Sin: The Problem

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We had the day off on Monday for the Easter holiday and Jenna and I have been trying to get out of the house more lately and take Eden to parks and different places to play and really wear herself out since we have Ezra now. We have gone to a lot of great places like the science center, the children’s museum and a few different parks. But Monday we went to the Oak Ridge town park, not far from our house. Eden loves to play on the playground and run around there. It’s honestly a ton of fun for us to, I love going on the playground with her and helping her go down slides or climb the little rock walls. So we did that for a while but then we went and walked the path that goes around the whole park. Part of that path goes by a little pond there. Eden saw the pond and started saying WATERS and walking towards it. So, we went down a little hill and walked to the edge of the water. She stood there looking at the fountain, then she picked up a stick and threw it in the water. And the whole time I was right behind her ready to catch her if she happened to trip or fall. And it’s good I was there because out of no where she just looked at the water and started to try to walk off the edge into the pond. I don’t know if she thought she could walk on the water, or just wanted to see what would happen if she stepped in the water, but she never found out because I grabbed her and pulled her back up the hill. Of course, she started screaming and kicking and crying real tears! She had a full out toddler meltdown because I didn’t let her fall into the water. And I was so frustrated but I took a second and tried to see it from her perspective- all she knew what she really wanted to walk into the water, in her mind that was a great idea. And then her dada just stopped her and took that away from her! Yeah, I can see why she would be so upset. But obviously that’s not the whole story. From my, much fuller, perspective- I knew if she fell into that water what would happen? She would be soaking wet, she would have been scared and cried, she may have gotten hurt, and the reality is if I didn’t stop her from going in that water, if I never intervened at all, she would drown and die. The only reason I stopped her from doing what she wanted to was because I saw the seriousness of it. It wasn’t just a nice pond, it would’ve been a death trap for her.

Many people view God, the Bible, and the teachings of Jesus for how to live, like Eden viewed me- dad is taking away fun things from me. We refuse to let go of things that don’t look like Jesus, or we refuse to follow Jesus all together because we don’t want things to change in our lives. Here’s the problem- we think we have a full picture we really don’t. WE think it’s just a nice pond we can walk on and not get fall in, but it’s not. Unfortunately we don’t trust God and we don’t view our sin as it truly is.

Bottom line tonight is this: We won’t take sin seriously, until we realize sin is serious.

Throughout this series we are going to do a deep dive on sin, what it is, what it impacts, and how we begin to walk in freedom from it.

WHY? Because I believe we all want revival and renewal. We want to see spiritual growth in our lives and our church, we want to seeGod deeply change us and save people and move in a mighty way. Can I just tell you that none of that will happen until you and I all take sin seriously? We must repent and believe in order to fully receive the life and power of God in our midst!

So, let’s start tonight. Let’s talk about Taking sin seriously.

Turn with me to Romans chapter 1.

We will be looking at different parts of Paul’s letter to the Romans throughout this series. We won’t necessarily go in order, but we’re going to be looking at the main ideas that Paul really mentions in this letter. His whole emphasis is about our sin, the judgement we deserve for it and the salvation that is found in Jesus alone!

Before we jump in, a few things we need to have in mind for this passage.

Again, Paul is writing to the church in Rome, these christians were famous for their great faith. Verse 8 literally says their faith was being talked about all around the known world at that time. They were on fire for Jesus. Paul then leans into the problem of sin in our world. Remember these believers were in Rome and they were surrounded by a pagan world that didn’t follow Jesus. Paul knew they needed to have a crystal clear understanding of sin and take it seriously if they were going to remain faithful and not compromise in their context! So that is the focus of his letter.

Just before the passage we will read, Paul says that God’s wrath is against all godlessness and unrighteousness because God has made himself evident to people, yet they sin against him. His reality is clear in creation and the cross so people have no excuse for their sin. We’ll come back to that idea later but just keep it in mind as we read now. Romans 1, start in verse 21 with me:

Romans 1:21–32 (CSB)

For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. The men in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

Paul is telling a story. He is, essentially, retelling the story of Humanity.

Many people think about religion like a story of evolution. That a long time ago people were in caves and were dumb and just worshipped rocks and birds and the sun. But then they evolved, became more sophisticated and started worshipping the one true God! What’s crazy is actually history tells us the opposite story, and Paul says this too. He says we KNEW GOD! Think back to the garden, humanity from the very beginning knew the one, true God and chose to reject Him. Paul says it was out of that rejection we began to worship images resembling him- men, birds, four-footed animals and reptiles. Idolatry like that came after we turned away from God! We made gods of our own creation and worshiped them for our own selfish gain.

From there, Paul uses an example that was extremely practical and relevant to them and it still is to us. Sexual immorality displays humanity’s sinful heart. What God created and meant for good, people twisted, and used to worship themselves. They started having all sorts of inappropriate relationships and unnatural behaviors. AS Paul says- they exchanged God’s truth- the good design he created us for, for a lie- doing things our own way for our own worship of ourselves and pursuit of pleasure.

What happened next? Well, God handed humanity over to their sin. God hates sin because it leads to death. Because humanity loved their sin and rejected God, God let them pursue their sin and experience the consequences and death that is brings.

The final product is the worst part- Paul says, humanity was then fully corrupted by sin, and even though they KNEW it leads to death, they don’t repent, they double down and celebrate sin, promote sin, and applaud anyone who walks in sin!

Listen, it’s impossible to hear that summary of the human condition and not see how we are where we are in our world today!

This is the story of humanity and our problem of sin.

Quickly: What is sin?

if we want to take sin seriously we have to know what sin is. People tend to think sin is just one specific list of things we shouldn’t do. Or just a concept that we can hold loosely and changes over time.

