Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

As I thought about this sermon topic and the text from which the Lord would lead me to preach, I began to think about the two dangerous ditches we could fall into regarding a theme, and I before I preach from , want to spend a little time explaining and warning us of these two contemporary problems:

Problem # 1

A prosperity gospel ditch.

The prosperity gospel is one that essentially says that we are all fine, we kinda need Jesus, but instead of a biblical gospel of faith and repentance; the proponents promise a life of ease, comfort, and prosperity IF the one believing has enough faith.

It’s almost as if we simply need to align our way of thinking just right in order to see God move in our lives: and not just move, but move according to what we (individually/personally) would define as success or making it.

“Understand this: God will help you, but you cast the deciding vote.

If you choose to stay focused on negative elements in your life, if you focus on what you can’t do and what you don’t have, they by your own choice you are agreeing to be defeated.

You are conspiring with the enemy by opening the door and allowing destructive thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes to dominate your life.

On the other hand, if you’ll get into agreement with God, if you’ll focus on your possibilities, your faith can cause God to show up and work supernaturally in your life.

Your faith will help you overcome your obstacles in your life.

Your faith will help you overcome your obstacles and allow you to reach new levels of victory.”

Osteen, Your Best Life Now 2004, 74.

Problem # 2

A neo-gnostic ditch (neo-new: gnostic-knowledge)

Gnosticism is a belief in a “revealed knowledge.”

First Century gnostics believed in a split between the physical and spiritual and taught that one needed to “hate” the physical body.

This revealed knowledge would essentially allow the spirit to be freed from the physical body, allowing it to return to the light.

Neo-gnosticism simply means “new gnostic, or new knowledge.”

A modern-day example of this may be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

They have a new knowledge about the scriptures and God that you don’t have.

You need to believe and practice these correctly in order for you to have freedom in Christ.

Another example, maybe more subtle, might be those who practice a form of what I call “get it right Christianity.”

You might also call it “legalism,” or “Phariseeism.”

If you aren’t living and doing exactly right, you may not be a Christian and/or you may be walking in continual sin.

Neo-Gnosticism says, “we know the way and you don’t.

The way is whatever we say it is.”

ReThink by: Walking in the Newness of Life (4)

So let’s understand that we will be steering clear of these two ditches and begin by reading what scripture says beginning in .

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

Today we’ll learn to ReThink what we think about by remembering to walk in the newness of life and by remembering that we who are in Christ are not in bondage anymore.

ReThink by: Walking in the Newness of Life (4)

We ReThink What We think about by understanding that we walk in a newness of life through trusting Christ and following in baptism.

Let me break this down because I don’t want you to leave today saying, “well, I’ve been baptized, so I’m good.”

In his commentary on Romans, Tom Schreiner says, “The reference to baptism is introduced as a designation for those who are believers in Christ.

Since unbaptized Christians were virtually nonexistent, to refer to those who were baptized is another way of describing those who are Christians, those who have put their faith in Christ.”

Baker Exegetical Commentary: Romans, 306.

Friends, this “newness of life” that Paul talks of here can only be descriptive of the glorious work of the life-giving gospel that alone transforms one into not just a follower of His, but a biblically mandated disciple!

Believer, are you here today within a new year yearning for a way to rethink your life; particularly your thought life?

The cure is not found in self-help books, attending a seminar, or tapping into the inner strength and becoming a better you, but in the gospel itself!

Think with me about the visible picture of baptism: you were walking in sin, you then put on the clothes of righteousness offered by Him alone, died to yourself and was raised in complete newness and life!

Friends, in order to walk in newness of life and call oneself a disciple, one simply MUST be baptized!

Please don’t mishear me or understand that I believe and teach baptismal regeneration, but think of it in this way: is there any valid reason a believer in Christ would refuse baptism?

I’m not talking about those who received Christ on their death bed or those limited number of people with physical disabilities who are unable, but those who consciously refuse a scriptural command.

Believer, we ReThink the way we think by believing in His Word AND obeying it.

Notice Paul’s wording here in verse 4: “we were buried…we also should walk in newness of life.”

Paul makes two assumptions in verse 4. The first is in using the plural pronoun “we.”

Walking in newness of life assumes that “we” have and are following His commands.

Paul is assuming that ALL believers have been baptized.

The second assumption: baptism meant something to those being baptized.

When we grow cold in our faith, or get sidetracked, it’s generally because we’ve forgotten the meaning of the Gospel and it’s implications on our lives.

Believer, our first encouragement today is that we simply need to remember the gospel and obey the biblical teaching of what a disciple should look like.

Seeker or unbeliever, I have bad news for you.

You will not leave here feeling uplifted, but for a reason: The reason is that it would be unloving for me to tell you to go and be the best you while knowing the truth.

The truth is that if you haven’t repented of your sins and trusted Christ as your Savior, you’ll live the best life you can apart from Jesus until you breathe your last breath and then says the judgement comes.

You’ll be condemned to death as a lawbreaker and sent to a literal hell as punishment.

Friend, ReThink by receiving the free gift of salvation that only comes through Christ.

Repent, or turn from your sins and believe and receive the Good News of the gospel; that Christ died in your place to take your penalty upon Himself that you can have eternal life beginning now.

ReThink by: Remembering our likeness with Him (5)

ReThink by: Knowing we are no longer slaves of sin (6)

We ReThink by walking in newness of life and...

ReThink by:

We have already touched on the connection and picture that baptism portrays by symbolizing our baptism to His death and how that leads to walking in newness of life

ReThink by: Knowing we are no longer slaves of sin (6)

Let me read verse 5 along with 6

Let’s use the phrase “knowing this” in verse 6 as a focal point.

What are we knowing?

We know that our old self (or man) was crucified with Him

Old Self

Think about the times when people use the phrase “the old me.”

They’ve

broken out of addiction.

lost an incredible amount of weight.

been freed from an abusive relationship.

overcome any number of things that would cause them to refer to “the old me.”

In this case, the “old self” is the unregenerate person, you before you were born again.

Friends, in order for you to have a new life in Him, you MUST have an “old self!”

Crucified with Him

Through His finished work on the cross and our identification with Him through faith and repentance and the following symbolic act of baptism, we were crucified with Him.

The purpose of this is that the body of sin would be done away with

Listen to how Paul explains this in Galatians:

Being crucified with Him allows us to have the ability and freedom to no longer walk as slaves to the world and to sin, but to think, act, and see the world through His eyes as a disciple of His.

The purpose of this is that the body of sin would be done away with

Body of Sin

Paul isn’t being literal here and saying, “you’ve been changed-born again, now your body will die and you’ll receive a new one or simply enter into heaven.

It’s figurative language that conveys that sin does not have dominion over the now Saint, and death holds no power as it only ends an earthly, physical body and makes way to a new, perfect, and heavenly one at the proper time.

Done away with

This is where I enjoy reading various translations of scripture when studying.

The NKJV and the NIV read the same here-using done away with.

Friends, this language shares with us the certainty that sin has been defeated in Christ!

Why?

That we would no longer be slaves to sin (6)

Paul uses the same type of language in

The idea is that there is a not just a sense of bondage, there is actual bondage.

The idea is that there is a not just a sense of bondage, there is actual bondage.

Since we are Rethinking this morning, think of it in this way: we live in a spiritual world and there are only two controlling interests; the majority are found under Satan.

The Bible says we are born into sin and are at enmity with .

This is our natural state.

The other spiritual world is that of the God’s through the Lord Jesus Christ.

And in fact, there is bondage in both of these.