Sermon
It's What's Inside that Counts
Theme
Don't judge people by their outward appearance!
Object
A rock that you can show the rough and ugly exterior and the beautifully colored interior. (You probably have a friend who collects rocks or you may have a rock shop in your city.)
Scripture
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
I have a friend who is a rock collector. I probably wouldn't make a very good rock collector, because if I saw a rock laying on the ground that looks like this one (show the exterior). I probably would not even bother to stop and pick it up. But my friend knows that you can't judge a rock by what it looks like on the outside. A rock that looks like this on the outside may be beautiful on the inside (show the interior). So my friend picks up the rocks and looks on the inside and polishes them into something beautiful.
The same thing is true about the way God looks at people. The Bible says that "the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." Do you ever make the mistake of judging people by the way they look on the outside? I'm ashamed to say that I do. Wouldn't it be better if we looked at their heart the way God does?
This morning I have a rock for each of you. My friend took some ugly old rocks and polished them up and turned them into something beautiful. I want you to have one of these rocks to remind you that we should not judge people by the way they look on the outside. It's what's inside that counts.
Dear God, we are thankful that you don't judge us by how we look on the outside. Help us to look at others the same way you look at them. Amen.
