December 4, 2011

Trying to keep a good reputation is more difficult these days. The rise of the internet has given people the opportunity to slander others and businesses online. I often try to read online reviews about a product before purchasing it. Well, it wouldn’t be hard to slander a product of a competitor.

What do you do? You go to reputation.com. At reputation.com they will monitor the internet to make sure you and your company are not slandered by others.

On this second Sunday in Advent, we want to consider the significance of our reputation in light of the person of Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus both Mary and Joseph had some problems with their reputations. What does Jesus have to do with our reputation? Well let me say that Jesus Christ compels us to surrender everything to him, including our reputations.

I. OUR REPUTATIONS ARE BUILT OVER A LIFETIME. Mt.1:18-19

“A reputation is the estimation in which a person or thing is held, especially by the community or the public generally,” at least that’s what Dictionary.com says. We all have a reputation, and those reputations are based on our character and performance. Are we trustworthy? Do we keep our word? Are we faithful to our commitments? Are we conscientious about our work? Are we fair and kind in our treatment of others? How do we communicate? Can we admit failure and mistakes? All of this contributes to our reputation.

A reputation is cultivated over a lifetime. We are always building our reputation. People need to see consistency in the way we live and act. People need to see our conduct in a variety of situations to know if we are consistent in our character. If I act one way in one setting and a completely different way in another setting it will cause people to wonder who the real me is. That will jeopardize my reputation. In Prov.22:1, we read, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” We are wise to care about our reputation.

Now I want us to see that there is a difference between having a good reputation and merely projecting an image. There are people who go to great lengths to present a certain image of themselves. The image is what they want others to think about them. The image may not be who they really are. This is a problem in marriage. Some men and women present an image of themselves designed to be appealing, but the image is not consistent with their real character. It’s possible to fool another person. This is why it is important to know a person for a good amount of time before committing yourself to them. One of the reasons we are often disillusioned with politicians is because they project an image that is not consistent with their real selves. One of the reasons we are often disappointed with a business is because they project an image that is not carried out by their employees. I was at Mejier a couple of weeks ago and as I was walking down the aisle I head one employee say to another, “This store is absolutely worthless.” Obviously this is not the image Mejier wants to project. I shared that with the manager. She wasn’t too happy.

We don’t know much about Joseph. What we do know indicates that he was a man who had a solid reputation. He was known as a righteous man. This same word is used to describe Elizabeth and Zechariah in Lk.1:6. It says, “Both of them were upright (or righteous) in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.” Joseph was this kind of man. I imagine that as a young man, Joseph was obedient to his parents. He was faithful in attending the synagogue. From Luke, we know that Joseph travelled to Jerusalem every year for the feast of Passover. So clearly, Joseph was a man who took the commands of the Lord seriously. He genuinely wanted to honor God with his life. He was carpenter by trade and while not wealthy we get the idea that he was a hard worker. His choice to marry Mary indicates that he wasn’t interested in just any woman. He was looking for a woman who was devout and faithful to the Lord. The fact that Mary saw Joseph as someone whom she would marry indicates that she saw his righteous character.

Joseph had a reputation. My dad use to say, “Never sacrifice the permanent for the immediate. Reputations are built on character. Character is formed by the values that we live by. Our character is formed as we keep the long run or permanent in mind. We don’t just live for the moment, for the immediate. Everything I do contributes to or detracts from my character. Obviously we are all sinners. We all make many, many mistakes but the way we deal with our mistakes can even enhance our reputation. When a person takes responsibility and wants to make things right, generally we are willing to forgive. When a person tries to weasel out of responsibility it detracts from their character and reputation. You and I are regularly building our reputations over the course of our lives.

II. OUR REPUTATIONS CAN BE RUINED IN A MOMENT. Mt.1:18-19

Anything of worth takes time to be cultivated and developed, but it can all come tumbling down in a moment. A builder puts money, time and effort into building a house, but a fire can destroy it in minutes; likewise a reputation. Lately we’ve seen a number of reputations ruined. Herman Kane has been doing damage control to his reputation. Jerry Sandusky’s reputation is ruined. Joe Paterno’s reputation has been greatly tarnished. It’s true that for each of these men there were ongoing issues. But in the moment that the news broke, their reputations were sullied. Over the years we have heard of many pastors who ruined their reputations in a moment of weakness. Those moments of weakness do not happen in a vacuum. Clearly there are many sinful, hidden choices that are made over a period of time that contribute to their failure, but in a moment it all comes crashing down. Paul writes in 1Cor.10:12, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” And in Prov.16:18 it says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Now let’s consider how Joseph’s reputation was effected by Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph was looking forward to his marriage to Mary. He loved Mary. All was going well. But then the moment came when Mary turned up pregnant. I’m sure he could hardly believe what he was hearing and seeing. How could Mary do such a thing? It was so out of character for her. Well this was a huge problem. In being unfaithful to him, not only was Mary’s reputation at stake, Joseph also stood to lose his righteous reputation. Again in v.19 we see that Joseph, being a righteous man, decided to divorce Mary quietly. He did not want to put Mary through any more public humiliation than she would already experience. But he had to divorce her because if he didn’t, he would be admitting his own guilt in the matter. Everyone would assume that he was the father. Joseph had not done anything wrong, and yet in a moment he stood to lose his righteous standing in the community. His reputation that he had cultivated over the years of his life was in jeopardy.

