Christians Aren't Just Forgiven

Good morning Summit search LOCATIONS in the Triangle for the first official time had the privilege of walking Amy here on live with us are Alamance County campus, which launched last week in in Melbourne in Alamance County is her night vigil campus baby meeting informally now for the past several months and is growing in last week had their first official service with over 300 people there about 200 of that 300 are new people to the summit church is like 100 of that 300 last week night last week was the first time ever. They had attended the service of the summit church including a lot of teachers for the middle school with her meeting there as well as a bunch of students from Elon University and so I summit church at all of our campuses. Could we put our heads together and welcome Alamance County Sheriff's amazing the way the guy can and really through your leadership as we probably the Holy Spirit is doing here in the Triangle area. Yet the Bible and invite you to take it out now begin to open it to Romans chapter 6 Romans chapter 6 is where were going to be. We were enormous for couple weeks ago. So just a couple chapters to the right of that is returning there if you are new to Christianity.

One of the things that you will very quickly figure out about the Christian subculture that you are now part of is that we Christians love bumper stickers. If you ever see somebody who has just their holdbacks out of their car that is plastered with bumper stickers. It either means that they are a tree hugging liberal or they are evangelical Christian knows of the two kinds of people to do that sort of bank's over the years I've collected just you know my share of what I consider to be the worst Christian bumper stickers that are out there. Hopefully these are not reviewing your car bed, I give you a few over my here.

First, we have what I call the confrontational evangelism Christian you know this fish won't drive you I'm sure you seen some version of of this then there's what I call the passive-aggressive Christian you see this you follow Jesus.

This close and I just kind of self-righteous.

Yes, sort of thing. There then I got cheesy Christian you know see what's missing you are you this is terrible. And then there's I about.

I glorify God with even my fast food choices.

Christian Mrs. you know I support Christian chicken AAA Christian values. There then you got all this is going. Pastor's favorite church member Christian type if you love Jesus. Anybody can honk so were given those out as soon as you leave today, so you might want to get want to, then there is a politically sensitive Christian praise for Obama. Someone on a which is nice right I pray for president of the Bible tells us to, until you look up Psalm 1098 which says May his days reviewing another take his office and so I took all these pictures on the weight walking into our parking lot this morning that a joke but if you do want to stage a bathroom break right now and Monday are harmful. One of these alternate certainly believe I'm but here is one more bad one that I've seen. II use it because it it sorta sets out what we're going to talk about today a misconception. Here it is Christians are perfect, they're just forgiving now part of that bumper sticker get license plate here is true is true that Christians are not perfect, but they're not just forgiving and I just forgiving that's a misconception that gets embodied in a bumper sticker that I want to talk about how we are in a short series called phantom faith in which we are discussing a handful of things that people just don't get regarding Christianity when they're new to Christianity. Or if you have been rancher for a long time user kind of things that that just don't connect that cause them to live to go through the motions of Christianity, but often without the soul. That's what a zombie is right is in a zombie site we wait last week to talk about is a moving body without the soul. Many people are like that with their faith or going to the motions of Christianity, but they never really develop a heart of Christianity in I want to explain why that is the very first week we went to Romans chapter 4 and I showed you how so many people just don't seem to get what the Bible means when it says that were saved by faith drawn here for that. I would encourage you to go back and listen to it.

Not because I thought it was a great sermon, but because it's a great passage of Scripture and it shares with you.

The one thing that separates Christianity from every other religious message in the world shows you the one thing that you have to understand if you were going to know for sure you go to heaven.

Not one thing that we looked at in depth a couple weeks ago, is what it means for salvation to be received, not achieved. That's the distinction of what Jesus taught more of any other religious leader is that God credits to us. Jesus righteousness even though we don't deserve it, even though we don't have in ourselves the credits to us.

Jesus is righteousness when we trust personally that God accomplished what he said he accomplished in Jesus death on the cross and that is before the complete payment for our sin on this week I want to talk about another misconception that people have about Christian salvation and that is that Christian salvation is just forgiveness that the gospel is just God's agreement to wipe out your sin debt.

