You Get What You Deserve
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We're gonna look today at what Jesus didn't say about guilt.
guilt and sin. I researched guilt this week, just
I researched guilt this week, just for fun. I found out that one of the top guilts that people feel is food guilt. Just be prepared if you're going somewhere after this.
for fun. I found out that one of the top
Food guilt. Fully 29% of what we eat makes us feel guilty, interesting.
guilts that people feel is food guilt. Just be prepared if you're going somewhere after
this. Food guilt. Fully 29% of what we eat makes us feel guilty, interesting. If you're a
man, you feel guilty for about 20 minutes. If you're a woman, for some reason, you feel more intense guilt that lasts longer. I have no idea why, nor will I comment on that, that's between you and God, I have no opinions whatsoever. There's all types of guilt.
If you're a man, you feel guilty for about 20 minutes. If you're a woman, for some reason, you feel more intense guilt that lasts longer. I have no idea why, nor will I comment on that, that's between you and God, I have no opinions whatsoever. There's all types of guilt.
utes. If you're a woman, for some reason, you feel more intense guilt that lasts longer. I have no idea why, nor will I comment on that, that's between you and God, I have no opinions whatsoever. There's all types of guilt.
more intense guilt that lasts longer. I have no idea why, nor will I comment on that, that's between you and God, I have no opinions whatsoever. There's all types of guilt.
that's between you and God, I have no opinions whatsoever. There's all types of guilt.
There's mom guilt, no matter what you do, it's hard to measure up. If you're a working you want to be with your kids more, if you are with your kids all the time you feel like you should be working.
The same thing goes with Dads, you want to get ahead at work, you want to be productive but when you work really hard at work you find yourself maybe not being the husband or the dad you know you should be.
You have guilt because you want to live your life for Jesus but you just don’t measure up. You went to see that movie that you know you weren’t supposed to see.
You said a word, or many words that dishonored God. Maybe you lied.
Maybe you are living a lie right now. You have some people who think they know you, you are putting on an act for them but when you are with this group of friends you are someone else, you feel guilty.
I Pastor this church and I am no different. I get what they call Pastor’s guilt. I work on church stuff so much that sometimes I feel I am not the dad or the husband I want to be, or, if I am spending time with them I am not getting the things done that the church requires. It’s a never ending battle.
We all have something that we feel guilty for. For me, I remember the time that I was driving down the road and for some reason I have this thing where I want everyone to be polite in the way they drive. I want everyone to get along.
I am with a friend driving down a highway that goes down to one lane. That means that there is a merge that happens.
I am in one lane, there is a car next to me on my left. The right lane ends so I have to get around him to get in front of him. Well he sped up! And I sped up! And it was on! There is no way this guy is getting in front of me! But he got in front of me. And so I passed him on the shoulder.
I know, I know, it was completely wrong. illegal, actually. And I was in front! Yeah baby! Then he was behind me. Got to the first red light where he was still behind me. I turned right, he turned right. At the next light I turned left, he turned left.
Hmm. I turned onto the street I lived on, he turned onto the street I lived on. I pull up in front of my house, he pulls up in front of his house next door! IT was the next door neighbor! I didn’t know him but I felt so guilty. I was caught and I felt deep in my gut guilt.
So there you go, I have confessed my sin and thankfully, Jesus is merciful.
I felt bad about that for a really long time, mostly because I didn’t know that neighbor. I was 22 years old, I never talked to him. I never spoke to him. I might have waved going out to my car. But I never got a chance to talk to him about it. I felt guilty. On one hand I still feel it simply because I never got to clear the air.
Guilt is a powerful thing. I haunts people. It ruins any chance of intimacy in our lives. I want to look at a story today from, Peter, a familiar character in Scripture who had a moment when he felt guilty.
The night Jesus was arrested He gave all kinds of advice, all kinds of teaching and at one point Jesus said that there would come a moment when all of the guys in this room would abandon Him. They would run away. Big mouth Peter says, “I will never leave you Jesus, I will fight to the death, I will go to prison with you!
Jesus then says, You are going to deny me three times in the next few hours.
