Alive for What?

Well, good morning, I am Pastor John Mark. If you are wondering, I don't know, Pastor Ben had glasses. I am not he in that is because he is unfortunately sick and not feeling well has not been for the past week has had a fever and we want to be in prayer for his family. I know he and Elias have had it pretty bad. So, We are changing our direction for the second week of Advent by necessity, I've Loved Advent, but something else was prepared. So if you'll give me that Grace so we can move forward as well. I would like to on a personal note on behalf of myself, my wife and our daughter Haven. Say, thank you so much for all the gifts of food and a kindness and love and kind words encouragement and prayer. There is truly no way that we can say, thank you at the sufficiently or in such a way as we have been loved. I don't know if you guys understand that feeling when one person gives you a gift, you say, thank you. You are able to make that person feel appreciated when Dozens of people, give you gifts your eyes, get big, and you feel overwhelmed. And you say, I don't know how to say, thank you. So, please take it. Sufficiently, we love you, and we appreciate you, and we feel loved and appreciated. And please be in prayer for Pastor Ben and his family. We are hopeful that they will be recovering quickly. If you would, please pray with me. And for me this morning, Lord, we are in need of you this morning, we are in need of your piece of your grace. We are always in need of you and so often we do not acknowledge it. So often we do not recognize you as we ought to know. Do we see reality as it is that we see through the lens of sin? Would you give us Grace to hear your word? Was you speak through me by your grace? Would you speak to our church? Would you work? Because you are active and living in the name of Jesus. Amen.

I am the state. These words are said by King Louis, the fourteenth of the 17th century. He thought a lot of himself, he had the perspective that he was an absolute monarch and he was such, that is an absolute King, The King in which all power resides because he perceived that God himself had given him that position. If we look through history, we see that that's fairly normal for Kings who like to take power, they say, will God gave it to me. So if you're questioning me, you're questioning God, he took power and he liked power. He is known to history as the Sun King. He had a lot of Art in the Palace of Versailles, which he made as a moderate 700,000 square foot Palace to behold his glory with a few 2300 rooms.

He said this is well my dominant passion. my dominant passion is certainly Love Of Glory, he was concerned with achieving glory for himself and others knowing that he had it This is fairly normal for Kings. He sought to expand his territory. He try to invite invade Spanish territory Dutch territory. He also perceived that his subjects should do as they're told. To the point when his kingdom was under. Attack. He sent out a letter to all of his subjects and he said, please, please would you, and enlist they were half-starved. Their country was in defense of itself and they came to his Aid and half-starved that he defended against the invading armies Kings need kingdoms and kingdoms need Kings. We don't get to choose whether or not kingdoms or reality of our world. They just are. I'm not going to sit here with you after the service and say so do you want there to be a kingdom in the world? There just is its reality and perhaps the two realities of our world, the two kingdoms are that of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of sin, and they might be communicated. There are many kingdoms, but if we take a step back and don't work, look at our world on the micro-level, but on, Macro. We begin to perceive this reality. There is the kingdom of God and the kingdom of sin. King Louis was unrealistic and had an inflated view of himself. He said he was ordained by God, but by his actions we see that he was not doing what was good or wise and there are many things that he did.

That do not glorify God. My question for you, what I'd like to explore with you this morning and Romans 6:12 and 14 is what kingdom do you ascribe loyalty Sue and your words in your heart and in your mind in what kingdom are you living in to what kingdom do? We say we are a part of and what kingdom do? We actually live as though, we are a part of because so often those two do not align, it is not my work here this morning to convinced you or to condemn you it is my work here this morning to communicate the word of God as its truth revealed and the Holy Spirit will act as he is faithful to do because it's who God Is. So if you would we stand with me for the reading of God's word from Romans 6 12 to 14. Starting in verse 12 of chapter 6. In the Book of Romans, let not send their for rain in your mortal body to make you obey. Its passions, do not present your members descend as instruments for unrighteousness present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from Death to life and your members to God as instruments. For righteousness, for sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under the law. But under God, under grace, this is God's word. Please take a seat.

Sentence for jumping in to what is about the middle of Romans to look at this text, I'd like to give us a little contacts. When we read the text, we should have some contacts. The Book of Romans is being written to the church at Rome by the Apostle. Paul, the Gentiles for the first time is Shore for one of the first times are experiencing the sense of importance that is been so laid on the Jewish people. The Jews have been expelled by the emperor Claudius and all the Jewish people laughed. And now, after his death, they are beginning to return until Paul as addressing issues that have come between the Gentiles and the Jews, they tend to have issues and in the church he's expressing what that looks like in the call to the gospel that they need to adhere to.

