(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Amen. All right well thank you again for being out tonight and we had a good crowd this morning and you have a good crowd tonight so that's all wonderful there. I'm just glad you're here and I had a good time out soul winning this afternoon with brother Samson and you know whenever whenever someone's name Samson you're just gonna feel good about going out with them you know. If his hair was a little longer I would have felt better but you know it was it was good so I enjoyed I enjoyed my time. We're there in Romans chapter number 7 and I want you to look down at verse number 12 Romans chapter 7 verse 12. The Bible says wherefore the law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good was then that which is good made death unto me God forbid. I want you to notice these words here he says but sin that it might appear sin working death in me but by that which is good and he says this that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful and here we have yes sir oh sorry sorry about that here we have the the Apostle Paul teaching about sin and if you notice in verse 13 he talks about the appearance of sin he says but sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful and he talks about the appearance of sin and how sin should appear and then he says that it should become exceeding sinful that is there should be something that we make sure that people understand what sin is and why it is and this evening what I'd like to do is I'd like to preach a sermon entitled making sin exceeding sinful but I'm gonna give you a subtitle or a secondary title and a secondary title to the sermon would be this the benefits of preaching on sin the benefits of preaching on sin and the reason that I want to preach is because last week I was actually just checking my email or doing something and I saw an article from the New York Times that kind of caught my attention and the article was entitled raising children without the concept of sin this was an article written by a lady named Julia shearers and it was in the New York Times and the first the first line of the article said my religious fundamentalist childhood was built around the fear of sin my daughters don't even know the word and this article was basically talking about how we should not be teaching people about sin how it's so negative to teach kids about sin and that this is something that should not be taught and I got to thinking about the fact that our world has basically declared a war on teaching and preaching about sin today even in churches you can't find solid clear preaching on the subject of sin but the Apostle Paul made it clear that that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful that there are benefits to teaching and preaching on the subject of sin and tonight what I'd like to do is I'd like to give you just three points on what the benefits are to preaching on sin teaching on sin and learning about sin now before we get into the sermon let's just talk about what sin is and let's define it from Scripture now you're there in Romans chapter 7 keep your place there because we're gonna come right back to it but go to the book of 1st John towards the end of the New Testament you got 1st John chapter 3 and if you start at Revelation and head back you'll go past Jude past 3rd 2nd John into the book of 1st John 1st John chapter 3 and notice verse number 4 1st John chapter 3 and verse 4 says this whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law now once you notice the the the definition for sin from the Word of God here it says for sin is the transgression of the law the Bible defines sin as the transgression of the law and there is a connection between the law or God's Word God's commandments and sin because the way that sin is defined is by that which transgresses the law of God the word transgression means to violate a law or a command or a moral code to go beyond the limits imposed by a law or a command so when there is a limit given by God's Word and we go past it or we transgress it that is a sin for sin is the transgression of the law and like I said today the idea of sin and the concept of sin and the teaching of sin is under attack because today we live in a positive only not only churches but just a positive only world where people just want to talk about nice things and good things and rainbows and unicorns and everything's nice and we don't want to deal with you know issues that are serious or issues that that are maybe negative but today we need to understand that as Christians we must understand what sin is and we might must teach it in a way that it becomes exceeding sinful and I want to use this article kind of as a backbone for the sermon and let me just read to you the introduction to this article if you you're there in 1st John chapter 3 do me a favor go me back go back to Romans and then also find the book of Galatians so we can jump right into the sermon if you can find Romans and then you got 1st 2nd Corinthians and Galatians chapter 3 but go back to Romans also and let me read to you this article raising children without the concept of sin I'll just read you the introduction for now it says we were standing in line for meat pies at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair the indoor arena south of San Francisco had been transformed into Victorian London actors wearing top hats and krill krill Indians roamed about wishing fairgoers happy Christmas as we contemplated the menu haggis or shepherd's pie a noisy band of temperance advocates marched by hosting signs that stated jinn is sin as my nine-year-old daughter watched them pass her forehead knitted and she looked up at me with solemn hazel eyes she said mama what is sin she asked the mayorment of the fair receded and I stared at her my brain spinning with the magnitude of her question by failing to teach my