WEBVTT 00:00:00.790 --> 00:03:48.629 Introduction The word disciple means student or perhaps better apprentice. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:52.620 And what do you know about an apprenticeship? 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:56.009 You learn by doing. 00:03:57.150 --> 00:03:59.159 This is the Christian faith. 00:03:59.189 --> 00:04:03.629 We are in an apprenticeship program with Jesus Christ. 00:04:03.900 --> 00:04:05.009 How's it going? 00:04:06.659 --> 00:04:08.159 Do you feel like you're getting the hang of it? 00:04:08.229 --> 00:04:13.979 Do you feel like you're able to start learning and doing what Jesus has asked you to do? 00:04:15.650 --> 00:04:22.040 See, the thing is an apprentice then therefore at some point becomes a teacher themselves. 00:04:22.970 --> 00:04:42.410 I think one of the things about the discipleship journey that many of us don't think about on a regular basis is that not only are it's our job as disciples of Jesus Christ to learn, but then to do that for somebody else to teach that we are disciples who make other disciples. 00:04:43.129 --> 00:04:45.110 It's not just the pastors making disciples. 00:04:45.110 --> 00:04:47.029 If we rely on that, we're all in big trouble. 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:53.360 It's all of us making disciples, learning, teaching. 00:04:53.509 --> 00:04:56.689 And so we've been talking the last couple of weeks about digging in. 00:04:56.870 --> 00:05:06.529 What does it take for us to dig in as fellow apprentices on this great apprenticeship program that we are on? 00:05:07.399 --> 00:05:08.839 And that's what this series is about. 00:05:08.841 --> 00:05:16.730 And I hope that it encourages you to dig, to learn, to grow, and to teach someone else. 00:05:16.970 --> 00:05:20.000 Now, why is it that God wants us on this apprenticeship program? 00:05:20.029 --> 00:05:21.199 I mean, why is that? 00:05:21.680 --> 00:05:31.459 Well, I think the reason is two fold at least twofold and that is first of all, he wants a relationship with his children. 00:05:31.461 --> 00:05:35.060 It's like we are all going to take over the family business. 00:05:36.110 --> 00:05:40.879 He wants a relationship with us first and foremost. 00:05:40.880 --> 00:05:49.339 He wants a relationship with us and he wants to teach us so that he can watch us take what he's done and let it blossom throughout the world. 00:05:49.341 --> 00:05:51.649 This is the work of the church. 00:05:54.449 --> 00:05:56.459 He wants us to take over the family business. 00:05:56.579 --> 00:05:59.680 The is there is a barrier in our way. 00:06:00.910 --> 00:06:04.959 There is a barrier to our apprenticeship that keeps coming up. 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:08.980 It's preventing us from having a relationship with him. 00:06:10.540 --> 00:06:14.920 It causes us to to blow the whole thing and that is the barrier of sin. 00:06:17.839 --> 00:06:27.790 sin is a deep, deep problem we talked about last week that it goes much deeper than we even realize. 00:06:27.790 --> 00:06:29.829 It's much worse than we ever thought. 00:06:30.699 --> 00:06:54.720 Sin corrupts us completely and we are unable to have a relationship with God and the whole story of the old Testament, it's God trying to help us understand the gravity of sin and why it's such a problem and that there was no human solution to that problem. 00:06:54.721 --> 00:06:56.579 It was something God alone could do. 00:06:56.581 --> 00:06:57.449 Here's an example. 00:06:57.779 --> 00:07:07.019 Imagine that it's like a classroom of students, so you have a classroom of students and I know there's some teachers out there, you know this to be true. 00:07:07.259 --> 00:07:11.639 The teacher sets the expectations of the class. 00:07:12.029 --> 00:07:18.089 The idea is they want each student to meet expectations and there's a couple of ways they want them to meet those expectations. 00:07:18.329 --> 00:07:36.540 One is they want them to learn the curriculum in such a way that they can reproduce what they've been taught, got to learn the curriculum and that's how they're going to meet expectations for that year in all the different subjects. 00:07:36.569 --> 00:07:41.370 The other thing is there's a behavioral piece of the expectations. 00:07:41.579 --> 00:07:47.879 The children not only have to meet the curriculum expectations, but they have to behave appropriately. 00:07:47.880 --> 00:07:51.839 There are behavior, behavioral expectations as well. 00:07:52.860 --> 00:07:57.959 Imagine that the teacher is the law, the commandments of God. 00:07:57.961 --> 00:08:03.509 Imagine that that's the teacher trying to teach all of us how to meet the expectations. 