Almost Honest Christians - Week 3 - The CORE - Pastor Mike Novotny
Almost Honest Christians
Week 3 -The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
Good morning. Welcome back to week number three, our sermon series, Almost honest, Christians. You just opened in two weeks ago, we talked about almost all of us having a struggle or a sin. We're not totally honest about how we hide it instead of confessing it but God knows on the other side of that awkward honesty is a really beautiful blessing, the forgiveness of sins lesser. He talked about, there's someone maybe in our life, who is doing something, that's not so good, and we talk about them but we don't talk to them, but on the other side of an awkward honest conversation a confrontation, I can be the piece of correcting someone back to a good path, piece of know, you had the courage to say, what needed to be said. Now, as we land the plane, let's talk about the questions, maybe some of us are not asking.
About once every four weeks. I feel fairly ignorant.
A little over a year ago, my friend who used to cut my hair when into real estate. So I had to find a new spot to get my haircut and I found a local barbershop just a block from our church and when I walked in that Barbershop For the First Time. I realized It was a black barbershop All The Barbers pretty much our black music playing over the speakers is African-American. The art on the walls is black. Most of the clientele is black and brown and if you're new here at the CORE, you might not know this. But I am not black.
And so every four weeks I sense my own ignorance. I love diversity so much. I mean, being in the room with all kinds of people from all kinds of places makes my heart so, so happy. But I've done a lot of my life in the Hispanic Community, playing soccer. And I grew up in a community and went to schools that have a ton of African-American diversity. So I just don't know as much about the culture and the language and the slang and the phrases as I do about other places and so inevitably, As The Barbers are talking and as the Buzzers are going in my ear. I hear things that go over my head. Your words, I don't quite understand. There are jokes where everyone laughs and I think that's funny. There's just phrases, cultural moments, people's reactions to political and social situations that are distinct from the way that I was raised. I ever knew they’re super cool being nothing but nice to me, but I got to tell you as I'm sitting under that cape very often. My Palms, start to sweat and I'm rubbing them on my jeans because I'm faced with one of two choices.
I can either smile and nod and laugh like I get it. Or I can, with fear and trepidation, admit that I'm ignorant. Literally that I don't know. I don't get it.
Yeah, I was thinking about my Barbershop moments because I think something like that happens all the time right here in our church. There's something that I love, love about our church and I love about those of you who are watching at home on your tablets, or your TV's fact, is so important. These two things that I love. I want to grab a pen and write these down. I love the fact that some of you here today know very, very much of the Bible. You probably dismissed that statement, although there's so much, I don't know. I'm not a pastor or maybe I didn't go to Bible college, but there are some of you who have gone to church almost every Sunday not for a few months or a few years but a few decades. Some of you had a Christian education where you memorize the Bible passages and saying him as you're raised in a family where God was a priority, you know, so much about the Bible. You know, what Habakkuk is, it's probably go, good sign that you know, a bit about your Bible. You know, the difference between Old Testament, Joseph and New Testament. Joseph between the king named Saul in the Old Testament and the man named Saul, who became Paul, you know, the meaning of the Cross, you know, that Jesus didn't stay dead. You have more than a basic childlike knowledge you know so much of the Bible and that is such a good thing. Right? The way we find peace and joy is knowing lots about God. We know his love, we know his power, we know what he's done. We know he's doing, we know what he's about to do when, you know, tons about the Bible. You have like the cheat code to peace, joy and eternal life through Jesus. There are lots of you in the room who are just like that and I'm so grateful for his and I'm just as grateful, for being honest, maybe even a little more grateful for those of you who know, none of the Bible. Or very little of the Bible. Or who are clueless about the difference between the Joseph's or the Saul's. You know, you're know what a habakkuk is or who Habakkuk is. Maybe you walked into church today for the first time. For the first time in a really long time. Maybe you're watching at home and someone shared a link or you stumbled upon this station and the truth is you don't know tons about the Bible. Marry some of the very Basics but not a lot. I love that so much. That brand new people walk into our church every single Sunday. I was doing a visit in a local jail 2-3 weeks ago and I was trying to encourage the guy I was speaking with and I said, you know, the story of David and Goliath. And the guy in the orange jumpsuit said, Who.
I was consoling. A married couple the other day who's been coming to our church and I said, you know, that one time when Jesus walked on the water. And they said, what?
Back. Just last week, I was at a local coffee shop and I asked the woman after hearing her story to tell me what, you know about Jesus or one word answer. Nothing.
