20-0503a Transcript

Preacher: Tom Freed

(0:01) Good morning, I want to be talking about a really popular subject right now, a subject (0:07) that’s been on the news 24-7, that has everybody worried and panicked, has the whole world (0:13) shut down. (0:14) That’s the subject of viruses. (0:18) Everybody’s worried about the coronavirus, they’re panicked to even leave the house, (0:22) but what about another virus, an even more deadly virus? (0:27) There are all kinds of viruses we’re dealing with in the world right now, throughout history, (0:32) and we’re dealing with a major one right now.

(0:36) Seems like there’s a new virus every couple years, and the coronavirus has really created (0:41) a big scare. (0:42) You’ve got Ebola, SARS, H1N1, bird flu, AIDS. (0:46) Every couple years something new pops up, we’re dealing with a pretty crazy virus and (0:52) scary times right now.

(0:54) There’s a lot of panic and fear over this virus, and people are scared to leave their (0:59) homes. (1:00) It’s dangerous and deadly, but what about another virus many people overlook? (1:07) This virus is even more dangerous than any we have seen, and it can affect your spirit (1:12) and soul. (1:13) It has been around since the beginning of time, and affects all of humanity.

(1:18) I’m sure you can guess what virus I’m talking about, and that’s the virus of sin. (1:22) It started with one man and spread throughout all humanity. (1:27) Romans 5.12 (1:29) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this (1:34) way death came to all people because all sinned.

(1:38) Sin is deadly. (1:40) Romans 6.23 (1:41) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus (1:46) our Lord. (1:49) Just imagine if the news media gave the same coverage to the effects of sin as they do (1:54) with this virus.

(1:56) Many people in the world think sin is fun and good and healthy for you, and there are (2:01) no consequences to it. (2:03) It’s on every show, it’s on every movie, it’s pushed in our face 24-7. (2:12) Sin is fun, but it only lasts for a short time.

(2:17) Hebrews 11.25 (2:20) Choosing rather to share ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures (2:25) of sin for a season. (2:27) As the Bible says, sin is pleasurable for a season. (2:32) It’s fun at first, it’s enjoyable, it’s cool according to the world, but they don’t show (2:39) you what happens when you get addicted and when you have to pay the consequences for (2:43) sin.

(2:44) It’s not fun being a drug addict, being an alcoholic, losing your job, your family, your (2:52) friends, being homeless, even dying from it. (2:57) People think their path in life is right, but the path leads to death. (3:02) Proverbs 16.25 (3:05) There is a way that appears right, but in the end it leads to death.

(3:11) So how many people you talk to think they know the way in life? (3:15) They think that whatever they feel is right and good is the correct way to go. (3:21) But man’s ways lead to death, the Bible’s way leads to life. (3:27) God’s thoughts and ways are so much higher than man’s.

(3:31) Isaiah 55.8-9 (3:34) For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. (3:40) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and (3:45) my thoughts than your thoughts. (3:48) So God’s ways and thoughts are so much higher than our ways and thoughts, we can’t even (3:53) imagine it.

(3:55) Man is so small and puny compared to God, we shouldn’t even question him. (4:01) We have to go off the Bible, not what man thinks. (4:06) There are many people who don’t believe in God and think there is no heaven and hell.

(4:11) But the Bible says only the fool says in his heart that God doesn’t exist. (4:15) Psalm 53.1 (4:18) The fool says in his heart there is no God. (4:21) They are corrupt and their ways are vile, there is no one who does good.

(4:27) We need to worry about sin and take it just as serious as the virus we are dealing with (4:32) now. (4:33) One day we are going to be held accountable for everything we have done and every word (4:37) spoken. (4:38) Matthew 12.36 (4:40) But I tell you that everyone will give an account on the day of judgment for every empty (4:45) word they have spoken.

(4:47) So we need to be careful what we say and what we do. (4:51) Some day we are going to be held accountable and stand before God in judgment. (4:56) It is a very scary thing to stand before God if you are not prepared.

(5:01) Hebrews 10.31 (5:02) It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. (5:08) Let’s take a look and compare the coronavirus to the virus of sin. (5:14) The world would have you believe that sin is no big deal and this virus we are dealing (5:19) with now is the worst thing that has ever happened on earth.

