WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:02.399 Grab your Bibles, open them up to Romans 6. 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:03.919 Romans chapter 6. 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:06.240 Let me add my word of greeting to Dave's earlier. 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:10.800 My name is Chris Kuba, and I have the privilege of being the lead pastor here at United City. 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:18.079 And I want to give a special word of greeting to all of the men at the Ramsey Unit and all of the women at the Plain State Correctional Facility. 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:20.719 We are so grateful to bring this message to you. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:30.160 God has opened up some doors in the local prisons, and we are so excited to be able to walk through those and to be able to bring this message to you. 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:34.640 It was around this time of the year in 1998. 00:00:34.719 --> 00:00:44.079 I was a senior at Deer Park High School, and I got notice that I had just been accepted to Baylor University. 00:00:44.399 --> 00:00:45.840 I was applying for colleges. 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:50.560 I was trying to figure out what I was going to do and what the next phase of my life was going to look like. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:55.840 And literally was about right now, whenever I got that acceptance letter, and I had a choice to make. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:38.959 She was somebody who was just being herself, and I was attracted to that right away. 00:01:39.120 --> 00:01:40.799 And I began to pursue her. 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:42.400 I began to date her. 00:01:42.719 --> 00:01:44.640 We began dating for many, many years. 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:49.280 Fast forward to junior year, I knew that a decision was on the horizon. 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:51.519 This decision was a big decision. 00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:55.359 This conversation was going to lead us down one of two different directions. 00:01:55.519 --> 00:02:01.760 It was going to either lead us to a place where we were going to decide this is not what we wanted and we were going to move in different directions. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:07.599 Or we were going to pursue another way, which is what I wanted, which was, hey, I want to make this thing forever. 00:02:07.840 --> 00:02:09.439 Sure enough, I had that conversation. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:11.280 Fast forward to my senior year. 00:02:11.439 --> 00:02:17.680 I remember going and buying the ring, and I remember there was a question that I was going to ask her. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:29.520 And I remember feeling the weight at that time of that decision, knowing that that decision was forever going to change not only my life, but my future. 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:35.759 Have you ever been, or will you be in those moments when you know it's a fork in the road type experience? 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:47.360 When you know if I make a choice to do this, my life's gonna go this way, or if I make the choice to go do this, my life's gonna go this way, and it is a radical difference between the two. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:58.479 These decisions are those things in your life that you begin to look back on, and you know, because I stayed with that girl, because I broke up with that guy, my life went this way. 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:16.480 Or maybe because I chose to engage in this activity, my life turned out this way, or maybe you can look back and say, you know, because I said no to that opportunity right there, I can now look back and see my life was forever spared from the carnage that if I'd have said yes, it would have led to. 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:19.439 Maybe for you it is a school choice. 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:21.360 Maybe some of you are in the midst of all of that. 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:31.360 Maybe some of you it's a job choice, knowing that if I make a decision to go and take this job as opposed to this job, life looks very, very differently. 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:37.680 This morning I want to talk to you in Romans chapter 6 about daily choices. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:47.439 These are choices that are not going to be as memorable as those fork-in-the-road, momentous occasions in your life that forever have changed everything going forward. 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:54.399 However, these choices that you make on a daily basis, according to Romans chapter 6, are no less insignificant. 00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:04.000 In fact, these choices that you make on a daily basis will determine your life and determine your future. 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:17.199 Ultimately, the choice that you have to make is a choice whether you are going to be a slave to sin or whether you are going to be someone who is a slave to righteousness. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:20.639 Last week we began a brand new sermon series called On the Way. 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:25.439 We're looking at Romans 6, 7, and 8 over the course of the next few weeks. 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:33.759 And what we talked about is this whole idea of how the book of Romans, in many ways, is a picture of your life if you are a believer in Jesus. 00:05:34.000 --> 00:05:35.680 You were born into sin. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:38.800 You not only were born into sin, but you commit sins. 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:45.279 And there is nothing that you could do on your own to fix your sin problem in terms of where you stand before God. