02 Defining Sin

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting Con’t.

Council Meeting This week.

Prayer Summit - Jan. 29th at 6pm

Team Member Sundays - Every Sunday in Feb. (starts 2/5)

*CHURCH UPDATES: Digital and paper connect Card

DECLARATION:

Ephesians 2:20–22 (ESV)

20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

SVCC is built by God, upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, and with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone.

We are joined together by union with Christ, we are growing, and we are a dwelling place of God by his Spirit.

Prayer for...

INTRODUCTION:

Review:

Week 1 - The Increasing Wickedness of Humanity (Ge. 1-11) and yet with each we see the Mercy of God!

SERIES WHY?… Dead to Sin and Alive to God

Romans 3:23 “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

The divine glory was lost in the fall and mankind cannot possess it apart from Christ (EGGNT).

Rom. 6:11 “11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

TODAY: So what is sin?

Last week: Described sin (through 4 stories in Ge. 1-11: offensive acts, displease God, punishment, & mercy)

This week: Defining sin

5 Part Definition of Sin:

Sin is a transgression of the law of God

Romans 4:15 “15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.”

Galatians 3:19 “19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.”

Just as the law brought an understanding of sin and also the promise…it is my prayer that as we look at what Scripture says about sin we too will understand the promise better, The Better Promises of the covenant Jesus mediates (Heb. 8:6) !

Sin is a failure to conform to the standard of God

Romans 14:23 “23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”

This is a sin of omission…failure to do what is right!

We must obey the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We must live by faith in what Jesus did wand “walk in love” (v. 14:15).

Sin is wrongful acts toward God and man

Romans 1:18 “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

We must be a people of the truth (Jesus who is truth-truth is a person)!

Sin is a principle within man

Galatians 3:22 “22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

Hebrews 3:13 “13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

Romans 7:17-25 “17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”

There is something significant about serving God with our mind!

Sin is rebellion against God

1 John 3:4 “4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.”

Titus 2:14 “14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

We are to be redeemed from this rebellion

We are to be purified by God

We are to pursue good works

Matthew 24:12 “12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.”

As we get closer to King Jesus’ return there will be an increase in lawlessness.

Conclusion/Reflection:

Romans 6:23 “23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Jack Hayford in The Secrets of Intercessory Prayer writes,

Relational problems began because the serpent deceived and blinded—he lied and covered the truth. The chain reaction of cutting off people from God, from each other, from commitments and vows, from caring or returning is unending. But so is the power of God’s grace and mercy. He will overthrow the “cut-off syndrome” when faith and prayer lay hold of His promises. These beautiful promises declare that God

• can grow life from a dead stump,

• can graft back into the family tree any who have been cut off, and

• can reconnect to His reality whatever has been severed from us by self-opinionation (a claim on “rights” or righteousness that is often religion-based).