Jesus Unfiltered - Follow - No More Shame, Part 1

Let's face it, we all make mistakes, some big some not so big and for many of us those mistakes are shaping our life right now and are threatening to shape our future as well which you'd like to know how you break free. Your past states. God wants to help stay with welcome to this edition of the mission of these programs is to disciple Christians will continue the second volume of the next couple subject to shame. Settling as many of us have experienced God. This is such a relatable topic so let me encourage you after today's message to share it with someone in your life you can easily do that to put your finger downloading assuring the free MP3s Living on the Edge.your strip with this message from John chapter as we get started, like you lean back before we open the Bible, look at your notes and I will ask you a few questions for very very questions. Question number one is what's the biggest mistake you ever made in your life and what's your biggest regret when you think back up your whole life. If there's one thing that you can do over one decision you wish you hadn't made her one decision you wish you would've stepped in and done something you didn't. What is there's no way that we can talk about Jesus in life unless we talk about Jesus in life and our failure. We all fail. For some it was an affair for others is an abortion or for others it was no prodding someone to get an abortion for Sunday for just hurt someone deeply, badly, were you betrayed someone for some of us it was a lie. Very very big lie. You just feel like if you can't. Why did I do that but everybody either small or big, has some things that there big mistake. Put another way, if you could have a do over. If you can take time and move it back and that certain day do something different than you did, what would it be what would you what would you do differently got it not understand part of this is kind of unfair probing around and because of the way our minds work in the levels of the protection that we have for ourselves. I know I'm poking for some of you haven't thought about that big mistake in 10 years or five or 20. So, question number three did just a little bit deeper. How do you picture God when you think of that big mistake how you picture you what you did and God. How does that fit together in your mind what's his attitude toward you. Have you built little compartment where you somehow you intellectually know better, but you think he doesn't see that or maybe the last question how how have you chosen to deal with that big mistake that maybe it was far in your pastor.

Maybe it's you living with it.

If you tried to hide it.

No one knows only two people they promise never to tell. Have you just pushed it down repressed tried to forget it, tried to not deal with it just got a move on me and as humans we have a wide array of ways that we try and handle stuff. It's very difficult. But our souls don't let things go.

Something gets in there and it's very very difficult. Have you decided that you make up for it. That's a pretty typical response. I did that this is what I'm going to do now I'm going to pay back I'm gonna or for some, it just becomes kind of him to learn from that really makes mistakes is not that big a deal and you keep sort of rationalizing and and for others. Part of the driven this inside your life and your soul is I'm going to try harder. I'm gonna make sure the fat or something like it never happens again. Mistakes blowing it. Sin really good people doing really bad things in a weak moment is part of being human.

How you deal with them. However, sets the trajectory for your whole life and you probably will not be surprised that most people never fully or deeply deal with the big mistakes of their past and as a result, unconsciously, even it has major impact on their today it has major impact on your future and it has major impact on your soul were to look at a story where someone does something very wrong and gets exposed is probably one of the more famous stories, Christians, non-Christians all around the world. The story that will read people were familiar with and been quoted in its held Jesus deals with failure. God's attitude. It's the picture in your mind of when someone comes to him honestly and broken. There's no place to hide took place to run. This is how God will respond to you and to me it's the woman caught in adultery. It is John chapter 8 if you would open your Bible, the context is the feast of lights of the feast of Tabernacles has happened.

There's been food and music and parties and this occurs in a place called the court of the women are sometimes is referred to as a strategy treasurer and there's 15 small steps that lead up to it and it's the big pathway where people are and then on the other side of that is the holy place and then beyond that in the temples, the holy of holies and that the leadership the Sanhedrin would meet over here and this is a large general area is called the of the women and eight days of festivals happened in in this in this place. There's been four huge candelabras that are one researcher says that they were on about hundred 250 feet high. Huge torches because they celebrated the light of God, and it would glow all over Jerusalem and all of that's done, and if you can imagine sore after a big rock concert or huge event unit are sort of the big letdown and is the day after and it's Don. And when large groups of people get together with lots of music and lots of food and lots of fun and celebration. Usually some really wonderful things happen and often some not so wonderful things happen. Let's pick up the story followed along the each went to their own house.

