Romans: From Rags To Righteousness (Part 9)

Pastor Rocklyn Clarke - Sunday December 12, 2010

© 2010 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

http://www.LifeChurchBoston.org/

*
Notes
V Introduction
V Bible Reading:
* OT Timeline:
* OT Contemporary Books:
> Review
V New Material
> Preparation
> Misc
V Romans: From Rags To Righteousness (Part 9)
V Raw Material
V Sermon Illustration:
* Our mission is not to permanently destroy the world’s system. It’s there to provide a “powerful delusion” for those who refuse to believe the truth. Our mission is to continually unravel the world’s system as a witness to the power and authority of God’s Kingdom.
V For the Message:
* Let the Ephesians 1 passage transform your thinking (Romans 8:5-6, racism as “2nd-hand smoke”)
* Romans 8
* You can do it too - let God design your relationships.
* You have what you need! Use what you have!
* God: “They have been given my Spirit; teach them to listen to him.”
V The more Word you plant in your heart, the easier it will be for you to hear God’s Spirit.
* Romans 12:1-2
* The Spirit reminds us of what Jesus said - John 14 - 16
* The way that I used TV to fight loneliness while Eva was away last night even though the Holy Spirit had told me to avoid TV during this period. This increased my vulnerability to sexual temptation.
* Use freedom - don’t worship it
* Lexical search on judging.
> Preparation - Romans 7:7-25
> Standing Issues
V Introduction
* Welcome to another service at the Hampton Inn & Suites.
V Welcome Cards -
* “I want to call your attention to the Welcome Card that you were given on your way into the auditorium”
V These cards do two things for us:
* They help us get to know our new visitors better.
* They also give anyone (visitors or members) a chance to express a need or to give us feedback.
* By filling it out you will help us to better serve you.
V We're going to provide time for you to complete the cards at the end of our service, but we encourage you to start filling them out now.
* Please use this card:
• if you’re a first time visitor or if you’ve never filled one out before,
• to tell us about a decision you made today,
• to ask us for more information, or to give us feedback.
Please include your contact information unless we already have it. At the end of service we’ll ask you to complete the card and then place it in the designated box or give it to someone from our staff on your way out.
* Transition
*
*
V Purpose of previous Sermon (Life Church Vision)
V Keep it real.
* The real gospel is righteousness by faith!
* Make sure that each of us understands the real gospel.
* Make sure that each of us communicates the real gospel.
* Drink from the river.
V Make it easy for others to drink.
* easy to connect with us,
* easy to stay with us,
* easy to grow with us,
* easy to serve with us!
V Purpose of last week's Sermon (what listeners should do)
* Identify with Jesus' death.
* Accept what Jesus' death has done for us.
* Identify with Jesus' life.
* Embrace what his life does for us.
* Paul: " . . . you are not under law, but under grace." - Romans 6:8-14
* Our next passage is an explanation of this previous one.
* Read Introductory Passage - Romans 7:1-6
Do you not know, brothers — for I am speaking to men who know the law — that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.
So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
*
* Read the Passage - Romans 7:7-25
What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
* Exegetical Idea
The old way of the written code doesn't work because our flesh is infected with sin.
V What does this mean?
V "The flesh" - Our physical nature, non-spiritual:
* The "flesh" tends to rely on itself.
* The "flesh" tends to seek to please itself.
* These characteristics make the flesh a place where sin lives.
* The "flesh"
* You are a living system. You can only be healed / sanctified by a living system. When you focus on the law your (flawed) personality is the only one operating. When you mind what the Spirit says his personality enters the picture and your personality has something to submit to.
V Is it True? Do I believe it?
* My own experience - focusing on a rule often backfires.
* People in 12-step recovery programs: "postpone your next drink"
V What difference does it make? So What?
* The law can't sanctify us!
* Jesus Christ can!
* Homiletical Idea:
Help! My flesh has me whipped!
V Purpose of the Sermon (what listeners should do)
* Stop trying to earn God's favor by keeping rules.
* Stop trying to achieve sanctification by keeping rules.
* Rely on Jesus' completed work and the Holy Spirit's ongoing work.
* Purpose of the Sermon (what listeners should do)
V Stop trying to earn God's favor by keeping rules.
* We covered this.
* The rules can't save you!
* Understand that righteousness comes by believing what God says.
* Listen to what God is saying.
* Believe what God tells you.
V It's about the relationship
* You can't be "at peace" with God when you are violating his will, even if you "feel at peace" with him.
*
*
*
V Stop trying to achieve sanctification by keeping rules.
* The rules can't sanctify you.
V Share illustration of the law failing because of our disability:
*
*
*
* Share excerpt from "Catch 22"
V Sanctification "Catch 22"
* I want to be sanctified.
* Only God's presence though the Holy Spirit can sanctify me.
* I mistakenly think that I have to be holy to get into God's presence.
* I try to "clean my self up" before going to God by using the law.
* The law fails me (as it must) so I never go into God's presence.
* I never experience sanctification.
*
V Rely on Jesus' completed work and the Holy Spirit's ongoing work.
* Illustrate opening the door and walking boldly into God’s presence.
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*
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*
*
V Conclusion
* To be continued . . .
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V Altar Call / Welcome Cards / Communion ?
* Welcome Cards - refer to script
* We're almost ready to close this portion of our service, but first we want to give you a chance to respond to what you've heard.
* Earlier in the service we mentioned the welcome cards and we encouraged you to begin filling them out.
V Right now we want you to complete your welcome card. We especially want you to use this card if:
* if you’re a first time visitor
* if you’ve never filled one out before,
* if you want to tell us about a decision you made today,
* if you want to ask us for more information, or to give us feedback.
* Please be sure to include your up to date contact information unless we already have it.
* MC & Worship Team continue with tithes, offerings, and worship
* Benediction - Numbers 6:24-26
“‘“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
* Men's Prayer
V Life Group Material
V Life Group Word Material
These are sample discussion questions / topics. Your life group leaders may choose to adjust these questions, substitute new ones, or spend the Word section of the meeting in a different way altogether.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
V Romans 7:1-6
Do you not know, brothers — for I am speaking to men who know the law — that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives? For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.
So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
V Discussion Questions / Topics:
* Does your behavior this past week demonstrate that you died to the law? In what ways? Discuss.
* Are you serving in the new way of the Spirit or in the old way of the written code? What does this mean to you? Discuss.
V Romans 7:7-25
What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
V Discussion Questions / Topics:
* How has the law (i.e.God's law) made you aware of sin in your life?
* Do you delight in God's law in your inner being? Discuss.
* Do you see another law at work in your body? Discuss.
V Life Group Witnessing Activities
V Galatians 3:1-14
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Have you suffered so much for nothing — if it really was for nothing? Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
V Witnessing Questions / Topics:
* Do you know anyone who is trying to be righteous by following rules? How would you explain righteousness by faith to them?
* How can your life group do a better job of helping people to receive righteousness by faith? What can you do as individuals? As a team?
> Scriptures For 12/12/2010 Life Church Sermon
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.