(5:23) Let’s look and see what is really worse. (5:27) The coronavirus spreads easily, it is dangerous and can even lead to death. (5:32) Symptoms are a fever, tiredness, dry cough, aches and pains, sore throat and nasal congestion.

(5:40) It doesn’t sound all that scary. (5:43) The flu or common cold have similar symptoms and only 1-3% of people who get it die. (5:49) The numbers are showing that the death toll is similar to that of the flu.

(5:53) The coronavirus death toll is at 65,600 right now and 24,000 to 62,000 people die from the (6:04) flu from 2019 to 2020. (6:11) The coronavirus is dangerous and deadly but is it worse than what sin can do to a person? (6:18) Let’s look at sin and the symptoms and consequences it brings. (6:24) Sin affects 100% of people in the world and brings on physical, spiritual and eternal death.

(6:31) Everybody in the world at one point has sinned. (6:34) Jesus is the only one that was sinless. (6:37) It separates us from God and if not taken care of will lead to eternal destruction and hell.

(6:45) Which one sounds a little bit scarier? (6:48) I would say sin definitely sounds scarier. (6:53) But the world says we shouldn’t worry about sin. (6:57) The world says if it feels good, do it.

(7:01) Many people in the world call good evil and evil good. (7:05) Isaiah 5.20 (7:07) Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, (7:13) who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (7:17) How many in the world call right now are calling good evil and evil good? (7:24) Homosexuality, abortion, drugs, drinking, adultery, fornication, the list goes on and on.

(7:29) If you’re against abortion, they’ll call you evil. (7:33) They say drinking drugs is fun. (7:37) Sex is pushed on TV, on the youth, on every movie.

(7:43) They say it’s healthy, but God says only in marriage is sex allowed. (7:50) Just as Pilate, they think truth is relative. (7:54) John 18.38 (7:56) Pilate said to him, what is truth? (8:01) But as Christians, we know what truth is.

(8:03) John 8.32 (8:05) You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. (8:10) God’s word is truth. (8:12) John 17.17 (8:15) Sanctify them by your truth.

(8:17) Your word is truth. (8:19) The Bible is truth. (8:21) It has everything we need to know about the world, what’s going on.

(8:25) We need to go out the Bible and follow that. (8:29) Let’s take a closer look at what sin really does to a person. (8:35) First off, sin affects us physically.

(8:38) When King David sinned, he said there was no health in his bones. (8:44) Psalm 38.3 (8:46) There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger, nor any health in my bones because of my sin. (8:53) God’s wrath assaulted him from the outside and the fever of sin consumes him from within.

(9:00) So even his bones felt the effects of sin. (9:05) His body was hurting. (9:06) He was physically and mentally tormented.

(9:10) Compare that to Israel’s deep-seated disease when they sinned against the Lord. (9:15) Isaiah 1.5-6 (9:17) Why should you be beaten anymore? (9:20) Why do you persist in rebellion? (9:22) Your whole head is injured. (9:24) Your whole heart afflicted.

(9:25) From the sole of your foot to the top of your head, there is no soundness. (9:30) Only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or banished or soothed with oil. (9:36) So from head to toe, sin affected the nation of Israel.

(9:42) Even nations can be affected by sin. (9:44) And if we’re not careful, the nation that sins will be eventually destroyed by God. (9:51) David says he is broken from sin.

(9:54) Psalm 38.8 (9:56) I am feeble and severely broken. (9:59) I groan because of the turmoil of my heart. (10:02) His strength and his sight had gone.

(10:06) Psalm 38.10 (10:07) My heart pants. My strength fails me. (10:11) As for the light of my eyes, it has also gone from me.

(10:16) So it even affected his vision. (10:18) Sin can cause so much distress that it can have you walking like the blind. (10:24) Zephaniah 1.17 (10:25) I will bring distress upon men, and they will walk like blind men because they have sinned against the Lord.

(10:33) Their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse. (10:38) Even remember in Sodom and Gomorrah, when the angels visited and the village people came to abuse them. (10:45) God blinded them.

They couldn’t see. (10:48) But they were still searching for the door, trying to get at the men. (10:53) We can become sick and empty because of our sins.

(10:57) Micah 6.13 (10:59) Therefore I will make you sick by striking you, by making you desolate because of your sins. (11:09) Even taking the Lord’s Supper wrong can bring on sickness and even death. (11:13) 1 Corinthians 11.29-30 (11:17) For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself.

