No Mediocrity

 

June 6, 2021                 NOTES NOT EDITED
No Mediocrity
Jeremiah 48:10, et. al.

SIS—Living a life of excellence in serving God brings great blessing—mediocrity brings a curse.

A police chief was interrogating 3 guys who were training to become detectives. To test their skills in recognizing a suspect, he shows the first guys a picture for 5 seconds and then hides it. "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him?" The first guy answers, "That's easy, we'll catch him fast because he only has one eye!"  The policeman says, "Well...uh...that's because the picture I showed is his side profile."  Slightly flustered by this ridiculous response, he flashes the picture for 5 seconds at the second guy and asks him, "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him?"  The second guy smiles, flips his hair and says, "Ha! He'd be too easy to catch because he only has one ear!" The police chief angrily responds, "What's the matter with you two?!!? Of course only one eye and one ear are showing because it's a picture of his side profile! Is that the best answer you can come up with?" Extremely frustrated at this point, he shows the picture to the third guy and in a very testy voice asks, "This is your suspect, how would you recognize him? He quickly adds, "Think hard before giving me a stupid answer." The third guy looks at the picture intently for a moment and says, "The suspect wears contact lenses." The policeman is surprised and speechless because he really doesn't know himself if the suspect wears contacts or not. "Well, that's an interesting answer. Wait here for a few minutes while I check his file and I'll get back to you on that." He leaves the room and goes to his office, checks the suspect's file on his computer and comes back with a beaming smile on his face. "Wow! I can't believe it. It's TRUE! The suspect does, in fact, wear contact lenses. Good work! How were you able to make such an astute observation?" "That's easy..." the third guy replied. "He can't wear regular glasses because he only has one eye and one ear."

Today, we are sort of in a similar “interview process.”  We can imagine ourselves standing before the Lord as He examines our fitness a His followers. Our text this morning is a short one but it penetrates to the very heart of what it means to be a fully functioning, faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

READING:  Jeremiah 48:10^NIV. “A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord’s work! A curse on him who keeps his sword from bloodshed! 

Well, the warning could not be clearer in this verse.  Mediocrity brings a curse and therefore, a life of excellent devotion brings a blessing.  That puts a clear choice before us this morning. 

The context of this verse is very important, as it always is with any text.  But, in this case the context is particularly important because the text itself departs somewhat from the context. 

The context of verse 10 begins back in chapter 46.  This is a section on the “judgment of nations”—Egypt, Philistia, Moab.  The judgment of nations motif appears throughout the prophets.  Something like 603 verses in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel alone are dedicated to this theme—a section larger than many N.T. Books (about 25 chapters in all).  The issue in these “judgments” are two-fold:  ❶ first, God is warning His people not to follow the path of pagan nations; and ❷ second, God reminds people that He loves all His creation, Jew and Gentile, and repentance will bring blessing. So, my sermon theme reflects well the context of this “editorial verse” in Jeremiah: 

Living a life of excellence in serving God brings great blessing.  The prophets stated it often in reverse:  mediocrity in the Lord’s service brings a curse.

So, our text stands here in the middle of these “judgments,” as a broad, sweeping declaration of a curse on anybody that does not “do God’s work with a passion.”  This is a summary statement against any sense of mediocrity in the Lord’s work.  This goes to the heart of God’s sovereign rule and sovereign demands upon mankind.  Even the nations God calls upon to execute judgment on His rebellious people must “not wield the sword without passion.”

Excellence is the requisite for all work done for the Lord—indeed, for everything one does in general.  The N.T. says it like this: 

Col. 3:23^NIV  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 

If you are going to be a “member” of God’s family, be a “full-time, passionate” member.  If you are going to lead, lead with passion.  If you are going to follow, follow with enthusiasm.  God is holy and He does not grade on a curve.”  The standard has been established:

“Be holy as God is holy” (1Pet. 1:16)  Nothing less will do.  Good enough ISN’T good enough. 

Most everybody in the modern world is familiar with the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  It is quaint global landmark, but in fact, it is a testimony of mediocre engineering and is in danger of collapsing at any moment.  [Picture of Leaning Tower of Pisa] 

Mediocrity is a great menace indeed to the work of the Kingdom. It has been for a long time. Here’s a quote from Dr. RG Lee who preached his famous, "Pay Day, Some Day" sermon over 1000 times in his ministry. As the pastor of the historic Bellevue Baptist Church some 60 plus years ago, Dr. Lee once lamented, “If an automobile had as many useless parts as the average church, it would not even run downhill.” Dr. Lee was not known for being “subtle.” 

What we need more than anything in these Days of Chaos and Uncertainty are "excellent disciples of Jesus."  Excellence is a key issue in discipleship but is missing from the lives of so many followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

There are three interrelated but slightly different ways in which excellence in discipleship can be described.  Avoiding the curse of mediocrity in the Lord’s work requires Mature Disciples, Maximum Disciples, and Mastered Disciples. 

