Most of us love most of the things Jesus said!
[Matthew 11:28-30]
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””
And some of the things Jesus said are HARD things
“Human history is the long terrible story of man tryin got find something other than God to make him happy.” – C.S. Lewis
[Genesis 3:1-7]
“The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.”
Four Doubts That COMPLICATE EVERYTHING
Doubt #1: Maybe God’s Word isn’t Totally True
“If your god never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.” – Tim Keller
[1 Thessalonians 2:13]
“Therefore, we never stop thanking God that when you received his message from us, you didn’t think of our words as mere human ideas. You accepted what we said as the very word of God—which, of course, it is. And this word continues to work in you who believe.”
The difference between those who truly belong to God and those who simply accept that he exists is whether or not they believe in God enough to trust God enough to actually submit to God as the authority in their lives.
Doubt #2: Sin isn’t Really all THAT Bad
[Galatians 6:7-9]
“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.” – Unknown
Doubt #3: God’s Holding Me Back
[John 10:10]
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
[Psalm 16:11]
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”
Doubt #4: My Way Works Better for Me
[Proverbs 14:12]
“There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”
The argument is that I have rights. The biblical response is that I gave up those rights
[I Corinthians 6:19-20]
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
RESPONSE?
- Turn from Sin to Follow Jesus
[2 Corinthians 7:10]
““For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”
2. Own your freedom, from sin and regret
[Romans 8:1-2]
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”
3. Commit to walking with God, in obedience
[Psalm 34:5]
“Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.”
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Application Questions
1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?