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Thank you. So if you look at your Bibles, turn to, well look at verse number four there, 1 John 3 and verse number four, the Bible reads, Whosoever commit of sin, transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. The title for the sermon tonight is The Destructive Nature of Sin, The Destructive Nature of Sin. So it's important to preach on this topic because you know a lot of the Christian life, you've got to, it's all about finding the right balance. A lot of your Christian living is all about finding the balance. You don't want to go too extreme on one end and you don't want to go too extreme on the other end. And when it comes to this topic of sin, there's a great realisation that hits you hard sometimes after you're saved, after you realise you've been delivered, is that I'm going to sin for the rest of my life. And you can kind of take, like I said, two extreme years, maybe on one side where the believer realises, man, I've gone back to my old sins, I once was zealous, I wanted to serve God, I wanted to do what's right, and I'm just finding myself back in my old sins. I'm still finding pleasure in those sins that I used to do, or maybe even newer sins that they weren't doing before. You know, they find themselves doing it as a saved man. And one extreme position, which is incorrect, is to say, you know, woe is me, a sinner, and oh man, how can God use me, I can't do anything for the Lord. And you just beat yourself down and you stay in a depressed attitude, a depressed mood, and you know, you're just so sorry for yourself, you know, and because you're in that state, you don't actually do any work for God. Okay, that would be unbalanced, okay, because the realisation that hits you is that I'm going to sin for the rest of my life till the day I die. And then the person over here on the other extreme will say, well, since, you know, I'm just going to serve the Lord, praise God, I'm going to do what God says that I'm going to do. And because I'm going to sin for the rest of my life, I'm just going to continue in sin. And I'm just not going to give it a second thought because I just, you know, what's the point, I'm going to sin till the day I die, I might as well just enjoy my sin, I might as well just keep sinning, and they've got no concern about trying to change their life, all right. They're not cast down, but they're on a different level of extreme and they don't care about overcoming the sins in their life. Because hey, praise God, I'm saved, Jesus died for my sins, hey, it makes no difference if I overcome sins in my life, I'm still going to heaven, praise God, no, but here's the realisation that we need to be balanced, you know, that is extreme, that is extreme, and we need to have a balanced view. So a lot of my sermons, I went back to look at my sermons that I've preached over the time, you know, the months and years, and whenever I preach on sin, I've kind of preached more about this person. And I'm like, hey, you've got to, you know, put your past behind you, you've got to just realise that you're a sinner, pick yourself up, go confess those sins to the Lord, and be useful for God and do something productive. You know, I'm usually preaching to this guy here, okay. But this sermon is more about this guy over here, the guy that's just gotten comfortable with his sins, he just says, well, I'm saved anyway, I'm going to heaven anyway, so why should I make any effort to try to have victory over my sins in my daily Christian life? So the sermon's for this guy, all right, and it's all about getting you back over here, not over here, not over there, but right where God needs to be, okay. So the destructive nature of sin, and the only way you can get away from these when you wake up and you realise, man, sin is horrible. You know, sin is destroying my life. And as I said, the title for the sermon tonight is the destructive nature of sin. Now when you look at verse number four there, it says, Whosoever commit of sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is, so it's going to define sin, for sin is the transgression of the law. Now the word is in the English language, it's kind of like this verb. And you can almost use it when you think about mathematics, it's kind of like the equal sign. So you could kind of say, for sin equals the transgression of the law, okay. But you can also say it, you know, if you put it in that sense in mathematics, you can also say it the other way around. You can also say the transgression of the law equals sin, right. Both of those statements are true. And, you know, that's kind of like saying, well, you know, Christian's father is Kevin. You can also say Kevin is Christian's father, okay. Or you can use is in that sense where you can reverse it and they're both true, okay, because it's kind of like saying this equals that. It doesn't matter which way you put it, they're both saying the same thing. Or you might say, you know, five plus four equals nine, all right, five plus four equals nine. Or you might say five plus four is nine, is or equals, you know, these things can be used interchangeably. Or you could say nine is five plus four. That would be true as well, all right, nine is five plus four. So this is important as we go through some of these passages, because there's a few verses, and I didn't take all the passages in the Bible, but there are many verses that say sin is something, but then you could also say it the other way around, that is sin, okay. So this is important for you to sort of understand the destructive nature of sin. Now, the first point that I have here is that sin makes you deserving of hell, okay. Point number one, sin makes you deserving of hell, Romans 6 23, for the wages of sin is death, right. And Revelation 21 eight, we know these verses so well, because we use these often when you're preaching the gospel, Revelation 21 eight, but the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their power in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. Now, please go to John chapter three for me, go to John chapter three. One thing I want you to understand is that sin makes you deserving of hell. But sin does not send you to hell. It just makes you deserving of hell, okay. Because here's the thing, you still sin today, you still sin today, and you're going to sin tomorrow. And that sin makes you deserving of hell, even if you're saved, even if you're saved, even if you believed on Christ, your sin still makes you deserving of hell. And this is where we get the doctrine of God's grace, because grace is unmerited favour, okay. You deserve hell, but because of God's grace, He's not going to cast you into hell. Because of God's grace, He sent Jesus Christ to be your substitute that He would die in your place, so you can go free, okay. So believing on Jesus does not make you any less deserving of hell, it just makes you saved. It takes you saved from hell. And actually look at John chapter three, verse 18. What is it that sends someone to hell? It's John 3 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already. Why? Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. So sin makes us deserving of hell, but what sends us to hell is not believing on Jesus Christ, okay. Look at the last verse in John three, John 3 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. And there's no greater wrath of God than being cast into hell fire for all eternity, right. So we see that it's actually not believing the gospel, not believing on Jesus Christ, that actually sends us to hell, because we all have sinned, and we all deserve to sin. Those that believe in Jesus deserve to go to hell. Those that don't believe in Jesus deserve to go to hell, but we don't go to hell because we have believed on Jesus and we've received the grace of God, okay. Undeserved favour, undeserved merit. Now another passage that I want to turn, well actually you don't need to turn there. If you want to go to James chapter two, go to James chapter two for me, and I'll read to you from first Corinthians 15 verse 54. Because not only does sin make you deserving of hell, but sin also determines the severity of pain in hell. The ones that have sinned the greatest and the most, those that have been the most wicked, those that have been reprobated before even going to hell, are going to suffer the most in the fires of hell. This is found in first Corinthians 15 54. This is to do with our resurrection. This has to do with our bodily resurrection, the rapture, but we may miss, I think I've missed this point when I've covered first Corinthians 15 before, but it says in verse 54, for when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, that's how our corruptible bodies have our incorruptible bodies, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory. Now it says this in verse number 55, oh death where is thy sting? So because we've been saved and not only saved, we've got those new resurrected bodies, we can say to the power of death, we can say to death where is your sting? Where is your pain? It doesn't hurt me anymore because I'm fully saved, not just spiritually, but physically in those new bodies and I'm with Christ. So you can see that there is a sting in death, and of course sting is a reference to something that is painful, and then it says, oh grave where is thy victory? Verse number 56, the sting of death is sin, okay, and the strength of sin is the law. Okay so notice that the sting of death is sin, so how much sin you take with you to hellfire will determine how bad that sting is, and then it says and the strength of sin is the law. So of course sin is a transgression of the law, so those that have transgressed the law of God the most will face the harshest sting, will take the harshest pain in the lowest hells. Okay so that's just the reality, you know, sin makes us deserving of hell and also for those that do not believe in Christ also determines how much they're going to be in pain in the fires of hell. Alright so sin makes you deserving of hell. Point number two, you guys have turned to James chapter 2 verse 10, sin makes you guilty. You know sin ought to make you guilty, you know feel guilty, yeah maybe, but so even if you don't feel guilty you are guilty, right, I mean there are times that I've sped, right, I've broken the law and I've gotten a fine, right, and I don't feel guilty, it's like come on it's just you know five kilometres over the limit, but I was guilty, I did break the law, right, and this is James chapter 2 and 2 verse 10 says for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offending one point he is guilty of all, for he that said do not commit adultery said also do not kill, now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the law. So there's the transgression of the law again, not only have you transgressed the law but your label, your title is a transgressor of the law, but as it's said there in verse number 10 he is guilty of all. You commit one sin, you've broken the laws of God, the whole thing, the whole thing you failed, you failed at keeping the whole thing. So you know you might say I'm striving to live right, I'm striving to do this and especially as an unsaved person that's trying to live godly, you know just one lie makes them guilty of the entire law, makes them a transgressor in the eyes of God and this is why we of course need the grace of God and so you know understanding sin and understanding the destructive nature of sin also helps us understand the love of God, helps us understand the grace and the mercy of God because we've transgressed against him and when someone transgresses against me I want to see that person get punished, I want to see that person right get the full measure of judgment for transgressing against me and yet God is different you know he says no you know what that's something that I don't enjoy, I'd rather see these people saved, I'm willing to send my son because I love the world and it's just an amazing amazing love that God has you know it's beyond what we can sort of express in ourselves you know it's so amazing to think about what Christ has done for us. Now please go to Proverbs 21, Proverbs 21, Proverbs 21 because sin ought to make you feel guilty you know that and if you if you if you commit sin and you don't feel guilty about it there's something wrong with your heart you know especially as a saved person you have the holy ghost in you, you've got the new man, when you sin there ought to be a prompting in you that says I messed up you know I failed God once again, I'm guilty for what I did all right and here's the situation in Proverbs 21 verse 4 and this is my third point you know sin makes you proud you know if you're not quick to confess it if you're not quick to go and get it right with God you're going to start just making excuses you're you're going to stop going to the Lord and confess in those sins and you're just going to be proud. Proverbs 21 verse 4 says and high look and a proud heart and the plowing of the wicked