Taking Out the Trash

April 7, 2019                                     NOTES NOT EDITED

Overcoming Guilt:  “Taking Out the Trash”
Psalm 130

SIS: Easter is the season of the year when we focus on how God “takes out all the trash of sin” in our lives.

“Trashologists,” that is experts in trash have computed that the average American generates 4 pounds of trash a day.  That’s a lot of trash that is being hauled to the curb and taken to landfills.  And . . . all that trash is becoming a real problem.  Toxic chemicals like lead, cadmium, and other heavy metals are leeching out into the ground water from our landfills and causing serious problems. 

     Most people do not realize how long “trash” stays around.  Recently a group of college students were doing research on trash at a local landfill.  There discoveries were as astonishing as they were “gross.”  They discovered 40 year old hot dogs that look exactly the same as the one you would take out of the package today!  They found 75 year-old newspapers that were still readable.  Trash just keeps piling up and has become a major environmental problem. 

     Just as trash piles up in our physical lives, so trash from unresolved guilt can pile up in our spiritual lives.  Unresolved guilt can have toxic effects on a person’s lives physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  As the toxic trash of guilt builds up, the quality of one’s life goes down.  The spiritual trash in our lives must be taken to the curb and hauled off by someone else to somewhere else.

We all have reasons to feel guilty – we are in fact guilty – but unresolved guilt hurts  us and its toxicity will leak out and hurt others.  We need our guilt hauled away like trash.  The person that hauls away our spiritual trash is Jesus Christ and the place He hauls it to is the cross.

We have been in the “Easter” season since March 6^th.  Protestants usually don’t say a lot about this part of the liturgical calendar.  But, perhaps we should say more.  Lent is like a map showing the trail that leads to the cross and resurrection.  Next Sunday we will begin “Passion Week.”  We will observe Good Friday with penitent hearts and then celebrate Easter Sunday with gladness and joy—and CLEAN hearts!  We can have clean hearts because the forgiveness of God takes out the trash in our life.  This is not something newly discovered in the New Testament, but is the theme of God’s Word, the Bible.  The Psalmist makes this clear to us in Ps. 130.  God has been taking out the trash of sin in our lives since Adam and Eve, and took it out completely through Jesus Christ, His Son.  READ

There are 3 Facts About Forgiveness we must understand.

1.  First we must understand the NEED for forgiveness (vv. 1,3)

¹ Out of the depths I call to You, Yahweh.
………………………..

³If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?

“Who could stand?” in v.3 is a rhetorical question.  That means the

answer is so obvious, the question answers itself.  The answer is:

NO ONE CAN STAND IN THE JUDGEMENT BECAUSE

EVERYONE IS GUILTY!  Everyone has “trash” in their lives—stinky, sinful attitudes and actions that clutter our lives and offend our Lord.

The Bible says, “For ALL have sinned and fallen short of God” (Rom. 6:23)

Further the Bible says, No one is good-no one in all the world is innocent." 

11 No one has ever really followed God's paths or even truly wanted to.

12 Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong. No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right; not one.   (Rom. 3:10-12, TLB)

In this psalm, the singer is literally smothered in a mountain of sin and despair.  He is suffocating in the stench of his own life and cries out in desperation.  The word, “depths,” refers to “being completely consumed by a particularly negative or difficult situation, or being in the worst or most unpleasant stage of something” (copied).  The Psalmist was at the bottom of the trashcan and foul refuge was stuffed on top of him, choking him in the malodorous mass of his own sinfulness.  

The Psalmist KNEW he needed to be rescued and cleaned up, and he KNEW he could not do it himself.  Someone else had to take the trash out.  If I’ve learned anything in my married life it is this—the trash doesn’t empty itself!  One writer noted, ““When we have reached the depths of despair, only then can we look up and see the light of hope.” (Steve Richards). The Psalmist recognized that the “record of his sins” absolutely, indefensibly and eternally condemned him to the trash heap of eternal hell. 

There was no way out, but to “cry out” to Yahweh!