1.  Mature Disciples (Heb. 6:1)

Our first weapon against mediocrity is to become “mature” in Christ.  Turn to Hebrews 6:1^CSB.  Here we read this admonition from Paul’s hand: 

¹ Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God, ² teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Here Paul contrasts “elementary teachings,” such as repentance from sin (particularly the sin of self-righteousness called, “dead works”), justification by faith in God alone, basic teachings of morality (“washings”), basic teachings on ministry (laying on of hands), and fundamental doctrines such as the resurrection and coming judgment. These are basic doctrines of Christianity. 

Developing sound doctrine is part of the “elementary teachings.”  It is absolutely essential to be grounded in the basic teachings of the Bible.  Too many people have not even reached the “elementary” level in church, much less maturity.  Most church people are “baby Christians,” long after their new birth in Christ.  Paul identifies this condition as “being carnal:” 1Cor 3:1–2^(CSB) 

¹ For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ. ² I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, since you were not yet ready for it. In fact, you are still not ready, 

Without maturity church folk become complacent and mediocrity runs amuck.  Immature believers are described by a great preacher as people who weigh in light and come up short in regard to godliness.  As Dr. R.G. Lee once said, “We need men who weigh sixteen ounces to the pound for God, who measure thirty-six inches to the yard.” 

Paul admonishes believers to “go on to maturity.”  He does not in this passage tell us exactly what “maturity” is, but only what it is not. It is not “elementary doctrine.”  The key to maturity does not seem to be in merely gaining more and more knowledge, though that is certainly a part of it.  Maturity has to do with “ministry.”  That is, “putting” one’s faith into practice.  Really, maturity, seems to be all about “service.” 

Throughout the Bible “immaturity” is described as being “childish.”  The Word of God warns us against “childishness” in our faith: 

1 Corinthians 14:20 ^(CSB)   Brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your thinking, but be infants in regard to evil and adult in your thinking. 

Our hearts are to be tender and pure like a child, but our thinking and our actions need to demonstrate the maturity of an adult.  Children need to be cared for—adults are care-givers.  Children need to be taught—adults are teachers.  Children need to be protected—adults are guardians and soldiers.

The word for “maturity” in Hebrews 6:1 is related to the word used by the Lord Jesus–His last words on the cross:  “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30).  This was the ultimate demonstration of maturity.  Jesus held nothing back.  The Lord gave it all.  Mature men leave the “elementary teaching” and move to “excellence in ministry.”

2.  We need Maximum Disciples (Ex. 36:5-7)

Mature disciples grow into “maximum” disciples for the Lord.  If I could do away with only one single fault of the Christian life or one misguided notion of the Christian church it would be this:  “good enough.” I’m afraid this has done more harm to the work of Christ than any other heresy of the church.

In regard to church going, most stop at “good enough.”  In regard to praying most stop at “good enough.”  In regard to serving the needs of a broken world, most stop at “good enough.”  When it comes to funding the work of the Kingdom of God, “most people don’t even stop at good enough, they stop at “nothing.”

There simply is little sense of excellence in most believers lives in regard to “doing the maximum,” and not the minimum. 

Most people are content to know how “little they can do to get into heaven,” when the Bible is all about “how much we can do when heaven has come into us!”

One of the most incredible passages in Scripture is the text that teaches how God’s people gave so much of themselves and their resources to the work of God that God had to instruct them to “stop giving.”  The circumstance of the text was the project of building God’s sanctuary, the Tabernacle.  Here’s the text (Ex. 36:4-7^CSB):

4 Then all the artisans who were doing all the work for the sanctuary came one by one from the work they were doing 5 and said to Moses, “The people are bringing more than is needed for the construction of the work the Lord commanded to be done.” 6 After Moses gave an order, they sent a proclamation throughout the camp: “Let no man or woman make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” So the people stopped. 7 The materials were sufficient for them to do all the work. There was more than enough.

If that doesn’t get a “Wow!” I don’t know what will.

 “More than enough”  as opposed to “good enough.”  That’s the difference between maximum disciples and minimum disciples.  I must confess to you that our family here at First Baptist has room for “more.”  Unlike the situation with the tabernacle,“the materials TODAY ARE NOT sufficient to do all the work” (v7).  There is no need at this minute for you to stop giving, I can assure you of that.

Maximum disciples shatter mediocrity like a high soprano’s voice shatters a champagne glass.  Maximum exude excellence in every undertaking. When the wall has been built to sufficient height, maximum disciples go one row higher.  There is no “quit” in maximum disciples.  There is no “good enough.”  Maximum disciples exude excellence.

