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Integrity

What Some People will do
FOR TEN MILLION DOLLARS

“Our integrity is directly proportional to the amount of quality time spent in God’s presence.”

The sad – appalling thing is that most Americans would do something at all. Two-thirds of the people polled would agree to at least one – many would have agreed to do several items for 10 million dollars. They would pay the price to have the money.

You’ve heard me say it before - over 80% of young people who attend church and call themselves Christians do not return to church after graduating high school – why?

What prices are we willing to pay for the things of this world and not even realize it? What price are you willing to pay? Some are willing to give up their family, faith, and morals for a lot less than 10 million dollars. Maybe you haven’t had the chance to do that – the money is not the same but the choices are. If anything costs you your faith, your family, your relationship with Jesus – it costs too much.

Integrity = uprightness; virtue; honesty; soundness; unbroken condition; completeness; honor

Integrity:

• guides you (Proverbs 11:3),
• puts you in leadership positions (Nehemiah 7:2),
• gives you security (Proverbs 10:9).

WHY? – Because it’s acting like God.

Integrity would clearly show Jesus to the world – It’s not just “acting right” it’s rightly portraying Jesus in us – not showing a false gospel – but a true representation of Christ shining through our lives.

A common view (“normal attitude”) of integrity is not “what’s right,” it’s “what can we get by with.” What can we get by with in our schoolwork, in our driving, in our work, in our relationships, in our commitment to Bible study, prayer, or church attendance? How little do I have to do … rather than how much can I do to demonstrate my love for God. It’s no longer how holy can I be, but how close to sin can I get without falling in.

Ezekiel
Ezekiel sees a vision of God’s glory. He then gets his commission to preach – and he is told that they would not listen to him. Before he did anything or said anything, he spent time in God’s presence first.

His first job: “Eat my Words” – then go speak them to the people. His first act: Make a clay model of Jerusalem and lay siege against it. Lay on your left side for over a year (390 days) and eat bad bread (like they would eat in a famine). Then turn over on your right side for 40 more days. God said that he would help him by tying him up so he could lay there better. Ration your food. Ration your water. Cook it over manure (at first it was to be human manure – but God let him use cow manure instead – oh yummy). Then when that’s done – (a year and 3 months later) cut off all your hair. Burn part of it and scatter the rest to the wind.

Wow! What an assignment! He’s gonna get heaps of applause on that one!

But Ezekiel would not compromise the message or the assignment. God could trust him with such a message because Ezekiel was a man of integrity. He was willing to do whatever it took to get God’s message to the people – whether they listened or not.

He obeyed God - not because it looked like a cool thing to do, but because he had seen God’s glory – he knew God!! He knew that God was God.

Our integrity is directly proportional to the amount of quality time spent in God’s presence.

Why do we see compromise in our own lives and in others? -- … we are lazy and selfish. It hurts to say it, but it’s true. We are more interested in having our own way than in obeying God at any cost.

One more example: If I stood on a ladder, poured a pitcher of water, and you were standing under the ladder then you would get wet. However, if you were not standing under the ladder (where I was pouring water) you would not get wet. God is kind of like that – ready and already pouring Himself upon us, but too often we’re not under the outpour. God is faithful – full of integrity to us. He is always speaking to us ready to pour His answers, His blessings, and His very presence upon us.

Here’s a confession you can begin to use right now to build integrity in your life.

Confession of FIRESTICK – Integrity

• I always work hard to keep a clean conscious before God and other people.
• I live my life with integrity.
• I keep my word – even if it hurts to do so.
• I am on time.
• I can be trusted and I am faithful to represent Christ in all things.
• I love mercy and I walk humbly with my God.
• I serve God by serving His people with a pure heart, a clean mind, and a holy lifestyle.

(Psalm 15:1-5, Psalm 26:1-3, Proverbs 11:3&5, Micah 6:8, Luke 16:10, Acts 24:16, Daniel 1:8)