Sin Series Part 3: Sin Causes Fear

Teachable Woman Podcast series

Reverends Michele Owes and Diana P. Cherry

Sin Series – Part 3 Sin Causes Fear

Rev. Michele Owes: [00:00:00] Welcome, welcome, welcome back to the Teachable Woman Podcast. We are elated to be with you again today. I am Reverend Michele Owes. I am with the one and only Mrs. Reverend Diana P. Cherry, and together we are Teachers of Good Things

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Okay, thanks. Hello? Hello. I know that you are upright before the Lord. I know that you are actualizing all these wonderful teachings on sin, and I know that are not walking in any sin because you got power over the flesh.

Rev. Michele Owes: Well, I love the fact that she knows that for all [00:01:00] of us, and that is a beautiful thing, and we want to be able to walk in what she knows, right? We gave some definitions of sin in our last two podcasts. You know, Mrs. Cherry, as you were greeting. The podcast family. I was thinking to myself, I hope people are not skipping over this series because it's called sin and nobody really likes to think about sin and, and nobody really wants to talk about sin, but I really hope no one's skipping it because it is titled Sin.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: None of our viewers, none of our listeners would ever do that because they love God, they hate sin, and they love to give their time and attention to God so that they can be changed to be unchangeable.

Rev. Michele Owes: All right. Well, I agree with you 100%. So those of us who are not afraid of the three-letter word that has a monumental impact in our lives, please share this series [00:02:00] with others. In our previous podcast, we said that sin. Anything that separates us from God. We weren't trying to give you a long list of what sin is, but we just want you to know that sin is anything that separates us from God.

Rev. Michele Owes: It's anything that causes us to miss the mark. And we said the mark was the high calling of God. In Christ Jesus, meaning that what we know of the Lord, what his word says what his will is, those things that we know we do. And when we don't, then we've sin. Whether it's a sin of omission or sin of commission, which whichever one it is, we either did it or we didn't do it.

Rev. Michele Owes: Anything that separates us from the will of God. I was in Bible study up on last evening and I got some new definitions from [00:03:00] my pastor here from the Heart Church Ministries of Houston, and he added to his definition of sin, which by the way, I was very pleased to. See that he made that a portion of his teaching upon last night.

Rev. Michele Owes: It wasn't the only thing that he taught about, but he did make it a portion. So I thought that was a nod to you and I Mrs. Cherry, that we are moving in the right direction.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: right. I feel the same way. When my son teaches something and we've just taught it, I feel the same way about it. So we're right with God.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yay. He also taught that sin means to rebel against God, and it simply means that we know what God's will is. We know what God would have us to do, but we do the opposite. So that is rebellion.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: It also means to yield to the power of evil to yield. [00:04:00] The scriptures tell us to let not sin reign in our mortal bodies, but when we, when we failed to let not we yield it.

Rev. Michele Owes: He also used the definition of impurity and uncles, and those are oftentimes guided by the thoughts of our mind. He also used the definition to trespass. As we drive in certain areas, we see signs that says, no trespassing not open to the public. Do not come here. So that means stay away, keep off.

Rev. Michele Owes: But if we, when we trespass, we drive up anyway. We see the sign, we know, but we do it anyway.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: He mentioned that sin was a condition of the heart, and that was something that stuck with me. Because we know God's will and we choose to do something opposite. Either means that we don't believe [00:05:00] God or we don't trust that his word is true.

Rev. Michele Owes: So either one of those situations is not a good condition for the heart to be in. So we indicated, or we shared with you that sin was anything that separated us from God. Sin was the whole cause of us having a lint season. It is the cause of the crucifixion, the resurrection, and how God solved all of it.

