Stop Hiding It

SERMON DISCUSSION GUIDE

No Perfect People Allowed - Week 2

Goals for this Week’s Study:

  • Review Sunday Morning’s Sermon.
  • Challenge people to “stop hiding it” and overcome guilt. Help group members take a next step of salvation, baptism, or serving!
  • Encourage people in your group to invite people back to Week 3 of No Perfect People Allowed.

Getting Started:

  • Open your group with a prayer.

We all have a past!  We also have parts of of our past we don’t want to talk about.   Pastor Daniel shared with us 3 things we attempt do with the things we hide from our past especially guilt.

  1. Bury it
  2. Blame others
  3. Beat ourselves up

DISCUSS: You don’t have to share the specifics of your past but which one of these do you struggle with with?

  • Does burying the past work? Why or why not?
  • Does blaming others work?  Why or why not?
  • Does beating yourself up work? Why or why not?

Study Questions:

This past Sunday we learned about King David and his specific sin issues. The stories that Pastor Daniel shared are found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12.

RECAP:

  • David eventually became King
  • 2 Samuel 11 - War
  • Bathsheba (Pregnant)
  • Uriah (Come Home) (Get him drunk)
  • Uriah (Front Line) (Killed him)

ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER…PROPHET NATHAN

  • Parable of a lamb
  • 2 Samuel 12 - story
Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
  • What steps did David take to move past this terrible thing he had done?
  1. Admit (I have sinned)
  2. Accept Responsibility for your sin
  3. Ask…Forgive me – Psalm 51:14 “Forgive me…”
  • Have you ever confessed a sin but not feel lie God has forgiven you?
1 John 1:9 - But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
  • In light of 1 John 1:9, why do we feel as though he hasn’t forgiven us?

Here is the Sin Process:

  • Sin
  • Convicted
  • Confess
  • Forgiven – Are you sure?
    • Condemnation
    • Strongholds (lies that are believed)
    • Guilt
      • Hide it…Bury it
      • Blame others
      • Beat yourself up
      • Repeat…Repeat…Repeat

CONDEMANTION vs CONVICTION

  • What’s the difference condemnation and conviction?
    • Condemnation shows you the (problem)
    • Conviction shows you the (answer)
  • Which comes first, conviction or condemnation?
    • How do you know?
    • Do they come from different places?
John 12:47 – “…for I have come to save the world and not to judge (condemn) it.”
  • How do you feel knowing that Jesus didn’t come to condemn you but save you?
Romans 8:4 -  Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

HOW DO YOU STOP FEELING GUILTY?

  1. Confess
  2. Believe
  3. Receive the forgiveness of God

Pastor Daniel said You feel guilty after confess because you put your faith in your feelings and not in Jesus.

  • How does it make you feel to know Jesus accepts you NOT because you are perfect, but because you are forgiven?

How does God forgive you?

  1. God forgives instantly.
  2. God forgives me completely. (ALL SINS)
  3. God forgives me repeatedly.
  4. He forgives me freely. (FREE GIFT)

Final Thoughts:

  • How do I know if I am believing the truth?
  • How do I know the guilt is gone or going away?
Psalm 32:1 Oh, what JOY for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 2 Yes, what JOY for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
  • Where there is JOY there will be PEACE
  • PEACE is not a feeling it’s a PERSON
Psalm 32:5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone!
  • STOP HIDING IT!
Adam Eldridge