1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:02,560 Christianity. 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:05,760 If it's false, it's of no importance. 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:07,600 If it's true, it's of infinite importance. 4 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:10,720 The only thing it can't be is moderately important. 5 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:15,440 And that's why we are focused on the essentials of faith this semester. 6 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:21,160 And today we're going to talk about the pain, the high cost of 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:29,090 sin, The cost of sin in eternity, the. 8 00:00:29,090 --> 00:00:31,130 Cost of sin in this life too. 9 00:00:31,370 --> 00:00:32,170 Today's outline. 10 00:00:32,170 --> 00:00:33,330 Here's kind of where I want to go. 11 00:00:33,330 --> 00:00:36,490 I want to talk about the horrible cost of sin. 12 00:00:36,490 --> 00:00:39,930 And the only way we see that is to see Jesus crucified. 13 00:00:40,410 --> 00:00:44,010 I want to talk about the eternal cost of sin to your soul 14 00:00:44,010 --> 00:00:45,530 and to your eternity. 15 00:00:45,770 --> 00:00:48,370 And then I want to talk about the present day cost of sin. 16 00:00:48,370 --> 00:00:51,380 Now, I'm not going to talk about all the consequences of of 17 00:00:51,380 --> 00:00:51,900 sin, but. 18 00:00:51,900 --> 00:00:53,500 There are consequences to sin. 19 00:00:53,500 --> 00:00:54,900 You may not wind up in jail. 20 00:00:54,900 --> 00:00:57,340 For your sins, but they're probably gonna cost you money. 21 00:00:57,340 --> 00:00:58,860 They clearly will cost you relationships. 22 00:00:58,860 --> 00:01:02,140 You may lose your job, you may get divorced, you may get your kids 23 00:01:02,140 --> 00:01:02,740 rebelled. 24 00:01:02,820 --> 00:01:06,020 All kinds of horrible things happen because of sin. 25 00:01:06,020 --> 00:01:09,700 And those consequences can't be put back in the bottle. 26 00:01:10,340 --> 00:01:14,220 Even though we're forgiven by Christ, we have to live with the 27 00:01:14,220 --> 00:01:15,620 consequences of sin. 28 00:01:15,940 --> 00:01:17,460 But I wanna talk today more about. 29 00:01:17,460 --> 00:01:21,470 The spiritual consequences of sin in this life. 30 00:01:21,470 --> 00:01:23,350 So that's kind of where we're headed. 31 00:01:23,510 --> 00:01:24,710 In looking at this question. 32 00:01:24,790 --> 00:01:29,870 Paying the high cost, Looking at the topic of sin. 33 00:01:29,870 --> 00:01:33,830 Now, sin is not a topic we like to talk about, but we must. 34 00:01:35,430 --> 00:01:38,350 If you don't want to talk about sin, you better tune this out, 35 00:01:38,350 --> 00:01:38,550 because. 36 00:01:38,550 --> 00:01:40,070 That's what we're going to focus on today. 37 00:01:40,070 --> 00:01:41,830 So tune it out and do something. 38 00:01:41,830 --> 00:01:43,590 Else, because this is going to get pretty direct. 39 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,120 You see, God made us in his image. 40 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,640 And that means because of that, he gave us a free will. 41 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:52,480 He loves us that much. 42 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:53,880 He didn't want us to just be robots. 43 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:55,200 He could have made us all robots. 44 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,280 So we bow down to him and we worship him and we do all this stuff. 45 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:02,080 He didn't want that because of him forcing it. 46 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,440 He wanted that because we love him like he loves us. 47 00:02:06,800 --> 00:02:08,640 But Adam and Eve disobeyed. 48 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:10,320 God gave him a command. 49 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:11,840 It wasn't a command to hurt them,. 50 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,040 It was a command to protect them. 51 00:02:14,920 --> 00:02:17,760 And when they didn't want that protection and they went against 52 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,960 it, they corrupted sin and brought it in the world. 53 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,160 And once it got into the world, you can't get it out. 54 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:28,160 It's kind of like if you had a pure jug of water and you put a Little 55 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:33,440 bit of dye in there, no matter what, the color would still be in 56 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,000 there and pollute the whole thing. 57 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,000 And that's what happened with what we call original sin. 58 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,430 And so the corruption of Adam and Eve were passed down to the descendants, 59 00:02:42,430 --> 00:02:42,830 nature. 60 00:02:42,830 --> 00:02:45,670 See, God designed us to be holy and just. 61 00:02:46,070 --> 00:02:49,510 And when sin's in our life, we can't be holy and just like God. 62 00:02:49,510 --> 00:02:50,710 And something's got to happen. 