(11:24) Not discerning the Lord’s body, for this reason many are sick and weak among you, and many sleep. (11:32) So we don’t normally think about this when we’re taking the Lord’s Supper. (11:36) But even taking the Lord’s Supper in the wrong manner can bring on sickness and even death.

(11:42) So we have to be careful. (11:45) Sin is truly dangerous physically. Let’s see what other ways it affects us.

(11:51) It can also affect us emotionally. (11:55) Sin can cause a lot of bad emotions in us, namely guilt, shame, depression, fear, anxiety, and stress, just to name a few. (12:05) Let’s look at the story of Cain and Abel.

(12:08) Cain’s sin caused him to become angry and depressed. (12:11) Genesis 4.5 (12:13) He did not respect Cain and his offering. (12:16) And Cain was very angry and his countenance fell.

(12:20) So you can see here that Cain was angry and his face fell. (12:25) He was upset and depressed because God didn’t accept his offering. (12:31) If you do right, you will feel right.

(12:33) But if you do not do well, sin lies waiting for you. (12:36) Genesis 4.7 (12:39) If you do well, will you not be accepted? (12:42) If you do not do well, sin lies at the door. (12:45) And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

(12:48) So if Cain did right, he would have been accepted and he would have felt good. (12:52) Instead, he did wrong. (12:55) His offering was not accepted by God and he got upset.

(13:00) He could have changed his ways and done what was right at that point. (13:03) But instead, he continued deeper in sin. (13:06) And instead of repenting, he murdered his brother.

(13:10) The downward spiral of sin complicated the matter and led to greater guilt, depression, and fear. (13:17) Genesis 4.13-14 (13:20) And Cain said to the Lord, (13:21) My punishment is greater than I can bear. (13:24) Surely you have driven me out this day from the face of the ground.

(13:28) I shall be hidden from your face. (13:30) I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on earth. (13:33) And it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.

(13:38) So now he was in fear of his life. (13:40) He was even more depressed, upset, and filled with anxiety. (13:45) Because instead of repenting and doing what was right, (13:49) he went even deeper in sin and murdered his brother.

(13:55) In the garden, Adam sinned and he felt shame and fear. (13:59) Genesis 3.9-10 (14:02) Then the Lord called to Adam and said, (14:04) Where are you? (14:05) So he said, I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid (14:09) because I was naked and I hid myself. (14:14) So instead of facing up to his sin, (14:16) he tried to hide and cover it up from God.

(14:19) He was embarrassed and he hid himself. (14:24) He even tried to blame his wife for it. (14:28) What about David? (14:30) David committed adultery with Bathsheba.

(14:35) And then when she got pregnant, (14:37) he tried to cover it up by killing her husband. (14:40) He had Uriah killed in battle (14:44) and he had to pay the consequences for that. (14:49) The Bible says whoever covers up sin will not prosper.

(14:53) Proverbs 28.13 (14:55) He who conceals his sin does not prosper, (14:58) but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. (15:02) So we can see that instead of covering it up, (15:05) going in a deeper, darker spiral, (15:07) you need to just confess your sin and repent. (15:12) Peter promised to die with Jesus, (15:14) but he ended up denying him instead.

(15:17) His guilt caused him to weep bitterly. (15:20) Matthew 26.75 (15:22) And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, (15:25) Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times. (15:29) So he went out and wept bitterly.

(15:33) How many of us have done the same thing? (15:35) We promised God we wouldn’t do certain things, (15:39) that we would never deny his name, (15:42) but sometimes we end up doing certain things (15:45) that we never thought we would do. (15:46) We end up getting caught up in sins we never saw coming (15:50) or expected to be caught up in. (15:53) David went all night drenching his bed in tears.

(15:56) Psalms 6.6 (15:57) I am weary with my groaning. (15:59) All night I make my bed swim. (16:01) I drench my couch with my tears.

(16:05) So I’m sure many of us have had restless nights (16:08) where we couldn’t sleep or we were so deep in sin (16:11) or caught up in something that we cried at night. (16:15) Sin is a dangerous thing and it can affect us emotionally (16:20) more than we ever can imagine. (16:23) What about Judas who betrayed Jesus? (16:26) His guilt and shame was so strong he took his own life.

