Rev. David Holwick ZD Make It Count, #11
First Baptist Church Baptism, 11:00
Ledgewood, New Jersey
September 18, 2011
Numbers 15:22-31
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I. At least you know where they stand.
A. Atheist stunt.
Yesterday, a group of atheists in California ripped pages out
of Bibles.
They call themselves Backyard Skeptics.
The pages they ripped out contain what the group calls
immorality, such as some of the sex rules in the Old Testament.
Not many people are paying attention.
Only one regional newspaper mentioned it.
Of course, if they had ripped Korans instead of Bibles,
everyone would have covered it.
But it was only Bibles they desecrated.
One positive thing you can say about their action is that it
is unambiguous.
They are doing it deliberately and they have stated their
reasons.
You know exactly where they stand with God.
B. Much of life is not nearly so clear-cut.
1) Our compromises and sins are often ambiguous.
2) We are a mixture of defiance and innocence.
C. God knows what we are made of.
1) He takes account of our weaknesses.
2) He is just but also gracious.
3) God wants us to be cleansed and saved.
4) But if we persist in rebellion, we have made our choice.
II. Unintentional sin.
A. Sometimes we don't realize we have done wrong.
1) More often, we don't grasp the full implications.
2) We may be oblivious to our sin's affect on others.
B. Ignorance is no excuse under the law.
1) Even when we are not aware of a law, it will still be
applied to us.
2) My first church was in a tiny town in Ohio.
West Lafayette had one stop light.
It also had a single one-way street.
That one-way street was only one block long.
It had a police station on the corner.
And Celeste went down it, the wrong way.
She wept and pleaded.
But they gave her a ticket anyway.
C. Even when we are ignorant, we are still guilty.
1) Therefore sacrifices were required for unintentional sins.
a) Through the offering of animals, the priest made
atonement for these sins. 15:25
b) The blood covered the sin from God's sight.
c) The word for atonement in Hebrew means "wiping up."
If I spill my grape juice on your carpet, I can say
sorry and be forgiven (if you are so inclined).
But the stain is still there.
Atonement only comes when I get the carpet cleaners to
come clean your carpet.
2) Forgiveness is available.
a) The priest can make atonement, but not forgiveness.
b) In this case, the forgiveness comes from God.
1> It almost sounds automatic - the priest makes a
sacrifice and forgiveness results.
2> But it is not automatic.
A> God judges our intentions.
B> He looks at the steps we have taken to make it
right.
D. Our sin doesn't just affect us.
1) The whole community is affected by it.
2) Even outsiders (aliens) come under its influence.
III. Sin of a different magnitude.
A. Defiant sin.
1) The Hebrew uses a vivid phrase - "sinning with a high hand."
a) You know what you are doing, and do it anyway.
b) You might say it is intentional sin.
2) The Backyard Skeptics are doing this.
a) Of course, for them it is a publicity stunt.
b) They don't believe in God or the Bible so the act itself
means nothing to them.
B. Even Christians often sin like this.
1) Adultery is a defiant sin.
a) When you are found out you cannot say, "I had no idea
it was wrong!"
b) Yet plenty of Christians commit it.
c) Several prominent evangelical Christian politicians
have been exposed for it in the last few years.
2) If you take drugs, abuse your spouse, or lie on your taxes,
you are sinning with a high hand.
C. Sin is usually a process more than a spontaneous action.
1) We plan and plot and figure out how we will cover our tracks.
a) Police calls this premeditation.
b) We think it out, then do it.
2) Why would we want to do it?
a) Disobedience has a definite attraction.
b) The book of Hebrews talks about the "pleasures of sin
for a season." Heb 11:25
1> That "season" is not a few months.
2> It can last as long as you live - on this earth,
anyway.
IV. Most of our sins are a mixture of intentions.
A. It is rare to be completely ignorant that we are doing wrong.
1) At the same time, we don't grasp the full gravity of our
actions.
