Raised From The Dead Series

RAISED FROM THE DEAD

Romans 8: 9-11 (p 800) January 27, 2013

INTRODUCTION:

Control: do we have any control freaks here this morning? You don’t have to raise your hands because you were just pointed out by the elbow that hit your ribs…or the look….(Show Look)

All your tools are marked, cleaned and placed in the proper place…all your nuts, bolts, and fasteners have their own little marked container.

You not only expect for things to be done a certain way, but you clearly believe…”it’s really the only way” to do this thing. If control freak “A” and control freak “B” end up working on the same project, or going on the same mission trip, or serving on the same committee…be assured…there will come a time they fiercely argue about how something should be done as they wrestle for “control” of the situation.

Webster defines “Control” like this…”to have under command; to regulate, to check to restrain, to direct…as a noun its “authority” “power”.

The pilot controls the plane…the driver controls the car…the engineer controls the train. Being out of control, in any of those vehicles is a very very bad thing…I think I want a little bit of a control freak flying my jet.

So I’ve got a question for you this morning…”who controls your life?’ Last week I asked, “who controls your thinking?’ and we discovered, “sometimes I do, sometimes God does, sometimes Satan does…sometimes people impact on thinking…but, I am accountable for taking those temptations and those thoughts and bringing them into obedience to Christ…the only people who can do this are Spirit –filled, born again followers of Christ…”God’s Spirit sets our minds on what His Spirit desires. (v. 5)

So, who controls your life? Or, what controls your life? Is it God living in you? Directing…keeping in check…restraining…and propelling? Once again there are only 2 options, 1) self, the sinful nature, or 2) the Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ….

Please understand there is an end to every man and woman’s journey…life does not go on forever…for everyone.

I SOME PEOPLE ARE TEMPORARILY LIVING AND HEADED TOWARDS DEATH.

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he or she does not belong to Christ”

I think everyone of us is looking for purpose and meaning….don’t get me wrong. Some have opted out…and their purpose and meaning is to “exist for the moment” “feel good for the now and ignore the future” It sounds like a horrible idea with terrible consequences…but millions try to control their existence like this…until life spins disastrously “out of control”.

Suicide is one saying, “I have 1 thing left I can control”

Some hope to buy enough stuff…and organize their lives with enough friends, and accomplish the right things…purpose and meaning are found in self accomplishment and pride…Jesus has very little to do with the direction they are headed, except for possibly every once in a while because “nice people, good people…go to church”.

You see the sinful nature doesn’t just lead us to the gutter…sometimes it leads us to the penthouse…both destinations are temporary because we all are headed towards death…Listen to Hebrews 9:27..

“Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.’

This life we are living right now is temporary…when your 6 you just worry about peanut butter and jelly (unless you’re one of the kids who barley makes it), when your 16 you want life to hurry up, when your 26 you want it to stay where it is…when your 56 your start looking back a lot…when your 86 you wonder if you did it right….

Jesus says there are only two gates to choose from when we enter this journey….In Matt 7: 13, 14 during his Sermon on the Mount he says. “Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it…but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”

Jesus clearly says “Most people will choose this temporary life…Most will choose to walk through the huge Gate of….”I’ll direct my own path.” That’s the sinful nature path it’s the self path…it’s a super highway with everyone rushing to the finish…but Jesus says…the finish line of this choice is destruction… I remain the pilot…I keep control…I’m the driver and the decision makers…

Here’s a new flash “God will never be the co-pilot of any life…”the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God…”those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God” (v 7, 8)

Your thinking is unredeemed and self activated…you make decision with worldly reasoning and selfish motives…James say there are two kinds of wisdom….listen.

James 3: 13- 4: 5 (p 855)