SM151011/The Death of a Conscience

Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners receive free email daily devotions were to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org the father as we come to your word and look at the amazing story of Jesus Christ who came to this earth born and that means your living our life dying our death rising again. Lord we see the great sacrifice he made that you made in giving your son and we think Lord of all that he has done for us and help us to gain a greater appreciation now is in this series we follow Jesus to the cross and look at what happened there in his resurrection and his ascension and today as we look at this topic of the conscience Lord, may we all have an open and tender and receptive conscience, and if we needed Lord re-sensitize our consciences today. We assess all in Jesus name, amen. How many of you have ever heard of are Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Conan Doyle again which he is the author of the Sherlock Holmes books which of course have been made in the movies and have been widely read around the world and I Doyle was a bit of a practical joker. So one day he decided as a prank in his frenzy. He wrote a note to 12 of his best friends in the know was anonymous. They didn't know Doyle had written it an anonymous note arrived at their house with these words flee at once all is discovered within 24 hours. All 12 of his friends have left the country that's called having a guilty conscience. So what if you got a note like that or an email or a text and it was anonymous with these words flee at once all is discovered.

Would you want to run is your conscience, not guilty. What is a conscience. One person said quote conscience is the inner voice that warns us that someone may be looking." Another said, quote conscience is what hurts when everything else feels so good" and even another said, quote conscience doesn't always keep you from doing wrong, but it does keep you from enjoying it." As a great theologian, Jiminy Cricket said to the little wooden puppet Pinocchio take the straight and narrow path, and when you start to slide give a little wistful give a little whistle and always let your conscience be your guide.

What is a constant 12.

It's only the God's place in every man and every woman nonbelievers included. We all are born with a conscience sort of that sense of knowing what right and wrong are and it's sort of like a fire alarm or a smoke alarm that will go off when there's trouble, or implicitly did battery change did if you're like me, mine always goes up at three in the morning there were three in the afternoon. Three in the morning. Of course, but one writer described the consciences way, quote the conscience is a built-in feature that hunts the center and helps the preacher some since it makes us turn and run from most. It simply takes the fun from" that is so true, so here's my question for you today. What shape is your conscience and I isn't tender and responsive, or is it dull and un-responsive.

Why, because the Bible speaks of dulling ones conscience. There's a Chinese proverb that says quote clear conscience never fears midnight knocking good clear a clear conscience never fears midnight knocking because your conscience is clear your conscience is clean. But we must be very careful to sort of give attention to our conscience, be attuned to it.

Take care of it and not stifle it because the Bible warns of having your conscience seared as with a hot iron.

I know little about this because, well, let's just say I like to iron and I don't know budget admit that is a manly thing to say, I like to hire. Unlike a wash close right does not do it, but I like to iron.

There's just something about taking a wrinkle thing and bringing it back to life and I were really good on it.

It's a European iron. It's not like these wimpy American arms are take this thing gets really hot and it lets out the oblast esteem. That's amazing. You know the American art supplies. It seems like you know this thing is a like a blowtorch right so I was earning the shirt a while back before I was going to speak and and I got it all nicely ironed and ready like I put it on and I noticed one little wrinkle in the middle now a normal person would take the shirt often touch up not be. I decided to iron him while I was wearing. How many of you have ever done this towline. How many of you burn yourself and then iron good yeah okay it's not don't do that, but what I did was even worse.

I didn't just iron it with three awkward to getting your note.

What I did. I thought I would give this thing a blast of steam will come right out of Jennifer got theirs body there so I held my shirt a can of like this and I took the early got rid of their press with ice cream I scream like a little girl and I was so embarrassed but I went and spoke and so forth and that night I was getting ready for bed. I took my shirt off my wife. After admiring my amazing physique said what is of large red dot in the middle of your stomach.

