Sermons

Introduction:

We have come to the point where we desire to follow God because sin is destructive and inconsistent with our new identity in Christ. Following God and doing good takes two paths-by the flesh or by the Spirit. Following spiritual rules cannot effect change in a believer because the flesh is empowered by rules. Christians will find defeat by their own will and effort to follow through. Through suffering in the struggle with sin, Christians are driven to Christ, the only one who can help us.

Communion Sharing: Mark 10:45 and Servanthood
Can you believe it has been almost 8 weeks since the 9/11 tragedies? I'll never forget the days after. Almost immediately after those 200-plus stories fell, there were family members of those lost in the WTC wandering around looking for their loved ones. They posted pictures of the missing and set up make shift memorials for them. At the CNN web site, there is a photo gallery of those missing. There is Andrea Haberman, and 25 year old who worked for Carr Futures on the 92nd floor of WTC2. There is Gabriela Waisman, a 33 yr old who worked for Sybase. She was visiting for a trade show. I just looked at two of a great many of photos. Their pictures have become part of their memorial.

When we take communion, we remember the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who died in the 9/11 tragedies are remembered for who they were and what they did. In the case of Jesus, we also remember Him because He died. But He did not die in a building; rather, He died on a Cross. And on this Cross He redeemed all those Who are in Him. Those who have received Jesus into their lives as their Savior are the redeemed.

Galatians 4:3-5
3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

This morning we come before the communion table together to celebrate the death of Christ. We can celebrate because Jesus is alive today-and as we have learned in Romans, Christians are alive in Him. Our Celebration Service centers on this table. It is a table with the bread-the broken body of Christ and cup-the shed blood of Christ. It is a table of love, sacrifice, and forgiveness.
Each month on the first week we remember that Jesus Christ, our Savior and Friend, died on the Cross on our behalf. This day we commemorate our solidarity and fellowship together as followers of Christ.
I would like to read Mark 10:45. There we find the purpose of Jesus coming to earth:
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
As we partake of the communion elements, I would ask that we remember Jesus as the One who sacrificed Himself for us. Think about His mission: not to be served, but to serve you and I.

Discipleship Review
Let's start with an interactive question. "Let's say one day you found ten $100 bills. Nobody claimed them, and the police said you could keep it. What would you do with the thousand dollars"? I've asked a number of groups this question. Many people would say they would put it in the bank. Some would invest. Others might buy a new computer, or spend part of it on video games.

However we would answer, the point is that as many people are in this room, there may be that many different reasons for how the money would be spent. All of us are different for a reason.

We all have a filter or grid in our minds that determines the way we process information and choices. We normally do not examine the filter or grid; we just react to the circumstances around us. The filter represents who we really are and what we deem to be important.

When I was in college, I would say spend the money of Tuition and Books. When I was engaged, the money would go toward a ring. When I had Lydia, it would be saved for diapers, toys, and furniture. Now I would probably put part of it toward my house. Your value as to where the money should go may be different from mine and may change as your life changes.

How did we get this filter or grid in our mind? Think of your mind as a hard drive of files. Each file folder was filled or is being filled by lessons from parents, our learning from church, how we learned to succeed and be liked in society, hurts we have incurred, and so on.

One file folder might contain lessons on how to react to criticism or hurt. When we are criticized, some of us lash back in anger. Others might put themselves down too. Or some might ignore it altogether.

Filed away are what we like to do and what we do not like to do.
When Lori and I were driving to a doctor's appointment we started talking about going to plays when we were in grade school. She said she wished she could have seen the Nutcracker. I told her I saw the Nutcracker, but fell asleep. Then I asked her, "How can you watch plays?" She said it was entertainment. I said it was boring. Then she replied, "How come you watch baseball?" I said it was entertainment. She said that's not entertainment! We all have our likes and dislikes that have been developed by our experiences.

Filed away are the kinds of people we like to hang out with, and those we do not like. Just go to a local high school or middle school. Even with all the talk of tolerance, people pretty much hand out with who they like, and avoid the people they do not like.

