"Knowing is the first step"

Matthew 5:27-30

Introduction: (Begin this text with the issue with leaving sin)

A.) Recap of two weeks ago’s point; (Sin is not simply a thing you do once or twice but it’s something that becomes who you are if it goes left unchecked.

1.) Mention that the bible says that sin is lawlessness and rebellion against God, and the choice to live in sin is a lifestyle that says that life is better without God.

2.) Mention how when you read 1 John 1 the bible tells us that God is light and there is no darkness in him, and if we say we talk in the light and walk in the darkness we lie and don’t practice what we preach! Then it tells us that if we Confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous and will forgive us of our sins and cleanse us! Then he says if we say we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us! Then he begins chapter two with the reasoning for writing this heartfelt epistle, to the gentiles saying that the purpose for this epistle, is so that they MAY NOT SIN!

3.) Mention that we learned two weeks ago that 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that there is NO temptation that has overtaken us that is uncommon to all of humanity! And that even when the temptation is great, God’s faithfulness is far greater

4.) Mention how James 4:17 tells us that the one who knows the right thing and does not do it, to him is sin!

5.) Mention that even when you read 1 Corinthians 9:27 ya boy Paul says that he’s disciplined his body and keeps it under control, so that he himself is not disqualified after preach

Main Point: “If I can give you a synopsis of what Jesus’s earthly ministry was, If I can wrap up what the purpose of the gospels are; It is God, in the form of a human, showing other humans that freedom from sin is attainable.

1.) Mention how it’s easy to say it, easy to preach it, but it’s hard to live! Yet Christ emptied himself, stepped in our place, to show us that it is possible to live a life that pleases the Lord.

2.) Mention that a few years back I would have not said what I’m about to say, but now I’ll say it, “You do not have to live in sin forever!”

3.) Mention that victory is possible, victory is attainable, victory is feasible, but the problem is some of us just don’t have a game-plan.

Analogy:

1.) Mention how much I like sports:

Speak about the game-plan when it comes to guarding a player like Steph Curry

Make the point that the battle against sin is not much different, if you do not have a strategy about defeating sis, if you don’t have a plan on how to go about conquering your desires, if you don’t have an active plan on how to overcome this war, you will lose every single time!

Mention how “We’ll say stuff like, today is the last day, tonight is the last time, and that ain’t scaring nobody because you’ve said that over and over and over and yet no change has happened, and it’s not because God isn’t good it’s because you don’t have a strategy to win!

Body:

1.) Speak on how: Our attitude toward sin

2.) Mention how as kids we always saw a red devil, we always saw a scary ugly picture of satan, and the problem is when you grow up with that idea of the enemy in your mind you’ll always believe that the devil is easy to point out, that sin is always to point out, that temptation is easy to point out, but do you realize that the reason why sin is so prevalent amongst believers is because it’s attractive

3.) Mention how: The temptation of Jesus foregoing a heavenly kingdom was attractive because doing so, meant that He would not suffer the pain and separation that awaited him at Golgotha.

4.) Mention how: The temptation of Adam and Even was attractive because as humans we always want what others say we can not have

5.) Mention how: The temptation for Shadrach Meshach and Abednego to bow down to the king seemed attractive, because they already gained favor, gained famed, gained appreciation to the king!

6.) Mention that: The reason some of us will continue to fall into the same mess that we’ve been in for years, is because we’re too afraid to admit out-loud that the thing that we know is wrong is attractive. Speak on how as I read my bible more I’m learning about psychology: And one of the methods used in therapy and counseling, is the method of journaling, and one of the things I do after journaling is say stuff out-loud that I’m afraid of. Things out-loud that I’m attracted to, because when I say it out loud, I’m giving myself the power to acknowledge it when it comes my way!

7.) Mention that: The problem for many of us is that we just don’t want to stop sinning. This is what we want, we want to live in the promises of God, in the fullness of God’s mercies, in the fullness of His grace, but we also want to live the life that we wanna live! We want to serve God, but we also wanna keep having sex with whoever we want! We wanna serve God, but we also wanna keep smoking, drinking, partying, lying and stealing, and I ain’t preaching at you, I’m speaking with you, many of us won’t say this out-loud, but let me liberate somebody from the hell they’re in right now, if we had a choice ELDER, we would choose to accept God’s goodness, but also live a sinful life.

