My Truth and God’s Truth CALEB REESE

HONOR

We are all in a process! We are all being mentored, discipled by something/someone. It’s just a matter of who/what.

Tonight I want to show you, I want to challenge you to let Christ be the thing that forms us.

Benjamin IS a LeMarr and IN THE PROCESS of becoming a LeMarr ALL AT ONCE

PRAY

John 8:31–32 (ESV)

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The purpose and narrative behind the Gospel of John...

It is trying to force you to make a decision. Believe in Jesus as God.

You cannot get to God without Jesus — the whole goal of the book of John

Story of when Paula locked you out of the house. Having to go to the neighbors. Not remembering any phone numbers. Calling my dad.

You can’t get in the house without walking through the door. You can’t get to the Father without going through Jesus.

John 10:9–10 ESV

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

No other religion, no other name, no good deed, no good vibes can let you enter into a relationship with a Holy God. Only the perfect sacrifice of Jesus can let us imperfect people into relationship with a perfect God.

. . .

and I am sure that *almost* everyone here is comfortable with seeing Jesus as the Door to God

1. “It’s easy seeing Jesus as our Savior, but it’s harder seeing Him as our Lord,” why do you think this is?

Because Jesus as Savior is His response to us

But Jesus as Lord is our response to Him

John 8:31–32 ESV

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

To be a disciple of Jesus — You must ABIDE, LIVE IN THE LIGHT — If you “stay” in my Word, you are My disciple.

Who sets the boundaries for your life? (USE BABY GATE)

It is so hard not to let our experiences define our boundaries.

We get hurt, we get offended, and we use that experience to build our boundaries (BUILD BABY GATE AS YOU TALK)

And - that’s not all bad!

The issue comes in when we elevate our EXPERIENCE over the WORD OF GOD.

Maybe you had a bad father and so now your truth is all male leaders can’t be trusted

Hurt by the church so now pastors can’t be trusted

Your trauma becomes your boundary

The truth about yourself, about others, about the world - experience and emotion has shaped your boundaries/truth

Experience and emotions can be wonderful friends, but horrible masters.

When our boundaries are not set by Jesus - but by experience - Not by GOD’S TRUTH, but OUR TRUTH — We get into dangerous ground.

Boundaries are a funny thing. We see them as a means to limit you.

Paradox of going to the gym - so I don’t become a slave to being out of shape

Boundaries are not limiting, they are protecting

John 14:6 (ESV)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is not being cruel in saying “No one comes to the Father except through me.” - “Wow Jesus how narrow minded of you“

It’s not Him flashing His VIP card saying how cool He is — It is Him throwing out a Lifesaver because He knows you will drown without it!

Being a slave of righteousness is the only place that has FREEDOM! It’s a paradox

The new you is the true you.

God’s Word is what sets the limits to my life. It is the rulebook, the standard, the measurement by which my life is judged.

My Truth is a Moment, God’s Truth is FOREVER

We only see in part. Our perspective is limited. Your truth — may be TRUE FOR YOU IN A MOMENT — but it is often limited.

When we have God’s Word as the boundary — my truth lives inside the limit of God Word

Talk about Baby Noah inside the baby gate. It gives him freedom AND PROTECTION - from the house, from his brother.

My truth, my experience, is what lives inside this boundary - AND THERE IS FREEDOM INSIDE OF THE BOUNDARY

But when we go OUTSIDE of God’s Word, when we elevate our experience, our truth, over God’s Word

Chaos always ensues. (BREAK WALL)

I fall into the World’s system, I fall into culture, I fall into my vices and sin

It’s hard staying, abiding in the boundary.

It’s hard not playing by MY RULES. MY TRUTH.

This is why we have Christians that believe Jesus is Savior, but don’t live like He’s Lord.

Because we live in a culture that says — “Find your truth inside of yourself and be ABIDE IN THAT.” Instead of ABIDING in God’s Word. (Point to BABY GATE)

Let me be clear with what boundaries are = what is true. A boundary is what we believe to be truth.

2. What are some “boundaries” you have in your life? How did those things become boundaries?

In our world today: the self has become the CENTER of authority and truth

Rom coms— the emotional you is the true you.

She leaves the nice guy on the altar because she was in love with the hobo. The movie doesn’t tell you that they get divorced in 2 years because she’s bored and moves on to the next guy that her heart told her to love.

THE NEW YOU (IN CHRIST) IS THE TRUE YOU

We, as Christians, have a lot of cultural hurdles to get over to be able to have Jesus as LORD over our lives and to DECENTER OURSELVES as the authority of Truth.

Elephant example. It is objectively true completely outside of your experience.

Your experience is limited

Which is why …

The Bible is Our Boundary

Culture today, progressive Christians today, try to downplay the Word of God. Because if the Bible is nothing more than a good suggestion, then I’m free to live by my truth.

But if the Bible is authoritative — Then it must be my boundary.

It must become the thing that shapes us! Disciples us!

We have to bind ourselves to a higher truth.

A truth that is above our perspective and our truth.

The Word is God’s self revelation. It’s how He has defined Himself . It is how He has made Himself known.

2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

So if my experience and my truth come into conflict with God’s Word — I have to assume I’m wrong and work from there.

Your feelings are a great gage -- but a terrible steering wheel.

Emotions are not evil. They are a gift from God. But they must be held in the right tension with God’s Word.

Let’s hold OUR TRUTH and GOD’S TRUTH in the right tension!

BAND

Story of Daniel chapter 1 — Distinctions between Babylon culture and Jewish culture

They were IN Babylon but not OF Babylon

Daniel 1:8 ESV

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Culture today says whatever you feel, whatever you’ve experienced, IS YOUR TRUTH

We don’t take shelter in CULTURE — We Abide in God’s Word!

I’m talking to someone today — God is calling you to be a DANIEL and to STAND when culture tells you to SIT.

That we would be a generation of RESOLVE. We will not defile ourselves with culture.

3. In what ways could you be “like a Daniel?”

My destiny is not determined by my emotions!

My destiny is not determined by culture!

BUT I HAVE CENTERED MYSELF, I HAVE MADE A BOUNDARY AROUND MY HEART AND MIND, THAT I WILL ABIDE IN GOD’S WORD!

Psalm 119:11 ESV

11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

My truth is temporary, God’s truth is eternal.

I’m here to tell you today — whatever you might be facing:

anxiety,

stress,

heartbreak,

slave to addiction and sin —

The answer is not found in your emotions — It is found in the Presence and Power of Almighty God!

If you abide in God’s word, you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

TELL THEM TO STAND — Let them worship too

Freedom comes from letting go of YOUR TRUTH and holding onto HIS TRUTH, which is the Word of God

Altar call:

-God is here to set you free. The Truth is here to set you free.

-You have believed a lie — from yourself, from culture — God is here to lovingly lead you into Truth

FREEDOM FROM:

anxiety about the future,

stress,

heartbreak,

addictions,

confusion about your identity and self-worth