"New Life"

Call to Worship   We’re gathered to catch our breath, with God as our shepherd. No need to be afraid when God walks by our side. God’s trusty shepherd’s crook makes us feel secure. How glad we are, knowing the Lord’s love chases after us every day!  Come home!  This place is God’s house, and it’s a place for all people.

 For all our lives, we have a place and a shepherd!                  

Opening Prayer

Caring God, we’re nurtured by you in every place, but today we give you thanks for this particular place where we gather. As we worship you, we’re filled with gratitude for your protective embrace. Encourage us, enable us, and then send us out with confidence, eager to do your will with our words and our deeds.  AMEN

Moment for Stewardship

Scripture: "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." - 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)

Invitation: "As we prepare to give our tithes and offerings, let us do so with joyful hearts, knowing that we are supporting the work of our faith community and honoring God with our gifts. Please give generously and with a spirit of gratitude for all that we have been blessed with."

Prayer

God of all the sheep, those who remain close to you and those who stray, those who are always faithful and those who are lost: be with us today! Help us take a look at our lives and our relationship to you. Bring us close, draw us in, for we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

Romans 6:4-5 New International Version 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.

“NEW LIFE”

I. Introduction

The concept of new life is central to the Christian faith, and it is beautifully articulated in Romans 6:4-5. As believers, we are called to die to our old selves and rise again to new life in Christ. This process of transformation can be difficult, but it is essential for our spiritual growth and maturity. In this passage, the apostle Paul reminds us of the power of Christ's resurrection and the hope that it brings for our lives. Through faith in Jesus, we can experience the joy and freedom of new life, leaving behind the old patterns of sin and brokenness and embracing the abundant life that Christ offers us.

New life can be found in the experience of Harriet Tubman, the famous abolitionist who led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Tubman herself had escaped slavery and risked her life to return to the South to rescue others.

Tubman understood the transformative power of new life, both physically and spiritually. She saw the potential for new beginnings and second chances in those she helped to escape, many of whom went on to build new lives and families in the free North. Tubman's life is a powerful testimony to the hope and possibility that new life brings, not only in this world, but also in the life to come.

New life is that through baptism into Christ's death and resurrection, believers are given a new life that is free from the power of sin and death.

I. New Life in Christ-4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

In this verse, Paul uses baptism as a symbol of the believer's union with Christ. Just as Christ was buried and then raised from the dead, believers are also buried with Christ through baptism and raised to new life.

The phrase "buried with him" indicates that believers are united with Christ not only in his death but also in his burial. This emphasizes the completeness of the believer's identification with Christ's death, as well as the finality of the death of the old self. The phrase "into death" suggests that believers not only die with Christ but also participate in his death as a means of obtaining new life.

The phrase "in order that" suggests that the purpose of being buried with Christ is so that believers can live a new life. This new life is made possible by Christ's resurrection and the power of the Holy Spirit. The phrase "just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father" emphasizes the source of Christ's resurrection and suggests that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to believers as well. Exegesis: Paul describes the spiritual reality of the believer's union with Christ in his death and resurrection. He uses the imagery of baptism to illustrate this reality, saying that we were buried with Christ through baptism into death. This indicates that our old sinful nature, which was subject to death, was put to death with Christ on the cross. But the death of Christ was not the end of the story. Paul goes on to say that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. This is the new life in Christ that he refers to in the thesis of this section. It is a life that is no longer dominated by sin and death, but is characterized by righteousness and freedom. Furthermore, Paul emphasizes that this new life is made possible by the glory of the Father, which raised Christ from the dead. It is not something that we can achieve on our own, but is a gift of grace that we receive through faith in Christ. Overall, this verse highlights the crucial role of Christ's death and resurrection in bringing about our salvation and new life in him. It emphasizes the importance of our union with him in this process, and the need for us to continue to rely on his grace and power to live out this new life. Baptism is a powerful and symbolic experience. When someone is baptized, they are fully immersed in water, representing their old life being buried and washed away, and then raised up out of the water, symbolizing their new life in Christ.

This is similar to what Paul is talking about in Romans 6:4, where he says that we have been "buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

Through baptism, we participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus, and are raised to new life in him. Just as the person being baptized is fully immersed in water, we are fully immersed in Christ, buried with him in his death and raised with him to new life. This new life is one of freedom from sin and death, and it is a powerful reminder that our identity is no longer found in our old way of life, but in Christ alone.

I want to remind believers that your identity and worth are not based on the circumstances of your birth or the color of your skin, but rather on your identity in Christ. Through baptism, you have died to your old way of life and have been raised to new life in Christ, free from the bonds of sin and oppression. This truth can bring a sense of liberation and empowerment, inspiring believers to live with confidence and boldness in your calling to love and serve others as Christ did. It can also serve as a reminder that our struggles and hardships in this life are temporary, and that our ultimate hope and identity are found in the eternal life with Christ.

In Conclusion,

New Life in Christ The importance of putting off the old self and embracing the new life in Christ cannot be overstated. In Romans 6:6-7, Paul states that our old self was crucified with Christ so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin. This means that through faith in Christ, we are set free from the power of sin and death that once ruled over us. As believers, we are called to live a new life in Christ, characterized by righteousness, holiness, and obedience to God's commands. This new life is not something that we can achieve on our own, but it is a gift that is freely given to us through faith in Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 4:22-24, Paul exhorts believers to "put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." This means that we must actively seek to shed our old way of life and embrace the new life that God has given us in Christ. Living this new life requires a daily commitment to follow Christ, to seek His will and His ways, and to put off the things of the flesh that once held us captive. As we do this, we will experience the fullness of life that Christ has promised us, and we will become more like Him in every way.

Benediction

May the truth of the new life we have in Christ be constantly on our minds and in our hearts, leading us to live each day as a reflection of his love and grace. May we continually put off the old self and put on the new, being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. And may we never forget that our hope and assurance are found in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who conquered sin and death so that we might live a new life in him. Amen.