Sermon Tone Analysis

Text

"we also should walk in newness of life"

Introduction

Last week we looked at the growing faith of the nobleman from Capernaum.

He came to Jesus with a serious problem.

We called it a crisis.

It is in a crisis situation that many people come to Jesus for help.

Although the Jesus healed this man's son, we learned that something even more significant had taken place.

This nobleman believed Jesus.

He took him at his word and his faith in Christ was born.

We learned that his faith grew.

What started as a crisis faith developed into a confident faith.

It was further refined into a confirmed faith and eventually matured into a contagious faith.

As we meditate on the words Christ spoke to this man "Go thy way; thy son liveth", it is as if Jesus is saying to us "I am alive, go on your way"!

Do not stop with crisis faith - Go and Grow!!!

Declaration: We can and should have a New Life in Christ

Preposition: Would you describe your life in Christ as "New" - something different than you had before?

Transition: Notice with me this morning 3 important realities of our new life in Christ.

I.

The Position of Peace with God

A. Our Condition

Paul said that we have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

If we can have peace with God then it only makes sense that at one point we did not have peace with God.

Illustration: War & Peace- When we think of peace our minds often think of war and what it does to our world.

We think of the awful tragedies of war.... death, famine, destruction.

Civil War -700,000 Soldiers / WWII- 70 Million people.

Of course war is a certainty in our sin cursed world and until Jesus reigns it will continue.

One truth of war is the reality of opposing sides.

One side has a particular view and the other is in stark disagreement.

So much so that a war is going to be fought.

Blood is going to be shed!

In order to have peace with God, one needs to realize he is at odds with God!

Illustration: Lady with no concern for her soul- Alex and I were out soul winning this week and we knocked on a young lady's door.

She seemed very nice, had expensive jewelry on her hands, 2 nice cars in the driveway, a house full of beautiful furniture and even had a souvenir from her trip/trips to Hawaii on her front porch.

But when I enquired about her relationship with Jesus Christ she literally laughed and explained to me that she was just fine without and had no need for such a thing.

All to often people are not willing to acknowledge their condition.

B. God's Commendation

If we are going to experience a new life in Christ we must have true peace with God, but we must also realize the persistent problem of sin.

II.

The Persistent Problem of Sin

Romans 6:1-7

A. The examination of our sin (vs 1)

"shall we continue in sin"

Sin has played a major role in our lives from the moment we have been born.

B. The extermination of our sin (vs 2)

"dead to sin"

Paul is saying that through our new life in Christ we are to be "dead to sin".

Our sin problem was dealt with on the cross.

If we are saved, sin cannot condemn us, it has no authority over us eternally speaking.

However, our position in Christ does not always match our practice.

III.

The Principles for Victory

Romans 6:8-14

A. The Reckoning

"reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin."

Illustration: Reconcile Accounting Term- The word reckon is an accounting term.

It is where we get the term reconcile.

When we are running a business or even keeping track of our personal finances we will record what we have done and then the bank will provide us a record of what they have done and we will determine if the two records match and this process is called reconciliation.

Paul said reckon yourself- to be dead unto sin.

If sin was an account we drew from we need to write a 0 balance on that account because it is at 0- Its dead!

B. The Removal

Romans 6:12-13

"let not sin therefore reign"

Illustration: A Monarchy Government- When we think of a monarchy many of us think of the Queen of England.

Although today the position is relegated to a large degree by a parliament there was a time when the throne ruled with more absolute power.

Paul is saying that through the natural unrestrained nature of our flesh, sin can take this position of reigning and assert itself there.

We cannot allow this to happen.

Once it has taken this position we are vulnerable to following its orders.

We must remove it from the throne.

C. The Relinquish

"yield yourselves unto God"

same word used in Romans 12:1

"present your bodies"

Conclusion