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:06:01.519 But the Bible tells us that God sent his one and only son, Jesus, to die a sacrificial death on a cross, and of no credit of our own and of nothing that we can add to the equation, God allows us to believe in him and be justified before God. 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:06.319 The word justified means just as if I'd never sinned. 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:14.720 Literally, when God looks at you, if you're a believer in Jesus, he doesn't see your past, he doesn't see your mess-ups, he doesn't see your wrongs. 00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:24.879 Instead, he looks and sees the perfect righteousness of Christ that has been credited to your account on your behalf because of what he did. 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:32.879 The Bible tells us that one day if you die and you stand before God and have to give an account of your life, you're not going to give an account of what you have done. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:34.720 Instead, you're going to say, I'm with Jesus. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:40.639 And as a result of that simple statement, you will be able to experience eternal life in the future. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:53.920 Just as Dave talked about, there are promises that we see in God's Word, and we know that we're in this state right now where we know one day all of these promises will be fulfilled in heaven, yet we're still living here on earth. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:58.879 The sin nature still exists, and therefore there is this struggle. 00:06:59.120 --> 00:07:00.639 We're in the middle. 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:06.879 We're growing, but we're not yet perfect. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.519 How do we live in the in-between? 00:07:09.680 --> 00:07:12.079 The series is called On the Way. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:23.439 It's talking to us about the wrestle that exists as you live out the Christian life and apply the promises for the future into the present. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:25.439 Let's begin reading in Romans 6. 00:07:25.519 --> 00:07:27.600 I want to pick up in verse 11. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:35.519 It says, So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:40.560 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies to make you obey their passions. 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:51.839 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:57.040 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:01.040 What then are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:02.240 By no means. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:14.000 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to any one as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to righteousness. 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:26.399 But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:30.319 I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:41.919 For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:45.919 When you were slaves of sin, you are free in regard to righteousness. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:50.240 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:52.240 The end of those things is death. 00:08:52.480 --> 00:09:00.320 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end eternal life. 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:07.600 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:10.639 Do you feel the tension in this passage? 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:13.759 Do you feel the wrestle in this passage? 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:17.360 You very clearly have two different ways that you could go. 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:23.759 You could either become slaves to sin, or you could become slaves to righteousness. 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:36.480 What's interesting is we talked about it last week in Romans chapter 6, that the image of baptism is actually used as a visible picture of the reality that we are no longer bound to sin. 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:39.279 We are no longer enslaved to sin. 00:09:39.600 --> 00:09:52.639 Sin no longer has dominion over you, which means this essentially, when I am making a choice to be a slave to sin, I'm choosing to go back to the very thing that I've been freed from. 00:09:53.200 --> 00:09:54.639 It makes no sense. 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:59.360 It's not something that you would ever naturally think you should do. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:10.000 What I want to do is I want to talk to you a little bit about this whole idea that honestly is a very uncomfortable illustration that is being given to us about being slaves. 00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:21.519 Whenever we hear the idea of slavery, it should cause us to immediately push back because of the grotesque history that comes in our country as a result of slavery. 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:35.759 Specifically, slavery in our context, we might think of is something that is forced upon someone under racial or ethnic lines, and it is deplorable and awful in every possible way that could possibly exist. 00:10:36.159 --> 00:10:46.080 However, whenever the people that would be reading this would hear the idea of being slaves to something, it would not have the same reaction because it meant something very, very differently. 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:52.799 Instead of our current mindset, instead it would mean something more like indentured servants, meaning this. 00:10:52.960 --> 00:10:57.679 So Rome, let's say, would come in and they would overtake a territory. 00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:10.799 And as a result of overtaking that territory, you would have the people who would be overrun, who would basically exchange and set up a system where they would trade their freedom for provision from Rome. 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:23.519 So, for example, it could be a short term or it could be a long term, but they were saying, look, I will work for you, if you will, for a set amount of time, and in exchange, you will provide certain things for me. 