63 00:02:51,350 --> 00:02:53,590 Either we're going to break or we got to get restored. 64 00:02:55,270 --> 00:02:58,310 And that's what we left off in Revelation 22. 65 00:02:58,310 --> 00:03:02,030 Last week we were talking about heaven and how God restores 66 00:03:02,030 --> 00:03:04,790 us to bring us back into fellowship with him and gives us 67 00:03:04,790 --> 00:03:05,430 eternal life. 68 00:03:05,430 --> 00:03:11,570 And in Revelation 22, he gives this very clear picture of what the 69 00:03:11,570 --> 00:03:13,410 future is like for us. 70 00:03:13,890 --> 00:03:17,250 I told you to read the last chapter, and that was the last chapter, 71 00:03:17,250 --> 00:03:21,410 the end of the book of the Bible, where John wrote about a new 72 00:03:21,410 --> 00:03:23,089 heaven and a new earth. 73 00:03:23,490 --> 00:03:26,690 And that vision of John, though, continues in the next few 74 00:03:26,690 --> 00:03:27,130 verses. 75 00:03:27,130 --> 00:03:29,170 So let's pick it up with what we read last week. 76 00:03:30,130 --> 00:03:32,370 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. 77 00:03:32,370 --> 00:03:36,440 For the old heaven and old earth had disappeared, and the sea 78 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:37,440 was also gone. 79 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:42,040 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God 80 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,840 out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 81 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,560 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, look, God's throne 82 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,880 is now among his people. 83 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:56,840 He will live with them, and they. 84 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:57,680 Will be his people. 85 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,760 God himself will be with them, and he'll wipe every tear from their 86 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:06,000 eyes, and there'll be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. 87 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,720 All these things are gone forever. 88 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:14,400 And the one sitting on the throne said, look, I'm making everything 89 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:15,680 new. 90 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,280 But John goes on to write, but. 91 00:04:19,280 --> 00:04:22,720 Cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immortal, 92 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:27,040 those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers and all liars. 93 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,950 Their fate is in the fiery lake of. 94 00:04:30,100 --> 00:04:31,460 Of burning sulfur. 95 00:04:32,260 --> 00:04:34,340 This is the second death. 96 00:04:36,740 --> 00:04:38,900 Last week we talked about heaven's for real. 97 00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:41,300 Here's the other side. 98 00:04:42,100 --> 00:04:43,780 Hell is for real as well. 99 00:04:44,980 --> 00:04:49,060 We don't like to talk about hell, but hell is for real. 100 00:04:49,940 --> 00:04:51,700 Jesus talked about hell a lot. 101 00:04:52,820 --> 00:04:54,340 He talked about it in different ways. 102 00:04:54,340 --> 00:04:55,620 He described it in different ways. 103 00:04:55,860 --> 00:04:58,940 The lake of fire, the outer darkness, a place of weeping and 104 00:04:58,940 --> 00:04:59,780 gnashing of teeth. 105 00:04:59,780 --> 00:05:03,270 He others talked about it being eternal separation from the 106 00:05:03,270 --> 00:05:07,790 blessings of God or a prison or a place of torment that just goes 107 00:05:07,790 --> 00:05:08,550 on and on. 108 00:05:09,350 --> 00:05:13,590 Are those actual descriptions of hell or those symbols? 109 00:05:14,230 --> 00:05:17,950 I think all scholars show us those are symbols of hell because 110 00:05:17,950 --> 00:05:22,230 the actual is far Worse than anything we can imagine. 111 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:26,960 Hell is for real. 112 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:32,000 You see, God is goodness and love. 113 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,480 And mercy and justice. 114 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,120 And aren't those the four things we want in our life? 115 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:41,999 Love and goodness and mercy and justice. 116 00:05:41,999 --> 00:05:43,520 I wish this world was more just. 117 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:44,960 There's not much justice. 118 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:49,360 Those are the things God is in his character. 119 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:52,600 And those are the four things that we long for because we're made 120 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:53,760 in the image of God. 121 00:05:54,460 --> 00:05:59,180 Because of that, God hates sin and demands justice. 122 00:06:01,180 --> 00:06:02,460 Demands justice. 