The Real You

So I'm the youth pastor here at Glowersway Church and usually on Sunday nights I'm not in Maine, I'm with the teenagers and I love being back there.

I say I'm one of the teens, I'm goofy, I'm funny, I think I am.

I was a teen once, so I remember what it was like to be a teenager way back in the day, and so it's an honor to get to bring the word to them, to relate to them.

Not only do we bring the word back there, but we have a cafe area and then they have their own praise and worship band and we do a game, and so they do all kinds of fun things.

But it is an honor to bring the word tonight in Maine and Justin and Rachel are in youth taking care of business.

But so I wanted to.

So we started a we're on an eight week series on the real you.

I think we might have a graphic for that, and God just put that on my heart.

Maybe, maybe we have a graphic.

We do, I think we do.

I live in an authentic life.

You know the real you.

I can't.

When I'm looking at you, I can't see the real you because you're a spirit being.

I see the shell, you see my shell.

And so the real you is a spirit being.

We're a three-part being, and so God's called us to live a real life, an authentic life, and that's only done when you know who you are in Christ.

A lot of the times, this world, the pressures, the cares can get put on us where it kind of muffles us and, like you know, then we're not acting, or our values and our beliefs, or there's this far distance between those two.

And so God's called us to live an authentic life, to live a real life.

And so you know what I preach to you up here, I preach to myself I'm real.

Nobody's perfect.

I've yet to meet somebody who's perfect, but we serve a perfect God, raymond right, and a perfect son he's.

You know, jesus Christ.

And so I think when we, when we I know, when we live, when we dig more into the word of God, we become more like him and we get closer to living, closer to living an authentic, a real life, a life that God created us to live.

And so I just have a couple of points tonight 1 Peter 2, 9, it's my first message, it's my first scripture.

Excuse me, but you are a chosen generation, and this is in New King James, 1 Peter 2, 9,.

If you want to bring a Bible, if you want to always tell the teens, get your Bibles out, take notes.

I'm always a note taker, I have lots of notes.

I'm a little unorganized on my notes, but sometimes I write my notes, sometimes I put them in my phone and then anyways, that's a whole other thing.

But if you don't bring a Bible, leo, put them up on the screen for you.

Well, let's pray.

I don't think I prayed, father, god, we just thank you, lord, for tonight.

We thank you for the word.

I thank you, father, that your word is alive, it is powerful, it exposes the intense of the heart, father, the attitudes of the heart, and I just thank you, father, that the more we become like you, the more we dig into your word that we live an authentic, a real life, a life that you created for us, father, an abundant life In Jesus' name, amen, amen.

So 1 Peter 2, 9, in the New King James says you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, his own special people.

That you may proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Hallelujah, isn't that good, and I wrote this down.

The devil challenges your identity, but God declares your identity.

So the enemy will always challenge you, but God says who you are.

You are a son, you are a daughter, you are chosen, you're peculiar, you're wonderful, you're marvelous, you're wonderfully made.

He knows how many hairs you have on your head, he knows when you're standing, when you're sitting, he knows everything about you.

He loves you.

Amen.

And so identity you know.

When we know.

The more we dig into the word, the more we find the in Christ scriptures.

It builds confidence.

When you know who you are, you're confident in who you are Right.

We had a theme bold as a lion, the wicked flea, when no one pursues.

But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

So we're not bold in and of ourselves because we're so smart and we're so good looking and right, all of that.

The natural sense is no, we're bold because of what Jesus did for us and who he made us to be, right, amen.

And so in that, that's when we can talk to people about Jesus in that boldness.

And so my first point, if you're taking notes, so a couple points of living in a real, authentic life.

Number one is live for God and not for yourself.

Live for God and not for and not for yourself.

First Peter four, one and two, and the new living translation says so.

Then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer too, for if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.

You won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.

Let me read that verse to again for you you won't spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.

And so he's saying here live for God and not for yourself.

A life that is submitted to God isn't a life that has its own desires, its own plans.