And I love the fact that gathered here in those conversations in our groups. And in our church, Gatherings are people who are all on that spectrum of knowledge, people who know tons about the Bible, people who know very little, those of you who are just exploring this for the first time in a very, very long time. And those of you like the 4th grade girl, who last month could recite the books of the Bible faster than I could. I'm so mad at that. Girl, I'm practicing at home. No, no one beats me in the books of the Bible competition. She did. And I thought. Wow. Can you imagine being 10, 11, 12 years old. You know Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, I love that. All of us are here together. Now that is actually an incredible blessing for both of us because why Because if you know a lot, You know, psychologically the best way to know something, even better. The teach it. He can explain it very simply to another person. That's the way you become an expert in the topic, and if you don't know much literally, you don't have to climb a mountain to learn. Lots of things about God. The person sitting next to you and asked if they could answer. So for everyone, who's in the room, this could be incredibly good.
Or it could be a potential problem.
I read a book years ago, where the authors talked about the called it the curse of knowledge. And the curse of knowledge is when, you know so much about something that you're cursed by, not being aware of how much you know.
You've known it for so long you and your friends have talked about it for so long. You've forgotten what it's like to be brand-new. It's like when I go to the doctor and the nurse rattles off my blood pressure, those two numbers and I think I have no idea what that means. Am. I dying? Am I healthy? I really don't know if those are just two numbers to me, but she's cursed by how much knowledge she has. If you go to a mechanic, or you work on cars, right? The mechanic says something's broken. And if you're anything like me, You have no idea what any of it is and happens in the church. We sometimes get into conversations and we talk in ways that were totally unaware of how much goes over the heads of the people in the room. But maybe even more difficult than that, are those of you who are kind of new Who never really read the Bible cover to cover or maybe you grew up in a Christian church but that was a long time ago and you didn't really get it because you were just a kid. You face the same thing that I face at the barbershop where You feel like everyone else in the conversation gets it, but you don't, And you know, that they could probably answer your questions, but it feels like a dumb question. And maybe you're a dumb person for not knowing. Your palms start to sweat and you are a little bit nervous. You can't figure out if you should raise your hand and admit it. Hey, all nine of you get this but maybe I'm the only one in the room who doesn't. You see, we could keep doing church and we could keep joining Bible studies and groups and we could keep talking in the lobby afterwards, but if some of us are cursed with a lot of knowledge and the rest of us are scared because we have little knowledge, we're going to miss one of the best blessings. God wants to give to our spiritual family.
And that's why today I want to use the Bible to give you a two-handed shove to be more than an almost honest Christian. Today, I want to tell you three separate stories very quickly from the scriptures to prove that God's goal for you has never been just to go to church or say a prayer or turn on Christian radio, or join a Bible study. Grab a pen because this is God's ultimate goal for everything that we do. His goal is for you to get it.
Not to do it, not to say it, not to repeat it, and not to pray that God's goal for all of us in the room, is that as many of us as possible, get it. That might sound easy, but it is not. And today, I want to take one to three portions of scripture to give you that post to be more than almost honest. But if you don't get it just admitted So let's jump in the first section. It comes from the Old Testament. I want to take you back about 2,500 years to the year 445 BC. Side of the world to the city of Jerusalem, where a very, very important church service is happening. You see a few decades before this event, God had allowed an ancient super power. The Babylonian Army to conquer the city of Jerusalem, they knocked down all the walls. They destroyed the ancient Church of the Jewish people called their Temple but now many years later the Jewish people are back
They have resettled. And the book of Nehemiah talks about how they're rebuilding the walls, the walls are up there. Finally safe, the temples were built. They gathered for worship that this huge service apparently they read the Bible for hours and hours and hours. They're so excited. And in that service are a bunch of people who understand the scriptures. And a bunch of people who don't. Let me see what happens in Nehemiah chapter 8.
So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest was like their worship leader, their Pastor. He brought the law was for the Bible before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who are able to see this world with me. Understand what Ezra read. It's the Bible allowed from daybreak until noon. Thought I'd talk for a long time as he faced the square before the water gate in the presence of the men, women and others. Who could say this word with me, understand. And all the people listened attentively. To the book of the law. So far, so really, really good. You have people who are showing up. Not just for like a little snippet, or a little minutes, but for hours and hours there, listening to a Bible expert, open the scriptures and read them. It says here, the people listened attentively, they were leaning in, they had their pens, they were taking notes, they wanted to grow in faith. As we heard two times, these were people who were able to understand the capacity to get it.
But just because they could. Didn't even did.
