that is bleeding to death, a world that is hurting, a world that is in need of our help. And we’ve got a sign up saying we can help heal their wounds, suggesting we are able to provide them with answers that would bring them life. We live in a world where so many people are skeptical of buying products because they do not know if the product will actually be all that the advertisement claims. “False advertising” has become so common.
But as believers, we are called to be different. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” God has healed you, and He has made us as a church to be different. Do not be like so many false advertisers, saying they can do one thing, but simply providing nothing but lip service.
If you are a Christian, God has chosen you as His special possession. God wants you to be a light who can help those in need. We can say we go to church and read our Bibles, but without the willingness to help others, they might just see us as another false advertisement. Today, I challenge you to be what you say you are, and be the light God made you to be!
I read this story once about a young husband who knocked on the door of this retired doctor in a small town in order to get help for his wife. The doctor came to the door and said, “Hello, may I help you?” and the young man said, “Sir, my wife has had an accident and is in the car bleeding. She is dying and needs help to save her.”
Much to the concerned husband’s surprise, the retired doctor said, “I’m sorry son, but I can’t help you. I stopped practicing many years ago. I don’t have any equipment here. I don’t have any medical supplies. There is nothing I can do.” Frustrated and distraught the young husband said, “Sir, if you can no longer help hurting people, if you no longer facilitate healing for those in need, then you should just take down your sign. Why have a sign saying this is a clinic, if you’re not able to be of any assistance to those in need?”
The story is sad, but it speaks to a prevailing concern in the world regarding the church. There is a world that is bleeding to death, a world that is hurting, a world that is in need of our help. And we’ve got a sign up saying we can help heal their wounds, suggesting we are able to provide them with answers that would bring them life. We live in a world where so many people are skeptical of buying products because they do not know if the product will actually be all that the advertisement claims. “False advertising” has become so common.
But as believers, we are called to be different. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” God has healed you, and He has made us as a church to be different. Do not be like so many false advertisers, saying they can do one thing, but simply providing nothing but lip service.
If you are a Christian, God has chosen you as His special possession. God wants you to be a light who can help those in need. We can say we go to church and read our Bibles, but without the willingness to help others, they might just see us as another false advertisement. Today, I challenge you to be what you say you are, and be the light God made you to be!
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