Our Great Commission
ROMANS
Sin : Follow not the Flesh
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS
6:00PM Evening Service at the church –
“Seminary Students will be preaching”
Monday 5:00PM Bible Study
Tuesday Women’s at Lori’s 5:00PM
WHERE WE
† Maturing in Christ
† Understanding in Christ
† Love of God
† God’s Spiritual Fruit
This Series: The Book of Romans
Previously: Apostasy, Judgment, Sin
TODAY’S SERMON: Our Great Commission
Romans
Part 6: Sin : Follow not the Flesh
SCRIPTURE READING
Romans 8:1-8
“1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.”
INTRODUCTION
† Are you living a life in the Spirit? Are you walking in the Spirit?
† What determines your daily path? Is it your will or Gods?
† Today we will examine our natures and desires to see if they are of ourselves, or God’s Spirit.
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
I. THOSE WHO LIVE ACCORDING TO THE SINFUL NATURE
1. Have their minds set on what that nature desires
i. Sinful nature desires;
a) Disobedience I Samuel 15:6-9 ~ Saul
b) Lawlessness I John 3:4 ~ Sin against Commandments
c) Unrighteousness I John 5:17 ~ All unrighteousness = sin
d) Rebellion Deuteronomy 9:7 ~ Provoking the Lord to wrath
e) Lust of flesh Matthew 5:28 ~ Looks upon with lust
f) Evil Thoughts Acts 8:22 ~ Forgiven through prayer
g) Unbelief John 3:18 ~ He who believes not is condemned
ii. Sin is characterized in the Bible as;
a) A disease Job 20:11; Isaiah 1:4-6
b) Madness Ecclesiastes 9:3
c) Bitter thing Deuteronomy 29:18; Hebrews 2:15
d) Selfishness II Kings 5:20-27; Jeremiah 45:3
e) Bondage Proverbs 5:22; Isaiah 49:9; Romans 3:9; 6:6, 12, 15
f) Defiling Proverbs 30:12; Hebrews 12:15
iii. The sinful nature is specifically;
a) Presumptuous Psalm 19:13
b) Works of darkness Ephesians 5:11
c) Dead works Hebrews 6:1; 9:14
d) Deceitful Hebrews 3:13
e) An abomination Proverbs 15:9; 16:12; Jeremiah 44:4
2. Does any of this sound familiar?
i. Where is your mind this morning?
a) We are bombarded with our senses
a. Sight
b. Hearing
c. Touch
d. Taste
e. Smell
b) We have but one Spirit
a. Small and quiet voice
ii. We are told to change our thinking
a) Have a renewed mind
b) Have a mind like Christ
c) Dwell on things which are beautiful and Holy
iii. All sin begins in our minds
a) What we fill our minds with, fills our hearts
b) From the over flow of our hearts, our mouths speak
a. Our mouths have the power of life and death
c) What we speak, we speak into existence
a. Psychologists prove, what you tell a child is their reality
b. Dementia patience have altered realities
c. Ones perception is their reality…even if it’s not true
3. Where is your mind this morning?
i. Is anything we’ve talked about been occupying your mind lately?
ii. Do you struggle with any of the issues we mentioned this morning?
iii. If so, there is a battle taking place right now for your soul
II. THOSE WHO LIVE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPIRIT
1. Have their minds set on what the Spirit desires
i. What is it the Spirit of God desires?
a) That you are set free from slavery to sin
b) That you become the dwelling place for the Spirit of God
c) That you go and free others
ii. The great commission is our guide to pleasing the Lord
a) After you are saved, you are commanded to rescue others
b) Go into all the world (every nation and race)
c) Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
a. Meaning;
i. Father (the Law / broken by us “sin”)
ii. Son (the only way to be free from that sin
iii. Holy Spirit (dwells within us so we may serve)
b. Does not mean;
i. Water baptism
ii. Dunking 3 times instead of the older 1 dunk style
d) Teach them to obey all that I (Jesus) commands
a. Not before other instructions!
b. Teaching the commands of Love!
i. Love God with all your mind, heart, body and soul!
ii. Love your neighbor (unsaved) as yourself!
iii. This is what Jesus said was the greatest commands!
2. Where is your mind today?
i. Do you “pick up your cross” each day to follow the Lord?
ii. Do you crucify your flesh continually?
iii. Are you turning to Jesus when you are weak?
iv. Are the things we just mentioned foremost in your minds?
If not, you have a problem…sin is trying to be your master!
If you have confessed your sin, and repented…then you have been forgiven!
If you have then asked Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life, believing that He was the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy, being born of a virgin, dying on the cross for the payment of sin, and being raised again by God the Father…then you belong to the Kingdom of God!
The power of sin has been destroyed, and you are no longer a slave!
If sin has no authority in our lives unless we grant it, then why does life get so hard sometimes?
ILLUSTRATION:
The story is told of a group of women that met for Bible study.
While studying in the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study. The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined. The man answered yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that’s easy - when I see my image in it."
III. THE RESULTS OF BOTH
1. The results of a sinful mind;
i. 6The mind of sinful man is death
ii. 7the sinful mind is hostile to God
iii. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God
2. The results of a spiritual mind
i. but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
ii. but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
iii. through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
CONCLUSION
† Where is your mind at this morning?
† Are you living a life in the Spirit? Are you walking in the Spirit?
† What determines your daily path? Is it your will or Gods?