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:28.000 A way that you might think about this in our modern day context is the military. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:32.799 When you sign up for the military, you are not signing up for you to be in charge, okay? 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:43.840 When you sign up for the military, you basically are saying, look, you're gonna tell me where to go, you're gonna tell me what to do, you're gonna tell me what to wear, and you're gonna tell me when to be there. 00:11:44.000 --> 00:11:55.759 And I, in exchange for doing all of those things for you, you're gonna provide me food, you're gonna provide me housing, you're gonna provide me medical care, and you're gonna provide me a college education. 00:11:56.080 --> 00:11:58.399 That is the idea that's being presented here. 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:05.279 And what he's saying is this all of us make a choice to be slaves to something. 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:12.639 The question is not if you will be a slave, the question is what and to who will you be a slave to? 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:20.879 And here's the irony the only way to actually find freedom is to choose to be slaves to the right master. 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:30.559 And what he's saying is that the choice before us is to be slave to sin or to be a slave to righteousness. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:43.600 What I want to do is I want to walk through two different reasons why you should not choose to be slaves to sin, and then I want to give you some practical advice on how to choose wisely when you're faced with the choice of which one of these to choose. 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:48.320 The first thing I want you to see in this passage about why you should not become a slave to sin. 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:51.600 Number one, don't be a slave when you are free. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:55.120 Don't be a slave when you are free. 00:12:55.519 --> 00:13:01.600 One thing that's important for us to see is this passage indicates in Romans 6 that we now have a choice. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:09.360 If you remember back whenever we talked about the ugly truth, it showed us that we were actually way worse than we thought that we were. 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:14.000 And as a result of our sin, we had no choice but to choose sin. 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:23.360 And in fact, we not only didn't have a choice, we didn't mind that we didn't have a choice, because we gladly chose the things of sin as opposed to choosing the things of righteousness. 00:13:23.519 --> 00:13:52.559 And so therefore, now, because of Jesus, because of his death on a cross, because of his power over sin in our lives, it now means that we no longer are bound to being slaves to sin, which is an important thing for us to recognize because it makes no sense when people who have been freed from slavery to sin, instead of choosing to go after righteousness, choose to go back into slavery. 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:56.320 Yet how often do we see this happen? 00:13:56.639 --> 00:14:02.240 Think about this, you know, people that may be addicted to drugs or addicted to alcohol. 00:14:02.480 --> 00:14:05.200 They may think that they have freedom in their lives. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:14.000 They may even think that the drugs or the alcohol will actually provide them freedom in terms of how they live or freedom in terms of how they feel. 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:22.960 Yet those that are around those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol can be the very loudest to say they have no freedom whatsoever. 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:27.279 They instead are completely enslaved to the pill. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:32.320 They are completely enslaved to the bottle, they are completely enslaved to the high. 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:36.799 Literally, it tells them what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. 00:14:37.200 --> 00:15:02.480 Another way that you might see this, for example, is the sexual perversion that we see in our culture, or maybe the idea of pornography, let's say, whenever you see people who think that the expression of their sexuality in whatever way they choose, or whatever way they want, the culture says, is how you can experience freedom, you being who you want to be, is actually how you can experience freedom in your life. 00:15:02.559 --> 00:15:08.720 Yet we all know that there is no freedom when you are enslaved to the lust of the flesh. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:23.840 Ultimately, what happens is that you begin to spend money on things, you begin to spend time on things, you begin to be engaged in relationships that you think are going to provide you satisfaction, only to discover you only find more slavery. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:26.080 Happens over and over again. 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:28.960 How about something maybe not quite as obvious? 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:31.279 How about the person who's addicted to work? 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:34.000 How about the person who's a workaholic, and what do they do? 00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:50.000 They spend all their time thinking about work and they spend all their time working at work, and then whenever they come home, instead of spending time with their kids or spending time with their family or spending time in meaningful relationships, instead, even though they may physically be present, they're actually mentally at work. 00:15:50.320 --> 00:16:13.759 They just find themselves at a different location, but their mind is still there at work, and they just keep working, and their mindset is if I can work hard enough, then I can make enough money, if I can make enough money for my family, then my family will be provided for, then my family will have freedom, all the while the work is causing them to be enslaved and not have any freedom for their family. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:18.879 Instead, their family doesn't even know who they are because they're at work, working all the time. 00:16:19.120 --> 00:16:21.120 When they're engaged at church, guess what they do? 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:22.639 They're not really at church. 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:27.200 They may physically be sitting at church, but the reality is their mind is actually at work. 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:34.000 And so therefore they look up and they've been freed from their sin, they've been freed from bondage. 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:37.600 However, they've chosen to go back into slavery. 00:16:37.919 --> 00:16:39.519 Doesn't make any sense. 00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:42.000 Folks, we've seen this in other ways too. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:47.440 How about the person who signs their kid up to go and be involved in some sort of sport, some sort of activity? 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:51.759 They're thinking that it's going to allow them to be a kid, it's going to allow them to have some fun. 00:16:51.919 --> 00:17:00.559 It's going to allow them to do some things maybe that they did whenever they were growing up and they were younger, only to look up over the course of five years or so. 00:17:00.720 --> 00:17:05.759 And now all of a sudden, their entire schedule is not at their own mercy. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:19.440 Every single thing that they do, every dollar that they spend, every ounce of their mental and actual energy is spent literally enslaved to whatever the coach says the schedule is. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:27.759 And that wasn't what they necessarily thought originally that was the case, but now they found themselves stuck and they start to make this comment. 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:38.960 Well, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do because if I draw a line, if I push back, my kids are gonna lose their spot, my kids gonna lose their space, my kids gonna fall back in their skills. 00:17:39.119 --> 00:17:40.960 I want to make sure you understand something. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:42.559 You are enslaved. 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:50.000 You may not have handcuffs on, but you're walking as though you have no choice over your life. 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:55.039 And even though you may not necessarily see it, you may even say you like it. 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:59.680 The reality is this you do not have control over your life. 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:04.960 For some of you, maybe it's a codependent relationship that you find yourself in. 00:18:05.359 --> 00:18:22.640 Or basically you've found that you have identity and you find connection and you find uh purpose and life from somebody else, and so therefore, ultimately, their approval or disapproval, their words of affirmation or their words of criticism sting so bad to you. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:23.039 Why? 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.960 Because ultimately it's way more than just words, it's identity. 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:32.960 And ultimately, God has freed you from these things, yet you've chosen to be enslaved to them. 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:37.119 What I want you to see is this you have a choice. 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:47.039 You are not bound in slavery forever to what it is that you find yourself enslaved to. 00:18:47.279 --> 00:18:54.480 Because God has freed you from that through his death and burial and resurrection on the cross. 00:18:55.599 --> 00:19:00.960 And it is important for you to see, I can choose to be different. 00:19:01.279 --> 00:19:09.519 So it's vital for you to also see that it makes no sense for you to be a slave when you are actually free. 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:13.519 Please hear me, you are not a victim, nor are you without hope. 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:21.920 But you do have to recognize that instead of applying your freedom, you have instead chosen to go back into the slavery that you've actually already been freed from. 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:28.960 Second thing, common problem that we need to avoid that takes place many times is this don't be free and act like a slave. 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:31.359 Don't be free and act like a slave. 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:33.759 Counselors everywhere are dealing with this. 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:39.519 We've experienced this at the church as well with people who basically are believers in Jesus. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.640 They've experienced the salvation that comes through him. 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:53.039 However, they are not applying what God has done in their lives, and so therefore, they wake up every day assuming that there is hope that is out there, but that hope isn't for them. 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:55.680 Maybe that's your story here today. 00:19:55.839 --> 00:20:10.799 Maybe you find yourself at a place where you have been, because of temptations or because of things that have come up in your life, you feel like that you know that other people have amazing stories and testimony of God delivering and God bringing healing in their lives. 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:15.119 You just don't believe that that healing or that deliverance can come for you. 00:20:15.759 --> 00:20:19.039 Folks, there's a reason why we sing the songs that we sing. 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:22.400 There's a reason why we preach the truth that we preach. 00:20:22.640 --> 00:20:39.200 There's a reason why we sing songs like Waymaker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper, Light in the Darkness, these truths that are meant to remind you that if God could raise Jesus from the dead, then He can handle whatever it is that you're walking through. 