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Hello and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church Podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh, and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now, come along.

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Let's look into the Bible and
see what God has for us here today.

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We're going to be in the Book
of Romans, Romans chapter six.

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We're going to continue on
studying the Book of Romans.

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And the overall overarching
theme that we've had in this book

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has been theology matters.

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What we believe about God,
what we know about him matters.

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It matters to what we believe
about our salvation.

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It matters to what we believe
about how we are supposed to live

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our lives.

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And a lot of times we think
that when we trust in God, that's

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the end of the story.

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But what we're seeing here in
the Book of Romans is that when we

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trust in God, that's just the
beginning of the story.

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And we looked last week at
this idea of how we are given a new

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life in Christ.

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And so in our salvation, in
our forgiveness, we have a new life

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in Christ.

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And so last week, we were
trying to wrap our minds around what

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that is.

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What is a new life?

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Well, it's a transformed life.

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It's a life going in a
different direction.

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Actually, the way the Bible
frames it is it's going from death

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to.

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To life.

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It's a resurrection.

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And as we saw at the.

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At the first part of Romans
chapter 6, God likens our salvation

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to what happened with Jesus in
his death on the cross, his burial,

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and his resurrection.

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And so as a believer, we are
dead to sin before we were dead in

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sin.

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Then when we come to Christ,
we are dead to sin, but then we are

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raised to walk in newness of life.

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And so think about it from
this perspective.

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The, the.

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The word picture would be this.

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When we are.

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When we die to our sin, we are
no longer bound by that.

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We are no longer defined by that.

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And then the word there is
buried or immersed.

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We're immersed in the love of
God, we're immersed in the identity

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of God, and then we're raised
to walk in a new life.

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So if we understand that idea
now, we say, okay, what does that

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mean for me today?

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Because I can understand that
here, but that might not transfer

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over to how I live my life.

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And so what I'd like to talk
to you about today are the practical

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applications of what it means
to have a new life in Christ.

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What Is that supposed to look like.

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How are we supposed to
accomplish these things that God

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has called us to do?

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Well, here in Romans, chapter
six, I want you to see where we left

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off.

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Romans, chapter 6, verse 10,
it says, for in that he died, this

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is talking about Jesus.

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In that he died, he died unto
sin once, but in that he liveth,

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he liveth unto God.

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And so when we're identified
with Christ as a believer, we are

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then, as it says here, dead to
sin, but alive in God.

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And I love how it says that at
the end of verse 10, it says, he

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liveth unto God.

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That speaks of the eternal
life that we have with God.

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But then we get to verse
number 11, and this is where he really

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puts rubber to the road.

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This is really where he's
going to put faith into practice.

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And he says, verse number 11 likewise.

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So, so just as we saw that
picture of Jesus being dead and raised

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to walk in newness of life, so
we are dead and walking in newness

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of life.

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And so it says verse 11
likewise, reckon.

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Now that word reckon also
would be considered like a word in

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accounting, like, like, like
a, like a term that we would use

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to account and to make note of things.

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And so he says, basically,
reckon yourselves or account yourselves

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to be dead indeed unto sin,
meaning see yourself in that light,

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see yourself dead to sin, but
alive unto God through Jesus Christ

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our Lord.

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So the life comes through Jesus.

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The life doesn't come through
my strength, my wisdom, my power.

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That new life is in a reliance
in, as the end of verse 11 says,

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through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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And so we're reminded over and
over again in the New Testament,

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specifically places like John
15 that say that we must be abiding

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in Christ, relying in Christ.

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So this new life doesn't come
from just being a dedicated person.

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Some of you out there, I know,
have different elements of your life

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that you are highly dedicated to.

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Some of you might say, I'm
dedicated to my job.

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Some of you are early risers.

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You say, I'm dedicated to
getting up at this time every single

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day.

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Or maybe I'm dedicated to my
garden, or I'm dedicated to a hobby.

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Those are all good things.

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And those are reflections of
the power of God in our life.

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But ultimately we can't just
work harder to have a new life in

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Christ.

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We can't just avoid the
problems of this world.

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The Bible says here that
walking in the newness of Christ

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means to walk in his power, to
walk in his provision, to walk in

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his presence.

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And so verse number 12
essentially tells us that all we

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do in our lives in this new
path is to rely on Christ.

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It says in Second Corinthians,
chapter 5, verse 17, that we are

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new creations, new creatures,
old things are passed away.

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And so what we can see here in
this case is that a life of a believer

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is a life abiding in the power
of Christ.

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And that is how we can rely on
him to do these things differently.

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Verse 13.

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So, so we have the implication.

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The implication is this, if
you are a believer, you are walking

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as a Christ follower.

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The implication would be that
if you are a believer, you are walking

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in this new path.

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You are no longer defined by
your sin, you are no longer bound

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by your sin.

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You are not like the world.

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You are different.

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When I used to read that in
scripture, there are different places

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in the scriptures that say
that we are different people, that,

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that we're a strange people,
that, that, that we're distinct from

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the world.

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And I used to read that and
go, yeah, we're different, we dress

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differently, where people talk differently.

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And I used to think that was a
bad thing.

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But actually what the Bible
says is that to be different is a

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good thing because we're not
defined by the sins of this world.

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We're not defined by the whims
and the cares of our culture.

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I'm thankful for that because
our culture changes.

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Some of you that have lived
long enough, you have seen the culture

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change in America from a place
of, hey, you know what?

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That most people on average
are God fearing people to where we

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see today that the average is
not that people are God fearing anymore.

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The culture has changed.

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And if we allow culture or we
allow our circle of society to dictate

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to us what we believe, we're
going astray.

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But what we see here in this
case is, he says, the implication

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is that you're different.

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And there's a reason that
you're different, because now you're

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identified as a child of the king.

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So we have the implication.

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The implication is, is that
we're different, that we're changed,

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that we're unique, that we're,
we're strange to the world now.

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It's not like I, I used to
read that and think like, well, am

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I supposed to just act like a
weird person so that people will

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think I'm strange?

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No, you act according to the
word of God.

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And guess what?

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People will think that you're
strange if you're living like the

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word of God because they're
going to say, why don't you join

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in with us.

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Why don't you talk like that?

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Why don't you treat your
spouse like that?

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Why don't you lie to your boss
like that?

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No, it says here, no, we're
different because we're like Christ,

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and Christ is so different
than the world.

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But then we see here in verse
13, he talks about the instruments,

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the instruments of a new life
in Christ.

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You would say the instruments.

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What are we talking about here?

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Like a musical instrument?

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No, no.

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Think, think.

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Like a tool or a weapon.

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He says in verse 13, neither
yield ye your members as instruments

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of unrighteousness unto sin.

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So what's he talking about here?

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Your members.

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He's talking about your body now.

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Now, a lot of times what
people do is they try to separate

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the spiritual side and the
physical side.

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What the Bible says is our
spiritual side and our physical side

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are connected because what we
believe about the spiritual side

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of us will dictate what we do
with our physical side.

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Romans chapter 12 says,
present your bodies a living sacrifice.

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Because there's a movement,
There was a movement, there still

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is a movement that says, as
long as you believe the right things,

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do whatever you want to do.

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Isn't that what Paul was
addressing in verse one?

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Like, hey, if you believe that
God is gracious, if you believe God

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has saved you, if you believe
God is the only God, that's great.

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That's good.

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You're saved.

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Now just live your way the way
that you want to live.

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Live the way of the world.

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Live in your flesh.

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But no, he says, it's further.

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So what you believe in your
mind that has transferred to your

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heart should transfer over to
your members, your body.

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Now, your members are your
hands, your ears, your eyes, your

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nose, your mouth, your feet,
everything, right?

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Your.

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Your whole body.

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So he says, neither yield ye
your members as instruments of unrighteousness

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unto sin.

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So don't sin with your body,
but yield yourselves unto God as

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those that are alive from the dead.

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So he says, act in the
identity that you have been given

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and your members as
instruments of righteousness unto

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God.

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So he says, don't use your
body as instruments of sin.

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Use your body of instruments
of righteousness to honor God, to

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bring people to an
understanding of who God is and how

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great he is.

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Now, I have a little bit of an
object lesson here.

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Now, most of you know what I'm
about to show you.

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Does anyone know what this is?

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It's hammer, screwdriver.

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Okay, someone got it wrong.

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There's always one, right?

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Just kidding.

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Love you.

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This is a hammer, right?

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We all know that.

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Now, what is the primary job
of this hammer?

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What was it designed to do?

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For the most part, could do
multiple things.

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But the I.

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The ideal job for this hammer,
driving nails, right?

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So we could build things, right?

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So.

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So this hammer could be used
for good.

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Like, we.

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We could say, like, hey, now,
this might not be the exact hammer

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to do this.

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I just grabbed one that I had.

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But.

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But this hammer could be used
to build a house for someone in need.

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This hammer could fix
something in the church.

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It could be used for good.

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But we all know that not all
tools are necessarily used in the

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right way all the time.

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Could this hammer be used for
something else that's not good?

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Someone could break into your
house with this, right?

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And steal something they could.

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They could hit you over the
head with.

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Could be used as a tool for
evil or wrongdoing.

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Now, is there anything
inherently wrong or right about this

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hammer?

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00:10:36,660 --> 00:10:40,380
Well, no, but there was a
designer who designed this hammer

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00:10:40,460 --> 00:10:42,620
to do a specific job for the
right way.

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00:10:42,700 --> 00:10:46,130
But we know that it's the
person who's using the hammer that

250
00:10:46,130 --> 00:10:48,410
could use it for good or for evil.

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00:10:49,610 --> 00:10:52,210
And what we can see here in
this passage, and really what it's

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00:10:52,210 --> 00:10:55,770
talking about here, is not
allowing yourself, your members,

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that God has transformed.

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00:10:57,650 --> 00:11:01,330
He's transformed you as a new
believer, as a person who was walking

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in righteousness.

256
00:11:02,490 --> 00:11:07,250
Don't use what God has now
designed for good to use it to be

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00:11:07,250 --> 00:11:08,730
an instrument for evil.

258
00:11:09,050 --> 00:11:11,530
Don't sin with the body that
God has given you.

