Lost: is Sin that Bad
(4 downloads)Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Joshua 7:11-26
Crime and punishment: Some sentences fit the crime. Others… well… you decide for yourself. In Palestine an offender and his family were stoned to death for stealing a coat, and a few thousand dollars worth of Gold and Silver. It seems like quite a high price to pay for such a petty theft. What’s so bad about sin anyway? If no one got hurt… what’s the big deal about sin? That’s the question we’re going to answer today. And the answer is this… Sin is a lot worse than we think it is.
Private consequences - God sees all & we know it / 11-15
Sin isn’t all about other people. It’s about God
“Against you, and you only have I sinned.” Psalm 51:4
Sin is also about us… because sin is a matter of the heart
“The heart is deceitful… I the Lord search the heart” Jer 17:9-10
The problem is explained in verse 11 – They have…
1. sinned - missing of the mark
2. transgressed - deliberate departure from the path
3. taken Dedicated things - stealing from God!
4. stolen - removed by stealth
5. deceived - pretended to obey
6. hid it - he covered it up
The profile of a sinner in verse 21
His name was Achan, and it’s meaning is “trouble”
I Saw – “spoils” He redefined what he saw!
I Coveted - his passions controlled him
I Took - a taker fails to trust God to meet his needs
I hid – the irony / they do not enjoy the pleasures they steal
Public consequences – Every one will hear of it / 16-23
Why the long ceremony? 16-23
#1 to make an impression about the seriousness of sin.
#2 to leave time for repentance
The Confession
confession comes only when he’s caught
The seven marks of godly sorrow and repentance from 2 Cor 7:11
1) Quick to right the wrong.
2) Eager to clear the air with an apology.
3) Angry at your own sin.
4) Humbled with the Fear of God.
5) Wanting what is right
6) Zealous to correct what's wrong.
7) Ready to make restitution or payment.
Personal consequences – We will pay for it / 24-25
Achan got to keep a few bucks in exchange for his life
The law prohibited the family from being punished Deut 24:16
Achan’s family most certainly assisted him in the crime
Future consequences – It will not be forgotten / 26
The wages of sin is death – Romans 6:23
We have all sinned and transgressed the law of God. We can all look forward to a pile of stones with our name carved on it. Yet, no defeat is permanent and no mistake is beyond remedy. Even the “Valley of Trouble” can become a “door of hope!” The cross was the instrument of execution and death in the past and now is the symbol hope and joy, You may deserve the rocks, but Christ wants to make your life pure gold.
Lost: The Forces of Darkness
(5 downloads)Sunday, May 20, 2007
1 Peter 5:8-9
Is it my imagination, or are there unseen enemies lurking about? The words that whisper in my mind and all around me… am I crazy, am I the only one who hears them, or do other people hear whispers as well. Is there any such thing as ghosts, ghouls and monsters under my bed, or is there some rational, scientific explanation for what goes bump in the night.
Today’s mystery deals with the invisible enemy of our souls: We would state the problem like this: are there really unseen enemies? And if there are, how can I defend myself against them?
The Reality of Evil
Be Prepared
Sober = dispassionate, calm and collected in spirit
Be Wary
Vigilant = to watch, to be cautious and wary
Only 15 % of Christians are completely free of Satan's bondage
65 % wrestle with a steady barrage of sinful thoughts
15 % are plagued by condemning evil thoughts and strange "voices"
5 % have lost control and hear voices which control them.
The Attacks of the Enemy
Satan literally means "The Adversary."
"The Devil." means "The Accuser."
He stalks us - He walks about seeking victims
He studies us and looks for opportunities to attack us
He roars at us
The older lions roar to frighten the prey into an ambush
He devours
Satan’s reward for those who serve him is a miserable death
The Ready response
Resist & yield (to God) James 4:7
Boldly and loudly repeat the truth from the Word of God
Steadfastly - Stand your ground. Don’t give up.
Be Biblical - Resist him “In the Faith”
Use the Word of God to respond to him
Any of a thousand attacks made on your heart every day may take you out of the battle: Immoral thoughts, Anger, Bitterness, The desire for things, An urge to grasp at power , A party spirit, Vile swearing, Cutting words, Vacillating doubt, Head-hanging guilt. The Bible tells us that if we are to be Delivered from darkness, we must renounce the hidden things of dishonesty and have no relationship with them.
Lost - Why is life so difficult
(5 downloads)Sunday, May 06, 2007
Let’s say you were stranded. And finding yourself on a deserted island you now have to learn to live without all the blessings of civilization. No running water, no showers, no indoor toilets, no electricity, no microwaves, no stove, no heater, no air conditioning, no fast food joints, no grocery stores… you have none of the accessories of life you once took for granted. Life is hard, and life takes hard work. But something else is missing as well. All your vices are gone, but your desire for them is still as strong as ever. If you liked to drink before, you can’t There is no alcohol. And there is no TV, no Theater, no Internet no R rated movies, and no pornography on the island. But your mind can still lust. There are no drugs… no pot, no cocaine, not even prescription drugs are available. If you were hooked before, you will have to learn to live without them now. And gambling? Casinos seem to be in short supply on the island. And Even if you could find someone to gamble with, what use is money on a deserted island? Your appetites and desires are still there as strong as ever. But you have no way to fulfill them. And you are suffering serious emotional withdrawals from your sins.
And with nothing but time on your hands, you wrestle with some great mysteries in your mind: Why is life so difficult? Why do we love the things that hurt us? Why can’t we quit thinking about our vices? How come sin is so pleasurable and yet so painful? Why do I keep doing the same old sins over and over again?