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:42.559 First Corinthians chapter 6, listen to this, verse 14. 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:47.680 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:50.880 Folks, I want you to think about this. 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:56.319 The power of the resurrection is available to you if you're a believer in Jesus Christ. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:02.640 I talked to a guy a couple of months ago, actually, who was dealing with some addictions. 00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:14.240 And he was so down and he was so in despair, and he basically just was over overwhelmed with guilt and overwhelmed with shame and just thinking, man, there's just no way that I could ever get out of this. 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:16.960 And I told him words that I want to tell you today. 00:21:17.119 --> 00:21:22.000 If Jesus could be raised from the dead, don't you think that God can handle your addiction? 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:32.160 For some of you, what you need to hear me say today, that if Jesus can be raised from the dead, your marriage is not that big of a deal in comparison. 00:21:33.119 --> 00:21:35.039 I promise you, he can help you. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:36.480 I promise you he can help you. 00:21:36.559 --> 00:21:50.000 It's not gonna be easy and it's not gonna be immediate, but I can assure you of this you have a reason for hope because Jesus, who has been raised from the dead, that power is now available to us when we believe in him. 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:54.799 And so, because of that, we know that it's never over. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:22:02.640 We know that there's always reason to believe that God could do something in the Life of somebody else or in our own personal lives. 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:03.759 Look at Romans 6. 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:05.359 Go back with me to verse 8. 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:09.680 It says, Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:13.759 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again. 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:16.319 Death no longer has dominion over him. 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:19.680 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all. 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:21.680 But the life he lives, he lives to God. 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:27.599 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:30.960 Christians, we must not live defeated and beat up. 00:22:31.119 --> 00:22:50.400 Instead, we must fight against our sin, knowing that we have the promise and the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit that is living inside of us that gives us reason to fight and gives us reason to war and gives us reason to resist against the sin in our lives. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:54.160 Too many believers in Jesus just walk around defeated. 00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:59.119 Too many believers walk around beat up before the day even starts. 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:03.359 And they need to be reminded of this verse, 1 Corinthians 10, 13. 00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:06.640 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:09.119 God is faithful. 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:16.400 And he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of escape. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:19.200 You may be able to endure it. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:24.240 Fight against sin with the power of Jesus that has been given to you. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:29.200 Let me give you two points of application about how you can fight your sin. 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:32.559 Number one, know what God says. 00:23:33.519 --> 00:23:34.960 You gotta know what God says. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:40.240 So much of the battle that we face starts not with action but with knowledge. 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:44.000 Being comes before doing. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:57.599 Who I see myself to be is gonna determine what it is that I'm going to do, which is why it is so important that we allow God's word to say what our identity actually is instead of how we feel. 00:23:57.759 --> 00:23:58.480 Please hear me. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:00.240 You're gonna feel overwhelmed. 00:24:00.400 --> 00:24:04.880 You're gonna feel like you are oppressed, you're gonna feel like you are defeated. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:10.079 You're gonna feel like you can't fight anymore, and those feelings are gonna lie to you. 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:19.119 Instead, allow God's word to speak, which says in Romans chapter 8, verse 1, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:28.000 If I see myself as a child of God, I don't start off by seeing myself as a victim or in need of a break because I know what is true. 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:31.359 Simply put, you are a product of your teaching. 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:35.519 Which means this you need more Bible, not less. 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:39.039 You need more Jesus, not less. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:41.920 You need more worship, not less. 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:44.720 You need more church, not less. 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:47.519 You need more Holy Spirit, not less. 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:49.759 You need more prayer, not less. 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:53.599 You need more community, not less. 00:24:54.240 --> 00:25:00.960 Because the more you know, the more you can understand who you are, and ultimately it can lead to what you are to do. 