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00:11:12,070 --> 00:11:14,470
We even know that in first
Corinthians it says that the bot.

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The body is the temple of the
Holy Spirit.

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00:11:17,350 --> 00:11:21,670
And so the uniqueness of this
is that we do have instruction for

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us in scripture about what we
do with our bodies, what we do with

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our members.

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00:11:26,710 --> 00:11:30,230
There are things that you can
do with your body that will give

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00:11:30,230 --> 00:11:34,470
glory to God, that will show
people the love of Christ, that.

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That will show people the
truth of the gospel.

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Matthew, chapter 5, verse 16
says, Let your light so shine before

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men that they may see your
good works and glorify your Father,

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which is in heaven.

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Okay?

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00:11:47,270 --> 00:11:51,550
The purpose of the good works
is not to be saved and not to have

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people think you're a good person.

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The purpose of the good works
is so that people will glorify your

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Father, which is in heaven.

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So the Bible says that we as
Christians in our bodies do have

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a responsibility to think and
believe the right things, but we

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00:12:08,560 --> 00:12:11,680
also have a responsibility to
act in the right way.

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00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,520
And so the members that God
has given Us, our mouths, our tongue.

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Remember, we read in James.

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We're going to go to James 3
here in a moment because I think

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00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,080
one of the members of our body
that gets us in the most trouble

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00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:22,880
is our tongue.

283
00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:27,760
What we say, how we say it,
what we don't say.

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00:12:28,560 --> 00:12:32,000
But there's obviously many,
many other members of our body that

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00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,120
can cause us a lot of issues.

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00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,920
So what we're seeing here, go
Back to Romans 6 with me, verse 13.

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00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:39,760
He says, Neither yield.

288
00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,960
That word yield means to
submit, to, to have a master, to,

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00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,080
to allow something else to
guide us.

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00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:53,120
So he says, don't, don't yield
your members, your body as instruments

291
00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,160
or tools or weapons for
unrighteousness that lead you to

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00:12:57,160 --> 00:12:57,560
sin.

293
00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:04,420
But yield or submit yourselves
unto God for his purposes as those

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00:13:04,420 --> 00:13:09,380
that are alive from the dead,
and your members as instruments or

295
00:13:09,380 --> 00:13:13,660
tools or weapons of
righteousness unto God.

296
00:13:15,820 --> 00:13:17,860
So what do we think about when
we think about these members?

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00:13:17,860 --> 00:13:21,580
When we think about what we
can do with our bodies, and there's

298
00:13:21,580 --> 00:13:22,940
a lot of things that we can do
with our bodies.

299
00:13:23,740 --> 00:13:26,620
Are we going to choose to do
those things that are going to cause

300
00:13:26,780 --> 00:13:32,580
God to be pleased and
glorified and magnified and worshiped,

301
00:13:32,580 --> 00:13:35,860
or are we going to choose the
things with our bodies that we do

302
00:13:35,940 --> 00:13:40,580
that are going to bring focus
to ourselves, pleasure to ourselves,

303
00:13:41,300 --> 00:13:44,420
dishonor to God, rejection to
his word?

304
00:13:45,220 --> 00:13:48,700
And I think one of the areas
that I was really, really convicted

305
00:13:48,700 --> 00:13:51,700
on as I was studying this is
what we do with our tongue.

306
00:13:51,700 --> 00:13:55,990
Because a lot of times we're
tempted maybe to go out and slug

307
00:13:55,990 --> 00:13:59,870
somebody, but maybe we won't
because of the implication that might

308
00:13:59,870 --> 00:14:01,910
happen if we do that.

309
00:14:03,030 --> 00:14:06,510
There was times in my life
where maybe I wasn't as controlled

310
00:14:06,510 --> 00:14:07,670
by God as I am now.

311
00:14:08,070 --> 00:14:11,830
And there was times where I
was tempted to go, like, show someone

312
00:14:11,990 --> 00:14:14,630
something with my hands or whatever.

313
00:14:14,870 --> 00:14:17,150
And then I looked at them and
they were like way bigger than me.

314
00:14:17,150 --> 00:14:18,510
You ever had that instance in
your life?

315
00:14:18,510 --> 00:14:19,870
You're like, I'm going to give
it to him.

316
00:14:19,870 --> 00:14:22,070
Then he stands up and he's
like 6 foot 8 and you're like, whoa,

317
00:14:22,070 --> 00:14:25,610
okay, so, so, so I'm going to
stop for my self preservation here.

318
00:14:25,610 --> 00:14:28,570
Not because God has convicted
my heart, but because I'm fearing

319
00:14:28,570 --> 00:14:29,810
what could happen to me.

320
00:14:30,850 --> 00:14:33,330
And I think that's a lot of
times why we don't do certain things

321
00:14:33,330 --> 00:14:36,410
with our bodies and sin is
because we're afraid of maybe that

322
00:14:36,410 --> 00:14:37,170
will harm me.

323
00:14:37,330 --> 00:14:40,250
But really, if we think about
it from a biblical perspective, the

324
00:14:40,250 --> 00:14:44,170
reason why we shouldn't use
our body to sin is because ultimately

325
00:14:44,170 --> 00:14:45,250
it's against our nature.

326
00:14:45,410 --> 00:14:47,810
It's against the one who has
created us to be different.

327
00:14:49,260 --> 00:14:52,300
And a lot of times if we feel
like we can get away with something,

328
00:14:52,380 --> 00:14:53,340
we will do it.

329
00:14:53,820 --> 00:14:54,860
Because you know what?

330
00:14:54,860 --> 00:14:55,660
It's all about me.

331
00:14:55,900 --> 00:14:57,100
It's all about my flesh.

332
00:14:57,260 --> 00:14:58,540
It's all about my pleasure.

333
00:14:58,540 --> 00:14:59,980
It's all about what makes me
feel better.

334
00:15:00,860 --> 00:15:04,820
And so, yes, the point was, is
that sometimes we're not as tempted

335
00:15:04,820 --> 00:15:07,580
to do something physically in
public because that might give us

336
00:15:07,580 --> 00:15:08,540
a bad character.

337
00:15:08,620 --> 00:15:09,340
But you know what?

338
00:15:09,340 --> 00:15:12,420
Sometimes that we're tempted
to do is say things that will cut

339
00:15:12,420 --> 00:15:15,980
people, sometimes just as deep
or more than something with our hands.

340
00:15:16,710 --> 00:15:19,270
And I want us to go over to
the book of James because this is

341
00:15:19,350 --> 00:15:21,990
one connection piece that I
wanted to add here today.

342
00:15:22,630 --> 00:15:25,910
The book of James speaks of
the power of the tongue, the power

343
00:15:25,990 --> 00:15:27,430
of this little member.

344
00:15:27,830 --> 00:15:32,710
Remember it says there in, in
Romans, present your members as instruments

345
00:15:32,710 --> 00:15:33,590
of righteousness.

346
00:15:34,150 --> 00:15:36,990
Well, the Bible says in the
book of James that the tongue is

347
00:15:36,990 --> 00:15:41,310
a little member, but one of
the most powerful when it comes to

348
00:15:41,310 --> 00:15:41,990
what we say.

349
00:15:41,990 --> 00:15:45,310
Because through things that we
say can lift people up, but things

350
00:15:45,310 --> 00:15:47,430
that we say can also tear
people down.

351
00:15:48,150 --> 00:15:52,190
Things that we say can glorify
God and honor him, but also things

352
00:15:52,190 --> 00:15:55,030
that we say can tear down his
testimony before others.

353
00:15:56,390 --> 00:15:58,950
And I want you to see what the
Bible says here in James chapter

354
00:15:58,950 --> 00:15:59,150
three.

355
00:15:59,150 --> 00:16:00,710
Read it as our scripture
reading this morning.

356
00:16:00,710 --> 00:16:04,710
But it says in this context
it's talking about teaching and false

357
00:16:04,710 --> 00:16:05,110
teachers.

358
00:16:05,110 --> 00:16:08,550
But I think by way of
understanding we could apply this

359
00:16:08,550 --> 00:16:09,830
to every element of our life.

360
00:16:10,180 --> 00:16:14,460
It says, behold, we put bits
in horses mouths that they may obey

361
00:16:14,460 --> 00:16:16,420
us and we turn about their
whole body.

362
00:16:17,780 --> 00:16:18,140
So.

363
00:16:18,140 --> 00:16:21,660
So some of you that know about
horses know that there's this little

364
00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:21,860
bit.

365
00:16:21,860 --> 00:16:26,100
It's a small thing, but it can
control a huge animal.

366
00:16:27,300 --> 00:16:30,020
He says that sometimes in our
life the tongue is like a br.

367
00:16:30,020 --> 00:16:30,340
Like.

368
00:16:30,340 --> 00:16:30,900
Like a bit.

369
00:16:31,700 --> 00:16:35,780
Like what we say dictates
every other aspect of our life.

370
00:16:36,490 --> 00:16:38,570
Then he goes on to say more
here, verse 4.

371
00:16:38,570 --> 00:16:42,010
Behold also the ships, which
though they be great, so a big ship

372
00:16:42,570 --> 00:16:46,210
are driven of fierce winds,
yet they are turned about with a

373
00:16:46,210 --> 00:16:47,370
very small helm.

374
00:16:47,610 --> 00:16:48,930
Let's talk about the rudder there.

375
00:16:48,930 --> 00:16:50,930
Like it's a huge ship and
there's a lot of wind that needs

376
00:16:50,930 --> 00:16:51,650
to move that ship.

377
00:16:51,650 --> 00:16:55,170
But this little tiny rudder
can change which way this ship is

378
00:16:55,170 --> 00:16:55,690
going to go.

379
00:16:57,130 --> 00:16:59,490
It says, yet they are turned
about with a very small helm.

380
00:16:59,490 --> 00:17:02,650
Whithersoever the Governor
listeth even so the tongue is a little

381
00:17:02,650 --> 00:17:02,970
member.

382
00:17:04,130 --> 00:17:06,930
And both sith great things can
do a lot of good.

