Matthew 5:3-10

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Root Cause of your Problem:  Trying to PLAY GOD.

HOW WE PLAY GOD

1.        We try to control our IMAGE by wearing masks, playing games, and hiding the truth about ourselves.

2.       We try to control OTHER PEOPLE by manipulating each other through guilt or shame or praise or even through silence.

3.       We try to control our PROBLEMS by saying things like:  “I can handle it; it’s not really a problem.  I don’t need any help.  I can quit anytime.”

4.       We try to control our PAIN by avoiding it, denying it, escaping it, medicating it, drowning it or postponing it.

But the first step toward recovery—the first healing choice you have to make—is the Reality Choice, where you realize and accept the fact that you are not God, and you need help from someone much greater than you to overcome your hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

CONSEQUENCES OF PLAYING GOD

1.        FEAR

We fear that someone will find out who we really are and reject us.

2.       FRUSTATION

Romans 7:15-18 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.

Psalms 32:3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

3.       FATIGUE

Psalms 32:4-5 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.  5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" — and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

4.       FAILURE

Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

We don’t change when we see the light.  We change when we feel the heat.  God whispers to us in our pleasures, but he shouts to us in our pain.  The fact is that if you could solve your problems, you would have done it a long time ago and you wouldn’t have them anymore.  You can’t get fixed until you ‘fess up, face your faults, and admit, “I am powerless.”

THREE IMPORTANT FACTS OF LIFE

1.       I am powerless to CHANGE my past.

2.       I am powerless to CONTROL other people.

3.       I am powerless to COPE with my hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

Good intentions are not enough.  Willpower is not enough.  You need another source of power.  You need God.

James 4:6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

Grace is the power God gives you to make the changes in your life that he wants you to make.  How do you get God’s grace?  There’s only one way:  God gives grace to the humble.

What needs to change in your life?  Make the Reality Choice today.

RYB – read your Bible. It’s the only way to get to know God and his plan for your life. In fact, trying to live life without reading God’s instruction manual is like trying to put together an airplane without the plans. Listen in to this concluding part of the Text series. RYB!

If you treated your Bible like you do your cell phone how much more might you hear from God? This message challenges us to do just that! Come one – answer your Text!

One can hardly go through a day without receiving or sending a text message. Every time a persons phone even vibrates we have to check it. There is probably a worldwide addiction to this great technology. But texts don’t alway arrive via the cell phone. Throughout history great texts have been written to entertain, inspire and inform us. The greatest text of all time, based on sales and usage, is the Bible – God’s Word. Studying the Bible can bring great meaning to life, direction and comfort through rough times. It focuses our attention on what is really important. Enjoy the great "text" of God through this series.

The elections are over. Our new president and governmental people have been selected. It will be an historic year with the first African-American President to be elected. It will be a year of promised change. But what would you do if you were president for just one day. Listen in to Pastor Roy’s ideas on this the final sermon in the series.

Would you run the country based on the latest polls? Would you change your mind about things just to win political points? Would you tell people just what they wanted to hear in order to win re-election? Well, if the Bible is your guide the answer to all of these questions is "No!" How do your political and social justice views line up with the Bible? How do the people you are voting for line up with God’s unchanging Word. Listen in as Pastor Roy gives us food for thought in "Beyond Approval Ratings."

The question is – what would you do for a day if you were president? We are all thinking about it, and the Bible has a lot to say.