Romans Chapter 7:5-6

We should be motivated to get brownie points of the rewards in heaven. God promises that we get rewards in heaven if we do things for you know what we don't get him. If we don't serve but is it the rewards.

No, no, it's cross is what he did for me.

The drive meal welcome to cross the bridge with the senior pastor of the bridge. As Christians we should discover the life-changing joy of serving the board and serving in our church pastor David discusses why this is day as he continues the book of Romans chapter 7, but before we get into today's teaching. The devil is able to influence so many Christians today because they simply don't know the Bible about God's word. That's why we want to send you Pastor David's message Romans recorded in the heart of ancient this eye opening.

Teaching will show you that the historical act of the Bible Romans from our way of saying thank you for your gift to. More on this station and beyond cross the bridge to go to cross the bridge.com to request a copy. Again that's crossed the bridge now hears David to his teaching.

The life-changing Romans chapter 7 verse five when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which are aroused by the wall were working our members to bear fruit to that other words before before we knew the Lord of your in there and you've asked the Lord to forgive you.

You been born again and something changes really a lot of things change out understand what the moment you come to the Lord and ask him to forgive your sins. He doesn't wipe away all your you still have that struggle of spirit against flesh to be talking about that as we continue to the book of Romans.

But when you you you come immediately.

Something is a change. You're not the same. Some of you commented that you and talking old friends that you go back and go have some different about noticing these changes because something is different that instant, and other changes. Well friend, they begin to take a little bit longer and it's interesting.

I've seen a lot of people come the Lord in this place in an is such a joy.

But it's interesting because some just get in. I don't know what happens. What happens with some just like you know one minute they're just this hell. Jan pagan Gentile even dog in their shoes and opens up everything changes and some people go through more gradual changes as a man I can't will that one's really saved and that was maybe little bit.

Another pro se.

Maybe this will help guard hello I mainly like to grow plants I can eat but so you know fruits and send different things and there is interesting let us plant you can grow a lettuce plant and if you're doing real well for like 45 days before you started to head it will take longer, but by 45 days, but I live even even from a full-grown tree transplanting things are going well for years and if it's for years are doing very well, so some lettuce plants some or all three. And you know sometimes it can get really difficult if you're trying to talk and idolatry in the mail the letters or letters into idolatry doesn't work very well.

One of things about our Christian life is is trying to tug and pull fruit out of the you can do that. You can encourage them in their Christian life. Or you can discourage you can walk see I can say this evening to do this need to do that till the ground get some fertilizer down there and get you get to have a mixer well water but you can't pull fruit arbitrary. You can do all the discoveries all the technology all you realize we still have to wait on an Apple we have to do that. They do this really twisted thing out of you know they do this with tomatoes, but they mainly picked green tomatoes and they put them in like facilities and the shoot Kathleen and their interns in red become a longer shelf life that what you know very little outside but is not really right. That's what happened. You know, that's just what happened before when you were following the Lord, you are bearing bad fruit because that you are bad fruit tree if you will.

The tree bears the fruit afterwards likeness when out of your believer, you believe in Jesus as your Savior.

You should be barren good fruit. Again I say you should be a fruit. I said, you should bear fruit.

There's a difference I can feed you can water you fertilizer you will note I can't make it produced little fruit tree belt. They had this build up the tree and shakes all the fruit out I don't. I know we can't do that encourage you to bear good fruit.

As you follow the Lord to make you bear fruit when you follow the Lord. The Lord will have you bear fruit member. You are the five is the branch plugged in the Jesus you bear fruit. If you're not Jesus said he is the vine and you are the branch. So, as were plugged in the Jesus we bear good fruit, but we should be concerned bearing fruit are not dependent on Jesus for that life lesson. Christianity is not a do-it-yourself religion. Christianity is not a do-it-yourself religion. See if you think about fulfilling the law, you can have access to heaven.

Using Christianity is a do-it-yourself religion don't really need God.

You don't really need to cross.

You don't need Jesus you can handle it you when the law good luck on your workout, but in that moment that you realize you can't be saved by the law through the law, then you become open to what who can save friend. It's only Jesus and this makes Christianity so different than every other world religion you got in those who think you know you can be reincarnated and you just keep hopefully get better and better and and you know you never know when aunt your uncle or you know your uncles and aunt calling around the groundwater is okay by me regarding that's a weird system or the Buddhist to grade you will like that that what is at the four Noble truths and the eight that the Noble eightfold Path all about you doing what's right. Yet Islam five pillars of truth. You gotta do these things would be doing than you can earn all in favor an email out in the what's all that milk don't you your works with Christianity is not milk, no it's not built upon the cross.

The cross and what the cross and nothing Jesus said from the cross. It is finished. Didn't say it started said it is you're listening to Pastor David McGee on cross the bridge will be back with more powerful insight from God's word in just a moment but first so many people today are losing faith simply because they don't know how much real evidence there is for the truth of the Bible. We want to help you strengthen your faith so that you can live the abundant life God has for you by sending you Pastor David's DVD message Romans from home.

