Lifeline - 10.22.06

Corey gave me the opportunity to speak at Lifeline last night. It was great fun and I got great feedback. Two young ladies came up to me afterwards, one with tears in her eyes, and talked about broken relationships that needed repaired. I encouraged them to go make it right and told a couple more stories about the mistakes I've made. These young ladies were amazing! I was so proud of them. For those interested, the message is below.

Lifeline – 10.22.06
Entourage - Trust

FACING THE GIANTS – Live on Purpose Clip – sermonspice.com

God cares about our faith, the spiritual condition of our heart. He wants us to honor him on the football fields, in the classrooms and, perhaps more importantly, in our relationships with our family and friends…our Entourage. Jesus said the most important thing you can do with your life is love God with everything you are and love others as yourself. Sometimes I wonder what would it mean to live in such a way that people talk in this town about our youth ministry like they talk about Notre Dame football.

NOTRE DAME TAILGATE/GAME – Friendship stories being written and told

Yesterday I was at the Notre Dame game. My sister works for Marriott and wanted to do some NETWORKING. She’s had some guests who have been staying at the Marriott for years and every week they invite her out to their tailgate party and, a lot of times, to the actual game. Usually she doesn’t take them up on it, but yesterday she did. She didn’t want to go alone, so who did she call? Her little sister, oh yeah!

The MARRIOTT VAN drove us down and there were a couple sitting in front of us. The guy got on his cell phone and was telling whoever he was talking to, “Yeah, we made it, I can’t believe it, we’re getting dropped off right in front of the Gold Dome! It’s amazing! I’ll call you from inside!” My thought, “yeah, so what…dude must of watched Rudy one too many times.” He then proceeds to get out of the van, accidentally drop his tickets on the sidewalk and walk away. I picked them up, scalped them for $400 and went home a happy girl. Just kidding, we gave them back. He was grateful for our honesty.

Now, I’ve had the chance to go to games a number of times, but actually ONLY WENT ONCE when I was about 12. At the game, I remember missing the slow motion replays and being able to see gorgeous guys like Brady Quinn on the big screen. Not to mention, they all look like little one inch midgets on the field from way up in the stands. The funny thing about it, I’ve lived in the South Bend area for a whole lot of years and really had no idea what went on home game days at Notre Dame. I wasn’t stupid, I knew there was tailgating kind of fun stuff and had seen it from the “driving down Juniper road perspective”, but I was never in the midst of it. I never felt it to the full extent…that was until yesterday.

We came onto the campus from the west side, a side I’d never scene. Oh my gosh, there were people everywhere! I could have people watched all day long. It was amazing. While I was enjoying my time just walking and tailgating, my mind kept drifting back to you and the series we’re in…Entourage – who are you surrounding yourself with? As I was in the stadium, I wondered what kind of friendship stories were being WRITTEN, what kind were being TOLD amongst the bazillion people there. No doubt, some great ones – ones of encouragement, love, laughter and hope. No doubt, ones not so great – ones of betrayal, deceit and defeat. As you looked in peoples eyes walking down tailgate row, as you overheard conversations in the stands here and there, you knew there were some interesting relational dynamics going on. Friends, who you surround yourself with can make you or break you. They can catapult you forward in your relationship with Christ or drag you under.

TRUSTWORTHY – DARLA STORY

When Corey asked me what the #1 one thing I looked for when it comes to friends, I quickly blurted out “ONES THAT ARE TRUSTWORTHY”.

What does it mean you to be TRUSTWORTHY? Go to whiteboard.

This has been a big deal to me since I was young. I remember when I was in fourth grade when I had MRS. WENDELL AT MARY FRANK. She was the most amazing teacher…ever. You could earn fake money by doing your homework, having perfect attendance and other stuff like that. At the end of the year, you could spend it on all sorts of fun stuff. And since I was this incredibly shy, obedient, angelic child up until I was about 13 and did everything I was supposed to, I had mad cash. In fact, I was one of the first to get a $1,000 bill. I think I stared at that $1,000 bill for hours. Unfortunately, one day my $1,000 bill got ripped off. I was devastated. It was just gone, poof.

A few days later I was at my friend Darla’s house and guess what was sitting right there, on top of her dresser. $1,000 bill. I knew it was mine by the creases and dirt marks. While I didn’t accuse her of taking it, I made mention of the fact that she had a $1,000 bill on top of her dresser. She made up some lame excuse, like it was her brothers from last year and that “I could have it if I wanted it.” I said “no, that’s ok” even though I knew it was mine. That day, my devastation over losing the $1,000 was overshadowed by the fact that one of my good friends had taken it. Darla broke my trust that day and it was never to be regained.

So since I was young, before I knew the line “LOVE THE SINNER, HATE THE SIN”, if someone were to ask me Judy what kind of people do you hate, I’d be quick with my response. “Liars, cheaters and thieves.” Darla was all three. She was a thief, she stole from me. She cheated at the money game by not earning it. She lied to me when I saw the money on the dresser.

Now a days I wouldn’t say it’s the people I hate the most, because we’re supposed to love everyone; however, I would still say that lying, cheating and stealing are the behaviors I hate the most. Boil it down, the primary reason is that in all three situations TRUST IS ERODED AND IN MANY CASE FLAT OUT BROKEN FOR A LONG TIME TO COME.
I’ve further defined “to be trustworthy” since then. I want friends who are trustworthy not only that they wouldn’t lie, cheat or steal from me (or even for me), but I could trust them to have my back. Even if we are fighting like cats and dogs in the moment, with others they would…
Defend me, not deny me.
Lift me up, not let me down.
Help me, not hurt me.

