Rescued From Self-Obsession Part 2

Looking to Jesus found her perfect match for me to be selfish it's naturally put yourself first so it's also naturally until we are redeemed by faith in Jesus, we will never be free of our obligation to sin, but once that transaction takes place. We are set free from our old master to serve Christ church in Chicago. This is going to win with Dr. Sir was clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line after Luther some wise person once said that joy was Jesus first other second and yourself last will debut know that's true but I need to tell you that is very difficult. Putting ourselves last. After all, we wake up in the morning we go to bed at night. We work during the day were always thinking of ourselves ardently but you know the gift of joy and I like to use that word gift, the gift of joy comes to us through the Holy Spirit and enables us to not put ourselves first as we generally do, but it's a struggle is in it, but joy can come from the outside. Jesus said these things I have said unto you, that your joy may be full, and of course it comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. You know I believe that these messages can be of great help to you as a believer that messages are entitled rescued what God did to save us, and these messages can be yours so that you can listen to them again and again and were coming near the end of this series so I encourage you to get the series and along with it we send you a personal study guide.

Here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 for a gift of any amount. These messages can be yours but speaking about the source of joy speaking about the source of victory we have to hurry now and open our Bibles as we continue our study in the book of Romans.

The only way out is really deaf when you die, you no longer have any obligation to your master, you die and what the Bible is saying here is that when Jesus Christ died on the cross. Those who believe in him are put into him in such a sense that they died to the slavery of sin that we had in Adam as it says in chapter 5, and they are now alive to Christ.

Bottom line, they have absolutely no obligation to old days the old nature and the old Adam the obligation has been broken maybe a better illustration for us to get there handle on is something like this.

Let's suppose that you lived in a condo association and the landlord is very mean to you.

He barks out orders is an extortionist tells you if you don't give them more money you're going to be in trouble. He's going to turn you in and you live in fear and you're just subject to him, moment by moment then eventually that condo is actually sold the complexes sold and it has a new owner who is kind who is loving who was trying to win your heart and do what is best for you now that old owner can still show up. He can still show to you through the windows. He can still meet you on the sidewalk and hassle you and you can still feel the same fear that courses through your body but you know what your obligation to him is over it's done.

You don't have to obey him anymore, you can if you want but you don't have to because you had dieted to any obligation you have a bad and so the apostle Paul says in Jesus Christ, we die to any obligation that we had previously to be slaves of sin.

We died to that, he says your obligations to sin are over. What a wonderful truth, and then he goes on to say considerate so you know, for example, the apostle Paul says, considerate.

I'm in verse 11.

Now, so you must consider yourselves dead to sin. I memorized the book of Romans many years ago when I was very much young in the King James version of the Bible.

That's why when I quote Scripture, I still sometimes quote the King James and at this point I loved what the King James Hout translated it, it said reckon your self to be dad now you have to follow very carefully. Reckoning itself doesn't make you dead because it's not a fanciful thing that you do that has some magical qualities to it.

If you reckoning, something that isn't true. It's of no value. Reckoning of course is an accounting term, I should say it is that wonderful mathematics is the only thing that we finally get right to +2 is equal to four. All over the world.

We get that right. Everything else sometimes becomes a little bit more complicated but reckoning itself doesn't do it. Example I have here my wallet. Let's suppose I'm buying gasoline and let's suppose I'm not using a credit card and I want to pay for it in cash. Assuming that the station still takes American money and so up I have an empty wallet. I have an empty wallet.

But I say I'm going to fill it up and then I'm going to go into the station because on the way to the station itself or you pay I'm going to say I reckon I have $50 I reckon I have $50 I have $50 open up my wallet it's empty the reckoning didn't do anything. But let's suppose before I leave home that morning I put $50 into my wallet and I know it's there.

By the way one time something like that happened to me. I knew that the money was there. One of my daughters had rated my wallet so y'all always have to reckon on fact. That's where this is going. What if I knew for sure in the morning I put in $50 is matter fact I got $50 to see that see that $50 put it in now. I go to the filling station and I fill it up for $48.50.

I now reckon, as I take out my wallet and I reckon I reckon with confidence.

Why because my reckoning is based on a fact. I know that I'm reckoning something that actually is true. My Christian friend. We've come to an impasse in this message that you need to get this is very very critical. It is true that you if you believed on Jesus are crucified with Christ that you were taken out of the old Adam and you were put into Jesus in such a way that you have no obligation to sin anymore.