So, what is sin?

The Biblical words are Khata in the hebrew and Hamartia in the greek.

Both have similar meanings of course.

The main concept of the word is failure and missing the mark. you’ve probably heard this but it comes from the idea of using a weapon and missing the target you were aiming at. For instance in Judges 20:16 “There were seven hundred fit young men who were left-handed among all these troops; all could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.” That word at the end- not MISS- miss is sin- Khata.

So, what is the target we are aiming at? God’s moral standard.

Simply, sin is anything contrary to God’s law and character.

Let’s get even more specific though. God’s law, everything in God’s Word-the Bible- Teaches us how to love God and love people. Sin ultimately is what keeps us from loving God and loving people like we were created to!

That’s important. That means:

Sin is serious because it separates us from God and people.

1. Sin separates us from God.

Let’s touch on this briefly.

Sin, separates us from God because God is HOLY. Meaning he is perfect and set apart from anything imperfect or impure. Since God is perfect and Holy he has no part in sin. Our Sin is us saying to God we do not want you, we want to do life our own way and worship ourselves. And because God loves us and gives us freedom to choose, he lets us rebel and leave him. If he were to force us to stay in a relationship with him against our will it wouldn’t be loving! And God is love! In his love he let’s us leave.

So it separates us from God and it also separates us from others.

2. Sin separates us from people.

Think back on the passage- Paul says People knew God but chose to worship themselves and idols, they begin to be corrupted by the sin and what do they act like? Go to verse 29:

Romans 1:29–31 (CSB)

They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful.

Picture someone described by those words, is that someone who is capable of loving another person? NO! They may have relationships but if they gossip, slander, are proud and unmerciful- that relationship is not about love- it’s toxic and self serving. It won’t last, that’s for sure! Sin of any kind cuts into our ability to be in healthy relationships with people. Lying, cheating stealing… it all cuts into our ability to trust one another and count on one another. There is no loyalty, generosity, or love when we are selfish, prideful, and lustful.

A person who is a slave to sin, cannot be a person of love. We can’t love God if we are worshiping ourselves and the things around us, and we can’t love others if we don’t have a loving relationship with God first. 1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

Let’s talk about one final thing before we wrap up tonight.

3. Sin leads to death.

This is a big deal to understand. There are a few ways this plays out. But without a personal, intimate relationship with God we have no life! God is LIFE and there is no DEATH in Him. This is why in the garden he said if the humans chose to disobey him, they would die. They would lose their relationship with Him and without their relationship with him they would not have eternal life.

Scholars put this concept of death in 3 categories.

A. Physical Death- meaning the only reason we get old and then our body gives out and we die is because we are in a sinful broken world. God didn’t want for death to be a part of life, it was brought about by sin.

B. Spiritual Death- this is our spiritual separation from God here on earth. That we do not have a full understanding of God or a desire for God when we are in sin. We need Jesus to bring us back to God to make us alive, though we were dead in our sins.

C. Eternal Death- this is final punishment for our sin. This is the culmination and completion of spiritual death. When Jesus returns everyone who has ever lived will raise from the dead and be judged for their sin. We all deserve to be eternally separated from God for our sins.

So, physical death is only here because sin entered the world. We can’t avoid that, but like we talked about the last two weeks- the resurrection gives us hope beyond the grave! AMEN?

But If we walk in spiritual death here on earth, if we refuse to turn to Jesus to be forgiven for our sins and made spiritually alive here on earth, then we will remain spiritually dead for eternity after Jesus returns!

The wages of sin is Death today-here and now, and for all eternity if we remain in our sin.

I realize we don’t like to hear that, or say that but its true. And again, if we realize sin is serious, we will never take it seriously!

If I don’t really understand that Eden will DIE if I let her jump in the pond, I won’t pull her away from it kicking and screaming!

But this is often how we deal with sin- 2 ways this plays out

First, we don’t repent or get rid of sin in our lives because we don’t really believe it brings death to us. Just know, that will continue to grow and keep you from loving God and loving others. It will always increasingly prevent your growth in your relationship with God and how He will work and use you in this world. Take sin seriously and deal with it severely!

The second way it plays out is we don’t want to offend anyone. Ah they will be so offended if I tell them they shouldn’t hook up, or get drunk, or smoke. Again, I know Eden won’t like it and she will even lash out at me for a moment, but I love her too much to let her drown in the pond! Of course, don’t say it like a jerk- but yes, tell people that living apart from Jesus will not satisfy them, it will only lead to death- physically and spiritually now and forever! And introduce them to Jesus who has hope and life for them!

Sin is serious. Sin separates us from God and people and sin leads to death.

Please, realize that sin is serious today and start taking it seriously!

Bow your heads and close your eyes with me.

Every week of this series we are going to have a time of response, and an opportunity to confess sin and repent here and now. I know we are just getting started and many of you may not be ready yet, but just know the longer you wait the more you miss out on God moving in your life!

As we sing I am going to go to the back and our other adult leaders will be with me. If God brings ANY sin to your mind during this time, don’t ignore it, don’t listen to the enemy try to convince you it is no big deal. There is no hierarchy of sin- all sin leads to death- big or small! When we sing I want you to get up and come talk to us. We won’t embarrass you, we wont tell anyone your business,

we are going to do 3 things- We will listen to you. We will pray for you. And Finally, we will follow up with you later to see if we can help you in any way!

So right now ask God to show you any sin in your life, to help you see it as He sees it, and then ask God to help you trust Him as you go share it with an adult leader in the back of the room!

Let’s pray for that together now and then stand and sing- and respond as God leads you to!