HISTORIC CHRISTIAN FAITH IN THE MODERN WORLD
Answering the question:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A CHRISTIAN
Week 1:
- How the Christian Faith has done the MOST GOOD in the history of the world
- The Christian Faith has a RICH HISTORY from which we can draw strength
Week 2:
- WHAT IS FAITH?
Faith is: Trust in God
That He exists
That He is Good
We can trust His plan for us
Today will be a little uncomfortable for ALL of us
- Going to Challenge us the most
To get started, we need to talk about…
1: THE PROBLEM
- What’s wrong with everything
- Why everything and everyone is a wreck all the time
The problem is SIN…
- ON MOTHERS DAY??
- We need a good “Theology” or understanding about Sin
- Culture does not believe or accept the idea of sin
Let’s ask some important questions about sin…
>>WHAT IS SIN
1 John 3:4
Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Sin is spiritual anarchy and rebellion against God and his created Order
>>WHO HAS SINNED?
This means every person, alive or dead, has “SINNED” and “FALLEN SHORT”
- Did not meet the standard
- Missed the mark
- Not making the Grade
Romans 2:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…
This is important because we love to throw around “GOOD” a lot
- I’m a GOOD person
- I try to do GOOD most of the time
>>Who gets to determine what is GOOD?
- Me?
- You?
- The Government?
A true standard of Good can only come from someone that is COMPLETELY GOOD
Only God is Completely Good
That’s why we can trust Him with our life
Sin is anything short of God’s good
- It is rebellion against a GOOD God
- Choosing OUR GOOD over His
>>Where did sin come from?
Romans 5:12
…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.
Christianity teaches that sin entered the World Through Adam
- Adam is the father of the human race
- Through his sin, we are all born into sin, and ALSO sin
>>What does Sin do?
Ephesians 4
They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. 19 They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.
Simply put…
Sin Separates
- Us from God
- From each other
- Us from the world
It breaks, destroys, and eventually kills
Romans 6:23a
For the wages of sin is death…
This obviously is BAD NEWS for ALL OF US
1: We’ve all sinned
- Lived in rebellion against God
2: Sin is separating us from God
3: Sin is destroying our lives, body, and world
4: Ultimately, it will end in death…
Christianity not only teaches the real problem with us and the world
- But also give the GREATEST SOLUTION!
1 Timothy 1:15
This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”…
Jesus did not come to:
- Tell us how to be nice
- How to get along with people we don’t like
Jesus is a:
- Sin Defeating
- Satan Stomping
- Living Giving
- Savior!
John 3
For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
Jesus is the ONLY WAY
- The ONLY SOLUTION
- The ONLY PATH
2: THE SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM
This Solution is called:
CONFESSION
The word may make you think of going to a Priest or someone to “CONFESS” all that you’ve done wrong
- Especially if from a catholic background
- That is not what we are talking about
In the Bible, Confession has TWO distinct meanings:
1: We CONFESS that Jesus is Lord
- To declare, Acknowledge
Romans 10:9
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
This confession/declaration acknowledges that God is God and that he rules the world, that he is faithful in showing his love and kindness, and that he has helped his people
But the strength of this confession will come from your willingness to…
2: To Confess Sin
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This confession acknowledges that we have sinned and are therefore guilty before God, often confessing a particular sin
- In such confession, one agrees or acknowledges that he or she has broken God’s Law, that its penalty is justly deserved, and that, in some specific way, God’s standard of holiness has not been met
Regular Confessing of sin is Critical for proper spiritual growth
- Jesus ever put it into the Lord’s prayer
“Forgive us our debts…”
- Daily recognition of our need for God’s grace and forgiveness
The purpose of confessing sin is not to say “MY BAD” and keep doing it
- It is to TURN AWAY FROM
- To stop doing
Here’s my challenge for us all
We often CONFESS DOWN and CORRECT UP
- We confess to people who cannot hold us accountable
- And correct those who are above us
- This is backward
James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
I want to challenge you to find someone in your life to be as a spiritual mentor or accountability partner
- Someone to challenge you and help you grow spiritually
- Someone you share your shortcoming with
Confession brings forth healing
- Mind, body, spirit
When you are willing to confess your sins, you will be willing to CONFESS your allegiance to Jesus despite the challenges that come
- One gives strength to the other