Christian Fanatics

Introduction

A. What do we call someone who follows a sport fervently? A fan. Short for a fanatic. But in our language the two words are different. They are different because of intensity. A fan is one who follows a team. One who is fanatical may never miss a game or paint a room the team colors or subscribe to publications just for the express purpose of keeping up with their favorite team. I am a University of Tennessee football fan. Not everyone shares that view. Fan yes—fanatical no. In addition to sports, fans exist in a variety of other arenas as well. One can be a fan of a singer or music group; a fan of a soap opera; a fan of an actor; a fan of a particular brand of car; computers; on and on the list could go. Being a fan means you care about that entity. Being a fanatic means you live for that entity. Being a fanatic means that entity motivates you in some way. As fans we will spend money for that entity. Fanatics spend their lives for that entity.

B. Some of us are fans of Jesus. We’ll spend money for him; do for him; show up here for him. The real question is are we fanatics for Jesus. Some of us care about Jesus. The question is do we spend our lives for Jesus. We care about Jesus, but is it Jesus who motivates us. In Robert Bolt’s play A Man for all Seasons there is a powerful scene in which Sir Thomas More is confronted by his daughter Margaret. In the play Sir Thomas More stands in direct contradiction to Henry VIII. Henry wants to divorce and marry Anne Boleyn. More refuses to give his blessing. He believes such is against the will of God and that once a vow is made should be kept. More is undeniably in love with God and will forfeit his own life to do his will. Because he refuses to endorse what the king wants to do, More is killed. More’s daughter, Margaret, is convinced that her father has chosen the wrong path. She pleads with him to give up his course. “But in reason! Haven’t you done as much as God can reasonably want?” More responds, “Well….finally….it isn’t a matter of reason; finally it is a matter of love.” More is a fanatic about his relationship with God.

C. So it was for the apostle Paul. In the final analysis the nature of his life and ministry was not a matter of reason. It was a matter of love—not his love but the love which Christ demonstrated in his death for all. Today we look at what Jesus’s death really means to us in a practical way and we will do that through the words of Paul.

What Christ’s Death Means

A. First, Christ’s death means that we have a new way of living. Verses 11-13, Paul continues to defend himself against the false accusations which come from the church in Corinth. He hopes that it will not be long before they take pride in who taught them. To reject Paul is to reject the message. Paul begins in verse 14 explaining why he does what he does. Christ’s love compels us. The love which Christ demonstrated in his death compels us. The word “compel” can mean control, urge on, or to impel. What Paul seems to be saying in this text is that Christ’s love has taken hold in Paul’s life and will not let him go. Paul has become a fanatic because of Christ’s love.

B. Notice the phrase, “Christ died for all and therefore all died.” We think in terms of the substitution idea. Christ took our place and died for us. But that is not Paul’s point. Christ’s death is participation. Christ died, so we all die. We join with Christ in his death. Not to forgive sin, but to die to self. So that in verse 15 we can live for the one who died for them. Christ died. We participate in that death by dying as well. We die to self. We die so that we can live for him. As a result, our perspective changes. We no longer look at other through a worldly point of view. Living for Christ means treating other with respect. Living for Christ means that we do not look at others with a view of what they can do for us.

i. Any person who wants to accomplish anything in this world, whether good or bad, is controlled by one principle. Those who are pushed by the changing wind, do not do well in this life. Think of Caesar, Napoleon, Stalin, Hitler, Jezebel—their one purpose was to rule completely. Think of Bill Gates, Henry Ford, George Washington Carver, Madame Curie—one passion drove them.

ii. What is your passion? What is it that grips you and will not let you go? What consumes your life? Paul says that which consumed him was the love of Christ. Doing the will of God was what mattered. He was a fanatic about Christ.

iii. But this fanaticism was not emotionally based. He could see what Christ had done for him and that compelled him. ILL. "Passion." We no longer live for self, we now live for Christ. He consumes us. His will is our passion. He gives us purpose and meaning. We become fanatics for Him.

C. Second, Christ’s death means there is a new creation (v. 17). Not only do we not look at others with a worldly point of view, we don’t even look at this world in the same way. What was old is now new. Not improved. Completely new. The old is gone. What is included in the old? Worldly perspective; sin; defeat; the seen rather than the unseen. What is new? New perspective; new life; new way of living; purpose; direction. Everything is new. Christ’s love compels us.

i. My feet are on the ground, but my heart is in heaven. His victory is my victory. His triumph over temptation is my triumph. He resources are my resources. His grace is my grace. His patience is my patience. His meekness is my meekness. He strength is my strength. His power to overcome is my power. Everything is new. Christ's love compels us.

D. Third, Christ’s death means reconciliation. The Bible uses different terms to express different ideas about what Christ has done for us. Redemption is used to describe being released from slavery bondage at a great price. The word justification is used to describe the image of a courtroom in which God pronounces “not guilty” against us. Sacrifice depicts the image of the killing of an animal on our behalf. But the word reconciliation suggests a different image from any of these. This word involves the realm of relationships. It is a word used to describe a relationship which is broken and then restored. In this text, God is the one who initiates the restoration of this relationship. We are the ones who broke it, but God is the one who begins and ends the restoration process. This reconciliation is possible only through Christ. He is the instrument through whom God deals with our sin so that we can be in relationship with him.

i. How does God do this? Verse 21, Christ, who knew no sin, became our sin for us. In suffered for us the consequences of sin which we deserved so that we can share in his righteousness.

ii. Having shared in the blessing of reconciliation, we become those who share that message with others.

E. What is your passion? What motivates you? What consumes you? What entity are you fanatical about? There really is no secret to what drove Paul. There really shouldn’t be any secret about what drives us. If Christ’s love compels us then we live a new way, we participate in a new creation, we become messengers of reconciliation. What is it that captures your heart so much that you find it difficult to remain silent? What is it that captures your heart so much that it consumes your waking moments and gives you meaning, purpose and a sense of direction as you make decisions?

F. There is another scene from Robert Bolt’s play A Man for all Seasons. In this scene two men have come to persuade Sir Thomas More to sign a document endorsing the king’s wishes. If he should sign, More will be released from prison. The Duke of Norfolk impresses on More the importance of signing the document. The document already contains numerous signatures supporting the king. Norfolk says to More: “you know those men! Can’t you do what I did, and come with us, for fellowship? More says with much passion, “And when we stand before God, and you are sent to Paradise for doing according to your conscience, and I am damned for not doing according to mine, will you come with me, for fellowship?”

i. For the Duke of Norfolk his passion was the king. For More his passion was God. Taking a stand for God with the same passion and intensity with which we stand for our favorite ball team, business, actor, or singer is possible when we realize the significance of Christ's love. Christ's love compels us.

ii. What compels you? It is time for the new to come to your life. Hear the message of reconciliation. Start today with a new way to live. Invitation.

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