What happens next? The Levites. A group of church staff members, right? See these with me ready? I'll do the Hebrew names. Joshua, Kaleta, Azariah, Josue, bad Hainan, and Pillai. Did I say that right? You don't know either do I, let's keep going. All right, they instructed the people in the law while the people were standing there. They read from the book of The Law of God making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people say, this word with me understood, What was being read? Then he, the governor Ezra the priest and teacher of the law by the Levites were instructing. The people said to them all this day is Holy to the Lord Your God. Do not mourn or weep for all. The people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the law. The Levites calm doll. The people saying be still for? This is a holy day. Do not grieve. And all the people went away to eat and drink to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy. Because they now say the word with me, and understand the words that had been made known to them. This is so fascinating to me. Because in my experience, this is exactly the pattern.
Track with me. Pastor gets up and reads the Bible. Someone then tries to explain the Bible and make it clear.
The people understand some of it but not all of it. So, the pastors and worship leaders follow up so people can get it. And then they leave with great joy because they understand it. So happen, right? They read the Bible, the Levites are trying to make it clear to the people and the people start weeping and mourning and grieving because in the Bible they were discovering just just how sinful they and their ancestors had been. They got caught up in cultural norms. They just did what their neighbors did. But when they actually heard God, speak to them, you shall not do that. And they were cut to the heart, man. we messed that up. The reason Jerusalem got destroyed is because our ancestors worshipped other gods, they mourned and grieved. They got that parts. But didn't get all of it. Levi said to say, well, oh no, this is a holy day. It's a good day. We're back because God is not just, just, he's loving. He doesn't just punish sin and wickedness. He forgives and has mercy on sinners. They celebrated with great joy because they understood both sin and salvation, both God's justice and his love. And when they got all of it, when they understood God in his entirety, I love how it ends. They went away to celebrate with great joy because they now understood. So what would it look like? If in your life. You follow that same pattern.
Step 1. You put yourself in an environment where the Bible is being opened. So just listening to your buddies over a couple of beers, you come to church, you go to Bible study, you start to read. And in the environment someone trying to teach it and make it as clear as they can. Bible can be difficult to understand. So you go to a place Church like this maybe or someone's trying to explain it to you and some of it you get, you know, some of it sticks but there's still some points where you don't get it. Pastor trying to make it clear but it's not super clear to you. In that moment. This is so essential. Ask.
Like, if I could see you weeping and crying and grieving it would probably be a trigger for me to say, are you okay? But you're one of those people who just keeps it all inside and I have no clue if you get it or not I'm not going to know the follow-up and to help and to give it a second shot. But if you're willing to actually admit, I think it part two, you make it sound like it's good news, but it kind of seems like If you're willing to ask that to give us a chance to clarify, maybe then in the end, it can happen to you. What happens then? You celebrate with great joy. Do you believe that's the most important piece of paper in this space right now? Is this? And the second most important piece of paper is that little card in your Bulletin. Where you can flip it over and say. What does this mean? Question mark. And the people who are trained in the Bible like me, and the pastors and the staff we can follow up and answer that question and clarify, which might tell you, the reason God has brought us together is not just for me to speak and for you to check a box, the reason is for you to get it.
God and me want you to celebrate with great joy. Because you now understand the words, Got it. Let's jump the text number 2. What 500 years after this story with the book of Nehemiah and Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a really, really, really, really messed up, Church in the Greek city of Corinth. You think you've had a bad Church experience? Check out Corinth church members are suing. Each other people aren't getting hammered on the communion wine. Some people are denying that Jesus rose from the dead. People are visiting prostitutes and coming to church. Like it's not a big deal, bad stuff was happening. But Paul, when he writes this letter to try to correct all the problems he addresses, is actually at length. A huge problem that church had Apparently, some people who thought they were very spiritual. I had this ability to speak in tongues. Be logical about what that meant. Was it just another language like Spanish or Chinese, was it a special spiritual language that the Angels could speak or not? Exactly sure, but we do know this in the middle of the church service people who had this gift. They stand up Andrew. They go off.
And it seemed very impressive, very special. But unfortunately, everyone else in the church would kind of look around at each other and say, you know what that means?
And I was church.
And when Paul heard that something was happening in church, that not everyone could get He has something to say, In the letter that he wrote to this church. We called the book of First Corinthians chapter 14. Also these very clear words.
He said, unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, How will anyone know what you're saying? You will just be speaking into the air. Undoubtedly, there are all sorts of languages in the world yet, none of them is without meaning. If I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I'm a foreigner to the speaker and the speaker is a foreigner to me. So it is with you since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those gifts that build up the church. So, a huge line going to do something. It's going to be impressive, but it will be something that builds people up. I love this line Verse 18 also. I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church, I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than 10,000 words in a tongue.
My average sermon if my computer writes about 2,200 words, Paul would rather me say five words that you get, Jesus died for your sins.