(16:29) Matthew 27.3-5 (16:33) Then Judas, his betrayer, (16:35) seeing that he had been condemned, (16:38) was remorseful and brought back the 30 pieces of silver (16:41) to the chief priests and elders, saying, (16:44) I have sinned by betraying innocent blood. (16:46) And they said, What is that to us? (16:49) You see to it. (16:51) Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple (16:53) and departed and went and hanged himself.

(16:58) So we can see that sin can affect us so much (17:02) that we can end up killing ourselves over it, committing suicide. (17:10) How many people can’t face up to the sins they’ve committed? (17:13) How many people, when they’re exposed for the crimes or sins they did, (17:17) instead of facing up to it, take the easy way out (17:22) and they take their own life? (17:25) Sin needs to be handled correctly. (17:27) If not, you’ll fall deeper and deeper into a dark spiral.

(17:31) Acts 33.19 (17:35) Repent, therefore, and turn again, (17:38) that your sins may be blotted out. (17:42) Another way sin can affect us is spiritually. (17:46) It not only affects us physically and our emotions, (17:49) but also our spirit.

(17:53) Adam and Eve were told that if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, (17:56) that they would die. (17:58) Genesis 2.17 (18:01) But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, (18:04) for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die. (18:08) They did not experience physical death right after they ate, (18:13) but they experienced spiritual death.

(18:16) God says the wages of sin is death, for the wages of sin is death, (18:20) but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (18:24) So after they ate of the fruit, they didn’t die immediately, (18:28) but spiritually they died from the sin. (18:34) Full grown sin kills the spirit.

(18:36) James 1.15 (18:38) Then when desire is conceived it gives birth to sin, (18:41) and sin when it is full grown brings forth death. (18:45) So you can see here, sin is conceived in our thoughts, (18:49) it’s still inside us like a pregnant woman. (18:52) The more you think and the more you dwell on that sin, (18:56) it grows and grows in us until finally we give birth to it.

(19:01) And after that birth that sin becomes full grown and brings death to us. (19:07) Physical death is a separation of body and spirit. (19:11) James 2.26 (19:13) For as a body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

(19:19) Spiritual death is a separation from that which is good. (19:23) 1 Timothy 5.6 (19:24) But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. (19:29) When you’re living in pleasure and sin, you’re spiritually dead.

(19:34) Sin separates us from the ultimate good which is God. (19:38) Isaiah 59.2 (19:40) But your iniquities have separated you from God, (19:44) and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear you. (19:49) How many times have we been caught up in sin? (19:53) I know from personal experience, the farther I’m away from obeying God’s word, (19:59) the more sin I’m caught up in, the less connected I feel with God.

(20:06) It separates us from God and hides His face from us. (20:10) David says in Psalms, do not hide your face from me. (20:14) Psalm 27.9 (20:16) Do not hide your face from me.

Do not turn your servant away in anger. (20:21) You have been my help. Do not leave me or forsake me.

(20:24) O God of my salvation. (20:26) David had a lot of struggles with sin. (20:29) And like he says here, if God gets angry, He can turn His face away from us.

(20:35) So we need to be careful about sin. (20:38) 1 Thessalonians 5.19 says do not quench the Spirit. (20:44) One of the fastest ways to quench the Spirit is through sin.

(20:49) When Israel rebelled against God, they grieved the Holy Spirit. (20:52) Isaiah 63.10 (20:55) But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. (20:58) So He turned Himself against them as an enemy.

(21:02) And He fought against them. (21:05) God says do not grieve the Holy Spirit that you were sealed with. (21:09) Ephesians 4.30 and 31 (21:13) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed with for the day of redemption.

(21:19) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. (21:26) How else can sin affect us? (21:29) Sin can affect our soul eternally. (21:33) God says the soul that sins dies.

(21:37) Ezekiel 18.4 (21:40) Behold all sins are mine. The soul of the Father as well as the Son is mine. (21:46) The soul who sins shall die.

(21:50) So you can see that you’re held accountable for your sins. (21:55) It’s not passed down from our Father. (21:59) And our sins as a son does not be attributed to our parents.

(22:04) You have to be held accountable for the sin that you’ve committed. (22:07) And the sin that souls is a sin that dies. (22:10) Is there any sin in the world worth losing your soul over? (22:15) Matthew 16.26 (22:17) For what profit is it to a man if he gains a whole world and loses his own soul? (22:22) Or what will a man give in exchange for his own soul? (22:25) How many of us are selling our souls for petty sins? (22:30) Your soul is worth a lot more than a small sin.

