I'm Bad & That's Good

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In week #2 of our series "The Happiest Place On Earth" we looked at a scene from the Disney movie Wreck-It-Ralph where he attends a "Bad-Anon" meeting and sites the bad guy affirmation oath...

I’m bad… and that’s good…
I will never be good… and that’s not bad…
There’s no-one I’d rather be… than me…

When we realize we are "bad" do we go into uncharted territory, step out in faith, and pursue God for change or do we embrace our “badness”?…

Do we say… “I don’t have the presence and I don’t live in Joy” but I want to and I’m willing to seek You for it Lord…  Or do we begin to site the bad guy affirmation " I'm bad and that's good"...

The crazy thing is that this is exactly where God needs us to be to begin to see change but the devil swoops in and tells us to embrace our “badness” while God is prompting us to desire something “MORE”…

Communion reminds us that we are carriers of the presence of God…

John 20:29
29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

Jesus is talking about the difference between being close to God and being a carrier of His presence within you…

Many of us have been close and been to church and we are aware of His existence but we know that we are not carriers of His presence…  This is why Joy never lasts and happiness consistently escapes us…

So what can be done for those who don’t yet have the presence of God?…  Those who are not carriers of the presence of God who spend their lives seeking and searching for “JOY” but are yet to find it…

Acts 8:18-20
when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 20 But Peter said to him, "Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!

While they are free to pay their way into Disneyland, there is no amount of money that can purchase the presence of God and true “JOY”…

Acts 8:9-13
9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God." 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. 

What was it that broke the spell Simon had put the people under?… and what was it that drew Simon out of darkness and into the light?…

Verse 12 says… But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed…

It is the preaching and teaching and reading of the word of God that leads us into faith and “JOY”…

Romans 10:17
faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

So picture all of these people coming to faith and learning the word and being baptized and there is Simon as it says in verse 13… amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done…

Acts 8:14-17
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 

So this paints a picture of believers who are walking around without the presence and power of God…  Believers who know the truth of God and His plan for saving and redeeming them but live without “JOY”…

Carriers of the presence of God came and laid hands upon these believers and prayed for them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit…

This church thing isn’t about rules and regulations and going to church and looking like good people…  This is about receiving the word of God… Being forgiven and saved from certain death…  and being filled with the presence of the living God that empowers you to live a life that you never would be able to live otherwise… 

When this happens you become a carrier of the presence of God and wherever you go becomes “The Happiest Place On Earth”…