Leaning Into Who We Are

Authenticity

Veterans day… notes for book. End of the book there are some extra pages.

We are going to take a break from the gospel of John this morning to unpack something I didn’t have a chance too last week. There we’re some significant things that happened that confirmed we should take a moment and unpack one of the three points I made last week.

In a preaching/teaching class that I took in college, I had some constructive criticism offered to me after one of my presentations. At that time I would get super hyped up and animated as I taught God’s word. It wasn’t anything contrived or made up, I was authentically excited to be teaching God’s word and sharing connections I had made in scripture through my study. The constructive criticism was to seek to be the same person in the pulpit as I was outside of the pulpit.

At first it didn’t make sense to me as my exuberance was genuine, however as time has gone on, I’ve seen a lot, done a lot, experienced a lot, I see the wisdom of the comment and have not forgotten it to this day.

Maybe you have met those people in both camps:

The person who is super charismatic, outgoing, hyped up, and then in person way less that way. I get the impression they are trying to sell me something. I can’t tell if they just want me to buy what they are selling or if they actually believe what they are talking about.

Or the super caring, fatherly/motherly, compassionate communicator who when you meet them are dismissive, self absorbed, cold prickly person that is not what is communicated on the larger platform.

Each type of these characters when experienced can make someone jaded. There are a few people I have had the pleasure of knowing/meeting that are truly the same way in the pulpit/platform that they are in person...

My pastor, David Grisanti; Theologians Dr. Gerry Breshears, Dr. Jerry Sittser, Dr. Rob Fairbanks, Dr. Ray Bakke, John Piper; Artists/Musicians; Paul Baloche, Shane & Shane, Matt Redman Actors: Maury Sterling… just super authentic down to earth people.

My favorite is learning and gleaning from those that are ordinary to the world but use their extraordinary talents and resources to make the world a better place for everyone.

What is it about authenticity that is so attractive? What is it about transparency that is so comforting?

Did you know that when God created man and woman, it was very good? They were created for blessable authentic covenant partners, who in relationship are co-creators in God’s grand creation.

Last Sunday we were in John 5 and we looked at the first 9 verses where Jesus heals the man by the pool of Bethsaida. In that study we looked at how Jesus asked the man a simple question, “Do you want to be healed”. If you weren’t with us last week or have yet to listen/watch the sermon, please do so for context.

In the sermon though we looked at the man’s response to Jesus’ question. The man doesn’t answer Jesus’ question but responds with an excuse as to how/why he hasn’t been healed. There is an aspect of shame that keeps us from experiencing the healing touch of God. Shame is an identity word and a feeling word.

We take shame as an identity when we allow the things/sin people have done to us to make up who we are. We take shame as an identity when we allow the things/sin we have done to inform us who we are. We take shame as an identity when we allow the things/sin that have happened in our presence to tell us who we are.

I brought us to the place where scripture first talks about shame, that is in Genesis 2 and 3. In that portion of scripture there was one phrase that stood out to me that was a treasure trove that needed to be explored. After Adam and Eve hide because they hear God walking towards them “in the cool of the day”, He calls out to them. Adam responds that they hid when they heard Him coming because they were naked and afraid. It was what God said next that captivated me, “Who told you that you were naked?” (vs.11) That wasn’t the time to unpack it, but the more I talked about it with others this last week, I am convinced that we need to touch on it this morning.

Before we jump in, I would like to read our text this morning. Please turn in your Bibles, or on your devices to Genesis 2:18. If you are able, please stand as I read God’s word this morning. Let us pray. You may be seated.

How God Intended Things to Be

God created man and woman, and it was very good.

He created them in His image. They are uniquely individually made in His image and corporately they are His blessable covenant partners who are charged with joining Him in co-creation of the world (humanity, nature, life, etc.).

This is where we understand the uniqueness, beauty, and importance of EVERY individual and people group. They are created in what we call the imago dei… the image of God.

Genesis 2:25, Moses informs us that they are naked and not ashamed. Nakedness is literally and figuratively living your most authentic self. There is no hiding anything. This says that God saw them, all of them, and loved them deeply. They saw each other completely and loved each other, worked together, and intimately engaged in life and mission.

This is what God still does, scripture tells us this… He is light, He exposes, He seeks authenticity...

John 1:4-5 “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Psalm 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!”

Ephesians 1:7-9 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ”

They were naked and unashamed. So what happened? Sin.

How Things Are Now

Sin, simply put was Adam and Eve seeking to decide for themselves what was right, true, beautiful, and good. God said this was evil, they said, “no, it’s desirable and probably tastes good” and took of what God said was bad.

I contest that the root of all evil is us deciding what is right and wrong independent of what God says. We put ourselves on the throne and disregard God and His word.

Because of sin, we are exposed and therefore ashamed.

We hide just as Adam and Eve did.

We seek to prop ourselves up in such ways that we hope people see us in the light of our highest ideals, to our own detriment. Sometimes this is a self-defense mechanism. Maybe we’ve sought to be authentic and what came out was not good.

It is a risk to be transparent, vulnerable, authentic, and honest. But I want to highlight that this is the best way to live in community if we are doing this in love, in pursuit of Christ, and keeping His mission on the forefront of our hearts and minds.

I think this is what this church does so well. This is what I want to encourage us in to do every week.

I hear and see examples of the way you love people every week. You do it so well.

