Cowboys and Christians
Cowboys and Christians
Matt. 28:18-20 – VBS “Avalanche Ranch” Kick-off Sunday (June 3, 2007)
INTRODUCTION: ILLUS.- Cowboy Joe was telling his fellow cowboys back on the ranch about his first visit to a big-city church.
"When I got there, they had me park my old truck in the corral," Joe began.
"You mean the parking lot," interrupted Charlie, a worldly fellow.
"I walked up the trail to the door," Joe continued.
"The sidewalk to the door," Charlie corrected him.
"Inside the door, I was met by this dude," Joe went on.
"That would be the usher," Charlie explained.
"Well, the usher led me down the chute," Joe said.
"You mean the aisle," Charlie said.
"Then, he led me to a stall and told me to sit there," Joe continued.
"That would be the Pew," Charlie retorted.
"Yeah," recalled Joe. "That’s exactly what that pretty lady said when I sat down beside her."
ILLUS.- One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin.
Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out bible.
The Church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories.
As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it.
The preacher gave a long sermon about Hellfire and brimstone and a stern lecture on how much money the church needed to do God’s work.
As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what He thinks would be appropriate attire for worship." The old cowboy assured the preacher he would.
The next Sunday, he showed up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored.
The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church."
"I did," replied the old cowboy.
"If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher. "Well, sir, God told me that He didn’t have a clue what I should wear.
He says He’s never been in this church!”
VBS Avalanche Ranch kickoff Sunday
I. Introduction
· Amos 1:1 “The words of Amos, one of the shepherds of Tekoa – what he saw concerning Israel…”
A. Amos was a Prophet - in a time of peace, prosperity…but also of social corruption.
1. He was a shepherd…a herdsman…a Cowboy Preacher!
2. He preached righteousness…4:12 - “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.”
a. What life is all about:
· We Start life with God (even though we don’t realize this)
· We Continue our lives with God (even though many people stubbornly refuse to admit this. He is our sustainer in life).
· And we End life with Him even though many people deny this.
b. Life is a preparation to meet God in person!
BRIDGE - In this so-called “Cowboys and Christians sermon,” I want to consider four things a cowboy does and apply these to the Christian life...and show how he helps prepare others to meet God. Here is what he does.
1- He Rides ‘em
2- He Ropes ‘em
3- He Brands ‘em
4- He Corrals ‘em
II. BODY
A. RIDE ‘EM
· ILLUS.- Someone said, “I had a near death experience that has changed me forever. The other day I went horseback riding. Everything was going fine until the horse started bucking out of control. I tried with all my might to hang on, but was thrown off. Just when things could not possibly get worse, my foot got caught in the stirrup. When this happened, I fell head first to the ground. My head continued to bounce harder as the horse did not stop or even slow down. Just as I was giving up hope and losing consciousness, the Walmart manager came and unplugged it.”
1. Matthew 28:19 - “Therefore go and make disciples…”
a. Cowboys had to ride a horse to get their work done. They had to “get up and go” to get
anything done.
b. “Get up and go” is one of our problems today. Jesus said to “go” into all the world and get something done for Him.
ILLUS.- (A Pastor’s story) Recently a fishing friend from 21 years ago contacted me by way of email. He got my email address from another friend in Jefferson City, MO. I wrote him back immediately to find out how he was doing and if he was still fishing. We used to fish together in his bass boat on the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri.
Mike had retired from working for the state of MO. He still had his bass boat. He said he had about 40 rods and reels, yet he admitted that his boat hadn’t been in the water since gas was $1.50 a gallon.
So I asked him what he was doing. Besides watching his grandkids, who lived nearby, he goes duck hunting. He told me that recently he had been wading in mud up to his knees to scout out some places to hunt ducks.
I also asked him where he and his wife were going to church. When I knew him many years ago he didn’t go to church, although he was raised in the Lord’s church and is a Christian. Guess what? He’s still not going to church even though his wife does. He is great guy, a loving husband, father, etc., but he still isn’t going to church.
Here is a fine Christian man but there is no doubt in my mind that he has no “get up and go” for serving the Lord or for pointing people to the Lord. AND YET, HE HAS PLENTY OF “GET UP AND GO” FOR DUCK HUNTING.
What has happened to our priorities? What about us? What about you? On what do you spend your “get up and go?”
B. ROPE ‘EM
· Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…”
1. Cowboys round up cows and rope ‘em. Sometimes to the borders of his ranch and beyond. We need to do similarly with people.
ILLUS. The young salesman was disappointed about losing a big sale, and as he talked with his sales manager he complained, "I guess it just proves you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” The manager replied, "Your job is not to make him drink. Your job is to make him thirsty.” So it is with evangelism. Our lives should be so filled with the passion of Christ that we create a thirst in others for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. In other words, we need to make disciples out of people. To make followers or encourage people to become followers of Christ. Have you made any followers lately?
a. Have you made any followers lately?
b. That is, have you roped anyone into believing that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of
the world?
c. Have you convinced anyone that Christ is the way to go in life?
d. Have you even talked to anyone about Christ?
e. Just as Andrew found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus…
· THIS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS HIS DISCIPLES, HIS FOLLOWERS.
C. BRAND ‘EM
· Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
ILLUS.- Three preachers got together for coffee one day and found all their churches had bat-infestation problems. "I got so mad," said one, "I took a shotgun and fired at them. It made holes in the ceiling, but did nothing to the bats." "I tried trapping them alive," said the second. "Then I drove 50 miles before releasing them, but they beat me back to the church."
"I haven’t had any more problems," said the third. "What did you do?" asked the others, amazed. "I simply baptized them and I haven’t seen them since."
1. Cowboys of old would round up their herd and brand ‘em so that others would know to
whom they belonged.
a. It’s a sign, if nothing else, to God that we belong to Him!
b. Your baptism doesn’t “buy” your salvation. Christ’s blood does that.
1. But your signature on God’s contract is required.
· Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
· Acts 8:36 “They traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ’Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?"
c. Baptism is an act of obedience that all people who believe in Jesus need to comply with.
D. CORRAL ‘EM
· Matthew 28:20 “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
· After a cowboy has rode hard, roped his livestock, and branded them, then he needs to corral ‘em.
1. The corral – the local church - People need to be encouraged to become a part.
a. Some people don’t want to join a local church. They will feel responsible to attend that
church and support that church in service and in giving AND THEY SHOULD!
ILLUS.- Arthur Boers in "The Other Side," (May/June, 1989) wrote, “I often visit newcomers in town and find them to be church shopping. They want to know what they can get out of church. Churches are one more consumer commodity. Worship services are not a place for us to serve God and neighbor but a place where people expect to purchase the best: Inspiring worship, good music, moving sermons, quality child care. As if we buy God and not vice versa.”
The church is not here for the purpose of getting some out of it, but rather for us to put something into it!
ILLUS.- Someone said, "There are four main bones in every organization. The wish-bones: Wishing somebody would do something about the problem. The jaw-bones: Doing all the talking but very little else. The knuckle-bones: Those who knock everything. The back-bones: Those who carry the brunt of the load and do most of the work."
Just think, if every body who believed in Christ, joined the church and got involved in service, JUST THINK WHAT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED FOR THE LORD? If you’re not in the church you need to be and if you’re not involved in some kind of service, you should be!
· Ride ‘em, rope ‘em, brand ‘em, and corral ‘em. That’s our job as people who belong to the Lord.