Right, it's like you write it all out here, god, this is my plan, this is my desire, this is what I wanna do, these are the friends I wanna have, this is what my career.

And then you submit it to God, and then he's gonna stamp over.

That's not how it works, right?

So a life totally submitted to God is just a life of consecration.

Not my will but your will.

Be done Right, amen.

John 3.30 in the New King James says "'He must increase and I must decrease".

More of him and less of me.

But some of the other times we just we went in our way, right, kind of like Burger King, where you can have it your way With the little slogan With the whopper Right, we pick and choose.

We want pickles, we want tomatoes, no cheese, all of that Like we very specific.

Hey, listen, god, whatever you want, what kind of burger you want me to have?

No, but we must decrease and he must increase.

If you turn with me to Luke 5, in verse one and I'm gonna read this is about Peter.

You know, peter wasn't a perfect man.

He hung with Jesus, but he wasn't a perfect man.

He denied Jesus.

He was kind of gruff.

But there's hope.

If there's hope for Peter, there's hope for us.

Right, praise God.

Luke 5, one, and I'm gonna read it out of the New King James.

So it was as the multitude pressed about him to hear the word of God, and he stood by the lake of Jinsirei I don't know if I said that right and saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets.

Then he got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land.

And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.

When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon Peter, launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.

But Simon answered and said to him master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing.

Nevertheless, at your word, I will let down the net.

And when he, when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their net was breaking.

So they signaled to their partners and the other boat to come and help them.

And they came and filled the both of the boats so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees saying depart for me, for I am a sinful man, o Lord.

For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken, and so also were James and John and sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said to Simon don't be afraid, from now on you will catch men.

So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed him, and I wanted to read the last verse, 10 and 11 in the Passion Translation.

It says do not yield to your fear, simon Peter.

From now on you will catch men for salvation.

After pulling their boats to the shore, they left everything behind and followed Jesus.

So here you see.

Peter used to be in the fishing business.

How many of you all ever watched like Deadliest Catch?

You know it's not fishing business, it's not an easy thing, but that's what they knew.

And so here Peter is saying I'm gonna let go of that.

I'm gonna.

You know my whole life what I've known.

I fished all my life.

This is what I know, and so I'm gonna let go of that.

It doesn't fill my tank.

I'm gonna follow you, jesus, because that's what it's all about.

Like he could have, like just imagine your life.

Like that is all you know.

You're a fisherman and so that's your life.

You live it, you breathe it.

And so Jesus comes along and rocks this world like, hey, come follow me, and then I'll show you how to be fishers of men and to salvation.

I'll show you how to catch real fish Right.

And so here God's called us.

You know what We'll have.

I always say this, but you know, living for yourself, it's a miserable life.

It only goes so far, right, but when you live for God, he takes you beyond what you can even imagine or think.

Amen, right, like we can only get so far to what we can do in our own way of thinking, but with God all things are possible, amen.

And so I just wanna encourage you guys with that.

So live for God.

And number one, live for God and not for yourself.

You know, pastor Hagan, so we were.

So our daughter graduated from REMA, a Bible Training Center.

It was her third year.

She's back with us and we're gonna work in the Children's Church Department.

So excited about that.

And so we were able to sit in a service there at REMA on Wednesday night and Pastor Hagan taught and I wrote this down.

He said don't be an opportunity chaser, be a God follower.

And he talked about now Allison works for the largest daycare.

Worked for, let me say that, the largest daycare there in Oklahoma, at Reima there.

But they don't have.

They have the Bible school and then they have the daycare.

But Pastor Hagan, when he was preaching on Wednesday night, he said a story about just.

He said all kinds of stories, but one that really just, you know, stood with me was like somebody came to him and, hey, you know, just had the idea of you should open up a K through 12.

You know you should open up a school and, and in the natural that makes sense, there are huge church, huge daycare, lots of people going, you know, going through the doors of that church, and so in the natural that would make sense.

But Pastor Hagan didn't have peace about that and so we can't chase just because opportunity knocks on the door.