But Jesus went to the Mount of olives early in the morning. Literally.

It's at dawn, he came to the temple and the people came to him and he sat down to teach them the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who been caught in adultery and placing her in the midst they send him teacher, this woman has been caught in the act literally in the very act of adultery now in the law of Moses.

It commands us to stone such a woman. So what do you say they send this to test him that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the ground and they continued asking him, he stood up and he said to them, let him who is without sin among you, be the first to throw a stone at her. And once more, he bent down and one by one they left, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him, and Jesus stood up and said to her, and I believe they made direct eye contact woman, where are they has no one condemned you, no one, Lord. And Jesus said, neither do I condemn you go and sin no more. They wanted to trap him. So here was the trap he is challenge the spiritually elite the religious laws there stuck in the religiosity there stuck in their performance that he's threatened everything is made outrageous claims about he's the Messiah that he in fact is God please come to forgive the sins of the people, multitudes and popularity have been off the charts used in miracles. He spent 5000 people. He's raised a little girl from the dead is disciples like something to walk on water and out the feast of the Tabernacles. He's going public. Six months before the crucifixion.

This occurs and he declares himself as the Messiah and the hope of the world. And so the religious leaders we get a take him out.

I would assume that this was the a set up for this woman.

I don't know how you exactly, just not door-to-door. Anyone committing adultery here. We need little evidence so I'm guessing that there was a set up in here is the set up the law of Moses words the Old Testament teaches that to her cognac adultery. They should be brought forth in stone well and not been practiced in the Pharisees had realigned Scripture and realigned interpretation and Jesus has been this is champion of the people and the Roman government told the Jews you don't have any right to execute anyone so they really didn't care what Jesus did you they want to put in between a rock and a hard place.

If he says all don't stone or you disagree with Moses all you don't believe in allowing the charge religiously. If you would've said okay yes Stoner the common people and said where's your compassion number one and number two, Rome would've said you can't do that. They didn't care all they want to do was take him out. He knew it was a trap. So in the context he leans down starts to cut right in the dirt that you have you ever wondered like what he was writing in the dirt. What I'm about to say I would've gone record is a chip is okay. This is not to be confused with me.

Don't go tell someone you know everyone's really wonder what he was writing in the dirt and chip told us what he was no okay but I think it's his. I think it's close now, in Hebrew, you go left to right, but since I can't do that I'm going to go right to left and is this crowd and this woman caught in the act and the shame and the embarrassment. She's overwhelmed and I think if he didn't English. She would've started W. H. E are E's when you write in the dirt. You can't write too many words so I think is going to go with three then THE and then probably really bold letters M a and where's the man see the Old Testament law said if you are caught in the act of adultery bring them these Pharisees didn't care about the woman what they want to do was set up Jesus, so that in all likelihood got a man to be complicit in this, Jesus is saying will second calling. This is an honest, this isn't a concern for the law.

This isn't a concern for righteousness. You violated the law.

Where is the man and then he he did what I think a sort of the ultimate spiritual judo move right there coming at him and he does this and he throws them into a dilemma in the dilemma that he throws them and is merciful. If you are an accuser in the act of adultery.

The Scripture says you have to be the first ones to cast the stone because you were the eyewitnesses and so he gives us premise anyone here who's never sinned cast the first stone. Now the Pharisees are realizing will it a second if we cast the first stone will be guilty of the very thing that Jesus would've been guilty that we want to trap him.