Rev. Michele Owes: Was through his love for us, allowing Jesus to go to the cross and die and be a full and sufficient sacrifice for the perpetuation of our sins. And so he died for us. We can live for him. That was how Mrs. Terry ended our la our last podcast. But I don't wanna leave you that he died because he rose and he rose with all power of heaven and earth in his hand.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: I don't wanna, we are not gonna leave him in the grave. He is alive, right? He has risen, [00:06:00] just as he said. So, Mrs. Cherry, walk us through.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Well, I, if we are going to send, not. Which means to miss the mark, literally it means to miss the mark the mark is someplace that we're trying to get to. So the best way not to miss the mark is first thing, as you begin your day. Go to Proverbs chapter three. It teaches us in the Lord with all your heart.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Lean out into your own but in all of your ways, acknowledge God. He shall direct our path. So if we want to be a people directed by God, we must acknowledge him. First thing we do every day should be to acknowledge him. I'll tell you something that I do, and this is true. When [00:07:00] I wake up in the morning, I thank God that I can open my eyes and I have so much discomfort sometimes in my hands. move every finger and I thank God that I can move all of my fingers. And then when I get ready to stand up, 'cause I'm 80, almost 82 years old, I put my feet down, roll my shoulders back I plant my feet and I get up. So the next thing I do is thank God that I can stand once more. So. Acknowledging God doesn't mean a long dissertation prayer. It just means in every breath that you take all that you do acknowledge him. Thank him, and I'm, I'm really convinced that if we acknowledge God in all of our ways, our ways will [00:08:00] be directed by him. But when we feel temptations come and they do come, 'cause we're human. When we feel things rising up in us, stop, go to the bathroom.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: I. quiet, to your closet, shut the door, and acknowledge God. I know just like he directs Reverend Oes and me, I know that if we acknowledge God, he will direct our ways. And if God is directing our ways, he is not going to lead us to sin. His grace is gonna keep us away from sin. you know, I don't want us to think that sin is such a difficult issue because we have God's grace and the word of God in Romans, like we've been sharing almost every week. We have grace. Not that we'll send more.

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: have grace so that we don't have to sin [00:09:00] anymore.

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: the word of God says sin must not have dominion over us.

Rev. Michele Owes: Right.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: you know, acknowledge God. He is able to keep us. He is able to do all things that are beautiful for us.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Amen.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: begins with acknowledging him.

Rev. Michele Owes: That's an excellent point, Mrs. Terry. That is an excellent point. I know that there's a distinct difference between the days that I've had fellowship. Quiet time, alone, time with the Lord versus the days that I get up and think I can just handle the day on the days that I've had that quiet time and that fellowship with the Lord, the days that I have acknowledged him.

Rev. Michele Owes: It doesn't matter what is presented to me on that day, whether it's good, bad, or indifferent. There is always an internal piece that I am able to. Focus [00:10:00] in my mind that whatever this is, God knows and God is with me, and God is for me, and all I have to do is put on patience and allow patience to have the perfect work.

Rev. Michele Owes: I don't have to have the answer. I don't have to try to come up with the solution. God's got it. I just need to be patient and wait on him, and I can ask of the Lord, I can go to him and say, God, how do you want this situation handled? Because he has the answer,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: yes.

Rev. Michele Owes: but I also have to be patient and wait until he brings it to me and not try to, you know, put two and two together.

Rev. Michele Owes: It's like, well, if this happened, this happened, God obviously must want me to do this or, or because No, just ask. He will tell us what he so desires, and so I think it's important that acknowledging God as Mr. Cherry said, it helps set the course of the day.[00:11:00]

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: And if you are attending a, a church and we pray that you are a part of a Bible believing Bible teaching church, when you go into your quiet time, you don't really have to figure out what to read or study.

Rev. Michele Owes: You, you've been in church. What, what scriptures did your pastor teach from? You've been in Bible study. What, what? What? Lesson did your pastor teach it? And what scriptures did you give? And, and if it wasn't your pastor, who was the stand in Minister of the hour, what did they teach from?

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: You know, we can, because there is the message, which is the general message, and then there's the message behind the message, which is your personal message.

Rev. Michele Owes: And you go back through those notes and you go back to that scripture and you let God speak to your heart and he will lead and guide you into all truth. And that's what we really want. We wanna get there into all truth. But sin is a, is a small word, it has monumental effect in our lives. And we know that we're maturing when we [00:12:00] choose not to sin because ultimately it is still a choice.

Rev. Michele Owes: And it does have a lure. And it does have a pull. And if we allow ourselves to be pulled. Because again, the scripture says, let not. When we allow ourselves to be pulled, then you know, the further in we get toward the lure, then, you know, we just fall on into that thing as they say. But it, but, but it is God's will that we would let not sin because we talked about the fact that sin pays a wage and the wage that it pays is always taking something from us.

Rev. Michele Owes: It's, it's a negative. It's never a positive and we cannot know what the, the course or what the totality of the negative is going to be. We use the example of our nation and how there are some decisions being made and, and how. [00:13:00] Leadership, although this is not a political podcast, we can see in our nation just the, the decisions that are being made that are outside of the will of God and the monumental effect that it is having on the nation.

Rev. Michele Owes: And just making decisions in a vacuum without knowledge and without consult. And so now everyone pays for that. Decision and the Bible told us that one man sinned and then we all became sinners.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: It said we were all born in sin and shaped in iniquity,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: but then by one man's obedience, Jesus, we all were saved.

Rev. Michele Owes: And so we challenged us to think about. What our disobedience causes versus what our obedience can cause

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: that if we will obey God, what [00:14:00] is the, what is the benefit? What is the reward? Because obedience brings the reward that God will fulfill in our lives.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: Versus what, what all are we losing because we're just not obeying.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And the reward of obeying God is righteousness. When I first heard my son or my husband, I get, get us mixed up. Or me, I first heard that teaching, I'm like, wow, think about obeying God. you know, if you obey God, you'll get a reward. Obedience brings a reward and we think about everything except what the real reward is. The real war, the real award is righteousness.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: We don't have to sin anymore.

Rev. Michele Owes: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: in right standing with God. And when we cherish [00:15:00] the relationship that we have with God, when we cherish our righteousness, our righteousness and the relationship that we have with God, we'll strengthen us not to sin. I mean, and if we sin. I, I, you know, sometimes we have a hard time getting over that sin. Make sure you forgive yourself. You are human. You're human. I'm human and we're gonna make mistakes. And sometimes we are going to miss the mark, but the first thing that we have to do to give, get ourselves back up.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: 'cause the devil's gonna try to keep you there.

Rev. Michele Owes: he will.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: He is gonna go, the word of God says that he goes before the Lord and he accuses the

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: So

Rev. Michele Owes: yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: he tries to make us feel bad so that we won't forgive ourselves, and we're so embarrassed that we don't want to go before the Lord. We don't want us even look at [00:16:00] ourselves. So the first step. not sinning or, or towards getting redemption after you have sinned is to forgive yourself. yourself for the evil you've done. Forgive yourself for the evil thoughts that you had, that you didn't manifest into actions. Thank God that before they became actions, you had sense enough to forgive yourself, because what you think not who you are, and nobody knows what you're thinking until you speak. So, you know, just be cool. Nobody, nobody knows. Just don't say it because once you say it, inevitably, if you're not careful, then you're gonna do it. So forgive yourself, you know? You know, to your own self be true. Nobody else knows what you thought and a lot of times nobody know what you did, but you [00:17:00] know, so, you know, forgive yourself.

Rev. Michele Owes: And in most cases, most people don't care, have their.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: That's right. That's right. That's right.

Rev. Michele Owes: So we talked about Adam's sin in the fact that he disobeyed God. And we talked about the fact that his first behavior was to hide from God, that he was one who walked with God in the, with the voice of God in the cool of the day. So there was fellowship. We talked about the fact that that fellowship was broken after the sin, and the first thing that Adam did was to hide himself.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Yeah.

Rev. Michele Owes: He hid behind fig leaves because he then knew he was naked. In other words, he was exposed. And so once we sin, we will be exposed and it causes us to feel not only embarrassment. But it begins the process of the separation where we're trying to hide ourselves from others. And then [00:18:00] when God asked Adam, he said, where Art thou?

Rev. Michele Owes: Adam said, I heard thy voice in the garden and I feared

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right.

