aGood (a-”not” “good”). The Christian message is not about being “good.” It is not about what you can present on your resume before God. It has nothing to do with earning the love or favor of God. The Bible says that there is “no one who does good” (Rom. 3:10). So, first off, some of you need to quit trying to be a part of a group called “good people.” It does not exist. Others of you need to quit thinking you already belong to such a group. You don’t. While we may do some “good” things here and there, we are burdened with the weight of our own sin and we can’t rid ourselves of it on our own.

Fallen. Sin, unrighteousness, selfishness, hate, failure, and fatigue. These are all part of our problem. We are inconsistent in doing what we know to be right. We have fallen down so much that we have calloused hands and knees. We lose ourselves and manipulate to cope. “Its not my fault” is our internal blog. We do what is right in our own eyes (Prov. 21:2) and ignore God.

Drunk. To be drunk is to lose yourself in something else. When people get drunk it is a form of escape to a different place for whatever reason. Maybe to hide. Maybe to become. Maybe to have something trip us. It is our excuse for falling. Either way, you allow yourself to be controlled as a form of escape. It is not necessarily about alcohol, either. It is about whatever you are being controlled by. In that, you are drunk. God wants you to be drunk with him, but something has to change.

Alone. Right now, you are alone. You may have friends and family, but you are alone. We will all stand before God (Rom. 14:10). Stand before God alone and you will stand condemned. You will face the severity of God’s judgment. Alone, you will tell God “I will take my chances and see how I fair.” You won’t fair well. God has already said as much (Rom. 3:23). You can’t make it alone. God himself must be your at your side.

Covered. Alone, drunk, and having fallen in the dirt, we see Jesus Christ, God himself, became one of us. He walked among us. His words were tender. Though he did not fall, was drunk only in goodness, and was never alone, he took pity on us. He offered to stand by our side. He loved us and died in our place (Rom. 5:8). The shame and pain that was ours, he took. He offered us a covering that no one else could offer.

Broken. Look upon Christ and cry out for him. He will hear. The cry is a recognition of your brokenness. Pride stands in the way. “Have mercy on me the sinner” (Luke 18:13) is your white flag of surrender. You are there right now. You are already broken. God knows it. But you must cry out. Call upon Jesus Christ and he will rescue. No need to wash your face. No need to clean your hands. You can’t. Just cry. Just cry out right now while on the ground.

Belief. It is true. Jesus Christ died for sins—your sins. It is true. He loves loves you exactly as you are, broken and insecure. It is true. Christ is Lord of everything. Belief is necessary. No need to close your eyes. You need to open them wider. Jesus Christ died for your sins and death could not keep him. Christ is the only way. There is no other (John 14:6).

Hope. Believe in Christ and cry out for his mercy and you can be sure you have it. You will no longer be alone (Heb. 13:5). You will no longer be broken. Christ will cover all your life with his. You will stand before God as one purchased by Christ. Through the rest of life’s pains, you can be sure that God will be with you. Believe and cry and you are no longer alone and now have hope.

Who. Who do you say that Christ is (Matt. 16:15)? This is the most important question you will ever be asked. He is the Son of God. He is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. He is the one who covered you. He is the Lord of all, creator of all, and the only hope for all. He defeated death. He is God in the flesh. And he is the one who is coming again to make all things right, to raise the dead and restore the earth.

If you cry out to Christ, he will save you. That is the message.

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?’” (John 11:25-26)

Do you?

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