Intex, truly, we see in chapter 6 that the main thrust is that in Christ. We die too thin and live for God. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul is refuting or addressing the antinomian. You probably use that in a normal day, antinomian hits and only under those who believe that because of God's grace that we are not subject to the law in any way. Antinomian perceived that because God gives us Grace. We should actually send more cuz it actually tends to produce God's grace even more and so Paul address them and he said, rhetorically should we send that Grace May abound props and flying? That's what summer saying. He rebukes them by saying by no means in other words. Absolutely not no of course not, that's crazy talk. That's lunacy. We have one side or the it's no means those who believe because of God's grace we don't need to live in any certain way and we're all too familiar with legalism. So the thought is not to reject antinomianism to become a legalistic person. It's a hold intention. The reality. That what we do with our bodies matters, it is not learning Godfrey. But if we do not live in God's grace, we are not actively. Living out who we are in Christ. Luther puts it this way. Simultaneously, Saint and sinner. We live in the reality that we are synced of God. If we are in Christ, we acknowledge that sin, still affects us. After this part of the chapter, Paul then goes into what this looks like because he is just told them. If you've been baptized into the death of Christ on the cross, if you been baptized into that Union, then you are also raised to newness of life and that means that you are dead to sin and a life to God. He says, so in verse 11 of chapter 6 and now we get what that looks like, how that is supposed to play out and there lies. He says, let not sit in there for rain in your mortal body to make you obey its Passions. This might also be translated and maybe some of us need to hear it. Stop letting thin rain. Kings demand of their subjects, taxes Kings demand of their subjects Kings demand, royalty demands, any idea that we are not in a kingdom is nonsense, it's not reality. There are two kingdoms, it's not our choice. The reality is we are in the kingdom of God or under the kingdom of sin. And it before you disengage and say, I've got this in thing. Figured out my passions are pretty under control. I remember when I was the soul that I remember when I used to struggle, If you would in your own time, take a look at 1st, John 1:8. Find 1st, John 1:10. We says, if we say we don't have sin. We're Liars. now in verse 10 of 1st, John 1 we see, but if we send or we say, we do not have sinned rather We're not only lying. We're making God out to be a liar. So before you come with fire and brimstone upon me, what the text says. If we say we don't have sin, we're fooling ourselves.

But there's hope do not let sin rain, you no longer have to be subjecting your body to send Romans. 12:6 tells us. We know that our old self, the past was crucified with him. In order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. We used to be enslaved as if we are in Christ. That is no longer Who We Are. Lou tells us one may as well. Tell a drowning person to swim to shore as tell a person who is under sins Mastery. Not to let Satan Reign. If you were still under the power of sin and someone says stop sending not helpful to you. You're drowning you have no hope but if we are not subject to said if we are not under its power we know that there is hope and God in Christ gives us this power. If you are wondering what's in, Paul is talking about, you could look back to Romans 129 at the beginning of the book. When he addresses, some of the sins that come from not acknowledging. God, they're big words. But if you would hang on, for just a moment, they were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil covetousness covetousness malice, they are full of Entry MD, murder strike the seat maliciousness, they are gossips, Landers heaters of God hottie, boastful Adventures of evil disobedient to parents foolish, faceless heartless, ruthless, Send. And if we are wondering further, what is meant by, don't let Center. And we could look to Jesus Sermon on the Mount. Where he, and speaking to the Pharisees, they come to him and it's just common thing that happens to Jesus people want something from him. They just don't want him. They come to him, and, and they're talking to him, and they think that they're totally okay, they think that because of their righteousness, they under the law are right. You just tell them if your righteousness, does not exceed that if it meets, but if it does not feed out of the religious Elite, the Pharisees and the scribes that there is no salvation for you. So unless you're better than the most perfect people that there are around, you got nothing.

And he draws any drills into this reality. That it's not simply the actions that perhaps the Pharisees perceived. It was their hearts. It was their minds. He says, you've heard it said, don't murder because I say if you say to someone, you're a fool, you've murdered them in your heart. If you say you've heard, it said do not commit adultery. But if in your heart, You have lost, you commit adultery and if you get a chance to drive into the pervasiveness of sin and we so often, look at this surface-level action when it's our hearts and our minds and our imaginations that need to be Sanctified along with our actions, not apart from them.

This rain is one in subjugation and submission to the will of sled with thin which can explain a virus to its desires. I wonder if you notice the language to make you obey its passions. Where do you fit into that today? What are you thinking about when you go to sleep at night, what gets you through today? Wake up thinking about what is your hope. These things that drive us are not merely facts about us. They are our worship. It's not a part from these things that we are not to sin, but is in these things, we are called to righteousness. Sometimes the old person will raise its Zombie Fingers in our heart and it will come back to life. This old sinful Humanity that we are supposed to live apart from But in Christ, we are supposed to be who we are and become who God has made us to be at. Remember Pastor Ben's, sermon from 1st Corinthians become who you are. God doesn't call us to be something. We're not. He causes to be Who We Are. Now, please don't share me say that your body is worthless and disgusting and a nasty rag. That needs to be rejected. The Incarnation when God becomes man, when he becomes human and takes on the fullness of our Humanity has much differently. He says that our humanity is so important. So wonderful, so precious to him that he's willing to take on our Humanity, the infinite taking on finite. Impose not arguing at the body is the cause of sin, but rather that is the organ through which sin manifest itself so that Believers obey it.

