Something Good to Talk About Part 2
“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, (and also some women)” Luke 8:1-2a
Intro: We’re continuing the sermon titled “Something Good to Talk About Part 2.”
Remember: When the worst things are happening in your world.
The best thing you can think of is Jesus.
And:
What changes us is this knowing that we are children of God.
Claiming the identity that our Baptism represents as children of God.
Let’s look at As a child of God there is forgiveness.
This is one of the greatest benefit of knowing Christ.
There is not only forgiveness for my sins, failures, weakness and mistakes.
But because I am a Christian I learn to forgive others their trespasses against me.
There is one bit of news that is same about all us.
Not only do we fail ourselves.
We will all fail God and fail others.
Have you ever met someone who thinks they are perfect?
I am sure no one here thinks they are always right.
But somewhere out there are people who believe that they are never wrong.
Their perspective is always correct.
They see thing black or white.
There is no such thing as gray or different points of view.
In every situation in life there will always be someone who believe they are always right.
It is either their way or the highway.
If you are sitting next to someone like that just go ahead and turned around and looked them and smile.
They probably think they are perfect.
The hardest person to forgive is yourself.
When someone who thinks they are perfect realizes they have made a mistake they have the hardest time forgiving theirself.
Because they first have to admit they made mistake.
And they can’t admit they were ever wrong.
They want admit it to someone else.
They want admit to theirself.
A perfect person pays for their perfection in private.
They hold it in.
They develop bleeding ulcers.
They have high blood pressure.
They buy more things than they need.
They reward their perfection by overcompensating
They can’t be content with what they have.
There is nothing more harmful to your health or relationships
than believing you are perfect and not being able to admit you are often wrong just like everyone else.
Then there is the inability to acknowledge you have failed God.
You can be really good person and still be in this category.
Remember the twelve disciples were following Jesus from one town and village to another.
In Mark 10:37 “They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
The disciples like most people did not understand following Jesus was really about.
They thought the world centered around them.
They even had ideas that the after would center around them.
They somehow they would be good enough in this life to earn the honor of sitting on a throne beside Jesus.
There were only two people who were ever raised to the same level as Jesus on this earth.
But they weren’t raise on a throne.
One was on the right and the other on the left.
There were two people crucified right along side Jesus on the cross.
One of those two was able to admit that he was a theif.
He was a liar.
He was getting what he deserved.
He repented and accepted his mistake and asked forgiveness of his sin.
And he received the promise of eternal life.
“Jesus said, this day you will be with me in paradise.”
The other was not able to admit his wrong.
He could not admit his mistakes.
He would not acknowledge that he wasn’t perfect.
He would not acknowledge that Jesus was right.
Even in his dying moments,
With his last dying breath he utter prove me wrong.
You saved others, save yourself.
Do you hear the anger and bitterness as this sinner deflect the attention away from his own failures and sin
And tries to make Jesus look like the bad guy.
But somewhere in the lonely darkness of night and private personal despair the mind is broken
Because you can’t forgive yourself for something you want admit you are wrong.
And you can’t find forgiveness for yourself and you can’t forgive others.
You are literally between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
I’ve got Something Good to Talk to you About
As a child of God there is forgiveness.
You can find release.
God will forgive you no matter what you have done.
He will even forgive you for thinking you are perfect.
God will walk with you through the fire.
God is faithful when we are not faithful.
Some of you are going through some things right now because of your mistakes.
But I know the Saviour of the world!
There nothing Jesus can’t handle.
There is nothing too big for God.
All you have to do is open your heart and accept the free gift of forgiveness.
Forgiveness: that is “Something Good to Talk About.”
Do you know anyone who needs to talk about forgiveness?
Here is another one to think about:
I can live by faith instead of living in doubt.
Do you live in a house with someone who is angry?
I mean they just seem to never have anything good to say.
When the sun is out it is too hot.
When it is raining too cloudy.