Is your reputation something to be protected? Absolutely! My dad taught me very early, that as a pastor you don’t give a woman a ride home alone. In seminary we were taught that it is not wise for the pastor to have independent access to the church money. And the pastor should not concern himself with the giving habits of individual church members. Why? This helps to safeguard the pastor’s reputation and character. In difficult conversations it’s often wise to have a witness present who can verify what was and wasn’t said. Many people have been severely hurt by false accusations regarding sexual abuse and slander. This is why it is important to be careful to guard your reputation.

First Thessaloniana 5:22 says, “Avoid every kind of evil.” The King James Version says, “Avoid the appearance of evil.” Right, we want to guard our reputation because our reputation can be ruined in a moment. That said, we have to acknowledge that we are not fully in control of our reputation. Things can happen, not of our own doing, that hurt our reputation. So with this in mind let me say that...

III. OUR REPUTATIONS ARE BEST YIELDED TO THE LORD. Mt.1:20-25

Well, what an ironic twist. Neither Joseph or Mary had done anything wrong. They were both virtuous. This pregnancy was of the Holy Spirit. God brought it about in a miraculous way. So, obviously God is the one who caused the potential hurt to the reputations of Mary and Joseph. Would God do a thing like that to his people? Well, God told a number of the prophets to do some rather odd things. God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. That certainly would not enhance a person’s reputation. In Ez.4, Ezekiel was told to lay on his left side for 390 days and then on his right side for 40 days. This was meant to be an object lesson to Israel. But certainly that wasn’t a reputation enhancer. When God had the people of Israel march around Jericho for seven days in order to conquer the city, the people of Jericho must have thought they were nuts.

God is not interested in making people look foolish. But God’s ways are not our ways. Paul says in 1Cor.1:19-20, “For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” The world scoffs at the ways of God. And so, anyone who is a follower of Christ must recognize that obedience to Christ might cause us to be mocked by the world. In his desire to be obedient to God, Joseph surrendered his reputation to God. And while it seems to me that he did care about what others thought of him, he cared more about obeying God. For the sake of Christ, Joseph was willing to be misjudged and falsely accused by others.

Now I must point out that that surrendering one’s reputation to God is exactly what Jesus did. In Phil.2:6-7 P writes, about Jesus, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Jesus surrendered his glory to God in order to become our Savior. When we surrender our reputation to God, we are following in the steps of Jesus.

However, the world doesn’t get this. I remember explaining the concept of tithing to a friend of mine who has since died. He was a stock broker. He thought giving ten percent of our income to the church was absolutely ridiculous. I’ve heard of unbelieving parents who have told their son or daughter who was going to be a missionary that he or she was throwing her life away. Unbelieving college professors are quick to mock and shun other professors who believe in God or believe that God created the universe. Regardless of what you think about Denver quarterback, Tim Tibow, you have to admit that he is outspoken about his faith in Christ and willing to be mocked and laughed at by other NFL players. He has surrendered his reputation to the Lord. Why?, It’s because the Lord is worthy of our complete obedience and loyalty. The Lord is compelling because he is God in the flesh.

Joseph willingly let go of his need to hold onto his reputation for the sake of Christ. But why not? Christ is our righteousness. Christ has qualified us to be transferred into the Kingdom of God. Christ has enabled us to be justified before God. At the end of the day it is not the world that is going to judge us. It is God. In Christ we are accepted and forgiven by God. In Ps.62:7 David writes, “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.” Does your honor, your reputation depend upon God? Are you trusting in God to vindicate and exalt you in due time? Joseph let go of his reputation and entrusted his reputation into the hands of God.

Recently we sang the hymn, “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?” The first verse is, “Am I a soldier of the cross, A follower of the Lamb, And shall I fear to own His cause, Or blush to speak His Name? Well, if I’m am in complete control of my reputation, I may blush to speak the name of Jesus. But if I have surrendered my reputation to Jesus, then I may blush to not speak his name. What about you? Is Jesus a hindrance to your reputation? Or is Jesus the master, the manager of your reputation? Let him have it. He knows far better than you how to uphold your honor before God for eternity. Amen