OceanSide church of Christ

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“LITTLE” SINS ARE SERIOUS SINS

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Sin is referred to by many names in the Bible:  sin, transgressions, iniquity, disobedience, wickedness, wrong, and evil.

 

B.      As our nation has drifted from God, sins that used to be considered serious to all are no longer believed to be such:  adultery, violence, murder, and homosexuality.

 

C.     This desensitization has also impacted the church.

1.      We have a tendency to tolerate more sin.

2.      Some engage in sins on a regular basis without giving much thought to it: lying, cursing, drinking, etc.

 

D.    In this lesson, we want to stress this idea:  “’Little’ Sins Are Serious.”

 

I.                   THE WRONG OFFERING

 

A.    This story is familiar to both adults and children.  It involves a young man by the name of Cain.

 

B.      The Bible says that “Cain was a tiller of the ground” (Gen. 4:2).

1.      He was a farmer.

2.      It was an honest occupation.

3.      The things that he produced were both useful and valuable.

 

C.     He “brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord” (Gen. 4:3).

1.      It was what he had.

2.      It may have been the very best of his fruits.

3.      To give these things would cost him something.

4.      His heart may have been sincere.

 

D.    God, however, did not accept his offering.

1.      Genesis 4:5

 

But unto Cain and his offering he had not respect.

 

2.      Genesis 4:7 indicates that he had not done well by giving the fruit of the ground.

3.      Hebrews 11:4 gives us further insight into this situation.

 

By faith Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts:  and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

 

a.      Abel offered his gift by faith.

b.      Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).

c.       Cain offered what he wanted to offer instead of what was authorized by God.

d.      Because he brought the wrong offering, he was rejected by God.

 

 

 

E.      Worship is very important to God.

1.      When God legislates what He wants men to bring to Him in worship, that, alone, should be brought.

2.      God does not want additions or subtractions, even if what is done is done with a sincere heart.

a.      Instrumental music

b.      No Lord’s Supper

c.       The wrong day of worship

d.      Preaching filled with false doctrine

e.       Special “holy days”

f.        Testimonies

 

II.                GATHERING STICKS

 

A.    When God gave Israel the Law of Moses, He made the Sabbath a very important day.

1.      Exodus 20:8-11

 

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  but the seventh day is a Sabbath of the Lord thy God:  in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor they daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  for in six days the Lord made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:  wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

 

2.      Exodus 35:1-3

 

And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the Lord hath commanded, that ye should do them.  Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord:  whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.  Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the seventh day.

 

B.      A man found gathering sticks on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32-36).

1.      The Sin (Num. 15:32)

 

And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

 

2.      The Subjugation (Num. 15:33)

 

And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and all the congregation.

 

3.      The Sequester (Num. 15:34)

 

And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

 

4.      The Sentence (Num. 15:35)

 

And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall surely be put to death:  all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

 

 

5.      The Stoning (Num. 15:36)

 

And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses.

 

C.     Thoughts and questions:

1.      There was nothing wrong with picking up sticks the other six days of the week.

2.      This man may have had a family in need of a fire for warmth or for food.

3.      What if he had been sick the precious week and could not gather sticks?

4.      Isn’t death a rather harsh sentence to be carried out for picking up sticks?

 

D.    Lessons:

1.      Man does not see the gravity of sin as God does.

2.      The seriousness of sin is not based upon man’s view of the action.

3.      God means what he says.

4.      God will hold men accountable.

 

III.             STRIKING A ROCK TWICE

 

A.    This is another very familiar account to most of us.  It involves the leader and lawgiver of Israel, Moses.

 

B.      The background:

1.      Lack of water (Num. 20:2)

2.      Leaders confronted (Num. 20:3-5)

3.      Legislation from God (Num. 20:6-8, esp. v. 8)

 

Take the rod, and gather the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give to them his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock:  so shalt thou give the congregation and their beasts to drink.

 

C.     Moses’ transgression (Num. 20:10-11)

 

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod his smote the rock twice:  and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

 

1.      Two points:

a.      In the past, Moses brought forth water out of a rock by striking it (Num. 17:6).

b.      Moses followed all of God’s commands in this matter except one.

1)      He and Aaron acted jointly.

2)      He took the rod with him.

3)      He assembled the people together.

4)      His only mistake was striking the rock.

2.      Three interesting elements:

a.      God brought forth the water from the rock in spite of the disobedience.

b.      God’s words to Moses and Aaron (Num. 20:12a)

 

And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel…

 

c.       God’s punishment (Num. 20:12b)

 

…therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

 

D.    Lessons:

1.      God expects man to pay attention to the details of His commands.

2.      It is the present command of God that is important, not the commands of the past.

3.      Violations of God’s Word prove that one does not believe God.

4.      “Small” infractions bring severe consequences.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    “Little” sins are serious sins to God.

 

B.      In all three of the cases we examined, man might think that the violations of God’s Word were not that big of a deal.

