September 27-28, 1997 Sermon

September 27-28, 1997

Mike Slaughter

Authenticity vs. Duplicity
Psalms 51 is a prayer of honesty. It's easy to fool people but you can't fool God. I want to be the real deal. Life is short. Last week I stated that if you are 18-years-old you have a life expectancy left of about 55 years. That statement scares me because I'm 46. So, I want to have, in this short life, an authentic relationship with God. It is so easy to kind of hang out at the surface and be superficial. You go through all of the motions but you never really connect with God.
Have any of you ever been there? You go through the motions but you never really connect. And it gets dangerous because you live that way for so long you forget who you are and you forget whose you are. And like David, king of Israel-about 970 B.C., you get into something ugly that you never dreamed you'd get into. He had an affair with a woman named Bathsheba and it got so ugly that he ultimately had her husband killed.

I. Trust God's Love
II Samuel 11:27
27: After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

And then he got what I call "Spirit Stupid." After what he thought was the appropriate time, he married the lady and brought her into the palace, thinking something like 'no one is ever going to know.' We'll look like we did this God's way.' He overlooked one thing, here it is. Here is what the Bible says, "The Lord was very displeased with what David had done." We forget that sometimes. You can never know the fullness of life outside of God's pleasure. So, David was miserable because there was a wedge between David and what David needed the most - a relationship with God. Finally David gets honest.

Psalm 51:3-4
3: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4: Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.

That's what this Psalm is all about. Look at verses 3 and 4 with me. I love it. He says, "I recognize my shameful deeds." MY! You know it is so easy for us to rationalize that a lot of times we have a lot of good excuses for the things we do. Well, I haven't loved my wife for a long time. Or, my wife didn't really give me what I needed. You know all kinds of reasons as to why we blame someone else. Getting honest means you use the word 'mine.' I recognize my shameful deeds.
And then notice what he says next: He says, "My sin is ever before me." Now 'sin' is not a popular word. Call it what it is. You know what sin is? It's either God and God's perfect will for your life or it is no good. There is no in-between. So, anything that is not God and God's perfect will is sin and David says, "My sin is ever before me." Do you know what the key is to getting below the surface in your relationship with God? It begins with getting honest. It begins with saying, "God I am not where I should be." Friends, I urge you to move out of your comfort zone. The reason it's the same old-same old, is because you're on the surface. It begins with saying, "Oh Lord, I'm not satisfied with where I am. I want to go beyond I want to get deep I want to go to the bottom of where I am supposed to be with you." Now, David could risk getting honest. Honest hurts. David could risk getting honest because he trusted God's love.

Steadfast Love
Look at that first verse. And, if you are following in the Bible, mark it. He says, "Oh Lord, have mercy on me according to your steadfast love." Do you see that part? That's the part you need to underline. Steadfast. Steadfast means stand fast. It means God is not going anywhere. A couple of weeks ago during a Worship Celebration, I asked some kids, "Who is your best friend?" Now, here's how you can tell who your best friend is. Your best friend is the person who will die for you. Now I don't know how many people who will die for you, but I guess there are only a couple. They may be sitting next to you - mom and dad. Mom and dad are the only people on earth who are willing to die for you. A lot of times your parents will die for you before they will die for each other. What is it within us? It's inherent. Do you know what that is? You're like your heavenly parent.

Hebrews 7:25
25: Consequently he is able for all time to save those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

That's what God is like. The Bible says God demonstrates His great love towards you and I. And yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Can you believe that? While we were still sinners Christ died for us. A lot of times people think "Well, God can never really love me and get involved in my life until I get my life together." No! God loves you before you ever get your life together. God was chasing you before you could even spell His name. Steadfast means God stands with me PERIOD! Regardless of what I've done, where I've been, or where I'm going. Oh Lord, have mercy on me according to your steadfast love.
When I was 4-years-old, I was outdoors playing with a bunch of kids and a kid named Gary took a metal pole and hit me across my back. Right across my kidney. Well, I continued playing outdoors and went in for a bath. And when I was in the bathtub I began to urinate blood. Now, my mom called the doctor, I guess. I remember being in the emergency room in the hospital and the doctors being very concerned. My dad was at work and he came in, and I remember him wearing a white shirt and tie. I was 4-years-old and this is still vivid in my memory. They're working on me in the emergency room, a doctor cuts into my foot so he can cram a tube in me. I was bleeding internally and they were running dyes through my arteries and veins to find out where I was bleeding and they were pushing my dad out of the room. It was just like that scene on the TV show, E.R., with the curtains pulled. The doctors and nurses working on me to see where I'm bleeding on the inside and they were saying to my dad, "You can't be in here now, sir-you can't be in here now, sir." And I'm yelling, "Daddy! Daddy!" He reaches and the doctors and nurses are pushing him back because they're cutting me with a scalpel and shoving tubing through me. He reaches in his pocket and finds a fountain pen and he reaches in his other pocket and finds a handkerchief. And he hands both of these two items to me and says, "Son, I want you to know I am here even if you don't see me. I will not leave you, I am here." Now all night along, I held in one hand the pen and in the other hand the handkerchief. Remember the old fountain pens and the metallic smell they left on your hands? I still remember the metallic smell of that old fountain pen that I clung to all night long. That night, all I could remember, as they were cutting me, the tubes and all the things a four year old doesn't understand, is that my dad said to me, "I am here." And even though I knew I did not see my father, I had that pen and handkerchief and I knew he was there.
Do you know every time we take communion the cup and the bread is like the pen and handkerchief? 'I am here. Nothing can separate you from my love. Regardless of how you failed, I am going nowhere.'

