1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,520 Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,480 where we are proclaiming the truth to the world. 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,720 My name is Pastor Josh, and I want to thank you for listening to 4 00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:10,480 this podcast. 5 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,680 I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen 6 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:16,080 you in the word of God. 7 00:00:16,800 --> 00:00:17,600 Now come along. 8 00:00:17,600 --> 00:00:21,440 Let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today. 9 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,360 We're going to go ahead and continue our sermon series in the 10 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:28,320 Book of Romans. 11 00:00:28,770 --> 00:00:31,490 We're in Romans chapter eight here this morning. 12 00:00:31,570 --> 00:00:34,890 We're going to start in verse number one, Romans chapter eight. 13 00:00:34,890 --> 00:00:36,930 If you would like to turn along with me, I would encourage 14 00:00:36,930 --> 00:00:37,730 you to do so. 15 00:00:39,170 --> 00:00:42,170 We've been studying the Book of Romans, and the title of the whole 16 00:00:42,170 --> 00:00:44,210 sermon series is Theology Matters. 17 00:00:44,850 --> 00:00:45,730 What is theology? 18 00:00:45,730 --> 00:00:49,290 Theology is the study of God, but in a more personal way, within 19 00:00:49,290 --> 00:00:50,650 our own relationship with Christ. 20 00:00:50,650 --> 00:00:55,740 It's knowing God, knowing who he is and what he has done for us. 21 00:00:56,220 --> 00:00:58,980 And so it's important to know these things because the way that 22 00:00:58,980 --> 00:01:02,860 we think affects what we believe and what we believe affects 23 00:01:02,860 --> 00:01:04,340 the way that we live, right? 24 00:01:04,340 --> 00:01:08,820 So if we want God to work in our lives, if we want to have lives 25 00:01:08,820 --> 00:01:12,260 that reflect obedience to the Lord, if we want to have lives that 26 00:01:12,260 --> 00:01:16,780 impact the world around us for the cause of the gospel, we need 27 00:01:16,780 --> 00:01:17,780 to believe the right things. 28 00:01:17,780 --> 00:01:21,140 In Romans is a wonderful book of the Bible to tell us what we are 29 00:01:21,140 --> 00:01:24,540 to believe about who God is and what he has done for us. 30 00:01:25,490 --> 00:01:28,690 And here we come to a passage of scripture, Romans chapter 8, that 31 00:01:28,850 --> 00:01:33,210 I would say is one of the most powerful passages of scripture that 32 00:01:33,210 --> 00:01:37,850 deals with the confidence that we have in the power of God, the 33 00:01:37,850 --> 00:01:41,810 confidence that we have in our salvation, that God will keep us 34 00:01:42,370 --> 00:01:47,210 and that God will sustain us, and that God will ultimately reunite 35 00:01:47,210 --> 00:01:49,250 us with him in eternity. 36 00:01:49,810 --> 00:01:54,500 If there's times in your life where you're tempted to doubt, if 37 00:01:54,500 --> 00:01:57,540 there's times in your life where you're tempted to feel guilty, 38 00:01:58,340 --> 00:02:02,860 if there's times in your life where you're tempted to quit, maybe 39 00:02:02,860 --> 00:02:07,180 even you're tempted to think that God doesn't love you, I would 40 00:02:07,180 --> 00:02:09,380 encourage you to go to Romans chapter 8. 41 00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:13,540 I can speak by way of testimony when I'm getting into those 42 00:02:13,540 --> 00:02:15,140 times of difficulty in my life. 43 00:02:15,460 --> 00:02:19,820 Romans chapter 8 is that centerpiece that I go back to to 44 00:02:19,820 --> 00:02:20,340 say, you know what? 45 00:02:20,340 --> 00:02:21,380 This is my truth. 46 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:24,880 There's a lot of people in the world today that will say, well, 47 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:26,560 this is my truth, or this is my truth. 48 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,080 And what is that truth based off of the way that they feel. 49 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,200 But what we really need to do as Christians is to say what is our 50 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:33,480 truth? 51 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,480 Our truth is what God tells us is truth. 52 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,240 And that is his word, not how you feel, because sometimes you will 53 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,360 feel a certain way because of the circumstances around you. 54 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:46,400 Sometimes you will feel a certain way because of what's been 55 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:47,560 done to you or what. 56 00:02:47,630 --> 00:02:49,150 Or how you've experienced something. 57 00:02:49,150 --> 00:02:52,310 But what do we do when we are lacking truth? 58 00:02:52,310 --> 00:02:56,590 The Bible says go to his word, find the truth of God. 59 00:02:56,910 --> 00:02:58,190 That never changes. 60 00:02:58,590 --> 00:03:00,350 Romans chapter 8 is one of those passages. 61 00:03:00,350 --> 00:03:03,150 And so we're going to be here in Romans chapter eight today, and 62 00:03:03,150 --> 00:03:05,230 we're going to take our time going through this chapter. 63 00:03:05,710 --> 00:03:09,790 Because I truly do believe that if believers could just go back 64 00:03:09,790 --> 00:03:13,960 to this passage of Scripture and trust God and what he says, when 65 00:03:14,030 --> 00:03:15,710 we will live with a lot more confidence. 66 00:03:16,750 --> 00:03:20,150 We sing the song Victory in Jesus, but sometimes we're tempted 67 00:03:20,150 --> 00:03:20,750 to doubt that. 68 00:03:20,750 --> 00:03:24,790 But when we go back to Romans chapter 8, we see that we have victory 69 00:03:24,790 --> 00:03:25,630 in Jesus. 70 00:03:26,510 --> 00:03:28,350 And so what I'm going to do here this morning is I'm going to 71 00:03:28,350 --> 00:03:29,590 ask the Lord to give us clarity. 72 00:03:29,590 --> 00:03:31,790 I'm going to ask the Lord to give us peace. 73 00:03:31,790 --> 00:03:35,390 I'm going to ask the Lord to give us direction, and then we'll 74 00:03:35,390 --> 00:03:37,350 get right into the word of God here this morning. 75 00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:41,120 So I encourage you to calm your hearts, and we're going to ask 76 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:42,840 the Lord to give us direction here this morning. 77 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:43,280 Let's pray. 78 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,800 Lord, I pray that you be with us as we study your word this morning. 79 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,400 I pray that you help us to quiet our hearts, to open our minds, 80 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,080 to be ready to hear your word this morning. 81 00:03:55,080 --> 00:04:00,680 To be able to hear it, Lord, but also to believe it, apply it, 82 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:02,040 and live in it. 83 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,750 Lord, I pray that we can see this morning that we have victory 84 00:04:05,750 --> 00:04:10,190 in you, that we have confidence in you, Lord, that we 85 00:04:10,190 --> 00:04:11,030 have hope in you. 86 00:04:11,910 --> 00:04:14,190 Lord, I pray that if there's someone here this morning, maybe 87 00:04:14,190 --> 00:04:17,270 a believer that's struggling with doubt, struggling with guilt, 88 00:04:18,230 --> 00:04:22,790 struggling with sin, that today can be the day where the clarity 89 00:04:22,790 --> 00:04:25,350 can be found in the truth of your forgiveness. 90 00:04:26,470 --> 00:04:28,910 Lord, I pray that if there's someone here today who does not know 91 00:04:28,910 --> 00:04:32,300 you as Savior, that has been trusting in something outside of 92 00:04:32,540 --> 00:04:36,180 faith completely in you and your work, or that today be the day 93 00:04:36,180 --> 00:04:41,620 of salvation, that today can be the day of hope and confidence 94 00:04:41,620 --> 00:04:42,020 in you. 95 00:04:42,020 --> 00:04:45,820 So I ask all these things in your name. 96 00:04:47,500 --> 00:04:50,700 Lord, I pray that you remove any distractions, help me to be out 97 00:04:50,700 --> 00:04:54,540 of the way, but help your word to be clearly seen in Jesus name. 98 00:04:54,620 --> 00:04:57,180 Amen Romans, chapter 8, verse 1. 99 00:04:57,180 --> 00:04:57,820 Here it is. 100 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:06,080 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in 101 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:10,240 Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 102 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,800 There's so much there, there's so much packed into just this verse. 103 00:05:15,840 --> 00:05:17,360 He says there is therefore. 104 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,280 Now, anytime we see the word therefore, he's referencing back 105 00:05:20,280 --> 00:05:20,960 to something. 106 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,360 And, and he's using that as the basis to what he's about to teach. 107 00:05:26,210 --> 00:05:27,530 So what is he referencing to? 108 00:05:27,530 --> 00:05:32,330 He's referencing the power of God, he's referencing the indwelling 109 00:05:32,330 --> 00:05:34,930 of the Spirit, he's referencing salvation. 110 00:05:35,010 --> 00:05:39,570 So now that you understand what salvation is, now that you understand 111 00:05:39,570 --> 00:05:42,970 that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, now that you realize 112 00:05:42,970 --> 00:05:45,690 that Jesus conquered death through the resurrection, now that 113 00:05:45,690 --> 00:05:48,690 you believe in that and you have been changed, you have been 114 00:05:48,690 --> 00:05:51,330 transformed, you are now indwelled by the Spirit. 115 00:05:51,330 --> 00:05:53,330 Now, this is the hope that you have. 116 00:05:53,850 --> 00:05:54,970 This is the confidence. 117 00:05:55,210 --> 00:05:56,490 This is the promise. 118 00:05:57,050 --> 00:06:01,930 He says, there is therefore now no condemnation. 119 00:06:03,290 --> 00:06:04,490 What is condemnation? 120 00:06:05,370 --> 00:06:07,050 Condemnation is judgment. 121 00:06:08,570 --> 00:06:11,770 Condemnation is judgment upon those who are guilty. 122 00:06:12,810 --> 00:06:15,410 It's essentially saying, this is the sentence. 123 00:06:15,410 --> 00:06:16,970 This is the guilty sentence. 124 00:06:17,050 --> 00:06:20,890 You have committed a crime, you are going to face the condemnation. 125 00:06:21,930 --> 00:06:23,490 So the way that you could think about it is this. 126 00:06:23,490 --> 00:06:27,530 As a believer, there is no more judgment. 127 00:06:28,010 --> 00:06:30,930 When Jesus was on the cross and he pays the price for our sin, 128 00:06:30,930 --> 00:06:34,170 and he says it is finished, it means it is finished. 129 00:06:35,450 --> 00:06:39,250 I as a believer, you as a believer, if you have trusted in 130 00:06:39,250 --> 00:06:43,290 Jesus Christ, because we see here, this is not a promise for everybody 131 00:06:43,290 --> 00:06:43,930 in the world. 132 00:06:44,490 --> 00:06:46,890 This is not a promise for the religious. 133 00:06:47,350 --> 00:06:50,710 This is not a promise for anyone who just wants to be a good 134 00:06:50,710 --> 00:06:51,030 person. 135 00:06:51,190 --> 00:06:55,910 It says, this is the promise to them which are in Christ Jesus. 136 00:06:55,910 --> 00:06:57,430 Our identity is in Christ. 137 00:06:57,830 --> 00:06:59,270 Our faith is in Christ. 138 00:06:59,670 --> 00:07:01,150 Our salvation is in Christ. 139 00:07:01,150 --> 00:07:05,110 Not in our works, not in our goodness, but in Jesus Christ. 140 00:07:05,110 --> 00:07:09,190 So he says, this is a promise for those who are believers in Jesus. 141 00:07:09,670 --> 00:07:11,030 There is no more judgment. 142 00:07:12,070 --> 00:07:13,350 There is no more guilt. 143 00:07:15,030 --> 00:07:17,510 Now, I need to be very clear this morning that there is a difference 144 00:07:17,510 --> 00:07:20,070 between guilt and conviction. 145 00:07:21,110 --> 00:07:25,310 There are Christians who sin and we feel rightfully from the Spirit, 146 00:07:25,310 --> 00:07:27,270 something called conviction. 147 00:07:27,750 --> 00:07:31,510 The Bible clearly teaches that a believer should not be comfortable 148 00:07:31,510 --> 00:07:32,230 with sin. 149 00:07:32,550 --> 00:07:36,070 A believer should feel out of place when sinning. 150 00:07:36,070 --> 00:07:38,350 And so that's what's called conviction. 151 00:07:38,350 --> 00:07:40,930 A passage of Scripture that clearly teaches. 152 00:07:40,930 --> 00:07:43,930 That is a passage in the book of John, John, chapter 16. 153 00:07:43,930 --> 00:07:46,610 I want you to see this with me because every. 154 00:07:46,610 --> 00:07:49,210 And he explains the role of the Holy Spirit. 