What are you selling?

I have been watching a DVD recording of a series from several years ago that Brent Gambrell preached. It's called Mind, Body, Spirit, and it's awesome. Every time I watch it I get something different out of it. At the beginning he had some people fill out questionnaires  some Christian some not, he had 2 stacks of filled out questionnaires, one set was from previous group who he knew were Christians and the other was from the group he was currently speaking to. The main purpose of the questionnaires were for the people to describe themselves positives and negative (I believe), it was also to identify habit patterns too. So, Brent begins to read off the list of things people see negative in themselves, he'd read a few then go to the next page and read a few and so on. Then he went to the group of Christians and read theres, and there wasn't much of a difference at all. (Get the dvd at www.brentgambrell.com)
I have had a wonderful time teaching my 8th grade Sunday school class. Most of the time students just sit there and space out because of the material or because of the teacher. My co teacher and I said we didn't want to be the sort of teachers who just read from a piece of paper say Amen and leave. We started asking them questions to where we would be the ones who needed to be taught so to speak. Teachers have said to me in the past that the best way to learn is to teach, it's not 100% accurate statement but occasionally it works. I can only say that things in our class have been awesome and ground breaking. We don't see a pick up in attendance or theses guys getting saved (yet). This past Sunday the 23rd of Jan 2011 was just dynamite. It was my turn to teach or lead, and something came over me and I just went with it. Not because I'm A.D.D. but something was moving. It's still on my mind and heart what all was talked about and so I shared it with a public school's christian club this morning and all I can say a room of 40-50 middle schoolers at 7:30 am totally quiet was mind blowing. Figured I'd share it with you and add somethin' somethin' to it.
Have we as Christians ever thought about that we might be the closest thing to Jesus that they ever get to see or experience? We are human and not Jesus, but the term Christian is to be of Christ or Christ like. Often we are the only representation of our God that people will see. If we were 1 in a group of 6 people could people tell that you are a Christian? Matthew 12:34b well the 2nd half of the verse says "from out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." What do we talk about with people? Gossip by sharing the dirt from what we see and hear from others about certain individuals? Make a comment that may seem funny to you and others near you, about someone that wouldn't be a nice thing to say to their face? Make "that's what she said" or any type of comments like that? Locker rooms, sports teams, ever talk about stuff you shouldn't, the way we talk about people, and talk of people, and the language we use? I'm not condemning anyone here because I've done these things, we are human and live in a sinful world and sometimes we give in and say things that aren't pleasing to God. Let me ask this, have you ever heard anyone say that there is a God size hole in us that only God can fill? And that the only way we can fill that hole is by asking God to come into our hearts to live and take the title of "Christian"?  So we pray the prayer and claim we are saved and Christians, well when you do that 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" Let me put everything together for ya, we have a God size hole that only he can fill, God come into my heart and live fill the hole inside me, I am now in Christ so my old is gone and the new creation is now in me, from out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Then I ask this, if a new creation is in you by Jesus living in your heart, and the words we speak are from the overflow of where Jesus lives, and we say and talk about people and each other and the things we do, and we aren't talking about God or love, then where is Jesus??? If we curse, slander, tear people down, tell perverted jokes, talk about women to the point of where they have no more respect for themselves and treat them that way, and like wise about men, and from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks CHRISTIANS where is God? If only he can fill the hole often referred to as our hearts, and we say ugly things, then is God even there? I was picked on most my life, for the way my hair was, my glasses when I was little, the space between my front teeth, the clothes I wore, the way I talked, the way I walked, the way I acted. Didn't matter what it was I was always a reject so it seemed. Christians here me on this, if we are the closest thing that the world or believe it or not our friends see or experience to Christ, what are you selling? Is there a difference? Why would someone want what you have inside of you to change their life if there's not a difference? If I was lost and paid attention to Christians today I'd ask if you had another God because the one you have isn't working so well. I'm presently reading a book by John C. Maxwell called Be A People Person, it says this:                 "A study by the TARP, Technical Assistance Research Programs, in Washington D.C.,
                         shows that most customers won't complain to management if something goes wrong
                         But TARP found out that, depending on the severity of the problem, an average
                         customer will tell between 9 and 16 friends and acquaintances about his bad experience.
                         Some 13% will tell more than 20 people! More than 2 out of 3 customers who've
                         received poor service will never buy from that store again and, worse, management will
                         never know why."
Here's the thing our God our management knows why, isn't that scary? What are we selling Christians? A God who is called the provider, the rock of ages, the King of Kings, Awesome, Wonderful, Powerful, Saviour, Redeemer, Amazing Grace, and yet no one can tell because of our words and actions. We honestly wonder why our world is so dark and gloomy, even our own country.
If we are, who people say are the examples of Christ, by watching and listening to you, would they want the life changing God who keeps you from the pits of Hell, who sacrificed his own son to take on the punishment that we should face, and see the love, mercy, grace, that he extends to us?
Only 2 questions left, What if you were the closest thing to Christ that people will experience?
What are you selling (Christian)?