But if we don't cast a stone were admitting that we have sin that there's something wrong with us. So now, sort of. In like manner, it doesn't matter how they respond. Jesus is trap them and really what his heart was his heart was to show these people and show us how will God respond to the biggest mistake of your life. How will God respond to the thing that if you could do it. You would go back in time and you would do a do over, how would God respond to the thing that down deep in your heart makes you feel guilty and dirty and ashamed and you've either repressed or tried to forget or make up for you try harder. How would God really respond in part of the story is so that you would know this wasn't just for this woman. This is for me and this is for you the truth I want you to ponder is when we started I put it on the front of your notes. John chapter 1 were told exactly why Jesus came to the earth and were told exactly who he is is says for the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. When you come in on your stuff and you have a broken heart and you're willing to be ruthlessly honest and you come to God with high Blewett. This is what I did. No excuses, no blaming no stuff this is me like this woman caught in the very act. No place to hide. Jesus will always greet you.

God will always greet you with grace and truth. Isn't this what he did to the woman does no one condemn you neither do I grace truth go and sin no more. Does he accept the behavior does he condone what she's done no there's compassion there's forgiveness and that's what I can receive when I blow it and that's what you can receive when you blow it and see. Usually airless there's people that are just grace, grace, grace, grace, grace, and all it is.

It's just it's just sympathy is just wishful thinking.

There's no freedom when it's all grace and no truth other people just true true true true in their really hard and all that is is legalism.

When you study the life of Jesus as you are you will see in every situation. There's this perfect winsome balance of truth doesn't compromise what we've done in grace where there's not just forgiveness but restoration. He actually forgives the word literally means to be released from God puts it behind you. The Old Testament talks about as far as the east is from the West. God has removed our sins from us New Testament says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of all of our sins and cleanse us from all of our iniquities.

But here's what I think a lot of you don't believe I don't think a lot of the believe that God not only forgives, but can completely restore and completely heal and so when I went through those hard penetrating questions. A lot of things went through your mind and you said no, thank you. You forgiven me, but you really haven't dealt with it because you if that would ever be public. If anyone ever found out, if so and so what about all you just can't believe that God or God's people could get down to the root in the heart of that and make you whole and deal with your shame. There's a video very brief. I want you to see because it's a picture of how this actually happens, they did one of most courageous things I've ever seen any man do in fact it's very rare in churches have been a pastor for over 30 years and I've I've seen all kinds of people, whether on staff as pastors were people in the church and when sexual sin happens and there's a restoration program. I watch lots of people go about a month or six weeks or maybe three months and then as we did. We pay for counseling for Dave and Kendall when there's accountability and support provided and you go on this journey because the goal is restoration.

The goal is to make people feel bad or pushing down her but they've got enough of that.

The goal is you deal with the truth but it's restoration and all I can tell you is the great majority of people they bail out the counselor starts poking around at some of the deep areas and some of the consequences and they bail out and Dave didn't. It was courageous, he was honest he didn't run he didn't hide. He didn't blame and he is at a place where God will use. He and Kendall probably in the future even more than in the past. This things he's done in them through that pain. There's maturity that's happened and this is a moment where you say thank second thing though is that I've been around the block in churches to and there's a pretty significant reason why a lot of people don't go public. Kendall ever deal with the things that need to be dealt with. I was speaking to a friend get to know each other really really well a part of his history. He was in full-time ministry. He had an affair that went on for a significant amount of time he lost his wife and he lived in that situation. He lived with the law he lived with the pain.

He lived with all the things this is right.

But this is where I'm at. There's like these two forces and one pulls at you so strong what you're experiencing in the sexual sin and the other pool that you know this is right and you want to confess you want to make it right with God and he said I so wanted to do this. But honestly, I thought God would forgive me but I just wasn't very sure about church. I just didn't know how I'd be you know received. I just I just thought I don't know that I want to go there I get a email from Mark Kendall and she shared with me a little bit more. Their journey and I will tell you that Dave and Kendall's journey may be in the top 1% of the most wonderful moments I've ever had in ministry in my life of sin, the body of Christ, act and respond in the beauty and the power that God calls us to and see a man and a woman courageously deal with pain and be completely restored.