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:17.599 You may not know much right now about God's word, but I would tell you, as you read, as you study, as you pursue him, God will allow you to learn more of not only who he is, but ultimately who he has created and made you to be. 00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:20.559 If you want to fight sin, you have to know what God says. 00:25:20.720 --> 00:25:23.839 Number two, though, do what God says. 00:25:24.640 --> 00:25:26.160 Do what God says. 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:29.440 Romans 6.11 says, consider yourselves. 00:25:29.599 --> 00:25:32.400 Romans 6.13, present yourselves to God. 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:38.640 Romans 6 19, present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:42.480 All of those involve doing what you know to do. 00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:48.480 The first question that you should ask when it comes to following after God is, what does God want me to do here? 00:25:49.359 --> 00:26:06.640 Once I know what God wants me to do, once I know what God has to say about this, then the second thing you need to do is say, I'm going to do what God says, regardless of circumstances, regardless of external things going on, and regardless of my feelings, and regardless of the culture. 00:26:08.240 --> 00:26:09.279 Students in the room. 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:11.440 Let me challenge you with this. 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:19.200 You do not make the decision to pursue righteousness based upon how you feel in the moment. 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:32.480 You make the decision to pursue righteousness long before when you hear what God's word says, and then it's a matter of executing what you've already decided. 00:26:33.759 --> 00:26:34.720 Let me flesh it out. 00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:42.000 You don't make the decision to not look at pornography when you have your phone out typing in the web address. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:43.680 You've lost. 00:26:44.640 --> 00:27:08.319 You instead make the decision to not pursue pornography when you see what God's word says about pursuing him, and you see what God's word says about how you should protect your eyes and protect your mind and protect your life, and then you make the decision, I'm not gonna do this, so that already, predetermined, before I find myself in the situation, I already know what I'm going to do. 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:15.200 You don't make the decision not to sleep with someone who is not your spouse when you're in bed trying to figure out what you're gonna do. 00:27:16.319 --> 00:27:27.680 You instead make the decision not to sleep with someone who is not your spouse long before when you see what God's Word says and make the decision, I'm gonna pursue purity and holiness because there's power in purity. 00:27:29.119 --> 00:27:35.200 You don't make the decision not to drink at the party when they ask you what you want to drink at the party. 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:48.079 You make the decision long before you ever go to the party what you're going to do so that when you find yourself in that situation, I know what God's Word says, and now I just gotta do what God's Word says. 00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:53.200 I don't let my feelings drag me and tell me what it is that I'm supposed to do. 00:27:53.359 --> 00:27:58.640 You don't make the decision whether you're gonna give whenever you look at the budget trying to figure out ways to cut. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:09.119 Instead, you make the decision to give when you read God's word and see the joy that comes with giving, and so therefore, you make it the first fruits long before you figure out what else you're gonna cut. 00:28:10.480 --> 00:28:16.079 Folks, what we see over and over again is God's word gives us a guide and God's word gives us a help. 00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:22.079 And what we are told to do is to make a decision and to do what God's Word says. 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:29.039 It's about waking up in the morning and knowing what He says is true and not allowing the challenges that come along the way to derail you. 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:31.839 Finally, what happens when it doesn't go well? 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:34.000 We're gonna talk about this more next week. 00:28:34.160 --> 00:28:39.680 But we know in our fight and our struggle with sin, there's gonna be times when maybe you'd make the wrong choice. 00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:47.119 You go back to be slaves of things that you once have been freed from, and so what do you do whenever you make that wrong choice? 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:56.000 Whenever you have a stain on a shirt, uh what you are told to do is to take that shirt with that stain. 00:28:56.240 --> 00:29:07.359 You're told to put water, uh, you're told to lather that stain, you're to put soap on that stain, scrub it, and then it says to rinse and repeat. 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:18.640 So what happens is you have a stain on a shirt, you take soap on that stain, you lather it, you scrub it, and you rinse and repeat. 00:29:18.880 --> 00:29:22.799 You lather it, you scrub it, you rinse and repeat. 00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:25.200 Look at Romans chapter 6, verse 14. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:29.359 Sin will have no dominion over you. 00:29:30.480 --> 00:29:34.319 Since you are not under law, but under grace. 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:39.359 You see, we're a grace people, not a law people. 00:29:40.240 --> 00:29:54.319 And as a result of that, the way that you experience failure, choosing the wrong thing, is the same way that you got into this relationship, and that is through the grace and the mercy of Jesus Christ. 00:29:55.119 --> 00:30:05.200 So what happens is, is you follow Jesus, you fail Jesus, you return to Jesus, rinse and repeat. 