An Audience of One

“I live before the audience of One – before others I have nothing to gain, nothing to lose, nothing to prove.

- Os Guinness

It is so easy to get caught up in seeking to please people and lose sight of the most important audience – in fact, the only audience that really matters – Jesus!

Joel Thomas reminded us yesterday that what we live for is determined by where we live from… who we associate with, what things become our priorities, and the daily choices we make, determine what we live for.

We can easily get caught up in the world's game of fame, fortune and status and lose sight of who we are as followers of Jesus. The Apostle Paul reminds us over and over where our allegiance is to be.

In Galatians 1:10, he writes,

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

In Ephesians 6:7, he writes,

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.

Then, in Colossians 3:23, he writes,

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Regardless of which church he addresses, including ours, the Apostle Paul knows how easy it is to get side-tracked and watch our allegiance stray off course.

In Romans 12:2, he gives us the best instruction on how to be sure we stay on the right track, when he writes,

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

When we allow the world to influence us, we will be pulled in so many directions we will lose complete sight of the right path. We will be dragged down, sideways and under. Actor Kirk Cameron put it this way, “By God’s grace, I’m learning to ignore the crowds and live for an audience of One.”

Too often we spend an inordinate time seeking to discover our target audience, when in reality, we don’t have to look very far at all.

We serve an audience of One, and Jesus is the only audience that matters.

Pastor Ken

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