Who’s Are You?
Romans Series
CCCAG August 9th, 2020
Scripture- Romans 8:5-17 (James West Reading)
Just a quick show of hands this morning
how many people are exhausted with the year 2020?
If that's you, you're not alone
This year has been one of the hardest years we have had as a society at least in my 50 years of life.
The statistics bear that out-
Mental health statistics are as follows for the months of Jan-July show a 65% increase in depression, serious thoughts of suicide up to and including having a plan to do it, 70% increase in drug and alcohol abuse. Most mental health hospitals are in overflow with waiting lists.
It’s not that uncommon for Emergency rooms to have to board mental health patients for days waiting for an inpatient mental health bed to open up.
What happened? I mean, we are Americans! We are tough, rugged cowboys and cowgirls and don’t need anything….
It’s often been said that pressure can only squeeze out that which is inside of a person. 2020 has exposed what is really at the center of most of the people in this country, and it’s not pretty.
The question now is- who are we really?
Or more importantly, whose are we?
That’s what we will be talking about this morning- whose are we, who is in control, and what spirit we are living by.
Let’s start off with reading the scripture from Romans 8 (James W)
Rom 8:5-17
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
NIV
Prayer
I. Who’s Are you?
We live in a day where this question can be defined 1000 different ways.
Are you a Republican?
Are you a Democrat?
Are you a Packers fan?
Are you a Vikings fan? If so, we'll pray for you
Are you boycotting the NFL because of the kneeling during the national anthem?
Are you conservative?
Are you liberal?
Are you a libertarian?
Are you a lot of the first a little of the 2nd and a whole lot of the third?
Are you a Christian? What kind? Protestant, Catholic, Red-letter only, Gospel only.
Are you Muslim? Sunni or Shia? Take it seriously but not a fanatic?
Are you agnostic? Atheist?
Do you like Facebook?
Do you like Twitter?
Are you one of those people that use tick tock?
Are you an introvert?
Are you an extrovert?
Are you male?
Are you female?
Are you non-binary fluid non-cis gendered? We need to talk.
With all of these different ways of describing ourselves, it is any wonder why there is so much confusion on how we are to live.
Why does any of this really matter to any of us in church on a Sunday morning.
It’s because our worldview, mindset, and behavior is closely identified with how we see ourselves.
What we need to decide this morning is the answer to this question- not what are you, not which political party, or psychological theory you ascribe to.
Our entire reality now and in the future depends not on these earthly things, but on whose are you?
Paul said it like this-
12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
On the first day of class, A kindergarten teacher asked the children in her class to describe their parents. Most of the class talked about what their parents did for a living, or what they did for fun, or maybe even an embarrassing habit that they had. On girl stood up and said she had only known her parents for about 1 ½ years, and that she was adopted. The teacher was a little embarrassed for the girl that she had to admit that to the entire class, and asked her how she felt about that.
The little girl replied, “Everyone else’s mommy grew them in their stomachs, but my mommy grew me in her heart before she even met me”
This is a beautiful way to describe our adoption as sons and daughters of God.
In the series we have been watching, the Chosen, it shows the scene in which Jesus calls Matthew. Matthew the traitor to his people. Matthew the tax collector. Matthew the outcast and most hated Jewish person in his town.
Peter strongly objects to Jesus even talking to Matthew much less calling him to join them, and asks the question of Jesus, “Do you even know this man?”
In one of the most powerful moments in the series, the actor who plays Jesus, with moist eyes and loving compassion looks at Matthew and simply says, “YES!”
Jesus from eternity past had been waiting for this exact moment to bring Matthew into HIS family.
That’s how God sees you- with moist eyes, a heart filled with love and compassion HE declares you are HIS.
That’s why Paul uses the Aramaic word Abba. It isn’t translated as “Father” but as daddy. It’s intimate, familiar, and it’s an expression a young child uses to describe their father. He’s not the paternal head of the home. He is not Mr. (last name). He is daddy.
Our daddy reminds us this morning that-
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
This is written in stone. No, it’s written in the blood of Jesus who paid the price to make this a reality for all of us.
All you have to do is ask.
If you are his, then the question becomes-
II. Who’s In Control?
Paul Continues
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
I'm a Facebook fan of a man named Jocko Willink. Jocko is a retired Navy Seal commander who is a motivational speaker and diet and exercise guru.