155 00:07:50,490 --> 00:07:53,890 And what John is explaining here is this. 156 00:07:53,890 --> 00:07:57,090 Jesus is giving us a promise of the Spirit to come. 157 00:07:57,090 --> 00:08:02,730 In verse 13 of John 16, he says, how be it when he, the Spirit 158 00:08:02,730 --> 00:08:03,930 of truth is come? 159 00:08:05,620 --> 00:08:07,220 That's referencing the Holy Spirit. 160 00:08:07,540 --> 00:08:10,020 He will guide you into all truth. 161 00:08:10,900 --> 00:08:13,740 So one of the roles of the Spirit that we see as a believer 162 00:08:13,740 --> 00:08:16,340 is that he leads us to truth. 163 00:08:17,460 --> 00:08:18,660 He teaches us. 164 00:08:20,180 --> 00:08:21,459 Then he says more here. 165 00:08:22,100 --> 00:08:23,580 He will guide you into all truth. 166 00:08:23,580 --> 00:08:26,980 For he shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever he shall 167 00:08:26,980 --> 00:08:28,500 hear, that shall he speak. 168 00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:30,820 And he will show you things to come. 169 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:37,560 He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of me and shall show 170 00:08:37,560 --> 00:08:38,520 it unto you. 171 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:43,320 So the Bible says here that the Holy Spirit, one of his many 172 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:45,640 roles, is to teach us in truth. 173 00:08:46,999 --> 00:08:50,880 So what the Bible says is that if we are in sin, he will lead us 174 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:52,440 to truth according to his word. 175 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:54,280 Now go back to verse number eight. 176 00:08:55,240 --> 00:09:00,340 It says, and when he is come, the Holy Spirit, that is, he will 177 00:09:00,340 --> 00:09:01,020 reprove. 178 00:09:01,020 --> 00:09:05,260 Or another word you could use there is convict the world of sin. 179 00:09:06,860 --> 00:09:11,700 The Bible says the role of the Holy Spirit among many roles is to 180 00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:16,060 convict those who are in sin, to tell them that they are wrong. 181 00:09:16,140 --> 00:09:18,860 And by the way, Scripture always aligns with the working of 182 00:09:18,860 --> 00:09:19,340 the Spirit. 183 00:09:19,340 --> 00:09:22,380 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable 184 00:09:22,380 --> 00:09:27,830 for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness. 185 00:09:28,470 --> 00:09:29,550 And so what does he say here? 186 00:09:29,550 --> 00:09:30,150 He says this. 187 00:09:30,150 --> 00:09:32,150 The Holy Spirit will come to convict. 188 00:09:32,150 --> 00:09:33,510 But what does it say here? 189 00:09:33,590 --> 00:09:37,030 It says in verse 8, reprove or convict the world of sin, and then 190 00:09:37,430 --> 00:09:40,390 of righteousness and of judgment. 191 00:09:41,110 --> 00:09:45,430 The Bible says that the Holy Spirit just doesn't tell us what's 192 00:09:45,430 --> 00:09:49,710 wrong with our lives, but he teaches us how we can specifically 193 00:09:49,710 --> 00:09:52,150 get back into obedience and the will of God. 194 00:09:53,250 --> 00:09:55,810 And so we go back to Romans, chapter eight, and we see this word 195 00:09:55,890 --> 00:09:59,890 condemnation, and we see that believers are not supposed to face 196 00:09:59,890 --> 00:10:01,330 condemnation anymore. 197 00:10:01,570 --> 00:10:06,330 But then why do we, when we sin, feel that we need to change? 198 00:10:06,330 --> 00:10:08,689 Well, that's the conviction of the Holy Spirit. 199 00:10:08,770 --> 00:10:12,370 But what the enemy tries to do is the enemy tries to bring into 200 00:10:12,370 --> 00:10:16,650 the life of a believer condemnation, which we would equate 201 00:10:16,650 --> 00:10:17,330 to guilt. 202 00:10:19,260 --> 00:10:21,380 And so what I want you to see here this morning is that if you 203 00:10:21,380 --> 00:10:24,580 are a believer in Jesus Christ this morning, when you sin, you are 204 00:10:24,580 --> 00:10:27,020 not supposed to feel guilt. 205 00:10:27,500 --> 00:10:27,860 Why? 206 00:10:27,860 --> 00:10:29,460 Because you are saved. 207 00:10:29,460 --> 00:10:32,300 You have the eternal home in heaven. 208 00:10:32,300 --> 00:10:35,100 Jesus has already paid the price for your sin. 209 00:10:35,180 --> 00:10:38,140 And so it's a proper understanding of how to deal with 210 00:10:38,140 --> 00:10:39,340 sin in our life. 211 00:10:40,460 --> 00:10:42,180 Because you could read this many different ways. 212 00:10:42,180 --> 00:10:44,820 You could say, well, there's no More condemnation in my sins so 213 00:10:44,820 --> 00:10:45,700 I can just keep sinning. 214 00:10:45,700 --> 00:10:48,220 Well, Paul's already addressed that back in Romans, chapter six. 215 00:10:49,630 --> 00:10:50,830 Don't continue that. 216 00:10:50,830 --> 00:10:52,270 God's grace just keeps abounding. 217 00:10:52,270 --> 00:10:53,230 God forbid that. 218 00:10:54,670 --> 00:10:58,150 So if there's no condemnation to the believer, what do we properly 219 00:10:58,150 --> 00:11:00,150 do when sin comes into our life? 220 00:11:00,150 --> 00:11:07,230 Well, we receive the Holy Spirit's conviction and we follow 221 00:11:07,390 --> 00:11:10,790 his teaching to get back to a place of righteousness, to get back 222 00:11:10,790 --> 00:11:12,030 to a place of obedience. 223 00:11:12,190 --> 00:11:16,270 If we confess our sins, 1 John, chapter 1, verse 9, if we confess 224 00:11:16,270 --> 00:11:19,030 our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to 225 00:11:19,030 --> 00:11:20,390 cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 226 00:11:20,470 --> 00:11:23,750 That does not mean that we keep getting re saved over and over 227 00:11:23,750 --> 00:11:26,790 again every time we sin because we see here there's no more 228 00:11:26,790 --> 00:11:27,350 condemnation. 229 00:11:27,350 --> 00:11:30,190 We don't have to be freed from any more guilt because God has already 230 00:11:30,190 --> 00:11:30,950 paid that price. 231 00:11:31,589 --> 00:11:34,750 But it's that restorative process of walking in fellowship 232 00:11:34,750 --> 00:11:35,270 with him. 233 00:11:36,070 --> 00:11:43,520 So with the Holy Spirit in our lives, there is no more condemnation. 234 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:45,040 There is only conviction. 235 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:49,400 So here this morning, if somebody sins and you've heard someone 236 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,760 sin and they're a believer and they say, I just feel so guilty. 237 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:52,960 How could I be saved? 238 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:54,240 How could I do this? 239 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:55,480 I just feel so guilty. 240 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,120 That's where Satan wants you to stay. 241 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,920 Because in your guilt you feel no victory. 242 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,160 In your guilt you feel no confidence. 243 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,200 You feel like, I can't do anything because of this sin. 244 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:05,640 You know what? 245 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:07,440 There's this dark, dark cloud over me. 246 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:08,840 Guilt always brings. 247 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,560 Really, guilt brings no conviction. 248 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:16,440 Guilt brings darkness. 249 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:19,560 Guilt brings a lack of clarity. 250 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,320 Guilt never brings us to a place where we're restored. 251 00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:24,840 So what brings us to that place? 252 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:25,800 That's conviction. 253 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,280 Because God always works in a place of clarity. 254 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:29,800 So what is the difference? 255 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,960 Well, we have something called false guilt that Satan brings to 256 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:33,320 our lives. 257 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,380 The Bible says he's the accuser of the brethren, which means 258 00:12:36,380 --> 00:12:39,860 Satan wants us as believers to think that we are still guilty because 259 00:12:39,860 --> 00:12:42,900 we'll stay in that and we'll never be effective for him. 260 00:12:44,260 --> 00:12:46,060 So there's false guilt and there's conviction. 261 00:12:46,060 --> 00:12:47,620 How do we discern between the two? 262 00:12:47,780 --> 00:12:51,060 Well, false guilt brings us to a place of staying where we are, 263 00:12:51,859 --> 00:12:55,060 staying in this place of confusion, staying in this place 264 00:12:55,060 --> 00:12:57,380 of doubt, staying in this place of darkness. 265 00:12:57,380 --> 00:12:59,380 And we don't know how we get out of that. 266 00:13:00,340 --> 00:13:03,700 Conviction always brings us to a place of Holy Spirit's guidance 267 00:13:03,700 --> 00:13:08,230 to truth so that we can get to a place of walking in righteousness 268 00:13:08,230 --> 00:13:11,070 and restorative relationship with Christ. 269 00:13:11,870 --> 00:13:13,710 So if you're sitting here today and you say, you know what? 270 00:13:13,870 --> 00:13:16,270 I'll give you an example of how this works in my life. 271 00:13:16,830 --> 00:13:20,470 I wake up in the morning and I'm tempted to think, you know what? 272 00:13:20,470 --> 00:13:21,470 I'm just not a good dad. 273 00:13:22,590 --> 00:13:26,110 I'm not a good dad, not a good husband. 274 00:13:26,990 --> 00:13:28,270 I'm not a good pastor. 275 00:13:29,230 --> 00:13:30,670 I just can't do anything about it. 276 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:32,520 I just keep failing. 277 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:33,720 And you know what? 278 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:34,120 I just. 279 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,720 I'm just going to just do whatever I want to do because I'm 280 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:37,720 never going to win anyway. 281 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:39,720 That's condemnation. 282 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:40,920 That's guilt. 283 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:43,800 That's not the conviction of the Holy Spirit. 284 00:13:43,880 --> 00:13:46,720 What the conviction of the Holy Spirit would be if the Holy 285 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,360 Spirit is working in my life is this. 286 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:51,360 I wake up in the morning and I remember the thing that I did yesterday 287 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:55,320 to my wife that I should apologize for and restore that relationship. 288 00:13:55,560 --> 00:13:58,840 The Holy Spirit always leads us to a place of restoration and 289 00:13:58,840 --> 00:13:59,560 righteousness. 290 00:13:59,970 --> 00:14:03,250 It always brings us to a place of coming back in confession and 291 00:14:03,250 --> 00:14:07,330 repentance and getting restored in that area of our sin. 292 00:14:09,090 --> 00:14:12,370 So I don't just say, well, I'm a bad husband, Lord, what are you 293 00:14:12,370 --> 00:14:13,530 speaking to me through this? 294 00:14:13,530 --> 00:14:15,969 And the Bible says in Second Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 5, 295 00:14:16,050 --> 00:14:18,010 to take every thought into captivity. 296 00:14:18,010 --> 00:14:21,290 And so if there's this thought in my mind of condemnation, well, 297 00:14:21,290 --> 00:14:22,450 maybe I'm not a Christian. 298 00:14:22,450 --> 00:14:23,890 Maybe God doesn't love me. 299 00:14:23,970 --> 00:14:25,490 We have to go back to the truth. 300 00:14:25,750 --> 00:14:28,630 The Holy Spirit will always lead us to a place of growth. 301 00:14:28,710 --> 00:14:31,230 The Holy Spirit will always lead us to a place of healthiness. 302 00:14:31,230 --> 00:14:35,110 And so the Spirit brings confidence, the flesh. 303 00:14:35,270 --> 00:14:38,190 By the way, what he's doing here is he's contrasting living in 304 00:14:38,190 --> 00:14:39,750 the flesh and living in the Spirit. 305 00:14:40,630 --> 00:14:42,030 We looked at this last week. 306 00:14:42,030 --> 00:14:45,230 A believer, though saved and though indwelled by the Spirit, can 307 00:14:45,230 --> 00:14:48,950 be tempted to revert back to the flesh, revert back to our old 308 00:14:48,950 --> 00:14:49,510 ways. 309 00:14:50,070 --> 00:14:51,150 And so what is he saying here? 310 00:14:51,150 --> 00:14:51,790 He's saying this. 311 00:14:51,790 --> 00:14:53,830 If you walk in the Spirit, this is what you have. 312 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:55,840 You walk in the flesh, this is what you have. 313 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,200 Walking in the Spirit brings confidence. 