Unsaved Christian Pt4

Spiritual Schizophrenia

Spiritual Schizophrenia

1. What in the world is “schizophrenia”?

• It’s a medical condition where someone mentally lives in two or more worlds. Some people call

it “having a split personality.”

• Each part of this “split personality” is really different, yet equally real to the person who is experiencing them.

experiencing them.

• The personalities do not match. They are usually pretty conflicting.

2. What then, do we mean today by our title, “Spiritual Schizophrenia?”

• A person whose “spiritual world” (their daily walk with Christ)...and whose “every day world” don’t seem to match.

don’t seem to match.

3. Symptoms of “Spiritual Schizophrenia”

#1:  Two “WORLDS” seem to emerge in your life...neither one really matches the other. This is especially true in the two areas of FRIENDSHIPS and RECREATION.

#2:  You feel awkward when certain friends from one “world” cross the invisible line into the other “world.”

#3:  You search for new “spiritual ways” to make both worlds come TOGETHER. (“I’ve found anew freedom in Christ...so I don’t think that’s wrong anymore.”)

#4:  Because you are trying to play to both worlds, you begin to have a “spiritual identity crisis.”You’ll feel like you no longer “fit” with many of your Christian friends (except compromising ones). You’ll start to feel “out of place” when you come to church, small group, etc.

#5:  DOUBT begins to build. You have an increasingly tough time believing that the “world” youexperience at church is truly real.

#6:  You become defensive when anyone tries to talk to you about “the changes” in your ATTITUDEor CONVICTIONS.

#7:  Your friends and PRIORITIES begin to change. Hanging out with people on the “God side”becomes less and less appealing. “Fun” begins to take on a whole new meaning.

Story - “Wrong Way Riegels”

Wrong Way Riegels

On New Year’s Day, 1929, Georgia Tech played the University of California in the Rose Bowl. In thatgame a man named Roy Riegels recovered a fumble for California. Somehow, he became confused andstarted running 65 yards in the wrong direction. One of his teammates, Benny Lom, outdistanced himand downed him just before he scored for the opposing team. When California attempted to punt, Techblocked the kick and scored a safety which was the ultimate margin of victory.

That strange play came in the first half, and everyone who was watching the game was asking the same question: “What will Coach Nibbs Price do with Roy Riegels in the second half?” The men filed off the field and went into the dressing room. They sat down on the benches and on the floor, all but Riegels. He put his towel around his shoulders, sat down in a corner, put his face in his hands, and cried like a baby.

If you have played football, you know that a coach usually has a great deal to say to his team during halftime. That day Coach Price was quiet. No doubt he was trying to decide what to do with Riegels. Then the timekeeper came in and announced that there were three minutes before playing time. Coach Price looked at the team and said simply, “Men the same team that played the first half will start the second.”The players got up and started out, all but Riegels. He did not budge. The coach looked back and called to him again; still he didn’t move. Coach Price went over to where Riegels sat and said, “Roy, didn’t you hear me? The same team that played the first half will start the second.” Then Roy Riegels looked up and his cheeks were wet with a strong man’s tears. “Coach,” he said, “I can’t do it to save my life. I’ve ruined you, I’ve ruined the University of California, and I’ve ruined myself. I couldn’t face that crowd in the stadium to save my life.” Then Coach Price reached out and put his hand on Riegels’ shoulder and said to him: “Roy, get up and go on back; the game is only half over.” And Roy Riegels went back, and thoseTech men will tell you that they have never seen a man play football as Roy Riegels played that second half.

4. CAUSES FOR “SPIRITUAL SCHIZOPHRENIA”

Cause #1 = , “No man can serve two masters...You will either HATE one and LOVE the other, or hold to the one and shun the other. You cannot serve both God and the enemy.”

Cause #2 = Violation of the “Treasure Law”

, “Where your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be also...”

“T” = T 3 “Treasure” = My THOUGHTS, My TALK, My Time 

Cause #3 = Choosing the Wrong Friends

Cause #4 = “CARDBOARD Cross Syndrome”

, “Why do you call Me ‘LORD’ when you won’t obey Me?”

, “Not all who sound RELIGIOUS are really godly people. They may refer to Me as‘Lord,’ but still won’t go to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they OBEY My Father in heaven.”

THE TRAGEDY OF THE CHURCH WORLD TODAY: PEOPLE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO BELIEVE,BUT NOT TO OBEY.

Merely “believing” in Jesus Christ does NOT make someone an AUTHENTIC Christian. If that’s all it took, SATAN would be a big one!

, “Devils also believe and tremble.”

, “Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ...and you will be saved.”

The message of the New Testament is NOT “Jesus is Savior” (37 times). It is rather, “Jesus isLORD” (7,736 times).

LORDSHIP = An END OF LIFE on my OWN TERMS.

The reason Christianity doesn’t “stick” for so many of us these days is because we

“CUT AWAY” all the parts of the Cross that we don’t LIKE.

The “Cardboard Cross” Of The Rich Young Ruler

, “As He was starting out on a trip, a man came running to Him and kneltdown and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to get to heaven?’ ‘Why do you call Megood?’ Jesus asked. ‘Only God is truly good! But as for your question—you know thecommandments; don’t kill, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, respectyour father and mother.’ ‘Teacher,’ the man replied, ‘I’ve never once broken a single one ofthose laws.’ Jesus felt genuine love for this man as He looked at him. ‘You lack only onething,’ He told him; ‘go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor—and you shallhave treasure in heaven—and come and follow Me.’ Then the man’s face fell, and he wentsadly away, for he was very rich

Christ’s “Recruiting Methods”

, “Then He said to all, ‘Anyone who wants to follow Me must put aside hisown desires and conveniences and carry his cross with him every day and keep close toMe! Whoever loses his life for My sake shall save it, but whoever insists on keeping his lifewill lose it; and what pro t is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one’sself?’ ‘When I, the Messiah, come in My glory and in the glory of the Father and the holyangels, I will be ashamed then of all who are ashamed of Me and of My words now.’”

