### **Introduction**
Video Ill.: Awkward Invites - The Translation by The Skit Guys
"Peanuts, the famous cartoon strip, often assumes the form of a modern-day, Christian parable." (1) That is how Robert L. Short, author of the book The Gospel According to Peanuts, described Charles Schulz’s work. Schulz had a knack for slipping gospel truths into four little panels—no pulpit, no sermon notes, no church building—just ordinary humor and simple drawings.
Charles himself described his interweaving of gospel truths this way: “...naturally I must exercise care in the way I go about expressing things. I have a message that I want to present, but I would rather bend a little to put over a point than to have the whole strip dropped because it is too obvious. As a result...all kinds of people in religious work have written to thank me for preaching in my own way through the strips. That is one of the things that keep me going.” (2)
Charles Schulz is doing nothing different than what Paul strove to do. Consider Paul’s own words in 1 Corinthians 9:
19 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even || though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of || God; I obey the law of Christ.
22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to || spread the Good News and share in its blessings. (1 Corinthians 9, NLT)
In other words, Paul adapted his approach so he could connect with people right where they were—without changing the message of the gospel itself.
This morning, we are beginning a new study, which will lead us up to Back to Church Sunday — The Gospel According to Peanuts. Over the next few weeks, we are going to see how Charles Schulz’s “modern-day Christian parables” can help us not only understand the basics of the gospel, but also challenge us to share the good news in ways we are most comfortable. Each week, we will begin with a short video from the Skit Guys, humorously illustrating how we should not share the gospel. Then we will look at some of the Peanuts comic strips and outline the fundamentals of the gospel message.
Sharing the gospel in his own way is what Schulz did with comics. It’s what the Skit Guys do. It’s what we can do in our own lives. God has wired each of us with a way to share the good news—through conversation, acts of service, creativity, hospitality, teaching, or sometimes just listening well.
This morning, if we are going to understand the good news, we have to face the bad news — the whole trouble — head-on. And that starts with getting honest about what our real problem is. The Bible calls it sin. We tend to think of sin as just the bad things we do—but Scripture tells us it goes much deeper than that. It is not only our actions; it is our nature. It is who we are apart from God. Because of the failures of Adam and Eve, we are all born this way—none of us comes into the world with built-in faith or a natural desire to worship Him. (3)
## **1 – The Trouble with You Is That You’re You**
So as we begin this morning, Lucy hits the nail on the head in our first comic strip:
Lucy and Charlie Brown are leaning against a brick wall.
Lucy: Discouraged again, eh, Charlie Brown?
** Next frame **
Lucy: You know what your trouble is? The whole trouble with you is that you're YOU!
** Next frame **
Charlie Brown: Well, what in the world can I do about that?
** Next frame **
Lucy: I don't pretend to be able to give advice.... I merely point out the trouble.
As Lucy says, “The trouble with you is that you’re you.”
The beginning of the gospel is simple — the trouble with us is that we are us. We have an inherent problem that is as old as time.
We are all sinners. The tendency to sin is as much a part of who we are as our eye color, our hair color, our personalities, our mannerisms.
There Are Two Types Of People In This World: ...
By John Shearhart
Attributed to Jeff Miller
Copied from Sermon Central
Someone has once said: There are two types of people in this world: Forgiven sinners and unforgiven sinners. And there are two types of forgiven sinners: Those who are fighting with sin and those who have surrendered to sin.
We are all sinners!
But it has not always been that way. God did not create a world full of sin.
Sin came into the world when the Devil himself decided he wanted to be God — when his arrogance prevailed — when pride became his fall.
And his fall introduced mankind to the temptation of disobeying God — a temptation that has plagued every person who has ever lived, since the beginning of time. As Paul wrote to the Romans in Romans 3:
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3, NLT)
Surrendering to that temptation to disobey God — sin — broke the relationship we had with God. As the Devil was exiled from heaven, so are we exiled from God because of our disobedience.
It is a little like having a computer that has been infected with a virus deep in its operating system. You can change the wallpaper, reorganize the files, even install new programs—but at its core, the system is corrupted. No matter how much you dress it up, the virus is still there, quietly affecting everything it does. That is what sin has done to us. It is not just a glitch in our behavior—it is embedded in our very nature. And just like a computer needs a full system restore to function as it should, we need God to cleanse and restore our hearts.
There is nothing we can do to change who we are. There is nothing we can do to change the relationship with God. There is nothing we can do. We are who we are. Sinners.
**Transition:**
So if the trouble with us is that we’re us—born with this built-in flaw—what does that mean for daily life? It means that even when we know what is right, even when we want to do what is right, there is something inside pulling in the opposite direction. That’s not just a theory—that’s an experience we all share. And the Bible does not shy away from it. In fact, the Apostle Paul put it into words better than any of us could. Which leads us right into our second truth…
## **2 – There’s a Battle Within**
We are all dealing with a battle within.
Charles Schulz illustrated it this way:
Lucy and Linus are looking at a heart picture on a wall. The left side of the heart is colored dark. The right side is colored light.
Lucy: This, Linus, is a picture of the human heart!
** Next frame **
Lucy: One side is filled with hate and the other side is filled with love....
** Next frame **
Lucy: These are the two forces which are constantly at war with each other....
** Next frame **
Linus: I think I know just what you mean... I can feel them fighting!
We each know what it feels like. That tug-of-war inside. Wanting to do one thing, even though we know it’s wrong. Feeling the pull of the Spirit to resist, while sin calls us in the opposite direction.
The Apostle Paul wrote about this very struggle in Romans 7:
15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.… 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am!…. (Romans 7, NLT)
Paul was honest about the brawl that happens in every human heart. It’s not just Charlie Brown. It’s not just Lucy. It’s us.
A Man Entered A Bar, Bought A Glass Of Beer And ...
By Davon Huss
Copied from Sermon Central
The story is told of a man who entered a bar, bought a glass of beer and then immediately threw it into the bartender’s face. Quickly grabbing a napkin, he helped the bartender dry his face while he apologized with great remorse. "I’m so sorry," he said. "I have this compulsion to do this. I fight it, but I don’t know what to do about it."
"You had better do something about your problem," the bartender replied. "You can be sure I’ll remember you and will never serve you another drink until you get help."
It was months before the man faced the bartender again. When he asked for a beer, the bartender refused.
The man proceeded to explain that he had been seeing a psychiatrist and that his problem was solved. Convinced it was now okay to serve him, the bartender poured him a drink. The man took the glass and splashed the beer into the barkeeper’s astonished face. "I thought you were cured," the shocked bartender screamed.
"I am," said the man. "I still do it, but I don’t feel guilty about it anymore."
That’s where sin wants to take us—either trapped in guilt we can’t shake, or numb to guilt altogether.
But guilt itself is not the enemy. Guilt is a God-given signal, like pain in the body, warning us that something is wrong in the soul. When we no longer feel it, our hearts are in real danger.
This inner battle is proof that sin is alive in us, but it’s also proof that God hasn’t given up on us. The war inside is evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work. The very struggle shows that God is still reaching, still drawing, still fighting for our souls.
The question isn’t whether we fight—it’s which side we let win.
This battle inside of us is real, and it is exhausting. Like Paul, we cry out, “Oh, what a miserable person I am!” But Paul doesn’t leave us hanging there. He doesn’t stop with despair. The very next words he writes are:
24 …Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…. (Romans 7, NLT)
And that’s the turning point. The gospel never ends with bad news or even just inner conflict. It points us to the only One who can rescue us.
That brings us to our third truth from Peanuts—hope beyond ourselves.
## **3 – Without Help from Above, We Just Cannot Change**
You see, without help from above, we just cannot change on our own.
We can see that in our third strip from Charles Schulz:
Charlie Brown and Lucy are walking around.
Charlie Brown: All it would take to make me happy is to have someone say he likes me....
** Next frame **
Lucy: Are you sure?
** Next frame **
Charlie Brown: Of course, I'm sure!
Lucy: You mean you'd be happy if someone merely said he or she likes you?
** Next frame **
Lucy: Do you mean to tell me that someone has it within his or her power to make you happy merely by doing such a simple thing?
** Next frame **
Charlie Brown: Yes! That's exactly what I mean!
Lucy: Well, I don't think that's asking too much. I really don’t....
** Next frame **
Lucy: But you're sure now? All you want is to have someone say, "I like you, Charlie Brown"....
** Next frame **
Lucy: ... and then you will be happy?
Charlie Brown: And then I'll be happy!
** Next frame **
Lucy: (walking away) I can't do it!
She knows what Charlie Brown needs, but Lucy just cannot bring herself to say it. It seems like such an easy thing to do. Yet for her, it was impossible.
Robert Short observes: “The inability of the Peanuts kids to produce any radical change for the better in themselves — or in each other — is a constant Peanuts theme.” (4)
And that’s why we laugh—it’s not just Charlie Brown’s problem. It’s not just Lucy’s problem. They are a reflection of our own lives, because it’s our problem too.
We know the changes that need to happen in our lives. We know the words we should say, the habits we should break, the forgiveness we should extend. And it all seems so simple… until we try. On our own, it’s impossible.
No matter how hard we try, our hands are still dirty.
