“Black Sheep” 2222222222222222222

“Too Far Gone? Think Again”

If you have ever wondered if you were too broken, too far gone, and too messed up to be of value to God, think again.

Just take one look at the breaking news as found in the opening headlines to the New Testament.

Matthew, (a scoundrel 0f scoundrels among tax collectors) sets the scene with a list of names explaining the lineage of Jesus that could make a sailor blush.

Here are just a few...

Tamar, while posing as a prostitute, slept with her father in law Judah,  and became pregnant.

Boaz’s mother was actually a prostitute. 

Boaz, (a Hebrew) then married Ruth (a Moabite)

who was off limits.

(Certain groups just did not mix-sound familiar?)

Ruth then became King David’s great grandmother.

It gets even more interesting, with King David.

When he should have been fighting battles, he instead allowed lust for Bathsheba to consume him and ultimately after having her husband murdered, King David and Bathsheba gave birth to King Solomon.

And though King Solomon was wise beyond his years, his descendants many times over were crowned with...’having done evil in the sight of the Lord’..

Of course, there is no doubt that, our goal is to be like Jesus.

Jesus always sets the bar..

But, like our descendants before us, many of us, myself included are from broken and shattered people.

In fact, we too, often carry secret sins that try to stamp our foreheads with a scarlet letter that keeps us in bondage to the old way of thinking.

We think..only good comes from good.

But, the truth is this. 

It is only when we lay hold of Jesus, that good comes from good and fortunately for us...

(when Jesus is made King), that good can ultimately come from bad!

The truth is here and it is here to set you free.

In Romans 6:1-2

 “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

When we choose to look deeper, we find relief in the truth of heritage.

The truth is we are ALL broken and have come from brokenness..as was Jesus.

But, whatever secret sin is trying to convince you that you are worthless, ugly and 

un-redeemable..

Think again!!!

Thankfully..God takes our brokenness and will radically and sometimes gently redeem and restore us to Himself.

You may ‘think’ you are the black sheep of the family-

that the church building will crash should you enter in-that your past is so bad that it’s too late.

But the truth is we are all blackened sheep from a sordid herd.

Not one of us will escape this life without sins scar and a marred past.

The truth is.. it is never too late.

Not only does God redeem our past..when we choose Him.

His grace sets us on a path marked with freedom.

Luke 9:23

Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Whoever!!!!

That’s right, ‘whoever’

Take a lesson from the genealogy in  Matthew 1, though it is often read with glassy eyes..remember this latest headline.

“These were very real people, (the black sheep, as some would say) with a very bright future.”

God used all these ‘whoever’s to accomplish His plan.

And HE never changes.

He is just waiting for you to step toward Him. 

He will use you too, to make something beautiful.

God uses each of us—to accomplish His plan.

42 generations of brokenness are listed in Matthew 1 - woven together to produce perfection.

But again...

the $64,000 question remains..

Have you have ever wondered if you were too broken, 

too far gone, 

and too messed up to be of value to God?...

Well, think again.

(Remember Matthew, that scoundrel of a tax collector-the other tax collectors didn’t even like him)

When Jesus said “follow Me!”

Matthew simply got up and FOLLOWED HIM! (Matthew 9)

He followed hard after Jesus!!!

He was relentless.

He wrote these words about the very Jesus who came to set him free and who absolutely promises to do the same for you.

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”

Too far gone?

Think again.

Follow Him.

A black sheep no longer..

Sweet relief.