WEBVTT 00:00:05.666 --> 00:00:06.565 Well, good morning Valley View. 00:00:06.565 --> 00:00:10.632 It's great to be with you today and it's great to continue in our series. 00:00:10.632 --> 00:00:15.566 We've been working through on this idea of knowing God is loving God. 00:00:15.566 --> 00:00:20.166 We've used the term theology big fancy word that just means the study of God. 00:00:20.166 --> 00:00:23.932 And the way we know him and study him is to study His Word. 00:00:23.932 --> 00:00:26.500 What is His Word say about who he is? 00:00:26.500 --> 00:00:30.632 What are some of the major things his word address that helps us understand him better? 00:00:30.632 --> 00:00:34.533 And the more we know about him, the more we love him and the more we can love others. 00:00:34.533 --> 00:00:38.533 So we've looked at things like the Trinity and humanity and the attributes of God. 00:00:38.533 --> 00:00:42.100 This week we'll be talking about everyone's favorite topic sin. 00:00:43.399 --> 00:00:46.200 Yeah, I thought that might be the response. 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:49.200 More moans than clapping or excitement. 00:00:49.865 --> 00:00:51.399 But look, it's important to talk about. 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:54.232 We need to understand what does the Bible say about sin? 00:00:54.232 --> 00:00:56.899 There's a lot of different thoughts about what sin is. 00:00:56.899 --> 00:00:58.165 In fact, I've shared before. 00:00:58.165 --> 00:00:59.700 I remember a conversation I had with a guy. 00:00:59.700 --> 00:01:05.099 He said, I think it's been about ten years since I last sinned. 00:01:06.033 --> 00:01:11.033 Now, he said that with all sincerity because his definition of sin was very narrow. 00:01:11.033 --> 00:01:18.965 I have not, to my knowledge, actually taken a step to contradict a clear commandment of Scripture over the last ten years. 00:01:18.965 --> 00:01:20.533 That was his narrow definition of sin. 00:01:20.533 --> 00:01:23.632 But that's not all sin is. 00:01:23.632 --> 00:01:25.400 Sin is much broader than that. 00:01:25.400 --> 00:01:30.533 And so we want to understand what does the Bible say about sin, not just what I think sin is. 00:01:30.533 --> 00:01:32.500 We all have our pet sins. 00:01:32.500 --> 00:01:34.365 We all have our really bad sins. 00:01:35.332 --> 00:01:37.266 But what does the Bible say about sin? 00:01:37.266 --> 00:01:42.865 And I'm not going to dwell as much today on specific sins. 00:01:42.865 --> 00:01:44.566 Individual sins. 00:01:44.566 --> 00:01:50.400 You know, we could go around the room and each of us can go or not raise our hand. Yeah, that's that's mine. 00:01:50.400 --> 00:01:52.233 That's a challenge. 00:01:52.233 --> 00:01:56.933 Now, instead, we're just talking about the can't the biblical concept of sin in general. 00:01:57.033 --> 00:01:59.766 What is it at? Its core? 00:01:59.766 --> 00:02:03.965 So to do that, we're going to start in Genesis chapter three today. 00:02:03.965 --> 00:02:05.900 If you have a Bible, you want to open it up, turn there. 00:02:05.900 --> 00:02:08.800 It's just in first couple of pages of the Bible. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:11.233 If you don't have a Bible, we have those out in the connection corner. 00:02:11.233 --> 00:02:12.532 We'd love to put one in your hands. 00:02:12.532 --> 00:02:17.032 We want you turning in God's Word, looking in God's Word, reading it on your own. 00:02:17.032 --> 00:02:21.332 And we want to start in Genesis chapter three, because that's where sin began in Scripture. 00:02:22.366 --> 00:02:26.566 And so many of the patterns we see in sin, we see right there. 00:02:26.566 --> 00:02:30.966 And so it's a good place to start, a good place to read, to get our bearings around. 00:02:30.966 --> 00:02:32.599 What does the Bible have to say about sin? 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:39.432 And I'll be reading just the first 6 or 7 verses of Genesis chapter three, and we'll be unpacking. 00:02:39.432 --> 00:02:42.665 And we've outlined a number of different aspects of sin. 00:02:42.665 --> 00:02:46.265 We'll be unpacking those as we look at what does the Bible have to say about sin? 00:02:46.265 --> 00:02:46.932 What is it? 00:02:46.932 --> 00:02:51.800 In fact, we're going to take this in three big movements today. What is sin? 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:52.500 What does the Bible say? 00:02:52.500 --> 00:02:54.566 Sin is how do you define it? 00:02:54.566 --> 00:02:56.599 Or try to put your arms around it? 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:57.932 Where does it come from? 00:02:58.866 --> 00:03:01.733 And then lastly, how do we deal with it? 00:03:01.733 --> 00:03:02.500 What is sin? 00:03:02.500 --> 00:03:03.532 Where does it come from? 00:03:03.532 --> 00:03:06.099 And then of course, ultimately, how do we deal with it? 00:03:06.099 --> 00:03:07.432 What do we do with it? 00:03:07.432 --> 00:03:08.832 We're going to look at those three things today. 00:03:08.832 --> 00:03:11.133 So first let's look at Genesis chapter three. 00:03:11.133 --> 00:03:14.133 I'm going to start in verse one. 00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:20.532 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. 00:03:20.532 --> 00:03:29.332 He said to the woman, Did God actually say, you shall not eat of any tree in the garden? 