Transformation or Sin Management???
HOW MANY OF YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT NOW YOU WISH YOU COULD STOP DOING? HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO IS DOING SOMETHING THEY OUGHT TO STOP DOING? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TOLD THEM TO STOP DOING IT? HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN DOING SOMETHING FOR A LONG TIME YOU WISH YOU COULD STOP DOING? THERE IS A SIN AREA IN OUR LIFE; OR SIN AREAS THAT WE CANNOT GET VICTORY OVER. IT CONTINUES TO DOG US WEEK AFTER WEEK, MONTH AFTER MONTH, YEAR AFTER YEAR. YOUR LIFE IS LIKE A BROKEN RECORD. YOU JUST KEEP STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME ISSUE OR ISSUES.
IT MAY BE LUST; ANGER; WORRY; DRUGS OR ALCOHOL; PORNOGRAPHY; GOSSIP; PERFECTIONISM; FEAR; MATERIALISM; OVEREATING; GAMBLING; LYING AND CHEATING, BEING OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK OF YOU. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. AND GOD KNOWS HOW HARD YOU HAVE TRIED. YOU HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING YOU KNOW TO DO; PRAYED MORE; READ THE BIBLE MORE; JOINED A SMALL GROUP; FAST; YOU MAY GET A REPRIEVE EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT IT JUST KEEPS COMING BACK. AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS YOU ARE IN BONDAGE. YOU CANNOT GET VICTORY AND BECAUSE YOU CAN’T YOU HAVE TO HIDE AND PRETEND BECAUSE GOD FORBID YOU TELL OTHERS YOU DON’T HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER; SO, THERE IS SHAME AND GUILT ADDED TO IT. CAN I GET A WITNESS!!!
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT WE END UP DOING: WE PRACTICE SIN MANAGEMENT. YOU KNOW WHAT SIN MANAGEMENT IS RIGHT? MANAGING SIN. TRYING TO KEEP THE MONSTER AT BAY. KEEP IT BELOW THE SURFACE. DON’T LET ANYONE KNOW ABOUT IT AND DON’T LET IT JUMP UP AND BITE YOU AND CAUSE EMBARRASSMENT, DAMAGE OR DANGER. MOST OF THE TIME SUFFER IN SILENCE BECAUSE GOD FORBID, WE TELL SOMEONE. THEY WILL THINK WE DON’T HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER: NEWS FLASH: THEY ALREADY KNOW!!! WE ALL KNOW IT DOESN’T WORK BUT WE DON’T TELL EACH OTHER IT IS NOT WORKING BECAUSE WE DON’T WANT ANYBODY TO KNOW IT’S NOT WORKING FOR US!!! SO, I’M LOCKED UP; YOUR LOCKED UP; WE’RE LOCKED UP AND WE WONDER WHERE THE POWER IS; WHY THE CHURCH ISN’T HAVING A GREATER IMPACT ON THE WORLD. SO, WE’LL PICK UP THERE NEXT WEEK. CONTINUE PRACTICING SIN MANAGEMENT UNTIL NEXT SUNDAY AND WE WILL TRY TO FIND A WAY OUT.
HERE’S THE GREAT NEWS! SO HERE IS THE LESSON I HAVE LEARNED IN THE LAST 3 YEARS THAT HAS SET ME FREE; MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON I HAVE LEARNED SINCE FOLLOWING JESUS: TO GET VICTORY OVER THAT SIN AREA IN OUR LIVES; TO BREAK FREE FROM THE BONDAGE OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH WE MUST GET TO THE FALSE BELIEF OR THE LIE THAT IS DRIVING OUR BEHAVIOR. THE KEY TO MOVING FROM SIN-MANAGEMENT TO VICTORY OVER SIN; THE ANSWER TO MOVING FROM BONDAGE TO FREEDOM IS DISCOVERING THE FALSE BELIEF, THE LIE, WHICH IS DRIVING OUR BEHAVIOR AND THEN REPLACING IT WITH THE TRUTH.
WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU DEALT WITH SIN IN YOUR LIFE; BONDAGE; ADDICTION THAT ISSUE THAT HAS DOGGED YOU FOR AS LONG AS YOU CAN REMEMBER AND THOUGHT TO YOURSELF, “OKAY WHAT IS BEHIND MY BEHAVIOR, WHAT FALSE BELIEF AM I HOLDING TO THAT IS CAUSING ME TO ACT THAT WAY?
THAT’S NOT THE WAY WE NORMALLY ROLL RIGHT. BECAUSE THE ONE BEHIND THE LIE IS SATAN. JESUS CALLED HIM THE FATHER OF LIES. HOW DOES HE WORK: HE ENTICES US TO BELIEVE LIES. IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE GARDEN. THE REASON EVE TOOK A BITE OF THE APPLE IS BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED A LIE; THAT SHE COULD KNOW AS MUCH AS GOD. IT IS THE SAME THING WITH YOU AND me. AND HE IS SO CUNNING AND DECEPTIVE THAT A PART OF HIS WILY ARSENAL IS TO KEEP US FROM IDENTIFYING THE FALSE BELIEF.
AS I HAVE EXAMINED MY LIFE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, I REALIZE I HAVE BASED MOST OF MY LIFE ON LIES AND IT BEGAN AT AN EARLY AGE.
• DON’T LET ANYBODY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR LIFE. KEEEP IT A SECRET. THEY WON’T LIKE YOU OR ACCEPT YOU IS THEY KNOW WHO YOU REALLY ARE.
• PRETEND LIKE EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL WHEN IT IS NOT. DON’T LET ANYBODY KNOW YOU HAVE PROBLEMS.
• FIND YOUR SIGNIFICANCE IN HANGING OUT WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH THEY DRINK OR HOW MANY DRUGS THEY DID.
THESE LIES HAVE CAUSED ME TO HIDE; LIE; PRETEND AND DO ALL KINDS OF SINFUL THINGS TO TRY TO FIND ACCEPTANCE, SIGNIFICANCE AND VALUE FROM OTHERS OR FOR WHAT I DID.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST LIES I HAVE BOUGHT INTO IS THAT IT WHAT I DO IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHO I AM. SO, I FOCUSED ON SHOWING EVERYONE WHAT A GREAT LEADER I WAS AND NEGLECTED MY CHARACTER. WHEN OUTPUT EXCEEEDS INPUT THEN UPKEEP BECOMES YOUR DOWNFALL. SO, I CRASHED AND BURNED.
I IGNORED AND STUFFED FEELINGS UNTIL THEY SPILLED OVER INTO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND PAIN AND THEN I WOULD GO TO SINFUL PLACES TO NUMB THE PAIN. I COULDN’T JUST STOP IT. BELIEVE ME I TRIED. BUT I LEARNED THE FLASE BELIEF I WAS OPERATING UNDER WAS THAT PAIN WAS TO BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS.
WHEN I HAD SIN IN MY LIFE, I BELIEVED ALL I NEEDED TO DO TO WAS CONFESS MY SIN TO GOD. AS LONG AS HE KNEW AND HE FORGAVE ME THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERED. THERE IS NO WAY I COULD LET OTHERS KNOW ABOUT MY SIN. AFTER ALL, I AM A PASTOR!
BUT THAT IS A FALSE BELIEF. SECRET SIN IS FATAL. WE ARE AS SICK AS OUR SECRETS. DARKNESS AND LIGHT CANNOT CO-EXIST. THE TRUTH IS THAT HEALING COMES AS WE CONFESS OUR SINS TO ONE ANOTHER. AS YOU CAN SEE, I WAS ONE MESSED UP DUDE RIGHT. BUT SO ARE YOU!!! BUT THE GREAT NEWS IS THAT I HAVE LEARNED TO IDENTIFY THE LIES AND BEGIN TO REPLACE THEM WITH THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD AND AS I DO I BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE TRANSFORMATION AND FREEDOM. NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT.
