Top 10 Most Christian Things You Can Do

I'm going to take a break from Acts this morning. The passage that I wanted to preach from, the story is really almost 2 whole chapters long, and I can't keep you long this morning because of that auction across the street. So I've decided to do something a little different.

There are a few passages of scripture that have changed me and shaped me more than anything. They've become filters for my thinking. They've shaped my worldview. One of those passages of scripture is the Sermon on the Mount. When I was in college I read a book about the sermon on the mount and it sparked my interest in it and I've read everything I could get ahold of on it since and it's really, really become something that has shaped the way I look at life.

Another one of those passages is the book of James. Specifically James 3. James 3 is a passage we know as the "tongue" chapter but it's really a checklist for leadership. That passage has changed me and I think about it all the time.

But there is probably no passage that I think about week to week, day to day more than the one we are going to look at today. It's unbelievably practical and unbelievably hard.

I'm going to give you a list of the top ten most Christian things you can do. Sounds like one of those click bait blog posts doesn't it. The top 10 most Christian things you can do.

But before I give you the list I want to ask you a question. If you want to be a great Christian, what is the most important character trait to have?

Some people would say obedience. That's fair. But it's possible to obey for the wrong reasons. The Pharisees were obedient for the most part - but they were doing it for the wrong reasons.

Some people would say it's bible knowledge. Again, lots of people know the Bible and don't do anything about it. The devil knows the Bible far better than you or I do.

Some people would say it's the ability to preach or the ability to teach. But that has nothing to do with Christian character.

I know quite a lot of people who seem to think the greatest Christian character trait that you can have is being an obnoxious jerk. They read verses that tell us to "earnestly contend for the faith" and they think that gives us carte blanche to run roughshod over people.

But what does the Bible say? What is the the most important character trait for a great Christian to have? Let me read you a couple of verses and you tell me if it's not clear:

"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8)

"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1 John 4:7-8)

"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

Or how about this one:

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

I think it's pretty clear don't you. The greatest character trait for a Christian to have is obedience. Just kidding, it's charity. It's love. Right?

Look at 1 Corinthians 13 with me. This is the love chapter. Look at the first couple of verses:

"[1Co 13:1-3 KJV] 1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

Paul was writing these words to the church at Corinth. They had a lot of problems. One of their big problems was that they were all show offs. They all wanted 'pulpit time.' They had this contorted view of spiritual gifts where they looked at them as almost like a talent show. Everyone was seeking attention for themselves.

And Paul said - none of that matters. None of it is important unless you have charity. Unless you have true Christian love.

Then, at the end of the chapter he writes:

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

So charity is important right.

Well, that's not the practical part. That's not the part that challenges my thinking and acts like a filter for my behavior. You see, the real amazing part of this chapter isn't that Paul tells us how important charity is, it's that Paul tells us how charity acts.

Anyone can say love is important. Even the Beatles said it over and over. But how does love act? How do you put that into practice? That's where most people are left scratching their heads. That's also where this chapter shines.

Verses 4-7 tell us that. Let's read it, let's pray and then I'm going to give you the top ten most Christian things you can do:

"[1Co 13:4-7 KJV] 4 Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."

Let's pray.

Top ten most Christian things you can do. O.k., it's not a true top ten. They aren't in order of importance. They are all important. But top ten sounds better.

Let's look at these.

Number 1, if you want to be a great Christian you should:

1. Be inconvenienced and uncomfortable for people. (Suffereth long) The verse says "charity suffereth long."

If you want to be a great Christian, you have to be willing to be put out a little bit. You have to be willing to be a little uncomfortable sometimes.

You see this with a mother and her babies. A mom can say "I love you" until they are blue in the face, but they SHOW their love when that baby starts crying at 2am and they only slept an hour the night before. They show that love when instead of buying the dress they really want they get something for their kids instead. They show that love when they wait up by the hospital bed when their little one breaks his arm.

None of that is fun. Love doesn't make it easy. But that's what love does. It suffers long. It allows itself to be inconvenienced. It puts its plans on hold. It deprives itself of sleep, or temperature control, or comfort or whatever for the person it loves.

So do you want to be a Great Christian? It's going to cost you. You are going to have to suffer long for others.

Number 2. The second top ten Christian thing you can do is:

2. Refuse to be mean. (Is kind) It says "Charity...is kind."

The dictionary defines kind as

having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature

I don't know that that is very helpful. To me, the best way to define "kind" is by what kindness will not do. Kindness absolutely refuses to hurt other people. It's gentle. It isn't mean.

So if you want to really act like a Christian, stop yourself whenever you start saying something mean.

Let me put it another way. When you are kind, you do nothing on purpose that would hurt somebody. You don't hurt people on purpose. You aren't out to destroy people.

If you listen to the rhetoric of the world, there is so much of this. So much that is intentionally hurtful. A lot of name calling. A lot of accusations.

Sometimes we have to say things that people don't like, but we only say it when it's for their good and we say it in the nicest kindest way we can.

Number 3:

3. Be genuinely happy when others do better than you. (envieth not) This might be the hardest thing on this list. Because it cuts right across our sinful human nature. We all want to be number one, and when someone does better than us, boy, we despise them for it.

That's not charity in action. That's selfishness in action. Charity says "there is enough to go around. I'm glad my brother or my sister is getting this honor. God is being good to them."

It's so easy to get on facebook and see what other people are doing and think "Wow, why do they get to live there?" "Or, they are doing so much better than me." And if you aren't careful, you start to despise them for it.

A huge percentage of politics and advertising is based on envy. Let's be happy for others.

Number 4. The fourth top ten Christian thing you can do is:

4. Refuse to toot your own horn. (vauteth not itself, is not puffed up)
5. Don't be rude. (Work to make other people comfortable) (doth not behave itself unseemly)
6. Look beyond "what's in it for me" (seeketh not her own)
7. Be hard to offend. (is not easily provoked)
8. Give people the benefit of the doubt. (thinketh no evil)
9. Fight with principles, not personalities. Fight with facts, not feelings. (rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth.)
10. Refuse to give up on people. (beareth all things..). Conclusion Jesus is the greatest example of all of these things