I said don't ask what you see in the same way you can take an iron in effectively steer your conscience work. It would be hard and unresponsive about amenable to see a psychiatrist in the complaint decision… I've been misbehaving and my conscience is troubling me. The doctor said well what would you want something that will strengthen your willpower guy said no.I want something that will weaken my conscience. That's all a lot of people are. They want to weaken your conscience. Listen, you don't want to do that because if you neglect it. If you allow it to get we it can get harder and begin to die I would look now at the story of a man whose conscience was dead. This is effectively the story of the life and death of a conscience and this man had no excuse because he notices personal counselor's friend is Colquitt on the greatest profit in all of the Bible. I'm talking about John the Baptist and the men I am addressing was known as King herein and working to see how his life began to unravel the remember in our series, God came near the chronological look of the life of Christ, we last left our Lord.

He was standing before Pontius Pilate, who did not want to condemn Jesus to death, though that is what the religious leaders were demanding he was looking for a way out of this dilemma, he found himself in, and when it was said that Jesus was from Galilee. A little bell went off for a light went on, I should say anything at all Galilee that jurisdiction of Herod, so we thought he could get rid of this problem as he sought and send Jesus to Herod and thus Pilate would not have to make a decision about it. And so in our last message we alluded to this, but only want to kind of talk about Herod and then will return back to Pilate in the trial and crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord.

So as we picked this story up here back in Matthew 14 were sort of going back in time a little bit to an earlier event and this is after Jesus was beginning his public ministry and his name was in everyone's lips and lives are being impacted sick people were being made well dead people were being resurrected demon possessed people were being delivered and Herod heard about this and those conscience wasn't completely dead yet. He thought that it was John the Baptist risen from the dead and there to hunt out of John the Baptist get killed in the first place. That's what our story is about.

Let's look at Matthew 14 will read verses one to six.

At that time Herod the teacher occurred that report about Jesus and he said to his servants.

This is John the Baptist is risen from the dead and therefore these powers are working him for Herod had laid hold of John down to put them in prison for the sake of Herodias's brother Phillips why because Jonathan said to him, it is not lawful for you to have her, though he wanted to put him to death.

Dear the multitude, because they counted John as a prop. There know who was hair what the problem is there's a lot of carrots in the New Testament, and they're not all the same guy but they're all from the same twisted dynasty, the first of the lot was Herod the great, he was a Herod was in charge of the wise men came from the East looking for the one who was born the King of the Jews.

Remember they followed that star that's King Herod the first Herod. It was uncalled Herod the great, because of his acts of benevolence or because he was a wonderful ruler. He was called that because he was known for the amazing edifices that he erected. He actually rebuilt the Jewish Temple. It was many years in the making. He built the great fortress Masada and many other things, parts of which stand to this very day, but he was also known for his paranoia for his wickedness and how we had members of his own family executed because they thought they would be a threat to his throat so that was a wicked banking, Herod will now were looking at his son known as parody antipathies. The sun of Herod the great clearly that Apple did not fall far from the tree.

Like father like son. This Herod is also wicked. Historians tell us that here in Enterprise was cruel and scheming and indecisive and utterly immoral and he had a conscience that was in the process of dying.

And here's the thing. Herod was without excuse, because as I mentioned, he had as his personal counselor.

None other than John the Baptist.

When John emerges on the scene meant making is just unbelievable because you have to understand before John showed up and started preaching Israel and not heard from God for 400 years. That's a long time. 400 years.

Not a single miracle 400 years. Not a single angelic appearance from hundred years not one prophet speaking for God just and I see silence from heaven.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere right in God's timetable emerges.

John the Baptist. He was powerful wherever he went. The crowds would gather. It was almost like a rock star in his day is unique in dress code of a coat of camels or think early Sonny and Cher, if you got that your old or you're a fan of old rock 'n' roll history. Sonny is aware this furry little best anyway. If you were alive today. John would hang out a lot of whole foods because he consisted on a diet of locusts and wild honey right and this guy was fearless. He called out the religious elite of the day the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and he said there are a bunch of snakes and there were going to face God's judgment so people would swarm or ever. John was you got a love John that you contrasted with Herod, they were opposites. John was everything that Herod was not what Herod was unsure and torn and proud and worried about the opinions of others. John was sure and humble and concerned only with the opinion of God. John was a man of immense moral courage. Herod was a man of spineless weakness. John was a man who kept his conscience lost his head.

Herod was amended to John said but lost his own conscience.

