When I Fail

As a kid: “I wish God would fix me…” If it were possible, I would have taken the BAT!

When a person crosses the threshold of faith there is a change of heart about sin…we no longer want to…not deep inside!

Heb. 11:25 KING JAMES VERSION
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

Sin is only pleasurable for a season…and, as a follower of Jesus, your season is over!

This is why Paul mused about his internal struggle…his inner contradiction (and we can ALL identify with it):

Rom. 7:15
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

A couple weeks ago we were talking about the freedom that is promised to us as believers…but our freedom in the arena of sinfulness is not some MAGIC moment…where God gets a hold of you in such a way that you always act right…

Like Peter Parker got BITTEN by that spider…one interaction…SPIDER MAN
I wanted some magic interaction (A BITE AT THE ALTAR) to turn into GODLY MAN.

BUT IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!

This is how it works:
Heb. 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,

There will always be an area that easily entangles us!
We need Jesus and we will never RETIRE from needing him.

Which means, when you fail, you ought to recognize that is the best you can do apart from the direct working of God in your soul.
(BROTHER LAWRENCE…17TH CENTURY MONK)

Paul said it this way:
2 Co. 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

THIS IS THE WAY STRENGTH FROM GOD WORKS…HE DOESN’T GIVE US STRENGTH…
LIKE A WATCH—IF I HAVE ONE…BUT IF I AM ONE?

We hardly ADMIT our weaknesses, much less boast of them!

That’s one of the great powers of the 12 step programs…”I’m an alcoholic or I’m a drug addict or I’m a control freak or gambler or WHATEVER!

THEY ADMIT STUFF IF BIGGER THAN THEM!

That is biblical!

BUT HERE IS WHAT I WANTED TO FOCUS ON FOR A FEW MINUTES THIS A.M.

WHAT ARE WE TO DO WHEN WE FAIL?

CHANCES ARE, SOME OF US MIGHT fail…
ESPECIALLY as you learn how to connect with Jesus in your weakness…and YOU TRY TO figure out WHY you keep getting triggered into sin…there is a time between struggling poorly and struggling well.

The message this morning is about what to do when you are struggling poorly…when you fall down in sin.

A few suggestions (and by the by, I’m not an expert at much, but I am an expert here):

Thought #1
1) RUN to God, not from him!

There is something about sin that makes us think God is mad at us!

James 4:4
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

He’s NOT saying God thinks of us this way…it is the way we feel when we sin.

BUT NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!

1 John 2:1-2 THE MESSAGE BIBLE
I write this, dear children, to guide you out of sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a Priest-Friend in the presence of the Father: Jesus Christ, righteous Jesus. 2When he served as a sacrifice for our sins, he solved the sin problem for good--not only ours, but the whole world's.

Remember the Garden story…humans run to the bushes and hide when we sin…God sought them out…NOTHING’S CHANGED!

YOU WILL WANT TO RUN FROM GOD…SEW SOME FIG-FASHION TOGETHER AND COVER-UP…BUT GOD IS ALWAYS IN PURSUIT OF US!
YOU MATTER!
HE IS NOT THROWN BY OUR FAILURE!

PSA 103:10-14
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
RUN TO GOD

• WALKING OUT TO THE CAR ONE SNOW DUSTY MORNING IN WI
• GUY AT DALLAS MALL IN 80’s (tall, good-looking African-American in an all white suit and wide brimmed white hat).

Don’t waste time…run to God.

2) Thought #2—SIMPLY CONFESS YOUR SIN

-you don’t have to feel sorrow yet
-you don’t have to make promises to do better
-just honestly and openly confess you did wrong!

1John 1:8-9
If we claim to be without sin [when we have sinned], we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Don’t try to justify what you have done or are doing…
Don’t try to punish yourself
Don’t try to do penance
Just confess the fact you have sinned and do it quickly.

Don’t spend one MINUTE in shame or guilt.
If your sin has involved another…ask forgiveness of them too.
If restitution is appropriate, do it (don’t steal $20 from me and ask me to forgive you unless you bring a 20 dollar bill w/you)

HERE IS where you do, what the old-timers called, PLEADING THE BLOOD.

