GODVIEW(2):DISTORTED Bottom Line: How You View God Determines Both Your Expectations and Your Responses

WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

GODVIEW(2):DISTORTED Bottom Line: how you view god determines both your expectations and your responses.

introduction: If we’re honest, most of us have two primary beliefs about God: He wants me to be good, and He wants me to be happy. After all, it’s what we strive to do and what we hope for, so surely God wants that for us too, right? But life has a way of messing with that Godview. When things happen and we don’t end up happy or the outcome isn’t so good, we can be left wondering whether God cares about us at all. As a result, our faith can be shaken. When the Godview we have doesn’t get us through and doesn’t line up with the things God has allowed to take place, we wonder if the goal isn’t about being good or being happy at all. What if we started to see God as bigger than our wants, bigger than the control we wish we had, and saw Him instead as the only one worthy of asking us to conform to His will? What if our view of Him was one where we trusted because of, and in spite of things He allows wonder. and doesn’t allow? Can your Godview fit a God who works outside the box, outside your desires, outside the realm discovery. of the expected? passion. www.xp3students.org Chief EXECUTIVE Officer Reggie Joiner XP3 Team Jared Herd Tim Walker Sarah Bragg Kristen Ivy Sarah Anderson Contributors Mike Hancock Laura Whelan Brian Withman CREATIVE DIRECTOR Scott Bragg Technical & Web Support Hadley Brandt Chief Operating Officer Karen Odom USER AGREEMENT The reThink Group, Inc. gladly grants permission to churches, schools and other licensees to tailor XP3TM materials Partner Support to fit their unique leadership requirements, locale and format preferences. However, if you wish to edit the content Kristie McCollister substantively, including teaching scripts, small group dialog and any other content in which biblical principles and Debbie Joiner concepts are presented, you are obligated to do so within the doctrinal guidelines we’ve expressed in our Statement Jennifer Davis of Faith (see page 2).

These resources are intended to be downloaded and printed for use by the subscribing entity only and may not be electronically transferred to or duplicated by other non-subscribing entities. Any unauthorized reproduction of this material or incorporation into a new work—including podcasts or video of this content—is a direct violation of U.S. copyright laws. ©2008 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved. XP3 and the XP3 logo are trademarks of The reThink Group, Inc.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 1 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

Statement of Faith ABOUT GOD God is the one and only true God, yet He exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God is the Creator, so everything belongs to Him and is under His control. God is holy, so He is righteous, majestic and loving. God is all knowing and purposeful, so He’s at work to bring about His will. No person, thing or idea compares to God. ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES God reveals Himself to us through the Bible, and it is 200% accurate, reliable and authoritative. ABOUT PEOPLE People are made in God’s image and for His pleasure. But everybody falls short of God’s intention, or ideal, for people. In other words, everyone has sinned. As a result, we are all separated from Him, even though He wants an intimate relationship with each of us. ABOUT SALVATION That’s why Jesus, God’s Son, came and lived on this earth, died and rose again. God offers His free gift of salvation to all who believe in Jesus and accept Him as Savior, the only way to be forgiven and reconciled to God. Anyone who accepts this gift is adopted as a son or daughter into God’s family and will live with Him forever in heaven.

Scripture marked “NIV” is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture marked “NLT” is taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Second Edition, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 2 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

Creating the Experience We believe that the set, stage, music and everything in your room communicates a message—without you saying a word. That’s why we put together a list of production ideas to help you set the stage for the session and the series. From the music you play when students come into the room to the worship set your band plays, we want to make sure that your room conveys “GodView” in a multi-sensory way. There is a downloadable checklist available in your series downloads that will give you all the elements for this session (and the entire series). Background Playlist for GodView Series: “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles (from Little Voice) “Stars” by Switchfoot (from Nothing Is Sound) “Love Like This” by Natasha Bedingfield (from Pocketful of Sunshine) “When I Look at the World” by U2 (from All That You Can’t Leave Behind) “Belief” by John Mayer (from Continuum) “No One” by Alicia Keys (from As I Am) “Clarity” by John Mayer (from Heavier Things) “Made to Love” by tobyMac (from Portable Sounds) “Everything about You” by Sanctus Real (from Fight the Tide) Worship playlist for GodView session 2: “I Surrender All” by Shane Everett (from Window to the Inner Court) “Lead Me to the Cross” by Hillsong United (from All of the Above) “We Are Hungry” by Shane Everett (from Window to the Inner Court) “All for You” by Starfield (from Starfield) The set For the GodView series, cover your walls with black paper, poster board, butcher paper or canvas. Each week, allow students to draw or somehow illustrate their picture of God.