00:03:29.332 --> 00:03:33.633 And the woman said to the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden. 00:03:33.633 --> 00:03:38.932 But God said, you shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden. 00:03:38.932 --> 00:03:42.332 Neither shall you touch it, lest you die. 00:03:44.066 --> 00:03:48.265 But the serpent said to the woman, you will not surely die. 00:03:49.165 --> 00:03:58.000 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:15.699 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 00:04:16.466 --> 00:04:21.065 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. 00:04:22.632 --> 00:04:27.699 Here we see sin manifest in a number of different ways. 00:04:27.699 --> 00:04:36.800 And I think as we talk about a definition of sin today, there's one word I want to use that I think will help us get our arms around sin. 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:45.833 Because I think in the history of the church, many people have wanted to take one aspect of sin and say, this is sin at its essence could be pride, boasting, idolatry. 00:04:45.833 --> 00:04:58.399 There's a number of different things we could pick and say, no, I think this is the worst sin or the essence of sin, but I think one phrase that's been helpful for for me is to realize that sin is multifaceted, like a diamond. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:09.565 And this is a in your outline, in the notes, when you look at a diamond as you change angles on it, there are different facets and shapes, and the colors change in the way it appears to change. 00:05:09.565 --> 00:05:12.565 And so sin is much like that. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:16.300 It has different facets, it has different aspects. 00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:22.432 And what we want to do is make sure we're looking at it from all angles and seeing the full picture of what sin is. 00:05:22.432 --> 00:05:31.199 And I think the place to start here, this first letter D we see here in just in very first, the very first verse, sin is deception. 00:05:32.500 --> 00:05:35.432 One aspect of sin is that it is deception. 00:05:35.432 --> 00:05:36.966 It is deceptive. 00:05:36.966 --> 00:05:39.533 The enemy seeks to deceive and lead astray. 00:05:39.533 --> 00:05:42.533 In fact, it says the serpent was more crafty. 00:05:42.533 --> 00:05:44.266 Some translate that cunning. 00:05:45.932 --> 00:05:51.766 Everything he does intentionally is meant to lead the woman in particular, right here off the path. 00:05:51.766 --> 00:05:59.165 God has set forth a path, and he's he wants to lead her away from that, and he does it in a very cunning way. 00:05:59.165 --> 00:06:01.266 Notice he the way he words. 00:06:01.266 --> 00:06:04.100 This question is intentionally meant to lead her astray. 00:06:04.100 --> 00:06:05.132 Look at how it says it. 00:06:05.132 --> 00:06:11.632 Did God actually say, you shall not eat of the tree in the garden? 00:06:11.632 --> 00:06:13.600 Did you really say that? 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:15.733 Even inherent is the question is we. 00:06:15.733 --> 00:06:16.865 Come on. Really? 00:06:16.865 --> 00:06:18.266 We know he didn't. 00:06:18.266 --> 00:06:20.699 Can you really trust what he said? 00:06:20.699 --> 00:06:24.300 It's meant to lead her astray, to deceive her. 00:06:25.500 --> 00:06:28.165 In fact, it's at the very core of who he is. 00:06:28.165 --> 00:06:31.165 Is the great deceiver. 00:06:31.165 --> 00:06:37.565 This is why there are so many warnings in Scripture to be on guard, to be watchful, to watch out. 00:06:37.565 --> 00:06:42.199 We're called to be the ones who are looking out for deception. 00:06:42.199 --> 00:06:46.100 First Corinthians 1613 in your notes addresses this be watchful. 00:06:46.100 --> 00:06:48.533 Stand firm in the faith. 00:06:48.533 --> 00:06:49.699 Be on guard. 00:06:50.966 --> 00:06:54.266 Also, first Peter five is also mentioned in your notes. 00:06:54.266 --> 00:06:56.333 Be sober minded, be watchful. 00:06:56.333 --> 00:07:01.266 The devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking to destroy. 00:07:01.266 --> 00:07:08.833 Don't go through life just naive about the fact that the enemy's out there and seeking to deceive you. 00:07:08.833 --> 00:07:12.033 Don't go along with just whatever thing you hear. 00:07:12.033 --> 00:07:13.466 Hey, that sounds like a good idea. 00:07:13.466 --> 00:07:15.466 Let's go with it. 00:07:15.466 --> 00:07:19.033 Now be aware that there is a deceiver he's seeking to draw you off path. 00:07:19.033 --> 00:07:27.665 And so our mission is to know God's word, to know what truth is, to be in it so that we can sniff that out. 00:07:27.766 --> 00:07:33.432 A friend of mine was an FBI agent, and he said, you know, most people and he would teach self-defense classes. 00:07:33.432 --> 00:07:47.533 And most people, if they're walking down a city street late at night, which he said shouldn't be doing anyway, okay, if you want to protect yourself, but if they're doing that and they see a sketchy character coming towards them, their first reaction is to think, oh boy, this could be trouble. 00:07:47.533 --> 00:07:54.100 But yet many people are afraid to kind of make any corrective action because they don't want to offend that other person. 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:56.632 They don't want that other person to feel like, hey, I'm judging you. 00:07:56.632 --> 00:07:59.300 I'm somehow looking at you and profiling you. 00:07:59.300 --> 00:08:05.432 And and he said, but listen, people look crazy for a reason. 