Sunday Sermon


Overcoming Man's Biggest Problem

Dave Shaner

February 13, 2005

Text: I Peter 2:1-12

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to him, the living Stone–rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him– you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

... giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness & brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Colossians 1:12-14

I. 2 Observations:

A. Man's greatest problem - his sinfulness

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow & deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition & the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. - Colossians 2:8

B. Man doesn't want a Savior until he realizes he needs saving

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord & Christ.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart & said to Peter & the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” - Acts 2:36-37

II. The Universality of Sin

all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, ... - Romans 3:23

Saul was as zealous as any but Ananias said, "What are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized & wash your sins away..." - Acts 22:3,16

III. Sin Needs to be Recognized

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. - I John 3:4

2 types of sin:

1. Commission

the acts of the sinful nature are obvious... - Galatians 5:19

2. Omission

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do & doesn’t do it, sins. - James 4:17

IV. Sin Is an Individual Matter.

The soul who sins will die. - Ezekiel 18:20

V. The Reasons We Sin:

A. Our Culture

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens & strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. - I Peter 2:11

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world —the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes & the boasting of what he has & does —comes not from the Father but from the world. The world & its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. - I John 2:15-17

B. Our own corrupt nature.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions & sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world & of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature & following its desires & thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. - Ephesians 2:1-3

“What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance & folly. All these evils come from inside & make a man ‘unclean.’ ” - Mark 7:20-23

Put to death your earthly nature... - Colossians 3:1-10

VI. Results of Sin:

A. Physical Consequences:

1. Destruction

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. - Galatians 6:7

2. Death

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23

B. Spiritual Consequences:

1. Slavery

“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. - John 8:34

Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey —whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? - Romans 6:16

2. Separation

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. - Isaiah 59:2

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. - Habakkuk 1:13

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one & only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. - John 3:16-17

VII. The Remedy for Sin

We need a Savior

She will give birth to a son, & you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:21

The Son of Man came to seek & to save what was lost.” - Luke 19:10

We need a lawyer.

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense —Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, & not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. - I John 2:1-2

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