1. How many people here have been to the gym to work out this week? There has been a lot in the media recently about the need for people to exercise more. Apparently despite our affluence, we are becoming unhealthier. In fact one statistic I heard recently was that for the first time since the nineteenth century, children born this year in the United Kingdom are likely to have shorter life expectancy than their parents. This shorter life expectancy is a result of the choices that we are making about the stuff that we put into our bodies, and about what we do with them. More and more processed food that is not really doing our bodies much good, and less and less exercise.

Now we are familiar with the idea that our bodies can be influenced by the choices we make. The same is true of our CHARACTER.

Over the next few weeks, have an opportunity to think about the choices we make, and the choices that we know God wants us to make. It’s all about training.. not body training (though that is probably a good idea for all of us) but character training.

2. Show picture of Tony Blair. Do you trust this man? The attacks the allegations that have been made about him are all intended to communicate the message that he cannot be trusted to tell the truth. You may have different opinions about that question. Maybe your opinions are based on knowledge of him as a person, or perhaps your opinions have simply been shaped by other people who through the media have wanted to affect your thinking about him.. I don’t know. What is well known is that over the years, when asked in opinion polls, fewer and fewer people trust politicians.

3. Now think about trust for just a moment.

I can remember going to visit Pam’s great uncle. He died about 20 years ago now. He lived in the same house for over fifty years in Stoke. He never locked the front door. Whether he was in the house, or out of it. Never felt as if he had to. I don’t think he was a particularly foolish man… it was just that he didn’t live in fear of other people. He was able to trust.

Many years ago, when we decided to move from our first home. I saw a plot of land... and discovered that it was owned by a local builder. We found a set of plans, he got a friend to change them slightly to meet our requirements. I remember looking at the plans with him and he said to us “Do you want me to build this for you.” We said “Yes.” Two weeks later, he had begun to clear the land and he started building. As the work went on over the next few months... all sorts of little changes were made. We didn’t pay him a penny until the house was finished. We trusted him to keep his word and sell the house to us at the price we had agreed. He trusted us to keep our word and buy the house from him when it was finished.

When we are able to trust people it makes a difference doesn’t it?

4. Last Friday morning I wanted to purchase some replacement toner for a laser printer. I contacted four local companies. All of them promised to call me back later in the morning. One said it would be in a few minutes time, another said in just a couple of minutes. I didn’t receive a single call!

I wonder if our everyday experiences of life, and all the negative messages about the failings of other people that we receive through the media -

are helping to strengthen the growing perception in our culture that we cannot trust one another.

Actually I think that the feeling that it is dangerous to trust another person because they will let you down, is at the root of the reluctance of millions of people to commit themselves to one another in marriage.

So here is a question.

Can Christians be trusted?

5. The topic for today is Integrity.

Make sure you read Pam’s sermon that she is giving tonight. It will be on our website soon. And if I have to be honest – I suppose I should be! (It’s better!)

INTEGRITY: the state of being entire: wholeness.

That’s what the dictionary says.

Perhaps you have come across this word in relationship to buildings. A building that lacks structural integrity falls down… the stresses and strains within it mean that is unable to stand.

People are the same.

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

(Proverbs 10:9) The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about Integrity. It talks time and again about our conduct, about the choices that we make about what we will think and say and do. In what we think, should we choose harbour resentments or offer forgiveness to others. In what we say, should we choose to speak a lie, or the truth? In what we do, should we choose to demonstrate unkindness or generosity to others?

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament has lots to say about all these sorts of behaviours and many more. Consistently the bible says that the character of God, his love and truthfulness and kindness and goodness and trustworthiness should be demonstrated in practical ways in the life of every person who claims to live in relationship with him.

6. What is Integrity and how do I get it?

Integrity must be something to do with being secure.. on the inside… just as a building needs to be constructed in the right way to stand firm. So we need to be properly put together .. on the inside.

Being honest and trustworthy and all those other good qualities are part of what gives us integrity… but Integrity of Character is not just about having those strengths in us. Why do I say that?

Well I am intrigued by the way that this word integrity pops up in the Psalms. 6 times it is used… 5 times it is used in Psalms written by David. .. and the other time is used in a Psalm written about David. And noticing that made me think about David. I wondered if looking at him would help me to understand what Integrity means.

David started off as a shepherd boy. He became a King. He wrote Psalms of praise and adoration to God. Songs and words of truth that are still sung and that still shape our understanding of God three thousand years after David first put pen to papyrus. He established Jerusalem as a centre of worship and left instructions to build the temple. He was devoted to God, he knew him (as he wrote in the 23^rd psalm) as his shepherd who walked with him on his journey through life.

Oh! and He committed adultery!

And he ordered the murder of someone! And then tried to cover it up! And whatever his strengths and failings as a parent… he certainly knew a great deal of division and conflict within his own family, and even on his death bed he had to warn his successor, Solomon about the enemies that lay in wait for him. Whatever David was, he was not perfect.

And yet David writes:

Declare me innocent, O LORD, for I have acted with INTEGRITY (Psalm 26:1) And a later Psalm writer said of him… And David shepherded (his people) with INTEGRITY of heart (Psalm 78:72)

Now reading that makes me think that whatever integrity means.. it does not mean Perfection. To be a person of Integrity will not mean that you are COMPLETELY, perfectly trustworthy. It will not mean that you are completely, perfectly truthful. It will not mean that you are completely, perfectly loving. It will not mean that you are completely perfectly generous. If INTEGRITY means perfection then only GOD has integrity ! Because only God is perfectly good and honest and trustworthy and loving.

7. So what is Integrity – and how do we get it?

Well… you need to look at my vests! (Show dull white vest) See this white vest here. I am quite happy with that vest. Looks fine to me. But when compare it with this vest here -(Show bright white vest) it doesn’t look so good does it? !

David Had integrity because he was humble enough not just to judge himself and his actions by his own standards, or (what we often do) by the standards of those around us.

David learned through his relationship with God to look first to God, and see his character… and then to look at his own life and see how that character should be reflected in his own thoughts and words and actions. And having INTEGRITY meant that David had to be humble enough to repent.

As he once wrote…

O lord you have searched me.. and you know me… (Psalm 139:1 – it’s a good one for Lent. It’s a good one to read as we look at these bible passages.)

KNOWING God and knowing ourselves in the light of God.. that is the way to get INTEGRITY.

It means knowing God because when we look at him we begin to understand what moral goodness is. He is the source of justice and righteousness and love and mercy and every other moral virtue. And it is only as we understand what God is like that we can begin to understand what we are like.

How do I get integrity. Well, I have to live in relationship with God, and that is made possible for me by Jesus. He did completely reflect the character of God, and by his death he willingly and lovingly accepted all the blame for my failures to reflect the character of God. And more than that.. when I thank Jesus for the forgiveness that he has made possible for me and when I choose to live with him as my saviour and friend, I receive from God the gift of his presence, his Holy Spirit who will help me to see myself as I really am. And God is kind enough not to try to let me see that all at once... it would be too painful, I could never stand it.

But little by little, day by day… God will show me where I get things wrong.

The knowledge of his love and forgiveness will lead me to humble myself and to repent.

The presence of his Holy Spirit that is a sign of our relationship will teach me what I need to change, and give me the encouragement of his presence and power to help me to make right choices.

Integrity will mean that I will have the courage to face up to the truth that I learn about myself and my character. And that will only come as I learn more of the truth about God and his character.