00:08:04.110 --> 00:08:24.089 The Pharisees believed that the problem was all behavioral, that if we just fix the behavior, we'll be able to meet those expectations of the law and so that's why they thought all those 613 commandments in the old Testament that you absolutely can follow them all the interpretations of the mid rash. 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:27.180 Yes, you can do that and therefore you will be righteous. 00:08:27.329 --> 00:08:49.259 You will learn the curriculum, you will be Holy and set apart that the problem is behavioral and if you just get your act together, you too can meet the expectations and what Paul tells us in his work in Romans, he reminds us, he says, no, no, no, no. 00:08:49.289 --> 00:08:51.120 The problem isn't behavioral. 00:08:51.120 --> 00:08:58.360 It's much worse that we are actually incapable of learning the curriculum. 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:10.379 The behavioral is just the surface because sin has affected us from the inside out as I described last week. 00:09:10.380 --> 00:09:15.629 It's like somebody has a pitcher of water and they put a drop of black ink into that water. 00:09:15.690 --> 00:09:19.559 It doesn't stay in its little drop and all the rest of the water is fine. 00:09:19.561 --> 00:09:39.740 No, it ruins the entire pitcher Sin has ruined the picture of our hearts thoroughly corrupted and so honestly, we're like kids who have a a learning disability, you know? 00:09:39.740 --> 00:09:41.000 I mean, what's a learning disability? 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:48.139 It's, it's a, it's a neurological problem that prevents you from learning. 00:09:48.140 --> 00:09:56.210 It's not the kid's fault, but if that kid is, if there's never any intervention, it's going to be hard for that kid to meet the expectations. 00:09:56.211 --> 00:09:59.090 They can't do it on their own. 00:09:59.690 --> 00:10:04.820 If they're going to experience success, they need somebody to intervene. 00:10:09.580 --> 00:10:15.519 This is our relationship with the law, with the commandments of God. 00:10:19.250 --> 00:10:27.679 The behavioral problem is usually a sign of a deeper issue and it is, yes, we have a behavioral problem, but it's worse. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:33.649 It's much worse unless somebody intervenes on our behalf. 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:35.960 We can't learn the curriculum. 00:10:35.961 --> 00:10:47.679 We can't meet the expectations of the law without some help, and this is what Paul believes happened in Jesus Christ. 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:50.049 Jesus intervened. 00:10:53.019 --> 00:11:01.330 Jesus broke our bondage, our slavery to sin, where we were stuck and he changed our hearts. 00:11:01.509 --> 00:11:07.450 We had been released from sins, power and just following. 00:11:07.451 --> 00:11:12.370 The law won't give us this result because the law doesn't change us from the inside out. 00:11:12.429 --> 00:11:15.669 It is only Jesus Christ who changes us from the inside out. 00:11:15.700 --> 00:11:36.940 Jesus changes our hearts and that's why you follow Jesus because it's God's intervention on our behalf so that we can meet the expectations of the law because you remember what the law is for the law of the old Testament wasn't so that we can just get pointed at and say, well, don't do this and don't do this and don't do this. 00:11:36.941 --> 00:11:45.129 No, it was to show that if you're going to live as God's people, a Holy God, you have to live in such a way that reflects that relationship. 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:47.230 You have to live a Holy life. 00:11:48.340 --> 00:11:55.440 If you're going to call God your father, and this is how it's done and now, Oh my goodness. 00:11:55.441 --> 00:12:00.840 Now we discovered that the grace of God is so much bigger and better than we could have realized. 00:12:02.129 --> 00:12:03.480 He freely gives it. 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:12.720 In fact, he stands on our behalf and says, expectations met. 00:12:21.149 --> 00:12:23.610 Let's dive into the scripture this morning. 00:12:23.610 --> 00:12:28.019 If you brought your own Bible, we are in, we're going to be in Romans chapter six today. 00:12:28.139 --> 00:12:31.259 You can also read this in your bulletin. 00:12:32.909 --> 00:12:40.200 We're actually going to start with the last verse and we're going to unpack that verse of it and then go back and read that verse in context. 00:12:40.201 --> 00:12:45.450 Romans six 23 this is our next stop on the road. 00:12:45.659 --> 00:13:02.190 Romans six 23 Romans six 23 says this, for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord This is a great verse. 