Sermon Feast of Unleavened Bread by Ben Mauldin April 8th

Synopsis

Greetings this is a summary of the sermon given on April 8 by Ben Mauldin.
We are on the verge of observing seven days of Unleavened Bread, traditionally in the church of God teaching, leavening has symbolized sin.
It is an analogy, and all analogies eventually fail, leavening sometimes can symbolize the Kingdom of God.
But whether we see leavening as a type of sin or as the kingdom of God, sin itself is our enemy and it would be beneficial for us to avoid it and teach our children to avoid it all the year long.
But what is sin?
For many years I would have turned directly to  IJohn 3:4 and cite the statement that "Sin  is the transgression of the law."
 And then state that one must learn the law to know what sin is. It is an axiom of law that" that which is not prohibited is legal."
 But with sin and the law of God it does not seem to be that simple. Some people cite a list of Old Testament laws, I believe there are 618, does that list define sin?
Some of the New Testament Scriptures say that the wages of sin is death, and another says that all have sinned.
In the book of Ezekiel it says the soul who sins shall die.
But what is sin? And how do we avoid it? The subject seems to be a little complicated when you include statements like in the book of James where it says that " to those who know to do right and do not do it, to them, it is sin."
And another apostle wrote that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
The 618 or so laws recorded in the Old Testament are sometimes very harsh.
In today's world some religions execute a very harsh judgment on those whom they consider to be sinners
I personally, I do not want to be a Muslim! I do not want to be a Jew! I want to be a Christian. And I think that the Christian understanding of sin is expressed in Jesus's sermon on the mount recorded and Matthew 5.
 In Matthew 5  there are several examples of what was taught in the "Old" days, and how Jesus added to the understanding.
In addition, and Matthew 5:48 Jesus gives a goal, and that is that we ought to be perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect.
I believe that even though we all fall short of that mark, it ought to be our goal!



Outline of Sermon with Bible Verses

What is sin? In order to avoid sin we have to know what it is, to identify it.

Easy to do a physical thing.

God created the physical so we could understand the spiritual

619 laws in the Old Testament

Wages of sin is death

Age of maturity and all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

We have all become oppressed by sin

Gods law is not so complicated that we can't follow it but our nature is such that we can't.

If we fail we have Christ.

Sin comes natural to us. We tend to justify ourselves.

It's not just knowing the law of God and following it

Put sin out of our life's like leavening

If you can't do it in faith it's sin

Are there different categories of sin?

Lying a sin. Midwifes in Egypt. They lied but God rewarded them

The law of God takes an application

Thing require judgement

My nature fits against me.

Jesus came to save sinners. Paul said he was the chief sinner.

Sin becomes our oppressor.

Christian life is a journey.

Recognize sin.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6:23‬‬"“

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
- ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:17-19‬‬

"“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."
- ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:43-45‬‬

"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."
- ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18:20‬‬

"This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life."
- ‭‭I Timothy‬ ‭1:15-16‬‬

"“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."
- ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:27-29‬‬

"“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also."
- ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:38-39‬‬

"For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me."
- ‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:15-20‬‬

"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
- ‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:21-23‬‬

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."
- ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:48‬‬

"But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."
- ‭‭Romans‬ ‭14:23‬‬

"“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King."
- ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:31-35‬‬

"If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him."
- ‭‭I John‬ ‭5:16-18‬‬

"“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire."
- ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:21-22‬‬

"There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."
- ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:5-6‬‬

"Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."
- ‭‭James‬ ‭4:17‬‬

"Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness."
- ‭‭I John‬ ‭3:4‬‬