8.) Mention that this was the problem with the children of Israel, they wanted the protection of God, without living a life that pleases God. And let me just say this, freedom doesn’t mean freedom from boundaries, many of us don’t really like God, because living in God’s freedom means living within the boundaries that God set up for us.

Body 2:

1.) (Begin to describe the qualities of sin) Mention how the bible says in Gen 4: that God warns Cain that sin is crouching at his door, God gives sin a person, and that person is like a stalker who won’t leave you alone. Mention how after Christ was tempted in the wilderness, the enemy leaves Jesus to come back at a more opportune time, sin has a certain feel to it. It’s eerie, dark, and scary, and whenever you are about to do something that is not good for your soul, sin is there watching you, studying you, listening to you, scouting you, waiting to devour you, and if I can just be honest today, let me just say that Sin can’t wait to put its hands on you. It can’t wait to leave its odor on you, it can’t wait to leave its mark on you, it can’t wait to leave its smell on you, sin can not wait to leave it’s prints on you. This is what sin is, this is who sin is, and the reason I’m so fired up today is because will live in sin, not knowing that sin is gameplanning to devour us!

Body 3: Here’s the method

1.) “Look I’m almost done, I just need to give you the method.” Are you ready for it? It’s simple. The way you overcome sin, is that you gotta get violent with it.

2.) Mention that: We’ll get violent with everything else, except sin. We’ll attack everyone else, except sin. We’ll be mad at anyone else, except sin. We’ll yell at everybody else, except sin. We’ll be annoyed at everybody except sin, Oh talk to me in here, why is it that we can make everybody else our enemy except our enemy. And the devil is happy, when you’re so blind with being mad at everybody, that you forget who the enemy really is. Here me now it is not you vs them, it’s you and them vs the enemy!

3.) Mention that: If you are not violent with defeating your sin, your sin will get violent with you! Sin is such a nuisance that it won’t just turn your mind on you, but it’ll turn your body against you. That even when you want to do good, your own body won’t let you do what you’re trying to do! And though Jesus is exaggerating to get his point across, the focus is still the same, you can’t act nicely to sin, you can’t be indifferent toward sin, you have to quite literally cut out the very thing that is forcing you to sin! If it’s friends cut them off, if it’s a person cut them off, if it’s your mind cut off the things that encamp in it, you have to be willing to fight against it! You have to get physical with it! You have to get angry at it, because if you do not, sin will take over your being, and send you to the depths of hell where you can not be saved from!

4.) Mention that what we’ve done is taking that word “Gehenna” and translated it to something that it does not mean, so that we can fear people into loving God so they don’t end up in hell. Gehenna was a gorge that was located on the outskirts of Jerusalem, where it was known for the disposal of dead bodies, known for the disposal of rotting corpses, known for the wretched smell that it would leave, known for the living burial of individuals who had leprosy and crime history, if there was ever a place that was considered hell, Gehenna would be it. And what Jesus is saying is that if you don’t turn from sin, you’ll end up in a valley where individuals who are sick are, where individuals who are ridden with crime are, with individuals who are rotting are, If we aren’t intentional about overcoming, what awaits for us is a place far worse than hell! But a place where those who are living are separated from friends, separated from family, separated from loved ones, this is what awaits!

Closing: (Tell band to come up)

I used to be one of those people who thought we’re always going to be in sin

But the truth is that we have the gameplan

My fear is that we don’t understand that while knowing Scripture is enough, it’s only the first step! We NEED TO CUT OFF WHATEVER KEEPS US SINNING! And if it means losing jobs, friends, or things we care for, if it keeps drawing us into sin, Jesus it intentional about letting go of it! Because if not, it will separate us, from eternity with God.

But I have good news, God is faithful. God is graceful. God is merciful. Hebrews 4:16 tells us in this way: Let

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

When you find yourself about to sin, don’t run toward it, but run toward the throne of grace

When you find yourself in need of help, run toward the throne of grace

When you need a boost of strength, run to God! He is faithful

I think we confuse grace and mercy all the time, these are not two things that are exclusive but they also don’t mean the same. Somebody put it this way, grace is God giving you what you don’t deserve, and mercy is God holding back what you do deserve. In your time of trouble, there is a well that never runs dry, an ocean that is never shallow, a cup that is never empty, a cup that overflows. In your time of temptation run to where there is an abundant supply of grace, and an immense amount of mercy, God is able. AMEN!