We are told that neediness and clinginess are not good for any long-term relationship. But when it comes to Jesus you NEED to be clingy! “Are You Needy?” – preached by Ps Pamela on Sunday 2nd July 2023.
Sermon Transcript
Who remembers the Warner Brothers’ cartoon character Pepe Le Pew?
Could I have the picture please?
Who was, who is Pepe Le Pew?
He was an animated amorous (with emphasis on the word amorous) smelly skunk who was madly in-love with Penelope Pussycat.
The story has it that, for whatever reason, Penelope the black cat would often find herself with an accidentally painted white stripe down her back, and this would make her look like a skunk to Pepe Le Pew. Who would then relentlessly pursue her as a love interest. Most of the cartoon would be about her trying to get away from this clingy, needy, incredibly smelly skunk. Who said things like, “Arrr my little darling, my little Cheri, it is loooove at first sight, is it not?”
In the 1970’s, I used to find these cartoons extremely entertaining. Those were the times when cartoons were real cartoons, they were literally made by the human hand, NOT by computers, and the supporting music was from a genuine symphony orchestra. They were a work of art with no political correctness whatsoever.
I watched one of the old cartoons this week, on YouTube, and I read some of the comments attached to the cartoon. One of the comments read, “I’m proud to say as a 47 year-old man… growing up watching Pepe Le Pew as a child didn’t make me any sort of creep to women. Long live Looney Tunes cartoons!!” 😊 😊 I think, as a child myself growing up in the 60’s and 70’s, my big take out from this funny cartoon was that some characters are very very needy, and you need to avoid them at all costs. That’s what I learnt from Pepe Le Pew.
We are told that neediness/clinginess is not good for any long-term relationship.
According to an article I read from Science of People titled, How Not To Be Clingy, a 2021 study found that clingy behaviour is the biggest turn-off in romantic relationships. The survey of over 1,400 young adults in their twenties and thirties reported 78 difficulties they’ve experienced in relationships (what only 78 😊!). Clinginess and neediness rang at the top of the list! Even more than infidelity!
The article continued by saying that,
“No one wants to be the clingy/needy one in a romantic situation. People are psychologically more attracted to those who are “hard to get.”
But the trouble is that persistent media representation of intense “give you everything” types of relationships can lead to unrealistic ideas of romance. It is simply impractical and unproductive to spend every waking hour yearning for another person’s attention.
Modern notions of love, in the media, portray someone as “completing you” or becoming “your better half”. Hollywood often romanticizes feeling broken and lost until you find this perfect person that somehow completes you.”
How does the song go,
“Some day my prince will come, some day I’ll find my love and how thrilling that moment will be, when the prince of my dreams comes to me. He’ll whisper I love you and steal a kiss or two. Though he’s far away, I’ll find my love someday. Someday when my dreams come true.”
Well, we know that this doesn’t really happen because people are not perfect. We’re all sinners and what I believe makes a marriage successful is when two people make an effort to tolerate and learn to live with the other person’s inadequacies and peculiarities. That’s it in a nutshell.
That’s the bottom line. Extreme neediness is not practical, realistic, or healthy when it comes to healthy human adult relationships.
However, (everyone say, “HOWEVER!”) when it comes to a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ you totally need to be needy and clingy.
You totally need to be needy and clingy.
You need to be a Pepe Le Pew!
In fact, a relationship with God cannot begin until we first acknowledge our absolute NEED for HIM! I NEED JESUS, YOU NEED JESUS, THE WORLD NEEDS JESUS (Even if it doesn’t acknowledge His existence, the world still NEEDS Jesus).
We have recently learnt a new song in church called, Oh How I Need You. I got to thinking about this song last Sunday, when I was singing it with you lot, as it presented a challenge to me, I thought, as I sung it, do I really NEED You Jesus?
Do I really need you Jesus?
Because the truth is, a spiritually healthy Christian, must continually acknowledge their need for Jesus. Christianity, put simply, is clinging to the Saviour. Christianity is, and should be, literally clinging to the Saviour.
Let us pray.
LORD, please help me to speak Your Word so that it is transparent for all to understand and act upon. Let Your Word make a fiery difference in all our lives this day. Amen
The title of this very short sermon today (I’m actually already one third of the way through it😊) is Are You Needy?
Are You Needy?
It’s extremely humbling to acknowledge our neediness. Afterall, who wants to be called needy? As I mentioned before, our culture certainly elevates those who are independent. But the foundation of Christianity supports humility by pointing out that without God we are nothing, the best we have is as “filthy rags” before Him.
Okay, so to determine our degree of neediness we need to work out, as Christians, exactly why we need Jesus.
Why do you need Jesus? What a great question!
I believe it is good for us to remind ourselves of our need for Him because we can totally take His goodness for granted. Particularly when we’ve been a Christian for quite some time.
Why do you need Jesus? Why do I need Jesus?
Here are 9 good reasons you need the Lord Jesus Christ now and forever. There are more reasons than this, but this will get you thinking.
1. Truth
The truth is in Jesus. He is the truth. You cannot know the truth without Jesus Christ. Paul in Col 2:3 says
ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him.