You can hear that how we phrase the question about salvation you we say I owner this couple weeks ago. If you died tonight and gobble to say why should I let you into heaven, what would you tell it as if that is all that the gospel is really concerned about is how you answer that question.

How are you going to take care of your sin debt. What I want to show you this weekend is that in the gospel are not only the resources to be delivered from the penalty of sin, to get the resources that you need to be delivered from the power of sin to it's not just forgiveness.

It's also the power of new life to the question is not just if you died tonight and God said why should I let you into heaven, what would you tell them. The question is. Also, if you get up tomorrow morning if you get up tomorrow morning. How is your life going to look different, that Christ is in it. I'm really excited about this. I will be totally honest with you about being able to teach this to you because what I must share with you today has the potential to radically transform some of your lives because you are going to discover today that there is a power available to you that you may not have even ever known about, you do not automatically get this power when you become a believer you got to learn to access it unless his face it, some of you will really honest you would admit that you feel plateaued in your spiritual life. You're not really going anywhere.

Relationships not develop stable temptations. You've always had her as as in control of your life as they've ever been.

You're not developing deeper love for God. Get the same too bad temper the same foul moods. I want to try to show you why that is and how it is that you can change that Romans chapter 6, Paul begins with the question here is the question what shall we say then are we to continue in sin that grace may abound, after what Paul has just taught about how salvation is a free gift that it is received, not achieved. It's not something we do to earn it after Paul is taught all that the natural question is, well, we now have it like a divine Visa card with an unlimited balance if we could just run up as much sin charges. We want Jesus sorta got it covered nearly got you got unlimited credit and when I just spend as much money as you want. Why don't we just go ahead and sin to Jesus blood is covered in all to bring action very natural? You understand the gospel number two pulse is by no means by no means how can we died to sin still live in it. But what does Paul mean when he says we have died to sin will only take what he doesn't mean what does it mean is that we are gradually moving away from sin gradually getting more more righteous and Mrs. died to say this is the metaphor know he's a dead at you. You need dead to sin is you're not like, mostly.

Did you read the debtor you're not. So Paul is not talking about a gradual process were you become more sin, more sinless, as you grow more righteous nor does Paul mean that we have simply renounced sin saying you know like what you like an Italian Mafia boss may say to the son if he disappointed or dead to me. He's not talking about that either something much greater. Something much bigger is going on. He explains verse three. Do you not know that all of us who been baptized into Christ Jesus. We were baptized into his death. Putting sin to dapple something that Christ did for us on the cross and when we are baptized into him. We are joined to his killing of our sin. Verse four we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father. We also we too might walk in the newness of life. The baptism that Paul speaks of specifically here is Spirit baptism where the Holy Spirit takes us.

It's an invisible process, but the moment that you put faith in Christ. The moment you trust in Christ, the spirit of God takes you and he baptizes you in the spirit into the death of Christ, so that Christ's death on the cross becomes your killing of sin and Christ's burial in the ground became the burial of your sin forever that Spirit baptism is supposed to be mirrored by water baptism.

We often say here that that water baptism is just an external depiction of what is already happened.

As an inward reality that just like you and I when we were baptized in the spirit we trusted Christ just like we were put into the death of Christ right so we are going to put somebody in the water, showing that they have been buried with Christ and just like Christ was raised from the dead and we were raised in him.

The spirit joined us to that. So were going to be raised up out of the water right so that's what were doing when we do. Water baptism is work giving an external picture of something that is already happening on the inside so occasionally somebody will say to me you know it will pass want to sprinkle people. It feels like you them to so much cleaner and easier and it didn't involve the tanks and the contingent of closers in the 20.