00:08:05.565 --> 00:08:07.565 That's what he said, okay? 00:08:07.565 --> 00:08:09.899 Usually people look crazy for a reason. 00:08:09.899 --> 00:08:16.466 And he said, don't ignore that hint of intuition that says something is off here. 00:08:17.165 --> 00:08:27.365 Now, of course, be mindful of that in your personal life, but more importantly, have the spiritual intuition to know something is off here. 00:08:27.365 --> 00:08:35.865 How many peddlers of the Bible bring across deception, and they dress it up as something creative and new and fresh? 00:08:35.865 --> 00:08:37.365 I'm the only person who's ever thought of this. 00:08:37.365 --> 00:08:38.533 Let me present this to you. 00:08:38.533 --> 00:08:42.765 You've understood the whole Bible your whole life. 00:08:43.100 --> 00:08:47.466 But if you have a strong spiritual intuition, if you've been in God's Word, there's just something about that. 00:08:47.466 --> 00:08:49.365 You go, something is off. 00:08:49.365 --> 00:08:51.700 I don't I can't even put my words to it. 00:08:51.700 --> 00:08:54.832 I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but something is off here. 00:08:55.865 --> 00:08:57.700 Don't ignore that. 00:08:57.700 --> 00:09:03.432 Make sure you're in God's Word so you can build up that spiritual intuition. 00:09:03.432 --> 00:09:06.966 So first sin at its core is deception. 00:09:06.966 --> 00:09:12.566 Now part of how the enemy goes about deceiving is the next word distortion. 00:09:13.500 --> 00:09:14.765 Look again at verses two and three. 00:09:14.765 --> 00:09:17.500 The woman said to the serpent, we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden. 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:20.466 But God said, not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden. 00:09:20.466 --> 00:09:22.000 Neither shall you touch it, lest you die. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:26.932 But the serpent said of the woman, you will not surely die. 00:09:26.932 --> 00:09:33.100 There's two aspects of distortion occurring here, and there's two ways to distort. 00:09:33.100 --> 00:09:37.533 One is to add to God's Word and one is to take away. 00:09:37.533 --> 00:09:39.066 And we see both happening here. 00:09:39.066 --> 00:09:42.265 First we see with the woman when he said to God, say not to eat. 00:09:42.265 --> 00:09:44.765 She says, yeah, don't eat, but also don't touch. 00:09:46.066 --> 00:09:47.033 But that's not in there. 00:09:47.033 --> 00:09:48.799 That's not what God said. 00:09:48.799 --> 00:09:51.666 We don't have record of him telling her, don't even touch it. 00:09:51.666 --> 00:09:54.666 She's adding to God's word now. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:58.000 I think that probably comes from a good place. 00:09:58.000 --> 00:09:58.500 All right. 00:09:58.500 --> 00:10:03.932 There's something I think wisely within us that goes, if this is the land, I'm going to take a step back from it. 00:10:03.932 --> 00:10:08.466 I mean, if I want to make sure I don't eat the tree from the tree, I probably shouldn't even touch it. 00:10:08.466 --> 00:10:11.299 I think that's probably starting from a good place. 00:10:11.299 --> 00:10:16.265 The problem is, is when we say that is God's Word, that is God's law. 00:10:16.265 --> 00:10:19.265 God said, don't even touch it. 00:10:19.533 --> 00:10:21.600 That's called legalism. 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:23.500 And that's a gets a lot of churches in trouble. 00:10:23.500 --> 00:10:25.732 We take our laws and we make them God's laws. 00:10:25.732 --> 00:10:27.166 We say, no, this is from him. 00:10:28.533 --> 00:10:32.500 When it's not doesn't even show up in his word. 00:10:32.566 --> 00:10:34.832 That's a type of deception is legalism. 00:10:34.832 --> 00:10:40.566 But another we see is the opposite of adding to God's word is it's taking away. 00:10:40.566 --> 00:10:48.000 And Satan does this with her right away. He says, you will not die. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:49.500 He lies directly. 00:10:49.500 --> 00:10:52.166 He says the opposite of what is true. 00:10:52.166 --> 00:10:54.966 He says the opposite of what God said. 00:10:54.966 --> 00:10:57.666 You won't really come on. 00:10:57.666 --> 00:10:59.100 Are you kidding me? 00:10:59.100 --> 00:11:00.533 You really think that's going to happen? 00:11:00.533 --> 00:11:03.533 He is intentionally distorting the truth. 00:11:03.666 --> 00:11:08.500 In fact, one of the words you see in Scripture is this idea of twisting. 00:11:08.500 --> 00:11:23.865 When we were studying the book of Philippians, we saw that in Philippians 215, shine like lights in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, the enemy seeks to twist the truth into any shape that will be pleasing and acceptable to you. 00:11:26.166 --> 00:11:30.932 And a lot of times, here's the crazy part a lot of times there's a partial truth in that twisting of the truth. 00:11:30.932 --> 00:11:34.633 So when he says to her, you will not surely die. 00:11:34.633 --> 00:11:37.633 You know she didn't die right away. 00:11:38.432 --> 00:11:39.166 Part of her could go. 00:11:39.166 --> 00:11:40.966 You know what? He was right. 00:11:40.966 --> 00:11:42.200 We sinned. 00:11:42.200 --> 00:11:44.865 We didn't die right away. 00:11:44.865 --> 00:11:49.265 He's twisting the truth, deceiving intentionally again. 00:11:49.265 --> 00:11:53.600 All to distort the truth, mislead and lead astray. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:54.666 And he's the master of this. 00:11:54.666 --> 00:11:57.666 In fact, in John 844, it says he is the father of lies. 00:11:57.666 --> 00:12:04.265 He seeks to twist the truth in contrast to that, God is light and hidden in him. 00:12:04.265 --> 00:12:07.265 There is no darkness at all. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:11.566 So he seeks to distort, deceive, twist. 00:12:11.566 --> 00:12:14.200 The truth leads you off the path. 00:12:16.133 --> 00:12:25.066 Part of the ways he does this is through the next set of letters, this P and I refer to pride and irreverence, pride and irreverence. 00:12:25.066 --> 00:12:26.033 And here's how this shows up. 00:12:26.033 --> 00:12:28.399 Look at verse five. 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:34.600 He said, you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened. 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:39.765 You will be like God, knowing good and evil. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:46.533 The serpent knows I can easily appeal to her sense of pride. 00:12:46.633 --> 00:12:49.566 Really, this is a very good thing. 00:12:49.566 --> 00:12:56.100 Think of what you're missing out on the pride of being like God. 00:12:56.966 --> 00:12:59.232 This is something that will actually be good for you. 00:12:59.232 --> 00:13:05.765 This is one of the ways truth is twisted, where people will call good evil and evil good. 00:13:05.765 --> 00:13:07.600 And this is what Satan is doing here. 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:10.432 This is actually actually not following God's law. 00:13:10.432 --> 00:13:12.732 It's actually a good thing for you. 00:13:12.732 --> 00:13:15.666 There is a great reward waiting on you. 00:13:15.666 --> 00:13:16.932 Your eyes will be open. 00:13:16.932 --> 00:13:19.133 You will be like God, knowing good and evil. 00:13:20.365 --> 00:13:29.432 He's appealing to her pride and many say when when they speak of pride, they see that as maybe a foundational sin. 00:13:29.432 --> 00:13:32.432 And in Scripture. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:34.832 And of course, there is pride going on here. 00:13:34.832 --> 00:13:47.133 But there's something else going on, this idea of irreverence that I just mentioned, the pride and irreverence because behind this, underneath this, what he's getting Eve to do is to question God's goodness. 00:13:47.533 --> 00:13:50.799 In fact, behind this is the idea, you know what? 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:55.100 God is actually trying to keep something good from you. 00:13:57.033 --> 00:14:03.365 Which, by the way, of any of us ever found that to be a struggle. 00:14:03.365 --> 00:14:11.566 You know, if I follow God's word, if I do what he says, I'm going to miss out on so much, so many other things this world has to offer. 00:14:11.566 --> 00:14:14.799 I mean, God's just trying to keep all these other things from me. 00:14:17.666 --> 00:14:29.100 Well, yeah, actually he is he's trying to keep pain and suffering, not all pain and suffering, but those that come from sin and addiction and brokenness. 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:34.633 That's where that plate leads. 00:14:34.633 --> 00:14:37.633 That's what he's offering up. 00:14:37.865 --> 00:14:41.765 And to say that, you know, God is actually keeping something good from me. 00:14:41.765 --> 00:14:46.265 What he is convincing of Eve, of it's an irreverence. 00:14:46.265 --> 00:14:50.332 It's an irreverence that says God is not good and he cannot be trusted. 00:14:51.133 --> 00:14:53.265 And look, this trick goes. 00:14:53.265 --> 00:14:55.066 It all goes back to the very beginning. 00:14:55.066 --> 00:14:59.765 He doesn't have some new set of tricks because they work. 00:14:59.765 --> 00:15:00.066 They've worked. 00:15:00.066 --> 00:15:02.432 It's worked on all of us. 00:15:02.432 --> 00:15:04.899 But if I do what he says, I'll miss out. 00:15:04.899 --> 00:15:07.633 I have to give up all of these things. 00:15:07.633 --> 00:15:14.066 Listen, there's no greater joy than experiencing life to the fullness under Christ and avoiding a life up with sin. 00:15:15.966 --> 00:15:18.966 So there's pride and irreverence. 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:24.865 And where this leads ultimately, for Eve is in verse six, and it's the idea of rebellion. 00:15:25.365 --> 00:15:29.899 When you think of sin, part of that is rebellion. 00:15:29.899 --> 00:15:43.133 But back at verse six, so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and boy, by the way, in this verse, you see the same pattern you see in first John two where he talks about the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the boastful pride of life. 00:15:43.133 --> 00:15:52.000 You see this here when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes, the tree was to be desired, and to make one wise. 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:55.466 When she saw that what was meant to be evil now in her eyes was good. 00:15:57.732 --> 00:16:01.533 She took its fruit and ate. 00:16:01.566 --> 00:16:06.533 This is the point where she said, and this is the idea behind rebellion. 00:16:06.533 --> 00:16:12.500 It's this idea that who is anyone to say that they can tell me what to do. 00:16:13.299 --> 00:16:15.066 I'm in charge of my direction. 00:16:15.066 --> 00:16:17.466 Nobody's going to tell me how to act. 00:16:17.466 --> 00:16:22.133 Who are you to make up these rules that I got to follow? 