I Think it's important
to define Real Christianity because you're like well,
you're a pastor.
This is a church.
How did you know John and real Christianity
loves?
unconditionally If you go back to obviously the
teachings of Jesus and when we talk about
Christianity It's just followers of Christ and authentic
biblical Christianity has unconditional love We love people
unconditionally and if you do you want to
know why because God loved me God loved
me unconditionally and There's a perception out there
of pastors That often is not correct.
I was actually voted least likely to succeed
in high school I was and I was
an alcoholic I would say by the age
of 18 So I can relate to addiction
It cheated my way through high school probably
graduated I think I've said this before 1
.8 barely got by Still leaving high school
not able to read very well and and
learning disability challenges came from a very angry
home my father was very angry and Wasn't
a good environment walking on eggshells.
Have you ever heard that term?
I know exactly what that means You don't
know what kind of mood he was in
as a result to eating addiction Alcohol became
overweight a poor self-image of myself and
later in the teens So, of course, what
does that lead to it leads to a
wrecked life leads to steroid use and abuse
crystal myth a lot of party scenes and
So when I look back now and see
what God has done on my in my
own life it's all I can do to
not want to share it with people and
that's why we can love unconditionally because he
first loved me he Loved me through all
of that unconditionally.
So who am I to not love others?
unconditionally and offer the same forgiveness that has
been offered to me and There's actually something
through many of you talked about addiction and
there's a lot of pain here this morning
Comes with memorials.
I just found out midnight I decided to
text it forward this morning a family friend
of 35 years passed away last night And
we're hosting that memorial next Saturday as well,
and there's so much pain and brokenness But
the good thing about pain and brokenness is
it can draw you right to the cross?
It can draw you right to that relationship
with God and we have a choice what
I did in my late 20s Ruined my
life And was some would say successful, but
I was failing inside.
I was dying inside and that Brokenness can
be a wonderful gift if you allow it
to push you towards that relationship with God
Jesus said I tell you her sins and
there are many have been forgiven Those who
have been forgiven much love much and I
don't quite understand the dynamic But the greater
the pain often the greater the relationship.
I know Christ is my Savior is my
Lord I should be I should be on
my fourth marriage or hungover today or buried
in a cemetery.
I should be dead I should be laying
in the curb But it was the grace
of God that reached down and because of
that pain because of that brokenness that relationship
is close to me I I love Christ.
I'm not afraid to talk about what he
means to me and You can same thing
with you that pain that brokenness can draw
you to God, but often you know what
it does is the opposite We become bitter
become angry would become upset at God the
very person we should be running to we
run from That's why I love the song
that Heather Sung and I could just I
was just sitting there remembering my own life
amazing grace How sweet the sound that saved
a wretch like me.
I was blind, but now I see I
was lost But now I've been found It
was grace that taught my heart to fear
and fear my heart relieved How precious did
that grace appear the hour I first believed?
that's powerful that's powerful truth and Before I
get into the four points, they're brief.
I don't want to keep you here I've
got to preach a lot tomorrow as well
And I'm looking forward to that's what God's
called me to do He took the least
likely and gave me a position of speaking
to people and I was scared to death
To speak in front of people it would
never happen ever happen I'd rather have a
leg amputated to be honest with you or
a couple root canals and What God did
is because of that of giving my life
fully surrendering my life and being filled with
God's Presence and God's Spirit and wanting to
preach It is what he's called me to
do.
But before I get into that all of
you, of course are welcome tomorrow I don't
want you to any of everything.
You're not welcome in a church We'd love
to see you if you need hope and
encouragement, but I was talking with John I
was thinking the prodigal son story many of
you know the prodigal son story, right?
If you don't this man was given his
inheritance early and what did he do save
it?
No, he spent it.
The Bible says a boob.
It's a King James on riotous living which
reminds me of I Las Vegas days 25
years ago and and going there and not
remembering how I got home and The prodigal
son and that's what it would parallel today.
He was lost everything.
He's actually eating with the pigs The Bible
says he's feeding the swine and he says
I don't have food and he's eating the
pigs food And he finally the Bible says
he came to himself When the son had
come to himself, he came to himself He
said I've got to go home At least
my father might forgive me might put me
as a servant and the Bible talks about
when the man was coming home The father
actually ran to meet the son The father
ran to meet the son.
So that's the imagery we have of God
sometimes we think of God as this mean
cosmic killjoy and There actually are two different
views we have this view of a cosmic
ball of love Right or this angry abusive
father That just wants to harm and do
but there's that's not they represent clear representation
of God He is that's why one of
the attributes is love.
So we see this father running to the
Sun So the problem's not on God's side.
It's often on the Sun side not wanting
to run back to the father So the
four points I told you on this God's
heart is not to condemn Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
I've heard some things on TV God's heart
is not to condemn John 3 17 for
God did not send his son into the
world to condemn He did not send his
son into the world to condemn the world
but to save the world through him That
that's the heart of God.
Well, wait a minute.
I thought God condemns.
We'll see Biblical Christianity also believes in truth
absolute truth truth of God's Word the heart
of God is salvation The heart of God
is to send his son to die for
the world and then when people reject that
gift That's a rejection that takes place then
the condemnation comes later because they reject God's
love So the first thing I want you
to realize is God's heart is not to
condemn Romans 3 10 there is none that
are righteous.
No, not one There is none who understands
there is none who seeks after God we
all false we all fall short We're we
all sin.
No one is innocent.
Not even you Shane.
No, we're all in the same boat we're
all in the same boat and Here's the
difference if we're all in the same boat
When we talk about Christianity we talk about
those who believe in Jesus The reason is
this we're all in the same boat.
I see a hole in the boat.
This boat is sinking But those who embrace
God's gracious gift of salvation say God I
need you we hop out of the boat
that's sinking And we want to help others
come out of that boat come out of
that that way of life.
That's destroying to them So that's the heart
of God is to help people not hurt
and one of the times many times the
church gives people the wrong Impression condemning judgmental
arrogant bigoted narrow-minded right But You have
to love but you also have to share
the truth and the truth is we're all
in the same boat and our goal Is
to help people come out of of that
and find a relationship with God Romans 5
8 declares, but God demonstrated his own love
toward us and now while we were still
sinners Christ died for us.
I Mean you to read that again God
demonstrated his love toward us and that while
we were still sinners Christ died for us
and this always I get a little teary
-eyed sometimes at this verse because I often
think wait a minute Wait a minute during
my drunken binges in Palm Springs or my
crystal myth weekends in Las Vegas Christ died
for me Yes, he did 2,000 year
years ago on on Calvary the old rugged
cross We love to see that song but
there's truth in that even before I was
even conceived Christ died for that That's the
love of God That's the love of God
that sent who in the world's gonna send
their own son Somebody said Shane send your
son.
I said no.
I'm sorry pick another option.
That's not happening and God sent his son
and died for us even while we were
sinning Even while I'm rejecting him and bitter
and angry even while I'm caught in this
destructive party lifestyle Christ is still there beckoning
come home prodigal son.
Come home.
I died for that.
Come home.
Stop living in there So there's freedom there
There's a story I heard this week and
I'm sharing it tomorrow morning for sure and
I wanted to share it with you on
this point If God's heart is is not
to condemn it.
It's a mother whose son comes home at
2 in the morning He's he's intoxicated He
falls down on his bed hi, and The
father hears the mother come up Out of
it out of the bed walks over to
his room and he says finally she's gonna
let him have it Right.
Finally, she's gonna let him have it so
we've been waiting for we're tired of this
kids messing around and Five minutes later.
He didn't hear anything So he went in
there and he saw the mom next to
the son in bed with him caressing his
hair just loving him and The the dad
said what are you doing?
And she said he would not let me
love him while he's awake so I will
love him while he's asleep That's the love
of God That's the love of God Number
two you are made in the image of
God You are made in the image of
God.
Wait a minute Shane.
I've heard all these other things No, you
did not come from pre-mortal ooze of
things just happening.
You were created in the image of God
You were if you want more information that
I'm actually debating an atheist in March on
this topic Because I love this topic of
creating you God creating us in his image.
That's why they're shaming guilt Have you ever
felt shame and guilt?
There's just me don't leave me up here
by myself Shame and guilt.
Why is I the shame this guilt this
depression?
I can never measure up I feel depressed
and instead of running to running to Christ.
We run to Xanax Why is there shame
and guilt because that image has been damaged?
It's been marred.
It's been broken That image that God created
us.
Let us make man in our Image according
to our likeness So when we're out of
that relationship with God and we break that
fellowship our image is marred his God's image
in us Is is disfigured.
It's spoiled.
It's marred.
So I'm scarred with this and I have
this shame in this guilt Because like Romans
said there's none who none who do right
no not one and many things many people
think if I could just do good enough
and if I could just be better if
You can't you can't You can't trust me
Number three true love tells the truth and
I went down there and John listened.
I just told him the truth Doesn't true
love tell the truth Where do we ever
get this notion that truth doesn't offend?
Truth doesn't well, let's not say that What
how would parents be measured today?
Well, my mom told me I couldn't do
that She must not love me.
No, the reason parents admonish and Exhort and
rebuke sometimes is because they love so true
love loves the truth and they love others
enough to tell them the truth and I've
heard it many times.
The church is always against something, right?
What's wrong with you guys?
You're always against something Well, if I'm for
lower taxes, I'm against higher taxes if I'm
for equal rights I'm against oppression if I'm
for children I'm against abuse if I'm for
a man being set free then I'm against
the sin that enslaves him Would that not
make sense?
Jesus says I tell you the truth See
the truth is a wonderful thing.
It's the thing we've forgotten in our culture
today we want the love of God, but
not the truth of God and They go
together loving somebody to know to tell them
the truth now, here's the problem though.
We don't like the truth Do we many
times?
I don't want to hear the truth.
Just tell me what I want to hear
But true love will tell you the truth
Here's why when you realize when I realized
the truth that I am a sinner and
without God without Christ I am lost When
somebody finally told me the truth and it
convicted me I was upset I was upset
for a while And my mom would pray
for me.
Thank God for praying grandparents and praying mothers.
I Remember I've shared this before at our
at our church but my mom would used
to used to put the Bible on her
my ACDC and Judas Priest albums and Iron
Maiden and Metallica and and all that you
used to yeah.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah This don't don't let this fool
you Don't let this fool you and I
would get so mad But she would share
it son.
That's not a good way to go son.
You don't belong here Son, you don't belong
here.
Come home.
Can't you hear the heart of God?
Come home Come home and loving and someone
enough to tell them the truth and the
final thing.
You must embrace the love of God to
experience it That's the thing we miss you
have to you have to embrace you have
to embrace the love of God to experience
it And I talked to a lot of
people and it's always this how could a
loving God you fill in the blank, right?
And I don't have all the answers If
we had all the answers there would not
be a God We would be God.
How could a loving God and I want
to ask the follow-up question How could
man reject his offer of salvation and love
How can we reject it Not talking about
you.
Let me talk about me.
I'll tell you why I rejected because prideful
sinful man loved his lifestyle.
I Was prideful as arrogant still got to
work on.
It's still a struggle Pride and arrogance kept
me prevented me from having a relationship with
God.
So remember that God's heart is not to
condemn You are made in the image of
God I can prove that with anybody to
prove that to anybody And and we are
seeing an epidemic at least in the church
up here You know, we run to and
I was it wasn't joking about Xanax or
oxy or or vac it in I'm sure
people use that a lot to get through
the pain But Jesus has come to me
the Bible says come to me all your
week and heavy laden and I will give
you rest So the pain we're feeling the
shame we're feeling the guilt.
We're filling the confusion We're filling we just
say God change it change it in me
I need you see it's a step of
humility, isn't it to say I need God
is a step of humility The humble he
teaches his way Verse that Heather shared is
Psalm 34 18.
The Lord is near to those who have
a broken heart and he saves He saves
such as have a contrite spirit.
The Lord is near to those who have
a broken heart So you might be asking
all right Shane, what do I do?
Well acts 319 says repent Repent therefore and
be converted that your sins may be blotted
out.
So the times of refreshing may come from
the presence of the Lord That's it Once
that sin is dealt with and it's not
a popular topic right now Is it this
is not a popular topic whatsoever, but I've
told God when he called me to preach
I'll preach the truth I want to preach
the truth because I love people enough to
tell them the truth So the Bible says
repent in any of us all of us
who are not right relationship with God repent
and be converted that your sins May be
blot out so times of refreshing may come
from the presence of the Lord That were
times of the words times of refreshing is
like a revival happening within your heart.
That's what happens When that issue is dealt
with and we take it all to the
cross