All is Grace 8 The Second Journey

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11)

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Last Saturday – Linger On – While we wait.

The Second Journey

Grew up in church, knew everything

This is what all christians believe.

Bible College

This is the truth, and if you’re life doesn’t look like this, it’s because you don’t have enough faith.

It’s like pop music. It’s just surface. We have ‘call me maybe’ but we also have human trafficking in this nation. The pop music is like your first journey.

LIFE

Assumptions, conclusions, judgements – stopped working.

Rape, cancer,

Faith is incredibly open ended. It wasn’t this thing with a nice pretty bow on top.

For better or for worse, my way of thinking changed.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11)

The Second Journey

Most Christians

Between the age of 18 and 40.

Grandkid – kid

Parents faith, not enough

Realize: faith is both harder and messier than you thought.


Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

We all met someone who for whatever reason, maybe tragedy, maybe college, maybe disappointment, maybe discouragement, has had a crisis of faith. And never recovered from it.


Pete Holmes Podcast

Pete Holmes podcast where he was interviewing a Pastor. He said he thinks most people end up leaving Christianity out of high school.

Left faith – high school

‘True love Waits’ Bible : Where everything in the bible was all targeted around not having sex.

Youth Pastor – phony

  • Don’t have sex
  • Don’t say the F word
  • Don’t smoke
  • Don’t drink
  • Always smile

75% percent of churched high schoolers drop out of the church—permanently—by the time they graduate from college.


Crisis

Amongst the ambiguity:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Anchor

Faith – Hope – Love

People that make it through, those words take on a new meaning.

B/c life is messier as an adult than it was when you’re a kid.

I love Christmas, but I love it differently than I did when I was a kid.


What about being childlike?

Yeah but not childish.

Not: immature, ignorant

Bible lot: maturing, growing, understanding.


Most Christians – 2nd journey, 3rd, 4th…

People your age, confronted with questions. asking questions, never asked before. Scary.

When God breaks through our blindness, it’s through a disruption.


Your Second Faith

1st Faith:

Father Abraham had many sons.


Faith Crisis:

Stop Believing.

“I want to believe.”

The bible says what?!

Kid: simple

Animals, arks, miracles, people loving each other.

Adult: struggle – schizophrenic book

I see people – leaving faith – lost confidence in Bible

College – science, archeology


Faith: House of cards

Pull one away, afraid the whole thing is going to come down.

Jesus: house built on sand.

Rain comes, crashing down.


2nd Faith

I know God is there. And that he loves us.

Growing, learning, not gonna let that stop me for enjoying Him.

I’m a completionist on twitter. I have to go and read or at the least scroll through all the tweets.

Jordan – puzzles – missing piece

  • 1st Faith: Life is so simple! All our questions are answered in an obvious way in the Bible.
  • 2nd Faith: There’s so much I don’t know. But that’s ok, because I know God loves me, and that’s what I’m confident in.

Your Second Hope

1st Hope:

All the sweet crap that’s gonna happen in your life.

  • Married
  • Kids
  • Most amazing house
  • Be an astronaut/firefighter/NFL player.

Like Christmas eve when you’re a kid


Hope Crisis:

It never happens for them.

Get all that, taken away from them.

For some: get all that stuff, still not happy.

John Mayer tweet

Congratulations on being successful and best wishes on being happy.

House – sand.


2nd Hope:

Just as I share in Christ’s suffering, I also share in Christ’s resurrection.

Your life will have both good and bad.

The world, good and bad:

Hitler – Mother Teresa

Sadaam Hussain – – Billy Graham

Osama Bin Laden – Martin Luther King Jr.

The question is this: what do you see?

Matthew 22, Jesus – kingdom of God – “wedding feast”.


Solution not: Him doing better.

Giving me this stuff on my list already!

Solution: us trusting you, finding contentment in you.

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. (Philippians 4:10)

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. (Philippians 4:11)

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:12)

I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Old Hope: earthly happiness.

New Hope: finding our contentment in Jesus, and becoming determined to see the beauty all around us.

No matter how challenging now, wipe every tear from our eye. No pain, no hurt, just happiness, just peace.


Your Second Love

1st love:

Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.


Love Crisis:

Fear

Adam – no reason to question God’s love.

Filled with fear.

Unworthiness – Hypocrisy – Mistakes


2nd Love:

Prodigal son – Reread it

Their first interaction at the reunion

Speech – Rehearsed – Polished

Father doesn’t let him get into it.

Can’t even say he’s sorry.

God wants us back more than we want to be back.

Don’t even – detail – sin.

We don’t even have to go into detail about our sin

We just come back home.


John 8 – woman caught in sin

“Moses said we should stone her, what do you think?”

Write in sand

Let him without sin, cast 1st stone.

“Is there anyone here to condemn you?”

“No.”

“Neither do I. No go and don’t do this anymore.”

He didn’t even ask if she was sorry.

Forgiveness without her even asking for it.

Really nuts: calls us to do the same.

Forgive while still being crucified.

Simplest (not easiest) place: with yourself.


Carl Jung – writting about when ‘Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do for me.”

“What if you discovered that the least of the brethren of Jesus, the one who needs your love the most, the one you can help the most by loving, the one to whom your love will be most meaningful – what if you discovered that this least of the brethren of Jesus … is you?”

Some people: great at forgiving others, but not self.


‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)

1st love: Of course God loves me! Look how pretty I am! Good choice God!

2nd love: it’s amazing that God still loves me, even in my imperfection. It’s time for me to love me too.


Solidarity I think one of the greatest things on the planet is solidarity. Being connected to someone else. No matter where you are in your journey, God is with you. And in you’ll allow us to be, we’re with you too.

No matter where you are, God is calling you a second time, or third time, or 4th time, to have faith, have hope, and to rest in His love.

Life can be hard. Transition can be hard. Growing up can be hard. But it doesn’t have to get you down.

God’s watching out for you. Believe that.

There will be things you don’t have answers for, that’s fine! That’s being an adult. All that we know is partial and incomplete. But there’s a time when we’ll understand.

In the meantime, rest in His care for you. Rest in His love for you. And have the courage to follow him into the new, and into the unknown. Trust Him. Cling to Him. And rest in Him.