Sermon Tone Analysis

THE HAUNTED HOUSE PART 2

My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear.

My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins.

I am bent over and racked with pain.

All day long I walk around filled with grief.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Southpointe!!

We are on the second part of The Haunted House!!

It is that time of year, where people start want to be scared and these Haunted House start appear in our city and surrounding area.

My mom got one just across from her house in a pasture land called the haunted forest.

You know that we did a reality house called Silent Terror to be able to show the terror that is going silently across our land but we also showed the answer at the end that would see Jesus Christ and we should Jesus being whipped, taking the stripes on His back for our healing and then they would see Jesus hanging on the cross dying for our sins.

But in every reality house or haunted house there’s things jump out at you.

Every time you go to the next station or next room, around the corner, there’s that chance of things jump out at you.

show the video of the car driving winding road

That the way it seems in life sometimes things are going good and we are driving along the winding road but all the time we are wondering when our past will jump out and haunt us again.

Are there things that haunt you?

Are there things that disturb your sense of peace?

Most likely there are things that are in the past, or anxiety and fear you anticipate about the future.

The past is like a ghost.

It is no longer alive, but lingers in our memory.

It is always the past that haunts us.

And for some it the future that we are concerned with afraid that it’s just hiding around the corner just waiting to bounce.

It is going to be bad, we just know it!

And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."

Even though God may have forgotten my sins, but I have not forgotten my sins.

The ghosts of the past come back to haunt me and accuse me.

They will whisper in my ear, "You should not have said that.

Who are you to stand there and preach?

You are a terrible administrator.

You are an incurable procrastinator.

And your office is a mess, too."

Those ghosts spew poisonous accusations and flaunt my failures in my face.

I can neither forget nor can I forgive my own sins.

Forgiveness of the self is one of the hardest parts about being a Christian.

We are our own worst critics.

Indeed, the ghosts in our lives that torment us, be we believer or unbeliever are demonic harassers doing all they can to steal, kill and destroy our lives or at best our joy and potential.

You know what I mean.

There is that relationship that went bad that you cannot forget or get past.

That failure that seems to choke any hope of success in you.

Those voices in your head repeating all the things you heard as a kid.

“You're fat or a bean pole!” “Four eyes” You're ugly!” “You're stupid!” “You'll never be any good” “You're most likely to be in jail or the gutter”, etc.

Those situations haunt you every day of your life.

Whenever you attempt a new relationship or career you hear, “You're a failure!

Always have been and always will be!

Don't even attempt it!

You'll just screw up like always!”

These are ghosts from the past and can be demonic attacks to rob you of the potential and destiny God has for you.

We need to kill them or banish them from our lives.

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

It is our duty, calling and joy to reach forth and press toward the mark while we are here.

The past is dead and you cannot raise it to fix anything.

Any continued regret for what you did or did not do or pain caused by others to if it be physical, emotional, verbal or even in a spiritual form or the pain you caused others are just ghosts haunting you.

They cannot harm you unless you allow them.

Paul said he had to forget that which was behind if he was going to reach forth and press toward the mark!

- (NIV)

He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

When we are saved or repent of our backsliding and return back to Him, Micah says that God casts all our sins into the depths of the sea.

That means your sins are buried in the sea.

Your sins are dead and gone as far as God is concerned!

Maybe you should write everything down those haunting thoughts and take them to the river.

and say goodbye once and for all to them and hello to freedom in Christ's grace and love!!

Ball it up and throw it in and say goodbye once and for all to them and hello to freedom in Christ's grace and love!!

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Imagine that for a moment, an all-powerful, all-sovereign, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-present God who forgets our sins.

Imagine that for a moment, an all-powerful, all-sovereign, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-present God who forgets our sins.

God is not even half of the harsh and terrible judge that we are.

We can be really tough on ourselves.

I catch myself asking God for forgiveness for the same old bad stuff over and over and over.

God touches my heart and says, "Huh?

What are you talking about, Phillip?

I cannot recall that ever happening."

Those ghosts spew poisonous accusations and flaunt my failures in my face.

I can neither forget nor can I forgive my own sins.

Believing that God is an all-loving God is not nearly as difficult as it is overcoming our own self-hate.

Forgiveness of the self is one of the hardest parts about being a Christian.

We are our own worst critics.

God is not even half of the harsh and terrible judge that we are.

We can be really tough on ourselves.

Believing that God is an all-loving God is not nearly as difficult as it is overcoming our own self-hate.

Forgiveness is easy compared to forgetfulness.

If I cannot forget my own sins, how can God?

The reality is this: to love unconditionally is God's nature.

God is either perfect love or else God is not God.

Perfect love does not hold grudges.

It does not keep record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.

Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres.

The truth is, God has a graciously terrible memory, especially when it comes to recalling our sins.

You and I just need an occasional reminder that our sins have not only been forgiven, but also forgotten.

Let's do ourselves a favor.

Let's make being a Christian a little more livable and free ourselves and one another from the past.

If God has forgotten our sins, why should we continue to remember?

So go ahead.

Let go of the past.

Embrace the future God has prepared for us.

God has forgiven and forgotten.

I have often allowed ghosts to haunt me and rob me of my joy and potential.

That is not God's fault.

He said I am crucified.