child the meaning of the word sin had I somehow failed to give her a moral foundation now I would answer that question as yes but she goes on to with the rest of the article to basically talk about how she's a good parent for not teaching her kids about sin and the fact that her nine-year-old daughter didn't even know the definition of the word sin is a good thing and she talks about these things and we're gonna talk about that but again it just shows you a concept that today this idea of sin and teaching people about sin and you've got this writer who lives in San Francisco yes she's from California but she's writing for the New York Times on the East Coast right and she's bragging about the fact that her daughter doesn't know about sin but you know it's you you'll find this anywhere and of course you know one good example is your local false prophet Joel Osteen right I almost forgot about Joel Osteen this morning so I got to really make sure I hit on him tonight but if you remember Joel Osteen is one is a very famous false preacher who openly stated that he avoids using the word sin back in 2005 Joel Osteen was interviewed on the Larry King live show that CNN had and Larry King he said let me just read this transcript to you he said how about issues that the church has feelings about abortion same-sex marriages this is Larry King speaking Osteen responds yeah you know what Larry I don't go there I just and then King says you have thoughts though Osteen I have thoughts I just you know I don't think that a same-sex marriage is the way God intended it to be I don't think abortion is the best really you don't think abortion that's a real strong stand there Joel you don't think abortion is the best you know taking an unborn child and and mutilating it and you know destroying its body and killing it he says I don't think abortion is best I think there are other you know a better way to live your life but I'm not going to condemn those people I tell them all the time our church is open for everybody talking about sodomites King says you don't call them sinners Osteen I don't King is that a word that you don't use Osteen I don't use it I never thought about it but I probably don't but most people already know they're doing wrong not really he says when I get when I get them to church I want to tell them that they can change that they can be different in their lives so I don't go down the road of condemning them and here we see just an example of a false prophet who says I don't use the word sin I don't want to make people feel bad and I don't want to shame them well the problem is that Paul said that we should make sin exceeding sinful and you know the Lord Jesus Christ preached about sin and Joel Osteen you're not better than Christ but today there is this idea and this concept that we shouldn't teach about sin we shouldn't preach about sin and honestly this sermon is not me getting up here and I'm just gonna rip on a lot of sins those sermons are needed but the purpose of this sermon is just to tell you the benefits why it is that we must teach and preach on sin I want to give you three reasons three benefits in regards to the preaching and teaching on sin number one preaching on sin brings us to the place of salvation see this lady in her article here's what she said she said sin that tiny word still makes me cringe with residual fear fear of being judged unworthy fear of the eternal torture of hell now here's what's interesting sin made her afraid of hell that's a good thing the problem is and you'll as we read you'll find out that she was raised in a fundamentalist home but it was a fundamentalist Calvinist home so of course she didn't get the gospel you know the problem with this lady is not that she was taught about sin the problem with this lady is that the teaching of sin was not properly used to bring her to Christ are you there in Romans go to Romans chapter number three listen we said what are the benefits about teaching and preaching about sin why should I have my children in a church like this where they learn about sin but they're taught about sin why should I teach them about sin why should I learn about sin well number one because preaching on sin brings us to the place of salvation Romans chapter 3 and verse 20 notice what the Bible says Romans chapter 3 and verse 20 therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight see the Bible tells us keeping the law is not going to save you now you said why is he bringing up the law here's why because sin is the transgression of the law he says therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight notice for by the law is the knowledge of sin see it is the knowledge of sin that allows us to understand that we have broken the laws of a holy God go back to Romans chapter 7 where we started notice verse 7 knows what Paul said he said what shall we say then is the law sin God forbid nay I had not known sin but by the law the jolos he says I don't have to preach about sin because people already know when they're doing wrong well Paul says I had not known sin but by the law for I had not known lust except the law has said thou shalt not covet and here's the truth you know maybe people just do know when they strangle someone to death that that's a sin but you know most people today probably and when you talk to just worldly people out there they probably don't understand that fornicating before you're married is a sin in fact the less we talk about it the more accepted it becomes how do people know it's a sinful and wrong to do it when a man of God stands up and preaches against it when a man of God stands up and shows you what God thinks about it when a man of God stands up and explains to you what it is that the Bible teaches about that sin this is why homosexuality is being accepted today why because no one's standing up virtually nobody in this country I realize there's a few of us that are still doing it but virtually nobody of the preachers and the prophets in this country in this country are standing up and saying thus saith the Lord God here's what God thinks about it see sin must become exceeding sinful and one benefit is that when we learn about sin when we learn what sin is that is a transgression of the law that idea will bring us to Christ go to Galatians chapter 3 you're there in Romans for a second Corinthians Galatians Galatians chapter 3 Galatians chapter 3 and verse 24 Galatians chapter 3 and verse 24 says this wherefore notice what he says wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith here we're told look the law cannot save you therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight the law can't save you but here's what the law can do it can condemn you say well that's not good it's good when you realize I need a Savior it's a good day when you come to the place and you realize I am a sinner I cannot save myself there's not enough good deeds there's not enough communion I can take there's not enough times I can get baptized there's not enough times I can turn over a new leaf there's not enough repenting of my sins that I can do I need help see the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith but after that faith has come we are now no longer under a schoolmaster for year all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus and honestly you know when you present the gospel when we present the gospel we need to make sure that as part of our gospel presentation we do a good job of explaining sin and the consequences of sin you know and often well not often every time I go salt winning I explain you know that we're all sinners and that our sin there are wages for our sin and it's death but you know as a salt winner what I've learned over the last 20 plus years that I've been out so many is that when I do a really good job at explaining to somebody that they are a sinner and there are consequences for their sin and those consequences are not just a physical death but also the second death of the lake of fire when you when somebody gets that you know they're gonna want to hear the rest of it you know often people I'll talk to on somebody's door and hey you know for sure if you're on your way to heaven I'm not sure Bible says you can know for sure can I show you how long is it gonna take I'm like you know a few minutes how many minutes oh well seven eight nine minutes if you're a pastor are you well here's the thing it's gonna take me about five to seven minutes to get them to the place where you're a sinner on your way to hell you know often what I do with people when they when they talk to me like that I'm like when I get that play I'm like hey look basically what I've showed you from the Bible so far is that you're a sinner and you're on your way to hell is that good news or bad news peer like that's bad news I'm like well my time's up do you want me to be done or do I'm gonna show you the good news oh no no no go ahead you know now they'll give me 30 minutes right now I'll give me 40 minutes right why because look the law is our school masters to bring us them to Christ now look you don't have to go ray comfort style on them all right who's ever been who's in the ray come for you know so winning presentations all right you don't have to go through every one of the Ten Commandments and and and show them how they've broken every single one okay that's not what we're talking about but simply taking people to the Bible and showing them look the Bible says there is none righteous no not one the Bible says for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God do you agree that you're a sinner oh yeah I'm a sinner well listen the Bible says that for the wages of sin is death the Bible says that it's not just the physical death but the second that like if you eat do a good job at explaining people to people that they are sinners there is a benefit that they are likely to be saved this is why the Bible says in Jude you don't have to turn there but it says and if some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by play you say pastor you manage you guys want to go around and talk about sin you're trying to scare people into hell I would much rather scare them into heaven they comfort them into hell you're trying to scare people yeah some safe with fear pulling them out of the fire you say what's the benefit what's the benefit of teaching and preaching on sin the first benefit is that it brings you to the place of salvation therefore by the deeds of law there shall no place be justified in his sight for by the laws the knowledge of sin wherefore the law is our school master to bring us unto Christ so it brings us to a place of salvation but there's a second benefit go through the book of Exodus Exodus chapter 20 Exodus chapter 20 while you turn there let me read to you a little more from this article raising children without the concept of sin notice what she says she says the absolute truth it's interesting that she used that terminology she said the absolute truth of my girlhood crumbled when I watched Carl Sagan's which I like to call Carl pagans 13 part Cosmo series Cosmo series in graduate school a program that included an overview of evolution which made it verboten for me as a kid but whose logic made irrefutable sense to me as an adult so this lady is an evolutionist atheist she says but still religious brainwashing imposed from infancy is hard to shake and I continue to confuse Christian with trustworthy and moral when my husband and I contemplated having children I wonder how I wondered how I would teach them right from wrong without a church I toyed with the idea of dropping them off at Sunday school where they could ingest bite-sized chunks of morality in a catchy song and coloring book but my husband Catholic my culture atheist by intellect