00:16:22.133 --> 00:16:25.166 I'll decide where I go when I end up in life. Don't. 00:16:25.166 --> 00:16:29.365 Don't bother me with your silly commandments and directions. 00:16:29.365 --> 00:16:31.700 I'll do what I want to do. 00:16:31.700 --> 00:16:34.832 This is this idea behind rebellion. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:37.566 And this is what Eve does. 00:16:37.566 --> 00:16:39.066 She chooses. 00:16:39.066 --> 00:16:42.033 In fact, the next word is transgression. 00:16:42.033 --> 00:16:43.299 That's a word we've often heard. 00:16:43.299 --> 00:16:45.265 You've probably quoted it in the Lord's Prayer. 00:16:45.265 --> 00:16:48.533 Transgression just means to step over, to pass over. 00:16:49.765 --> 00:16:50.732 And she does. 00:16:50.732 --> 00:16:53.166 Here's the line I know where it is. 00:16:53.166 --> 00:16:53.899 Thank you very much. 00:16:53.899 --> 00:16:55.832 I'm going to step right over it. 00:16:55.832 --> 00:16:59.166 Not even second guess, not even hesitate. 00:17:00.365 --> 00:17:09.599 And, for those of us who have had children, you know that some of them are wired more that way than others, that some of them may be a little more compliant. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:14.766 Some of them you draw the line, and so now they know exactly where to go. 00:17:14.766 --> 00:17:17.532 You know what I'm talking about with our oldest. 00:17:17.532 --> 00:17:22.165 If we were at home and we said, look, here's the fireplace, okay? 00:17:22.165 --> 00:17:25.200 It's got a glass front on it, and if you touch it, it's hot. 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:25.732 Don't get even. 00:17:25.732 --> 00:17:26.700 Don't even get near it. 00:17:26.700 --> 00:17:27.732 We don't want you to touch it. 00:17:28.932 --> 00:17:29.266 Now. 00:17:29.266 --> 00:17:31.599 He knew exactly where to go. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:36.599 He never had any interest in the fireplace before in his life. Ever. 00:17:36.599 --> 00:17:39.432 But now he would look right at you. 00:17:39.432 --> 00:17:41.532 He'd make sure we got our contact here. 00:17:41.532 --> 00:17:43.333 Look at me, dad. 00:17:43.333 --> 00:17:47.232 And he would just go right up and touch it. 00:17:47.232 --> 00:17:48.133 Transgression. 00:17:48.133 --> 00:17:51.133 Don't tell me what to do. 00:17:51.365 --> 00:17:54.032 Behind this is another idea I think we see with sin. 00:17:54.032 --> 00:17:57.365 You've probably heard this the most common word for sand, translated as sin. 00:17:57.365 --> 00:18:05.365 All throughout the New Testament, you've probably heard this if you've been in church any amount of time has this idea of it's an archery term missing the mark. 00:18:05.732 --> 00:18:09.532 There is a mark, there is a standard, there is something to attend to. 00:18:09.532 --> 00:18:10.532 And you missed it. 00:18:11.900 --> 00:18:13.732 You couldn't get to it. 00:18:13.732 --> 00:18:16.299 You didn't follow it. 00:18:16.299 --> 00:18:24.665 And the key idea there with all of this is God's Word is our divine holy standard to follow. 00:18:24.665 --> 00:18:27.333 And it's good. 00:18:27.333 --> 00:18:32.165 And we should long to obey God and honor him in all we do. 00:18:33.865 --> 00:18:41.266 Now, let me let me balance out a little bit of this definition of sin, because we've talking about all the ways we intentionally sin. 00:18:41.266 --> 00:18:43.465 But there's another side of it. 00:18:43.465 --> 00:18:45.299 And this next word gets at this. 00:18:45.299 --> 00:18:50.266 It's this idea of passive indifference, passive indifference. 00:18:50.266 --> 00:18:57.965 When we worked on the college campus, sharing the gospel, our job all day long at U of L was to walk around and try to meet college students and tell them about Jesus. 00:18:57.965 --> 00:19:08.633 The main way we did that, we had a little booklet called The Four Spiritual Laws, and in it it talked about sin and the definition of sin in that little booklet was it is both active rebellion and passive indifference. 00:19:09.932 --> 00:19:15.900 You know, I've cited James chapter four in your notes to the one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it to him. 00:19:15.900 --> 00:19:18.333 It is sin. 00:19:18.333 --> 00:19:22.833 And so here's what's important for us to realize sin isn't just doing the wrong thing. 00:19:22.833 --> 00:19:25.833 It's also not doing the right thing. 00:19:26.766 --> 00:19:30.432 And this is so critical for Christians to understand. 00:19:30.432 --> 00:19:38.833 And if you're not a Christian and you're new to the idea of being a Christian, I think many people have this idea in mind that there's just a set of rules we got to follow. 00:19:38.833 --> 00:19:42.633 Christianity isn't primarily in a passive faith. 00:19:42.633 --> 00:19:45.333 Just don't do the bad things. 00:19:45.333 --> 00:19:48.333 Now we're called to be active. 00:19:50.500 --> 00:19:53.500 The golden rule, the very core of our faith. 00:19:53.500 --> 00:19:55.799 Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 00:19:55.799 --> 00:19:56.566 It's not. 00:19:56.566 --> 00:19:59.766 Don't do anything bad to anyone, and just keep it safe. 00:19:59.766 --> 00:20:01.766 No. Go out, be active. Do. 00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:05.465 And so this idea of this passive indifference. 00:20:05.465 --> 00:20:08.333 Hey, man, I'm just going to let others take care of this. I'm. 00:20:08.333 --> 00:20:09.932 I don't want to step on anybody's toes. 00:20:09.932 --> 00:20:12.165 I don't want to overstep my bounds. 