The Church’s Time Of Tragedy

I once heard a story with a neat lesson.

There was an old man that lived in the mountains

of eastern Kentucky. The old man had a big family.

One day one of the old man’s grandsons approached

him with a problem.

The Grandson said, “PAP, I read the Bible and I don’t understand it, and what I understand I forget as soon as I close the Bible covers. What’s the use of reading the Bible?”

The Grandfather ordered the grandson to get the basket they used to carry the heating coal into

the house and run down to the river and bring back

a basket of water to the house. To please his grandfather, the lad grabbed the basket, ran to the river and got a basket of water. The lad ran back to the house with the water. By the time the lad reached the house the basket

was empty. The grandfather chided the young boy, “Hurry and go bring me a basket of water. DO IT NOW!”

The lad ran quickly from the river. The basket was full when he left the river, but by the time he arrived at the house the basket of water was dry.

After his third trip, the boy told his granddad, “It

is no use, I cannot retain the water in the basket

until I get here. It is useless.”

The grandfather looked at the disgusted young boy, and said, “So you think it is useless?”

“Yes! Pap it is useless to try!” the boy replied.

The Grandfather said to the boy, “BUT LOOK AT THE

BASKET; CAN’T YOU SEE SOMETHING?” THE SMALL BOY WAS AMAZED. AFTER THREE TRIPS TO THE RIVER, THE DIRTY COAL BASKET WAS CLEAN. Pap said, “See, that is what the Word of God does to you. As you read, you say you don’t retain and understand it, but your basket is cleaned. THE WORD OF GOD DOES THE WORK OF GOD!”(22)

IV. THE TRAGEDY OF THE UNCONFESSED SIN(23)

A. Sin Brings Separation.

Isa. 59:1 “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

NOTE: [1] If our prayers aren’t being answered, the problem is not from God’s side—the problem isn’t with God. Often the problem is simply that the lines of communication have been blocked by sin.

[2] Sin cannot take away the Christian’s relationship to Christ, but it can certainly take away his fellowship with Christ. As Keith Brooks notes:

When a true Christian sins, what happens? His Fellowship with God is severed. David, when backslidden, mourned, “Day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer” (Psalm 32:4). As Clouds hide the sun for days, so Sin comes between the soul and God.(24)

B. Sin’s Bondage Has Been Broken By The Savior.

NOTE: Someone has said, “Sin is like quicksand: Your own efforts only make you sink deeper. Only an outside hand can pull you out.”(25) Folks, Jesus is that outside Source. Because of Christ’s victory on Calvary’s cross, no child of God has to live in bondage to sin.

1 John 1:7b “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

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9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”