Man the Sinner

Introduction:

IMAGE: “The milder you make the label; the more dangerous the poison.”

NEED: In talking about the gospel, we need to take away the cute label and take a hard look at the rat poison that each of us has ingested.

SCRIPTURE:

PREVIEW: Two horrible things about sin, two incredible things about the gospel.

Sin fakes its independence from God ()

A. The temptation has always been independence of God.

a. In the garden, it starts by questioning God’s decree.

b. It leads to the decision to assume the role of God in their life.

c. Since then, we have been trying to be independent of God.

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Sin

“Sin is believing the lie that you are self-created, self-dependent, and self-sustained”

Ex.

Sin is believing the lie that you are self-created, self-dependent, and self-sustained. - Augustine

B. Sin includes things the Active/what we have done: Thoughts, actions, motives, and attitudes seeking independence from God

C. Sin includes the Passive/what we have not done: Lack of thoughts, motives, attitudes, actions seeking the glory of God.

Sin makes it impossible to please God ()

A. Isaiah longs for the Lord to prove Himself strong (1-4)

a. The next time the Lord answers is the coming of Christ.

b. Isaiah recognizes the impossibility because of their sin.

B. Isaiah declares that impossibility of having fellowship with God.

a. Not just refraining from sin, but remaining in righteousness and perfection. ()

b. Isaiah’s picture - perpetual cycle of uncleanness - like a menstruation rag

The picture is a little more descript than a polluted garment - washing machine.

Not demeaning to women - woman is unclean for seven days after her monthly cycle. - 14 days out of the month.

If there righteousness is like a menstruation rag - They will never get there.

c. Ex. Your Best Day - God looks at it and says “How am I going to use that?”

d. Ex. On the day you stand before Christ - how are you going to answer Him?

So many people say that it’s because of what i’ve done or what church I belong to.

Friends, your life today and eternal destiny depends on how you answer this question in your heart.

- You will have nothing to say in your defense.

e. The next section in pleads with the Lord to come up with a solution.

C. Christ didn’t come to take away a few sins to make good people good again, he came because we are rotten to the core.

a. That is an offensive statement.

b. You can’t come to the gospel and not be offended by it.

Christ takes your sin and gives you His righteousness (I Cor. 5:20-21)

I Cor. 5:20-21

A. God’s Holiness and our sinfulness create a hopeless situation for us.

B. The gospel is good news: Jesus takes your sin and gives you His righteousness

C. Repenting and believing the gospel brings you from death in sin to life in Christ.

a. Ex. London Times - What’s wrong with the world - G.K. Chesterton - Dear Editor, What’s wrong with the world? I am. Faithfully yours, G.K. Chesterton

b. The heart of the gospel is the deep seeded belief that I am what’s wrong with the world and Christ is the only thing that can make it right.

The gospel breaks the bondage of sin (,,)

A. The gospel renders sin dead in your life - Ex. Bird in a cage. (1-2)

a. Not preaching perfection - But you are as different as can be.

b. No longer seeking independence from God - but dependence.

B. The gospel declares you alive in Christ (3-4)

C. The gospel allows me to no longer serve in my righteousness but Christ’s righteousness.

B. The gospel unlocks the armour to fight.

C. Living in the gospel allows us to open up about our sin

a. If there is any good found in me, it is because of Christ’s work, not my own.

a. Ex. College freshman - washing clothes in a sweatshirt.

C. The gospel inserts in you the teammate who can win!

b. Look to the person to your right - look to the person on your left. Their righteousness is like filthy rages - look down - that’s the stomach of the person who’s righteousness is also like filthy rags.

b.

c. When God starts moving - it’s because His people start living in the gospel and start dealing with sin in their lives.

C. The gospel allows me to no longer serve in my righteousness but Christ’s righteousness.

D.Strategy against sin

a. When God reveals sin - Repent and believe the gospel - moment by moment.

b. Use the Word of God to battle sin - sword of the Spirit.

c. Don’t fight alone - Church.

- Ex. Look to your left -In their flesh - They are rotten to the core - a sinner- look to you right, look down.

Pride is such a deceptive sin - Jesus died to set you free from it.

The gospel sets us free from other’s expectations - lets get right with God.

The gospel sets us free from other’s expectations - lets get right with God.

D.

Conclusion-

a. Ex. College freshman - washing clothes in a sweatshirt.

John Newton - toward the end of his life - “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great savior.

A. Cards - Put one on your nightstand. -

b. Look to the person to your right - look to the person on your left. Their righteousness is like filthy rages - look down - that’s the stomach of the person who’s righteousness is also like filthy rags.

c. When God starts moving - it’s because His people start living in the gospel and start dealing with sin in their lives.

B. Questions for the way home:

Where am I seeking independence from God?

How does the

Who do I have fighting with me and helping to carry my burden?

C. John Newton - toward the end of his life - “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great savior.

D. Let’s pull the labels off of the rat poison today -