Recognize that what Jesus did means more than what you can do.
And realize God is more faithful than you!

Matt. 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Another place, Jesus adds: “a day”

If God asks us to forgive this often…how much more often will he forgive us?

Think of your sin frequency…have you ever committed the same sin 77 times in one day?

3) THOUGHT #3 Recognize that God sins with FORGETFULNESS!

This is amazing…
BASICALLY WE MARK UP OUR LIVES WITH [ERASE A SLATE]:

Lies, we cheat, we’re mean, we’re nasty, we do evil things…and 1 JOHN 1:9…POW.

4) THOUGHT #4 [last one] WHEN you are free from guilt, fear, shame, and self-hatred for your failure (plead the blood), then turn to God and ask…”WHY DO I DO ALWAYS DO THAT?” ASK FOR WISDOM!

THIS IS WHERE YOU TELL GOD, YOU DON’T WANT TO BE BACK WHERE YOU WERE…
SIN DESTROYS STUFF
IT UN-GOODS THINGS
IT DOESN’T MAKE GOD HATE US, BUT IT DOES DESTROY OUR PURPOSE FOR BEING HERE ON THIS PLANET.

PROV 13:15 NEW LIFE VERSION
Good understanding wins favor, but the way of the sinful is hard.

Pray about THE TRIGGERS
-BOREDOM
-loneliness
-self-hatred
-misdirected passion
-external circumstances (rejection, delay, promotion)

Psa. 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Pray about what role the enemy plays
Pray about someone with whom you can be honest.
Pray about empty places (ACHES) inside and how God can help fill them.

STYROFOAM BALL

Realize a day will come when you really will be able to STRUGGLE WELL!

DEFINITION OF A SUCCESS/FAILURE—ONE MORE TIME!

THANK YOU, SARAH KELLY -- CDS

RESURRECTION 2006

1Cor. 15:13-19
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

The RESURRECTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT HOLIDAY FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH…no resurrection – our faith is in vain.

Why?
To find out we need to go back to the beginning…

Gen. 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED!

Gal. 1:3-4 KING JAMES VERSION:
Gal. 1:3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
Gal. 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

The idea is that, because of sin, DEATH crept into a world meant only for LIFE.

Somehow the world that God created to be VERY GOOD lost its goodness, thereby becoming EVIL.

This is called a biblical theodicy – A THEODICY is an explanation for all the pain that is present and all the evil that is present on this planet.

The biblical theodicy is that God did not create evil.
He created good.
Evil is simply PULVERIZED GOOD.

SIN is the great pulverizer.
It takes the good in us and deconstructs it.

A good marriage can be pulverized into a relationship of indifference and hatred—into something evil.
A great lifelong friendship can be pulverized into one filled with contempt and mistrust.
In the beginning two brothers, Cain and Able, had their brotherhood pulverized into fratricide = brother murdering brother.

Sin (lit means: missing the mark) diminishes God’s created good.
It pales it.
In sin, the good is perverted.

According to Christian catechism, sin was first FOUND in Satan – it was FOUND – NOT CREATED – Satan doesn’t create ANYTHING – he can only destroy things that were created.

Sin is NOT a created thing.

Satan simply took good and pulverized it = A PERFECTLY GOOD PEN GONE EVIL?

Satan is a deconstructionist—hence, he is EVIL.

The apostle Paul claimed that everyone on this planet has a problem with evil and the evil one:
Eph. 2:1-3
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins [we all miss the mark],
Eph. 2:2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
Eph. 2:3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

As a result of SIN – we miss the mark – we pulverize things – the good we do isn’t that good.

We’re like soda that’s gone flat, or curdled milk.

Rob sprained his ankle the other day…same ‘ol Rob, but he’s not getting around all that well…

Sin kind of does that to us…
It’s not that we can’t do anything good…we can…
But we always have a sprain in it…something ungood is in the mix:

Whether we are talking about our self-identities, our friendships, our marriages, our families, managing our money, our public policy, caring for the poor/disenfranchised, caring for our planet…whatever…sometimes we do pretty good, but we also have a lot of Un-good in the mix (remember the OTHER word for Ungood is EVIL).

