27th March 2011
*We feel that if we can't perform, we will never be accepted
*What stops us from walking to church?
-Fear of being judged and not accepted by the church
Romans 7:7-13:
The Law and Sin
What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
*We become clear on what sin after the commandments come
*It seems the law stops us from sinning but it actually provokes sin
*The law is not a bad thing, but the purpose of the law is not to make us good bu to show us that we are sinful and highlight the fact that we need a Saviour
*The law resembles the mirror
*We look into it and see the outline of what Christ is and a true reflection of how utterly sinful we are
*That is how God brings the rebellious to brokenness
*Self-righteous are high up the ladder. So they are being taught the command to look themselves in the mirror.
Broken people get none of the credit
*Christianity is not I do my bit but Christ does His bit
*The Gospel is that Jesus does everything and we do not have to anything
*Even coming to faith does not prove we have done our part
*Ephesians 3:10-12: His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
*We would never seek and run after God
*2 Corinthians 4
Present Weakness and Resurrection Life
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
*We don't even understand the depth of our sin and the need of a Saviour because we are blinded by Satan
*John 15:16: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
*He has to chase after us
*When we are being baptized, we are not asking you to proclaim that you are a renewed good Christian but to confess that you are a sinner and celebrate that Jesus died for you. We are never good enough if we are not getting baptized because we know we are not good enough.
Broken people continue to grow spiritually
*After being saved by someone, we may forget the good deed done a few years ago
*If we have done good and our threshold between God and men decreases, we might think we are awesome but that is not the care
*1 Corinthians 15:9: For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
*Ephesians 3:8: Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ,
*1 Timothy 1:15: Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
*It comes down to the fact that we admit that we are the worst sinner in the whole wide world
*When we are aware of our sin, the threshold is bigger and the grace needed for us being saved increases as well
*We need Jesus more than ever before
*Most of us stop growing because we stop looking at the mirror
*God is good, I am not, but God is gracious. Thus, we should be grateful for what He has done
Broken people love God
*We live in respond to that which will lead us good lives
*Luke 7:36-50:
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
The other guests began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
*Most of the time we don't love God because we do not need Him
*No matter how much we sin, we have done way worse but God forgave us and knock on our heads saying that He is holy thus we should show our gratitude
*Spiritual growth is done by praying, reading the bible but all in all, WE NEED JESUS FIRST.
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**
No comments:
Post a Comment