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Notes
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Introduction
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Bible Reading:
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OT Timeline:
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OT Contemporary Books:
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Review
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Romans: From Rags To Righteousness (Part 9)
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Raw Material
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Sermon Illustration:
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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.
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For the Message:
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Let the Ephesians 1 passage transform your thinking (Romans 8:5-6, racism as “2nd-hand smoke”)
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Romans 8
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You can do it too - let God design your relationships.
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You have what you need! Use what you have!
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God: “They have been given my Spirit; teach them to listen to him.”
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The more Word you plant in your heart, the easier it will be for you to hear God’s Spirit.
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Romans 12:1-2
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The Spirit reminds us of what Jesus said - John 14 - 16
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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.
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Use freedom - don’t worship it
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Lexical search on judging.
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Living by the Spirit means letting the Holy Spirit review my commitments.
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Make disciples - build ministry that will last.
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Sanctification affects money (lust of the eyes), sex (lust of the flesh), and power (pride of life).
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Minding the things of the Spirit includes:
• Maintaining an open life
• The flesh is concerned about what other people will think about you.
Sanctification involves the Body of Christ.
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Preparation - Romans 7:7-25
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Select the Passage - Romans 7:7-25
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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.
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Study the Passage
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NIV
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Hebrew Study Bible
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KJV
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The Message
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NASB
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RSV
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Discover the Exegetical Idea
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The old way of the written code doesn't work because our flesh is infected with sin.
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Analyze the Exegetical Idea
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Explain It: What does this mean?
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"The flesh" - Our physical nature, non-spiritual:
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The "flesh" tends to rely on itself.
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The "flesh" tends to seek to please itself.
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These characteristics make the flesh a place where sin lives.
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The "flesh"
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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.
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Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?
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My own experience - focusing on a rule often backfires.
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People in 12-step recovery programs: "postpone your next drink"
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Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
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The law can't sanctify us!
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Jesus Christ can!
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Formulate the Homiletical Idea:
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Help! My flesh has me whipped!
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Determine the Purpose of the Sermon (what listeners should do)
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Abandon any attempt at sanctification by keeping rules.
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Decide How to Accomplish This Purpose
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Outline the Sermon
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Standing Issues
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From a word Bishop gave me:
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Make sure people do something with God's message.
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Make it plain:
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Use accessible language.
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Use modern day parables based on every day occurrences:
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Sitting at a stop light
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Driving through a green light
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Approaching a yellow light
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Being cut off in traffic
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Going shopping
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Going to a mall
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Going to school; sitting in class
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Going to work; sitting in your office;
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Keep it simple.
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Use illustrations of truth out of my own experience.
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Impart faith to obey the Word and receive God's promises.
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Introduction
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Welcome to another service at the Hampton Inn & Suites.
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Welcome Cards -
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“I want to call your attention to the Welcome Card that you were given on your way into the auditorium”
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These cards do two things for us:
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They help us get to know our new visitors better.
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They also give anyone (visitors or members) a chance to express a need or to give us feedback.
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By filling it out you will help us to better serve you.
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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.
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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.
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Transition
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Purpose of previous Sermon (Life Church Vision)
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Keep it real.
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The real gospel is righteousness by faith!
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Make sure that each of us understands the real gospel.
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Make sure that each of us communicates the real gospel.
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Drink from the river.
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Make it easy for others to drink.
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easy to connect with us,
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easy to stay with us,
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easy to grow with us,
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easy to serve with us!
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Purpose of last week's Sermon (what listeners should do)
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Identify with Jesus' death.
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Accept what Jesus' death has done for us.
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Identify with Jesus' life.
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Embrace what his life does for us.
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Paul: " . . . you are not under law, but under grace." - Romans 6:8-14
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Our next passage is an explanation of this previous one.
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Read Introductory Passage - Romans 7:1-6
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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.
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Read the Passage - Romans 7:7-25
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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.
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Exegetical Idea
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The old way of the written code doesn't work because our flesh is infected with sin.
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What does this mean?
|
|
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"The flesh" - Our physical nature, non-spiritual:
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The "flesh" tends to rely on itself.
|
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The "flesh" tends to seek to please itself.
|
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These characteristics make the flesh a place where sin lives.
|
|
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The "flesh"
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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.
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Is it True? Do I believe it?
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My own experience - focusing on a rule often backfires.
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People in 12-step recovery programs: "postpone your next drink"
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What difference does it make? So What?