Your obligations are over and therefore it can be said you are legally dead to sin.

Jesus purchased the victory for you on the cross here this carefully on the cross, Jesus died for me, but on the very same cross I die with Jesus.

The blood of Jesus that was shed for me gives me my forgiveness and my cleansing the victory of Jesus on the cross and my identification with him is the basis of my victory over sin.

God doesn't just save us to get us to heaven. God saves us that we might live holy lives that break the power of sin in our lives. That's why I'm glad next time I'm preaching another message on the same passage as we move through the last part of Romans because it's truth. We have to get John Owen, who wrote a book on this Puritan said this that you and I should kill sin if not sin will kill us sin in the life of a Christian is very serious.

Yes, I know that there is forgiveness, but if we deliberately sin or if we look at sin as if it's no big deal. We are really we are really compromising our love for Christ and what were really saying is this, that sin was so hideous that Jesus died and made this beautiful sacrifice that we might be forgiven of our sins. But now we go along, and we think it's not that bad after all and we take what is hideous to God and it becomes a part of our lives.

Sin in the life of a Christian is very serious. Yes, I know that there is forgiveness there is cleansing and we both struggled with sin. Believe me I have and you have to, but it cannot be treated lightly. Shall we continue in sin that grace may increase God forbid God for bid it's power has been broken.

That's why we sing the song you know he breaks the power of canceled sin.

He forgives us the sin and then he cancels the sin, but he also breaks its power and you need to see it as having been broken on the cross. Let me discuss a little bit more us to what we're really talking about the way of victory in the Christian life. The it is grace.

Grace, not law that gets us out of sinful habits, it is grace, not law that gets us out of sinful habits and sinful burden and end we need to understand this you know the whole idea should I continue in sin that grace may abound let me give you an illustration, let's illustrated with a young woman who falls in love with a husband who wins her over because of his kindness, his love and his thoughtfulness and he wins her over and then they marry and he because he's a person of integrity says. Under no condition, ever, ever, ever, no matter what you do I will never, never, never, never divorce you.

So can you imagine her saying what a great deal.

I can now sleep around because after all, you know he's promised me he's never going to divorce me and the more I sin, and the more I sleep around. It demonstrates his wonderful grace and forgiveness that the apostle Paul would say God bid Jesus dies on the cross to rescue us. He redeems us he puts us into himself in such a way that the power of sin is broken and then we turn around and say will let this continue in sin that grace may have meant never be the final lesson here is we try to become who we really are in Christ, which is really what the Christian life is all about.

Final lesson is this that right living, ultimately, is based on the right, believing, you have to believe the right thing and then you will live the right thing. And, as your pastor, I am not so much concerned in teaching you how to live though. That of course is part of it. I want to buy God's grace teach all of us, myself included, how to believe.

Because if we believe we will experience the blessing of God.

Remember this without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he rewards those who diligently seek him out and you say well if this is all true that you presented today. Why do we have to go to church.

Why do we have to do this and the reason is this because you and I struggled with believing don't we struggle with believing the victory of Jesus on our behalf and in God intends that it is in community praying together and and that bearing one another's burdens that we are able to access the power and the victory which is already legally one for us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans chapter 8, the apostle Paul is going to say this is going to say that we should put to death the deeds of the body by the spirit of God.

If you buy the spirit he says put to death the deeds of the body, and that's what I'm thinking and praying about it and you can pray along with me, but in several weeks. I'm thinking of beginning a series of messages on the holy spirit because it is the Spirit's power that we need to know about so that the truth of Romans six are both understood they are believed and they are acted upon. Now as I come to the end of this message I need to tell you that we are going to be having again people in the aisle who are going to who are willing to pray with you.

Prayer partners because some of you have come here with heavy burdens and it may pertain to what I've said. It may not pertain to what I've said some of you are bearing burdens for your children and your grandchildren or you may be going through a time of financial reversal in pain. Maybe it's the rupture of relationship, and God intends God intends that the truths of his word be the experience within the life of community. Yes, we have to believe right but we have to believe right together so that we become a part of it.

