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.
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.
posted by Doug Love at 11:31 AM
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