314 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:01,680 Walking in the flesh brings confusion. 315 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,800 The Bible says God is not the author of confusion. 316 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:08,840 And so there's a time in your life maybe that you're confused with 317 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:09,000 something. 318 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,960 And I'm not talking about being confused with a project at 319 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:13,400 your house and you don't know what to do. 320 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,000 I'm talking about things of greater magnitude. 321 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:20,210 Confused about truth, confused about salvation, confused about the 322 00:15:20,210 --> 00:15:21,450 way that I should live in. 323 00:15:21,450 --> 00:15:22,810 In my identity. 324 00:15:23,450 --> 00:15:23,850 Right. 325 00:15:23,930 --> 00:15:28,730 The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is not the author of confusion. 326 00:15:29,370 --> 00:15:32,930 So the Spirit brings confidence, the flesh brings confusion. 327 00:15:32,930 --> 00:15:36,450 The Spirit brings conviction, the flesh brings condemnation. 328 00:15:36,450 --> 00:15:41,410 When we walk in the flesh, we will walk in condemnation because 329 00:15:41,410 --> 00:15:43,050 my flesh will always condemn me. 330 00:15:43,050 --> 00:15:45,890 And if I'm walking in my flesh, I will always feel guilty 331 00:15:45,890 --> 00:15:46,510 because my. 332 00:15:46,580 --> 00:15:47,620 My flesh is guilty. 333 00:15:47,620 --> 00:15:50,900 But my flesh has been renewed in the Spirit, and therefore I'm 334 00:15:50,900 --> 00:15:52,100 not in the flesh anymore. 335 00:15:52,180 --> 00:15:53,100 I'm walking in the spirit. 336 00:15:53,100 --> 00:15:54,580 And that's what Paul is going to talk about here. 337 00:15:55,620 --> 00:15:57,300 The spirit brings clarity. 338 00:15:58,180 --> 00:16:00,020 The flesh brings uncertainty. 339 00:16:01,060 --> 00:16:06,100 So the question is this morning, who or what can defeat sin? 340 00:16:07,780 --> 00:16:10,140 Well, certainly it's not my flesh he's going to talk about that. 341 00:16:10,140 --> 00:16:12,580 He's going to say, your flesh cannot defeat sin. 342 00:16:12,940 --> 00:16:17,460 The only thing that can defeat sin is someone who fulfilled the 343 00:16:17,460 --> 00:16:22,340 law, someone who is more powerful than the law, someone who 344 00:16:22,340 --> 00:16:25,580 has conquered the flesh, and that is Jesus Christ. 345 00:16:26,460 --> 00:16:29,460 Faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that can defeat sin in 346 00:16:29,460 --> 00:16:29,900 our life. 347 00:16:31,020 --> 00:16:33,180 The law only detects sin. 348 00:16:34,860 --> 00:16:37,500 What Paul has been talking about here is the contrast between 349 00:16:37,500 --> 00:16:40,220 the law and the spirit, the flesh and the spirit. 350 00:16:40,700 --> 00:16:44,700 And he says the law is good only to detect sin, but the law cannot 351 00:16:45,020 --> 00:16:45,980 defeat sin. 352 00:16:45,980 --> 00:16:48,420 The only thing that can defeat sin is Jesus Christ. 353 00:16:48,420 --> 00:16:49,940 Jesus defeats sin. 354 00:16:49,940 --> 00:16:52,140 And when we are identified with him. 355 00:16:52,380 --> 00:16:53,180 Verse 1. 356 00:16:54,220 --> 00:17:00,380 To them which are in Christ Jesus, we don't defeat sin, but our 357 00:17:00,380 --> 00:17:02,460 identity in Christ is what defeats sin. 358 00:17:03,340 --> 00:17:08,069 Who walk not meaning this, who don't live in the flesh as a believer. 359 00:17:08,069 --> 00:17:09,269 You are no longer in the flesh. 360 00:17:09,269 --> 00:17:12,069 You might revert back to that for a time, but the Bible says you 361 00:17:12,069 --> 00:17:13,469 are not in the flesh anymore. 362 00:17:13,469 --> 00:17:14,989 That is not your bondage anymore. 363 00:17:15,069 --> 00:17:18,109 You are not in bondage to the flesh and sin. 364 00:17:18,109 --> 00:17:19,869 You are in bondage now to the Lord. 365 00:17:19,869 --> 00:17:21,069 He is now your Lord. 366 00:17:21,069 --> 00:17:22,109 He is your master. 367 00:17:24,109 --> 00:17:25,069 So what grips you? 368 00:17:25,069 --> 00:17:25,869 Is it your flesh? 369 00:17:25,949 --> 00:17:27,469 That's what verse one says here. 370 00:17:27,869 --> 00:17:30,129 Well, if you're a Christian, you. 371 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,200 You are not gripped by the flesh, even. 372 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:35,320 Even though there might be a lie in your mind that you're believing 373 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,120 that the flesh is controlling you, the Bible says you always have 374 00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:39,960 victory in the Lord, but after the Spirit. 375 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:44,280 For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me 376 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:47,040 free from the law of sin and death. 377 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,680 He says me being in Christ, the law of the spirit of life that 378 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:55,360 is found in Jesus Christ has made me free from the payment of 379 00:17:55,360 --> 00:17:58,230 sin and death has made me free from the flesh, has made me free 380 00:17:58,230 --> 00:18:00,470 from the condemnation that comes with the flesh. 381 00:18:01,990 --> 00:18:05,030 Are we going to sin yes, but that is not what defines us anymore. 382 00:18:05,030 --> 00:18:06,630 And he says, live that way. 383 00:18:06,630 --> 00:18:08,630 Live in light of that hope. 384 00:18:09,750 --> 00:18:13,590 And so verse number one tells us that we are free from the guilt 385 00:18:13,590 --> 00:18:18,310 of sin, the condemnation, the payment of sin. 386 00:18:18,470 --> 00:18:21,230 But then verse number two tells us that we are free from the 387 00:18:21,230 --> 00:18:24,090 power of sin or the control of sin. 388 00:18:25,610 --> 00:18:31,290 What an amazing thing it is to know that I am not anymore defined 389 00:18:31,290 --> 00:18:32,410 by my sin. 390 00:18:33,530 --> 00:18:37,130 My sins of my past, my sins of today, my sins of tomorrow don't 391 00:18:37,130 --> 00:18:37,850 define me. 392 00:18:38,010 --> 00:18:41,210 I don't have to pay for that anymore because Jesus paid the price. 393 00:18:42,890 --> 00:18:45,810 So we can live in light of that freedom. 394 00:18:45,810 --> 00:18:47,010 We are no longer guilty. 395 00:18:47,010 --> 00:18:48,970 We no longer have a guilty sentence on our account. 396 00:18:48,970 --> 00:18:51,690 The Bible says that our transgressions have been blotted 397 00:18:51,690 --> 00:18:51,850 out. 398 00:18:51,850 --> 00:18:53,010 They've been wiped out. 399 00:18:54,050 --> 00:18:54,930 Amen for that. 400 00:18:54,930 --> 00:19:01,330 But then verse two, we could be someone who has been saved and 401 00:19:01,410 --> 00:19:06,770 walking with victory, but deceiving ourselves to go back to 402 00:19:06,770 --> 00:19:11,290 the old way, to be under the power or the bondage or the control 403 00:19:11,290 --> 00:19:11,970 of sin. 404 00:19:12,850 --> 00:19:14,450 He says that should not be so. 405 00:19:15,330 --> 00:19:17,490 Live as God has defined you. 406 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,640 Live with God's sentence and not your own sentence that you're 407 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:22,240 putting on your part. 408 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:23,720 So here, here's what I would say is this. 409 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:25,960 There are some Christians who are walking around with a lot of 410 00:19:25,960 --> 00:19:29,800 guilt because of past sins prior to salvation or maybe even 411 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:30,680 after salvation. 412 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,720 And that guilt of that sin has controlled you. 413 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,480 Well, I can never be used by God because of that sin of my past. 414 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:40,520 God knows what I did and. 415 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,600 And yes, he knows what you did, and he still died on the cross 416 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:44,080 for your sins. 417 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:45,160 That's Romans 5:8. 418 00:19:45,290 --> 00:19:47,930 But God commended or demonstrated his love toward us in 419 00:19:47,930 --> 00:19:50,410 that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 420 00:19:50,490 --> 00:19:52,650 It's not like God looked at us and said, well, I think that person's 421 00:19:52,650 --> 00:19:54,090 a good person, so I'm going to die for them. 422 00:19:54,090 --> 00:19:57,610 No, he did that knowing our sin and therefore still loved us. 423 00:19:58,090 --> 00:20:01,329 By the way, if we go back to verse one, this is not what we deserve. 424 00:20:01,329 --> 00:20:02,290 What do we deserve? 425 00:20:02,290 --> 00:20:03,770 We deserve condemnation. 426 00:20:04,730 --> 00:20:08,010 And so I believe this is one of the greatest verses of describing 427 00:20:08,010 --> 00:20:09,610 the type of grace that we have. 428 00:20:09,930 --> 00:20:13,770 God says, even though you deserve condemnation because of my 429 00:20:13,770 --> 00:20:18,810 son, and because of the fact that you are now in my son in identity, 430 00:20:19,210 --> 00:20:22,010 and you are my child, there is no more condemnation. 431 00:20:22,170 --> 00:20:23,690 Grace, grace. 432 00:20:23,770 --> 00:20:24,490 Verse 3. 433 00:20:24,570 --> 00:20:27,690 For what the law could not do, meaning the law was limited. 434 00:20:27,850 --> 00:20:29,410 The law could only detect sin. 435 00:20:29,410 --> 00:20:30,890 The law could not defeat sin. 436 00:20:31,210 --> 00:20:34,330 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh 437 00:20:34,410 --> 00:20:36,050 the law always appeals to the flesh. 438 00:20:36,050 --> 00:20:37,770 The law just shows us what we shouldn't do. 439 00:20:38,330 --> 00:20:39,690 But the law can't defeat sin. 440 00:20:41,930 --> 00:20:46,170 God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. 441 00:20:46,570 --> 00:20:49,090 That doesn't mean Jesus came and sinned. 442 00:20:49,090 --> 00:20:50,730 It just means he came in the flesh. 443 00:20:50,810 --> 00:20:54,169 The same flesh that we sin in is the flesh that Jesus came in. 444 00:20:54,169 --> 00:20:55,690 But sin didn't mark him. 445 00:20:56,410 --> 00:20:58,570 We read that this morning in Hebrews chapter 4. 446 00:20:58,650 --> 00:21:01,370 Jesus was tempted in all points like we are. 447 00:21:01,450 --> 00:21:04,210 He went through all the same temptations we go through, and probably 448 00:21:04,210 --> 00:21:04,570 more. 449 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:07,160 He was tempted by the enemy. 450 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:10,160 We know that he was out in the wilderness and and Satan was tempting 451 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:10,320 him. 452 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:12,600 We know that Jesus was physically hurt. 453 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:15,520 We know that Jesus went through people turning their backs 454 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:16,880 on him and betraying him. 455 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:21,680 But the difference between Jesus and the believer is this. 456 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,880 Jesus did it with three words, yet without sin. 457 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:27,920 And so we see in verse three, it's this. 458 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,040 The law could not save us because it appeals to the flesh. 459 00:21:31,450 --> 00:21:34,130 So the only thing that can defeat sin is God sending his own 460 00:21:34,130 --> 00:21:35,930 Son in the likeness of sinful flesh. 461 00:21:36,090 --> 00:21:37,290 And for our sin. 462 00:21:37,290 --> 00:21:38,810 Jesus was sent for our sin. 463 00:21:39,770 --> 00:21:43,650 Condemn sin in the flesh, meaning Jesus was the one who defeated 464 00:21:43,650 --> 00:21:45,370 sin when he came to this earth. 465 00:21:46,250 --> 00:21:48,970 And because of our relationship with him, we have victory 466 00:21:48,970 --> 00:21:49,530 over sin. 467 00:21:49,530 --> 00:21:51,450 Our life cannot be defined by sin. 468 00:21:51,530 --> 00:21:52,610 Now, let me stop here. 469 00:21:52,610 --> 00:21:53,450 What is sin? 470 00:21:53,930 --> 00:21:56,050 Because we've been talking a lot about sin this morning, and a 471 00:21:56,050 --> 00:21:59,200 lot of people might have a lot of different opinions about what 472 00:21:59,200 --> 00:21:59,760 sin is. 473 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,360 Sin is literally a word that just means missing the mark. 474 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:07,080 Not missing my mark, not missing someone else's mark, but 475 00:22:07,080 --> 00:22:08,040 missing God's mark. 476 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:12,480 God has a standard, a standard of holiness, a standard of perfection, 477 00:22:12,799 --> 00:22:14,160 a standard of morality. 