Life in the Fast Lane Fame. TV. Two newlyweds being asked questions that had the potential to knock their

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1 Life in the Fast Lane Fame April 9, 2017 Matthew 6:1-7; Ecclesiastes 1:11-14 I suppose it all started years ago and came disguised as a game show. But it was reality TV. Two newlyweds being asked questions that had the potential to knock their relationship out of the water, even before they had really begun. People will eat nearly anything, dangle from helicopters and perform stunts that out to have them committed to a mental institution. They are willing to get dropped off on an island somewhere with little food and told that they are to outplay, outwit and outlast fifteen other contestants. They ll shed fifty pounds, lie, cheat and steal for a chance, a chance to win a million dollars but being on TV for those sixteen episodes is most certainly the draw. Smart, capable people and many who were already famous whare willing to experience degradation and belittlement from a man with the worst comb over in America, for what? A job, where he could do the same thing 24/7. Of course, it propelled Donald Trump into the greatest fame club in history, President of the United States of America. Many of you will remember William Hung for his antics on American Idol. He became famous, although not in a good way for his terrible voice, poor English and even worst dance steps. While he s pretty bad, he s not the worst American Idol has seen and what goof ball would open himself up to Simon Cowl. Hung became famous but not because he was good, because he was terrible. Andy Wahrhol once stated that everyone has fifteen minutes of fame. Hung had to audition for fame. Take a look at this. (Show video) 1

2 You might say, I don t want to be famous. Or, I m not in the fast lane for fame. But, at one time or another most of us work hard to get noticed, to get patted on the back, to get some recognition. If not in worldly things, then spiritual things. We want to be noticed for our commitment, our dedication our spirituality. Hear what Matthew and Solomon had to say about recognition. Let me read Matthew 6:1-7 from a modern paraphrase called The Message. "Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won t be applauding. "When you do something for someone else, don t call attention to yourself. You ve seen them in action, I m sure playactors I call them treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that s all they get. When you help someone out, don t think about how it looks. Just do it quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out. "And when you come before God, don t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? "Here s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows 2

3 better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Hear what Solomon said about fame thousands of years ago, from Ecclesiastes 1: 11-14, There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow. I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Solomon knows that FAME and RECOGNITION are fleeting -- nobody remembers those men of old! So seeking after fame & recognition is ultimately meaningless- like chasing the wind. No day perhaps illustrates this more than the morning of August 5th, The great American icon, Marilyn Monroe was found dead from an apparent drug overdose at her Brentwood, California home. Some believe the overdose to have been suicide, some believe it to be accidental. Others believe it to be the result of conspiracy or murder. Regardless, Monroe s death stands as a testament to the futility of FAME. Born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 in a Los Angeles hospital, her mother Gladys listed her father as unknown. She grew up being bumped back and forth from her mother (who spent much of her time in psychiatric hospitals) to close friends. She spent several years in foster homes and even spent several years in an orphanage. Though her childhood wasn t easy, she longed for something more; something better. She recalled later as she and Jane Russell signed their names in the cement in front of the Chinese Theater in Hollywood, "I want to be a big star more than anything. Its something precious." Become a big star she certainly did! What began as a part-time modeling stint 3

4 shooting pin-up posters during WW II soon blossomed into a full time modeling career and an eventual movie deal. She made some 30 pictures over the course of her short career and became an American icon probably the most recognizable figure in the world, even today! But her life is a testament to what happens too often in Hollywood... and a life spent in meaningless pursuit of fame. Her life, tattered and torn by three divorces, countless affairs, drug addictions, and her career in major decline- ended tragically amidst empty bottles of pills in very unglamorous circumstances at just 35! She had said of Hollywood s fame machine, "Hollywood is a place where they ll pay you a thousand dollars for a kiss and fifty cents for your soul" They all auditioned for fame, fast lane fame. But there is a type of fame that is OK to pursue. It is OK to be famous in the eyes of God. How do we get there? First, be a good friend, not a good actor. People are looking for those who are going to genuinely love and care for them. Luke tells the following story. (Luke 5:17-25) 17One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. When they couldn t find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. Impressed by their bold belief, he said, "Friend, I forgive your sins." 21That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. "Who does he think he is? That s blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins." 22-26Jesus knew exactly what they were 4