I want to share a bit of what she shared with me what you listen very carefully because here's what I know 50% of the men in this room are involved in pornography right now about 30 or 35% of 18 to 30-year-olds are currently sleeping together or living together are born-again Christians about whites not restricted to them. It's just where we have the stats sexual sin is epidemic in our culture and it's now epidemic inside the church and I think lots of people's souls are stuck, but that I want you to hear the inward journey that Kendall writes the night.

Dave share with me about his unfaithfulness. He took full responsibility for his actions. He shared openly and honestly. In that moment, God brought clarity perspective to my heart. I too had come to a place of deep despair and lack of trust in God. After Dave's chronic pain diagnosis and the loss of her baby says God opened my eyes to my pain as I looked at this man I've known for 15 years and I saw a man it was so broken and hurting so desperate to get out of physical and emotional pain so responsible for his actions asking for forgiveness. All I can say is God would not let me turn him away will reject him.

I told him that I love them and I forgave him and I would be willing to work through this with. We talked a lot that night and I knew immediately. There would be significant consequences for his job.

I knew he'd be resigning and also know he would need to do it publicly. I'd seen this done both well and very poorly in churches, but I believe our church would respond well to us.

I wanted Dave to be able to take ownership of his behavior and then demonstrate in real life the things we talk high school ministry and claim to believe I was also in need of support. I knew going somewhere else would be very difficult. Listen to this. I believe the people of her church, who had already demonstrated their love and support over us. Over the last years would do the same things. I believe they would see in Dave. What I saw in him next week. Dave shared in front of the ministry in high school, but he crossed the sexual boundary can be resigning.

I asked to go up so that we could pray with them for Dave and see the faces of those that we loved and in a sense it was our last opportunity to lead through how we respond to failure the next weekend. An announcement was made in Dave's letter was read to nearly 3000 people in attendance, and weekend services. We didn't go to church that day, but the following Sunday. Talk about courage.

The following Sunday. They didn't run they didn't hide they didn't repress, they didn't try to make up for the following Sunday we made our ways down the halls into the worship center as we done every week for the last eight years the first Sunday back. I was anxiously confident. I believe people would respond lovingly toward us, but also new.

It's hard to handle, and some people probably can't. I was so grateful for the families and friends. A demonstrated their love for us that first week in the next couple of months and now years people we've known for many years would see us across the worship center for down the hall and they would come right up, thus encouraging Dave and sharing their support and love for me and encouraging me to still meet with their students and they just love this with asked without asking details or questions were judging us. Our friends protected us to protect our privacy. They honored us in a way that will forever be grateful for. They continue to be people that we meet with on a regular basis for community and accountability acts of kindness and love allowed us the opportunity to heal in our own time in her own way without shame and without embarrassment to hear the hope of been a Christian since I was 12 and I walk with God do some very difficult times. This is listen carefully, God is going to ask those of you and those of us who are involved in sin, but specifically sexual sin to come clean. The way Dave did, and here's what you will experience from God.

I've been through difficult times, but I have never experienced the intimacy and the general love of God in ways that I have in this season of my life's presence has been so real it's almost tangible through his word, his people's creation is undeniably spoken into my life gently meeting me and slowly walking me through the deep places of pain and fear and shame, and giving direction and clarity of hope and perspective the process of immediate surrender has been slow and not without missteps and failures, but I see the trajectory of life is heading toward wholeness and intimacy in my relationship with God and with Dave how does healing like this really occur. What's the process.

How do you move from simply experiencing forgiveness and knowing in your heart you ask God to forgive you. How do you get to where there's a level of courage that you can own some stuff and get some stuff in the open in the appropriate way with the appropriate people and be forgiven, but then be restored to have your soul set free to have the guilt and the depression.

David send sexually and for a year. No one knew about Psalm 32 you might jot it down and some of you will read it go.

That's me said when I was silent about my Sandy was oppressive was like being in a desert literally as you read Psalm 32. Here's a man is clinically depressed when we deny when we shut down when we repress stuff in our soul, especially sexual sin. It erodes your soul will destroy you from the inside out.

