DO NOT BOW TO THE CHEERS OR RUN FROM THE JEERS
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God has made Believers His ambassadors to take His message of SALVATION to a lost world (2Cor. 5:17-21). We are commissioned to simply and clearly tell the unsaved that Jesus is offering them free eternal SALVATION. Jesus does this for everyone that places sincere faith in His death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 3:24; 1Cor. 15:1-4). We Believers should make the most of every opportunity, we should boldly (Eph. 6:19) and faithfully (2Tim. 2:2) do the work of an evangelist (2Tim. 4:5). In the process, we should avoid becoming spiritual castaways (1Cor. 9:27) by not becoming puffed up by cheers (compliments) or discouraged by jeers
(criticisms). God has given Believers a very important evangelistic ministry (2Cor. 5:18; 1Tim. 2:3-4). We should not take this responsibility lightly.
As God's ambassadors, we should not require validation from others. We know how very much God loves us (Rom. 5; 8, 8:31-39). Sometimes, even in professing Christian circles, you and I will sometimes be showered with lavish but insincere praises. During the earthly ministry of Jesus to the Jews (Matt. 15:24), He pointed out how much some individuals loved the praise of men more than the praise of God (John 12:43). A good biblical example of the dangers of being susceptible to flattery is found in Proverbs 6:24-35. Flattery often places a person at a disadvantage (Proverbs 29:5). In all of the time since Jesus first went back to heaven after His crucifixion (Acts 1:9), the desire that many people have to receive praise from others has not decreased. The apostle Paul pointed out this danger in his letter to the Galatians regarding SALVATION for today (Gal. 1:10-12).
We Believers should stay focused on God's will for us (Titus 3:8) and strive to be faithful to Him and His Word (1Cor. 4:2). This is something that we should do, regardless of life's constantly changing circumstances (2Tim. 4:2). Sometimes, the peace and harmony that we enjoy with people we love and care about will take a turn for the worse. Nonetheless, we should remain steady and focused.
Evangelizing the unsaved and preaching Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery (Rom. 16:25-26; 1Cor. 15:1-4; 1Tim. 2:3-4) are the primary objectives of mature Believers. Believers have the privilege of representing God by correctly (2Tim. 2:15) taking His SALVATION gospel to lost souls ( Eph. 1:13). Secondly, we should be growing in our personal faith, knowledge and practice while simultaneously encouraging this same personal growth in other Believers (2Tim. 2:1-2). A strong spiritual backbone is needed for enduring hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ (2Tim. 2:3).
In a lot of sports venues, cheering and jeering is a common practice. A lot of the fans of opposing teams are quick to express their displeasure with the referees, coaches, players and other fans. The most fanatical of these individuals will cheer and jeer as loudly as they possibly can for most of the
game. Unlike these individuals, mature Believers strive to demonstrate God honoring self control in our service to God (1Cor. 3:10-15; Eph. 4:14).
Believers should wisely evaluate the moral and doctrinal jeers directed at us (1Thess. 5;21). Unlike the cheers, sometimes there is a beneficial takeaway in jeers (2Cor. 7:8-11). First, resist the temptation to be thin skinned when you are criticized. Next, be as objective as you can when you evaluate the jeers (Rom. 14:5). Do not simply go along to get along (Gal. 1:10). Carefully evaluate any compromises and liberties that you may be taking. Do this so you can avoid having your good evil spoken of (Rom. 14:16). Some individuals and groups will use peer pressure to lure you down an ungodly path. They will strongly criticize you just because you choose not to join them in their wrong thinking and wrong behavior (Prov. 1:10-18; 1Cor. 15:33).
Finally, remember that godliness with contentment is great gain (1Tim. 6:6). We Believers can morally insulate our minds by choosing to think about God honoring things (Phil. 4:8). There are more than a few people in our society at large that will tell you anything and everything but the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (1Tim. 4:1-2). Whenever we are confronted with cheers and jeers, we should be genuinely humble in our self assessment (Rom. 12:3). We should preach the correct Bible truth in love (Eph. 4:15), but not the worlds definition of love. God's charity/love (1Cor. 13:4-8) has standards and guidelines. Just like our pattern, the apostle Paul (Phil. 4:9), we Believers should pray for boldness to make known the mystery of the gospel for today (Eph. 6:18-19).