The GOSPEL is a story of God sending Jesus to RESTORE our lives or to re-good our lives—LITERALLY THE GOSPEL MEANS GOOD NEWS.

Acts 10:36-38
You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace {gospel is news of “good”} through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
Acts 10:37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached —
Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

Paul tells us the POWER of doing GOOD:
Rom. 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

GOOD OVERCOMES EVIL.

As Jesus came into the world, he declared war on EVIL or the lack of good – and he went around doing good—HE RE-GOODS THE WORLD AND THE HUMAN LIFE.

And the Bible says,
Heb. 13:8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

He’s still in the DOING “GOOD!”

AND here is the wonderful part…people don’t have to be perfect to connect with the “good” Jesus came to bring – they don’t even have to be religiously smart…

EVERYBODY CAN GET GOOD FROM JESUS…
Talking about himself, Jesus said,
John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

ANY WHOEVER, can get in on this!

And you see it in the Gospels – everybody who was even a nobody was cared for by Jesus (ever feel like a nobody?):

Luke 5:12-13
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Luke 5:13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

This guy was part of the “untouchable club”

Jesus got down and “goods” him. He mattered. Everybody matters to God.

Another e.g.
Luke 7:36-39
Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.
Luke 7:37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume,
Luke 7:38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
Luke 7:39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is — that she is a sinner.”

Jesus KNEW he would be judged for this…yet he didn’t care…she mattered.

JESUS RAN INTO THE LIVES OF THE VERY PEOPLE THAT OTHERS RAN FROM:
Luke 15:1-7
Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him.
Luke 15:2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
IN RESPONSE:
Luke 15:3 Then Jesus told them this parable:
Luke 15:4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?
Luke 15:5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders
Luke 15:6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
Luke 15:7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

LOST PEOPLE – PEOPLE WITH LITTLE GOOD – ARE WORTH HUNTING DOWN AND GOOD-ING.

Luke 15:8-10
“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?
Luke 15:9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’
Luke 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

JESUS GOES RIGHT INTO THE FAMOUS PRODIGAL = waster…the un-good guy…
Luke 15:11-24
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons.
Luke 15:12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
Luke 15:13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
Luke 15:14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
Luke 15:15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
Luke 15:16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. [TO THE JEW, THIS WAS EVIDENCE THAT THIS GUY WAS A LOST CAUSE]
Luke 15:17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
Luke 15:18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Luke 15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’
Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
JESUS IS AN ICONOCLAST HERE…THE FATHER GOD IS NOT WHO YOU THINK HE IS…HE IS A LOVER! AND HE IS THE INCAUTIOUS, RECKLESS FORGIVER OF HUMANITY!
Luke 15:21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
Luke 15:22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Luke 15:23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
Luke 15:24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ THE FATHER DOESN’T EVEN LISTEN TO THE REPENTANCE…DOESN’T NEED TO – HE SAW HIS HEART…So they began to celebrate.

To top it all off, listen to this:
Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
Luke 23:40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?
Luke 23:41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luke 23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

This story created a lot of trouble for the early church – ancient world thought it was a crock…

How could a criminal going to his death be pardoned?
Ancient world was full of Aristotelian thought.
Aristotle preached VIRTUE – something that took a lifetime to develop – and it was the “good” that people needed to have.

Tradition says this guys name was Dismas – called him St. Dismas.

HOW COULD GOD MAKE HIS WASTED LIFE MATTER MOMENTS BEFORE DEATH?

Because God is so good, HE conquers the lack of good in our lives.

Theologically we understand this to be true for us today because of what Jesus’ sacrifice, burial and resurrection:

Because of what Jesus did, there is hope for everyone….no matter how badly their lives have been pulverized and seem ungood!

NOW a heart that is chock full of evil…can be made good.
A life that has been hurt and stolen from…made right.
A childhood destroyed, restored.
A train-wrecked career can get back on track
A home gone bad can be made good.
A marriage ravaged by horrible betrayal, can be restored with trust, hope and love….
A person who has lost everything and is bound by horrible debilitating vices CAN HAVE A HOPE AND A FUTURE!

