Finished With Sin.

SERMON OUTLINE:

(a). An Aggressive Attitude Toward Sin (vs 1-3)

• An illustration (vs 1).

• An instruction (vs 1-2)

• A reminder (vs 3)

(b). A Patient Attitude With The Lost (vs 4-6):

• We Confuse Pagans (Vs 4-5):

• We Die In Christ (Vs 6):

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• You have probably seen this sign:

• “Ladies, If a man says he will fix it he will, there is no need to remind him every 6 months”

• When It comes to D.I.Y. some people,

• Just never get around to starting it and others never get around to finishing it.

• I know people who have half-a-dozen jobs on the go – all unfinished!

• TRANSITION: Many Christians have unfinished business,

• Not with D.I.Y. projects, but with sin.

• Now, no Christian is perfect and each one of us has their daily struggles,

• And what I struggle with may not be a problem to you;

• And what you struggle with may not be a tricky to me.

• But all Christians at times struggle,

• Because all Christians are a “work in progress”,

• Not a single one of us is perfect,

• But we should all be progressing toward that goal.

• Our desire as Christians is live lives that please Christ!

The title I have been asked to speak on is ‘Finished with sin.’:

• That is taken from the end of verse 1.

• So, let’s look together at the passage and break it down.

• For me these verses break into two groupings.

• Verses 1-3: An aggressive attitude toward sin.

• Verses 4-6: A patient attitude with the lost.

(a). An Aggressive Attitude Toward Sin (vs 1-3)

Ill:

• A man made an appointment to see his doctor.

• "Doctor," he complained, "everywhere I touch seems to hurt lately.

• Am I getting old or just senile?”

• He continued;

• “If I push on my knees here, I hurt,

• If I push on my stomach I hurt!

• If I press on my head right here by my temple, that hurts too!

• What's going on?"

• The doctor called for a full body X-ray.

• An hour passed and after evaluating the X-rays carefully,

• The doctor returned to speak to the patient.

• The doctor looked him in the eye and said:

• "I think I've found the reason why everything you touch hurts."

• The man anxious to know, replied; "Well, tell me!".

• The doctor pointed to the X-ray and said:

• "Your body is fine, but your finger is broken."

• TRANSITION:

• The man’s finger was broken and so everything he touched felt broken,

• If our attitude is wrong, then everything we do will also be wrong!

• The apostle Peter talks to these Christians concerning their attitude,

• And he starts off with…

(1). An Illustration.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin”.

• Little words in Greek often have big meanings.

• Verse 1 starts with the word; "therefore,"

• This term connects chapter 4 to chapter 3

• (Remember chapter divisions are not in the original letter).

• The apostle Peter is connecting his thoughts,

• To the themes that he has presented in chapter 3,

• Quote: Chapter 3 verse 18 and 22:

Quote:

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit”.

“Who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him”.

C.E.V:

18Christ died once for our sins.

An innocent person died

for those who are guilty.

Christ did this

to bring you to God,

when his body

was put to death

and his spirit

was made alive”.

“Christ is now in heaven, where he sits at the right side of God. All angels, authorities, and powers are under his control.”

• In these verses the apostle Peter uses Jesus as an example and an illustration;

• And shows his readers some important lessons.

FIRST: the apostle Peter mentions the ‘body’ of Jesus and his sufferings.

• He mentions it at the end of chapter 3,

• And here at the start of chapter 4.

• Chapter 3 verse 18; “He was put to death in the body”.

• Chapter 4 verse 1: “Christ suffered in his body”.

• He is reminding his readers that Jesus suffered physically;

• He knows what it means to feel pain, to be in discomfort, and to hurt!

• The apostle Peter tells his readers) that when they face persecution,