Christianityworks Official Podcast Berni Dymet

All too many people start off believing in the free favour of God through Jesus Christ, but ... you know, as time goes on, we end up falling back into our old ways. We end up right back in that old idea that you have to work your way into God’s favour. And what a terrible mistake that is.
 
A New Way to Freedom Have you ever tried to work yourself into God’s favour? You try and you try to do the right thing, but still, you just mess it up. Well, if you’ve been there, you’re not alone.
There’s a fine line between responding to God’s grace, and falling into the trap of trying to work your way into His favour. Here’s how it happens:
At some point, you realise what an amazing thing God did for you, by sending Jesus to die for you on that cross. Amazing! And so you turn your life over to Him – lock, stock and barrel. There’s a joy, a euphoria almost.
But then life gets back to normal. You go back to your day-to-day business and you slip back into your old habits. The sin that’s been robbing you of joy and peace for most of your life creeps back … and guilt sets in.
So, you say to yourself, "Self, you have to do something about this. There are standards here. There are rules. I shouldn’t be doing this … I shouldn’t be doing that." You start to work at it, harder and harder and harder, and before you know it, you’re pedalling so hard that it’s just about killing you. Yet still that old sin just keeps on tripping you up. My hunch is, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Jesus promised you freedom, but this doesn’t feel like freedom. That’s because it’s not. Have a listen to what the Apostle Paul writes about trying to follow a set of rules. Galatians chapter 2, verses 15 and 16:
We know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.
I am my father’s son not because I followed a bunch of rules, and worked my way into that position. No, I am my father’s son because he’s my dad and I’m his son. And as I grew up in that relationship, my behaviour matured and improved as a response to his love. Not because I was good at following rules – which by the way, I wasn’t.
The moment that you and I put our faith in Jesus, God becomes our Father. And the more we grow in that relationship, the closer we get to Him, the more we experience His love, and the more our behaviour changes.
It’s not about following a bunch of rules. It’s about trusting Jesus, and as we experience His love first-hand, allowing His love, His grace, His mercy to change us, to set us free in a way that following a bunch of rules never, ever will. It turns out that living in freedom has everything to do with Jesus. A Scripture that’s really familiar to many people is this one:
It’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
But as familiar as that may be to many, I wonder whether we truly realise what it means. Freedom is such an elusive concept for us. We want it, we chase it, but very few ever really experience it. And I mean that especially for people who believe in Jesus.
Because deep down inside, most of us have this nagging sense that we’re simply not good enough. In fact, the more you grow in your relationship with Jesus, the more you see your own weaknesses and failings. That’s just how it happens.n The closer you draw in a rich, dynamic relationship with Jesus, the more aware you become, the more sensitive your spirit becomes to the things that break that fellowship. And sin … sin always disrupts the closeness, the intimacy between you and God, right? I believe that God wants to deal with this in your life today. Galatians chapter 2, verses 19 to 21:
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives i

What does the Word freedom mean to you? Well – think about it. Is it being able to do whatever you want … or is it more about being free from the things that are holding you back? Hmmm.
 