Col 2:3
To make sense of anything you need Jesus Christ. Your pursuit for truth begins with knowing Jesus.
1Tim 2:3-4 says
…God our Savior, wants everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.
1Tim 2:3-4
I need Jesus because He is truth and everything I want to know in life should be through the lens of JESUS.
The second reason I need Jesus is life.
2. Life
If you are listening to me right now, you are alive, and may think that Jesus Christ has nothing to do with it. However, the life you have now was given to you, and it is destined to end. But the life that comes through Jesus Christ has no end. If you enjoy life and want it to continue then you need Jesus Christ. There is no life without Him. To live is Christ. Eternal life is through Him (Rom 6:23). I need Jesus because He is the life giver.
Number 3 I need Jesus because of DEATH.
3. Death
Unfortunately, none of us escapes death. The science we have about death tells us we are all physically dying a little bit each day. (Some of us more than others – depending on how we treat our bodies!) The Bible tells us that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ He defeated death. Death did not hold Him down and today He offers this power to all who believe Him. Daily life and regeneration are promised to those who live in Jesus. Put simply, I need to Jesus so that I don’t experience death.
The next reason I need Jesus is SIN.
4. Sin
Everyone sins. Without Jesus what becomes of our sins? SIN MUST BE accounted for, and without Jesus your sin is accounted to you (it’s your debt!) The judgment has already been made against you, and your sentencing day will arrive when you die. We need the man Jesus to pay for our sins (Rom 5:11). Through the blood of Jesus, we have forgiveness. As long as sin is still present, we need Jesus Christ.
The fifth reason of needing Jesus is PEACE.
5. Peace
You may have noticed, watching the news, that peace is allusive in this world. There are endless wars and rumors of wars! Strife wherever you look both on a micro and macro scale! But Jesus, who is also called The Prince of Peace, came to bring us personal peace despite what is going on around us. (Rom 5:1). Peace is something everyone desires, and yet few have it consistently without Jesus. We need Jesus because He IS our peace.
The number 6 reason for needing Jesus is hope.
6. Hope
Without Christ the best hope anyone has is to seek as much pleasure as they can before their clock runs out. What vanity! This is little more than the last meal of a man on death row! With Jesus we have the hope of a wonderful life and eternity with Him. Everything is gunna be alright. Everything is gunna work out because we have Him working in our lives and He never disappoints. Hallelujah! I need Jesus because He is my hope.
I need Jesus because He gives me strength.
7. Strength
Some people are stronger than others (particularly those who do strength training), but there always seems to be someone or something more powerful in this life to overwhelm you. Some of us have great physical strength. Yet, what of the inner strength needed to make the right choices, to live each day, and to resist evil. That’s our greatest battle – to resist evil! How does one go on? Phil 4 tells us that Jesus Christ provides this special, spiritual strength when all things are done through Him. Do life His way and you will find strength in HIM. We need the strength of Christ.
Number 8, I need Jesus for my prayers to be answered.
8. Prayer
Someone who does not pray does not think they need God for anything. A prayerful person is a person who sees their need for God. But without Jesus there is nothing God can do. Without Jesus prayers are heard and not answered. Eph 11:12 says that it is only in Jesus and through Jesus that we may approach God with freedom and strength to ask Him for anything. I need Jesus for my prayers to be answered, so do you.
And finally, number 9 I need Jesus for joy to become a reality.
9. Joy
It is amazing how many people think they do not need the Lord Jesus Christ because they find joy in their life now without Him. We might as well say we have no need for the sun because we have light bulbs. The sun lasts much longer, is much brighter, has more benefits, and we only need one! Rejoice in Jesus, and your joy will be FULL. Without Jesus, we are playing with sparklers. We need the joy of Christ which gives us strength.
Conclusion
Perhaps you don’t think you need Jesus because you see Christians who live like they don’t. Don’t let this fool you. Many Christians have not yet learned all they need from Him and are busy seeking their own things, doing things their own way, and not the things of Christ (Phil 2:21).
The truth is God can, and wants to, supply all you need, when you acknowledge your need for Jesus. Why would you reject Jesus and lack these things? That’s dumb.
Rather, let’s start pursuing God. Let’s show Him our neediness. Let’s be clingy. Let’s be needy. Let’s be like Pepe Le Pew with Jesus.
Show picture again.
That’s a healthy relationship with God. Keep Him in your sight at all times, in everything you do acknowledge Him, get His opinion and do what He says and make sure you are pleasing to HIM!! You should want to please God more than anything or anyone else in your life – including you!
I finish with this beautiful scripture which is from the mouth of God to you.
Seek GOD while he’s here to be found, pray to him while he’s close at hand. Let the wicked abandon their way of life and the evil their way of thinking. Let them come back to GOD, who is merciful, come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.
Isaiah 55:6-7 The Message
Are you needy?
That’s exactly what you must do.
Let us pray.
Lord, we acknowledge, as a body of believers, our need for You. You are our everything. You are our beginning and our end. Help us all to be continually needing you, not doing things our way. Not trying to be self-sufficient but totally relying upon You for Your perfect instruction. Amen