Preached by Pastor Scott Herron

Sunday, August 30, 2020

Last Sunday after Bryan’s sermon from 2 Samuel, Ali and I ended up having an impromptu time with friends around a fire. If you remember Bryan’s sermon was about the greater love Jesus has for us than sex or marriage and how friendships reflect this love. It was a time of renewal and even somewhat healing for me as all of us ended up sharing different traumas and hard times that we had experienced early on in life. It’s always renewing for someone to know you more intimately and to be received, not with shame, but love.

Two Thoughts

Our conversation led me to two thoughts:

1 God’s timing is always perfect. The timing of Bryan’s sermon, our time together and the text this morning have ministered to my heart and helped me see once again the beauty and mystery of Jesus. Before I’m a pastor, I’m a Christian and I need these times as much as anyone. God’s timing is perfect.

My 2nd thought. It’s really more of a question…but it’s this…

2 What does it really mean to be made new? I thought of this question as we shared our broken lives, broken hearts and broken behaviors. In light of our brokenness, what does it mean to be made new?

The Struggle/Tension

This text presents some tension for me, for us as Christians. And if Paul were here, I’d ask him, “What if some days, or even many days, I don’t feel like I’ve been made new? How is the Christian life a life made new with Renewed hearts, Renewed Souls, Renewed minds? How can this be, if some days I feel and act more like the broken old self?”

My Story

To be open with you, here’s why I wrestle with this. Maybe you can relate to some of this in your own way. I grew up in a religious environment that was devoid of Jesus. Grace was, ironically, something that you seem to need to earn. Sin was something you covered up. Shame was the penalty for misbehavior which made honesty not an option. Losing my mother to cancer as a child left a void that could never be filled. When I was around 9 or 10 I was introduced to pornography by neighborhood kids which led to a long struggle of guilt and shame that I covered up until I was in my early 20’s. I witnessed violence done to and by other kids in the neighborhood and felt the pain of church splits. I was taught a version of Christianity that preached, “be good, and God will love you.” But I didn’t know what goodness was. I didn’t know where it came from or what it looked like. And even though I said I was a Christian, I didn’t know Jesus.

Where are we going?

So, there’s this tension. I carry a brokenness from what I experienced and was taught, as well my own sin. But Paul is instructing the church on what it looks like to live as a Christian. To live as if we’ve been Made New!

And he’s right! But for Paul to even give this instruction to no longer live as our old selves, means that we, Christians are capable of that very thing. So, how do we do what Paul is insisting on? Especially if we seem to not do it!

I have two goals this morning.

Goal #1 If you are a Christian here this morning, my hope is that you stop and look into your life. Ask yourself, “am I living as Paul insists?” A life made new in righteousness and holiness? Or are you living as the old self. I want you to be challenged as I am. But I also want you to be encouraged. Encouraged to see how Jesus has made you new! And what it means to live a life that flows out of that renewal. That’s goal #1 to be challenged and encouraged. My 2nd goal...

Goal #2 is that if you are here this morning and you’re not a Christian, my hope is that you would see the beauty of Jesus. That you would be drawn into his love for you, and how a r