Sermon 136 Jesus Wants To Take You By The Hand

Preached · July 4, 2021

Text · Mark 8; Mark 8.22-26

Mark 8:22-26 How many people here are completely and utterly satisfied with who they are as people and never want to grow or change or be transformed any more?

Difference between the deep longing within ourselves for transformation (that's the holiness created within you longing to revealed); and the expectations that other people place on you telling you to change-or-else (that's shame).

Cry of shame: I have shame within me that tells me to perform constantly. That I'll never be good enough. Therefore get on the work/education/impress treadmill.

Shame is a pretty good substitute for caffeine.

Cry of inner-holiness: I want to be free of that shame. It's too exhausting to carry all the time.

Which takes us to Jesus.

SOME POINTS TO MAKE ## Your life can be a witness—but your healing is not meant to be mass entertainment.

Jesus wants to take you by the hand and lead you away from the chaos. The village is not this man's home (see verse 26.)

Your journey will not happen in one easy step.

God wisely transforms and heals us only at a rate our souls and bodies can handle; and at the level that we cooperate with God's healing.

The healing we all want requires submission to the way of Jesus. How do we know it's the way of Jesus? You will know the truth and the truth will set you free. If it is not setting you free, it is not the truth. [[Matthew 11.28-30]]. Can you describe your way with Jesus as free and light?

A sign of healing is that we're no longer interested in impressing others or proving our "healed-ness."

Concluding Questions Is there space in your life to be taken by the hand by Jesus out of the village? Mediation? Contemplation? Prayer? Silence? Solitude? What is the village you need to walk away from? Who is shaming you into impressing them, performing for them? What is the home that Jesus is asking you go to? It may not be a literal home. Rather where is the place you feel deep acceptance, comfort, freedom to be the you God created you to be. * Finally, are you helping creating that home for others? Making a space, in your home, your church, your Dinner Party, where people don't need to perform?Don't need to act out of the caffeine of shame? But rather where they can go and find Jesus' easy yoke.