5 thinking and said, "Why all this gossipy whispering? Which is simpler: to say I forgive your sins, or to say Get up and start walking? Well, just so it s clear that I m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both...." He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: "Get up. Take your bedroll and go home." Without a moment s hesitation, he did it got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way. The people rubbed their eyes, incredulous and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, "We ve never seen anything like that! It seems that in several Bible studies lately, we ve been talking about relationships, and attitudes, but let me tell you something. There are far too many people who are great actors and don t care enough about the needs of others. If you see someone in need, pick the person up and take them to Jesus. However you can get them there, whatever obstacles you need to fight through get them to the person who can help them. Secondly, pray, don t play. Jesus said it, and I believe it. He said that when you go to pray, don t stand on the street corners trying to impress anyone, but get to a quiet place so it s just you and Him. Emotions impress people but God can see right through to the heart. Have you ever seen someone worshipping and just crying? Or seen someone so happy and wished you had that too? God sees through the emotion of man. What happens when you begin to truly pray? Jesus said it the focus shifts from you, to God. Do you know why it is so hard to pray? Because we have this preconceived idea on what prayer is and how to do it. Here s the thing that we need to understand. Praying involves a conversation taking place between you and your Creator. Praying is not using big words, and impressing yourself. Prayer is 5

6 not impressing your pastor, or youth pastor. Praying is not what we think it is. Jesus said, when you pray, pray simple. Don t pray to impress man, but pray to love Him. Third, live for your audience of One. The question you have to ask yourself is this: who are you living for? What are you living for? The message has Matthew 7:21-23 saying, Knowing the correct password saying Master, Master, for instance isn t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience doing what my Father wills. I can see it now at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking. And do you know what I am going to say? You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don t impress me one bit. You re out of here. I m convinced that we often have a profound effect on anyone with whom we come into contact. We are truly significant more often than we imagine. Some act that we deem totally insignificant can literally shape someone else s future. The right words at just the right time can totally change someone s life. And then whose life is really significant, eternally. Ultimately that audience of one is all that matters. Here is a simple little test to determine, am I living a fast lane life in regards to fame and recognition. What does this look like in Indianapolis Indiana? I realize that most of us probably don t lay awake at night dreaming of careers in Hollywood.. the glitz and glamour... so what does this look like where WE live? How often do you worry over what others think of you? Have you ever told a little white lie in order to make yourself look better? 6

7 Have you ever told a story with the details adjusted to portray yourself in just a little brighter light than you otherwise would? Have you ever gone to an event just to be seen? When you do something special for someone else, do you prefer for them to know it was from you, or do you prefer to remain anonymous? Perhaps these questions help us frame this subject a little closer to home. Consider this little exercise before we close: Does fame or significance matter most? Are these names familiar to us? Frances Perkins, Andreas Gruentzig, Christiaan N. Barnard? These individuals all lived in the 20th century and all left an indelible impact not only in their fields, but in the world! But do we even know who they are? Frances Perkins name may not be as familiar to us as Susan B. Anthony, but she was an incredible pioneer of women s rights issues in the first half of our century. At a time when many states in our country were still two years away from extending women the right to vote, she was named the Secretary of State for the state of New York by then governor, Franklin D. Roosevelt. A little later she was appointed to national office- to be the Secretary when Roosevelt assumed the Presidency. Unheard of in the 20 s & 30 s! What about Andreas Gruentzig? I suspect few of us know who he is, yet his work has directly impacted the lives of many of you! Many of you are still here today because of him! He pioneered, tested and performed the first human angioplasty procedure in the mid 70 s. In a day when it is becoming more and more commonplace, its hard to realize that before 1974, the procedure was not only considered risky & extremely dangerous- it was just unheard of! Or Christiaan N. Barnard? In 1967 he performed the world s first heart transplant. 7

8 But fame is a fleeting thing; EVEN for folks who left an indelible mark on their world like these individuals! But significance Why that s a horse of a different color and never finds itself in, Life in the fast lane. 8