00:13:02.191 --> 00:13:17.220 If you're looking for a summary of the gospel in one verse, I'm going to show you how, if you have something to write with, I'm going to show you how you can turn this verse into an easy way to explain to somebody else what the gospel is and to clarify it for yourself as well. 00:13:17.789 --> 00:13:22.320 So let's unpack this verse a little bit, cause this really gets to the heart of what Paul is talking about. 00:13:23.009 --> 00:13:42.720 So let's imagine, and we've done this before, let's imagine that God is standing on this side of, of the sanctuary, and that this aisle is kind of like a big chasm, that it's impossible to cross. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:45.750 And then you have human beings on this side. 00:13:48.059 --> 00:13:50.309 And let's begin with that first part of the verse. 00:13:50.311 --> 00:13:50.909 You know like. 00:13:51.019 --> 00:13:52.320 We see God over there. 00:13:52.321 --> 00:13:54.179 We can't get to God because of sin. 00:13:54.181 --> 00:13:58.679 Sin is in the way sin is this barrier that we can't cross on our own. 00:13:59.730 --> 00:14:04.950 And so this verse explains how it's done for the wages of sin is death. 00:14:04.980 --> 00:14:07.019 What are wages, what are wages. 00:14:07.410 --> 00:14:08.309 This is interactive. 00:14:08.311 --> 00:14:14.610 You can, you can talk what are wages pay for work, right? 00:14:14.809 --> 00:14:19.230 It's, is it something that you were just given or, or how do you get them? 00:14:20.220 --> 00:14:21.450 It's earned, right? 00:14:22.169 --> 00:14:28.230 So the wages of sin is what is that? 00:14:28.230 --> 00:14:29.250 Just physical death. 00:14:31.690 --> 00:14:33.399 spiritual death as well. 00:14:33.700 --> 00:14:40.370 The wages of sin is that, in other words, what you earn for your sin is death bummer. 00:14:40.909 --> 00:14:40.909 Yeah. 00:14:42.100 --> 00:14:42.309 Yeah. 00:14:42.639 --> 00:14:49.340 Not, not good, but, and here comes the gospel, but let's go over to the gods side. 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:54.159 But the gift of God. 00:14:54.190 --> 00:14:55.809 How is a gift different than wages? 00:14:58.529 --> 00:15:04.259 It's not earned, it's given, but the gift of who God. 00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:10.190 I imagine a gift from God is pretty amazing is what? 00:15:10.309 --> 00:15:17.570 Eternal life, but we're not done yet so we have the gift of God is eternal life. 00:15:19.309 --> 00:15:43.750 The wages of sin is death and there is no human way to cross that until that last part through Jesus Christ our Lord Jesus is the bridge that enables humanity through faith to enjoy the gifts of God forever. 00:15:45.559 --> 00:15:46.850 It's not something we earn. 00:15:46.850 --> 00:15:47.929 It's not something we do. 00:15:47.931 --> 00:16:00.019 It's something that Jesus did when he went to the cross for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 00:16:00.049 --> 00:16:02.210 This is the heart of what Paul is getting at. 00:16:02.539 --> 00:16:09.250 God intervene so that we may live. 00:16:09.340 --> 00:16:11.320 Now let's read the whole thing in context. 00:16:11.321 --> 00:16:25.769 We'll go to Romans six starting with verse 17 but thanks be to God that though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your hearts. 00:16:27.059 --> 00:16:30.240 The pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:34.950 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 00:16:35.190 --> 00:16:39.210 I'm using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. 00:16:39.539 --> 00:16:45.330 Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever increasing wickedness. 00:16:45.331 --> 00:16:50.220 So now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness, leading to holiness. 00:16:51.090 --> 00:16:54.720 When you are slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 00:16:54.750 --> 00:16:56.519 What benefit did you reap at that time? 00:16:56.520 --> 00:16:58.740 From the things you are now ashamed of? 00:16:58.769 --> 00:17:21.539 Those things result in death, but now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you read leads to holiness and the result is eternal life for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 00:17:23.859 --> 00:17:29.519 Paul believes now that Jesus has intervened, it's possible to have that relationship with God and not. 00:17:29.520 --> 00:17:33.430 We have that relationship with God and now the apprenticeship program can actually begin. 00:17:33.579 --> 00:17:35.440 We can be with God. 