Wednesday Night 4/13/22

Easter Wk 1

Songs: Graves into Gardens and Great Things

Cross the Line Game

Transition: Did we just do this exercise so that some of you would look bad?

No, why do you think we just did that?

We did it to show us that we all do things that go against God and God’s ways for us.

Now, if you are in here tonight and you don’t think God’s ways matter…

If you don’t think what God says is true actually is true.

You may not see the importance of this.

That’s ok, I hope when we leave tonight you do see why it matters if I’m following God’s ways for my life or if I’m doing the opposite of what God has for me.

Have you ever considered how awesome it is that God created us all uniquely.

He gave us unique purposes, unique interests, unique likes and dislikes.

Even twins are different.

I have two older twin brothers. (show pic)

They look the same, the talk the same, they dress the same, they have almost the same amount of gray hair.

yet even they are unique.

One plays guitar and sings, the other doesn’t do either.

One is science and math minded, the other is more English minded.

You’re handmade.

Psalm 139:13 (ESV)

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

My cousin make pottery.

She creates these incredible mugs and bowls and all kind of stuff on her pottery wheel.

I have so much respect for this because literally every part of the finished product was formed by the delicate care of her hands.

And there is something deep within us that appreciates things that are handmade versus things that are just mass produced in a factory.

Does this verse say that we are accidents?

No.

Does it say that we are created separately from God?

No

What does it say?

He “knitted me together...”

woah.

You weren’t mass produced.

You are hand-made.

What if God made you on purpose, exactly as you are.

God didn’t make 3000 genders.

Literally the first thing declared about humanity in Genesis 1 is that “God created them male and female.”

As a male or as a female in this room, you are unique.

You have unique struggles, interests, aspirations, and talents.

You need to know that all of that is from God.

Because God “knit you together” in your mother’s womb.

Consider the weight of that tonight.

You were handmade by the creator.

The same God who formed the planets that are so far away from us right now we don’t even know what they look like, how big they are, or if they could have water or not,

that same God, connected your veins and arteries, colored your eyes, gave you taste and smell, gave you your hair color, gave you your DNA.

He knit you.

Don’t undervalue your worth to God.

He made you. You are not a mistake.

Don’t buy into the lie that you can change who God created you to be.

Believe the truth that God knit you.

You are hand made.

2. You’re problem.

What is your favorite food?

*Use someone’s example*

A few years ago, I was helping an older lady move.

She was very kind and bought me a sub from subway afterwards.

Now, she didn’t ask me anything about this ok… she just got it.

So, I opened it up and let me tell you.

I hate mayonnaise… ok.

It wasn’t just that it had mayonnaise on it.

Mayonnaise was literally oozing out of every side of the bread.

It’s staring at me and this poor lady is so happy to have bought me this sandwich.

So, I fought vomit back and ate a few bites.

I then reminded her I needed to get home for some other plans I had that day.

I thanked her for the sandwich and asked if I eat it to go.

I then did not eat that sandwich haha.

You see, mayonnaise, for me, can ruin an entire meal, an entire sandwich.

but it’s just one condiment!

You could have fresh bread, 3 different meats, peppers, cheese, oregano, all good things on the sandwich… but just a little mayonnaise and boy… that sandwich is trash.

James 2:10 says,

James 2:10 ESV

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

woah.

Because we are handmade, we are precious to God.

Because we are precious to Him, one sin ruins us for eternity.

Isaiah says it even stronger! Isaiah 49:2-3

2 It is your evil that has separated you from your God. Your sins cause him to turn away from you, so he does not hear you. 3 With your hands you have killed others, and with your fingers you have done wrong. With your lips you have lied, and with your tongue you say evil things.

Now you may read this verse and say I haven’t done all of those things!

Me neither!

But it’s not about doing all of them…

It’s about if we’ve done any of them…

If we have just told a lie, then there is a divide in the relationship between you and God.

You’re not ok.

You’re like mayo on a sandwich.

But here’s the worst part.

We all have something inside of us that looks for belonging, purpose, value.

We long for these things.

To be someone that matters, to do something that matters.

To create something of value!

We can do all of those things, we can do alot of good,

but if we are still just disobeying one of God’s laws…

We are divided.

At death, you will be separated from God.

We have a problem.

3. The Solution.

If you were hear Sunday, we walked through several different scriptures pointing out what people thought about Jesus.

His hometown tried to kill him.

The leper was entertained, but didn’t think He was God.

The 5000 fed people thought He should be king!

everybody has an opinion of who they think Jesus is.

Even guys who knew the Old testament so well.

Guys who had forgotten more about the old testament than you and I will ever know.

They missed Jesus too.

And that’s why after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead these teachers of the law said in John 12:9-10

John 12:9–10 (ESV)

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,

The response of religious leaders to Jesus wasn’t to view Him as God, but instead to get rid of any evidence that he might be.

Even if that mean’t murdering a man.

Even if that man had already been Dead and Jesus brought him back to life!

In John 3:16-18, We read about one such teacher who did view Jesus as God.

He comes to Jesus in John 3 and they have a conversation about who Jesus is.

Jesus tells him in John 3:16-18

John 3:16–18 (ESV)

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

We are all so familiar with vs. 16 (and for good reason), but we often overlook vs. 17.

Jesus came not to condemn, but that the world might be saved.

In other words, Jesus came not to crucify you and your sin up on a cross, but so that He would be crucified up on a cross in your place!

Your sin, by nature condemns you.

Jesus came to take your sin for you.

But vs. 18 is the key.

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned.

So because of what Jesus did, is everyone now saved?

No!

Because of what Jesus did, is everyone free from condemnation of their sin?

No!

WHo is?

Only those who believe…

APPLICATION:

There’s so much to pursue

So much to chase

So much to value in this life.

But there is only one thing that saves you from your sin, and that’s the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

Here’s the truth tonight, You can’t believe in Jesus if you don’t understand what he is saving you from.

Some of you look at your life and think, I’m good, I’ve just done a couple things wrong, but I’m good.

Guys, Jesus made it clear.

One sin, just one, condemns you to eternity separated from God.

Hell isn’t just for the Adolf Hitlers, terrorists, and murerers.

Hell is also for the people who went to church all their life but never realized how great their sin was, but how much greater God is.

But the heart of God isn’t to send anyone to hell with a smile on his face.

The truth is, at eternity, God is going to give you the pursuit of your heart for all eternity.

If your life is about pursuing anything but God, but you still go to church every sunday, guess what, with brokenness and sadness, God will not allow you to spend eternity with Him because you chose not to spend your life on earth believing in Him!

We can’t ignore His sacrifice and expect to heaven after death.

At the same time, we can’t a loving God to force us to live with Him for eternity when we ignored Him with every breath in our lungs.

He came not to condemn you, but to save you.

You are hand made and precious to Him.

But you also have a problem called Sin.

Believe in Jesus as the only solution for that sin.

What’s holding you back from that?

If you would like to talk about that, I’ll be up here right after I pray.

Don’t live a life pursuing anything but God.

Believe in Him. Really believe.

And begin the journey of life being lived as God intended.