And five sermons, put together. That you don't know what they mean.
If I'm speaking in some kind of Christian, he's and words and phrases, you don't get it. They go above the heads of both adults and children. If you don't grasp the meaning of what I'm saying, I might as well preach in Spanish because it's not going to do you any good. You don't get it. It's hard to get the things of God. And so Paul is pushing people here. You might be very spiritual, you might be very smart, you might know more about the Bible than anyone in the room. But when you open your mouth, the points and the purpose is to help people be built up through knowledge through grasping. The meaning of what's been said,
Now, this is a pretty big implications for a lot of things. Let me throw this one out to you. Let's talk about Christian music. I love Christian music, I listen to it all the time, I listen to it at church in the car when I'm at home, but music is very very dangerous. Very, very amazing. Here's why. Because some people like music. Even though they have no idea what the song is about.
And I have a bunch of musicians in the room who create music sometimes. People say, I love that song and yes, I'm well, what was the meaning of the song? I don't know, but I love it, right? The hook, the chorus, the beats, the harmony, this Noble music, that's just aesthetically beautiful. And it can move us in a very emotional way, but if you don't understand what the songwriter was trying to communicate to you, you've missed probably the biggest reason that they wrote the song and just to give you something to Bob, Communicate a deep truth about life.
Besides only come to church the songs, move us, the music is amazing. But I would, I would say to you, that there is no, there is no bypass from the emotions of the heart into the presence of God. There's only a road that runs through your intellect.
You could sing a song but you only know what the words of that song mean they could be amazing words about Jesus, but if you don't get it, that does not get you a stronger faith. And therefore, you and I have to do something that's very difficult. In those emotional moments, we have to ask ourselves with every line, every stanza, every hook and every chorus question that Martin Luther love to ask 500 years ago, the classic Luther question What does this mean? You have called me higher. What does that mean? Jesus, you've broken Every Chain. Was that mean Amazing Grace, How Sweet The Sound. What does that mean when you can sing it? But if you don't get it, it doesn't get you closer to God. And so I propose to you that every worship service from lesson to sermon to prayer, to music, to blessing is an intellectual exercise. Paul says, if I don't grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I'm a foreigner to the speaker. And the speaker is a foreigner to me, so, You should have asked our worship leaders before preaching the sermon, but if you don't get it. Ask them. Help me understand what that song was about. You got one line. Was kind of poetic. I'm sure it has a good meaning but I don't get it. Can you help me?
Because Paul knows the secret. Like we learned in Nehemiah of true, Joy is not just an emotional moment. It's grasping the heart, the love and the sacrifice of Jesus. Got it.
All right, last text for today. What about the same time in Biblical history? We find in the book of Acts an amazing story. I had a chance to preach on it just a few months ago of two guys. Both of them had a Bible but only one of them understood the Bible. Probably there was this man from Ethiopia from ancient Africa who had gone to Jerusalem to worship. He was rich, influential, powerful, intelligent. He had a Bible that he was reading in his ancient chariots but the truth is he didn't get it. And that's why I love history so much. Except verse 8 says this. How this man, the Ethiopian, had gone to Jerusalem to worship. And on his way home, he was sitting in his Chariot, reading the book of Isaiah, the prophets. So part of the Old Testament, The spirits, the Holy Spirit told Philip and early Christian, go to that Chariot and has Philip run up to that chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. Do you understand what you're reading about the past? How can I say this? Unless someone explains it to me. So, he invited Philip to come up and to sit with him. I love you guys so much. I wish I was like a YouTube clip of the start of that conversation, the guy because getting like Chariot jacked, like hand over your Bible and all of your jewelry, here Philip comes running up to Mu launches this question, I was pretty eager face. Do you understand what you're reading? Do you get it, you put the microphone right in front of his lips and the guy You can brush them off kind of faked it who could have smiled and nodded instead is the most beautiful answer that I want you to learn from. How can I? Unless someone explains it to me.
Here we all wish that life was DIY but sometimes you got to go to class and learn from someone who gets it going to be a doctor. Sometimes you have to go to a resident residency with someone who gets it. If you want to learn how to play guitar or piano, you might have to go to an instructor who can teach you in every area of life. We get it. There's nothing weak or soft about asking. Someone who is further down the road. And this man did the exact same thing with faith. How can I unless someone explains it to me How did you in the room today would say honestly, you probably can't surround a Bible Jeopardy. Bobby Orr. No. Dozens hundreds of hands. I just want to say to you The Reason God brought you here was to ask.
