HOW WILL YOU ANSWER YOUR CONSCIENCE?

Introduction:
	A. Faithful members of the church of Christ slowly shake their heads in sadness
	     wondering if the gospel that melted their hearts years ago has lost its power to 
	     save today.
		1. Not a week goes by without a deeply concerned Christian asking: “Why 
		    doesn’t the gospel reach the lost today?”
	B. Flashing yellow caution lights, instrument panel warning lights, backup beepers 
	     on trucks and heavy equipment, etc.
		1. Warned of danger, one reacts and moves toward a safer course.
		2. God built warning devices into man.
			a. Physically, fives senses -- pain
			b. Spiritually, a conscience.
	C. Conscience:
		1. Root – “to know with; to know one’s self”
			a. 1Cor. 2:11 - “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the 
			    spirit of man which is in him.”
		2. Definition - “The sense or awareness of the moral goodness or 
		    blameworthiness of one’s conduct, intentions, or character together with 
		    the feeling of obligation to do right or good.”
		3. Place in our mind that tells us to do or not to do something and then 
		    based on our decision, makes us feel good or bad about it.
		4. Entertainment world - devil and angel sitting on shoulder arguing.
			a. Facetiously accurate, only it is our conscience arguing for right and 
			    our own lusts arguing for wrong.
			b. James 1:14 - “Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his 
			    own lust and enticed.”
		5. Rom. 2:14-15;  Gal. 5:17
	D. Let’s examine Bible characters and their reactions to their pangs of conscience.

I. ADAM MADE EXCUSES - Gen. 3
	A. God made man and woman just like us today.
		1. Only one law - Gen. 2:17 - “Do not eat.”
	B. They violated the law and knew it.
		1. Tried to hide - 3:8
		2. Mankind has always tried that, with the same success rate as Jonah.
			a. Sinners and Christians both try it.
			b. The lost think that by avoiding religious services, God won’t notice 
			    them and will overlook them in Judgment.
			c. Erring Christians hide from elders and preacher, possibly thinking 
			    that they can hide from God just as easily.
		3. Adam tried excuses.
			a. 3:9 - What was the right answer to that question?
			b. “I’ve sinned and I am ashamed.”
			c. What were his answers? 3:10,12
			d. Rather than admit it and repent, he sought to justify his action.
			e. Can sin ever be justified? Influence of others, situation, etc?
		4. Whose fault is it that Adam sinned and lost the Garden?
			a. Whose fault is it if I sin and lose heaven?

II. CAIN BECAME ANGRY AND WENT DEEPER IN SIN - Gen. 4
	A. Gen. 4:1-8
		1. Whose fault was it that Cain sinned? 4:7
		2. What did Cain do in answer to his guilt?
		3. Eliminated what reminded him of his guilt.
	B. Similar reactions today
		1. Eliminate what we think is the source of guilt: quit home studies.
			a. Eliminate associations with good people.
			b. Leave the Lord entirely; quit coming to worship.
		2. Whose fault is it that their conscience bothers them?

III. BENJAMIN WAS TOO PROUD TO REPENT - Judges 19-20
	A. Situation – Judges 19:15-16
		1. Sodom wasn’t the only place like this - 19:22-30
		2. Challenge of the Levite - 20:5-8
	B. Benjamin’s reaction - 20:12-14
		1. Did they approve of this? No. Did they believe Gibeah was innocent? No.
		2. Why didn’t they repent? Too proud.
		3. Thousands died as a result. 40,030 Israelites and 25,100 Benjamites
	C. People react the same way today.
		1. 1Tim 4:1-2;  Eph. 4:19
		2. Seared conscience, too proud to repent, no chance to be saved, doomed.
	D. There are some who refuse to become humble, repent, and be saved because 
	     they are too proud to become a Christian.
		1. There are Christians who have sinned and are too proud to repent and 
		    confess their wrongs.
		2. They may not have sinned in the same manner as Benjamin, but they are 
		    going to the same hell.

IV. SAUL BLAMED OTHERS - 1 Sam. 15-31
	A. 1Sam. 15:20-25 - Did well, except he began something that developed into a 
	     dangerous pattern.
		1. 1Sam. 13:10 -12 - An unlawful sacrifice
		2. 1Sam. 28:15 - From beginning to end with Saul, it was always someone 
		    else’s fault.
		3. 1Sam. 28:17-18 - Samuel said it was Saul’s fault.
	B. Don’t begin to make excuses at all; it creates the potential to develop into a Saul, 
	     and start blaming others.
		1. How do arguments begin? “It’s because you…”


V. DAVID TRIED A COVER-UP - 2Sam. 11-12
	A. David’s sin with Bathsheba
		1. As good a man as David was, he felt guilt; his reaction proved it.
		2. Just the wrong reaction. Lied to a faithful man, killed him, covered it up.
		3. His disgrace was multiplied back to him. Baby died, son raped his half 
		    sister, son murdered his brother, son committed treason, son stole his 
		    wife on the palace top in broad daylight, son tried to steal David’s wife 
		    from his deathbed side & tried to steal the kingdom from the rightful heir.
		4. Rumbling echoes of the verse, “Be assured, thy sins will find thee out” 
		    (Num. 32:23)
	B. Don’t lie about sin.
		1. This is a small community and everyone talks. 
		2. Far better to heed the call of repentance before the matter grows.

