Sin

Well, good morning, everyone.

My name's Dave.

I'm one of the pastors here.

Would you please pray with me as we come to God's word?

Our Father in heaven, we are scared of coming too close to you

because we know that the light of your truth exposes us.

But Lord, I pray that you would convince our hearts this morning

that you are good and that you want good for us.

And so your truth is good for us.

So please open our hearts to hear you through your word this morning.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Amen.

Well, so far in the series, as David introduced this morning,

we've heard that God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

is complete and secure in himself.

He's perfect in knowledge, in power, love.

And so he alone is worthy of all our worship.

But if we're to know God as he actually is, he needs to reveal himself to us.

And the good news is he has spoken to us.

His words are spoken through people's words recorded in the Bible

so that we can understand him and have life.

And we've heard that this one true and living God alone created the universe

and rules the world.

And so our lives belong to him.

And so our lives belong to him.

He created us unique to know him personally, to represent him, to be like him,

to be with him.

So if we were created to know God and be like him in his character

and to live for him in joyful worship as his people, as his community,

why is there such a thing called genocide?

Why is there such a thing called domestic violence?

Tax evasion, theft, pornography, adultery, sex, trafficking,

royal commissions into sexual abuse?

Why is there such a thing as breast and prostate cancer,

economic depression, psychological depression,

rage on social media, poverty, homelessness, chronic illness, war,

refugee camps, terror attacks?

Why is there such a thing as bullying, anxiety, gossip,

drought, suicide, bankruptcy, unemployment, discrimination, divorce, funerals?

I could go on.

But I think we sufficiently get the point and we feel miserable enough.

This world has the marks of once being paradise.

But the longer we live in it, experience tells us that wherever we look,

whatever part we look at, everything screams at us,

something is wrong.

Something is seriously wrong.

What is it?

Depending on where you grow up, depending on what culture you live in,

there's going to be a variety of answers to this question.

And they range from evil spiritual forces

through to corrupt social systems,

through to really bad policies, government policies,

through to just individual personality flaws or psychological brokenness.

And some people will even say there's not a problem at all.

It's just the way things is.

The question is, will we listen to the one who made us?

Will you listen to what he says the problem is?

The whole Bible is God's words and actions to fix this problem.

You cannot, you cannot understand a single page of the Bible

if you don't take this problem seriously.

You cannot understand Jesus.

You cannot love Jesus if we ignore it.

And because the whole Bible is God's response to this problem,

we're only going to scratch the surface this morning.

Next week, Rob will focus on God's solution to the problem.

So please make every effort to hear that sermon.

So what does God say the problem is?

Throughout the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament,

the most common word used to describe our problem,

as Alex has helpfully described and shown us,

is along the lines of failing to hit the mark.

It's falling short of the standard.

Now, I think we can all easily understand what this means

when it comes to our own standards for ourself.

So instead of me suggesting ways that we fall short,

let me just ask a very simple question.

Are you the person you want to be?

We don't like to dwell on that question too long, do we?

And that's just our own standards.

God has made us to be like him in his character.

Are you the person God wants you to be?

None of us are, not even close.

We have fallen so far short.

And we've fallen short because we refuse to let God be God.

Have a listen to how James Packer describes what this is in his book,

God's Words.

I like his description.

What is the essence of sin?

Playing God.

Playing God.

And as a means to this, refusing to allow the creator to be God so far as you are concerned.

Living not for him but for yourself.

Loving and serving and pleasing yourself without reference to the creator.

Trying to be as far as possible independent of him.

Taking yourself out of his hands.

Holding him at arm's length.

Keeping the reins of life in your own hands.

Acting as if you and your pleasure were the end to which all else, God included,

must be made to function as a means.

That is the attitude in which sin essentially consists.

Playing God.

This can be seen in really obvious ways or it could be really subtle.

This can have huge social implications, consequences.

Or it might have very little effect on those around us.

And when we play God, it can feel like we're succeeding.

We don't even feel bad.

We actually think we're doing what's right.

So even though dodgy behaviour and the damage we do to others in our own conscience,

all these will testify against us very clearly.

The essence of our problem can't be fully measured by these things.

We only see what we're truly like when we look at the perfection of what God is like.

He's got to be our reference point.

So what's seriously wrong with us?

We fall short of being like God because we refuse to let God be God.