Biblical geography is not my strong suit—I’m directionally challenged.  What I do know is that if you look out from Golgotha, across the Kidron Valley, you will see Gehenna—the garbage dump for Jerusalem.  This is where all the “trash and garbage” (and even unclaimed dead bodies) were dumped and burned.  Gehenna is one of the words translated, “hell,” in the N.T.  Jesus died on a cross on the hill called Golgotha in order to “haul our sins” to the garbage dump of Gehenna.  Jesus literally became “our trash” so that we would not be hauled off to the eternal garbage dump of hell.

Why do we need forgiveness?  The Bible is very clear: “every single

person who has been born or will be born is born with what theologians

call, “Original sin.”  We all have the same nature as the first man, Adam.

If left to ourselves, without the intervention of Jesus Christ, we will all

turn away from God and guilt will begin to pile up like a stinking, rotting

trash heap in our lives.

Any person who denies the doctrine of “Original Sin,” has never been

around little children.  Without being taught anything but the best of manners

little children will demonstrate self-centeredness, rebellion, meanness

and stinginess.  What are some of the first words little children learn:

“mine,” and “no.”  Listen to me carefully.  This is very important:

People do not become sinners because they sin –

they sin because they are “sinners!” [[Repeat]]

Matthew Henry, a beloved Puritan pastor pointed out: “God’s eye

can see enough in the best man to [support] a condemnation of him.”

Man without forgiveness has NO HOPE to stand before an

Absolutely Holy and Sovereign God.

Look again at verse 3.  In the English translation you miss

the emphatic nature of the wording.

“If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?”

The first “O, Lord” translates the form of God’s name “Yah.” It is a shortened form of the most sacred word in the Hebrew language: God’s name Yahweh.  This is the name God gave Himself when Moses asked God, “When I speak with the Pharoah to tell him to let God’s people go, what name will I give him of Our God.”  God said, “Tell him, I am that I am, is sending you.”  This is a name that defines the absolute, infinite sovereignty of the Most Holy God.  Before Yahweh, no naked flesh without the covering of the forgiveness of Jesus Christ, can stand.

To the name “Jah, or Yahweh,” the Psalmist adds the secondtime, “Adonai.”  This word means essentially the same thing as “Yahweh.”The Psalmist is trying to describe the indescribable power and holiness of God.  Before such a God, “no man has any chance to present a case for innocence apart from the God-given forgiveness in Christ.

Why do we need forgiveness?  Because without it, man is guilty of

sin and must suffer the consequence which is eternal separation from

God for all eternity.  In short, we need forgiveness to escape hell.

We are all wretched sinners – from the worst of us to the best of us – we are all guilty of sin and need forgiveness.  Another fact about forgiveness is:

2.  The BASIS for our forgiveness (vv 2, 7)

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;

O Lord, hear my voice.  Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

………………………

Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love

and with him is full redemption.

There are some important words to circle in these verses:

mercy, hope, unfailing love.

Notice that all these benefits are based “with the Lord.”

There is NO hope, NO mercy, NO unfailing love outside

of the gracious heart of Our Glorious Redeemer – God Himself in Christ.

In short, forgiveness comes through God’s grace, the foundation for

His mercy and unfailing love.

The Israelites never understood God’s grace.  Thousands upon thousands of animals would be slaughtered upon altars by devout Hebrews desperately seeking absolution and forgiveness from God.  Yet, all the blood of a million animals over many generations never brought the forgiveness that the Israelites sought.

Man still seeks frantically for forgiveness in religion, today but come

up empty.  Man without Christ is still without hope, still without mercy,

and still infinitely removed from the unfailing love of God.

Religion and good works are a ladder to short to ascend into God’

glorious Presence.  All the sacrifice.  All the religious ritual.  Anything

man thinks brings him closer to forgiveness of sin and the removal

of its guilt is simply a “shadow” lacking any saving substance.

The Bible says,  Heb 10:1

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming-not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.

If you are looking for a way to “take out the trash” in your life, I suggest you forget religion.  Religion is powerless to remove even the smallest stain of sin on a human heart.  Religion is like trying to capture a shadow – it will give you something to occupy your time but in the end you will have nothing.