(22:33) So we need to be careful. (22:36) Let’s not be like Esau who sold his birthright for a bit of food. (22:41) Hebrews 12.16 (22:42) Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau.

(22:49) Who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. (22:53) How many of us are selling our birthright for eternal heaven and paradise with God over sin? (23:02) It’s just not worth it. (23:05) Every soul that does not obey God’s word will have tribulation and anguish.

(23:11) Romans 2.8-9 (23:13) But to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey in righteousness, (23:19) indignation, and wrath, (23:22) tribulation and anguish on every soul of the man who does evil, (23:25) of the Jew first and also the Greek. (23:29) The soul that does not hear and obey God’s word (23:32) and obey the words of Jesus shall be destroyed. (23:36) Acts 3.22-23 (23:39) For Moses truly said to the fathers, (23:41) The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me from your brethren.

(23:46) Him you shall hear in all things, whatever he says to you. (23:50) And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet (23:53) shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. (23:58) So that was a prophet that Moses was talking about.

(24:03) If you do not obey, your soul will be utterly destroyed. (24:08) We do not have to worry about what man can do to us. (24:11) Psalm 118.6 (24:13) The Lord is on my side, I will not fear.

(24:15) What can man do to me? (24:19) We don’t need to worry about what man can do, (24:21) but we definitely need to worry about what God can do to us. (24:24) Matthew 10.28 (24:26) And do not fear those who could kill the body, but cannot kill the soul, (24:30) but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (24:36) Let us not lose our soul and be cast into hell eternally.

(24:42) Matthew 25.41 (24:45) Then he will also say to those on the left hand, (24:48) Depart from me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire, (24:50) prepared for the devil and his angels. (24:54) So hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, not for man. (24:59) We need to repent and follow God’s word.

(25:03) It’s a little depressing and scary what sin can do to us. (25:07) I would say much more frightening than coronavirus. (25:12) We have great news though, that God has provided a cure for the virus of sin.

(25:18) 1 Peter 3.18 (25:19) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, (25:25) that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, (25:29) but made alive by the Spirit. (25:32) So Jesus died for our sins. (25:36) God’s word, obeying God’s word, accepting Jesus, (25:42) that’s the way to provide the cure for sin.

(25:46) God loved us so much he gave his only son to die for us. (25:49) John 3.16 (25:51) For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, (25:54) that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. (25:59) We have redemption through his blood.

(26:01) Ephesians 1.7 (26:03) In him we have redemption through his blood, (26:05) the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace. (26:11) Even though we deserve death, God has given us eternal life. (26:15) Romans 6.23 (26:18) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(26:24) So we deserve death, we deserve eternal hell. (26:28) But God has given us a free gift. (26:32) A gift that it’s not hard to accept, it’s not hard to do.

(26:38) We have the cure and we need to give it to others. (26:40) Mark 16.15 (26:42) And he said to them, go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (26:47) So we’ve been given the cure.

(26:49) If we had the cure for the coronavirus, we would want to share it. (26:52) We want to help and heal others. (26:55) Let’s share the Bible.

(26:57) We have a cure for something much greater. (27:00) And a lot of times we’re scared to share it. (27:04) Let’s not be ashamed to preach the gospel to others.

(27:08) Romans 1.16 (27:10) For I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, (27:13) for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, (27:17) for the Jew first and also the Greek. (27:22) There’s a lot of people that are caught up in sin right now who are spiritually dead, (27:27) who need Jesus. (27:29) The harvest is right, but the workers are few.

(27:32) Matthew 9.37 (27:33) Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. (27:39) We need to go out into the harvest and save souls. (27:42) Matthew 9.38 (27:45) Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the field.

(27:49) There’s very few Christians and many people that need to be saved. (27:53) We need to go out there and we need to work. (27:55) We need to make disciples of all nations.

(28:00) Matthew 28.19 (28:02) Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, (28:05) baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (28:10) That’s the conclusion of my lesson. (28:13) I thank you for this time.

(28:16) Like I said, we need to focus on sin, (28:20) which is much worse than any virus that can ever come upon us in the world. (28:24) Thank you.