so not only is she an evolutionist atheist her husband is an evolutionist atheist wanted nothing to do with organized religion and then she says this I am raising my two daughters according to my moral code she says I I don't want God or the Bible I don't want religion I don't want anything that has to do with God but I do want my kids to be moral so I'm going to raise them according to my moral code the problem with that is this that it is through God and his law that we have a consistent moral code you say what are the benefits about preaching on sin well what is that it brings us to a place of salvation number two preaching on sin gives us a consistent moral code I would submit to you tonight that the reason that we and I that you and I know that it is a sin to commit adultery it is for two reasons because God wrote it in his word and because God put a conscience in your heart that tells you that it's wrong you say why is it wrong to commit adultery because God said it is why is it wrong to kill because God said it is why is it wrong to lie because God said it is and here you've got two atheists say well I'm just going to raise them according to my moral code well the problem with that is that when you remove God you are you have no consistent moral code in fact in the Bible you find this concept brought up throughout scripture go to judges chapter 17 judges chapter 17 towards the beginning of the of the Old Testament you got oh you're there in Exodus go to Leviticus numbers Deuteronomy Joshua judges Exodus Leviticus numbers Deuteronomy Joshua judges judges is a really interesting book to me I years ago I preached verse by verse through the book of Judges and when I was preaching through the book of Judges I I noticed something when you start studying the book of Judges from chapter 1 through chapter 16 it goes in in chronological order you're basically going from the death of Joshua to the last judge before Samuel which of course was a judge and a prophet all that but the last judge in the book of Judges before Samuel you've got Samson and you go through the book chronologically just going through the different judges then when you get to chapter 17 chapter 17 through through 21 the end of the book are kind of more like an appendix to the book and I don't believe that these stories are now in chronological order I think these stories are kind I just kind of some highlights and they probably took place throughout the time of the judges but they're just kind of some highlights that God wants to give us about this time in the book of Judges what's interesting is this that in chapter 17 once you end the chronology of the book of Judges and in the last chapter 21 you've got these famous verses which the book of Judges is known for you find it for the first time in Judges 17 and verse 6 notice what it says judges 17 and verse 6 in those days there was no king in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes now most people would say that that verse every man did that which was right in his own eyes and they would say that that's probably the theme of the book of Judges and I would agree with that you could apply it to the whole book but what's interesting is that you see it for the first time in chapter 17 every man did that which was right in his own eyes and then you see it again at the end of the book a judges 21 go there and the very last verse verse 25 says in those in those days there was no king in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes it's interesting I believe what God is showing us here because he goes through judges 1 through 16 right chronological order throughout the judges then we get these appendix stories but what God does is he bookmarks those last stories of the book of Judges he bookmarks them with these two statements every man did that which was right in his own eyes and then every man did that which was right in his own eyes and then he gives us these chapters that have these stories now I don't know if you know much about the book of Judges but judges chapter 17 through 21 are probably some of the craziest stories in the entire Bible I mean there are some crazy stories that just leave you shaking your head you're kind of just like what in the world I mean chapter 17 starts with this guy Micah who steals 1,100 shekels from his mother and then for some reason I guess he feels bad about it he he he returns it to her and then the mom says oh I'm glad you gave this back to me because I'm gonna reward you now by taking this and making an idol out of it for you so the guy you know the kid I mean I don't know about you but if my kid tells me I stole 1,100 bucks from you okay I'm not rewarding him right but this kid he takes 1,100 shekels and then he admits to it and the mom's like oh it's fine and she makes an idol out of it and gives it to him but then the chapter goes on and says that Micah then hires a Levite so there's just this random Levite just you know so journeying through the land and Micah says hey you're a Levite I'm gonna hire you to be my personal priest and he hires him as his personal priest you know and he becomes a priest for Micah's house and all of his idols now again I don't know how familiar you are with the book of with the Old Testament but when you read the book of Leviticus that was not how it's supposed to happen okay that is not how God set up his priesthood it's just kind of this crazy story right then you go to judges 18 well in judges 18 you have the tribe of Dan who then comes in and he steals they steal the personal priest from Micah and Micah gets upset about it and he's like what are you doing and they basically say go home or we're gonna kill you and he's like okay and they steal his priests and then Dan goes and he finds this place they find this place called Laish and they basically destroy it and then they set up their camp there becomes a tribe of Dan that's