Wandering through Sin - SERMON NOTES

Below are Pastor Ben's sermon notes from this past Sunday, in case they may be helpful for further study. To listen to the sermon, click the link above.

Intro: (1) recap (2) sin makes wandering harder → case studies (3) 2nd thermo law → house/yard/coffee (4) these are here to remind of how deeply God wants us in his presence and warn us about drifting

Sin alienates, Christ brings near (1-4): (1) purity laws → external conditions that made one “unclean” → reflective of broken creation (2) skin disease, bodily discharge, contact with dead → meant to shock us into what we are apart from Christ (cf. tres pesitos, Rom. 3:23, 1 John 1:8) (3) removal from camp → sin removes us from God (cf. Rom. 7:24-25, Heb. 13:11-13) (4) how do we minimize sin → media consumption, financial stewardship, dishonoring parents, words

Sin wrongs, Christ makes right (5-10): (1) sins against others that are intentional (cf. theft in Levit. 6) (2) vertical/horizontal apects of sin (cf. divorce) (3) reasons we sin against others → retaliation, selfishness, control, jealousy, feels good, dismissiveness toward God (4) steps to reconciliation → confess (7a), make restitution (7b) (5) instinct of excusing sin (cf. last grounding) → “I was wrong” (6) sin must be made right (cf. clothes to dryer, Mt. 3:8) (7) v.8b → sacrifice also had to be made (cf. comm psg)

Sin betrays, Christ restores (11-31): (1) read v.11-12, 16-17 → sin as unfaithfulness toward God, test via priest (2) sexual faithfulness within marriage a big deal (cf. 1 Cor. 6:18) (3) marital unfaithfulness as a picture of rejecting God, connected to drinking bitter cup (cf. Ezekiel 23:30-34) (4) Jesus heals sexual sin (cf. Luke 7:37-40, 47-49) (5) Jesus drank the bitter cup for us (cf. Mt. 26, 1 Cor. 11) (6) ways in which we are unfaithful → idolatry, sources of fulfillment/contentment, where we look for peace

Conclusion: sin management vs. worship (cf. carbonated water)