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The law can't sanctify us!
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Jesus Christ can!
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Homiletical Idea:
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Help! My flesh has me whipped!
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Purpose of the Sermon (what listeners should do)
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Stop trying to earn God's favor by keeping rules.
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Stop trying to achieve sanctification by keeping rules.
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Rely on Jesus' completed work and the Holy Spirit's ongoing work.
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Purpose of the Sermon (what listeners should do)
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Stop trying to earn God's favor by keeping rules.
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We covered this.
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The rules can't save you!
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Understand that righteousness comes by believing what God says.
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Listen to what God is saying.
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Believe what God tells you.
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It's about the relationship
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You can't be "at peace" with God when you are violating his will, even if you "feel at peace" with him.
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Stop trying to achieve sanctification by keeping rules.
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The rules can't sanctify you.
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Share illustration of the law failing because of our disability:
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Share excerpt from "Catch 22"
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Sanctification "Catch 22"
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I want to be sanctified.
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Only God's presence though the Holy Spirit can sanctify me.
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I mistakenly think that I have to be holy to get into God's presence.
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I try to "clean my self up" before going to God by using the law.
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The law fails me (as it must) so I never go into God's presence.
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I never experience sanctification.
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Rely on Jesus' completed work and the Holy Spirit's ongoing work.
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Illustrate opening the door and walking boldly into God’s presence.
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Conclusion
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To be continued . . .
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New Material
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Answer some of last week's discussion questions
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Preparation
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Expository Preaching
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Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through the preacher, applies to the hearers.
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Select the Passage
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Study the Passage
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NIV
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Hebrew Study Bible
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KJV
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The Message
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NASB
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RSV
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Discover the Exegetical Idea
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Subject
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Tools: How, Who, What, When, Where, Why
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Complement
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Analyze the Exegetical Idea
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Explain It: What does this mean?
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Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?
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Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
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Formulate the Homiletical Idea
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Determine the Purpose of the Sermon
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Decide How to Accomplish This Purpose
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Make it plain
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Use accessible language and modern parables.
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Make sure people do something with God's message.
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Keep it simple.
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Use illustrations of truth out of my own experience.
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Impart faith to obey the Word and receive God's promises.
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Outline the Sermon
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Misc
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General
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Use examples that appeal to men.
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Make the Life Church Basic Training project-oriented - give everyone a ministry project.
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http://home.regent.edu/ruthven/2Worlds.htm
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You learn a lot about a person's spiritual maturity by how they respond to a rebuke.
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Always impart faith along with with the purpose of the sermon - Heb 4:2
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Develop a confession of faith regarding talking to God
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I can talk to God and he talks to me.
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I don't have to know how God is guiding me. I just need to trust his Word that he is guiding me.
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Not many fathers - 1Cor 4:6-17
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Fathers must influence.
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In search of a father.
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Don’t waste discipleship opportunities.
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Give people a way to demonstrate their hunger (as a qualification for discipleship).
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Faith comes by hearing - Romans 10:17
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Prep congregation for unchurched
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This Day In Black History: . . .
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Music
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Everything Is On The One - Parliament/Funkadelic
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Keep Their Heads Ringing - Dr. Dre
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Today Was A Good Day - Ice Cube
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My Mind Playin' Tricks On Me - Getto Boys
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Cosmic Slop - Funkadelic
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Let Me Clear My Throat - DJ Kool Feat. Biz Markie & Doug E. Fresh
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Specific
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Teach men what to do with their strength. Pimp or Papa?
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Structure the service to fight consumerism. Make sure that everyone has a way to contribute to the service (i.e. setting up, cleaning up, etc.)
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Prayer Teaching:
I’ve got so much to do today - I need to pray (Martin Luther?)
We need God’s help in our day to day lives:
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“Luck” management
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Character management
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I need God’s Word to live.
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Start every day with a Word from God. - Matthew 4:4
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For the message:
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Illustration:
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What do I have to do Lord?
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Children need rules because their brains are not fully formed yet. Adults need rules in situations where relationship has not yet been established. 1Tim 1:9-11
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Review and Correct teaching on Jewish feasts.
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Romans: From Rags To Righteousness (Part 10)
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Raw Material
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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.
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Use freedom - don’t worship it
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Lexical search on judging.
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Preparation - Romans 8:1-17
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Select the Passage - Romans 8:1-17
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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
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Study the Passage
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NIV
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Hebrew Study Bible
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KJV
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The Message
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NASB
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RSV
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Discover the Exegetical Idea
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Through Christ, the Holy Spirit sets us free from bondage to sin and death.
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Analyze the Exegetical Idea
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Explain It: What does this mean?
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In Christ, God condemned sin in the flesh, enabling us to fully meet the righteous requirements of the law, by living according to the Spirit rather than according to the flesh.
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Because we have the Spirit, we can mind the things of the Spirit rather than the things of the flesh.
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This enables us to live according to the Spirit.
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Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?
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Yes - it has happened in my life.
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Yes - I've seen it happen in other lives.
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Yes - The gospel changes lives - 1Corinthians 6:9-11
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Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?
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We have clear strategy for living according to the Spirit - minding the things of the Spirit.
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Christians (those belonging to Christ) have the Spirit living in them. - Romans 8:9
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The Holy Spirit transmits life to us so that by the Spirit we can put to death the misdeeds of the body.
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Those who are lead by the Spirit of God are actually his sons.
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Our inheritance as sons depends on our sharing in Christ's suffering.
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What is the nature of our suffering? - Romans 5:3; Heb. 2:18
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Formulate the Homiletical Idea:
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Bondage to sin - the Law couldn't rescue us, but Jesus did.
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Determine the Purpose of the Sermon (what listeners should do)
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Understand that Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death.
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Understand how to walk according to the Spirit by minding the things of the Spirit.
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Make a commitment to walking according to the Spirit.
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Decide How to Accomplish This Purpose
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Outline the Sermon
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Standing Issues
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From a word Bishop gave me:
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Make sure people do something with God's message.
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Make it plain:
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Use accessible language.
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Use modern day parables based on every day occurrences:
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Sitting at a stop light
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Driving through a green light
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Approaching a yellow light
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Being cut off in traffic
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Going shopping
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Going to a mall
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Going to school; sitting in class
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Going to work; sitting in your office;
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Keep it simple.
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Use illustrations of truth out of my own experience.
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Impart faith to obey the Word and receive God's promises.
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Introduction
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Welcome to another service at the Hampton Inn & Suites.
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Welcome Cards -
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“I want to call your attention to the Welcome Card that you were given on your way into the auditorium”
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These cards do two things for us:
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They help us get to know our new visitors better.
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They also give anyone (visitors or members) a chance to express a need or to give us feedback.
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By filling it out you will help us to better serve you.
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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.
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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.
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Transition
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Purpose of previous Sermon (Life Church Vision)
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Keep it real.
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The real gospel is righteousness by faith!
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Make sure that each of us understands the real gospel.
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Make sure that each of us communicates the real gospel.
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Drink from the river.
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Make it easy for others to drink.
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easy to connect with us,
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easy to stay with us,
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easy to grow with us,
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easy to serve with us!
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Purpose of previous week's Sermon (what listeners should do)
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Identify with Jesus' death.
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Accept what Jesus' death has done for us.
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Identify with Jesus' life.
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Embrace what his life does for us.
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Purpose of last weeks Sermon (what listeners should do)
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Stop trying to earn God's favor by keeping rules.
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Stop trying to achieve sanctification by keeping rules.
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Rely on Jesus' completed work and the Holy Spirit's ongoing work.
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Paul: " . . . you are not under law, but under grace." - Romans 6:8-14
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Romans 7:1-6 is an explanation of this previous one.
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Read Introductory Passage - Romans 7:7-25
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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.
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Review Of Romans 7:7-25
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The law is NOT sin. The commandment is holy, righteous, and good.
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The law makes us conscious of sin.
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In my inner man I delight in God's law.
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Rom. 7 describes someone who is a slave to God's law in his mind, not someone who has rejected the law.
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God is not calling us to reject the law altogether - just to reject trying to be sanctified by it.
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Read the Passage - Romans 8:1-17
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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
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Exegetical Idea
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Through Christ, the Holy Spirit sets us free from bondage to sin and death.
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What does this mean?
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In Christ, God condemned sin in the flesh, enabling us to fully meet the righteous requirements of the law, by living according to the Spirit rather than according to the flesh.
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Because we have the Spirit, we can mind the things of the Spirit rather than the things of the flesh.
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This enables us to live according to the Spirit.
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Romans 8:1-17
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Before I understand that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, I live according to the flesh even though I try to mind the law (not the flesh).