 

C.     Sin misses the mark set by God.  Sin involves lawlessness on man’s part.  Sin shows disbelief by man.  All of these things are serious matters.

 

D.    Remember:  The consequences for “little” sins can be great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“LITTLE” SINS ARE SERIOUS SINS

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Sin is referred to by many names in the Bible:  sin, transgressions, iniquity, disobedience, wickedness, wrong, and evil.

 

B.      As our nation has drifted from God, sins that used to be considered serious to all are no longer believed to be such:  adultery, violence, murder, and homosexuality.

 

C.     This desensitization has also impacted the church.

1.      We have a tendency to tolerate more sin.

2.      Some engage in sins on a regular basis without giving much thought to it: lying, cursing, drinking, etc.

 

D.    In this lesson, we want to stress this idea:  “’Little’ Sins Are Serious.”

 

I.       THE WRONG OFFERING

 

A.    This story is familiar to both adults and children.  It involves a young man by the name of Cain.

 

B.      The Bible says that “Cain was a tiller of the ground” (Gen. 4:2).

1.      He was a farmer.

2.      It was an honest occupation.

3.      The things that he produced were both useful and valuable.

 

C.     He “brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Lord” (Gen. 4:3).

1.      It was what he had.

2.      It may have been the very best of his fruits.

3.      To give these things would cost him something.

4.      His heart may have been sincere.

 

D.    God, however, did not accept his offering.

1.      Genesis 4:5

 

But unto Cain and his offering he had not respect.

 

2.      Genesis 4:7 indicates that he had not done well by giving the fruit of the ground.

3.      Hebrews 11:4 gives us further insight into this situation.

a.      Abel offered his gift by faith.

b.      Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).

c.       Cain offered what he wanted to offer instead of what was authorized by God.

d.      Because he brought the wrong offering, he was rejected by God.

 

E.      Worship is very important to God.

1.      When God legislates what He wants men to bring to Him in worship, that, alone, should be brought.

2.      God does not want additions or subtractions, even if what is done is done with a sincere heart.

a.      Instrumental music

b.      No Lord’s Supper

c.       The wrong day of worship

d.      Preaching filled with false doctrine

e.       Special “holy days

f.        Testimonies

 

II.                GATHERING STICKS

 

A.    When God gave Israel the Law of Moses, He made the Sabbath a very important day.

1.      Exodus 20:8-11

2.      Exodus 35:1-3

 

B.      A man found gathering sticks on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32-26).

1.      The Sin (Num. 15:32)

2.      The Subjugation (Num. 15:33)

3.      The Sequester (Num. 15:34)

4.      The Sentence (Num. 15:35)

5.      The Stoning (Num. 15:36)

 

C.     Thoughts and questions:

1.      There was nothing wrong with picking up sticks the other six days of the week.

2.      This man may have had a family in need of a fire for warmth or for food.

3.      What if he had been sick the precious week and could not gather sticks?

4.      Isn’t death a rather harsh sentence to be carried out for picking up sticks?

 

D.    Lessons:

1.      Man does not see the gravity of sin as God does.

2.      The seriousness of sin is not based upon man’s view of the action.

3.      God means what he says.

4.      God will hold men accountable.

 

III.             STRIKING A ROCK TWICE

 

A.    This is another very familiar account to most of us.  It involves the leader and lawgiver of Israel, Moses.

 

B.      The background:

1.      Lack of water (Num. 20:2)

2.      Leaders confronted (Num. 20:3-5)

3.      Legislation from God (Num. 20:6-8, esp. v. 8)

 

Take the rod, and gather the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give to them his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock:  so shalt thou give the congregation and their beasts to drink.

 

C.     Moses’ transgression (Num. 20:10-11)

 

And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?  And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod his smote the rock twice:  and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

 

 

 

D.    Two points:

1.      In the past, Moses brought forth water out of a rock by striking it (Num. 17:6).

2.      Moses followed all of God’s commands in this matter except one.

a.      He and Aaron acted jointly.

b.      He took the rod with him.

c.       He assembled the people together.

d.      His only mistake was striking the rock.

 

E.      Three interesting elements:

1.      God brought forth the water from the rock in spite of the disobedience.

2.      God’s words to Moses and Aaron (Num. 20:12a)

3.      God’s punishment (Num. 20:12b)

 

F.      Lessons:

1.      God expects man to pay attention to the details of His commands.

2.      It is the present command of God that is important, not the commands of the past.

3.      Violations of God’s Word prove that one does not believe God.

4.      “Small” infractions bring severe consequences.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    “Little” sins are serious sins to God.

 

B.      In all three of the cases we examined, man might think that the violations of God’s Word were not that big of a deal.

 

C.     Sin misses the mark set by God.  Sin involves lawlessness on man’s part.  Sin shows disbelief by man.  All of these things are serious matters.

 

D.    Remember:  The consequences for “little” sins can be great!