Off the Hook

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Introduction

October 2, 2006 Matt Swatzell and Erik Fitzgerald forged a permanent bond

Matt was a firefighter - working 24 hour shifts

End of hard shift, he had no rest

Dozed of 3-4 seconds, drifted, and went head on

In hospital, police officer said, “I don't know if anyone's told you, but June didn't make it', and, by the way, she was seven months pregnant, and the baby didn't make it either."

Of course, he was devastated and overcome with guilt

He said, “I’m supposed to be a helper — the EMT and the paramedic and fireman that helps in these tragic situations, and here I caused this."

In court, June’s husband Erik (pastor) got to speak to the judge at sentencing

He remembered a line from a sermon, "In moments where tragedy happens or even hurt, there are opportunities to either demonstrate grace or exact vengeance.”

In that moment, he chose grace and decided to forgive Matt

He asked for leniency from the judge, not the maximum

Rather than jail time, he got a fine and community service

Forgiveness is a powerful force

Something that we faulty humans depend on everyday to get by

We’re learning about how God’s ability to forgive us, has changed everything for us

YouVersion: Off the Hook

We’re in Romans 8:1-17, and we’ll jump to 31-39

Remember, we’re asking 4 questions in this series:

1. Why do we need salvation?

2. How did God provide salvation?

3. How can we receive salvation?

4. What are the results of salvation?

Today, we’re answering all of them

Romans 8:1–2 (ESV)

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.

Notice two things

There is no condemnation, means we are not found guilty

Set you free, means we are not under the power of sin

1. Jesus frees us from the guilt and power of sin

This works because God would never condemn Jesus...

And so He doesn’t condemn those who are in Jesus

Think of it this way: You can’t drown your foot if your head is out of the water

So you won’t be condemned, if Jesus is not condemned

The flip side: If you are not in Jesus

There will be condemnation

Notice when Paul says this

Last week, he went through his struggle in the flesh

But he ended with

Romans 7:25a (ESV)

25a Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Then he says, there is no condemnation!

Because we’re not under the OT Law

We know we can’t earn it, our flesh won’t let us!

But under the Law of the Spirit of life, we are set free!

Which means we are free to do things that sin doesn’t dictate

Why do you disciple people? Because you’re free...

Why do you serve the needs of others? Because you’re free...

Why do you speak encouragement to people? Because you’re free...

We’ve all done plenty to get on the hook

But only Jesus can let us off

Why? Here’s what Paul says:

Romans 8:3–8 (ESV)

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. 5 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. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 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. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

(Last week) The Law is good, but it doesn’t help us

Why? The Law is good, but we are not

2. Your flesh cannot please God

Can you see without the sun? No!

The sun is a good thing to help you see, right?

If you’re totally blind, can you turn the sun up bright enough to help you see? No...

The Law didn’t do much good, because we were blind...

Jesus talks about this very thing:

John 9:39 (ESV)

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

We know Jesus healed the blind, but He didn’t come to poke eyes out

He’s saying people who were blind - sinners - can start to see the light

But the Pharisees who believed they were holy - actually revealed that their sin had blinded them

Why? Because they were Law followers

But, do you think they actually followed the Law? Some, but not to completion

That means they fell short

That should have shown them they were not righteous, and yet, they believed they were

So Jesus calls them blind...

Chuck Hughes was in great shape

Professional football player, WR for Lions

October 24, 1971, Lions played Bears

Det was losing by 5 in the 4th quarter

Greg Landry threw to Chuck Hughes at the 37

Next play, Hughes was a decoy, Landry to TE Charlie Sanders in the end zone, and dropped

1:02 left on the clock, they came running back

Suddenly, Hughes - who was 28, best shape of his life, collapsed on the 16 clutching chest

He passed away right there on the field - only NFL player to die on field

Why? On the outside he was in great shape! Healthier than most! Young, vibrant, athletic!

But he had a heart issue - one coronary artery was 75% blocked

He died of a heart attack

On the outside, the Pharisees were in great shape too

Lofty prayers, big flowing robes, positions of honor in synagogues

But they also had heart issues

Healthy people often say, I don’t need a doctor! I’m fit as a fiddle!

That outward appearance tricks them into thinking they’re good

But it’s the very thing that keeps them from seeking help they need

You may do a pretty decent job compared to the rest of us

Never missing church, reading bible everyday, serving in every ministry

But if you do that and think, “I don’t need God! Look how holy I am!

That prideful heart will make you drop - you still need Jesus

But when you do turn to Jesus, everything changes:

Romans 8:9–11 (ESV)

9 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. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 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.

Once got a call in CA at church

Is your church Spirit-filled

That’s a hard question to answer! But it shouldn’t be...

What was she asking? Do you speak in tongues, perform healings, roll on the floor...

We don’t do that - but that certainly doesn’t mean we’re not filled with the HS

Being born again and being filled with the spirit is the status of every Christian!