A Revelation of Freedom Most of us, I guess, would define freedom as being able to do whatever we want whenever we want, and that definition right there is what brings a whole world of pain crashing down on our lives. I don’t think there’s a single person on this planet who doesn’t want to be free. Do you want to be free? Well, of course you do; me too, but if freedom is that important to us, you have to ask yourself exactly what is it. Sure, there’s political freedom; freedom of speech; freedom of association; the freedom to gather; to protest; to live where you want to live; to marry who you want to marry; to choose to have children or not.
In this day and age, we live in a world that’s more and more fixated on our individual freedoms, our rights as individuals. After all, I’m entitled to enjoy my life. Right? So it doesn’t take too long to start imagining that freedom is being able to do whatever we want whenever we want. Anything that cuts across that is a restriction of our inalienable right to be free, and yet if you travel to any kind of place where that freedom is practised, what you discover is lawlessness and anarchy. There’s no safety; there’s no protection; there’s no security because that anything, anytime kind of freedom is a terrible thing. That’s what the rule of law is all about: To keep us safe and secure.
So when you think about it, what we actually need is a different definition of freedom: One that really works. Try this one on for size. Galatians 1:3-4:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to set us free from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.
It seems that God takes our freedom so seriously that He sent Jesus to suffer and die to set us free. From what? Well, from our sin, and from this evil age. So according to God real freedom, the sort of freedom that Jesus purchased for you on that cross, is about setting you free from the devastating consequences of your sin, and the evil that pervades every nook and cranny of this age, so that you can live in grace and peace. Not such a bad definition when you think about it.
So here’s a question for you: What sin, what evil, is robbing you of the freedom that Jesus came to give you? Because that sin, that evil, is what God is calling you to hand over to Him today. His will for you is to be free to live in the grace and the peace of Jesus Christ, but that’s not always an easy thing to do. One of the things you discover when you set your heart on following Jesus is that the rest of the world is not going to be standing by and cheering you on. In fact, far from it.
Not long after I became a Christian, a few decades ago now, the IT consulting firm at which I was a partner had the opportunity to bid for a rather large government project in the developing world, but the simple reality was that unless you paid the bribes to the various officials, you were completely wasting your time in bidding. As you can imagine, as a brand-new Christian, I was faced with a real dilemma. And can I tell you, I came under quite some pressure to compromise?
It happens in every corner of our lives because when you decide to believe in Jesus, when you decide to follow Jesus, when you decide to live your life for Him, let me tell you, the world is not going to be all that happy with you. They’ll criticise you; laugh at you; persecute you, whatever fits best at the time. You see, those people want you to believe that their way is the way of freedom; of success; of enjoyment. The world wants you to believe that following Jesus somehow is going to rob you of your freedom.
What do you believe? Who are you trying to please; Jesus, or those naysayers around you? Paul the ap

There’s a description of God’s people that pops up several timed in the Bible. It’s the adjective “stiff–necked”. An interesting way to describe the stubbornness of God’s people. I’m guessing that it points to their unwillingness to bow down their lives in worship to God. I wonder … I wonder if you know anyone like that!!
 
FULL ON SURRENDER We live in a world where we’re taught to be proud of who we are. You can be who you want to be, you can do whatever you want to do, if you work hard you can achieve whatever you want to achieve – and when you do, be proud of what you’ve achieved. The problem is though that pride so often comes before the fall.
I remember when I was a young lad, learning to ice skate. Now, physical coordination isn’t one of my strengths. So my bottom spent a lot of time making contact with the ice. And every time I thought, here you go Berni, you’ve got it, you’re doing well and I’d look over at my mum and dad to show them how clever I was – whoompa! Down on my backside on the ice.
Pride is actually quite a terrible thing – it’s something that God always, always, always opposes.
James 4:6 God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
But pride takes all sorts of different forms. As we chatted yesterday on the program/ last week on the program, sometimes pride stops us from admitting that we’re wrong.
The more you invest in a course of action, or in a way of life, the harder it is to admit that it was the wrong way to go about things. I mean, you’ve invested a lot in your approach – people have watched you, some have even admired you. To turn back from that, to turn away from that, to admit that you were wrong – well, you lose face.
Losing face is only a problem if you care what other people think about you. And I used to care a lot what other people thought about me. I wanted them to think well of me. I wanted to impress people. I wanted them to speak well of me behind my back. When you think about it, that’s why some people by the most expensive car they can afford – to make a statement.
That’s why some people by grand houses in grand suburbs – with so much space and so many rooms that they don’t need, and swimming pools that they don’t swim in. To make a statement that says “Look at me. I AM someone. I’ve made it.” Not everyone, but a lot of people are like that.
Never mind that they’re desperately unhappy in their flashy cars and grand mansions. And even if you’re not rich, you can find yourself clamouring after a successful career or a bigger pay cheque or a promotion … whatever it is … to build up the image that other people have of you.
And when you do that, let me tell you from experience (because all the things I’ve just described … I’ve been there, done that you understand) … when you do that, you start believing your own propaganda. You get a puffed up image of who you are and what you’re worth, as you look down your nose at the mere mortals who surround you.
Moses is up on the mountain with God, receiving the ten commandments. Have a listen to this:
Ex 32:1–9: When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mould, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the nex