This insightful teaching recorded in the heart of the ancient city of Rome will help you see the book of Romans in its historical context, and confirm your faith in the truth of God's word Romans from home is our gift to thank you for your donation to help more people on this station and beyond cross the bridge from death to life.

So go to cross the bridge.com to request your copy today. Again, that's cross the bridge.com, this is Pastor David McGee was cross the bridge and I want to thank you for listing the cross the bridge also want to tell you about an exciting website. The website is lost loved ones.org and it works very simply like this you go to the website you put the first names of up to 10 people that we begin praying that they get saved takes two things to get same presentation and prayer, and what were offering is prayer and also there's different tools there to help you present the gospel to them. So were there with you, helping you with the presentation helping you with the prayer. There's over 920 people that belong to the prayer team on lost loved ones and you can join the prayer team as well and help us to pray for others who don't yet know Jesus and together we can see a huge revival starting with your lost loved ones. Now back to today's teaching verse six but now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Well, we should serve Pastor. That's Claudia.

I'm not sure what to speak to us. There we should serve that you try real hard to get confused on this one. I'm thinking everybody understands or three were we should serve we should serve will talk about her motivation serve the situations or totally reject spectator Christianity. The fact that you just you, and you're not really active, you're not really engages, newly so that as soon as you can manager Jesus called bosses here, we should serve less understand. I've heard all the excuses for the give your Karen for a family member that's Diane Ortner is a bad place physically know what you had that commitment before you made the commitment outside of that I'm not hurting excuse not to reason. The goal I didn't think that that would, in one probably this is read it on your lip just so busy. I'm just so busy there's people that serve multiple hours here.

They have seven days a week.

They have 24 hours a day. They have the same amount of time that you been given. It's a priority to the and is not a party to you. If you're saying I'm too busy certainly are not saying that your time is more precious than the other people that are pouring their lives out here are you because friend that would be a very arrogant statement to make inconsistent with a follower of Jesus Christ. Another one that I hear what don't agree with everything goes on when I can bring. And I don't agree with everything that goes on Mr. I'm not don't be here next week doesn't make sense.

Does that work is that logic flow clear bright and that logic works for you tomorrow when you go to work. You tell your boss I don't agree with everything that goes on in this workplace you can pay me but I'm not don't do anything on the ship. I just hold the wheel the truck because I don't agree with everything that workers go for you going to your picture taken things in here. I don't agree with some of my work with you doesn't work that doesn't function and here's the thing again every church you go into be something wrong with what people are involved, there's no such thing as a perfect church and was the perfect church is what you can join as soon as you going to church anymore jerk friend over there doing down there, so you're always fun something wrong wasn't that convenient. Because guess what Jersey church never feel like you can you name the surface of the Bible. Here we should serve doesn't body the bottom of the railing and be careful.

This be careful about fruitless arguments are incidentally let me mention something that the three different versions and get back. A lot of times the original language is a gratefully test papers Hebrew for the prescription. I like EJ I enjoy the kind of the poetry of it had a King James Bible for long time that I'm studying fall apart. Unfortunately, KJV King James version in this verse has spirit in a small S should be New King James is S NLT F is referring to the spirit, the Holy Spirit and think you need to be careful. Some versions are some really messed up versions out there, but I think sometimes we win the argument lose the war. So the newness of spirit not in the oldness of letter talking about serve.

Here's the thing. The fruit that we see in this church. We see a lot of fruitless we see people get saved we see people getting baptized and whenever you get a people group to produce fruit. Okay when you get Francis if you get people like you get that people group together to produce issues or to reduce sporting if you get people group at Starbucks or to produce coffee when you get a people group of people that are followers of Jesus.

Whether you produce other believers help the sheet reproduce. That's just what happened. Growth is what happens the living things. So as we as we see fruit come in for the Lord bearing fruit through if that's what's supposed to happen. It's it's not just addition either multiplication is what the Bible indicate when a hundredfold return. A lot of people abuse and talk about finances. I'm more excited when talking about so that one person can see 100 people come into the kingdom by sharing the truth of the gospel by praying about serve and share notice look at this in the new living translation. Now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. But now we can really serve God, not in the hallway by obeying the letter of the law but in the new way spirit in the old way in the new way in this version again says that we can really serve God. We can really serve God. Life lesson here is we should discover the life-changing joy of serving the Lord, and serving in a church we should discover life-changing joy serving the Lord serving notice the phrase of that serving in a church. I say the church and say, this church if you're here and God is blessing you and your growing this is your church.

You should serve. This is not your church and I'm not your pastor. God bless you.

I hope you find that place quickly and don't just keep popping and bopping around because it's a dangerous place to be but were supposed to plug in and not just be spectators. If it's not this church and monitored for. You can pour yourself now. Why should we serve well. A couple reasons I'll get to the mainland in just a second thought. You were created to serve. You were created to serve you whenever you do something good for somebody or something that happens inside whenever you do something bad to somebody or something happens inside the unit and vent that you didn't create that you were created that way. Jesus said this in acts 2035. This is a remember the words of the Lord Jesus he said is more blessed to give than to receive contentment and peace through getting how many of you tried that I tried it didn't work. I didn't gain peace.