THIS PROCESS OF REPLACING LIES WITH THE TRUTH IS WHAT THE BIBLE CALLS TRANSFORMATION. THIS IS WHAT PAUL WAS TALKING ABOUT IN ROM. 12:2 “DON’T BE CONFORMED BY THE WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND.” I ALWAYS KNEW I WAS SUPPOSED TO RENEW MY MIND BUT I THOUGHT THAT SIMPLY MEANT GETTING THE WORD INTO MY MIND. BUT WHAT IT REALLY MEANS IS GETTING THE WORD IN IN A SPECIFIC MATTER BY REPLACING A LIE WE HAVE BELIEVED BY THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD. THAT IS WHY TRANSFORMATION IS AN INSIDE OUT JOB. TRANSFORMATION NEVER OCCURS FROM THE OUTSIDE IN; IT IS FROM THE INSIDE OUT. IN THE ORIGINAL GREEK LANGUAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE WORD USED FOR TRANSFORMATION IS METAMORPHOSIS. IT IS A PROFOUND CHANGE FROM THE INSIDE OUT AND IT IS THE GOD ORDAINED PROCESS YOU AND I TO GET US FROM WHERE WE ARE TO GETTING AS CLOSE TO LOOKING, THINKING, AND ACTING LIKE JESUS AS IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. THAT IS ULTIMATELY THE GOAL OF OUR LIVES AS CHRIST FOLLOWERS. 2 COR. 3:17,18 “NOW THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT, AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS THERE IS FREEDOM. AND WE ALL, WHO WITH UNVEILED FACES CONTEMPLATE THE LORD’S GLORY, ARE BEING TRANSFORMED INTO HIS IMAGE WITH EVER-INCREASING GLORY, WHICH COMES FROM THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT.” ROMANS 8:29 “FOR THOSE GOD FOREKNEW HE ALSO PREDESTINED TO BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON.” I LIKE WHAT JOHN PIPER: “AS WE ARE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST, HE IS MADE MORE AND MORE THE CENTER OF ALL THINGS.”
COL. 1:15,16 “THE SON (JESUS) IS THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD; AND WE ARE TO BE MADE INTO THE IMAGE OF JESUS SO THAT GOD SOVEREIGNLY AND INTENTIONAL PLACES IN THE FAMILY, NEIGHBORHOOD, JOB GOD HAS PLACED US TO REFLECT HIS GLORY TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK MORE HIGHLY OF HIM. SEE 2 COR. 4:11,12.
“WE WHO LIVE ARE CONTINUALLY BEING DELIVERED OVER TO DEATH FOR JESUS’ SAKE SO THAT THE LIFE OF JESUS WOULD BE MADE MANIFEST IN OUR MORTAL FLESH; SO THEN DEATH WORKS IN ME BUT LIFE IN YOU.”
I BELIEVE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS IN THE CHURCH TODAY IS THAT WE SEE VERY LITTLE TRANSFORMATION AND A WHOLE LOT OF SIN MANAGEMENT. WHY ELSE WOULD WE AS CHRIST FOLLOWERS HAVE ALMOST IDENTICAL VIEWS, VALUES AND LIFESTYLES AS THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW JESUS.
HAVE BEEN DIVORCED (AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN MARRIED) BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS: 27%; NON-CHRISTIANS: 23%
GAVE MONEY TO A HOMELESS PERSON OR POOR PERSON, IN PAST YEAR BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS: 24%; NON-CHRISTIANS: 34%
TOOK DRUGS OR MEDICATION PRESCRIBED FOR DEPRESSION, IN PAST YEAR BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS: 7%; NON-CHRISTIANS: 8%
WATCHED AN X-RATED MOVIE IN THE PAST 3 MONTHS BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS: 9%; NON-CHRISTIANS: 16%
DONATED ANY MONEY TO A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, IN PAST MONTH BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS: 47%; NON-CHRISTIANS: 48%
70% OF CHRISTIAN MEN AND 25% OF CHRISTIAN WOMEN VIEW PORN ON A REGULAR BASIS.
SO, LET ME ASK YOU HOW CAN WE SIT IN CHURCH WEEK AFTER WEEK, READ OUR BIBLES, BE IN SMALL GROUPS BUT NEVER CHANGE? BECAUSE WE ARE NOT INTENTIONAL ABOUT IDENTIFYING THE FALSE BELIEFS THAT ARE DRIVING OUR BEHAVIOR AND THEN BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT REPLACEING THAT LIFE WITH THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD.
