Your witness…
On December 29, 1978, near the end of the Gator Bowl, Woody Hayes made his final play as the coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes as he physically punched an opposing player who had intercepted a pass and sealing the Buckeyes defeat. This wasn’t the first action Woody had exhibited to give the picture of a man out of control, but it would be the last. This punch led to his firing as it not only gave witness to his lack of control, but also reflected poorly on Ohio State University. His out-of-control conduct ran counter to the caring and well-loved figure those in central Ohio knew him to be. I could list all the kind, self-sacrificing things he is known for; the testimonies of players and others whose lives were greatly enriched and blessed because of his investment in them as people, not players. Yet all the good is tarnished and lost by the watching world because of the antics on the sidelines – and also in practices, when he was out of control. His witness was marginalized or lost in the eyes of so many who observed the negative actions.
And honestly, rightfully so.
Today we live in a culture and society in which our words and actions can quickly get us cancelled by that culture. In Acts 1:8 Jesus told His disciples, “You shall be witnesses to Me.” Once the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples (and all believers since receive the Holy Spirit at salvation), they would be witnesses (verbal) examples of who Christ called them to be, what Christ could do in a life, and what following Jesus is to look like. Previously Jesus had told them, “By this will all men know you are my followers, by the love you have one for another.”
The question is not whether we will be witnesses, but instead the type of witness we will be. Will it be a faithful witness to the power of God in our lives that others may see the transforming work of the Holy Spirit? Or will it be a “do as I say, not as I do” type of witness? None of us is perfect or sinless in our following Christ, but our desire and efforts should drive us to want to live lives that match up with the commands of Christ and with the words we speak. And this will be extremely important and evident in how we conduct ourselves through our actions and words during this 2024 election season.
May I encourage you as strongly as possible to be Christ-like in all your words, postings, actions and conversation, rather than Woody Hayes-like on the sidelines on national TV at the Gator Bowl where everyone saw actions that made it appear Woody was more concerned about his record than the institution he represented. May the people of Murdock Baptist Church represent the Savior in ways that draw people to the cross rather than repel them from us and the message we share about the cross and the gospel.
Pressing on…
Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor
