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Message 4: I Can Be Abba's Child!

In Matthew 6:9 Jesus gives his followers what we call “The Lord’s Prayer”

How does this prayer begin?
“Our Father who art in heaven…”

The Greek word that Jesus selected for “Father” is the word “pater”. Pater is a title of honor. It is a formal term.

Now over in Mark 14:36, during one of the most critical and emotion charged moments of Jesus’ life, He addresses God a little differently:

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36

He uses two terms: “Father” – pater and “Abba”

What does “Abba” mean?

“Abba” is an Aramaic term – the language of the common man – that little children, just learning to talk would use to call their father. It’s not all that different from ‘dada’ or ‘papa’ that we still hear today.

“Abba” is a term of endearment and intimacy. It implies a closeness of relationship and a warmth between the child and the ‘abba.’

Look up Romans 8:14-16…
“Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” Romans 8:14-16

We are welcome to come to God on the same terms, with the same intimacy, with the same familiarity – that Christ did!

Why? Because we’ve been made sons and daughters! We’ve been adopted into the family! We’ve been given the Holy Spirit to live within us and to give testimony of who we really are: God’s children!

Now it is vital for you to see clearly that…
• GOD MADE THE FIRST MOVE! Turn to John 1:12-14

God reached out to us, in the midst of our mess, and invited us to move up into Him!

1. He moved towards us through the incarnation of Christ!

What does “incarnation” mean?
Here’s John 12-14
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:12-14

Our adoption into God’s family – comes as a direct result of Christ becoming man and living amongst us! Through the incarnation, God’s glory was revealed, and we are drawn to Him!

God made the first move through the incarnation of Christ!

Secondly…
2. He moved towards us through the infilling of the Holy Spirit!

Look at Romans 5:5
“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:5

God filled our lives with His Holy Spirit as yet another way to make His move toward us.

He makes His move towards us because His heart is filled with COMPASSION for us!

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” Isaiah 49:15

Do you see what God is saying to us: He is saying – that even a mother has compassion on her children, even though she is but a human – how much more so will He, show and demonstrate compassion, care and concern for us!

The heart of God is best seen as being completely tender towards those who are lost, broken, wounded and without guidance.

And that’s you and that’s me.

How does it make you feel knowing that God has a tender heart towards you?

God has made and continue to makes His move towards us.

Here’s the key to experiencing “Abba’s Child” status: True intimacy comes as we respond to God’s move and make ours towards Him!

Yet, truth be told, we struggle with this. We either don’t know what to do, how to do it, or we get distracted by the worries and concerns of this world. And so, we end up missing out on so much God has for us. Tragic.

I want to help you with this today. Turn to John 14

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6, 7

Jesus helps us here to see something very clearly:
• MOVING TOWARDS GOD MEANS MOVING DEEPER INTO CHRIST!

Plainly put: My enjoyment of my identity as “Abba’s Child” depends entirely upon my falling head-over-heals in love with Jesus.

• How’s your love relationship with Jesus?
• Are you gaining passion and desire to know and experience Christ more and more and more?
• Are the things that have held your attention for so long losing their appeal compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus?

Jesus says:
I am the way.
I am the truth.
I am the life.

What does this mean?

I AM THE WAY – literally, your journey into God begins with me and I will lead you into all of the places and experiences that you need into order to have it all!

Isaiah the prophet speaks of Christ in this way: Isaiah 35:8…
“And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.” Isaiah 35:8

He is the highway of holiness that leads us into intimacy with our Abba.

This means that we must – in order to experience being “Abba’s child” – abandon other paths and roads that we once thought would lead us somewhere good. We’ve all spent time on roads that lead nowhere. God says to you today: “Abandon that path, and come to me, I’ve provided the WAY – simply follow Jesus and I guarantee you’ll get to the goal!”

What ‘roads to nowhere’ have we traveled?

Jesus also says in John 14:6 that
I AM THE TRUTH

The word he used for truth means: “That which is REAL and CERTAIN”

This is important. A great deal rides on Christ being Who He said He was. We – as believers – are placing our entire lives on the TRUTH of who He is!

Furthermore, Christ made a lot of promises to those who follow Him. I need for those promises to be true. I am counting on His coming through for me!

Look at 1 Corinthians 1:20:
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20

The New Century Version puts it this way:
“The yes to all of God's promises is in Christ, and through Christ we say yes to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:20 NCV

If you want to experience the TRUTH of who Christ is, take Him up on His promises. Watch Him come through for you, and you will experience firsthand, the glory of God!

So many Christians never experience the POWER of the Gospel, because they live compromised, disobedient lives. We try to be SECURE and we try to be SAFE – and God says: Trust me. Do what I say. I will come through for you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I am the TRUTH!

Why is it so difficult to trust Christ to come through for us?

He is THE TRUTH – and experiencing being “Abba’s child” requires that you trust Him to come through.

Thirdly, Jesus says:
I AM THE LIFE

I love this one. Jesus doesn’t say: “I am the BIOS” – the biological life source! No, He says: “I am the ZOE!

Zoe means a life that is real and genuine, active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed and without end!

The offer from Christ is LIFE – not temporary, but eternal. Not ordinary, but extraordinary. Not powerless, but one that empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit!

The word “zoe” is used in 20 of the 26 New Testament books! It’s used 126 times in the New Testament! It must be an important concept that we get.

Christ didn’t call you to live a mediocre existence of simply going through the motions. NO! You are ABBA’S CHILD and He has an amazing life for you to experience! That’s why you’ve got to come alive and allow the Holy Spirit to create a new PASSION and ZEAL for life! That’s why you’ve got to MOVE IN CLOSE and let God show you how to live ZOE – and that’s why you’ve got to realize that YOU ARE IN BATTLE. The enemy wants you to miss out on the ZOE of God! It’s time to rise up, to get serious about WHO YOU ARE – and fight as if your very life depended upon it – because it does!

How you found it to be true that spiritual progress is often accompanied by spiritual attack?

Look carefully at how Christ lived: He wasn’t some weak-wristed, people-pleasing, do-gooder! NO way! He was PASSIONATE, He lived UNAFRAID, He called a SPADE A SPADE. And He lived life at an entirely different level than nearly everyone else.

That’s what being ABBA’S CHILD will do for you.

CONCLUSION:

God made – and continues to make – His move towards you.

Now it’s time for you to make your move towards Him.

And the payoff: You’ll know what it means to pray “Abba, Father…”

Message 3: Free to be a Child Again

Turn to Luke 18:10

Jesus frequently encounters two types of people during his ministry years:

PHARISEES – those who believe that self-efforts at righteousness will result in God’s approval.
CHILDREN – those who simply trust in the grace of God for approval.

Here’s the truth: We can sometimes be PHARISEES and sometimes we can be CHILDREN.

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON BEHAVIORS OR ATTITUDES OF PHARISEES?

In Luke 18:11-27 we are going to encounter three different stories that illustrate the difference between PHARISEES and CHILDREN.

Look at verses 10-14
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”” Luke 18:9-14

Jesus is not afraid to confront those who need it. Notice the words in verses 10: “confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else…” These two things are NOT FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT!

Jesus illustrates two different ways of praying:

Vs. 11-12 is the PHARISEE
Vs 13 is the CHILD

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE PHARISEE’S WAY OF PRAYING?
HOW WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE THE PRAYER OF THE CHILD?

Now look at verse 14 for Jesus’ thoughts:
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.””

If I exalt myself, I can count on being humbled. But, if I come before God with humility, He will lift me up!

“He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble.” Proverbs 3:34
“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18, NIV.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6

WHAT IS IT ABOUT SPIRITUAL ARROGANCE THAT MAKES GOD NUTS?

Now, let’s go to the next story in verses 15-17
“People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”” Luke 18:15-17

Parents are bringing their babies and children before Jesus. They were seeking the blessing of being touched by Jesus for their precious children. And the Disciples of Jesus ‘rebuke’ the parents for this, and inadvertently block the blessing!