123 00:06:04,460 --> 00:06:06,460 You know, I don't think we hate sin very much. 124 00:06:07,180 --> 00:06:09,420 I think we get so desensitized to it. 125 00:06:09,580 --> 00:06:10,580 We see it around us. 126 00:06:10,580 --> 00:06:12,660 We watch it in movies, we watch it in TV shows. 127 00:06:12,660 --> 00:06:15,460 We get so desensitized to sin, we don't hate it very much. 128 00:06:15,460 --> 00:06:18,420 I'll tell you the place where I do hate it is if a news report 129 00:06:18,420 --> 00:06:20,300 comes on about a little child. 130 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:26,920 Being abused or being hurt in a horrible way by their parents or 131 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:28,200 some person in authority. 132 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:31,640 It makes me so angry, I can't watch it. 133 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:32,680 I have to turn it off. 134 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:41,080 I get so emotional about it because sin makes me so angry for 135 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:41,720 all of us. 136 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:49,370 I wish sin made us more angry because Jesus said that the punishment 137 00:06:49,370 --> 00:06:51,250 for sin is death. 138 00:06:51,490 --> 00:06:55,970 And hell, we say, is that cruel? 139 00:06:56,130 --> 00:06:57,890 Would God do that to be cruel? 140 00:06:57,890 --> 00:07:01,330 Well, cruelty involves inflicting a punishment that's far 141 00:07:01,330 --> 00:07:02,770 more severe than the crime. 142 00:07:03,730 --> 00:07:09,130 Cruelty is unjust, and God is incapable of inflicting an unjust 143 00:07:09,130 --> 00:07:09,890 punishment. 144 00:07:10,130 --> 00:07:12,010 So the punishment of hell is going. 145 00:07:12,010 --> 00:07:14,570 To fit the sin of life. 146 00:07:16,490 --> 00:07:18,250 And that's the reality of it. 147 00:07:19,130 --> 00:07:22,730 So when we talk about paying the high cost of sin, we have to 148 00:07:22,730 --> 00:07:26,010 understand that eternal consequence. 149 00:07:26,410 --> 00:07:28,450 We also have to understand what it looks like. 150 00:07:28,450 --> 00:07:31,290 You see, we are separated from God because of sin. 151 00:07:31,850 --> 00:07:33,610 God is perfect and holy. 152 00:07:34,810 --> 00:07:38,650 And because of our sin, we cannot be in fellowship with him 153 00:07:38,650 --> 00:07:40,330 or even be in his presence or. 154 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:41,760 Or we make him unclean. 155 00:07:41,920 --> 00:07:46,120 And so he's not going to allow that to happen because God won't 156 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:46,320 be. 157 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:48,240 In the presence of unclean. 158 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,920 A number of years ago, I went to visit a donor, another school 159 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:55,840 where I was who had a hog farm. 160 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:57,200 You ever been to a hog farm? 161 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:01,120 My trip, my first and only trip to hog farm. 162 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,440 I'd gotten up that morning in the hotel, got dressed, showered, 163 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:05,120 put on some. 164 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:07,800 Clothes I thought would be appropriate for the farm, although 165 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,040 everything was nice and clean. 166 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,030 And as soon as we got there, he said, hey, I want you to come 167 00:08:11,030 --> 00:08:11,830 see the hogs. 168 00:08:12,150 --> 00:08:14,550 And we went out and stood next to the hog pen. 169 00:08:15,670 --> 00:08:20,030 And it is the most filthy, disgusting, gross place there ever 170 00:08:20,030 --> 00:08:26,710 could Be those hogs live in the mess they create. 171 00:08:27,270 --> 00:08:31,150 They eat, they sleep, they do what they do all in one spot. 172 00:08:31,150 --> 00:08:34,230 And it is horrible and it stinks like crazy. 173 00:08:35,199 --> 00:08:38,719 Now, I had been clean as could be that morning, but just going to 174 00:08:38,719 --> 00:08:42,199 stand next to the hog pen, all I could think about is, I gotta go 175 00:08:42,199 --> 00:08:42,959 take a shower. 176 00:08:43,599 --> 00:08:45,199 I gotta change my clothes. 177 00:08:46,239 --> 00:08:48,719 You see, that's kinda how God is with sin. 178 00:08:49,679 --> 00:08:53,039 God can't be in the presence of the unclean. 179 00:08:53,919 --> 00:08:56,999 God loves us so much, though, that. 180 00:08:56,999 --> 00:08:59,759 He gave us Jesus to wash us clean of our sins. 181 00:08:59,999 --> 00:09:01,759 Jesus came not to just teach. 182 00:09:01,759 --> 00:09:04,149 I'm glad he taught because there's so much to learn and. 183 00:09:04,380 --> 00:09:07,900 But he came primarily to be a sacrifice for our sins. 184 00:09:09,020 --> 00:09:13,020 And he experienced a horrible, horrible death on a cross. 185 00:09:13,900 --> 00:09:17,820 Completely unjustified, gruesome way to die. 186 00:09:19,260 --> 00:09:20,780 But the worst part of it is. 187 00:09:21,580 --> 00:09:24,060 In that he took on the sins of the world. 