Let's talk Integrity
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
Who ever lives with integrity, will not be shaken
Wallet story - Busselton buy and sell
Isn’t it tragic we live in a world, that people are more shocked by people having , then not having - shouldn’t be shocking - see so many times of leaders that fall, or a family member, who say one thing - but live another. Let’s talk about it.
Week 2 | Spring Clean | over 4 Weeks |
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
Title: Let’s talk Integrity
My Hope: God ministers to your heart - Helps you take off who you’re trying to be, and gives you an identity in him
**prayer**
What is integrity? Integrity is NOT Perfection.
Funny Nate Ruler Story | It had no integrity? Does it mean strong? no, it means whole - Integer = WHole, complete, one - and it stays that way - Ruler | Plastic | Sword
What does it look like in our life?
Compartments | Work Life | Family Life| Church Life | Social Life | Spiritual Life | Private Life
Integrity would mean we are more holistic - We would want Jesus to invade our entire life | Glorify HIM in ALL that we do
Jesus would lead our relationships in mariage, centre of our family, centre of our marriage - Not a compartmnetalised life but an integrated life. interger = whole
Integrity = When your behaviour on the outside, matches your heart on the inside.
For us it’s christ, and His standards.
Love the promise of Integrity;
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
Ever done something bad? feeling? (Hope they don’t find out) - Never go to bed thinking that when I have done somethin right.
What is integrity? When your private life, matches your public life - it’s when you choose to do the right thing, regardless of the circumstances
Opposite? If our goal is integrated life centered around Jesus, opposite is hupocrisy
Hoopacrades in greek - Greek play -
Jesus was harder on hypocrites than prostitutes or adultery | Came down on them not for living the wrong way, but for lying about it.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
It’s not what’s on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside.
40 Year home builder - Countdown to retirement - Asked to build one more - dodgy job, outside, no one would know, he knew though - and the guy said…this is your home
You, are building your own home | Every decision you make, how you live, what you say, what you do, you’re building your own home |
Choose to be generous with people or selfish, humble or proud, do what’s right, cut cornours, honour or dishonour, extend grace or judge, tell truth in a way it benefits you, you’re building you’re own home.
Integrity matters - We want an integrated life fueled by the grace and love of Jesus.
When you have integrity, nothing else matters, and when you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.
What is your integrity worth? Many of us have a price - There is a point when we compromise | What would your actions say your integrity is worth? Lie on a resume to get a job, $30 grand a year, 90, 150? That’s what your integrity would be worth | Steal something from work, cheat on an exam, maybe it’s $29 per month, stealing your neighbours wifi - $8 to get your kids in to a theme park cheeper.
For some, it’s a blessing, or a position, that wasn’t rightfully theres...
Turn to GEnesis, and read about someone that lost His integrity, and let’s try and find out why - What we can learn
We go to Genesis 25 - Jacob and Esau - Abraham had Isaac - Isaac had Jacob+Esau. Thought my brother was bad - Fighting in the womb -
One came out Red and hairy so they named him Esau. Jacob came out grabbing Esau’s heel - So Jacob
Jacob = Heel grabber, decietful, at the back , betrayel.
Why was important to be first? | Birthright = Inheritance, big chunk of it, and authority over the family | But Esau didn’t respect his birthright or God’s law = Ended up selling it to Jacob. Significance - This was going to be the bloodline to CHRIST.
Then Isaac gets old, now the blessing - which is the firstborns - Isaac tells esau to go get some game - and Rebeka hears him and says to Jacob;
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’ Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”
Be careful about what man promises you, over what God promises you. He believed that Rebekah could give him what God could not - the blessing.
Don’t sacrifice Integrity for Immitation
What rebekah was offering was an immitation of what God wanted to do | and so what does Jacob do?
First Jacob refuses - No, what if it doesn’t work out - but then - look
His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”
Only obey MY Voice | When we start obeying the voice of Man and living for LIKES, we lose an ear for the voice of God and we have to immitate;
You think this is a young problem? They where 76 years old.
Immitate oursevles, immitate our pleasure, immitate our lives.
When you have integrity, nothing else matters,
When you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.
So Jacob begins to put the mask on | Garments, Skin of young goats, food - And he went in to his father. His father questioned him and said, how did you get the game so quickly. Jacob = Your God is good - Even used God against His father. So he got the blessing, but had to run, and go into hibernation.
Got the blessing, lost himself, you got that position but lost yourself, Got that big Home, lost yourself. What;s the point?
so 21 years goes by, and jacob goes back and he had soo much success - Sometimes it takes getting all that to realise you’re still empty.
So Jacob comes back to face Esau - but there is a difference - the LORD is WITH JACOB this time. Jacob, prepared in private, found a relationship with God. Jacob sets up a couple of camps, ready to face Esau.
So then this happens Jacob sends his 11 kids away, wives away (11 in 21 years), he is alone and he wrestles with, who some scholars say Jesus - I agree - Puts out his hip (He is 97) and He says;
Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
it’s the same call for us - Not to let go of Jesus, in all that we do - I will NOT LET GO of YOU JESUS - LET GO OF THE WORLD | PEOPLES OPINIONS | EXPECTATIONS | ROLES PUT ON YOU | IDENTITES PUT ON YOU, BUT NOT JESUS. NOT WINNING BUT DON’T LET GO!!
Then the man says/ God / Jesus; What is your name? (What a time to get aquanted) don’t miss this;
And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”
Seen this before - Isaac said: WHAT IS YOUR NAME.
Same things | Scared both times | Wanting something both times | Lsitened to two different voices | This time WITH GOD
HE ADMITS WHO HE IS!! I AM JACOB, HEELGRABBER, DECEITER, LIER JACOB!!!
What does God say to him?
Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
ONCE HE ADMITS HIS REAL NAME HE CAN GET A NEW ONE!!!! Aren’t you glad that GOD GIVES YOU A NEW NAME TODAY | Not What you DID, Not your struggles, but a new name, puts off the old puts on the NEW SELF!!!
ISREAL = Triumphant with God, and you are TRIUMPHANT WITH GOD.
Write this down;
You can only have integrity, When you know your identity IN CHRIST.
Because when you have integrity, nothing else matters
When you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters
Close and Inspo
Close and Inspo
There will be times you are challenged, like Jacob was to do right thing - it’s very difficult - This is what I say - Right is right, regardless of the consequences and trust God with the result.
Your integrity is easier to keep, than it is to recover.
(paper, cut it, sticky tape, maybe your like this, but it’s ok, this is what happens when you repent (Throw it away, get a new one)
When pressure comes you won’t break,
What is integrity?
When our behaviour on the outside, matches our heart on the inside
Don’t sacrifice Integrity, for Immitation
You can only have integrity, when you know your identity, in Christ
Jacob - Two choices, Two Outcomes, One difference, and that difference was God.
It’s tragic - when the world is more shocked by integrity, than lack of it.
God Shocked the world - When he Sent Jesus while we were sinners.
Let’s shock the world - With our Love, Grace, and let’s get people to look on and say, I may not believe what they believe, but by gosh they believe it. By the way they give, they love, the way they serve one another - Maybe that Jesus that drives them, could…save…me.
Not compartmentalised, but integrated life, whole, why? The world needs it xJesus. Jesus, the son of God.
**Prayer**
**Altar Call**