383
00:17:08,370 --> 00:17:12,650
Behold how a great matter, a
little fire kindled, meaning it can

384
00:17:12,650 --> 00:17:15,810
be started as a little thing,
but it can grow to something huge

385
00:17:16,050 --> 00:17:17,250
like a wildfire.

386
00:17:17,890 --> 00:17:20,770
And so the tongue is a fire, a
world of iniquity.

387
00:17:21,250 --> 00:17:23,890
What we say can be a world of iniquity.

388
00:17:25,570 --> 00:17:27,170
So the tongue is among our members.

389
00:17:27,490 --> 00:17:28,690
So he's just one of the members.

390
00:17:29,150 --> 00:17:32,070
I mean, we could sit here
today and talk about each part of

391
00:17:32,070 --> 00:17:35,230
our body and how each part of
the body can offend us in our sin.

392
00:17:35,390 --> 00:17:38,230
But ultimately, I think that
this is a great passage that highlights

393
00:17:38,230 --> 00:17:38,750
one of them.

394
00:17:39,390 --> 00:17:42,790
So is the tongue among our
members, that it defileth the whole

395
00:17:42,790 --> 00:17:43,030
body?

396
00:17:43,030 --> 00:17:45,670
So you say, well, my arm
wasn't doing anything wrong, but

397
00:17:45,670 --> 00:17:49,230
if your speech is off, you're
defiling your whole body.

398
00:17:49,630 --> 00:17:51,950
That goes with every aspect of
our bodies.

399
00:17:52,430 --> 00:17:54,110
Well, I wasn't doing this over here.

400
00:17:54,270 --> 00:17:55,310
It's kind of the classic thing.

401
00:17:55,310 --> 00:17:56,910
It's like, well, I'm not as
bad as that person.

402
00:17:56,990 --> 00:17:58,280
Or I didn't do that.

403
00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:01,200
The Bible says here that if
we're living in sin, we're defiling

404
00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:01,640
the whole body.

405
00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:05,040
And it says, and seteth on
fire the course of nature, and it

406
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:06,440
is set on fire of hell.

407
00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,280
For every kind of beast and
bird and of serpent and of things,

408
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,800
of the sea is tamed, meaning humanity.

409
00:18:12,040 --> 00:18:14,280
Mankind is powerful because
we've tamed a lot.

410
00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:17,800
If you ever go, go to, like,
different places, they have an.

411
00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:21,480
I know some elephants can't be
completely tamed, but you know, this

412
00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:22,640
huge elephant, they tame it.

413
00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:23,640
It can do tricks and stuff.

414
00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:27,140
He says, these big animals,
these big beasts can be tamed.

415
00:18:28,020 --> 00:18:31,100
But it says here at the end of
verse 7, and hath been tamed of mankind.

416
00:18:31,100 --> 00:18:32,820
But the tongue can no man Tame.

417
00:18:32,820 --> 00:18:33,380
Verse 8.

418
00:18:33,940 --> 00:18:36,540
It is an unruly evil full of
deadly poison.

419
00:18:36,540 --> 00:18:39,980
Now, I want to stop there
because I've heard some people read

420
00:18:39,980 --> 00:18:42,460
verse eight and say, see,
Pastor, there's no way that we can

421
00:18:42,460 --> 00:18:43,300
tame the tongue.

422
00:18:43,300 --> 00:18:45,300
It says that no man can tame it.

423
00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:46,460
Well, that is true.

424
00:18:46,460 --> 00:18:47,660
No man can tame it.

425
00:18:47,660 --> 00:18:50,100
But the Bible doesn't say that
God can't tame the tongue.

426
00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:53,680
And so the way that we see
that trans.

427
00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:55,920
That transition, that change, that.

428
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,280
That renewed way of speech,
that renewed way of our life and

429
00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,640
every element of our members
comes from the power of God changing

430
00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:02,960
us.

431
00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:07,120
I can't change the way that I
talk in my own strength.

432
00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,400
It's the power of God, the
conviction of The Spirit, that changes

433
00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:11,560
that.

434
00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:13,520
So he says, therewith we bless God.

435
00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:13,760
So.

436
00:19:13,760 --> 00:19:17,360
So we get up on Sunday morning
and we bless God, we worship him,

437
00:19:18,830 --> 00:19:21,310
even the Father, and therewith
curse we men.

438
00:19:21,390 --> 00:19:24,110
So he says, guys, this is
what's happening among you.

439
00:19:25,230 --> 00:19:26,150
You're saying things.

440
00:19:26,150 --> 00:19:27,150
Oh, bless God.

441
00:19:27,230 --> 00:19:28,110
He's amazing.

442
00:19:28,110 --> 00:19:29,150
He's a good God.

443
00:19:29,150 --> 00:19:30,710
I even sing the worship songs.

444
00:19:30,710 --> 00:19:35,550
But then in the same breath,
with the same tongue, I curse my

445
00:19:35,550 --> 00:19:35,950
brother.

446
00:19:37,230 --> 00:19:38,590
It says, why is that wrong?

447
00:19:38,590 --> 00:19:39,790
Well, they deserved it.

448
00:19:40,910 --> 00:19:44,030
Well, it says, you're cursing
someone who's made in the similitude

449
00:19:44,030 --> 00:19:44,510
of God.

450
00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:50,520
You're cursing an image,
bearer of God out of the same mouth,

451
00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:53,880
proceeding, breath, blessing
and cursing my brethren.

452
00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:57,200
These things ought not to be
so says.

453
00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,120
If you're a Christian, you
shouldn't be blessing God in one

454
00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:02,400
breath and cursing others with
the other.

455
00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:03,360
That's not good.

456
00:20:03,360 --> 00:20:04,720
That's not in your character.

457
00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:08,400
Doth a fountain send forth at
the same place sweet and bitter?

458
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,200
Can a fig tree, my brethren,
bear olive berries?

459
00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:13,600
Either a vine figs.

460
00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,640
So can no fountain both yield
salt water and fresh.

461
00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,600
This is the idea of whether or
not we're going to yield our members

462
00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:24,160
to the Spirit or yield our
members to our flesh.

463
00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:28,520
Our flesh is going to bring
that bitter water, that flesh is

464
00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:29,920
going to bring that fire.

465
00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:33,840
But the Spirit of God is going
to lead us to a place of righteousness

466
00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:38,560
and sweet and clear and God
honoring speech and action.

467
00:20:40,030 --> 00:20:43,270
That's just one of the many
examples of the instruments that

468
00:20:43,270 --> 00:20:48,750
we can use for good and
righteousness unto honoring God or

469
00:20:49,230 --> 00:20:52,110
to evil in unrighteousness.

470
00:20:52,670 --> 00:20:55,470
And he says, if you are a
Christian, you should take note of

471
00:20:55,470 --> 00:21:00,910
what your body is doing in
every way, how you're responding.

472
00:21:01,390 --> 00:21:05,830
I'm going to tell you here
today, as I am preaching this, as

473
00:21:05,830 --> 00:21:09,850
I've been studying in this, I
am super convicted because the Holy

474
00:21:09,850 --> 00:21:12,210
Spirit's pointing out to me
many times in my life where I don't

475
00:21:12,210 --> 00:21:16,410
think before I talk, I respond
in just the way I feel.

476
00:21:18,250 --> 00:21:23,530
And things that I have said to
people that I love out of just fleshly

477
00:21:23,530 --> 00:21:26,570
reaction has caused harm, has
caused scars.

478
00:21:27,130 --> 00:21:27,730
You've heard that.

479
00:21:27,730 --> 00:21:30,290
You've heard that statement,
sticks and stones may break my bones,

480
00:21:30,290 --> 00:21:31,170
words will never hurt me.

481
00:21:31,170 --> 00:21:31,770
That is not true.

482
00:21:31,770 --> 00:21:32,570
That's not biblical.

483
00:21:32,890 --> 00:21:37,740
Words can cut and sometimes
words are hard to forgive.

484
00:21:38,140 --> 00:21:39,820
I'm not saying that it can't
be forgiven.

485
00:21:39,820 --> 00:21:43,340
I'm not saying that God is
limited by our past issues.

486
00:21:43,500 --> 00:21:47,460
But why would we want to live
in that when we could have that newness

487
00:21:47,460 --> 00:21:49,020
of life, our Speech being different.

488
00:21:49,260 --> 00:21:51,740
And I'm talking about speech
here, but this could go for anything.

489
00:21:52,300 --> 00:21:54,900
You know, if we had someone
here today that was struggling with

490
00:21:54,900 --> 00:21:56,540
being a brawler, they always
wanted to fight.

491
00:21:56,540 --> 00:21:59,260
They were always ready to, you
know, drop their gloves.

492
00:21:59,260 --> 00:22:00,180
You ever seen hockey?

493
00:22:00,180 --> 00:22:02,220
When they throw the gloves off
and they start ready to go, okay,

494
00:22:02,570 --> 00:22:04,410
like, then it would be the
same issue.

495
00:22:04,410 --> 00:22:05,890
It would say, hey, look, you
know what?

496
00:22:05,890 --> 00:22:07,690
Why do you always revert to this?

497
00:22:09,130 --> 00:22:10,010
Other people, they.

498
00:22:10,010 --> 00:22:11,210
They deal with other sins.

499
00:22:11,210 --> 00:22:14,250
Maybe it's the sin of
fornication, Maybe it's the sin of

500
00:22:14,250 --> 00:22:14,890
adultery.

501
00:22:15,050 --> 00:22:18,169
We could list every single
sin, but ultimately it's tied together

502
00:22:18,169 --> 00:22:19,610
with acts of our flesh.

503
00:22:19,930 --> 00:22:22,450
Our members are acting out
with what's in our heart.

504
00:22:22,450 --> 00:22:25,810
Now, the greatest issue is
that sometimes people will say, well,

505
00:22:25,810 --> 00:22:28,700
I don't want to do all these
sins, so I'm just going to try to

506
00:22:28,700 --> 00:22:29,380
stop doing them.

507
00:22:29,380 --> 00:22:31,380
I'm going to try to put all
these precautions in my life.

508
00:22:31,540 --> 00:22:33,460
I'm going to put filters on my phone.