Now Jesus says: “Knock it off! This is why I’m here – to bring the Presence of the Kingdom of God to people just like this! And if you want my blessing, you need to become like these little ones!”

WHY DID THE DISCIPLES REBUKE THE PARENTS?
WHY DID JESUS REBUKE THE DISCIPLES?
WHY DOES JESUS REQUIRE CHILDLIKENESS?
WHAT IS IT ABOUT KIDS THAT MAKES THEM MORE RECEPTIVE?

Now look at the third story – verses 18-25
You probably know this as the “Rich Young Ruler”

“A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No-one is good-- except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.’” “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”” Luke 18:18-25

In verse 18 we are introduced to this man. He is described as a ‘ruler’ – which could mean royalty – like a prince, or military – like a captain, or a magistrate – like a judge. Regardless of the specific meaning, this man had authority over some group of people.

He is apparently hungry – at some level – to have what he sees in Jesus. And he poses the question: “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus looks right into the depths of his heart and won’t let him get away with any PHARISEE nonsense. Look what Jesus says in verse 19: “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No-one is good-- except God alone.”

WHAT IS THE SPECIFIC HEART ISSUE THAT JESUS IS ADDRESSING HERE?

He is saying: “Self-efforts will never suffice! There is no one who can be described as being ‘good’ except God Himself!” And that is why Jesus asks the next question – to continue to expose the false belief system that this man is seeking to build his life upon.

“You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honour your father and mother.’” V. 20

One of the key purposes that God gave the LAW OF MOSES, the TEN COMMANDMENTS was to help the people of God see the absolute IMPOSSIBILITY of self-efforts to be perfect in order to discover the amazing grace of God!

But look at how the ruler responds in verse 21:
“All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.” V. 21

HOW WOULD A HUMBLE PERSON RESPOND TO CHRIST’S QUESTION?
HOW DOES THIS RESPONSE EXPOSE THE HEART OF THIS MAN?

How about this? “ALL THESE I HAVE BROKEN SINCE I WAS A BOY.”

That Pharisee deludes himself into believing in his own perfection and goodness. The child recognizes his lack and his need for help.

So Jesus continues his heart surgery:
“You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.” V. 22-23

In this ruler’s particular case, he loved his wealth far more than he loved God. So, God, who is not willing to sit in the second chair, tells him to get rid of his idols and come follow Him.

Obviously this man wasn’t willing to give up his wealth – his security, in order to follow Jesus. And Jesus, ever confident and secure in his own identity, allows him to walk away.

Now look at verse 24-25.
“Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

The word Jesus uses for ‘rich’ is the Greek word CHREMA and it means: ‘thing, matter, affair, event or business’ And what Jesus is saying is that there are many things that can block your relationship with God.

There are many ‘things’ in our lives that we’d be so much better off without. And if you can ever get free of them, your spiritual life will move forward dramatically.

Jesus then uses a funny illustration about a CAMEL and a NEEDLE. He says: “A camel can go through the eye of a needle far easier than a rich person can enter the Kingdom of God.” Some people believe that Jesus was referring to the small gates in the walls of Jerusalem that were extremely tight and narrow, a camel could squeeze through, but it was very difficult. And maybe so, I don’t know. But…

WHAT IS THE POINT OF WHAT JESUS SAYS?

And now look at verses 26-27:
“Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”” Luke 18:26, 27

This seems like a reasonable question – “who then can be saved?”

And look at Jesus’ response: Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

WHAT IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH MEN?

The ways of the Pharisee leads to experiencing the impossibility of self-effort.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no-one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9

But, when we come to God as a child – we experience the possibilities of God’s grace!

HOW HAS THE GRACE OF GOD AFFECTED YOUR LIFE?