This is really the story of the life and death of a conscience in Herod in and John was the greatest prophet overlooked. He was the last of a long line of spokesman for God. He was the last of the Mohicans.

If you will.

And Jesus said of John of those born among women. There is never been a greater then John the Baptist. Why was John greater than say Elijah and Elisha or Jeremiah or Isaiah or other profitable he was greater because he and he alone was a direct forerunner of Jesus, the forerunner of the Messiah get this amazing place in history and Herod respected job spec over March 6 20 we read Herod dear John he respected job knowing he was a just man and a holy man, any observed him and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. Okay, so Herod like John but his wife, Herodias hated John and they had a real bizarre relationship. In Herodias the way came about was interesting. It's noted that she was Phillips wife while she was still married to Philip, who was the brother of Jared Herod seduced her in took her as his own wife, and it gets worse.

Herodias was also the daughter of Herod's half-brother, making her his niece. This would've been a great episode of you know the Jerry Springer show Maury Povich King to marry their sisters-in-law were actually there needs sex and if that wasn't bad enough he was lusting after Herodias's daughter, who is name's alone in Herodias was fully aware of this and that so John called him out on you that this is crazy. This is really messed up.

You need to repent and Herod respected that and he respected the fact that John would speak up to you know John's PR people. If he had pure people, which he didn't. What is that not John, no relax a little bit yet to be more diplomatic.

Have to think through what you're saying and you know you need to keep Herod as a friend. He can really help you adventure ministry. Pull your punches a little bit but John didn't care. He just told the truth that we need more people like John today more men and more women that just tell the truth. We do we need them everywhere. We need them in culture we need them in pulpits.

We need them in politics people that will say the truth, and I think people are hungry for truth today. John was honest with Herod and I think really when he got down to it John the Baptist was Herod's truest friend because he told the truth. Let me say this. If you have a friend that tells you the truth don't lose that friend the people you know you can call up until The run somebody up and you gotta be honest with me you don't want to limit ladders you someone that loves of all your jokes. Someone that thinks everything you says is wonderful. You want some of that will say, you know that's a bad idea and here's why.

Right disagree with you and here's why. Or I think that's a fantastic idea. You should go for that. I have friends like that, people that I trust in the Bible says faithful of the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful and someone always complement you and never has anything even remotely critical to think.

Are they really a true friend.

A true friend will occasionally wound not to hurt but they help wound like a surgeon might take a scalpel to remove something that is harmful to your body and it should set a true friend stabs you in the front on the back know some people, no act as though they're your friend, the get information out of you, than those for the information run and sometimes even use it against you. That's on a friend but a true friend will tell you the truth to your face and that's a very important thing that was John. He told Herod the truth and this ultimately caused John his head.

In fact Karen was so impressed by John even made a few changes in his life.

Mark 620 is a fascinating little verse it says that Herod heard John and he didn't. Many things we don't know what he did. Clearly did repent of his sins and repent of his relationship with his brothers. Why, Herodias continued on many heat you know didn't torture as many people on that day or showed kindness to someone or or something is give a little money to the poor. I don't know, he did many things, but Gary did not do the most important thing which is in turn from his sin, and other people. I carried the day.

The local singly. I think I need to come to check out Christianity. They think I could use a little religion in my life that would be good.

Listen, you don't need a little religion. You need a whole lot of Jesus. That's the only answer.

Little religion is again. I hope listen to this, a little religion to make things worse. See how. So what with your little bit of religion.

You might say one kind of doing something I better off than the outright atheist of the person who doesn't believe that you might think that little something is enough. But it isn't in the keeps you from God.

See, even if you say you're a seeker until you put your faith in Jesus, you're still separated from God by your sin and to be technical here is far from God is any nonbeliever out there. You either inner or outer as Jesus said your for me or you're against me.

So Herod like John, he admired John's chutzpah. He admired John's courage well Herodias didn't feel that way at all. She hated John Mark 619 says Herodias held it against him what he had said to them I wanted to kill a witch he could not another translated translation says she was enraged and she nursed a grudge against him innocent.

She was as serious as a heart attack. She wanted John not just silence.

