TWISTING GOD'S TRUTH--PART V

SERMON TITLE: EMBRACING YOUR SINFULNESS

SERMON THEME: SIN VERSES A MISTAKE

INTRODUCTION: SIN IS INTENTIONAL AND A MISTAKE IS ACCIDENTAL.

TWIST: IF EVERYTHING I DO IS A MISTAKE, WHICH MEANS I DO NOT SIN, THEN I AM NOT A SINNER, SO I DO NOT NEED A SAVIOR.

I JOHN 3:4-6

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁵ But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. ⁶ No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

· I WOULD RATHER BE A MISTAKER, WHICH MEANS I JUST NEED TO DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER NEXT TIME.

I JOHN 1:6-7

⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from al sin

I) REALIZE THAT PEOPLE WITHOUT JESUS WE ARE LOST.

MARK 10:18; 20-22

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.” ²⁰ “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

· THE CHALLENGE IS THAT JESUS SAYS YOU ARE NOT GOOD BUT GOD LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU IMAGINED.

MATTHEW 5:17-21

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. ²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,^[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’

· JESUS RAISED THE GOODNESS BAR SO HIGH THAT NOBODY WAS GOOD. THEN HE INSISTED THAT GOD LOVED EVERYBODY.

MATTHEW 5:27; 31-32;43

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’^[

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³² But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

· GOD'S AGENDA IS TO POINT OUT YOUR SIN NOT TO CONDEM YOU, BUT TO FORGIVE YOU.

II) REMEMBER THAT PEOPLE WITHOUT JESUS ARE LOVED.

LUKE 15: 1-7

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. ² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

· YOU DO NOT REALLY FIND GOD; GOD FINDS YOU.

LUKE 15:6-10

⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.⁸ “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins^[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ¹⁰ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

· UNTIL YOU EMBRACE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE A SINNER, YOU ARE NOT OPEN TO EMBRACING THE FACT THAT GOD SENT YOU A SAVIOR.

III) RESOLVE THAT PEOPLE WITHOUT JESUS ARE TO BE LED.

LUKE 15:21-24

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

· MISTAKERS NEVER RUN TO GOD, THEY RUN AWAY.

ROMANS 3:23

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

CONCLUSION: YOU KNOW YOU NEED A SAVIOR WHEN YOU ARE WILLING TO TRANSFER YOUR TRUST FROM YOURSELF, AND YOU TRANSFER YOUR CONFIDENCE AND YOUR TRUST TO JESUS AS YOUR SAVIOR.

II CORINTHIANS 1:9-10

⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,