Asking for a Friend: Aren't Christians Just as Messed Up as the Rest of Us?
A lot of us Christians know how to “look the part.” We know what to say. We know how to present ourselves and look like we’ve got it all together. But that’s not always reflective of reality. We all have stuff going on in our lives. Frustrations. Setbacks. Failures. Really, aren’t Christians just as messed up as everyone else?
In short, yes we are, but that’s the whole story is it? In this message, we explore what makes Christians different, not through perfection but through authenticity and the choice to reflect Jesus’ light in a broken world. From the Garden of Eden to the early church in Antioch, Scripture shows us that the struggle between self and God has always been real. But God doesn’t walk away; God comes towards us through Jesus. There is a gap between who we are and who we want to be, and Jesus helps fill that gap.
Sermon Reflections:
- Pastor Ken suggests that we often put on a “church face” on Sunday mornings. What does he mean by that? Why do you think we do this, and what would it look like to be more authentic in church?
- In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had a choice between two trees. What are some modern-day “trees” we face that represent choosing our own way over God’s way?
- Early Christians in Antioch were first called Christians because of how they lived, not what they said. What evidence would someone find in your life that you follow Jesus?
- Authenticity is owning the gap between who we are and who we want to be, instead of hiding that gap or ignoring it. What does it look like to authentically acknowledge this gap in your own life?
- What’s one specific area where you feel this gap between who you are and who you want to be? What resources or support do you need in helping you close that gap? Can your small groups or Sunday School classes pray for you or help you in other ways? How are you leaning on the support of fellow believers and how are you, in turn, offering your support to others?