Rick Warren - How God’s Goodness Can Restore You—Part Three

Hello, everybody.

This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope with Rick Warren. I'm

really glad you're here today. We're continuing our series from

Psalm twenty three called living in the Goodness of God.

It's all about how God's goodness meets you right where

you are and brings hope even in difficult seasons. Okay,

and now here's the final part of a message called

how God's Goodness can restore.

You Number two. What about when we do wrong? What

about when we sin? What about when we have that

unconfessed guilt? How does God the good Shepherd deal with that? Well,

God's good God. And here's the answer. When we do wrong,

Jesus takes my sin on himself. He says, I'm gonna

take your guilt. Please just hand it over to me.

And I'm going to go die on the cross and

pay for all your sins, so you don't have to

pay for your sins. This is the best news in

the whole world. We call it the gospel, which is

an Old English word for good news. And Jesus takes

all my guilt on himself. He says, I'm going to

give you all my goodness.

It's also called righteousness.

I'm going to give you all my goodness so you

can get into heaven and you're going and I'm gonna

take all of your guilt, and I'm going to pay

for it on the cross. Nearly seven hundred years before

Jesus died on the cross, so that would be about

two thousand, seven.

Hundred years ago.

A guy named Isaiah was a prophet, and God told

him in very specific terms that he was going to

send a savior to the world, a messiah to save

all our sins and to pay for him seven hundred

years He gave him this prophecy. It's in many chapters

of Isaiah, but Psal I mean Isaiah fifty three is

the clearest. And when you read these details, you got

to read that this guy was saying this seven hundred

years before it happened. Only God could have told him this.

And in Isaiah fifty three, Verses five and six, it

says this about Jesus. Seven hundred years before Jesus arrived,

he was wounded and crushed for our sins. This is

on the cross. He was beaten, and he took our

punishment so that we might have peace. And through his wounds,

our wounds are healed. All of us have strayed away

like sheep. You know, sheep, I told you last week,

not real smart. We've all done our own thing. We've

left God's path to follow our own. Yet the Lord

laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. Now,

what I just read to you is the most basic

fundamental truth of the Bible. If this wasn't true, we

could all go home right now, because we wouldn't have

anything at all, if Jesus Christ hadn't come to pay

for your sins. The most basic truth is that he

did that. Everything you're going to do wrong in life,

including the stuff you're going to do tonight and tomorrow

and next week and ten years from today, it's already

been paid for. It's already been paid for. You just

have to accept God's grace and goodness. That is the

goodness of God, that He's already paid for everything I'm

even going to do, not just a past, but in

the future.

It's already paid for.

I remember one time there was a guy out on

the patio at the Lake Forest campus and he came

up to me frantically after the service, and he said,

I need to know what do I need to do

to get to heaven? I said, well, you're too late.

Just thought it shock.

Him, you're too late?

He is, no, no, no, really, what do I need

to do in order to get to heaven? I said, sorry,

you're too late? So what do you mean it's got to.

Be something I can do? I said, there's nothing.

It's already been done by Jesus Christ two thousand years ago.

This is what makes Christianity different from religions that are

out there. Every religion has a list of things to

do to get to heaven, and each religion this is

our list, and this is our list, and that's our list,

and another religion that's our list. And if you'll do

these things, it's all based on your performance, you might

make it into heaven. Can't be sure, but you might.

And so all the other religions can be summed up

in the word do. Christianity is summed up in the

word done. And when Jesus was on the cross, he

cried out, it is finished.

Now.

Notice he didn't say I'm finished, because he wasn't. He

came back to life three days later and he wasn't finished.

And he's alive today. He lives in my heart. I've

been his friend now for over fifty years, and many

of you have too. But when he says it is finished,

he's saying you don't need that anything. It's not I

die on the cross, plus you do these ten other things,

then you get to go to heaven. There's only one

thing you need to get into heaven, humility. To realize

you're never getting there by what you do. The only

way is to say I am a sinner and I

need a savior. That's what you say. That's humility. That's

the sin that will keep you out of heaven. I

don't need anybody to saying I'm good enough to get

there on my own. Really, it's a perfect place. I

stop being perfect about thirty seconds in to this planet,

and so nobody bats a thousand. I've never met anybody

who actually claim to be perfect. We all know we're imperfect,

but we say to God, God, we're gonna trust you.

And when you come to Christ and you say I'm

gonna you're gonna take my sins on you? Yeah, what

are you giving me in return? My goodness? You don't

have to beg Please God, please please save me. You

don't have to bargain. If you'll do this God, then

then I'll do that. You don't have to bribe. I'll

read my Bible every day. If you do this, breag, bribe, bargain.

You don't do anything. You don't beg. You just believe.

That's it. That's why it's called the good news.