478 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,120 And all of us come to a place in our life where we must understand 479 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:18,720 that we have missed the mark. 480 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,760 I don't care if you've missed the mark by this far or you've missed 481 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:24,000 the mark by a bunch of miles. 482 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:25,600 The Bible says you've missed the mark. 483 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:30,240 Therefore you are not the one who can defeat sin in your life. 484 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:32,840 Now, why, Pastor question you might be having. 485 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,200 Why are you harping on this? 486 00:22:34,360 --> 00:22:39,800 Because so many believers try to live our lives in the flesh and 487 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:41,320 try to defeat sin in our flesh. 488 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:45,120 We try to get rid of something in our life just trying harder not 489 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:45,640 to do it. 490 00:22:46,520 --> 00:22:49,320 We try to remove things from our life to get sin out of our life. 491 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:53,290 Folks, you can move out to a monastery where you're not around 492 00:22:53,290 --> 00:22:53,770 anybody. 493 00:22:53,770 --> 00:22:56,050 Well, you know what my problem is, is that I'm just Around a bunch 494 00:22:56,050 --> 00:22:56,770 of bad people. 495 00:22:57,890 --> 00:23:00,450 I'm around a bunch of sin in this world, and that's what's making 496 00:23:00,450 --> 00:23:00,970 me sin. 497 00:23:00,970 --> 00:23:03,370 So I'm just going to move out to the middle of nowhere and live 498 00:23:03,370 --> 00:23:06,010 on my own in this castle, and no one's ever going to be around. 499 00:23:06,010 --> 00:23:06,810 Let me tell you something. 500 00:23:06,810 --> 00:23:10,330 Even if you did that, you would still sin because you're in 501 00:23:10,330 --> 00:23:10,850 your flesh. 502 00:23:10,850 --> 00:23:15,210 You're trying to defeat sin by something that you do, and you cannot 503 00:23:15,210 --> 00:23:17,170 defeat sin by something that you do. 504 00:23:17,570 --> 00:23:20,450 You defeat sin by trusting in the One who has defeated sin and 505 00:23:20,450 --> 00:23:23,410 given you the power to conquer that sin in your life. 506 00:23:23,890 --> 00:23:24,890 And so what does he say here? 507 00:23:24,890 --> 00:23:27,970 He says, don't fight sin with the flesh. 508 00:23:28,530 --> 00:23:30,850 Fight it in the power of Jesus Christ. 509 00:23:31,010 --> 00:23:33,449 Fight it with the hope that you have no more condemnation. 510 00:23:33,449 --> 00:23:35,890 You already are victorious in Jesus. 511 00:23:37,490 --> 00:23:38,370 So he says, are you. 512 00:23:38,370 --> 00:23:39,690 Are you acting in the flesh? 513 00:23:39,690 --> 00:23:41,170 Are you acting in the spirit? 514 00:23:42,130 --> 00:23:44,560 Pastor, I'm trying to do a good thing right. 515 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:45,800 Is it Isn't trying to live? 516 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:46,080 Is. 517 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:49,080 Is it like, let's say, for me as a man, isn't it good for me to 518 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:50,480 try to be a better husband? 519 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:54,240 Well, yes, but I can try to do the right thing in the wrong way. 520 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,040 I can say the right thing, but do do it the wrong way. 521 00:23:59,599 --> 00:24:02,560 I. I can try to discipline my children would be a good thing, but 522 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:04,400 I can discipline my children in the wrong way. 523 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:07,200 I can come to church, which is a good thing, but I could do it in 524 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:07,760 the wrong way. 525 00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:10,400 I could read my Bible, which is a good thing, but it's in the 526 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:10,880 wrong way. 527 00:24:11,120 --> 00:24:14,120 The Bible says it's not about what you do, it's about where the 528 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:15,120 heart of the matter is. 529 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,160 Are we supposed to do all these things for the Lord? 530 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,120 Yes, but we can do it in the flesh. 531 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:21,560 What does it mean to do it in the flesh? 532 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:24,680 It means to be focused on something else other than the motivation 533 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:25,360 of God. 534 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:28,480 And what he says here is the motivation of the Spirit. 535 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:29,200 Verse 4. 536 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,720 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. 537 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:37,010 Now again, the goal is that we walk in righteousness, but not in 538 00:24:37,010 --> 00:24:38,170 the righteousness of our flesh. 539 00:24:40,650 --> 00:24:42,810 So it says that the righteousness of the law might be 540 00:24:42,810 --> 00:24:45,610 fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 541 00:24:45,610 --> 00:24:49,410 The goal ultimately is to walk in the Spirit, to respond in the 542 00:24:49,410 --> 00:24:55,090 Spirit, to serve in the Spirit, to be a better husband, a 543 00:24:55,090 --> 00:24:57,930 better father, a better worker in the Spirit. 544 00:24:58,810 --> 00:25:02,250 And so it's not a work of man, it's a work of God. 545 00:25:02,750 --> 00:25:03,310 Verse 5. 546 00:25:03,390 --> 00:25:05,230 For they that are after the flesh. 547 00:25:06,270 --> 00:25:09,550 So basically, those that chase after the flesh, those that live 548 00:25:09,550 --> 00:25:13,190 in the flesh, those that are trying to do it on their own, for 549 00:25:13,190 --> 00:25:15,990 they are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh. 550 00:25:15,990 --> 00:25:17,790 This is the problem with being in the flesh. 551 00:25:17,950 --> 00:25:20,590 This isn't the problem of trying to do it your own way. 552 00:25:21,230 --> 00:25:23,230 You're only going to be focused on the things of the flesh. 553 00:25:24,030 --> 00:25:25,110 So, so what does that mean? 554 00:25:25,110 --> 00:25:25,790 That means this. 555 00:25:26,430 --> 00:25:29,870 If I'm trying to be a better husband in the flesh, I'm going to 556 00:25:29,870 --> 00:25:31,990 only think about being a better husband with the things of 557 00:25:31,990 --> 00:25:33,470 this world, the material things. 558 00:25:34,350 --> 00:25:35,270 Well, you know what? 559 00:25:35,270 --> 00:25:36,590 My wife likes flowers. 560 00:25:36,750 --> 00:25:41,830 So every day I'm going to bring flowers to her because I know 561 00:25:41,830 --> 00:25:42,910 that that's a good thing. 562 00:25:43,550 --> 00:25:44,790 And it becomes robotic. 563 00:25:44,790 --> 00:25:47,470 I'm just doing this so that I get my good check mark today. 564 00:25:47,790 --> 00:25:49,990 Well, some of you women are like, well, I wish my husband would 565 00:25:49,990 --> 00:25:50,350 do that. 566 00:25:51,230 --> 00:25:52,510 But that. 567 00:25:53,230 --> 00:25:55,790 You understand that it might not be at the heart of the matter. 568 00:25:56,060 --> 00:25:59,260 Well, I'm doing this just to pacify her, make sure she's okay. 569 00:25:59,500 --> 00:26:01,420 That's a act of the flesh. 570 00:26:01,420 --> 00:26:02,860 Her heart's not where it needs to be. 571 00:26:04,140 --> 00:26:06,380 So we can try to do the right things within church. 572 00:26:06,380 --> 00:26:08,300 We can try to do the right things in our faith. 573 00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:11,660 We can try to do the right things in our marriages, in our homes, 574 00:26:11,660 --> 00:26:13,580 in our workplaces, in our community. 575 00:26:13,580 --> 00:26:16,980 But if it's in the things of the flesh, if our motivation is the 576 00:26:16,980 --> 00:26:18,700 flesh, the outcome is the flesh. 577 00:26:19,020 --> 00:26:21,180 It's only going to be things that are material. 578 00:26:22,390 --> 00:26:22,710 Let's say. 579 00:26:22,710 --> 00:26:25,430 Let's say, for example, I want the church to grow. 580 00:26:26,310 --> 00:26:28,310 I think all of us would say amen to that. 581 00:26:28,310 --> 00:26:31,430 Because biblically speaking, the Bible speaks of multiplication, 582 00:26:31,430 --> 00:26:31,790 growth. 583 00:26:31,790 --> 00:26:33,190 That's an amazing thing. 584 00:26:34,630 --> 00:26:37,670 But let's say I want to grow the church with my plans. 585 00:26:38,390 --> 00:26:38,910 Let me. 586 00:26:38,910 --> 00:26:39,910 I want to go to the church with. 587 00:26:39,910 --> 00:26:43,470 With my direction, with the way that the world tells me to grow 588 00:26:43,470 --> 00:26:43,990 a church. 589 00:26:45,270 --> 00:26:48,430 And the truth is, is that we could do that in the flesh. 590 00:26:48,430 --> 00:26:50,820 We could say, hey, hey, there's all these fleshly material 591 00:26:50,820 --> 00:26:52,580 things that we can do to grow this church. 592 00:26:53,780 --> 00:27:00,180 But the truth is, again, if we are sowing in the flesh, sewing materially, 593 00:27:00,180 --> 00:27:01,140 what are we going to reap? 594 00:27:01,140 --> 00:27:02,180 Material blessings. 595 00:27:03,540 --> 00:27:07,380 And at the end of the day, is God pleased with those material blessings? 596 00:27:07,380 --> 00:27:11,580 Well, if it's void of the spiritual emphasis, if it's just 597 00:27:11,580 --> 00:27:14,260 about having a crowd, then we've grown this church in the flesh. 598 00:27:14,260 --> 00:27:15,540 And we have fleshly rewards. 599 00:27:15,540 --> 00:27:16,460 We get our rewards here. 600 00:27:16,460 --> 00:27:19,370 And now I Don't know about you, but the Bible says that the 601 00:27:19,370 --> 00:27:22,090 rewards that we want to have from God are not in the here and 602 00:27:22,090 --> 00:27:23,410 now, but for eternity. 603 00:27:24,610 --> 00:27:26,050 So the challenge would be this. 604 00:27:27,250 --> 00:27:28,650 Not, am I doing the right things? 605 00:27:28,650 --> 00:27:29,490 That's the start. 606 00:27:29,650 --> 00:27:32,210 But why am I doing the right things? 607 00:27:33,170 --> 00:27:35,330 Am I sowing with the flesh? 608 00:27:36,050 --> 00:27:37,490 Am I working harder? 609 00:27:38,210 --> 00:27:40,450 Now, some of you might say, well, am I not supposed to work hard? 610 00:27:41,490 --> 00:27:45,010 Work hard in the power of God, work hard in the conviction of God, 611 00:27:45,570 --> 00:27:47,490 work hard in how he guides you to truth. 612 00:27:47,570 --> 00:27:51,770 But we all know what it's like to be working in our flesh and just 613 00:27:51,770 --> 00:27:52,850 spinning our tires. 614 00:27:54,050 --> 00:27:56,010 And we can do anything that we want to do. 615 00:27:56,010 --> 00:27:58,610 But ultimately, if it's against the plans of God, we are 616 00:27:58,610 --> 00:28:00,850 away from his will in our life. 617 00:28:00,850 --> 00:28:01,730 Verse 5:4. 618 00:28:01,810 --> 00:28:04,530 They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, 619 00:28:04,690 --> 00:28:08,290 but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the spirit. 620 00:28:09,580 --> 00:28:10,780 What are we chasing after? 621 00:28:12,700 --> 00:28:14,220 Chasing after the things of the flesh. 622 00:28:14,460 --> 00:28:15,980 You're going to get the things of the flesh. 623 00:28:17,260 --> 00:28:19,020 You're chasing after the things of the spirit. 624 00:28:19,020 --> 00:28:19,740 Praise God. 625 00:28:20,540 --> 00:28:23,180 You get to reap the benefits of being in the Spirit. 626 00:28:24,220 --> 00:28:27,780 The blessings of the spirit, the conviction of the spirit, the 627 00:28:27,780 --> 00:28:29,820 comfort of the Spirit, the teaching of the Spirit. 628 00:28:30,220 --> 00:28:34,380 All of these things come along with sowing into the things of this 629 00:28:34,380 --> 00:28:36,530 world with the things of the Spirit. 630 00:28:38,210 --> 00:28:39,250 Verse 6. 631 00:28:40,130 --> 00:28:45,130 For to be carnally or fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually 632 00:28:45,130 --> 00:28:46,450 minded is life and peace. 633 00:28:46,450 --> 00:28:47,490 What do you want this morning? 634 00:28:47,490 --> 00:28:48,610 What do I want this morning? 