00:20:12.165 --> 00:20:15.165 I don't really want to fully engage. 00:20:17.232 --> 00:20:20.032 There is a time to step up. 00:20:20.032 --> 00:20:22.766 There is a time to stand for truth. 00:20:22.766 --> 00:20:25.833 Even when you don't want to, even when it's hard. 00:20:25.833 --> 00:20:29.700 And the example we have in Genesis chapter three is with Adam. 00:20:29.700 --> 00:20:33.165 He gave, she gave to her husband also, who was with him. 00:20:33.165 --> 00:20:38.099 That should have been the moment where Adam said, no, we're not doing that. 00:20:38.099 --> 00:20:40.799 We're not going there. 00:20:40.799 --> 00:20:43.732 He should have stood up and not been passively indifferent. 00:20:43.732 --> 00:20:45.700 He should have said, no, this is wrong. 00:20:48.232 --> 00:20:53.200 And I'm so grateful that there are people in the history of the church who have done that. 00:20:53.200 --> 00:21:01.566 I think of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was a pastor in Germany in World War two, and he joined a plot to assassinate Hitler. 00:21:01.566 --> 00:21:03.900 And many people around him said, what are you doing? 00:21:03.900 --> 00:21:04.799 You're a pastor. 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:05.932 You're a man of peace. 00:21:05.932 --> 00:21:06.532 What are you doing? 00:21:06.532 --> 00:21:07.665 You shouldn't be doing that, he said. 00:21:07.665 --> 00:21:15.833 If there was a madman driving a car down the street, plowing through people, you would do whatever it took to stop him. 00:21:15.833 --> 00:21:18.900 To stand up right now is paramount. 00:21:19.532 --> 00:21:21.133 And then he said these words. 00:21:21.133 --> 00:21:24.133 To not act is to act. 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:27.799 Sin is also passive indifference. 00:21:28.599 --> 00:21:29.066 No. 00:21:29.066 --> 00:21:37.266 When it is right to stand for truth and be ready to, and more than likely realize it will cost you something. 00:21:37.432 --> 00:21:40.200 It will. 00:21:40.200 --> 00:21:44.165 And that's part of the cost of following Christ. 00:21:44.232 --> 00:21:44.432 All right. 00:21:44.432 --> 00:21:46.066 So that's a lot about what sin is. 00:21:46.066 --> 00:21:46.700 There's a lot there. 00:21:46.700 --> 00:21:49.200 I didn't cover it all. By the way. 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:56.500 I highlighted some of the main things that get at the core of what sin is, not even talking in that much about specific sins. 00:21:58.133 --> 00:22:02.465 The next question then is where does sin come from? 00:22:04.566 --> 00:22:07.566 How does it enter into our life? 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:13.066 And the key word, the first word here is that to realize sin is first and foremost inherited. 00:22:13.066 --> 00:22:16.932 It has been passed down to every one of you, whether you want it or not. 00:22:16.932 --> 00:22:18.732 You didn't ask for it. 00:22:18.732 --> 00:22:21.700 Just like the genetics you got, you didn't ask for. 00:22:21.700 --> 00:22:23.633 You'd have anything to do with it. 00:22:23.633 --> 00:22:25.432 It's been passed down to you. 00:22:25.432 --> 00:22:31.299 Verse in your notes. Romans chapter five. 00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:33.633 Romans chapter five, verse 12. 00:22:33.633 --> 00:22:35.432 Sin entered the world through one man. 00:22:35.432 --> 00:22:41.165 And so death spread to all men, because all have sinned. 00:22:41.432 --> 00:22:44.465 Every single person has inherited this sin nature. 00:22:44.465 --> 00:22:46.232 Philippians two talks about this. 00:22:46.232 --> 00:22:48.400 We are all by nature children of wrath. 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:50.400 Every single person has inherited this. 00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:52.532 It's been passed down to us through Adam. 00:22:52.532 --> 00:22:57.365 Adam God put in charge of the garden and he was the one he came to when he said, what went wrong here? 00:22:57.365 --> 00:22:58.766 Yeah, you've sinned first. 00:22:58.766 --> 00:23:00.133 But why did you go along with it? 00:23:00.133 --> 00:23:02.500 What went wrong? 00:23:02.500 --> 00:23:13.799 And because of that decision that's been passed down to us from generation to generation to generation, as a result, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:16.865 Deep within us is this nature, this desire to sin. 00:23:16.865 --> 00:23:19.700 And so no one has ever had to teach their child the word no. 00:23:21.400 --> 00:23:25.566 It's never been an activity at school that we've had to work on. 00:23:25.566 --> 00:23:28.333 Come on, let's make sure you know how now to push back on your parents. 00:23:28.333 --> 00:23:29.465 Let's work on this. 00:23:29.465 --> 00:23:31.566 I want to see you really grow in this. 00:23:31.566 --> 00:23:33.900 No. 00:23:33.900 --> 00:23:36.365 Every single one of us has that built in and ingrained. 00:23:36.365 --> 00:23:37.532 And in fact, that's the next word. 00:23:37.532 --> 00:23:38.333 Where does it come from? 00:23:38.333 --> 00:23:41.333 It is inside of us. 00:23:42.032 --> 00:23:46.465 Sin deeply rooted inside of every one of us. 00:23:46.465 --> 00:23:49.465 In fact, flip over to mark chapter seven. 00:23:51.599 --> 00:24:00.766 Because Jesus hints at this and points to this in Mark chapter seven, when he's talking with the Pharisees and the Pharisees were all about appearances and the outside. 