The word gospel is just nold English word that means

good news.

And what's the best news.

You can't get to heaven on your good works, but

it's already been paid for. You just have to humbly

admit you need a savior, that you're not good enough

to go to a perfect place. He said, But Rick,

you don't know what I've done. It doesn't matter. I

don't need to know what you've done because I know

what Jesus has done. And what Jesus has done is

bigger than what you have done. The good thing he

did on the cross is bigger than the bad thing

you have done. That's why we call it good Friday.

When he died. It's not good for Jesus, it's painful,

but it's good for you.

He said.

Well, Rick, I've asked God to forgive me.

I just don't feel forgiven.

It means you don't fully understand it yet, because once

you understand how fully forgiven you are, you just want

to shout, you want to jump up it down. And

if God comes into your life, it's gonna make some changes.

You can't have him come into your life and it

not changed you. So if your life hadn't changed any

you might have gotten something, but you haven't gotten God.

Somebody as big as God can't come into your life

and not change you. And when you the more you

understand grace, the more joyful you'll be. Many of you

know that one of my mentors in life was the

father of modern management, Peter Drucker, and he mentored me

the last thirty years of his life from about sixty

five to ninety five, and he trained all of the

who's who of business leaders that are leading businesses today.

And one day I was up at his house and

he was mentoring me on some leadership things, and I said, Peter,

when did you step across the line, When did you

find Christ? When did you put your faith in Jesus?

And he said, in that thick Austrian accent, Well Rick,

he said, when I finally understood the concept of grace,

I knew I was going to never get a better deal.

When you finally understand how good God really is.

You're not going to go anywhere else because he's a

good good father.

Now, as I said, Isaiah wrote that part about Jesus

suffering on the cross. Let me read you some more

of it and listen to the details of this seven

hundred years before it actually happened Isaiah fifty three, verses

seven to twelve. He was beaten down and punished talking

about Jesus on the cross before the cross, but he

didn't say a word.

That all happened.

He was led out like a lamb to be slaughtered.

He was condemned to death without fear judgment, and then

he was put to death for the transgressions of everyone else.

That's us.

He died like a criminal, but then was buried with

the rich, even though he'd done nothing wrong and had

never lied.

You know this is true.

Jesus died on the cross as a criminal. You know

that was the worst capital punishment available. It's humiliating death

on the cross. But when they took him down, there

was a wealthy man named Joseph of Verimathea who had

a brand new tomb he'd bought for his family, off

in baptized, bury people in the same tomb for decades

and then like a hole in the wall of a cave.

And then covered up.

And Joseph Verimathea was quite wealthy, and and but he

offered his tomb for Jesus because he's not going to

need it very long. Think about that, like, you know,

what's a few days? You know, he said, he's coming

back to life, So why would I worries borrowed for

a couple of days. I don't intend to die between

now and then. But seven hundred years, Isaiah says, a

rich man is going to provide him a tomb. And

it says, yet it was God's plan to cause him

to suffer. It was God's mind who put Jesus to death,

not the Romans, not Jewish leaders. God did, God did.

Jesus said, I lay down my life. He's part of

the training. I voluntarily do this for you and me.

It was God's plan to cause him to suffer and

make his life a guilt offering for our sins, sacrifice

to bring forgiveness. But after his soul suffered many things,

he will enjoy life, enjoy again, that's the resurrection. He's

saying this seven hundred years before it happened. But my

suffering servant God says, will make many people right with God,

and he will be He will bear all their sins,

and he will willingly give his life. And he was

treated like a criminal, but he took the place of

everyone who had sinned, and he interceded for their forgiveness.

And when Jesus died on the cross, he covered all

your sins and he forgave you. And the Bible says

he throws your sins in the deepest part of the sea.

It's like a metaphor. And then I want to add,

and he puts up a no fishing sign. Why would

you drag out something to remember that God has already

forgiven and forgotten.

When you keep feeling.

Bad about something you've already confessed to God and God's

forgiven you and Jesus died for it, then it says,

I don't really believe.

Jesus paid for my sin. That's unbelief.

When you keep asking for forgiveness for something you sincerely

ask for already is unbelief. Because Jesus gives completely and

freely and instantly and with grace. When Jesus forgave all

your sins, which one were not included?

None?

They're all included, every single one. This is why I

serve Jesus Christ. I don't serve him for money. I

don't serve him for fame. I don't serve him out

of duty. I don't serve him out of fear. I

don't serve him out of guilt. I serve him out

of gratitude. And you should too. And if God has

forgetting all forgiven all your sins, shouldn't you?

Now?

What about the third thing? We talked about? Guilt, we

talked about grudges. What about this third area that warps

my soul?

Grief?