635 00:28:48,610 --> 00:28:49,970 Well, I certainly don't want death. 636 00:28:50,850 --> 00:28:52,210 So therefore, what do we do? 637 00:28:52,210 --> 00:28:55,410 Well, the Bible says, well, we want the opposite of that, life and 638 00:28:55,490 --> 00:28:55,970 peace. 639 00:28:58,130 --> 00:29:03,270 So this means to live a life guided by the spirits, a life seeking 640 00:29:03,270 --> 00:29:04,630 the things of the Spirit. 641 00:29:06,390 --> 00:29:09,310 Now, again, I, I, I know that it can be kind of confusing if you 642 00:29:09,310 --> 00:29:13,150 haven't been around the church for long, or maybe you have been 643 00:29:13,150 --> 00:29:15,150 around the church, but you haven't had someone talk to you about 644 00:29:15,150 --> 00:29:18,069 what the Spirit looks like in our life. 645 00:29:18,630 --> 00:29:21,030 What does it look like to be guided by the Holy Spirit? 646 00:29:21,910 --> 00:29:24,750 Well, most of you know where I'm gonna go with this, but I, I 647 00:29:24,750 --> 00:29:28,030 gotta take you there because for a long time we've been alluding 648 00:29:28,030 --> 00:29:30,390 to this, but I want you to see what the book of Galatians says. 649 00:29:31,110 --> 00:29:33,350 So, so go with me to Galatians, chapter five. 650 00:29:33,350 --> 00:29:36,030 We're going to go to a passage of scripture that many of you have 651 00:29:36,030 --> 00:29:36,630 heard of before. 652 00:29:37,190 --> 00:29:39,590 And it references the fruit of the Spirit. 653 00:29:40,310 --> 00:29:42,550 So what does it look like to be guided by The Spirit. 654 00:29:42,950 --> 00:29:44,630 We're about to see what the Bible says. 655 00:29:44,710 --> 00:29:47,750 Not what some pastor said that didn't reference the Bible. 656 00:29:48,070 --> 00:29:50,510 Not, not what, you know, some person at work said. 657 00:29:50,510 --> 00:29:52,590 Well, you know, to be in the Spirit means you got to be doing 658 00:29:52,590 --> 00:29:53,710 all these miraculous things. 659 00:29:53,710 --> 00:29:58,820 No, the Bible clearly teaches that this is the fruit or the blessings 660 00:29:58,820 --> 00:30:01,580 or the outcome of the Spirit guiding our life. 661 00:30:04,060 --> 00:30:07,860 In Galatians chapter five, Paul says, here's all the works of 662 00:30:07,860 --> 00:30:10,140 the flesh, and he lists all these terrible things. 663 00:30:11,340 --> 00:30:16,060 He, he lists things like fornication, idolatry, separations, 664 00:30:16,220 --> 00:30:18,180 murders, and things like it. 665 00:30:18,180 --> 00:30:21,780 So basically he says all these things that we know are sinful are 666 00:30:21,780 --> 00:30:24,140 manifestations of the flesh in our life. 667 00:30:24,430 --> 00:30:25,110 We're walking in that. 668 00:30:25,110 --> 00:30:30,830 But then he gets to verse number 22 of Galatians 5. 669 00:30:32,910 --> 00:30:36,670 Now, by the way, he just said in verse 16, you can either walk 670 00:30:36,830 --> 00:30:40,990 in the Spirit or you can walk in the flesh. 671 00:30:41,710 --> 00:30:44,430 This I say, then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the 672 00:30:44,430 --> 00:30:45,230 lust of the flesh. 673 00:30:45,950 --> 00:30:48,310 So what does it look like to walk in the Spirit? 674 00:30:48,310 --> 00:30:50,390 Verse 22, but the fruit of the Spirit. 675 00:30:50,390 --> 00:30:54,440 And by the way, fruit not fruits, because this is the group 676 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:59,160 of outpouring character traits that are going to happen when we 677 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:00,520 follow the Spirit. 678 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:04,600 Love, joy, peace, longsuffering. 679 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:09,480 That's patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. 680 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:10,320 That's self control. 681 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:11,560 Or we could say God control. 682 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:13,480 Against such there is no law. 683 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:16,520 And so you want to test whether or not you're walking in 684 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:16,880 the Spirit. 685 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,440 I would encourage you to go to Galatians chapter 5 and read verse 686 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:23,780 22 and 23 and say, what was my response? 687 00:31:24,580 --> 00:31:30,260 Like this was my, what was, was my decision according to this 688 00:31:32,020 --> 00:31:33,020 was my conflict. 689 00:31:33,020 --> 00:31:35,420 Because by the way, you can face conflict with the fruit of the 690 00:31:35,420 --> 00:31:35,780 Spirit. 691 00:31:36,100 --> 00:31:38,340 You can face pain in the fruit of the Spirit. 692 00:31:39,220 --> 00:31:42,300 And so the, the Bible tells us that that's a way that we can gauge 693 00:31:42,300 --> 00:31:44,900 it and asking God to give us direction in our life. 694 00:31:44,900 --> 00:31:48,860 And so what we see here this morning, as Paul says In Romans chapter 695 00:31:48,860 --> 00:31:51,020 8, are you living in the flesh? 696 00:31:51,980 --> 00:31:53,260 Are you living in the Spirit? 697 00:31:54,540 --> 00:31:56,100 Are you seeking the things of God? 698 00:31:56,100 --> 00:31:57,660 Are you seeking the things of this world? 699 00:31:58,940 --> 00:32:00,580 Are you living in condemnation? 700 00:32:00,580 --> 00:32:03,180 Are you living in confidence in God? 701 00:32:03,420 --> 00:32:07,180 Now, by the way, if we live our Christian lives focused on ourselves, 702 00:32:08,620 --> 00:32:10,860 that's what most Christians do. 703 00:32:11,020 --> 00:32:12,460 All we think about is ourself. 704 00:32:13,420 --> 00:32:15,900 And the gauge of whether or not God is working in this world 705 00:32:15,900 --> 00:32:17,340 is how God's dealing with us. 706 00:32:18,250 --> 00:32:20,090 By the way, that's a faulty premise. 707 00:32:21,130 --> 00:32:22,970 We are not the center of the universe. 708 00:32:23,210 --> 00:32:24,650 Jesus is, God is. 709 00:32:26,090 --> 00:32:30,010 But if I live my life focused on myself, there's going to be some 710 00:32:30,170 --> 00:32:31,370 indicators of that. 711 00:32:32,010 --> 00:32:33,090 What will that look like? 712 00:32:33,090 --> 00:32:37,290 Well, if I live my life focused on myself and the expectation 713 00:32:37,290 --> 00:32:40,370 was, is that God would give me everything that I want, that God's 714 00:32:40,370 --> 00:32:42,690 going to have everything planned the way that I have planned, 715 00:32:42,690 --> 00:32:45,530 then there's a place in my life where I'm always going to be 716 00:32:46,450 --> 00:32:47,010 discouraged. 717 00:32:47,010 --> 00:32:47,250 Why? 718 00:32:47,250 --> 00:32:49,090 Because I'm not always going to get the things that I want. 719 00:32:50,210 --> 00:32:50,570 Why? 720 00:32:50,570 --> 00:32:53,010 Because my life is not for me anymore. 721 00:32:53,010 --> 00:32:53,810 It's for God. 722 00:32:55,490 --> 00:32:56,370 You're not your own. 723 00:32:56,370 --> 00:32:57,490 You're a bot with a price. 724 00:32:58,290 --> 00:32:59,650 So if you think your Christian life. 725 00:32:59,650 --> 00:33:02,650 If I think my Christian life is all about me, I'm always going 726 00:33:02,650 --> 00:33:04,410 to live in guilt and condemnation. 727 00:33:04,410 --> 00:33:04,770 Why? 728 00:33:04,850 --> 00:33:06,810 Because I'm always going to feel like I'm not enough. 729 00:33:06,810 --> 00:33:09,490 I'm always going to feel like maybe I fail God. 730 00:33:09,490 --> 00:33:11,970 I'm always going to feel that I'm inadequate. 731 00:33:11,970 --> 00:33:14,370 And the truth is, is that all those things are true. 732 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:14,560 And. 733 00:33:14,630 --> 00:33:16,310 But that's not the center of our salvation. 734 00:33:16,310 --> 00:33:18,790 The center of our salvation is what God has done for us. 735 00:33:19,670 --> 00:33:22,110 So if my focus is me, I'm always going to be failing. 736 00:33:22,110 --> 00:33:23,270 I'm always going to be upset. 737 00:33:23,270 --> 00:33:25,950 I'm always going to be in the dumps because it's all about me. 738 00:33:25,950 --> 00:33:29,430 And when I didn't get a good news here today, or I had this struggle 739 00:33:29,430 --> 00:33:33,030 today, or this pain today, or someone betrayed me and I. I am. 740 00:33:33,030 --> 00:33:36,350 And I am my own Lord, then the problem comes is that that's when 741 00:33:36,350 --> 00:33:37,590 I'm always going to be defeated. 742 00:33:37,590 --> 00:33:40,030 That's always when I'm going to be questioning God because my 743 00:33:40,030 --> 00:33:41,270 eyes are not set on Him. 744 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:44,680 But when my eyes are set on him and he's my master and I go through 745 00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:45,480 a problem, hey, great. 746 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:47,800 This is just an opportunity for people to see Jesus through my 747 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:48,080 life. 748 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,360 This is just a testimony for the Lord. 749 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:54,840 And I'm never going to be discouraged if my expectations are 750 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:55,120 that. 751 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:58,040 But if my expectations are all about me, I'm always going to live 752 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:00,160 in condemnation because I'm going to say, ah, you know what? 753 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:01,600 Maybe I didn't do enough today. 754 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:02,720 News flash. 755 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:04,400 You never can do enough today. 756 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:07,280 You're never going to do enough to repay God. 757 00:34:08,670 --> 00:34:12,270 And when the guilt is put on you, well, you know what I've been 758 00:34:12,270 --> 00:34:12,830 noticing? 759 00:34:13,310 --> 00:34:17,110 You haven't been, you know, acting the way a Christian should 760 00:34:17,110 --> 00:34:17,390 act. 761 00:34:18,190 --> 00:34:20,030 So maybe God doesn't love you anymore. 762 00:34:20,110 --> 00:34:21,310 That is heresy. 763 00:34:22,590 --> 00:34:23,270 Heresy. 764 00:34:23,270 --> 00:34:27,150 God loves you even in your failures or he wouldn't have proved 765 00:34:27,150 --> 00:34:28,030 his love on the cross. 766 00:34:28,110 --> 00:34:29,990 Now, does God want us to stay where we are? 767 00:34:29,990 --> 00:34:31,470 No, he doesn't love our sin. 768 00:34:32,350 --> 00:34:33,630 He wants us to change. 769 00:34:34,690 --> 00:34:36,170 Well, we're talking about two different things here. 770 00:34:36,170 --> 00:34:39,650 We're talking about things that are for a believer and for not 771 00:34:39,650 --> 00:34:40,370 a believer. 772 00:34:40,610 --> 00:34:42,330 Remember, he's speaking to Christians here. 773 00:34:42,330 --> 00:34:43,330 Romans, chapter 8. 774 00:34:43,570 --> 00:34:48,890 To them who are in Christ Jesus, it's obvious that a person 775 00:34:48,890 --> 00:34:52,570 who is not saved, a person who is not in Christ Jesus, will be walking 776 00:34:52,570 --> 00:34:53,090 in the flesh. 777 00:34:53,090 --> 00:34:54,610 And so the challenge here is this. 778 00:34:54,690 --> 00:34:57,490 Don't be like those who have no hope and walk in the flesh. 779 00:34:59,740 --> 00:35:00,540 Verse number six. 780 00:35:00,780 --> 00:35:04,300 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded 781 00:35:04,300 --> 00:35:05,180 is life and peace. 782 00:35:05,820 --> 00:35:08,060 And if you are tempted to think, well, you know what? 783 00:35:08,060 --> 00:35:09,740 Christians can't live in the flesh. 784 00:35:10,460 --> 00:35:11,940 There are some people that teach that. 785 00:35:11,940 --> 00:35:13,900 There are some people that teach if you're a Christian, you're 786 00:35:13,900 --> 00:35:14,620 never going to fail. 787 00:35:14,860 --> 00:35:17,100 You're never going to be tempted to live in the flesh. 788 00:35:17,180 --> 00:35:20,140 Go with me to a passage of Scripture in Matthew, Matthew, chapter 789 00:35:20,140 --> 00:35:20,460 16. 790 00:35:20,860 --> 00:35:24,140 I want you to see a fellow that I always really identify with. 791 00:35:24,540 --> 00:35:27,140 His name is Peter, right? 792 00:35:27,140 --> 00:35:29,940 Peter is a guy who does great things for the Lord. 793 00:35:29,940 --> 00:35:31,700 But Peter is a guy who messes up a lot. 794 00:35:32,820 --> 00:35:35,780 And it's okay, because why? 795 00:35:35,780 --> 00:35:39,980 We we know that God has a plan for his life and it's not okay that 796 00:35:39,980 --> 00:35:40,820 he messes up. 797 00:35:40,900 --> 00:35:44,820 But it is understandable that there are going to be people that 798 00:35:44,820 --> 00:35:47,060 mess up that God continues to use. 799 00:35:47,060 --> 00:35:47,300 Why? 800 00:35:47,300 --> 00:35:49,220 Because they're no longer in condemnation. 801 00:35:51,870 --> 00:35:52,910 Matthew, chapter 16. 