Have you heard anything recently about the bird flu scare? Several years ago we were all scared to death of the Avian Flu. It was to be the greatest pandemic in the history of mankind. It was predicted that this virus would mutate and become communicable from human to human and would spread quickly over all the world. In the Spanish bird flu epidemic of 1918 they say 50 million people died. Millions and millions more could die in our time due to greater population and the advent of air travel..This pandemic would devastate poultry farmers, and put their suppliers out of business. Poultry storage and transportation facilities would shut down. It would severely cripple the world economy.. Hospitals would be overflowing with people too ill to come to work. Those not in hospitals would keep themselves shuttered inside their homes, fearful of any human contact. Congress approved nearly four billion dollars to battle what was considered to be the world’s greatest health challenge. Some laboratories went on 24 hour shifts in a rush to find some anti-virus to the terrible disease with no success.. And, if an effective cure could have been found, they realized they would not be able to manufacture it fast enough. Some people would resort to violence to obtain the medicine, some resorting to armed robbery, just to obtain a vial of the precious anti-virus. Practically everyone on the face of the earth became scared to death of the bird flu. Millions of people especially in the Orient where the flu had killed thousands of birds, began to wear face masks when going out in public places. Many people began to stockpile food, cramming their pantries and garages with enormous quantities of non-perishable foods thinking they might have to live in total isolation for several months. It was a very possible and very serious health threat that threw many people into complete panic.
Fortunately, the bird flu scare did not materialize. It became the greatest health scare of our lifetime and so far it has not happened. So far the virus cannot be transmitted from one human to another.
But let us suppose that all these dire predictions had come true. What if this deadly virus had spread throughout all the world? With our modern means of rapid global travel and the close human contact that comes from air travel, it could be expected that, in a matter of a few months, every part of the world would be contaminated. What if it had happened? What if ten million Americans had perished? What if major food industries had shut down? What if our world had been thrown into a deep financial depression? Just think about it a moment.
There is today, however, a pandemic, a plague, a disease, a virus far, far worse than anyone’s bird flu or bubonic plague or deadly virus. And the Bible tells us what it is, what it’s source is, what its deadly consequences are, and what the cure is. This virus is deadly. It is lethal and it is universal. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” the Bible says. The virus I am speaking of is sin. The Bible makes it very clear that no one is immune. All have been infected. All are stricken with this most deadly of all diseases. “There is none righteous,” the Bible says, “no not one.” All have sinned. All have gone a stray. All are afflicted. “All we like sheep have gone astray,” the Bible says; “we have turned every one into his own way.”
Now I want us to examine the sin problem today as a deadly virus, a universal illness, a malady with deadly consequences if not treated and dealt with.
1. First of all, let’s begin at the beginning: Where did this deadly sin virus come from? What is its origin? Well, as you probably know, sin originated in the garden of Eden. God created man and woman and placed them in a perfect garden where everything was beautiful and perfect. All their needs were supplied. There were trees with all manner of fruit upon them. I am sure there were also vegetables of every kind growing in profusion. There must have been every kind of flowering tree, every variety of shrub and flower – all provided for the enjoyment of that first couple in a wonderful paradise called Eden.
Someone who was an unbeliever asked me once: “Why did God create evil and then expect man to be perfect?” I said to him, “God did not create evil. God created good, everything that was good He placed in the garden of Eden. God created a perfect world. And in that perfect garden, He gave man the power of choice either to obey or to disobey. Man’s disobedience brought sin into a perfect world and destroyed a perfect paradise. Adam and Eve lived in a perfect paradise without any taint of sin. Someone said, “And they had an ideal marriage. He didn’t have to hear about all the men she could have married, and she didn’t have to hear about how much better cook his mother was.”2
Sin did not originate in God. Sin originated within the heart of man. Adam and Eve should have walked through that perfect garden contented and rejoicing over all the God had provided. But they were not satisfied with all the beauty and all the provision of that garden. They wanted more. They wanted to be gods. They rejected being creatures and wanted to be Creators. The serpent said to Eve, “if you eat of this tree,“ you will be like God……” 3 Adam and Eve were not content to be Mr. Adam and Mrs. Eve. They wanted to be like God himself. Paul said in Romans that “by one man sin came into the world.” And since that fateful day, all of us have sinned. All of us have followed in the path of Adam and Eve. So there is within everyone of us today that inclination to sin.
ILL: Some years ago the Minnesota Crime Commission released a statement that affirmed this biblical truth. Its statement said:
‘‘Every baby starts life as a little savage. He is completely selfish, and self-centered. He wants what he wants when he wants it –– his bottle, his mother’’s attention, his playmate’s toys, his uncle’s watch. Deny him these once, and he seethes with rage and aggressiveness, which would be murderous were he not so helpless. . . . .
“All children –– not just certain children –– are born delinquent. If permitted to continue in the self-centered world of infancy, given free reign to his impulsive actions, to satisfy all his wants, every child would grow up a criminal –– a thief, a killer, or a rapist.’’
The Minnesota Crime commission in effect indicted the whole human race, just like Romans 3:23 says:“All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and Psalm 51:5 says “Surely I have been a sinner from birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
3. Then, we need to look at the consequences of sin. What are the consequences of this terrible, deadly disease?
(1) One consequence is a deep sense of guilt and unease. The sinner lives under a shadow of guilt and unease about his life, his actions and his way of living. He senses that all is not right in his way of life. There is discontent, a sort spiritual vacuum within, a gnawing sensation that maybe something is missing.