Is it God?

Right?

It might look good, it might smell good, your family and friends, they might say, hey, that's a good opportunity, but are they listening to God for you?

I mean, are they listening from God to you?

You know, no, you have to listen to God for yourself.

Just because it looks like a good opportunity doesn't mean that that's God opportunity, amen.

And so so I thought that really blessed me that he said that, because I know a lot of things come through his office and through his desk and he has many opportunities to say, yeah, that looks great, yeah, but he has to follow the Holy Ghost.

It's the same Holy Ghost.

We have to follow the inward witness, amen, amen.

My second point is that living authentically.

We live authentically by loving people and hosting them well.

And let me back to 1 Peter 4.

And I'm gonna read it in the message translation 1 Peter 4, 7 through 11.

Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted.

Stay wide awake in prayer.

Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it.

Love makes up for practically anything.

Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless.

Cheerfully Be generous with different things that God gave you, passing them around.

So all get in on it.

I thought that was so good Sharing, right.

If words, let it be God's words.

If help, let it be God's hearty words, hearty help.

That way, god's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus and he'll get all the credit as the one mighty in everything, on course, to the end of time.

Oh yes, so here Peter is saying cheerfully love people, right, he's talking about being hospital, hospital-able.

When I was reading that scripture in the message it kind of made me laugh, because when our daughter Allison was a little younger I think she was in high school, I don't remember if she ran across one of my emails or I said something or told her we have like a hospitality care team.

She's like y'all have what?

A hospitality care team?

Like a care team.

What do they do?

I'm like it's in the name, it's, you know, a hospitality team.

When care, we care.

We, I mean the staff, not only can I mean care, we care about everybody.

But we do have a team where you know any prayer requests.

We get on an email and we pray for people.

And you know, show them love, send them flowers if somebody's in the hospital, you know, just to show them that we love them.

And so here it says because that's to live a real life, to live an authentic life.

Again, it's not about us, it's about what can I do for somebody else.

So we have to love people.

And here what I just read God's bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus.

It should be evident, right With G, if we're a Christian.

It should be evident Christ like, right, like Christ.

Sometimes I didn't get why people like would bash you know, church.

I've been heard, but now I get it.

I didn't get it back then when I was younger, but now I get it because you know the church is a hospital, not everybody's perfect right, but God's requiring more of us.

God's requiring us to step out and to love people, to be authentic, to be real, amen.

And I wanted to read out of Mark Hankins' love book.

I always have it with me, I have several all over the house, but I think it's really good to read 1 Corinthians 13 every day if you can.

It helps us.

It's the most important thing right To love people well.

And so he talked a little bit about unforgiveness.

You know Pastor mentioned he taught on faith this morning, and Mark 11, 2324, very familiar passage about faith.

But then if you don't stop there, if you keep reading he talks about, your prayers won't even be heard, like you could speak to that mountain all day long.

But if you're not walking in unforgiveness, they're not even heard, they're not even answered, and so it's pretty important that we keep short accounts with one another, right.

And so I wanted to read to you a little bit about unforgiveness.

The smell of unforgiveness defiles the atmosphere in every area of our lives.

Unforgiveness is worse than the smell.

It's a deadly poison that can kill.

Forgiveness enables us to escape the stink that Satan is trying to put on us.

I heard Dad Hagen say anytime you feel mistreated, you know the devil is working on you.

Satan is a master of offense, he is the accuser of the brethren.

When we judge others, we are allowing Satan to use our mouths.

And Dad Hagen also said putting out another fellow's candle doesn't brighten our own Amen.

Right After the powerful lessons on unlimited faith and receiving from God in Mark 11, 23, 24, jesus warns about unforgiveness.

In verse 25, the greatest enemy to faith is unforgiveness.

Unforgiveness stops faith from working, hinders your prayer life, limits blessings, stops spiritual growth, opens the door to the devil and can cause sickness and disease, even premature death.

Unforgiveness is the killer.