their location with their personal priest then you got judges 19 now judges 19 is probably the most ruthless chapter in the whole Bible I mean it's it's up there with Genesis 19 right you've got the story of the Levite who goes looking for his concubine and then they end up in they end up in where what goodnight I lost my place here Gibeah right and then the sodomites basically it's a story that kind of goes parallel with Genesis 19 the sodomites want to rape him and the other man they end up raping and killing the concubine at the end of the story he's basically taking her body chopping it up and sending it to the 12 tribe I mean it's a pretty crazy story then you get to chapter 20 and now you've got all of the tribes of Israel going to war and having a civil war against the tribe of Benjamin because the tribe of Benjamin is defending the sodomites the reprobate psychopaths that raped and killed this concubine and then so they go to war and then at the end of the war they basically demolish the entire tribe except for like 600 men and then in chapter 21 they're trying to find why for these men because they realize that if they can't find why for these men the tribe of Benjamin is going to disappear but the problem is that in their zeal they vowed that they would not give any of their own daughters to to the tribe of Benjamin so what do they do they go and find a city destroy it take all the girls from there that wasn't enough so then what do they do they tell these guys to go kidnap the girls and they say just go kidnap the girls there's this party going on in Shiloh kidnap them when their fathers or their brothers come to ask we're gonna tell them hey just let it be you know we can't give them this is what they're saying we can't give them our daughters but if they stole them from you you didn't technically give it to them so that's okay you say pastor what are you trying to say here's what I'm trying to tell you the most crazy stories in the Bible are in Judges 17 to 21 and then God bookmarks it with this statement every man did that which was right in his own eyes you say what is the point that God is trying to make here's the point that I was trying to make when every man does that which is right in his own eyes they do crazy things they do stupid things it's insanity you say why because without God there is no consistent moral code because when every man did that which was right in his own eyes then everything's up up for grabs anything can be happen anything can go on anything is fine go to go to Proverbs chapter 16 you open your Bible just right in the center you're more than likely following the book of Psalms right after Psalms you got Proverbs Proverbs chapter 16 verse 25 Proverbs 16 and what's funny to me is that this atheist this evolutionist atheist who says well I'm gonna raise my daughter by my moral code you have no consistent moral code if atheism is true and evolution is true then we are here by mistake we are an accident we are nothing more than animals we are no different than the dog or the bird outside there is no value to life you know it was on April 20th and some of you of course all of you that were adults will remember this but on April 20th 1999 Eric Harris and Dylan a Klebold went on a shooting rampage in their high school you'll remember it it was Columbine they killed 12 students and one teacher when it more than 20 others Harris and Klebold committed suicide by shooting themselves in the head in the school library they planned the shooting on Hitler's birthday during the attack Eric Harris was wearing a t-shirt that read natural selection he and Klebold were both firm believers in Darwinian evolution as in as is indicated by the videos and websites that they published you say what what's the connection between them killing all these people and then believing in evolution look when you teach kids that you're nothing more than an animal then don't be surprised when they act like an animal Wow what's all these school shootings about I mean seems like every year there's some major school shooting yeah well you're teaching the kids that there is no God you're teaching them that they were a mistake that they were just an accident that there's no purpose to their life you're teaching them that they're just an animal you say why because when every man does that which is right in his own eyes it'll be a mess there it you she says I'm gonna teach them according to my moral code but without God you have no moral code Proverbs 16 25 says there is a way which seems right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death without look you say what is the benefit to preaching and teaching us in well number one it brings you to some places of Asian but number two it gives us a consistent moral code because the value to life is connected in the fact that we were created in the image of God the value of life the value of the moral laws that we have are connected to the fact that God said thou shalt not kill that God said thou shalt not commit adultery that God said thou shalt not bear false witness and when man does that which is right in his own eyes it'll always fail and when man did that which was right in his own eyes you got the craziest weirdest this doesn't make sense stories in the entire Bible and God just kind of bookmarks it by saying every man did that which right in his own eyes you ready for this and he starts telling us all these crazy stories then he's done with the stories and he says by the way all of that was every man did that which is right in his own eyes go to John chapter number eight you got Matthew Mark Luke John we're talking about the benefits to teaching and preaching on sin number one preaching on sin brings us to a place of salvation number two preaching on sin gives us a consistent moral code you do not have a consistent moral code without God you cannot say well let just give me a