Several years ago, Alice Pike tried to use a fake $1 million dollar bill to shop at Walmart. She went to the register with $1,675 worth of stuff and expected change. Pike told police she got it from her estranged husband, who is a coin collector. They arrested her anyway on first degree forgery charges (The Associated Press, “Woman Says She Thought $1 Million Bill Was Real,” NBC News, 3-9-04; www.PreachingToday.com).
Two things gave her away. 1st, the U.S. Treasury does not print $1 million dollar bills; and 2nd, she asked for change. What was she thinking? Did she expect the cashier to hand over $998,325 in change? And did she even bring a vehicle big enough to handle all that change?
What she did was stupid, but not anymore stupid than any other sin. People lie and expect good results. People overindulge in food or alcohol or entertainment and expect to feel better. People take what isn't theirs and expect satisfaction. People act selfishly and expect stronger relationships. People ignore repentance and expect forgiveness. People hand over a fake and expect change.
So what do you do when you do something really stupid? What do you do when you sin to get back on the road to recovery? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Exodus 32, Exodus 32, where Moses deals with a nation that did something really stupid.
Exodus 32:15-20 Then Moses turned and went down from the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on the front and on the back they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” But he said, “It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear.” And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses’ anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made and burned it with fire and ground it to powder and scattered it on the water and made the people of Israel drink it (ESV).
While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving God’s Law, the people of Israel in the valley were involved in a drunken orgy before a golden calf that Aaron, the high priest, had fashioned. They were breaking the first two commandments: you shall have no other gods before me; and you shall not make for yourself a carved image (Exodus 20:3-4).
Reflecting God’s anger (vs.10), Moses’ anger burned hot (vs.19). The word for “anger” is literally the nose, so picture his nose flared out as that anger burns within him.
As a result, Moses broke the two tablets of stone, containing the 10 commandments, because they had broken God’s law. Then Moses ground the golden calf into powder, threw the powder in a nearby stream, and forced the children of Israel to drink it.
By doing this, Moses showed them how worthless their god was, which would become excrement as it passed through their bodies. Moses also forced them to accept responsibility for their own sin, as they ingested the idol into their own systems. It was an important first step in dealing with their gross, stupid sin.
And that’s what you must do when you sin. Accept responsibility for your actions. Ingest the sin, so to speak.
CONSUME YOUR SIN, owning it as your own.
During the 2002 Soccer World Cup, Adidas introduced their Fevernova soccer ball. It featured a new design that was supposed to make the ball follow a more predicable flight pattern than the previous generation of soccer balls. However, while the Fevernova accomplished this goal, many players complained that it was too light, making it fly unpredictably.
So for the 2006 World Cup, Adidas attempted to fix those problems with their new Teamgeist ball. This ball had 14 (rather than 32) curved panels that were bonded together rather than stitched. This goal was to make the ball uniformly round and completely waterproof. Yet for all of Adidas' efforts in solving the water problem, some players felt that the ball flew too fast. It was too easy to score goals they said, and it made goalies look slow and ineffective.
Adidas again made further improvements for the 2010 World Cup ball called the Jabulani. They further reduced the number of panels from 14 down to eight, but they also added textured grooves to the panels intended to make the ball have the same kind of aerodynamics as a traditional stitched ball. But once again, some players complained that the new grooves made the ball fly unpredictably (John Dyer, From the Garden to the City, Kregel, 2011, pages 132-133; www.PreachingToday.com).
It seemed that no matter what Adidas did, they couldn’t make the players happy. Perhaps, the problem was not with the balls, but with the players themselves.
You see, when you stop blaming others and take responsibility for your own problems, then you’re well on the road to recovery. So, when you sin, consume your sin, owning it as your own. Then…
CONFESS YOUR SIN.
Just admit that you broke God’s law without any excuses. Concede your guilt before a Holy God. That’s what Moses asks Aaron to do. Take a look.
Exodus 32:21-24 And Moses said to Aaron, “What did this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them?” And Aaron said, “Let not the anger of my lord burn hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ So I said to them, ‘Let any who have gold take it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf” (ESV).
Instead of taking responsibility for leading the people into sin, Aaron blames the people for their depravity. He blames Moses for his delay, and he blames the fire for delivering the calf (Wiersbe). It’s almost laughable, especially when you know that Aaron ordered the people to give him their gold jewelry, from which he fashioned the golden calf (vs.2-4). Aaron was not just complicit in their rebellion. He led the rebellion! And Moses calls Aaron to account for his actions. Instead, Aaron just gives silly excuses.
My dear friends, that’s no way to deal with sin, no! When you sin, just admit it without excuses. Confess your sin, so God can begin the healing process of removing that sin from your life.
