I DREAD CLEANING OUT MY CLOSET

• I never know what I will find, like -

• Those pants that have shrunk too much to wear

• Or that Hawaiian shirt someone gave me once

• And only discovered it was too ugly to wear

• AFTER I WORE IT!

WHEN I FIND THINGS LIKE THESE

• I have to examine my motives

• Will I ever wear it – ANYWHERE?

• Why did I buy it in the first place?

• And why did I ever decide to keep it?

• Will those pants ever stretch to fit me now?

I HAVE TO ADMIT THINGS

• The pants aren’t tight because they shrunk

• But because I went overboard in eating

• And the shirts - - do I keep them

• Just so I won’t hurt somebody else’s feelings?

AND SO, WHEN I CLEAN OUT MY CLOSET

• I must look at the good and the bad

• And make honest assessments

• As to whether I really need them or not

GOD KNOWS WHAT IS IN OUR SPIRITUAL CLOSET

• He knows we have gone overboard in sinning

• And He knows that sometimes we continue to sin

• Just so we won’t hurt somebody else’s feelings

LIKE THE TIME I SKIPPED HIGH SCHOOL

• Because someone asked me to go with them

• And I just didn’t know how to say “NO!”

PARTAKING OF COMMUNION

• Is much like cleaning out your closet

• because you have to sort thru things

• deciding what to keep … and what to throw away

WE ARE TO EXAMINE OUR HEARTS

• and get rid of everything that would stand between

• the relationship we should be having with Jesus Christ

 LET’S USE THIS TIME OBEDIENTLY

• and clean our hearts out

• not with soap and water

• but with prayer and the blood of Jesus Christ

And to clean ourselves up

PRAY