No Longer Slaves

Play no last week. We talked about, you know Pharaoh in the armies of Egypt pursuing the Israelites. And if you guys want to follow teacher Ryan out there for a children's church, today, she's going on out, you can but we talked about how the Army's pursued them to the Red Sea and how God, parted the Red Seas, and provided a way out that no one would have expected. But then how he also used that to wipe out their enemies? So that they would never have to deal with them again. you know, we may not be Getting chased down by the Chariots of pharaoh. But yet we all have battles, we all have struggles that we deal with everyday. At the very least, we deal with our fallen World, in our own Fallen sinful human nature on a daily basis.

you know, when the armies of pharaoh started to come over the hill, we heard Moses say to the people in Exodus, 14:13 and 14, Moses answered. The people do not be afraid. Stand firm, and you will see the Deliverance. The Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still

You know, whoever our enemy b, b, whatever. Struggles, we might face the Lord will fight for you. You know, fool trusts the Lord to enough to stand still in the midst of all the turmoil and all the chaos that goes on in the world around us. It doesn't matter then if it's the Egyptians or other problems, other obstacles, other conflicts in our life, those problems that we see today. Those challenges that we face today, don't have to plague us for the rest of our lives. As Moses said about Egyptians, you know, the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. We can also put many of those conflicts behind us. And you know the thing that kind of Marvel at with this passage is that, you know, if you think about it, this passage was written long before.

Jesus died on the cross. But yet it reminds us that Jesus has already fought those battles for us that Jesus has already defeated sin and death. We only need to be still. During those times. And sometimes If we're honest, most of the time that's the hard part, isn't it? Cuz when we Face challenges, when we Face problems, we think that that means that we must instantly spring into action.

I want everyone to close their eyes for a minute. Just Close Your Eyes. Everyone got their eyes closed. No peeking. Okay. Now don't start thinking about lunch. Don't think about that, juicy steak, that you might have for that wonderful, flaky fish, or all the different types of pizza that are on the buffet. And don't think about that ice cold drink, that you're going to use it all to wash it all down.

Now, how many of you are hungry? Yeah, I got smallest one. Stuck their hands up there. you can open your eyes, but, you know, What I told you not to think about that stuff. What happened?

You start thinking about it, don't you?

You know what? I'm fortunately that's so often what we do in our spiritual lives. We start making lists of the stuff that we cannot do the stuff. We cannot think about, and then what happens? We begin to focus on those things. We begin to dwell on those things. Those things start to occupy most of our thoughts and no matter what we're doing. It seems our thoughts. Keep going back to those things and all too. Often the more we think about those things, the more were focused on those things. And over time we can even start to think. Well that's not all that bad or all that wrong. It may become interested in those things. And before we know it the very thing we were trying to avoid Has malpractice. We're thinking about it all the time. Not just part of the time.

And you know, our main scripture today, from Romans chapter 7, I think is probably one of the passages of scripture that might be the most relatable passage and all of scripture. I think the Apostle Paul hit it on the head with this one. Romans chapter 7 verses 14 through 25. We know that the law is spiritual. But I am unspiritual sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do for what I want to do. I do not do, but what I hate, I do. and if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

As it is, it is no longer. I myself who did it, but it is sin, living in me. I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is in my sinful nature. I have the desire to do, what is good, but I cannot carry it out. Frye, do not do the good, I want to do but the evil I do not want to do. This I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do but it is send in me. That does it. So, I find this law at work. Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For, in my inner being, I Delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in me, Waging War against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the Lawson at work within me. What a Wretched Man? I am. Who will rescue me from this body? That is subject to death. Thanks be to God. Who delivers me through. Jesus Christ. Our Lord. So then I myself and my mind and a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature as slave to the law of sin,

Mean, as you read through that, there's just parts of it. I think that all of us can admit that it one time or another. Those things have seemed very, very real, very true to us. That very thing we're trying to avoid Becomes our focus, our Obsession our new hobby, even sometimes. I mean, the struggle is real and we need to face that. So, how do we prevent this stuff from happening?

All too often people say you know incredibly useful things to his like will just start thinking about different stuff. Or think about holy things or how many of you are still thinking about lunch? I like it, we got honesty.

You know, the struggle is real. And if the Bible tells us what we should and should not do, but thinking about what we should not do leads us into those things, what really is the purpose of the lawn and that's what the Apostle Paul is trying to get at and talking about this. You know, what really is the reason that we study God's word that we look at it, because

you know, if it's just going to lead us down the path to problems, wouldn't we be better not to

But you know, Paul breaks it down for us and he explains that, you know, the first purpose of the law is to reveal sin in our lives.

cuz the truth is without the law without God's word, we wouldn't really know what sin is

You know, we see the results of this in our society now where we've decided that the Bible is old now dated, right? So we need to start to read to find send by what we think it is.

And let's be honest we like and everything is human beings, you know, we want to know how far we can go, right? We like to push the limits. We want to know how far can we go down this path until it is a sin. Are sinful Human Nature. Has that constant desire to break the rules, to test the limits to see where the boundaries are. It's just a thing that comes naturally to us. so, if we're left to Define what sin is and isn't on our own,

it gets out of hand. The second purpose of the law is to show the sinfulness of our sin. You know, when you first hear that? It sounds a little weird. It sounds like we're talking about measuring the wetness of water, right? The sinfulness of sin, of course, sin is sinful.

but, you know, people

know that there is such a thing as Sin and I think people will acknowledge that there's such a thing as Sin, but yet, What we often fail to realize is the sinfulness of our sin.

