The Depths Of Sin – An Unpopular Subject That Fewer Pastors Are Proclaiming

The world’s greatest dilemma and man’s biggest problem is SIN! Though people face cruel diseases, harsh climates, great famines, and tough economic times, SIN is man’s biggest issue. In fact, the SIN of man is the cause our problems in the first place. You would think with the ever increasing number of murders and other capitol crimes worldwide that people would cry out against SIN. Sad to say this does not happen. Great attention, however, is given to the grievous results of SIN rather than to the root cause and Biblical remedy for this awful plight mankind is planted in.

Take a moment and consider the following thoughts on the subject: “The Depths of Sin!” May God take these truths and engrave them in your soul with His finger. May we, who preach God’s Word, proclaim this for all men to hear so they will be warned of the dangers of sin’s dark depths!

From The Miry Clay To The Solid Rock

(Psalms 40:2) “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”  (KJV)

Sin is described as miry clay in this verse. The clay being described here is not easily navigated through and will certainly entrench someone before they realize it. Once free, the sticky clay will adhere to clothing and shoes. It will leave footprints where you step. Sin acts in the same way!

The Psalmist is glad that he was lifted from this horrible clay pit! We who know Christ feel the same way. Our Lord Jesus delivered us from the deep clay pits to the sure foundation of the elevated ROCK!

One should always remember that, though Christ has performed the great role as Savior, for those who repent and accept Him, sin is still like the miry clay! It WILL catch hold of you and mar your testimony and bring defeat when dabbled in.

From Condemnation To Salvation

(Romans 8:1) “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”  (KJV)

How sweet these words are to a sinner in the depths of his sin. Feeling the awful weight of his sin and rebellion against God, “No Condemnation!” is a welcomed sentence. The weight and guilt builds up as the Holy Ghost convicts the sinner of his desperate need. This is partially done through the preaching about sin and it’s destructive ambition.

If the sinner does not hear the message of condemnation, however, then he cannot fully embrace what God can do for him. Focusing most of the attention on what God has done for the sinner is great, but if someone does not see themselves as a lost sinner, then they will not see the need to repent. As a result, they will not want to be saved!

From Cords Of Sin To Cleansing From Sin

(Proverbs 5:22) “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.”  (KJV)

From this verse we see a description of what sin can and will do to a sinner. As one would use ropes to secure and fasten various commodities when shipping or for placing into storage, so sin grips a sinner. When sin is entertained, it will wrap it’s finger like ropes around your soul and hold on till Christ breaks them asunder.

I am glad that not only will Christ break the chains of sin from off of the sinner, but He will also cleanse the stains of sin away! (1 John 1:9 & Isaiah 1:18) Once held and bound, now free and clean. WOW! What a difference Jesus can make in a sinner’s life!

Conclusion

The words of the songwriter echo in my soul as I muse upon this topic. It goes like this:

“Sin will take you farther than you want to go, slowly, but wholly taking control. Sin will leave you longer than you want to stay. Sin will cost you far more than you want to pay”

Sin is dangerous and is nothing to play around with. Nobody has ever come away from it without it’s prominent scars! It can take a person down into the lowest of gutters and can make people do things that animals do not even consider participating in.

Pastor, why do so many quit warning people about sin? Why have so many generalized the subject and stopped calling sin by it’s Biblical name? If there was ever a time to proclaim and preach against specific sin, it is now!

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Would you consider purchasing…

7310: The Knowledge of the Holy The Knowledge of the Holy

By A.W. Tozer / HarperOne

What is the nature of God? How can we recapture a real sense of God’s majesty and truly live in the Spirit. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy, a modern classic of Christian testimony and devotion, addresses these and other vital questions, showing us how we can rejuvenate our prayer life, meditate more reverently, understand God more deeply, and experience God’s presence in our daily lives.
Informative and inspiring, The Knowledge of the Holyilluminates God’s attributes—from wisdom, to grace, to mercy—and shows through prayerful and insightful discussion, how we can more fully recognize and appreciate each of these divine aspects. This book will be treasured by anyone committed to the Christian faith. It bears eloquent witness to God’s majesty and shows us new ways to experience and understand the wonder and power of God’s spirit in our daily lives.

