A New Life In Christ

This is Darren Kuhn with the masculine journey podcast research the ancient paths to find ways that God brings light into a dark world and help set men free from the struggles that we all face on a day-to-day basis. Your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network.

This is the Truth Network do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill, you feel like Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God do you feel like your faith is dead or alive today. Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose, glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net connect with us on Facebook.

Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious, will go to the Lord in prayer, followed like you for this day. Thank you Lord for this night like you Lord for your many blessings, but we love you and we thank you that you first loved us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and you want all to come to faith, you won't know when to perish.

You want us all to know you personally that we might be assured that we have eternal life and less my printer not just anyone listening here or somewhere out yonder over the Internet that you will, they will hear you speak to them that they will hear you calling them come follow me and he'll be one to leave everything behind and follow after you said knowing that I pray, amen to today's messages a new life in Christ. Second, quickest, chapter 5, verse 17 says therefore if anyone is in Christ is a new creation. The old has grown, the new has come. Were going to take an in-depth look 10 today it what it means to have a new life in Christ about the way this new life in Christ is the best life yes and I want you to experience it. If you if you're not, so take your Bible and open it with me to Luke chapter 5 will be looking at verses 17 through 30. Not up your bowels and follow along with me that you can make sure that what I'm saying lancet with Scripture and it probably sparse is I will show you how to show all of you looking to see how the Christian life.

In essence progresses through four stages. Stage number one, the forgiveness of sins by Christ stage number two a commitment to follow Christ stage number three. This new life to live in Christ stage number four a personal relationship with Christ.

So let's take a look at this first stage, the forgiveness of sins by Christ, beginning with verse 17 follow along with me one day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law who would come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem were sitting there in the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick, some men came care of a paralyzed man on a map and tried to take him into the house to Leah before Jesus when they could not find a way to do this because the crowd they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus when Jesus saw their faith, he said Fran, your sins are forgiven.

The Pharisees the teacher will all begin think themselves. Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy who can forgive sins but God alone. Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked why you thinking these things in your hearts, which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say get up and walk, but you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.

He said to the paralyzed man I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.

And this is immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he Milano and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They will filled with always said we have seen remarkable things today would you like to with what is the logic of their many very different religions in the world.

Christianity generally don't consider religion but Courtney Webster is Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism and Hinduism.

Atheism is a religion and in the list goes on and on and on.

At the bottom, most of us, if not all of us who listen right now, have not been influenced by these competing religions of Christianity have is a more dangerous and subtle religion. This affected nearly all of us is called churches what is Chartism which Chartism refers to the tradition of belonging to a church attempting to be a good person, but live in a good, more like a good citizen, a bay and the golden rule and expecting anticipating that you go to heaven and somehow in the back of your mind, even if you don't say this you believe you deserve it will. I believe this is the religion of the vast majority of the people that you and I know who attend all the mainline denominations.

A good example of this other slightly different because the church is not come into existence.

Yet, were the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who will costly try to trap Jesus with the questions you mother try to trap them because they been blinded by the god of this age and they do not believe the truth that Jesus was the Messiah, the promised unknown at one of the Old Testament, the very son of man, who was prophesied in the book of Daniel and these religious leaders believe that they kept all the man-made laws of the Mishnah which if not for me were that it was a book containing all the oral traditions of Judaism that have been passed down from one generation to the next.

They believe that if they kept all these laws and like 6000, there were 10 Commandments rubber that they edit all kinds of laws to these 10 Commandments. They believe that they kept these religiously that they would be in right standing before God with the one exception of Christianity. This is what all the religions of the world put forth that if we if we work our way that we can work out when to God's favor by simply obeying some loss doing a list of things following tradition that we will be also in favor with God and belong to him. Grant Castleberry's minister here. Get a great sermon recently in which he described the Mishnah so I'm quoting him or he said during what is called the inner test of metal. A visual history aspect between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament with this is the period when between when Esther return to the land number they been in exile in Babylon. If your rate is wrought as a Ezra Nehemiah the Old Testament you learn about this, they returned to the land to rebuild the city walls and rebuild the temple bells and 436 BC between back.

In the time of Christ. During those four years, a great distortion of Judaism began to be advance which signaled an extreme form of legalism and works rather than grace and truth in God and what they did they edit all types of laws and regulations to the Mosaic law and this is this is called the oral tradition was passed down orally to be in at some point written down in this book all the Mishnah it was burdensome, hypocritical and toxic. It was all about externals rather than internals because it did not address the issue.

The heart were the main areas of the mission address. The Sabbath will remember the fourth commandment God should remember the Sabbath to keep it holy is to be a day of rest. In other words, everyone was to rest on the Sabbath and to remember all that got it done and spend time with him is the day of worship and rest. All the smallest turn it into a burn someday were about bracket some stupid law and they were stupid. I give some examples in the mission they edit 39 prohibitions to justice one Sabbath law. For example, you were not allowed to walk on the Sabbath more than 2000 cubic's is about 3000 feet, more than half a mile, you're allowed to kill the insects on the Sabbath to kill an insect was the same as killing the camel women were not allowed to look in the mirror's on the Sabbath.

