Title: The importance of spiritual hygiene

Focus: When a person sins, whether intentionally or unintentionally, it defiles the sanctuary and potentially compromises the presence of God. The sanctuary needs to be cleansed from the defilement through a rite of purification and confession. As Christians, sin also potentially compromises the presence of God. We are purified through the blood of Christ and repentant confession.

Function: To help the hearers understand that their daily life affects their relationship to God even in worship so that they would keep themselves pure in both in though and actions.


Intro:
1.  What do you do when you do somebody wrong?
	a.  Said a hurtful thing to or about them?
	b.  Broke or ruined something that belonged to them?
	c.  How do you deal with it?
2.  The text for this evening shows how God’s people to deal with it concering God
3.  Leviticus 4 - 6 deal with guilt offerings
4.  Several things we learn about sin

I.  Sin defiles what is holy (4:1-12)
	A.  Depending on who sinned, various procedures for purification
	B.  The purification involves blood
		1.  Heb 9:22 - Say all things cleansed with blood
		2.  The more “holy” person is, the closer to inner sanctuary the
		      blood goes
			a.  Priest - blood of bull before veil & horns of insence altar
			b.  Community - Elders slay, veil & honrs of incense altar
			c.  Leader - Blood of goat horns of altar, pour rest at base
			d.  Common people - Same
		3.  The defilement needed to be purged (5:5-6)
			- Through both confession and sacrifice
		4.  Later in their history, prophets declare the whole land was
		     defiled
	C.  ILL:  Like a virus or bacteria in a house
		1.  Used to quarantine certain sicknesses to keep from spreading
		2.  The entire house considered unclean
		3.  Sin almost seem to have same effect here
		4.  Sin defile not just sinner, but the sanctuary as well!
	D.  As Christians, sin still defiles what is holy
		1.  (2 Cor 6:14 - 7:1) - Holiness is purity
		2.  Sin is like leaven that spreads through whole lump
		3.  1 Cor 5:7 - Clean out old leaven that may be a new lump

II.  Sin potentially compromises the presence of God
	A.  When we understand the effect of sin - causes defilement, we can
	      understand a little better why God reacts this way
	B.  ILL:  McDonalds in Vermont
		1.  Always dirty, food on floor, wondered what kitchen like
		2.  Stepped on ketchup package, employee laughed
		3.  Quit going eventually
			a.  We don’t like to frequent unclean dirty places
			b.  Establishements need to work keeping clean
	C.  Is God any different?
		1.  Sin brings defilement in the camp & defiles sanctuary
			a.  Sin needs to be purged or atoned for
			b.  Confession and sacrifice
		2.  (Isa 1:10-17)  (Micah 3 (v.11-12) )
			a.  Defilement of sin compromised God’s presence
			b.  Isa 59:2 - Sins separated you from your God
	D.  How are we to be cleansed?
		1.  (Psalm 51:1-19)
			a.  It isn’t some inherent power in the sacrifice
			b.  The attitude of the worshipper is all important
			c.  God does the cleansing
		2.  Same for us as Christians  (Rev 7:9-17)
			a.  They died and have gone to be with God
			b.  Why?  Cleansed by blood of the lamb
		3.  Acts 22:16 - Why tarriest thou - arise, be baptized, wash away
		     your sins
	
III.  Purifying sin against another person involves restitution both to the person
and to God (6:1-8) 
	A.  Sin against a person is also a sin against God, but dealt with 
	      differently
	B.  (Lev 6:1-8)
		1.  Guilt offering to the preist, BUT first reparations to wronged
			a.  Before approaching God, he had to approach person
			b.  Had to give back what he stole and add 1/5 of value
		2.  Relationship to God tied to relationship to one another 
		3.  (1 John 2:9-11) - Walk in light when love each other
		4.  (1 John 4:7-8) Not know God if not love
	C.  ILL:  It worse when someone mistreat one you love than you
		1.  Someone can bad mouth you, but different when wife or kids
		2.  Bible call us his bride and his children
		3.  So we need to treat children well
	D.  Cannot be right with God and not be right with your brother

Concl:
1.  Your every day actions affect your worship
	- Can cause defilement which compromises presence of God
2.  Psalm 24 - Can meet God at his holy place only if pure
3.  Matt 5:3 - Blessed are pure in heart - Shall see God
4.  If feel far away, maybe there is something that need to be cleaned up