50 Bible Reasons Why Pastors Should Preach Against Drinking Alcohol

Some typical alcoholic beverages.Image via Wikipedia

Is it ever appropriate to drink fermented beverages like wine, beer, hard liquor, etc.? Is there Biblical foundation for the social drinker? Did God ever condone this? These are all valid questions that people have. Like many pastors, I have been guilty of just preaching against something without much consideration of thoughtful explanation. This post seeks to provide just that… a document that will help one come to a Biblical position. I will let this post speak for itself.

Although many good men in the last many years, who were at one time opposed to drinking alcohol, have now come out in support of it. (In moderation and such.) I should be careful to remind you that man may change his position, for various reasons, but God does not change. It is very important that whatever position we take on a particular issue, that we build it upon a Biblical foundation! Listed below are 50 Bible references to the subject of alcohol in the Bible. There are various Bible terms for the fermented beverage, as well as for those who enjoy its taste. Many more verses and thoughts could be provided, but the 50 below should help us gain a Biblical perspective on the issue.

50 Bible Reasons Why Pastors Should 
Preach Against Drinking Alcohol
  1. First Impression… Wickedness Is Associated! Genesis 9:20-26 First Biblical case of drunkenness and the accompanying behavior.
  2. Used As A Wicked Tool! Genesis 19:30-38 Lot is drunk and commits incest with his own daughters. He probably would not have done this had he been sober. However, if it were not for the New Testament reference of 2 Peter 2:7, then we would not consider Lot to be saved; but he was. This should serve to warn all believers.
  3. Hinders Good Decision Making! Genesis 27:25 Isaac was drinking wine when he blessed Jacob, thus causing a huge mess. God brought some good in spite of it.
  4. Commanded Not To Drink! Leviticus 10:9 Plain command. No way to escape this here.
  5. Abstaining Brings Leadership Opportunity! Numbers 6:3 Relates part of the vow of a Biblical Nazarite.
  6. Leads To Other Sins! Deuteronomy 21:20 Drinking leads to many other sins; including dishonoring your parents.
  7. Sure Way To Have A Closer Walk With God! Deuteronomy 29:2-6 Complete abstinence from drinking is the best pathway to a closer walk with the Lord.  
  8. Abstinence Helps When Pregnant! Judges 13:4, Judges 13:7, Judges 13:14 The Bible records the truth about the need of abstinence from drinking while pregnant. This was also a case of the child being a Nazarite. 
  9. Hannah’s Example Of Abstinence! 1 Samuel 1:14-15 An example of a God honoring mother, Hanna abstained from drinking. 
  10. Drinking Can Lead To A Premature Death! 1 Samuel 25:33, 1 Samuel 25:36-38 Nabal died after a drunken spree. Drinking, no doubt, played a role in his death like so many today.
  11. Only Way For King David To Manipulate Uriah! 2 Samuel 11:13 How strong drink can loosen up peoples morals!
  12. Murder Was The Result Of A Drunken Brawl! 2 Samuel 13:28-29 The result of Absalom’s plot.
  13. Getting Drunk Can Bring Tragedy! 1 Kings 16:8-10 A king is susceptible to being killed because he is drunk.   
  14. Wrecks Homes And Divides Families! Esther 1:5-22 King Ahasuerus tries to subject his wife to a terrible thing while he and his friends are drunk. 
  15. People Are Often Caught Unawares To Their Immediate Circumstances! Job 1:18-19 Job’s children caught in a deadly cyclone. 
  16. Violence Often Associated! Proverbs 4:17 
  17. Foolish Men Indulge! Proverbs 20:1
  18. Leads To Poverty! Proverbs 21:17, Proverbs 23:21
  19. The Human Body Rebels From Drinking! Proverbs 23:7-8
  20. Brings Enormous Hurt And Self-Inflicted Wounds! Proverbs 23:29-30
  21. Warned Against Intoxicants! Proverbs 23:31
  22. Brings Harm For Sure! Proverbs 23:32  
  23. Creates The Opportunity For Willful Sin To Take Place! Proverbs 23:33
  24. Fills Minds With Impure Thoughts! Proverbs 23:33
  25. Is A Companion Of Insecurity! Proverbs 23:34
  26. Leaves One Irrational In Their Thinking And Actions! Proverbs 23:35
  27. One Drink Leads To Another! Proverbs 23:35 Habit forming to say the least! The drunk never set out to be a sot when he first sipped the poison!
  28. Hinders The Leadership Of Those In Authority! Proverbs 31:4-5
  29. Only Used As A Medicine And for Those At Point Of Death! Proverbs 31:6-7 Better anesthetics are used now to minimize the harmful effects of drinking.
  30. Blessing Are Promised To Individuals And Groups Of People Who Abstain! Ecclesiastes 10:17
  31. Woe To The Drinkers! Isaiah 5:11-12, Isaiah 5:22
  32. Drinking And Carnality Are Bedfellows! Isaiah 22:13
  33. Drink Is Bitter To The Drinker! Isaiah 24:9
  34. Errors Are Made By Spiritual Leaders When Drunk! Isaiah 28:7
  35. Drinking Brings Spiritual Blindness! Isaiah 28:7
  36. Priests Are Not To Drink! Ezekiel 44:21
  37. Leaders Who Drink Enable Others To Drink! Daniel 5:1 Belshazzar is a great example of this!
  38. Women Are Often Degraded By Drinking… Will Participants Or Not! Hosea 3:1
  39. Drunken People Are Usually Awakened Out Of A Sleep! Joel 1:5 Needs no further explanation.
  40. Can Bring Pollution To Innocent Parties! Amos 2:12 People are misled by those who lead from error.
  41. Drinking Inflates Arrogance! Habakkuk 2:5
  42. Absolutely Wrong To Enable Someone To Drink! Habakkuk 2:15
  43. Drinking Leads To Shame And Humiliation! Habakkuk 2:16
  44. John The Baptist Is Highlighted By His Abstinence! Luke 1:15
  45. Christ Warns Those Who Drink! Luke 12:45
  46. All Are Admonished To Walk In A Way Not Characterized By Drunkenness! Romans 13:13  
  47. Drinking Can Cause Others To Lose Their Way! Romans 14:21 
  48. No Drunkard Shall Inherit God’s Kingdom! I Corinthians 6:10 Note: Because of this, one must warn people about this when they are preaching about salvation, etc.
  49. Brings About Disorder! 1 Corinthians 11:21 Corrupted the Corinthian church.
  50. Should Not Be Under The Influence Of Strong Drink! Ephesians 5:18 We should however, be filled with the Holy Spirit. UNDER THE RIGHT INFLUENCE!