little bit of of thou shalt not without the God the authority comes from the God who said it but then number three preaching on sin keeps us from allowing sin to run our lives see sin has an enslaving aspect to it John chapter 8 and verse 34 says this John 8 34 says Jesus answered them verily verily I say unto you whosoever committed sin is the servant of sin see sin has an enslaving aspect to it let me read to you from this article she says as we stood in line a few weeks ago at Dickens Fair I realized that my kids already knew what sin was I doubt it that's what she says without ever having to expose them to the anorias religion religious weight of the word despite being unchurched they are empathetic loving and kind and even more they are fearless I gaze into Davias upturned face talking about her daughter that asked her the question and felt a rush of love and happiness I had raised her without sin and that that's an incorrect statement you raised her without the knowledge of or concept of sin you did not raise her without sin she said here was a kid so here's her example of a kid who doesn't need God right because she just knows all on her own what is right and wrong this is what she says about her little daughter she said here was a kid who recently joked that the Christian that the Christmas song I'm dreaming of a white Christmas should be changed to I'm dreaming of a diverse Christmas so she said this girl is you know you say oh they're raising these moral kids you know what she's raising she's raising a feminazi she's raising the next generation of these perverts you know when people talk about diversity what they're they're not see we would understand when when when what real diversity is sitting in this auditorium red and yellow black and white they are pressures in his sight that's diversity when the world talks about diversity you know what they're really talking about perversity that's what they actually want to talk about and she's joking about this daughter and in the article she's talking about her daughter organized some little elementary school kid is organizing rallies for Hillary Clinton and all that she's saying well she's being raised by my moral code but you know what your moral code is corrupt because you like there's some part see they love the love thy neighbor as thyself which by the way is found in the book of Leviticus but they don't like the put the whole most to death which is in the very next chapter in Leviticus well let me explain something to you you can't separate the love of God from the holiness and justice of God you can't pick and choose which God you want it's one God and we have to accept and love all of it you say love thy neighbor amen love thine enemies amen put almost to death amen it's the same God that said it it's the same God that believes it it's the same God that wrote it you say what are the benefits to preaching on saying well you know what preaching on sin brings us to a place of salvation preaching on sin gives us the consistent moral good preaching on sin keeps us from allowing sin to run our lives why because sin has a enslaving aspect to it that's why Jesus said whosoever committed sin is the servant of sin go to Romans chapter 7 where we started Romans chapter 7 let me say this someone said this sin will keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay and you know that's true sin has an enslaving aspect to it notice what Paul says in Romans chapter 7 Romans chapter 7 in verse 13 he says was then that which is good made death unto me God forbid but saying that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful for we know that the law is spiritual notice he says but I am Cardinal sold under sin that the idea they're sold understand is it's like a slavery he says it'll enslave you it'll put you in bondage for that which I do notice what he said he said this is what sin does to you for that which I which I do I allow not he said there are things I'm against I'm against doing it III preach against it but yet I find myself doing it for that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I he said I get up and tell people you need to you know do this and you do that and then I find myself not doing that and then the things I hate I end up doing them look at verse 17 now then it is no more I that do it but sin that dwells in me if I know that in me that is in my flesh well it's no good thing for to will is present with me he says there's a desire for me to do right but how to perform that which is good I find not for the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do now if I do that I would not notice what he says it is no more sin it is no more I excuse me that do it but sin that dwelleth in me I find that a law that when I would do good evil is present with me here's what he's saying sin has an enslaving aspect to it and sometimes there are things that you get exposed to or you expose yourself to and then they get a hold of you and you can say I hate alcohol I hate drugs I hate pornography I hate fornication I hate you can say I hate it but then you find yourself doing it because sin has an enslaving aspect to it so you say well what do we do we teach him preach on sin we try to get these kids these kids to never taste alcohol they never smoke a cigarette to never try drugs you say why because when you when you commit sin you become the servants of sin but teaching and preaching against sin will keep you from allowing sin to get a hold of you and of course the Apostle Paul is talking about his flesh he realizes that one day his body will die and that which is corruptible will put on in corruption and that which is mortal will put on immortality and then he won't have to deal with the sin nature but he says while I live on the third he says oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death there in Romans go to 1st Corinthians chapter 6 just