The Perfect Storm Series

Recovering Redemption Series (5 of 5)

The Perfect Storm

Oct. 19, 2014 CFBC Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A Over the last four weeks we have become reacquainted (or acquainted) with what redemption means.

1 We’ve come to know . . . .

a The original version of God’s Song of Redemption.

aa We can’t make words up, change the lyrics or tempo.

bb Until we know that song we can’t ever be free.

b The Good News of the Gospel is the only thing that can fix us.

aa Four Buckets (Ourselves, Others, World, Religion)

bb Gospel tells us Get over ourselves, worth is not wrapped up in other people’s opinion of us, stuff comes from God and wants to enjoy it, True salvation kills religion)

c Good Grief vs. Bad Grief (2 Cor. 7.10)

2 Corinthians 7:10 (HCSB) 10 For godly grief produces a repentance not to be regretted and leading to salvation, but worldly grief produces death.

aa We see our sin the way God does; Produces sorrow (prostitute washing His feet)

bb Confesses sin (I’m messed up!); Blush (I’m yours, Lord. Fix this.)

d Justification & Sanctification

aa Justification is one-time for all time thing.

bb Sanctification (vivification & mortification; Miracle Grow & wedding)

2 Today, I want to land the plane we’ve been flying at 30,000 feet in for the last four Sundays. (How does the last four sermons look like when they hit the ground?)

a We’re approaching the landing strip and the weather is a little rough. . . which makes since, life is rough.

b Two years ago, just a few days before Halloween 2012, a category 2 hurricane collided with a ferocious winter storm and a Noreaster coming out of Canada.

aa Meteorologists refered to it as a “Polar Vortex”, “Hybrid Vortex”, “Frankenstorm”

bb More officially, Superstorm Sandy (killed more than 125 people, caused more than $60 billion in damage, power outages, gasoline shortages.

c What happened along the Jersey Shore is what many of us live with on a regular basis.

aa We live in a situation where guilt and shame collide, feed off one another.

bb We know life wasn’t supposed to be like this . . . it won’t always be this way forever . . . but for now how do we stop the perfect storm of guilt & shame?

cc This is the exact place we’re landing the payload of the Gospel/Song of Redemption comes blaring out of the tornado sirens.

B Part of the promise of the gospel is to lessen the storm & rob grief/shame of their power to do any more damage.

1 We’re familiar with these two storm systems because they’ve been around since the Garden of Eden.

a Just because we’re familiar with guilt/shame, there’s a lot we don’t know about them. . . a lot they just don’t come right out and say about themselves.

b We see them as twins (Guilt & Shame), it’s hard to tell the difference between them . . . but they’re different.

aa There is some overlap/interaction between the two, but they’re not really the exact same thing.

bb Why is important to know the differences between the two?

cc The reason you don’t go to a heart specialist if you have cancer; dermatologist for your kidneys.

dd They’re different problems that require different treatment.

2 Guilt is more about what we do; shame is more about who we are.

a Guilt means we’ve failed to meet a clear moral code, a legality.

aa Example, you consider yourself to be a caring, selfless, always willing to help people kinda of person . . . when you pass by a homeless person & don’t help/ministry opportunity is advertised in the bulleting you feel guilt if you don’t do something, as if you’re breaking the law if you don’t do something.

bb Because you see proudly yourself as a caring, selfless, always willing to help people kinda of person, you feel shame for not being the person you claim or want to be.

cc Guilt is more about what we do; shame is more about who we are.

b When we don’t live up to what we want people to think we are, or who we claim/want to be . . . the storm hits so we try do stuff different.

aa Anger, abuse, lust (rip it off the tree), but we haven’t really killed it.

bb Another will start growing where the old one use to be.

cc If we look further down the tree, cut the trunk, those apples aren’t coming back.

c In the roots, we find a hunger for innocence and honor.

aa Guilt robs us of innocence and shame robs us of honor.

bb Guilt & shame are the double helix that creates the DNA of our worst behavior.