Trespassing

Drop the tailgate and sit down a while. I got one for you… and if you’ve hunted any length of time, you’re gonna recognize this story right off the bat. You ever had that buddy… you know the one… tells you, “Man, I got a GREAT spot. Loaded with game. We got permission and everything.”

And something in your spirit just kinda leans over and whispers, “Do we though?” But you go anyway. Because hope is strong… and sometimes common sense takes the night off.

So we head out one evening toward Lebanon, Virginia. Supposed to be a good coon hunt on a farm my buddy “had permission” to hunt. I had never hunted with this friend before so was figuring out his system.

We pull up, and right off the bat I notice something ain’t right. He cuts the truck lights off way too early. Starts easing in like we’re part of some undercover operation. I’m thinking, “We hunting coons or planning a heist?”

But I just figured, “Hey… maybe he knows something I don’t.” That right there has gotten a lot of men in trouble through history. So we cut the dogs loose. They take off like they got somewhere to be, and before long ol’ Tyge locks up treed. My buddy’s dog? Nowhere to be found. No tracking collar. No clue. Just out there living his best life.

I’m standing at that tree shining, doing what I came to do, when my buddy says, “I’m gonna go find my dog.” Now looking back… that man didn’t go find his dog. That man saw something… and went to find safety.

Because next thing I know, here comes a flashlight in the distance. And not the “friendly hunter” kind either. This one had authority behind it. And this gentleman walks up to me and says,

“Who are you?”

I told him my name.

He said, “You know this is private property, don’t you?”

I said, “Yes sir… but I’m with my buddy.” And I told him my buddy’s name.

He looked at me and said, “I don’t know anybody by that name.”

I said, “Well… I’ll introduce you to him in just a minute… right before I kill him.”

Now thankfully, this landowner turned out to be a kind man. Real gracious. He said, “Go ahead and finish your hunt, but you don’t need to be back out here.” I said, “Yes sir,” grabbed my dog, and headed straight to the truck. And there sits my “buddy”… safe, sound, and laughing like this whole thing was just good entertainment.

That was the last hunt we went on together.

Now later that summer… I did catch a couple bluegill. And I figured I’d return the favor of friendship. Slid them right up under his truck seat… middle of July. Thought he liked fish. I was just trying to be a blessing.

But let me tell you where this really hits home. That whole night, I was standing somewhere I didn’t belong… trusting somebody who didn’t have the authority to put me there.

And a whole lot of us are living our lives that exact same way.

The Bible says in Romans 5:1,

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Now that word justified… that’s a big church word, but it’s real simple.

It means… it’s just as if I’d never sinned.

But here’s the part we don’t talk about enough… it also means you’ve got permission.

Because of who you know…and because of who you’re with.

See, when I was in that field, I thought I had permission because of my buddy. Turns out… he didn’t have the authority to give it. But when you walk with Jesus, you’re not guessing anymore. Hebrews 4:16 says we can come boldly to the throne of grace.

Not sneaking or hiding the headlights. Not looking over our shoulder wondering who’s about to walk up with a flashlight.

Boldly. And Hebrews 13:5 says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Now that’s a hunting partner right there. Ain’t gonna be sitting in the truck laughing while you deal with the consequences.

And here’s the other side of it. If you’re walking with the wrong one… you’re trespassing.

Plain and simple. There’s a moment in Acts 19 where the sons of Sceva tried to throw around the name of Jesus like it was a lucky charm. That demon looked at them and said, “Jesus I know. Paul I recognize. But who are you?” And the Bible says he whipped them so bad they ran off and filmed the first episode of naked and afraid.

That’s what happens when you try to walk in authority you don’t actually have.

So here’s the question for all of us, Who are you walking with? You see you better make sure you are with the one who has permission who paid for the rights to enter in.

Because at the end of this life, you’re gonna step up to a throne and it won’t matter what your buddy told you. It won’t matter what you assumed. It won’t matter how confident you felt walking in. What matters is… who do you know? And that permission only comes through Jesus.

If you know Him and have surrendered to Him. You can walk right in like you belong there.

So before you take another step…make sure you’re justified in Christ.

Because when you are…you ain’t trespassing anymore. You’re home.