If Session 1: If Only
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INTRO
INTRO
I. If is a pwrfl little word.
A. Some people r stuck in "if only," trudging through lives marked with regret.
a. But God wants us 2 live lives marked w/ possibilities, w/ the "what if" attitude that looks forward 2 the future w/ confidence — Why?
b. Because, 4 Jesus Followers, the answer 2 "If God is 4 us, who can b against us?" is
1."No 1."
2. For the Jesus Follower, God is always on our side. Every day, in every way.
B. Who here has experienced “if only” regrets in ur life?
a. what is that like?
b. we can really become captive to it, can’t we?
C. Paul & his come 2 Jesus moment found in Acts 9
a. Describe
b. in it we get a glimpse o Paul’s “what if”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.
16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
1. Jesus is telling Ananias about Paul’s mission “carry my name b4 the Gentiles & Kings & Isr.
2. Presumably Ananias tells Paul this
c. What is Paul’s “what if?”
1. “What if Jesus died on a cross so that Gentiles along w/Jews could be saved in2 a new covenant?”
i. What if Gentiles really can be saved and become apart o God’s people?
ii. What if Jesus’ death & resurrection brought unity & equality btwn Jews & Gentiles??
2. Paul’s passion that he has on account o his “what if” is probably the fuel for his arguably 14 o the 27 NT books in our bible
II. Synopsis
A. We’re going to be spending a bunch o time in Ro 8 over the next 5(ish) weeks.
a. & over the course o this study we’re going to be tackling 4 if’s:
1. If only
2. As if
3. What if
4. No if’s and’s or but’s about it
i. Now let me just say...
b. Ro 8 is awesome & in it Paul describes
1. Life in the Spirit 1-11
2. Jesus Followers are heirs w/ Jesus 12-17
3. We have a future Glory 18-30
4. God’s love is everlasting 31-39
B. Today let’s look @
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
3 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,
4 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.
a. what are some things that stuck out 2 u about these 4 pwrfl vs?
III. Video
A. Let’s listen to a msg frm P. Mark Batterson
a. Play video
B. Initial Questions:
a. What stuck out to u about the video?
b. As for me:
1. P. Mark says o Howard Sholts that he gave up his $75,000yr salary to pursue his passion for coffee
i. What if we had such a passion for God & his kingdom?
ii. What might God accomplish through us?
iii. What kind o Holy Spirit inspired “what if’s might He plant in our hearts?
iv. How might God’s kingdom expand through u
-but I’m getting ahead of myself...
2. John Piper calls Romans 8 the greatest chapter in the Bible & P. Mark suggests It’s Masterpiece through Paul.
i. Do u agree?
ii. What is ur favorite chapter/ verse?
C. Tie In
a. Mark relates how Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks, reflected on the opportunity of a lifetime:
This is my moment, I thought. If I don’t seize the opportunity, if I don’t step out of my comfort zone & risk it all, if I let too much time tick on, my moment will pass. I knew that if I didn’t take advantage of this opportunity, I would replay it in my mind for my whole life, wondering: What if?
1. Have u ever had a “what if” moment like that?
b. The word opportunity comes from a nautical term referring 2 the moment in time when the tide would turn.
1. if a ship missed the turning of the tide, they’d have 2 wait 5 another tide to come in to ride into the harbor.
i. Not to shift gears, but let me ask u, do u have a favorite coffeehouse? A fav. caffeinated drink?
-My fav. coffee house is South Street Cafe (I sure miss it)
b. Mark describes his “what if” o a coffee house church (boy I like this guy)
1. Like Schultz, if Pastor Mark had given in2 fear / ignored his “what if” to chase doing church the way every1 else does church his “what if” might have become an “if only”
i. have u ever missed an opportunity that u regret?
ii. Illust. My what if:
-Call 2 b a pastor
-What if a sailor like me could become a pastor like that?
IV. Right Focus
A. Now, this book, out o context can sound like a call 2 chase ur dreams
a. which numerous secular authors have written over decades…
1. most o which r void o Jesus & so has very little eternal value.
2. This study is not that
b. I don’t think “Follow ur dreams” is not Mark’s hope 4 us when he wrote this book
1. & it CERTAINLY isn’t my hope 4 what we gain frm this book as well
B. My hope 4 u as we study Ro 8 through Mark Batterson’s book “IF” is about chasing ur GOD GIVEN Dreams…2 follow the H.S. in2 the works God prepared b4 hand that we could walk in them.
a. I hope that we can take what we’ve learned from Frances Chan’s Forgotten God:
1. that u can daily fellowship w/ & be lead by God’s spirit who lives in u
b. & then couple it w/Mark Batterson’s point that The God who dwells in u is 4 u & that means he wants to plant “what if’s” into ur heart.
1. These “what if’s” will have great kingdom impact & thus has eternal value!
C. Pastor Mark has a saying: Don’t seek opportunity— seek God, & opportunity will seek u.
a. This is the right focus!!
b. So, What r u seeking 1st: opportunity / God?
1. 4 those participating who are Jesus followers, what if God didn’t just save u from something…he saved u 2 something…take a look at what Paul wrote in...
