Life In The Spirit
Notes
Transcript
ME
Illus.: As a kid I grew up watching Saturday mornign cartoons. Any body here do that when you were a kid? Do they still even offer Saturday morning cartoons? I guess that is sort of a thing of the past with on demand everything in our world.
As I think back to my childhood, one my favorites was Tom and Jerry. I used to love to watch the constant battle that existed between the two as Tom tried to catch Jerry, but was always out foxed by the mouse.
One of the things I remembered most about the cartoon was a recurring them that would pop up as one of the two would struggle with some sort fo moral dilemma. They would have an angel pop up on one shoulder and a devil on the other. The angel would compel them to do something bad, and the angel would compel them to do the right thing.
WE
This scenario was a common way of expressing a moral dilemma and the battle that we all go through as we experience a battle between doing the right thign versus the wrong thing.
The fact is that as we follow Jesus we all deal with this battle. The battle between following God or following this World.
We face this...
When are tempted to compromise at work
When tempted to try something at a party
When dealing with conflict at school
When someone posted something ludacris on social media
So, how do we follow God and not this world?
GOD
Today, I want to invite you to join me in Romans 8:1-11. Just before this in Romans 7 and Paul is talking about the internal battle that waged within his as he sought to serve God but struggled in his flesh.
Let me read for you Romans 7:15-23 just to help us understand the context of Romans 8...
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Do you ever feel like that? Do you ever struggle like that?
Paul was describing a battle between the Spirit of God that lived within his soul and his flesh that he lived in. Paul’s battle is our battle. It is the battle of every believer to learn to walk by the spirit and not in their flesh.
How do we live in the Spirit?
Walk in Freedom & Not Bondage.
Walk in Freedom & Not Bondage.
Paul begins this chapter with a very powerful statement in...
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
When we read the word condemnation we are missing some of the idea that Paul is talking about. We tend to think of condemnation as someone saying something bad about us.
Illus.: A friend of mine posted a picture of his wife sitting at a table drinking a cup fo coffee. Folks started to post bad and condemning things about the place she bought coffee at. I couldn’t not reply, so I did. I replied because they were being condemning and it was totally unwarranted.
However, the idea that Paul was trying to communicate is this idea that as followers of Jesus we are no longer in bondage. We are free. We are no longer slaves to sin.
Illus.: There has been a lot of talk about slavery as of late in our country. I am not trying to dive into that conversation today, but I do think a good definition of a slave helps that conversation and our conversation today. A slave is someone who is owned by someone and doesn't have a choice about what they do.
This is what it is like before we follow Jesus Christ. We can’t help but choose evil.
However, when we come to know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are set free by Christ and we have free will to choose the things of God or not. Thus the battle
Why is there no condemnation?
Check out v. 2...
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Paul makes it clear here that we are set free becuase of the atoning work of Jesus Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.
Notice, that our freedom in Christ is not a birthright or a constitutionally endowed right like our citizenship in our country is.
It is a freedom that was bought by Jesus, but we must also chose to walk in.
How do we walk in freedom?
I want to share two things that are necessary to walking in the freedom that Jesus has obtained for us. I will go ahead and give you a hint. The first one it easier than the second one.
(1) Surrender Your Life To God.
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,
Notice, that Paus speaks of the law here. Also, note that the problem of the law it was not the law itself, but man’s inability to keep the law. The nation of Israel couldn’t stay surrendered to the law.
Therefore, God made a new covenant with mankind. That covenant is one of grace where He sent His Son to die on a cross so that we might live. However, we have to surrender our lives to God to receive that forgiveness and grace.
If you are here today and have never surrendered you life to Jesus, there will be no victory in this battle until you surrender your life to Him.
[GOSPEL]
(2) Stay Surrendered To God.
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.
Notice, the last line of this verse. We must not just initially surrender in order to live free, but we must continuall surrender. This is a continual action.
Jesus put it this way...
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Are you daily taking up your cross and following Jesus?
It won’t work just on Sundays.
Set Your Mind On The Spirit & Not The Flesh.
Set Your Mind On The Spirit & Not The Flesh.
Right off the bat Paul makes it clear that our thinking is important to this battle between the Spirit and our flesh. If we want to live in the Spirit, we’ve got to set our minds of the right things.
Check out the options...
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.
Here Paul says that there are really just two options...
(1) The Things of the Flesh
What does it mean to set my mind on the flesh?
It means to adopt the thinking of this world. It means that you get your source of information and decision making from this world. It even means that even if you get info from Christians you need to compare it to God’s Word.
Illus.: I have heard this statement for as long as I have been a pastor. “The church is becoming like the world.” I have thought long and hard about that. I personally believe that the way the church has become like the world is not in music, style or programs. I believe that greatest way we’ve become like the world is in our thinking. Our decision making.
(2) The Things of the Spirit
What does this mean?
This means that we allow our thinking to be focus upon and controlled by the Lord.
Illus.: Talk about folks who have set their mind on the things of God see everything through the lense of Scripture. There is not secular and sacred. [Refer to Al Mohler - BRIEFING]
Why is this so important?
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.
Paul gives several reason why our thoughts matter...
(1) It’s a life or death matter.
How can our thoughts lead to death?
Illus.: Talk about the man in our previous church who left his wife because he didn’t think they were that compatible.
Your thoughts impact your actions.
(2) It’s the difference between rebellion and submission.
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.
Note, that the mind of one who is set on the flesh cannot submit to God. That is the mind of lost person.
(3) It’s the difference between pleasing God and not pleasing God.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Illus.: Talk about how I have taken care of the animals when Julie was gone this weekend. They haven’t always listened to me. They have upset me when they didn't obey me.
How do I fix my thoughts on the Lord?
(1) Start every morning with prayer.
(2) Begin every day in the God’s Word.
(3) Find someone to be accountable to.
(4) Take fleshly thoughts captive.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
Follow The Spirit & Not Your Flesh.
Follow The Spirit & Not Your Flesh.
Paul begins this section of chapter eight by talking about how the Holy Spirit is the sign of a follower of Jesus. Check out what he says...
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.
Paul talks here about how as a follower of Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us. Living in us.
With that comes the beautiful reality that we can hear from and be lead by God.
Illus.: Talk about my prayer each day is that I would be led by God’s Spirit and here from Him through His Word.
That’s not just a promise to preachers.
Why is this such a big deal?
Paul shares at least two reason why the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is so vital to this battle...
(1) As long as you have the Spirit, you have hope.
But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
(2) As long as you have the Spirit, you have power.
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.
How do we follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit?
(1) Worship
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
(2) Don’t Quench the Holy Spirit
Do not quench the Spirit.
(3) Don’t Grieve the Holy Spirit
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
YOU
So, what now?
(1) If you are not a follower of Jesus, you are unable to defeat the desires of your flesh and walk by the Spirit. You cannot do it on your own. You need God to do what He promises in...
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
So, will you surrender your life to Him today?
(2) If you are a follower of Jesus, walking in the Spirit is not jsut a possibility it is a command. We must walk in the Spirit. Therefore, I want to encourage you today to...
Walk in Freedom
Set Your Mind on The Spirit
Follow The Holy Spirit
These are not ideals these are essentials for your life.
WE
If we would stop walking by the patterns of this world, we would