Conclusion

More can be stated on this subject. What has been posted should serve to convince anyone who has an open heart for God that drinking alcohol is not right for anyone… especially the child of God!

Would love to know what you think about this. Please leave your comments below! Be polite!  

Source: 
In research for this post, I used, in part, an article from: The Baptist Challenge page7 of July 1994 “70 Bible References On Drinking”.

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60157: The Pursuit of God The Pursuit of God

By A.W. Tozer / Wingspread Publishers

In the muddle of day-to-day life, have you somehow forgotten that Christianity is a living, vibrant relationship with a personal God? In this classic bestseller and recipient of both the ECPA Gold and Platinum Book Awards, The Pursuit of Godreminds and challenges you to renew your relationship with your loving God. In each of the 10 chapters, Tozer explains one aspect of hungering for God and ends with a prayer.

The Wonder Of Preaching!

Billy Sunday, American baseball player and Chr...Image via Wikipedia

I guess everyone, who has been saved any length of time, has tired of preaching because of apathy and personal sin. It happens! Even pastors, hard working pastors, get heavy ears and weary of preaching. This is no surprise because preaching is the primary way that God uses His Omnipotent Word to reach souls! Satan surely knows this and if he can get the hearers and the proclaimers to lose the wonder of preaching, then he has gained some ground! Whether on the pew, or behind the pulpit, we should not lose the Wonder of Preaching! This post seeks to remind us of the greatness and wonder of preaching God’s Word and hearing it heralded forth!