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
i. Maybe, the good works prepared b4 us that we should walk in starts w/ 2 simple H.S. inspired words:
-“what if”
-U know there’s a diff. btwn a good idea & God idea
*There’s lots o good ideas we could b doing, but then there’s the GOD IDEA we should b doing
- I wonder if behind every God idea, there is a H.S. inspired “what if”
D. P. Mark took notice o 10 if’s in Ro 8 which, 2 some degree, inspired his book
a. These 10 if’s + up 2 infinite possibilities
b. B4 we get in2 that we gotta wrestle w/something
1. Is God actually 4 u… / against u?
BODY
BODY
I. God is or isn’t for u?
A. Paul asks this question in...
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
a. which he pre-supposes his readers already know
1. But, u can’t answer who can be against u until u settle in ur own mind if God is actually 4 u
B. What information do most people draw on to answer the question: “Is God For U?”
a. Often folks look at the circumstances of the world:
1. famine, war, plague, COVID, child death, injustice from Governments
i. we consider statements like:
-God is all powerful and ask if God is all powerful yet sits idly by can he really be good…
*can he really b 4 humanity
b. then folks consider personal circumstances:
1. tragedy, christians not practicing what they preach, illness, job loss
i. Then consider the same question:
-if God is all powerful yet sits idly by can he really b good…can he really b 4 me?
C. Where would u put urself on a holy confidence scale
a. On a scale of 1-100 do u believe God is 100% 4 u?
1. No really, please answer w/a #btwn 1 - 100
b. An important question
1. 100 - ur number = the amount o fear that has crept in2 ur rel. w/God
2. If u have subconscious doubts about God’s good intentions they’ll manifest in 1,000 forms o fear
c. consider Jn’s words in...
16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
1. the more we come 2 understand just how much God loves us & there4 is 4 us…that certainty devours our fears & we become perfected in love!
i. What if God IS for u?
ii. What if God is for u in EVERY way imaginable— beyond ur ability 2 ask/ imagine?
iii. What if God is for u FOREVER?
2. Let me say this:
i. God is for u in EVERY way imaginable— beyond ur ability 2 ask/ imagine FOREVER
II. Traps
A. There r 2 primary traps we fall into that hinder us from being certain God is for u.
— spoiler alert: the way out of these traps is found at the cross —
a. The 1st trap is the performance trap.
1. Simply put, how we feel about ourselves is tied more 2 our performance than 2 Christ’s redeeming work on the cross.
i. So we have ups & downs based on whether we’re winning / losing the battle w/ sin.
2. That battle is already won & u had nothing to do w/it!!
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
3 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,
4 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.
i. God did what we couldn’t do!!
ii. He sent Jesus who
- knew no sin
- to look like sin
- so he could pay for our penalty of our sin
iii. We forget that the penalty 4 our sin is paid in full
-that our sins r nailed 2 the cross.
* the result?
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
3. The only way out of the performance trap is coming 2 terms with the fact that ur salvation is 100 % by God’s grace!
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
i. Ur performance has nothing 2 do with it—not even 1 %.
- It’s all God.
ii. So we go all in & all out, not 2 receive God’s grace but in response 2 God’s grace.
4. Notice in Ro 8:1 it says “now no condemnation”!! (what’s condemnation?)
i. condemnation is a verdict o guilty w/ punishment 2 be carried out!!
ii. If u have accepted Jesus as Lord & savior by confessing & turning from sin, accepting Jesus life giving work on the cross & turning to God ur not condemned…no condemnation for u!!!
-so, our response to no condemnation is 2 go all in on following Jesus!!
b. The 2nd trap is the projection trap.
1. If u don’t believe God is 100% 4 u, perhaps it’s because u’re not 100 % 4 Him.
2. Quit projecting ur imperfections, ur shortcomings, on God.
i. He loves u perfectly, infinitely, & completely.
ii. There is nothing u can do 2 make God love u any more / any less.
iii. If u think God is holding out on u, perhaps it’s because u’re holding out on God.
3. The way out of the projection trap is the promises of God.
i. When Christ died on the cross, He paid for every promise (including no condemnation)!
-Every promise is yes in Christ.
-God hasn’t withdrawn His promises; we’ve withdrawn our faith.
ii. have u ever heard the statement: I love u, but I don’t like u right now…consider this:
-God loves u enough to die for u, & likes u enough to spend all eternity with you
c. Make it personal
1. Which trap do u fall into most frequently?
i. Is there a promise u need to start praying 4, believing God 4?
B. how do we know if God is for u?
a. Jesus sent his 1 and only son 2 die on a cross so that we could be in right relationship w/him forever…all we have to do is accept it by
1. Recognizing our sin
2. Trusting that God really did send his son 2 die on a cross to pay for our penalty (death)
3. Accepting it & turning to God through it
Saddest epitaf o the bible
17 Call the name of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, ‘Noisy one who lets the hour go by.’
noisy one who lets the hour go by…the man who missed his moment
Most people regret aren’t the things they did, but the things they didn’t do
it’s the
righteousness is more than doing nothing wrong
it’s doing something right
we often worry so much about not doing the wrong things & think we’re ok
but holiness is more than not doing the wrong things
consider this, people aren’t simply set aside (made holy) from something
often people are set aside for something!
Mark Suggests that what grieves God most isn’t sins of commission (the stuff we do) but rather sins of omission (the stuff he called us to that we missed)
But, As Pastor Mark says, before we can get to “what if”, we gotta get past our “if only’s”