We are always looking for better.

God has best for you. He has forgiveness, and it is the Best Thing Ever!
God forgives our Sin! Sin is something we don’t like to think about or talk about. Sin is often misunderstood as God’s attempt to control us with silly rules. But this is not what Sin and God’s commands are about.
The word Sin in scripture is the Greek word Hamartia, and it means “to miss the mark.” Sin is missing the mark of the BEST that God has to offer you. God’s commands are not made to control you but to keep you from hurting yourself with the worst things in life and instead direct you towards the Best. The subject of Sin & Commands is really all about God’s Love! More people need to know this!
God forgives us of our sin if we CONFESS. (1 John 1:9) Any sin! God forgives confessed sin. Does that sound like the best thing ever? It should!

God offers 2 events that play a part of forgiveness.

Repentance
Baptism

In Repentance you have a change of mind. You make a new decision and go a New Direction. You turn from your sin and turn to God.
In Baptism you are buried with Jesus into His death and then raised to live a brand New Life!
If you have not experienced His forgiveness… If you have never received Repentance or Baptism you are missing out on the Best Thing Ever!

Best thing Ever 2 – Forgiveness Repentance Baptism from Redemption Church on Vimeo.

Best thing Ever 3 – Forgiveness Repentance Baptism

Sermon notes by Pastor Chris Fluitt

Redemption Church Plano Tx

Vid Bumper 2
Welcome back to Redemption Church. My name is Chris Fluitt. I’m the lead pastor here at Redemption, and I want to thank you for being with us today. If you are here in the room or taking in this sermon over the internet we welcome you. I want you to listen up because I have a message of hope for you today!
Best Thing Ever
We are in the 2^nd week of our Best Thing Ever series. Last Sunday we celebrated the Resurrection as the Best Thing Ever.
Mankind is always on a quest for better..
The Quest for Better
You probably spent time this week thinking about how to improve your life.. You might have spent some time on Pinterest getting fresh ideas on home decor or healthy eating. You might have caught youtube, a Ted talk, or read a book about how to do something. You might have tried to do something better, quicker, or to finish a project you have been working on. Whatever it is, it is safe to say that you have been trying to improve your life.
Jesus promises to make our life better. But Jesus wants to do more than marginally improve your life.
Not marginally better
Jesus wants to give you more than better. He wants to give you Best.
There is a problem here because often we are happy with better and pass up the Best. Perhaps you have heard the phrase “Good is the enemy of Great.” Many are content with “Good” and never press further to achieve “Great.” If you are to ever have God’s best you must become unsatisfied with “good.”
Are you satisfied with less than Best?
I can’t speak for you, but for me that is a very convicting question. Our lives are sidetracked by choosing something less than God’s best. We choose good instead of great… choosing good instead of Best.
Let’s choose Best today!
Today I want to tell you that Forgiveness is the Best thing Ever.
Forgiveness is the best thing ever
God offers forgiveness and I can tell you it is the best thing ever.
Before we jump into forgiveness we need to understand what we are forgiven from…
Sin
The Bible says that we have all sinned…
Psalm 51:5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.(NIV)
Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,(NIV)
Everyone has sinned. Sin is one of those heavy words. There is always guilt & shame when we think about sin. Although we have that heavy feeling we don’t always understand the concept of sin.
Many people think that God is a control freak and has a bunch of rules for us to obey. If we don’t obey His rules then it is sin. So right there, for most people, sin is a control mechanism. Sin is breaking a rule.
And then it gets out of control because someone inexplicably opens the Bible and takes a scripture completely out of context… something like…
Deuteronomy 22:11 Do not wear clothes of wool and linen woven together.(NIV)
Deuteronomy 22:12 Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear.(NIV)
So WITHOUT looking into the context of this Book of the Bible, the Chapter, who it was written to or the Covenant that they were under, and then also the context of the rest of Scripture… without doing any of that, many will come to the conclusion that God’s rules are just silly and controlling.
So let’s get something straight about Sin and God’s commands. This will help you if you will let it.
#1 The word Sin used in Romans 3:23…

The word for Sin here is the Greek word Hamartia (Hamartano).
Hamartia means to miss the mark. God wants to give you the best right? If we “miss the mark”, if we fall short of the best He would have for us, then that is Hamartia – it is Sin.
Sin does not mean… You disgust me you filthy sinner… Sin means – Child I have better for you. And if you let me I will show you the best way.
So right here change the way you think about sin. Sin simply means that God has BEST of you that you haven’t received yet.
Next #2 God’s rules.
God doesn’t create rules to control you. He doesn’t create laws and commands to tell you what to do and put you in your place.
When you think of God’s rules, you should think about a parent telling their child not to touch the stove. WHY!? Why can’t they touch the stove? -Because it could be hot and it could harm them.
God’s rules are attempt to keep you from hurting yourself. His rules are made out of a love and a desire to give you what is better… what is best.
Does anyone believe God knows what is best?

