Sermon Tone Analysis

Biblical Integrity

Before we get started this morning we are going to work together to answer a question.

What is integrity?

I have set up large sheets for you to fill out together as a group and then we are going to display them up front here and work together to define this topic.

As a group you need to define integrity and also come up with three synonyms (something that means the same thing) and three antonyms (something that means the opposite)

Lets practice really quick: synonym of yummy?

Delightful, Good, Appetizing

Antonym of yummy?

Gross, Unappetizing, Bland

I’m going to break you into groups and I have assigned 2 leaders in each group who is responsible for directing the conversation and making sure you get all this done in the next 10 minutes.

(GROUP WORK)

(REVIEW ANSWERS)

We are off to a good start on what we think it is.

I am going to give you three definitions and these go on your outline.

Google: “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, moral uprightness”

John Piper, “our inner beings align with our outer beings”

Unknown (not mine) “Doing the right thing at the right time for the right reason; even when no one (except God) is watching”

Synonyms: honesty, virtue, ethic, morals/morality, goodness

Antonyms: immorality, evil, wickedness, dishonesty, indiscretion

Before I move on let me give you two examples.

These are both real scenarios.

Picture with me this situation.

A man has a coworker, a colleague, they don’t work in the same department but at different times they have had the same job and know lots about each other, they even both applied for the same job at the same time at one point.

They don’t like each other very much.

So let’s say Mike and Steve, they don’t like each other very much and so they are always looking for ways to get back or make fun of the other one.

So Steve thinks he obviously is better than Mike and wants everyone to know that.

Recently it has been known throughout their work place that Mike had misplaced some very important company documents.

He was given some important papers and he lost them, perhaps he knows where they are but when the boss and coworkers were looking for them, they couldn’t find them anywhere.

Turns out Mike took them on vacation with them and left them where he was staying on vacation.

Well Steve has been waiting for this, he just crushes him.

How could this happen.

Steve says, “How could this possibly happen?

How could anyone be that irresponsible.

And to think the data that was in there that may compromise sources and methods...

And it's just totally irresponsible."

Obviously Steve can’t believe that Mike would do something liek that.

Whether it was a mistake or on purpose, he lost or misplaced those documents and everyone knows about it, and Steve is quick to make fun of him for it.

He even goes as far as saying how could this possibly happen?

Well guess what.

Mike is actually named Donald and Steve is actually named Joe.

And I know bringing up politicans and talking about integrity is silly, they don’t belong in the same sentances.

But Joe Biden literally made that quote word for word about Donald Trump in September and just three months later in November it turns out that Joe did the exact same thing—he had similar documents in his private home where he shouldn’t have them.

Let me make a little more personal example.

I apologize this may offend some of you in this room but you need to hear it.

I have an internal problem.

I absolutely cannot stand when people don’t park correctly.

Now listen there are two kinds of people who don’t park correctly.

The first is those who can’t drive very well.

Either their new or their rushed or they just don’t pay attention.

You know who I am talking about.

They park on the lines or their rear end is halfway in the driving lane or they are so far forward they take up both spots.

Those are just bad drivers—those are annoying but they don’t bother me.

No I am talking about the other kind.

These people will literally just park their car wherever.

Sometimes its halfway in your yard, half on the street.

Sometimes its literally going the opposite direction of the parking spots.

Perhaps its literally just in the middle of a parking lot no where near any lines.

It may be against a building or the pavilion or whatever.

It literally makes my skin crawl, at times I get agitated.

I cannot stand it.

It is so against every order we have ever come up when it comes to parking.

Its not because of ability or the openness of spaces—its a conscience decision to park wherever I want and not care.

Sometime last year, I think I may have been heading down here for the men’s conference.

It was early in the morning and I needed to get my Starbucks—the essentials.

i ordered on the app—pro tip, worth it everytime.

I had my order in, I got there, and I don’t go through the drivethrough if there are any cars there because one car can take 20 minutes.

But also I was in the church van, and it doesn’t fit in the Starbucks drive through right now because there sign is bent and it will hit the top (don’t ask how I know that—no worries there is no damage).

So I pull around to the front and I park the van and I run in, grab my coffee and run back out (probably 30 seconds).

And as I am getting into the van a guy yells out to me.

I don’t remember exactly what he said but something like “excuse me, is that your car”.

He said it in an agitated and annoyed tone for sure.

I’m getting into the car, yes its mine.

I didn’t respond that way, I just said yes.

He looked at me (he was in the drive-through waiting with his window down) and very seriously said, “I think its awful rude you blocked the handicap space.”

I looked and sure enough, in my rush, I couldn’t find a spot and so I pulled up the curb and threw my flashers on and ran inside (I’ll admit I have done this before).

I mean it was only gone 30 seconds and i have seen plenty do it and I’m not blocking the drive at all.

But the van is long enough that it stuck out past the end and partially blocked the hanicap space.

I could argue of there was another available or they could still get in, etc.

But there was an immediate humility, pie in the face.

I responded with you know what, you are right.

How inconsiderate of me.

I’m sorry and I really appreciate you pointing that out, I will make it a point to not do that again.

He let his guard down some, I think surprised a little by my reaction.

But to be honest I was totally embarrassed.

First of all he was totally right.

Secondly I’m in the church van and its very clearly marked.

I just thought I ruined our reputation with this individual was something so silly.

He had never seen me before and for all I know has never seen me since and his image of me and the church is in that 30 second interaction.

But on top of that, I got in the van and began the drive down here and another emotion came over me.

Guilt.

Not for what I had done, but for my hypocrisy.

See I get agitated and annoyed and have even expressed to some how much it annoys me they park like that.

And yet here I am, in my selfishness and convenience, in some ways committing both offenses—bad parking because my end was sticking out and totally just parking where I wanted.

To be honest you could probably make an argument I broke a couple traffic laws.

Whats to point of both of these—put your money where your mouth is.

Okay thats an old phrase and your like what?

Both Joe and I said one thing and did another.

We were not honest with ourselves and with others.

Its easy to say X, Y, and Z but we were doing something the opposite at the same time.

And so what is integrity?