Let God Redeem Your Story Part 1 #1

Reese Flores looking to Jesus thunder in perfect sexual abuse does terrible damage relationships all through life. Early experiences children never have had today all who struggle with sexual abuse and also hope for those doing the abusing the Moody Church in Chicago this morning to win with Dr. Erwin Luzerne was clear teaching helps us make it across.

Esther looks are what led you to preach the series that you called. Let God redeem your story. You know David, you do the math you will discover that I have been preaching for about the years when I was a young pastor I had no idea about the fact that there was so much abuse of various kinds in the homes, even in the homes of the church in which I was preaching and throughout the years. This is only increased. I want to say to all those who are listening to things. First, when you pray that God might mightily use this series of messages. Secondly, would you call someone on the phone.

Let them know that this series is being preached so that they can benefit from it to. Just last night my wife and I minister to a woman who was sexually abused. So as we listen to this series, let us do so with open hearts a willing mind and let us make sure that as many people as possible benefit from it. Let's listen now as I trust the word of God will speak to specific needs. Are y'all everybody all right ready for what God might teach you today, you have a heart that is open to him today I begin the message with the quiz, you can answer for yourself. You find personal relationships difficult. You long for intimacy but are afraid when you get it when your weaknesses are pointed out, you become defensive and angry, blaming others, and you pull away from anyone who fronts your issue. Are you fearful of getting close to people because you don't trust them, and you find it difficult to trust God, you have unfulfilled emotional needs that no one seems to be able to fill at you struggled with eating disorders are you obsessed with exercise or diet control.

Have you experienced many sexual struggles, sexual identity, confusion, fear of the opposite sex same sex attraction or sexual obsessions.

Are you angry with yourself and use anger to push others away at you wrestled with self-destructive behaviors such as slashing your wrists carving your skin or pulling out your hair do you wrestle with control issues, always wanting to control the people and circumstances next to you.

You have a problem with anger, rage and intense hostility you living with a secret and you're afraid somebody will find it out. You struggled with dissociative disorder, previously known as multiple personality disorder. Are you aware of an evil presence that brings distraction, confusion, hopelessness. If you have answered yes to one or more of those questions, it is possible that you were abused as a child probably sexually abused.

Recently my wife and I were with some parents wonderful Christians in Christian work. They told us their story. Their oldest daughter is having a lesbian lifestyle. How did that happen when, years later, far after the abuse occurred, it was discovered that an aunt of theirs had sexually abused all of their daughters, including 14 or 15 other nieces and nephews.

The other daughters did not go into lesbianism, but they struggle with intimacy in marriage and they've got all kinds of issues, but the parents didn't know about until years later another story of a young man in a Christian school, and he's going to stay with one of the families in the school and the parents think it's a great idea because they have kids that are his own age, he doesn't want to go there.

Parents go on vacation now know you're going to stay there. He cries but he doesn't tell them why he's being abused by the father of that home. That of course caused his life to spin out of control.

Attempted suicide, homosexuality and other things that he struggles with his.

I will pastor Luther is sexual abuse on the rise, the answer is yes for a number of reasons. First of all, the reparation of pornography but also the broken homes of our society you blended families and now you have stepsisters and step brothers who look at each other differently.

And of course even within black families. You find the sexual abuse of various kinds and so that's the world in which we live. Children that are vulnerable because you know they have no one to pay attention to them. They are very vulnerable because they might like the attention even though it is destructive attention and so this is our homes are being broken up and you have stepfathers abusing stepdaughters.

We live in a world where it is almost everywhere you see sexual abuse distorts our view of sexuality where everything then is encased. Shane and there's no understanding to bring wholeness to the situation. It encourages promiscuity because a girl who is sexually molested is twice as likely to become pregnant before marriage, and their reasons for that, you can connect your own thoughts and so today's message is dealing with this very important topic and by the way, why didn't the children tell all the answer is number one. They thought to themselves, probably if we went to mom and dad and said you know what my uncle is doing mom and dad might not have believed them.

Unfortunately parents, I need to say something to you with clarity that I hope you never forget.

If your child even makes a suggestion that something improper is going on. You had better take it seriously. I know that there been instances where there been false accusations.

Often times because children have been asked questions in an improper way but you must take what a child is saying they usually do not make up parents listen, you must take every child that is five or six years old and once they begin to be with others and say to them if anybody ever touches you improperly and then you can perhaps go into some detail. Depending on the age of the child you come to us if they threaten you, you come to us immediately. Don't walk, run, and we will welcome you and accept you and love you and deal with the issue. Every child needs to be taught that in today's world where you have sexual predators roaming our streets and in our homes. They have to be taught that another reason of course is guilt. They may feel guilty. Maybe they enjoy that there might be some satisfaction that comes to them as a result of all of the stimulation. Thinking of a young woman who was abused by her grandfather.