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:44.819 He took care of that barrier of sin and how we can be disciples. 00:17:45.210 --> 00:17:46.349 We can follow him. 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:59.869 We can experience a relationship love with our heavenly father, and so God walks with us on our road. 00:18:00.410 --> 00:18:02.630 He walks with us on the road of life. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:04.789 He walks with us on the road to life. 00:18:09.650 --> 00:18:13.009 So as we walk this road, this is the second marker on our journey. 00:18:13.010 --> 00:18:22.779 The first marker was, I don't know If you remember not going to test you, don't worry for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 00:18:23.819 --> 00:18:30.579 The reality is doesn't matter if you're born a Jew or a Gentile, it does not matter who you are, how good you think you are. 00:18:30.609 --> 00:18:32.230 We all have the same problem. 00:18:32.440 --> 00:18:34.750 We all fall short of the glory of God. 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:55.920 That's marker number one on this journey of the road and marker number two is for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord Where are you in this apprenticeship program? 00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:25.289 one of the big dangers of of church life, and I'll just speak for church life in America, that's really the only church life I know or understand well is that we've turned faith into something that's very passive or the idea of discipleship because I think it has to do with it. 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:41.740 If we think of disciple is student, we think of a student as somebody that just sits there and just takes the lecture, takes notes and is able to regurgitate information, but that is such a far cry from what a disciple is. 00:19:44.549 --> 00:19:47.190 Disciple is a doer of the things that they are learning. 00:19:49.349 --> 00:20:15.400 If we're going to own our spiritual growth with Jesus, for going to own that, we have to own the fact that we have to get out there and start doing what Jesus is teaching and more than that we have to start teaching others about what Jesus is doing. 00:20:19.990 --> 00:20:39.599 This is all of us, not just professional ministers, church staff, mother Theresa types that we think are so amazing and they are, but it's not the super limited elite club of people who make a difference. 00:20:40.019 --> 00:20:44.309 It's every single apprentice of Jesus Christ. 00:20:44.490 --> 00:20:46.200 Everywhere in the world. 00:20:46.470 --> 00:20:54.269 Every time place you carry Jesus with you into the world, everywhere you go. 00:20:58.619 --> 00:21:03.880 And he just asks us, please do what I'm teaching you. 00:21:05.829 --> 00:21:16.269 You're taking over the family business right now, so how can you, I really just want to encourage you. 00:21:16.270 --> 00:21:18.190 How can you dig in this week? 00:21:18.250 --> 00:21:23.789 Where is it in your life as an apprentice of Jesus Christ that that you're feeling like you need some more workout? 00:21:24.789 --> 00:21:26.740 Pay attention to that as I'm speaking. 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:31.450 Usually the best things in a sermon have nothing to do with what the pastor says. 00:21:31.630 --> 00:21:35.170 It's what the spirit brings to life in you in the middle of this. 00:21:35.171 --> 00:21:39.490 Or you might be thinking of something totally different, but it's created a spark and you're like, you know what? 00:21:39.490 --> 00:21:40.809 I need to do that. 00:21:41.049 --> 00:21:43.750 I need to explore that area. 00:21:43.750 --> 00:21:47.529 I need to maybe, uh, start getting back into my Bible. 00:21:47.530 --> 00:21:48.970 I need to get on a reading plan. 00:21:48.971 --> 00:21:50.470 I need to pray more. 00:21:50.471 --> 00:21:52.269 Maybe I need to be in a small group. 00:21:52.750 --> 00:21:55.390 Maybe I need to go volunteer for a ministry opportunity. 00:21:55.391 --> 00:22:02.430 Something I need to take another step, take that step. 00:22:03.839 --> 00:22:05.369 We don't know how long we have. 00:22:06.599 --> 00:22:08.369 Let's not waste another minute. 00:22:10.990 --> 00:22:14.890 And as I said before, I never met anybody. 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:28.869 Anybody who is growing closer in their relationship with Jesus who said their life got worse, even if the circumstances of their life got worse, I never heard them say their life got worse. 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:36.799 Let's take this road and let's walk it right now. 00:22:37.849 --> 00:22:38.509 In Jesus name.