She wanted John dead. She wanted John to get whacked and she was just plotting and scheming and trying to think of a way to kill John the Baptist was. He knew Herod pretty well.

She knew you like to get drunk. Probably every night, like most drunks do, using alcoholics, please return because it's a disease where you sound sarcastic and being sarcastic us his alcoholism is a choice, and the Bible doesn't: alcoholism. If your under the power of alkaline says you're a drunkard I don't I notice on a politically correct term. But this is something that needs to be repented up something that God can deliver you from most of the people I know have an alcohol problem and think they drink every night to the point of drunkenness, maybe some just want to get the buzz. But others goes even further than that and they get crazy. Listen, I was raised around drunks for the first 17 years of my life I've seen it all and heard it all and also here like to get drunk every night and he would be really foolish in his drunken state, and he would offer his kingdom.

Half of his kingdom sometimes and erroneously did they think it really drug you will give you my kingdom so Herodias Got I'm going to get him really drunk and then I went to get my daughter so long to do. A seductive dancer When he gets all worked up and says he'll give us His kingdom awake him and ask for the head of John the Baptist will. That's exactly what happened. The party was wrong and here is Herodias effectively for lack of a better term, pimping out her daughter.

I don't understand all mother could do this.

A mother should be protecting her daughter as well as a father carried her daughter. You know it's really strange of some of these moms that kind of live vicariously through their daughters and they want to go out and be their daughter's best friend and party with her daughter. I read an article about a popular Hollywood star whose mom like to go party were there. They did cocaine together.

She incurred Kercher daughter in her morality about that so wrong. Listen to this. Your kids don't need you to be their best friend mom or dad.

They need you to be there. Mom or their dad, they need a parent be a parent be responsible send an example for the tell them know.

Tell them yes but be that parental role, but you know I think for some girls in our culture today. They don't want to accept the fact that they're getting older, there's 65 and still shopping at forever 21 is time to grow up and grow up in older gracefully know the girls I'm not against you. Fighting gravity for as long as you can, you know, whatever you gotta do you do you go girl's okay but but in your pursuit to look the best that you can look there's nothing wrong with that.

Don't neglect your soul. Don't neglect your spiritual life and that you become an older and more mature yes woman of God you have a special role to play in the church and around younger women Titus two says older women should live lives of reverence so they end up so they will not end up as gossips or drunks who drunks using alcoholics, but models of goodness is what they should be by looking at them. The younger woman will know how to love their husbands and children, and how to be virtuous and pure and how to keep a good health and how to be a good wife will Herodias was far from this she was a wicked woman.

As I said, pimping out her daughter and now the whole scene is going to begin to unfold as she gets her to dance in front of Herod that brings us to Matthew 14 again dropped on the verse six when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter Herodias danced before them, and it pleased Herod, therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask, so she prompted by her mother said, give me John the Baptist head here on a platter and the king was sorry. Nevertheless, because of the old sum because of those who side with them, he commanded it to be given to her and he said and had John beheaded in prison and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl and she brought it to her mother raising seen.

This is why did Herod do such a horrible thing to murder really is only friend of the world John the Baptist. Two things prompted him sexual lust and a desire to improve glass and press and please others against sexual lust and a desire to improve us and please others. In fact, when it says your verse six what the daughter of roadies did Salome know her name is when it says it pleased Herod, that's a euphemism for him being sexually aroused and all worked up watching her dance and he makes his crazy commitment is a why I can even understand how I could do that really.

Haven't you seen what people do when they're driven by lost. Haven't you seen your rational decisions people make were a husband will walk away from his faithful wife, and his loving children because Jesus says he is having a midlife crisis or whatever he wants to blame on any walks away from the family abandons them so we can continue on in his fling was some younger girl or nowadays even wives walking out on their husbands and abetting their abandoning their children to do the same thing because around the control of lust. Lust is powerful. That's why you never want to feed lust you want to starve it. Don't feel it, starve it because when you feed it, looking at pornography year having conversations that are sexual and flirtatious, and so forth.

