God of Fun 4: The Real Deal Lucille

Pastor Chris FluittSermons

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Have you ever experienced something that just wasn’t the real thing? It may have been a copy, a knock off, or a counterfeit. It was not legitimate. It was at best a cheap substitute.

Have you ever experienced the Real Deal Lucille?

God offers a genuine fun. The world offers a counterfeit fun.  We need to understand the difference between God’s fun and the world’s fun.
Once you experience the Real Deal Lucille, you will never settle for anything less.

God of Fun 4: The Real Deal Lucille from Redemption Church on Vimeo.
 

God of Fun 4 – The Real Deal Lucille

Sermon notes by Pastor Chris Fluitt

Redemption Church plano Tx

God of Fun

god of fun first off creation
Welcome back to the 4th week of the GOD OF FUN series.
In week 1 we told you that God created fun.
Week 2 we told you that we need rethink God’s commands. God is not a buzzkill. God actually commands us to have fun.
Last week we told you that God’s promises are not punch lines. You are not a punch line. But that no good devil who has been lying to you – he is the punch line.
 
Today I want to talk to you about…

The Real Deal Lucille

I remember once I took Sarah to a well-known all you can eat buffet here in the Dallas metroplex. I won’t name the place… As we were finishing up our dinner I took a look over the dessert section. There were several pies and cakes and I was going to pick one for Sarah. I saw a key lime pie and I remembered that Sarah said that was her favorite kind of pie. So I brought the key lime pie to Sara and thought she was going to love it.
Sarah took one bite of that pie, she grabbed her mouth and I heard her say “ohh… that’s not good.”
I took a bite of the pie and it tasted like cleaning chemicals and had the texture of Jello. We decided that that was not real Key Lime Pie.  That was not the Real Deal Lucille.
Have you ever experienced something that just wasn’t the real thing? It may have been a copy, a knock off, or a counterfeit. It was not legitimate. It was at best a cheap substitute.
 
I want to make sure that you have experienced Real Deal Lucille key lime pie. This pie was made by our good friend Pamela Kinney. She is a pastry chef for the Omni Hotel in Dallas. Eat up and enjoy the real deal.
 
We are talking about fun in this series. So I want to clear up what I mean by fun. I think this is important. We serve a God of Fun… but we need to make sure we understand what His fun is.
 

Real Fun

God’s fun is the real deal. God’s fun doesn’t leave an after taste. God’s fun is not nasty key lime pie.
The Fun that God offers…

  • is not lewd.
  • does not hurt others.
  • doesn’t break the law.
  • is not followed by guilt and shame.
  • Does not leave you worse off after the fun is done.

Beware of counterfeit key lime pie

Beware of counterfeit fun

god of fun sermon series
When you google God of Fun it will bring up this guy named Dionysus/Bacchus. He is the Roman/Greek god of fun, pleasure, & wine. The ancient world looked to this false god for fun. The world still looks to false gods for fun.
The world offers its own version of fun, but it is not the real deal.
Hebrews 11:24 (NIV2011) By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 
Hebrews 11:25 (NIV2011) He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 
Notice that Moses chose God’s way over the “fleeting pleasures of sin.”
Sin does have pleasure… but they are fleeting temporary pleasures.
Counterfeit fun is fleeting

  • Sex outside of marriage is fleeting fun. The night after is filled with shame and guilt. There is even something called the walk of shame…
  • Greedy materialism is fleeting fun. Eventually you will have to pay that credit card bill.
  • Feeling better about yourself by putting others down is fleeting fun. Eventually you will realize how empty and shallow you are.
  • Lying to avoid punishment is fleeting fun. It may feel good to have “gotten away with it,” but one day all liars will stand before Jesus Christ and face judgement.
  • Addictions like drugs, alcohol, pornography are fleeting. It is a fun that never lasts.

Moses chose God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Counterfeit fun is fleeting, but God gives an everlasting joy.