509
00:22:33,540 --> 00:22:35,300
I'm going to not go to this place.

510
00:22:35,460 --> 00:22:37,420
I'm not going to ever talk to
that person again.

511
00:22:37,420 --> 00:22:40,500
Because they always make me,
you know, sin by what I say.

512
00:22:41,140 --> 00:22:44,380
And there are certainly
outward stimuli that we can avoid

513
00:22:44,380 --> 00:22:44,820
in our life.

514
00:22:44,820 --> 00:22:46,420
And I'm not against any of
those things.

515
00:22:47,300 --> 00:22:50,340
But at the core of our sin is
a heart issue.

516
00:22:50,580 --> 00:22:54,290
And if our heart is not clean
and changed in the spirit, hey, we

517
00:22:54,290 --> 00:22:56,650
can try to avoid it over here,
but we're going to find it over here.

518
00:22:57,530 --> 00:22:59,810
We're going to avoid this
person because this person gets under

519
00:22:59,810 --> 00:23:01,850
my skin and makes me say
things that I don't want to say.

520
00:23:01,930 --> 00:23:02,970
So I'm going to avoid them.

521
00:23:02,970 --> 00:23:03,530
But guess what?

522
00:23:03,530 --> 00:23:05,610
I'm going to find someone over
here that's going to cause that same

523
00:23:05,610 --> 00:23:06,330
issue for me.

524
00:23:06,330 --> 00:23:09,410
If my heart has not changed in
the spirit of God, if I've not yielded

525
00:23:09,410 --> 00:23:12,170
myself to him as an instrument
for righteousness.

526
00:23:12,970 --> 00:23:14,810
And so we got to think about
the bigger picture.

527
00:23:14,890 --> 00:23:17,930
What I do matters for the
cause of eternity.

528
00:23:18,090 --> 00:23:20,580
What I do matter causes in.

529
00:23:20,660 --> 00:23:24,340
Causes a change in whether or
not I'm a messenger of the gospel

530
00:23:24,340 --> 00:23:24,820
or not.

531
00:23:25,620 --> 00:23:27,020
Think about it from this perspective.

532
00:23:27,020 --> 00:23:28,580
Many of you have heard me say
this before.

533
00:23:29,140 --> 00:23:33,860
Let's say the person that you
are speaking to or acting out in,

534
00:23:34,100 --> 00:23:35,700
they need Jesus as Savior.

535
00:23:36,340 --> 00:23:37,860
But yet I act in sin.

536
00:23:37,860 --> 00:23:39,540
I act in unrighteousness.

537
00:23:39,540 --> 00:23:42,500
And I lead them to a place of
turning their backs away from God,

538
00:23:42,500 --> 00:23:44,980
because I'm the only Jesus
that they might know.

539
00:23:46,270 --> 00:23:49,110
Folks, right then and there,
I've drawn A wedge between the gospel

540
00:23:49,110 --> 00:23:50,750
and that person that needs the gospel.

541
00:23:51,630 --> 00:23:52,990
And so it's not just about me.

542
00:23:52,990 --> 00:23:55,470
It's about others around me
that I need to impact for the cause

543
00:23:55,470 --> 00:23:57,150
of the gospel, for the cause
of the kingdom.

544
00:23:57,550 --> 00:24:02,070
And so we go back to Romans,
chapter 6, verse 13 is really His.

545
00:24:02,070 --> 00:24:02,990
His thought here.

546
00:24:02,990 --> 00:24:04,750
And he says, don't yield yourself.

547
00:24:04,910 --> 00:24:08,110
Don't yield your members to
unrighteousness and sin.

548
00:24:08,750 --> 00:24:11,790
Yield your members as
instruments of righteousness unto

549
00:24:11,790 --> 00:24:12,190
God.

550
00:24:12,730 --> 00:24:13,850
Submit yourselves to God.

551
00:24:13,930 --> 00:24:18,810
Submit your body, your mind,
your heart, your everything to the

552
00:24:18,810 --> 00:24:19,690
cause of God.

553
00:24:20,250 --> 00:24:21,610
Say, lord, where do you want me?

554
00:24:22,090 --> 00:24:23,370
How do you want me to be used?

555
00:24:24,330 --> 00:24:26,330
Let me die to my agenda.

556
00:24:27,050 --> 00:24:28,730
You know what my human agenda is?

557
00:24:28,730 --> 00:24:30,730
Is I want people to think that
I'm something.

558
00:24:33,050 --> 00:24:35,290
Some of you are looking at me
like I would never do that.

559
00:24:35,530 --> 00:24:36,730
Come on, you know what I mean.

560
00:24:36,730 --> 00:24:38,410
You want people to think good
of you.

561
00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,280
You want people to think maybe
in whatever field you're in, that

562
00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:41,720
you're.

563
00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:43,080
You're the best, that.

564
00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,920
That you're good, that you're
wise, that you're smart, that you're

565
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:46,520
talented.

566
00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:50,120
And what happens is, is that
if that is our core agenda in our

567
00:24:50,120 --> 00:24:51,880
life, we will act that way.

568
00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:55,480
We will do everything that we
possibly can to protect our image.

569
00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:00,520
We might even be tempted to
sin or lie to cover up something

570
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,000
that's insufficient in our lives.

571
00:25:05,010 --> 00:25:07,250
But what I'm going to tell you
here is when your agenda changes

572
00:25:07,250 --> 00:25:12,130
from exalting me to exalting
Christ, now I'm focused on lifting

573
00:25:12,130 --> 00:25:14,050
up Christ in everything that I
say and do.

574
00:25:14,210 --> 00:25:15,090
It's not about me.

575
00:25:15,090 --> 00:25:15,850
So what do they think?

576
00:25:15,850 --> 00:25:16,530
Bad about me?

577
00:25:16,610 --> 00:25:19,970
So what if they think that I'm
a silly person, not very smart person.

578
00:25:20,530 --> 00:25:23,410
Well, actually, the gospel is
foolishness to those that don't believe

579
00:25:23,410 --> 00:25:23,970
anyway.

580
00:25:23,970 --> 00:25:26,010
So people are going to think
we're foolish because we're living

581
00:25:26,010 --> 00:25:26,690
a certain way.

582
00:25:26,770 --> 00:25:29,330
But that's okay because of
Christ being honored.

583
00:25:29,820 --> 00:25:31,260
Who cares what happens to me?

584
00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:33,740
And that's what he's saying
here in Romans, chapter six.

585
00:25:33,740 --> 00:25:36,540
Have your agenda, be God's agenda.

586
00:25:37,660 --> 00:25:41,100
Work your life, work your
speech, work your actions towards

587
00:25:41,100 --> 00:25:42,620
lifting him up and not yourself.

588
00:25:43,580 --> 00:25:44,380
So verse 14.

589
00:25:44,380 --> 00:25:45,180
Let's move on.

590
00:25:45,580 --> 00:25:49,140
He says, for sin shall not
have dominion.

591
00:25:49,140 --> 00:25:53,260
That word, dominion, means
control, power over.

592
00:25:54,300 --> 00:25:58,630
And some of you probably in
your life can recognize that there

593
00:25:58,630 --> 00:26:01,510
has been a time that you have
been controlled by a sin.

594
00:26:02,150 --> 00:26:05,870
And we don't ever want to
admit that, but there's times in

595
00:26:05,870 --> 00:26:08,310
our life that we might say,
man, all I could do was just turn

596
00:26:08,310 --> 00:26:12,390
to that One sin, that was my
comfort, that was my out, that was

597
00:26:12,390 --> 00:26:12,709
my.

598
00:26:13,110 --> 00:26:15,950
What some people would say is
that that's my opportunity to just

599
00:26:15,950 --> 00:26:16,870
find my peace.

600
00:26:17,110 --> 00:26:18,790
It's just falling into the sin.

601
00:26:19,430 --> 00:26:22,950
But he says, don't let that
sin have dominion over you.

602
00:26:23,790 --> 00:26:26,430
Why for a year and not under
the law?

603
00:26:27,150 --> 00:26:30,510
The law always brings us to a
place of finding out that we're sinners.

604
00:26:31,150 --> 00:26:32,430
Let me give you a little hint.

605
00:26:32,590 --> 00:26:38,230
If you were to look at all 613
of the Jewish laws, eventually you

606
00:26:38,230 --> 00:26:39,710
would find yourself to be a sinner.

607
00:26:39,710 --> 00:26:41,230
None of us can keep those laws.

608
00:26:41,470 --> 00:26:43,150
None of us can keep really any
of them.

609
00:26:43,150 --> 00:26:44,430
Just take it down to the 10.

610
00:26:45,870 --> 00:26:47,870
Let's take out the other 603.

611
00:26:48,030 --> 00:26:49,310
Just take the 10 commandments.

612
00:26:49,310 --> 00:26:51,790
How many of us could actually
keep those 10 commandments perfectly

613
00:26:51,790 --> 00:26:52,430
for our whole lives?

614
00:26:52,430 --> 00:26:52,990
We can't.

615
00:26:53,950 --> 00:26:54,110
So.

616
00:26:54,110 --> 00:26:57,910
So the law always brings us to
understanding that I'm a sinner.

617
00:26:57,910 --> 00:26:58,870
But what does it say here?

618
00:26:58,870 --> 00:27:01,150
He says, you're not under the
law, but you're under grace.

619
00:27:02,510 --> 00:27:03,830
We talked about grace so much.

620
00:27:03,830 --> 00:27:06,990
Grace is the gift that God
extends to us that we don't deserve

621
00:27:06,990 --> 00:27:10,710
salvation, patience,
forgiveness, all of those things.

622
00:27:10,710 --> 00:27:12,510
Basically, God is a God of grace.

623
00:27:13,550 --> 00:27:17,150
So he says, don't live under
the control of sin.

624
00:27:17,150 --> 00:27:17,390
Why?

625
00:27:17,390 --> 00:27:18,590
Because you're not under the law.

626
00:27:18,940 --> 00:27:22,220
You're not defined by the law,
you're not defined by the sin, you're

627
00:27:22,220 --> 00:27:23,500
defined by God's grace.

628
00:27:23,580 --> 00:27:26,140
So therefore you're not under
the control of sin anymore.

