Making Things Right

Making Things Right

June 24, 2007

Introduction

About three months ago, our oldest son, Tim, bought a new car. That doesn’t seem so special, but I believe this is only the third new car Tim ever bought. Since his marriage, his wife, Marty, bought a new car which they still have, but Tim hasn’t had many new cars. About a week ago, I get a call from Tim. While on vacation, an elk ran in front of them, and there was no time to stop. The elk was killed, and the car was un-drivable.

What now? Well, it goes to the body shop. Will it ever be the same? No. It will depend on how well the job is done as to the difference, but the “scars,” if you will, will always be there.

This morning, we aren’t talking about car repair. We are talking about relationships when we say, "Making Things Right." Already, we have talked about two very different things: Something material—a car, and something spiritual—relationships. Which one is more important? It’s a question that goes back to the Garden of Eden.

Body

I. Things or relationships.

A. The devil’s lie.

(Gen 3:1-5 NKJV) Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" {2} And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; {3} "but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" {4} Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. {5} "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

1. They paid the price of shame.

(Gen 3:9-12 NKJV) Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" {10} So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." {11} And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" {12} Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

2. They paid the price of losing fellowship with God.

(Gen 3:22-24 NKJV) Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"; {23} therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. {24} So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

a. So with sin, came shame.

b. With sin came the loss of fellowship with God.

c. With sin came the dying process.

(Gen 3:17-19 NKJV) Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. {18} Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. {19} In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."

d. The dying process began.

(Gen 2:17 NKJV) "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Gen 2:17 (YLT) and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the day of thine eating of it--dying thou dost die.'

(1) They dying process began. All the sickness suffering, and disease that has been from then until today.

II. Making thing right when things go wrong.

A. What did I do?

1. There are always those with the spirit of Cain.

(Gen 4:9-11 NKJV) Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" {10} And He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. {11} "So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

a. Where is the acknowledgment of any wrong doing

b. Without acknowledgment, there will be no repentance, confession, nor forgiveness.

c. In short, without acknowledgment, nothing will be made right.

d. The one guilty will hear his punishment.

B. “I have sinned.”

1. These are the words of Pharaoh.

(Exo 9:27-28 NKJV) And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. {28} "Entreat the LORD, that there may be no more mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."

2. They are the words of David.

(2 Sam 12:13-14 NKJV) So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. {14} "However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."

a. You are forgiven. -- you shall not die

b. But you will pay in part -- the child also who is born to you shall surely die."

3. They are the words of Judas Iscariot,

(Mat 27:4-5 NKJV) saying, "I have sinned by betraying innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? You see to it!" {5} Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

a. It was confession.

b. It was restoring what he could.

c. He gave up in despair, and never asked the Lord to forgive him.

(Mat 26:24 NKJV) "The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."

III. What must we do to make things right?

A. We must acknowledge that we have sinned.

B. We must confess out faults.

(1 John 1:9-10 NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. {10} If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

C. We must confess out faults to those whom we have sinned against.

(James 5:16 NKJV) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

D. We must repent and change.

(Acts 3:19 NKJV) "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

Body

I. Things are not made right if we simply deny we have done anything wrong.

II. Things are not made right by our refusing to confess that we have done wrong.

III. Things are not made right unless we are willing to repent and restore what we can.

IV. We may still bear some of the scars, but there is forgiveness if we make things right as God has said.

V. Initially, things are made right when we confess our faith in Christ, and are buried with Him in baptism.

Bible Study with Harley Sermons I have Preached

Hit Counter