is sin. So remember how we can put it the other way around sin is a high look, sin is a proud heart, sin is the plowing of the wicked. When it says that the plowing of the wicked it's not that plowing you know plowing seeds and growing the harvest is sinful but because these are wicked people and you see the context of of being proud in heart and having that high look it's because someone that has sinned against the Lord a wicked person who has no regard for the Lord when they are productive when they do go and harvest they will account that for themselves they'll say well look what I have done and they won't acknowledge they won't give thanksgiving to God for the seed for the rain for the soil they won't give thanks to God they will just boast of themselves and so sin makes you proud and when you refuse to go to the Lord and when you refuse to to be guilty before the Lord I'm talking about someone that's saved now okay and you just want to you need to have that sweet fellowship with God you're going to get hardened in the heart you're going to have pride in your heart and say well God I'm a sinner anyway I'm going to sin till the day I die I'm you know so what who cares Lord and you have this attitude of making excuses for your sins when really you should just be guilty should just lower your eyes in a you know in the face of a righteous God and say God please help me be humble help me to get this sin out of my life I don't want to be someone that's a wicked person that plows and praises myself no Lord I want to be someone that if I plow and I'm productive that I'm I'm recognizing you I'm giving you thanks because I am sinful because I am weak the only reason I can be productive is because of your hand your hand of provision because of your hand of grace and so sin makes you proud okay and you know don't have this attitude that I can just serve God and I'm going to sin for the rest of my life who cares well you're going to become a very proud person a very prideful person now I won't get you to turn here but Romans 14 verse 22 my next point sin makes you faithless sin will hurt your faith in the Lord okay sin makes you faithless the Bible says in Romans 14 22 hast thou faith have it to thyself before God happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth and he that doubteth is damned if he eats because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin so again just think about it the other way around sin is that which is not of faith whatsoever is not a faith okay sin is whatsoever is not of faith so when you're in a state of sin and you're you know and this is the this is the reality of sinning you have at that point in time when you've committed that sin you've been faithless toward God you say God I know this is wrong but it gives me enjoyment it's something that I want to do my old man wants to do it the flesh delights in it Lord I know it's breaking your your commandments hey but I'm safe and you're lacking the faith to acknowledge and to understand that you're trespassing against the Lord God you're the creator of all things who's given you life who's given you salvation who's given you the word of God who's given you the blessings on this earth and blessings in heaven and you forget that for that brief moment of time and you say yes even though I know it's wrong I'm going to do it anyway hey that's a lack of faith and again you continue down that road you're going to find yourself with less and less faith you know when you read this book you're going to not be able to believe or understand and appreciate the beautiful words of God you know which are more precious than gold and you're not going to be able to you know receive those things in faith you know our Christian life is all about going from faith to faith we do things faithfully following the commandments of God knowing that if I do what God says that I need to do that I'm going to be right with him that is going to bless me that I'm not going to destroy my life and when you lack the faith well that's when you start to destroy your life because you don't have the faith that what God's word says is true and you start living however you think you need to live you know faith makes you sorry sin makes you faithless how can you pray without faith how can you go to the Lord without faith you know you continue down that rabbit hole of sin it's going to hurt your faith you're in you're in problems please go to psalm 51 go to psalm 51 psalm 51 one sin makes you feel dirty sin makes you feel dirty that's my next point okay I mean have you ever been filthy and you just you just you know maybe you've you've worked hard you sweated maybe you've gotten messy and you know you just you can't wait to get into that shower all right I mean just today just before church I couldn't wait to just have a shower you know just just to be clean and come to church and have a little bit of a shave and just be fresh you know well sin makes you feel dirty like that like you do on the outside wanting that shower it that's it makes you feel dirty on the inside look at psalm 51 verse 2 psalm 51 verse number 2 this is a psalm of David which he he wrote after committing adultery with Bathsheba but then he says in verse number 2 wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin how did David feel after he was you know called out for the sin that he committed of adultery he felt dirty he felt unclean this whole time all right and and now he says look god just wash me can you clean me I need a shower I need to be washed in fact some sins that you do in the body you may just feel like I need to have a shower all right just to feel like you've been cleansed but it's only a bodily cleanse and you're still filthy on the inside you know the lord you know wants you to come to him to be clean to be clean it feels so good to be clean all right it feels so good to have a shower put on some fresh clothes you know instead of just stinking up the place right sin makes you feel dirty it's going to have that effect on your life look at some look at verse number seven same same psalm psalm 51 verse number seven he says purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow so he mentions it twice in this passage David's like I'm so dirty lord I can't get this off me can you clean me can you wash me lord he's asking for forgiveness he's he's finally bringing himself down in humility and saying god I've messed up I need to be washed I need to be clean you know and this man's already saved this man's already saved but even as a