So, sin is serious. Sin keeps you from God’s best. It misses the mark! Sin also puts us in harm’s way. Sin will cause us pain.
Of course there is also this about sin…
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.(NIV)
Sin will drag you so below the best God has for you. Sin will drag you into a grave… Sin will drag you into death.

Forgiveness is the best thing ever
When we talk about Forgiveness being the Best thing ever, we are rejoicing that God forgives our sin.
We have all sinned… so we all need forgiveness. God is faithful to forgive anyone who asks.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.(NIV)
God forgives what kind of sin? Is there a certain kind of sin that He won’t forgive? Is there like a sin that is worse than the others and if you do that you are just out of luck…?
Let me answer that this way. God forgives confessed sin
If WE will confess then He is faithful & just to forgive! No matter what you have done – HE WILL FORGIVE YOU. You have not sinned so greatly that He won’t forgive you. The only condition offered is… IF WE WILL CONFESS..
Does that sound like the best thing ever? You could have every one of you sins forgiven today!

I want to tell you about 2 events that are a part of forgiveness experience. Turn to Acts 2..
In Acts 2 we see a lot of firsts! We see people “born again” for the first time. We see people filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time. We see the Gospel, the death, the burial, & the resurrection of Jesus preached for the first time. We see the first people converted into God’s Church. It is an exciting chapter.
Acts 2 takes place after the Death, Burial, Resurrection & Ascension of Jesus Christ. Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the “promise of the Father.” The Holy Spirit is that promise!
When the believers were all filled with the Spirit, there was quite a commotion made. A crowd gathered as the Spirit filled disciples poured out into the streets. People that they were drunk..
Acts 2:13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”(NIV)
Acts 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.(NIV)
Peter got up and spoke under the direction of the Spirit! He preached to the crowd about Jesus Christ.
He preached that Jesus was exactly who He said He was. ..That Jesus did miracles.. That He was the Messiah, the chosen one that all the prophets told us would come.
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”(NIV)
Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”(NIV)
These people realized that they had MISSED THE MARK. They realized that they had CRUCIFIED Jesus. They don’t know what they can do… or if anything could be done.
They had really messed up! They had sinned big time! They believed the message Peter gave them concerning Jesus. THEY ASKED – What can we do!?
First can we say Hallelujah that there something that we can do about our sin. Check out Peter’s answer to the question “what can we do?”
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “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.(NIV)
The first thing he says is… Repent
Repentance is the Best thing ever. Repent means to change your mind… it means to make a new decision and to change your direction.
2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.(NIV)
The direction you are going in life… You are not doomed to continue down the same path. You can make a change. You can turn from your wicked ways. You can turn to Jesus Christ. That is the power of Repentance! That is the power of Forgiveness. It is the best thing ever.
NEW DIRECTION
The people who had messed up so badly asked what they could do… Peter said repent and he also said…
The second thing Peter says is to be Baptized
Repent & be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..
The word for Baptize means to be dipped in water.
Baptism is the best thing ever. Just look at the promise God gives in baptism.
Romans 6:3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?(NIV)
Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.(NIV)
**Baptism Demonstration

The Bible says you are buried with Jesus in baptism.
I don’t like the idea of being buried, but if I need to be buried, Jesus is the Best person to be buried with.. because He does not stay buried.
You will rise to live a new life.
Many people will say “once a BLANK always a blank.” One a drug addict… once a liar… once a failure… once an alcoholic… BUT THIS IS WHAT MAKES BAPTISM THE BEST THING EVER!
New Life

Have you experienced repentance? God has that for you today.
Have you experienced baptism? God has that for you also.

When asked in Acts 2, what shall we do, Peter answered REPENT & be BAPTIZED.
Your sins will be remitted… erased… forgotten… gone forever. That is the FORGIVENESS that God offers. It is the best thing ever.
Every Christian should repent and be baptized. To not enter into this is to miss out on the BEST that God has for you.

**musician
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Still have questions? We have a special Bible study over this topic we would love to give you. You could also check out our anonymous text line. 214 856 0550

What God is offering you today is so much better than gloves that will help you scrub your veggies clean. He has a new direction for you and a brand new life.

Are you satisfied with less than Best?