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After I understand the revelation of Christ, and that the law can't sanctify me, I should stop trying to be sanctified by the law and turn instead to minding the things of the Spirit. If I choose not to do this, then I am choosing to mind the things of the flesh.
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Is it True? Do I believe it?
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Yes - it has happened in my life.
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Yes - I've seen it happen in other lives.
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Yes - The gospel changes lives - 1Corinthians 6:9-11
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What difference does it make? So What?
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We have clear strategy for living according to the Spirit - minding the things of the Spirit.
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Christians (those belonging to Christ) have the Spirit living in them. - Romans 8:9
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The Holy Spirit transmits life to us so that by the Spirit we can put to death the misdeeds of the body.
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Those who are lead by the Spirit of God are actually his sons.
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Our inheritance as sons depends on our sharing in Christ's suffering.
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What is the nature of our suffering? - Romans 5:3; Hebrews 2:18
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Despite this series, many of us still have the law and rules as our "go to" approach for dealing with sin.
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When we're confronted with a problem in the life of another believer, we all to quickly point them to a rules and tell them to shape up.
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It would be better for us to develop our relationship with them to the point where we could assess the quality of the time they spend in god's presence.
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Homiletical Idea:
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Bondage to sin - the Law couldn't rescue us, but Jesus did.
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Determine the Purpose of the Sermon (what listeners should do)
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Understand that Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death.
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Understand how to walk according to the Spirit.
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Make a commitment to walking according to the Spirit.
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Understand that Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death.
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Summarize the preceding analysis of exegetical idea.
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Understand how to live according to the Spirit.
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The more of God's Word you plant in your heart, the easier it will be for you to hear God’s Spirit.
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Romans 12:1-2
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The Spirit reminds us of what Jesus said - John 14:25-26
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The Spirit speaks only what he hears. = John 16:5-15
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The ministry of the Spirit:
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Before salvation, the Holy Spirit's ministry to us is to lead us to surrender to Jesus.
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After salvation, the Holy Spirit's ministry to us is to make us more and more like Jesus.
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Living by the Spirit means paying attention to what the Holy Spirit is saying. I was so focused on Eva coming down the aisle at our wedding that I couldn't hear my groomsmen cracking jokes.
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Make a commitment to walking according to the Spirit.
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What could you do right now to begin living according to the Spirit?
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What is the biggest obstacle in the way of you living according to the Spirit?
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What is the biggest obstacle in the way of you minding the things of the Spirit?
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What is the biggest obstacle in the way of you spending time with God?
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Conclusion
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You have what you need! Use what you have!
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God: “They have been given my Spirit; teach them to listen to him.”
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Lordship - Not asking God to help you with the puzzle you picked out, but rather asking him to pick out the right puzzle for you.l
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Altar Call / Welcome Cards / Communion ?
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Welcome Cards - refer to script
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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.
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Earlier in the service we mentioned the welcome cards and we encouraged you to begin filling them out.
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Right now we want you to complete your welcome card. We especially want you to use this card if:
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if you’re a first time visitor
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if you’ve never filled one out before,
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if you want to tell us about a decision you made today,
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if you want to ask us for more information, or to give us feedback.
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Please be sure to include your up to date contact information unless we already have it.
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MC & Worship Team continue with tithes, offerings, and worship
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Benediction - Numbers 6:24-26
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“‘“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.”’
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Men's Prayer
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Life Group Material
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Life Group Word Material
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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.
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Romans 8:1-17
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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
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Discussion Questions / Topics:
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What did you set your mind on this past week? How did what you set your mind on affect your ability to obey God?
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How much time did you spend with God this past week? Did he say anything to you? If so, what did he say and did you write it down?
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Some people aren't willing to spend time with God until they can transform themselves to be holier. Others go ahead and spend time with God and experience transformation and holiness as a result. Which of these best describes you? Discuss.
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What makes it easier/harder for you to spend time with God?
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How will you spend time with God this week? Will you take notes?
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What will you set your mind on this week? Discuss.
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John 14:25-26
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“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
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Discussion Questions / Topics:
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What does the Holy Spirit have available to remind you of? How much of the Bible (God's Word to you) have you become familiar with?
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Life Group Witnessing Activities
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Galatians 3:1-14
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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.
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Witnessing Questions / Topics:
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Do you know anyone who is trying to be righteous by following rules? How would you explain righteousness by faith to them?
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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?
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Scriptures For 12/26/2010 Life Church Sermon
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Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
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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.
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|
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Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
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Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
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Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
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Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.
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“All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
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“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
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