I didn't attain contentment when I listen to Jesus is more blessed to give figured out what life is about some of your still trying to hold so tightly to your life and the challenges that you do that you know but if you give it away.

You find out what this life is all about Jesus. So what's your motivation consummately going well in okay not serving now feel guilty.

I hope you have. I want to feel that I don't intend for you to fill.

I would encourage you to do good works in a part of that process is is you understanding that you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing that's what it means. The best teachers I had in school and whatnot work were teachers. It challenged me. I think there's it is always pattern on Landau.

You're doing great, but teachers it challenged me. Now notice newness of spirit.

Oldness of letter to me means I don't want you to serve because you feel guilty about. But if you're not serving in active in ministry and some somewhere dim effect. Five minutes I five minutes sometime today before your head hits the pillow.

I'd like for you. Just think about Jesus.

I want to think about the cross. I want you to think about what Jesus did for you and what he's asked and told you to do what you think about this thing for five minutes. Take 10 of you can do it, but after five minutes if you still feel like you don't have the time and you're too busy telling telling I don't think he would take the five minutes should be same. We should be motivated by what Jesus is already done.

Not because we get brownie points at the end we get rewards in heaven. God promises that we get rewards in heaven if we do things for and you know what we don't get on it. We don't serve but is it the rewards. No no it's the cross is what he did for me the draft meal not here today I don't come to this place because you know what is my job.

This will go do Camillo call me now I do it out of love. I love first of all, for God and the love for you guys that God is given because I love him so much and he's Artie done so much for me. He's done for me because Jesus died for me.

You know I'm the live for middling for final lifelessness we should serve God out of love gratefulness and gratitude to get trapped into the laws just your enemy trying to earn this you try to earn that you know what, if you're still under the law and you you need to get under grace before you start serve because in it we serve for the wrong reasons, trying to earn God's forget there's a lot of twisted people in this world that do that. I don't want to be one serve God under grace with with Julie to be preoccupied too many Christians get too preoccupied.

This is some of you. I'm glad to sit down could you fall down your pastor say some people get way too preoccupied with sin. Granted, some people paid enough attention, but some people get way too preoccupied was sent in their no longer occupied with Jesus there looking at percent when especially focusing on Jesus. When you look at Jesus as you worship God as you love God more and more nearly drowned it when I don't do that anymore place to struggle with struggle that anymore.

I'm just loving Jesus always fallen off me like water off a ducks back. That's what happened. If you focus on Jesus and always loved close with this illustration when I would go somewhere with my family.

As a young person, I'd have to get dressed in a guy get dressed up going here. Don't dirt on somewhere you got get dressed up of others will was a little tight to have one little clip montage that you could just do all kinds of fun things with an this thing on and they got get dressed up to go duty really did it. Later in life I discovered girls and I would want to go out with one of them because I was convinced I was in love and getting dressed. What a chore anymore. I enjoyed it seems my love. It was a joy discovered the show serving the Lord not shown with the joy because you love and as you do that. May you be infectious and made other people discover the joy of serving the Lord alongside you with you through if you're in here. We didn't is been talking about it we should serve we should do this and maybe her centers okay what I need to serve if you're in here and you're unsure of, you know Jesus as your Savior. You gotta take the first that I not talk about some long religious ceremony. Talk about a short simple prayer. I'm not talking about you serving God, to come in the God come in the garden right now has his hands outstretched to the same company.

Freely you could be forgiven and I'll show you the way to live and I'll give you the power to do what's right right now is come to me people that walked in her list that are unsure some tragically close in a couple minutes will still be in some of you that are unsure you feel that stirring your heart right now. In a few moments and invite you to come forward and you believe unsure you make sure before you leave.

Let me encourage you, friend.

You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things.

Please give me the power to live for you.

All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness.

Those who were sick, not the righteous.

So congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you.

You can call us toll-free at 877-458-5508 to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ before we go, we want to help you strengthen your faith so that you can experience the power of truly knowing and believing God's word. That's why we want to send you Pastor David's DVD message Romans from Rome. This insightful resource recorded in the heart of the ancient city of Rome gives you a much deeper understanding of the historical context of the entire New Testament meaning you'll know God's word better moments from Rome is our gift to thank you for your donation to help more people on this station and beyond cross the bridge from death to life so good across the bridge.com now to request your copy today. Again that's crossed the bridge.com you know each day comes with sheriff stress. So what better way to wake up with an encouraging word from his across the bridge.com and sign up now for David Mickey's email devotions each devotion include Scripture and a message from the heart of the it's easy and it's free. Sign up today@crossthebridge.com and be sure to join us next time across the bridge with Dave to hear more from