Some pain is worsethan physical pain.

Sin bringsSin bringsgreat pain!great pain!

We’re not the first people to feel sin’s pain.Acts 2:29-37.Remember:

First Pentecost following Jesus’ Resurrection.As always at Pentecost, great crowd in Jerusalem.Holy Spirit falls on the Twelve.Apostles speak in other languages.Crowd believes the apostles are drunk.Peter defends the Twelve & preaches the Gospel.

God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ.“Lord” means “Master.”“Christ” means “Messiah.”

They were “cut to the heart.”The Greek means to pierce, to sting sharply.They were in great pain.

They were likely content when they killed Jesus.“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called

the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Heb 11:24-25, ESV).

They cried out, “What shall we

do?”

What can we doWhat can we dowhen we experience when we experience this great pain?this great pain?

The non-Christian:“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of

Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38, ESV).

“Repent” = change of thinking that leads to a change of life.

Baptism in the name of Jesus – by his authority/command.Baptism is for the remission of sins.

“Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16, ESV).

“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 3:21, ESV).

The Christian:“Repent . . . of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the

Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you” (Acts 8:22, ESV).

The Christians to whom John wrote.“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth

is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8, ESV).

They were given two steps:“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have

fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7, ESV).

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9, ESV).

If the body of Christ fully realized the great pain sin brings, where would the church be?