Sermon 6-26-05 finding a clean heart
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.1 john 1 5-10
We are all in this
Here is a creative fund-raising technique used by "Fighting Bob" Shuler, an early radio preacher in 1926. …."I know a man listening in," Shuler told listeners. "If he does not give a hundred dollars, I will go on the air next Tuesday night and tell what I know about him." ……A lot of money was raised for the church before Tuesday night. Indeed, it was one of the biggest nights in the history of the broadcast. How many of us would have been tempted to send money in?
Paradox in this passage
. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
We want to avoid willful deliberate sin
We need to admit that in spite of our best efforts,, sin will still be with us
we are called to press on to a life of perfect intent,
cars
1. Even when you think a car is clean, there is something about them that intrinsically get dirty
2. Cars get a nice collection of dirt from time to time and you have to wash them
This is when people write on them….wash me
3. Then there are the cataclysmic moments where you drive your car thru the mud, eggs, or tar., and there is something that cannot be ignored. It consumes all of your consideration for the car…it is the first thing on your list until it gets taken care of
Now have talked with you about the dirt that gets on cars, I want to talk to you about the dirt that can get into our souls
Sin
1. Just as cars are going to by nature get dirty, so people, by nature have a bent towards sin.
Without ever doing anything overtly wrong, we have a propensity, a likelihood to be selfish. It is a part of our nature [original sin]
2. There are common sins….I need to be a better father,
3. I want to spend the rest of our time today talking about the third kind of sin
A besetting sin, it is on your mind. Every week, everyday it has a hold of you
You are here, god wants to cleans this from your life
16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Prov 6
An unforgiveness. An anger, we cheated someone, we taken that which did not belong to us. An addiction
Spiritual pride
Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
There is a good thing about sin
Opens the door for dependence upon God -----Grace
You can come to understand you need for Jesus
But if we take an honest look at our sin------It calls us back to God
Remedies for sin
Remedy for original sin…….one prayer, one time
Remedy for ongoing sins……..prayer, decisions, commitment
Remedy for besetting sins…..warfare. grow tired to being controlled by something, tired of making destructive choices…..
You can become bitter
You can stop going to church
You can pretend it isn’t there
go t the priest….
I don’t have time to hear your confessions…..you must take them to Jesus
I am busy with my own.
go to Jesus….cathartic moment when you call on the name of the lord
14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:14-16
There may still be consequences
You may still have to work on forgiving yourself
An old woman in the village was said to be receiving divine apparitions. The local priest demanded proof of their authenticity. "When God next appears to you," he said, "ask Him to tell you my sins, which are known to Him alone. That should be evidence enough."
The woman returned a month later and the priest asked if God had appeared to her again. She said He had. "Did you put the question to Him?" "I did," she said. "And what did He say?" "He said, 'Tell your priest I have forgotten his sins.'"
Only the holy spirit convicts of sin
How do you know if this is something for you? Don’t listen to the preacher…don’t let anyone put the guilt on you. If this isn’t for you today, then fine, go on, God will find you in his time.
But look inside, and if the holy spirit is shining the light on your soul, if he is calling your name then maybe it is time to put this behind you.
If it is keeping you from God, then let today be the day that you begin the process to let it go
Cleansing
This is really hard to talk about, except that there is good news.
Verse 9..If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us from our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
It seems incredible, but I declare to you that it is true.
Closing prayer time
Today we are going to close with a time of silent prayer. Use this time to confess your sins to the lord and hear his word of forgiveness…..
If you want to come up here and pray, then do so…..If you want to pray in your seats then that is fine too….If God is calling you today, then do not leave this place without leaving your sin at his feet.
Let us be in an attitude of prayer
5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.1 john 1 5-10
We are all in this
Here is a creative fund-raising technique used by "Fighting Bob" Shuler, an early radio preacher in 1926. …."I know a man listening in," Shuler told listeners. "If he does not give a hundred dollars, I will go on the air next Tuesday night and tell what I know about him." ……A lot of money was raised for the church before Tuesday night. Indeed, it was one of the biggest nights in the history of the broadcast. How many of us would have been tempted to send money in?
Paradox in this passage
. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
We want to avoid willful deliberate sin
We need to admit that in spite of our best efforts,, sin will still be with us
we are called to press on to a life of perfect intent,
cars
1. Even when you think a car is clean, there is something about them that intrinsically get dirty
2. Cars get a nice collection of dirt from time to time and you have to wash them
This is when people write on them….wash me
3. Then there are the cataclysmic moments where you drive your car thru the mud, eggs, or tar., and there is something that cannot be ignored. It consumes all of your consideration for the car…it is the first thing on your list until it gets taken care of
Now have talked with you about the dirt that gets on cars, I want to talk to you about the dirt that can get into our souls
Sin
1. Just as cars are going to by nature get dirty, so people, by nature have a bent towards sin.
Without ever doing anything overtly wrong, we have a propensity, a likelihood to be selfish. It is a part of our nature [original sin]
2. There are common sins….I need to be a better father,
3. I want to spend the rest of our time today talking about the third kind of sin
A besetting sin, it is on your mind. Every week, everyday it has a hold of you
You are here, god wants to cleans this from your life
16These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Prov 6
An unforgiveness. An anger, we cheated someone, we taken that which did not belong to us. An addiction
Spiritual pride
Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
There is a good thing about sin
Opens the door for dependence upon God -----Grace
You can come to understand you need for Jesus
But if we take an honest look at our sin------It calls us back to God
Remedies for sin
Remedy for original sin…….one prayer, one time
Remedy for ongoing sins……..prayer, decisions, commitment
Remedy for besetting sins…..warfare. grow tired to being controlled by something, tired of making destructive choices…..
You can become bitter
You can stop going to church
You can pretend it isn’t there
go t the priest….
I don’t have time to hear your confessions…..you must take them to Jesus
I am busy with my own.
go to Jesus….cathartic moment when you call on the name of the lord
14Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:14-16
There may still be consequences
You may still have to work on forgiving yourself
An old woman in the village was said to be receiving divine apparitions. The local priest demanded proof of their authenticity. "When God next appears to you," he said, "ask Him to tell you my sins, which are known to Him alone. That should be evidence enough."
The woman returned a month later and the priest asked if God had appeared to her again. She said He had. "Did you put the question to Him?" "I did," she said. "And what did He say?" "He said, 'Tell your priest I have forgotten his sins.'"
Only the holy spirit convicts of sin
How do you know if this is something for you? Don’t listen to the preacher…don’t let anyone put the guilt on you. If this isn’t for you today, then fine, go on, God will find you in his time.
But look inside, and if the holy spirit is shining the light on your soul, if he is calling your name then maybe it is time to put this behind you.
If it is keeping you from God, then let today be the day that you begin the process to let it go
Cleansing
This is really hard to talk about, except that there is good news.
Verse 9..If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us from our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
It seems incredible, but I declare to you that it is true.
Closing prayer time
Today we are going to close with a time of silent prayer. Use this time to confess your sins to the lord and hear his word of forgiveness…..
If you want to come up here and pray, then do so…..If you want to pray in your seats then that is fine too….If God is calling you today, then do not leave this place without leaving your sin at his feet.
Let us be in an attitude of prayer
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