safe person if you find yourself constantly in sin you're going to just feel that dirty you're not gonna you're not going to enjoy life okay you're not going to be able to appreciate life because you just have that filthiness in you please go to John 13 John 13 verse number three and when it comes to this topic John 13 is one of my favorite passages dealing with this topic John 13 this is of course Jesus at the at the last supper Jesus at the last supper John 13 and verse number three says Jesus knowing that the father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God he riser from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself so this is the story after the supper he gets ready to wash his disciples feet all right and don't miss the spiritual lesson in the story okay yes this is about the need to serve one another absolutely don't forget that but at the same time there's a greater spiritual truth in this and it says in verse number five after that he poureth water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter said unto him Lord dost thou wash my feet Jesus answered and said unto him what I do thou knowest not now see what he's saying is you don't get what I'm doing look if this was just to wash his feet just to be a servant why would Jesus says look you don't really get what I'm doing right now there's a greater spiritual truth is what Jesus is telling Simon Peter okay what I do what I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter so you'll understand it in due time verse number eight Peter saith unto him thou shall never wash my feet okay so I can understand Peter I mean if Jesus walked in these doors right now and you know he wanted to wash your feet you'd probably like Lord why let me wash your feet let me get down Lord and get some water and a towel and I'll wash your feet Lord you know you it'll be uncomfortable to think you know that Jesus Christ would come and wash your feet so I can understand Peter I can understand Peter's reaction here and then he what Jesus answered verse number eight Jesus answered him if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me no part you either let me wash your feet Peter or you've got I can't have anything to do with you I can't be around you that's what Jesus is saying right verse number nine Simon Peter saith unto him Lord not my feet only but also my hands and my head so you can see how he reacts right this is what I'm talking about the Christian life you need a balance all right the right thing is for Jesus to wash your feet when you're saved you need your feet washed Peter's like a little bit unbalanced going look just wash it all from top to bottom but that's not what Jesus needed to do for him Jesus just needed to wash his feet look at verse number 10 Jesus saith unto him he that is washed needeth not so if you're washed you don't need to be washed again all right not save or accept to wash his feet but he's clean every wit and ye are clean but not all for he knew who should betray him therefore said he ye are not all clean so what's the lesson here he says like you're all clean except one and that one of course was Judas Iscariot okay so when he says you're all clean he's referring to the fact that they're saved do they believe on Jesus Christ understand that but even those that are saved and believed on Jesus Christ yes they've been washed from top to bottom but they still needed their feet cleaned they still needed their feet washed okay so this is a picture of our lives we're clean we're washed top to bottom once saved always saved you don't need to be cleaned again okay it's been done but our feet represent our life we go about like our feet represent even soul winning right your soul win talks about your beautiful feet you get out there you do the works of God hey you can you can have beautiful feet as you serve the Lord and you preach the gospel but you can also have very filthy feet because you're going to sin for the rest of your life you're going to sin to the day that you die and as you go about life you're going to be accumulating more and more dirt on your feet and if you're here and you're like well God you know I want to serve you Lord I want to go so anyone to be in church but you have all you've gathered your feet are dirty you're filthy with all your sins you've not confessed them you've not gone to the Lord to be cleaned well what did Jesus say that you'll have no part with him you can't have fellowship with the Lord you know and I don't want your faith I don't want your Christianity to be all in vain you know where you're on the outward everyone thinks you're right with God everyone sees your work that you're trying to serve the Lord but you've got your feet dirty your feet are dirty and you need to get them cleaned and the reason you've not gone to confess your sins is because you're like Peter all right what did he say again thou shall never wash my feet said Peter oh don't stay there learn the lesson okay because if you never have your feet washed you can't have sweet fellowship with Jesus Christ Jesus Christ can't use you for his service okay everything else that you do if you're not if you're not doing it with Christ if you're not doing it in the new man it's just vain it's it's all vanity it's just vain attending church it's got no purpose there's there's no reason it doesn't help you unless you you've got clean feet unless you've got a clean heart so that's why I'm saying it's so important yeah you know yeah I want to serve God but whatever who cares my sins I just you know I'm just going to put up I'm going to keep sinning because I know never overcome it it's a wrong attitude to have because then you have no part with Jesus Christ and I know the reason you want to serve God is because you want to be with Christ because you want to be with the Lord you want to fellowship with God and so it's so important that you realize what sin does to your life yes we know about the unsaved and they're deserving of hell and you're not going to go to hell praise God but while you live this earth these 70 80 90 100 years that you have I want you to be with Jesus Christ I want you to be in fellowship with Christ I want you to be as productive as you can as you serve God in your life and so you have to understand just how filthy sin is even in our day-to-day life how Jesus says look I've got to wash your feet and look Jesus was willing to wash his feet praise God that we have a God who's willing to do that it's amazing to think that we can go to to God and say God