Your sort of feeding that lust and it's going to get stronger menu need to deny it, so sexual lust and also is concerned about impressing others you know it's interesting because it says in Mark 620 Disney it says in our text before us that in verse nine the king was sorry because of the old sum because of those who side with look.

It was stupid. He should have retracted it.

I don't know what I was thinking I was drunk, forget it. I'm not going to give up to half of my kingdom always started in on the king.

I want to go back to my work people are watching me.

He was so worried about the opinions of other and you know Herod probably spent a lot of time talking with John might be set up in the palace to get to sleep go down to the dungeon. There's John chained up in that miserable place. John, the great outdoorsman. John, the great preacher love to be out of the blue sky out of the elements in this little hellhole. Almost like a pet for the king and he would talk with John that's good John.

At present, which are safe. Well I gotta go make a few changes.

Many would go on in this wicked course, but now he's killed is only friend in the world. No more late night talks with John and you know what it tormented.

Day and night. He deeply regrets his decision. What was left of his conscience was keeping them up at night.

Maybe his wife. Herodias said now honey, just forget about all John he's gone he will bother you anymore don't trouble your conscience, but his conscience was troubled and unbeknownst to him, his conscience was dying. Then he starts hearing reports about Jesus this Messiah.

Figure who is allegedly healing people and raising dead people and preaching amazing things, and Herod starts hearing about the miracles of Jesus and because his conscience is so guilty he thinks it's John.

He's back from the dead, and he's come to haunt me and that's we picked the story up again because now he thinks that John is back again. Maybe his aids in a mental panic. It's organic and no maybe John's a larger one of the prophets in the Army.

This Jesus guy, don't worry about them.

But Herod knew what he had done.

He knew we kill John because Mark 616 Herod says is this is John, whom I beheaded, who has been raised from the dead.

He was emphatic about it know this is John. He's come back again and it's interesting he says who I beheaded in the Greek could be translated. I'm the one I did get a blanket on Herodias. He could've blamed it on Stallone. He could've blamed on the booze reset. I didn't. I gave the command, I have executed. I had a beheaded.

This is on me and he was so filled with guilt. In fact, it seems as though Herod heard more from John when he was gone and when he was alive because Herod had a guilty conscience. That's a good reminder that your sin will fall find you out.

I think sometimes we figure we can committal standing just to move on in life and not really worry about it. Never repent of it. Never deal with the just do it. We want to do on we go. But we don't think about the fact that sometimes the repercussions of sin. Don't kid us until later in life. Sometimes you don't fully understand even what you did until later in life, and the devil loves to torment us with this and he will hit the play button, then rewind, play, rewind, play, it's in the hard drive of your mind.

Maybe something triggers that you remember that thing that you did. That's never been dealt with. What about a girl that goes out and get an abortion, maybe she went to a place like Planned Parenthood and we hear the stories now father taking the body parts of these unborn children and their selling them. It sounds like something from a Nazi concentration.

It's hard to believe it's happening here in America but the girl is told, it's okay.

You're just terminating a pregnancy. It's just a fetus and so maybe that young girl goes and gets an abortion at a young age and maybe she gets another one, and even another one. Some girls about so many. It almost seems as though they're using abortion as a form of birth control and she thinks nothing of it. I just terminated a pregnancy, but maybe that young girl that she gets a little bit older than 10 years down the road. She sees a 10-year-old girl or boy and a dunce on her. That is the age my child would've been if I brought the child to term and if kits are like a ton of bricks. And this happens because I talk to these girls and you know what you don't hear from those people that want to make abortion so easy to access is what can happen in the aftermath of the woman who gets the abortion to study show that women who have had abortions are 6 to 7 times more likely to have an commit suicide than people who have not had an abortion, six, seven times more likely. One study revealed that depression is often triggered years later and reveals brief as that woman may see an ultrasound picture or hold her friend's baby that triggers regret in a triggers depression and suicidal feeling that was Herod. Now it's sitting in later years later, what have I done. I can't believe I did it. Quick aside, if you had an abortion or you encouraged some girl to have an abortion want to the notice. It's a sin and I want you to know this to God will forgive you of that sin that you must ask for his forgiveness and call it what it is and don't justify and I believe that every one of those unborn children there were killed in the womb were taken immediately into the presence of God in there in heaven right now so that's one bit of consolation, but still, that doesn't lessen the impact of a horrible this really was and so here's Herod now is thinking a lot about John and he hears about Jesus so he summons Christ to the palace. Now understand. Was a powerful man when you were summoned by the king you wet, especially if it was King. It's sort of like being some of the White House. But even more significant, and so word is that the Jesus Herod want you the palace immediately what is Jesus do, he replies and says that she will tell that fox that I'm casting out demons and doing miracles of healing today and tomorrow and another third day I will accomplish my purpose. What kind of thing that to say to a king when he heard her that he probably thinks I knew it, it's John.

