The Bible notes: “We are in the world but not of it.” Over the years, I have seen some stuff. My dad recently sent me the above video clip of a Corvette stranded at sea. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE? First, cars are not boats! Secondly, a brand-new $62,000 car has no business sailing. For starters, it loses value. Secondly, its out of place. Third, it become a laughing stock.

Since childhood, I love cars and I really like Corvette’s. Dad has been blessed to have not one, two, three but FOUR Vettes over the years. He had a red 1962, 1965 Nassau blue with knock off wheels, a 1976 Stingray with mirror t-tops, painted midnight blue with 30 spoke wheels sitting on Eagle GT’s and 32 parts of the engine were chrome (you could brush your teeth off the engine) and now a 2009 Cyber grey, six speed with 436 hp. Having grown up around cars (and Vettes) I took the video a little too personal. Honestly, I was offended. I love that quote: “Nothing wrong with having nice things. Its just wrong when things have you.” My family has been blessed to have faith and God gave us a few fine things but our wealth is not in possessions but a personal relationship with Christ.

What makes matters worse is the above video was actually a rental car in California. This makes me even more mad. Why? The car didn’t belong to him. Secondly, the man who rented the car and drove it in the ocean was drunk. Another video on YOU TUBE notes by a bystander that the driver of the Vette left the bar, did a couple burn outs in the parking lot and drove straight into the water. That is two strikes! DWI is never a good thing and disrespectful to everyone around. Thirdly, he didn’t respect the value that was at his disposal. Lastly, (perhaps most important) he not only neglected it and wrecked it but parked it in a place that it did not belong in the first place. The Bible says: “To abstain from ALL appearances of evil.” My buddy, Tony Nolan says it best: “If it is grey – stay away.” What that means if you have to ask a question if it is wrong than it probably is.

One of my heroes of the faith is Dr Tim Lee, one of America’s most powerful preachers and one exciting evangelist. He shared a story years ago that in 1978, the U.S. Mint and Department of Treasury issued the Susan B. Anthony Silver Dollar. It lasted only one year and was pulled from circulation. Why? The problem was that it was worth a DOLLAR but resembled the quarter. People were confused. In my youth, I would put a Silver Dollar in a Coke machine (when soda’s were 50 cents). It owed me a 12 ounce drink and two quarters but kept it. How? Because the machine thought it was a quarter (despite the value). It was worth a dollar but was miscontrued for a quarter.

LET ME BREAK IT DOWN. Friends, we are bought with a price, our life is not our own. We have been dipped in the rich, red blood of Christ that dripped down Calvary’s cruel cross. We are worth the Lord but too often we resemble the world. We cheapen the cost of Christ on our life when we tell off color jokes, stab others in the back, run with a crowd that doesn’t honor God, who cut corners opposed to live the straight and narrow. You get the point. I don’t know the driver of the rented Corvette who drove the car to sea and only God knows his heart. I am not judging and I am not crying for justice this is just a powerful reminder for me to resemble more of JESUS. What is worse is when we as blood bought believers and kids of the King neglect the value in us. We are worth Christ but resemble the crowd. We are no longer our own but Christ must be in the drivers seat at all times. We are His property! We don’t belong to HERTZ but HIM!! Secondly, we are called to be “salt and light” and when we lose that we are good for nothing and get trampled under men. Lastly, we become a laughing stock. We cause shame to the Name of Christ and can hurt the furtherance of the Gospel. We need to let the love and light of God shine NOT sink.

Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that too many in Christianity have enough of Christ to get them to Heaven but apparently not enough to have a burden for their lost friends and try to keep them out of Hell. In case you MISSED THE MEMO we are our brothers’ keeper. This is not glamarous but the Gospel Truth. If being a Christian was against the law (and it could be one day) would enough evidence against you prove you guilty? Just asking. Lord knows, I have made some mistakes that I am not proud of but the blessing is that I have been forgiven and God allows U-Turns. May we learn from the car in the ocean. In California, I have been to CARMEL BY THE SEA but regarding a Corvette at sea as Ed Young, Jr would say: “this is taking it to a whole nutha level!”

As a kid, when I would go to a pizzeria or arcade one of the most dissapointing things was to find a game you wanted to play but it had a sign OUT OF ORDER. It was there but wasn’t there (if you know what I mean). What good is a game if you cannot play?? Its taking up space! Here is a small list to see if your walk with Christ is “Out of Order”

* You have Christ but callous if anyone else comes to salvation
* You have no quiet time with God
* You preach convictions with NO COMPASSION
* You prefer the tradition of church more than the Treasure of Christ
* You got the rhetoric but no real relationship with Jesus
* You wear a cross but don’t die daily to self
* You are more enamored with the flesh than living by faith
* You see others as competition and not co-laborers of the Kingdom
* You don’t value or pray for your pastor
* You like the work of the Lord more than the Lord of the work
* You use His Name in Vain opposed to give Him praise
* You “tip” God but don’t tithe what is ALL His
* Keep in mind Pharisees resemble KIT CARS – all SHOW and NO GO!
* You love the Lord but don’t care about your neighbor

It is one thing when a car or coin operated machine is “out of order” but a zillion times worse when as Christians we are “out to lunch” or MIA (missing in action). God is watching and people are too. May we remember that we are worth Christ, we have been bought with a price and when we drive down the road of life may folks never see us out of place, out of tune or OUT OF ORDER. Too much is at stake. God loves you and go with God.