I am passionately devoted to what I see as the Biblical mandate to "Shout aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. Declare to my people their rebellion and to the house of Jacob their sins." (Isaiah 58:1)

"Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (I Corinthians 9:16)

I teach and preach what I believe. And what I believe, I believe fervently. Am I always right? Of course I am! Do I ever change my mind? You better believe it!

When I attended the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary and American University in Washington I was active in the Young Republicans of America. I served with enthusiasm on the public relations committee.

When I taught Bible Doctrines and Daniel and Revelation in a Christian college, I was a sincere and dogmatic right-wing conservative!

My conversion was a long and painful journey. That's when I learned the meaning of repentance, to "turn around" and go in the opposite direction. When I took seriously the Sermon on the Mount, the commands of Jesus, I had to change my frame of reference. My perceptions and my priorities are different now, completely different.

The Big Picture is a phrase we use to indicate a big, bold, inclusive view of life.

Failure to comprehend "the Big Picture" limits the chance for success, at least success in the traditional sense.

My friend and fellow magician Karrel Fox used to tell me my frame was not large enough for the Big Picture. He was right. It's a long story, but I realize that my failure to see the Big Picture limited the success of some of my enterprises.

Archie Bunker is the prime example of trying to deal with life's big questions with too small a frame of reference. Poor Archie never did see the Big Picture.

The message and ministry of Jesus was to enlarge, expand and explain truth and righteousness. He consistently challenged his followers to see the Big Picture. The Sermon on the Mount is a compendium of principles, and an explication of those principles.

"You have heard that it is a sin to kill," Jesus said. "But I say anger is the sin." The traditional picture was legalistic. The Big Picture is spiritual.

Jesus did not at all negate the righteousness of the Pharisees. They were very dedicated men. "I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)

Unless you surpass. Unless you do the good things they do, but do more. Be as good as they are, but be better!

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matthew 5:17, 18)

Jesus was telling them he had not come to erase the picture or discard the frame, but to enlarge the frame, to expand their perception, to paint a Big Picture.

Jesus reminded them of their law not to "take an oath falsely." Jesus challenged them to live such lives that an oath is unnecessary.

The third Commandment forbids taking the name of the Lord in vain. It does not refer to what we call cursing, bad language, altho that is surely included. It condemns the man who is dishonest, especially in his life-style.

The Essenes, an ancient Jewish sect, believed they should never take an oath, but they should live such exemplary lives that there would be no need of an oath. And apparently they did so live.

The Quakers believe the same. George Fox, founder of the Quakers, said his use of the word "verily" was as close to an oath as he should speak.

Did Jesus mean that we should refuse to take an oath in court, for instance? I think not. Paul wrote, "I assure you before God . . ." (Galatians 1:20) and "I call God to witness . . ." (II Corinthians 1:23)

Jesus addressed the issue of punishment. "You have heard, an eye for an eye . . ." Tit for tat, Lex Talionis. It is the oldest of laws. It was included in the Code of Hammurabi, who reigned in Babylon two millenniums before Christ. It is found several times in the Old Testament.

We need to point out that it was not a bloodthirsty cry for vengeance, but rather a limiting of revenge. If you break my arm, I am limited to breaking your arm. I must not go beyond that.

But the Big Picture which Jesus painted is more comprehensive than that. "If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the left." Most people are right-handed, so to slap you on the right cheek implies a back-hand strike. Jews believed a back-hand was twice the injury of an open-hand slap, because it included insult.

Few of us have ever been literally slapped. But many of us have been insulted. Jesus is saying, if someone insults you, you must not retaliate, nor even resent it! Not even resent it? Now that's a challenge!

Jesus expands this concept even further. If someone takes you to court and wins a judgment for your coat, you are to give him more than he won! Give him your overcoat!

Jesus doesn't stop yet. There's more! If someone forces you to go a mile, go two. In those days, a Roman soldier could force a Jew to carry his load for one mile.

In this context, Jesus said to do twice what you are required to do. Don't be concerned for your rights, your freedom, but let your life reflect a passion to serve.

Wait, there's still more! Jesus tells us to give to those who ask, and lend to those who want to borrow.

Do you see why we call it The Big Picture? Being a Christian in the mode of Jesus is demanding. Do you think a Christian who lives by these injunctions will have an impact on society? On his employer? On his friends and his neighbors?

Is it easy to be that kind of Christian? No, no, no. It means putting your commitment to those demanding principles ahead of everything else — everything!

A Christian Christian would not make a good union organizer! A Christian Christian would not make a good defense lawyer! A Christian Christian does not make a good capitalist!

William Barclay wrote one of his meditations on Saturday evening following the death of John F. Kennedy. He noted that the Saturday newspaper which always had a page for religion, on that day preempted the page for news related to the assassination.

No problem -- except: the paper did not preempt 5 columns of racing news, 5 columns of entertainment news, one page for women's issues, a short story, and of course the horoscope -- information available only in the stars!