I can say it no better than to once again quote the eloquent the “Dr. R.G. Lee” and let him speak from his balcony in heaven:

The man who is maximum for God does not pray a little, but much; does not love a little, but much; does not serve a little but much; does not forgive a little; but much; does not show a little loyalty, but much; does not read the Bible a little, but much; does not attend church a little, but much. . . . [Maximum disciples] do not say to God, “When Thou dost walk in my garden, take one flower only; when Thou visitest my orchard, do not gather one basketful only; when Thou comest into my house, expect not to be welcome in one room only; when Thou fishes in my pond, do not catch one fish only; when Thou scans my bank account, do not claim only a few dollars for Thyself.  Never like that do maximum Christians talk to God, the Giver of every good and perfect gift.”

Maximum men always demand more of themselves each day.  As a beloved pastor said, “[Maximum disciples] are not content with a little corner of the world, when continents await their conquest.”

If ever the world needed this kind of “excellence in leadership,” from maximum men and women it would be today.  We have had so many great leaders in the world in the past.  It makes me ask,  “Where are the Churchills, the Ghandi’s, the Thatchers, or the Reagans?  Or where are the Apostle Pauls, the Augustines, or the Spurgeons, or the Wesleys and Billy Grahams?”  Instead, we have what someone referred to as:  “little remedies from the little minds of little men.” We need men of excellence.  We need mature, maximum men and women to lead the church and world.

The Israelites building the Tabernacle were such maximum men and women God, through Moses,  instructed them to “stop giving, there’s more than enough for the work.”  Oh, how our world could use some maximum men who by their “magnificent measure” (Lee) eliminate the cancer of mediocrity.

3.  Mastered Disciples (Mat. 6:24)

“Who’s the Boss?”  That’s the basic question in discipleship. All excellence springs from the fountain of God rising up from deep within the soul of a man or woman who has been “mastered by Christ.” Being mastered by Christ means being fully consumed by a love for Him and a desire to please Him in all we say, do, or even think. 

Everyone is mastered by something—actually one of two things. Jesus said (Mt. 6:24^CSB),

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Our text uses a literary device called a “metonymy”where one word “stands in” for another.  Money is used as a figure of speech used as a stand in to describe a Master.  “Money” (KJV, “mammon”) stands for worldliness, evil, or sin as opposed to God.  You might even say that “money” is a metonymy standing for the Devil.  Thus, the verse means, “You cannot serve both God and the Devil.”  The one you serve is the “master” of your life.  Jesus described “mastery” this way:  John 8:34^CSB

“Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

The Bible describes Job as one who was “Mastered by the Master”

Job 1:8^CSB  Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”

Another description of someone “mastered by the Master” is Caleb:

Numbers 14:24^CSB But since my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has remained loyal to me, I will bring him into the land where he has gone, and his descendants will inherit it

You will recall that Caleb was one of only two men in the entire nation of Israel who was willing to obey God and march into the Promised Land—the other man being Joshua.  Disciples who are “mastered men and women” will obey the Lord even if the entire world chooses disobedience.  Mastered disciples  live according to what is “prophetically correct,” not what is “politically correct.” 

Mastered disciples are men and women who follow the Master, Jesus Christ, whatever the cost.  The lives of Mastered disciples reflect the virtues of the Master Himself.  He was critical of culture, but never cynical.  He was brave, but never known as a hero.  He was the penultimate example of sacrifice.  The Master was capable of righteous indignation but never rash or harsh.  He was firm but not stubborn.  He was pious but not impractical.  He was humble but not cowardly.  He was economical but not miserly.  He was cheerful but not silly (Lee, adapted).

Men and women mastered by the Master simply reflect the virtues of the Master in daily life.  Mastered Men will exemplify excellence in thought, speech and deed.  Mediocrity will be burnt up in the red hot heat of excellence like an asteroid is consumed by the sun.  

Mastered Men (and women) make a difference because they think and live differently.  Mastered Men live and move and have their being in God, Himself.  Mastered Men and Women live under the restraint of God’s Holy Word.  What the Master says, Mastered disciples will do regardless of the cost or the cries of the crowd.

Living a life of excellence in serving God brings great blessing. This means living a Mature, Maximum, Mastered life.

Mediocrity will enslave you and will condemn you to the fate of Solomon Grundy.  His biography is as follows: Solomon Grundy. Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Got Sick on Thursday, Worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Buried on Sunday, And this was the end of Solomon Grundy. 

Such is the fate of those who succumb to mediocrity.

All of us here this morning could do much better in the battle against mediocrity in our lives if we would surrender more fully to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the in-filling of the Holy Spirit.  We cannot be content to be a “spark” when we could be a “fire.”  We should not be content with being a “molehill,” instead of a “mountain.”  An anonymous poet compared mediocrity with excellence in these words:

I am only a spark; make me a fire.

I am only a string; make me a lyre.

I am only a drop; make me a fountain.

I am only an ant hill; make me a mountain.

I am only a feather; make me a wing.

I am only a peasant; make me a king.

I am only a link; make me a chain.

I am only a sprinkle; make me a rain.

 

Living a life of excellence in serving God brings great blessing.