As politically incorrect, unpopular and old–fashioned things go, the subject of repentance would have to be right up there near the top of the list. Repentance – what the blazes does it mean anyhow? Who even talks that way anymore these days? Give me a break!!
 
FULL ON REPENTANCE When I come across a subject like “repentance” – and I’ll explain what I think that word means in a moment – I tend to think about how I viewed religious jargon before I became a Christian. I remember some nutter standing on a milk crate in the local mall waving a Bible in one hand, shouting Repent, Repent and thinking to myself … yeah, right, now there’s a message the world wants to hear. Idiot!!
I was driving a pretty expensive car back in those days, living in a luxury house, pursuing a business career and life was, on the surface at least, pretty darned good. So, who needs repentance?! Ever felt yourself thinking along those lines?
The problem is, that left to our own devices, we have a tendency of making a hash out of our lives. Now, the average born again atheist would take issue with that. The average born again atheist out there is thinking to themselves – here they go again these religious nutters, telling us that we’re no good. Telling us that we can’t make it on our own.
And to be completely honest with you – that’s how I used to think. I thought of myself as smart and successful and I was driven to work hard and to achieve.
So the message of “repent” … which I guess most people associate with turning away from sin (boy there’s another incredibly unpopular concept these days) … that message was not something I was ready to hear. How about you?
We’re smack bang in the middle of a series of messages at the moment called “Overboard with Jesus”. It’s kind of based around that pretty well known story of Peter getting out of the boat on the Sea of Tiberius in the middle of a storm:
Matthew 14:22–33: Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Pretty remarkable story – and I love Peter’s heart. So intent was He on following Jesus that He was prepared to follow Him out of the boat, onto the water, in the middle of a deadly, raging storm. And with all my heart I believe that that’s the sort of follower that Jesus is looking for today. Not a lukewarm, mamby–pamby, pew–warming, middle of the road, my life doesn’t count for much type of Christian. But someone who’s prepared to get out of the boat, in the storm, even though they may sink – to follow Jesus wherever He may lead.
Someone who’s prepared to be all in, full on for Jesus. And today and for the rest of this week / and this week and next on the program, I want to chat about a few practical, real ways that we can do that – be all in, be full on for Christ. The first way is in this area of repentance.

I remember someone once saying to me “oh, you’re not one of those ‘born again’ Christians are you?” The tone in her voice said it all. I was driving a car at the time, so I couldn’t turn to look her in the eye. I just smiled and replied “Well, actually, that’s the only sort of Christian there is!”
 
