The Cure For Our Conscience Series

Introduction:

1. Sickness Seems To Be Spreading Like A Wild-Fire This Week, Doesn’t It?

- My Daughter Told Me That On Wednesday, 1/4 Of Her Class Was Absent Because They Were Sick! In Order To Fight Off This Kind Of Sickness, You Normally Should Get Plenty Of Rest, Drink Plenty Of Liquids, And Eventually You Will Get Over It!

2. Well, This Morning, I Want Us To Look At A Problem That Has Spread In A Greater Way Than What’s Going Around This Week – And It’s a Problem That Noone Will “Eventually Get Over”!

- This Problem Was Also Mentioned In The Passage From Hebrews We Looked At Last Week!

- Look At Hebrews 9:9 - “Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience!”

- The Problem We Have Is A Universal Problem! The Problem We Have Is A Problem With Our Conscience!

- Have You Ever Felt This Way? IE: Once, A man consulted his doctor and complained, “I’ve been misbehaving, Doc, and my conscience is troubling me.” The doctor asked: “And you want something that will strengthen your willpower?” The man replied: “Well, no, “I was thinking about getting something that would weaken my conscience.”

- We All Have Been Confronted By Our Conscience At One Time Or Another!

3. But What Is The Problem With Our Conscience?

- The Problem With Our Conscience & Our Heart Is Guilt!

- “It Is Guilt Only That Disturbs A Man’s Conscience. . . Guilt Makes A Man Troubled When He Thinks Of Death And Judgment; It Is Guilt Only Which Alarms A Man When He Thinks Of A Holy God; And It Is Nothing But Guilt That Makes The Entrance Into Another World Terrible And Awful. If A Man Had No Guilt He Would Never Dread His Maker, Nor Would The Presence Of His God Be Ever Painful To Him; If A Man Had No Guilt He Would Not Fear To Die – For What Have The Innocent To Fear Anywhere? . . . The Only Thing . . . Which Ever Disturbs The Conscience, And Makes Death Dreadful, And God An Object Of Aversion, And Eternity Awful, Is Guilt! (Albert Barnes)

- What Are You Guilty Of?

- Sometimes When We Ask A Child This, They May Say: “Lying” Or “Talking Back” Or “Not Cleaning My Room When I’m Told To!”

- But They Would Never Be Guilty Of Crimes Like Murder! Or Would They?

- What Do You Say, When You Are Asked This? Maybe A Few “Worse” Things Like “Stealing” Or “Laziness” Or “Lust!”

- But You Would Never Be Guilty Of A Crime Like Murder! Or Would You?

- The Problem With Our Conscience Is That We Are As Guilty Of The Deepest & Darkest Sins & Crimes As The Mass Murderer On Death Row Or The Terrorist In Iraq Or Afghanistan!

- And This Guilt Permeates Your Conscience & Your Soul Like Air Permeates Your Lungs!

- This Is Our Problem! My Problem! Your Problem! Its Not Just Guilt For Sin – It Is Guilt For The Worst Kind Of Sins Known To Man!

4. Above Everything Else, Our Problem Is A “Blood-Guiltiness!”

- We Might Say That We Are Not Guilty Of The Worst Kinds Of Crime & Sin – But The Reality Is, We Are!

- Consider How You Have Treated Others!

- Matthew 5:21-24 - “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift!”

- Our Problem Is “Blood-Guiltiness” Because Of How We Have Treated Others!

- Consider How You Have Treated Christ!

- Ever Since Mel Gibson’s Movie “The Passion Of The Christ” Came Out, People Have Been Debating About “Who Killed Jesus?” The Answer To This Question Is: Anyone Who Has Ever Sinned! Not Just The Jews! Not Just Pilate! But You & Me, Because Of Our Sins!

- IE: A Man Was Once “Preaching To A Jewish Audience On New York City’s Lower Side. One [Stubborn] Fellow Glared At The Speaker As He Told Of God’s Redeeming Love Through Jesus Christ. Making His Way To The Front, The Heckler Blurted Out (As If To Embarrass Him To Silence), ‘Who Killed Jesus?’ Realizing What The Jewish Man [Was Thinking Would Be His] Answer, The Preacher Replied: ‘I Did!’” (A. Reid Jepson - “Who Killed Jesus” Tract)