You know why because I thought if you look in the mirror, you see a gray hair and you would pluck it out and they call that work you not allowed to carry an item larger than a drive for outside your house that's just a few. Can you imagine trying to keep all keep up with all that true Christianity man is a matter of the heart is not rules to obey and traditions to file the problem with churches in listen is that it is a religion.

It is a religion is a man-made religion that's focused on the external to the exclusion of the internal this is why God told Samuel man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at what all he cares about in his heart is was in the heart is what comes out of the mouth is what's in your mind what you think is what you wanted to act upon us all a matter of the heart to Lucasfilm. This incredible story about one day we don't know exactly what it was but it was one day while Jesus was teaching in what became known as his hometown. The little town of Capernaum, which sits on the Sea of Galilee had the privilege of going there back in 2018 and is a beautiful town this year, partly new and partly old and it's right there at the edge of the Sea of Galilee and the beautiful view of the sea, we stood right there. The waters in which look held over that. See, and in that place when Jesus had walked people so Jesus was there to help.

Some people speculate that he was there so much extra house that he was staying in so people can you imagine if you had Jesus in Raleigh that the house when the pack is as is everyone in town came there, including Pharisees and religious leaders from all over Israel, including a Jerusalem do know why they came. They always try to catch decent trafficking for a showdown and there's really no room for anyone to stay in Mark because even the you couldn't get in the door and all of a sudden according to Mark's gospel.

Everyone looked up, Jesus stopped teaching because they all heard a sound coming from above what was happening. These four friends who had a paralyzed friend.

They were trying to get a minute to Jesus because they heard Jesus could heal and he was feeling and they could get in the front door surely did a comparable top and they begin to remove the tiles and also a whole appears, thereby looks up and they see this band coming down and they load it right to the feet of Jesus and everybody watched as they do what was happening.

They were looking at Jesus, the paralyzed man in all these religiously to sit around in their clerical collars and rose and there was in anticipation there. Scripture says that when Jesus saw their faith, the faith of the five the paralyzed man, and that they all believe Jesus could heal because of their faith, he said to the paralyzed man friend, your sins are forgiven you know what Jesus was doing, he was throwing down the gauntlet.

He knew the Pharisees were therefore this term.

This phrase part of the gullet I researched.

It is a challenge to confront someone.

The word itself comes from a French word to refer to the heavy gloves worn by medieval knights in an age when you had chivalry and personal honor were paramount fully gullet at the feet of an enemy was considered a great insult that could only be answered with personal combat and the offended party was expected to take up the gauntlet so especially as it was that glove that they wore and you take it off and throw it down in front of somebody that you despise with that you had a problem with it was an insult. Your chapter name to a duel.

If you pick it up.

His next take another gullet he's accepting the challenge Jesus through down the gullet if all these religious hypocrites when he said you see about the call by claiming that he could forgive sins. Jesus was basically saying I'm God he's claiming I am the promised Messiah. I am the Son of Man. They were thinking to themselves what is this fellow to this account and Fela the respect is a rabbi in their eyes. At least he's a rabbi he's a great teacher. They cities is blasphemy to give their thinking is not talking out loud and thinking who can forgive sins but God alone. So Jesus begins shows right here, a subtle demonstration of his deity is knowing what they were thinking. He said to them why you thinking these things in your hearts, which is easier to say, your sins are forgiven, or to say get up and walk, but that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. He looked up paralyzed man.

He said son Fran, take up your mat and go home.

That's exactly the paralyzed man. It really got up.

He picked up his mat and he walked out and can you imagine that they could get answers they had to part like the Red Sea and let this man out who just been healed. He probably was leaping as if he was praising God.

Jesus not only demonstrate his authority but he gave living proof of his deity. In essence, he said I am God. You Jesus never use those exact words I am God, but you never when he stood before the Pharisees in John chapter 8 and he says, before Abraham was born, I am he was usually the name that God used in the Old Testament a foretaste of the men you better believe that Jesus is God. If you ever want to see heaven. The problem with religion. You're the problem with religion is it works to blind you, Jesus, like this done a masterful job of blending. Millions of people in our country on the world through religion that basically sit there and they think they're saying but they don't have a relentless I'm not the judge of just telling you what I believe to be true.

They sit there and leave your saved and yet they they don't have this relationship with God. These Pharisees fail to see Jesus for who he really is God in the flesh. It is the same problem many religious leaders in our country have today. I talk about the men and women in the pulpit.