There’s a Peanuts strip where Linus is eating a sandwich. Lucy is sitting on the floor, minding her own business, reading a book. As he is eating, Linus says, “Hands are fascinating things! I like my hands. I think I have nice hands. My hands seem to have a lot of character.”
At this point, Lucy looks up from her book to listen closer to what Linus is saying. He continues: “These are hands which may someday accomplish great things. These are hands which may someday do marvelous works! They may build mighty bridges, or heal the sick, or hit home-runs, or write soul-stirring novels.”
He continues with great excitement: “These are hands which may someday change the course of destiny!”
Lucy looks at Linus’ hands and states matter-of-factly, “They’ve got jelly on them!” and walks away, while Linus stands there looking completely unimpressed. (5)
You see, no matter how grand our dreams, our hands are stained. And no matter what we do to wash them, the stain remains.
Pontius Pilate faced the same truth. In Matthew 27, he took a basin of water and tried to wash his hands of responsibility for Jesus’ death. He even declared himself innocent before the crowd. But no amount of water, no declaration of innocence could make him clean. His hands were still guilty.
And so are ours. We may long for change. We may try to scrub away the stain. But on our own, we cannot.
Paul captures our cry perfectly in Romans 7:
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life dominated by sin and death? (Romans 7, NLT)
Powerless Against Sin
Source: Laura Chick, Denver, Colorado. Leadership, Vol. 9, no. 4.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1998/february/2865.html
Copied from Preaching Today
The story goes that a man purchased a white mouse to use as food for his pet snake. He dropped the unsuspecting mouse into the snake's glass cage, where the snake was sleeping in a bed of sawdust. The tiny mouse had a serious problem on his hands. At any moment he could be swallowed alive. Obviously, the mouse needed to come up with a brilliant plan. What did the terrified creature do? He quickly set to work covering the snake with sawdust chips until it was completely buried. With that, the mouse apparently thought he had solved his problem. The solution, however, came from outside. The man took pity on the silly little mouse and removed him from the cage.
That’s us. We can pile on good deeds, excuses, or self-help strategies, but sin always stirs awake. Our only hope is rescue from above.
That’s why Paul doesn’t end with despair, but with gratitude:
25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord…. (Romans 7:25, NLT)
Jesus Himself put it this way:
5 “…I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15, NLT)
The good news of the gospel is not “try harder.”
It’s simply “trust Jesus.”
## **Conclusion**
This morning, Charlie Brown’s problem is our problem. Lucy’s problem is our problem. No matter how hard we try, we cannot fix ourselves. Sin runs too deep. The stain goes too far. We are powerless to change—unless help comes from above.
And here’s the good news: help has come. Jesus Christ is our rescue, our restoration, and our hope. He is the One who cleanses the stain, who frees us from guilt, who gives us the power to change.
But here’s the thing: the world around us needs to hear this good news too. And they don’t need it packaged in a sermon outline, or in stained glass and pulpits. They need it shared in the everyday language of real life.
That’s what Charles Schulz did with a comic strip. It’s what Paul did when he adapted his message to Jews and Gentiles. It’s what the Skit Guys do with their skits. And it’s what we can do with our story, our gifts, our personality.
Some of us will share through conversations over coffee. Some through acts of service. Some through hospitality. Some through creativity. Some through quiet listening. God has wired each one of us with a unique way of communicating the good news.
So here is my challenge for us for this week:
Think about what we’ve talked about today—the bad news of sin and the good news of Jesus.
Then ask yourself: How would I explain that to my neighbor, my co-worker, or my friend in a way that feels natural for me?
Because the gospel is too good to keep to ourselves. We are Jesus’ plan “A” for growing the church. He told us to go into the world. All the world! And as we walk through this series, we’re not just going to enjoy Schulz’s humor—we’re going to learn how to find our way of sharing the greatest news the world has ever heard.
As we discover the gospel through Peanuts these next few weeks, do not just keep it to ourselves. Think about someone in our lives who needs hope, someone who might never come if we said, “Come hear a sermon,” but who just might come if we said, “Come sit with me.”
That’s what Back to Church Sunday is all about—giving our friends and neighbors a simple invitation into a place where they can hear the good news in a way that makes sense.
Because the gospel is too good not to share.
1 The Gospel According to Peanuts. Robert L. Short. Westminster John Knox Press. © 1965. p. 21.
2 The Gospel According to Peanuts. Robert L. Short. Westminster John Knox Press. © 1965. p. 23.
3 The Gospel According to Peanuts. Robert L. Short. Westminster John Knox Press. © 1965. p. 39.
4 The Gospel According to Peanuts. Robert L. Short. Westminster John Knox Press. © 1965. p. 37.
5 The Gospel According to Peanuts. Robert L. Short. Westminster John Knox Press. © 1965. p. 42-43.