CONCLUSION:
Because we belong to God, we are free to kill off the inner Pharisee and to embrace the inner child who lives by faith in the grace of God.
Because we belong to God, we don’t have to try to impress others with our self-efforts, we are free to enjoy our status as His child and celebrate His kindness towards us.
Because we belong to God, joy can become a trademark of our lives.

GO LIVE LIKE A KID OF THE KING!

Message 2: I CAN LEAVE THE IMPOSTOR BEHIND!

INTRODUCTION:
“What difference does it make to me that I belong to God?”

Last week we looked at Romans 1:6:
“And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:6 NIV

The Message Translation puts it this way:
“You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ!” Romans 1:6 Message

That’s powerful: My IDENTITY is the result of Christ’s calling upon my life!

Which is why, we can leave the FALSE SELF, THE POSER, THE IMPOSTOR behind!

Last week, I introduced this idea: Every one of us have an IMPOSTOR self who tries to run our lives.

That’s why people through history have said things like: “To thine own self be true.” Because frequently, we aren’t true to who we really are. We fake it. We pose. We pretend. And it’s killing us.

Let me tell you some things about the IMPOSTOR.

1. The Impostor Lives in FEAR.
He – or – She – is terrified that someone will find out the TRUTH of who they are. The Impostor still hears the condemning voices from the past, and honestly believes that if someone finds out the truth, that they’ll mock them, reject them, or worse yet, ignore them.

FEAR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!

Because you belong to Christ, you don’t have to live in fear. The Apostle John wrote:
“There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life - fear of death, fear of judgment - is one not yet fully formed in love.” 1 John 4:18 Message

The love of Christ for you is a perfect love. He doesn’t love you CONDITIONALLY, or based upon your PERFORMANCE, or upon your ABILITY – He simply loves you because that’s who He is. His love can kill off the fear, if you’ll let Him.

Here’s the second thing about the IMPOSTOR:
2. The Impostor SEEKS TO PLEASE.
Because the IMPOSTOR knows that he is a phony, he does everything to gain approval and acceptance from others for validation. “Maybe, if I make everyone happy with me, than I’ll feel happy with myself.”

So, the IMPOSTOR lives this miserable existence of people pleasing without healthy boundaries or the ability to say “No!”
But because you belong to Christ, you don’t need the approval of others. You don’t need to people please. You can get off that roller coaster.

Listen to this:
"Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke and put it on you, and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit; and you will find rest. For the yoke I will give you is easy, and the load I will put on you is light." Matthew 11:28-30 Good News Translation

Because I’ve been accepted by Christ, I don’t need to find my acceptance and approval elsewhere. I don’t need to people please!

Third,
3. The Impostor Seeks Meaning Through Externals.
We look to define our lives not through WHO WE ARE, but through WHAT WE DO. The Impostor is what he does!

So, power, sex, glamour, recognition, fame or status become driving forces in our lives.

Here’s a question to consider: Does the fact that I am – a mother, business person, educated, affluent, prettier than average, etc. – give me a sense of importance?

Here’s another: Do I make sure that people KNOW about my accomplishments?

Christ says: You can be free of this. The Impostor can never grant you true meaning or purpose for living.

The Apostle Paul tells us that our purpose for living – because we belong to Christ – is to be prepared in this life for the fullness of life in Eternity. Listen to this:
“The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less. That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going.” 2 Corinthians 5:5-7 Message

I’m going to be face-to-face with Christ!
I’m going to live forever in a land of unparalleled joy, beauty, excitement and glory!
I’m going to be set free from the bondage of the flesh!

Oh, praise God! Let the Impostor die – and sooner rather than later!

Here’s the next thing about this Poser:
4. The Impostor is a LIAR.
The Impostor lies. All the time. He will never lead you towards life; he always lies and causes you to become blind towards your own emptiness, to your own hollowness. The Impostor causes you to ignore your bleeding wounds, all the while convincing you that you are ‘fine’.
The Word says:
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:8-10, NIV.