One example from this last week was the lament that Erin shared during service last week. In lamenting the young man who was murdered in our community in a drug deal gone horribly wrong, she was vulnerable before us with her heart and mind. Upon first hearing of the story and how it developed, her heart was at first saying, “you play with fire, you will get burned” then remembering and recognizing that this young man was precious made in God’s image… which led to a lament. Church, to put oneself out there and admit to the feeling of indifference to then be convicted by the Holy Spirit, lamenting this young man’s death, seeking God to move in our hearts and community is nothing but an act of God through the power and moving of His Holy Spirit.

This is the authenticity, transparency, and nakedness God desires from us. To be honest with Him. To be assured that as we are naked before Him, He loves us and will not forsake us.

It is not until we are authentic and honest with Him that any life transformation or change can take place. We can’t play church. We can’t go through the motions and expect anything of significance to change. Only authentic, transparent, openness is the beginning of transformation.

Here is the thing, God sees us, knows us, and loves us despite our depravity. He sees our imperfections, sin, and where we fall short and still is working to form us more into the image of Jesus. Jesus deeply loves you.

You were created in God’s image

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Psalm 138:8 “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.”

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

How We Lean In

We lean in by loving each other authentically.

We lean in by constantly welcoming and inviting others into this loving community.

Our greatest strength as a church, as one expression of the church of Jesus Christ in this community, is the genuine authentic love of people.

This is the testimony that we have among many of you. When we took a poll a couple years ago about what people loved about this church it was:

The authentic love and sense of community

Teaching

We want to lean into this strength of ours of loving people well. Loving each other well.

What does this mean:

We know love because of the way that God loves us.

Love does not mean condoning everyone’s actions or held beliefs. Because God loves us does not mean that everything we do is right or holy. We have grace with others as God does with us.

We are all on a journey, at different places, in different points, but we are all here to know more about Jesus and His good and great plan for us.

We can’t fully love people unless we fully give ourselves to God

We can’t know what love is until we receive the love of God that he has for us. He loves you. He wants a relationship with you. That He wants to indwell and empower you. He wants to shed His love abroad in your heart.

When we give ourselves to God, His hope becomes our hope. His love becomes our love. We start to do the things that He Himself did.

That as we love God and love others, we ought to invite people into this love. People need it. People are longing for authentic, genuine, powerful love relationships.

Not perfect relationships, but relationships steeped and drenched in love that derives from God.

I’ve asked a number of people this week, “Why are you here? Why is this your church?”. The number one answer without fail was that they felt loved and cared for. From the moment they walked in these doors, they felt seen, loved, and cared for.

This is what God is doing in and through us, and we need to let others in to experience it.

This is risky

When we have something we love, it is a risk to invite someone else into it because it will affect the dynamic.

I want to offer up three things.

Inviting a fellow image bearer in reveals more of God to us. To not have it, means less of an experience in experiencing the fullness of God.

“In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out. By myself I am not large enough to call the whole man into activity; I want other lights than my own to show all his facets. Now that Charles is dead, I shall never again see Ronald’s [Tolkien’s] reaction to a specifically Charles joke. Far from having more of Ronald, having him “to myself” now that Charles is away, I have less of Ronald…In this, Friendship exhibits a glorious “nearness by resemblance” to heaven itself where the very multitude of the blessed (which no man can number) increases the fruition which each of us has of God. For every soul, seeing Him in her own way, doubtless communicates that unique vision to all the rest. That, says an old author, is why the Seraphim in Isaiah’s vision are crying “Holy, Holy, Holy” to one another (Isaiah 6:3). The more we thus share the Heavenly Bread between us, the more we shall have.” - CS Lewis, The Four Loves (pg.87-127)

More recently I was sharing this idea with a friend (the idea around risk of bringing people in into a already well established loving group...

I had a small group Bible study I was attending with my family. They were all older and loved on my children like amazing grandparents. They were special and they were pouring into my family. One night a young woman appeared and I was in my heart saying, “She better not screw this up or threaten this relationship”. The weeks and months went on and their two hearts (this young mom and young woman) were knit together. In tears this young mom was telling me how the other young woman had whispered a prayer asking God to make this young mom her friend. Do you see it?? Can you look at this moment and see how the perceived threat could have made everyone less well off had they not leaned in?

We experience more of who God is as we authentically lean in to who we are, the work of God in us, and seeking to love people where they are encouraging them to know more of Jesus as we all press on towards the upward goal of knowing Him more.

As we see people with God’s heart and eyes, we will see them as He sees them.

This is too good to keep to ourselves.

The call is to invite, tell people what God is doing, and look for those who need this type of authentic community.

I’m telling you, this is our strength as a church. Not the building, not our name, not anything than showing, being, and giving away the love that God so abundantly gives us.

Our other strength is teaching. We can have assurance that as we invite people, we will tell/teach them what the Bible says about who God is and who God says they/we are.

I invite you, if you haven’t already, to give your life to Christ. Though we may be ashamed, He says to come as you are, yield your life to Him and allow Him to cleanse you from sin. Allow Him to take those things in your life that has been destroyed and corrupted and He will bring beauty from ashes. He is with you in the fire, He is with you in the valley, He is with you in every season of life, and we continue to welcome you to walk with us as we pursue Him.

If you would like prayer this morning, there will be those up here who will be willing to pray with you.