2023.11.12 The Door Is Open
Notes
Transcript
The Door Is Open
The Door Is Open
Romans 6:2b-5 • Romans 5:1-8
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Yesterday was Veteran's Day. This may seem like a discussion better suited for Memorial Day, but...
PBS 2009 Documentary "Hallowed Grounds"
Today, all of our dead are sent back to the U.S.
22 American Cemeteries all over Europe from WWII
These cemeteries are visited annually by scores of Americans
visiting lost loved ones
reconnecting with history
The locals revere these cemeteries as hallowed ground
school children go on field trips to these cemeteries
women bring flowers to graves of men they never met
men weep at the sacrifice given by OUR countrymen on behalf of THEIR forefathers
Here, we have people who protest at the funerals of dead GI's
Public discourse includes those who hate America and all she stands for
not talking about people who simply disagree
there are people in America who hate America
A few years back Michael Moore became famous for seemingly hating everything about America's system of government and economy.
He has become a millionaire producing documentaries about how terrible it is to have millionaires in this country - IRONIC?
Our men and women died so that others would have the right to hate this country out loud!
These men and women don't realize the freedom they have.
More recently, we’ve seen women and LGBTQ protestors defending Hamas’ actions in Israel.
They seem blissfully unaware that Hamas would strip the women of any rights they have, and would likely execute the LGBTQ people.
Irony rarely happens on purpose. It usually happens because we’ve grown comfortable with something that we don’t realize is detrimental to us.
Prisoner with a life sentence
Warden comes and tells prisoner the governor has commuted his sentence.
Warden opens the door and walks away
prisoner remains in his cell – dumbfounded
breakfast comes … prisoner takes his breakfast tray under the bars like always ... even with an open door
The prisoner is too afraid to walk out the open door.
He doesn't realize what he's missing on the outside because he's been on the inside so long.
He’s grown comfortable with incarceration, so he can’t bring himself to CHOOSE freedom.
Paul writes basically the same story in the passage we used for our responsive reading:
Romans 6:2b–4 (NASB 2020)
2 How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
[pause]
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
7 for the one who has died is freed from sin.
Paul also wrote:
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
Last week we remembered the souls who helped us discover life in Christ. The traditional passage for All Saints includes [not on screen]:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
The Door Is Open
The Door Is Open
Look at your wrists.
Are there any shackles there?
Are there any chains there?
Then why are you still sitting in the jail cell?
If it's because that’s all you know … He will teach you a new way
If it’s because you think you can't do anything else...
Look at verse 6 from today’s reading...
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Hear Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of that passage:
6 Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway.
If you’re staying in your cell because it's become comfortable to you … how comfortable is it, really? You're miserable in your sin and you know it!
As God’s people were wandering in the wilderness:
14 And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.
Jesus says:
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For My yoke is comfortable, and My burden is light.”
On Memorial Day, we remember those who died in military service. For Veteran’s Day, we remember all who served.
These men and women served for our freedom. They defended your right to live the way you want to live, and perhaps we don't understand that as well as the people who were set free in WWII. They may appreciate that sacrifice more than we do because we have always lived free. Perhaps they appreciate it more because when they were liberated they experienced the ecstasy of walking out of their jail cell.
The Door Is Open
The Door Is Open
I can tell you I used to be dead in my sin. I didn't know God. I chose to walk my own way instead of His way. At one point, I rejected everything I was ever told about Christ!
According to Paul, it was at that moment that He died for me.
It was at that moment that He walked in, opened the door of my cell, declared me free, and invited me to walk out. But I didn’t. It took me a long time to finally leave.
Today, I know freedom, but I once knew captivity. Because of that, I will walk in gratitude. I have taught my children that we live in a free country because of the sacrifice of so many. And I continue to teach my children that I live with a free spirit because of the sacrifice of ONE!
In Jesus Christ, God the Father has commuted your sentence and opened the door of your cell.
Why remain there? Why stay in captivity, when you’ve been offered freedom?
You’ve been given a free choice. You have every right to continue living in the cell of your sin.
or you can walk out in freedom
you can walk out no longer under the sentence of your sin
you can walk out no longer under the control of sin
you can walk out no longer with chains on your wrists and ankles
you can walk out and follow in the footsteps of Jesus
you can walk out and run the race set before you
Hebrews 12:1-2
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Your chains are gone … the cell door is open … and you are free to go!
Why would you choose anything else?
[prayer of commitment - raise hands if you’re making a change today]