Sermon Tone Analysis

Nothing Hidden Forever

Nothing should set our heart aright for the New Year than this powerful truth found in God's Word, "For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open."

The New Living Translation sets the record straight for us, "For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all."

This passage of Scripture is placed just ahead of the teaching of Jesus about how important it is for us to pay attention and listen to His teachings.

(Luke 8:16-18) Jesus says, eventually everything will be revealed by the truths of God's Word.

Every deed, action, and participation in life will be revealed to all.

Jesus is stressing the impossibility of secrecy.

All of our motives will be brought under the lamp of God's Word.

The Bible says, "For the Word of God is alive and active... it judges the thoughts and attitude of the heart."

(Hebrews 4:12)

There are three circumstances people will try to hide sin: 1.)

People will try to hide or deny their wrong motives and actions from themselves.

These people justify what they do, they make others feel judgmental as they point out when self-deceptions, worldly influences and the lies of the devil are motivating their direction and determining their decisions.

People who deceive themselves fail to see their incredible folly in the work place, in social events and family settings.

People who want to reject the truth about themselves will ignore their spouse, family, friends or co-workers, they often slowly slip slide way.

2.) People try to hide things from their spouse, friends, and to their fellow mankind.

The person with un-confessed sins may be haunted by their past.

They have sins, which are thus far a secret.

They may have confessed it and asked the Lord to forgive them, but they have failed to Biblically confess to those they have kept in the dark.

The phrase, "What goes around, comes around" often comes to their mind.

The peaceful person has no secrets, nothing to be exposed, no fear of what has been seen or heard.

The peaceful Christian asked of the Lord, "Make me a temple of which all of mankind can see into." 3.) People actually try to hide things from God, while trying to appear to be religious.

Every year, Christians and spiritual leaders are found out, exposed, thus treating the grace of God with contempt.

They convince themselves, God is blessing their work, He must be overlooking their sins.

The child of God who enjoys the genuine blessing of true peace recognizes, "You are the God who sees me." (Genesis 16:13) Christians should live with a constant reminder, "...you may be sure that your sins will find you out." (Numbers 32:23) Not always here on this earth, however, for sure at the White Thrown Judgment or at the judgment seat of Christ, where all our work will be tested by fire.

The Bible gives us an exhortation that we must take to heart as we enter into the new year, "Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter [God's] rest, so that no one will perish by following [the] example of disobedience."