To “carry your cross” was like saying today, “Carry your ELECTRIC CHAIR.”

A.W. Tozer gives “Three Marks Of A Dead Man”

Facing in ONE DIRECTION.

Not LOOKING BACK.

No FUTURE PLANS of his own

Cause #5 = Classic Spiritual Warfare

Jalen music or Megley Fire Fall Down

5. TWO NEW TESTAMENT MEN WHO DEVELOPED “SPIRITUAL SCHIZOPHRENIA”

JUDAS...

• , (Jesus talking), “One of you will betray me.”

• , “Judas went out and joined the company of non-believers...”

• Key words: , “And Judas stood with them.”

Judas’ Outcome?

His “Hell-bait Area” played heavily upon him.Discouragement and guilt eventually overwhelmed him.He killed himself.

PETER...

• , (Peter’s earlier words), “I’m ready to die for You, Lord!”

Then Jesus told Peter, “The rooster will crow after you have denied Me three times.”(Pretty schizophrenic, wouldn’t you say???)

• Problem: , “And Peter followed afar off...and SAT DOWN AMONG THEM.”(The “them” was a group of nonbelievers.)

Minutes later, Peter even denied being one of Jesus’ disciples.

Once again, “Show me your FRIENDS and I will show you your FUTURE.”

Peter’s outcome?

Chapters 20 and 21 of John tell us that Peter made an amazing spiritualcomeback. HOW?

He changed his FRIENDS and started hanging out with his Christian friends again!

Closing  Story – “Teddy and Miss Thompson”

Teddy and Miss Thompson

Miss Thompson was a schoolteacher who every year would say to her students, “Boys and girls, I loveyou all the same. I have no favorites.” Teachers do have favorites and what’s worse, most teachers havestudents that they simply don’t like.

Teddy Stallard was a boy that Miss Thompson simply didn’t like. He didn’t seem interested in school. Hewore a deadpan, blank expression on his face, and his eyes were glassy and unfocused. When she spoketo Teddy, he merely shrugged his shoulders. His clothes were mussed and his hair unkept. He wasn’t anattractive boy, and he certainly wasn’t likable.

Whenever she marked Teddy’s papers, she got a certain perverse pleasure out of putting X’s next to thewrong answers. When she put the F’s at the top of the papers, she did it with flair. She should haveknown better; she had Teddy’s records, and she knew more about him than she wanted to admit. Therecords read:

1st Grade: Teddy shows promise with his work and attitude, but poor home situation.

2nd Grade: Teddy could do better. Mother is seriously ill. He receives little help at home.

3rd Grade: Teddy is a good boy, but too serious. He is a slow leaner. His mother died this year.4th Grade: Teddy is very slow, but well-behaved. His father shows no interest.

At Christmas, the boys and girls in Miss Thompson’s class brought her presents, piled them on her desk,and crowded around to watch her open them. Among the presents was one from Teddy Stallard.

She was surprised that he had brought her a gift. Teddy’s gift was wrapped in brown paper and held together with Scotch tape. On the paper were written the simple words, “For Miss Thompson. From Teddy.”

When she opened Teddy’s present, out fell a gaudy rhinestone bracelet, with half the stones missing, and a bottle of cheap perfume.

The other boys and girls began to giggle and smirk over Teddy’s gifts, but Miss Thompson at least had enough sense to silence them by immediately putting on the bracelet and dotting some of the perfume on her wrist.

Holding her wrist up for the other children to smell, she said, “Doesn’t it smell lovely?” The other children, taking their cue from the teacher, readily agreed with “oohs” and “ahs.”

When school was over and the other children had left, Teddy lingered behind. He slowly came over to her desk and said softly, “Miss Thompson? Miss Thompson, you smell just like my mother...and her bracelet looks real pretty on you too. I’m glad you like my presents.”

When Teddy left, Miss Thompson got down on her knees and asked God to forgive her.

The next day when the children came to school, they were welcomed by a new teacher. Miss Thompson had become a different person. She was no longer just a teacher; she had become an agent of God,committed to loving her children and doing things for them that would live on after her.

She helped all the children, but especially the slow ones and especially, Teddy Stallard. By the end of that school year, Teddy showed dramatic improvement. He caught up with most of the students and was even ahead of some.

Once the school year ended, Miss Thompson didn’t hear from Teddy for a long time. Then one day she received a note that read:

Dear Miss Thompson, I wanted you to be the first to know. I will be graduating second in my class.Love, Teddy Stallard

Four years later, another note came:

Dear Miss Thompson, They just told me I will be graduating first in my class. I wanted you to be the first to know. The university has not been easy, but I have had a good four years.

Love, Teddy Stallard

And, four years later:

Dear Miss Thompson, As of today, I am Theodore Stallard, M.D. How about that? I wanted you to be the first to know.

be the first to know.

I am getting married next month, the twenty-seventh to be exact. I want you to come and sit where my mother would sit if she were alive. You are the only family I have now. Dad died last year.

Love, Teddy Stallard

Miss Thompson went to the wedding and sat where Teddy’s mother would have sat. She deserved to be there; she had done something for Teddy that he could never forget

Closing Song – “Fire Fall Down” By Hillsong United