In ISRAEL’S darkest hour – in Babylonian captivity…lost…
Jer. 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

It doesn’t matter WHO you are OR WHAT you’ve done OR HOW badly you’ve trashed your life…Jesus Christ will never turn you away…
you may not be very religious at all
but He is after you!
I LOVE THIS…I LOVE FAITH. I LOVE THAT THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE.

“DON’T GIVE UP…SOMEONE REALLY LOVES YOU…”

GET THIS:
This whole “re-gooding” thing has its crowning glory in the resurrection of Jesus.

ON THE CROSS JESUS took all the evil of the world…all the un-good; and then he took it to the grave.

When he came out in the resurrection…the theological reality is – THERE IS NO WAY UN-GOOD CAN STAY IN OUR LIVES – JESUS OVERCAME IT.

THE RESURRECTION IS THE GUARANTEE THAT ONLY GOOD WILL PREVAIL IN THE LIFE OF A PERSON WHO FOLLOWS JESUS!

ERGO
Rom. 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Everything that gets broken in our lives can be reconstructed because of the resurrection. Every evil thing becomes a seed for new life. – BULB.

No ‘EASY’ button…not simple…but what if that is true?
We believe around here that it is!

ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO START THE PROCESS—SAY “YES”

Living Sin Free

We were talking about SIN a couple of weeks ago…
Rom. 6:14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

The wonderful news for all of us is that God has made a way for human beings to be free from destructive beliefs and behaviors—we do not have to live our lives bound up and out of control.

Last time, I was iterating 5 perspectives that will help a person walk out from the influence of prevailing sin:

1) Recognize SIN has been conquered in Jesus Christ

Paul writes:
Rom. 8:2
because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

If patterns of sin are going to lose dominion or power over us…we have to RECOGNIZE that, legally, SIN HAS BEEN CONQUERED (even if it seems very alive in your life)

JESUS made a way for the monkeys on your back to get off your back…so you can be free to choose wisely and righteously…

2) The second key perspective is that the defeat of sin is only possible through a vital, living relationship w/Jesus Christ (each of us has to work through what that means for us…how do YOU connect w/Jesus with your personality and background and experience), WE MUST CONNECT WITH JESUS BECAUSE SIN IS BIGGER than us (in our human effort alone)

Heb 2:18 Because he [Jesus] himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
We need help in this.

God isn’t looking for US to decide to just stop sinning…there is no easy button!

THE HARD, COLD FACT is: All of us have AREAS OF WEAKNESS (addictions) that are bigger than us…

Heb. 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith,

I TOLD YOU THAT something in me doesn’t want to accept this. As far back as I can remember (15)…something in me has always thought…I can beat sin in my life…just a little more commitment…just a little more time in prayer or in the Word of God…
And then, when I found myself stumbling…I would think, “I should have been able to avoid this…” and then back to, “I could, if…”

The “shoulds” and “coulds” defined my relationship w/God.
But you never walk free from sin’s power with shoulds/coulds.

Some people get stuck in some pretty horrible things.
Things that others snub at.
i. Sins like
1. Anger
2. Alcoholism
3. Chemical dependency
4. Eating disorders
5. Lust
6. Envy
7. Embezzlement

OTHERS GET STUCK IN SINS THAT DON’T SEEM LIKE SINS.
HOLY SINS.

ii. Like:
1. Addicted to Pride – better than everyone else and you know it
2. Addicted to Perfectionism = looks like discipleship or being a good mom
3. Addicted to Worry = looks like concern and compassion
4. Judgmentalism = discernment
5. Favoritism

But the truth is everybody gets stuck.

Wherever we find ourselves, we have to recognize that there is an “area” of wrong that is BIGGER than us—stronger than our ability to manage.

So, if you are going to walk free from sin, recognize (NUMBER ONE) that SIN HAS BEEN CONQUERED
TWO – SIN IS BIGGER THAN US—WE NEED JESUS!

3) [THIS ONE SEEMS ODD AT FIRST] SIN isn’t the major issue with God—IT IS AN ISSUE…HE DOESN’T WANT US LIVING IN SIN BECAUSE IT DESTROYS US….BUT IT ISN’T THE MAJOR ISSUE. WHY?

SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED THAT MAKES OUR SIN SEEM LIKE NOTHING in the eyes of God. THE CROSS. The Cross is bigger

2 CO. 5:19 NEW LIFE VERSION
God was in Christ. He was working through Christ to bring the whole world back to Himself. God no longer held men's sins against them. And He gave us the work of telling and showing men this.

1John 2:1-2
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Through the cross God’s mercy is stronger than our sin (like a dad/mom—God sees potential)

PSA 103:10-14
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13 As a father has compassion (mercy) on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

For sin to no longer dominate your life, recognize:
ONE – SIN HAS BEEN CONQUERED
TWO – SIN IS BIGGER THAN US!
Three—Sin is not the major issue w/God

4) The major issue w/God is the issue of BELIEF—BELIEF is what God is after

This is a tad hard to grasp, but Christianity is NOT a human development deal…

We are not supposed to pray to make ourselves better OR TO STOP SINNING, we need to pray to know God better.

Eph. 1:17
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Phil. 3:10-11
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Knowing JESUS is the ticket...not fixing ourselves!

WHY?
There is a law of LIKENESS espoused in the Scripture:
1 John 3:2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

OLD COUPLE IN MILWAUKEE AIRPORT…

Psa. 17:15 And I — in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Faith is NOT a self-development mission, it is NOT about us living in self-analysis and beating ourselves into looking like Jesus…it’s about GETTING TO KNOW GOD…looking for God.
When we see him THERE IS TRANSFORMATION!

2 Co. 3:17-18 NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Here is the skinny:
Gal. 3:1-4 THE MESSAGE VERSION
You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it's obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the Cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.
2Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God's Message to you? 3Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren't smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? 4Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!

HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE TO BELIEVE:
a. Believe that Sin has been conquered (hard when you are stuck)
b. Believe that SIN is bigger than me (I’m a loser)—If I just try harder…pray more…cultivate a stronger commitment
c. Believe that SIN is not the major issue w/God==that the Cross is bigger” in God’s view than YOU

DARE TO BELIEVE THIS:
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

i. This Obviates shame
ii. Obviates guilt

You and I have no right to be full of shame and guilt…
IF WE DO…WE ARE SAYING THAT WE BELIEVE what WE do is greater than what Jesus did—

I’ve lost my way in my faith before…it about destroyed my whole life…the hardest thing to believe when you fail is that this isn’t ABOUT YOU…that the cross is bigger!

For sin to no longer dominate your life, recognize:
ONE – SIN HAS BEEN CONQUERED
TWO – SIN IS BIGGER THAN US!
Three—Sin is not the major issue w/God
Four-Belief is the issue!

5) There is a way of escape designed by God UNIQUE to you

1 Co. 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

This often involves some complexity

IT IS TRUE THAT SOMETIMES freedom from compulsive things comes instantly:
DARYL BURDICK…SMOKING!
VS.
JOYCE MEYER
Vs.
Chip Acker (came to me…there is a way out…)

I know some who have been deeply helped by AA.
Others don’t get it that way…
Pastor friend told me of a lady w/rocking horses…

I don’t know what your way out is, but there is one!

It may not be instant for you:
1-800-DELIVERANCE

1) It may involve God showing you how you are triggered towards that inappropriate behavior and how to redirect at those trigger points…

2) IT may involve the discovery of THE ACHE…

Psa. 63:1 (captures this)
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

SOMETHING IN US ACHES FOR EDEN…FOR PERFECTION…WE WERE DESIGNED FOR A PERFECT WORLD…

sin is a medication of THE ACHE
WE MEDICATE…

HERE IS ONE MORE COMPLEXITY…this one will make you nervous…

The Bible talks very explicitly about the idea that there is a literal devil and that he has this army-like group of demons.

Paul TALKS about the devil and the demonic and says there is some kind of structure they work within:
Eph. 6:10-12
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against [here is their hierarchical structure] the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms [devil/demons].

Paul also says the demonic seeks to influence and control people.

