Please note that, while this sermon may be preached in stand-alone fashion, it is part of a series. You may wish to take a look at the first three sermons. Especially helpful would be sermon one which lays the foundation. Also, there is a companion sermon called THINK Before You Speak.
IV. S – Sin
Has God in His Word revealed that the action I am about to take is wrong?
QUOTE: “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
INTRODUCTION TO THIS SECTION
This sermon could be a one year series … if I listed everything that is a sin.
In the context of this series, I do not need to remind you of the sexual sins (adultery, fornication, homosexuality), or the religious sins (idolatry, blasphemy), or of the great sins against humanity (murder, stealing) … for we know that these are wrong. (Not to say that a wrong response could not be the first link in the chain that could lead to murder, etc.) We have narrowed the list down to an even dozen.
Open: Peter striking Malchus
John 18:10-11 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus. 11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
Matthew 26:51-52 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. 52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Luke 22:50-51 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.
NOTE: Melvin Shelton points out that Peter did this because he had been arguing when he should have been listening. Jesus told Peter that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer, but Peter didn’t like the word that the Lord gave. Friend, let us never be guilty of picking and choosing what part of God’s commands that we like. May we never insist on going our way when the Word is telling us to go another way! And Peter did this because he had been sleeping when he should have been praying.
ILLUS: NEWTON’S LAW Lew Slade, and Episcopal minister, reminded his congregation of Sir Isaacs Newton’s third law of motion. It reads “For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction.” He illustrated it like this. A ball on the pool table, when it strikes another pool ball, will move the other ball, but it will also itself have a change of speed and course. When we feel hurt, we are tempted to strike back and retaliate by taking the hurt that we feel and dumping it back on the head of the one who offended us. That is the natural way. But it is not God’s way.
A. EXPRESSIONS THAT ARE WRONG
• Now, we did an entire series on THINK Before You Speak.
• In light of that, we will tread lightly here.
1. The Sin of Hasty Words (Pr. 10:19; 15:28; 17:27; 29:11)
Choose Words Carefully
Proverbs 10:19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: But he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Proverbs 15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: But the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
Proverbs 17:27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: And a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.
Proverbs 17:27 (AMP) He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding has a cool spirit.
Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
2. The Sin of Gossip (Ps. 34:13; Pr. 10:12; 11:13; 1 Tim. 5:13)
QUOTE: Love delights in covering sin, hate delights in gossip which uncovers it.
Sin of Talking About Someone Instead of With Them
Psalm 34:13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
Proverbs 11:13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
1 Timothy 5:13 And withal they [THE YOUNGER WIDOWS] learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
ILLUS: How Do You Speak of Those Who Are Absent?
Have you ever noticed that there is usually a dearth of good kind words for the absent one when his name is mentioned in conversation? There may be words of criticism and faultfinding, but how few are the words of commendation! The golden rule suggests that we speak of the absent one as we would have others speak of us. Practical Bible Illustrations From Yesterday and Today.
3. The Sin of Slander (Ps. 101:5; Pr. 11:9)
Psalm 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Proverbs 11:9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
QUOTE: To malign a person’s character falsely is worse than murder. My Favorite Illustrations
ILLUS: Pastor Woodard at Victory killed by gunman. Yes, you say you would never do that. No, but you would tear apart a minister’s life and ability to earn a living for his family by your words. Whether you destroy a minister by the bullet or by the ballot, you have still destroyed him. I think that ballot may be worse.
4. The Sin of Complaining (1 Cor. 10:10; Philip. 2:14-15; Jude 1:16; James 5:9)
HUMOR: TRYING TO HELP An older man approached a young stranger in the post office and asked, "Sir, would you address this postcard and write a short note for me? I have such a difficult time writing these days."
The younger man gladly did so, and when he was finished, he asked the older gentleman, "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?"
The older man looks at the card for a few moments and said, "Yes, at the end could you add, ’Please excuse the sloppy handwriting’?" T. Brent Long
HUMOR: THE ROOKIE IN RIGHT FIELD
A baseball manger decided to play a rookie in right field one day. The regular right fielder wasn’t happy about it, and loudly complained from the bench that it was a big mistake.
As it turned out the rookie was so nervous that he messed up big time. He made a couple of errors and misjudged several other fly balls. Each time he messed up, the veteran right fielder complained loudly from the bench.
