Peer Pressure Session 4

Restoration

We have been talking about peer pressure and the many affects on us. Last night we talked about how we can begin to overcome that fear of peer pressure by elevating God over man. And that is very helpful, it is the only way we can overcome this problem.

But if I were to poll you this morning, some, or perhaps many, and possibly even all of us are in the back of our mind asking how can we do this? How can I take this mounting pressure to be somebody in this world of tic tok trends and amazon hot deals. How do I overcome this avalanche of expectations.

We feel inadequate. We feel like we are not enough. We can’t do it.

You’re right. We can’t do it.

Mike talked about Genesis chapter 3 and the fall on Friday night. Adam & Eve failed, and the broke the serenity and peace of life.

Adam’s problem wasn’t that he didn’t trust God.

Cain’s problem wasn’t that he hated his brother

The Nephilims problem wasn’t that wickedness covered the earth

Babels problem wasn’t that they want to build this massive tower

Abram & Saras problem wasn't that they lied about her being his sister

Abram & Lot’s problem wasn’t that they couldn’t get along

Abram’s problem wasn’t that he cheated on his wife

Sarah’s problem wasn’t that she didn’t believe God and that she laughed at him

Sodom & Gomorrah’s problem wasn’t that they gave in to all the lusts of the flesh

Lot’s daughters problem wasn’t that they tricked their dad and both got pregnant

Isaacs problem wasn’t that he needed to be sacrificed

Isaac & Rebeccas problem wasn’t that they treated their son’s differently

Esau’s problem wasn’t that he gave him his birthright

His problem wasn’t that he married outside of Israel

Laban’s problem wasn’t that he switched Rachel & Leah on purpose to deceive

Jacob’s problem was not that he married both Rachel & Leah

Rachels problem was not that she envied her sister and gave her servant to Jacob to bare a son

Her problem wasn’t that she could not bear a son on her own

Esau’s problem was not that he wanted to kill Jacob

Jacobs problem wasn’t that he wrestled with God

Shechems problem wasn’t that he defiled Dinah

Joseph’s problem wasn’t that his brothers hated him

Reuben’s problem wasn’t that he lied and deceived his father

Potiphars wifes problem wasn’t that she lied about what Jospeh did

Step outside of Genesis.

The problem wasn’t the exodus.

The problem wasn’t captivity in Egypt

The problem wasn’t the wandering through the wilderness

The problem was not that Moses disobeyed

The problem was not Aiken’s theft or bad judges of failed kings or Saul’s hatred or David’s insdrections or Israels rejection.

Those were all problems.

The problem was this beautiful world was broken, shattered by sin. All those problems are not results of this broken relationship between us and God.

And without intervention we can do nothing. We cannot overcome anything without someone stepping in and fixing it.

Turn to Ezekiel chapter 11.

Hope is coming!

Israel lasted for over 100 years as this thriving kingdom, and for 200 years they were seperated but still doing well. But now they are in the midst of exile. Nebcehadnezzar came in and has taken 10,000 people captive and taken them to Babaloyn. Jerusalem has fallen. This once great and promised land has been shattered.

Ezekiel was one of those exiles. He was a priest, at 25 years old he was taken away from his land. He was called to be a prophet and here is what he tells us.

Ezekiel 11:14–20 ESV

And the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, your kinsmen, the whole house of Israel, all of them, are those of whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far from the Lord; to us this land is given for a possession.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Though I removed them far off among the nations, and though I scattered them among the countries, yet I have been a sanctuary to them for a while in the countries where they have gone.’ Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’ And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Yes, I know you are scattered and I know you have lost the land, but I will make it new. I will fix it!

The promise to Abraham and Moses and David lives on—Israel will be restored.

The promise to Moses is still intact--”They will be God’s people and He will be their God.”

They will be gathered again, and they will be made new!

God will restore Israel and for those who know Christ he has restored us!

He has taken the heart of the stone and he has replaced it with a heart of flesh.

There is a total transformation.

Why?

So that we may walk in his statutes and keep his rules and obey them!

We will be his people and he will be our God.

If you know Christ, he has made all things new. He has restored you heart and made it new, he has replaced it and now we are able to follow and worship and obey God. Our relationships with our family and our friends and our church and our authority has been made new . We can now overcome the world because we are no longer of the world. We had this transplant and the worlds chains were removed.

To the shame and regret that we face by those around us, He has covered it. No longer do we have to be bound by the shame of our neighbor, our classmate, our enemy. Christ has covered it in full.

To the rejection and dismissal we face by the world, He has accepted us. We are now part of the most glorious family in the history of the universe, and we are accepted by the King of Kings, rejection now longer carries any weight.

To the threats and insults we receive because of who we are, He has protected us. When satan tempts us to dispair, and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there, the one who made an end to all my sin.

If you know Christ: He has made us new. We will still struggle with peer pressure. You will never stop feeling the weight of living up to the world’s standards. But you can now overcome it, because we have a new heart.

If you do not know Christ: the weight of the world is nothing compared to the weight of eternity. We walked through the book of Genesis and all the failures of men. And I can add your name, and your name, and your name, and my name to that list. Our relationship with God has been shattered. And without the removal of the heart of stone and giving us the heart of flesh we have no hope. And so if your in this room and you do not have that hope, please come see one of us. Please talk to a staff member. If you have not been made new you will not overcome the pressure of those around you and you will spend eternity in hell.