On one of the sheets put the following quote: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” —A. W. Tozer (from The Knowledge of the Holy)

After the series is completed, you may want to frame some of the artwork since how we view God is so key to how we view everything.

SERIES ART Art for PowerPoint backgrounds and for series promotional ads is available as a free download with every series. Visit the XP3 website, log on to your account and download the images to use in your presentation, newsletters and website.

VIDEO A video bumper is available for the GodView series as a video download from the reThink store. You can purchase the video by logging into your XP3 account and clicking on the “purchase videos” link. The bumper video was created to be used as an intro for all three sessions of the GodView series.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 3 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

Middle School Adaptation The following activities and illustrations are designed to help middle schoolers connect with the subject matter in ways that engage them physically, mentally, socially and sometimes emotionally.

GAMES: MUMMY WRAP (Play this game as an icebreaker to Session 2.) This is a fun and easy game to play anytime. Select two or three students to come to the front of the room. Have them each bring two friends up with them. Then have the students you selected stand still while their friends wrap them up like a mummy with rolls of toilet paper. Set a time limit for the completion of the mummies (two minutes should be enough). Judge the winner by how loudly the crowd cheers for each of the teams.

ILLUSTRATION: IT’S AN ILLUSION (Use this illustration before teaching part “A” of the INTRODUCTION section of the teaching script.) This week’s lesson helps us understand that we’re not always on the same page as God. We sometimes think God is about one thing, or should react one way, but instead He does something different from what we expect. This usually happens because God is so different from us and we don’t usually see things the way He does. A good illustration of how two people can look at the same thing and see totally different images is with optical illusions. There are a lot of illusions that show two things at once. Have you seen these before? Here is just one site we found that shows a few of these images. Grab some of the images off of the website and show them to your students: http://www.coolopticalillusions.com/jazzlady.htm

On the left-hand menu you can click on a few of the other images. Here are some of our favorites: Jazz Lady Young Lady or Old Lady Rabbit or Duck Face or Person

See if your students can see the two different images. Help them by pointing out the different parts represented in the pictures.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 4 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

Teaching Script The teaching script is divided into five sections.

Introduction: This introduction is intended to connect you, the communicator, to the audience usually through a personal story or observation. We’ve included our stories, but you may want to substitute your own story in this section.

Tension: The tension moves the message from the “me” mentality of the introduction to a “we” mentality. For example, a transition statement might be, “At some point in our lives, we have all been jealous of someone over something.”

Truth: Once the tension builds, the next logical step is to uncover the truth of what the Bible says about the topic.

Application: At this point, the message moves to a “you” mentality in order to teach the application. The “you” is the student. Take God’s truth and unpack how it relates to each student so that he or she can apply it to everyday life.

Landing: Here it is important to land the message on what each student needs to know and do with what they’ve heard. Just as the message began with a personal story or observation, the message also ends with a “me” mentality. For example, one possible landing statement might be, “I have a greater sense of purpose knowing that God created me in His image.” Leave the students with a clear sense of what all of you should do with what you’ve heard.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 5 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

GODVIEW(2):DISTORTED Bottom Line: H ow you view god determines both your expectations and your responses. TEACHING OUTLINE INTRO: People walk away from Jesus. But when they walk away, are they walking away from God or are they rejecting the view they have of Him? TENSION: God’s primary goal is not for us to be good. God’s primary goal is not for us to be happy. But when we live with these as the ultimate goal, and God does not deliver, our Godview falls flat.

God’s primary goal is to be God. TRUTH: When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:2-3 NIV).

Jesus told them, “Go back to John and tell him what you have heard and seen—the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him, ‘God blesses those who do not turn away because of me’” (Matthew 11:4-6 NLT).

Jesus was saying, “You need to see Me differently. Where you are now doesn’t change who I am, but your view of who I am does need to change.” APPLICATION: We have to learn to follow a God who is bigger than our expectations. The times when life seems the most out of control are the times when we need the most accurate view of God.

LANDING: Our prayers aren’t usually for surrender to a loving Father, they are usually for us to get more control. There is a real and personal God who longs for you to surrender your deepest hurts and your biggest disappointments.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 6 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

GODVIEW(2): DISTORTED TEACHING SCRIPT

Introduction

A. A year ago I was invited to speak at a conference in Mississippi full of high-school students. After the third session, a small group leader approached me and asked if I would come talk to his group of senior guys. I told him I would. I walked into their meeting room, and the small group leader introduced me to 15 or so guys. We started to talk about the topic together. I wasn’t prepared for what was about to happen.

