Winston Salem church of Christ

INTRO: A. Question #1: What would you think, how would you feel, if every one of your thoughts was written on PowerPoint and projected up on this screen for all to see?1. Miscellaneous Thoughts:· “I hope I didn’t leave the stove on”· “I don’t care if it is only a preseason football game, the preacher better not go overtime or I’m leaving”· “I hope everybody noticed how good my singing is”· “I betcha she colors her hair”· “This is the longest prayer I have ever heard”· “That is the ugliest dress I have ever seen”· “She sure is cute”· “The communion bread sure tasted good today”· ” 2. Life Experience: My Transparency One of the reasons Janet claims she married me was because of what she called my “transparency.” She said I would never be able to keep any secrets from her. 3. Illustration: Difference Between Men & Women Someone once observed a difference between men and women is that women claim they always know what men are thinking; while men admit they never have a clue about what women are thinking.

B. Question #2: Have you ever stopped to think about your life? 1. I don’t mean where it is now or where it is going. 2. I’m talking about everything you’ve ever done in your life. I’m talking about the biography of biographies. If you sat down and wrote down everything that you, by your own volition, have done, thought, and said in your life, what kind of a story would it be? Would we want it published? Would it be a best seller? Would the only person who bought it be our mother? Would I mother not even buy it? I doubt that I am conveying to you the enormity of the task, but I think narrative part of the sermon will.3. Most likely the younger you are, the less likely you think about your entire life. Conversely, the older you are the more likely.

C. Procedure: 1. Discuss the lessons from a story. I am giving you these first; a type of foreshadowing. Look for these lessons throughout the story. 2. Tell the story in dramatic fashion.

BODY:I. THE LESSONS WE SHOULD LEARN A. Lesson 1: Every Computer File Matters. 1. Each file describes who we are: Everything we have done, thought, said, or experienced makes up a tiny part of who we are. Our personality is a product of our environment and how we have chosen to react to our environment. a. That’s why it matters even what I think about: b. Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. 2. Some files describe how we have affected others: a. Colossians 4:5?6 - Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person. b. The file “People I Have Shared the Gospel With” might include some names we didn’t know and might not contain some names we expected. Taking the time to mention God, where we attend, why we live as we do, or just setting a good example may have led, unbeknown to us, someone to seek the truth. On the other hand, we may have taught someone the truth directly, but because they saw hypocrisy in our life, we actually led them away from Christ. We should try at least once to teach each of our friends the gospel. If it is truly the most important part of our lives, why would we not talk about it as freely as less important parts like the weather or sports? c. Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. d. We should also be aware that little things we do or don’t do influence the lives of our friends, fellow Christians, and especially our children. Is our faith important enough to give up a night or two a week to visit another congregation’s gospel meeting; or to walk around the neighborhood, make a few calls, etc.? Equally important, do we spend time with other Christians on a personal level? If we don’t, why should our children? If our children don’t, what do we think is going to happen to them?

B. Lesson 2: We Can’t Hide A Single File from God. 1. This lesson is simple: a. Hebrews 4:13 – And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. b. Is that not a sobering thought? Even if we have carefully guarded our words and deeds, don’t we all have thoughts that we would never willingly reveal to anyone? But God knows it all. 2. And that’s not all. He will also judge us: a. 2 Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

C. Lesson 3: Jesus Cares about the Content of Each File. 1. If God didn’t have compassion for us, He would have left us all to follow the course we chose to its end in hell. Instead, He visited us in order to show mercy toward us: a. Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. b. Romans 5:6?8 – For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

D. Lesson 4: Jesus Can Delete Any File. 1. Now this is the truly good news. 2. In Acts 22:16, Paul was told how he could have Christ delete any and every file he wanted to get rid of. Jesus washed away – deleted – what was written on every file in the files Paul had marked, “Christians I have persecuted, imprisoned, and killed,” “Hatred I have harbored towards Christians,” “Times I have fought against the purpose of God,” and others. a. Acts 22:16 - `And now why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’ b. Matthew 11:28?30 - “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”

E. Lesson 5: There Are More Files To Write. 1. Now consider these two questions: a. What will be on the files I write tomorrow? b. What will become of the bad files I write in the future? 1) It is completely up to us. We can write whatever we want to on those files. 2) Those files do not contain what other people do to us but what we do, think, and say – even in response to what others do to us. 3) Even if others shamefully mistreat us, it is our reaction that is recorded on the computer files. If we invite Jesus into our room of computer files, He’ll get rid of any we don’t want God to read on Judgment Day. But we have to ask Him.