188 00:09:24,540 --> 00:09:28,980 He took on my sins and your sins and the sins of everybody who's 189 00:09:28,980 --> 00:09:31,425 ever lived before us and everybody who will live after us. 190 00:09:31,425 --> 00:09:33,820 And he took the sins of the world on him. 191 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:38,060 And when he did, he could not be in the presence of God. 192 00:09:39,660 --> 00:09:45,380 And that separation from God killed him more than the physical 193 00:09:45,380 --> 00:09:46,060 torture. 194 00:09:46,860 --> 00:09:49,660 Remember last week I said, he said on the cross, I thirst. 195 00:09:49,740 --> 00:09:51,420 I thirst for the living water. 196 00:09:51,420 --> 00:09:53,740 Because he was taken away from the living water. 197 00:09:54,060 --> 00:09:55,660 That's what he was thirsty for. 198 00:09:55,980 --> 00:10:00,620 He said on the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 199 00:10:01,930 --> 00:10:04,730 Because God withdrew his presence from him. 200 00:10:05,770 --> 00:10:11,050 Because he was filled with our sin on the cross. 201 00:10:12,330 --> 00:10:16,650 Jesus was a bloody and broken mess. 202 00:10:19,770 --> 00:10:23,610 We look at that and say, Jesus never deserved that. 203 00:10:23,930 --> 00:10:27,770 He lived a perfect life of holiness and love and care and goodness 204 00:10:27,850 --> 00:10:28,150 and. 205 00:10:28,220 --> 00:10:29,860 And just as he never deserved that. 206 00:10:29,860 --> 00:10:30,940 No, he did not. 207 00:10:31,020 --> 00:10:33,980 But our sin deserves that. 208 00:10:35,260 --> 00:10:38,620 That's how serious God is about sin. 209 00:10:38,940 --> 00:10:41,540 That he sent his only son to die. 210 00:10:41,540 --> 00:10:42,660 A crucifixion. 211 00:10:42,660 --> 00:10:47,980 The horror of the cost of sin is displayed for us on that cross. 212 00:10:49,980 --> 00:10:53,220 And Jesus freely paid the sacrifice for. 213 00:10:53,220 --> 00:10:56,620 Those sins to prove how far his love would go. 214 00:10:58,460 --> 00:10:59,580 Pretty remarkable. 215 00:11:00,780 --> 00:11:05,020 You cannot look at the cross and not see the high cross of sin. 216 00:11:06,220 --> 00:11:10,100 If you look at the cross, then ask the question, well, can I keep 217 00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:10,500 sinning? 218 00:11:10,500 --> 00:11:11,420 Well, yeah, you can. 219 00:11:11,500 --> 00:11:13,660 But the better question is why would you want to? 220 00:11:15,580 --> 00:11:17,580 That's how much God hates sin. 221 00:11:18,140 --> 00:11:19,260 Picture that cross. 222 00:11:20,700 --> 00:11:21,740 Picture that cross. 223 00:11:22,060 --> 00:11:24,380 That's the depth of God's love for you. 224 00:11:24,620 --> 00:11:31,340 To remove sin from our lives, we like to sugarcoat sin, but we 225 00:11:31,340 --> 00:11:31,820 can't. 226 00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:33,900 Wages of sin is death. 227 00:11:33,900 --> 00:11:35,020 The scripture is very clear. 228 00:11:35,100 --> 00:11:35,500 Death. 229 00:11:35,659 --> 00:11:36,860 Sin equals death. 230 00:11:37,180 --> 00:11:40,700 When we sin, something dies in us every time. 231 00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:44,180 And you know, the funny irony of that is the people who sin, the 232 00:11:44,180 --> 00:11:47,850 people who plot to sin, the people who want to sin and are pretty 233 00:11:47,850 --> 00:11:49,610 open about that, they say, but I just want to live. 234 00:11:50,330 --> 00:11:51,890 I just want to enjoy everything in life. 235 00:11:51,890 --> 00:11:54,250 I want to live, and so I want to do these things. 236 00:11:55,930 --> 00:12:00,410 And in the process, they're slowly killing themselves. 237 00:12:04,010 --> 00:12:08,810 To understand sin, you got to look to the cross, and then you've 238 00:12:08,810 --> 00:12:12,890 got to look to Scripture to see what God teaches us about sin. 239 00:12:14,110 --> 00:12:15,790 Here's Galatians, chapter 5. 240 00:12:16,990 --> 00:12:20,470 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are 241 00:12:20,470 --> 00:12:20,870 very clear. 242 00:12:20,870 --> 00:12:22,230 Now let me stop that right there. 243 00:12:22,230 --> 00:12:22,750 Look at that. 244 00:12:22,750 --> 00:12:27,030 When you follow the desires, if you want to sin, if you're desiring 245 00:12:27,030 --> 00:12:30,390 to sin, if you're hopeful of sinning, if you're looking for ways 246 00:12:30,390 --> 00:12:33,950 to sin, if you desire sin, here are the results. 247 00:12:35,710 --> 00:12:39,630 Sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, 248 00:12:40,530 --> 00:12:43,930 hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish 249 00:12:43,930 --> 00:12:48,130 ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild 250 00:12:48,130 --> 00:12:48,690 parties,. 251 00:12:49,010 --> 00:12:50,690 And other sins like these. 252 00:12:50,770 --> 00:12:55,370 Let me tell you again that anyone living that sort of life will 253 00:12:55,370 --> 00:12:55,730 not. 254 00:12:55,810 --> 00:12:59,010 Inherit the kingdom of God. 255 00:13:01,730 --> 00:13:03,250 Pretty straightforward, isn't it? 256 00:13:04,850 --> 00:13:05,970 But then it goes on. 257 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:12,280 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our life. 258 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:16,480 So when the Holy Spirit comes into us, it produces this kind of 259 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:21,360 fruit in our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 260 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:22,600 gentleness, self control. 