They're people, I could probably find one sitting within 10 feet of you who knows the answers to your questions. They've asked them themselves years ago, decades ago, they found good answers in this book. The Reason God brought you here next to them is that to impress them to make them. Think you're so smart with the Bible. The Reason God literally has you two in the same place at the same time? Is that you could humbly ask and they could give good biblical answers. This is how we grow. And it's not just for passing Bible Jeopardy, it's for real joy, in knowing Jesus.
This week I'm sitting in the living room of a woman who's dying? She spent almost all of her life in some kind of church. And so I asked her, this, this huge question because we don't know how much time she has left. If today was the day or this was the year when you took your last breath, Do you think I would let you into heaven?
And her answer was actually by far, the most common answer that people give me to that question. She said, I hope so. Because I tried to be a good person.
And I realized what I realize every single week or month as a pastor, that even though, there are so many churches in town, even though so many of us have had religious experiences, the very basic message that you get to have a, not by being good, or better than the average person. You get to heaven, only one way. For Jesus.
There's so many people who we just can't assume because they have a cross tattoo or a cross necklace or went to church as a kid or go to churches. Now that they grasped the most important thing in the world, the unconditional love of God, that gets you to a better place. But Jesus didn't just die as an example of sacrifice. Instead, his death was the sacrifice that paid for all of our sins. So, no matter who you are and where you're from, if you're new, I want you to hear this really clearly that whatever you did, whatever, you've done, whatever you're struggling with, Jesus single-handedly took care of all of it on the cross. So, the African man found out. He was reading a famous chapter from the Old Testament about the sacrifice of Jesus. Who is this? He asked and Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. I really don't care if you can ace Bible Jeopardy. I do care if you make it to heaven. I do care that you can go through hard things in life and suffer with joy. Because you know, how big and loving God is. I do care when the doctor tells you it's cancer and you don't have long left, you're not afraid. Because you know after that short time of suffering is over, you have forever to see the shining face of God, I want you to know that I want everyone that, you know, to know that So, if you don't know that, Ask it. Those of us who know would love to be like, fill up on that day. Open a Bible and tell you the good news about the forgiveness of sins through Jesus. So my friends, those of you who know this book and those of you who don't, it's coming, Your Barber Shop moment.
The time when you think, I don't get it, these people are smarter than me. Please when it comes, don't be almost honest, try to impress people. They will grow if you let them teach you. And you'll grow in the process, too.
About two months ago, sitting in a barbershop chair and I had that moment.
Place was packed. It was a Friday afternoon. Apparently everyone wanted a fresh fade before the weekend. I'm sitting there with all the black barbers, all the black clientele and I had a question about black lingo. It's a miniature bunch of Middle School boys in our community and every single week, they use a phrase and I never quite understood what it meant. The phrase fit into
I got the basketball, like Pastor Mike. I'm fitting to take you to the hole.
I could guess what? That means what that means. Oh, man, I'm sitting to get some chicken tenders after school today. Well, that's what so, sit in the chair like, well, here's a bunch of black people that could help. So, I took a deep breath, my hands underneath the cave and I said, hey, can I ask an ignorant white guy question? And the barber shop which was filled with noise got really quiet really fast like oh no, this was a bad idea. And so I asked, sorry what does fit into mean? And a barber next to me laughed. He said we're going to teach the pastor some ebonics, ha ha ha. And then without judging me and without dissing me, without looking down, on me, they just explained to me. But Pastor fit into means about to I'm going to take you to the hall. I'm about to take you to the hole. I'm gonna get some chicken tenders. I'm about to get this chicken tenders. It's a simple phrase that I did not, it did make me dumb. This meant that I needed to ask.
How about you? If you'd have the courage in those moments to care, very little about your reputation and image and very much about your spiritual growth in those moments. When you don't get it, you could just admit it, I can guarantee you this. Your fitting. To have the best spiritual life ever. That's right there. God All of us want to grow. I don't think any of us wants to remain ignorant about Jesus or about salvation. But in those moments father, you know how emotional it is for us. We hate feeling less than we hate, the thought of people looking down on us. We hate the idea of being judged and that's how the devil deceives us into silence. Father. No more. When we're teaching our kids, God give them the courage to ask if they don't understand what it means. When I'm preaching sermons, give me the humility to think What’s it like to hear this. For the very first time rid our church and our studies of assumptions that go over the heads of people who really want to grow in their faith in Jesus. Although I know in this place through time of Grace, you have gathered, hundreds of thousands of people were fairly new to the word, give them courage today to speak the truth.
And those of us who here questions? Maybe respond in love, just like you do to us through your word. Okay, these things because we need your help to do it well, and we know that you hear this prayer and a promise to answer. So, Jesus' name that we pray and all God's people said, amen.