please forgive me please cleanse me please wash me it's so important to preach this I don't know why a lot of churches don't preach on this I don't get it it's so important you miss this part you're kind of just spinning your wheels for the Lord you know it's so important that you go and you confess your sins to the Lord now please go to our I'll get you to turn to Galatians chapter 6 go to Galatians chapter 6 what else does sin do for you to your life you know sin leaves lasting consequences you're going to have consequences of your sins now when it comes to maybe the smaller sins maybe not so much but significant serious sins you know fornication adultery I mean even drunkenness and addiction to hard drugs and things like that can have significant lasting consequences in your life and the Bible says in Psalm 51 remember this is the same Psalm that David wrote about Bathsheba and asking God for forgiveness but in verse number three he says for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me he goes it's it's like it's not he's not saying that God won't forgive him of course God will forgive him but it says look the consequences of this and we know that the Lord punished him for that great sin and he's you know his his children died certain deaths and the kingdom was split and all those kinds of things because of his sin and but then he says this yeah he says and my sin is ever before me there are lasting consequences to your sins you know and you've got to be careful go to in Galatians Galatians chapter 6 Galatians chapter 6 and verse number 7 Galatians chapter 6 verse number 7 be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap for he that soweth to the flesh soweth sorry flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the spirit shall the spirit reap life everlasting be not deceived God is not mocked when you sin God knows all about it I don't know about it your family might not know about it your friends may not know about it you may think I got away with it nobody found out nobody knows God is not mocked and he's going to bring it up and you pay the consequences for it you're going to reap what you sow what they say for he that soweth to the to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption sin has a lasting consequence on this earth it can hurt you mentally it can hurt you emotionally it leaves scars you can be you can be leaving scars in the lives of other people that love you and that care for you say what do I do pastor Kevin I keep sinning well just understand how serious let's start there let's just understand how serious sin is you're transgressed in the law of God you know you you every sin you know even when you've sinned against a brother in the Lord yes you've sinned against them but you've sinned against the Lord as well any sin you've committed you've transgressed against the Lord you know you've been an offense toward the Lord God start there and just realize God I've messed up I've messed up Lord and we know God we know he's full of wrath we know he's got that hand of chastisement and and we know that you know he has to set things right he has to be a righteous judge okay but you don't want to be stuck in your sins and just wait for the hand of God to bring chastisement in your life I mean that's a scary thought to just think aren't God how long is it going to take just go and confess it just go and get your feet washed just go and beg for the mercy of God for the long suffering that God has the great love that he has for you so the chastisement can be a lot lighter okay and you can still learn the lesson because what's the chest what's chastisement about it's about profiting you it's so you can learn so you can grow so you can change but if a lot of the growth and change has already happened Lord that was wrong please forgive me then his channel chastisement does not have to be as severe it's when you're full of pride and your heart into the Lord and you don't go to the Lord you're ashamed to even face him then expect his chastisement to be a lot harder a lot harder because you've hardened yourself toward the Lord and that leads me to my next point in Numbers 32 verse 23 you don't need to turn there it says but if you will not do so behold ye have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out this is 100 sure okay be sure your sin will find you out listen you can't hide it forever my point is that sin will expose you sin one day you think you're doing fine you think you're coasting along just fine everyone thinks that you know you're powering for the Lord and you're having victory over sin and you've got those hidden sins in your life at some point you're going to be exposed if you don't go and get those things right with the Lord if you don't go to the Lord and ask him for his powerful help to overcome those sins that you have sin will expose you and I don't want you to be we've seen it with the pastor in America didn't we how he lived his double life of prostitutes and gambling all that okay one that what happened his sin found him out now what he's destroyed his testimony he's destroyed his reputation okay his wife probably doesn't trust him now like she used to right I mean there's there's destruction there's lasting consequences but he's been exposed he's been exposed and it's just it's shameful you know it's all over the internet these things you know it's all over the place and he'll never be able to escape that that's part of the consequence of his sin he should have just got it right with the Lord he should have just admitted to the Lord he should have just he just should have got right with the Lord as soon as that temptation came his way okay I don't want you to be like that pastor you probably won't you probably won't be exposed to that level of course pastors they've got a greater condemnation if they really mess things up so you know I'm preaching to myself as much as you guys because I don't want to you know destroy my reputation where all these sins come out and look I'm a sinner you're a sinner we sin and the most important part again brethren is that you go and you get it right with the Lord all right now the next point that I have if you can please go to James chapter four go to James chapter four in your bibles is that sin makes God seem distant okay if you're right now saying to me I just God just seems so far away I just feel like he's not I don't know where he is then it's it's sin it's it's personal sin that you have at the moment that's causing you to feel that way in Psalm 51 