261 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,600 There is no law against these things. 262 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:29,160 Those who belong to Christ have nailed the passions and desires 263 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:29,880 of their sinful. 264 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:34,370 Nature to his cross and and crucified them there. 265 00:13:36,690 --> 00:13:37,890 We've all sinned. 266 00:13:38,450 --> 00:13:39,650 I've sinned, you've sinned. 267 00:13:39,650 --> 00:13:40,610 We've all sinned. 268 00:13:41,010 --> 00:13:42,850 But the Holy Spirit lives in us. 269 00:13:42,850 --> 00:13:47,929 See, when Jesus was resurrected and then he said, I've 270 00:13:47,929 --> 00:13:49,610 got to go back. 271 00:13:49,610 --> 00:13:51,810 To heaven, which would be the intermediate. 272 00:13:51,810 --> 00:13:53,090 Heaven we talked about last week. 273 00:13:53,170 --> 00:13:56,730 I've got to go to heaven because the Holy Spirit needs to 274 00:13:56,730 --> 00:13:57,010 come. 275 00:13:59,180 --> 00:14:00,020 The Holy Spirit. 276 00:14:00,020 --> 00:14:02,820 Is Jesus among us, just as Jesus. 277 00:14:02,820 --> 00:14:07,820 Was among the disciples in person 2,000 years ago. 278 00:14:09,420 --> 00:14:15,180 We've all sinned, but sin is pushed out of us as the fruits of 279 00:14:15,180 --> 00:14:17,340 the Spirit grow in us. 280 00:14:18,380 --> 00:14:22,140 So either your life is going to be dominated by sin, or your life 281 00:14:22,140 --> 00:14:23,620 is going to be dominated by the. 282 00:14:23,620 --> 00:14:27,070 Holy Spirit's fruits of the Spirit growing in you, one or the 283 00:14:27,070 --> 00:14:27,350 other. 284 00:14:29,110 --> 00:14:30,950 So you've got to ask the question, is your life heading in 285 00:14:30,950 --> 00:14:31,670 the right direction? 286 00:14:33,110 --> 00:14:35,750 Are you looking for ways to get away with sinning? 287 00:14:36,150 --> 00:14:40,350 And there are A lot of people who are or are you looking for ways 288 00:14:40,350 --> 00:14:44,390 to get closer to God, it's going to be one or the other. 289 00:14:46,150 --> 00:14:48,510 You're either going to look for ways to sin or you're going to 290 00:14:48,510 --> 00:14:52,560 look for ways to be closer to God, which drives you and dominates 291 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:52,840 you. 292 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:58,280 And if it's sin, there is a high cost to pay. 293 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:00,400 There's an eternal cost. 294 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:01,560 We talked about that. 295 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,520 We see the horror of sin and the cross. 296 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,520 But let's talk about the cost now. 297 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:11,840 I want to tell you about the 12 costs of sin that I see that block 298 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:13,240 out the fruits of the Spirit. 299 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,800 And then out of that there are two very predictable outcomes that 300 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,380 will happen every single time, 100% of the time. 301 00:15:20,610 --> 00:15:21,810 Time this will happen. 302 00:15:23,010 --> 00:15:23,890 So look at these. 303 00:15:24,370 --> 00:15:27,650 First of all, we've got these fruits of the Spirit. 304 00:15:27,890 --> 00:15:30,650 This is what the Holy Spirit is trying to put into us. 305 00:15:30,650 --> 00:15:34,130 This is what God living among us is trying to build into us. 306 00:15:34,370 --> 00:15:38,290 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,. 307 00:15:38,370 --> 00:15:41,410 Gentleness and self control. 308 00:15:43,970 --> 00:15:47,170 But sin takes over and begins to block those out. 309 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,680 Now there are really three levels to sin and they build on each 310 00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:51,960 other. 311 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,600 As I think about sin and as I've watched the pattern of sin in 312 00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:58,960 people's lives through the years, the first level begins here 313 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:00,040 with selfishness. 314 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:05,000 Selfishness is always the first part of sin. 315 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:09,160 99% of all sins are related to selfishness. 316 00:16:13,330 --> 00:16:15,930 We are not made to be internally focused. 317 00:16:15,930 --> 00:16:17,330 That's not how God designed us. 318 00:16:17,890 --> 00:16:21,210 So we turn away from God's nature in us when we want to put 319 00:16:21,210 --> 00:16:23,010 ourselves before everybody else. 320 00:16:23,650 --> 00:16:27,650 When it's all about what's best for me and it doesn't matter 321 00:16:27,650 --> 00:16:28,930 what happens to anybody else. 322 00:16:29,410 --> 00:16:31,890 That's sin and that's where it takes root. 323 00:16:32,690 --> 00:16:36,530 And then when you start with selfishness, then sin leads to lies. 324 00:16:36,930 --> 00:16:38,930 There are always lies related to sin. 325 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:43,920 You can lie to others, you can lie to yourself, say it's not really. 326 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:45,720 That bad, everybody's doing it, it's not that bad. 327 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:48,960 And more often you put on a. 328 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,960 Pretending face and a mask and you. 329 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:53,920 Try to become somebody you're not in. 330 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:59,640 Order to keep up the facade of what you think those around you want 331 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:00,440 to see in you. 332 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:02,600 And then that leads to shame. 333 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:05,320 There's always shame. 334 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:08,320 When you feel bad. 335 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,160 If you did something last weekend and you feel real bad about 336 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:11,560 it, I. 337 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:15,120 Am so glad you see that's God,. 338 00:17:15,440 --> 00:17:19,680 Spirit in you, trying to help you and correct you. 339 00:17:21,439 --> 00:17:26,080 That is wonderful that God has given you a conscience to know what's 340 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:27,360 right and know what's wrong. 341 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:28,560 You don't have to look it up. 342 00:17:28,560 --> 00:17:30,360 I mean, it's in the Bible and you find it. 343 00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:32,240 But you know, you know it in your spirit. 344 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:36,160 When what's right and wrong by your consciousness of guilt and shame. 345 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:42,480 Until catch this, shame goes away. 346 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:47,560 When you get really good at sinning, if you're really good at 347 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,240 it, not much shame. 348 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:53,200 And that's a scary place to be. 349 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:56,400 And then we build in justification. 350 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,000 We reorder the facts in order to deal with the shame. 351 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,240 So I feel bad about what I did and so I reorder the facts. 352 00:18:04,380 --> 00:18:05,340 It really was their fault. 353 00:18:05,340 --> 00:18:06,460 They really started it. 354 00:18:06,620 --> 00:18:09,220 I got put in a bad situation, it wasn't my fault. 355 00:18:09,220 --> 00:18:10,500 And the reason was this and that. 356 00:18:10,500 --> 00:18:14,300 So we reorder the facts and we justify why the sin was okay. 357 00:18:15,260 --> 00:18:16,540 But look what's happening. 358 00:18:17,580 --> 00:18:21,260 We're starting to block out the fruits of the spirit. 359 00:18:22,620 --> 00:18:26,180 Fruits of the spirit can't control our life in the same way 360 00:18:26,180 --> 00:18:26,700 as this. 361 00:18:26,700 --> 00:18:29,820 First level of sin has taken over. 362 00:18:32,570 --> 00:18:33,570 And then we go to the next. 363 00:18:33,570 --> 00:18:36,730 Level and that builds on that. 364 00:18:36,730 --> 00:18:39,930 Scheming, scheming. 365 00:18:40,090 --> 00:18:43,010 You know, there are people who wake up and think about, how can 366 00:18:43,010 --> 00:18:43,290 I. 367 00:18:43,450 --> 00:18:44,730 Sin more this week? 368 00:18:45,290 --> 00:18:46,650 How can I get away with it? 369 00:18:47,130 --> 00:18:49,130 How can I take advantage of somebody? 370 00:18:49,530 --> 00:18:50,850 How can I shortcut this? 371 00:18:50,850 --> 00:18:52,170 How can I cheat on this? 372 00:18:55,290 --> 00:18:55,550 The. 373 00:18:55,620 --> 00:19:00,460 The scheming of sin begins to wrap their life in a way that, that. 374 00:19:00,460 --> 00:19:05,460 Continues in a pattern to again block out the fruits of the 375 00:19:05,460 --> 00:19:06,220 Holy Spirit. 376 00:19:06,220 --> 00:19:08,180 And then anger comes in. 377 00:19:09,140 --> 00:19:12,100 Anger always comes in as it builds up this far because people 378 00:19:12,100 --> 00:19:14,340 who are sinning a lot get angry. 379 00:19:14,980 --> 00:19:18,100 They take it out on others because they're frustrated with themselves 380 00:19:18,100 --> 00:19:19,740 and they can't even understand it. 381 00:19:19,740 --> 00:19:22,180 They don't understand that they're pulling so far away from 382 00:19:22,180 --> 00:19:24,750 God and the fruits of the spirit are getting blocked out in 383 00:19:24,750 --> 00:19:25,150 their life. 384 00:19:25,150 --> 00:19:27,630 And they get angry about that because it doesn't feel right. 385 00:19:27,630 --> 00:19:28,190 It's not right. 386 00:19:28,190 --> 00:19:30,110 And so they lash out at others around them. 387 00:19:33,790 --> 00:19:37,150 Ephesians has a great verse, great life verse. 