A president is assassinated, and the voice of the church is not profitable, not as important as the stars!

Yet, as Barclay points out, why should this surprise anyone? After all, the church is not all that significant to most people. Why should the media be different?

How many times I have heard, "I couldn't get to church last week. We had company." Or, "I didn't make church; I went to a ball game."

Contrast Paul's "For to me, living means opportunities for Christ" (Philippians 1:21) with Lord Melbourne's statement, "Religion is alright as long as it does not interfere with a man's private life"!

Dear saints, I boldly ask you, Which of those attitudes most nearly describes you? Are you a Christian Christian? Or a Sunday-(or Sabbath)go-to-meetin' Christian?

Am I suggesting one should never have a party? One should never play golf? One should never laugh? No, No, of course not! Jesus laughed. Jesus went to parties. (I guess they hadn't invented golf yet!)

What I am saying is that for the Christian Christian, the life-style, the ethics, the priorities of Jesus permeate life. Life becomes more challenging, more demanding, more faith-centered. The good news is: such a life-style makes life also more thrilling, more significant, even more fun.

Paul told the Ephesians: "But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: 'Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.' Be very careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."
(Ephesians 5:13 - 16)

Be very careful, then (therefore), how you live. Paul wrote the same thing to the Colossians. "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity." (Colossians 4:5)

"Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you," is probably part of an early baptismal hymn.

Wake up. The early believers spoke of baptism as photos (fwtoz), or photismos, "enlightenment." "Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)." (Ephesians 5: 8, 9)

Later, Paul says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Verses 19, 20)

Sing. Always give thanks. Be happy. And that from a man in prison! Praising God from a prison cell is not exactly what most of us would want to sing about. The ability to do so is just what today's lessons are all about.

Precisely. That is exactly what being a Christian Christian is. Living the Big Picture.

A Zimbabwe folk saying is, "If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing."

"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." Psalms apparently refers to the Old Testament psalms in the book from which we read each week. The word hymn originally had a pagan flavor, and referred to praise, praise to some deity. Paul Christianized it. "Praise the Lord."

"Spiritual songs" means just that -- spiritual odes. An ode is a song or poem, sometimes religious, sometimes secular. That's why Paul says spiritual.

Sing and "make music" is literally Sing and "play." Singing is with the voice, playing is with instruments. But notice that both the singing and the playing are to be done from the heart.

Hold on! Let's not make the Big Picture sound too romantic, too easy. It is not. Jesus said the gate to the Kingdom is narrow.

Methodist pastor Harold Zirkel delivered a funeral homily for Margaret Naegelin, a former teacher, later the first woman mayor of New Braunfels. She died at age 70, after a several-year battle with cancer.

"She was who she was because of her faith. She did not ask, 'Why do bad things happen to good people?' but 'What do good people do when bad things happen?'"

Typical teacher that she was, she had outlined the 5 C's to help her fight cancer: Courage, Calmness, Companions, Commitment and Communion with God.

Pastor Zirkel closed the homily, "She taught her students how to live. In her final months she taught us all how to die."

A teacher who saw and painted the Big Picture, who taught right thru to the end.

John Wesley gave directions for congregational singing: "Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep."

He added, "Do not bawl, so as to be heard above and distinct from the rest of the congregation."

One minister tells of a soprano in the choir whose voice was "so powerful and so piercing that she could call hogs in a hurricane!"

In 1873 a Methodist church took a man to court to make him stop singing in church. They said his singing was so horrible it disrupted the services every week. In fact, they said, he kept singing after everyone else stopped. He was convicted and ordered to quit singing in church. The North Carolina Supreme Court overturned his conviction! I don't know what happened after that!

Enthusiasm and determination are part of the Big Picture. Optimism is surely part of the Big Picture. So is good judgment!
An old Yiddish proverb says if a Jew breaks his leg, he thanks God he did not break both legs. If he breaks both legs, he thanks God he did not break his neck.

Congregational praise is sort of like a jazz band. In a real jazz band, each participant takes a turn as soloist. In the congregation, each member takes a turn as soloist, using his talent, his gift to bless and inspire others.

Gordon Cosby, pastor of Church of the Savior in Washington, D.C., preached a Lenten service in a church in New England. It was a dull service, uninspiring. People didn't sing, nobody smiled, there was little reaction.

Cosby and his wife stayed that night in a room above a tavern. When they returned to their room, they were depressed.

They couldn't help comparing the laughter and music and camaraderie they heard from the tavern below, with the lifelessness they had experienced at church. He wrote:

"I realized that there was more warmth and fellowship in that tavern than there was in the church. If Jesus of Nazareth had his choice he would probably have come to the tavern rather than to the church we visited."

"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise . . . Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy . . ." (from Psalm 96)

May we reflect The Big Picture in our lives and in our witness.

Let us pray . . .