"Living for An Audience of One"
3-Week Blog Series
Hebrews 12:1-7a
Sunday, November 6, 2011

Introduction: If you were to stop and think about it, you would realize that much of your life is spent trying to please others. As we grow up we try to please our parents, teachers, and coaches. As we get older we continue with this pattern by trying to please our friends, our boss, our spouse, our children. It is difficult to go through life and not try to please others; and not allow ourselves to be influenced by others.

This morning I want to propose to you that there is a better way to live. The truth is, there is only One whom we should try and please, and One whose influence should impact our lives. GOD. The best way to live our lives is to try and please God. If we are doing this, then overall we should be able to live in a way that others should approve of as well. So let’s take some time to think about how we can avoid living our lives with the goal of pleasing others, but rather trying to please the Lord.

I. Great Cloud of Witnesses- (Hebrews 12:1-7a)

a. Surrounded by witnesses- EX. When I was in college I was a music

education major. My main instrument was the tenor saxophone. As a music major, I had to perform a senior recital. This was part of my requirement for graduating. My saxophone teacher and I chose the three pieces of music I was to perform, and then I began practicing. I worked hours each day on this music. Each week I would come to my lesson and play what I had learned for my teacher. He would listen, make comments, and help me to know what I needed to work on for the next time. All semester long this went on, until I was ready to perform my recital!

The day came for me to perform. I was concerned that I would get nervous and not be able to perform the way I had played it for my teacher. So I took about an hour where I just sat quietly in the presence of God, and let God lay upon me His Spirit of peace. I prayed that I would be able to perform it to the best of my ability. And I am happy to say that I played that music the best I had ever played. It was even recorded, so I have it on tape as a forever reminder.

You see, I was so concerned with the audience and what they would think of my playing. The truth is, my teacher knew what I could do, and I knew what I could do. I shouldn’t worry about what others think. This reminds us that we often live our lives in this way, being concerned with what others think of us. As Hebrews 12:1 starts out: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.”

There are always going to be people all around us. Some of these people are friends and family; some are acquaintances; some are strangers; some might even be enemies. If we allow ourselves to be concerned with what others think, then we are going to live trying to please them. But this is not how God wants us to live.

Hebrews 12:1b-3, “…let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” We are told to not concern ourselves with others and what they might think, but to set our eyes on Jesus. Others challenged Jesus when He told them that He was to be crucified. Jesus had to throw off that which hindered Him so that He could be faithful to His call. So we too need to not be concerned with what others think so that we will stay strong and continue to live the way God wants us to live.

b. Being disciplined- The truth is though, that we will not always live

in the way that God desires for us. Think with me for a moment what you do as a parent when children behave wrongly. The right course of action is to discipline them. Now discipline takes on many forms, anywhere from a time out, to talking with them, to taking something away from the child, to giving them work to perform, and even grounding them from going out. The design of discipline is to help them see where they are making wrong choices, so that they will make the right choice in the future.

Anytime that we do wrong, whether it is by our own doing, or we allow ourselves to be swayed by the opinion of others, then the Lord disciplines us. As Hebrews 12:5b-7 tells us: “…‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, ⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ ⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?”

This passage reminds me that there are too many people (witnesses) who surround me and influence me. Often times this influence is not helpful. I need to be thankful that God brings discipline into my life. Both the discipline of correction, as well as helping me to be disciplined so that I will stay the course. While I didn’t enjoy being disciplined as a child, I know that the discipline was helpful for me to become the responsible, caring person I am today. In the same way, the discipline of the Lord, and even the threat of discipline, helps me to make better choices; including whom I choose to influence me!

Instead of being focused on what others think and say, I need to stay focused on Jesus. When I am focused on Jesus I can know what God has for me, and I can feel good about the life I live. When I stay focused on Jesus, then I AM LIVING MY LIFE FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ONE. This is really the profound truth that we need to learn. We must live our lives for an audience of ONE.
So, think about this: are you living your life for an audience of one? Do you let God’s voice be the one voice you follow? OR, are you allowing others to lead you astray? You have a choice: you can live following God’s voice, or the voice of others. You can’t do both. Are you only concerned with what God will think of your life, or are you concerned with the opinions of others? And if you listen to others, are these voices leading you to become the person God created you to be?