You don't stead of calling it a sin, we just talk about things as being mistakes or weaknesses.

And when we do that, we begin to not really take the idea of sin. Seriously,

You know we like to think that we are good people and we like to think that we don't do anything bad. We try to do good, we try to live, right? We figure out that, you know, as long as we avoid the big sins, We're okay, then.

It is that sense that we fail to realize how sinful our sin really is how opposed to the character nature of God. It really is. And that is the purpose of the law. To show us how sinful sin is. That's what's so much of scripture helps explain to us.

Cuz sometimes I think we get forget how big of a contrast there is between our holy God, in our fallen sinful nature.

Button. Romans here in chapter 7, Paul gets real about that and he talks about it. And he also tells us that passage three things that the law cannot do.

The first one is that the law cannot change you.

You know, I'm verse 14. There it reminds us that yet. The law can point things out that are wrong. But I can't change you. It can't change your sinful nature simply because you know what the law is.

Another thing that Paul says, is that the law cannot enable you to do good. we seeing verses 15 through 21 that Paul talks about, you know,

The fact that, you know, does this mean that you're never able to do anything good, you know, she just throw our hands up and say up on the sinful Fallen human being. No use Tryin. No, that's not what Paul is saying. What Paul is saying is that despite how hard you try, all of the good things that you do. Still end up painted because we are Fallen people living in a fallen world. That's why anything we try to do on our own falls short.

The third thing that Paul says, is that the law cannot set you free.

You know, Paul openly admits that he is a Wretched Man trapped in his sinful nature and no matter how hard he tries to be good. He can't overcome that on his own.

The Lord is not free. You the lock can fix you. That's what Paul is trying to point out.

So then we jump back to chapter 6 in Romans And we read. What shall we say, then, shall we go on sinning. So that Grace may increase. By no, means we are those who have died to send. How can we live in it any longer? Or don't, you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ? Jesus were baptized into his death. we were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised through the From the dead through the glory of the father. We too. May live a new life. for if we have been United with him in a death like his we will certainly also be United with him in a resurrection like his For, we know that our old self was crucified with him, so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with that. We should no longer be slaves to send Because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

your paws reminding Believers there that if you have put your trust in Jesus, if you have been baptized, In the name of Jesus Christ. You have been set free from that.

How many people will try to live? Their best life, right? Do all the good that they can to all the people they can all the time that they can, you know, they kind of take on the standard Christian morals of you know they don't smoke they don't chew and they certainly don't date women who do, right? But if you do all that then you're in the right category.

but, you know, the problem with that is They're just trying to be good enough on their own. You know, people think it will as long as I do this. As long as I'm just good enough, maybe I'll squeak in.

but the truth is, I don't think any of us, if even if we're doing a great job at being good, if we really sit and read God's law,

can we say that we've kept it all?

I mean, there's none of us that can say that we've lived up, God's word that we've kept every letter of the law.

So then what do we do as human beings?

We start looking for someone worse than ourselves, right? We look around and we start thinking you as long as I'm better than the majority of other people. I know that I'm good.

You know, we start thinking that like there's percentages or something, that'll make it into heaven, you know as long as you fall in the top 10 you're okay, right? But that's not how it works. But we think well as long as I'm better than them then I can't be all that bad. So surely I'm good.

You know the law cannot save you. That is the main thing. That Paul was trying to get across but he's also trying to get across that you know, the law can't save you but we don't have to live as a slave to that sinful nature anymore either. And that's what Jesus came to do. And you know, sweep went through this series. We've talked about how Jesus is the one with you there in the fire.

Jesus is the one holding back, the Raging Waters. As you cross through your Red Sea, whatever it is. Doesn't matter how good you are, how bad you are, it is Jesus. That is walking there with you. Making that possible.

You know, I heard a song this week cuz I Was preparing and I included some of the lyrics here at the end it's the song Miracle Power by the group we the kingdom and in that they say I may not know what a day may bring. But I know who brings the day.

Think about that statement for a little bit, there is a lot of power in that statement.

if your faith lies in, Jesus,

If it doesn't, then that statement really doesn't mean anything to you.

but if you truly trust in Jesus, if you truly trust that he is there with you, that he's walking with you, if you believe that he guides every step every day, In that statement means a lot.

In the song, they go on to say, on the darkest night when I cannot see my soul will say I believe in Miracle power in a wonder-working. God. I'm filled with the Holy Spirit working wonders in my heart. I belong to a loving, father, I'm a friend of Christ. His son When it feels like I won't make it, I Call On Jesus. Oh, there's Miracle working power. When I call On Jesus.

You know, the things we've talked about in this series, you know? The men in the fiery furnace, The Parting of the Red Seas. Being freed from the slavery of sin and our sinful nature. Those are all quite significant miracles.

But that type of Miracle working power is still available to us if we will call on the name of Jesus and trust him. that's what we have to remember, as we Face challenges each and every day is We go through all those things. That Jesus is the one who's with us. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the blessings. You give us and Lord, I pray you will just continue to be with us and guide us.

Lord when challenging days, lie ahead. but it seems that the skies are growing dark lord, may we look to you and call on the name of Jesus trusting. And your Miracle working power and knowing that you are walking with us. Every step of every day. And we pray this. Your most holy name. Amen.

Number 338 in your songbook, cuz we close this time where he leads me, I will follow. Let's stand as we sing the first verse of where he leads me. I will follow.

I can hear myself calling, I can hear myself. I can hear.

Take thy cross and follow follow. Follow me. Where he leaves me? I will follow where he leads. I will follow.

I'll go with her.