Cleaning The Carpet

CLEANING THE CARPET

Open In Prayer

I. Introduction:

A. Picture for a moment carpet in your family room or any high traffic area. This carpet accumulates dust, dirt, and grime, etc.

1. Most carpets have a stain resistant chemical on it to help protect it but it still needs cleaned periodically, with a carpet scrubber.

B. Now picture your soul as this carpet. You accumulate dust, dirt and grime, etc., these things are your sins.

1. You, just like the carpet, have a stain resistant protector. It is the blood of Jesus. You have been covered by the blood.

C. After you clean your carpet, you must maintain it.

1. You must run the sweeper over it daily to pick up the dust that is drug in off your shoes.

2. Your soul is the same way. It, your soul, still needs to be maintained, it needs cleaned daily.

II. Read: Isaiah 1:16

A. We are washed, by asking forgiveness of our sins.

1. We must ask forgiveness, of our sins, EVERY single day.

B. But it doesn’t stop their. We must “cease to do evil”

1. That means to stop living in sin!

2. Stop repeating the same sins over and over. You know it’s a sin, God has convicted you of it. He has told you to stop doing it. But you continually DIS-OBEY Him.

C. You are responsible for your sins. No one else! Not your Pastors, not Mom, not Dad, not your brother or sister, not your spouse, and not your kids. No one BUT YOU!

III. Read: Psalms 139:23-24

A. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts

1. Search me throughly, look deep within me.

2. Know my heart, examine me

B. ...see if there be any wicked way in me,

1. Test me, see if there is any hidden sins.

C. and lead me in the way everlasting.

1. So that it may be confessed, and forgiven

2. The way that leads to everlasting life.

D. Sometimes, we need God to point our sins out to us, so they can be dealt with effectively.

IV. Read: 1 John 1:7-10

A. If one walks in the light, then he can have fellowship with the Lord Jesus and with his fellow Christians.

1. As far as John is concerned in this passage, a man is either in the light or in darkness.

a. If he is in the light, he is a member of God’s family.

b. If he is in darkness, he does not have anything in common with God because there is no darkness in God at all.

(1) Darkness is “sin”

B. Fellowship with God requires that we acknowledge the truth concerning ourselves.

1. For instance, to deny that we have a sinful nature means self-deception and untruthfulness.

C. Proverbs 28:13 tells us: “He who covers his sins will not prosper: but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy”.

1. Even the best Christians will sin.

a. No one is perfect. And it doesn’t matter how long you have served God, you can still fall into sin.

2. We all must confess our sins, and repent DAILY.

a. Some people will hide their sins, from themselves.

b. You cannot hid your sins from God.

3. We must repent daily in order to claim the promise that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

D. It’s really that simple. Repent with a sincere heart, and Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and He will cleanse you.

1. Let me ask, “Have you cleaned your house lately?”

E. Vs. 10 tells us, that if we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar.

1. To say this, is a complete contradiction of His Word.

2. It is a complete denial of the reason the Lord Jesus came to suffer, bleed, and die.

a. In several places, God’s Word tells us we are sinners.

(1) We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23)

3. The denial of our sin not only deceives ourselves, but reflects dishonor upon God.

4. God’s Word is true, and God is so pure and Holy, He cannot tell a lie.

5. The phrase, “The Word of God is not in us,” means we do not know Him as our Lord and Savior.

V. Read: Psalm 51:1-3

A. David had participated in sin.

1. I am not going to get in to what that sin was. Because I don’t want you to dwell on the sin. A sin is a Sin.

2. David lived in that sin for 9 months without remorse, and without repenting.

a. After that nine months had went by, God sent Nathan to David and pointed out to David, David’s sin.