00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:13.920 You follow Jesus, you fail Jesus, you return to Jesus, rinse and repeat. 00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:23.279 You follow Jesus, you fail Jesus, you return to Jesus, rinse and repeat. 00:30:23.680 --> 00:30:26.160 Would you bow your heads and would you close your eyes? 00:30:29.279 --> 00:30:32.000 Not only those in this room, but those watching me online. 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:40.799 Are you fighting sin in your life? 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:47.200 John Owen says, be killing sin. 00:30:48.720 --> 00:30:50.720 Or sin will be killing you. 00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:57.200 For some of you, you need to apply what you already know. 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:07.519 For some of you, you need to recognize where you have put yourself back into slavery that you've been freed from. 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:12.319 Others of you need to make a choice today. 00:31:12.720 --> 00:31:17.119 I'm gonna do what God's word says, even when it's hard. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:19.599 Resolve right now. 00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:23.359 God, I know what you want me to do, and I'm gonna do it. 00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:27.839 Even if nobody else is doing it, I'm gonna do it. 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:32.000 I'm gonna trust your word. 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:35.359 What you say is best for my life. 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:39.440 I'm gonna believe you, I'm gonna walk in your truth. 00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:44.559 For some of you, you have failed. 00:31:46.160 --> 00:31:48.000 But it doesn't mean that it's over. 00:31:49.839 --> 00:32:10.640 It's time for you today to rinse and repeat, to return to the Lord, receive his mercy and his grace, and to walk yet again in newness of life. 00:32:12.160 --> 00:32:18.720 For some of you, you've never taken the first step to defeating sin, which is to receive the victory that comes from Jesus. 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:26.160 It comes through a relationship with him where you turn from your sins and you give your life to Jesus. 00:32:26.319 --> 00:32:27.839 Have you ever done that? 00:32:29.359 --> 00:32:34.160 Have you received his gift of eternal life for the forgiveness of your sins? 00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:44.559 Have you turned everything that you know of yourself and instead given everything over to Jesus, placing your faith and your trust in Him? 00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:51.279 If you've never done that, I want to invite you to do that today by praying a simple prayer of faith with me, something like this. 00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:52.960 Just pray these words. 00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:55.599 God, I want to be free from my sin. 00:32:57.279 --> 00:32:59.519 I want a relationship with you. 00:33:02.079 --> 00:33:08.960 I believe that you sent your son Jesus to die on a cross for me and that he rose from the dead. 00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:15.599 I receive his gift of eternal life. 00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:21.759 And I ask that he would be my Lord, he would be my Savior. 00:33:23.519 --> 00:33:25.839 Continue to keep your heads bowed and your eyes closed. 00:33:25.920 --> 00:33:35.119 If you just prayed that prayer of faith with me, in just a moment, I'm gonna ask you as we all stand up together that you would just step out from where you're seated. 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:37.599 And that you would come forward. 00:33:37.680 --> 00:33:41.920 We're gonna have folks on our team that are gonna be in front and on the sides. 00:33:43.039 --> 00:33:45.200 We want to celebrate with you. 00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:53.119 We believe that literally there is a party going on in heaven right now because of the decision that you just made here on earth. 00:33:53.759 --> 00:34:00.559 And because of that, we want to not only get some information from you, we want to be able to have a conversation with you, but we want to celebrate this. 00:34:00.720 --> 00:34:01.599 You go ahead and come. 00:34:01.680 --> 00:34:04.559 Come on, come on, you come, come on. 00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:14.079 We believe the Bible says the angels in heaven are rejoicing over one sinner who repents. 00:34:15.360 --> 00:34:16.880 Today we want to celebrate with you. 00:34:16.960 --> 00:34:25.039 We know there are others that are here that feel like God is leading them to United City to make this your church home, your place where you can identify, your place where you belong. 00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:28.000 And we want to invite you, would you lead the way today? 00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:33.199 If you want to be a part of what God is doing here in this place, God is moving in our midst. 00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:35.440 We give all the praise and the glory to Him. 00:34:35.599 --> 00:34:43.760 If that's you today, and you and your family, or you as an individual want to come and be part of what God is doing, you come and join us here at United City. 00:34:44.239 --> 00:34:47.679 Others need to be baptized, give public expression of your faith. 00:34:47.840 --> 00:34:53.840 We talked about it last week that baptism is a public display of an internal change. 00:34:54.079 --> 00:35:01.280 It is literally a visible representation of the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus. 00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:04.960 It's the gospel being shown. 00:35:05.360 --> 00:35:09.199 If you need to be baptized, we're gonna ask you to come forward and talk to us. 00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:12.719 Maybe some of you feel like God may be leading you to full-time ministry. 00:35:12.800 --> 00:35:20.079 It was a decision that I made in fifth grade that I can forever feel the weight of God changed my life whenever he called me to ministry. 