In his book There’s a Lot More to Health than Not Being Sick, Bruce Larson tells of visiting a halfway house in Western Ontario. It was a place for those recovering from mental illness, a place for people who needed fresh love, new resources, and the gift of hope.
The main meeting room was in an old farmhouse. There, people would gather and eat and talk in small groups before the roaring fireplace on cold, Canadian winter evenings. But the most memorable thing was a sign over the fireplace. It said, “Do you want to be right or well?”
That sign summed up the point of view of the director and ministry of that whole place. The director was sure that most people had to make a choice. They could struggle to be right in the eyes of others and in their own sight. That would take a lot of energy. Or they could decide to be well and give up the pretensions to perfection. The director was convinced that the need to justify oneself was one of the major causes of most mental and emotional illnesses (Maxie Dunnam, The Communicator’s Commentary).
So stop trying to justify yourself. Just admit your sin to get started on the road to recovery. When you sin, consume your sin, owning it as your own. Confess your sin. And then…
COMMIT TO SERVING GOD AGAIN.
Return to the Lord and rededicate your life to Him for His use as He sees fit. That’s what Moses calls the nation of Israel to do.
Exodus 32:25-26 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies), then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, “Who is on the LORD’s side? Come to me.” And all the sons of Levi gathered around him (ESV).
To “break loose” means to throw off all restraint, even to throw off your clothes. Israel was involved in a wild, sex party, which made them the laughingstock of their enemies. Even so, Moses calls them to repent and return to the Lord, to stop and stand with him. The sad thing is only the Levites respond to Moses’ invitation.
Exodus 32:27-28 And he said to them, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Put your sword on your side each of you, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and each of you kill his brother and his companion and his neighbor.’ ” And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And that day about three thousand men of the people fell (ESV).
This was not personal vengeance. This was God’s governing agents exercising capital punishment for a capital offense. The Levites killed those who had refused to stop their sinful reveling, resulting in the death of 3,000 men, probably the ringleaders of the rebellion.
Now, that showed great restraint when you consider that there was a little more than 600,000 men in the camp (or 603,550 to be exact according to Numbers 1:46). So, the Levites killed less than half of one percent in bringing down God’s wrath upon the unrepentant revelers. For that, God set them apart to serve Him and receive His blessing.
Exodus 32:29 And Moses said, “Today you have been ordained for the service of the LORD, each one at the cost of his son and of his brother, so that he might bestow a blessing upon you this day” (ESV).
400 years before this, Jacob had cursed Levi and his descendants, announcing that they would be scattered throughout all Israel (Genesis 49:5-7). Here, God turns that curse into a blessing, because they had turned from their sin and stood with the Lord.
And that is God’s call to you! No matter how great your sin, God calls you to repent and return to Him, to stop and stand with Him that He might use you for His glory and turn your curse into a blessing.
Just because you messed up royally, it doesn’t mean God is finished with you. Oh no! God, in His grace, still wants you on His team. All you have to do is commit your life to Him.
David Zahl, in the Mockingbird magazine, imagines the prodigal son five years after he returned home. He writes:
Almost five years to the day after he returned home the first time, the prodigal son emptied his bank account, packed a few changes of clothes, and snuck off for the faraway country. Again.
The first year back he was just glad to be home.
The second year was toughest; he still couldn’t get (rid of) … the shame that chewed away at his soul.
The third year, things leveled out a little. He started feeling more at home, back in synch with his former life.
The fourth year, certain things began to irk him. His old itches longed to be scratched.
And the fifth year, it happened. All the former allurements came knocking, rapping their knuckles on his heart’s front door.
And so the prodigal relapsed. Re-sinned. Re-destroyed his life.
You know him—or her. Maybe it’s your best friend. Maybe it's your child. Or maybe it’s you. That thing you swore you’d never do again, you did it last night. You left the straight and narrow. Prodigals have a way of finding themselves right back in the pigsty.
In that moment… heaven and hell contend within you. Hell shouts, “Now you’ve gone and done it. You stupid piece of garbage. You’re a lost, lonely, hopeless cause. You’re a pig. And that’s all you’ll ever be.”
But there is another voice. It’s the voice of heaven, the familiar lilt of a Dad’s voice, echoing down the long hallways of hope … down to the deepest, darkest caverns of your pain. He doesn’t accuse. He doesn’t berate. He only mouths two simple words… of heaven’s redemptive love: “Come Home.”