verse 11 it says cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me King David felt like man this sin of Bathsheba I'm so far away from where is the presence of the Lord is he going to take away the Holy Spirit I mean he feels so far from the Lord and that's what sin does okay because what did Jesus says you have you have no part with me if you don't let me wash your feet so this is the consequence here King David feeling that way you're in James chapter four and verse number eight James chapter four and verse number eight says draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you hey that's beautiful beautiful okay we often preach about that draw nigh to God and God will be closer to you but if that's true then the opposite will be true all right if you distance this distance yourself from God if you don't draw an eye to God all he's gonna be very distant from you right I mean if you want God to be nigh to you near to you you've got to go near to him but if you're not going near to him you go in the opposite direction or God will feel very very far from from you and yeah his presence may not be felt you may feel like that you're praying to your ceiling you know your ceilings hit the roof and they bounce back down they're not reaching the Lord you can't see the hand of God's blessing your life it's probably because you have unconfessed sin you've got some issue but look at look at the end of verse number eight cleanse your hands you sinners and purify your hearts you double-minded so it's impossible for me to overcome this sin that I have then why does it say cleanse your hands you sinners purify your hearts why is it there if it's impossible to overcome that habitual sin that you've got in your life listen I'm not I'm not preaching sinless perfection here I'm not saying that you'll never ever you can get to a point where you'll never sin again until you know you die or you're the rapture or whatever right I'm not saying that but you must understand just how serious sin is and God wants you to cleanse your hands he wants your your your your hearts to be purified double-minded you know this is talking about where we sin we can sin with our hands we can sin in our body all right we can sin in our hearts we can sin in our minds these are all different places that we can commit sin and of course the sins of the mind in the heart they're the most sneaky ones because no one sees them at least the ones in your body people can sort of find out about it but the ones that are deep down you know and buried well only God can see them and God can see them that doesn't mean that's still God can still expose you you know you're still going to to reap what you sowed even with those sinful things that you have in your heart in your mind um you got to get those things right you've got to want to be able to overcome sin uh and please go to uh please go to Romans chapter wait let me think about this let me actually go to Proverbs go to Proverbs I don't want to turn to every reference but uh if you go to Proverbs I'm going to read to you from Romans chapter 8 verse 7 this kind of ties into the point that I mentioned before where we have no part with God where your service for God can be in vain but the next point that I have here is that sin will cause your worship to be in vain sin will cause your worship to be in vain in Romans chapter 8 verse 7 it says because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God you know I've preached this before and even especially if you're a preacher if you come up here behind the pulpit and you have an opportunity to preach if you come in the flesh you're not going to please God cannot please God okay you come with that carnal mind you come with that enmity that sin against the Lord you haven't set those things right well you're not going to what's the point why you why are you preaching them all right it's so important and uh you know part of the thing you know I want you know preachers I've said let's start using our ties you know we didn't start with our tires and and come dress nice you know come because I want that to be a reflection of the inside when you put your tie on in the mirror you come to preach or you come to song lead you know you look at yourself in the mirror you say well I look presentable on the outside I want that to be a reminder sharp reminder I better be right on the inside hey before I get behind the pulpit before I suddenly before I preach God can you please forgive me for what I've done today I want to I want to get into the house of God with a clean heart you know please help me to be a service to the brethren I don't want my worship I don't want my service to be in vain for you I want you to have maximum treasures in heaven I want you to have more I want everything you do in this church anytime you serve the brethren for God to lay up another gold brick up up there right I don't want it to be just a waste you know just and the outward outward show just to please man no we should desire to please God now did I get to turn to Proverbs Proverbs okay go to Proverbs 24 verse number 9 Proverbs 29 sorry 24 verse 9 because sin will cause you to lose wisdom okay you might be wise right now you get into some heavy sins you're going to start finding yourself become very stupid okay you'll cause you to lack wisdom Proverbs 24 verse 9 the thought of foolishness is sin and the scorner is an abomination to men but I want you to think about that again the thought of foolishness is sin that's correct but wouldn't it just be as correct to say sin is the thought of foolishness so what I'm trying to say to you brethren is when you sin you are doing foolishly that's not wisdom when you break God's commandments that's not being wise that's being foolish that's being stupid you're not going you're not listening to the Lord you're not doing what he says when you sin hey it's a thought of foolishness and the problem there brethren again if you don't get things right with God you just leave it hanging around you're going to become stupid you because foolishness is the opposite of wisdom and God you know the Bible says the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom it's the beginning of knowledge without the fear of God you're in a sinful place you're hardened against God you're in a state of foolishness and you're going to pick up the Bible and try to read it and you're not going to get it it's not going to make sense the things that you once made sense you're going to read it again you're like why can't I get this