10250 North Freeway @ West Road
Houston, Texas 77037
Tel: (281) 447-8484
Pastor: Dr. Lester Hutson

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As you may know, in nature a chameleon is a tropical lizard that can change the color of its skin to reflect its surroundings. This allows it to blend in with the background and avoid being seen by a predator. Several times during my childhood in Brazil I encountered these lizards, but never when I was looking for them. I would be looking through the branches of a tree or a bush to try and locate some other animal when a small movement would focus my attention on a chameleon just inches from my face. These lizards are so well camouflaged that I would never have noticed them had they not moved.

I've known some Christians who had a similar ability to the chameleon. Instead of changing their skin color to reflect their surroundings they would take on the actions and speech of those around them. Some of them were so successful at blending in with the unsaved people around them that I would never have known they were born again believers had I not seen them later in a Christian setting.

One guy in particular stands out: Bob. I met Bob while working my way through college in a glue factory. There were only a dozen of us working the evening shift and we all got to know each other pretty well. During the supper and coffee breaks Bob would sit with the rougher crowd and exchange lewd jokes and experiences right along with those unsaved guys. His workstation was covered with pornography and he was always the first to bring in a new centerfold. After work, many times he would gather with the beer drinkers for a tailgate party in the parking lot.

I tried witnessing to all the guys at one time or another. Most of them would politely tell me that they respected my beliefs and choices in life but that they weren't interested in making any changes. Bob, on the other hand, would get pretty upset any time I tried talking about the Lord with him. Sometimes he would blow up and with very foul language tell me to leave him alone.

One day, several months after getting the job at the glue factory, I heard of a concert being given at a church in a nearby town. The featured vocalist was well known and one of my favorites at the time so I made plans to attend the Saturday night service.

I had a little trouble finding the church and got there after the opening prayer but before the production began. There was quite a crowd but I was able to find some seats up in the balcony. I was a little upset with myself for getting lost on the way since I had planned to get seats closer to the front. However, I soon realized that from my seat in the balcony I could see everyone on stage including the church's choir members.

Well, you've probably guessed it by now, but who do you think I saw sitting in the middle of that church's choir? That's right. Good ol' cussing, drinking, dirty joke telling Bob. There he was smiling and singing sacred songs right along with the other choir members. Just like he belonged there.

After the service I could not resist the urge to track him down and talk with him. As you can imagine he was deeply embarrassed and after a very short and uncomfortable conversation he excused himself and walked away. I later found out that he was also a Sunday School teacher in that church.

From that point on he was friendlier to me at work but no less eager to talk about the Lord. He continued in the same lifestyle at work successfully keeping his Christianity a secret. The sad truth is that as popular as he was he could have been a real witness for the Lord and probably helped several of those men to come to know the Lord as their personal savior.

SUMMARY:

God's Word tells us Christians to 'come out from among them and be ye separate' (2 Corinthians 6:17) and to let our light 'so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven' (Matthew 5:16). We are to be examples of Godliness to those around us: to follow Christ's lead and seek to rescue the lost world around us from an eternity in Hell's fires. Let us always remember what the Psalmist said in Psalms 1:1-3

'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.'

NEXT LESSON:

Ever personally known a 'martyr'? I have and I'll share that experience with you in the next lesson.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"