Isaiah 51:11 (KJV) Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. 
The context of this scriptures is those that exiled from Israel, they are experiencing great hardship and struggle, God shall redeem and return them.  They will come back with singing and EVERLASTING JOY shall sit upon their head like a crown.
God gives an everlasting joy. Are you experiencing an everlasting joy or the fleeting pleasure of sin?
 

Counterfeit fun lies to you

Matthew 4:8 (NIV2011) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 
Matthew 4:9 (NIV2011) “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 
The devil tells Jesus, I will give you all of this if you will just worship me. The devil was lying. This world is not his to give. Satan has no splendor that he can offer. Just like he lied in the garden of Eden he lied to Jesus and he will also lie to you.
The devil is the father of all lies. The devil is the father of counterfeit fun.

Counterfeit fun lies, But God’s fun is true fun

Are you glad that God tells you the truth?
At times God’s Truth will confront you and show you how wrong you are, but if you will listen to the voice of Truth you will also hear Him say…
Romans 8:37 (NIV2011) …in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 
What God says about you is the truth. He says you are more than conquerors. He says you are loved by Him.
It is impossible to really have fun with someone who is lying to you.
Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life.
 

Counterfeit fun is costly.

It cost mankind dearly in the garden.
Samson paid for counterfeit fun with his life and much pain and regret.
King David wept bitter tears at what his counterfeit fun with Bathsheba cost him.
Counterfeit fun will cause you to not fully count the cost like the parable of the half built tower.
Counterfeit fun will cause you to blow your savings and destroy the most important relationships like the parable of the prodigal son.

Counterfeit fun is costly, but God gives freely

God gives joy.
God has given you everything you need to have a happy life right now.
You don’t have to obtain anything to have a blast in life.
Some of you may think…

  • If I can just get that new job, then we can start having fun…
  • If I can just go to that party that my parents told me I can’t go to…
  • If I can just find a girlfriend or a boyfriend…
  • If we could get a house…
  • If I could get a car…

There is a real deal Lucille joy that does not depend on your bank account or facebook friends list.
 

Jesus knows how to party

For some reason religious people have trouble thinking about Jesus being the life of the party.
In John 2 we see Jesus at a wedding party. Now we Americans don’t really understand what a Jewish wedding party is like. We are use to a wedding ceremony and a reception following. At real big affairs they may be a dinner and a dance, but a Jewish wedding party lasted 7 days.
7 days of feasting, dancing, music, and wine. Jesus is at one of these parties in John 2.
I’d like to point out we don’t see Jesus preaching against parties in John 2. We don’t see Christ protesting alcohol. There is no reference of Jesus telling people to calm down and read the Bible.
Jesus is at the party. Jesus is definitely partying.
But then something happens at the party. They ran out of wine on the 3rd day. The wedding party was to last 7 days and at the halfway point they were out of wine.
Right there in John 2, Mary Jesus’ mother asks him to fix the problem. This is the place of Jesus’ first recorded miracle. Jesus turns water into wine.
A party that was about to die, suddenly came back to life.

Jesus is the LIFE of the party

The party continued because of Jesus, but that’s not all. Jesus made the party better
John 2:10 (NIV2011) …“Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 
You see the people throwing the party did put out their best wine first, but they had run out. Jesus comes and provides a better wine than they could provide. Jesus provides a better wine than anyone can provide.
Wine in scripture is always symbolized by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit that Jesus gives is better than anything you have ever experienced.
Jesus shows up to a dead party and revives it, making it better than before.
No one wanted the old wine when Jesus showed up with the new wine.
When you have experienced real deal Lucille key lime pie, you won’t settle for anything less.
What Jesus gives is so much better than what Dionysus/Bacchus, satan, or this world can give.

When you have the real deal… counterfeits just won’t do.

 
Redemption Church we need revival. We need Jesus to come revive our party. Jesus come revive our joy.
Your family needs Jesus to come revive the party.
 
Have you been settling for counterfeits?
Do you need Jesus to revive your party?
Do you believe that Jesus has something better for you today?.