WHEN THE STORM BLOWS IN As societies around the world become more and more secular, they’re inventing more and more stereotypes to marginalise Christians. You see, and I can tell you this first hand, if you don’t believe in Jesus, the message of Christianity makes you feel incredibly uncomfortable. Why? Because whether you realise it or not – and at the time I didn’t realise it – deep down, there’s something in your makeup that knows that these Christians are right.
Man you Christians used to offend me. And annoy me. And make me squirm. So I did what any self respecting atheist would do, I lashed out at you. I persecuted you. It’s why today, I so relate to the Apostle Paul, who as a Pharisee, did exactly the same.
With the same sneer in their voice, people these days use terms like “evangelical Christians”, “conservative Christians”, “hardliners”, “fundamentalists” to paint a picture of what Jesus said, what I with all my heart believe, as being wholly undesirable and unreasonable and irrelevant and downright dangerous.
Never mind that any half decent legal system, any half decent system of justice around the world, is modelled on the Word of God. There are some countries where it’s not, and those countries are inevitably brutal and unjust. Not the sorts of places you and I would want to live in. Nevertheless, as people in democracies exercise their freedom of speech, many do so, to marginalise the very faith and belief system that gave them this freedom in the first place.
So what happens, is that many Christians withdraw back into their shells. They stop living out their faith because they feel marginalised. Persecution can do that, especially if you love the comfortable lifestyle. Why don’t I just blend in with the rest – perhaps then no one will notice me.
Then the storm hits – it blows, the boat you’re in is pitching and you think to yourself – how will I ever survive this?! Do you see how many good reasons there are to just sit there, and pretend that you’re not really a Jesus follower?! Whether it’s the subtle marginalisation of an increasingly secular society that stops you from living out and speaking out your faith, or whether it’s the excuse of some great and mighty storm that seems to be sweeping through your life, there is an endless array of excuses not to live your life full on for Jesus.
I guess by now, with me talking about a storm, you might have a sense of which passage of scripture I’m heading towards … so let’s take a look already:
Matt 14:22–33: Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. A

Have you ever had a lukewarm cup of tea? There’s simply nothing worse, so imagine … I mean, just imagine … what a lukewarm Christian feels like to the God who sent His Son to suffer and die for you and me. Just imagine.
 
DON’T BE A LUKEWARM CHRISTIAN One of the things that hits me between the eyes over and over again is how honest and direct God is. That may sound a little odd. I mean, you’d kind of expect God to be honest and you’d expect Him to be direct, I guess, but one of the habits I established over a couple of decades ago now is to spend some time in God’s Word (the Bible) pretty much each and every morning. Sometimes when I’m travelling or I’m under severe time-pressures it doesn’t quite work out, and on those days the things that I remember from His Word … well, those things sustain me. But to live a life of joy, a life that’s full and fulfilling, let me tell you there is simply no substitute for listening to God speak; seriously, and that’s what reading the Bible is all about: Listening to God speaking to us.
Just this morning, around 3:15 am it was, before I sat down at my desk to prepare this message, I was in God’s Word. Psalm 32 is where I was up to, and the sheer power of what God had to say just blew me away. We’re going to chat about that particular Psalm later on in this series of messages, but right now, I want to head off to the other end of the Bible – the book of Revelation, where Jesus is talking to a church, and He’s talking to them about being lukewarm. Have a listen. Revelation 3:14-22:
“And to the angel of the church of Laodicea, write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation: I know your works; you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were either hot or cold, so because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, “I am rich; I have prospered and I need nothing.” You don’t realise that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich, and white robes to clothe you and keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love; be earnest, therefore, and repent.
Listen, I am standing at the door knocking. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with Me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with Me on My throne, just as I Myself conquered and sat down with My Father on His throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
To be perfectly honest with you, I’ve been to many churches like the one in Laodicea. I’ve met many people who call themselves Christians, who would have fitted comfortably into a pew in that church. That lukewarm cup of tea I mentioned earlier … You know what that’s like. You take one sip and you just want to spit it out. Right? Hot, sure; that’s nice. Cold – well, you know, ice tea is a very refreshing drink. But lukewarm? Puke! Right? What a vivid picture, and to the lukewarm Christian, that’s exactly what Jesus is saying here.
Like I said, God is really honest and direct on the things that count. Sometimes you hear preachers trying to … I don’t know … soften the blow; put a better spin on the message; try to make sure that people don’t feel too uncomfortable with what Jesus is saying. I mean, what spin merchant these days would let Jesus get out there and say, “If you want to be My disciple, take up your cross every day and follow Me because if you want to save your life, you’re going to lose it, but if you’re prepared to lose it all for Me, you’ll find it?”
It’s not a particularly popular message, but then Jesus … well, Jesus is a straight shooter. He knows that on the really important things in life, and this whole hot-cold-lu