The UnSafe Bible

How can you make up for your sins? What would it take? On a surface level, you may think it’s possible… Have you really done anything that bad? But God is wholly perfect and glorious beyond any measurement. He designed us to reflect that perfect image and to serve Him in every thought and deed. The instant you even think a selfish thought, the separation between you and what He designed you for becomes impassable. As Pastor Ken will explain today, only Jesus can bridge that gap.

Our culture, through the influence of the theory of evolution, has embraced the idea that humans are animals. When sin is allowed to rule our hearts and our greed, lust, and anger are given the reigns, it does crowd out and shut down the sense of right and wrong and the desire for the truth of God. In essence, we allow an animalistic nature to take hold. As Pastor Ken will point out today, this isn’t how God designed us – we were made to reflect His selfless love and honor Him with our lives.

Going to church occasionally or on a weekly basis doesn’t make you a Christ follower. In our culture, this is normal. While Christianity has declined in popularity, there is still a large portion of our society that attends church on a regular basis and subscribes to similar values as the Church. But, as Pastor Ken will remind us in today’s message, that isn’t enough. While Christ will change your behavior as He transforms you, your behavior is not what saves you – trusting in the grace of Jesus does. 

There’s nothing new under the sun… the sins our culture subscribes to on a massive scale, as well as the intimate, private transgressions of each individual heart, are just copies of the behaviors that have plagued us since the fall in the Garden. As Pastor Ken continues our examination of Isaiah, we’ll be reminded that there’s nothing clever or unique about the form our rebellion takes today. There are those who pridefully like to think so, but it’s the same old sin, and it’s just as destructive.  

Our world is full of lost people. Many have heard renditions of the Gospel, but their hearts remain in the grasp of sin and deception. They’re on a road to destruction, but in this life, we shouldn’t expect them to live a life that honors God when they’ve chosen to reject Him. As Pastor Ken will point out in today’s message, sadly, there are many who have claimed Christianity, accepting that Jesus is God and died for our sins, yet they’re trying to brush off sin and cling to a life that dishonors Him.

There are people in our world today who argue that Jesus was a wise, kind teacher who clearly made a big impact in our world – but that He never claimed to be God. As Pastor Ken continues our study in the book of Isaiah, he’ll draw our attention to an important reference Jesus made connecting right back to today’s passage. In our culture, the connection is easy to miss, but the people of that time, Pharisees included, knew exactly what Jesus meant; He was claiming to be God.

There’s a long history of humanity trying to earn God’s favor. Pharisees believed salvation came from keeping every command. Catholicism believed you could purchase pardons for sins to make Him happy. Some religions even promote doing specific deeds to achieve enlightenment. Maybe you’ve been taught that God won’t love you unless you do X, Y, or Z. Today, Pastor Ken teaches that this couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus loves you so much that He died on a cross for you to prove it.

Have you ever been scammed? Ever been emailed by a Nigerian prince trying to offer you a large sum of money for a bit of private information? Do you get those pesky texts or calls trying to deceive you into paying money for a service you’ll never receive? Today, Pastor Ken teaches that humans are naturally deceptive. We take the beautiful gift of intellect and creativity, and twist it into something used to hurt others for our personal gain. Are there areas in your life where you’ve been deceitful? 

Life is pretty tough, isn’t it? Sometimes, we can get caught up in the coming and going, that we forget to breathe. We work ourselves to death, and our mental capacity is so low when hardships hit, that we don’t know how to handle them. Today, Pastor Ken teaches that you may be wondering why God isn’t answering any prayers. The question should really be, “How’s your prayer life?” Are you walking with God daily? Have you considered the answer may be outside of your understanding?

So… if Jesus didn’t come to improve us, enhance us, or make us bigger, better, or more successful… then why did He come? Many people approach Christianity and the church as a method of self-validation. However, in today’s message, Pastor Ken teaches that Jesus didn’t come just to make you feel good about yourself. He came so that you could be forgiven of all of those regrets and mistakes in your past. He came so you could be reconciled with God. He came so that you can have eternal life.