629
00:27:27,020 --> 00:27:28,940
Now, do we still wrestle with
the old man, the.

630
00:27:28,940 --> 00:27:29,460
The flesh?

631
00:27:29,460 --> 00:27:29,900
Yeah.

632
00:27:30,460 --> 00:27:33,660
Does the Bible say that we
have to constantly put off the old

633
00:27:33,660 --> 00:27:34,820
ways and put on the new?

634
00:27:34,820 --> 00:27:35,220
Yeah.

635
00:27:35,220 --> 00:27:36,780
So it's not just a one time decision.

636
00:27:36,780 --> 00:27:37,740
I wish it was.

637
00:27:37,820 --> 00:27:40,660
I wish I could tell you that
when you were saved, you just came

638
00:27:40,660 --> 00:27:43,020
to a place in your life where
you said, I choose God and I never

639
00:27:43,020 --> 00:27:43,980
choose sin ever again.

640
00:27:44,060 --> 00:27:45,430
And, and that's my one choice.

641
00:27:45,430 --> 00:27:47,150
But that's not how it goes, folks.

642
00:27:47,150 --> 00:27:48,270
It's daily decisions.

643
00:27:48,270 --> 00:27:51,390
I would even say that it's
more than daily, it's hourly, maybe

644
00:27:51,390 --> 00:27:52,590
even every minute.

645
00:27:52,590 --> 00:27:54,550
You have to choose whether or
not you're going to yield to the

646
00:27:54,550 --> 00:27:55,910
spirit or yield to the flesh.

647
00:27:56,550 --> 00:28:00,390
And he says, if you're growing
in the Lord, you're growing in your

648
00:28:00,390 --> 00:28:03,070
understanding that you are no
longer under the dominion or the

649
00:28:03,070 --> 00:28:03,830
power of sin.

650
00:28:03,910 --> 00:28:05,870
You now can choose righteousness.

651
00:28:05,870 --> 00:28:07,830
And that's the beauty of being
a believer.

652
00:28:07,830 --> 00:28:09,430
You can choose righteousness.

653
00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:12,560
You are no longer in your
default mode to go to sin.

654
00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:15,520
But what we do is that we
Understand that, yes, when I do sin,

655
00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:16,800
we have an advocate.

656
00:28:17,360 --> 00:28:18,840
This is First John, chapter three.

657
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:19,040
We.

658
00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:20,000
We have somebody.

659
00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:21,840
Excuse me, First John, chapter two.

660
00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:25,360
We have an advocate, Jesus,
who is petitioning in our case saying

661
00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:29,280
this, yes, I know that
somebody sinned, but yet he is under

662
00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:30,880
my authority.

663
00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:32,720
He's under my dominion.

664
00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,040
The blood of Jesus Christ is
now on our account.

665
00:28:35,450 --> 00:28:38,930
And so that's not a license
the sin, but it's a comfort and a

666
00:28:38,930 --> 00:28:42,410
peace and a hope to know that
when I do, I'm not defined by that

667
00:28:42,410 --> 00:28:44,010
failure and I can give back up.

668
00:28:44,010 --> 00:28:47,170
And I can choose in the power
of God to walk in righteousness.

669
00:28:47,170 --> 00:28:48,010
I can change.

670
00:28:49,130 --> 00:28:51,530
That's the beauty of the walk
in the Christian life.

671
00:28:51,770 --> 00:28:56,050
Newness of life means I am not
bound or defined in the dominion

672
00:28:56,050 --> 00:28:56,570
of sin.

673
00:28:56,650 --> 00:29:00,010
I am bound and defined as a
servant of Jesus Christ.

674
00:29:01,620 --> 00:29:07,060
Jesus is so much better of a
master than sin is, because you're

675
00:29:07,060 --> 00:29:07,940
going to have a master.

676
00:29:09,540 --> 00:29:12,820
The master is either going to
be the Lord or your sin.

677
00:29:14,020 --> 00:29:15,740
And sin is not a good master.

678
00:29:15,740 --> 00:29:17,060
Sin will not take care of you.

679
00:29:17,140 --> 00:29:18,420
What does the Bible say about sin?

680
00:29:18,420 --> 00:29:20,260
Sin always leads us to destruction.

681
00:29:20,740 --> 00:29:24,100
It leads us to separation, it
leads us to pain.

682
00:29:24,100 --> 00:29:25,540
It leads us to brokenness.

683
00:29:25,620 --> 00:29:29,340
But the Master Jesus Christ
our Lord is the one who leads us

684
00:29:29,340 --> 00:29:31,060
to everything opposite of sin.

685
00:29:31,220 --> 00:29:32,700
He leads us to satisfaction.

686
00:29:32,700 --> 00:29:34,340
He leads us to sufficiency.

687
00:29:34,340 --> 00:29:35,540
He leads us to service.

688
00:29:35,620 --> 00:29:37,460
He leads us to everlasting life.

689
00:29:37,540 --> 00:29:39,780
And folks, why would we want
to go back?

690
00:29:40,020 --> 00:29:41,860
The Bible says that.

691
00:29:41,860 --> 00:29:43,940
And this is kind of a graphic analogy.

692
00:29:44,180 --> 00:29:45,220
I've used this before.

693
00:29:45,700 --> 00:29:48,340
But he says, you know, when we
go back to our sin, it's like a dog

694
00:29:48,340 --> 00:29:49,460
returning to his vomit.

695
00:29:49,460 --> 00:29:49,900
It's like.

696
00:29:49,900 --> 00:29:52,700
It's like a going back to
something that should be repulsive

697
00:29:52,700 --> 00:29:53,380
to us now.

698
00:29:54,830 --> 00:29:57,110
And what I want you to see
here In Romans, chapter six, he says

699
00:29:57,110 --> 00:29:59,390
in verse 15, he reiterates the question.

700
00:30:00,110 --> 00:30:01,310
So, so, so he's.

701
00:30:01,310 --> 00:30:02,950
He asked the question in verse one.

702
00:30:02,950 --> 00:30:09,630
He says, should we just sin
habitually knowing that God will

703
00:30:09,630 --> 00:30:10,270
forgive us?

704
00:30:10,430 --> 00:30:12,510
And the answer, of course, is,
God forbid, no.

705
00:30:12,510 --> 00:30:14,670
How could we live in that if
we've been saved from that?

706
00:30:14,910 --> 00:30:18,190
But now he's going to bring up
another question, very similar question,

707
00:30:18,350 --> 00:30:20,830
but a question that's just a
tad different in this.

708
00:30:21,270 --> 00:30:23,830
Well, I know I'm not supposed
to just habitually sin.

709
00:30:23,830 --> 00:30:24,870
Okay, I know that now.

710
00:30:24,870 --> 00:30:27,950
I know that that is a red flag
to someone who says they're a Christian

711
00:30:27,950 --> 00:30:29,470
and just continues to live in sin.

712
00:30:29,470 --> 00:30:32,070
But then he's going to ask a
question and he's going to say this,

713
00:30:32,150 --> 00:30:34,230
but isn't it all right if I
just go back here and there?

714
00:30:35,270 --> 00:30:38,070
Isn't it all right if I go and
just make sure I repent at the end,

715
00:30:38,310 --> 00:30:39,030
verse 15.

716
00:30:39,030 --> 00:30:39,550
What then?

717
00:30:39,550 --> 00:30:42,470
Shall we sin because we are
not under the law?

718
00:30:44,150 --> 00:30:44,710
Because that's.

719
00:30:44,710 --> 00:30:45,790
Because that's the argument, right?

720
00:30:45,790 --> 00:30:47,950
The human argument is this,
Paul, you just said we're not under

721
00:30:47,950 --> 00:30:48,950
the law, we're under grace.

722
00:30:49,190 --> 00:30:50,950
So why can't I just sin when I
feel like it?

723
00:30:50,950 --> 00:30:52,350
I won't be habitually in it.

724
00:30:52,350 --> 00:30:54,910
It won't be my lifestyle, but
I'll just pick it when I. I can,

725
00:30:54,910 --> 00:30:56,790
and I'll make justification
for it.

726
00:30:56,870 --> 00:30:58,630
He says, no, you're.

727
00:30:58,790 --> 00:31:00,150
You're even though you're
under grace.

728
00:31:00,150 --> 00:31:01,030
God forbid that.

729
00:31:01,270 --> 00:31:02,150
Definitely not.

730
00:31:03,030 --> 00:31:06,590
And he's going to explain it
again why he says, know ye not to

731
00:31:06,590 --> 00:31:10,710
whom ye yield yourselves
servants to obey his servants?

732
00:31:10,790 --> 00:31:12,430
Ye are to whom ye obey.

733
00:31:12,430 --> 00:31:13,030
Meaning this.

734
00:31:13,510 --> 00:31:16,760
If you give in to sin, that's
your master.

735
00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:19,960
Who you obey is who you worship.

736
00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:24,360
If I obey my flesh, guess who
my my new master is?

737
00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:24,920
Me.

738
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:26,600
Humanism.

739
00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:28,200
I'm my own God.

740
00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:29,840
So he says, no.

741
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,960
The reason why you just don't
choose sin willingly is because when

742
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:37,440
you choose that sin willingly,
you're choosing a new master, a new

743
00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:37,880
Lord.

744
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:40,280
He says, whether of sin unto death.

745
00:31:40,280 --> 00:31:42,200
So he says, if you sin, that
brings you to death.

746
00:31:42,470 --> 00:31:45,630
But then he goes on to say
this, and this is beautiful, or of

747
00:31:45,630 --> 00:31:47,190
obedience unto righteousness.

748
00:31:48,070 --> 00:31:49,350
But God be faint.

749
00:31:50,070 --> 00:31:55,830
Thank you, Lord, that ye were
the servants of sin, but ye have

750
00:31:55,830 --> 00:31:59,910
obeyed from the heart that
form of doctrine which was delivered

751
00:32:00,070 --> 00:32:00,430
you.

752
00:32:00,430 --> 00:32:01,110
Meaning this.

753
00:32:01,430 --> 00:32:05,590
Thank God that you're not in
your default mode.