Turn to
54 Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house, and Peter was following at a distance. 55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a servant girl, seeing him as he sat in the light and looking closely at him, said, “This man also was with him.” 57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58 And a little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not.” 59 And after an interval of about an hour still another insisted, saying, “Certainly this man also was with him, for he too is a Galilean.” 60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. 61 And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went out and wept bitterly.
Peter was one of Jesus’ inner circle friends. Peter was so close to Jesus. He was the one who walked on water, he was one of those who saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain. Peter was the one to told Jesus that he thought he was the Son of God.
-62
He heard the teachings, he saw the miracles. I think it is safe to say that Jesus was not only Peter’s savior but Jesus was probably Peter’s best friend.
So he finds himself associated now with a “criminal”. Jesus was now arrested, And a servant girl, probably a young teenager says, you know that Jesus don’t you?
And Peter denied him. Denied even knowing Jesus. Even though Peter was probably right by Jesus’ side every time he did something. I don’t know Him.
Can you imagine?
Peter would never get a chance to say anything to Jesus from that moment on. Later that next morning, Jesus was whipped to within an inch of his life. Jesus would be hung on a cross and would die.
Can you imagine the guilt? Can you imagine the enormity of that guilt that Peter felt?
What if you were Jesus? How would that have felt? You pour your life into this man. You give him the greatest privileges that a man could have. Letting him walk on water? Seeing you transfigured? And this is how he repays you?
Here is something Jesus didn’t say!
“You failed dude. I can’t believe you! I am so disappointed in you! I am done with you! You had your chance!
That’s how we feel isn’t it? That would be how I felt. I would want justice right then and there.
I have to admit that I have a dark side. Sometimes I like to see when people get what they deserve.
Ever feel like that? You are driving down the road and someone passes you really fast and dangerously? And a couple of miles down the road you see that a cop has pulled them over? Isn’t that the best?
We like justice, we like when people get what’s coming to them, unless of course we are the ones who deserve it. For us it’s different, there is a reason for what we do. But we are all guilty.
Those are the things Jesus could have said, the things I might have said. But that isn’t what Jesus said, is it?
I imagine Peter didn’t get much sleep that weekend. I bet he was thinking about the fact that Jesus died and the last thing Jesus heard Peter say was “I don’t know the man”. The pain that must have caused.
Have you ever said that thing that left your mouth and you wish you wish you could bring those words back? I bet that is how Peter felt and I bet that he felt guilty and I bet that it really affected him.
Here is something beautiful. Jesus, is the forgiver of our sin, he is the forgiver of our guilt. And we don’t need to jump through hoops. Jesus loves us even when we mess up. He loves us and seeks us out even when we have denied him.
3 days after being put in the tomb Jesus rises from the dead. His dead body comes to life and he encounters Mary Mag. Some of the other accounts tell of a conversation that an angel has with the other women.
Listen to Marks account of angel that speaks to the women at the tomb.
6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
Mark 16:
Do you see what he says there? Tell the disciples AND PETER! I find this incredibly comforting. Jesus wants Peter to know, Jesus is including Peter.
God is a God of grace. He is a forgiving God. His desire is to restore the dead to life. His desire is to see Peter restored.
We read a story in the book of after Jesus see’s the disciples.
Maybe it’s days, probably weeks and Peter is with the group of 6 other disciples. Peter gets restless and decides that he wants to go fishing. I don’t believe that this is a pleasure activity.
I don’t think he is relaxing by the water holding on to a pole. No, he is looking for something to do. He feels like he failed and is going back to what he knows.
While they were fishing (all night, unsuccessfully) they see a guy on the shore and he is yelling something to them. What is that guy yelling? What is he saying?
Throw the net on the other side of the boat? What? Doesn’t this guy know who we are? We fished all our lives! We know how to fish.
But you know what? It has been three years, maybe we’ve lost our step here. Actually, three years ago, the last time we fished a guy came and told us to throw our net on the other side of the boat.
Maybe we should do what he says. They cast the net on the other side of the boat and verse 6 says they couldn’t even haul it in it was so full.
They knew who it was. It was Jesus! Peter throws on his clothes, and jumps into the water and swims to Jesus on the shore.