Sprinkle Melissa when I answered as a mantra to be catty to be cute. We don't sprinkle because it depicts burial very somebody you don't sprinkle dirt on their head. You put them under the ground. People say why don't you baptize a baby will because a baby has not been put into Christ. Yet water baptism is supposed to be the external depiction the external symbol of something that is already happening on the inside and it happens when you believe on Jesus. And when you're baptized in the spirit you're supposed to demonstrate that by water baptism. Now I'm telling you I've told you for a few weeks working to be doing that today would anywhere every year throughout the year. From time to time will give people a chance you have never been baptized to be baptized, and I know some of you didn't come prepared you like. I wouldn't thinking about it today already forgot reset a couple weeks ago which is well first of all, God graciously has repaired you by making you get wet. For the last nine days in a row, so you should be that nervous about that but we also have everything that you need a change of clothes and at the end of the service today. All of our campuses were to give you a chance that you need to take this step because it's an important one and is what Jesus said is supposed to be your first time at the faith. After you become a Christian summary been Christmas for years. You've never done it today really given that chance pipe on that unification.

Paul says to Christ gives us access. Now Jesus is newness of life. Verse five we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his United. That word is a horticultural term in Greek means where you would grab one branch out of one plant into another one. What he saying is that our plant was dead.

And so Jesus took the branch of our lives, and he grafted into Jesus's roots, and because Jesus was alive. Jesus is life begin to flow up into us now me to stop her second, do you understand I thought this occurs whenever I read. Do you understand what Paul just said about the implications of that for the power and the potential that you have in your spiritual life you really can't get your mind around Christianity is not you turning over a new leaf. It's not you. Resolving to do better. Christianity is the power of new life. There are some people who seem to be looking for so little when it comes to salvation mandated for inner peace. They just want to find some meaning in their life they want to get out a helpful regard and Jesus will give you all of those things, but he is so much more union of Christ means that everything that is true of Jesus is now legally true of you also give not only got his perfect record attached to your account.

You got the power of his resurrection and eternal life is not just something I was going to give you by eternal duration of days in the afterlife. Eternal life is something he wants to give you right now it is a quality of living. Not just the quantity of days. Does that not change how you see the potential of your life. There is no brokenness or no corruption in you that Jesus did not put in the gray and there is nothing that his resurrection cannot remove heal or redeem from you what you think about this for a minute the greatest people that God used to change the world. If you go back and read their stories in the Bible are always deeply flawed people. People that you would like more in the past you know why you're here, Peter was a coward repeatedly throughout his life a coward. Paul was was harsh and abrasive, you would not want to be friendly, possible is always self-righteous on what he did better than you. The apostle John was arrogant and vengeful on several of the most prominent women in the early church had very shady past get the new birth made these men and women, people of incredible power they change history and they were not made out of more promising material than the person that is sitting next to you. They are a believer in Christ. It is no longer about what you and I are able to accomplish for Christ is what the power of his resurrection can do in and through us right now but your goodness right now. Look at the person and every campus to your right about your right now to the person to your left, if they are a believer.

They have literally literally they have the power that brought Jesus out of the grave inside their chest.

Is that not change how you feel about that person is can reach over and touch them for an estimate is going to make you live it at all for that is a potential that Paul says is in you and a friend. I get to see my sniper for some longtime EM year struggle with temptation that he just cannot shake it on tell you, no matter how many but we learn versus together we read books together. We did accountability group together and he could never shake that temptation. I eventually had a job that caused them to move away in the I get to see them now is not the first time in a while back in the first effort for some, and cinnamon like a year to be's model bag tells like some is different. He said in a cement God, give me victory with temptation support you. You know what what new thing did you learn which my podcast relisten into and you learn that missing piece in Peter's man because I learn anything new. I certainly would listen ago on your podcast. He said he said I did learn anything new. He said if I finally think somebody explained to me what it meant.

That's for Christ to live through me. He said I always was trying to fix this for Jesus. He said then I finally realized he would not fix this for him and offer it to them what he was asking me to do is to yield myself to let him do it through me and he was able to do in his resurrection power my life when I've never been able to accomplish. No matter how much willpower for how many verses that I words. This is what Paul is talking about in Romans 63 going to try to get really practical with you right so go to verse 11. Also, you know it gets really down in Ghana in the weeds with us. Likewise, you also you need to to reckon yourselves to be a dead Anita said reckon, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The rest of this passage is can be billed on around two imperatives to verbs. The first one is this right here reckon not reckon is that Greek word did so my that we spent so much time on a couple weeks ago I told you it is an accounting term or you count one thing, as if it were another even though it is not in the first time Paul uses it in Romans. He's talking about how when we put faith in Christ God located so mad. He reckons our faith to be righteousness the accounts that is right is even though technically it is converted to wildcard number that likes it when your hand of poker. If you got a joker you can tell the joke of whatever you wanted to be. Need a queen arts and you can count that as a queen arts even though it's not Paul says when we put faith in Christ for this work. God did to my house. That is righteousness. Now Paul says it's your turn to do the reckon is your turn to reckon your self to be dead to sin and alive to God.