00:24:00.766 --> 00:24:12.066 In fact, the first couple of verses, the Pharisees are wondering how come it is that your disciples don't do the washing rituals and the things that we say are important to keep you clean spiritually? 00:24:13.865 --> 00:24:19.465 How come you guys aren't following the laws that we have laid down? 00:24:19.465 --> 00:24:22.465 The laws we've added to God's law? 00:24:22.833 --> 00:24:26.066 And then look at what Jesus says to them in verse six. 00:24:26.066 --> 00:24:31.000 He said to them, well, did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites? 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:38.133 As it is written, this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 00:24:39.400 --> 00:24:42.400 But sin issue is a heart issue. 00:24:42.465 --> 00:24:48.500 It's not the appearances, it's not the outside that may be manifest from the heart issue, but sin starts as a heart issue. 00:24:48.500 --> 00:24:50.465 He goes on in vain. Do they worship me? 00:24:50.465 --> 00:24:52.865 Teaching as doctrines of the commandments of men. 00:24:52.865 --> 00:24:57.299 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men. 00:24:58.232 --> 00:25:02.500 You think that by keeping the outside of the cup clean, you're following God. 00:25:04.566 --> 00:25:16.965 And he goes on to expand on this when he gets along with the disciples, he says in verse 18, do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart, but his stomach, and is expelled? 00:25:16.965 --> 00:25:18.432 Thus he declared all foods clean. 00:25:18.432 --> 00:25:27.766 He's addressing here specifically the Pharisees, teaching that certain foods, if you eat them, will make you defiled before God. 00:25:28.465 --> 00:25:30.299 But he says, it's not that. 00:25:30.299 --> 00:25:33.066 Verse 20, what comes out of a person is what defiles him. 00:25:33.066 --> 00:25:41.432 For from within, out of the heart of a man comes evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 00:25:41.432 --> 00:25:46.599 All of these evil things come from within, and those are what defile the person. 00:25:46.599 --> 00:25:52.200 James, chapter four is a great place to look, because there he says, what are the source and the quarrels of the fights that are among you? 00:25:52.200 --> 00:25:54.965 Is it not this that your passions are at war within you? 00:25:54.965 --> 00:25:58.000 You covet, you desire, you murder as a result. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:25:59.232 It starts in here. 00:26:02.032 --> 00:26:11.133 In fact, and this is kind of a disgusting word, but a friend of mine says we're all filled with pus, pride, unbelief, and self-love. 00:26:12.299 --> 00:26:14.700 All of us pride. 00:26:14.700 --> 00:26:16.766 Unbelief, self-love. 00:26:16.766 --> 00:26:18.500 It's in there. 00:26:18.500 --> 00:26:21.500 And this is hard to talk about. 00:26:22.532 --> 00:26:24.032 But it's important. 00:26:24.032 --> 00:26:27.566 It's important that we talk about what does the Bible say is sin. 00:26:27.566 --> 00:26:30.665 We all love to spin sin into our own little definition. 00:26:30.665 --> 00:26:33.665 That's manageable. 00:26:33.799 --> 00:26:36.833 So what's sin is where it comes from. 00:26:36.833 --> 00:26:39.232 Now what do we do with it? 00:26:39.232 --> 00:26:40.732 How do we handle it? 00:26:40.732 --> 00:26:42.066 What do you do? 00:26:42.066 --> 00:26:43.000 Sin is in the world. 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:43.865 Sin is in your life. 00:26:43.865 --> 00:26:44.799 We've all struggled with it. 00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:47.165 What can we do? 00:26:47.165 --> 00:26:52.400 Well, number one, worry most about your own sin. 00:26:55.266 --> 00:26:58.266 Worry most about your own sin. 00:26:58.732 --> 00:27:01.799 Worry more about your own sin than the sin of others. 00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:12.200 If you ever find yourself made up with anger and frustration at the sin of others more than your own sin, that's a problem. 00:27:13.266 --> 00:27:17.266 And it's okay to be angry at sin and the sin that's in the world, and how it's destroying the world. 00:27:17.266 --> 00:27:18.965 That's okay. That's good. 00:27:18.965 --> 00:27:21.333 That's a natural response to sin. 00:27:21.333 --> 00:27:22.532 We don't want sin in the world. 00:27:22.532 --> 00:27:23.400 We should hate sin. 00:27:23.400 --> 00:27:26.400 God hates sin. 00:27:26.599 --> 00:27:35.465 But when it becomes how sinful they are out there and you forget how sinful I am in here, that's a problem. 00:27:35.465 --> 00:27:40.432 And let me tell you, it is so easy to stand up here all day long and preach about the sin out there. 00:27:40.432 --> 00:27:41.766 And so I could do that. 00:27:41.766 --> 00:27:44.932 And men, all of us, would be up and cheering and clapping and shouting praise. 00:27:44.932 --> 00:27:47.333 And then I might go into some sins that might be in here. 00:27:48.665 --> 00:27:54.833 And then we sit down and get real quiet, or sins that are in here. 00:27:55.665 --> 00:28:00.665 Make sure you're worrying first and foremost about the sin in here. 00:28:00.665 --> 00:28:07.900 And if we're all doing that, you want to know how that will transform the whole community. 00:28:07.900 --> 00:28:10.900 Man, that will change all of my station. 00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:16.232 If every one of us is first and foremost walking in repentance ourselves. 00:28:17.066 --> 00:28:21.066 That's how we change this community. 