Trust God's Purpose
David could trust getting honest with God because he trusted His love. Can you imagine that kind of love? Why would I ever want to keep that kind of love at arms distance? I want to get to the bottom of that kind of stuff. I don't want to be here on the surface. I want to get to the bottom of a God who loves me that much. David could risk getting honest because not only did he trust God's love, he trusted God's purpose. He trusted what God wanted to do with his life and what He wanted to make of David.

Feelings
Now, you and I put too much emphasis on feelings. We live in an age of sensation and we think that if you don't feel it, then it is not authentic. Especially in love and marriage. Well, I don't feel in love, so it must not be love. That's what sensation is, too much emphasis on feelings. If we don't feel it, then it's not authentic. Do you know that many times feelings are great liars? Remember all the times you thought you were in love? Aren't you glad you didn't marry what you thought you were in love with? I remember one time I was about my son's age, probably in about the tenth grade, and I met this girl at a football game. I walked her home, quite an innocent thing, and I held her hand. I remember feeling something the next day, and at the time I thought it was love. Looking back at it, I think it was the flu. You see, feelings can be great liars. Reality is not in what I feel. Reality is not in what I get. Reality is the purpose and will of God.
This past week, on Tuesday, I finished my book. In some ways, sometimes I feel like I'm burning the candle at both ends. Even on vacation, I spent four weeks of the vacation writing and I said to Carolyn, "I can't wait to get back to work because at least when I am at work I take my 'day off' - off!" And I was using Mondays on my vacation to write. And when I finished writing my book, I was tired. Carolyn teaches a class, which is part of the Women's ministry, on Wednesday nights. We were back from our vacation and Carolyn went to the South Campus to teach her class. I was tired and I needed and wanted to go to bed. Before she left, she was caring enough to leave a pot of pasta that she had made on the stove. When she got home, it was still there. She came upstairs and she said, "You know, I really kind of feel taken advantage of because you and Jonathan ate the food. I come home late and the pot is still on the stove and the dishes are not in the dishwasher. It's as if you expected me to wait on you guys." Now, I'm lying there listening and thinking on the inside, "I don't want to hear this stuff. I don't need to be parented" - you know what I mean. This happens in our marriages when one says to the other, "I don't feel understood." Now reality is not what I feel, right? I feel misunderstood. Reality is not in what I get. I need to get out of doing the dishes. Reality is in God's truth.

Ephesians 5:25
25: Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Look at a verse in Ephesians 5 with me, especially the men. We always hear this: Wives submit to your husbands, and we'll quote that one. But we don't quote this one: Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. It says nothing about what I feel or about what I get. Here is God's truth. I was not serving my wife. Any of you been there? Time to get honest. Time to get below the surface. We place too much emphasis on feelings. Reality is not what I feel. Reality is not what I get. Reality is God's will and purpose.

Broken Spirit
Psalms 51:16-17
16: For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.
17: The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Now I want you to look at what David did. He trusted God's purpose. Let's read verses 16 and 17 of Psalms 51-here's God's purpose. "For you have no delight in sacrifice," David says to God, "If I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased." Now what he's talking about there is religious activity. Too many times we stay on the surface and we do religious things. We get involved in Bible studies and that can be good. But if that's all you're doing, God wants more than that. We come to church, we give our money, we work and we even do some little things for God like teach a Sunday School class or sing in the choir. God says, "I want more than that." Get beyond religious acts. Now look at the next verse, look at verse 17, here's what God wants: The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit. Circle broken spirit if you are following along in your Bibles. "A broken and contrite heart oh God, you will not despise."
Now what is a broken spirit? It is not a crushed spirit that you read about in verse 8. A crushed spirit is the depression which comes from being outside God's pleasure. It is not shattered self-esteem. When I was a kid, I wanted a pony. One of my relatives on a farm bought a pinto pony. I couldn't believe it! My cousin and I, who is more like my little sister, we're going to ride this pony. Every time we go to this farm we can ride our pony, right? Wrong. I don't remember how old we were, but my sister was in front and I was on the back. The problem was, this pony was not trained. No one had ever ridden this pony. I don't know if any of you have ever owned ponies, but ponies can be mean. We couldn't even pet this pony because it would bite. Now, do you know what? That's like hell for a kid. It's like being in a toy store and not being able to touch anything. It was terrible. We said we wanted a new pony. So you know what they told us? There's nothing wrong with that pony its just never been broken in. We said, "Well, break it in so we can ride it." They said, "We're too big. You kids are gonna have to break it in." You know what we did. We went out into that pasture, they put a saddle on that pony and they put a bridle on that pony. We got up on that pony and whoa, the first time, we fell off. The second time - off. The third time - off. But the fourth time, the pony was broken. That's a broken spirit. It means to bridle. It means to harness. It means to be made useful for God's purpose.