Filed away are the instructions on how to best spend our time and money. Some people truly value being on time, others think it is okay to be a little late.

Now when a couple talks to me about Marriage, we need to look at these differences. We need to understand how they came about and the conflicts that could arise between them. This is true with any relationship. Many times in the church we come from different upbringing, different culture, even different family backgrounds. Conflicts can arise between people with these differences. Marriages end because of these differences, bridges are burned, and relationships seared.

Whether a married couple is in conflict or two people at work or church, we need to understand where the differences come from and work them through. We will not be able to have a successful relationship without both parties wanting to change to work it out.

The same is true in our relationship with God. With God, though, we do not expect Him to change to be like us. No! He is holy and unchanging. Instead we become like God. Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God. We are to take on His character and His good works. When we see something in us that is in conflict with God and His Word, then we need to reconcile ourselves to His way.

This means we must change. This is the way of the Disciple of Christ. Today I would like to highlight a third principle of Discipleship. Disciples adopt the PURPOSE OF CHRIST. This third principle will lead us into our discussion of Romans 7.

We've already looked at two principles of discipleship that have corresponded with our study in Romans 6:
1. Every believer is Called to be a Disciple. God wants people to express their faith for salvation from their sin, but He calls them to continue living and growing in their faith.

2. Every believer makes a personal choice to follow Jesus. Believers must make a personal choice to follow Jesus. And following Him may lead the disciple to places he or she never thought they would go.

3. Disciples adopt the PURPOSE OF CHRIST. We just looked at Mark 10:45. What was Jesus' mission on earth? It was to serve, not to be served. This too becomes our Purpose. We lay down our lives for the benefit of others.

In Mark 10 the disciples bickered about who was the greatest in the Kingdom. James and John wanted to be the greatest. Then the other disciples were upset that James and John had asked without any consideration of them. All of them had adopted this simple principle of human nature: "I want to be number one!" What was Jesus' response-if you want to be number one, then you serve others. The disciples weren't supposed to grab power, they were supposed to use the power given to them to serve others.
This is the upside down Kingdom. In the world the way to become number one is to climb UP the ladder. But in God's Kingdom the way to number one is first DOWN the ladder. It is the path of humility and servanthood. Jesus could say this because He did not demand to be served. He is God, but He came to serve.

A faithful and maturing Christian, oh around twenty-four years old, wanted to be in a place of leadership. He went the normal course of things-he went to seminary to prepare himself. He spent his time studying, going to class, and serving the church. After a year, he felt like he was learning the Bible and learning how to teach and preach. And he became upset. He was upset that people did not always think he was right. He was upset that people asked him to do things when he thought he knew the best way. And now he makes everyone memorize Mark 10:45. Who is this person? That person is myself.

There is a lesson all Disciples of Christ must learn-and that is to give up their own will and desires and center themselves on the needs of others. They must learn to be the servant of all.

This is not much different from our discussion in Romans 6. There is 6:13 we are told
13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

To offer ourselves to God is to present ourselves to Him as a servant, just as Christ did. Romans 6:15-23 tells us the choice between sinning and not sinning is a clear choice between life and death. So it should be an easy choice, right?

It may be easy to choose, but to carry out the choice is not that easy. Even though Christians have been brought from death to life, Christians still have what is called the FLESH. This FLESH is what the NIV calls the "sinful nature." Look at verse 5:
For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.

Before we became Christians we had no choice but to follow the way of the Flesh. We had the Flesh with us when we were born-it was inherited from Adam and Eve. The way of the flesh lead us to sin, which led us to be separated from God. It is because of the control of the flesh we sinned and were condemned by our sin.

How did the Flesh kill us? It used the smoking revolver called the LAW.

We have a lot of Toddlers in our English Ministry. If you do not have one of these cuties at home, you may think they are so innocent and cute. But there is another side to them. There are many rules, or guidelines, that Toddlers must follow. They are good for Toddlers. Do not touch the hot burner on the stove, do not run into the street, do not take toys from other children, eat your vegetables, and put on your shoes. Timmy, I am convinced, knows all these guidelines.