And finally he's confronted and in Psalm 51 you get this picture of a man who experiences the gentle intimacy grace of God's application just a minute. The second volume of his Jesus unfiltered series titled follow.

When Jesus called his disciples used to simple words follow me about phrases since change the lives of countless people throughout history. So what is it look like to follow Jesus today.

In the second volume of trip series Jesus unfiltered were continuing our study of the Gospel of John in chapter 6 through 10 dives into topics like living without shame. Understanding the miraculous and finding true contentment and how those subjects relate to the practice of following Jesus, you're not going to miss a single program for complete information about our resources or to check out the other volumes of our Jesus unfiltered series is LivingontheEdge.org app listeners Special offers I'll be right back in just a minute to talk about today's teaching but as we study the apostle John's teaching here to the gospel. I can in the back my mind hear some of you saying you know chip and this all sounds really wonderful but you don't know me you don't know what I've done, you don't know what I've been boy if you ever understood the terrible things. In other words, Jesus could never associate with someone like me he could never really love me. Never forgive me and I want you to know. Listen carefully.

That is alive from the pit of hell. The fact of the matter is, is no one is beyond the reach of Jesus love but but if you believe that lot you don't keep you stock if you believe that life you'll never come to receive his grace or as a follower. If you believe that lie you'll think you're a second-class citizen.

The rest of your life and never experiences joy in his power be used by him. Here's what I want you to know the only way to break lies is with truth and so what we develop is what we call truth cards that let me give you an example for those who feel like you don't measure up your unworthy. The lie is this God could never accept me or use my life. After all the terrible things I've done.

It says right on the card and right below the cart is a little stop sign, stop, and then you turn over the card and the cards as Jesus wants to accept and use me, he for gave a woman who had five husbands and was currently living with a man so he could communicate his love through her to a whole city. Actually, that passage goes on to say he is seeking or pursuing those who would worship him in spirit and in truth.

If you want to be free of your past, trying hard doesn't work.

The truth does let me encourage you get a copy of these truth cards will give you all the information back get two or three copies. They're very inexpensive and go through it with some friends or family, and here's what you experience you experience the truth and the truth will set you free, but strip also order these truth cards go to LivingontheEdge.org or call us at AAA 333-6003 there are 21 cards in this set, each with a common lie or spiritual battle we all face on one side and a scripture passage from the Gospel of John, on the other. Our prayers that you will use these cards to renew your mind with the truth of God's word. Let me encourage you to get a set for yourself, then maybe another one or two for those in your life again to order your truth cards call AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org that's AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners tap special offers we close today's program.

We certainly hit on a big issue in our data and wait what I want you to know is that sexual sin is serious with God. I don't believe we believe that in the church anymore. We know that about half of the people between 18 to 30 are sexually active and simultaneously taken him a follower of Christ. I love them.

I read my Bible. I come to church and it's almost like you and I know the Bible says that but I just don't buy that anymore and so I want to say would you really reconsider God's standard instead of your own.

Because if you step off the building. That's nine stories high and don't believe in gravity. The consequences are about the same in my heart breaks when I see the pain of sexuality. The pain of pornography that the pain of all kind of sexual relationships that are other than God. Some of you just don't believe there's any hope. I want you to know that the God of the universe saying to you and me that regardless of what we've done.

He wants to forgive and to cleanse there's no condemnation, but this woman did what every one of us have to do. She owned her stuff and he healed them for gave her Lord I pray right now for those that are caught in the trap of sexual sin and whether it's on the screen with the person whether it's heterosexual, homosexual, Lord you so love us, will you free them when you convict and then we you give encouragement and strength to take the first step toward truth just before we close. Would you pray for those who were responding to chips encouragement today. There's always a spiritual battle when we feel prompted to draw near and obey God for taking a minute to do that if there's a way we can pray for you. Let us know. Call us at AAA 333-6003 or email chip LivingontheEdge.org.

We'd love to hear from you. For everyone here. This is Dave really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge