Come Out, Come Out, Wherever you are!

April 22, 2013

Masks have been used in the world of Theater and T.V. for many years. In fact the ancient Greeks used masks in their theatrical performances on a regular basis. Today we have Zoro, The Lone Ranger, Batman and Robin, Phantom of the Opera. They use these masks to conceal their true identity.

In our text today, Adam and Eve didn’t hide behind a mask – they hid behind some fig leaves.

If you are not familiar with the story – here is very shortened version of what happened prior to Genesis 3. Adam and Eve was told not to eat the fruit of one tree. The serpent came and talked to Eve and convinced her to eat that forbidden fruit. Eve took a bite. Then offered Adam a bite. Adam took a bite. The following happened.

Genesis 3

8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”

12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”

13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”

“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”

Adam and Eve had blown it.

So what is the first thing they did? They tried to hide from God. Because they were ashamed of they did. They were afraid of God because they thought God hated them and they went and hid. They discovered they were naked. The put some fig leaves together and they went and hid from God in among the trees.

Then God asked (he already knew where they were) Where are you?

Imperfection entered the world. Insecurity entered the world. And we have been hiding from God and each other ever since.

There are some stark realities that will help us get rid of some of the masks we wear.

Reality #1 – We are not perfect.

There is no such thing as a perfect spouse, a perfect marriage, a perfect child, a perfect family or a perfect friend. Every one of us in here has fallen short.

I don’t think anybody would be disagree with the statement above. But we spend a lot of time expecting perfection. From ourselves and from others. This is why we become so judgmental. This is why we mentally drive ourselves crazy. Even while walking the earth Jesus never expected his followers to be perfect. Because with perfection comes pride.

Look at story of the publican and Pharisee. Luke 18

The Pharisee prays in public saying, ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! ¹²I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’

¹³“But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’

Can you hear the attitude behind the prayer of the Pharisee? He was claiming perfection!

Can you hear the attitude behind the prayer of the tax collector (publican). He was claiming imperfection!

I John reminds of our imperfections

1st John 1:8-10

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

God totally gets we are not perfect. We just don’t get we are not perfect.

We spend a lot of time trying to raise a perfect spouse, a perfect child and a perfect me. We don’t have the ability to perfect anyone. We are all flawed.

Your child is going to have some imperfections accept that.

Your spouse is going to have some imperfections – accept that.

Your friend is going to have some imperfections – accept that.

You are going to have some imperfections – accept that.

Hebrews tells that He is the author and perfector of our faith. Pursue the one who is the author and perfector instead of trying to be the author and perfector.

But we spend a lot of time trying to perfect ourselves. Why do we do that?

Because we hate being seen for what we truly are. We want people to see us at our best. We don’t want people to figure out that we are imperfect, so we spend a lot of time and energy and lies to create our perfect identity.

Mike Yaconelli in his book Messy Spirituality tells this story

“For a period of time we were lucky to have a house keeper. She would come in once a week to dust, vacuum, and clean every little out-of-the-way corner of our house. I dreaded the day she came, because my wife and I would spend all morning cleaning the house for the housekeeper! We didn’t want the house to be dirty or what would the housekeeper think?? He continues to write: We act the same way with God. We talk our way out of the spiritual life by refusing to come to God as we are. Instead, we decide to wait until we are ready to come to God as we aren’t. We decide that the way we lived yesterday, last week, or last year makes us ‘damaged goods’ and that until we start ‘living right’ we’re not really the kind of material that God is looking for. Some of us actually believe that until we choose the correct way to live, we aren’t chooseable, that until we clean up the mess, Jesus won’t have anything to do with us. The opposite is true.

The opposite is true: He wants us just as we are.

God happens to like and love imperfect people.

God is not shocked when we fail. No more than a mother is stunned by her toddler’s stumbling and falling and getting into things he can’t get out of. We still love our kids even when they stumble and fall. How much more does God love us?

No child is perfect – but you still love him/her

No spouse is perfect – but you still love him/her

No friend is perfect – but you still love him/her

But …

Like Adam and Eve we try to hide our imperfections. Like Adam and Eve we try to hide our insecurities.

Adam and Eve didn’t like themselves or what they did so they went and hid.

They were way too hard on themselves.

One particular really dark time in my life I sought out counsel from a pastor friend of mine. He sat and listen to me for about 4 or 5 hours. I did all the talking. At the end of my confession he said six words: “Your are to hard on yourself!” That’s all he said.

We are own worse critic. We have an intense dislike for ourselves.

We don’t like the way we look. We don’t like the way we dress. We don’t like our weight. We don’ t like our height, we don’t like our hair do, we don’t like our weaknesses. We are more disgusted and far less tolerant about our own weaknesses that we would dream of being with someone else. In fact, some of us in here would like to be someone else other than themselves because we think that person over there has it all together.

Despite Adam and Eve’s imperfections and insecurities, God went looking for them!!

They tried to hide behind their imperfections and insecurities – God went looking for them. Isn’t that amazing? He didn’t give up on them. He didn’t make them come to Him. He went looking for them! It is significant to understand that God went looking for them. He didn’t abandon them. He didn’t quit on them. He went looking for them.

You need to accept the fact that you are not perfect and that’s okay.

We sing a song every once in while called Just As I Am published in 1849. I call this the “I’m Okay” song:

1. Just as I am, without one plea,

but that thy blood was shed for me,

and that thou bidst me come to thee,