Summary: The destructiveness of sin

Sin’s Scars

Various

INTRO: Attitude of Oh well, No big deal!

1. Hear any body choosing to sin then say, “I’ll just ask God to

forgive me

a. I enjoy sin, rationalize or excuse sin as not a problem

2. I am not here to sit in judgment of any, but we ALL must have

a clear view of what sin is and its destructive power

a. We all will sit under the judgment of the Word of God

Mt 5:8 Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

b. “Pure” as in cleansed, purified by fire

1. We can only be clean by the mercy, Grace of God in our Life.

c. Like David says, Ps 32:2 Blessed [is] the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit [there is] no guile.

3. It is the attitude we need too look at tonight, attitude of not

taking sin seriously

a. We need to see it as God sees it, abominable, repugnant

b. So serious, He sent His only begotten Son to DIE for us to

remove Sin’s curse from us

4. I want us to see what happens when we decide to sin,

I. Sin takes farther that we want to go

A. It doesn’t matter what sin or type of sin

1. The principle is sin’s power is to take us where we don’t

want to go, go father than we want are willing

a. White lie or bold big black lie

b. Steal 2cent piece of candy or rob a bank

c. Gossip, gluttony, smoking, drinking, adultery or murder

2. Who has told a lie only to tell 25 more lies to cover it up

each worse and getting farther from the truth

*Little boy “A lie is an abomination to the Lord, but it is a very present help in time of need”

a. But as we look back at our lies, we discover they are not

the help we thought,

1. But a snare taking us down the wrong road

3. Two young people boy & girl out alone, first innocently

holding hands, but go to the back seat, for some kissing, but it leads

to petting, till the passions are running wild

a. They have arrive at Trouble’s door, sin takes you there

4. When we yield to sin, it becomes our master

Ro 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

a. Sin has a gripping affect

b. We yield to the temptation, think we can keep it under control

1. Only to find a monster at the other end dragging us down a path we

never wanted to go

2. Drawing a line won’t do it, tug a war we loose

II. Sin exposes others to danger & hurt

A. No such thing as a Private, personal sin

1. Even if done alone, it damages the heart & psyche and

attitude to the effect it will effect other relationships

a. Many men go into marriage relationships with scars from a

promiscuous lifestyle before marriage that then effects the

marriage 1. Expectations, addictions, porn

2. Our sin will not only hurt us but will effect and even can

hurt others we love

a. Abraham Gen12 Abraham, the man of God, called of God out of the land of Ur into the land of Canaan to walk in fellowship with God and to live with him in the land? The first thing that is related about Abraham after he came into the land is that a famine arose, and Abraham’s faith in God as the provider of all his needs was put to the test. Abraham failed the test, and we read that he forsook the land and went down to Egypt. The first thing he did in Egypt was to tell a lie about his wife. As we have the story, Sarah was a beautiful woman. The amazing thing is that at this point of the story she is sixty-five years of age, yet she was still a beautiful woman. Abraham said to himself, "I know these Egyptians, these licentious rascals. If they see my beautiful wife the king will want her for himself," {cf, Gen 12:10-13}. So he told Sarah to tell a lie and say that she was his sister and not his wife. It was only a half-truth but a half-truth is always a half-lie. She actually was his half-sister.

What was the result of that lie Abraham told? Immediately it got Sarah into trouble. Pharaoh, seeing her, said, "Here’s a beautiful woman. I’d like to add her to my harem. And isn’t this nice? She just happens to be the man’s sister and not his wife, so I’m free to take her for myself," {cf, Gen 12:14-16}. Abraham’s lie was the very thing that opened the door to expose Sarah to the shame and ignominy through which she was dragged. Fortunately, God intervened and stopped the process before it went too far, but Abraham was called before Pharaoh and publicly rebuked for his folly {cf, Gen 12:17-20}.

3. Sin is not a private affair, no one can sin in Private

a. God sees the heart and knows the thoughts & is completely

aware of our life

Be sure your sin will find you out’ Num 32:23

4. Story of conquering the Promised land, Jericho no spoils for the people, next stop little bitty no nothing town Ai. We can take it with a small army just 2-3k men. But they got beat, 36 innocent men were killed, why? Achan spoiled Jericho, took garment, some silver and gold. He thought it was hid, but it wasn’t cost Israel 36 good men, then Achan lost his family and his own life

5. Yes sin takes us farther than we want to go and it cost us

more than we want to pay

III. Sin makes repentance more difficult

A. When we deliberately, willfully sin, Repentance isn’t going

to be easy

1. In fact, the more we are in sin the more difficult it is to

repent

a. The farther we go, the longer we allow sin to reign in our

life. The more difficult it is to turn from it, to stop it, to

break it’s grip on our life

1. May find it impossible to let go, change

2. Esau sold his birth right: that which only belonged to him

by birth, but he was so short sighted, so fleshly, he sold it

for a bowl of stew

a. When he regretted it, tried to make it right, it was too late

Heb 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

Prov 1:24-31

3. Even when we come in tears, after rejecting truth God is not

easily swayed

a. We come crying, “I am sorry Lord, I have sinned, I don’t want to

do that any more.”

1. But in our heart of hearts we know we’ll go back to it

2. Don’t count on repentance claiming God’s forgiveness

4. The one who reads all hearts and minds knows the truth of

our motives and thoughts

a. We think we can buy God off: good offering, coming to

church. Promise to be a good boy or girl

1. A religious act, or ritual doesn’t appease God either

B. Does that mean its too late, we can’t truly be right with God?

1. No, Repentance can work but it isn’t a quick easy trick

a. Say the right words, shed a few tears and all will be fine

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

2. What does true repentance include? How can we?

a. First acknowledgment & agreement with God I have

Sinned

1. Not just a mistake, or a boo boo, error or slip

2. Not just sorry got caught, or that in trouble now, jail house

repentance

a. But a transgression of God’s law & is worthy of punishment

b. Acknowledge sin against God, Sorry for breaking God’s

heart, for rejecting His truth

2Sa 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

c. Commitment to change, to be different, to repay or pay

retribution if necessary. To make it right

1. Zacheous Lu 19:2 And, behold, [there was] a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

IV. Sin Leaves a place of permanent Weakness in one’s Life

A. Once we have given into sin, there will forever remain a

permanent weakness in one’s life

1. That area will always be an area of temptation, of possible

sin later on down the road, if not cautious

a. It doesn’t matter how long we live or how long its been

since we last transgressed in that way.

1. the possibility remains

2. Abraham 30 odd years later, after the first incidence in

Egypt of lying to save his won neck

a. He is in the same predicament with the King of the

Philistines, & he does the same thing again

1. He lies about his wife again

3. The time in between, His walk with the Lord, nor His great

faith made any difference

4. BUT: It does NOT mean we have to fail, We are not

doomed to failure, We don’t have to give way to the temptation

a. We must be aware of our weakness

b. We must depend God’s strength for strength to resist

5. Sin is so strong, so deceptive, it lies dormant in this flesh

waiting for the right moment to strike

a. Yes Jesus defeated sin, crushed the serpent’s head, but

have you never heard, a dead snake is still deadly for the

poison remains in the fangs

1. Don’t play around with our sin nature

V. Sin excludes one from Temporal Blessings

A. Greatest Example is Moses

1. After all He did, delivered Israel from bondage of Egpty

a. But an area of his life that constantly got him in trouble

was his anger

1. He killed an Egyptian out of anger

2. He Threw down the original 10 Com. Stone in rage over Israel’s sin

3. Strike 3 came when out of anger he disobeyed God,

a. Ex 17was to hit the Rock, water came out

b. But the people were complaining, murmuring, nothing new but it

got on Moses bad side.

1. God said this time speak to the Rock Num. 20. But Moses didn’t

speak this time to the rock.

2. He chewed out the people then hit the rock

b. Because he disobeyed, allowed his anger to get the best of him

c. His sin prevented him from ever going into the Promised

Land

1. Best he ever got was to look at it from a Mountain top miles away

2. Success is not guaranteed when sin is in the camp

3. Might note Moses did get to come into the Promised land,

not physically or immediately

a. But eventually & supernaturally Mt 17, The Mt of

Transfiguration Moses & Elijah with Jesus

4. Blessings of this life hinge upon our obedience

a. Blessings of Eternity hinge upon Christ’s Promises

B. Paul’s Protective attitude 1Cor 9:24-27

1. Most of us read to mean if not careful God will not use us,

lay us aside,

a. To be used of God in this life is that not a blessing,

greatest honor is to be used of God that is success

b. But also implies here sin limits blessings today

VI. Sin Produces Long term fruit

A. Remember Paul in Ga 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

1. Don’t kid yourself or let anybody else kid you, God is not

fooled nor is He a fool

a. God is utterly faithful to Himself and utterly dependable to

do what He says He will do

2. The Law if inevitable Consequences is in effect today as it

always has

a. When we sin, and We have truly repented, Been forgiven

& restored, God Promises His presence

b. The consequences of our sin remain

*Nail hole Dad takes son to garage has him hammer a nail in board, = Sin, Removed the nail with a hammer, Now remove the nail hole

3. Yes, forgiveness makes a change in our life, but the things,

we did in our sin remain

a. The words said still hurt, the deeds we did still happened. *Drunk, wreck maimed all remains even in forgiveness.

*2Sam 12 David’s sin with Bathsheba, Confronted of sin, Ps 51 David’s repentance, Nathan acknowledged God’s forgiveness and remain as King. But sword would not depart from house

1. Baby died, his own Son raped his half sister, her brother killed

him, then that son rose in rebellion to the king civil war

b. BTW David is the Greatest, Godliest of all kings but yet

also did the most wicked of deeds

1Co 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

4. God never takes sin lightly, we should not either

VII. Sin effects generations to com

De 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them,(sin of idolatry) nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me,

Ex 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;

A. We need to recognize, the long lasting effects, habits, values,

sinful practices pass down from generation to generation

1. Each generation that follows will pay the price for their sin

a. Endless cycle of drunks, drug addicts, poverty, sin sin, sin

2. When one generation repents, changes, lives in obedience.

a. The next generation lives in its blessings Ex 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

De 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he [is] God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

1Ch 16:15 Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word [which] he commanded to a thousand generations;