Do you see why the IMPOSTOR has to go? If he lies, and we ignore the reality of our sin condition, we miss out on the amazing blessing of honest confession and the joy of sweet cleansing forgiveness! Not only that, but when the Impostor runs the show, we have no room for God and His Word to impact our lives.

And lastly…
5. The Impostor is Completely OUTWARD Focused.
Do you ever wonder why – on some days – you feel like you look like a whale? Or that your hair looks like a bird’s nest? Or that everyone is staring at this little tiny blemish on your chin?

Because the Impostor makes you believe something that isn’t true. Let me say this: None of you look like a whale. No sparrows have taken up a home in your hair. And if you have a blemish, it will be gone in 48 hours.

Do you ever wonder why – on some days – you honestly believe that all of you neighbors hate you because your front yard looks ‘like a rainforest…’, or you think, why am I driving this piece of junk car? Or why did I wear THESE pants?

Because the Impostor wants you to focus on outward things, so that you won’t go deep with God!

To have a day destroyed by something like this is clearly not from God.

St. Augustine wrote: “There can only be two basic loves: The love of God unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self unto the forgetfulness and denial of God.”

Dr. James Masterson wrote: “It is the nature of the false self to save us from knowing the truth about our real selves, from penetrating the deeper causes of our unhappiness, from seeing ourselves as we really are – vulnerable, afraid, terrified and unable to let our real selves emerge.”

So, why does the Impostor settle for such a diminished life?

1. Because of repressed memories of painful experiences from the past.

The truth is this: What is denied cannot be healed! And far too often, because we know that to look deeply into our past will indeed be painful, so it becomes convenient to let the Impostor have control and pretend that ‘ignorance is bliss.’

2. Because of cowardice to conquer head-on the fears that are holding us back.

Again, like the first point, it is scary to go deep, so we let the fears control and we stay stuck.

3. Because of laziness to do what it takes to be intimate with God.

Brennan Manning wrote: “The false self is the lazy part of self, resisting the effort and discipline that intimacy with God requires.”

Haven’t you wondered why – you get all gung ho for God, and then 48 hours it cools off like day old coffee? Because the Impostor has too much control!

That’s why we simply must give Christ free access to all parts of our lives. You see, Christ is the Savior who saves us from ourselves. He takes us deep and frees us from the Impostor.

Proverbs 16:25 says…
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 16:25, NIV.

John Eldredge wrote: “The false self, our plan for redemption, seems so right to us. It shields us from pain and secures us a little love and admiration. But the false self is a lie, the whole plan is built on pretense. It’s a deadly trap. God loves us too much to leave us there.”

Listen to me: God will take away all that you’ve leaned upon to bring you life.

In the really great movie: The Natural, starring Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, Hobbs, who is a little too old to play major league baseball is given one last chance at the big leagues. He plays for the New York Knights and leads them to the playoffs for the National League Pennant. It’s the bottom of the 9th, two outs, two men on base, and the Knights are down by two runs.

Hobbs steps the plate. This is his moment. He’ll not get another one like this one.

When Hobbs was a teenager, lightning struck a tree near his home, and he carved out a baseball bat – WONDER BOY – from that tree. It’s the only bat he’s used since.

The first pitch – fastball. Swing and a miss. Strike One.
Second pitch – curve ball. Foul ball. Out of play. Strike Two.
Third pitch – another fastball. Long fly ball. Is it a homerun? No, just outside the foul pole.

Hobbs runs back to the plate, only the see WONDER BOY lying shattered in pieces.

This is the critical moment in his life. Will he stay in the game? Will he run to the dugout in defeat?

This is the critical moment in all our lives: When everything we’ve relied upon lies shattered on the field. When the employer lays us off. When the spouse walks out. When the doctor says: ‘Cancer’.

The true test of our lives happens when we can no longer rely upon that which we’ve always relied upon. This is the beginning of redemption, of healing, of revival. For the real journey begins when the false self fails.

A moment passes by that seems like an eternity. Hobbs stares at the shattered beyond repair bat. And he calls out to the batboy: “Go pick me out a winner, Bobby!”