The second time, the third time, the thousandth time, he will sprint… to meet you down the street, throw his arms around you, kiss you, and command that the fattened calf be barbecued. The Father is standing on the porch, his hand shading the sun from his eyes, scanning the horizon for the familiar image of the one who will ever remain, his precious, beloved child. “Come home” (Chad Bird, “When the Prodigal Son Relapses,” 1517.org, 5-22-22; David Zahl, “When the Prodigal Son Relapses,” Mockingbird magazine; 3-25-22; www.PreachingToday.com).
Please, whether this is the first time you’ve walked away from God or the thousandth time, just come home to your Heavenly Father. Stop right where you are and return to the Lord, who will welcome you again with wide open arms.
When you sin, 1st, consume your sin, owning it as your own. 2nd, confess your sin without making any excuses. 3rd, commit to serving God again. And finally…
CONTINUE IN THE SALVATION HE PROVIDES.
Move forward in God’s forgiveness of your sin. Keep on going towards the Promised land, knowing that God has dealt with your sin once and for all.
Exodus 32:30-32 The next day Moses said to the people, “You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.” So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin. They have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written” (ESV).
This is NOT the book of life in Revelation 20, which lists the citizens of heaven. No! This is the book of the living (Psalm 69:28), which lists the living citizens of Israel. Thus, when a person died, his or her name was removed from the book. Moses knew that a sacrifice was necessary to atone for (or to cover) Israel’s sin, so he asks God to kill him instead of all the people. As their mediator, Moses is willing to die a premature death if it would stay God’s hand of judgment against Israel.
Exodus 32:33-35 But the LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book. But now go, lead the people to the place about which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.” Then the LORD sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made (ESV).
God makes it very clear that Moses’ death would be an inadequate sacrifice for the sins of the people. Those who sinned died prematurely, some in the plague God sent, and others in the day when God visited their sin upon them. That day was perhaps the day when Israel refused to enter the Promised Land at Kadesh Barnea. There, God declared that that whole generation would die in the wilderness (Numbers 14:26-30). So every Israeli here ended up dying for their own sin, because Moses could not die in their place.
But what Moses could not do, Jesus did for every believer! Like Moses, Jesus begged God to forgive the people when He cried out on the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). But unlike Moses, God accepted Jesus’ death as payment for the sins of all who put their trust in Him.
The Gospel is very clear. Christ died for our sins and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), demonstrating that God had accepted His sacrifice for our sins.
Hebrews 7 says, “This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant”—i.e., a better covenant than the Mosaic Covenant— “because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:22-25).
Moses’ intercession could not save a single soul—each had to die for his or her own sin. Jesus’ intercession, on the other hand, saves to the uttermost all who draw near to Him.
Hebrews 9 goes on to say, “When Christ appeared… he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11-12).
Jesus’ shed blood on the cross secured eternal freedom for all who put their trust in Him. Please, if you haven’t done it already, trust Christ with your life. Depend on Him, and Him alone, for your salvation, because “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
Moses couldn’t save his people. Mohammad couldn’t save His people. Only Jesus the Messiah can save those who put their trust in Him. So trust Christ with your life today before it is eternally too late. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
Then move forward in that salvation every day. Even if you sin as a believer, keep on going in the forgiveness God has provided in Christ Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Pastor Mark Coleman loves to hike, and he wanted to pass that love on to his son, Peter. So, when Peter was only 5 years old, Coleman planned an easy hike on the northern part of the Appalachian Trail. His plan was to walk around a mountain to a lake in Vermont where they would spend the night. Coleman made thorough preparations for the trip, which included coaching his son. Over and over Coleman told his boy that it would be tough, and it was okay to be tired, but they had to keep on walking. They had to keep on walking.
Unfortunately, the walking was longer and tougher than expected, because Coleman accidently led them OVER the mountain, not AROUND it. The trail was steep and broken. Little Peter stumbled time after time on loose rocks, but they kept on walking. The hike was a burden, not a joy, but they kept on walking. Peter fell so many times that he ripped the knees of his jeans, but he kept on walking. Finally, after one fall too many, he sat and cried.
As Mark approached him and began to speak, Peter cut him off: “I know, Dad. It's okay to cry, as long as I keep on walking” (From a sermon by Mark Coleman, 3-16-03; www.Preaching Today.com).
No matter how many times you fall, just keep on walking until you reach the Promised Land. Don’t stop your journey of faith just because you mess up. No! Own your sin. Confess your sin. Commit to serving God again. And continue in the salvation He has provided in Christ.
Jack Hayford once said, “The past is a dead issue and we can't gain any momentum moving toward tomorrow if were dragging the past behind us” (Jack Hayford, “Taking Hold of Tomorrow,” Christianity Today, Vol. 34, no. 15; www.PreachingToday.com).
So stop dragging the past behind you, and by God’s grace move forward into the glorious future He has for you.