Only John would see something that crazy to me though it wasn't John. It was Jesus. So not attentive.

Catch up with her last message. Remember, our Lord is brought before Pilate pilot doesn't want to deal with Jesus. Now weekends a month to carry thinking that Christ is no longer his problem, so to speak, and that's with this scene unfolds catching this up here in Luke 23's to go over there had to turn their earlier, Luke 23 this is a moment when Jesus and Herod come face-to-face.

Let me point out that Herod never heard the voice of Christ. That's interesting. Many other service voice. Pilate heard the voice of Christ Jesus engaged in some conversation with them.

Jesus engaged Pharisees and Sadducees in debates on numerous occasions.

Good to see even engage the devil in the temptation of the wilderness quoting Scripture to them. But Jesus did not say a single word, sticking here and tell you why in a moment. Chapter 23 verse eight when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad for you desire for a long time to see him because he had heard many things about him and he called to see some miracle done by him any question them with many words, but Jesus answered him, nothing in the chief priests and the scribes stood and accused Christ and Herod with his men of war treated him with contempt and mocked him in a radome and a gorgeous robe and sent him back triggers are seen no where in the palace of Herod there sits twisted king with the dying conscience on his regal throne their stands before him. Jesus Christ, not just a man of God like John the Baptist.

This is God, the man now here it is not the greatest profit in human history. And now he is meant the very living son of God stands before here's Herod's excited wife.

We want to see a miracle when he went to see a miracle, not because he wants to believe in God but he wants to be impressed like do a trick. I hear you do this really cool stuff to do something for me do a little trick for me pull a rabbit out of a hat. Make something disappear entertain me. I'm bored, dazzle me, Jesus just looks at her doesn't say a single word to him at all. Why, because he knew Herod's heart was irreparably hardened.

He knew Herod had gone beyond the point of no return.

No doubt had blasphemed the holy spirit. So Jesus would not engage in. You know it's an interesting thing. There's a couple of verses at the end of John's gospel chapter 2. It's as many people when they saw the miracles of Jesus believed in him. Sounds good, but then it goes on the make the statement that he did not commit himself to them a better translation of that would be many people when they saw his miracles and trusted themselves to him, but he did not entrust himself to them or they believed in him and he did not believe in them, but that doesn't make sense. I thought someone believed in Jesus. Jesus would accept and forgive them, yet they come with the right motive.

But Jesus is God and he can see in the human heart and he knows when the commitment is genuine when it's vacant he view these people were not really believing in him but they were just entertained by him so he did not commit himself to them. The same is true here of Herod in the same way.

There are people that I don't know. I think it's kind of a waste of time to engaged quite frankly sometimes after service.

I'm standing around, and someone will come up to me and in the say. I have a few things on ask you okay and then will start firing up the questions and and as they enter their they're not even listening there.

Moving on to their next question their check and their talking points, you know, and what is going on here will bring up a certain theological persuasion and they want to convince me of a nosy luck. You know you see this differently than I do and I don't want to stand here and argue with you and they want to keep arguing they want to keep it going out when I was younger when I was a young man in my 20s I would engage these people and try to convince them I don't care anymore. I have other things to do you want to hold a certain theological persuasion that may be different than mine. If it's not on an essential in the Christian life is that we can all that you feel like but here's why. Sometimes I'll come to one role so you know what, I don't really see any reason to continue this conversation in the press on is actually I'm done in the sometimes get angry in your thinking. Well Greg, you're so insensitive.

