Call Me Crazy
Posted By Pastor
Kevin Sadler
“For
whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God…” (2 Corinthians 5:13).
The
Greek word translated as “beside ourselves” means, in this context, to be out
of one’s right mind, insane, or mad. Because of his zeal for the truth and
constant drive to live for the Lord and get the gospel out to the lost, the
Apostle Paul was viewed as being crazy. With his fervor for serving the Lord,
he seemed like a man out of balance and fanatical to the world.
In
Acts 26:4-23, we learn how Paul shared the testimony of his conversion before
Governor Festus and King Agrippa. In verse 24 of this passage, we read that
“Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning
doth make thee mad.” This statement put Paul in the best of company. People
also said our Lord was “beside Himself” and “mad.” Mark 3:21 tells us, “And
when His [the Lord’s] friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him:
for they said, He is beside Himself.” Likewise, in John 10:20: “And many of them
said, He hath a devil, and is mad….”
Being
called crazy for the sake of Christ is not an insult, but a compliment for the
believer. If people think we’re crazy because we live for the Lord, that’s a
good thing. It shows we’re following the Lord and His Word. Following the Lord
and living by His Word will make us appear different to the world because we’re
not going with the flow and we are not living “according to the course of this
world” (Ephesians 2:2), and so it seems to them that we’re a bit off and crazy.
Dogmatism,
belief that the Bible is absolute truth, also makes people think you’re crazy.
Dogmatism is uncommon and unacceptable in a society that demands tolerance.
When you say that, based on the Word of God, something is the absolute truth,
the world will think you’re crazy. The Word of God, however, is an absolute. It
is our authority. When it says that there is only one way to God, and it’s
through the Lord Jesus Christ, that’s the truth, and we must proclaim it, even
if people call us crazy.
As
we follow Paul as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), we too, like Paul, should
have a deep-seated devotion for the Lord, consumed with a zeal for the things
of God, living for unseen, eternal things. This will make people think you’re
out of your mind, but that’s good. It’s good to be called crazy for the Lord.
Like Paul, we remember that if we appear to be out of our right mind because we
hold nothing back and are zealous and dogmatic, “it is to God,” it’s to please,
honor, and glorify Him.
King James Bible
The Preserved and Living Word of God
(A 10
Minute Video)
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
https://www.facebook.com/cecil.spivey
https://www.facebook.com/cecil.spivey
E-mail this BIBLE STUDY
to all your friends
No comments:
Post a Comment