He stays in the game and hits the Pennant winning walk-off home run.

CONCLUSION:
God will shatter your bat.

If you are going through a bat-shattering season – take this passage to heart:

“So don't feel sorry for yourselves. Or have you forgotten how good parents treat children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child, don't shrug off God's discipline, but don't be crushed by it either. It's the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces, he also corrects.” Hebrews 12:5-6 Message

God will thwart your best efforts in order to save you from the Impostor. BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU.

God calls us to accept the invitation to leave all that we’ve relied upon and venture out with Him into the places that lead to true freedom.

Message 01: I CAN COME OUT OF HIDING!

INTRODUCTION:
We continue our journey into new levels of spiritual life and understanding. Christ calls to explore the deep places of faith, experimenting and achieving both success and failure in our desire to know Him more. This teaching that I’m about to do can help you rediscover your heart.

Today I begin a series that I am absolutely convinced can and will result in many of you experiencing entirely new levels of freedom and joy in your relationship with Christ.

It’s called: “What difference does it make to me that I belong to God?”

This is a very practical question – okay – “I belong to God – so what?” How can this affect my life on a moment by moment basis? Does it really matter in the NOW of life?

Look at Romans 1:6:
“And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:6, NIV.

Let me ask you some questions:
• Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God?
• Have you embraced Him as Savior?
• Have you embraced Him as Lord?

Then – according to the Bible, you’ve been called into a relationship with Him and now you BELONG to Him.

But what difference does this make? What are the practical – heart-changing life-affirming details?

That said, it is important to understand that we when are called to BELONG to Christ, we are called into an EXCLUSIVE, you could say: ‘monogamous’ relationship with Him. And, as you follow your calling into Christ you are walking headlong into a battlefield.

Jesus said in John 15:9:
“If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” John 15:19, NIV.

You could put it this way: Belonging is an EITHER/OR thing! Either you are in Christ or you belong to the world. And, because you belong to Christ, the world hates you. The battle begins!

Which is exactly where our problem lies. We live in a world that has as its leader our enemy. You could say that we live in enemy territory. So, here we are BELONGING to Christ but getting slammed by a world at odds with Him.

This creates a huge tension. Sometimes the world looks pretty enticing. And sometimes, we screw up. Sometimes we fall right into the enemy’s hands and do stuff that doesn’t reflect who we really are.

Now, none of us are proud of this, so what do we do – WE COVER IT UP! We PRETEND. We FAKE it. John Eldredge calls it being a “POSER”. Brennan Manning calls this the “IMPOSTER.”

Then, we feel miserable. We aren’t comfortable being HYPOCRITES. It doesn’t fit well. And so what happens next? Self-hatred, disgust and revulsion kick in. So, we show a PRETTY FACE, all the while feeling INNER MISERY.

What happens next is worse: We figure that God must feel the same way about us that we feel about us. If I am disgusted by BEHAVIOR, than how much more must God be? So, we get tied up in knots internally and then we get cut off from intimacy with God. The very resource that we need desperately becomes completely inaccessible.

What a mess.

Richard Foster wrote of this: “Today the heart of God is an open wound of love. He aches over our distance and preoccupation. He mourns that we do not draw near to him. He grieves that we have forgotten him. We weeps over our obsession with muchness and manyness. He longs for our presence.”

Does this surprise you? God desires you – warts and all. Let’s put it this way: GOD IS CALLING US OUT OF HIDING AND INTO TRUE BELONGING.

You don’t need to fake it to make it.
You don’t need to pretend.
You don’t need to put on a happy face.

You need to find yourself in Christ. And when you do, the POSER and the IMPOSTER will die, and the TRUE YOU will emerge – filled with freedom and joy.

What did Jesus say in John 10:10? “I have come that you might have life and life more abundant!”

It’s time to put off the FALSE and embrace the TRUE!

We all know how to put on pretty faces, we know how to keep things light, we know how to respond to the age old question: “How are you?” We know how to fake it. And the church can be a breeding ground for this disease.

