Father I Have Sinned

Text:

Romans 3:23: 

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 

Theme:

Father, I Have Sinned

 

Introduction:

• This study comes directly from a flyer that was given to me by a coworker. The Intercessory Prayer Ministry of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta where Dr. Charles Stanley is the Senior Pastor, where my coworker attends worship, produced the flyer.  Immediately when I saw it, I felt the Holy Spirit leading me to embrace its message even though I had not read it yet.  I was led to document the flyer in The Graham Commentary.  I am formally citing its origin here.  Thank you, Lord, for Your Word!

• One problem we face as Christians is that we do not look at sin as being very bad. Seeing it as high treason will revolutionize our thinking.  When a Christian is Christ-controlled, Christ is on the throne of his life.  Ego/self is dethroned.  When the slightest sin is committed:  a thought, word, deed, or attitude, Christ is dethroned and ego/self is enthroned.  That is treason!  It is self-usurping the throne from Christ.
• It is not only the sin that is bad, but the very nature of sin itself!
• As you are convicted of sin, confess it at once to God!
  • 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
• Then some of us are in denial of our own sin and sinful nature
  • 1 John 1:10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
  • However, we have all sinned!
    • Romans 3:23 confirms, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
  • We have to be able to admit – “Father, I have sinned”
    • Just like how David said in Psalms 51:4, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”
  • There are 23 scriptures that will each bring up questions that will help us to see the sin in our lives!
    • As it says in Psalms 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
    • Let us walk through them on by one…

Body:

• Matthew 6:12-14, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:”
  • Is there anyone against whom you hold a grudge?
  • Anyone you have not forgiven?
  • Anyone you hate?
  • Anyone you do not love?
  • Are there any misunderstandings that you are unwilling to forget?
  • Is there any person against whom you are harboring bitterness, resentment, or jealousy?
  • Anyone you dislike to hear praised or well spoken of?
  • Do you allow anything to justify a wrong attitude toward another?
• Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
  • Is there anything in which you have failed to put God first?
  • Have your decisions been made after your own wisdom and desires, rather than by seeking and following God’s will?
  • Do any of the following in any way interfere with your surrender and service to God: ambitions, pleasures, loved ones, friendships, desire for recognition, money, your own plans?
• Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
  • Have you failed to seek the lost for Christ?
  • Have you failed to witness consistently with your mouth for the Lord Jesus Christ?
  • Has your life not shown the Lord Jesus to the lost?
• John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
  • Are you secretly pleased over the misfortunes of others?
  • Are you secretly annoyed over the accomplishments or advancements of another?
  • Are you guilty of any contention or strife?
  • Do you quarrel, argue, or engage in heated discussions?
  • Are you a partaker in any divisive or critical spirit?
  • Are there people whom you deliberately slight?
• Acts 20:35, “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
  • Have you robbed God by withholding His due of time, talents, and money?
  • Have you given less than a tenth of your income for God’s work?
  • Have you failed to support mission work either by prayer or in offerings?
• 1 Corinthians 4:2, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
  • Are you undependable so that you cannot be trusted with responsibilities in the Lord’s work?
  • Are you allowing your emotions to be stirred for the things of the Lord, but doing nothing about it?
• 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
  • Are you in any way careless with your body?
  • Do you fail to care for it as the temple of the Holy Spirit?
  • Are you guilty of intemperance in eating or drinking?
  • Do you have any habits which are defiling to the body?
• 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
  • Do you take the slightest credit for anything good about you, rather than give all the glory to God?
  • Do you talk of what you have done rather than of what Christ has done?
  • Are your statements mostly about you?
  • Are your feelings easily hurt?
  • Have you made a pretense of being something that you are not?
• Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”
  • Are you self-conscious rather than being Christ-conscious?
  • Do you allow feelings of inferiority to keep you from attempting God-sized things?
  • Do you doubt God’s power?
• Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”
  • Do you underpay?
  • Do you do very little in your work?
  • Have you been careless in the payment of your debts?
  • Have you sought to evade payment of your debts?
  • Do you waste time?
  • Do you waste other’s time?
• Ephesians 4:31, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:”
  • Do you complain?
  • Do you find fault?
  • Do you have a critical attitude towards any person or anything?
  • Are you irritable or cranky?
  • Do you ever carry hidden anger?
  • Do you let anger control you?
  • Do you become impatient with others?
  • Are you ever harsh or unkind?
• Ephesians 5:16, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
  • Do you listen to unedifying radio or television programs?
  • Do you read unworthy magazines?
  • Do you partake in worldly amusements?
  • Do you find it necessary to seek satisfaction from any questionable source?
  • Are you doing certain things that show that you are not satisfied in the Lord Jesus Christ?
• Ephesians 5:20, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;”
  • Have you neglected to thank God for all things, the seemingly bad as well as the good?
  • Have you virtually called God a liar by doubting His Word?
  • Do you worry?
  • Is your spiritual temperature based on your feelings instead of on the facts of God’s Word?
• Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
  • Are you taken up with the cares of this life?
  • Is your heart joyful over things rather than the Lord and His Word?
  • Does anything mean more to you than living for and pleasing God?
• Philippians 2:14, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:”
  • Do you ever by word or deed seek to hurt someone?
  • Do you gossip?
  • Do you speak unkindly concerning people when they are not present?
  • Do you carry prejudice against true Christians because they are of some different group than yours, or because they do not see everything exactly like you?
• Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.”
  • Have you neglected to seek to be pleasing to Christ in all things?
  • Do you carry bitterness toward God?
  • Have you complained against Him in any way?
  • Have you been dissatisfied with His provision for you?
  • Is there any unwillingness to fully obey God in your heart?
  • Do you have any reservations as to what you would or would not do concerning anything that might be His will?
  • Have you disobeyed some direct leading from Him?
• Colossians 3:9, “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;”
  • Do you engage in empty and unprofitable conversations?
  • Do you ever lie?
  • Do you ever exaggerate? Cheat? Steal?
  • Do you overcharge?
• 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
  • Do you have any personal habits that are not pure?
  • Do you allow impure thoughts about the opposite sex to stay in your mind?
  • Do you read or watch that which is impure or suggests unholy things?
  • Do you indulge in any unclean entertainment?
  • Are you guilty of any lust in your heart?
• Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
  • Do you stay away from the meetings of preaching the gospel?
  • Do you whisper or think about other things while God’s Word is being read or preached?
  • Are you irregular in attendance at services?
  • Do you neglect to attend or participate in meetings for prayer?
  • Have you neglected God’s Word?
  • Do you find the Bible and prayer uninteresting?
  • Have you neglected thanksgiving at meals?
  • Have you neglected family devotions?
• Hebrews 13:17, “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”
  • Do you hesitate to submit to leaders in the church or elsewhere?
  • Are you lazy?
  • Do you rebel at requests given to you to help in the work of the gospel?
  • Do you in any way have a stubborn or unteachable spirit?
• James 1:27, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
  • Have you allowed yourself to become “spotted” by the world?
  • Is your manner of dress pleasing to God?
  • Do you spend beyond what is pleasing to God?
  • Do you neglect to pray about things you buy?
  • Are you concerned about what God thinks or your friends?
• James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
  • Do you feel that you are doing quite well as a Christian?
  • Do you think of yourself as not so bad or, that you are good enough?
  • Are you stubborn?
  • Do you insist on having your own way?
  • Do you insist on your rights?
• James 4:11, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”
  • Have you dishonored Christ and hindered His work by criticizing His servants?
  • Have you failed to pray regularly for your pastor or other spiritual leaders?
  • Do you find it hard to be corrected?
  • Are you more concerned about what people will think than what will be pleasing to God?

Conclusion:

• If you have been honest and true in the matter of admitting and confessing your sins, then you are ready for God’s cleansing.
  • When we confess our sins, then God will forgive us and cleans us from all unrighteousness!
• Remember these three things:
  • If the sin is against God, confess it to God, and make things right with God.
  • If the sin is against another person, confess it to God, and make the sin right with the other person.
  • If the sin is against a group, confess it to God, and make it right with the group.
• When there is full confession, there will be full cleansing.
  • The joy of the Lord will follow.
  • There can be testimony and prayer in the power of the Holy Spirit.
  • Revival will follow!

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