God grace represented by His mercy and unfailing love is the only

thing that can “take the trash of sin’s guilt out of our lives.”

Only the sacrificial blood of Jesus, shed for us on the cross,

is the “once-for-all” sacrifice that can bring forgiveness.

There’s an old hymn I love to sing that tells about the basis

for our forgiveness:

What can wash away my sin // Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can make me whole again // Nothing but the blood of Jesus

O, precious is the flow // That makes me white as snow

No other fount I know // Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

Every wise builder knows that a building is only as good and strongas its foundation.  This is true in spiritual matters as well.  We cannot build a life free from guilt if we try to build it upon a foundation of religion or good works.  We will never be free.  No, the only sure foundation for freedom from guilt and shame is to experience the overwhelming, unfailing love of God and His mercy made available to us by His grace.

Look at verse 2 again,

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.  O Lord, hear my voice.  Let

your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”

Friend, God will hear your cry and grant you mercy by His grace.

Grace through faith in Jesus Christ accomplishes for us something nothing we can do on our own could possibly accomplish – it establishes a covenant, eternal relationship with God.

How important is “grace” in reconciling us to God.  Consider a young artist by the name of Marcio da Silva.  In the summer of 1994 this love-struck Brazilian artist concocted a scheme that would restore his broken four-year romance with Katia de Nasciemento.  He felt his plan was sure to win her back. He cut up and old tire and strapped pieces to his knees.  Then, he set out to crawl the nine miles to the home of his love, Katia.  Along the way motorists honked and cheered this 21 year old as he shuffled painfully along on his knees. He reached her home some time later totally exhausted.  The young, Katia was not impressed—in fact, she wasn’t even home.  She had heard of the stunt and left to avoid seeing him.

The young man’s act of devotion was as sincere and pure as it was useless.  Many people try a similar approach with God and find that He is no more impressed with our “works” than Katia was impressed by the efforts of the young artist.

The only basis for life changing forgiveness is God’s Grace.  Verse 2

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.  O Lord, hear my voice.  Let

your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.”

There is absolutely NOTHING more that you can do to make God

love you and extend His forgiving grace to you.  Forgiveness is not

“Two parts, God and one part, man.”  Forgiveness is “All parts, God!”

The BASIS for forgiveness is God’s unfailing love demonstrated

by His unbridled grace toward man when Jesus died in our

place, for our guilty sins, on the cross.

Every man, woman, and child of age needs forgivness.

The basis for that forgiveness is God’s gracious, unfailing love.

3.  But, consider the RESULT of that forgiveness (vv 7b, 8)

7 . . . with him is full redemption.

…………………………..

8 He himself will redeem Israel  from all their sins.

In a word, forgiveness results in “redemption.”

That’s an important theological word, but what does the Bible mean

when it says that God has “redeemed” us?  There is a classic story about

a little boy and his toy boat that explains what it means to be redeemed.

A Classic Story Worth Retelling A little boy had made a little boat, all painted and fixed up beautifully. One day someone stole his boat, and he was distressed. In passing a pawnshop one day he saw his boat. Happily he ran in to the pawnbroker and said, "That is my little boat." "No," said the pawnbroker, "it is mine, for I bought it." "Yes," said the boy, "but it is mine, for I made it." "Well," said the pawnbroker, "if you will pay me two dollars, you can have it." That was a lot of money for a boy who did not have a penny. Anyway he resolved to have it; so he cut grass, did chores of all kinds, and soon had his money.

He ran down to the shop and said, "I want my boat." He paid the money and received his boat. He took the boat up in his arms, and hugged and kissed it, and said, "You dear little boat, I love you. You are mine. You are twice mine. I made you, and now I have bought you."

So it is with us. We are, in a sense, twice the Lord's. He created us, and we got into the devil's pawnshop. Then Jesus came and bought us at awful cost -- not silver and gold, but His precious blood. We are the Lord's by creation and by redemption. We are twice the Lord's.

The Bible says, “1 Cor 6:19-20

You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.

That price we were bought with was the blood of Jesus Christ,

shed for us on the cross of Calvary that first Easter time.

The God Who made, saw us taken hostage by the Devil, bought

us back at the price of the Blood of His only Son.

