Chocolate Cake From Ear To Ear

“Chocolate Cake From Ear To Ear”

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

Intro: There he stood, cake in his hands, a trail of crumbs across the floor. Icing and chocolate smeared from ear to ear. There was no doubt. There was no blaming someone else. He had been caught in the act. Johnny was old enough to know better. He had been told not to touch the cake because it was for dinner.

The next few minutes would stay with Johnny for the rest of his life. What do you think will happen next? Would he be yelled at? Would he be sent to time out? Would he be told to go to bed without supper? Or worst yet would he “have to wait until his father got home?”

For the purpose of this sermon try to put yourself in Johnny’s shoes. Try to be little Johnny.

Today we are going to talk about when someone is caught with “Chocolate Cake From Ear to Ear.”

For the sake of argument some of you may prefer other flavors much better. Statistically about four percent of people don’t like Chocolate. But when something is placed in front of you and you are told not to touch it, bells start going off. Whistles start blowing. Lights start flashing. Taste buds start salivating. A little demon pops up on one shoulder and an angel pops up on the other shoulder and you find yourself right in the middle of a battle between good and evil.

Just a few verses back in Galatians 5:17 “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other.” NLT

Temptations are not a once in a while thing. We have to deal with them day in and day out. We live in a constant fight opposing natures.

The Good News is that God will help you resist a temptation. You can learn to recognize people and situations that are more likely to lead you into temptations. One of the best ways to overcome a temptation is to run from it. Don’t walk into a situation that you know may be full of temptations. Rather, pray for God’s guidance and help with it. Seek Christian support and encouragement from Godly friends and people in the church.

So Brothers and Sisters in the church when little Johnny is standing right in front of you with “Chocolate Cake From Ear to Ear” you have to know what to do to help restore that person gently. To humbly help that person back onto the right path.

As Christians we can learn how to take action, how to react, when someone is caught red handed. How to respond to things in life by the Holy Spirit. What does the bible teach the church to do when someone is caught in a sin?

I. When You are Caught in a Sin

“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Galatians 6:1

Four ladies of influence in the community met for a friendly lunch.

During the conversation one lady said, "We need to pour out our hearts, admit certain sins and needs.

Confession is good for the soul."

So the first lady confessed that she liked to read racy romance novels.

The second lady confessed that when she balanced the check book she always hid a few dollars and then would tell her husband that she was going to visit her cousin. But instead she would sneak off to indulge in a day frivolous shopping and an extravagant night on the town.

The third lady confessed that she had a terrible addiction to gambling. She had recently lost so much money that she had taken a part-time job to pay it back without her husband knowing it.

When it came for the fourth lady, she wouldn't confess. The others pressed her. The others insisted saying, "Come on now, we confessed our sin. We admitted our faults. What is your secret?"

Finally the fourth lady answered, "My biggest weakness is gossiping and I can’t wait to get out of here.”

To many people don’t come to church because they have made mistakes. And they know…, that you know.

Have you ever said, “I went to school with that person.” “I use to work with her.” “He is my cousin once removed.” In a close nit church, in a tight community, you know everything there is to know about one another. Am I right? Amen?