Main Idea: We cannot hide our sin from God the Father. He has already provided a way for us to be saved.
Key Verse: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NKJV).
Story:
I want to tell you a story about a little boy. This boy was from this village. His name was John.
Little John loved to throw rocks. He could hit anything he aimed at.
One day, John’s father called him and said, “John, I know you enjoy throwing rocks. But I want you to be very careful not to hit any of our animals.” John said, “Yes, Father, I will not throw rocks at the animals.”
Later, John was playing and he saw a chicken. He thought to himself, “I wonder if I can hit that chicken?” He picked up a rock and threw it at the chicken. To John’s horror, the rock hit the chicken on the head and the chicken fell over dead.
John felt so bad. He ran to the chicken, and quickly dug a hole and buried the chicken in the ground. That night at dinner his father asked him, “John, do you know what happened to the chicken?” “No, Father, I don’t know,” John lied. He felt so guilty.
John had an older brother. His name was Benjamin. Ben came to John the next day and said, “John, I saw you throw that rock. I saw you kill the chicken. I am going to tell father you killed the chicken.” John began to pled with Ben, “My brother, please do not tell father about the chicken.” Ben said, “Fine, I will not tell father, but you must do my chores for one week.”
Pick the rocks from the rice
Clean my bike
Iron the clothes
Go to market
Polish my shoes
Sweep the yard
Clean the house.
So John did his brother’s chores. He worked so hard. He swept the kitchen, fed the animals, and took out the trash. At the end of the first week, Ben came to John and said, “I will tell Father about the chicken, unless you do my chores and my homework.”
John felt so bad. He thought to himself, “If father knew what I have done, he would spank me and then it would be over. I am working so hard for my brother. It would be better just to get my punishment over with.”
John walked slowly into his father’s room with a heavy heart and said, “Father, do you remember the chicken that died? I hit it with a rock and killed it.”
His father said, “John, I already knew you killed the chicken. I was watching out the window and I saw you kill the chicken with a rock and I saw you bury it. I have already forgiven you. I am not going to spank you. I will not punish you because you told the truth. I was waiting for you to come and confess.”
John walked out of his house with a big smile on his face. His father had forgiven him.
His older brother came and said, “If you do not take out the trash for me, I will tell father what you have done.” John said, “I have already told father what I have done and he has forgiven me. I will do your chores and your homework no more, because I am forgiven. You have no power over my life anymore.”
Application:
Just like the little boy named John, we have all sinned. The first man and woman were Adam and Eve. When they sinned (disobeyed God), it created a great gap between heaven and earth.
Satan condemns us for our sins. He makes us feel guilty and tries to make us pay a high price for all the wrong things we have done. Satan says, “God is going to be so angry at you for all the evil things you have done.” But, the reality is that we cannot hide our sin from God the Father. God already knows what we have done. God has already provided a way for us to be forgiven. That forgiveness comes through Jesus Christ.
When we go to our Father God and confess our sins, we will find that He has already provided a way for us to be forgiven.
