Lies Series

5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

Jesus knew how easy it is for us to see others clearly, but have a totally distorted picture of ourselves. My friends it is reasonably likely that many of the people in this room, at this moment, are believing lies about themselves, about their spouses, about their marriages, about their finances, about their spiritual condition, about the reason they are here this morning, about that situation at work and who caused it and who should be responsible for getting it fixed. We are lie-lovers. Heck, why do sermons so often make people uncomfortable, and get people angry at the one who preached the message? Because (hopefully) they speak truth. They make it harder, at least for 30 minutes, to believe the lies we live on.

Lies protect us. At least they feel like they protect us. Lies are darkness that hides us from the sunlight of truth that burns. Lies are blankets that shield us from the often bitter winds of truth that freeze. Lies are pills that take away the pain that comes from swallowing reality. The woman going to counseling doesn’t WANT to actually do anything to fix her problem – it’s too hard. The married man doesn’t WANT to admit there are problems in his marriage because he’s half of that equation. The teenage girl in the bad relationship doesn’t WANT to break up with the boy who’s abusing her because frankly she’d rather be beaten up than be alone. And she doesn’t want to admit that either. The teenage boy doesn’t WANT to say no to methamphetamine, because he’s comfortable with the friends he has. The family doesn’t want to stop living on credit because then the toys and cars would dry up.

Young girls are out having sex because they believe lies. Young boys are out bullying people because they believe lies. People are refusing to get into shape because they believe lies. Churches are ineffective and unproductive because they believe lies. Voters are disappointed and frustrated because they believe lies. Consumers are buying cars and boats and beer and cigarettes because they believe lies. If right now at this instant people stopped believing lies, stopped acting on emotions that come from lies, and refused to be part of industries that tell and sell lies, many of the problems in the world would disappear.

I want to talk to you over the next few weeks about some popular lies we often tell ourselves. These are lies about the Christian life, lies that derail people and throw them into confusion. Here are the lies we’ll be covering:

Week 2: “Am I Imagining This?” This is the lie that what is happening to you spiritually is all in your head.

Week 3: “I’m So Weak” The lie that we are too weak, too flawed, too sinful to serve God.

Week 4: “God Can’t Really Expect” This is the lie that God’s standards are too high for us to actually be expected to follow them.

Week 5: “I’m Missing Out” The lie that life without God is better than life with God.