The result of forgiveness is “redemption”  – God has bought us back.

He paid the ransom to the Devil and now we are free in Christ.

But . . . there is much more to “redemption” than just having our sins

forgiven so we can go to heaven when we die – OH! There is much more.

Read verse 7 carefully again:

. . . with him is full redemption.

What kind of redemption?  FULL redemption.

My mind immediately goes from this verse to a wonderful saying Jesus gave us in the Gospel of John.  Jesus was comparing himself to the “religious” leaders of the day whom he believed were “false shepherds.”  He contrasted His way with the Religious Way in these terms: 

“The thief [religious leader] comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

I have come that [you] may have life, and have it to the full!”

“Full redemption.  Full life.”  That’s what God’s forgiveness

in Christ brings.”

I read a story about a little boy that has become a favorite of mine.  My heart was broken for this little boy even though the incident happened over 150 years ago.  The little boy was very poor and lived on a farm outside of town.  One of the grandest attractions to come to a town in those days was the circus.  The little boy had heard of the circus, but never seen one.  The circus people put up a flyer at school.  Admission to the circus was $1–a great amount of money for a poor family in those days.  The little boy wanted so much to go.  He asked his father.  The poor farmer could see how important this was to his son, so Dad said, “If you finish your Saturday chores early, I’ll make sure you have money to go to the circus.”  The little boy blazed through his chores long before sun up.  He stood at the breakfast table dressed in his best clothes.  The Dad reached into his overall pocket and pulled out a $1 bill–a fortune for the family.  Off the little boy with a smile that went almost all the way around his head. The boy was so excited, his feet hardly seemed to touch the ground all the way. As he neared the outskirts of the village, he noticed people lining the streets, and he worked his way through the crowd until he could see what was happening. Lo and behold, it was the approaching spectacle of a circus parade! The parade was the grandest thing this lad had ever seen. Caged animals snarled as they passed, bands beat their rhythms and sounded shining horns, midgets performed acrobatics while flags and ribbons swirled overhead.  Finally, after everything had passed where he was standing, the traditional circus clown, with floppy shoes, baggy pants, and a brightly painted face, brought up the rear. As the clown passed by, the little boy reached into his pocket and took out that precious dollar bill. Handing the money to the clown, the boy turned around and scampered home. What had happened? The boy thought he had seen the circus when he had only seen the parade!

This is a picture of so many Christians.  “They think they’ve seen thecircus, when they’ve only seen the parade!” [A Classic Statement Worth Remembering]. My heart hurts even now whenI think of how many people settle for the parade, but are missing the circus.

Friend, so many people allow the “trash of sin and guilt” to continue to pile up in their lives.  Guilt brings not only eternal punishment, but guilt brings bondage into our lives here and now.  Forgiveness removes the guilt of sin and allows us to live a clean, healthy, happy and productive life in Christ.

Let’s review the facts: 1) We all NEED forgiveness because we are allguilty of sin.  2) The BASIS of our forgiveness is the unfailing love of God which causes Him to offer us forgiveness because of His Grace.  3) The RESULT of forgiveness is not just “redemption” leading to eternal life AFTER we die, but FULL redemption that makes available ABUNDANT living in the here and now.

Friend, is it time to “take out the trash in your life?”

Accept God’s forgiveness in your life and let Jesus haul off the

trash of guilt and shame to the cross where it will be forever

buried beneath the blood He shed in your place.

Forgiveness is available – but it is not automatic.

You must accept the gift of forgiveness and receive the free

gift of God by making Jesus the Lord of your life.

The Bible says that all it takes is a simple active of admitting– called confessing – to God that you are guilty and you “cry out for His mercy.”

Trash continues to pile up in our lives every day.  In a very short time we would be inundated – smothered in fact – by the issues and circumstances of life if we did not “take out the trash” regularly. 

Confess your faults humbly and often.  Keep your heart clear of the clutter that you collect by virtue of the fact you are a human being.  Seek God’s forgiveness and receive God’s promise of victory over “guilt and shame.”  Forgiveness gives you the power to change and grow to become like Christ.