And instead we play God.

How serious is this condition?

What's the extent of it?

What's epidemic?

It's universal.

Every person in every culture, every country, throughout all human history,

has fallen short of honouring God because of their refusal to let God be God.

Everyone.

Except one person.

And it isn't me, in case you're wondering.

When our ancestor Adam, the first man on earth,

who walked with God, knowing him and being like him,

and everything in the world was as it should have been,

when Adam chose to start playing God himself by disobeying God,

because he is the head of the human race,

he represented the entire human race.

And so we all feel the consequences of his choice.

It's in the family.

But we also inherit the same attitude from Adam.

That attitude of refusing to let God be God.

And so we too produce the same rotten fruit.

The one unifying factor across all people

is the world's refusal to let God be God.

Our condition is universal.

And within each individual, it's total.

It is spread all over.

Now, this doesn't mean that we're as rotten as we could be.

By God's grace, we're not.

But it does mean that our refusal to let God be God

dominates every aspect,

from our choices

to our ability to think wisely,

and even the desires of our heart.

So if you look at the first verse of Psalm 36,

transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart.

The desire to go against God is constantly speaking,

influencing the very core of our being,

the centre from which the rest of our lives flow.

So if you think of a nature reserve,

so Blackbutt Reserve,

when I first moved to Newcastle,

I was so confused by Blackbutt Reserve.

One second I'm driving at night

and there's civilisation all around me.

I take a turn

and suddenly I'm surrounded by bushland.

It's untouched by civilisation.

It's a beautiful spot.

Go for a walk there sometime.

But within the make-up of the human person,

there is no nature reserve.

There's no part of us that hasn't been infiltrated by sin.

Our thinking, verse 4,

he plots trouble while on his bed.

Our choices.

He sets himself in a way that is not good.

Our words and behaviour, verse 3.

The words of his mouth are trouble and lies, deceit.

He has ceased to act wisely and do good.

Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his or her heart.

There is no nature reserve.

And therefore we are unable to change ourselves.

We are unable to respond to God as we should.

We are unable to do good.

We can do good in terms of being better than others

when we compare ourselves to others.

But in the sight of God,

we can't do good.

Sin is affecting everything.

So where does this leave us?

Where do we stand with God?

We are lifeless towards him.

Even though he created us to know him,

to be like him,

to worship him,

enjoy him forever,

in our fallen Adam-like condition,

we are totally insensitive and apathetic to what God says.

There could be a great amount of religious activity on the outside.

But Jesus called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs.

They were dead on the inside.

No affection,

no sensitivity towards God

as he has revealed himself in his word.

Never tasting the life that is

to be in right relationship with God.

Spiritually lifeless and dead.

We do not know God.

And the end result of refusing to let God be God

is pictured in verse 12.

There the evildoers lie fallen.

They are thrust down,

unable to rise.

Falling short of honouring God

as God will result in God

causing that person

to lie fallen forever.

Our physical death

is a foretaste

of the judgment

that awaits everyone

who remains spiritually

lifeless towards God.

And yet despite this,

there is no fear of God

before their eyes.

no fear of the judge

of all the earth

who will hold us accountable.

I've been watching

a detective show recently

based on real events,

which is a little disturbing.

But the crimes can be horrific.

But there's a difference

between criminals.

There's one type of criminal

who clearly regret

what they did.

And they're afraid of the police.

And so they hide.

They cover up.

They're afraid.

But then there's

just a few who

in the depths

of their evil intent,

they're not even afraid

of the consequences.

verse 1.

There is no fear

of God

before his eyes.

Falling short

of honouring God

because we refuse

to let him be God,

this condition

is universal.

It is total.

It makes us spiritually

lifeless towards God.

We have no fear

of God.

And therefore,

we're destined to receive

what the Lord

is right to give us,

which is death.

death.

It's heavy,

isn't it?

This dark picture

of our condition

is so bleak.

I think it raises

the question,

if it's really this bad,

why doesn't it always

feel this serious?

I think verse 2

gives us the reason.

For he flatters himself

in his own eyes

that his iniquity

cannot be found out

and hated.

We flatter ourselves.

I think we can flatter

ourselves in two different ways

and I'm sure there's more.

First,

we flatter ourselves

by living up to the standards

of our society,

our world,

which just lowers the bar,

changes the bar,

however they see fit.

