There is a Problem Between God and My Friends

1. Read: Isaiah 59:1-2 – “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”

2. About the Text:

1) Have you ever had a disagreement?

2) Did you reconcile?

3) What did you do to reconcile?

4) Is there anything that is truly offensive?

5) Does God get offended?

6) What offends God?

3. There is a problem between God and our friends.

1) It is called: iniquity, transgression, lawlessness, ungodliness, guiltiness.

2) Most of the time it is called sin.

3) Sin was started in the garden of Eden by Adam and Eve.

4) God created them good initially – Genesis 1:27-31.

5) God gave them commands to follow – Genesis 2:16-17.

6) They chose to sin against God – Genesis 3:2-7.

7) “All have sinned . . . .” (Romans 3:23).

8) “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

9) “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Sin is ignoring God and His law – lawlessness.

1) “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4).

2) “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it . . . sin” (James 4:17).

2. Sin is acting against God’s will.

1) When we sin, we sin against God.

2) “Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:4).

3. Sin is ignoring God’s purpose for our lives.

1) Our purpose is to love God and love our neighbor.

2) “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

4. Sin destroys relationships.

1) Our relationship with God.

2) Our relationship with one another.

3) “But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there” (James 3:14-16).

1. God is a holy God.

1) “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15-16).

2) “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him” (Psalm 89:7).

2. God is pure and incorruptible.

1) “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).

2) “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13).

3. God is good and always does what is right.

1) “So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God’” (Luke 18:19).

2) “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen.18:19).

4. When we sin, we offend that which is holy, pure, and good.

1) “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation” (Romans 5:18a).

2) “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Gen.39:9).

1. God created us to seek Him.

1) He made us in His image – “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen.1:27).

2) “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:26-27).

2. He created us with value.

1) “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

2) We are worthy of being redeemed – “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

3. We get distracted by our carnal desires.

1) “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17).

2) “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

4. Sin seeks to substitute itself for God.

1. There is a Problem Between God and Our Friends

1) What is sin?

2) Why does it separate us from God?

3) Why can’t we find God?

2. Invitation

1) God has solved these problems for us through Jesus.

2) “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-29).

3) We must respond to Jesus message to repent and obey.