The Message of Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods’ statement concerning his numerous affairs took on all the appearances of a presidential speech. Security was tight, the facility, crowd, press and content were tightly controlled. Anyone that watched the statement could see that this was designed to be a first public step to begin to repair his damaged public image. Whether you believe Tiger was really sincere or is willing to do what it takes, is a matter of personal opinion. Only time will provide that answer. I hope that he can make it.
There is a part of his statement that we need to pay particular to. At one point he said, “Part of following this path for me is Buddhism, which my mother taught me at a young age. People probably don’t realize it, but I was raised a Buddhist and I actively practiced my faith from childhood until I drifted away from it in recent years. Buddhism teaches [that] a craving for things outside ourselves causes an unhappy and pointless search for security. It teaches me to stop following every impulse and to learn restraint. Obviously I lost track of what I was taught.”
The Bible teaches us that we are sinners by nature and by choice. It is impossible for us to change our behavior permanently on our own. A change of behavior only comes where there is a change of heart. In dealing with hundreds of people who have had every type of personal problem that you can imagine, I have found that those who just make the commitment to change their behavior rarely make it. There has to be true repentance and there has to be a change of heart. When there is a change of heart then and only then will there be a lasting change of behavior.
This Sunday we’ll be talking about having a better marriage. The truths that we will be looking at from the Word of God are always effective no matter how famous, how rich or how ordinary you might be. There is a word here for all of us. I am sure that many people watching today were impressed with his commitment to change his behavior and will see that as a real commitment, but that is impossible without a change of heart. You are surrounded by people who feel exactly that way. Why not invite them to join you for worship on Sunday and hear about the principles that will make a real and lasting difference.
Mar 28, 2010
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed todays’ “talk” by Dr. Hamlet. It IS more like a personal chat/message than a ’sermon’ as such. Dr. Hamlet is very easy to listen to, and presents the most relevant and timely message on the airwaves. As I looked around the church as saw the empty seats, and what looked like more people in the choir!…It made me wonder if First North realizes what they have !
I am an itinerant evangelist- not connected in any way with any denomination. Why not?…well..Dr. Hamlet underscored it today: most of us who call ourselves Christians, who claim that the Lord Jesus is the master and guide of our lives…are not at all aware how badly we miss the mark on that point.
I grew up in the Episcopal Church. Even though my Uncle, Rev. Seagle’s name is on the Tiffany stained glass over the altar ( as provider of same ), and his portrait is in the St. James room…( My family was founding family ) I discovered that no one spoke to me or even looked me in the eye at ‘coffee/social time’ after service.
Why is that?…well I never announced that I, and family, was there from the ‘beginning’, as it were. No… rather the ‘problem’ was that I drove a 15 year old car with headliner falling down, and hubcaps missing…parked right alongside all the BMW’s, the Lexus, the Cadillacs, the Lincolns, and others…all brand new. Perhaps even worse…I was a working stiff…not an executive.
When I left to join the big Baptist Church in town, I thought I’d be moving into a more down to earth crowd- those who recognize that worldly possessions, status, where you lived, what company you owned, and ‘who you are seen associating with’ , and even better, what high office you hold at the church…THESE were/ARE…very much on the minds of the vast majority of the congregation there!
A fabulous wednesday night supper by a former chef from the country club prepares the meals for over 200 – 300 people. At those suppers, I befriended the ’special friends’…the autistc, and others with disabilities, and ate at their table, and had a great time. What wonderful folks…though simple minded, have a deep and thorough understanding of who Jesus is, and what He did for them.
But did you know that not a single other person at that church woudl be caught dead being seen with those “losers”?…Of course they never called them losers…but by their behaviour, it was clear they just would rather sit at the table of the chairman of the comittee on comittees.
When the leader of a large, 50 member adult Sunday School Class were invited by the leader to his 4.5 million dollar home…everyone was there = in their best car, and in new clothes. But if “Joe Shmoe” from class tried to communicate by phone or email…they didn’t see fit to even reply! Clearly, they thought that was a waste of their valuable time and resources.
Is it not clear what god they serve? ( little “g” ).
Is it surprising at all that a rich and famous athlete like Tiger Woods would be targeted by women willing to prostitute themselves to a rich and famous young man?…Why it was a “golden opportunity”…to at least sell their story to the tabloid press.
Yet, never is it ever mentioned that it was the relentless offer of temptation by women with ulterior motives, unholy motives…that it was ‘wicked’ or evil’ of them to wreck a married man’s life and family and children, and destroy his life. Much the same thing happened to Jim Baker…who was targeted by Jessica Hahn, and blackmailed by her for first $100,000; and then after receiving that…came back for a million!…yet she never spent a day in court for the Federal crime of Blackmail.
To the credit of the former pastor at this same big Baptist Church I belonged to…he said in a sermon one Sunday, that ” You know it may surprise many of you seated in this church today, that you have no chance of entering the Kingdom of God”.
No sir….our ‘priorities” as underscored today by Dr. Hamlet…are 180 degrees out of phase with God’s purpose and intent for our lives.
Everyone was seen on TV today taking copious notes…was that a ‘pretense’?…or did any of that discussion by Dr. Hamlet sink in?
I look forward to many more simple, wonderful presentations by DR. Hamlet.
Sincerely,
Frank Elliott