Baptism of Repentance (Freedom)
INTRODUCTION:
VIDEO – BAPTISM - SHOW
MATT 3:1-11
Matt 28:19-20
ROMANS 6:1 - 23
BAPTISM – DEFINE – DESCRIBE
WATER BAPTISM IS A SYMBOL OF THE BELIEVER’S UNION WITH CHRITST IN HIS DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION.
V1 – SOME MIGHT CLAIM THAT IF BY SINNING THEY WERE PROVIDING GOD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY THE GREATNESS OF HIS GRACE THEN THEY SHOULD SIN MORE AND MORE.
V2 – THE IDEA OF A CHRISTIAN CONTINUING IN SIN IS ENTIRELY CONTRARY TO THE GOSPEL.
SIN IS HATEFUL AND DESTRUCTIVE, AND THOSE WHO HAVE DIED TO THE LOVE OF SIN AND THE RULING POWER OF SIN SHOULD NEVER WANT TO LIVE IN IT ANY LONGER.
1. DEAD TO SIN – v3, 6, 7, 9
EX – AN OLD LADY WENT TO A TOMBSTONE-CUTTER’S OFFICE TO ORDER A STONE FOR HER HUSBAND’S GRAVE.
AFTER EXPLAINING THAT ALL SHE WANTED WAS A SMALL ONE WITH NO FRILLS, SHE TOLD HIM TO PUT THE WORDS “To My Husband” SUITABLE PLACE.
WHEN THE STONE WAS DELIVERED, SHE SAW, TO HER HORROR, THIS INSCRIPTION: “To My Husband-In a Suitable Place.”
V6 – OUR OLD MAN IS OUR PRECONVERSION LIFE, WHAT WE WERE BEFORE BECOMING CHRISTIANS UNDER THE UNRESTRAINED DOMINION OF THE FLESH (SIN NATURE).
THE BODY OF SIN REFERS TO THE SINFUL NATURE WITHIN US, NOT TO THE HUMAN BODY.
THE GREEK VERB TRANSLATED DONE AWAY WITH DOES NOT MEAN TO BECOME EXTINCT, BUT TO BE DEFEATED OR DEPRIVED OF POWER (RENDERED POWERLESS).
2. ALIVE TO GOD – v4, 5, 8, 10
App – v11-14 – READ
V11 – DEAD TO SIN: NOT CONTROLLED BY THE LOVE OF SIN OR ITS RULING POWER IN OUR LIVES, DEAD TO ITS ENSLAVING POWER (BUT NOT DEAD TO ALL OF ITS INFLUENCE.
V12 – THEREFORE, IF WE ARE DEAD TO THE RULING POWER OF SIN, AND IF SIN HAS DESTRUCTIVE EFFECTS IN OUR LIVES, THEN, OF COURSE, WE SHOULD NOT LET IT REIGN IN OUR BODIES.
V13 – WE HAVE A TONTINUAL CHOICE DAY AFTER DAY WHETHER TO YIELD OURSELVES TO SIN OR TO GOD.
MEMBERS: THE VARIOUS PARTS OF OUR BODIES, PROBABLY AS REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES. (THOUGHTS, WORDS, ATTITUDES, ACTIONS)
V14 – THOUGH WE CAN NEVER SAY IN THIS LIFE THAT WE ARE FREE FROM ALL SIN, WE ALSO SHOULD NEVER SAY, “THIS ONE SIN HAS DEFEATED ME – I GIVE UP.
APP – THE POWER OF CHRIST’S RESURRECFTION AT WORK WITHIN US IS GREATER THAN THE POWER OF ANY SIN, NO MATTER HOW LONG ESTABLISHED IN OUR LIVES.
APP – TO BE UNDER LAW IS TO BE UNDER A SYSTEM OF TRYING TO EARN SALVATION IN OUR OWN STRENGTH BY OBEYING THE LAW, BUT TO BE UNDER GRACE IS TO BE JUSTIFIED AND TO LIVE BY TH E INDWELLING RESURRECTION POWER OF CHRIST.
