The Secret That Keeps You Stuck
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Name is Adam - preacher at Connect Christian Church
Married to Grace
Son is Andrew
Story: Lies in my belly
Andrew was 5 years old in Kindergarten
The “green” color that wasn’t quite “green”
Andrew — “I’ve got lies in my belly and I just can’t get them out.”
It’s a silly story but really…we all do the same thing, don’t we???
We hide things from other people and pretend to be something we’re not…
Hide messes in our home
Hide the side of our face we don’t like when we take pictures
Hide deeper things…
Doubts
Fears
Shame
Addictions
Habits
Thoughts
Things we don’t want anyone else to see
That’s exactly what’s happening in Mark 3…
A man walks into church — the synagogue — with a shriveled hand
Probably tries to keep it out of sight…tucked behind his robe
But Jesus sees it — and what happens next is the picture of what Jesus wants to do in each of us…
1 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
PRAY
We could spend a long time talking about everything in those 6 verses…
We could talk about…
Jesus going to the Synagogue - and the importance of gathering with other believers to worship
how the Pharisees had gone to the Synagogue - but not to worship…they were there to judge Jesus and the people
the Pharisees and the Herodians - and how they were culturally opposed to each other but often worked together in the Gospels because they both feared and hated Jesus
the choice between doing good and doing evil - and how we have to make that same choice every day
This event is really less about healing and more about the Sabbath day…
What was ok to do on the Sabbath?
Could you help someone on the Sabbath?
How legalistic were you supposed to be about the Sabbath?
This teaching on the Sabbath is what made the Pharisees and Herodians so mad
But I really feel like God is telling us to look at just verses 1, 3, and 5 tonight…
1 Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there.
Jesus sees what you’re hiding.
The man probably tried to keep his withered hand out of sight.
Jesus noticed him. Jesus ALWAYS sees the parts we want to cover up.
What are you hiding????
Anxiety
Addition
Shame
Insecurity
Doubt
You THINK it’s hidden but Jesus already sees it — and He doesn’t look away.
Men — PORNOGRAPHY
Surveys show that somewhere around 50% of college age men struggle with pornography on a weekly basis
Men don’t just watch porn because they’re lustful…they watch because they’re…
Lonely
Stressed
Insecure
Hungry for connection.
Porn is a counterfeit solution to a real longing that only Christ can fill.
You think you’re all alone…no one can see you…and you’re not really hurting anyone else anyway, right???
IF YOU ARE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS…
HE IS ALWAYS WITH YOU
HE ALWAYS SEES YOU — others might overlook you but Jesus never does
When we follow Jesus, we are rediscovering what it means to be a family…
SO WHATEVER YOU HIDE HURTS THE WHOLE FAMILY MORE THAN YOU REALIZE
Women — COMPARISON, ENVY, INSECURITY
SOCIAL MEDIA amplifies comparison in…
Looks
Relationships
Body shape
Lifestyle
Grades
Even spirituality
Questions of identity and self-worth…
“Am I enough?”
“Am I lovable?”
“Do I measure up?”
I have a young friend who writes in a journal every time she’s at church…
And throughout the entire time she’s journaling, she’s glancing at the person next to her - who is also journaling
Not in a “Did I miss something?” kind of way but in a “Do my notes look better?” kind of way
What are you hiding???
I don’t know what it is
Maybe no one else here knows what it is
But Jesus already does and He’s waiting for you to take the NEXT STEP…
3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
Healing begins when you stop hiding.
Jesus says, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
THAT TOOK GUTS
He had to expose his weakness in community before healing could happen.
Healing only begins when you step into vulnerability…
Confession
Prayer
Joining a group
Being transparent
The world we live in does everything it can to stunt the healing Jesus wants to bring…
Social Media…
Carefully curated highlights
Planned poses
Filters
It’s so easy to slide into a Social Media dominated life where healing can never happen because we hide all our hurts and brokenness so far under the surface and spend all our time…
Portraying ourselves in a particular way
Copying trends
Reaching to become influencers and content producers
If you want healing from whatever you’ve been hiding….the ONLY WAY is by revealing it to someone else
Examples:
Friday group — PORNOGRAPHY
Me — Dealt with it decades ago (but only when I was able to share my secret with others)
Friend 1 — Dealt with it years ago (but only when he was able to share his secret with others)
Friend 2 — Dealing with it right now — and experiencing victories because it’s not a secret anymore for him either
Friend — SAME-SEX ATTRACTION
Friend (60’s) — SO ANGRY AT PARENTS
Friend — EATING DISORDER that no one knows about
What are you willing to reveal???
I don’t know what it is
Maybe no one else here knows what it is
But Jesus already does and once you’re willing to stand up with it, He has prepared a NEXT STEP…
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.
Freedom comes when you surrender what you’re hiding.
Jesus says, “Stretch out your hand.”
The man could’ve refused
But instead, he did what felt impossible…and healing came.
Faith means extending your brokenness toward Jesus…
Trust Him with your health
Trust Him with your relationships
Trust Him with your struggles
What is your “withered hand”???
Is it your future — you don’t know what’s next after this season of school?
Is it a sin struggle you think can’t be broken?
Is it your identity — you don’t feel good enough, smart enough, loved enough?
Whatever it is… Faith means stretching it out toward Jesus and saying, “I can’t fix this. But you can.”
Jesus doesn’t just want to heal your hand — He wants to heal your heart.
Here’s the bottom line:
Jesus sees you.
Healing begins when you stop hiding.
Freedom comes when you surrender what you’re hiding.
INVITATION: Surrender to Jesus
PRAY: Stretch out your hands in front of you…palms up…as I pray over you and whatever hidden thing you’ve been carrying…
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What are some “hands we hide” in college life today? (anxiety, addictions, comparison, etc.)
How does knowing that Jesus already sees those things change the way we deal with them?
Do you tend to believe Jesus looks at you with love or with disappointment when He sees your weakness? Why?
Why do you think it’s so hard to admit weakness or brokenness to others?
What’s the difference between vulnerability and oversharing?
How have you seen confession, prayer, or community help someone take a step toward healing?
What does “surrender” look like in practical terms for a college student?
Have you ever tried to fix something on your own that only Jesus could really heal? What happened?
What might it look like for you to “stretch out your hand” this week?
Why do you think Jesus asked the man to stand up “in front of everyone”?
How does community help us grow in freedom instead of staying stuck in hiding?
What kind of community practices (groups, accountability, friendships) could help you stop hiding?
If Jesus sets us free, why do we often slip back into hiding?
What lies or fears keep people your age from living fully in the freedom Jesus offers?
What’s one NEXT STEP toward freedom you feel God might be calling you to take this week?