He might write this down When we experience loss here

it is loss in pain. Jesus feels my grief and

heals my heart. He feels my grief and he heals

my heart. Why does Jesus feel my grief because he

understands grief. He's been there, He's experienced it too. He

understands to earth and became one of us. So he's

experienced all of the loneliness that people experienced, the betrayal

that people experience, the rejection that people experience us, and

he came to feel my grief and heal my heart.

That is the goodness of God. The Lord is my shepherd.

Again more in this same chapter, Isaiah fifty three, same place,

seven hundred plus years before Jesus came to earth, Isaiah

says this describes Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior. He was

despised and rejected by others. If you've ever been despised,

you know how that hurts. Maybe you were despised at school.

That hurts.

Maybe you're despised because of a handicap, or the color

of your skin, or because your female or male or whatever.

If you've been despised, Jesus understands. He was despised.

He was rejected.

If you've ever had somebody reject you walk out on

your life, Jesus understands that hurt. There's no hurt you

can experience that. He doesn't understand no grief. Why can't

Jesus understand my grief he's experienced at all? Isaiah. He

was despised and rejected by others. He was a man

of sorrows, which endured much pain and suffering, and he

experienced deep grief. Imagine leaving heaven and come here to

live a bunch people who hate you. He experienced deep grief,

but we ignored him and we looked the other way.

He was hated and we did not care. Yet it

was our weakness that he was carrying on the cross,

and it was our sorrow, our sorrow that weighed him down.

So he understands. He doesn't just understand, he doesn't just feel.

He heals.

Look at the next verse, Ps. One forty seven, Verse three.

He heals the broken hearted, and he binds up their wounds.

I don't know what's broken your heart. Some of your

heart's breaking right now. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, and I'm

glad you're here because this is a place for the

healing of broken hearts. But the fact of life is

Jesus says, I heal, and I feel, and I care

about what you're going through.

Now. So what are you doing with your grief?

Maybe you just had a big breakup, Maybe you just

got fired at work.

Maybe you just go.

Does anybody want me? Does anybody want me? Does anybody

notice me? And there's that ache in your heart? What

do you do with that ache? You take it to

Jesus because he heals, and he feels he understands it all. Now,

Jesus never wanted us to forget the sacrifice he made

to handle your grudges, your grief, and your guilt. And

he gave us a symbol called communion, the Lord's Supper.

He said, I want you to remember what I've done

for you.

Now.

I know you can't stand to have an unfilled blank,

So I'm going to give them to you real quick.

All right, you want to write these down?

All right?

You gonna write these down. Three things that are my

response to what Jesus does for me because of my guilt,

my grief, and my grudges. How should I respond? Well,

it's all summed up in the attitude of believe trust,

And number one is trust the good Shepherd to forgive

my sins. Actually believe that he has forgiven my sins.

Start acting like all your sins are forgiven rome Is three,

twenty three and twenty four. All of us have sinned,

yet God declares us not guilty if we trust circle

that word trust in Jesus Christ, when this free mercy freely.

Takes away our sins.

So I just trust, I believe, I accept that my

my sins have been forgiven because of what Jesus did

on the Cross. Number two, Release my offenders, Release my

offenders people who've hurt me, and focus on the future.

Don't let them get under your skin anymore, because your

soul cannot be restored until you let go of resentment

in your mind, in your thoughts, and let go of

revenge in your emotions, and let go of retaliation in

your actions.

And your decisions.

You gotta let it go, said God. Today, I'm letting

them go. The Bible says Ephesians four thirty. Get rid

of all bitterness. Let me just you should not. Bitterness

is a barrier to your life forgiving each other just

as Christ forgave you. Not only is that you to

get rid of resentment, he said, you got to get

rid of retaliation Romans twelve. Never avenge yourselves. Leave that

to God. He said, He'll repay those who deserve it.

So I trust God really did forgive all my sins.

And then because of that, I start offering forgiveness of

other people. I let other people off the hook, and

I released my offenders so I can focus on the future.

I've certainly not got to get stuck in the past

for the rest of my life. Then number three, I

team up with Jesus to carry my load. God never

intended for you to go through life carrying all your grief, guilt, grudges, problems, pressures, stresses,

situations by yourself.

And Jesus says, I.

Want to team up with you. I want to yoke

up with you. And when he uses the word yoke,

he's not talking about an a yoke. He's talking about

the kind of yoke that they would put over two

cattle is a beam, and the beam, then the two

cattle can pull the wagon together. Here's what it says.

Look up here on the screen. Come to me, Just

come to Jesus. Come to me, you who are weary.

You're tired. You carry a heavy burdens, and I will

give you a lot more to do. No, that's all

he says. Come to me, and I will give you what. Yeah,

rest we talked about that last week.

Take my yoke upon you.

Let me teach you because I'm humble and gentle, and

you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke

fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light.

