HONESTY: SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE

GRACE AMONG US

John 1:17 ESV

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

GRACE. WHAT IS GRACE?PRAYER AT A MEAL? THE WAY A DANCER MOVES?

OUR CULTURE HAS A MESSED UP VIEW OF GRACE.

SQUISHY GRACE. WEAK GRACE. CHEAP GRACE.

POP CHRISTIANITY. PC CHRISTIANITY. OPRAH CHRISTIANITY. SMORGASBORD CHRISTIANITY. JEFFERSON CHRISTIANITY.

COMMON THEME: LOW VIEW OF CHRIST AND HIGH VIEW OF SELF. IN FACT THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY IS SELF.

VOLTAIRE SAID: “In the beginning God created man in His own image, and man has been trying to repay the favor ever since.”

WE DOMESTICATE JESUS INTO A "REALLY GREAT GUY" WHO WOULD NEVER HURT OUR FEELINGS OR MAKE US UNCOMFORTABLE. THOSE THINGS ARE LATER ADDITIONS BY THE CHURCH. THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE! JESUS SAID IT CLEARLY AND IT IS OFTEN THE CHURCH THAT HAS TRIED TO EXPLAIN IT AWAY.

ELDGREDGE: THE SPIRIT OF OUR DAY IS A SOFT ACCEPTANCE OF EVERYTHING -- EXCEPT DEEP CONVICTION IN ANYTHING.

JESUS DON'T PLAY.

HONESTY: SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE

JESUS WAS HONEST. ALWAYS LOVING AND ALWAYS HONEST.

LET'S BEGIN WITH A CLANDESTINE MEETING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

John 3:1–21 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

MOST PEOPLE GO THRU THEIR ENTIRE LIVES WITHOUT ANYONE EVER SPEAKING HONEST, LOVING AND DIRECT WORDS TO THE MOST DAMAGING ISSUES OF THEIR LIVES.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU?

WE CHOOSE NOT TO SEE IT. WE CHOOSE NOT TO GET INVOLVED BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO RISK THE TENSION, BACKLASH OR REJECTION.

SOMETIMES WE TRY TO USE JESUS' OWN WORDS TO JUSTIFY OUR INACTION.

Matthew 7:1–5 ESV

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

THIS IS A REALITY NOT A LAW! DESCRIPTIVE NOT PRESCRIPTIVE.

CONTEXT: HOW ARE WE TO LIVE IN THE KINGDOM? HOW DO WE TRULY HELP OURSELVES AND OTHERS.

WE ARE NOT RULED BY ANGER, GREED OR LUST. WE SEEK GOD'S APPROVAL NOT MAN'S.

THE LOG IS CONDEMNATION.

JESUS ISN’T DONE SAYING HARD THINGS.

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

HONEST. HARD. TRUTH. GRACE. LOVE.

NOT POPULAR. NOT PC. EXCLUSIVE.

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.