So a very small example

of this is

there's a trend

at the moment

where it's socially good

to be conscious

about buying things

that are ethically produced.

Now that's excellent.

That's a good trend,

isn't it?

It's brilliant.

But it still falls short.

Jesus says,

life does not consist

in the abundance

of your possessions.

So our society

tries to be ethical

all the while

remaining thoroughly

committed

to materialism.

so long as we measure

ourselves

by society's standards,

we can flatter ourselves

that we are by and large

doing what is right.

I'm a good person.

But we need to remember

that the world

is against God.

We need to take seriously

the warning

in James 4.4

which says,

whoever wishes

to be a friend of the world

makes himself

an enemy of God.

We flatter ourselves

by just comparing ourselves

to the world around us.

The world that wants

nothing to do with God.

And I think we can flatter

ourselves by letting

something other than God

rule our life.

So I use money

to try and demonstrate this.

Money is a big one.

The Bible has a lot

to say about it.

Money can be more

important to us

than God.

It fills our imagination.

And we look to money

to give us all

that God alone

can give us.

Security,

status,

provisions.

And so we let money

rule our lives.

But then if we let money

rule our lives,

we let money

tell us

what's right or wrong.

The love of money

starts telling us

keep it for yourself.

Invest.

God says,

give cheerfully.

Love of money says,

work to spend on yourself.

God says,

work so that you have

plenty to share

with others.

Love of money says,

worry,

you never have enough.

God says,

don't worry,

you have me.

When we allow

the love of money

to rule our lives,

we excuse ourselves

for doing wrong

and for not doing

what's right.

we call greed

being responsible.

And we flatter ourselves

and hide

from God's standards

by letting something else

rule our lives.

So if our condition

is as serious

as God says it is,

how can we treat it

as seriously?

It's only when

we measure ourselves

to the perfection

of God

will we see

how far

we have fallen short.

It is only then

that we can begin

to hate

our condition.

And it's only

when we appreciate

that there is no

nature reserve

in us

that we begin

to look for a solution

outside of ourself,

outside

of our world,

outside of our own efforts.

this is exactly

why

the psalm

changes tone

so drastically

from verse 5 onwards.

Read or listen,

I don't mind.

your steadfast love,

O Lord,

extends to the heavens,

your faithfulness

to the clouds,

your righteousness

is like the mountains

of God,

your judgments

are like the great deep.

Man and beast,

you save,

O Lord.

And listen to what

God wants to give us

instead of what we deserve.

How precious

is your steadfast love,

O God.

The children of mankind

take refuge

in the shadow

of your wings.

They feast

on the abundance

of your house

and you give them

drink from the river

of your delights.

With you

is the fountain

of life.

In your light

do we see light.

There is only one person

who has ever walked

this earth

who is free

of this condition,

who is free

and able to save us.

His name is Jesus.

We'll hear more

about him next week.

Please make sure

you hear it.

God invites you.

In fact,

he tells you,

take refuge in me.

Feast

from my abundance,

my steadfast

love.

Drink

from my delight.

I am

the fountain

of life.

Don't stay

in darkness.

Come

into my light.

Something

is seriously

wrong.

Don't look

inside yourself.

Don't look

to the world

for an answer,

for a remedy.

You will not

find it.

Will you

keep flattering

yourself?

Or will you

come near

to God

as he has

revealed himself

in his word?

even

even

though

his light

will

increasingly

expose

how far

you have

fallen short.

Will you

come to him

who is the

fountain

of life

and make

this psalm

your words?

How precious

is your

steadfast love,

oh God.

Will you

pray with me?

Let's pray.

Father,

judge of

all the

earth,

nothing is

hidden from

your sight.

We can

fool

ourselves,

we can

fool those

around us,

but you

search our

hearts.

why you

would invite

us to

come to

you for

safety

and life

instead of

making us

life fallen.

We can't

fully say.

All we can

say is how

precious is

your steadfast

love,

oh God.

Continue

your steadfast

love to us,

your people,

who have

taken refuge

in our

Lord Jesus

Christ.

keep

drawing us

individually

and as a

church into

your light.

Not afraid

to let our

sin be exposed

because you

are the

fountain of

life.

And by

your light

we see

light.

In Jesus'

name,

Amen.