E02 1943 © Project Winsome International, 1999

"WORMS OR WINGS"

Evangelist Johnnie Lavender

Mt. 6: 19-24

The title I've chosen for this sermon tonight -- "Worms or Wings, A Nature Study" -- may have set many of you to wondering. So, let me say it could also have been called: "What It Means to Be a Christian." Notice I said, "What It Means to Be a Christian" not "What It Means to Become a Christian." By a "nature study" I mean a "study"-- if you will -- of the "nature" of being a Christian.

Contrary to common belief in Christian society, Christianity is not the fastest-growing religion is the world. The fastest growing religion of the world today is Islam, commonly known as Mohammedanism. The reason for this is that every Mohammedan is a missionary.

The hope for Christianity, and a lost, dying, sin-sick world lies not in the pastors, evangelists and missionaries, for, though great their influence, they are far too few. But hear me! The only hope, humanly speaking, for this lost, sin-weary world lies in your hands tonight. In you, and you, and you, the vast number of ordinary, rank and file Christians across the world.

Perhaps I can sum this up best in these words -- Christianity which does not begin with the individual's experience with Christ, does not begin. Christianity which ends with the individuals experience with Christ, ends.

One of Christ's most effect the ways of dealing with people was through the use of stories. The Bible calls them parables. Whenever Jesus wanted to set people thinking, he would tell them a story and, through it, he would bring out of it a challenging message.

Tonight I'm going to use a story, not for the purpose of entertaining you, but to present some deep spiritual truths in a gripping manner. Through it I hope we'll learn the secret of being a Christian.

"There once was a gay young skylark who was very fond of worms. He used to say he would give anything if he could only make sure of having all the worms he could eat. One day while he was flying high in the sky, he looked down and saw something unusual traveling along the cart-track which ran through the forest below. Feeling curious, the young skylark dropped lower and lower until at last he could see. And my! What a wonderful sight he beheld.

"There was a tiny coach, painted black with red blinds and yellow wheels, drawn by two magpies. Walking in front of the coach was a little old man, wearing a black coat with red trousers and yellow shoes. He carried a bell and, as he walked, he kept swinging the bell and shouting --

"Who will buy? Who will buy?

I am selling in all weather,

Fine and fat and juicy worms,

In exchange for skylark's feathers."

"The skylark was attracted and flew down. 'Good morning, my pretty bird,' said the old man. ' What can I do for you?' 'Please sir, how much are they?' asked the skylark. 'Two for a feather and the coach is full of them'!

'Are they fresh?' 'Yes, indeed, they were all gathered fresh this morning'

"The skylark gave a painful little tug at his wing and dropped a feather into the old man's hand. 'Two, please.' As the coach passed on, the skylark felt a little guilty, but he enjoyed the feast, and was pleased to discover that no one noticed the missing feather.

"The next day he flew with his father. ' My son,' said the old skylark, as they rose higher and higher, far above the tops of the tallest trees of the forest, 'My son, I think we skylarks should be the happiest of birds. We have such wonderful wings. See how they lift us up, nearer and nearer to God?' 'Y--es,' said the young skylark, 'Y-es...' But all the time he was watching a tiny speck which crept along like a black beetle on the cart track far below and he thought, 'I've missed the coach!'

"So the next day he waited close to the cart-track. When he heard the bell ringing, he plucked a feather. This one came out so easily, he plucked two more after it. Then he heard a hoarse voice shouting --

'Who will buy? Who will buy?

Surely we can come to terms.

In exchange for skylark's feathers

I am selling luscious worms.'

' Three here,' said the young skylark.' Very good, very good indeed. That will be six worms, And here'san extra one for luck,' said the old man with a chuckle. 'My word,' thought the skylark, 'that's a real bargain.'

"So, the gay young skylark became a regular customer. He found that he couldn't fly so high, but he didn't mind. There was less chance of the coach passing without being seen. But one day, when his wings were thin and worn and ragged, he suddenly realized he had made a terrible mistake. He tried to fly up into the warm sunshine he had once known, but fell back to earth like a stone. Then he had an idea. 'Of course,' he said to himself. 'Why didn't I think of it before? I know what I'll do. I'll dig for worms and trade for feathers.'

"So, day and night, he diligently searched and gathered and stored. When he had amassed a huge pile of worms, he hid himself in the tall grass so the coach could not pass without being seen. When he heard it, he stepped in front of the coach and said, 'Please sir, how many feathers will you trade me for all these worms?'

"But the old man laughed and drove off, calling back over his shoulder, 'Worms for feathers is my business, not feathers for worms.'

"So the young skylark died and was buried under the green grass. And now they say that every summer the older birds take the young birds and fly mournfully over the grave, calling to one another as they fly --

'Here lies a foolish skylark,

Hush your note each bird that sings,

Here lies a poor lost skylark,

Who for earthworms sold his wings.'"

G. H. Charnley

I shall always be grateful to G. H. Charnley for that beautiful story. To me it illustrates most that, which to many Christians, is the greatest hindrance to being a Christian.