APP – WE CAN DIE TO SIN, NOT BECAUSE OF THE LAW FORBIDDING IT, BUT THROUGH ALL THE RESOURCES THAT GRACE PROVIDES.
APP – SOME ERRONEOUSLY INTERPRET THIS VERSE TO MEAN THAT IT DOES NOT MATTER IF CHRISTIANS DOSOBEY GOD’S MORAL COMMANDS, BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER “UNDER LAW.”
APP – SUCH AN INTERPRETATION (ANTINOMIANISM) IS CONTRARY TO PAUL’S WHOLE DISCUSSION OF SIN AND TO JESUS’ OWN WORDS ABOUT THE LAW.
App – SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU, FOR YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE!!!! (FREE!)
3. SLAVES OF SIN – V15-17
Ex – A MAN WITH A NAGGING SECRET WAS UNABLE TO KEEP IT ANY LONGER.
HE WENT TO CONFESSIONAL AND ADMITTED THAT FOR YEARS HE HAD BEEN STEALING BUILDING SUPPLIES FROM THE LUMBERYARD WHERE HE WORKED.
“HOW MUCH LUMBER DID YOU TAK?” THE PRIEST ASKED.
“I TOOK ENOUGH TO BUILD MY HOME NAD ENOUGH FOR MY SON’S HOUSE. THEN I TOOK ENOUGH TO BUILD HOUSES FOR MY TWO DAUGHTERS.
OH, AND OUR HOUSE AT THE LAKE.
“THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE, THE PRIEST SAID.
I’LL HAVE TO THINK OF A FAR-REACHING PENANCE.
HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED DOING A RETREAT?
NO, FATHER, I NEVER HAVE, THE MAN REPLIED.
BUT IF YOU CAN GET THE PLANS, I CAN GET THE LUMBER.
SLAVE OF SIN!
PROGRESSION OF SIN – PSALM 19 – ANOTHER SERMON
Ex – CHAINS/SHACKELS - ILLUSTRATE
APP – WHEN SIN IS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE WITHOUT TRUE REPENTANCE, FORGIVENESS, RESTORATION, AND RENEWAL, THEN IT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME OUR BONDAGE AND MASTER.
EX – PORNOGRAPHY – 1 LOOK STARTS A LIFE TIME OF BONDAGE.
EX – WHAT WE ONCE THOUGHT WE CONTROLLED HAS NOW BEGUN TO CONTROL US.
APP – A PERSON IS A SLAVE OF THAT TO WHICH HE GIVES OBEDIENCE OR THAT WHICH HE RECOGNIZES AS HIS MASTER.
APP – IF HE OBEYS THE COMMANDS OF SIN, THEN SIN IS HIS MASTER AND HE IS MOVING IN THE DIRECTINO OF DEATH.
APP – IF HE OBEYS THE COMMANDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THEN RIGHTEOUSNESS IS HIS MASTER, AND HE EXPERIENCES TRUE LIFE.
APP – V17 – OBEY – MEANS TO HEAR AS A SUBORDINATE, LISTEN ATTENTIVELY, OBEY AS A SUBJECT ANSWER AND RESPOND, SUBMIT WITHOUT RESERVATION.
APP – THIS TERM WAS USED PARTICULARLY OF SERVANTS WHO WERE ATTENTIVE TO THE REQUESTST MADE OF THEM AND WHO COMPLIED.
APP – THE WORD CONTAINS THE IDEAS OF HEARING, RESPONDING, AND OBEYING.
4. SLAVES OF GOD – 18-23
EX – CHAINS – FALL OFF – FREE FROM BONDAGE!
PAUL’S READERS, ONCE SLAVES OF SIN, HAVE RENOUNCED SIN AS MASTER AND HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES AS SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
APP – V19-23 – PAUL USES THE HUMAN ANALOGY OF SLAVERY IN APPEALING FOR HOLINESS.
APP – IN DOING SO HE REMINDS HIS READERS OF THE CONTRAST BETWEEN THE OLD UNREGENRATE LIFE AND THE NEW REGENERATE LIFE.