B. I had talked that night about why we don’t say what we usually think, and how we are all so preoccupied with acting like who we think we should be that we never actually become who we should be. (Another sermon for another time, I know.) Little did I know my words were stirring deeply in a the most quiet young man in the room, and little did I know that the words he was about to say were going to change me forever.

C. He stood up out of his seat and said he wanted me to know how he really felt about me and all other “preachers” like me. In the profanity-laced tirade that ensued, I was given a sermon on why God doesn’t answer prayer and how—in no uncertain terms—this guy didn’t like God or me.

D. What I didn’t know was that up until 11 months earlier he was the most involved guy in his youth group. Then his mom died. That was when he decided God didn’t answer prayer. That was the day he stopped praying. As I talked to him over the next few hours, the tears flowed from both of us. He hadn’t said a word in church in 11 months. But now, I guess, it had all come to a head.

E. Since his mom had been diagnosed with cancer, he had prayed every night that she would recover. He even made deals with God along the way. I guess he believed that if he prayed hard enough everything would be okay. When it didn’t work out the way he thought, his faith fell apart.

F. But the thing is, this guy’s story isn’t unique. I guess I have gotten used to seeing friends and acquaintances walk away from the Christian faith. Another friend of mine recently had a baby with his girlfriend. In the process I have watched him all but chuck his faith too. I have watched several people I know, love and respect give up on God and walk away.

G. Truth be told, this kind of thing happens all the time. People walk away from Jesus. But is it really Jesus they walk away from? Maybe it is just Jesus the way He was presented to them that they reject. Or maybe it’s their view of Jesus they discard.

TENSION

A. I have thought a lot about that guy in Mississippi. I lost touch with him. I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think he ever gave God another chance. I can’t help but wonder if he had held a different Godview going into his difficult situation, would it have worked out differently?

B. I think somewhere along the way most people end up believing two things about God. First, we tend to think that God’s primary goal is for us to be good. Do you know what I mean? I think many preachers could save us all a lot of time if they just got up in the pulpit and said, “Be good. See you next week!” Isn’t that really all we think they are trying to say anyway? To me, it seems the message always comes back to that one thing: Be good. It makes God seem like some old man in heaven who just wants to make sure we are doing all of the things we are told to do. It seems like the most we can expect in life is to follow a set of rules and behave.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 7 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

GODVIEW(2): DISTORTED TEACHING SCRIPT TENSION (CONt’d)

C. The second thing we tend to think is that God’s other primary goal is for us to be happy. I don’t know if this is necessarily stated by a lot of Christians, but I have always believed this. God’s goal really is for me to be good, and if I am good, then God will reward me with happiness. Why else would I try so hard to live differently, right?

D. The problem with both of these views is what happens to our faith when we aren’t good or when we aren’t happy. Take this guy in Mississippi for instance—he wasn’t happy. God didn’t do what he wanted, and because of that, his faith was snuffed out like a winter fire. Or take my friend who just got his girlfriend pregnant. He wasn’t good, so he just threw his faith away. This is true for so many people. When God isn’t what we expect God to be, or when we aren’t what we think God wants, we just walk away.

E. It’s interesting to me that we think God wants us to be good and to be happy. Are those two things even true? Where did that come from? The Bible is filled with stories of people who followed God and did what He asked, but I’m not sure they were always completely happy. Moses had to wander a desert for something like 80 years. Jeremiah got stuck in the city sewer. Paul got shipwrecked and abused so many times, I lost count. And then there’s Jesus . . .

F. What about being good? God always doles out punishment and reward according to our actions, right? Noah got drunk. David had a child out of wedlock. Jonah preached to the Ninevites but was still resentful. Yet God was still able to use them for good. And then there was Mary, who was so good that she got stuck trying to explain how she got pregnant as a virgin.

G. I have to wonder, do we need a different Godview? There are many of you who need to listen to what we’re talking about because you aren’t happy. Maybe you are like this guy in Mississippi. God didn’t do what you asked. He didn’t come through. Or maybe you need to listen because you are on the verge of walking away, knowing you are not really good. You have guilt about things that you’ve done. And instead of feeling guilty, you would rather just indulge in being bad and walk away from a God who would make you feel guilty. If either of those sound like where you are, then you desperately need to listen because you desperately need a different Godview.

H. What we are going to say is going to shock many of you. God’s ultimate goal isn’t for you to be good. And it isn’t for you to be happy.