Our humanity is worth saving. And we know that her body can be used as an instrument for good or for ill you not present your members to send as instruments for unrighteousness. But rather present yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from Death To Life instruments, think of a sword or, or a weapon of War, it can be an instrument and act. An object is not good. Beast on itself is good based on who is master over it. A sword in the hands of an evil person is used for evil. A sword in the hands of the righteous is used for righteousness. And so if we think of Our Lives as instruments of God's grace, Are we being used by God, or are we being used by sin? We have to present our bodies for that.

Notice here that it's not a degree of less life and more life. Often what we conceive of when we think of our life of before Christ, or in Christ, or what Christianity is, it's just a part of life. It's good, it's morality. Kids R Kids. What they need to know. Scripture tells us and what we see, and verse 13 is brought from Death To Life. And so if we are, we are thinking of ourselves in degrees, it's not a change of degree, it's a change of kind, so brothers and sisters, hear me now, you are not brought from less life to more life. You are brought from Death to life and if this does not describe you, I hope that you through Christ will come to him and find Salvation through him for their is salvation by no. Other means of Salvation is not something that is meant to be past tense for us. It's not a point in our peripheral which we ignore if we are Christians. Rather it is meant to be the active, defining Mark of everything that we do. I heard recently, if we forget the first commandment, you will have no other gods before me than everything else falls out of alignment. Will lead to a life of sin. But if we come to God and he is the only God, Then everything else will fall in line with that.

Am I use growing up with my family? We had a means of communication and this communication was via jokes. I always say sometimes to make a joke, you got a cracker.

but my family communicated via movies and Some movies tended to be at our vocabulary, or in our verbage more than not one of those movies, communicated things like that, which brings us together today or one of my favorite. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all that.

As the Wesley is laying on the table. The Miracle Worker is saying there's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. And I thought to myself is how is preparing I thought, There's a big difference between a live and mostly alive. No, brothers and sisters. You have the opportunity to live all alive. You have the opportunity to be who you are in Christ. And yet, if we live in to sin, we can be like the character Wesley laying on the table. Lifeless, and The Miracle Worker saying, we found out that he just mostly I hope this isn't true of you and yes, we should laugh at that movie because it's hilarious.

But I hope you wonder. Are you living? Mostly dead. Are you alive in Christ or are you just mostly alive? Are you living out who you are and mostly?

What are we offering our bodies to what we do with our bodies matter? So often we separate the spiritual and the physical and that is not meant to be the case. We are not meant to separate the physical and the spiritual Jesus, doesn't that wishes from Heaven comes down to earth uniting in himself, the spiritual and the physical And if we are in Christ, we are united to the life that is in him.

So if you're wondering what righteousness, this leads to, you could look at Romans 12:9. And it's a long list, so I won't read it all but I'll just give you a little teaser. Romans 12, verse 9. Let love be genuine. A boar or hate. What is evil? Hold fast, what is good? Love one, another with brotherly, affection outdo, one another and showing honor do not be slothful in Zeal. Be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord rejoice in Hope. Be patient in Tribulation be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of saints and seek to show Hospitality watch those who persecute you. Blasting do not curse if we're wondering what the life of righteousness. Looks like Paul is clear. Jesus is clear. It's not just the opposite of sin. When we get caught and negative prohibitions, do not Thou shalt not. We end up living in to those prohibitions. I had a teacher at Moody he when driving home this point that we have the opportunity to live into negative prohibitions by obsessing over them. He came up to me and he said, don't think about a blue elephant. Don't do it. It's not. You shall never. You will never

God doesn't give us negative prohibitions alone. There's either an implied opposite of what we are called to, but he also communicates that we are called to live in Christ to live life of righteousness to be instruments of righteousness, which is not that we are supposed to enter of ourselves. Work up the gumption to do the right stuff. Every day, present your bodies to God in this is the life that will flow from us for those who have been made alive. And I know is that's a tall order coming from Paul. I struggle with it every single day wearing against this body of sin. But there's hope in verse 14 and it really excites me and I hope it does for you to for sin will have no dominion over you. now, I think what we tend to hear is It will have lasted minion over you. And we do this degree game. It will have no dominion over you, you are brought from Death to life. Now, live like it since you are not under the law, but under grace

This is the promise of the reality for those who are in Christ who have been baptized into his death. He baptizes This Promise in his blood, And we have we are baptized into the same path as his, we are raised to the same newness of life. His hope that he gives us the first fruits. Of Our Hope in Christ.