Now when you read that, it sounds like he said, okay,

you know this cattle yoke that they would put over

two horses or two cattle they pull the wagon.

You go, wait a.

Minute, he's putting something else on me. That sounds pretty heavy.

That doesn't sound good, A little big heavy.

Thing like that.

No, no, you don't understand. The purpose of a yoke

is not to put more on you. It's to take

off half of your load. If you're pulling the wagon

by yourself, it's one hundred percent dependent on your energy.

Jesus says, yoke up with me, let's share it and

guess what I'll help you carry, and it will be

half as difficult. That makes sense. The yoke is not

to put more on you. The yolk is saying I'll

pull your load. Jesus doesn't have any load. He's God.

He has no load. Everything's easy for him. And so

when you yoke up, team up with Jesus, he says,

I'll help you pull your load. And by the way,

when you yoked up to Jesus, it's impossible for you

to run the wagon into the ditch because he's not

gonna let you do it. You got to go the

direction he's going, and you got to go with the

pace he's going, and he will go at a more

reasonable pace than you will. That's what he says, I

want to do in your life. It's bower heads. Would

you pray and would you talk to God right now?

Say God? My soul needs restoring. I don't always think,

I don't always choose right, I don't always feel right.

And I need you to restore my damaged soul, my mind,

my will, and my emotions. And Lord, specifically today, I

want to help ask your help on the things that

do damage my soul. About those unaddressed grudges. I know

it's not doing me any good to hold onto the hurt.

I'm only hurting myself with the anger. And every time

I remember that the way they hurt me, it just

hurts again. Would you turn my hurts into holiness? Would

you turn my pain into gain? Would you do what

only you can do? Would you transform me and turn

the conflict and the chaos into character.

In my life?

I need your help to do that, and Lord, I'm

going to ask you also with the unconfessed guilt. And

there's stuff I've been carrying around in a large garbage

bag for a long time, and it's starting to stink.

I'm going to say to you, I need your forgiveness,

and then more than that, I'm going to believe it.

I'm not going to listen to my feelings or what

anybody else says, or what thoughts that Satan might try

to put in my mind. Thank you Jesus for taking

all of my sins on yourself at the Cross. Thank

you that you were wounded and crushed for me. You're beaten,

took my punishment so that I might have peace. You've

said in your word that your wounds heal my wounds.

I'm asking you to do that. And then, Lord, all

of those losses that I've had in life that have

caused grief, I need your help with that. I need

you to feel my grief and heal my heart like

you've promised. Help me to realize that you understand how

I feel better than I do. And as I continue

this journey with learning about your goodness, I first want

to say, I'm going to trust that my sins have

been forgiven because I've humbly just come to you and

said I need it. I need a savior, and I'm

going to release the people who've hurt me. And every

time I think of him. Help me to just pray

a prayer blessing to not hold onto the hurt. Most

of all, Jesus, I want to team up with you,

yoke up with you. I'm going to ask you to

help me in the load that I'm carrying. If you've

never invited Jesus Christ in your heart, say Jesus Christ today,

I want to get to know you. I want to

learn to love you. I want to learn to trust you.

And I humbly ask you to accept me into your family.

And I pray this not because I deserve it, but

because on the Cross it was finished.

You paid it all right there. Thank you in your name.

I pray Amen.

You know, if you just prayed that prayer for the

very first time, or you just recommitted your life to

Jesus again today, would you let me know about it.

There's something real about sharing your commitment. So write me

Rick at Pastorick dot com and say, Rick, I prayed

that prayer of commitment. I gave my life to Christ.

And I'll send you some material that will help you

on your journey with Jesus. And I'll also pray for you.

God bless you.

Man. I love hearing, Pastor Rick, what a great message.

We also love hearing from our listeners. Here's with a

very encouraging letter.

Let me close this broadcast by sharing a letter from

a listener in Rome, Italy. Her name is Heitian, and

she says, Pastor Rick, I've relocated to Rome, Italy, where

I'm currently working at the World Food Program. I really

love listening to your sermons and I also love reading

your daily devotionals, which I share with many of my

colleagues serving in the field offices in Africa and another

hardship duty stations. They appreciate receiving the message very much.

God bless you Heitian in Rome. Now did you get this?

A message that is starting in southern California in the

United States of America is being sent to Europe in Rome, Italy,

and then it is being re sent out to other

continents like Africa. That is the amazing age of technology

that we live in today, and that's why your gifts

go much further than they used to go even twenty

or thirty years ago. Our ability to reach listeners like

Hesian and her friends, not just in Europe but in Africa,

is a direct result of your prayers and your support

for Daily Hope. So thanks so much, and by the way,

join me next time when we continue looking into God's

Word for our daily hope.

This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and

your generous financial support