Every morning he posts on his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feed the time we wakes up, and it’s always within 2 minutes of 4:30 am.
Jocko is incredibly disciplined and motivated to keep himself in top physical and mental condition at all times.
Have a great deal of admiration of what he is done in his life and the service that he has given his country. He’s a man who exercises great self-control over his life.
But that’s where it ends for him- with Jocko. Jocko admits that he really doesn’t know what to believe, and it really isn’t a priority in his life at this moment.
Jocko’s motivation is all Jocko, and as much as I admire his discipline, I’d say and he’d probably agree with me that is all comes from his pride in himself.
The bible would call that self-worship, and worshipping anything other than God is idolatry.
Who is in control?
The bible says that those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires.
A lot of people in the church look out at the world now and wonder when and why everything went crazy.
Today it seems like everyone is hyper offended over the littlest things.
We as Christians are not immune from this. Whenever we let our guard down a little bit that slippery serpent part of us wiggles free and starts to cause havoc again.
The problem with us in the church being so puzzled about why the world is the way it is right now where you can't even have a rational discussion with people anymore without somebody flipping out and screaming and getting completely offended at everything you say
I put a lot of thought and prayer into this, and came up with this conclusion- the society had always reflected the church within it until you can’t tell the difference between the two.
We in the church started the outrage culture. (at least in my lifetime)
I think it started in the 1980s with the moral majority. Looking back on it the Moral Majority sounded like a great idea-
The church will let everyone know what the church stands for by telling everyone what it's against.
We are against rock and roll. There were whole ministries that sprang up and talked about the devil's noise. Traveling ministers made 10s of thousands of dollars selling their books and curriculum to churches to save the youth from the Devils trickery. We sure let the music industry know that they weren't going to get our kids
We were completely against drugs
we took on the tobacco lobby
we took on Hollywood
we took on dirty politicians
we took an abortion
And what happened?
The secular music industry exploded with popularity and MTV became the most popular cable channel for over a decade
Drug and alcohol use became even more prevalent
Hollywood put out even more rated R and R Plus movies
Politicians took even more money from corporate interests and listened to their constituents even less
Abortions increased to the point that today, in America, we have killed between 60 million and 70 million of our own children. We say Hitler was the most evil person that ever lived for killing 6 million. We make Hitler look like a humanitarian
The church, particularly in the 80’s and 90’s tried to weaponize offense-
Where we went wrong is that we in the church thought we could use the world's weapons as well as the world and ended up not only making things worse but destroying our own witness in the process.
And now we have reaped what we have sown- what’s the number one reason that church’s lose members???
They get offended and leave. Zero attempt at reconciliation.
We in the church forgot that we are all sinners, all wrestling with pride and sin. We forgot that we are to live as if we are dead to our old selves, and to extend love, mercy, forgiveness and instead push forward our own pride and walk away.
So I ask of us- who is in control? If you are God’s, His Spirit should be first and foremost your overriding source of peace, security, and power.
Anything else rising up within you is fleshly and of the devil.
If you are God’s, and He is in control, then you should have the Spirit of Christ.
III. Spirit of Christ- Resurrection Power!
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
There is an incredible life changing fact that I want you to wrap your brain around and think about for a moment.
If you are able to truly believe and live this one fact it will completely change your life.
That truth is this -the same power that reached down into a borrowed tomb and raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that's available to you today.
In other words, no matter how you have lived your life up to this point if you allow yourself to die to all of that stuff that is holding you back this morning then that same power will reach inside that grave in your heart and bring it back to life in Christ.
That is what it means to live the spirit filled life.
It's not just speaking in other tongues
It's not just prophesying
it's not dancing before the Lord or rolling on the ground or falling over when a pastor prays for you.
It has to do with how you walk before him day by day by day moment by moment by moment.
I heard my former pastor say once that it doesn't matter how much you fall down on Sunday when you get prayed for if you're not walking straight with God on Monday.
If those two realities don't meet together then you really don't have the spirit of Christ living within you.
So I ask you this morning what spirit are you living in?
who's in control
and
Who's are you
Communion
Taking communion in an unworthy manner
Scripture for Communion-
1 Cor 11:23-32
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27 Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
NIV
Conclusion/communion
Altar Call