If you were to fix a hamburger they would complaint because it wasn’t steak.
If you fix the steak it would either be undercooked or too well done.
We all know people like that. People who you just can’t ever please.
Guess what. They are right. You are never going to please them.
Only God is going to be able to please them.
Until they learn to live by faith they will never find happiness.
Church is supposed to about what God wants.
It is not about what we like.
It is about what God likes.
When you pray you want find fault in the prayers of others.
When you sing you will drown out the noise of others.
When you volunteer to be a leader will learn you are just not going to make everyone happy.
Luke 6:26 says, “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”
Popularity is no guarantee of truth.
Chase the praise of God not the praise of crowds.
Live by faith not by the flattery and words that people say.
Sing praises unto God not praise unto people.
Put you trust in God and rebuke doubt in the name of Jesus.
Let’s exploit doubt.
Doubt is often fear about the future.
So let’s use that uncertainty about the future to claim victory.
If the future is unclear.
If the future is uncertain.
If the future is undecided.
Then you have an opportunity to trust God to change your future.
Fred W. Smith was afraid that his important mail would not get to its destination and be delivered on time.
So he developed the concept of “overnight delivery” which grew into Federal Express.
Fed Ex ships almost 4 million delivers per day.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Doubts and fear can lead us to new possibilities.
God can change our frustrations into something positive for ourselves and others.
What do you think would happen in your life if you prayed God place a creative spirit in me
Let me discover new possibilities about the future and tomorrow.
Let me live by faith not by doubt.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
So I say to myself I can make it through this day.
I say to myself I will get through this problem
I will overcome this adversity
This difficulty is going to make me stronger.
This problem is going to build character
You can speak blessing and victory into your life
Or you can speak loss and defeat.
I had rather have “Something Good to Talk About.”
Doubt is really an opportunity to trust God to help you through.
God wants you to speak strong faith.
Matthew 7:7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
God already has blessing waiting in your future.
God is omniscient Psalm 139 God knows everything there is to know about us.
God is Jehovah-shalom. This name means “He is the God of peace.”
We are meant to know the “shalom of God. We are meant to know the peace of His “shalom.”
We need to believe that God has “Something Good for us to Talk About.”
When you speak change and you speak good news
Then what you really change is yourself.
And what God does is in you begins to change the atmosphere of your life.
You change the atmosphere of your home.
You change the atmosphere of your marriage or relationship.
You can change the atmosphere of your church.
Sometimes God is waiting for us to speak it before we can see it.
Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.”
God is Jehovah-jireh. This name means “God is the one who provides.”
Just as He provided yesterday, He will also provide today and tomorrow. Genesis 22:9-14
I will provide everything I need.
God is going to protect my children
God is going to provide the money to pay off the family life center.
God is going to give this church a breakthrough in growth.
God is going raise our children and teens to excellence
Sometimes God is just waiting for you to say it before he does it.
Talk Something Good about the Future.
Do you have Something Good to Talk About?
I have met people who think there is nothing good in their life.
Their parents are on drugs.
They work minimum wage jobs.
There is more rubber on the sole of their shoes than the tread on their tires.
But we have an iphone
And internet
And computer
And Netflix
When push comes to shove there is always that one friend who has your back.
You have got a church.
You have a God who can fix broken.
Will you say that with me?
I have a God who can fix broken.
Will you repeat that one more time?
I have a God who can fix broken.
That is “Something Good to Talk About.”
Will you come leave here today talking about a God who is Good?
Pray with me: Dear God, I stand before you today in desperate need of you. Jesus, I’ve been wrong.
Today I want to get right. I give you permission to forgive me, to heal me, to set me free.
I believe by faith Jesus you died on the cross. You rose on the third day to give me the hope of heaven and to give me hope now. Holy Spirit, fill me now with the power of your presence.
Transform me from the inside out. Today I boldly declare I am born again. Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to serve Jesus. Amen.