Well, maybe, but maybe it's because I'm looking behind the person someone is standing, talk with me, waiting to talk with me and I see tears in her eyes and I see it looks as though they're carrying the weight of the world talk about person how to talk to the person with a real spiritual need not just argue with somebody that is pushing a personal agenda likes the sound of their own voice and Jesus was the same way he says buddy I got nothing to say to you, there's no conversation that's going to be held here so there stands Herod and to show his true colors. He treats Christ with contempt.

Luke 2311 says Herod with his men of war treated Christ with contempt and mocked him, and put a gorgeous robe on him and sent him back to Pilate. You see, Herod rejected Christ and Christ rejected Herod for fear of a woman for fear of his reputation for fear of his throne for a lack of fear of God paradigm to soul forever. The death of a conscience. How does it happen. It starts with small things that invariably become larger things you do something you know is wrong and you continue on, you don't repent of it. You don't acknowledge it.

Sin and you just try to cover it up, and now your conscience is beginning to get hard and calloused and resistant and you need to come to God and say Lord help me get my conscience clean and help me get it working again. First Timothy 119 says cling tightly to your faith in Christ. Listen and always keep your conscience clear for some people have deliberately violated their consciences and arisen as a result their faith has been shipwrecked listeners got been speaking to you lately through your conscience but you violated it, and as a result, your faith is been shipwrecked.

What should you do answer, go to Jesus.

Hebrews 1022 says let us go right into the presence of God would choose guards fully trusting him for our evil consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make them clean in our bodies have been washed with pure water. Listen to this Jesus Christ can forgive sin and re-sensitize your conscience.

You can re-sensitize it. Years ago I was in Portland, Oregon with Billy Graham at one of his Crusades and he had just preached and it was a powerful message and we got into the car to leave and Franklin his son and Billy were in the backseat of the car and TW Wilson, his longtime. He was driving I was writing shocked and so was thinking about his message and I decided to complement Billy.

So I turned around, looking back over the sea. That's it, Billy. That was a great message tonight. I love your point when you said Christ can re-sensitize your conscience.

Billy looked at me and said well he can return) I know she's complementing you.

Then I turned back around and said what was just a great presentation Billy. You did such a wonderful job and he said it's just gospel bookings are direct rights are not seen anything else.

When I learned something to that Billy did not want to be flatter.

No, he did his job.

He delivered his message. That was it. But what he said was, and is true. Christ can re-sensitize. I love it when it rains after it rains and everything is so clean.

Even people with dirty cars of their cars washed the roads are coming clean and the birds come out there singing and maybe there's a rainbow it is a wonderful moment. That's what Jesus can do for us, but first we have to confess.

Maybe something in your past has come back to haunt you lately maybe is sin that was committed long ago seem like another lifetime has come back with its repercussions in your life.

Now you don't know what to do with that and you sort of harden your conscience over the years. Here's what you need to do call that sin what it is.

Ask God to forgive you of that sin and ask him to be sensitize your conscience for someone nine says that we will confess our sin is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The word confess means to agree with. And in this context it safe agree with God, so God sees this thing is a sin you call of this and stop rationalizing it.

Ask him to forgive you.

I said he would forgive a girl got an abortion, he would forgive a guide who encouraged her to get that abortion, he would give you forgive you for adultery.

You will forgive you for lying or for stealing or whatever it is there's forgiveness at the cross, that the only way to get rid of your guilt go to the cross is a great.

It sounds like you're in a crusade right now you know that this is the crusade.

This is a church service to tell the people who are not Christians.

They need the Gospel Way, Christians need the gospel to we need the gospel to because if we come to a point in our life. We think you know what I am pretty committed to Jesus. I mean, I'm hearing the church looking good and you know I read my Bible every day and I've been praying a lot even shared by faith the other day and know you're almost getting into a works relationship with God as though his favor in your life. As a result of all the stuff you do for him. Here's what you need to remember you need the gospel and what is the gospel say it says you are a sinner separated from God and the only reason you can communicate with God is because of the death of Christ in your place, and so I have access to God when I'm really bad and I have access to God when I think I'm really good. The only way I can approach them so the cross again and again and again reminding myself of my unworthiness. But listen, reminding myself of God's approval of me when I come on his condition when I'm standing in Christ as a new person. I am justified, which means God is forgiven my sin and forgot my sin and I stand righteous before God, and as the Bible says I've been made acceptable in the beloved.