And when you reckon yourselves dead to sin and alive to God is then that God infuses the power of new life into you say, but I don't feel dead to sin. Sin and wrong desires feel very much alive in me.

You're totally missing Paul's point. When you believe that God has declared it to be. It is, and then after you believe it that he begins to refuse the power into you again.

Abraham is our example Abraham was infertile at 90 years old when God declared he would have a son.

When God said that the Abraham Abraham did not say you know I think you're right.

I been feeling unusually frisky for the last few weeks. I believe you know Roman says he didn't feel anything at all when God said what he believe what God said because God said it, even though we didn't feel it, even though he knew his equipment was way out of working order and when he believed what God said, even though it went against how he felt it was that he received strength. So Paul says in the same way, you will receive strength to be dead to sin. When you believe that God has made you dead to sin. This is not some kind of mental trick where you tell yourself I'm brave I'm brave and brave are brave enough times and you actually become bright.

God gives you actual power.

Would you believe that what he says he has done is true and so when you say I am dead to sin and I am alive to God in the resurrection. It is then that the power of righteousness and the power of new life comes into you see, we always want to feel first and then will believe in God says no that is not it at all. You gonna believe what I said because I said it and then you will feel this is what we call name it. Claimant sanctification should name the claimant crowd gets at least one major thing right make his major things want to name the claimant is the idea that you think a promise of Jesus in the matter.

If you don't have it don't feel you claim is not in Jesus and then you name it. Majority stabbing you grab it however you want to do you think of that what they get right this is you learn it. What they get right is that when Jesus was made a promise that you can claim it as your own. Even if you do not feel it in one shape or fashion at all what they get wrong is the object of what you're claiming from Jesus because what Jesus died for was not to give you new BMW he died to make you holy, and holiness is a much greater possession in a Hummer. So when you name it and claim it what you're claiming is you're claiming the promises that Jesus gave not about making you materially prosperous your mate climbing the promises about him making you more like Christ.

And that is a promise that you can name it is a promise you can claim and when you claim that promise that God will infuse the power of new life into you pulses you got a reckon that even though you don't feel you reckon and when you reckon it. That's when God begins to infuse it in the so Paul continues in verse 12 is your second with but not sin therefore reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness and said you should present yourself to God as those who have been brought from death to life in your members to God as instruments for righteousness.

Your second command.

Paul tells us after you reckon yourselves dead to sin, number two, you must restore God as the center of your life now. He then use the word restore in this tax per se, but that is what he is talking about what he tells us to present the members of our body daily to God. You see, Paul says listen is what this there is something at the center of your heart, and sits on the front there something every day you will present your members of your body in service to that think there is something in you that you feel like is so central in your life that you gotta have it.

This is the God that you worship.

And every day you will get up and you will resent the members of your body and service that they can say what I gotta do to obtain you now at this point.

I know some of you may object to say what he met Paul, not a servant of anybody or anything.

I do whatever I want. Paul anticipate your objection by the unit but for the first at least 100 years, maybe even longer at Harvard Law school on Bay read the book of Romans, line by line, not for theology. They read it so that they can learn how to develop a law case review anticipate objections and to shoot them down as you're making your argument is what Paul does any time he senses an objection is going to take care of it and said he figured that a group of Americans 2000 years ago is rightness that would object the way that you just objected to Paul, since your objection to watch how it smacks of Amber 16 do you not know you will serve somebody that what you think you not know that if you present yourselves anybody's immediate slaves.

Slaves of the one you obey. Whether that's the sandwich lease to death or obedience to God Lisa righteousness every day since you present your body, your members, your body and pursue something something is at the center of your heart something commensurate obedience.