TRUTH

A. Let’s look at a story together from the book of Matthew. This is a fascinating story because it’s a glimpse at communication between Jesus and someone who was extremely important to Him. This person had a very unique role in Jesus’ life and in the gospel story. This person was actually born around the same time Jesus was born. He was Jesus’ second cousin, and he spent the first part of his life teaching about Jesus and preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry. When Jesus was ready to begin His ministry on earth, He went to this person first. And this person had the very special privilege of being the one to baptize Jesus. For those of you who have grown up in church or have read the Gospels, you might already recognize him. The person we are talking about is John the Baptist.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 8 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

GODVIEW(2): DISTORTED TEACHING SCRIPT TRUTH (Cont’D)

B. In this passage that we are about to look at, John has already baptized Jesus, and Jesus is traveling and teaching all over the region. Jesus has selected 12 men whom He called apostles and to whom He had given authority. Jesus has given sight to the blind and healed a paralytic man. Jesus ate with the outcasts of society and preached comfort for those who mourned. But His second cousin, John, was stuck in prison.

C. So John sends some of his followers to go find Jesus. And that’s where we pick up the story:

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:2-3 NIV).

What a crazy question for John to ask! John’s whole life had been dedicated to proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. What was it that made John start asking these kinds of questions all of a sudden? It would be like a math teacher questioning the quadratic formula. But I think Jesus knew exactly what John was asking. I think Jesus understood John’s uncertainty. John knew a lot about Jesus, but he didn’t know everything. And John’s present circumstances were shaking his view of who Jesus was—he needed some reassurance.

D. Everything that Jesus mentions is something most of us would call “good,” right? If you were blind and you received sight, you would be pretty happy, wouldn’t you? Or if you had leprosy and you were cured, you would have a huge grin on your face all the time. But Jesus’ last statement is a contrast to all of those wonderful things: “God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.” Essentially, He’s communicating that even if the “good” and “happy” things don’t happen, the person who follows Him no matter what life brings is blessed.

What was Jesus doing? He was adjusting John the Baptist’s Godview. He was basically saying, “You need to see Me differently. Where you are now doesn’t change who I am, but your view of who I am does need to change.”

E. Sure, Jesus is capable of doing things that make us happy—and He sometimes does—but His ultimate goal is not our happiness. The Bible is full of stories about people who did not get what they wanted all the time.

F. We often think that if we do the right Christian thing then everything will be fine every time, but the Bible is the story of people like John the Baptist, who did the right thing and still never got what they originally wanted. For a while they must have felt like everything had fallen apart. But even the horrible things that happened to them were not the end of their stories. From what Jesus said, apparently He was not overly concerned with His followers enduring difficulty. He knew both good times and hard times would come. So anyone or any gospel that tells us following Jesus and doing what He says will ensure 24/7 happiness—it just isn’t true. We should reject it.

G. But Jesus asks us to walk this difficult path that He has already taken. He lived it out too. He lived His life not in pursuit of happiness, but in obedience to God—the same God who allowed Him to endure suffering and a painful death.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 9 5/30/08 10:02:05 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

GODVIEW(2): DISTORTED TEACHING SCRIPT

APPLICATION

A. The problem isn’t Jesus. The problem is that people often present Jesus as a source of happiness and as someone who just wants us to be moral because it is nice and clean and it sounds good, doesn’t it? But like John the Baptist discovered, eventually life isn’t nice and clean. It’s messy. We quickly realize that God isn’t a formula or set of principles for better living. He hasn’t come to fix our lives and our problems. And eventually, if we have a Godview that relies on a God who wants us to be good, happy people, our faith will fall apart. We will have a moment, like John the Baptist when we are left asking God, “Are You the One or should I expect someone else?” Or, “Why won’t You act how I want You to act?”

B. Faith isn’t about trusting Jesus to make you happy. It isn’t about following Jesus in order to become the best, moral version of yourself either. We may come to Jesus because we are miserable or because we aren’t good and we are looking for something different—but if that is all we came to Jesus for, we will surely be disappointed. Instead we have to learn to follow a God who is bigger than our expectations. We have to come to the foot of the cross, to the person of Jesus, and surrender the things we have clung to for happiness in the past that haven’t been Him. When we come to Jesus with a posture of surrender, we discover that anything we have held on to is up for grabs. For some, it is a group of friends, or maybe an addiction; for John the Baptist, it was control over a difficult situation.