754
00:32:05,910 --> 00:32:08,980
Thank God you're not back in
the bondage of sin, but thank God

755
00:32:08,980 --> 00:32:10,660
that that's not who you are anymore.

756
00:32:10,740 --> 00:32:14,580
Sometimes we just need to
thank God for His transformation

757
00:32:14,580 --> 00:32:15,580
that he's extended to us.

758
00:32:15,580 --> 00:32:18,340
Because in our thankfulness
comes that spirit of gratitude.

759
00:32:18,340 --> 00:32:21,180
And in the attitude of
gratitude comes a willingness to

760
00:32:21,180 --> 00:32:24,979
say, no, I want to choose that
I'm indebted to the Lord.

761
00:32:26,020 --> 00:32:29,660
I want to prove to him my
love, even though I don't have to

762
00:32:29,660 --> 00:32:32,500
prove my love to him because
he's already proved his love to me.

763
00:32:32,500 --> 00:32:34,300
I should have that desire to
say, you know what?

764
00:32:34,300 --> 00:32:35,700
I want to prove my love to Him.

765
00:32:37,010 --> 00:32:40,210
And so we're going to conclude
here in verse number 18.

766
00:32:40,770 --> 00:32:45,970
He says, but being then made
free from sin, ye became the servants

767
00:32:45,970 --> 00:32:46,850
of righteousness.

768
00:32:47,730 --> 00:32:49,650
So it's like, are you going to
be a servant to sin?

769
00:32:49,650 --> 00:32:51,170
Are you Going to be a servant
to righteousness?

770
00:32:51,170 --> 00:32:52,690
Well, it depends on who your
master is.

771
00:32:53,170 --> 00:32:55,730
Depends on who your highest
authority is.

772
00:32:56,610 --> 00:32:57,970
Who's your highest authority?

773
00:32:58,690 --> 00:33:00,370
Well, some people would say,
well, you know what?

774
00:33:00,370 --> 00:33:02,930
As far as I know, the highest
authority in the land is the president,

775
00:33:03,770 --> 00:33:04,050
okay?

776
00:33:04,050 --> 00:33:07,090
And this isn't a matter of
politics here this morning, but the

777
00:33:07,090 --> 00:33:08,010
idea would be this.

778
00:33:08,410 --> 00:33:11,450
There are certainly earthly
authorities that are set up in our

779
00:33:11,450 --> 00:33:13,370
life, and we should respect
earthly authorities.

780
00:33:13,610 --> 00:33:16,130
So my children should respect
me, okay?

781
00:33:16,130 --> 00:33:16,770
I'm their father.

782
00:33:16,770 --> 00:33:17,890
Honor their father and mother.

783
00:33:17,890 --> 00:33:18,810
That's a biblical thing.

784
00:33:18,810 --> 00:33:21,410
The most biblical thing that
my children can do is obey their

785
00:33:21,410 --> 00:33:22,970
parents and serve the Lord
through that.

786
00:33:23,370 --> 00:33:25,210
That's the way that they
demonstrate their love for Christ,

787
00:33:26,250 --> 00:33:26,810
okay?

788
00:33:26,890 --> 00:33:29,850
But I should not be their
highest authority.

789
00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:30,920
So my son.

790
00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:34,920
I'm specifically using my
oldest son because my oldest son

791
00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:37,960
is definitely one who wants to
please his father, okay?

792
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:39,280
And so, like, there's fear there.

793
00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:41,680
He's like, dad, I want to make
sure you think that I'm good at whatever

794
00:33:41,680 --> 00:33:42,200
I'm doing.

795
00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:47,280
And so let's say I work under
that realm of thinking for his whole

796
00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:48,160
life, okay?

797
00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:51,120
So I say, son, you read your
Bible, because Dad says you read

798
00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:52,600
your Bible, and that pleases me.

799
00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:54,680
So he reads his Bible every day.

800
00:33:56,290 --> 00:33:57,970
Son, you go to church every
single Sunday.

801
00:33:57,970 --> 00:33:59,650
Because that makes me happy.

802
00:33:59,810 --> 00:34:01,330
And I'm his highest authority.

803
00:34:02,850 --> 00:34:06,290
Ultimately, he's going to get
to his place in his life where he

804
00:34:06,290 --> 00:34:08,130
becomes 18, 19, 20 years old.

805
00:34:08,130 --> 00:34:09,570
And Dad's not the fight.

806
00:34:09,570 --> 00:34:10,730
He's not afraid of dad anymore.

807
00:34:10,730 --> 00:34:14,250
Maybe he's bigger than dad, or
maybe he's got freedom to know that

808
00:34:14,250 --> 00:34:16,410
dad isn't as strong as he said
he was.

809
00:34:16,410 --> 00:34:17,490
And he goes, you know what?

810
00:34:17,490 --> 00:34:19,090
Now why would I want to do
these things?

811
00:34:19,090 --> 00:34:22,249
Because now my highest
authority is not my dad.

812
00:34:22,249 --> 00:34:23,449
Maybe it's something else.

813
00:34:24,569 --> 00:34:28,369
So I would be wrong by
appealing to me being his highest.

814
00:34:28,369 --> 00:34:29,449
Highest authority.

815
00:34:29,689 --> 00:34:32,689
The highest authority must be
the Lord in every element of our

816
00:34:32,689 --> 00:34:32,969
life.

817
00:34:33,529 --> 00:34:36,169
So there is different levels
of authority that we are to respect.

818
00:34:36,409 --> 00:34:39,329
This isn't me saying, go out
into the world and just disregard

819
00:34:39,329 --> 00:34:41,209
any authority because God's
your authority.

820
00:34:41,209 --> 00:34:41,409
No.

821
00:34:41,409 --> 00:34:43,969
God tells us we're going to
get to Romans 13, that there's a

822
00:34:43,969 --> 00:34:46,409
role of authority in this
world that God has ordained, and

823
00:34:46,409 --> 00:34:47,209
we obey that.

824
00:34:47,500 --> 00:34:49,900
But the highest authority must
be the Lord.

825
00:34:49,980 --> 00:34:50,660
Why is that?

826
00:34:50,660 --> 00:34:53,500
Because sometimes human
authority can be wrong.

827
00:34:53,900 --> 00:34:54,660
And we don't go.

828
00:34:54,660 --> 00:34:56,020
Well, they said for me to do that.

829
00:34:56,020 --> 00:34:56,620
So I just.

830
00:34:56,620 --> 00:34:58,620
I just took what the pastor
was saying.

831
00:34:58,620 --> 00:35:00,140
I trusted what the pastor said.

832
00:35:00,300 --> 00:35:01,780
Now I want you to trust what I say.

833
00:35:01,780 --> 00:35:04,740
But also the Bible says in the
Book of Acts that you should test

834
00:35:04,740 --> 00:35:05,980
what the preacher is preaching.

835
00:35:06,060 --> 00:35:06,660
Okay?

836
00:35:06,660 --> 00:35:08,460
Don't just take someone's word
for it.

837
00:35:08,780 --> 00:35:09,140
So.

838
00:35:09,140 --> 00:35:11,420
So one day, yes, I will have.

839
00:35:11,580 --> 00:35:13,660
The Book of James actually
talks about this in James 3.

840
00:35:13,660 --> 00:35:15,920
I. I will have to respond for
what I teach.

841
00:35:16,400 --> 00:35:20,560
But all of you are responsible
for how you live your life.

842
00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:22,640
You can't say one day when
you're standing before the Lord,

843
00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:23,760
well, I was misled.

844
00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:26,840
You have to say, ultimately,
hey, this is why I believe what I

845
00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:27,120
believe.

846
00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,600
This is why I appeal to the Lord.

847
00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:31,920
So the question would be this.

848
00:35:31,920 --> 00:35:33,920
Who is your highest authority?

849
00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,560
Because your conscience, by
the way, your conscience.

850
00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:37,760
There, There was the.

851
00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:40,960
Isn't there that song, Let
your conscience be your guy.

852
00:35:42,140 --> 00:35:42,700
That's good.

853
00:35:42,780 --> 00:35:45,940
When your highest authority is
the word of God and the power of

854
00:35:45,940 --> 00:35:48,700
God, because your conscience
should be aligned to that.

855
00:35:49,260 --> 00:35:51,580
But your conscience is
something that God has given you

856
00:35:52,060 --> 00:35:55,740
in your life that is going to
appeal to your highest authority.

857
00:35:57,260 --> 00:36:02,740
So if my conscience is me in
my own flesh, I'm only going to feel

858
00:36:02,740 --> 00:36:07,340
bad if it hurts me, if my
authority or something that I appeal

859
00:36:07,340 --> 00:36:08,540
to is different that that.

860
00:36:08,800 --> 00:36:10,720
So conscience is not always
what we go by.

861
00:36:10,720 --> 00:36:12,920
Because sometimes I hear
people say, you know what?

862
00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:14,400
I didn't feel bad about doing that.

863
00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,280
You know why I didn't feel bad
about cursing that person?

864
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:19,920
Because they wronged me and
that's what they deserve.

865
00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:20,800
But guess what?

866
00:36:20,800 --> 00:36:22,480
My highest authority is my good.

867
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:25,640
And therefore I can justify it
in my conscience and not feel bad

868
00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:26,040
about it.

869
00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:29,240
Maybe if I'm not appealing to
the Holy Spirit as my conviction

870
00:36:29,240 --> 00:36:30,000
and my authority.

871
00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,280
So what I need to say in my
life is, no.

872
00:36:32,280 --> 00:36:33,840
God is my highest authority.

873
00:36:34,410 --> 00:36:39,210
His word, his way, his will is
what I desire for my life.

874
00:36:39,210 --> 00:36:39,930
And that's what we see.

875
00:36:39,930 --> 00:36:40,570
Verse 18.

876
00:36:40,810 --> 00:36:43,850
Being made free from sin, ye
became the servants of righteousness,

877
00:36:43,850 --> 00:36:45,050
the servants of God.

878
00:36:45,210 --> 00:36:49,410
Folks, for whatever reason,
we're afraid to think about this

879
00:36:49,410 --> 00:36:52,050
idea of being a servant
because none of us want to be subservient

880
00:36:52,050 --> 00:36:52,730
to anybody.