That's why the book of Romans, especially in chapter 12 begins to talk about spiritual gifts and relationships within the church, but I do conclude with this, particularly for those of you who have no idea what your relationship with God is like I told you earlier that the entry point of the Christian life is accepting Christ as Savior and the sacrifice that was made on our behalf. I came across this. The information regarding JP Morgan J.P. Morgan, a very famous name. Of course, in the financial now in another era when the original J.P. Morgan died. He was such a multimillionaire. It was found the year before his death he had made his will that consisted of 10,000 words in 37 articles. He made many transactions, some of which get this could disturb the financial equilibrium of the world you money lovers should listen up, as apparently he knew how to make money, but there is one transaction that evidently stood out in Mr. Morgan's mind of supreme in his will. He said this, I commit my soul in the hands of my Savior full confidence that having redeemed me and washed me with his most precious blood.

He will present me faultless before the throne of my heavenly father. I entreat my children to maintain and defend at all hazards and at any cost of personal sacrifice. The blessed dock and of the complete atonement of sins to the blood of Jesus once offered, and through that alone while the things that we seek after money, fame, even good health will never get us into the heavenly kingdom or doing good so far as that's concerned it comes only by entrusting ourselves to a Redeemer who died whose blood is sufficient for you and your sin no matter what it may be Jesus paid it all. He is the victor and we participate in his victory and blessing going to ask now that we stand in the prayer partners would you take your place. You'll notice that if you're in the balcony there going to be prayer partners at the head of every stair that is up there. Just stay here for a moment we are going to pray together and as you have a spiritual need. The prayer partners are there to pray with you and what they are committed to do is to simply find your first name, give them one sentence as to what your need is and they will pray with you and also if you'd like them will follow up with you and they'll remember you in prayer all week.

If God is talk to you. Would you talk to one of those prayer partners, father, as we sing together now. May your Holy Spirit give great freedom and we ask that spiritual victory shall be one because we prayed in the blessed name of Jesus and his very very adequate blood, my friend. I see myself as so blessed, blessed, because I've had the opportunity to trust Jesus Christ as my Savior. At about the age of 14 and now throughout the years. Having the opportunity of explaining the gospel and preaching the gospel to many people and you know the ministry of running to win. And I've said this before, exist to get the gospel of Jesus Christ to more than 20 countries of the world to as many people as possible, and you make that possible. By the way with your gifts and your prayers. You know, this series of messages on the book of Romans and by the way, we are getting close to the end of the series. It can be yours for a gift of any amount you can go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 I'm going to be giving you that contact info again.

But I want to remind you that the title of this series is rescued. What God did to save us the best news you will ever hear in all your life right there in the book of Romans. So I believe that this series of messages can be a blessing along with the messages by the way, we will send you a personal study guide so you can go in depth in meditation on the good news of the gospel rescued what God did to save us. Go to RTW offer.com RTW offer.

Of course, is all one word RTW offer.com or if you prefer to call us at 1-888-218-9337 it's time once again for you to ask restaurants or question about the Bible or the Christian life as moral standards keep declining language in our culture grows ever more course Jim Erickson lives in savanna Georgia and listens to running to win online.

This is Kim's question. I have a question about using the Lord's name in vain. This sin is mentioned in the Lord's prayer.

It's my understanding that God's name is to be hallowed, how should we react when we hear people using his name in vain.

Kim, first of all, it's very important for you to realize that the unsaved use the name of God in vain so loosely and so often, they aren't even aware of the fact that they are breaking one of the commandments and many of them probably wouldn't care even if they knew it.

So here's what I suggest rather than you rebuking someone publicly in humiliating them over this. Don't you talk to them privately talk to the person who uses the Lord's name in vain and explain why they shouldn't and why it's important.

After all, to use the name of the Lord God in vain is serious because it really belittles God and isn't it interesting that even those who profess often that they don't believe in God still will use God's name in vain. So that's very important. Speak to them speak to them also about Jesus Christ because sometimes they use his name in vain and why use Jesus Christ. Why not use Julius Caesar all the answers because there's something about Jesus that people recognize as being divinity, so I would say handle it privately. Have a discussion, use it as a bridge to explain the gospel to people if they continue to use the Lord's name in vain. After that there's nothing you can do except to pray for them and keep loving them. Thank you Kim and thank you Dr. lutes. Or if you'd like to hear one of your questions answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 18 name eight 218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us at running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago line 60614 breaking free from old patterns involves reckoning oneself into sin, but alive unto God. Next time what this is all about. This is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Moody church