C. I think the reason we fear surrendering our happiness is because we fear surrendering our control. When we have control, we feel happy. Everything in our world tells us how we can have more control. Whether that’s having more money or getting someone who annoys us to do what we want, we all fundamentally believe that having control means having happiness. In the middle of that is Jesus. He upends our craving for control, and following Him means we start surrendering our need for control over people, places and things. This is where Jesus enters in—not to make us happy or even good; He enters to teach us how to surrender that which wouldn’t satisfy us anyway.

D. This is where we begin to see God as a Father in our Godview. We call Him a Father, but we usually don’t think of Him as we would a real father. I don’t know how you think of your earthly father, but God is the picture of the perfect Father.

E. If you were playing with your PlayStation as a little kid, and it was getting in the way of doing your chores or obeying your mother, what would a loving father do? Let you keep playing? No. He would take it from you, no matter how angry you became. If you had a grandparent die as a child, and you didn’t understand what was going on, what would a loving father do? Would he make up some story about your grandparent vacationing on a faraway island, or would he hold your hand through the pain and be there for you in the tough moments? Would a loving father keep you from pain and hurt? Would a loving father always give you what you want? No. He would help you change what you could control, and cope with what you can’t.

F. Maybe God isn’t acting the way you want Him to. Surrender control. Get down to who God is and who He isn’t. What is the issue? Isn’t the issue, and the ultimate problem you and I both have, that we aren’t God? We don’t have control over people, places or things. We are limited. God doesn’t promise us we are going to be happy. God does promise He is going to be God. That is what has to become sufficient for us. You can keep scheming and trying to get control, but you will never be happy until you accept that you aren’t God. It’s in the moments when things seem to be out of control and nothing is going according to our plans and expectations that we most need an accurate view of God. That’s when we most need God to be God. Jesus demonstrated this in Matthew 26:42 when He prayed in the garden on the night of His arrest. He was about to endure what no man ever would want to. And His prayer in that moment was: “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (NIV).

XP3 GodView S2.indd 10 5/30/08 10:02:06 AM WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION. WONDER. DISCOVERY. PASSION.

GODVIEW(2): DISTORTED TEACHING SCRIPT

LANDING A. How differently would life look if you saw God as a God whose primary goal wasn’t your happiness? This means becoming content to rest in the truth that God is God, and praying, “Father, not my will, but Yours.”

B. We are all like little children in the eyes of God. We want things that we think are good for us, not knowing that they aren’t good for us. When things happen that cause us pain, we can’t see anything but the pain we are in. In those moments we don’t need to get our way; we need the tenderness and love of a Father we trust who is holding us in the middle of what doesn’t make sense and isn’t going our way.

C. God wants to help us change what we can control and cope with what we can’t. You can cry out to Him. You can scream at Him. You may need to get it all out there before Him—the parts that you are holding back, the distorted view that this life is all about your happiness. Your feelings of anger, sadness and frustration are completely valid. The Bible, especially in the Psalms, documents God’s people crying out in anger, people who are very upset towards God. God is not threatened by our doubts, anger and uncertainties toward Him. God actually encourages it. It’s the place where we get honest and real. And our anger, doubts and tears are part of changing our view of God.

D. I seldom pray for God to take control. I usually only pray because God isn’t acting the way I want or because I am not acting the way God wants. Our prayers aren’t usually for surrender to a loving Father. They are usually for us to get more control. If what we said over the course of this series is true, that our view of God determines how we respond to Him, imagine how much differently we would respond to a God we truly believed was a loving Father. Wouldn’t we begin to see our fingers loosen their grip on the things we hold so closely?

E. I don’t know where this lands for you. Maybe you are like that kid in Mississippi. If so, I don’t have an answer to your “why” questions. There probably isn’t an answer in this life that would justify losing a loved one. But I do know there is a real and personal God who longs for you to surrender your deepest hurts and your biggest disappointments. He isn’t going to make it go away, but there will be a recognition deep in your soul that God is in control even when life is falling apart.

F. Maybe you’re trying to be good to get what you want from God. Eventually you will discover God doesn’t work that way—God’s primary goal isn’t your happiness. Maybe you have been frustrated because God won’t give something to you. Maybe you are like a small child longing for that PlayStation. What stands in the way isn’t a mean father, but a loving one who knows what is best.

G. Imagine if for the rest of your life you saw God this way. You would handle every disappointment and every hurt with the attitude that God is a God worth trusting no matter what the outcome.

Transition into small groups.

XP3 GodView S2.indd 11 5/30/08 10:02:06 AM

GODVIEW(2):DISTORTED Bottom Line: How You View God Determines Both Your Expectations and Your Responses

GODVIEW(2):DISTORTED Bottom Line: How You View God Determines Both Your Expectations and Your Responses