388 00:19:37,950 --> 00:19:39,950 Put it away someday for when you get married. 389 00:19:42,270 --> 00:19:43,910 In your anger, do not sin. 390 00:19:43,910 --> 00:19:45,790 And do not let the sun go. 391 00:19:45,790 --> 00:19:48,110 Down while you're still angry. 392 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,520 If you make that a pattern of life, it'll change your life, it'll 393 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:54,360 change your marriage. 394 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:57,960 Don't ever end the day angry. 395 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:04,960 Figure it out before you go to sleep with the person you're angry 396 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:05,240 with. 397 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:07,960 And then we've got resentment. 398 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:13,120 Resentment is like a cancer that builds in you and the more it's 399 00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:16,000 there, the more it controls your life and takes over and you 400 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:18,680 start justifying why you need to get even with somebody, why you 401 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,310 need to lash out at somebody, why it's okay to do that. 402 00:20:21,470 --> 00:20:23,510 And that resentment builds up against them. 403 00:20:23,510 --> 00:20:27,470 And you know, the funny thing about resentment is it can consume 404 00:20:27,470 --> 00:20:27,790 you. 405 00:20:27,790 --> 00:20:31,110 And the person you're resentful about probably doesn't 406 00:20:31,110 --> 00:20:31,790 even know it. 407 00:20:35,150 --> 00:20:39,070 But resentment takes over as sin takes root. 408 00:20:39,550 --> 00:20:41,630 And then you get to unclear vision. 409 00:20:42,750 --> 00:20:44,430 Boy, this is a bad place to be. 410 00:20:45,070 --> 00:20:49,150 Unclear vision that you no longer see the people around you 411 00:20:49,150 --> 00:20:50,510 as children of God. 412 00:20:51,050 --> 00:20:56,250 You see them as people to use and manipulate and to take for what 413 00:20:56,250 --> 00:20:57,290 you need out of them. 414 00:20:59,210 --> 00:21:03,010 If you saw, if you were angry and you saw the person you're about 415 00:21:03,010 --> 00:21:07,089 to lash out at as a child of God, who God loves so much that he 416 00:21:07,089 --> 00:21:10,130 died on the cross for them because he cares so much about them, 417 00:21:10,130 --> 00:21:12,930 if you saw them that way before you lashed out, you probably 418 00:21:12,930 --> 00:21:13,770 wouldn't lash out. 419 00:21:16,170 --> 00:21:21,220 If the person you want to take advantage of before you get ready 420 00:21:21,220 --> 00:21:25,380 to do that, if you saw them as a child of God, one that God loves 421 00:21:25,380 --> 00:21:29,420 so much, he died on a cross for their sins and he loves them 422 00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:30,900 just as much as he loves you. 423 00:21:30,900 --> 00:21:32,340 If you saw them that way, you. 424 00:21:32,340 --> 00:21:34,220 Wouldn't try to take advantage. 425 00:21:37,340 --> 00:21:45,070 If the one you lust over or the photograph or the video, you 426 00:21:45,070 --> 00:21:52,710 saw that person as a child of God, who God loves, God died for, 427 00:21:55,030 --> 00:21:56,390 God wants redeemed. 428 00:21:57,670 --> 00:22:00,550 It would change your viewpoint of them. 429 00:22:00,950 --> 00:22:04,950 You see, you can't see clearly when sin builds up in your life. 430 00:22:06,070 --> 00:22:07,670 But unfortunately he keeps going. 431 00:22:07,670 --> 00:22:08,990 We blocked out most of the fruits. 432 00:22:08,990 --> 00:22:11,830 Of the spirit, but this thing keeps going up to the next level. 433 00:22:11,990 --> 00:22:14,550 And that's where we get into broken relationships. 434 00:22:15,900 --> 00:22:17,420 This video talks home about that. 435 00:22:17,420 --> 00:22:19,060 You break relationship with yourself and with. 436 00:22:19,060 --> 00:22:20,740 God and the people around you until. 437 00:22:20,740 --> 00:22:22,700 There's an aloneness that comes with sin. 438 00:22:22,860 --> 00:22:27,500 And often you see that later in life that you just almost break 439 00:22:27,500 --> 00:22:29,940 all the bridges or you're alone and then. 440 00:22:29,940 --> 00:22:31,740 There's self pity that comes with it. 441 00:22:32,060 --> 00:22:36,940 And you know, you start to rearrange all of life's understanding. 442 00:22:36,940 --> 00:22:40,580 So it wasn't your fault that you're the sinner, but it's their 443 00:22:40,580 --> 00:22:41,980 fault that you're the sinner. 444 00:22:42,250 --> 00:22:44,170 It's their fault that you had to lash out. 445 00:22:44,170 --> 00:22:44,850 It's their fault. 446 00:22:44,850 --> 00:22:46,490 You got to fight for everything you got. 447 00:22:46,570 --> 00:22:47,410 It's their fault. 448 00:22:47,410 --> 00:22:48,490 You got to be aggressive. 449 00:22:48,490 --> 00:22:49,250 It's their fault. 450 00:22:49,250 --> 00:22:51,130 You got to take advantage when you. 451 00:22:51,130 --> 00:22:53,490 Can because of what they've done to. 452 00:22:53,490 --> 00:22:54,730 You and you deserve it. 453 00:22:56,890 --> 00:22:58,730 And that's a scary place to be. 454 00:23:00,490 --> 00:23:02,170 And then it's not sustainable. 