Trade-off’s for a Happy 2005.
Everything plateaus when until you’re willing to make the trade-off.
Trade in “Guilty Conscience” for “Guilt-free Living.”
Don’t you hate people who always bring up the past?
What if all your mistakes/things you’ve done wrong could be wiped out in a moment?
Everyone wants to be rid of guilt. . . but different people try to do it in different ways.
Lots of people will try to tell you that guilt is not real.
Judith E. Brandt has written a book called The 50-Mile Rule: Your Guide to Infidelity and Extramarital Etiquette. An interview with the Chicago Tribune included this interchange with Ms. Brandt:
Q: You say [in your book], don’t feel guilty. That doesn’t seem realistic.
Ms. Brandt: Guilt is basically something built into society to keep you in line. If you are going about your business in a discreet way and you are continuing to take care of your wife and, most importantly, your children, there is no reason to feel guilt.
"’Miss Manners’ of Adultery,"
1. Guilt will keep you from heaven.
The Bible is full of verses that tell us that one day we’ll all stand before God and give an account for how we’ve lived.
Romans 14:12 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body... whether it be good or bad.”
Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
Now compare those Scriptures with this one:
James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
That’s serious! We think of murder as really bad. But did you know that Jesus said if you cut people down with your words, that’s just as serious as killing?
I’m preaching a series later this year on the 10 commandments. Is there any of us that has perfectly kept the 10 commandments? Let’s see: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Uh-oh. Have I always put God first, or have other things taken His place? I’m in trouble already!
Have you ever lied, stolen, coveted something that was another’s? Have you ever used the name of God in a careless way?
If you’re like me, you know that you’ve done wrong. And no matter how small it seemed, the Bible says you might as well be guilty of all. Because of what the Bible says, you know you’ll answer to God for it! Wow.
If that thought scares you, it should. It does me! What you need is not a better system to hide your guilt – what you need is a way to be forgiven. What you need is a way to be at peace.
2. Guilt will keep you from being at peace.
Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked run when no one is chasing them: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
Nicky Gumbel tells us of a man who sent a check to the government for back taxes with a note attached that said:
“I felt so guilty for cheating on my taxes I had to send you this check. If I don’t feel any better, I’ll send you the rest.”
Guilt and guilt feelings are not the same.
The priest decided that if he got really theological, it might scare the little boy into obeying and behaving. So he sat him down in his office, and staring him squarely in the eye, said, “Where is God?” He paused, and the little boy looked scared. Thinking his scheme was working, the priest said it louder: “WHERE IS GOD?” The boy looked even more scared. Once more the priest almost shouted, “WHERE IS GOD??!”
The little boy leaped off the chair, and dashed out of the office. As he passed his brother waiting for his turn, he yelled back, “Run! God’s missing, and they think we did it!”
Guilt is when you’ve done something wrong.
Guilt feelings is when you feel it.
The proper way to deal with guilt feelings is to start by dealing with guilt. It would be silly to try to get a murderer to put aside his guilt feelings, without doing anything about the fact that he was guilty of murder!
In the same way, Dr. Phil or John Gray may be able to help you get rid of feelings of guilt, but it doesn’t help anything if you are actually guilty!
What stands between you and guilt-free living?
A. Admit your guilt & ask forgiveness.
Proverbs 28:13 “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
You may need to ask forgiveness of others as well as God.
Pastor Lee Strobel shares this account:
We were doing a baptism service. We told people before they came up to the platform to be baptized to take a piece of paper, write down a few of the sins they’ve committed, and fold the paper. When they come up to the platform, there was a large wooden cross on the stage. Take that piece of paper, take a pin, and pin it to the cross, because the Bible says our sins are nailed to the cross with Jesus Christ, and fully paid for by his death. Then turn and come to the pastor to be baptized.I want to read you a letter a woman wrote who was baptized in one of those services. She said:
I remember my fear. In fact, it was the most fear I remember in my life. I wrote as tiny as I could on that piece of paper the word abortion. I was so scared someone would open the paper and read it and find out it was me. I wanted to get up and walk out of the auditorium during the service, the guilt and fear were that strong.
When my turn came, I walked toward the cross, and I pinned the paper there. I was directed to a pastor to be baptized. He looked me straight in the eyes, and I thought for sure that he was going to read this terrible secret I kept from everybody for so long. But instead, I felt like God was telling me, I love you. It’s okay. You’ve been forgiven. I felt so much love for me, a terrible sinner. It’s the first time I ever really felt forgiveness and unconditional love. It was unbelievable, indescribable.
Do you have inside of you a secret sin that you wouldn’t even want to write down on a piece of paper out of fear somebody might open it up and find out? Let me tell you something about the Jesus I know. Not only does he want to adopt you as his child, he wants to lift the weight of guilt off your shoulders.
[Abortion Guilt Removed, Citation: Lee Strobel, "Meet the Jesus I Know," Preaching Today tape no. 211]
B. Put it behind you, and move on.
Philippians 3:13-14 “I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize...”
C. Don’t go back to the way it was.
Acts 24:16 “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”
NOTE: This series idea (Trade-offs) and key sentence are from a John C. Maxwell “Maximum Impact” CD. (Don’t know which volume.) All other material is original, based on the 5 Purposes.
___________________
HANDOUT
___________________
“Trade-off”s for a Happy 2005
Finding balance in life and peace for the New Year. . .Trade-off #1: Trade in “Guilty Conscience” for “Guilt-free Living.”
Today’s Question: What if all your mistakes/things you’ve done wrong could be wiped out in a moment?
Everyone wants to be rid of guilt, but they choose different ways. Here are 3 things you need to believe about guilt:
1. Guilt will keep you from _____________.
The Bible is full of verses that tell us that one day we’ll all stand before God and give an account for how we’ve lived. Here’s a few
Romans 14:12 “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body... whether it be good or bad.”
Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.”
Now compare those Scriptures with this one:
James 2:10 “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”
That is enough to make everyone who ever lived guilty!
2. Guilt will keep you from being at ______________.
Proverbs 28:1 “The wicked run when no one is chasing them: but the righteous are bold as a lion.”
_____________ is when you’ve done something wrong.
Guilt ___________________ is when you feel it.
The proper way to deal with guilt feelings is to start by dealing with guilt.
How can we deal with guilt??
A. ______________ your guilt & ask forgiveness.
Proverbs 28:13 “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
You may need to ask forgiveness of _____________ as well as ____________.
B. Put it ____________ you, and move on.
Philippians 3:13-14 “I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize...”
C. Don’t go back to the way it __________.
Acts 24:16 “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”
Today’s Question: What if all your mistakes/things you’ve done wrong could be wiped out in a moment?
Answer: They can!!!