(2) Another of sin’s consequences is punishment. “Be sure your sins will find you out,” the Bible says. Every sin has its punishment. Every sin has its day of reckoning Some day we must face the music. Some day we must pay the piper.
ILL: I consider Dr. James L. Sullivan one of the great statesmen of Southern Baptists. For many years he served ably as the chief executive of our Sunday School Board. I remember well a story he told us once in services at Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly. He told of the time when he discovered that a swarm of wild bees had taken up residence in his house through a small hole they had discovered under one of the eaves of the house. Dr. Sullivan said, "I was quite proud of myself and my ingenuous solution to what could be a very risky and potentially painful task. I went to the closet, pulled out the large vacuum cleaner, put the longest extension I could find on the hose, hooked up a long extension cord and, with the vacuum cleaner roaring full blast, I climbed up my ladder with hose in hand and in a few seconds, every bee in sight was swiftly raptured into the bag of the vacuum cleaner. As I was coming down the ladder, complimenting myself on such a swift and ingenuous solution to my problem, I heard the angry buzzing of hundreds of captive bees in the bag of the vacuum cleaner. Only then did the question dawn on me: "Now, Mr. Genius, what are you going to do next?" “Be sure your sins will find you out.” Somehow, the bees will have to be let out of the bag. Some day, pay day comes and we must face the consequences of our sins.
(3) The ultimate consequence of sin is death and eternal condemnation to a sinner’s hell. “The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die,” the Bible says.
ILL:In Southern Mexico lies the Cueva de Villa Luz, or Cave of the Lighted House. As you make your way to the cave you walk through a veritable paradise of tropical birds and lush rain forest. Underwater the cave is fed by 20 underground springs, beautiful watercourses which teem with tiny fish. The cave itself is home to spectacular rock formations and beautiful ponds. The environment is inviting. Yet accept the invitation and you’ll soon be dead. You see, the Cueva de Villa Luz is filled with poisonous gases, fatal to all human beings. Sin is like that It presents itself to us as something inviting, attractive, life-giving. Yet in reality it’s poisonous and toxic and its end is certain death. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” “The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die.”
4. What then is the cure for this deadly disease we call sin? The Bible declares that there is only one cure and that is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The entire Bible is a message saying, “God loves you and wants you as His very own, to live in fellowship with Him and to serve Him. The story begins in Genesis where God created man in His own image and in His likeness. He created you because He wanted fellowship with you. He wanted you to populate the earth and care for it. He gave that first couple Adam and Eve a beautiful garden called the Garden of Eden where everything man needed for his comfort and enjoyment was provided. He also gave man the power to choose. That power to choose became a reality when God made one prohibition, only one: that man not eat of the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil for, God said, “if you eat of this tree you shall surely die. Adam and Eve were confronted with an awesome decision when Satan, the tempter in the form of a serpent came to them, encouraging them to eat of the tree. They yielded to the temptation and were driven from the garden, became mortal beings, subject to physical death. Adam became the first of an entire race of mortal men, subject to death, inclined to sin, bent towards rebellion against God.. All the rest of the Old Testament is the story of man’s futile struggle against this disposition towards sin and rebellion against God. The Ten Commandments, the sacrificial system of blood sacrifice, the delivery from Egyptian bondage, the message of the prophets, the wisdom of the sages of old, were all attempts of God to call mankind back to himself.
The gospels of the New Testament tell us of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, how He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus is the virgin-born Son of God, perfect man and perfect God, God in human flesh. He lived the perfect life that we could not live. He died a shameful death upon a Roman cross. Just before His death He cried out, “It is finished’” meaning that the price for our sins was paid completely. After three days He arose from the grave. He was seen by over 500 witnesses over the course of forty days. Now He is at the right hand of God in heaven, interceding for us, praying for us, that we might accept His free offer of eternal life. This eternal life is a free gift given to us by God through Jesus Christ who has paid the price for our sin. Everyone who trusts Him in a simple step of faith received this eternal life. This life is not achieved by good deeds but received by faith and trust in Jesus. This eternal life does not begin when we die and go to heaven, but begins the moment we trust in Jesus and accept His offer. Eternal life in the here and now means that we enjoy a new fellowship with Jesus as our companion and friend. This eternal life enables us to live life in a daily walk of faith and peace and joy through God’s Spirit dwelling in us. Eternal life means that when we die we will be with Jesus forever. So, the last book of the Bible, The Revelation tells us we will “rule and reign forever with Jesus.
CONCLUSION:
“All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” But all can be saved by trusting Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. Have you trusted in Him? Do you know Him? You have sinned undoubtedly but you can be saved eternally through faith in Jesus. If you have not taken that step of faith, I plead with you to take that step right now. In a moment we are going to sing and if you do not know Jesus as your savior, I want you to step down in this isle and come forward to stand here beside me and, in so doing, say to all of us here, “I am today confessing my sin and trusting in Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
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1 First preached at Barnett Memorial BC, 1/28/07
2 Beliefnet
3 Shmuley Boteach, “When Having It All Is Not Enough, “ Beliefnet, 7/27/03
4 Rex M. Horne, Jr., Potluck Dinners, p. 28.
5 Sermon by Leonard Sweet, “Hold the Door,” 10/8/02
6 Guy McGraw, “Illustrations,” SermonCentral.com
7 As told by Dr. James Sullivan, Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly, date unknown
8.Scott Higgins. (Information on the Cave obtained from National Geographic, May 2001), Illustrations from SermonCentral.com
