The Lock-in Message

The Message

Why do we exist?  Why were we made?

To be in a close, right relationship with God.

Why couldn’t we do that?

Sin.

How did God save us?

He sent His son to die for us.

Why?

So that we can go straight to God and walk closely with him.  When Jesus rose again He showed us that there is something beyond death, there is life with Him.

So what does this mean? 

We should live as Jesus did.

Why?  So we can follow some big list of do’s and don’t’s?

No.  We want to live like Jesus because it is the best way to live, and because God tells us to.  Why?

Because He loves us.

 We are born sinful, none of us deserving anything but death.  We suck.  We will never be able to make it on our own.  But God knew that already.  The Old testament is full of God showing again and again how much he loves us.  We are all dirty and unworthy and sinful before we come to God.

We come to God and he saves us, cleans us, brings us to life.

You don’t clean your life up so that you can be worthy of God’s love.  That’s impossible.

 Just go to God, ask Him for forgiveness and believe that he sent his son to die for us so that we could be saved from what we deserve, death.

 That’s it.  That’s the whole Gospel.  God made us.  We are born sinful.  We need Jesus.  God sent Jesus to die for us and save us.  Now we can be with God.

 That’s the whole thing.

But how does that relate to tonight?  Well, the Gospel is always relevant, always important.  But this wasn’t supposed to be some spiritual retreat right?  We were just supposed to be able to come here and have fun, to do what we want…without any deeper meaning…with no strings attached…right?

So why am I, this goofy looking, weird guy preaching  at us?

Because I love you.  I don’t even know some of you, and those of you I do know, I think we can admit I don’t know you super well yet.

But I love you all.  I don’t want to control you, I want to be someone you can trust.  I want to play games, shoot you with lasers (hopefully more than you shoot me), eat pizza with you, talk about crazy, very, very important conversations about which animal could beat another animal in a fight to the death (no poisonous animals)…I want to have fun tonight.  But for me, it will never be just about having fun…only about having fun.

And that’s how this relates to the Gospel, the Good News that we’ve been talking about.

It says in Hebrews 10:24-25…

^“24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

You’re not going to hear me preach, or sermonize, or proclaim any more of this stuff any more tonight, after this message time.  But that doesn’t mean that I don’t have the Good News of what Jesus Christ has done for all of us written on my heart.  It will be there.  And these verses from Hebrews will be there, written on my heart as we’re having fun and being crazy and goofy and just enjoying this wonderfully silly time together.  Because stuff like this is encouraging, and good, and in this place you are safe, free to just relax and enjoy each other’s company.

And I’ll end with this.  To those of you who are Christians and are truly walking with God, it says in Philippians 3:14, ” ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”  Stay strong in the Lord and keep going, keep reading the bible, keep praying.  We’re here for you.  We love you.  Let us know how we can help you.  J  Stay close to the Lord brother.  Stay close to the Lord sister.

To those of you who call yourselves Christians, but instead of walking with God, you are just claiming to be a Christian and you don’t care what the bible says and you don’t care what is truly right and what is truly wrong…please, be careful.  You are walking a very, very, very dangerous road.  Repent, ask God to forgive you for using Him, for lying about your supposed faith.  For it says in Hebrews 10:26, “26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.”  I dearly hope that you turn from your selfish sinful choices and choose to run back to God.  I hope that none of this room are those that Jesus says to you on Judgment Day, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”  Test yourself against what the bible says, and see if it is Jesus who lives in your heart, or if you are your own god.

And to those of you who are not Christians.  You cannot do this on your own.  Life is hard.  Life is messy.  Life is tough, because this world has been broken by sin, just like we all have.  But God sent Jesus to die for you, that you might believe in Him and be saved.

So to those of you who are not Christians, listen carefully, look closely, and see if you have any need for Jesus.  You do.  But if you don’t see how broken and helpless without Him we all are, then you won’t want to have anything to do with Him.

But if you do want to know more about Jesus.  Let us know.  Let us tell you about our God and how much he loves us and cares for us and longs to take us with him into His Land, where we will live forever.