00:28:21.665 --> 00:28:24.833 So number one, worry most about your own sin. 00:28:24.833 --> 00:28:28.400 Number two, be killing sin or it will be killing you. 00:28:28.865 --> 00:28:34.365 Be killing sin by the power of the Holy Spirit, or it will be killing you. 00:28:34.465 --> 00:28:39.165 And I think we often get in these modes where we want to keep a pet sin around. 00:28:39.432 --> 00:28:43.732 Remember, we like to cuddle with it occasionally, like to pet it, make sure it's safe. 00:28:43.732 --> 00:28:45.133 We don't really want others to see it. 00:28:45.133 --> 00:28:46.365 We'll hide it when they're around. 00:28:49.500 --> 00:28:52.266 Sin will always be found out. 00:28:52.266 --> 00:28:55.299 It will always infest into all of your life. 00:28:55.299 --> 00:29:03.232 You have to be not just allowing sin, tolerating sin, keeping sin safe in your life. 00:29:03.232 --> 00:29:05.900 You have to be killing it. 00:29:05.900 --> 00:29:08.000 This verse in Romans eight is listed. 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:10.532 It talks about the mortification of sin. 00:29:10.532 --> 00:29:17.833 Put it to death, put to death the deeds of the flesh, so that by the spirit you might live. 00:29:19.165 --> 00:29:21.365 And so, look, this is personal work for you to do. 00:29:21.365 --> 00:29:23.066 And in a minute we're going to do communion. 00:29:23.066 --> 00:29:27.965 In fact, if you're one of the men helping with that, you can go ahead and get that material ready during communion. 00:29:27.965 --> 00:29:29.000 I want you to be praying for this. 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:33.465 God, what would you reveal to me what sin I have just been tolerating? 00:29:33.465 --> 00:29:39.365 I don't know what that is for you, but be praying God, give me wisdom on how to put it to death. 00:29:39.365 --> 00:29:42.365 Do not tolerate it any longer. 00:29:43.732 --> 00:29:50.133 You know, there's some pretty strong language in Scripture about this Romans Matthew chapter five. 00:29:50.133 --> 00:29:53.766 Jesus says, if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. 00:29:53.766 --> 00:29:55.766 If your eye causes you to send, pluck it out. 00:29:55.766 --> 00:29:59.032 And we think he's speaking in hyperbole, there an exaggeration. 00:29:59.032 --> 00:30:01.599 But however, we need to have that kind of mindset. 00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:06.032 If there is sin in my life, I got to do whatever it takes to get rid of it. 00:30:06.032 --> 00:30:09.732 I've got to be willing to do whatever it takes. 00:30:09.732 --> 00:30:14.865 And if that means I've got to put away devices, I've got to put away relationships, I got to change. 00:30:14.865 --> 00:30:17.732 I know a guy he was struggling with attraction towards a woman in his work. 00:30:17.732 --> 00:30:20.165 He had changed jobs because of that. 00:30:20.165 --> 00:30:25.965 I got to do whatever it takes to make sure that I'm putting sin to death in my life. 00:30:25.965 --> 00:30:27.965 Don't don't toy around with it. 00:30:27.965 --> 00:30:30.965 It's not a game. 00:30:31.032 --> 00:30:33.032 Be killing sin or it will kill you. 00:30:33.032 --> 00:30:37.700 And then number three, as I say that. 00:30:37.700 --> 00:30:41.232 And so that this whole message doesn't turn into legalism. 00:30:41.232 --> 00:30:44.766 Realize that avoiding sin is not what saves you. 00:30:45.965 --> 00:30:46.833 Yes, avoid sin. 00:30:46.833 --> 00:30:47.500 Please do. 00:30:47.500 --> 00:30:50.500 But that's not what saves you. 00:30:52.333 --> 00:30:54.700 Here's what saves you. 00:30:54.700 --> 00:30:58.299 Number four sin is ultimately a worship problem. 00:30:59.266 --> 00:31:02.266 Sin is a worship problem. 00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:11.365 The reason why we sin is because we think something other than God is what will bring us joy and hope and peace and everything we want. 00:31:11.365 --> 00:31:13.932 And so we put that above him. 00:31:13.932 --> 00:31:16.566 The Ten Commandments call that idolatry. 00:31:16.566 --> 00:31:19.266 You should have no other God before me. 00:31:19.266 --> 00:31:23.900 Sin is ultimately a worship problem, and the only thing that will help us bridge that gap is Christ. 00:31:26.133 --> 00:31:33.099 The reality is, when a relationship is broken, you need someone to mend that relationship. 00:31:33.099 --> 00:31:39.465 If I offend you, if I do something to sin against you, there's now a division between us. 00:31:39.465 --> 00:31:45.965 Something has to mend that told the story before of how this guy my mom was visiting. 00:31:45.965 --> 00:31:47.465 I was over there. I was a little kid. 00:31:47.465 --> 00:31:49.333 He showed me a rain gauge in his backyard. 00:31:49.333 --> 00:31:50.200 He said, don't touch this. 00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:56.232 As soon as he walked away, I had to touch it, broke it, and I'm sure he forgave me for that. 00:31:56.232 --> 00:31:57.000 I hope he did. 00:31:57.000 --> 00:32:05.766 Who knows, he may still be harboring that bitterness, but even if he forgave me, someone still had to pay the cost of fixing that. 00:32:06.532 --> 00:32:09.333 Either he would absorb it or he would make me pay it. 00:32:11.465 --> 00:32:20.333 And when you sin and defile the relationship of a holy God and you say, I don't want you, I don't want to follow you, I'm going to rebel against you. 00:32:20.333 --> 00:32:23.333 I don't trust you when that happens. 00:32:24.700 --> 00:32:30.799 Only the death and resurrection and forgiveness we have in Christ will bridge that gap.