For those no familiar with an Anglican Service four Scriptures are read proceeding the Message. Today's Readings are: Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-17; Romans 6:1-11; and Matthew 10:24-39
In the 14th century,..... in the land now known as Belgium, .......there was a duke by the name of...... Raynald III.
Now, Raynald was a very big man and was commonly called by his Latin nickname,..... Crassus, which means..... "The Fat."
Now, it seems ......that Raynald had a violent quarrel .....with his younger brother Edward.
And Edward was so angry .... That he led a successful revolt against him.
But Edward did not kill Raynald.
Instead, he built a room around him in the Nieuw-kerk castle ....and he promised his brother he could regain his title and property ......as soon as he was able to leave the room.
This would not have been difficult .....for most ...... since the room had several windows and a door of near normal size, ......And the windows and doors .....were not locked or barred.
The problem was Raynald's size.
To regain his freedom, .....he needed to lose weight.
But Edward knew his older brother so very well, .....and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods to his room.
Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter.
When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer: ......."My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills."
Raynald stayed in that room for 10 years and was not released until after Edward died in battle.
By then his health was so ruined that he too died within a year... a prisoner to his own appetite.
And though he could have left his prison whenever he wished ... his own actions kept him imprisoned. (Pause)
In Romans we are told that mankind has been imprisoned as well.
And just as Raynald was initially confined by the actions of his relative ......so have we.
We have been confined by the actions .....of a relative .....named Adam. (Pick up Bible)
The scriptures tell us BIBLE "sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin,.......and in this way ......death came to all, .....because all sinned" END (PAUSE)
Ever since the dawn of time, ......the wall of death has hemmed us in ....... it has kept us captive, ......it has been ......our prison.
Many of you may be familiar with the statement:....... "I am not afraid to die. It's just that I can't get up much enthusiasm for it." (PAUSE)
And since the fall...... death has had a grip on us.
The writer of Hebrews (2) tells us, "all their lives (mankind has been) held in slavery ....by their fear of death."
Several studies have revealed that one of the major fears ..... that most people have is....... the fear of death.
Not only can people NOT get up much enthusiasm for it... they fear it.
Sin has brought death into the world... and with death fear.
The Apostle John states: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and..the truth is not in us."1 John 1:8
Paul's letter to the Romans sums it up by saying: "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (PAUSE)
The Fall .....the sin of mankind .....is such a dominant doctrine in Scripture, ......that it is hard..... to deny.
Beloved ..... we are sick with sin...
You might ask "how then do I get well?" (Well....I'm glad you asked) (PAUSE)
If I were deathly sick with cancer, A Doctor might use chemotherapy, radiation therapy, microwave therapy
Or I may need radical surgery ...... to attack .....the disease.
Something to kill the disease that lives within me.
They might use a scalpel and cut out the diseased portion .....of my body.
(Slow) But something has to die!
And the Scriptures tell us that something had to die for you and I ...... to be healed spiritually.
The letter to the Church in Rome informs us: BIBLE "...don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" END
We were therefore ......buried with him ......through baptism into death.
Why? So..... that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, .....we too may be raised to a new life. An eternal life.
If we have been united with Christ in his death, .......we will also ......be united with him .....in his resurrection.
Beloved..... we can have assurance that our old self was Crucified With Him ......(Point to Chest) so that this body of sin .....might be done away with, .......that we should no longer be slaves to sin and to death. (PAUSE)
When we were baptized into Christ...... our old sin-sick self ..... died..... and was forever buried.
The old self died and you and I became a new creation in Christ Jesus.
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
And Beloved.....It gets .....even better.
For when we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord..... When we are baptized into His death....
We receive a gift......"The gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38)
When we are baptized into Christ, ......God's Spirit comes and dwells inside of us. Within our very being.
And God's Spirit begins to change our genetic makeup. What a beautiful gift
The Holy Spirit works inside us ..... within us ..... to heal us .....of the disease .....that began with Adam.
I am sure we have all encountered people who have been fearful to make that commitment to Christ.
They are concerned ......that they will sin again after they have been baptized ......and that this would somehow nullify .....the forgiveness God had given them.
But we really never get to the point .....where we do not sin at all in our lives.
As John explained: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves ......and the truth is not in us." (Pause) 1 John 1:8
Have you ever ice skated?
Did you fall down a lot when you first started?
Have you ever watched Professional skaters live or on television?
Do they fall down? Yes, but not as often as when they started.
Why? Because they spent time skating.
In the same way, the longer we live in Jesus .... the longer we allow His Spirit work within our lives ..... the less often we will fall in our walk.
This is called ......Sanctification..... Maturing in the Faith
Remember..... We have all fallen short of the glory of God. (Pause)
There was a quote from an elderly Christian that hit home for me concerning this battle with sin.... He would say:.... "kill the old man......kill him every day"
Paul calls it a battle.... A daily battle fought within.
This battle with the old flesh.......is described...... very well in a story about an African convert to Christianity.
This new convert was given a position of trust by the missionary but he violated that trust and stole something.
The missionary asked, "Why did you take something that didn't belong to you?"
The native replied, "It wasn't I who stole.
It was grandfather in the bones!" (Repeat)
That was his way of saying .....it was his old sinful nature.
In time, however, that native grew stronger in his faith.
When asked, "How is grandfather in the bones?"
He would reply, "Well, grandfather isn't dead yet, but he doesn't get around like he used to." (Pause)
Hopefully ........, this is true for you as well.
As we yield to Christ ..... as we walk with Him daily, ......the grandfather in the bones ......will get weaker.
Allow the Holy Spirit .....to move in your life......Allow the Holy Spirit to transform you.....
Receive...... Receive the free gift of righteousness through Jesus Christ.
But Beloved.....God gave ...... mankind a will.
He gave us ......the will to accept or reject that free gift.
And......Many reject the gift.
Others are willing to accept Christ as their Savior .......but do not allow him be Lord of their life.
They have opened the gift....... partially.
Remember the Scriptures BIBLE "If you accept Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you shall be saved" END
Beloved.....Open that gift completely...... and let the righteousness and love of God ......fill you to overflowing.
Let God's Spirit continue .....the work of Sanctification.
The gift has already been paid for...... Paid in full....by the blood of Jesus.
And is yours; bought and paid for..... a gift.
Beloved ... do not yield to the flesh... do not yield to the grandfather in your bones.
Open your hearts .....open the gift.... fully, ......
Do not stay .......imprisoned to sin;
Receive Christ ...... Receive him not only as your Savior ........ but as the Lord of your life.
Let God complete the good work he has begun in you.
And be filled ...... Filled to overflowing with the spiritual joy and peace ..... that comes only from on high.
Amen and Amen.
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