Mark 1: Lifelong Discipleship Formation
Vital Congregations Journey • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsNotes
Transcript
Our reading today comes from . It is one of the “Great Therefores” in the book of Romans. Paul’s letter to the church at Rome has been said to have 3 of these, which begins with:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
would be another:
would be another:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
And , which we will be looking at this morning. Before we get there, let’s pray and ask God to enlighten our minds to understand this passage from His Word.
And , which we will be looking at this morning. Before we get there, let’s pray and ask God to enlighten our minds to understand this passage from His Word.
PRAYER
Very good, so let’s get into our text now.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Many of you hearing the opening words of this passage need to hear it again and again, and again. You need to have it written on your mirrors, you need to underline it in your Bibles, you need to memorize it, internalize it, and learn to live it.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
You’re going to fail
If there is no condemnation then why do we so often feel so condemned? Why when we’re honest with ourselves do we end up in the place where we cannot see the justifying, sanctifying work of Jesus in us? Do you and I as Christians even want to pursue Christ anymore?
Are we simply recipients of that cheap grace that Bonhoeffer talks about that we put on ourselves and say that we’re good!
Paul would say, “NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!”
In chapter 7 of this book, Paul has just been wrestling with the issue that though he does not want to do wrong, do evil, get caught up in sin, he continues to do so.
Paul - the pharisee of Pharisees, - listen to how he describes himself:
though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
Philippians 3:4-
Yet as he shares with the church in Rome, he himself struggles with sin. He counts himself chief among sinners.
One more brief segue to remind you of Peter. Peter’s entire time with Jesus on this earth stands within two commands from Jesus. The first is the initial call.
And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
and the last is after Peter had denied him 3 times even after promising that no matter what the other disciples did, he would never deny him.
(This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
John 21:
Still Jesus calls him, “Follow me.”
There is a truth here that I think we often overlook in our relationship with God -
God expects you to fail far more than you expect yourself to.
God loves you anyways.
The question for us is are we going to be people to live by the spirit, or by the law?
Are we going to be people who spend our life pursuing God, or do we see Jesus as a sort of myth that we believe in as children, but that really has not bearing on our adult lives.
Discipleship is a lifelong process.
One preacher put it this way:
“Every morning when I wake up I thank the Lord for another day and ask, ‘What do you have for me to do today?’ I don’t know the number of my days, but He knows, and I just put my trust in the Lord.” - Ruth B.
A missionary put it this way:
I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made. I am a disciple of
Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,
back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present
makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,
small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,
chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,
promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by
presence, lean by faith, love by patience,
lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace
is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my
road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,
my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,
diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the
presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,
ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until
Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,
and work until He comes. And when He comes to get
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear.