A Good Reputation

This is circling back to the opening statement, above reproach.

Not only are we above reproach by the examination of the church…but what is the opinion of the person in the eyes of the community?

When people outside of the church come into contact with an individual, what are they like?

Is someone kind when they speak to other Christians, but in the community they are known to be mean, vindictive, a womanizer?

This is especially important for those in leadership, if a leader fails morally, it devastates the witness of a church in that community for years.

The moral failures of congregants can be just as bad too.

I know of a church where the community loves the pastor, but they won’t set foot in the church becasue of the members in that church.

We need to examine our lives and ask the hard question, “do I represent Christ and his church well?”

We don’t want to be the thing that hinders people from coming to Christ for salvation, or to His church to find hope.

A Good Reputation Before Men

Colossians 4:5-6

We must make sure we have wisdom towards outsiders.

What you say, how you act. You are representing not just yourself, but the Christian community as a whole.

Best use of time

How do we use our time?

It’s a very precious commodity, are we wasting it?

The way we use our time at work, are we doing it unto the Lord?

The way we spend our leisure time. Do we act in a way that does more harm than good?

If we start to gossip, if we are tearing others down. Aren’t we doing more damage than good?

Jesus said that we were to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”

Are you using wisdom in the way that you approach and speak to people?

You have been given a gift, something you didn’t earn, something that should be cherished.

You’ve been given a new title (child of God), You’ve been given an inheritance (not of earth, but of heaven), you’ve been given unconditional love.

Are you sharing that with others for the glory of God?

Seasoned with salt

Salt was a preservative for meat, it helped to retard spoilage.

Our speech, like our lives must promote purity.

Our Actions Should Show God’s Glory

We can become preoccupied with our lives. Showing our glory, doing what’s best for number 1.

Acts 2:46-47

Acts 2:46–47 ESV

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The church grew, when the church was occupied in showing the glory of the Lord.

Meeting together, and celebrating the goodness of God.

The world saw the love of God being shown in that place…and they wanted in.

1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

In all things we do, we do it for the glory of God.

We are speaking of having a good reputation before men, do you try to glorify God and point people to him in everything you do?

We are not seeking our own profit, but that people might come to Christ.

A Good Reputation Before Men, Might Mean A Bad Reputation Before God

Revelation 3:1-2

The church of Sardis had a reputation of being alive.

There were things happening at that church.

But, they were spiritually dead.

It isn’t enough to just have a good reputation before men.

That cannot be our soul focus, our desire.

A Good Reputation Before God

Acts 4:18-20

Acts 4:18–20 ESV

So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

Peter and John were proclaiming that Jesus is Lord, and that the people must turn from their evil deeds, like freeing a murderer and condemning the Lord of glory. They did it in ignorance, but needed to repent.

What they were doing was standing their ground for Jesus.

They were saying, “this is wrong…and you need to repent.”

Doing this made them…disliked in the eyes of the rules, elders, and scribes.

Standing you ground in such a way will make you unpopular with people of the world.

I love what Peter and John say.

Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God…you decide.

We may be hated in your eyes…but we will do what is right in God’s eyes.

The first and greatest commandment is to love God, the second is like it, to love your neighbor.

To have a good witness is to love our neighbor, but we can’t prioritize man over God, because then we have missed the first.

We make it our aim, our goal in life. To please God.

Serving God May Lead To A Bad Reputation With Unbelievers

The Jews brought Jesus before Pilate. And they accused him of misleading their nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.

These were lies and half truths generated to have Jesus executed.

Jesus was calling out their sin. He pointed to their pride, they had cleaned the outside of their lives, making themselves look good, but their hearts were full of hate, of jealousy, of pride.

They were exactly like their fathers before, who killed the prophets for calling out their sin.

They loved their power, their fame, their prestige. Not God.

Becasue Jesus threatened that, they had to have him killed.

Is a servant greater than his master?

Why do we believe that they will love us, when they hated our Lord?

To evade the scorn of the world, we might cave into the pressure of the world.

The world is fine if you believe in Jesus, but if you....

Say he is the only way.

say that Christ is king, and we should have His laws guide us.

For these you will suffer scorn.

To be in right standing with God, will put in in opposition with man.

What Is The Requirement In 1 Timothy 3:7?

First we see that we are to be in good standing. Then we look at how if you live a godly life, you might not be in good standing....WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO!

1 Timothy 3:7 is not saying that the world has to love us or like what we say.

But what is our moral reputation in the world.

What is our character, our conduct like.

What is the moral reputation of the leaders in the church.

An outsider’s opinion of a Christian leader’s character cannot be dismissed, for it affects the evangelistic witness of the entire church.

An elder with an unfavorable or sinful reputation among non-Christians; should not be an elder.

If an elder has a reputation of being a dishonest businessman, womanizer, or drunkard. The unbelieving community will take note of this hypocrisy and he will fall into “reproach and the snare of the devil.”

The elder will become a liability to the church, not a spiritual asset.

What may have begun as a small offense when placed into a position of leadership, can become far more destructive and evil.

You beloved, what is your reputation?

Not that you should be loved by the world, but are you hated for the right reasons?