They fail to see Jesus for who he really is the Son of Man, the son of God Emmanuelle God with Sato minister here in Raleigh who believes that all good Muslims and all good Jews ahead of heaven that was a sinner like this that I read the letter that he sent to his congregation. He said I believe it will we get to heaven for a job lead at all good Muslims and good Jews are good Christians acclimate the same mountain which is in will get to the top rose we just take a different path that works in the same God I got news for you a lot is not the God who created universe. The Bible says is a sentiment that in the beginning was the word I know no administrator in Raleigh who does not believe in the doctrine of the new birth fight what he said not to listen to the his sermon more than once, I took five pages of notes on it, kind of confronting him is in California but I before don't get back to that point blank say that Jesus never told Nicodemus you must be born again you in John chapter 3, he twisted Scripture by saying that the word is translated above which it is but is also translated again Nicodemus understood how can a man enters mother womb a second time. That's the point. There two births your physical birth in your spiritual birth if you only one born want your dog twice if you want twice. The only guy wants you believe that I will start my life on it. Jesus, God is God's only one who can forgive us of our sins. He was claiming to be God when he said, your sins are forgiven and this is the first stage of the Christian likeliness that you must recognize two things who Jesus is God in the flesh, and who you are a sinner in need of forgiveness.

Every problem that will not don't be scared. The second stage a commitment to follow Christ picking up now with verse 27.

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth follow me. Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him, and Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with him, but the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belong to their site complained to his disciples while you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners got the right Jesus answered them, is not the help I love this part right here is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous sinners to repent. Tax collectors were the most detestable people in Jewish society.

They were basically agents working for the Roman government and their job, which got a letter take collect taxes from their fellow Jewish brethren, and most of them were fraudulent in their dealings they they want to get a clickable to date, the tax bill was if you have �10,000 20,000 he would give Roman government 10,000 where to put another 10,000 in his pocket, so they became rich and they were despised. They were worse than a leper.

Matthew Levi's name is Matthew.

But I will be referred to him does leave a lot because that's what Luke also. Levi was one of them. He was a good for nothing tax collector in the text says, look at Jesus one out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting in his tax booth. This works all means more than just see physically, it means that Jesus carefully and deliberately examine Levi.

Probably the same way he examined the thief on the cross he could see Levi's heart Levi must been wondering what is what you want with me any progress done when Jesus said Levi follow me Levi got up, left everything and follow Jesus. What we think it makes a left everything according to Kent Hughes who is the right, to her that this in your lecture notes.

It is not me that he never returned to get his affairs in order. What Lucas emphasizes that he made a decisive break from his old way of life and began to follow Jesus. From that point forward. And guess what he follow him all the way to the end of his life when he was martyred thus called leave it all behind and clean your life and then he gave us this wonderful book the Gospel of Matthew would Levi do next. Peter central party invite all of us frantically a whole lot of tax collectors and the Kinko's house where he offered food and beverage want to do this if you want everybody know the one that he listened.

There is no more joyful occasion. No more reason for celebration in the salvation of a man's soul. Now think we really fathom how great it is about what is is a great treasure if the DV discovery backyard you enjoyed take all the money you have, to buy Bishop JC Raleigh had it right when he said it is far is a far more important event been married or coming of age will be made a noble man or sleeve, and a great fortune is the birth of an immortal soul is the rescue of a sinner from hell is a passage from death to life is been made a king and a priest for ever more is been provided for both in time and eternity is adoption into the noblest and riches of all families. The family of God you as if you are in Christ.

Everything I just read from row is true of you true of me. We've been adopted by the creator of the universe, we belong to him and we walk around soft light. We just don't even realize it.

You love your dull approach overnight. This the way we should feel that salvation so massive you ever had a party invite or whatever told him that you are following Jesus asked you this. If you ever shared with a single soul that you following Jesus.

Jesus is not willing to knowledge me before men, another willing technology before my father was in heaven. But if you knowledge me before man. I will acknowledge you before my father how'd you like to step three. Jeff's door you stand.) Jesus and he says he belongs to me. Did you know that if you have your salvation is greater than the cure for cancer for people right and left, died of cancer, but we what we have is far greater if you cure of cancer would you keep it to yourself what you said, you shall mount up don't have to do the cure of cancer for your soul is cured of sin. You stand before God righteous in holy we should shout out to the entire world. I heard tonight from George Cunningham that in her that he met. He said three friends recently to over Christmas 20 your sons committed suicide is an epidemic.

I do this funeral service of a 20 30 a few years back who committed suicide. There committed suicide because they don't have hope you don't have hope this will not tell them about Jesus. When a man knows Jesus is a game changer. Jesus answered them effortlessly while you eat with and drink tax collection centers. They were standing Ellis Island they would and coming to Matthew's house you want because he was a Gentile and they did not want to be polluted so that you're still outside and then they crumble to the disciples instead of rejoicing over the fact that just recently a man was healed the paralyzed man there grumbly to nail this. Matthew is eating with sinners. Jesus answered them, is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to opponents. You know what this one my favorite verse in the Bible to show him.

God loves sinners. Being a Christian is not about being religious about having a dynamic alive relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders will refine God by helping men and their purpose for living. You discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources finding purpose.net connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local men to study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh.

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