TRUSTWORTHY AND THE BIBLE

Being trustworthy is a big deal to me and evidently it’s a big deal to Jesus and in the Bible. One of the books I became very fascinated by three years ago was the book of Hosea. Any idea what it’s about? A guy was instructed by the Lord to marry an adulterer, that’s enough to leave you scratching your head. Some of you right now are thinking, “Ewwww. Judy you’re weird.” Well, yes I am. Others are like “really…go on.” Some of you are like, “I’m not married, what does that have to do with me?” Good questions. A lot. Because adultery happens long before it hits the bedroom. Often times, it’s practiced much earlier in our relationships with our friends. We practice things that lead to adultery in the big game – unfaithfulness, dishonesty – we flat out practice being untrustworthy. Once again, not always, but often times if we’re untrustworthy in our friendships, ultimately we’ll be untrustworthy in our marriage.

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who teaches out of the book of Hosea. Adultery is NOT A PRETTY PICTURE to paint. In fact, it’s probably the worst picture you could paint when it comes to defining what it means to be trustworthy. In book of Hosea, the Lord instructs Hosea to marry a wife that is and will be an adulterer…a liar, cheater and thief in more ways than one. So in chapter 1, he marries Gomer, not the ideal girl name, but hey maybe back in the day, who knows. They have three kids. In chapter 2, the Lord tells the kids to drive their unfaithful mom out of the house, not to get rid of her but to wake her up. For she was ripping their heart out. Hosea was ordered to continue loving her and, in chapter 3, to eventually take her back. When you read the story, you’re left wondering what in the world?

But the story is pretty much a bunch of SYMBOLISM. Hosea is the Lord and the Israelites, God’s people, are the adulterous wife, Gomer. You see God’s people had walked away from Him. They got tied up in all sorts of worship to Baal and the gods of the Canaanite people. In essence, they committed adultery. In fact, that very word is used in Hosea 4:1-2,

Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: "There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.
There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery...
Hosea 4:1-2

As a result, God allowed them to be taken captive and exiled. They were ripping His heart out. He didn’t want to harm them, He wanted to help them. They were off course, headed in the wrong direction, toward destruction and needed to wake up. Despite their disloyalty to Him, His commitment and love for them did not change. It remained steadfast.

He tells Hosea,
"Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods…”
Hosea 3:1

He longed for them to turn their hearts back toward him.

The Lord longs for people who are trustworthy, who will…
Defend Him, not deny Him.
Lift Him up, not let Him down.
Help Him, not hurt Him.

He words it this way in Hosea 6:6

For I desire loyalty, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6

WHEN YOU MESS UP - Fine China vs. Paper Plates

God pleads with Israel to turn back, to confess their sin and seek forgiveness. In return, He promises to heal them and love them…to restore their relationship. GOD NEVER GIVES UP ON US. In Facing the Giants, one of the players Matt, is kind of a jerk to his dad in one scene. As Mark Beeson would say, he treated him like a throw away paper plate when he should have treated him like fine china. But, God is pursuing Matt. Here’s the outcome.

FACING THE GIANTS – Pray for Revival – sermonspice.com

Matt got right with his heavenly father and his earthly father. He went on to walk into his fathers office where his father and his partner were looking over some business plans and said “Dad, I’m sorry for the way I treated you.” As his dad sits there in stunned silence, Matt walks away. The partner says to Matt’s father, “I’d give anything to hear my son say that.”

Friends, there will be times you screw up, hopefully not, but probably will…you will have treated a friend like a throw away paper plate when you should have treated them like china.
You didn’t defend, instead you denied.
You didn’t lift up, instead you let down.
You didn’t help, instead you hurt.

When that happens, the way we respond will be dependent on the condition of our heart. Will we minimize or justify away our behavior and cast some of the blame on them…or will we come face to face with our mistake, take the consequences and seek forgiveness. Sin has consequences. Breaking trust is like BREAKING SOMETHING, sometimes you can put it back together, sometimes you can’t.

BREAK PICTURE FRAME ILLUSTRATION

Whether a person chooses to forgive you and, better yet, go the extra step and restore the relationship will be up to them. You are only responsible for your own behavior.

But I think coming face to face with it makes all the difference in the world. I think that made all the difference in the world with Jesus’ disciples. Both Judas and Peter betrayed Jesus. Judas sold out Jesus to those wanting him dead for thirty silver coins. Meanwhile, even after Jesus predicted it, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus three times before the roster crowed. But in the end, Judas ran from Jesus and Peter ran to Him.

Give God your best in your relationship with Him and each other. Honor Him. Do it right the first time, but just in case you don’t, come face to face with your sin and seek forgiveness. Give your all, no regrets. Check out this last clip.

FACING THE GIANTS – Attempt the Impossible – sermonspice.com

When you get to the end of your life may Jesus be able to look you in the eye and say, “I love you and I’m proud of you” (words in the movie clip). The one – love – is a given, as it was with the Israelites, God’s love does not ebb and flow, it does not come and go. The other – I’m proud of you – now, that’s got to be earned. Fight the Giants. I’m not talking a football team. I’m talking about the giant situations that you’ll face in life that want to destroy your relationships, the temptations that should you succumb to, will not allow you to be trusted. My prayer is that you will stand up against them like a stone wall. Give your best to God. Set the pace for those around you. Show yourself trustworthy. Jesus and the people around us are asking us to…
Defend them, not deny them.
Lift them up, not let them down.
Help them, not hurt them.