Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
Good evening and welcome back.
I hope that everyone has had a good afternoon and maybe even got a nap in during this rainy old day.
This evening we are going to continue our series in Romans, and turn our attention to verses 12-17.
And tonight we are really going to be continuing on pretty much where we left off this morning.
Because at this point, we have gotten the point of Paul admonishing us and challenging us to live by the Spirit.
And I hope that this morning I was able to clearly communicate the message that Paul was trying to get across to the Christians in Rome...
Which is the same message that I believe God is trying to get across to us.
And that message is this…The Holy Spirit is a requirement of our relationship with God.
The Holy Spirit is not just an add on or an extra, but rather as the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is essential to our salvation and our walk with God.
Without the Holy Spirit, there is no walk with God.
The Holy Spirit has to be present and active in our lives.
And sanctification, or what we call entire sanctification is not so much the reception of the Spirit, as it is the submission of ourselves fully to the Spirit.
Willingly turning ourselves over to the Spirit.
So, Paul here has established the necessity of the Spirit, Paul is going to start to talk about now our obligations under the Spirit.
So, if you have found , ’d invite you to stand with me.
Again, we will be reading
Paul writes . . .
Scripture Focus
We Are Obligated
Now, it is almost as if Paul is repeating the same thing that we covered this morning.
And in many ways he actually is.
The point that Paul is trying to make is so important he is continuously repeating it over and over again.
He is trying to make the work of the Spirit in the lives of believers abundantly clear to these people.
And the reason why is because they are like we are many times.
They are stubborn and stiff-necked.
They are so head strong and their own self-will is so powerful that they are having great difficulty submitting themselves to the Holy Spirit.
Their mindset is that they are not going to submit to anybody, including God and that they will not bow down to anyone, including God.
“Nobody is going to tell me what to do” is their motto.
And people are no different today.
They are stubborn, head-strong, and self-willed; and nobody is going to rule over them.
And that is also why people do not experience victory in their lives.
They are so consumed with being right and getting their way, that they completely disregard God direction in their lives and things turn out to be a mess for them.
Paul here though tells them to hold on and wait just a minute.
He has talked at length about the sinful nature and the Spirit, now he tells them . . .
So, we do have an obligation, and if that obligation is not to the sinful nature, or not to ourselves, then who are we obligated to?
What exactly is that obligation then?
And this morning I sort of gave the answer away.
Our obligation is first and foremost to God.
And that obligation is fulfilled by loving and serving others.
That obligation is fulfilled by fulfilling the Great Commission.
An when we go and make disciples, we are fulfilling our obligation to God.
We are loving God with all our heart, mind , and soul
We are loving our neighbor as ourselves.
We are doing what God has called us to do.
So, tonight the first challenging question is, are we living up to our billing?
Are we doing as Paul instructs us in Ephesians?
Ephesians 4:1-
And many of us may say, “I don’t know if I am or not,” what does this sort of thing look like?
Glad you asked!
Paul writes this . . .
Ephesians 4:2-
So, it is being humble, gentle, patient, and bearing with one another…loving one another.
So, it is being humble, gentle, patient, and bearing with one another…loving one another.
Sounds a whole like like the Fruit of the Spirit that we talked about this morning.
And again, back to the main point, it is only possible when we are living according to the Spirit.
And the reason is because within ourselves, we have no power.
We can’t do this stuff within ourselves.
Jesus tells us . . .
It is the power to overcome, the power to endure, the power to be the people that God has called us to be.
The power to live a life worthy of the calling we have received.
It is only through the Holy Spirit that any of this is possible.
And tonight if we are just putting along and feel stuck, then is the Spirit in control?
Because if the Spirit is in full control (which all of us struggle with at times), then where we are stuck, God will un-stick us.
But we have to decide what we really want.
We have to decide which way we really want to go.
Life or Death-It’s Our Choice
Paul lays out our options for us next in verse 13 . . .
And that puts it in perspective how important our choice really is.
It is literally a matter of life or death.
And Paul is not talking so much about physical life in the here and now, but he is talking about eternal life.
And the decision is very, very similar to the same thing Moses told the Israelites.
Deut 3_15-20
Listen carefully to what Moses tells them . . .
I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.
Choices that we have to make.
He is not only commanding them but begging them to open their eyes to the truth.
Because if they do not change their ways, if they do not follow God . . .
And I wonder how many people today are sitting in church pews all over our land, who’s heart has turned from God.
Deut 30:17
They sit there week after week, year after year, going through the motions but their heart is so far from God.
Just like Jesus said, quoting Isaiah . . .
Matthew 15:8-
They are good at following all the rules but their heart is far from God.
And if you are here tonight and this describes you, then why?
Why are you continuing down this path that leads to destruction?
I tell you like Moses told the Israelites . . .
And you may be sitting there thinking, “it’s hard....it’s so hard....” and you are right.
It is not easy, but listen to the words of Paul the Apostle . . .
Romans 8:14
By accepting Jesus Christ and following Christ, we are the children of God.
God’s children with full access to the full measure of the power of God, granted to us by the Holy Spirit.
All we have to do is reach out and take what God has already given us.
Paul goes on . . .
Romans 8:15
If you are struggling in life, don’t be afraid.
Don’t live a life of fear.
Tap into the power that God has granted to you and cry out to God.
Cry out to your Abba, your Father!
Cry out and He will answer.
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