802 00:35:52,990 --> 00:35:55,470 Some of you know this passage of Scripture. 803 00:35:56,190 --> 00:36:00,350 It's a very important passage of scripture when it comes to many 804 00:36:00,350 --> 00:36:00,630 things. 805 00:36:00,630 --> 00:36:05,710 But Jesus is talking and he asked Peter a question. 806 00:36:06,910 --> 00:36:09,070 We actually asked all of his disciples a question. 807 00:36:09,230 --> 00:36:10,950 He says, whom do men say that I am? 808 00:36:10,950 --> 00:36:12,590 This is him in Caesarea, Philippi. 809 00:36:12,750 --> 00:36:13,150 And. 810 00:36:13,230 --> 00:36:17,390 And you know, Elias, Elijah, or John the Baptist or Jeremiah. 811 00:36:17,770 --> 00:36:20,050 And then obviously we know the story. 812 00:36:20,050 --> 00:36:22,210 If you don't know the story, I encourage you to read this sometime 813 00:36:22,210 --> 00:36:23,290 because this isn't the main point. 814 00:36:23,290 --> 00:36:27,650 But Peter answers and says, here, this is who I say that you 815 00:36:27,650 --> 00:36:27,850 are. 816 00:36:27,850 --> 00:36:30,490 You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. 817 00:36:30,570 --> 00:36:34,570 And Jesus tells Peter, that's a good thing. 818 00:36:35,130 --> 00:36:36,610 God has revealed that to you. 819 00:36:36,610 --> 00:36:37,930 That's not flesh and blood. 820 00:36:38,250 --> 00:36:41,330 You were not able to find that without the guidance of God in your 821 00:36:41,330 --> 00:36:41,610 life. 822 00:36:42,810 --> 00:36:48,600 But then go down, because just after commending Peter for that proclamation 823 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:55,280 of Jesus being Lord, verse 21, from that time for Jesus began to 824 00:36:55,280 --> 00:36:59,720 show his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer 825 00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:02,520 many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be 826 00:37:02,520 --> 00:37:04,640 killed and be raised again the third day. 827 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:07,240 So Jesus says, okay, guys, you're ready to hear what the plan 828 00:37:07,240 --> 00:37:07,560 is. 829 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:09,640 That's not the plan. 830 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:13,450 They were expecting for the disciples to say that Jesus is the 831 00:37:13,450 --> 00:37:13,690 Christ. 832 00:37:13,690 --> 00:37:17,730 The Messiah meant a victory, meant that he was going to come and 833 00:37:17,730 --> 00:37:20,530 remove the chains of bondage from Rome. 834 00:37:20,530 --> 00:37:23,650 But now Jesus says, guys, this is what it means for me to be Messiah, 835 00:37:23,730 --> 00:37:28,490 That I'm going to go to Jerusalem and I'm going to die, but 836 00:37:28,490 --> 00:37:30,210 I'm going to be raised on the third day. 837 00:37:30,690 --> 00:37:32,370 Let's see Peter's response here. 838 00:37:32,450 --> 00:37:36,690 Because Jesus just gets done commending him for his proclamation 839 00:37:36,690 --> 00:37:39,770 of Jesus being the king, being the Messiah. 840 00:37:40,250 --> 00:37:41,370 Then Peter took him. 841 00:37:42,250 --> 00:37:44,810 And I believe Peter was trying to do the right thing here. 842 00:37:45,530 --> 00:37:49,130 Peter was like, no, Lord, we just talked about you being victorious. 843 00:37:49,130 --> 00:37:55,930 And he says he rebuked him, saying, be it far from the Lord that 844 00:37:56,970 --> 00:37:59,410 this shall not be unto the meaning. 845 00:37:59,410 --> 00:38:03,690 Peter pulls Jesus aside and he says, jesus, you just said we're 846 00:38:03,690 --> 00:38:05,930 going to be victorious, and now you're going to tell me that 847 00:38:05,930 --> 00:38:06,690 you're going to die. 848 00:38:07,170 --> 00:38:08,170 No, no, no, no, no. 849 00:38:08,170 --> 00:38:08,770 This is not right. 850 00:38:08,770 --> 00:38:09,490 This is not good. 851 00:38:09,650 --> 00:38:12,450 I think Peter's trying to do the right thing by, like Jesus, I 852 00:38:12,690 --> 00:38:14,770 like, let's do what you said you're going to do. 853 00:38:15,250 --> 00:38:17,090 But then let's see what the response is here. 854 00:38:17,970 --> 00:38:19,890 Jesus turns, verse 23. 855 00:38:19,890 --> 00:38:23,090 But he turned and said unto Peter, get thee behind me, Satan. 856 00:38:24,130 --> 00:38:25,690 Thou art an offense unto me. 857 00:38:25,690 --> 00:38:29,770 For thou savor not the things that be of God, but those that be 858 00:38:29,770 --> 00:38:30,330 of men. 859 00:38:30,330 --> 00:38:31,010 Meaning this. 860 00:38:31,420 --> 00:38:35,700 Peter's eyes were fixed on the victory on the worldly side of things, 861 00:38:35,700 --> 00:38:37,260 the material side of things. 862 00:38:38,300 --> 00:38:39,740 Jesus says, no, that's a temptation. 863 00:38:39,740 --> 00:38:40,900 Why would that be a temptation? 864 00:38:40,900 --> 00:38:43,580 Because it was God's will that Jesus would go. 865 00:38:43,580 --> 00:38:47,260 And that's his victory in the death, the burial, and the resurrection. 866 00:38:47,339 --> 00:38:50,060 Peter understood victory from a worldly sense of things. 867 00:38:50,220 --> 00:38:52,980 And so what Jesus does is he tells Peter, you're not thinking 868 00:38:52,980 --> 00:38:53,500 the right way. 869 00:38:53,500 --> 00:38:54,820 You're not thinking God's way. 870 00:38:54,820 --> 00:38:56,420 You're not thinking according to God's will. 871 00:38:56,420 --> 00:38:58,460 You're thinking according to man's will, your will. 872 00:38:59,940 --> 00:39:05,260 And he says, thou savor or desire not the things that be of 873 00:39:05,260 --> 00:39:07,940 God, but those that be of men. 874 00:39:09,780 --> 00:39:13,500 Then he says in the next verse, then Jesus said unto his disciples, 875 00:39:13,500 --> 00:39:16,380 if any man will come after me, if anyone wants to come after me 876 00:39:16,380 --> 00:39:21,860 and be a Disciple, let him deny himself and take up his cross 877 00:39:22,100 --> 00:39:23,300 and follow me. 878 00:39:24,830 --> 00:39:25,150 Wow. 879 00:39:27,150 --> 00:39:29,670 A lot of us struggle with like, well, I'm having a bad day 880 00:39:29,670 --> 00:39:29,910 at work. 881 00:39:29,910 --> 00:39:31,310 I just don't really bear this cross. 882 00:39:32,510 --> 00:39:35,310 That's not essentially what he's saying here. 883 00:39:35,870 --> 00:39:38,990 To take up your cross means to take up death, to. 884 00:39:38,990 --> 00:39:43,510 To die to your desires, to die to your will, to die to your way 885 00:39:43,510 --> 00:39:45,390 and say, lord, I'm dead to me. 886 00:39:45,470 --> 00:39:46,470 I'm alive in you. 887 00:39:46,470 --> 00:39:47,310 What do you want? 888 00:39:49,390 --> 00:39:51,870 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. 889 00:39:52,700 --> 00:39:55,660 And whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 890 00:39:55,660 --> 00:39:56,620 And what is it? 891 00:39:56,780 --> 00:39:59,940 What does a man profit if he shall gain the whole world and lose 892 00:39:59,940 --> 00:40:00,860 his own soul? 893 00:40:01,580 --> 00:40:03,740 What shall a man give in exchange for a soul? 894 00:40:05,420 --> 00:40:08,660 So the Bible here clearly teaches that to be a follower of 895 00:40:08,660 --> 00:40:11,940 Christ properly means to say, it's not about my way, it's about 896 00:40:11,940 --> 00:40:12,420 your way. 897 00:40:12,420 --> 00:40:13,860 Peter missed it at that point. 898 00:40:13,860 --> 00:40:16,060 He was just like, hey, no, it's about this. 899 00:40:16,140 --> 00:40:16,980 Jesus, don't do this. 900 00:40:16,980 --> 00:40:19,410 And Jesus says, hey, you're thinking about the wrong things in 901 00:40:19,410 --> 00:40:19,970 the wrong way. 902 00:40:19,970 --> 00:40:22,610 And how many Christians today are thinking about God's plan, but 903 00:40:22,610 --> 00:40:25,690 a completely wrong way, missing the mark? 904 00:40:26,810 --> 00:40:29,930 Well, God's plan for me is to be comfortable and have everything 905 00:40:29,930 --> 00:40:33,130 I've ever wanted and to do the things that I want to do. 906 00:40:34,410 --> 00:40:36,570 Well, I don't know what message that is, but that's not in 907 00:40:36,570 --> 00:40:37,290 the word of God. 908 00:40:39,050 --> 00:40:40,890 Comfort is a different type of comfort. 909 00:40:41,770 --> 00:40:44,370 The type of comfort that God talks about is the peace that passes 910 00:40:44,370 --> 00:40:48,100 all understanding that could come to a man like Paul who is in 911 00:40:48,100 --> 00:40:50,180 prison and said, hey, I got the comfort of the spirit. 912 00:40:50,580 --> 00:40:52,940 Comfort's not a circumstantial material comfort. 913 00:40:52,940 --> 00:40:56,980 Comfort is a comfort that God gives in any sense, in anywhere, 914 00:40:57,460 --> 00:40:58,820 in any capacity. 915 00:40:58,980 --> 00:41:01,700 And so what we can see in this case is that the challenge is, is 916 00:41:01,859 --> 00:41:06,100 don't think about the things of God in the ways that we think 917 00:41:06,100 --> 00:41:08,020 as a man, as a human. 918 00:41:09,380 --> 00:41:11,460 And that's what I want to challenge you with here this morning. 919 00:41:11,540 --> 00:41:11,740 God. 920 00:41:11,890 --> 00:41:13,450 God calls us to do certain things. 921 00:41:13,450 --> 00:41:15,410 God challenges us to live a certain way. 922 00:41:15,570 --> 00:41:17,730 God challenges us to love other people. 923 00:41:17,890 --> 00:41:22,450 God challenges us to spread the gospel, but to do it in his path, 924 00:41:22,530 --> 00:41:26,770 in his way, with his word, and say, it's not about me, it's about 925 00:41:26,770 --> 00:41:27,010 him. 926 00:41:27,010 --> 00:41:29,970 And so let's conclude this passage in Romans, chapter 8. 927 00:41:32,450 --> 00:41:34,330 Why should we not live in the flesh? 928 00:41:34,330 --> 00:41:37,370 What's the problem with living in the flesh? 929 00:41:37,370 --> 00:41:39,410 What's the problem with doing it our way? 930 00:41:40,580 --> 00:41:41,100 Verse 7. 931 00:41:41,100 --> 00:41:47,700 Because the carnal mind, the fleshly mind, is enmity against God. 932 00:41:48,340 --> 00:41:51,060 The flesh fights against God. 933 00:41:51,940 --> 00:41:57,060 The flesh fights against the things that God wants us to do. 934 00:41:57,940 --> 00:42:01,180 The flesh fights against God's economy, God's kingdom. 935 00:42:01,180 --> 00:42:05,380 And so he says, to be carnally minded, to think in fleshly ways, 936 00:42:05,380 --> 00:42:09,370 is against God, for it is not subject to the law of God. 937 00:42:09,370 --> 00:42:12,890 Neither can indeed, or, excuse me, neither indeed can be. 938 00:42:13,050 --> 00:42:13,770 Meaning this. 939 00:42:13,850 --> 00:42:16,890 The flesh, when we live in the flesh, is not being controlled by 940 00:42:16,890 --> 00:42:17,290 God. 941 00:42:17,690 --> 00:42:21,090 When we live in the flesh, we are in control of ourselves or in 942 00:42:21,090 --> 00:42:23,690 a bad way, we're allowing evil to control us. 943 00:42:24,570 --> 00:42:30,250 But when we are fleshly minded, we are doing the things of 944 00:42:31,290 --> 00:42:33,610 evil, doing things of rebellion. 945 00:42:34,000 --> 00:42:36,640 To be spiritually minded means to do the complete opposite. 946 00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:40,280 To be spiritually minded means to do the things that God wants us 947 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:43,880 to do, to respond the way that God wants us to respond, to live 948 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:46,760 in light of the fruit of the spirit and to respond those ways. 949 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:50,160 Because by the way, it does not say to do those things in the 950 00:42:50,160 --> 00:42:50,760 fruit of the spirit. 951 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:51,920 Love, joy, peace. 952 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,560 When things are going well, it's easy for me to be loving when 953 00:42:55,560 --> 00:42:56,480 everything's going my way. 954 00:42:56,480 --> 00:42:59,040 But can I love when things are not going my way? 955 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:00,480 That's the question of the spirit. 956 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:05,240 Can I be peaceful when things are not going my way, when people 957 00:43:05,240 --> 00:43:06,240 are not being peaceful? 958 00:43:06,240 --> 00:43:08,440 To me, that's a mark of the fruit of the spirit. 959 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:12,840 So one commentator put it this way. 960 00:43:12,840 --> 00:43:18,040 We must, however, guard against a false spirituality and 961 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:21,880 see that Paul means the flesh insofar as it is an instrument of 962 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:23,240 rebellion against God. 963 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:25,800 Meaning this. 964 00:43:26,530 --> 00:43:31,370 To try to be spiritual in a fleshly way means to be in rebellion 965 00:43:31,370 --> 00:43:32,050 against God. 966 00:43:34,210 --> 00:43:36,370 Now, some of you might not understand what I mean by that, but 967 00:43:36,370 --> 00:43:38,210 I can tell you that I can speak void of experience. 968 00:43:38,210 --> 00:43:40,690 I've tried to do the things of God in my flesh. 