Remember that the next time you mess up your still as we sing earlier a child of God and he loves you and smiles on you and will receive you as you come across in closing will heard about these horrible floods. I just had in south Carolina stole dealing with them. I read a story about a woman, a grandmother who decided to go to church and that crazy weather and you got to admire her commitment like this horrible floods and raining. She goes to church well. Her car gets swept away and she think she's probably going to die. Do you say Lord I don't want to die and then she remembered the first were God says when you press of the waters.

I'll be with you when you press of the rivers that honor overcome you. So she calls 911. There's no answer to gets hold of her grandson tracks her down near the church and throws a rope to her. She grabs the rope he goes to her and they went for help to come in.

They attach the rope to a large red cross and they hang onto the cross for hours until help comes at so we need to do. We need to hang on the cross because that's the only way were going to be forgiven of arson. You need your sins forgiven Christian, you need your sins forgiven because there's someone here right now that they came in here with and the weight of the world on your shoulders and you don't know how to get rid of that your guilt is strong. Your conscience seems to be going dead on you as it would.

Why do you think God, take this way you board on the cross.

Forgive me of my sin and he'll do that for you, to give you an opportunity to reach out to him and then there's some that have joined as soon.

Maybe you've never put your faith in Jesus you've never believed in him is your own Savior and Lord. You're not sure right now. If you are a Christian. If you are a child of God. I want to help you get that resolved today so you can know with certainty that you are right with him that you will go to heaven when you die let's all pray father, thank you for loving us.

Thank you for sending Jesus to die for us and now I pray for those of the believers today. Those that have done things they were ashamed of some things that have never been resolved.

Some things are hunting camp them.

Much like parent was haunted by his sin later in life. Help them to know there's forgiveness in you. No matter what Catholic knowledge that sin and turn from it.

I want to catch about a more praying. If this is you, if you need to confess the sin the God just do it right now.

I'll evenly join the little prayer Lord, we both know what this sin is and I'm sorry for and I ask you to forgive me of the sin re-sensitize my conscience. Jesus, I want to work closely with you. I hang on the cross, playing on do you and I accept your forgiveness. What I have just about there might be some of you heard that have joined us who have never asked Jesus to come into your life. You don't know with certainty that if you were to die today. You would go to heaven. You don't know if you really are a child of God which you want to be. You want Christ to come in your life that your desire. You want Jesus to come in your life and forgive you of your sin if you want to go to heaven when you die if you fallen away from the Lord you want to come back to camp, would you raise your hand up right now or ever. You are let your hand up and I'll pray for you.bless you that you had a break and see it, bless you, bless you. Lift your hand you want is forgiveness. You want Christ to come in your life. God bless you. I can see all of you some of your watching the screen.

The Lord sees you. Would you take a little step of faith and just raise your hand up's and I want Jesus in my life. I want his forgiveness. I want to go to heaven when I die I want to find meaning and purpose in this life with him. Raise your hand up, let me pray for you.bless each one of you publish anybody else. Naaman asked everyone to be the just raise your hand if you would please stand to your feet and I want to lead you in a prayer of commitment of Christ to the razor and stand your feet stand up wherever you are, stand up wherever your watching this stand your feet nominally join the simple prayer stand up going up or anybody else stand up even if you did not reach her again, but you want to make this commitment or recommitment to Jesus, let me pray with you today. Stand up publish his understanding anybody else might be a few more stand now, Jesus said, you either for me or against me where you stand with him you want to be for Christ stand by me. Pray with you one last moment anybody else. God bless you, standing anybody else bless you, you that are standing pray this prayer out loud after me.

This is where your asking price to forgive you of your sin again as I pray all of you standing pray this out loud right used in pray this, Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross and shed his blood for my sin. I'm sorry for my sin. I turn from it now. I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God and friend in Jesus name I pray, amen. God bless you guys a pray that prayer