I. DARIUS MADE SOCIETY HIS CONSCIENCE
	A. Darius’s dilemma: Daniel must be cast into the lions’ den for praying, for 
	     breaking a law Darius made foolishly.
		1. Daniel 6:14-15 - seemed to be no way out.
		2. Had been tricked into this; no easy way out; but could have stopped it if 
		    he really wanted to.
		3. Daniel 6:25-26
		4. His faith in what was right wasn’t strong enough to withstand the pressure 
		    of the people.
	B. It is never the right answer to give into the pressure of the public. There may not 
	     be an angel around to clean up our mistakes.
		1. We shouldn’t make commitments that bind us and conflict with our vowed 
		    responsibilities to the Lord.
			a. Your baptism into Christ is your vow of God taking first place in 
			    your life. You already have a prior commitment to Him.
		2. Conscience says choose God; outside says choose other; choose God 
		    and have a clear conscience; choose other, the soul sins and the 
		    conscience is hardened.

II. PILATE PUT IT OUT OF HIS MIND
	A. Matt. 27:19-24
		1. Had the power of life and death over Jesus.
		2. Tried to push the decision off onto Herod.
			a. Luke 23:7 - Herod sent Him back.
		3. Knew Jesus was innocent - Matt. 27:18,23-24.
		4. Like Darius, he gave in to pressure, but he put it out of his mind; at least 
		    Darius had trouble sleeping.
	B. His answer was to refuse to think about it anymore.
		1. Gospel call strikes home in the heart? Just forget about it.
		2. Lied, gossiped, used filthy talk? Just forget about it.
		3. Feel guilty about ignorance of God’s word, but know every television star, 
		    music performer, ball game player? Just forget about the guilt.
		4. Alarm clock, car trouble, or sniffles keeps you from services, but not from 
		    work, school, shopping, or fishing? Forget about it.
	C. One may forget for now, but God will bring it to remembrance on Judgment Day.
		1. What happened to Pilate less than three years later?
			a. He died a suicide; one can only forget so long; guilt has a 
			    cumulative effect.

III. JUDAS COMMITTED SUICIDE
	A. Traded the Lord for 3 months wages.
		1. Matt. 27:3-5
		2. Things we desire are often less desirable once obtained.
	B. A conscience can help prevent us from doing something that cannot be 
	    corrected, something that we will live with until death.
		1. Young folks: Do not give into desire for drugs, alcohol, fornication, or 
		    running wild.
		2. Throes of substance abuse and addiction; children born out of wedlock, or 
		    abortions that are never truly forgotten; regrets that consume the mind 
		    over a youth spent misusing the love of our parents.
		3. That’s why teens have one of the highest suicide rates going.
			a. 5000 per year and growing.
	C. Listen to your conscience before sin; if you don’t, then listen to it after sinning 
	     and do the right thing.
		1. Go to your parents and other trustworthy adults; Go to the Lord.

IV. THE CORINTHIAN BROTHER: “THEY ACCEPT ME HERE AS I AM”
	A. 1Cor. 5:1-2 - The church accepted him.
		1. He felt no need to repent, and the church was corrupted - 1Cor. 5:4-7.
	B. What happens when everyone repents?
		1. 2Cor. 2:6-11; 7:9-12

V. PETER REPENTED IN SORROW
	A. Matt. 26:69-74
		1. Jesus said he would fall; He didn’t believe it and wasn’t prepared.
		2. Jesus has told us as well; let us watch more closely.
	B. Stood before the Lord guilty, knew it, couldn’t deny it; now what?
		1. Go down through list
			a. Matt. 26:75.
		2. The reaction of a healthy conscience. The first eight are diseased.
	C. He who was once ashamed later wrote 1Peter 3:15-16.
		1. Now ashamed enough to feel bad about sin; see Paul.

VI. PAUL SOUGHT SALVATION
	A. Acts 26:9-11 - Persecuted the church with a clear conscience.
		1. The Lord came to him – 26:12-15,19.
	B. His conscience needed taught and corrected; when it was, he did the right thing.
		1. The response of a healthy conscience


VII. SIMON, FORMER SORCERER: “PRAY FOR ME”
	A. Acts 8:18-23 - How would most folks react to this address?
		1. Simon’s reaction – 8:24
	B. Why? Because being saved was more important to him than anything else, 
	     including his pride.

Conclusion:
	A. For those who wonder how unfaithful Christians and the lost remain unmoved by 
	     the Gospel, now you know how. But you must ask them why.
	B. How will you answer your conscience?