He introduced her to sexuality.

But later on you know she enjoyed it and so of course he blamed her for it. You have to understand the profile of an abuser and I'll give you more details about that next time.

In the second message in the series, even though it is so critical to understand right here that there is hope for abusers choose. We shall learn in this message and in the next one and so what we need to do is to realize that God has to have an answer for this, and he does. There's only one passage I want you to turn to today and it is Psalm 147 Psalm 147. What a beautiful promise that is thrown into God's word I say throne. And it shows up here in Psalm 147 it's talking about the exiles of Jerusalem and it says in verse two. The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers the outcasts of Israel and now notice this, he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars he gives to all of them. Their names, what does that have to do with the binding up of your wounds is almost as emphasizing the fact that were dealing with a God who can do a lot of impossible thing and anything God knows stars and names them. Do you think he's forgotten your name, your address, and what happened to you not a chance. And so when I go through this message today. I want you to know that you can invite God to go into dark places with you.

You don't have to go alone because the Bible says that the love of God is ever with us and nothing can separate us from his love even the things that were so maliciously and direct you done against you by those who should've been protecting you.

You can go to dark places with God. Now I need to warn you that when God binds up our wounds and when he heals our wounds and binds them up. He also has to touch our wounds. If he's going to bind them. Some of you are going to find this message difficult.

Some of you will want to leave.

I have no doubt the one to stand up and say I can't take this, I encourage you not to, but if you have to cry, you can just begin to cry where you are if you cry directly if the people next to you don't understand. You bring them to me later and I'll straighten them out on a few things. Okay, let's make that deal were going to be very relaxed. Today were going to let the Holy Spirit of God, do whatever the Holy Spirit of God wants to do and so it is important.

Some of you of course. Your abuse has been your calling card.

It is justified, your anger, your control of others having been sinned against it is justified. Your sin against others and you say, I might not be ready to give this up. I am being identified by my abuse and I preferred that identity.

If that's you, want you to listen to this message because I'd love to convince you otherwise.

But actually, I can't force you to do anything. It's a matter fact I'm going to give you the path that you need to follow but I can't make you follow it and you can't follow it.

Just because you listen to this message, however important the message is you're gonna have to follow it beyond this message and in ways that I shall outline, but in the end I I pray for your wholeness.

I pray that captive shall be set free those of you who are dealing even with demonic issues of anger and control and blaming and vengeance. We want God to set you free to is a matter of fact, we believe that today he's going to. You came to church and thought it would just be an ordinary day.

You didn't know that God had a surprise for you when you walked in here this morning and here's what were going to do after the message I'm going to be given an invitation for those of you would like to have a little bit more instruction from me going to counsel you as a group and then we have some prayer partners prepared or willing to pray with you and I shall explain that a little later on what's necessary for you to know is that nobody is forced to do anything here. Some of you say there's no way that I can go forward and being to be prayed for.

We understand that but I others of you. You might say to yourself, pastor was I just been waiting for this chance to finally have some further counseling and also to simply have an atmosphere, a safe atmosphere where I can pray because that's what I'm gonna give you an opportunity to do if you come forward to you be thinking in this message as to whether or not you want to be among those for whom we will have some special instruction and prayer, and of course even though I'm talking about sexual abuse. Some of you are dealing with other issues you're recovering from infidelity in your marriage.

Or maybe it wasn't sexual abuse.

But it was verbal and physical abuse. In a sense we all have to follow the same path don't way. Are you ready for the journey. You ready for the journey one God today to set you free. Father do it. We pray in Jesus name, amen. Number one in the step in the journey the past must be acknowledged the past must be acknowledged.

You say will pastor Luther why let bygones be bygones.

What's understandable. But if your past is intruding into your relationship. If you find yourself being angry and defensive and perhaps may be an abuser because you were abused you had better face up to what happened to you. After all, it is the truth that sets you free and not a full's reality that your living as if to say, this was serious. Of course it was serious. Some of you know how serious it really was and so what you need to do is to challenge your past, you need to walk in there with God and say all right once and for all. I'm going to stare down and find out what happened and and deal with what happened know you're only as neurotic as your darkest secrets and if there's a dark part of you were the Holy Spirit of God is never been allowed to enter.