Finally, late in the game the manager replaced the rookie with the veteran, mostly to shut the veteran up. Not long after, the veteran missed the first ball. Every time the ball came to him, he fumbled it. At the end of the inning, everyone waited to hear what he would say.
The veteran ballplayer slammed his glove down in disgust and said, "Skipper, that kid has right field so messed up nobody can play it." Tommy Burrus
• The Bible word often used is murmur. (40x in its various forms)
• It refers to a muttering, grumbling.
1 Corinthians 10:10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS] also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Jude 1:16 These [apostates] are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
James 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
James 5:9 (AMP) Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you [yourselves] may not be judged. Look! The Judge is [already] standing at the very door.
QUOTE: He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness.
The Complete Book of Wise Words and Quotes.
HUMOR: Two miserable old men spent day after day in the day room of the retirement center. One man had rheumatoid arthritis to the extent that if anyone walked on the floor, he felt the vibration and groaned in pain. On the other side of the room, kept as far away from the first man as possible, was a man with St. Vitus Dance syndrome (Sydenham’s Chorea). His whole body moved and shook uncontrollably.
The first man was prone to complain, while the second was always cheerful. Why don’t you be thankful?, said the “dancing” man to the arthritic man. What do I have to complain about said the other? Well, for one, you can be thankful that you don’t have what you have and what I have at the same time!
B. EFFORTS THAT ARE WRONG
1. The Sin of Allowing Evil to Overcome Us (Rom. 12:20-21)
Romans 12:20-21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
• It can be very easy to allow ourselves to become the very thing that we hate.
2. The Sin of Vengeance (Rom. 12:17-19)
Romans 12:17-19 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
QUOTE: We are to keep ourselves from all thought of taking revenge. Paul gives three reasons for that. (a) Vengeance does not belong to us but to God. In the last analysis no human being has a right to judge any other; only God can do that. (b) To treat a man with kindness rather than vengeance is the way to move him. Vengeance may break his spirit; but kindness will break his heart. "If we are kind to our enemies," says Paul, "it will heap coals of fire on their heads." That means, not that it will store up further punishment for them, but that it will move them to burning shame.
(c) To stoop to vengeance is to be ourselves conquered by evil. Evil can never be conquered by evil. If hatred is met with more hatred it is only increased; but if it is met with love, an antidote for the poison is found.
As Booker Washington said: "I will not allow any man to make me lower myself by hating him." Daily Study Bible
CHANCING THE ARM There is an ancient door on display in St. Patrick’s cathedral in Dublin, Ireland. The rough hewn door has a rectangular hole hacked out in its center. It is called the “Door of Reconciliation,” and gives rise to the Irish expression of “chancing one’s arm.”
In 1492, two prominent Irish families, the Ormonds and Kildares, were in the midst of a bitter feud. As the feud grew and turned into an all out fight, the Earl of Ormand was besieged by the Earl of Kildare. The Earl of Ormand and his family and followers took refuge in the chapter house of St. Patrick’s cathedral and bolted themselves in.
However, as the siege wore on, the Earl of Kildare concluded the feuding was foolish. Here were two families worshiping the same God, in the same church, living in the same country, trying to kill each other. So Kildare called out to the Earl of Ormand and pledged that he would not seek revenge or indulge in villainy — he wanted the Ormands to come out and the feud to be over.
But the Earl of Ormand was convinced that it was a scheme full of treachery and refused to come out of the cathedral. So Kildare grabbed his spear, chopped a hole in the door with it, and thrust his hand through. There was a tense moment until his hand was grasped by another hand inside the church. The door was opened and the two men embraced, thus ending the family feud. From Kildare’s noble gesture came the expression: “chancing one’s arm.”
Hopefully, these holidays will be marked by God’s people “chancing the arm.” There is always the chance that the hand will be cut off, but there is also the chance that it will be grasped and that an embrace will follow. May God give us courage and grace. Rodney Buchanon, Sermon Central
QUOTE: We can endure life’s wrongs when we know that an all seeing, all righteous God will make all things right.
3. The Sin of Strife (Pr. 10:12; 16:28; Philip. 2:3; James 3:18)
Strife – a strong, sometimes bitter contention that stems from self-seeking behavior and results in producing factions. In the writings of Aristotle “it denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means.” CBL
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
Proverbs 16:28 A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
James 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
ILLUS: Abraham in Genesis 13:7-9
4. The Sin of Collective Revenge (Ps. 1:1-2; Pr. 1:10-16)
• Mob rule, vigilante justice.
Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Proverbs 1:10-16 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
APPLICATION:
ILLUS: WCKI and the static electricity. While in seminary, I worked at a local Christian radio station. Part of my duties was to take hourly meter readings from the transmitter and place them on a log sheet that was subject to FCC review. The building featured indoor/outdoor green carpet, and the day was cool and dry. Returning to the on-air console, I sat down to give the live weather report. To my right, the last record that had been played was on the turntable, and the arm was moving back and forth. Above the turntable was a the bottom of a circuit board with solder that had hardened into sharp points. I reached to lift the arm off the record, and the static electricity surged into my finger tip. In a knee-jerk reaction, I lifted my hand into the air. In doing so, I nearly ripped the skin off the back of my hand as I raked it across the solder. Remember that I was giving a live weather forecast at the time. I’m still not sure what I said, but friends told me that it was something like the prayer of a monk during a fervent Buddhist revival! LESSON: Our reaction to a hurt may do more damage than the original offense!
C. EMOTIONS THAT ARE WRONG
1. The Sin of Stubbornness and Pride (Pr. 3:5-6; 6:17; 13:10; 15:25)
Not yielding to the lord. The sin of doing it my way
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 6:17[The Lord hates] A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
Proverbs 15:25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.
2. The Sin of Rage (Pr. 14:16; 29:11; Eph. 4:26)
It is not wrong to be angry. But in our anger we can sin.
QUOTE: Anger begins with madness and ends in regret. Phillips
Proverbs 14:16 A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.
Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
Proverbs 29:11 (AMP) A [self-confident] fool utters all his anger, but a wise man holds it back and stills it.
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
QUOTE: Anger can kill. It may not be as quick as an automatic weapon, but it is just as deadly. In the introduction to their book Anger Kills, Williams & Williams say: "getting angry is like taking a small dose of some slow-acting poison—arsenic, for example—every day of your life. Fresh
Illustrations.
3. The Sins of Bitterness And Unforgiveness (Eph. 4:26; 4:31; 12:15)
Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
Ephesians 4:31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
ILLUS: I have seen the faces of some of the sweetest, most helpful, most docile men and women turn at the mention of an event, of a name. How can this be? It is the ROOT (under the ground, out of sight) of bitterness that is sending bitter water up to the tree. And that tree will die if the root is not extracted!
QUOTE: Only the brave knows how to forgive. A coward never forgives. It is not in his nature. — Robert Muller
ILLUS: Corrie Ten Boom And Forgiveness
Corrie ten Boom likens forgiveness to letting go of a bell rope. If you have ever seen a country church with a bell in the steeple, you will remember that to get the bell ringing you have to tug awhile. Once it has begun to ring, you merely maintain the momentum. As long as you keep pulling, the bell keeps ringing.
Corrie ten Boom says forgiveness is letting go of the rope. It is just that simple, but when you do so, the bell keeps ringing. Momentum is still at work. However, if you keep your hands off the rope, the bell will begin to slow and eventually stop.
It is like that with forgiveness. When you decide to forgive, the old feelings of unforgiveness may continue to assert themselves. After all, they have lots of momentum. But if you affirm your decision to forgive, that unforgiving spirit will begin to slow and will eventually be still. Forgiveness is letting go of the "rope" of retribution. Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
4. The Sin of Malice (1 Peter 2:1; Titus 3:3; 1 Cor. 14:20)
NOTE: Six times in the New Testament, we are warned against the sin of malice. Peter gives the one warning that we will read here, and Paul gave five warnings against this sin.
êáêßá Evil, wickedness; hateful feelings; Barclay Newman
• Malice is bitterness that has been allowed to root and grow.
• Paul clearly declares that it is a mark of the uncoverted. (Titus 3:3 below)
• It degenerated from anger over an event …
• Into hatred against a person.
• It is the most dangerous inward state that can exist.
• Malice is where the pot of bitterness is boiling within so fervently, that it is about to boil over, it is a pressure cooker that is about to explode and destroy everything nearby.
• You can see it in the face, hear it in the tone of voice, and read it in the blood pressure dial.
1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
1 Corinthians 14:20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
CONCLUSION (James 1:19; Eph. 4:2-3)
• Of course this list is not exhaustive.
• But it is a good representation of what the Bible has to say about the relational sins (the sins that affect relationships)
• As we P-A-U-S-E before we act …
• We must be careful to ask … Is what I am about to do a sin?
James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Ephesians 4:2-3 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