2) A grim example is the crucifixion of Jesus.
a) As he hung on the cross, Jesus prayed for his father
to forgive those who nailed him there.
He added, "For they don't know what they are doing."
b) I think they did kind of know.
1> They were crucifying someone, just like they had
done many times before.
2> But they didn't realize that this time they were
crucifying the Son of God, and all that that
signified.
B. Since you were children, you have had a basic grasp of morality.
1) When you do wrong, you know it.
a) You feel pangs of guilt (at first, anyway).
2) You also probably justify it with rationalizations.
a) Circumstances forced you to do it.
b) You were wrong, but they were more wrong.
c) It is easy to smooth out the harshness of sin.
V. Some sin goes beyond the pale.
A. The sin in verse 30 seems to be on a very high level.
1) It goes beyond intentional sin.
a) It is called blasphemy against God.
b) It carries the penalty of being cut off - killed.
c) They are said to despise God's word.
2) This level of sin has no sacrifice mentioned and no way out.
B. Hebrews 10:26 amplifies upon today's passage.
1) It is one of the infamous "warning passages" of Hebrews.
a) It talks about deliberate sin that is continual.
b) It is committed by people who know the truth about
God.
1> Presumably, this means they are Christians.
2> Or, at least, they claim to be Christians.
2) Defiant sin like this cannot be covered by sacrifice.
a) Only judgment can be expected.
b) This would imply that it is unforgivable.
C. Jesus taught something very similar in Matthew 12:31.
"And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven
men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be
forgiven."
1) In the context, Jesus has just done a stupendous miracle
in front of a crowd, and some attributed it to Satan.
2) They cannot recognize God's power when it is right in front
of them.
a) Truly defiant sin is not just sin we are aware of.
b) It contains an attitude of rejection toward God.
VI. Where do you stand with God?
A. You may not identify with him at all.
1) Sin would be a negative and archaic topic for you.
2) Religion to you is just happiness and positive thoughts.
a) Guilt and sin has no place in it for you.
3) My only comment would be, you are reading a different Bible
(if you read it at all).
B. Perhaps you believe, but have become very complacent about sin.
1) You live pretty much like the world does, and you no longer
feel any guilt.
2) You are not openly defiant, but you don't care much.
3) You should ask yourself if you are a genuine believer.
C. You may believe, but feel trapped by something very powerful.
1) Many Christians become caught up in addictions.
2) Confess your sin to God and seek to break the chain.
3) If you don't give up on God, he won't give up on you.
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SOURCE FOR ILLUSTRATION USED IN THIS SERMON:
#63450 “Ripping Up the Bible,” by David Holwick, September 18, 2011,
adapted from “Atheist group to rip Bible pages in Huntington
Beach Saturday,” by Jaimee Lynn Fletcher, The Orange County
Register, <http://www.ocregister.com/news/bible-317251-gleason-
say.html?nstrack=sid%3A2537695|met%3A102|cat%3A3165555|order%3A4>,
September 15, 2011. Also see Kelly Boggs, “Hypocrisy? Atheist
group set to rip pages from Bible,” Baptist Press,
September 16, 2011.
This and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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Passage outline
I. Unintentional failure to obey law as it affects community. 15:22
A. Applies to any of them. 15:23
B. Applies to future generations.
1) Unintentional and community is unaware. 15:24
a) Community brings a bull as a burnt offering.
b) Other offerings as well.
2) Priest makes atonement for community. 15:25
a) They will be forgiven.
b) Applies to aliens among them as well.
1> Everyone is involved in unintentional sin. 15:26
II. Unintentional failure to obey law as it affects individual. 15:27
A. Goat is brought as a sin offering.
B. Priest makes atonement for him. 15:28
1) Same law applies to Israelites and aliens. 15:29
III. Intentional, defiant sin. 15:30
A. God is blasphemed.
1) They must be cut off.
2) They have despised God's word so they must be cut off. 15:31
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