Holding or nursing grudges, large or small, is the killer.

And then it get rid of ought.

When you, when you stand praying, forgive if you have ought against any.

Mark 11, 25,.

Jesus said if you have ought against any, you know what ought means Like they ought to.

You know should have done that, should have, would have, could have.

Auda said that auda did this.

They didn't do that.

Auda, auda, auda.

Now we have to get that word out of our vocabulary, right.

Jesus said if you have ought against any, not many, any one.

This word ought simply means this word ought simply means any little thing.

It is wrong to hold unforgiveness against others or even against yourself.

If Jesus says you are forgiven, then you need to believe it, to receive it and to expect God's blessings from now on.

It does not take 10 years to forgive.

Amen.

Jesus said you can choose to forgive when you stand praying.

It takes less than 10 seconds to forgive.

Harboring unforgiveness can spoil 10 years of your life.

Right, I thought that was so good.

And so here, where Peter is talking about loving people, that goes hand in hand with unforgiveness.

I mean, how can you really genuinely, authentically love somebody when you have that bitterness, when you have that unforgiveness in there?

It was just a little something, something somebody said or did or they didn't do.

Right, the husband said he was going to wash the dishes and he didn't not looking at you, jay, little things like that, you know, it's the little things that sometimes we just like we want the big things and we're all into the big things, but it's the little things you do daily that really affect your life.

You know, I thought of Katie when Jay was talking about Katie, our state champ.

She's our shes'er state champ, you know.

I thought about.

You know what made me think was like here's this big thing and we're so proud of her.

But it's the daily little things.

It's the daily, like even the if she ran without, if her shoes were like too big, or her laces, or she forgot her laces at home.

Little things that really, in the scheme of things, you won't win.

Katie wouldn't have won if she's a size nine and she was wearing size 12 shoes, right, little, like equipment, like shoes, laces.

You know, it seems like a little thing, but really it's a big thing.

And so it's the little things in life, the daily, the, just the daily hustle and bustle.

You can't let things get to you, right, because then you're really not living an authentic life, the real you gets, you know, the enemy comes.

The enemy comes to what Steel kill and destroy.

But Jesus came that we may have an abundant life, a life that is overflowing, and so people, people are people, but you know what God loves people, right, and so we have to keep short accounts with one another, amen.

And then number three, I'm going to end early.

Live authentically by letting God use your gifts, and in 1 Peter, 4, 11, in the Passion Translation, for example, if you have a speaking gift because, oh God, we're speaking the words through you If you have the gift of serving, do it passionately, with the strength God gives you, so that in everything, god alone will be glorified through Jesus Christ, for to Him belong the power and the glory forever, throughout all the ages.

Amen.

And I want to read another scripture in Romans 12, 6 through 8.

In the NIV Says we have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us.

If your gift is prophesied, then prophesy in accordance with your faith.

If it is serving, then serve.

If it is teaching, then teach.

If it is to encourage, then give encouragement.

If it is giving, then give generously.

If it is to lead, do it diligently.

If it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

So here both Peter and Paul are saying hey, we need to recognize these gifts, and each one of y'all have gifts Right here has a gift that God has given you.

Everybody you're fearfully and wonderfully made and he's giving you gifts.

And so that gift isn't just to like.

You know, I'm going to set it, I'm going to put it on the bookcase and leave it there, right, because life happens and God gives you this gift.

But I'm going to put it over here, paul.

Here Paul and Peter are both saying if you serve, serve well, amen.

If you encourage, do it well, like I'm all for.

I love the Bible and that's my first book, but I'm also all for hey, if there's an issue, if there's something that you're working on, anger, whatever get you a book.

Get you a leadership book, get you another, a Hagen book.

You know, do it.

You know, if there's certain things in your life that just need a little boost, a little vitamin C, you can get that.

And so God, here, peter, is saying if you serve, serve well, if you give encouragement, do that well.

And so that looks a certain way and that sounds a certain way.

It's not just walking by somebody and not even saying anything and acknowledging them right.