969 00:43:41,490 --> 00:43:43,010 That's rebellion against God. 970 00:43:43,010 --> 00:43:45,410 I've tried to preach the word of God in the flesh. 971 00:43:45,810 --> 00:43:48,450 I've tried to respond to people for God in the flesh. 972 00:43:48,530 --> 00:43:50,610 I've tried to read my Bible in the flesh. 973 00:43:51,250 --> 00:43:54,960 I've tried to work in a workplace for God in the flesh. 974 00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:55,800 And what does that bring? 975 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:58,560 That only brings more rebellion, more division, more anger, 976 00:43:58,560 --> 00:43:59,520 more confusion. 977 00:44:00,160 --> 00:44:03,280 But then we get to see what he says here in verse number eight, 978 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:04,880 because he takes it a step further. 979 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:06,800 This is where we're going to end here this morning. 980 00:44:07,440 --> 00:44:12,960 So then they that are in the flesh cannot, cannot please God. 981 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:14,480 Whoa. 982 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:15,840 Because we. 983 00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:17,880 We think, well, like, if I'm trying to do the right thing, but 984 00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:19,520 my way I'll eventually please God. 985 00:44:19,670 --> 00:44:22,990 No, he says, if you are in the flesh, if you're not guided by the 986 00:44:22,990 --> 00:44:27,070 spirit, if your mind is not controlled by the spirit, if your 987 00:44:27,070 --> 00:44:31,350 actions are not controlled by the spirit, this is not Pastor Josh's 988 00:44:31,510 --> 00:44:32,470 humble opinion. 989 00:44:32,550 --> 00:44:33,910 This is the word of God. 990 00:44:34,390 --> 00:44:38,150 So then they that are in the flesh, walking in the flesh, cannot 991 00:44:38,150 --> 00:44:38,950 please God. 992 00:44:39,670 --> 00:44:41,350 Cannot please God. 993 00:44:41,670 --> 00:44:44,550 There's another passage of Scripture in Hebrews, chapter 11 994 00:44:44,550 --> 00:44:48,790 that speaks to a hindrance to our walk with God. 995 00:44:49,030 --> 00:44:52,950 Hebrews chapter 11, verse 6 says, for without faith it is impossible 996 00:44:52,950 --> 00:44:53,910 to please him. 997 00:44:55,350 --> 00:44:58,310 So we have to see some kind of connection between living in the 998 00:44:58,310 --> 00:44:59,670 spirit and living in faith. 999 00:45:00,790 --> 00:45:04,070 If we are not living in faith that God can control our life and 1000 00:45:04,070 --> 00:45:07,870 take care of us and provide for us and preserve us and sustain 1001 00:45:07,870 --> 00:45:11,230 us through the midst of our difficulty, we will then be tempted 1002 00:45:11,230 --> 00:45:13,470 to revert back to something that we do trust in. 1003 00:45:13,470 --> 00:45:15,970 Many of us, trust our flesh to do that work. 1004 00:45:16,530 --> 00:45:17,730 I got a struggle today. 1005 00:45:19,490 --> 00:45:22,530 Whether we want to admit it or not, we lack faith that God can handle 1006 00:45:22,530 --> 00:45:24,410 it, and we believe that we can handle it. 1007 00:45:24,410 --> 00:45:25,410 So we go to the flesh. 1008 00:45:26,610 --> 00:45:27,810 Can't please God that way. 1009 00:45:27,970 --> 00:45:29,330 We can't please God that way. 1010 00:45:30,130 --> 00:45:34,330 So faith, believing that God is who he says he is, that he will 1011 00:45:34,330 --> 00:45:38,370 do what he says he will do, that God has proven his love for 1012 00:45:38,370 --> 00:45:40,300 us when we live in that type of faith, when we. 1013 00:45:40,370 --> 00:45:42,130 We will be led by the Spirit. 1014 00:45:43,090 --> 00:45:44,530 So it essentially boils down to this. 1015 00:45:44,530 --> 00:45:46,050 Am I going to live with faith today? 1016 00:45:46,210 --> 00:45:48,450 Am I going to trust that God is going to keep his word? 1017 00:45:48,770 --> 00:45:51,250 It's hard to believe that God will keep his word if you don't know 1018 00:45:51,250 --> 00:45:52,050 what his word is. 1019 00:45:53,010 --> 00:45:55,730 That's why you got to dig deep into the promises of God. 1020 00:45:55,730 --> 00:45:59,450 Because if you didn't know Romans chapter 8, you might be tempted 1021 00:45:59,450 --> 00:46:01,170 to think that you have condemnation now. 1022 00:46:01,250 --> 00:46:04,610 May maybe you have sinned too much and God doesn't love you anymore. 1023 00:46:04,610 --> 00:46:05,930 But go back to verse one. 1024 00:46:05,930 --> 00:46:09,250 There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus 1025 00:46:09,640 --> 00:46:12,200 who are now living in the Spirit and not the flesh. 1026 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:17,240 The flesh battles against God because it does not want to be crucified. 1027 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:18,360 What did Jesus say? 1028 00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:19,320 Take up your cross. 1029 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:22,720 There's another passage of Scripture that says to mortify or 1030 00:46:22,720 --> 00:46:24,680 to kill your members, your body. 1031 00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:29,760 The idea would be this flesh never wants to surrender to the Lord's 1032 00:46:29,760 --> 00:46:30,040 way. 1033 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:32,600 It doesn't want to live out. 1034 00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:35,800 Galatians, chapter 5, verse 24. 1035 00:46:35,800 --> 00:46:38,040 I want you to see Galatians, chapter 5, Verse 24. 1036 00:46:38,040 --> 00:46:40,460 We were in Galatians chapter 5. 1037 00:46:41,180 --> 00:46:45,340 I want you to see this right after the reference to the fruit 1038 00:46:45,340 --> 00:46:45,900 of the Spirit. 1039 00:46:49,580 --> 00:46:50,300 Here it is. 1040 00:46:50,540 --> 00:46:54,620 So this is what it looks like for a believer to be walking in the 1041 00:46:54,620 --> 00:47:00,620 Spirit with no condemnation, with no more guilt. 1042 00:47:02,060 --> 00:47:02,980 Galatians 5. 1043 00:47:03,060 --> 00:47:03,420 24. 1044 00:47:03,420 --> 00:47:07,580 And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections 1045 00:47:07,580 --> 00:47:08,300 and lust. 1046 00:47:10,040 --> 00:47:13,000 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 1047 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:17,120 The Bible says that if you're a believer, you have the Spirit living 1048 00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:17,440 within you. 1049 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:19,000 But many times we don't walk in the Spirit. 1050 00:47:19,320 --> 00:47:20,440 So what does that look like? 1051 00:47:20,520 --> 00:47:25,480 To crucify your desires, to kill your desires, to remove those 1052 00:47:25,480 --> 00:47:28,040 desires and say, lord, I want that to die. 1053 00:47:28,120 --> 00:47:29,000 How do we do that? 1054 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:29,800 Well, there's a song. 1055 00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:35,080 It says, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful 1056 00:47:35,080 --> 00:47:38,160 face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light 1057 00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:39,320 of his glory and grace. 1058 00:47:39,320 --> 00:47:39,960 Meaning this. 1059 00:47:41,160 --> 00:47:44,920 It's not just about hating bad as much as it is loving God more. 1060 00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:48,480 And the more I love God, the more I love good, the more I want 1061 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:52,120 to serve him, the less I will want to do those things in this world, 1062 00:47:52,520 --> 00:47:54,680 the less I will want to feed my flesh. 1063 00:47:55,640 --> 00:47:57,840 Folks, fighting the flesh with the flesh is just this. 1064 00:47:57,840 --> 00:47:58,840 I just don't want to. 1065 00:47:58,920 --> 00:47:59,920 I got to stop doing this. 1066 00:47:59,920 --> 00:48:00,720 I got to stop doing this. 1067 00:48:00,720 --> 00:48:01,760 But I keep living in it. 1068 00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:03,800 If I'm living around it, that's where I'm going to be. 1069 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:06,080 If I'm going to fight the flesh with the flesh, I'm going to 1070 00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:09,250 eventually be back right into the sin that I want to be free from. 1071 00:48:09,890 --> 00:48:13,170 But when I say instead of just looking at the bad and trying to 1072 00:48:13,170 --> 00:48:16,370 avoid the bad and just looking at it more and more, look to Christ 1073 00:48:16,770 --> 00:48:20,610 and the things of the world, the things of our flesh will grow 1074 00:48:20,690 --> 00:48:25,050 more and more detestable when we love him more, when we identify 1075 00:48:25,050 --> 00:48:29,570 with him more, when we realize that these are the types of sin that 1076 00:48:29,570 --> 00:48:32,170 nailed him to the cross, that's when we say, you know what? 1077 00:48:32,170 --> 00:48:33,890 I don't want to serve that anymore. 1078 00:48:34,430 --> 00:48:35,470 That's disgusting. 1079 00:48:35,870 --> 00:48:40,150 Folks, if there's a Christian who desires sin all the time, there's 1080 00:48:40,150 --> 00:48:43,310 a problem with the heart, there's a problem with the mind. 1081 00:48:43,470 --> 00:48:45,950 Sin should look repulsive to the believer. 1082 00:48:46,990 --> 00:48:49,190 We should not look at the world and go, well, I wish I could 1083 00:48:49,190 --> 00:48:49,630 do that. 1084 00:48:50,590 --> 00:48:51,070 I'm just. 1085 00:48:51,070 --> 00:48:52,590 I'm just gonna preach it here, okay? 1086 00:48:52,910 --> 00:48:53,710 I love you. 1087 00:48:54,510 --> 00:48:54,830 And. 1088 00:48:54,830 --> 00:48:56,310 And I love the Lord, so I gotta. 1089 00:48:56,310 --> 00:48:58,510 I love the Lord more, so I gotta preach this. 1090 00:48:58,670 --> 00:49:01,070 If we have a Christian who's like, man, I just wish I could be 1091 00:49:01,070 --> 00:49:02,590 out doing those things like I used to. 1092 00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:07,000 I just wish I could go out and desire those things like I used to. 1093 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:07,720 It's so hard. 1094 00:49:07,720 --> 00:49:08,120 You know what? 1095 00:49:08,120 --> 00:49:10,000 I got to go to church and I got to do these things. 1096 00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:12,480 But man, if I could just get back to that old way of life, I would 1097 00:49:12,480 --> 00:49:13,040 love that. 1098 00:49:13,360 --> 00:49:18,960 Folks, that's a huge problem because God changes our desires. 1099 00:49:19,440 --> 00:49:20,960 I'm not saying there's not temptations. 1100 00:49:20,960 --> 00:49:22,880 I'm not saying sin isn't attractive. 1101 00:49:22,880 --> 00:49:24,520 I'm saying those things are attractive. 1102 00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:25,600 That's why it's a temptation. 1103 00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:29,530 But if our desires of all we think about, it's all we, it's what 1104 00:49:29,530 --> 00:49:30,130 we dwell on. 1105 00:49:30,130 --> 00:49:31,490 We're dwelling on the wrong things. 1106 00:49:31,490 --> 00:49:32,850 I'm not saying you're not a Christian. 1107 00:49:32,850 --> 00:49:35,850 What I'm saying is, is that your mind is carnally focused. 1108 00:49:35,850 --> 00:49:37,650 My mind is carnally focused. 1109 00:49:37,650 --> 00:49:40,290 If all I can think about is the things of this world and it's 1110 00:49:40,290 --> 00:49:42,970 so attractive that I can't do it anymore. 1111 00:49:42,970 --> 00:49:44,090 It's just such a disgrace. 1112 00:49:44,090 --> 00:49:45,210 I wish I could do that. 1113 00:49:45,290 --> 00:49:46,450 No, that's a change. 1114 00:49:46,450 --> 00:49:49,250 And we've got to get to a place in our life where our desires 1115 00:49:49,250 --> 00:49:50,170 are the things of God. 1116 00:49:50,730 --> 00:49:54,890 I used to think this, man, we have a youth group event on Friday 1117 00:49:54,890 --> 00:49:55,290 night. 1118 00:49:55,940 --> 00:49:58,580 I could be out with my other friends and have a lot more fun. 1119 00:49:58,580 --> 00:49:59,540 I got to go to church. 1120 00:49:59,620 --> 00:50:00,740 Christians can't have fun. 1121 00:50:00,740 --> 00:50:02,900 I used to think that confession time. 1122 00:50:02,900 --> 00:50:05,140 Christians can't have fun because we can, you know, we can't 1123 00:50:05,140 --> 00:50:06,580 do all the things that are fun in this world. 1124 00:50:07,380 --> 00:50:11,140 Then I really got a hold of my life and I realized the best, most 1125 00:50:11,140 --> 00:50:14,340 enjoyable thing is to walk around with other Christians and 1126 00:50:14,340 --> 00:50:19,140 have pure righteous fun and elevate the truth of Jesus Christ. 1127 00:50:20,020 --> 00:50:21,780 I don't want those things of the world anymore. 1128 00:50:22,270 --> 00:50:23,550 What, what can that bring me? 1129 00:50:23,790 --> 00:50:24,510 Destruction. 1130 00:50:24,510 --> 00:50:25,710 Remember, he says death. 