It’s time to put off the POSER! It’s to IGNORE THE IMPOSTER! It’s time to be WHO YOU REALLY ARE!

GOD calls you – by name – and He invites you to come out of hiding. Just like He did in Genesis when Adam and Eve first sinned.

“But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”” Genesis 3:9, 10, NIV.

We are still doing the same thing. Embarassed, ashamed, fearful because of our nakedness before Him, we hide. Or worse yet, we pretend.

And God says: “NO. That’s not what I desire for you. I desire freedom. And I have a way for you to get free.”

And that was begins in Ephesians 5:10…
“Try to discover what the Lord wants of you, take no part in the futile works of darkness but, on the contrary, show them up for what they are. The things which are done in secret are shameful even to speak of; but anything shown up by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated is itself a light. That is why it is said: Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:10-14 New Jerusalem Bible

Now, I want to make this as clear as possible, so let’s just tear the verse apart line-by-line to see the amazing steps that lead to freedom.

1. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you
2. Take no part in that which is futile
3. Show them for what they are

Now, here’s what happens when the POSER tries to run the show. He simply denies the reality of sin. He pretends that unlike others, He doesn’t involve himself in such activity. He puts on a spirit of religion and an outer shell of self-righteousness.

Here’s the truth: We all do deeds of darkness. None of us – no matter how advanced completely avoids sin. We lust, we steal, we lie, we accept falsehood rather than truth. All of us. Every last one of us.

Now, that’s not who we truly are, but we are in a battle and we sometimes trip and fall. And no amount of pretending, posing or faking self-righteousness will change that reality.

That’s why the next part of Ephesians 5 is so important. Look what it says:
“But anything shown up by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated is itself a light.”

What is the light? It’s Christ.
What is Christ doing? He is taking our darkness and shining Himself into it.
And then – what was dark, becomes light.

That’s the amazing truth of belonging. When I stop faking and get honest with Christ about my failures, He shines His light on me – on the very thing that I am the most ashamed of, and He transforms my darkness. He transforms my shame into glory!

Paul put it this way:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…” Romans 8:28
ALL THINGS. Your divorce. Your alcoholism. Your lust. Your being a control freak. God will take that darkness – and turn it into light.

Brennan Manning wrote: “Christians who remain in hiding continue to live the lie. We deny the reality of our sin. In a futile attempt to erase our past, we deprive the community of our healing gift. If you conceal our wounds out of fear and shame, our inner darkness can neither be illuminated nor become a light for others. We cling to our bad feelings and beat ourselves with the past when what we should do is let go. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, guilt is an idol. But when we dare to live as forgiven men and women, we join the wounded healers and draw closer to Jesus.”

People in 12-step programs say: “You’re only as sick as your secrets.”

God says: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16, NIV.

But we carry on as if everything is OK and miss out on the true power of the Gospel!

Paul had a problem. He begged for the problem to be taken away. Jesus said: NO. And in 2 Corinthians 12:9 we read…

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV.

• The power of Christ is not demonstrated in your ability.
• The grace of God is not seen when you strut around POSING as someone you aren’t.
• You’ll never fake it ‘til you make it.

The power of Christ is made absolutely perfect in the broken places of your life.

The grace of God is seen most clearly when we freely acknowledge just how much we don’t have it together.

CONCLUSION
You’ll never be closer to Christ that when you come out of hiding and realize that He accepts you just as you are. You belong to Christ. And even you failures cannot change that reality.

When you decide to come out of hiding, you are entering the healing rooms of Jesus.

I know that you have brokenness, wounds and shame – open up to Jesus about it, kill off the Imposter. Move in close to Christ. Let Him in on it. Let the light of Christ illuminate the dark places of your life.

So what difference does it make that I Belong to God? I don’t have to live a lie. I can come out of hiding. I can be honest with Him about my failures, and He will still accept me, love me and desire to help me. And because of this, I WANT to draw near to Him!

Today – Come out of hiding.