II. Word or Deed- (Colossians 3:17; James 3:1-2; Philippians 4:9, 12; James 1:17; )

a. Word or deed- If you were to break down your life, it really comes

down to two components: your words (what you say), and your deeds (what you do). That is what your life consists of: words and deeds. Both are important, and both need to be guided by the Lord. We are told by Paul in Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

I know that I am challenged all the time with living for God in what I say. My job demands that I talk, and teach, and guide others with my words. James 3:1-2 reminds me of the responsibility I have with my words, as it says: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If any one does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” James reminds us that it is not easy to live for the Lord with our words.

Our children aggravate us, and we get angry with them. Maybe a little too angry, and maybe we say something that we shouldn’t. Our spouse frustrates us and we get into an argument. Again, in our frustration we say something that we shouldn’t say. You tell your friend to invest in a stock, but in the end the stock crashes and they lose money. Time and time again we speak words that are not honoring of God. What are we to do?

Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus..." Do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. The more we remember this the better we live it out.

But our deeds pose a similar challenge. Again, we are not perfect people, so we struggle to do the right thing throughout the day. The apostle Paul, in Philippians 4:9 said: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Can you echo these words of Paul? Do you want others to put into practice what they have seen you do? Most of us would probably answer, ‘sometimes yes, sometimes no.’

Illus. There is a story of a boy, whose father leaves the home every night to go to the bar. The boy is curious to know what his father does and so one night he follows his father. He is surprised to see his father getting drunk. The boy continues to follow his father each night. One day the father comes home after work, showers, and gets ready to go out, but before he leaves he goes to his son’s room, only to discover his son drinking out of a bottle of whiskey. The father gets angry at his son, yelling at him about how bad it is to drink alcohol. And then he shouts out the question ‘Where did you learn to do this?’ To which the boy shouts back: “From watching you at the bar every night!”

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus..." If we live according to this verse, then our focus will be on living for God. I believe by doing this, we will be much better able to discover our purpose and be fulfilled in the life we live.

b. Giving thanks to the Lord- Colossians 3:17 continues by telling us

to give thanks to God the Father. We need to live our lives constantly giving thanks to God. In fact, this is one of the most profound aspects of living; living with a thankful heart. What will this do for our lives? Our mindset? Our motivation?

First, it will help us to focus on what we have, not on what we don’t have. It is so easy to lose our focus, because we are constantly reminded of what we don’t have. I live in a condo, not a house. I drive a Toyota, not a Lexus. I don’t have a big screen TV, or a blackberry phone, or a boat. I don’t get to go to a cabin on the weekends, or travel to Hawaii on my vacation….. A thankful heart helps me to understand that I have a wonderful wife, with two great children. I have a job that I love, and friends and family who are there for me. I am thankful for this, and more!

Second, it will allow us to understand that all that we have has been given to us by God. As James 1:17 says, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” We work so hard trying to get everything that we think we want to provide for ourselves. Or we try and provide for our children and grandchildren things that we ourselves didn’t get. Instead, acknowledge that what you have is a gift from God, perfect for you.

Third, what this will do is help us to be content in life. Paul had a great philosophy when he said in Philippians 4:12, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” If you can’t be content with what you have now, then no matter what you add to your life, you still will not be content. Contentment doesn’t come from things, but from being thankful for who you are and what you do have!

Fourth, it will remind us that we are to seek to please God only. It will help us to live for an audience of one.

Conclusion: I believe that the importance of talking about this subject is the fact that we don’t even realize we are living for others. We don’t realize that we are seeking to please others around us. We don’t believe that we allow others to influence our decisions. We have to stop this cycle of caring what others think about us. We have to ONLY be concerned with what God thinks of us.

Galatians 1:10 says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” As followers of Jesus Christ, we should be concerned with pleasing God. As God’s children, we should live in a way that pleases God. In this way, we will live a life that is more pleasing to others as well. So let us LIVE FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ONE, this day and every day. Amen.