2 ND ADDRESS: MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL!

1. 2ND ADDRESS:MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL!

2. John 8:3-5 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? There is no evidence that this event was initially an act of conscience. Their Status Quo valve was open. The Scriptures were closed to these individuals. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL!

3. John 8:6-8 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. Their evil intent to condemn Jesus blinded them to the wrongness of their own actions. He gave them time to think about what they were doing. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL!

4. John 8:6-8 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. Jesus rejected the Status Quo. ‘He that is without sin among you’ – in the same sin? What did he write? He gave them time to consider their ways. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL!

5. John 8:9-11 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Jesus made their consciences work. No one could stand that test. The older had lived longer and possibly the point was easier to make. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL!

6. Josh 7:19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. The circumstances and the words of Joshua opened his conscience. CONSCIENCE AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT

7. Josh 7:20-21 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. He was compelled to confess his sin. CONSCIENCE AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT

8. Josh 7:19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. Phil 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Will the wicked be finally convicted by their own consciences? CONSCIENCE AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT

9. 1 Cor 8:6-7 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. Knowledge is basic and an essential requirement for conscience to operate. Note the liberty of an accurate knowledge. The Truth shall make you free! CONSCIENCE – the Role of KNOWLEDGE!

10. Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. The knowledge of our God is basic to our livelihood. It is the basis upon which we mature as a candidate for the work of God in the future. Knowledge with understanding and wisdom. CONSCIENCE – the Role of KNOWLEDGE!

11. THE LIGHT IS RED KNOWLEDGE STOP UNDERSTANDING NOW! WISDOM

12. YOUR CONSCIENCE The Workings of Conscience. AGAPE SPIRITUAL RESOURCES One’s own mind, without education, is of little value in making moral decisions. HELP SELF DECEPTION UPPER COURT SPIRITUAL VALUES HUMAN RESOURCES CHANGE RECOGNIZE THE DANGER WITH HUMAN VALUES HELP STATUS QUO LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT

13. YOUR CONSCIENCE The Workings of Conscience. AGAPE SPIRITUAL RESOURCES Conscience can be made to monitor and change behaviour. HELP SELF DECEPTION UPPER COURT SPIRITUAL VALUES HUMAN RESOURCES CHANGE HELP STATUS QUO LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT

14. YOUR CONSCIENCE AGAPE SPIRITUAL RESOURCES SELF DECEPTION The Workings of Conscience. HELP UPPER COURT SPIRITUAL VALUES To make conscience powerful we must recognize the need for spiritual resources. CHANGE HUMAN RESOURCES HELP STATUS QUO LIFE EXPERIENCES LOWER COURT

15. Psalm 15:1-3 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. Do we want to be in the Lord’s Kingdom? Then we must be honest to ourselves about living the values of those who will be in the Kingdom! CONSCIENCE – the Role of INTEGRITY!

16. Psalm 15:4-5 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. This is the standard by which to measure our integrity. Does our Conscience rule us, or do we rule our Conscience? CONSCIENCE – the Role of INTEGRITY!

17. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL! Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

18. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL! Isaiah 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

19. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL! Job 31:1-3 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? For what portion of God is there from above? and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?

20. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL! Ruth 1:16-18 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

21. MAKING CONSCIENCE POWERFUL! 1 Peter 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: