WEBVTT - Living with a Clean Conscience -- Part 2 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:03.840 Today on Bold Steps with Marc Jobe, we're learning about 0:00:03.840 --> 0:00:06.040 the inner correcting power of God. 0:00:06.840 --> 0:00:12.959 You cannot be content and happy and fulfilled with an 0:00:12.960 --> 0:00:16.400 unclean conscience. The most miserable people on earth are the 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:20.040 people that they know God but are not walking with God. 0:00:20.560 --> 0:00:24.120 Because now you know better. Now you've tasted. Now you 0:00:24.120 --> 0:00:25.240 know where you should be. 0:00:38.040 --> 0:00:41.479 Welcome to Bold Steps with Marc Jobe. Marc is founding 0:00:41.479 --> 0:00:44.760 pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago. I'm Wayne 0:00:44.760 --> 0:00:48.160 Shepherd today as we move forward in our series Breaking 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:50.320 Free What It Means to Walk Tall Again, we're going 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:52.960 to be looking at how an unclean conscience can affect 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:56.680 our minds and bodies in unexpected ways. If you've missed 0:00:56.680 --> 0:00:58.560 any of the messages in this study from the book 0:00:58.560 --> 0:01:01.319 of First Timothy, make sure you catch up online when 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:05.960 you go to Bold Steps radio.org. There you'll also find videos, articles, 0:01:05.959 --> 0:01:08.440 and all sorts of tools and resources to help you 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:11.080 take that next bold step in your walk of faith. 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:13.880 Right now, let's get started with today's lesson from First 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:16.559 Timothy chapter one. Here's Mark job. 0:01:18.000 --> 0:01:22.320 You see a corrupt conscience. It's like rust has set 0:01:22.319 --> 0:01:27.520 into your spiritual compass and it's broken. Have you ever 0:01:27.520 --> 0:01:31.360 been around someone that's really pure of heart and maybe 0:01:31.360 --> 0:01:35.600 a little bit more innocent? And so they just, you know, 0:01:35.640 --> 0:01:39.479 to them, they see the good in everything. But then 0:01:39.480 --> 0:01:43.400 you go around someone that, well, maybe someone, for example, 0:01:43.400 --> 0:01:47.360 that everything is a sexual innuendo. And so they read 0:01:47.360 --> 0:01:49.720 into every. Maybe there's someone at work like that and 0:01:49.720 --> 0:01:52.559 everything you say, they kind of corrupt it and turn 0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:55.040 it into something like that. And you know that you're 0:01:55.040 --> 0:01:57.640 going to be around them and to the pure, everything 0:01:57.640 --> 0:02:01.210 is pure to the corrupt. Everything's corrupt. They see the 0:02:01.210 --> 0:02:03.809 bad in everything. They see the corrupt in everything because 0:02:03.810 --> 0:02:11.329 their conscience has been corrupted. And then thirdly, he talks 0:02:11.330 --> 0:02:16.570 about the weak conscience. Uh, it says in a weak 0:02:16.570 --> 0:02:20.850 conscience is a conscience that is immature or oversensitive because 0:02:20.889 --> 0:02:25.609 improper teaching or understanding. And first Corinthians chapter eight, verse 12, 0:02:25.610 --> 0:02:28.250 it says, when you sin against your brothers in this 0:02:28.250 --> 0:02:35.769 way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Uh, 0:02:35.770 --> 0:02:42.330 let me put it this way. A weak conscience is 0:02:42.330 --> 0:02:51.970 a conscience that. May run into stumbling blocks because of 0:02:51.970 --> 0:02:59.530 someone else's actions. Uh, for example, let's say that you've 0:02:59.530 --> 0:03:02.130 never had a problem with alcohol, never had a problem 0:03:02.130 --> 0:03:06.169 with drinking. And so you're a believer and to you, 0:03:06.330 --> 0:03:09.609 it's no big it's no big issue to go to 0:03:09.650 --> 0:03:13.130 the local tavern. And while everybody's drinking out there, you 0:03:13.169 --> 0:03:16.970 drink a Mountain Dew and they're having their Jack Daniels 0:03:16.970 --> 0:03:20.130 and they're having their, uh, bud lights and they're getting 0:03:20.130 --> 0:03:22.570 buzzed and drunk, but you're having your Mountain Dew and 0:03:22.570 --> 0:03:24.290 it doesn't affect you. And you talk to them and 0:03:24.290 --> 0:03:27.810 you're in that environment and it's no big issue. But 0:03:27.810 --> 0:03:31.290 there's a brother at your home group, let's say that 0:03:31.290 --> 0:03:35.410 they come out of a background of alcoholism. And before 0:03:35.410 --> 0:03:39.570 their life was I get drunk, I get blasted, it's partying, 0:03:39.570 --> 0:03:41.730 and I'm trying to break out of this. And it's 0:03:41.730 --> 0:03:44.650 really difficult for me, and it's hard. And I'm fighting 0:03:44.650 --> 0:03:47.650 every weekend not to go to the bar scene, not 0:03:47.650 --> 0:03:49.890 to go to that old scene of pick up and 0:03:49.890 --> 0:03:52.610 hang out and get high and get drunk, and it's really, 0:03:52.610 --> 0:03:55.930 really difficult to leave it behind. But since your conscience 0:03:55.930 --> 0:03:58.610 is not bothered by going to the tavern and having 0:03:58.610 --> 0:04:02.180 a 7UP, you invite this brother along with you and 0:04:02.180 --> 0:04:03.620 you say, hey, want to hang out with me? And 0:04:03.620 --> 0:04:05.940 they say, yeah, and they go with you and you're 0:04:05.940 --> 0:04:07.420 driving and you say, where are we going? We're going 0:04:07.460 --> 0:04:12.460 to the tavern. You see, your conscience is is strong 0:04:12.460 --> 0:04:14.740 and clear and you don't have any problem with that. 0:04:14.740 --> 0:04:18.100 But as soon as that brother with a weaker conscience 0:04:18.220 --> 0:04:23.100 walks into that tavern, then suddenly all of the temptations 0:04:23.100 --> 0:04:28.380 he's been fighting start to start to drag him down. 0:04:28.380 --> 0:04:31.020 And he tries to resist. And he tries to say, no, 0:04:31.140 --> 0:04:35.099 but but you're you're strong conscience has led a brother 0:04:35.100 --> 0:04:40.020 with a weaker conscience into a tavern. And before you 0:04:40.060 --> 0:04:43.540 know it, your conscience has become a stumbling block to 0:04:43.580 --> 0:04:46.820 them because now they're back to the same old thing. 0:04:46.820 --> 0:04:49.099 They've opened up the door and they're getting drunk again 0:04:49.100 --> 0:04:51.780 and high again. And you say, well, how did this happen? Well, 0:04:51.820 --> 0:04:54.500 I was staying away, but this brother took me there. 0:04:54.500 --> 0:04:58.099 You see, your conscience has become a stumbling block to 0:04:58.140 --> 0:05:01.500 a person with a weaker conscience. AM I making sense here? 0:05:03.700 --> 0:05:05.660 You see, it's not just. Is this good for me? 0:05:05.660 --> 0:05:08.140 You have to ask yourself, is this a stumbling block 0:05:08.140 --> 0:05:14.980 to others? It's a stumbling block to others. And sometimes 0:05:15.220 --> 0:05:17.419 what is not a stumbling block to us becomes a 0:05:17.420 --> 0:05:22.740 stumbling block to others. And our conscience can lead a 0:05:22.740 --> 0:05:28.700 person with a weaker conscience into a difficulty or into sin. 0:05:29.980 --> 0:05:33.460 So he goes on to tell us, here's what happens 0:05:34.420 --> 0:05:38.180 when we have a troubled conscience. When your conscience is 0:05:38.180 --> 0:05:41.420 not clear and you're living with a defiled conscience, a 0:05:41.420 --> 0:05:45.540 conscience that is weighed down, a conscience that has stuff, 0:05:45.580 --> 0:05:48.980 unfinished business on it, then this is what happens. This 0:05:48.980 --> 0:05:51.420 is what it says in Psalms chapter 32, verses one 0:05:51.420 --> 0:05:58.060 through four. Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose 0:05:58.060 --> 0:06:02.710 sins are covered. Blessed is the man who sin. The 0:06:02.710 --> 0:06:06.270 Lord does not count against him, and in whose spirit 0:06:06.270 --> 0:06:10.790 is no deceit. You know how great it is to 0:06:10.830 --> 0:06:16.109 live with a clean conscience. How good it is to 0:06:16.150 --> 0:06:18.670 go to bed at night and not toss and turn 0:06:18.670 --> 0:06:21.230 because you feel like, oh, I don't want to think 0:06:21.230 --> 0:06:26.190 about what's the things that I've done or need to 0:06:26.190 --> 0:06:30.229 get right. Do you know the freedom of feeling like 0:06:30.230 --> 0:06:32.229 when you come into a house of worship, that you 0:06:32.270 --> 0:06:36.590 can worship God without shame? Do you know the liberty 0:06:37.350 --> 0:06:39.510 of being able to know that you're not perfect, but 0:06:39.510 --> 0:06:42.190 you are forgiven, and everything that God has called you 0:06:42.190 --> 0:06:44.350 to deal with, you've dealt with, and so you have 0:06:44.350 --> 0:06:49.350 a clear conscience. When someone asks you to do something, 0:06:49.350 --> 0:06:51.229 you don't say, well, no, I can't, because I don't know. 0:06:51.230 --> 0:06:52.710 I just don't feel right. I feel no, no, no, 0:06:52.710 --> 0:06:57.229 you have a clear conscience. There's no guilt, there's no shame. 0:06:57.910 --> 0:07:01.070 There's no foothold that the enemy has on your life. 0:07:01.110 --> 0:07:05.429 You're you're clear. You're clean. You're walking well before the Lord. 0:07:05.430 --> 0:07:08.950 No one's perfect. So no one I'm not talking about perfection. 0:07:08.950 --> 0:07:12.270 I'm just talking about a clean conscience. The gift of 0:07:12.270 --> 0:07:16.710 a clean conscience is powerful. In fact, David and the 0:07:16.710 --> 0:07:22.510 psalmist says, blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose 0:07:22.510 --> 0:07:25.150 sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sins the 0:07:25.150 --> 0:07:28.070 Lord does not count against him, and in whose spirit 0:07:28.070 --> 0:07:30.830 there is no deceit. And blessed is the man who's 0:07:30.830 --> 0:07:37.470 dealt with his issues. On the other hand. He says, 0:07:37.470 --> 0:07:42.790 when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my 0:07:42.790 --> 0:07:46.470 groaning all day long for day and night. Your hand 0:07:46.470 --> 0:07:51.710 was heavy upon me and my strength was sapped. If 0:07:51.750 --> 0:07:55.190 your conscience is not clear, there are three things that 0:07:55.190 --> 0:08:00.520 happen to you. Your physical health deteriorates. Do you realize 0:08:00.520 --> 0:08:05.240 that your spiritual condition can drag your physical health down? 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:10.080 Your physical health deteriorates, he said, when I kept silence, 0:08:10.080 --> 0:08:14.960 my bones wasted away. That's another way of saying I 0:08:14.960 --> 0:08:20.280 just felt lousy physically. I felt worn down. Beat up. 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.040 You know how many of you, when you're struggling with 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:27.600 anxiety or working through stuff in your life and you 0:08:27.600 --> 0:08:30.120 know things aren't right, you go to bed at night 0:08:30.120 --> 0:08:32.600 and then you wake up and you feel like, I 0:08:32.800 --> 0:08:35.120 feel like I just got run over by a truck 0:08:35.120 --> 0:08:38.040 and I should feel like I have energy for the day, 0:08:38.040 --> 0:08:40.959 but I feel like I, I got up and I 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:46.760 don't feel rested because your conscience is dragging things around 0:08:46.760 --> 0:08:50.760 that shouldn't be dragging around, he says. Through my groaning 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:54.960 all day long. He implies that that he's sort of in, 0:08:55.160 --> 0:08:59.000 in pain, in spiritual pain. All day long, his inner 0:08:59.040 --> 0:09:02.360 joy has been diminished. She no longer has joy. He's 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:09.880 groaning instead of laughing. He doesn't have joy. Let me 0:09:09.880 --> 0:09:13.880 tell you something about energy. Scripture says that the joy 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:18.920 of the Lord is my strength. When I have no joy, 0:09:18.920 --> 0:09:23.400 I have no strength. The more joy you have in God, 0:09:23.400 --> 0:09:26.400 the more energy and strength you have. But when you 0:09:26.400 --> 0:09:29.280 lose your joy, you lose your strength, which is the 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:32.800 third thing. When I don't have a clear conscience and it's. 0:09:32.800 --> 0:09:38.000 Their motivation and energy are sapped. He said, for day 0:09:38.000 --> 0:09:40.760 and night your hand was heavy upon me and my 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:44.880 strength was sapped. It's like all the strength I had 0:09:44.880 --> 0:09:47.280 was sucked out of me. What's doing this to to 0:09:47.320 --> 0:09:50.280 to David, the psalmist. What's doing this to him is 0:09:50.280 --> 0:09:54.280 an unclear conscience. My conscience is not clear. And because 0:09:54.280 --> 0:09:58.079 I carry the weight of a bad conscience, my energy sapped. 0:09:58.120 --> 0:10:02.410 My body feels heavy. My joy is gone. I'm just 0:10:02.410 --> 0:10:07.089 dragging myself through life because I have I my conscience 0:10:07.090 --> 0:10:10.050 is not clear. I don't feel right with God. I 0:10:10.050 --> 0:10:15.410 feel like I'm carrying things unfinished business in my life. 0:10:18.050 --> 0:10:21.850 And some of you feel like that today. You say, I, I, 0:10:22.290 --> 0:10:26.610 I know what you're talking about, I feel it. Well, 0:10:26.610 --> 0:10:28.490 let me talk to you as we close our time together. 0:10:28.490 --> 0:10:30.810 Let me talk to you about steps towards getting a 0:10:30.809 --> 0:10:33.210 clear conscience, because I believe you can walk out of 0:10:33.210 --> 0:10:37.730 this place, having taken the steps that you need to 0:10:37.730 --> 0:10:42.330 have a clear conscience. Let me take you to another passage, 0:10:42.330 --> 0:10:46.569 Matthew chapter five, verse 23 through 24. The words of Jesus. 0:10:48.090 --> 0:10:51.770 Jesus said, therefore, if you are offering your gift at 0:10:51.770 --> 0:10:55.210 the altar. In other words, if you're ready to worship 0:10:55.210 --> 0:11:01.050 God and offer something to God, and there you remember 0:11:01.050 --> 0:11:04.890 that your brother has something against you. And there you 0:11:04.890 --> 0:11:11.570 remember that you have unfinished business. Relational, unfinished business. Leave 0:11:11.570 --> 0:11:14.809 your gift there in front of the altar. First, go 0:11:14.809 --> 0:11:18.209 and be reconciled to your brother. And then come and 0:11:18.250 --> 0:11:19.410 offer your gift. 0:11:29.610 --> 0:11:32.450 You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark. Job will continue 0:11:32.450 --> 0:11:35.130 with today's message in just a moment. First, I want 0:11:35.130 --> 0:11:36.690 to make sure you know about all the ways you 0:11:36.690 --> 0:11:40.370 can connect with this ministry and access these important Bible teachings. 0:11:40.610 --> 0:11:43.970 Our website, Bold steps.org is your hub for all things 0:11:43.970 --> 0:11:47.530 bold steps. There you'll find our complete message archive, plus 0:11:47.530 --> 0:11:49.730 faith building resources to help you grow in your walk 0:11:49.730 --> 0:11:53.570 with Christ. 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Now let's get back 0:12:26.460 --> 0:12:28.980 into the second half of today's study. Mark is a 0:12:28.980 --> 0:12:31.020 final word for ways we can move from a guilty 0:12:31.020 --> 0:12:35.180 conscience to a clean conscience by getting our compasses unstuck. 0:12:40.820 --> 0:12:43.740 The first thing I want you to understand is that 0:12:43.740 --> 0:12:48.820 he's in worship. You know, there's something about worship that 0:12:48.820 --> 0:12:52.540 causes us to hear the voice of God more clearly. 0:12:54.140 --> 0:12:57.540 There's something about worship that magnifies the voice of God. 0:12:58.140 --> 0:13:01.339 There's something about worship that clarifies the fog. Let me 0:13:01.340 --> 0:13:03.780 tell you this. If you're not walking right with God, 0:13:03.780 --> 0:13:11.260 you don't like to worship. Period. Because worship is something 0:13:11.260 --> 0:13:17.220 intimate with God. You're exposing your soul to God. It's 0:13:17.220 --> 0:13:20.300 something that that that is very close. It's like if 0:13:20.340 --> 0:13:24.420 you and your wife are not getting along, she doesn't 0:13:24.420 --> 0:13:27.819 want to be romantic with you. If you don't feel 0:13:27.820 --> 0:13:29.939 close and you're not getting along, you put your hand on. 0:13:29.980 --> 0:13:36.860 She goes, stop. Come on baby. You know, don't baby me. 0:13:40.260 --> 0:13:43.980 It's kind of like that husband who was time to 0:13:43.980 --> 0:13:45.660 go to bed, and his wife was curled over on 0:13:45.660 --> 0:13:47.260 one side of the bed all the way on her 0:13:47.260 --> 0:13:51.020 other side, and he came in and said, here, honey, 0:13:51.020 --> 0:13:54.220 I wanted to give you a Tylenol. She said, I 0:13:54.260 --> 0:13:58.060 don't have a headache. He said, I got you. He 0:13:58.059 --> 0:13:59.700 was so used to her, you know, every time he 0:13:59.700 --> 0:14:01.710 reached over, I got a headache. He wanted to make 0:14:01.710 --> 0:14:08.550 sure she didn't have a headache in advance because. Some 0:14:08.550 --> 0:14:10.630 of you husbands like that, you didn't get anything out 0:14:10.630 --> 0:14:12.510 of this message except that one. I'm going to use 0:14:12.510 --> 0:14:15.110 that pastor. I got that down. I'm going to offer 0:14:15.110 --> 0:14:19.790 the Tylenol ahead of time. I got that down. But 0:14:19.790 --> 0:14:21.910 here's the thing. If your wife's not close, if she 0:14:21.950 --> 0:14:24.710 if if you're having an argument and things are bad 0:14:24.710 --> 0:14:27.750 and there's controversy there, then she's going to shy away 0:14:27.750 --> 0:14:31.630 from intimacy and, and she's going to pull away from that. Why? 0:14:31.870 --> 0:14:36.030 Because intimacy belongs to those that are doing well with 0:14:36.030 --> 0:14:39.790 each other. Then it flows naturally. Worship will be unnatural 0:14:39.790 --> 0:14:43.510 for you if you're not right with God, when you're 0:14:43.510 --> 0:14:47.150 right with God and you're walking right with him, then 0:14:47.150 --> 0:14:51.710 you can engage in worship because because that's it's a 0:14:51.710 --> 0:14:54.070 natural thing. But if you're not right with God, you 0:14:54.070 --> 0:14:56.590 won't want to worship. And so he says, therefore, if 0:14:56.630 --> 0:15:01.080 you are worshiping, if you're offering a gift at the altar. 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:08.120 And there you remember that your brother has something against you. There. 0:15:08.120 --> 0:15:11.480 You remember that there's a relational issue that's not fixed. 0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:16.160 Stop there. Go make it right with that person and 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:18.720 then come back and worship. And you say some people 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:22.280 think they can be right with God and be wrong 0:15:22.280 --> 0:15:27.240 with others. It doesn't work that way. Your relationship with 0:15:27.240 --> 0:15:31.120 God is affected by your relationship with others. The Apostle 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:34.960 John told us in first, second, third John, mainly in 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:37.480 first John. You can't. How can you say you love 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:41.040 God and hate who you can't see and love your brother, 0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:44.720 who you can see. Once in a while I'll run 0:15:44.720 --> 0:15:47.120 into people that'll tell me, oh no, me and God 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:52.000 were like this. We're tight like this, not tight. I 0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:53.960 hate that person. I hate that person. I can't stand 0:15:53.960 --> 0:15:56.040 that person. No one but me and God, we're tight. No, 0:15:56.080 --> 0:16:00.160 don't give me that. You cannot be tight with God. 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:09.160 And hate other people. Impossible. It doesn't work that way. 0:16:10.720 --> 0:16:16.520 You cannot be close to God and hate your wife. No, 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:19.960 it doesn't work that way. Because if you're close to God, 0:16:19.960 --> 0:16:23.359 God will drive you to make things right with people. 0:16:23.360 --> 0:16:25.400 And every time you get close to God, he's going 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:28.640 to drive you to forgive, drive you to make things right, 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:32.000 drive you to get things right. That's the way God works. 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:39.000 Your relationship with others affect your relationship with God. That's 0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:43.080 why Jesus said, when you pray the Lord's Prayer and 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:46.680 forgive us our transgressions, as we forgive those who transgress 0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:49.680 against us or forgive us our trespasses, and forgive us 0:16:49.680 --> 0:16:53.040 our debts, as we forgive those who have debts against us. 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:55.000 And then he went on to say, for if you 0:16:55.040 --> 0:17:00.600 don't forgive, your heavenly father cannot forgive you. You cannot 0:17:00.600 --> 0:17:05.000 be wrong with others and be right with God. God 0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:10.359 will cause you to fix your relational garbage because the 0:17:10.359 --> 0:17:14.520 people around you are made in the image of God. 0:17:15.359 --> 0:17:18.000 And every time you go to come to God, the 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:20.320 Holy Spirit and the voice of God is going to say, 0:17:20.359 --> 0:17:25.239 fix that issue. And if you resist the voice of 0:17:25.240 --> 0:17:27.160 God and you say, no, I don't want to, then 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:29.760 you're going to get more and more uncomfortable with coming 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:32.679 to God. And after a while, you're not going to 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.400 want to come to God. Listen, there are people that 0:17:35.400 --> 0:17:38.680 have shipwrecked their faith because of an unclear conscience. There 0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:40.200 are people that want to come here and be right 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:42.880 with God. But if if being right with God means 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:45.360 that they have to forgive someone, they they don't want 0:17:45.400 --> 0:17:48.000 to hear it anymore. So they start walking away from 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:52.200 God and they start drifting away from God and eventually 0:17:52.200 --> 0:17:56.960 shipwrecked their faith because of an unclear conscience. So first 0:17:56.960 --> 0:17:59.280 of all, he says, remember when you're in the presence 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:03.609 of God, If God brings something to your mind, remember 0:18:04.170 --> 0:18:10.810 I love the word he uses. Remember. Remember, if you 0:18:10.810 --> 0:18:13.530 have something against that, God will bring things to your mind. 0:18:15.130 --> 0:18:18.050 If you're offering. And there you remember, because the Holy 0:18:18.050 --> 0:18:20.570 Spirit brings it to mind. He brings to mind what 0:18:20.570 --> 0:18:24.210 you need to fix. Then the second step is this. 0:18:25.810 --> 0:18:28.370 Leave your gift there at the altar. Go first and 0:18:28.369 --> 0:18:32.090 be reconciled to your brother. Step two is reconcile to 0:18:32.130 --> 0:18:37.770 God and others. Hebrews chapter three, verse 15 says, today, 0:18:37.770 --> 0:18:39.850 if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts 0:18:39.850 --> 0:18:42.530 as you did in rebellion. So if you hear his 0:18:42.530 --> 0:18:45.490 voice and you remember, then he says, go do something 0:18:45.490 --> 0:18:50.450 about it. Go get things right. Don't live with unfinished 0:18:50.450 --> 0:18:55.650 business and an unclear conscience in your life. Go make 0:18:55.650 --> 0:18:59.170 things right with that other person. Reconcile with that other person. 0:19:00.140 --> 0:19:06.060 And then number three. And by the way, you may 0:19:06.060 --> 0:19:08.139 go to make things right with another person and they 0:19:08.140 --> 0:19:10.619 don't want to be right with you. It doesn't matter. 0:19:10.619 --> 0:19:12.899 They can't hold you in debtor's prison. If you release them, 0:19:12.900 --> 0:19:18.420 they're released even if they don't release you. You understand 0:19:18.420 --> 0:19:22.980 that you may forgive someone that doesn't forgive you. You 0:19:22.980 --> 0:19:25.500 may release someone that doesn't release you, but they can't 0:19:25.500 --> 0:19:27.859 hold you in debtor's prison. If your conscience is clear 0:19:27.859 --> 0:19:30.899 and you've released them and forgiven them or made things right, 0:19:30.900 --> 0:19:34.940 then you are. Then. Then you've done your part. Number 0:19:34.940 --> 0:19:38.340 three then come and offer your gift and others. Get 0:19:38.340 --> 0:19:41.100 back to worshiping God. Get back in the right place 0:19:41.100 --> 0:19:43.619 with God. Get in the place where God can speak 0:19:43.619 --> 0:19:46.780 to you. And so that's how you clear your conscience. 0:19:46.780 --> 0:19:49.780 You come before God. If God reminds you of something 0:19:49.780 --> 0:19:52.940 you need to do, do it. Go do it quickly. 0:19:52.940 --> 0:19:56.260 Take that action step, reconcile yourself, and then get back 0:19:56.260 --> 0:19:58.980 to worshiping God. Listen, some of you have not worshiped 0:19:59.020 --> 0:20:04.060 God freely, powerfully and deeply for a while because you 0:20:04.060 --> 0:20:13.980 have an unclear conscience. Some of you missed God, not 0:20:13.980 --> 0:20:18.660 because God is left, but because you've hardened your heart 0:20:18.660 --> 0:20:28.740 and you miss the closeness to God. God hasn't left you. God. 0:20:28.980 --> 0:20:34.500 Listen to me. Look up at me. God never, never 0:20:35.140 --> 0:20:45.900 leaves us. Never. We are the ones that walk away 0:20:45.900 --> 0:20:49.939 from him. We are the ones that harden our heart 0:20:49.980 --> 0:20:56.780 towards him. God. Listen. The father God that we serve. 0:20:56.820 --> 0:20:59.580 You may have had a father that abandoned you. walked 0:20:59.580 --> 0:21:02.020 away from you. Things got tough and he said, I'm 0:21:02.020 --> 0:21:04.380 out of here. You may have had a father that 0:21:04.380 --> 0:21:07.420 was emotionally distant. You may have had a father that 0:21:07.420 --> 0:21:09.540 left you when you were five years old, and you 0:21:09.540 --> 0:21:11.939 never saw him for the rest of your life. Listen, 0:21:11.980 --> 0:21:17.060 your father, your heavenly father is not like that. God 0:21:17.060 --> 0:21:21.659 never will leave you. Never. It's not in his nature 0:21:21.660 --> 0:21:25.220 to leave you abandoned. You walk away from you. That's 0:21:25.220 --> 0:21:29.780 not God. God will never leave you. You may harden 0:21:29.820 --> 0:21:33.620 your heart. You may raise the barriers. You may close 0:21:33.619 --> 0:21:36.460 yourself to him. But it's not God leaving you. It's 0:21:36.460 --> 0:21:39.780 you allowing yourself to drift away from the God that 0:21:39.780 --> 0:21:42.940 loves you, the God that's pursuing you, the God that 0:21:42.940 --> 0:21:46.460 is extending his hand of relationship with you. And so 0:21:46.460 --> 0:21:49.300 some of you miss God, not because God has walked away, 0:21:49.300 --> 0:21:53.220 because you have allowed yourself, because of an unclear conscience, 0:21:53.660 --> 0:21:59.220 to drift away from God. And here's what I know. 0:21:59.220 --> 0:22:02.750 If you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, you 0:22:02.790 --> 0:22:12.230 cannot be content and happy and fulfilled with an unclean conscience. 0:22:16.710 --> 0:22:19.150 The most miserable people on earth are the people that 0:22:19.150 --> 0:22:25.270 they know God but are not walking with God. Because 0:22:25.270 --> 0:22:30.390 now you know better. Now you've tasted. Now you know 0:22:30.390 --> 0:22:36.070 where you should be. Before you had no excuse, you 0:22:36.070 --> 0:22:37.389 were out in the world and you just went to 0:22:37.390 --> 0:22:39.550 the world because that's what you knew. Now you know God. 0:22:40.950 --> 0:22:43.629 And when you're not in relationship with God, it makes 0:22:43.630 --> 0:22:48.950 you cranky, crabby, miserable, unhappy. I want you to have 0:22:48.950 --> 0:22:53.510 the gift of a clear conscience. I want that compass 0:22:53.510 --> 0:22:58.229 to work well. I want you out of the fog 0:22:58.230 --> 0:23:04.190 of confusion. And I know the way that that works 0:23:04.230 --> 0:23:09.350 is that when you respond to God. Through the conviction 0:23:09.350 --> 0:23:19.949 of the Holy Spirit. So you've heard it. Maybe the 0:23:19.950 --> 0:23:24.629 Holy Spirit is challenging you right now to stop and 0:23:24.630 --> 0:23:29.470 clear your conscience by confessing and repenting of something in 0:23:29.470 --> 0:23:33.510 particular that's been holding you back. I desire that you 0:23:33.510 --> 0:23:36.110 would have a clear conscience so that you could go 0:23:36.109 --> 0:23:38.830 forward in what God has called you to do. 0:23:39.030 --> 0:23:41.790 Thank you. Mark. That's Mark job here on Bold Steps 0:23:41.790 --> 0:23:45.390 with a message titled living with a Clean Conscience. If 0:23:45.390 --> 0:23:47.750 you want to revisit any part of today's lesson, then 0:23:47.750 --> 0:23:51.310 be sure to listen online at bold steps.org. And while 0:23:51.310 --> 0:23:53.150 you're on our home page, be sure to also check 0:23:53.190 --> 0:23:56.790 out our bold step gift because we've all made mistakes. 0:23:56.790 --> 0:24:00.440 Some small, some life altering, and a guilty conscience as 0:24:00.440 --> 0:24:02.760 a way of keeping us stuck long after the mistake 0:24:02.800 --> 0:24:06.000 itself is behind us. Well, in his book, Goliath Must 0:24:06.000 --> 0:24:09.479 Fall Winning the Battle Against Your Giants, Louie Giglio reminds 0:24:09.480 --> 0:24:12.080 us that guilt and shame are giants, too, and they 0:24:12.080 --> 0:24:14.920 don't get to have the final word. Whether you're carrying 0:24:14.920 --> 0:24:18.360 something from your own past or walking alongside someone who is. 0:24:18.640 --> 0:24:21.400 This bold step gift points to the freedom that comes 0:24:21.400 --> 0:24:24.560 when we let that giant fall for good. Request this 0:24:24.560 --> 0:24:26.560 bold step gift today, and we'll be happy to send 0:24:26.560 --> 0:24:29.000 you a copy when you give any amount to support 0:24:29.000 --> 0:24:34.040 bold steps for an online donation, just go to bold steps.org/give. 0:24:34.400 --> 0:24:36.359 You can also call us and give over the phone 0:24:36.359 --> 0:24:43.440 at 800 D.L. Moody. That's (800) 356-6639. Or send your gift 0:24:43.440 --> 0:24:46.280 in the mail by addressing your envelope to bold steps. 0:24:46.320 --> 0:24:52.320 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 606 ten. And as 0:24:52.320 --> 0:24:54.919 an important reminder, when you commit to becoming a bold 0:24:54.920 --> 0:24:57.480 partner today and sign up to give a monthly financial 0:24:57.480 --> 0:25:01.520 gift of $30 or more, you'll receive a special 50% 0:25:01.520 --> 0:25:04.760 discount off any book or Bible study resource in the 0:25:04.760 --> 0:25:08.439 entire Moody Publishers online store. And there are thousands of 0:25:08.440 --> 0:25:11.439 products to choose from, so commit to becoming a bold 0:25:11.440 --> 0:25:15.920 partner today. Online at bold steps.org. And while you're there, 0:25:15.960 --> 0:25:18.760 be sure to check out the Bold Steps Minute. These 0:25:18.760 --> 0:25:22.480 one minute daily messages from pastor Mark deliver practical, biblical 0:25:22.480 --> 0:25:25.480 truth and encouragement to help you stay focused on Christ, 0:25:25.480 --> 0:25:28.200 no matter how busy your day gets. It's a simple 0:25:28.200 --> 0:25:30.040 way to keep God's Word at the center of your 0:25:30.040 --> 0:25:33.080 life one minute at a time. Well, that's all the 0:25:33.080 --> 0:25:35.680 time we have today. Tomorrow, we'll begin a series titled 0:25:35.680 --> 0:25:38.560 Not Alone. Hear What the Bible Says about Navigating the 0:25:38.560 --> 0:25:42.879 Desert of Loneliness. On Thursday's edition of Bold Steps with 0:25:42.880 --> 0:25:47.080 Mark Joel, bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, 0:25:47.320 --> 0:25:49.440 a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.