Cheating is too Costly
Matt. 7:24-27, Cor. 1 3:10-15 Cheating brings you failure in the hour of real testing. Cheating will paralyze the heart throb of your conscience. I: Cheating gives temporary relief. 1. Cheating says get it the easy way. 2. Cheating makes us want something we have not earned. 3. Cheat wants to dance without paying the fiddler, a good time at your expense, and a growing church without growing members. 4. Cheating wants the fruit of faithfulness without being faith-full. II: Cheating is the crown of hypocrisy. 1. It wants to be respected by good people while living like the devils children. 2. Cheating carries the constant fear of exposure. (John, I’m here). 3. Cheating causes us to lose respect for ourselves and project our failure to others. 4. Cheating...
By the Law is the Knowledge of Sin
Romans 3:19-31, Exodus 20:1-19 “I do the best I can, live by the Golden Rule.” We set our own laws of right and wrong! I: God gives laws to Moses. 1. 3rd month out of Egypt. 2. At foot of Mt. Sinai. 3. Majestic conditions. 4. Deadly seriousness. II: Law was to reveal sin. 1. Exceeding sinfulness of sin. Rom. 7:13 2. Showed man what he was like a mirror let down from God, like plume line, lamb, ray of sunlight in dusty room. 3. Law had no power to impart to man that he might overcome sin. III: The law tells me. 1. 4 commandments concerning God. a. No other gods before me, anything that is between. b. Graven image. c. Gods name in vain. d. Keep sabbath. 2. 6 laws to govern relationship of man. a. Honor father and mother. b. Shall not kill. c. Commit not...
Burying the Past
Rom. 6:1-13 I: Jesus said: “They that be whole need not a physician but that they are sick.” 1. “These people would not repent of their sins, they couldn’t even blush.” Jeremiah 8:5-7, 12. 2. Isaiah 1:1-6, 18 3. God has made a way to busy the past, the old life, the old desires. II: Blotting out our sins. 1. Have mercy upon me, O God according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1 “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine inquities.” Psalm 51:9 “Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me.” “I have blotted out as a thick cloud, thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return into me for I have...
“Blessed be the Name of the Lord.”
Job 1:13-22 I: Satan contended that Job served for wealth. 1. There was a hedge about all that he had. 2. There was a hedge about him. 3. There was a hedge about his cattle. 4. There was a hedge about his barns. 5. There was a hedge about his children. II: God removed the hedge a little. 1. Satan destroyed all that he had with joy. 2. He is truly named the destroyer. 3. He takes joy in afflicting the Christians. 4. At every opportunity he hinders the work of God. 5. He is a master at using what he has at hand, sinner, backslider, or circumstances. III: Job turns to the Lord. 1. In sorrow he rented his mantel, shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground. 2. “And worshiped.” Tim. 1 6:6-7 3. He acknowledged that he brought nothing into this world. 4....
Altars of God’s People
Gen. 8:20-22, 15:1-20, and Malachi 1:6-14 Altar means a place where sacrifices are offered. I: God’s people erected altars wherever they went. Noah erected an altar immediately after the flood. Abraham erected an altar as soon as he reached Canaan. 1. God’s people erected altars and sacrificed wherever they were. 2. Elijah erected the broken altar when he called fire from heaven. 3. Solomon made many sacrifices upon the altar of the great temple. Chron. 2 7:1-7 4. The New Testament Christians continued a spiritual altar where prayer and supplication were made. America could never have been blessed with the family altars of our forefathers. II: God’s blessings have been withdrawn when the altar had been abused. 1. Saul the 1st king of Israel made...