II. THE STORY: A. Have you ever closed your eyes and experienced a subconscious reality so real, that you didn’t know if it was a dream or if you were awake? I did. I found myself in a room. Later I discovered it was not just a room, but the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall with one computer. In the computer were files. It appeared to be an ordinary computer.

B. Curious, I opened the computer files. The first to catch my attention was one that read “Girls I Have Liked.” I opened it and began flipping through the files. Sally Ann Albrow one file was named. My memory quickly went to my past…the longest relationship I ever had with a woman before I met my wife – 3 years – 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd grade. But as quickly as I mind drifted back to the past, it got jolted back to the present. I quickly shut the file, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. My mind raced. “What kind of room is this?”

C. And then immediately, without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room was filled with life – a life – my life. Each small file was a crude computerized catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions, inactions, thoughts and words of my every moment, big and small…in a detail my memory couldn’t match.

D. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories. Written right there is one of my fondest memories of my father – pitching baseball in the side yard. I smiled. Another file isn’t so sweet; Dad had to work late…again. Sometimes I hated his job! I could feel my face contort just as it had so many years ago. Others brought a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named “Friends” was next to one marked “Friends I Have Betrayed.” Yes, it written right there the time I betrayed one friend who I had already asked to go to the skating party, and instead dumped him for one of the cool kids in school. I still can’t believe I did that to my friend. I still don’t know how Mom found out.

E. The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. “Books I Have Read,” “Lies I Have Told,” “Comfort I have Given,” “Jokes I Have Laughed At;” Dirty Jokes I have Laughed At.” One of the largest was, “Time I Wasted.” There was even one marked, “Time I Wasted Being Angry.”

F. Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: “Things I’ve Yelled at My Brother and Sisters;” “Things I’ve yelled at Stupid Drivers.” Others I couldn’t laugh at: “Things I’ve Done In My Anger;” “Things I’ve Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents;” “Things I Have Blamed God For.” I never ceased to be surprised by the contents.

G. Often there were many more files than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my life to write each of these thousands or even millions of files? But each file confirmed that truth. And although computerized, each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

H. When I came to a file marked “Lustful Thoughts,” I felt a chill run through my body. I clicked on the file with my eyes half-way closed, not willing to test its size, and opened a file. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

I. One thought dominated my mind: “No one must ever see these files! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!” I had to delete the files. But as I hit the delete button again and again, I could not delete a single file. I became desperate. An almost animal rage broke on me. In an insane frenzy I yanked the computer off the desk, and threw it to the ground. Its size didn’t matter now. After plugging it back up, the files were still there. I became depressed. Darkness and isolation consumed me although it was painfully obvious, too obvious, and too painful, that none of my actions had been hidden in the dark. Never did I sin and no one was there.

J. Defeated and utterly helpless, I slumped before the computer. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self?pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore “People I Have Shared the Gospel With.” In hope I clicked on it. It didn’t even fill one page. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The number of files swirled in my tear?filled eyes.

K. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here….Oh, anyone but Jesus.

L. I watched helplessly as He began to click open the files and read the files. I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst files. Why did He have to read every one?

M. Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me. I looked at him and sobbed…”Help me….”

N. Then He got up and walked back to the computer containing my files. Starting at the beginning, one by one, he began to type – to sign – His name over mine on each file. “No!” I shouted, rushing to Him. All I could find to say was “No, no,” as I pulled the file from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these files. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. Then I remembered, this was the only way. Jesus had to pay for my sins. I sobbed once more, barely able form the words stuck in my throat…”Thank you.”

N. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign every file. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I saw Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, “It is finished.”

O. I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still files to be written. I woke up. It was a dream. The only real question left is, will my dream turn into a reality or into a nightmare?

CONCLUSION: A. Do we appreciate what Jesus can do in our life? Do we thank Him for what He has done? Do we feel, as Paul did, the depths from which Jesus has lifted us? This illustration helped me feel a deep sense of shame that because of me, Christ suffered. Let’s get rid of any shameful computer files and start writing an eternity of good ones.

B. Baptism is when Jesus starts to sign His name over ours.

C. We began with a question about our thoughts being displayed publicly for all to see. What will you and I be thinking during the invitation song?