No Payment is Ever Enough

sometimes when we sin ourselves we would chuck everything into what we physically can

to try and redeem ourselves as Christians and so sometimes it might be I know I will sign up to

every single church rota possible and just to kind of redeem myself to show that I'm working

for God's kingdom is that really what God is calling us into it could be that we would be

really kind to lots and lots of people and find ourselves getting really really stuck in

conversations and really getting held up in

things going on in our lives etc and so we try and redeem ourselves and that's just not possible

no payment is ever enough there's nothing that we can do to be completely forgiven and and for us

that's a really hard concept especially being British as well even to apologize or even to

accept an apology that's even still quite difficult because we don't like to admit that we're wrong

and yet we've got this bible we've got this lovely book that has got God's word in

and it says that we are wrong and there's nothing we can do about it and when you understand the

concept of grace that's that's really difficult but let's go back a minute and let's look at the word

sin okay sin is a nasty label it represents everything evil physically possible and so just to

understand what sin is sin is an action that we actively decide to partake in that separates us

from God okay so that's kind of terminology that a lot of Christians use let's unpack that a bit so

God obviously intended to be in communion in relationship and have friendship with us it's actually

called kinship which means it's like an adoptive um stance that God has chosen you no matter what

even if you don't choose him he has chosen you okay and and so that's what kinship that's what our

relationship is like with God and so he has paid the price for us by sending his son it's only him

who can pardon us because he can't be with sin

in the ancient world especially in the slave trade if a slave was to be set free a ransom would have to

be paid and of course as part of this ransom there would be some costs that would need to be covered

that happened that the owner would have um occurred and would obviously put some interest on top of that for the trouble

of letting this uh slave go

and that's exactly

what we were we were a slave

and our full bodies were completely slaves to sin

and that is until God has said enough and he sent his son to die for us on that cross

i remember going to um soul survivor who's heard of soul survivor at all a few of you have um so it's a youth

festival that was born out of new wine and um and it used to have like 30 000 young people meet a year

and i remember um a speaker danielle stripland come and speak and she spoke about an anaconda

that was sweeping across the churches and taking them completely whole and she said

um when she when God was speaking to her about this she she went on a um

uh a trip out into the bush and she was given a little leaflet

that told her how to survive a snake attack

um if an anaconda comes anywhere near you

you are to lay completely dead still on the floor act like you're dead

let it consume you

all the way up to your waist

well i don't like snakes so i'm already not a fan of this

um

and then when

right at the moment and of course when you're doing this

it's really important that you have a sharp knife

in your pocket

okay

if you forget if you're listening to this and you forget about the sharp knife

god bless you um because i think you're going to be a bit stuck

and when the time is right and the snake comes up to your waist

she said get the knife out

and stab it right in the head

and you'll kill the snake

um the disclaimer is i've never actually obviously done that so i don't know if it

works or not so i don't imagine

i would just say run personally um

and and she went on to describe the snake

that the snake comes over

to kill still and destroy

and that's exactly what satan is doing

sin is something that makes us completely separate

it harnesses us

it makes us completely

um

guilty

guilty

and the fact is is that

no matter what we have done

as long as we keep coming back to jesus

he is the one

who has paid the ultimate price

not for your past stuff

but also

for everything

in the future

that's really difficult to get your head around

another way of looking at it is

um i went to a christening

last weekend

and the the vicar was uh

explaining

to a con a congregation

who weren't christians

who probably haven't been to church

mostly in their life

and he was explaining what sin is

sin is spelled s-i-n

and it can't be spelled

especially without the i

and the i stands for me

as an individual

sin cannot be

um

it it cannot happen without me

because i actively take a decision to sin

and i felt that was really

really good to hear

that actually

we partake in sin

when we choose to sin

and so

two things that both the poor and the rich have in common

does anyone know what that is

anyone

they both will die

and they both stand before god

completely naked

with none of their riches

with none of their possessions

with none of their

what have you done on earth so to speak

there's none of that

they stand before god

and they are completely blameless

they are completely in full of love

that god has for them

and in forgiveness

so there's nothing that we can do here on earth

if we have the riches

to save our souls from anything

other than to believe in jesus

so i'm going to land with this

because i don't want it to be all doom and gloom

imagine this

you go out

with your family

to a restaurant

think of your favourite restaurant

think of the favourite things

that you like to wear

you have your favourite dishes

a free course meal

obviously

or more

depends if you want more

puddings etc

your favourite glass of wine

as well

comes to payment time

so you do that very British thing

you know

you either wave to the waiter

or you do that special nod

or

haven't mastered that yet

and you get your card out

and you put it in the card machine

and then the waiter turns around

and says payment is declined

we've all been there at some point

or at least witnessed someone else

be in that situation

that's difficult

it's embarrassing

and it makes you feel like

every single person is looking at you

and that is exactly what sin is like

and then

unbeknown to you

someone turns around

and taps you on the shoulder

and

you have no idea

who they are

and

they offer to pay for you

imagine what kindness

that is like

that a payment

has been made

on your behalf

by a complete stranger

but someone who cares

and loves for you

Satan is the bartender

who has told you

that your payment

is rejected

the stranger is Jesus

the one who is

who is unknown

who is caring

and who loves you

and so

if you go from this

church today

know this

that sin is designed

to entrap us

to enslave us

and it is

Jesus

who is the one

who set us free

from that

not just from

yesterday's sin

not just from today's sin

but also tomorrow's sin

and

on

and on

and on

and the only one thing

that we could do

every single time

is just come back to Jesus

that's it

that is it

and so

if you feel guilty

if you feel shameful

or any of them other things

that are to do with sin

that's not of God

because we know a God

who is full of love

forgiveness

and who cares

that is Jesus

who has paid

the ultimate price

and there's nothing

that we can do

to accept that

or pay for it

other than

just to worship him

Amen

I did say

that this would be fun

and

so

I'm going to ask you

to stand

if that's okay

if you're able to

if you could just

close your eyes

and have your hands out

in front of you

and if there's anything

that you are struggling with

to do with sin

or anything at all

in your mind

just place that item

in your hand

in front of you

and when you are ready

to hand it over to God

to say

I can't do this anymore

turn your hands down

to the floor

as if it were to fall out

of your hand

and let him

have the control

because we're returning

back to him

in worship

so Holy Spirit

we give thanks

for you

being here today

give thanks

for everyone

being here

and we pray

that you stir

our hearts

to come

to you more

and to know you more

may you be with us

today

and forever

and in weeks ahead

be with us

in the storms

and in the sunshine

be with us

in the loud

and quiet moments

in your precious name

Amen

Amen

Amen