APP – SLAVES OF SIN DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE OBLIGATION TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT RATHER ABANDON THEMSELVES TO A PROCESS OF MORAL DETERIORATION, WHICH HAS DEATH AS ITS END (V21).
APP – SLAVES OF GOD, ON THE OTHER HAND, DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO HOLINESS, A ROAD THAT LEADS TO EVERLASTING LIFE (V19, 22)
THESE SUMMARIZE THE 2 TYPES OF SLAVERY.
CLOSE:
JESUS HATED SIN!
IT PUT HIM ON THE CROSS!
THAT IS WHY HE DIED FOR OUR SINS!
TO ALLOW US A WAY TO BE SET FREE FROM IT AND THROUGH HIM CONQUOR IT!
EX – LORD’S PRAYER – MATT 6:9-13 –
1) FORGIVE US OUR SINS,
2) AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US,
3) AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
4) BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL (THE POWER OF THE EVIL ONE (SATAN) = SIN)
WHAT DO I DO TO BE SET FREE?
EX – JESUS SAID IF YOUR EYE OFFENDS YOU (CAUSE YOU TO
SIN), PLUCK IT OUT
IF YOUR HAND OFFENDS YOU (CAUSES YOU TO SIN),
CUT IT OFF
APP – WHAT DOES HE MEAN?
USE EVERY MEANS AVAILABLE TO YOU TO AVOID SIN!
1 - ALTAR CALLS,
2 – THE WORD,
3 - PRAYER TIME,
4 - COUNSELING,
5 – ACCOUNTABILITY – FRIENDS, SPOUSE, SECURETY FILTERS ON OUR COMPUTERS, TV’S, AND ALL FORMS OF MEDIA.
6 – DIE DAILY
7 – SURRENDER OUR WILLS TO HIM
APP – ONCE WE REALIZE WE CANNOT WITHIN OUR OWN POWER OBEY THE LAW, WE MUST COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO OBEY THE GOSPEL/GOOD NEWS =
WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO BECOME NEW TESTAMENT PHARISEES!
WE ARE NOT RIGHTEOUSNESS!
HE IS OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!
WE MUST WALK IN 1. TRUTH AND 2. GRACE.
TRUTH:
1. WE ALL HAVE SINNED AND CONTINUE
2. WE ARE HOPELESS WITHOUT JESUS
3. CHRIST DIED FOR US.
4. THE ONLY WAY TO FREEDOM IS TO ADMIT, CONFESS, AND REPENT,
5. RECEIVE FORGIVENESS.
6. WALK IN HIS GRACE
GRACE:
1. GOSPEL – POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION
2. HIS ACCEPTANCE OF US IS NOT BASED OFF OUR PERFORMANCE BUT ON
3. V14 – FOR SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU FOR YOU ARE NOT UNDER LAW BUT UNDER GRACE.
EX – BABY ELEPHANT – TIED WITH A ROPE TO A SMALL STAKE IN THE GROUND – HE PULLED ON IT AND COULD NOT GET FREE.
DAY AFTER DAY, HE PULLED ON IT AND COULDN’T GET FREE.
AFTER MANY DAYS, HE STOPPED EVEN TRYING TO PULL HIM SELF FREE.
HE GREW 4 TIMES LARGER THAN WHEN HE WAS YOUNGER AND THEY STILL USED THE SAME SIZE STAKE AND ROPE THEY USED WHEN HE WAS SMALL.
HE COULD HAVE EASILY RIPPED THE STAKE OUT FROM THE GROUND BUT HE NEVER EVEN TRIED.
WHY?
BECAUSE HE WAS BOUND BY HIS OWN MIND; HIS PAST; HIS PAST DEFEAT AND ABSOLUTE POWERLESSNESS.
APP – BUT TODAY, WITH GOD’S HELP AND CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.
APP – I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY.
APP – STOP TRYING AND SURRENDER
APP – LET JESUS SET YOU FREE!
APP – IF SIN HAS DOMINION OVER YOU, START TODAY TO REGAIN YOUR FREEDOM.
APP – TAKE THAT FIRST STEP! – ADMIT, REPENT, SURRENDER, GET HELP FROM GOD AND OTHERS!