the next book over 1st Corinthians chapter 6 look at verse 12 notice what Paul says 1st Corinthians chapter 6 in verse 12 all things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me here's what he's saying when he says all things are lawful unto me he's saying I can do whatever I want and I'm not gonna lose my salvation I mean we believe in eternal security don't we he says all things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient he said just because I can do it doesn't mean it's the best thing for me just as I can do it doesn't mean that it's going to be in my best interest all things are lawful for me then he says this but I will not be brought under the power of any so why does he say that because sin desires to bring you under its power sin desires to control you sin desires to enslave you go to Ezekiel chapter 22 we've been looking at a lot of passages in the New Testament and a few from the old but I want to end in Ezekiel 22 I'm preaching through the book of Ezekiel on Wednesday nights back home and I was actually in Ezekiel 22 this last week and these verses were in this chapter and I just felt like they went well with the sermon I had for tonight but we're talking about the benefits of preaching and teaching on sin what are the benefits well they bring you to a place of salvation what are the benefits they give us a consistent moral code that is not just me saying well I think this is right because that's what I feel about it because if that if our moral if our judgment is the authority then there is no authority because I can say well I think it's bad to kill people but then someone else can say well there's anything wrong with it and who's gonna tell them he's wrong they're wrong if not God what are the benefits of preaching on sin it keeps us from allowing sin to run our lives to enslave us to bring us under its power but I thought these were fitting verses Ezekiel 22 if you look down at verse 25 knows what Ezekiel says about the preachers of his day he says there is a conspiracy I like that you know people always want to talk about conspiracies and I'm all for conspiracies but you know here's the conspiracy we need to be worried about there is a conspiracy of her prophets he says the prophets have conspired in the midst thereof like a roaring lion ravening the prey remember the morning from this the sermon from this morning they have devoured souls they have taken the treasure and precious things they have made her many widows in the midst of when he says they have taken treasure and precious things he's saying that the prophets are motivated by money if you don't believe me go look at Joel Osteen's house I'm gonna have to go talk to that guy before I leave you know look at verse 26 her priests talking again about the spiritual leadership her priests have violated my law right for for sin is the transgression of the law and they have pervade mine holy things notice they have put no difference here's Ezekiel's day here's the problem with the prophets Ezekiel say here's the problem with the prophets of his day and I'm echoing here's the problem with the prophets of our day they have put no difference between holy and profane neither have they showed difference between the unclean and clean say what what did they fail to do they fail to tell people here's right here's wrong here's light here's darkness here's God's will and here's your will the Prophet Isaiah was told to lift up his voice like a trumpet and to show people their transgression in the house of Israel they're sitting so listen to me there is a benefit there is a benefit to coming to a church like this on Sunday morning on Sunday night on Wednesday night or Thursday night to special services you say what's the benefit the benefit it's not just that you get to learn God's Word that's a great benefit that's awesome but it's not just that you get to learn God's Word get to learn doctrine get to learn the story all of that is great praise the Lord for it we need all that but you know there's an added benefit that you have a pastor that'll call you out on sin that'll call out sin that will show make a difference between the holy and profane say well why do I need to know that because there are benefits to making sin exceeding sinful and you know what we need a revival you say do we need a revival of preaching on sin no we need a revival we just need a revival of preaching God's Word preaching the laws of God preaching what God commands and when you consistently preach God's Word you can't but help to preach on sin because God is often warning us and teaching us and telling us and cautioning us against sin and we need to just we need a revival of we need a revival of Bible preaching because I'm telling you there is a conspiracy among the prophets to bring positive only messages today let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer heavenly father thank you Lord for your word thank you for allowing us to be able to just kind of do this Bible study and learn these truths Lord I pray that you would use them in our lives Lord and help us to always to not shy away from the subject of sin sometimes we don't you we might feel guilty about sins that we may have took part in in our lives Lord but help us to realize that there is a benefit there is a benefit to teaching and preaching on sin and Lord thank you for the men of God that stand up behind pulpits all across this country and all around the world who actually have the backbone to preach about sin to preach your law and your word to not mince words to not hide anything but to just boldly stand up and say thus saith the Lord I pray Lord for every man of God that does that that you'd bless them that you'd fill them with your spirit that you to protect them and Lord help us to bring more men on board that would preach your word and make sin exceeding sinful in the matchless name of Christ we pray amen