Peter was guilty, he had been suffering. He didn’t know what to do, and the Lord shows up and he does everything he can to get into the presence of Jesus.
gives us a beautiful picture of how Jesus treats Peter after Peter denies Jesus 3 times,
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 21_15-19
Three times Peter denies Jesus. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him.
Our guilt does not disqualify us from God’s Love.
Luke
We are going to look at a story today about a man who
t you do, it's hard to measure up. If you're a working
why? we compare ourselves to others
Jesus doesn’t say, I CAN’T BELIEVE WHAT YOU DID. You are a loser Peter! You want to deny me? I will deny you! You deserve for me to deny you! No, that is not what Jesus said.
YOU SEE Our guilt does not disqualify us from God’s Love.
Sin is serious and we don’t take it lightly, we don’t keep sinning because of God’s forgiving nature, not at all.
But we can’t let guilt keep us from what God has for us. God had a job for Peter to do and he was going to let Peter know that holding on to the guilt of denying his savior would not get in the way of that plan.
No, Peter is singled out because Jesus loves him and Jesus understands the way Peter is feeling. Peter is welcome in the fellowship.
Jesus said, feed my sheep. )That means shepherd, or pastor my people, not Peter’s people, but God’s people. This is the nature of God. God wants to reinstate people, God wants to forgive people.
The Old Testament has examples of this too.
God could have said to Jonah, I CANT BELIEVE YOU RAN AWAY FROM ME. No, He said, Jonah, you are still my guy, go to Nineveh.
Last week we talked about the woman caught in adultery and did Jesus condemn her? No he forgave her and told her to sin no more.
Last week we talked about the woman caught in adultery and did Jesus condemn her? No he forgave her and told her to sin no more.
We are all sinners, we are all guilty. But God never intended you to carry guilt.
But God never intended you
Our guilt is a result of sin and Jesus went to the cross to pay for our sin. If you hold on to guilt, if you hold on to shame then you don’t understand the enormity of what Jesus did. You don’t accept that what Jesus did was enough.
If you think that holding onto guilt makes you a little more holy, a little better in the eyes of God then you don’t really get what the cross represents.
The cross. That day when Jesus was sentenced to death, the day he was hung on the cross… There were two other men on that hill, they were being hung on crosses too.
In order to be sentenced to death on a cross you had to be a really bad criminal. This was the worst sentence anyone could receive. And there is Jesus, nailed to these wooden beams. Tortured.
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43
There were two criminals, really bad ones. One made fun of Jesus, mocked him. The other criminal, who was being sentenced for being guilty.. acknowledges his guilt and moves on and trusts in Jesus. It all happens on the cross. He said to the other criminal, we are getting what we deserve… we made our bed… we are guilty. And then, he acknowledges that he needs Jesus.
And what does Jesus say to him? Does he say, only if you feel really bad will I save you? Only if you grovel and only if you beat yourself up, only if you give up everything fun in life??
No, Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. Here is something that is really important to understand about salvation, about the work of salvation;
That criminal was fixed to the cross. He was nailed to it. He could do no work. He was on the cross. He couldn’t get baptized, he was on the cross, he couldn’t take communion, he was on the cross, he couldn’t give an offering because he was on the cross. He had no power, no opportunity to do anything to prove his faith except to trust in Jesus.
Jesus willingly, lovingly welcomed this man into His kingdom at the mans last hour, the last chance.
This really tells us something about who God is. It tells us the desire that Jesus has to save people. Jesus doesn’t save begrudgingly, he seeks people out. Even in his last hour.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
That man on the cross was guilty, he couldn’t make it right. Peter was guilty for denying Jesus right at the moment when he could have proven his loyalty. There are some here today who’s guilt is keeping them from stepping into a new or a closer relationship with God.
We are all guilty, but we all have the opportunity to cast that off and to trust in Jesus. You don’t have to do anything, you don’t have to pay anything, the work that Jesus did on the cross is enough for you.
Jesus doesn’t say you get what you deserve, we actually get what we don’t deserve because of the grace of God.
Your guilt, my guilt does not disqualify us from the love of Christ.
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