455 00:23:02,970 --> 00:23:04,170 You just can't live like that. 456 00:23:04,170 --> 00:23:05,170 There's a cost to it. 457 00:23:05,170 --> 00:23:06,250 You can't sustain it. 458 00:23:06,330 --> 00:23:08,650 We are made to be people in balance. 459 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:13,840 And if you sin at this kind of intensity where you block out the 460 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:17,840 fruits of the spirit entirely, you get to the point of exhaustion. 461 00:23:18,800 --> 00:23:24,240 And that exhaustion leads to self medication, alcohol, drugs, 462 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:28,400 sex, whatever it might be, some level of self medication, because 463 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:29,680 it's not sustainable. 464 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,320 And you're looking to put life back in you. 465 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,840 And then finally it just brings you to turmoil. 466 00:23:36,670 --> 00:23:37,790 Life closes in. 467 00:23:38,830 --> 00:23:40,190 There is no peace. 468 00:23:41,150 --> 00:23:45,230 It's just a vicious cycle of one thing after another and trying 469 00:23:45,230 --> 00:23:49,630 to balance all the lies and the deceit and the justification 470 00:23:49,630 --> 00:23:52,350 and the resentment and the anger and the self pity. 471 00:23:52,350 --> 00:23:54,630 And you're trying to juggle all that and you cannot keep it up. 472 00:23:54,630 --> 00:23:56,430 And it just leads to a life of turmoil. 473 00:23:56,510 --> 00:23:59,310 That's the cost of sin. 474 00:24:00,670 --> 00:24:04,660 But there are two outcomes every single time. 475 00:24:05,380 --> 00:24:06,900 And these are the words of Jesus. 476 00:24:07,620 --> 00:24:10,940 This is what Jesus said is going to happen if you live that 477 00:24:10,940 --> 00:24:13,780 kind of a life of sin and block out the fruits of the spirit. 478 00:24:13,940 --> 00:24:14,860 The first is this. 479 00:24:14,860 --> 00:24:16,420 You will not forgive others. 480 00:24:17,460 --> 00:24:20,940 But if you refuse to forgive others, your father will not forgive 481 00:24:20,940 --> 00:24:21,220 you. 482 00:24:21,380 --> 00:24:25,700 If you are caught up in that life of sin where the fruits of the 483 00:24:25,700 --> 00:24:28,500 spirit are blocked out, you will not be a person who can ever 484 00:24:28,500 --> 00:24:29,140 forgive others. 485 00:24:29,890 --> 00:24:31,290 And so you will not be forgiven. 486 00:24:31,290 --> 00:24:34,330 That's black and white, straight as be right from the words 487 00:24:34,330 --> 00:24:34,930 of Jesus. 488 00:24:36,290 --> 00:24:37,410 That's one outcome. 489 00:24:38,610 --> 00:24:41,650 Second outcome is also horrible. 490 00:24:42,450 --> 00:24:47,330 You will not care for the least of these if your life is wrapped 491 00:24:47,330 --> 00:24:49,490 up in sin and the fruits of the spirit are blocked out. 492 00:24:49,490 --> 00:24:52,530 While they can't live and grow and work in your life, you won't 493 00:24:52,530 --> 00:24:53,610 care for the least of these. 494 00:24:53,610 --> 00:24:55,940 I tell you the truth, when you. 495 00:24:55,940 --> 00:24:58,660 Refuse to help the least of these brothers and sisters, you're 496 00:24:58,660 --> 00:24:59,900 refusing to help me. 497 00:25:01,020 --> 00:25:03,420 You will go away into eternal punishment,. 498 00:25:03,820 --> 00:25:07,900 But the righteous will go into eternal life. 499 00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:13,900 A high cost of sin for the wages of sin is death. 500 00:25:14,620 --> 00:25:19,340 But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus 501 00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:20,300 our Lord. 502 00:25:21,750 --> 00:25:22,510 And there is a way. 503 00:25:22,510 --> 00:25:24,310 And that's the good news of the gospel. 504 00:25:24,470 --> 00:25:29,510 I don't care if your sins are a hundred times worse than they are 505 00:25:29,510 --> 00:25:30,070 right now. 506 00:25:30,070 --> 00:25:33,230 I don't care if they are a thousand times worse than they are 507 00:25:33,230 --> 00:25:33,750 right now. 508 00:25:33,750 --> 00:25:36,630 They are no match for the mercy. 509 00:25:36,630 --> 00:25:40,150 Of God and the grace of God. 510 00:25:41,670 --> 00:25:44,470 And that's what we're going to talk about next week. 511 00:25:45,670 --> 00:25:46,790 That's so amazing. 512 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:48,480 Grace. 513 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:49,760 Let's pray. 514 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:51,880 Thank you, dear. 515 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:58,960 Lord, for helping us see so clearly what you have taught about 516 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:01,000 the high cost of sin. 517 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:09,040 Help us to seek you and the fruits of the spirit so sin does. 518 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:10,160 Not control our lives. 519 00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:12,080 Your name we ask it. 520 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:12,480 Amen. 521 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:14,520 Thank you for listening.