Matthew 21:2
2: saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me.

The Sunday before Jesus' crucifixion, He says to his disciples, "Go to the village ahead and there you will find a donkey." He says, "It is tied." Do you know what tied means? Have any of you been to Israel? You can find all kinds of wild jackasses running around because they have never been broken. They are of no use. Jesus says this one is tied, which means it's waiting, it's harnessed, it's bridled and it is available for the Lord's use. He says, "When you get there and you find this tied donkey, untie it. If anyone asks you any questions, just say the Lord needs it."

Psalm 51:12-13
12: Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13: Then I will teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will return to thee.

The Lord needs you. The Lord has a plan for your life, but you need to be bridled. I love the way Mother Teresa put it, she said, "I'm just a pencil in God's hand." Isn't that great? It doesn't get any better than that. It doesn't get any better than just being a pencil in the Lord's hand. I want you to see two more verses. Look with me at verses 12 and 13. "Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain in me a willing spirit." Do you know what a willing spirit is? A broken spirit, a bridled spirit. If I have a broken spirit, a bridled spirit, then I will be able to teach transgressors your ways. Not until I'm bridled will other people be able to see the power of God in my life. Not until I am broken, totally made available for God's purpose will other people look to me and find Your healing power, God. You know until you're broken, you'll always just be a reflection upon God, instead of a reflection of God. Did you hear what I said? Until you're broken you'll always be a reflection upon God instead of a reflection of God. Why do you think most people don't take God seriously? Because of what they see in people who claim to take God seriously.
In the latest issue of Spin Magazine they went to Pensacola, Florida, to investigate a movement of God's spirit. Have any of you been reading in the paper what's happened in Pensacola, Florida? Over 2 million people have come to Pensacola in the past two years to Brownsville Assemblies Church to see what God is doing. Apparently the Spirit is moving in a mighty way. A writer by the name of Mark Shone who is a pre-Christian person went there to write this article. For six days he went every day in this church. People were standing outside waiting to get in even when there was no more room. They came from all over the world to see what's happening in this little church. Mark went every day for six days to sit and look and write what he saw. Now this is a secular, 'MTV' style magazine. He came as a skeptic, but as he sat there, he began to ask - could this be real? Could there be something to this God thing. And do you know what he was most concerned with? How are these people treating their neighbors. Do you know what the sign of the Spirit is? "By this all people will know you're my disciples by the way you love one another." It's not going to be by the way you worship. Some people worship contemporary, some churches do it rock and roll, some people do it with media, some people do it with organs, some churches are boring, some churches are exciting. It doesn't matter if you are boring or exciting. It matters if you love. That's the sign of the Holy Spirit. That's how people will be able to tell that God is in your midst. You won't be mean and biting, unbroken, untrained. You'll be loving, and you'll be available to other people for God's power and love to come through. So he was there, this skeptic, and after being there for six days writing for a secular magazine, he's wondering could there be anything to this Good Shepherd. He met a man by the name of Sandy and he began asking Sandy some really honest, hard questions. On his last night, after Worship finished, he leaves. He goes out into a gravel parking lot and he gets into his car to drive away. His assignment is done and he'll drive to the airport the next morning to fly home. Sandy comes over to his car, bends down and says, "Hey, Mark, we're going to Shoneys Restaurant, do you want to come with us?" Mark says, "No, I'm tired, I've got an early flight. I need to go back to my motel." Sandy, still stooped at his window, looks back and says, "Mark, I've been thinking about that question you asked about homosexuals. Can there be any stronger sign of God's judgment on homosexuals than AIDS?" Hmmm. Now here's what he wrote in Spin Magazine "With one cruel sentence, the spell is broken. I pull out of the dusty lot so angry that my heart races. After a week of trying to reconcile the Shepherd's sweetness with the sheep's poison, I stop trying."
Oh, people, we believe in God. We work for God, but were not broken. We're mean and we bite. Oh Lord, have mercy according to your steadfast love. People, until you're broken you'll always be a reflection upon God and people will never take God seriously because of the poison they see in you. But the moment you stand before God and you say, 'God I am not happy with where I am. It is time to get honest, I recognize my shameless deeds. I have been measuring truth by how I feel and what I get. I have not served my wife. Oh Lord, my sin is ever before me. Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me so that when other people look at me they see You.' In the name of Jesus, Amen.