I know that he indwells. He was a Christian, but you have said to yourself there's a dark part of me and I don't want to have to deal with that. I'm saying it's time to shed light on that dark part because light brings healing somebody is said that darkness produces good mushrooms but not very good flowers and I want your soul to be producing flowers and not being caught up in simply the darkness that you have and the truth and the light makes you free to walk in the light as he is in the light. Now there is something that all of us need to do and especially those whose past continues to haunt them and define them and by the way, for many of you when I talk about these descriptions you don't get it because you don't know how difficult you are to live with. Do you of those around you might but you had justified it. You have given explanation for it and you're perfectly fine thank you. But maybe the Holy Spirit will show you what I need to learn. I'm not fine you're not fine I'm not okay you're not okay God is okay and is going to help all of us become better. Okay that okay so you have to acknowledge the past you had to challenge that. Secondly, you mourn the loss you mourn the loss you see when a child is been abused of the child basically shuts down his or her emotions. They just go on autopilot and as a result things they need to feel again. They need to be able to feel again and not just simply be a robot going through the motions because they were not allowed to express their emotions as a child, even if they were caught crying.

They might be beat. One of the things that morning does and Jesus said blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. One of the things that morning does is it puts you back in touch with with reality and your feelings. Somebody said to me that one of the problems with an abuse child is there is no place for him or her to cry. There's no place for them to cry and they need to be able to cry and you even as an adult need to be able to cry. Here's what I find when I read the Psalms and I encourage you to read them often. Oftentimes David will will a complaint to God. I mean, very honestly, he'll just let it all hang out God, where are you I need you.

Things are so bad why don't you show up for me he'll just pour out his soul and and he'll just lay it all out and at the end of the Psalm. He says nevertheless I will still hope in the same where in the world is I come from my friend.

Brief does two things.

First of all, it reminds us that there are some scars that will never be taken away permanently until we get to heaven. Brief reminds us of that and that's why we cry over what has been done can't be undone.

But there's something else that brief does and that is it gives us hope and if there's no way for you to really express your grief and to pour out your soul before God. Read the book of Lamentations. Lamentations is a book that was written by Jeremiah. It is filled with tears over the destruction of Jerusalem. I wish I had time this morning to take you there and to show you how all of it is his innards are spilled out there in his tears.

Nothing wrong with grieving the loss you lose an arm you grieve, you lose your child and you grieve grieve over what could have been. Don't be afraid of grief. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus, third, and this is absolutely crucial course everything that I'm saying today is crucial.

But that third you must understand grace. You must understand grace. Now I'm going to speak to those of you who were abused.

This is your tendency, your tendency is to so focus on the sins of others that you overlook your own and no matter how your sins might be pointed out your continually saying yeah but I didn't do that and so your focus is on somebody else's sin. At this point I'm talking about your own because we are all sinners and if you have been sinning against others because you've been sinned against you and I have a lot to forget I have a lot that God has to forgive and I suspect that you do to. This is Pastor Luther.

I certainly don't want you to interpret what I just said as if the focus of what others have done is wrong. We all need to be able to deal with the issues in our own heart, but also those injustices that have been done against us. I hope you understand that this series of messages I believe is going to be a tremendous blessing to a lot of people. It's going to use the word of God as a sword, not only to enter into the hearts of others but also to enter into our hearts. If you find these kinds of messages a blessing.

Just know that it is because of your participation that we can share the word of God. In more than 20 different countries would you consider becoming an endurance partner endurance partners are people who stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts. Endurance partners believe in this ministry because we seek to uphold the glory of Jesus Christ his power and the centrality of the gospel to find out more information on becoming an endurance partner. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com let me get that to you again. RTW offer.com.

Click on the endurance partner button and it'll give you that information or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 I'm going to be giving you that phone number again give you time to find a pencil. But thanks in advance for standing with us. I consider those who are endurance partners as part of the running to win the family that phone number 1-888-218-9337. I know for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life of famous prophecy in the book of Isaiah prompted today's question the listener named Yolanda. The Bible says that by Jesus stripes we are healed. If the Bible says that why do so many people still get sick and die. Yes Yolanda, we will all get sick and die that we can be certain unless we have the privilege of living until Jesus Christ returns we will all get sick and die when the Bible says by his stripes we are healed. It's very clear that he's talking about spiritual healing. Our souls are healed but think about this Yolanda even our souls are not completely healed. Are they, because we still struggle with sin.

The fact is that the Bible does in the atonement.

The Bible does teach, Jesus Christ died for us, body, soul and spirit, but we can't enter into those blessings until after the resurrection.

When we get our resurrection bodies. At last we will not die. For example, the Bible says that Jesus came to demolish death and abolish it, but he hasn't abolished it has a as you walk through the cemetery.

You know that death is ever with us and Christians died. We all die all right. Bottom line, let me be clear. Yes, the promises of God are there for us, healing is in the atonement, but we don't enter into it until after we've died and receive our permanent bodies. Thank you Yolanda for your question.

Thank you Dr. Luther for your answer. If you'd like to hear your question answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago 60614 when the young are sexually abused. Psychological scars are left but may never one common experience is knowing sadness. It's always just below the surface.

Next time I'm running to win more about the scars with my sexual abuse in the healing God can provide. Thanks for listening. This is Dave McAllister going to win is sponsored by the Moody church