881
00:36:52,890 --> 00:36:56,250
Because we're, we're in a
society that teaches independence.

882
00:36:56,250 --> 00:37:01,380
And though independence is
good in some capacities, ultimately

883
00:37:01,380 --> 00:37:02,780
you can't be independent of God.

884
00:37:03,180 --> 00:37:06,060
You have to have a servant and
you have to have a master.

885
00:37:06,060 --> 00:37:08,460
And now the question is, is am
I going to have everyone in the world

886
00:37:08,460 --> 00:37:11,140
try to serve me or am I going
to be the one that tries to serve

887
00:37:11,140 --> 00:37:11,660
the Lord?

888
00:37:11,660 --> 00:37:13,580
And if I'm serving the Lord,
I'll serve others.

889
00:37:14,140 --> 00:37:16,699
The question I would Say for
you today is, are you okay?

890
00:37:17,180 --> 00:37:18,220
Are you comfortable?

891
00:37:18,380 --> 00:37:22,060
Are you actually embracing the
fact that as a Christian, you are

892
00:37:22,060 --> 00:37:24,460
called to be a servant of God?

893
00:37:24,540 --> 00:37:26,300
And think about the
implication of that.

894
00:37:27,590 --> 00:37:30,150
If I am a can a servant, a
servant can say no.

895
00:37:30,150 --> 00:37:31,750
But a good servant doesn't say no.

896
00:37:32,710 --> 00:37:36,190
A good servant doesn't look at
the Lord and go, lord, that doesn't

897
00:37:36,190 --> 00:37:36,950
make sense for me.

898
00:37:36,950 --> 00:37:39,150
How long do you think that
person's going to be a servant in,

899
00:37:39,150 --> 00:37:42,630
in the capacity that's being
explained here?

900
00:37:42,630 --> 00:37:45,670
If he just rejects his master,
not very long.

901
00:37:46,150 --> 00:37:48,710
And so the Bible says here, if
we want to be servants of God, if

902
00:37:48,710 --> 00:37:51,470
we want to be disciples of
God, and by the way, that word disciple

903
00:37:51,470 --> 00:37:53,670
just means completely
committed follower of Christ.

904
00:37:54,410 --> 00:37:56,650
If we want to be disciples, if
we want to be servants, we have to

905
00:37:56,650 --> 00:37:58,570
be willing to go where God
calls us to go.

906
00:37:58,650 --> 00:38:01,050
We have to be willing to say
what God has us to say.

907
00:38:01,050 --> 00:38:03,330
We have to be able to do the
things that God has called us to

908
00:38:03,330 --> 00:38:03,610
do.

909
00:38:04,250 --> 00:38:11,290
And so when we say here this
morning, am I willing to use my body,

910
00:38:12,410 --> 00:38:19,170
my life, my time, my treasure,
my family for the cause of the kingdom

911
00:38:19,170 --> 00:38:21,470
and the gospel, or am I
saying, you know what?

912
00:38:21,470 --> 00:38:23,070
That's asking too much.

913
00:38:24,030 --> 00:38:28,750
Now, if you are on the side of
saying, lord, I think you're asking

914
00:38:28,750 --> 00:38:33,630
too much, think about what we
are trusting in his work.

915
00:38:33,710 --> 00:38:34,750
What did he do for us?

916
00:38:34,910 --> 00:38:35,710
He gave everything.

917
00:38:35,710 --> 00:38:36,670
He gave his life.

918
00:38:37,230 --> 00:38:40,910
So we would be, I, I, I would
venture to say that we would be very

919
00:38:40,910 --> 00:38:44,990
disrespectful and almost to
the place of blasphemy by saying,

920
00:38:44,990 --> 00:38:48,840
lord, you're asking me to do
too much after I understand what

921
00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:49,760
you have done for me.

922
00:38:51,440 --> 00:38:53,040
He gave everything for us.

923
00:38:53,680 --> 00:38:56,280
And if we're not willing to
give everything for him, there's

924
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:58,800
a huge issue in our commitment
to Him.

925
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,840
Because if you love God, the
Bible says you will serve him, you

926
00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:03,760
will obey Him.

927
00:39:04,720 --> 00:39:08,040
Now, not everyone's on that
same path of exactly where they need

928
00:39:08,040 --> 00:39:08,480
to be.

929
00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:11,000
Like, so, for example, you
know what, if there's a Christian

930
00:39:11,000 --> 00:39:14,050
who gets saved today, I don't
expect them to completely understand

931
00:39:14,050 --> 00:39:17,530
what it means to yield their
bodies, a living sacrifice unto God.

932
00:39:17,530 --> 00:39:19,170
There's, there's growth that
needs to happen.

933
00:39:19,570 --> 00:39:22,570
But if we've been saved for a
long amount of time, if we've been

934
00:39:22,570 --> 00:39:26,490
saved for decades, there is a
reality in our life to say, are we

935
00:39:26,490 --> 00:39:29,450
serious about what we are
doing, or are we just going to live

936
00:39:29,450 --> 00:39:33,690
our lives as it says here,
yielding our members as instruments

937
00:39:33,690 --> 00:39:34,770
of unrighteousness?

938
00:39:36,050 --> 00:39:36,650
It's a very.

939
00:39:36,650 --> 00:39:38,250
It's a gross understatement.

940
00:39:38,250 --> 00:39:41,300
But think of yourselves as a
tool that God has designed.

941
00:39:41,540 --> 00:39:42,860
So think of this hammer, right?

942
00:39:42,860 --> 00:39:45,140
God has designed this hammer
for a specific job.

943
00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:48,860
And for this hammer to be used
in the right way, it needs to be

944
00:39:48,860 --> 00:39:51,460
guided by something, by a worker.

945
00:39:51,780 --> 00:39:55,100
Right now we know the guidance
for the instrument for our lives

946
00:39:55,100 --> 00:39:58,660
as Christians is the Lord
allowing God to utilize what he has

947
00:39:58,660 --> 00:40:00,340
designed for his work.

948
00:40:00,980 --> 00:40:03,820
Now, there's going to be some
times where God just steps in and

949
00:40:03,820 --> 00:40:04,580
we don't have a choice.

950
00:40:04,580 --> 00:40:05,820
He's going to throw us into the.

951
00:40:05,820 --> 00:40:06,420
The mix.

952
00:40:06,900 --> 00:40:10,180
But there's other times where
we're deciding to reject the Master

953
00:40:10,180 --> 00:40:11,940
and do what we want to do.

954
00:40:12,420 --> 00:40:16,860
And think of the craziness of this.

955
00:40:16,860 --> 00:40:19,820
Like, let's say, for example,
I was about to use this hammer and

956
00:40:19,820 --> 00:40:22,899
it spoke to me and said, no,
I'm not doing that, and it jumps

957
00:40:22,899 --> 00:40:23,500
out of my hand.

958
00:40:23,500 --> 00:40:25,540
Think about how, like,
ridiculous that is.

959
00:40:26,500 --> 00:40:28,140
That's exactly how ridiculous
it is.

960
00:40:28,140 --> 00:40:31,020
When we as the creation, tell
the Creator that we want to do our

961
00:40:31,020 --> 00:40:36,510
own thing, to yield ourselves
to him, submit ourselves to Him.

962
00:40:38,110 --> 00:40:38,430
What?

963
00:40:38,430 --> 00:40:38,750
What?

964
00:40:38,910 --> 00:40:40,870
When you come to a yield sign
in the road, what do you do?

965
00:40:40,870 --> 00:40:42,030
Well, don't tell me what you do.

966
00:40:42,190 --> 00:40:42,990
Some of you might.

967
00:40:43,070 --> 00:40:45,670
Some of you might push the gas
and say, okay, I'm only yielding

968
00:40:45,670 --> 00:40:46,590
if it's going to hit me.

969
00:40:46,750 --> 00:40:52,390
But really, yielding is
stopping and allowing something else

970
00:40:52,390 --> 00:40:53,230
to take the lead.

971
00:40:54,030 --> 00:40:56,670
That's biblically what we're
supposed to do with God in the Spirit.

972
00:40:56,830 --> 00:41:01,750
Stop our work, stop our
busyness, stop our agenda and say,

973
00:41:01,750 --> 00:41:04,510
lord, you take over, you take control.

974
00:41:05,710 --> 00:41:06,630
And that's a scary.

975
00:41:06,630 --> 00:41:10,110
That's a scary thing at first,
but it's.

976
00:41:10,190 --> 00:41:14,190
I can tell you by way of
experience, it's the most comforting

977
00:41:14,190 --> 00:41:18,430
thing to know where God has
you and you utilizing the members

978
00:41:18,510 --> 00:41:19,630
as his purpose.

979
00:41:20,110 --> 00:41:21,470
Doesn't mean that you're going
to be perfect.

980
00:41:22,270 --> 00:41:23,710
Doesn't mean that you won't
mess up.

981
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:27,240
Like, I'll be honest, I messed
up this week.

982
00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:29,400
If you're honest, you messed
up this week.

983
00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:30,920
That doesn't mean that we quit.

984
00:41:31,240 --> 00:41:33,520
It just means that we need to
yield ourselves more and more to

985
00:41:33,520 --> 00:41:34,920
the Spirit first.

986
00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:35,560
John 1:9.

987
00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:37,920
If we confess our sins, he's
faithful and just to forgive us our

988
00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:39,880
sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

989
00:41:40,199 --> 00:41:41,480
That's the beauty of grace.

990
00:41:41,800 --> 00:41:45,400
So a proper understanding of
grace is not, hey, license the sin.

991
00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,760
Proper understanding of grace
is, I get an opportunity to serve

992
00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:51,480
and love him when I do make A mistake.

993
00:41:51,790 --> 00:41:54,310
He's there to forgive me, lift
me up and equip me to not make that

994
00:41:54,310 --> 00:41:54,910
mistake again.

995
00:41:56,110 --> 00:41:57,910
That is the beauty of grace.

