It’s amazing today.  They’ve done studies on it but it’s amazing today, that based upon appearance, just appearance alone, some people are thought to be more trustworthy than others.  Some of you may have seen some of those studies.  I found it interesting that whoever’s behind this, and I haven't figured out why they find the ugliest children they can find to put in commercials.  Now maybe some of you know. It’s very likely you don’t agree or see it that way.  Maybe because you resemble them, but I’m just saying.  We all know that there is true beauty. There’s a mathematical formula of looking at a beautiful face but I’ve seen a trend going the opposite direction.  And I probably shouldn’t speak on this because I’m not even close to being an expert.  Let me just say upon my casual observation they seem to be putting women sportscasters and women anchors that look like they have to qualify close to that formula of attractiveness.  And I wonder if it’s because they’re telling so many lies, they have to have something to hold your attention.

It used to be you could be a rock star—and I know there have been a lot of really ugly rock stars over the years.  I’m trying to think of some of the names.  I don’t know a lot of them but there have been some real—Mick Jagger, those lips.  You could take him and stick him on a wall.  You know, he was just an ugly, ugly dude.  That other guy that used to have that thing at Disney World and we’d go in the roller coaster.  Steven Tyler, and all these women are caught up with these guys and it’s like, “Man, music is powerful.  But we need the humbling of ourselves, and look at what the world delights in.  We look at who the world wants to deify.  And God tells us to make sure that we run from the wisdom of the world.  It’s foolishness with God; amen?  And so, we see all their plans of how to be successful, and all the different requirements that they would like to put upon the church in this particular hour.

We’ve talked about that before, and when we were confronted by some authorities questioning why we would not seek accreditation for our schools here, my answer to them was, “Your standards are not high enough.  We don’t want your accreditation.  We don’t recognize it.  We’re doing a better job than you.”  The greater is not blessed of the lesser.  And I’m saying that to say this: don't apologize to the world for the very things we’re seeking to build in our lives, the humility, the servant’s heart.  We do not believe “dog eats dog.”  We believe in loving and edifying and even praying for our enemies; amen?  And loving those that hate us and despitefully use us and persecute us (Matthew 5:44).  What character God worked in Moses when Korah and Dathan were rebelling against him.  Men of renown, saying, “Moses, you take too much on yourself” (Numbers 16:3).  Moses just fell on his face before God.  God didn’t tell Korah and Dathan this.  He told God this.  He didn’t try to justify himself to Korah and Dathan.  He went to God and said, “Lord, You’ve given me an impossible task here”; amen?  “I did not ask for this.”  “Moses, you’ve taken too much upon yourself.”  “I didn’t ask for the job.  Me, the jack rabbits, and the burning bush were fine.”