1131 00:50:26,750 --> 00:50:29,390 But the things of God in the Spirit are so, so if you're tempted 1132 00:50:29,390 --> 00:50:30,310 to think, well, I can't be. 1133 00:50:30,310 --> 00:50:31,950 I can't have a good time as a Christian. 1134 00:50:31,950 --> 00:50:35,230 Some of the, the best time of my life has been when I'm serving 1135 00:50:35,230 --> 00:50:38,430 God and I'm along other Christians, that's it. 1136 00:50:38,670 --> 00:50:40,030 That's what's the beauty of it. 1137 00:50:40,670 --> 00:50:42,510 And so it's always deeper. 1138 00:50:42,910 --> 00:50:44,230 It's not about a list of rules. 1139 00:50:44,230 --> 00:50:46,910 Well, now that I'm a church member, I can't go to this place 1140 00:50:47,150 --> 00:50:47,410 now. 1141 00:50:47,480 --> 00:50:50,160 Now that I'm a church member, I, I, I can't do this thing anymore. 1142 00:50:50,160 --> 00:50:51,400 I can't say this anymore? 1143 00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:52,280 No, but it's. 1144 00:50:52,520 --> 00:50:53,440 It's deeper than that. 1145 00:50:53,440 --> 00:50:54,360 It's a motivation. 1146 00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:59,880 But when we do fail, when we do struggle, when we do revert back, 1147 00:51:00,200 --> 00:51:01,960 remember verse number one. 1148 00:51:01,960 --> 00:51:03,920 There is therefore now no condemnation. 1149 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:05,400 There's forgiveness in Jesus. 1150 00:51:05,560 --> 00:51:08,120 His forgiveness is bigger than any sin that we commit. 1151 00:51:09,240 --> 00:51:14,000 It's not an excuse, but it's an encouragement to know that we 1152 00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:15,720 can find grace in Him. 1153 00:51:17,710 --> 00:51:23,470 So the battle to tame the flesh, the law is powerless. 1154 00:51:23,950 --> 00:51:25,230 My flesh is powerless. 1155 00:51:25,310 --> 00:51:29,950 The only thing that can tame the flesh and give us power is being 1156 00:51:29,950 --> 00:51:32,430 led by the Spirit of God and resting in his truth. 1157 00:51:33,070 --> 00:51:35,870 No condemnation, only confidence. 1158 00:51:36,910 --> 00:51:38,310 That's where chapter eight starts. 1159 00:51:38,310 --> 00:51:41,920 Now he's going to talk more about in verse number nine, what 1160 00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:43,480 it means to be indwelled by the Spirit. 1161 00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:45,960 He's going to talk in verse number 12 about being led by the 1162 00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:46,360 Spirit. 1163 00:51:46,440 --> 00:51:49,080 And then we're going to get to the classic passage where we can 1164 00:51:49,080 --> 00:51:53,560 anticipate God's glory and know that we are more than conquerors 1165 00:51:54,280 --> 00:51:55,800 as being children of God. 1166 00:51:56,440 --> 00:52:02,600 So here this morning, I hope that it can be clear, as Colossians 1167 00:52:02,600 --> 00:52:06,280 chapter three says, to set our affections on the things above. 1168 00:52:08,850 --> 00:52:12,090 Set your hearts and your desires on the things that honor 1169 00:52:12,090 --> 00:52:14,450 God, that please God, not please yourself. 1170 00:52:16,130 --> 00:52:18,450 If you come to church saying this, you know what. 1171 00:52:18,450 --> 00:52:20,050 What's Pastor gonna do for me today? 1172 00:52:21,490 --> 00:52:22,810 I'm gonna do nothing for you. 1173 00:52:22,810 --> 00:52:23,490 Honestly. 1174 00:52:24,290 --> 00:52:25,730 You don't want me to give you anything? 1175 00:52:25,730 --> 00:52:26,930 Okay, you. 1176 00:52:27,250 --> 00:52:27,610 What? 1177 00:52:27,610 --> 00:52:29,330 What does God have for me today? 1178 00:52:30,530 --> 00:52:31,210 What, What. 1179 00:52:31,210 --> 00:52:37,910 What can I do to serve him, to love him, to serve others, and to 1180 00:52:37,910 --> 00:52:39,390 point others to people of Jesus Christ? 1181 00:52:41,230 --> 00:52:44,470 I could go so much further, but the idea would be this. 1182 00:52:44,470 --> 00:52:47,830 If you're serving at a church to please a person, that's a fleshly 1183 00:52:47,830 --> 00:52:48,110 reason. 1184 00:52:48,910 --> 00:52:52,710 If you're serving at a church for people to please you, to serve 1185 00:52:52,710 --> 00:52:53,950 you, that's a fleshly reason. 1186 00:52:54,350 --> 00:52:57,590 If you're serving at church for any other reason outside of giving 1187 00:52:57,590 --> 00:53:03,190 honor and glory to our Savior and loving him and responding to 1188 00:53:03,190 --> 00:53:05,630 him in obedience, then it's the wrong motivation. 1189 00:53:05,630 --> 00:53:10,030 If you're fighting sin just so that you don't go to jail, if you're 1190 00:53:10,030 --> 00:53:12,670 fighting sin just so that you don't get in trouble anymore or that 1191 00:53:12,670 --> 00:53:15,150 someone gets off your back, you're fighting sin for the wrong 1192 00:53:15,150 --> 00:53:15,790 reasons. 1193 00:53:16,350 --> 00:53:20,710 Fight sin because God has called us to die to that, to be more 1194 00:53:20,710 --> 00:53:21,230 like Him. 1195 00:53:22,110 --> 00:53:24,110 So I can't put it any more clear here this morning. 1196 00:53:24,350 --> 00:53:27,630 Do everything by the power of the Spirit and die to the flesh. 1197 00:53:28,430 --> 00:53:32,750 Stop trying to start trusting Start trusting that God can change 1198 00:53:32,750 --> 00:53:33,230 your heart. 1199 00:53:33,710 --> 00:53:35,350 It's not going to be overnight for some people. 1200 00:53:35,350 --> 00:53:37,870 For some people it is, but for other people, it's a process. 1201 00:53:39,070 --> 00:53:40,350 Die daily. 1202 00:53:41,150 --> 00:53:45,550 Ask God to give you that strength the moment you wake up. 1203 00:53:45,550 --> 00:53:47,310 Ask God to give you that victory today. 1204 00:53:47,550 --> 00:53:49,910 Pastor, the moment I wake up, I start thinking about that problem 1205 00:53:49,910 --> 00:53:50,590 in my day. 1206 00:53:51,150 --> 00:53:55,100 So get ahead of it and start praying as soon as you wake up, give 1207 00:53:55,100 --> 00:53:55,860 it over to him. 1208 00:53:56,820 --> 00:53:58,780 So here this morning, there's no more condemnation. 1209 00:53:58,780 --> 00:54:00,340 There's only victory in Jesus Christ. 1210 00:54:00,900 --> 00:54:04,180 Understand the difference between false guilt and conviction. 1211 00:54:04,260 --> 00:54:08,340 One of the greatest spiritual truths that I was able to learn in 1212 00:54:08,340 --> 00:54:11,700 my life, to be able to deal with false guilt and conviction. 1213 00:54:12,660 --> 00:54:15,660 It was amazing thing to see that, because once I can identify 1214 00:54:15,660 --> 00:54:18,580 that this is false guilt from the enemy, I can reject that, cast 1215 00:54:18,580 --> 00:54:19,060 that out. 1216 00:54:19,630 --> 00:54:21,750 When I realize this conviction, I can deal with it and 1217 00:54:21,750 --> 00:54:22,670 get it right with God. 1218 00:54:23,390 --> 00:54:23,870 That's. 1219 00:54:23,870 --> 00:54:24,670 That's a beautiful thing. 1220 00:54:24,670 --> 00:54:27,310 Some of you might be living under that cloud of guilt right now 1221 00:54:27,630 --> 00:54:29,150 or that cloud of confusion. 1222 00:54:29,790 --> 00:54:32,990 Come this morning and realize there's no more condemnation if God 1223 00:54:32,990 --> 00:54:34,910 is convicting your heart on a specific matter. 1224 00:54:34,910 --> 00:54:37,150 Because by the way, the Holy Spirit is always specific. 1225 00:54:37,390 --> 00:54:39,230 The Holy Spirit is always directive. 1226 00:54:39,230 --> 00:54:41,110 The Holy Spirit's always going to lead us the truth. 1227 00:54:41,110 --> 00:54:44,670 If God is working on your heart, on a specific sin that you're 1228 00:54:44,670 --> 00:54:46,870 committing now or you've committed in the past, that you need 1229 00:54:46,870 --> 00:54:48,830 to get right, get that right asap. 1230 00:54:49,440 --> 00:54:52,680 Because living in rejection to the conviction of the Spirit will 1231 00:54:52,680 --> 00:54:53,440 allow us to grieve. 1232 00:54:53,440 --> 00:54:56,320 The Holy Spirit will eventually get us to a place where 1233 00:54:56,320 --> 00:54:58,760 we have a seared conscience and eventually get us to a place 1234 00:54:58,760 --> 00:55:01,080 where we're not walking in the way that God would have us to walk, 1235 00:55:01,080 --> 00:55:02,720 and we lose our effectiveness for Christ. 1236 00:55:03,040 --> 00:55:05,040 Come forward this morning and get that right with him. 1237 00:55:05,200 --> 00:55:08,680 I'm gonna ask if anyone is everyone is able to stand. 1238 00:55:08,680 --> 00:55:09,400 If you're able to stand. 1239 00:55:09,400 --> 00:55:10,720 If you're not able to stand, don't stand. 1240 00:55:11,200 --> 00:55:14,000 But I'm gonna ask every head bowed, every eye closed as the music 1241 00:55:14,000 --> 00:55:16,280 plays this morning, I want you to respond to the preaching of the 1242 00:55:16,280 --> 00:55:16,640 Word. 1243 00:55:17,970 --> 00:55:20,650 Maybe for you, you've been living in that condemnation and that 1244 00:55:20,650 --> 00:55:21,090 guilt. 1245 00:55:22,690 --> 00:55:25,170 Realize that if you were a believer in Jesus Christ this morning, 1246 00:55:25,170 --> 00:55:26,450 there is no more guilt. 1247 00:55:26,930 --> 00:55:28,090 There is only victory. 1248 00:55:28,090 --> 00:55:29,410 Get that taken care of today. 1249 00:55:30,290 --> 00:55:32,729 Walk as a victorious believer in the Spirit. 1250 00:55:32,729 --> 00:55:36,010 But if maybe some of you have been dealing with sin, this is not 1251 00:55:36,010 --> 00:55:36,930 just condemnation. 1252 00:55:36,930 --> 00:55:39,490 I feel like this sin is in my life and I don't know what to do. 1253 00:55:39,650 --> 00:55:41,250 Does God even love me anymore? 1254 00:55:41,250 --> 00:55:42,010 He loves you. 1255 00:55:42,010 --> 00:55:43,970 But get that restoration. 1256 00:55:44,640 --> 00:55:46,280 Get that restoration through repentance. 1257 00:55:46,280 --> 00:55:47,680 This morning, call out to him. 1258 00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:50,800 Ask him to give you the wisdom and the strength to overcome that 1259 00:55:50,800 --> 00:55:52,880 sin in your life and get it right. 1260 00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:54,640 Get it right with him. 1261 00:55:54,960 --> 00:55:57,560 And maybe it means getting it right with somebody else, I don't 1262 00:55:57,560 --> 00:55:57,840 know. 1263 00:55:58,400 --> 00:55:59,680 But get it right today. 1264 00:56:00,640 --> 00:56:03,800 But if you're not a believer in Jesus Christ, I. I gotta tell 1265 00:56:03,800 --> 00:56:06,880 you, that promise that's given to us there in Romans chapter eight 1266 00:56:06,880 --> 00:56:10,800 is not for people who are not in Christ Jesus. 1267 00:56:11,140 --> 00:56:14,180 The only way to be in Christ Jesus is to call upon his name in 1268 00:56:14,180 --> 00:56:18,620 faith and believe in him and him alone and his work and his resurrection 1269 00:56:18,620 --> 00:56:19,620 for your salvation. 1270 00:56:19,940 --> 00:56:21,540 The Gospel of Jesus Christ. 1271 00:56:21,860 --> 00:56:26,340 If you are entrusting in anything, anything outside of Jesus 1272 00:56:26,899 --> 00:56:32,740 and His work alone for your salvation, today is the day for salvation. 1273 00:56:32,740 --> 00:56:34,180 Come forward and believe in faith. 1274 00:56:34,740 --> 00:56:36,580 And so I'm going to pray here in a few moments. 1275 00:56:37,110 --> 00:56:39,790 At the end of my prayer or even before that, you can come forward. 1276 00:56:39,790 --> 00:56:40,910 You can kneel here at the steps. 1277 00:56:40,910 --> 00:56:43,550 We got some people that can show you in the word of God what 1278 00:56:43,550 --> 00:56:46,950 it means to find the truth of the Gospel. 1279 00:56:47,030 --> 00:56:48,990 Lord, I pray that you be in this time of invitation, working 1280 00:56:48,990 --> 00:56:49,750 hearts and lives. 1281 00:56:49,990 --> 00:56:53,830 Lord, help folks to follow you through conviction, through comfort, 1282 00:56:53,830 --> 00:56:55,750 through confidence, through clarity. 1283 00:56:57,110 --> 00:56:58,790 Pray that you be in this time of invitation. 1284 00:56:59,910 --> 00:57:01,230 In Jesus name, Amen. 1285 00:57:01,230 --> 00:57:01,910 Some have already come. 1286 00:57:01,910 --> 00:57:03,350 Follow as the Lord leads here this morning. 1287 00:58:15,600 --> 00:58:18,080 Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church 1288 00:58:18,080 --> 00:58:18,640 podcast. 1289 00:58:18,960 --> 00:58:21,350 I hope that this sermon has been a blessing blessing for you. 1290 00:58:22,070 --> 00:58:24,270 You would like to find out more information about our church 1291 00:58:24,270 --> 00:58:27,750 or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org 1292 00:58:27,990 --> 00:58:30,550 or find us on Facebook or YouTube. 1293 00:58:31,350 --> 00:58:35,790 You can also email me directly at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch 1294 00:58:35,790 --> 00:58:40,190 dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow 1295 00:58:40,190 --> 00:58:43,030 along for future podcasts and updates. 1296 00:58:43,670 --> 00:58:44,630 Thank you so much. 1297 00:58:44,870 --> 00:58:45,590 God bless. 1298 00:58:45,830 --> 00:58:47,110 Have a wonderful day.