Here are we, born into the glorious family of Christians. And truly, we should be the happiest of people, for we have such wonderful wings. God has been so gracious in giving us a glorious heritage.

He has given us his precious Word, prayer and fellowship as a means of gaining a closer walk.

He has supplied us with a love and life and peace and joy and beauty and rest and happiness and hope, which can never be fathomed.

And yet, like the foolish young skylark, for earthworms we sell our wings. Just as he was drawn away by the brightness and color and apparent bargain offered by the little old man, the glamour, adventure and attitudes of the world send up flares of attractions, and, for the glories of the moment, we bargain the rewards of eternity.

These are some of the earthworms for which we sell our wings: "The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life." Self-centeredness, glory, anger, resentment, hate, fear, anxiety, worry, and they all begin when worldly intellect plants the seed of doubt in our mind so that in times of stress and strain our faith wanes.

And these come so easily and so quickly, don't they? Just as the foolish young skylark felt a twinge of pain when he pulled the first feather, so, too, the first step downward leaves us with a feeling of regret. But how easy it is for us to take the next step, and the next, and the next, until one day we "come to (our)self" as the prodigal son did, and realize we have made a terrible mistake.

We try to fly up into the warm Sonshine of sweet fellowship with God we once enjoyed, but we fall back like a stone. And we begin to feverishly gather together all those things for which we sold our wings in an effort to buy them back. But we quickly learn that won't work. Pride and lust can never build Towers of Babel to God that will endure.

Like Judas, we repent. But Judas repented in the wrong direction. He turned to the high priest and the scribes -- he turned to them -- instead of to Jesus. He returned the money but retained himself. And the self which had ruled his life became unbearable to live with, and he hanged the self that started him down. Oh, hear me, beloved, complete collapse can be the only end of those who deny Christ as Lord of their lives.

I know I've painted a black picture tonight. But I have done so out of a burning passion for the lost. Unless the Christian people of the churches of America and the world get down on their knees and plead to God for forgiveness for the self-centeredness and vital-lessness of their lives, the blood of a lost world will be upon their heads.

For hear me! Ours is the Great Commission to bring Christ to the world. Too long we have been willing to let the preachers and evangelists and missionaries carry the load. And unless the vast multitude of Christians around the world deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow after Christ, all hope for millions of the lost who could have been won, is gone.

Paul, that superlative Christian, hit the nail on the head when he wrote, "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ, living in me." In other words, Paul knew that to be a successful Christian you must "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative and (stop messin') around with Mr. In-Between."

It costs to be that kind of follower of Christ and costs heavily, for sometimes God demands the supreme sacrifice. John was a fine, stalwart, Christian young man. Betty was a beautiful, talented Christian girl. Together they gave their lives for full-time service for Christ. God called them to China and there, John and Betty Stam served faithfully the cause of Christ.

Because they were unwilling to compromise, one day the Chinese communists came, looted their mission and carried them off. On a desolate hillside their captors tormented and mutilated their bodies in a vain effort to make them renounce their Lord.

Finally, in one last attempt, they took Betty and threw her down upon the ground. Then, appealing to John's love for her, they told him that unless he denied Christ, they would kill her. At Betty's urging, John chose to be strong in the Faith and refused to deny his Lord.

The great weakness in Christianity today lies not in the fact that we do not have more John and Betty Stams who are willing to die for Christ. The great weakness in Christianity today lies in the heartbreaking fact that we do not have more Smiths and Joneses and Browns who are willing to live for Christ. Today is eternity's greatest rival and few indeed are those who are willing to subordinate the desires of the moment for the rewards of the future.

Yes! The damning weakness in Christianity today lies in the fact that so many Christians -- people who name the name of Christ - have for earthworms sold their wings. The line of demarcation which ought to separate them from the world no longer exists, and their witness to a lost and dying world is one of defeat and despair.

It costs to be a real Christian. But, believe me beloved -- it costs far more not to be one!

From a human point of view, the only real hope for a sin-weary world lies in your hands tonight.

Which will it be? The glories of the moment or the rewards of eternity? Which will it be? Earthworms or wings? Which will it be? God or people?

"No man can serve two Masters . . . either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will cling to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve both God and mammon. Choose ye this day whom ye will serve."

said, "Let me walk in the field."

God said, "No, walk in the town."

I said, "There are no flowers there."

He said, "No flowers, but a crown."

I said, "But the sky is black,

There is nothing but noise and din."

He wept as He sent me back,

"There is more," He said, "there is sin."

I said, "But the air is thick

And fogs are veiling the sun."

He answered, "But souls are sick,

Souls in the darkness undone."

I said, "I will miss the light,

And my friends will miss me, they say."

He answered, "Choose tonight,

If I am to miss you, or they."

He said, "Is it hard to decide?

It will not seem hard in heaven

To have followed the steps of your Guide."

I cast one look at the field,

Then set my face to the town.

He said, "My child, do you yield?

Will you leave the flowers for a crown?"

Then into His hand went mine,

And into my heart came He.

Now I walk with a light Divine,

The path I had feared to see. (George MacDonald)

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