This morning we will be continuing our series "April Showers Bring May Flowers." I will be speaking to you today about "That Shower Fresh Feeling." Our background scripture today comes from the book of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 30:6
“The LORD your God will cleanse your heart and the hearts of all your descendants so that you will love him with all your heart and soul, and so you may live! “
As you may have caught on in that last passage. Sometimes God tells us to hit the showers. He cleanses us so that our relationship can be all that it needs to be.
Let’s talk dirty for a minute. I knew that would get your attention. We all get dirty sometimes. Yesterday I spent some time changing the oil in my new project car. By the time I was done, I was grimy, sweaty and stinky. Fact is most of us get spiritually filthy as well. Poor choices, willful disobedience and outright rebellion. Each of us in some way or another has been guilty as charged on each count.
What’s the real problem with being dirty? That’s right you go too long, you begin to stink. I hate to tell you all this...but "you stink!!!" Fact is, I stink too. Because the filth in my life is sin...and God doesn’t care much the aroma of sin. Let’s take a look.
Romans 3:10-13 (NLT)
No one has real understanding; no one is seeking God. All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong. No one does good, not even one." "Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their speech is filled with lies." "The poison of a deadly snake drips from their lips."
Did you catch that? The sinful life has a stench like that of an open grave. Have you ever been around something dead? Whether it’s decomposing plants, roadkill, or anything else in that category...it just stinks. In my days as a police officer, I used to carry a gas mask and Vicks Vaporub for instances when I had to be around those smells. To think that God thinks the same about our sin.
Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
None of us is exempt. God has a message for sinful man..."You stink." Now your laughing...but let’s talk for a moment. When you’re around someone who doesn’t put much importance on bathing...don’t you tend to distance yourself, due to the odor? It drives others away. Sin really is no different...the sinful aroma in our lives creates barriers as well.
Sin separates us from God, from others, from inner peace, from joy. Look at the following scriptures:
Colossians 1:21 (NLT)
This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions…
Psalms 32:3-4 (NLT)
When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.
Have you ever noticed how your kids act when they are guilty of wrong doing, but you don’t know yet. They start hanging around...they act like they want to say something, but they don’t. They look like a bubble getting ready to burst. The burden of sin is weighing upon them.
Each of us has our little pet sins. You know those things in the closet or sock drawer of your life, that you think only you know about. Those things that if the preacher man gets near, you get uncomfortable. We often forget that God knows about those things...there are no hidden closets...He knows it all.
It’s time to hit the showers. All of us could use a good scrubbing. Contrary to the popular belief of most 7 year old boys...standing in the water is not enough. We need to address it all. We need to take the washcloth and scrub the dead skin and bacteria off.
We do the same spiritually. We take inventory and
everything gets examined. Nothing is overlooked and as God shows us the dirt in our lives we need to make
complete confession.
James 4:8 (NLT)
Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you hypocrites.
How many of you guys when you were dating, didn’t take a shower first? Why did you do that..because you wanted to be clean. You wanted to look nice and smell fresh. You wanted that young lady to sit close to you. If she was a real catch, you might have even put on a little after shave. Getting clean before God has a wonderful effect. When we draw close to Him, He draws close to us. He tells us to wash and purify. God doesn’t like sin...but He loves purity.
Now that you’ve scrubbed its time to wash the dirt down the drain. We don’t let the filth dry back on with soap scum. We give ourselves a thorough rinse. Spritually we do the same. We rinse in the blood of Jesus Christ. Sin is taken away as far as the east is from the west. Guilt is removed and the record is expunged. The slate is wiped clean, freshness abounds.
Listen to the words of the Psalmist.
Psalms 32:5 (NLT)
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone
If you remember we just read a couple of verses talking about the heaviness of guilt. But here the guilt is gone...but complete confession was necessary. Let me explain. Some of us our guilty of the blanket confession. "Dear God forgive me for all the bad things I did today." We tend to pray this type of prayer when we are not wanting to expose our skeleton closet. I will tell you this...when you are unwilling to lay each and every sin out there...you allow sin to control you. Freedom from sin means that we are free to confess it before God and nail it to the cross of Christ...taking ownership for our failures.
1 Peter 1:2 (NLT)
God the Father chose you long ago, and the Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed Jesus Christ and are cleansed by his blood. May you have more and more of God’s special favor and wonderful peace
The End Result of God’s cleansing shower:
A clear conscience
A close relationship to God
Closer relationships with others
Inner peace and complete joy
1 Peter 1:22 (NLT)
Now you can have sincere love for each other as brothers and sisters because you were cleansed from your sins when you accepted the truth of the Good News. So see to it that you really do love each other intensely with all your hearts.
Psalms 85:2 (NLT)
You have forgiven the guilt of your people – yes, you have covered all their sins
Romans 4:7 (NLT)
Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.
Nothing is more refreshing than a good shower. It refreshes,cleans, stimulates and relaxes. Let God cleanse and refresh you today.