WHAT IS THE SIN ISSUE YOU ARE DEALING WITH TODAY? WHY HAVE YOU BEEN TRYING AND TRYING AND TRYING TO STOP? THEN ASK YOURSELF “WHAT FALSE BELIEF IS DRIVING THIS BEHAVIOR? IN OTHER WORDS, WHY AM I DOING WHAT I AM DOING?
IF IT IS DRINKING, DOING DRUGS, GAMBLING, OVEREATING, PORNOGRAPHY, WHAT IS BEHIND YOUR DESIRE TO GO THERE: IT IS THE BELIEF THAT WHATEVER YOU ARE DOING WILL NUMB THE PAIN; OR IT WILL EASE THE BOREDOM; OR TO ADD SOME EXCITEMENT TO MY LIFE; TO ESCAPE….THE TRUTH IS THAT ONLY JESUS CAN FILL THE WHOLE IN YOUR SOUL; ONLY HE CAN BRING CONTENTMENT, FULFILLMENT AND SATISFACTION.
ARE YOU PARALYZED BY THE FEAR OF MAKING A MISTAKE OR OF FAILURE; DOES IT CAUSE MAKING DECISIONS IMPOSSIBLE: YOU HATE BEING THIS WAY; HAVE YOU THOUGHT THAT THE FALSE BELIEF DRIVING THAT BEHAVIOR IS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING JUST RIGHT TO EARN YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER’S APPROVAL; THAT IF YOU MAKE THE WRONG DECISION YOU ARE LETTING GOD DOWN. THE TRUTH IS THAT GOD LOVES YOU EXACTLY THE WAY YOU ARE. YOU ARE ALREADY COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE AND APPROVED BY HIM NOW.
ARE YOU IN BONDAGE TO WORRY; DO YOU WORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING; KIDS, JOB, HEALTH, FINANCES, DOES IT KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT? CAUSE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE? HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT THAT THE FALSE BELIEF BEHIND THAT WORRY IS THAT YOU THINK WORRYING WILL SOMEONE HELP INSTEAD OF REALIZING THE TRUTH THAT GOD IS ABSOLUTELY TRUSTWORTHY AND HE IS IN CONTROL.
ARE YOU INVOLVED IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY YOU SHOULDN’T BE INVOLVED IN BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE THAT WILL MAKE YOU VALUED, DESIRED, OR LOVED. THE TRUTH IS GOD LOVES AND VALUES YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.
WHEN I CAME TO CHRIST, I HAD A RADICAL CONVERSION FROM DRUGS AND ALCOHOL. I WAS BORN AGAIN…A NEW CREATION (2 COR. 5:17) GOD’S SPIRIT BECAME ALIVE IN ME. BUT I WAS STILL WIRED WITH THE SAME OLD LIES. I STILL BELIEVED MY SIGNIFICANCE WAS FOUND IN THE WAY I LOOKED, WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT ABOUT ME…I STILL BELIEVED I WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH….THAT FEELINGS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MY BEHAVIOR; THAT PAIN WAS SOMETHING TO BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS. CAN YOU SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT? BUT I WAS A NEW CREATION…I DUG INTO THE BIBLE, PRAYER, CHURCH…I THREW MYSELF INTO SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES….BUT I WAS STILL INVOLVED IN UNHEALTHY SINFUL BEHAVIOR…I COULDN’T STOP….I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH ME…I COULDN’T LET PEOPLE KNOW….SO SIN MANAGEMENT SET IN….IT GOT EVEN WORSE WHEN I BECAME A PASTOR. THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD LET PEOPLE KNOW ALL THE ISSUES I HAD AS A PASTOR. SO, THE SIN-MANAGEMENT, THE HIDING, THE PRETENDING, JUST GETS DEEPER AND WIDER.
MAYBE YOU HAVE A SIMILAR STORY. MAYBE YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT DRIVES YOUR BEHAVIOR; WHY YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?
ITS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR FOR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS RIGHT. HOW MANY OF YOU MADE AT LEAST ONE? % OF PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEM? A FEW FUNNY ONES.
USUALLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO FOLLOW JESUS WE MAKE RESOLUTIONS LIKE: SPEND MORE TIME WITH JESUS; PRAY MORE; GET MORE INVOLVED IN CHURCH; SHARE OUR FAITH MORE OFTEN. GIVE MORE.
BUT HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER MADE THIS NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION: THIS YEAR I WANT TO EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM THAT IS FOUND IN JESUS. I WANT TO BE SET FREE. I WANT TO LIVE IN FREEDOM. EVER MADE THAT ONE? MAYBE ANOTHER QUESTION MIGHT BE HAVE YOU EVER GIVEN ANY THOUGHT OR HAD A DESIRE TO EXPERIENCE THE FREEDOM JESUS CAME TO GIVE YOU AS ONE OF HIS FOLLOWERS?
MOST OF US HAVEN’T RIGHT. TO BE HONEST WITH YOU I HAVE BEEN A CHRIST FOLLOWER FOR ALMOST 37 YEARS NOW AND WAS A PASTOR FOR 25 OF THOSE YEARS AND I NEVER THOUGHT A GREAT DEAL ABOUT FREEDOM. NEVER MADE IT A GOAL OR A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION. YET, THE BIBLE HAS A GREAT DEAL TO SAY ABOUT FREEDOM:
JESUS SAID IN JN. 8:31,32 “IF YOU HOLD TO MY TEACHING, YOU ARE REALLY MY DISCIPLES. THEN YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH; AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.” IN JN. 8:36 HE SAID, “SO IF THE SON SETS YOU FREE YOU WILL BE FREE INDEED.” IN 2 COR. 3:17 THE APOSTLE PAUL SAYS, “NOW THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT, AND WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS THERE IS FREEDOM.” AND THEN HE SAYS IN GAL. 5:1 “IT IS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST HAS SET US FREE. STAND FIRM, THEN, AND DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE BURDENED AGAIN BY A YOKE OF SLAVERY.”
EVEN THOUGH THE BIBLE PLACES A GREAT EMPHASIS ON FREEDOM SOMEHOW, I MISSED IT. BUT ALL THAT HAS CHANGED FOR ME IN THE LAST 3 YEARS AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE FREEDOM JESUS CAME TO GIVE ME AND IT HAS LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE; LIVING IN FREEDOM IS THE GREATEST FEELING IN THE WORLD; IT FEELS LIKE I HAVE BEEN…WELL…SET FREE!
HERE IS WHAT I MEAN BY FREEDOM:
WHEN I TALK ABOUT LIVING IN FREEDOM I AM TALKING ABOUT LIVING WITH NO SECRETS; NOT HIDING; BEING COMPLETELY HONEST ABOUT EVERYTHING; YOUR LIFE BEING AN OPEN BOOK; NO PRETENDING; WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET; BEING OPEN AN HONEST ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE; NOT BEING AFRAID TO SHARE YOUR PAIN, STRUGGLES AND ISSUES WITH OTHERS. SHARING YOUR STORY GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY. NOT BEING OVERLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT OTHERS THINK OR SAY ABOUT YOU. NOTHING TO PROVE. AN OPEN BOOK. WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET. THIS IS WHO I AM IN CHRIST.
OF COURSE, YOU ALL KNOW I AM NOT PERFECT; I HAVE SUCH A LONG, LONG WAY TO GO. BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, I AM LIVING NOW IN OPENNESS, HONESTY, NO HIDING OR PRETENDING, BEING REAL AND IT IS THE GREATEST FEELING IN THE WORLD. SOME OF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS FOR A LONG TIME; IF YOU HAVE, I AM JEALOUS OF YOU! BUT I SUSPECT MANY OF YOU HAVE NOT AND THAT IS WHY I AM SO EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY: I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY AND NEXT WEEK TWO OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT LIVING IN FREEDOM.
AND SINCE THE ESSENCE OF FREEDOM IS LIVING IN TRUTH IT SHOULDN’T SURPRISE YOU WHEN I SAY THAT THE TWO LESSONS ARE BELIEVING THE TRUTH WHICH I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY AND TELLING THE TRUTH WHICH I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT NEXT WEEKSOUND GOOD. LET’S PRAY!