We see this in a simple way with a wrong influence during a conversation:

Matt. 16:22-23
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

TO WILD, WILD WEST DEVILS:
Luke 8:26-37
They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.
30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” [these things have names!—THIS IS ON THE LIST OF THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO BBBBBHBBHHHHHH]
“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.
32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

Demonic beings are TALKING in this story…does anyone else think that is weird????
These beings have PERSONHOOD.
And they influence in various ways…

So, what are demons?
We don’t know exactly.
The Bible talks about them as being actual spiritual entities.
It talks about them as having various characteristics. Pretty eerie.

The Bible talks about:
• Unclean Spirits
• Foul Spirits
• Lying Spirits
• Seducing Spirits
• Religious spirits
• An antichrist Spirit
• Perverse Spirits
• Familiar Spirits
• Etc.

And these spirits or demons messed w/people:
1Sam. 16:14
Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.

ARE THERE STILL ANY OF THESE TORMENTING DEMONS ON THE EARTH TODAY?
WHAT IF SOME FOLKS WHO ARE BOUND DEEPLY IN SIN HAVE THE AID OF THE DEMONIC IN THEIR BONDAGE?
THERE ARE UNCLEAN SPIRITS
SEDUCING SPIRITS
LYING SPIRITS

ARE THERE COMPULSIVE SPIRITS?

NRB in Dallas and the Baptist guy talking to me [Wes]…
JAMES ROBISON—BAPTIST EVANGELIST AND LUSTFUL THOUGHTS WHILE HE WAS PREACHING…GETTING WORSE…

I’m not trying to freak you out here…I’m trying to say there is some complexity in all this spiritual stuff.

The Bible is clear that even believers can give place to the demonic in their lives…

1Tim. 4:1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Eph. 4:27
And do not give the devil a foothold.

2Tim. 2:26
And that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

I don’t’ think a Christian can be demon possessed but he/she can certainly be oppressed!

In all fairness, there are many committed followers of Jesus who think talk of a literal devil and demons is too fantastical and that they are not real personalities but metaphorical descriptions of how our brains and bodies go crazy in a fallen world…they believe that because Jesus was in a pre-scientific world he used the metaphors and analogies of the demonic so that he would be understood those people.
Even if that is how you view this… it’s obvious that something bigger than us influences us negatively and we need Jesus’ presence and activity in the human life to help clear up whatever it is, demons or chemicals or whatever.

Here is the good news about the demonic: Lordship of Jesus! Word of God…demons flee!

Here is why this is important to the freedom from sin issue…
EVEN THOUGH FREEDOM IS OURS…THERE IS COMPLEXITY IN GETTING OUT OF SIN…
BECAUSE OF THAT…WE WILL STRUGGLE TO SOME DEGREE TILL DEATH…

Heb. 12:4
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

IN ANY GIVEN WEEK WE WILL BE STRUGGLING WELL OR STRUGGLING POORLY.

The things we’ve talked about this morning will help you struggle well.

AGAIN:
For sin to no longer dominate your life, recognize:
ONE – SIN HAS BEEN CONQUERED
TWO – SIN IS BIGGER THAN US!
Three—Sin is not the major issue w/God
Four-Belief is the issue!
FIVE – there is an escape!

Religiously Transmitted Diseases

When a person crosses the threshold of faith, it is always wonderful. There is a truckload of freedom, energy and hope for the future. But we humans have a way of messing up whatever God gives us. He gave us Eden; we got thrown out. He gives us grace and forgiveness; we flip it into crushing legalism. I remember the hour I first believed. It was sweet. It was innocent. It was charged with life and hope. I don’t think God ever intended that to change. Yet for many it has.

Religiously Transmitted Diseases talks about why I think that is true. It talks about why people get tired in their faith. Why they lose energy. Why they lose their sense of purpose and get jammed with a sense of dread. At one time or another, every one of us has been infected with an RTD—a religiously transmitted disease. Debilitating beliefs and unchecked motives become like viruses to the human soul. These viral maladies always cause rich, vibrant faith to be replaced by a weak anemic kind more fit for the hospital than the church.
These diseases turn what God intended to be innocent and surprising into something sullied and tedious. The good news is RTDs can be cured.

There is always a way back to a healthy spirituality where we recapture the joy, passion, and hope of the hour we first believed.