And so God's called us to live a real and authentic life.

That world out there, that is not a real world.

I mean, this is the real world, but you know what I'm saying.

Like the people in this world, they need to see a real Christian, an authentic Christian right, that really loves people, that really is joyful.

Because how about, if you know, let's just say you're, you're, the wife's, a Christian, and the husband is unsaved, and the wife goes to church and the husband's unsaved, and you go home talking smack, being rude to your husband, but I'm a Christian.

I go to church, honey.

Oh, what you know Simple little illustration there, but it's major Like God, is that's the heart of God to love people.

To die to self Not my way, but you're not.

Not what I want to do, not how I want to do it, not what I want to say.

But, god, what do you want me to say?

What do you want me to do?

How?

How do you want me to say that?

Because that's important too.

When do you want me to say that?

Holy Ghost, you help me, teach me.

You don't have to pray these lofty prayers just from the heart, like show me, show me where I'm wrong, show me where I've missed it, because I want to live a life that's real, I want to live a life that's authentic and I want to show the next generation, the people in my house.

I always put it in this order.

You know, when we lead well, we lead with our heart.

Heart's always first, home is always next, and then it's what you do your profession, your occupation, your heart, because if your heart's not right, all the others it's gonna be a hot mess.

If your home's not in order, it's in chaos.

Oh, but I got a good job, but your house is on fire, your kids aren't living for God.

And so it starts with the heart.

You get yourself right, you do the word, fall the Holy Ghost, and then you're an example to your kids at the house or your family members, amen.

And so God's called us to live a real life, an authentic life, a life that is joyful, passionate for Jesus in your world.

I'm not part of your world.

You have people in your world.

You reach those people, amen.

Just like the teens.

They reach their own people at schools and at the games or wherever they go.

They have their.

And so God's called.

So I just wanna encourage you live a life.

Don't get bogged down in the nitty gritty.

We all have life, we all have pressures, but hey, you know what?

We have this one.

We're offered one life here, and how well are we gonna live it?

Like?

Because we're in heaven.

We're in heaven why, you know?

We're here to make disciples and to bring you, you know, for people to know Jesus.

It's the goodness of God that causes to repentance, it's not the meanness, right, it's the goodness of God.

And so I wanna cry when I leave a conversation.

I wanna make sure.

Hey, the goodness of God was implanted Like they felt love and they felt just being a real Christian, being authentic.

Again, it's not about perfection, it's just about daily surrender.

Amen, it's about daily surrender.

And so the more we surrender to God, the more we become real and the more we become authentic.

Amen, let's pray and we can be dismissed, father, god, we just thank you, lord, for the word.

Father, I thank you, father, that we don't live for ourselves, but we live for you.

I just thank you, father, that if anybody here, father, is struggling or they haven't lived a real and authentic life, father, I just thank you that they come to you.

Your word says, father, that to come to you all who are heavy and just.

You know, if we have issues, if we have those things that we're dealing with in our heart.

Maybe nobody else knows about.

Father, I just thank you that you heal hearts.

Father, I just thank you that you're our king.

Sobre quereba, hasere, querebo, shobre.

I thank you, father, that you have made us overcomers the word, the head and not the tail.

We are not called to live a life that is beneath that.

We are not called to live a life that is full of anxiety, full of stress, full of worry, father, but you have called us to live above.

We live above reproach, father.

We live above all the things of this world, the natural and the five senses, but we live in your glory, father, and we live through your word, through your son, jesus Christ, who came and died for us.

Father, we don't live in ourselves, but we always are aware of your presence and we live, father, through Jesus.

We don't take it lightly what he's done and what he did and what he's doing, but I thank you that we are your handy work, we're your masterpiece, father, and I just thank you.

Everybody here is blessed, father.

I just thank you that they're going to have a wonderful week, that they know who they are in Christ, that they're going to live authentically, they're going to live a real life, father, and we just glorify you.

We give you all the honor and all the praise in Jesus' name.

Amen, amen, amen.