2. Some pain is worse than physical pain.

3. Sin brings great pain!

4.   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.

5.   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 come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season” (Heb 11:24-25).

6. They cried out, “What shall we do?”

7. What can we do when we experience this great pain?

8.   The non-Christian:   “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).   “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.   “Why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins” (Acts 22:16).   “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” (1 Pet 3:21).

9.   The Christian:   “Repent... of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Acts 8:22).   The Christians to whom John wrote.   “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8).

10.   They were given two steps:   Step One – Walk in the Light:   “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7).   Step Two – Confess Sin:   “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).

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