These words are to be understood as a promise that is valid for every believer at the present time. Then shall certainly not be Lord now or ever.

The movie says there's no such thing as human autonomy. What? All people are slaves to something. The only question is whether the master will be thin and unrighteousness or God and righteousness friends, brothers and sisters people. I don't yet know

There are two kingdoms. They're not. Kingdom City, Instagram, either to their two realities. We live in two and live out of death or life. There is no neutral ground. What Master are we serving today? So I asked a question and I hope it's the question that you asked today and every other day and other words in different ways. Alive for what what have you been I made alive for? Where are you alive even now?

I encourage you to dangerous word, practice the spiritual disciplines.

Spiritual disciplines are not for the strong there for the week. And if something is worth doing, it's worth failing at and starting again tomorrow. And some of us today need to hear that. You should try again. God is big enough, his grace is great enough. Your pride might be too big. My pride might be too big that I just don't like feeling. I don't like to live with myself when I attempt to do DeVos every morning and then I realized we spent a few years

because I confuse my expectations with God's grace. That's why I asked a question. Do you hunger for God's word? Do you ache? The constantly, turn your face back to him. Are you living and accountability to your brothers and sisters in Christ? And accountability is to fold. It is both the support to be who we are. And it is also a friendly and loving and sometimes stinging rebuke when, we're not, cuz if someone loves you, you have to submit to their love. So, when they say, that's not good. For the for you, you listen, If we are not in those relationships in that community and submission to the body of Christ, we will be living out of the kingdom of sin. You are not meant to live in autonomy, I am not meant to live in autonomy.

Do you pray earnestly in the midst of your anxieties? You seek his hope, his peace, his resolutions. Whatever is going in your on in your life. Do you take credit for the good things that come your way or do you acknowledge through prayer and thankfulness? But is God in the face of Jesus Christ through him that you have received any of those good things.

Amen.

Leon Morris suggest. Godly living is a necessity, not an option. Really isn't if we have been given the grace of God, we have the greatest responsibility. There is, we do not have less responsibility than the Old Testament. We have the Holy Spirit who is uniting us to Christ. Brought us from death to life. We have the greatest responsibility

If this does not describe you, I hope that it will soon. I hope that if you are not in Christ that you will acknowledge that you were under the kingdom of sin and there is no worse place to be. I hope that the Holy Spirit Will convict you of your sin and dry you unto himself. And through him, you will be brought from Death to life. I would love to have that conversation with you. I would love to hear your fears and your doubts, and perhaps your anger, and your hurt, how you feel wronged and how you feel. The loving father has not been so, loving in your life. I would love to have that conversation.

Now for you Christians another encouragement, confess your sin. Cuz remember, we already acknowledged that it's there to some degree were affected by it inhabited by it either. In our emotions, our imaginations, our actions. There's some aspect of who we are. That needs to turn back to Jesus.

if you feel that repentance turning back is a capitulation to sin, it's not Repentance is turning back from your sin to God. There is no greater place to be even in confession. There is no greater place to be than in Repentance cuz we're turning away from everything else to come back to him. The confession is not us using up its us seeking life and living in the victory that we have in Christ.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book costly discipleship, he talks about cheap Grace, He talked about the reality that God's grace when it is given to those for United to Christ to Christians. When we don't live it out, we cheap in God's grace. He offers the idea that this cheap Grace happens when we don't live out, who we are, what we do with our bodies matters, who we are in Christ matters.

He says the life of discipleship is not the hero worship. We would pay to a good Master but obedience to the son of God. Following God is not an action. It is not one thing. It is the long road of obedience in One Direction. Can I see it again? It's the long road by obedience in One Direction, and I trust that statement because someone were Godly and smarter than me. And with more years of faithful service to our God said it. The Long Road in one direction, towards the face of Jesus, we live in the already. Not yet sin will have no dominion over you, but I feel like it does but it doesn't. We live in the already, not yet of the kingdom of God where it is here. And yet, it is coming.

And so we celebrate Advent and we seek peace. And we seek hope because it's really, really stinking hard to have peace and hope in this world. And so, I hope and I pray that we as a church, we as individuals and as a community will find Our Hope in Christ and that will be living out who we are not cheap, and in God's grace. And as we live out who we are, it's a costly. Grace Bonhoeffer says, it's a Grace that cost us. It's not a Grace that we learn, but it's a Grace. That means we give something cuz we were bought at a price. We are not our own.

But we are so thankful For Your Love, thankful for your grace. We know that we are undeserving of it and yet you loved us. When we were yet, your enemies, you died for us. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for this Grace. Would we live out who we are in Christ? Would we not put our lives and submission to Tustin In the name of Jesus. Amen.