The Wonder of PREACHING…

Preaching is the medium that God has ordained to proclaim the truth of His revealed word!

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

 1 Corinthians 1:21 “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

We understand the word “Preach” to come from a word that would convey the idea of one who is crying out, or heralding.

Isaiah 58:1 ¶ “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”

In our day, we often witness what would never be deemed to fall within the aforementioned definition of preaching. We see a lot of pansy preachers who do not have the backbone of an amoeba. They are the type of people who would be characterized as compromising, hypocritical, and apostates; if you were to compliment them! Many are not God called at all. They are after money, women, prestige, and everything else they can get their hands on. With all of the problems with false preachers, I am glad that there are still some God called men preaching the Bible without compromise!

The Preeminence Of Preaching…

Preaching should be the main thing in the church. It should never take second place to music, drama, socials, or even a pie throwing contest! It should be the highlight of the services because it is expounding the eternal truths that “belong unto us and to our children for ever”! The sermon taken from the pages of the “Holy Writ” should be the highlight of every child of God’s life. Preaching should not be considered as something to be endured, but something that is enduring and delightful!

What Makes Great Preaching Great?

Great preaching is not great because a man inflects his voice like Billy Sunday, because a man is a statesman like Talmage, or because a man has the depth of men like G. Campbell Morgan, and Charles Hadden Spurgeon, and many others. What makes preaching great is the fact that a Spirit filled man declares the living Word of God and the Holy Ghost of God uses that same Word to accomplish what God intended!

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

It is the God behind preaching that makes great preaching great. Preaching is the greatest privilege in the universe. It is more important than the work of Doctors in the ER. It is higher in honor than giving the state of the Union speech before a joint session of Congress as the President of the United States. It is nobler to preach than to enjoin yourself to a life of philanthropy among the needy of our society. It is accomplishes more to preach than it does in giving lectures among the intellectual minds of the great universities. It is more compassionate to preach, “Thus sayeth the LORD”, than it is to be a social worker is devoted to the betterment of society. It is better to be a “Truth hugger” than a “tree hugger”! We have come to the “kingdom for such a time as this”, to preach, and not to sit around and play our time away.

Consider What God Chose Not To Do…

When God chose to express His thoughts and desires to mankind about the truth contained in the Bible concerning Salvation and the personal growth of the converted in our day, He did not choose the Sun to convey them even though it gives great light to all of our solar system and serves as a picture of Christ. He did not choose the Moon to convey them even though it stands sentry in the night sky, and serves as a picture of a Christian who should reflect the Light of Christ. He did not choose the Stars to convey them, even though they hold everyone’s attention, and serve to give us the vast number of descendents of Abraham. He did not choose the Angels even though they were present at Christ birth, and were mediums of truth in times past. He did not choose to use the sky above to write His message, even though great poems, songs, and other pieces of great contemplation have found their inspiration from it. He did not choose to use the great animals which He created, even though they serve to illustrate many practical truths from which we can benefit.

Consider What God Has Chosen To Do…

HE DID CHOOSE TO USE men, like you and me, who have nothing in and of ourselves to offer, but what God has already given to us. We deserve to suffer for eternity in Hell. We are but dust and deserve nothing at all from God! That being stated, God did choose to save us from our sins and use us to proclaim his message!

Conclusion…

Pastor, layman, church member, Christian have you lost your wonder for preaching? When a minister lifts up his voice to articulate God’s Word do you abhor it, or does it stir your soul as never before?  Brother Keith Knauss stated…

“Never Lose The Wonder Of Preaching!”

Precious saint, cultivate your soul and let the freshness of God’s Holy Spirit get down in the hardened clay of your soul! Let Him stir your desires for the Heavenly way! May the awe inspiring wonder of God’s proclaimed word find its way our of your mouth. As the Word of God says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!”

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