Many times I gently remind him of these rules. Let's take do not go in the street for an example. I look him in the eyes and draw an imaginary line in the sidewalk to tell him not to cross that line. Depending on his mood he may listen to me or he may test me. If he tests me, he will walk up to the imaginary line with his head up looking at me-to see what I will do. If I do not do anything, he'll inch over a little more. Pretty soon he is in the street. Even if he listens to me, I'll have to tell him again the next time and we'll go through the dance all over again.
This is like telling someone to not to go over the speed limit while driving. I know I always think that 5mph extra I probably won't get caught.

The principle is this-when humans have rules or standards imposed on them, they are being set up for failure.

Why? Because of the Flesh and Law.
Verses 7 and 8 tell us about the good and bad sides of the Law.

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead.

Just like the rules for Toddlers, God's Law is good: v.7 not sin, v. 10 meant to bring life v. 12 holy, righteous and good, v. 14 spiritual, v. 21 God's. The Law has a purpose as well-it is to show us what is sinful. If there were no speed limit, we wouldn't know how if we were speeding too fast.

But Law has its bad effects as well: it gives the flesh an opportunity. As soon as rules are handed down, then all kinds of desires to break the rules are bound to come. These are temptations. It is the forbidden fruit-like the SnoBalls I talked about last week. As soon as something is forbidden, our tendency is to want it.

Just look at Israel's history as an example. They are the ones who were truly under God's Law. They are our example in Romans 7. After God gave the Ten Commandments to the people, Moses went up Mt. Sinai to receive the rest of the Law from God. Well, he took a while. What did the Israelites do in the meantime? They turned from God and began to make a golden calf as an idol to worship. The rest of Israel's history tells us that the Flesh principle works. When we are placed under a system of rules and regulations to follow God, we will ultimately fail.

Therefore, we may want to do good, but we simply cannot succeed at doing good through rules and standards. In the past I did not care about the Bible. Now I want to read the Bible. Whenever I put myself on a reading plan, sometimes I do well, other times I do miserably. But I have never done perfectly well with my plans. Other activities may come up or other priorities will take place first. What this shows me is my natural tendencies, learned over all these years from my experience in the world, are not easy to overcome-such as the things we like to do or not like to do, the people we are drawn to and repulsed by, and the how we handle criticism. When confronted with the truth of the Bible, we are hard pressed to change.

In vv. 14-15 Paul describes his experience and struggle with sin. He is the "I" speaking in these passages. In v. 14 he says "I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin." This is him describing how utterly weak he is following God legalistically. He would see something sinful or bad in himself and want to change. As soon as he placed standards on himself, the law, which is good, he would find himself doing what he didn't want to do. This is his struggle in verses 18-19:
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing.

And so Paul feels awful at the end of his struggle, v. 24: what a wretched man am I! Who will save me from this body of death?

Do you know where we end up-right back at Grace. V. 25 says that it is God through Jesus that we can find deliverance. In Him even when we do fail, we find there is "No condemnation" for those who are in Christ Jesus." (8:1). And that is Good News!!! As Paul says, it is not I who sin, but the sin living in me. Not an excuse, but a reality that our flesh will be with us until the day we die.

Conclusion
We came to the communion table today to remember Christ. He came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for you and I.
Now we see the picture more clearly.

2. As disciples we must take on Christ's purposes as a servant. But to serve God and others may mean clearing out the ways in our mind that are self-centered and focused.

3. We can accomplish God's purposes either through the Flesh or through the Spirit.

4. If through the Flesh, the Flesh will use the Law to cause us to sin. Out tendency when we learn about our weaknesses is to change ourselves by setting standards and rules. But legalism could not please God before Christ, and will not please God after Christ.

5. We can only follow God by way of the Spirit. This is next week's topic. 
 

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