00:35:20.159 --> 00:35:22.239 Maybe for some of you, you've been feeling that. 00:35:22.400 --> 00:35:26.079 You've been feeling like God is saying, I've got a special calling on your life. 00:35:26.880 --> 00:35:30.079 I want to set you aside to work in the church. 00:35:30.320 --> 00:35:33.519 If that's you today, I want you to come forward and let us know that. 00:35:33.679 --> 00:35:36.960 Let us walk with you, let us help you in that decision. 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:39.119 Maybe some of you need prayer today. 00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:42.239 Maybe you found yourself being enslaved to the wrong things. 00:35:42.400 --> 00:35:49.199 Maybe you know people that you're close to who you see making decisions that are contrary to what they should be doing. 00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:50.880 And you you just want prayer today. 00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:58.400 You you want someone to come alongside and lift their name up or lift your name up or to come alongside and for you to experience that. 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:00.480 I want to invite you today to do that. 00:36:00.880 --> 00:36:05.679 Our team is gonna be here ready to receive you in whatever capacity that looks like. 00:36:06.000 --> 00:36:08.800 And so I'm gonna pray and I want you to prepare to come. 00:36:09.199 --> 00:36:14.880 When I say amen, we're all gonna stand up, and as God is leading you to respond, don't wait, don't hesitate. 00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:20.800 You just come right now to those that are here in the front and those that are here on the side. 00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:26.239 Father, we come before you and we give you these moments left in our service. 00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:30.159 God, I pray you'd give people boldness and courage to respond. 00:36:30.639 --> 00:36:36.079 That God, you would move in people's hearts and lives as you already have by this one that is already backstage. 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:39.119 God, I pray that you would call people to yourself today. 00:36:39.360 --> 00:36:41.519 In the name of Jesus, I pray. 00:36:41.840 --> 00:36:42.480 Amen. 00:36:47.119 --> 00:36:49.440 God really is our everlasting God. 00:36:49.599 --> 00:36:53.760 He's so faithful in times of trial, in times of triumph. 00:36:53.920 --> 00:36:55.760 He is here for you, he's here for me. 00:36:55.920 --> 00:37:00.880 It's an amazing truth that we can cling to today, that God is with us. 00:37:01.199 --> 00:37:06.159 You do not navigate this season of your life, no matter what you may be going through alone. 00:37:06.400 --> 00:37:10.559 The Bible tells us that God is never too far away for us to reach out to him. 00:37:10.800 --> 00:37:18.880 In fact, it tells us that we need to consistently reach out to him, knowing that he is our ever-present help in time of need. 00:37:19.199 --> 00:37:30.960 He has fearfully and wonderfully made you and I, and we have the opportunity today to respond to his blessings, his grace, and his love for us in a unique and meaningful way. 00:37:31.119 --> 00:37:45.440 So today, if you heard that message about God being our everlasting God, and you would like to make Jesus the everlasting God of your life by placing your faith and trust in him, you can text the word you see next to the number 55498. 00:37:45.599 --> 00:38:03.519 There is nothing that we would love to do as a staff more than to hear your story, hear about how Jesus is moving in your life, even help you navigate this season, your next step, maybe whatever God may be leading you to do in your future, whether that be baptism or joining the church, maybe jumping into our growth track process. 00:38:03.679 --> 00:38:06.719 I just want to let you know we have been where you are. 00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:20.480 And it is so, so important that you allow us the opportunity to link arms with you on your faith journey, coming alongside of you, right where God has you to disciple you, equip you, and encourage you in your faith. 00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:24.159 We're so, so thankful for how God is moving in your life. 00:38:24.239 --> 00:38:28.480 We're so thankful that uh He has given you a purpose. 00:38:28.639 --> 00:38:34.239 We're so thankful that that purpose is being made known more and more in your life. 00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:37.360 If there's anything that we can do for you, we want you to reach out to us again. 00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:40.639 You can text UC Next to 55498. 00:38:41.039 --> 00:38:43.039 We're so thankful to bring you this service. 00:38:43.199 --> 00:38:45.199 I pray that you have an awesome week. 00:38:45.360 --> 00:38:53.199 As we look ahead to this next week, I want you to cling to the truth that God is our everlasting God in times of trial and times of triumph. 00:38:53.360 --> 00:38:58.400 And as we look ahead to this next week, I just want to pray a blessing over you and your family this morning. 00:38:58.559 --> 00:39:01.119 Lord Jesus, we're so thankful for you. 00:39:01.360 --> 00:39:03.679 We're so thankful for who you've called us to be. 00:39:03.840 --> 00:39:08.960 God, we're so thankful that you have met us exactly where we are at our greatest moment of need. 00:39:09.199 --> 00:39:14.400 God, we're so thankful for the grace that you have extended to us even right now on this Sunday. 00:39:14.559 --> 00:39:17.039 God, thank you for the word that Pastor Chris just gave us. 00:39:17.199 --> 00:39:19.280 Thank you for your holy Bible. 00:39:19.519 --> 00:39:27.280 God, I pray that your word would be written on our hearts and would be so close to our tongues that we speak it throughout our week. 00:39:27.440 --> 00:39:37.199 God, whatever we may come in contact with, whatever we may be going through this week, I pray that you would meet us exactly where we are with grace and mercy. 00:39:37.360 --> 00:39:39.760 Would we glorify you in all that we say and all that we do? 00:39:39.840 --> 00:39:41.280 It's in Jesus' name I pray. 00:39:41.519 --> 00:39:41.920 Amen. 00:39:42.159 --> 00:39:43.840 United City Church, I'm thankful for you. 00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:44.960 We will see you next Sunday. 00:39:45.119 --> 00:39:45.840 God bless.