996
00:41:57,910 --> 00:42:00,990
And so we're going to come
back next week and we're going to

997
00:42:00,990 --> 00:42:03,870
conclude our thought here
because really what it is is he's

998
00:42:03,870 --> 00:42:05,950
talking more about living that
life yielded to him.

999
00:42:06,190 --> 00:42:09,350
And he's going to conclude in
verse 23, which I would argue that

1000
00:42:09,350 --> 00:42:13,230
verse 23 is, if you were to
take one verse to picture the gospel,

1001
00:42:14,030 --> 00:42:17,990
Romans 6, 23 is that verse
because it gives you the problem

1002
00:42:17,990 --> 00:42:21,080
of sin, it gives you the
payment of sin, and it gives you

1003
00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:22,440
the promise of salvation.

1004
00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,160
And so we're going to come
back next week and we're going to

1005
00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:27,160
look at the rest of the
chapter and we're going to look at

1006
00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:30,280
the beauty of the gift of grace.

1007
00:42:31,160 --> 00:42:33,520
Well, when we close here
today, what I want to ask you is

1008
00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:35,160
this, a couple questions.

1009
00:42:35,160 --> 00:42:36,680
Number one, who's your master?

1010
00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:42,640
Who are not only who are you
trusting in, but who are you allowing

1011
00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:43,720
to guide your life?

1012
00:42:46,930 --> 00:42:50,770
Secondly, what, what are you
doing with your members?

1013
00:42:52,370 --> 00:42:59,090
Your eyes, your ears, your
tongue, your hands, your feet?

1014
00:43:01,730 --> 00:43:06,570
Are you using the opportunity
for those members to be used for

1015
00:43:06,570 --> 00:43:07,890
the gospel of Jesus Christ?

1016
00:43:09,330 --> 00:43:11,250
Does our speech reflect his Gospel?

1017
00:43:11,250 --> 00:43:13,500
Does the our speech reflect
his love?

1018
00:43:15,340 --> 00:43:19,100
Or are we using those members
for, as it says here, instruments

1019
00:43:19,340 --> 00:43:21,500
or tools or weapons for sin?

1020
00:43:22,940 --> 00:43:26,060
You know, there's no shame in
recognizing where we're going astray

1021
00:43:26,060 --> 00:43:27,220
and getting it right with God.

1022
00:43:27,220 --> 00:43:30,540
I think so many times we just
think that if we avoid the situation,

1023
00:43:31,580 --> 00:43:32,940
it'll all just go away.

1024
00:43:33,180 --> 00:43:36,780
But let me tell you, in almost
every instance in my life, when I

1025
00:43:36,780 --> 00:43:38,620
ignore a situation, it just
gets worse.

1026
00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:42,520
What I would say here this
morning, if you have recognized an

1027
00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:48,080
element in your life, a
habitual member of your body going

1028
00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:52,960
off astray to be instruments
of sin and not instruments of righteousness.

1029
00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:54,000
Get it right with God today.

1030
00:43:54,160 --> 00:43:55,279
And what does it say?

1031
00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:58,320
Well, not to tame your own
tongue, not to tame your own hand,

1032
00:43:58,320 --> 00:44:02,280
not to tame your own mind and
your eyes and your ears.

1033
00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:02,800
But what?

1034
00:44:03,200 --> 00:44:04,560
Let God tame it.

1035
00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:04,810
Let him.

1036
00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,200
Let God take it into his control.

1037
00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:11,280
And folks, if he's controlling
all those members, we're in good

1038
00:44:11,280 --> 00:44:11,680
shape.

1039
00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:16,720
Because he is the author and
finisher of our faith.

1040
00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:19,120
He is the one who created us.

1041
00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:20,800
He knows the right tool.

1042
00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:23,520
He knows the right purpose of
our lives.

1043
00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:26,880
And if we're created in the
image of God, what do we do?

1044
00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:28,720
We don't trust in our own image.

1045
00:44:28,720 --> 00:44:30,240
We don't trust in our own ways.

1046
00:44:30,240 --> 00:44:33,110
In the world's way, because
the world wants to jam you into the

1047
00:44:33,110 --> 00:44:33,950
image of the world.

1048
00:44:34,270 --> 00:44:35,550
You say that's not biblical.

1049
00:44:35,550 --> 00:44:36,430
Romans, chapter 12.

1050
00:44:36,430 --> 00:44:39,550
He says, and be not conformed
to the image of this world.

1051
00:44:40,030 --> 00:44:41,550
The idea there would be this.

1052
00:44:42,190 --> 00:44:44,590
There's a mold that the world
has created.

1053
00:44:44,590 --> 00:44:48,550
Really, ultimately Satan's
created and there's this like play

1054
00:44:48,550 --> 00:44:49,550
doh or clay.

1055
00:44:49,790 --> 00:44:53,270
And the world wants to jam you
into that mold and change who you

1056
00:44:53,270 --> 00:44:53,430
are.

1057
00:44:53,430 --> 00:44:56,990
The Bible says, don't be
conformed into this world, but be

1058
00:44:56,990 --> 00:44:59,790
transformed by the renewing of
your minds.

1059
00:45:01,150 --> 00:45:05,230
And so don't allow the world
to give you your image, your identity,

1060
00:45:05,710 --> 00:45:06,670
your purpose.

1061
00:45:08,030 --> 00:45:12,270
Let God give you your purpose,
your identity, your.

1062
00:45:12,270 --> 00:45:12,670
Your.

1063
00:45:12,670 --> 00:45:15,630
Your overall goal, your agenda.

1064
00:45:15,950 --> 00:45:17,510
So here this morning, think
about that.

1065
00:45:17,510 --> 00:45:20,870
As we come to this time of
invitation, I'm going to ask if you're

1066
00:45:20,870 --> 00:45:22,830
able to stand with me, every
head bowed, every I close.

1067
00:45:22,830 --> 00:45:26,060
As the music plays here now,
there's a time to respond.

1068
00:45:27,260 --> 00:45:29,180
Number one, do I have a master?

1069
00:45:30,540 --> 00:45:31,540
We have a master.

1070
00:45:31,540 --> 00:45:32,100
But who is it?

1071
00:45:32,100 --> 00:45:32,820
Is it Jesus?

1072
00:45:32,820 --> 00:45:35,020
If it's not, get that right
here today.

1073
00:45:35,820 --> 00:45:38,860
Number two, though, if you've
been allowing your members to be

1074
00:45:38,860 --> 00:45:42,580
used as instruments of sin and
unrighteousness, turn it over to

1075
00:45:42,580 --> 00:45:42,940
him today.

1076
00:45:42,940 --> 00:45:44,220
Give him control.

1077
00:45:44,620 --> 00:45:48,540
Give him the opportunity to be.

1078
00:45:48,700 --> 00:45:49,540
To use you.

1079
00:45:49,540 --> 00:45:52,260
And I'm going to say this, he
can use you, but he doesn't need

1080
00:45:52,260 --> 00:45:52,580
us.

1081
00:45:53,380 --> 00:45:55,940
We don't have to sit here and
go, God, I guess I'll come alongside

1082
00:45:55,940 --> 00:45:57,140
of you and make your life better.

1083
00:45:57,300 --> 00:45:59,460
No, God doesn't need any of us.

1084
00:45:59,460 --> 00:46:00,580
He can do his work.

1085
00:46:00,580 --> 00:46:04,140
But the beauty of this is that
in his grace, he gives you an opportunity

1086
00:46:04,140 --> 00:46:05,140
to be a part of it.

1087
00:46:05,780 --> 00:46:06,939
So it's really upon us.

1088
00:46:06,939 --> 00:46:10,780
Are we going to be ready to
jump on the ship, so to speak, and

1089
00:46:10,780 --> 00:46:11,220
say, you know what?

1090
00:46:11,220 --> 00:46:12,660
I want to be used by you, Lord.

1091
00:46:13,220 --> 00:46:15,540
So if that's the case with you
this morning, come forward and commit

1092
00:46:15,540 --> 00:46:16,100
that to him.

1093
00:46:16,430 --> 00:46:19,350
But the biggest decision that
you can ever make is, do you know

1094
00:46:19,350 --> 00:46:20,710
that Jesus is your Savior?

1095
00:46:20,710 --> 00:46:23,710
Have you trusted in him to
bring you out of that life of.

1096
00:46:23,870 --> 00:46:25,230
Of sin and.

1097
00:46:25,390 --> 00:46:28,670
And death and bring you to
life and light in him?

1098
00:46:29,390 --> 00:46:31,950
If that's what you need here
this morning, come forward and we

1099
00:46:31,950 --> 00:46:34,350
can show you in the word of
God what it means to trust in him

1100
00:46:34,510 --> 00:46:38,150
for salvation, to put your
faith and trust in his work and not

1101
00:46:38,150 --> 00:46:38,750
your own.

1102
00:46:38,910 --> 00:46:40,950
Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation, working

1103
00:46:40,950 --> 00:46:41,630
hearts and lives.

1104
00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:43,520
We thank you for your grace.

1105
00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:47,360
We thank you for this new life
that you have given us to yield ourselves

1106
00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:47,880
to you.

1107
00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:51,800
Lord, we thank you for your
guidance, your grace, your conviction,

1108
00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:53,320
your comfort.

1109
00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:55,000
I pray that you be in this
time now.

1110
00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:56,480
Jesus name, Amen.

1111
00:46:56,480 --> 00:46:59,080
As the music plays, follow as
the Lord leads here this morning.

1112
00:48:00,150 --> 00:48:02,590
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1113
00:48:02,590 --> 00:48:03,190
Podcast.

1114
00:48:03,430 --> 00:48:05,830
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1115
00:48:06,550 --> 00:48:08,750
You would like to find out
more information about our church

1116
00:48:08,750 --> 00:48:12,230
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1117
00:48:12,550 --> 00:48:15,110
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1118
00:48:15,830 --> 00:48:20,270
You can also email me directly
at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch

1119
00:48:20,270 --> 00:48:24,680
dot com if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1120
00:48:24,680 --> 00:48:27,560
along for future podcast and updates.

1121
00:48:28,200 --> 00:48:29,160
Thank you so much.

1122
00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:30,120
God Bless.

1123
00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:31,640
Have a wonderful day.