Living the Peace-Filled Life
Romans: Building the Church Through the Gospel • Sermon • Submitted
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ENGAGE
Hypocrisy
When Howard Carter and his associates found the tomb of King Tutankhamen, they opened up his casket and found another within it. They opened up the second, which was covered with gold leaf, and found a third. Inside the third casket was a fourth made of pure gold. The pharaoh’s body was in the fourth, wrapped in gold cloth with a gold face mask. But when the body was unwrapped, it was leathery and shriveled.
Whether we are trying to cloak a dead spiritual life, or something else, in caskets of gold to impress others, the beauty of the exterior does not change the absence of life on the interior.
Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).
Are you Spiritually Double Minded?
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
ENCOUNTER
Main Idea - In a world that is Chaotic, You Can Live a Life of Peace!
How?
Paul gives three important actions you must take in order to have a peace that passes all understanding.
Each action begins with a special word.
Devote!
Set!
Resist!
1. Devote Your Life to The Spirit (vs. 5)
Right away we see Paul make a clear distinction between someone who is fleshly and those who are spiritual.
To be clear - The distinction in this passage indicates someone who is an unbeliever, and one who is a believer.
Paul’s goal for spelling this out is to help the believers NOT function in the old way and instead to walk in the FREEDOM we talked about last week.
Look at verse 5...
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Okay, so, do you want to know what qualifies someone to be fleshly verses spiritual?
How they LIVE! Do you see this?
“For those who LIVE according to the flesh...” - Their life is characterized by living in ways that are contrary to the teaching found in the Holy Scriptures. They live their lives unpleasing to God.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
And according to Paul they live this way because they “set their minds on the things of the flesh...”
The word “set” is interesting and convicting...
The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament 5426. φρονέω phronéō
To be mindful of, to be devoted to (Matt. 16:23; Mark 8:33; Rom. 8:5; Phil. 3:19; Col. 3:2); with hupér ([5228], on behalf of, for), to mind, regard, care for (Phil. 4:10).
Their minds are “set” or determined.
Jesus had a determined mindset.
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
In other words, Jesus was determined to go to Jerusalem to die on the cross.
Their lives indicate their mindset. Their lives prove out what is going on in their thinking.
34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
However, those who live according to the Spirit, their lives are characterized by the Holy Spirit.
In other words their actions and attitudes reflect Christ because of the empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit!
Their minds are “set” on the things of the Spirit.
So, the Born-again, spirit-filled follower of Jesus is determined, with a Jesus like determination, to live according to the
Spirit.
What exactly is it to live according to the Spirit?
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Now, to be sure, each on of these “fruits” is worthy of a study of its own, but suffice to say, these individual fruits will manifest themselves in your life if you are a believer in Christ.
And the fruits of the flesh I read earlier will diminish as you walk in the Spirit.
Illustrate - Dr. Chang - my professor of Intercultureal Communication class that I am taking...
“Jesus was my King, the meaning for my life, and this to me was beautiful.
Then one day, after my junior year of college, I was taking a sum-mer course when a white student, who I did not know, turned around and out of nowhere said that one painful word: “chink.” Of course I was shocked. I expected that I might return to my old ways: to get up and throw hands and show him what’s right. But the right thing to do was not what I had done before.
I had a quick thirty-second internal monologue, and then just felt sorry for the guy. Not that I had suddenly come to believe that racial slurs were okay, but I had God’s strength within me. I could be gracious because I had the power of the Holy Spirit, and I could feel sorry for others without overlooking the sin and the injustice.
And this gracious response toward him was the fruit of my faith—it changed me. And for that I was so, so grateful.”
Apply -
How can you devote your life to the Spirit?
Be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit.
Be in tune with the will of the Spirit.
“God's will is that you be saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, and suffering,” - John MacArthur
Be sure to worship in SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
What a privilege it is for believers to worship God and we worship Him in the SPIRIT. (Explain).
4. Pray that the Lord would continue to grow and manifest His fruit in you. Praise Him each time you see evidences of His fruit!
Review - In a world that is Chaotic, You Can Live a Life of Peace!
Devote Your Life to The Spirit
Transition -
2. Set Your Mind on The Spirit (vs. 6)
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Explain - What is the result of a fleshly/worldly mindset? According to Paul, it is death.
Death is the unfortunate reality for those who are “determined” to reject the God of the Bible.
Any god that is not the biblical God is a determination to reject the one true God.
For example someone who says, “My God is a God of love and not a God of wrath.” no doubt is sincere in their belief. But they are sincerely wrong. Their God doesn’t exist because their God is made up in their mind.
Just because someone doesn’t like the God of the Bible, doesn’t mean they can will away His existence. .
And this mindset leads to death...
However, a mindset on the Holy Spirit results in two significant benefits according to this verse.
That is what it is to “Set your mind on the Spirit.”
What is the promise that Paul gives?
To those who set their minds on the Spirit, they will have two things.
Life - Jesus said...
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Peace - Not just a warm fuzzy tranquil feeling...
No, it is so much more. It is a cessation of war! When you are born-again, you are not only given new life, but you are no longer at war with the God who created you!
These two amazing promises are ONLY available through repentance from sin (living as one’s own king) and faith in the ONLY King, Jesus.
Do you want true life? Do you crave true and lasting peace?
Hear me!
True Life and True Peace will only come when you submit your life to Jesus Christ and daily SET your MIND on the SPIRIT!
Illustrate - “The Holy Spirit never enters a man and then lets him live like the world. You can be sure of that! A.W. Tozer
Apply - Pray this prayer daily...
A Private Litany of Humility by Rafael, Cardinal Merry Del Val, 1865–1930
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of comfort and ease, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being criticized, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being passed over, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being lonely, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being hurt, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering, deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen, and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, strengthen me with your Spirit.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, teach me your ways.
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
help me put my self-importance aside
to learn the kind of cooperation with others
that makes possible the presence of your Abba’s household. Amen.
Why is a prayer like this helpful? Because it gets to the heart of our problem. We have an insidious evil enemy living within and we need to kill it at every turn.
13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
And this prayer recognizes just how clever our sin within is.
You must daily do a thorough job of repenting.
You must recognize that you are a master of rationalizations and justifications for your sinful attitudes and actions.
You must daily pursue setting your mind, not on your sin, but on the Savior who has delivered you from it!
Consider these steps to set your mind on the Spirit
Rehearsing the prayer I gave you can help.
Reading God’s word and asking him to open your heart to where you need to grow in holiness will change your life.
Having someone in your life who will speak what you need to hear, not what you want to hear! “Not Fun Fellowship”
Remember, if you are in Christ, Jesus doesn’t hate you!
“There is therefore now NO condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.” He doesn’t hate you nor condemn you because of your sin - no! He doesn’t run from you, but to you to help release you from the sin that so easily besets you. Your sin wants to separate you from Christ. Christ, wants to seperate you from your sin! And this is the path to life and peace.
Review - In a world that is Chaotic, You Can Live a Life of Peace!
Devote Your Life to The Spirit
Set Your Mind on The Spirit
Transition -
3. Resist Your Anti-God Enemy Within (vs. 7-8)
This set of verses ends with a focus on the flesh. Take it as a reminder of the powerful nature of sin and why we need to do all we can to avoid it!
Take a look at verses 7-8...
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Notice the progression from verse 5...
live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh.
Set the mind on the flesh is DEATH
Set the mind on the flesh is HOSTILE to God. Why? Because it does not, it cannot submit to God’s law!
Again, to be clear, the mind that is “set” on the flesh is the mind of an unbeliever.
The unbeliever cannot please God - You need to think about this friends. Your unbelieving neighbor is at war with God! As nice and wonderful as they may be, they cannot, no matter what they do or say, please God.
But why does Paul bring this up with the church (believers) in Rome?
Because there is a present reality of sin for the Christian as well.
Paul has made it clear that although we have been rescued and redeemed, sin still lives within us and can impact us in a very negative way if we are not careful.
The unbelieving mind is set on the flesh - no matter what!
10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The only solution for the unbelieving, unregenerate person is for them to turn from their sin in faith and trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. This is their only hope.
But this also serves as a warning for those who are followers of Christ.
The unsaved lead lives that are totally void of spiritual life and ability. A believer, then, who gives in to his sin nature is acting like the unsaved (cf. 1 Cor. 3:3).
Our mind set is crucial for our success in following Christ.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Okay, so we get the point here?
Non Christians are fleshly minded and nothing they do is pleasing to God. Their only hope to be pleasing to God is their salvation.
But for us that are followers of Jesus, we must not miss the warning here. We need to not fall back into old patterns. We must not start to look at sin with longing eyes and say, “boy, those were the good old days.”
Illustrate - A drunk driver is told not to drive. If he or she drinks, they are not to drive because they could hurt themselves or somebody else. People who have had a drink should hand over the keys to somebody who’s sober and let this other person take control of the steering wheel so that each passenger in the car can get from where they are to where they are supposed to go.
Many of us are driving the steering wheel of our own life and shouldn’t be. We are crossing the line, swerving, and going out into the ditch because we are out of control. God stands available to take the keys of our life and to drive us home. He can take us from here to eternity safely and on time, but He’s got to have control of the wheel. He must be in charge.412
[Self-Sufficiency, Danger of; Submission; Surrender, Concept of]
Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 137.
Stop giving in to the insidious enemy within!
God will give you the grace to do so!
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Apply -
How can you resist the enemy within?
Remember as a Christian your goal is to please Christ. (2 Cor 5:9)
9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.
Run to Christ when in the throes of temptation - “He will in no wise cast you out!” “Draw unto him and he will drawn near to you.”
Realize attack are coming at least on a daily basis. Don’t be surprised!
Review - In a world that is Chaotic, You Can Live a Life of Peace!
Devote Your Life to The Spirit
Set Your Mind on The Spirit
Resist Your Anti-God Enemy Within
Transition -
EMPOWER
There are many reasons to not have peace these days...
3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
A LUXURY car company had a powerful commercial some time ago. There were two dummies in the car. Engineers were going to crash the car into a wall in order to show how sturdy and solid the Lexus was.What caught my attention when I saw this commercial was what the dummies looked like. They were dressed in suits and ties. One dummy had a hat on. The other dummy had his hand on the wheel sporting an expensive watch. They were good-looking dummies headed toward a brick wall.When we go to our cars after church with our nice dresses and our nice suits and we sit in our nice vehicles, the question is, are you a dummy behind the wheel? Those dummies in the commercial were looking good, but they were headed toward disaster. So it is possible to be a good-looking dummy. Many people are walking around today spiritually dead but don’t know it. Tony Evans Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Spiritual Death, Concept Of)
Connection Group Reflection Questions