Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Romans 7:14-25 “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.

But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.

So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.

But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which i…”

I want to talk to you this morning about shifting your focus.

Get in the flow of the Spirit

Introduction:

Did you know that there are rivers in the Ocean?

When you stand on the beach looking out, it seems like the water is just going in one direction, toward the shore.

However, there are currents flowing through the ocean.

We were warned, when we were on vacation and visiting a small island off the east coast Mexico, that if you get too far from shore the current would pull you away from the island and your body would be found on the West side of Cuba.

Many Christians are confused by Romans Chapter 7, and then again confused by Chapter 8.

Many think that they can not stop sinning (chapter 7), and then they think, there is no motivation to stop sinning because if they are a Christian there is no condemnation (chapter 8).

First of all, you have to know that God is for us.

Consequently, the Law is for us.

Chapter 8 tells us that verse 1 is not all there is to it.

We can’t just read verse 1 and say, wow, no condemnation and then not read the rest of the chapter.

verse 4 tells us that God had a purpose for rescuing us from the law of sin and death.

He said, so that, so that is a greek word that indicates reason and purpose.

His purpose was so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Should I begin with Chapter 7 and explaining (my Romans 7 paper) what is missing, or should I begin with this illustration of my problem?

Also, should I go into some detail about Romans 6 and what we need to know?

Should I begin with Chapter 7 and explaining (my Romans 7 paper) what is missing, or should I begin with this illustration of my problem?

Also, should I go into some detail about Romans 6 and what we need to know?

Ok, what I was thinking when I was lying in bed was about when Ron suggested that I memorize Romans 6, 7, and 8.

I remember that I thought about how when you are living the Christian life in your own strength you fall into pride because you think that you are doing good.

You are able to check off in your mind the things you are doing right and when you run into a problem you tend to think that other people are the cause of your problems.

Romans 6 is about knowing things and it is not that we don’t need to know things, because we do, but knowledge can make a person arrogant.

So, I had memorized chapter 6, but when I came to chapter 7, I didn’t like it.

My spiritual pride could not accept the fact that the great apostle Paul had a problem with sin.

Now, you have to understand that our mind is very capable of rationalizing everything to keep us from realizing that we are having a problem with spiritual pride.

This problem was right in the middle of my blind spot (Matthew 7:3-5).

The big problem comes when we try to take on the Law and the law of sin all by ourselves.

Romans 7.

That is why, if God gets through to us, we end up crying out “wretched Man that I am.”

The worse thing is if we continue to be successful in overcoming every sin except that of pride.

Pride is very insidious.

One can even be proud of his or her humility.

Pride can blind you and prevent you from recognizing the hurt you are causing.

That can and does happen when people cut everyone out of their lives except those who agree with them.

(A thing to flout).

There is a more excellent way.

There was a popular song many years ago called, “What’s Love Got to do with it?”

Well, unlike the song, love has everything to do with it.

Be kind to one another…

The word and the Spirit are necessary elements in transformation!! We need both!!

Something is missing from Romans Chapter 7.

Samson: Did not know that God had left him.

The key is here.

Being in the flow of the Spirit, being in the presence of God.

There may be 7 steps to whatever, but relationships rely on sensitivity, selflessness, and humility.

Your relationships cannot exist on doing things because we should but because we want to.

If you tell your… that you love them because they need to hear it, it is not going to mean…?

Seven Steps for Overcoming Sin

by Steve Moody

Overcoming sin―changing―should not be left to chance.

A definite plan is needed.

What steps can we take to ensure success?

God has called Christians to a life of change.

Peter summarized it this way in Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.”

Both “repent” and “be converted” are translated from Greek words that involve change.

Repent is translated from the Greek metanoeo, which is defined as “change one’s mind” (Frederick William Danker, ed., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature).

“Be converted” is from the Greek epistrepho, defined as “to change direction” (ibid.).

Any major project, whether building an office building, taking an extended trip or having a wedding, requires planning.

Any task worth doing is worth devoting meaningful thought and preparation to.

Christian conversion―overcoming sin―is no different.

Here are seven tried and tested steps that, if used, will help us in overcoming sin.

Step 1: We must want to overcome

This sounds simple.

However, too many people fail to change because they really don’t want to expend the time and effort necessary to make the changes they need to make.

We will tell ourselves, “I want to overcome this problem.”

But then we will not do what is necessary to overcome.

Most of us realize that we will always find time to do the things we really want to do.

If there is something we really want to do, we generally don’t let anything stand in the way of our doing it.

However, it is also natural to keep putting off those things we really don’t want to do.

So why don’t we overcome those harmful habits, wrong words and evil thoughts that so easily beset us?

We must ask ourselves, “Do I really want to overcome them?”

How much effort and planning have we put into making the changes we need to make?

Changing old habits―ways of doing things, ways of thinking and speaking—is not easy.

Sometimes such changes are literally painful (especially if there is a physical addiction to overcome).

And changing any old habit of thought, word or deed is not easy because the change takes us out of our comfort zone.

Old ways of doing things are comfortable.

We follow those ways automatically.

To change will require constant alertness, effort and a willingness to face the discomfort of change.

Therefore, the first step is to determine that we really want to change badly enough to expend the needed time, effort and planning.

We will never follow the rest of these steps unless we really want to change.

Step 2: Clearly identify the sins we need to overcome

To honestly search for and see our own sins is unpleasant.

Why?

No correction is pleasant (Hebrews 12:11).

Even self-correction is unpleasant.

However, self-correction is less painful than being corrected by someone else.

We don’t like to see the areas of our lives that need change.

It is painful to see our failings.