it's because you got foolish because because you got stupid you need the new man you need the Holy Spirit to empower you to read this book and when you're stopping the Holy Spirit from doing that when you're in the carnal flesh you're going to pick up this book and you go I can't I don't get what's going on there I got it before what's going on it's because you've got unconfessed sin you've got dirty feet you know you've gotten foolish you've lost the wisdom that God can give you through the Holy Spirit and the new man and uh proverbs go to 15 verse 15 sorry chapter 15 proverbs chapter 15 and verse number seven proverbs chapter 15 and verse number seven it says the lips of the wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the foolish do if not so okay so how important like I said a preacher right you want to be right with God before you preach because you want to be wise you want to get here open the word of God and uh disperse knowledge you want people to learn something from the word of God you can only do it if you're right with God if you're if you're messed up and you've got sin and you're you're not you're going to be what the foolish right but the heart of the foolish do if not so you're not going to be able to be a blessing to the church you're not going to be able to edify the church just some other passages psalm 73 verse 3 says for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked so this psalmist says look I'm curvature so I see how the wicked seem to flourish in this world but then he says so he calls them foolish but then in the same psalm in verse number 22 he says so foolish was I an ignorant and I was as a beast before thee he says like I'm a dumb animal I've become foolish I thought they were foolish and I started to covet after worldliness and sinfulness and and living ungodly and I now realize I'm the dumb animal I'm the foolish one that's the reality of sin it makes you a fool it makes you a stupid animal or a dumb animal now uh if you can please go to uh psalm 16 psalm 16 actually hebrews go to hebrews 11 go to hebrews 11 I try to get you to turn to places where you're not gonna have to turn far to another place but hebrews 11 verse 24 what I want to say here is that sin will cause you to be displeased discomforted and unhappy displeased this discontent and unhappy hebrews chapter 11 verse 24 says by faith moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of god than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season all right so is there pleasure in sin absolutely that's why you see that's why I sin because for that brief period of time it was something we wanted to do it give it gave us some type of pleasure but is it pleasures forever more all right it's it's it's a pleasure for a season all right so you commit the sin you got a brief moment of pleasure and now you're miserable you're not you the pleasure is gone you're displeased you're unhappy you're discouraged that's what sin does it tricks you it makes you think if you do it you'll be pleased yeah for a moment you are and then it's gone and now you're displeased now you're discontented now you're unhappy okay and again that's kind of the the extreme that I said about this guy this christian oh man I'm such a sin I can't do anything for god he's displeased because he's sinned but he you've got to get up though okay because you've got to live for the lord all right so he's got some of that right attitude he realizes sin is extremely wicked right but he's unable to do anything productive for god and um I say this because not only does sin cause you to feel that way this consent unhappy and this without pleasure is this causes sin to be addictive sin is addictive why because when you did it it gave you that brief moment of pleasure and now it's gone say but I want that pleasure back so you go back to the sin and you get that pleasure again it's gone what well you go back to that sin because that's and then what the pleasure is gone now and well and you go back to it becomes addictive this is like a drug addict this is like a drunkard right for a moment they take their drugs they take their alcohol it gives them pleasure for a season and then it's gone it's like oh man where'd that go and then they're well the only thing that gives me some pleasure is another drink of a beer and they have another beer and for a moment makes you feel good in a moment it gives you a bit of a buzz it gives you a bit of a high maybe you're even happy for a brief moment of time but then it's gone yeah okay so that's how these things become addictive sin is addictive because there is pleasure but the pleasure is short-lived and the only way that you may feel that I can get that pleasure is again is going back to that same sin over and over and over and over again before you're a complete drunkard before you've you know you've destroyed your your mind mentally with drugs but even the sins that may not destroy you physically like that is destroying you internally it's destroying you and your relationships it's destroying your perspective of life and destroying your your family and and your relationship with god it's it's destroying all these things and you don't even realize because it's so addictive you keep going back to those sins over and over again you know so sin is addictive and I'll just read you Psalm 16 11 it says that will show me the path of life in thy presence in the listen in the presence of god in thy presence is fullness of joy and thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore hey we're all seeking pleasure don't we want to live these lives and be happy don't you want to go to your grave and say man I enjoyed life I'm so thankful I got to live out this period of time you know I got to enjoy what god has laid out I got to be happy hey I might not have been rich but I was happy I had joy that's what I want for you that's what I want for myself but you're not going to find that in sin you're going to find pleasures forevermore at the right hand okay of god at the in the presence of god again what did you say to peter you don't get your feet washed you have no part in me and if you've got no part in jesus you've got no part with god you're not going to have those pleasures forevermore okay this is an eternal pleasure of course we're going to have pleasure in heaven okay forevermore is eternity but I want it now don't you I don't want to wait till I have to go to heaven to be happy for the rest of my life I want to be happy now I want to get things right with god and enjoy my life and face it yes god I'm a sinner yes god I keep sitting but I need you I need you to forgive me god because the sin nature you know all about it since adam you know I'm I'm I'm just like anybody else you know I've got this sin nature god and I need you to keep forgiving me I need you to give me the power to overcome these sins so in conclusion brethren I'll get you to turn to because you're in hebrew so go to hebrew chapter 10 now go to hebrew chapter 10 so this isn't a sermon about how to overcome sin that can be from another time this is a sermon just so you understand the seriousness of your sins I don't want you to be over here where you're so comfortable in your sins right well who cares you know I'm gonna sin anyway that's a bad place to be you're unbalanced you need to get over here first you start over here first you get the balance then you'll be able to start having victory over those sins but in hebrew chapter 10 in verse number 15 it says where of the holy ghost also is a witness to us for after that he had said before this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days save the lord I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds will I write them and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more so this covenant is the new covenant if you've entered that new covenant this is true for you okay you're saved okay the new testament if you're saved this is true for you god says I've written my laws in your hearts and in your minds okay and we know what's in again the transgression of the law so first thing I want you to understand is if you're in touch with the spirit of god if you're in the presence of god you're walking the new man god doesn't even have to tell you it's written your heart you know what is sinful in fact I'll just read another passage Romans 2 14 says for when the gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law unto themselves which show the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another what Romans 2 is saying is that even the unsaved gentiles have some of the law of god written in their heart they understand they don't necessarily need the bible to understand what certain what certain things are right and wrong but even more so as a believer someone that's in the new covenant in that new man through the holy spirit of god you're going to know whether what I'm doing here is sinful or whether it's righteous okay what I'm trying to say is you've got to get in touch with your conscience you've got to get in touch with the holy spirit of god you've got to be in the new man and so when that temptation comes it's not just this I just fall over and I've sinned it's like the temptations then you're like what you have to understand is if I sin if I do this sin I'm a transgressor of god and I'm going to cause him displeasure and I'm going to be unhappy after I do this you just got to realize that you've got to just wake up before you commit that sin when that temptation comes say am I willing to upset the lord am I willing to do what's wrong am I willing to just go for that small season of sin hey that's where you start just understand that god wants you you don't you don't need to be carrying your bible 24 7 and every time you're tempted you need to work out or is this right or wrong god it's actually written in your hearts it's actually in your minds it's amazing thing okay but here's what's beautiful about the bible okay because obviously if that law is written in our hearts and our minds it's going to be compatible it's going to be consistent with what we see in the word of god and in romans chapter 3 verse 20 it says therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is a knowledge of sin so for we so by the law is a knowledge of sin so here's the thing and here's what I want you to be thinking about uh in the coming weeks uh if you are especially struggling with this sin especially if you're someone that struggles to get right with god when you do sin is you need to understand that it's through the law the floor of god is going to tell you whether you are fully like understanding the commandments and the laws of god that are written in your heart and in your mind this is how you test it you test it through the word of god and when you realize that you're committing certain things and you enjoy it and it doesn't upset you and you're full of pride and you don't want to face god and you want to you don't want to be humble about it then you're out of whack you're out of whack you need the the bible to show you where you're wrong and you already know in your heart but if you if you're if you're not compatible in that sense you really need the word of god to show you what that sin is okay to just clear that up in your hearts and in your mind but that's that's basically my conclusion right now guys I just want you to understand it's a serious thing sin is serious and I don't want to be one of these pastors that don't preach against sin you know there are a lot of churches and a lot of pastors that just do not preach against sin now I'm preaching about sin in general okay and you know people are left just thinking well I can just you know I'm just always right with god and they don't see the hand of god in their lives they don't see people getting saved they don't see knowledge growing of the bible they don't see themselves doing anything in the local church because they think they're they're fine they think they're right they think that they're part they're fellowshiping with jesus and jesus says look I've gotten you're so far away from me I'm really not fellowshiping with you all of that work that you're doing is in vain and I want you to really enjoy life I want you to get a hold of those pleasures forever more you know generally speaking I'm pretty a happy person generally speaking right because I realize that the pleasures are you know that's going to give you so much joy is just being right with god just always sitting god at the right hand and when I sin I just gotta say god I'm so sorry I just gotta bow my head and say lord I'm a pastor even I should be sitting a better example than this and you know but the sin nature and the lord hey is willing to forgive you he's willing to clean you of your feet and make them beautiful again to be able to do the works of god and that's god's desire for you but the first step brethren is for you to realize just how awful how terrible sin is so I hope you know this sermon brings that back into your minds all right let's pray