Rev. Michele Owes: afraid. And so. When we sin, we can begin to fear, afraid that people will learn what we're doing, afraid that we're going to be exposed, afraid of what the penalty of this sin is going to be. And so that just, that just brings a whole trajectory of things in our lives that we were not intended to handle because we were not supposed to sin by choice, omission, or omission.

Rev. Michele Owes: Because knowing God's word. Is here to protect us because we do have a choice. We are not forced. And so to be afraid means to fear. It means to dread, to cause fright. And then of course, when he hid, it means he was trying to do things secretly. And so while we're planning our [00:19:00] sin, you know, we're, we're doing all of this secretly.

Rev. Michele Owes: Right then after we commit sin, we don't wanna talk to people. You know, we don't, we don't want to tell our families, we don't want to tell our friends. We surely don't want to show up at our church knowing that we've sinned. We, we just start the separation game, which is part of our hiding process. And as long as we're hiding, the devil has an opportunity, a greater opportunity to keep us where he has us.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm.

Rev. Michele Owes: As Mrs. Cherry said, when we find that we've sinned, the first thing we must do is forgive ourselves. Ask God to forgive us, and forgive ourselves. Pick ourselves up and get back in the game. Right? Because the relationship with God is something that we want and it's something worth fighting for.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Mm-hmm. Yep. We we have to know that not gonna leave us. [00:20:00] Gonna forsake us and God is a lot more generous than we are. He forgives us, picks us back up, cleans us off. But our problem is in our thoughts. We have, we have a difficult time moving on, because of what we did. It says, you know, it's the word of God says fret not thyself because of evil doers. But if you are the evil doer. Don't let yourself be encumbered and fretful because of what you've done. God does not hold those things against us, and it's hard for us to realize that because hold everything against

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes, yes.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: know,

Rev. Michele Owes: And ourselves. Yes, we're.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Right. But you know, let it go. It's not worth it. Look up the definitions on forgive. it. Let it go. Don't let, [00:21:00] don't let what you did or what someone else did, your life or ruin your life. You are free. Christ, you've been redeemed from the curse of the law. Jesus died so that we don't have to carry these burdens. And yeah. I want you to be, to be free. You are free not to sin, but if you do sin, we have righteousness through God and we don't have to stay bound by that sin.

Rev. Michele Owes: And we.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: The Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sin.

Rev. Michele Owes: Yes,

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: that which is acceptable to God

Rev. Michele Owes: and the scriptures tell us that God has not given us a spirit of fear. We know that Adam was afraid, but God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power. [00:22:00] Of love and of a sound line. So we are, we wanna leave you with that today, that God has not given you a spirit of fear. So if we found that we have sinned, we seek forgiveness from God, we forgive ourselves, and we don't allow ourselves to be afraid, and we don't allow ourselves to hide.

Rev. Michele Owes: Once we seek the forgiveness of God and we have it. Go about being who God has created you to, to be. There's nothing else we can do with it. It's in the past. And the only thing, only way that we bring our sin of the past into the present is we drag it in with us. Leave it where it is. Walk away and take your journey with the Lord and let him do what he's going to do.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: Amen. Acknowledge him in all your ways and he shall direct your path. Determine that you are going to [00:23:00] be a person with a path directed by God.

Rev. Michele Owes: Amen. Amen. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighted in his way. Let the Lord delight in us as we delight in him. And that will be it for our podcast today. We want you to listen to our commercial. For our retreat, we want to see you there. July 17th through 20th, Houston, Texas. Go to teachable woman.com.

Rev. Michele Owes: Click on the top right about the retreat, sign up. Register at the hotel, and register for the retreat.

Rev. Diana P. Cherry: And please go to our website. I've gotten a couple of people who said the rooms were so expensive. I said, you went to the hotel, you didn't go to our website. Go to the website, and all the information is there. Also in the commercial that we did explaining everything to you, we need [00:24:00] you. You are enjoying us, but we need you. Go register right now.

Rev. Michele Owes: Alright, that'll do it for today. We'll be back with you soon. Love you.