If you don’t have the spirit, you are not saved

If you are not born-again in the spirit, you are not saved

Remember, this is about dying to flesh, and living as God’s new creation

When that happens, the HS literally lives in you!

Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV)

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

John Nelson Darby: “The presence of the Holy Spirit is the keystone of all our hopes.”

The HS leads you to Jesus

Leads you to honor Him

Leads you to look like Him

And works on your heart

You might say it this way:

3. The Holy Spirit leads us to life

The fact that we are alive in Christ, keeps us from death

Remember, if the head doesn’t drown, the foot won’t drown

But He is also alive in us!

The old flesh was too dark and sinful a place for Christ to dwell...

So He made us new, clean creations where He can live

Let’s go on and see what that means:

Romans 8:12–17 (ESV)

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 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!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 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.

Anyone watch Downton Abbey? SPOILER ALERT

Character names Thom I really liked

He began as the chauffeur - hated the elite aristocracy

But he fell for the family’s daughter - they ran off and married

Soon after, she became pregnant and died in childbirth

Thom was still in the family, he was adopted in

As it goes, certain commoners tried to pull him back

Certain aristocrats tried to push him away

At one point, he wants to visit the workers of the house

They are the ones he knew best

But he didn’t want to rock the boat, so he stayed away

Watch this scene:

Play Downton Abbey scene:

Notice what she said - “You have a new identity”

That’s a lesson we can learn too!

Tom was married into the Crawley family

Didn’t matter what people thought, that was the truth

He claimed all the rights and privileges to go with that

Just like Tom became a part of the Crawley family...

4. We are adopted into God’s family

You may have old friends from the flesh - want to keep pulling you down

Let’s have a drink, go to the club, meet some girls...

You may have people in the church that think you don’t belong

I know your past, you shouldn’t be here, you’re not good enough

Here’s the truth, just like Tom became a Crawley...

Every believer has been adopted into God’s family

And you have every right and privilege that goes with that

It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about it

You are a child of God, period.

This phrase, “Abba, father” is like daddy - papa!

We’re so close to God, we can call him our dad...

You know what that means for us?

Read on:

Romans 8:31–35 (ESV)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Up until this point of the series - we know how bad we are

We’ve talked about sin, how that leads to death, we’re helpless, God is a righteous judge...

You might think God is against us

But when you think of how far God went to save us...

How could He not be for us?

He left His throne to come here, He walked and lived with us, He died for us, even while we sinned!

You think He went that far to still be against us?

If you are a Christian, God is for you!

You messed up, but He is for you!

You were ignorant, but He is for you!

Your flesh still brings you down, but He is for you!

Here is the truth:

5. In Christ, we have everything we need

It can be hard to accept that though, when we’re so spoiled

We think we don’t have enough when we don’t have what we want

We think we don’t have enough when we’re a little uncomfortable

Tim Keller: “As many have learned and later taught, you don't realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.”

Someday, you will stand before God almighty and look up at His throne

And He will pass judgment on you

You won’t be thinking about gas prices

You won’t be thinking about who the president is

You won’t be thinking about all the plastic in the oceans

Those things are only important for a little while, not eternally

No, when you come face to face with the Father, you will know what a holy God looks like

And you will understand your sin in comparison to Him

And the only question you will have is, “Do I have the blood the Jesus, or not?”

And so it serves us well, to ask that question now

It’s the only thing that matters in everybody’s situation

Romans 8:36–39 (ESV)

36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The world has been trying to stamp out Christ since the beginning

I just said Jesus is the only thing that matters, and that’s true

Fear of the world can throw you into a panic!

But here’s the truth:

6. No one can take us from God

The world can destroy your property

Take your family

Kill your body

But God cannot be taken from you

John 10:28 (ESV)

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Can’t be done, it just can’t

The world will try and try and try, and it will lose

If only you trust Him with your soul

If you know Jesus, you’re off the hook

It’s so simple, church!

If you know Jesus, you can’t get any more righteous than you are right now!

Do you know Him? Do you love Him? You’re good to go...

Remember the story of forgiveness I opened with?

Erik forgave Matt for falling asleep at the wheel and killing his wife and unborn child

2 years after, Erik went to store and noticed Matt getting into his truck

He decided to approach, and Matt was sitting there

He had purchased a condolence card and was crying his eyes out

Erik gave him a huge hug and told him he forgave him

Matt: "That was the biggest relief I’d ever felt. He just said from the start that he forgives me. Just hearing him say those words, it just impacted my life completely.”

Today, Erik is remarried, and he has another baby

In fact, his new baby was born on the same due date as the son he lost

And Matt and Erik have become really close friends

They forged a bond that they said is unexplainable, that they’re like brothers

Think about that church - what forgiveness has done

Erik said, "June's in heaven. And one day, we'll get to all kind of hang out. God's a big God and I think that's going to be a great day one day."

Vengeance creates enemies, but forgiveness creates families

Got could have been satisfied enacting vengeance on you

Punishment for all of you sin

Instead, He chose forgiveness

And now, we are children of God

Prayer