It's whatever it is that's most important to you, whatever you feel like that you have to have time to be fulfilled and be happy. It's whatever you feel like you can't live without that thing controls you functionally that thing is become your master Christian counselor on David Palace and other others like you have identified a set of what they call core idols core masters in the human heart, which are sort of you based on your personality are based on the time of life. One of these four will become more prominent than the others, but they're going to root idols or core idols that are sort of behind everything else.

It's would be helpful for me to think through these me put up your for you on the first.

We talked about his power. There are certain people that are driven by a desire for influencer recognition meant just for them for life to be good. They gotta have power and influence in the gotta be at the top there others that their God is control their gonna be happy as long as everything is going according to their plan. These are the people to plan all the time. These are the people to save lots of money. These are people who just feel like as long as everything is going the way that supposed to, and there's nothing I want to be okay there others that what the core of their heart is his approval. They had this craving to be accepted or desired, may can be happy unless certain other people are happy with them that might be there family. It might be the friends at school. It might be the people in their career field might be their spouse, but they live by approval on then there are lastly here.

Comfort. There are some who what it means for them to be happy is they just want to be comfortable. That might take the form of a longing for pleasures like sexual pleasure, even alcohol, food, pleasure, or it might just be that one creature comforts. They thought as long as I'm use.

Got my my my house alone. I got my land and as long as everything is comfortable and I want to be okay. Let me ask you this, when you look at those four which one to sortable more naturally think that that would be my one right there can identify. Did you have your spouse lean over and tell them which one you think there one is as well and see if you guys got the same one. There's nothing wrong, of course, with any one of these things in and of itself, it's want to become central in your life. Ultimate when it becomes the thing that you can't live without. When it becomes something that commands your obedience more than God does when you get up daily, and you think about how to pursue these things because without that thing you could not be happy. That's what God is been displaced as your master, and that thing is become wicked, John Calvin, the theologian said that evil is not typically desiring something wrong, evil is usually wanting something good. Too much, if not desiring a bad thing. It's elevating a good thing to a God thing. And then comes a God thing. It becomes a bad thing that Paul uses a very illuminating word in verse 12 of that old little show you this yet your Greek New Testament. You probably saw only read it. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. He said to make you obey its passions.

Pat network passions in Greek is the Greek word epic to me epic to me up for me. It just means a desire, a strong desire even when you add the little prefix epi to it, it means that the desire become so large that it controls you were dominate you. I want money or no money. Money is a good thing. But if I can't have it all be bitter and I feel like I live a second glass life. Or maybe I'll even feel like life is not worth living, because it just be miserable to report so I worry all the time about not getting money or I'll save money all the time rubbing jealous of those who have more than I do. I will overwork even out sheet to get it.

I want a family.

I want a family and if I can have that well like that looks like it's worth living Santos around feel sorry for myself and asked what I did wrong.

That would make God hate me like this or I'll obsess about finding a boyfriend or girlfriend and I'll be willing to compromise all kinds of standards just to have somebody with me because I can't be happy.

I can't live without companionship. Tim Keller says that there are three test of the show you what your spiritual master is three kind of you know litmus test it first with anger.

Anger whenever something blocks you getting a good thing.

You get upset, that's normal and it's fine to demotion God created listen is something blocks you from getting an ultimate thing you'll just get angry you get at the angry you snap because they have threatened the core of your life that look for your life and see what you can't forgive somebody else because wherever you can't forgive somebody else is because they touched one of your spiritual masters fear is the second one is something good in your life is threatened.

You get worried that that's natural, but I know my kids are in danger.

I get worried that's very natural but is something ultimate in your life is threatened so many thought you can't live without you are paralyzed your fear has become an epi fear. You are so anxious about it that you can't think right you develop warrior anxiety problems you go to panic attacks is your third one.

Sadness when you lose something good in your life you grieving you. We which you should grieve and weep. But see, when you lose something ultimate you despair you fall apart you say life is not worth living any longer. You want to throw yourself off of a bridge. You see those three emotions. The epi version of those three motion point where God is been displaced as the master of your heart. So again just little self-diagnosis where where what triggers those three emotions motion you. What is it throughout your life that is got you the most angry.

What is causing them as worry what is causing the most sadness near the years. We talked about this about told you this, to that sort of fight for dominance in my heart besides God.

One of them is under control. Which one of the reasons that when when I got married one of the things that my wife and I thought about as many married couples might be thought about money while because money for me that security and I was just convinced one out and open up our bank account. It would be anything left and there is no money there and I need that to feel secure about the future as long as there's enough in there to take care of emergencies go through a couple of months and I feel okay and it's not there. I feel like you know just I just drive me bananas because it because it is controlled. The other one is approval told you this before but I just got my life always felt like I was a good person of other people around me directly or tell me that I was also into what I did is a missing transfer that to our church and I became a passion about wealth of searchlights through the church. That means I'm doing something right right so that's why when I would preach a bad sermon, which is devastating. I was just sad that you guys didn't get the pointer aboard you a little bit. I even like it was because it got to the core of who I was. If a mega preacher that I'm not worth anything of people are really enlightening and I just was after I preach about so much of the next, we commence another yellow to show up that the sermon was just so bad aboard the yellow like like sometimes you just like an animal sounds crazy to you but I drive up and I'm like you. This is a volunteer organization. You have to be like this is the week that all of you say you know what I'm to second ever.

That's for like seven times that same one he tells and I'm walking on my coming back and use go to another church and you listen to another preacher.

I come here there's like I am. They have to be here and then there's my wife leaned on the front row. She got her.

I pledge addition or whatever. She got her iPod in and she's listening to Matt Chandler because he's funny and so you know it's in and want to run a preach on my boom adjusting up. It's this kind of fear that begins to paralyze my life because the master that I've lived for his approval pulses you got everybody's gotta serve somebody. Maybe it was a ball that was Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan got it from Paul. He got it from Paul right here in Romans chapter 6 Paul says his you put God back in the center.

Did everybody serve something receive you present yourselves.

Anybody was obedient slaves are to be slaves of the one you obey even a sandwich lease.

The death of obedience with Lisa Rogers or whatever master you choose to choose one to lead you to a certain destination in every master that you choose.

Besides, God the destination, they lead you to his death. So if you're enslaved to approval like I was your life will be plagued by constant self-pity, feelings of envy toward other people who have what you want.

Hurt feelings.

We've always walking on eggshells because they say the right things to affirm.

You would make sure they don't criticize you, your feelings you have these feelings of inadequacy appearance like the comfort your slave account for. That means that will couple versions of it. You you can't say no to the pleasures of the body.

Get addicted to sex or food or pornography or alcohol or something. Another version of this a much more civilized version of this is you can never be generous with your money.

Why, because to give away money for the mission or to share with somebody else to write, deprives you of some the creature comforts that you love so you'll be generous as always it on the fact you have the things you really want, which is at home by vacation.

Robinette, car because you worship got a comforting you can be happy unless the right comfortable things around you.

That's what you can't really be that generous, or may want to talk about somebody leaving to go to the mission field. You act like I'm talking to people from another planet. But why would you ever do that while Valley my comfortable home to live somewhere that's uncomfortable it will be full doing to live in and the dwell live in another part of Raleigh-Durham whether Livingston intentionally somewhere not comfortable you can do that because you worship comfort if you worship were we have a easy worship power you become domineering and vengeful harness, even abusive ever saw yourself in the mirror you would like what you see, you're the kind of person.

Also, talk about yourself all the time right here that guy you know I am tired of talking about how awesome I am. Why don't you talk about how awesome I am for a while in the middle of nowhere for me you just become a person if you're enslaved to control. You worry all the time obsessively you you you you you lose your temper a lot of people around you feel manipulated by you because you're trying to control them. The wages Paul says you see it says in verse 23 is death.

You've known that verse.

The wages of sin is death going. Bobby never done is connected to the larger context. Paul is not just talking about going to hell when you die you talking about that he's talking about a hell you begin to experience on earth before you ever get the hell the afterlife really saying is that death is a law that begins to discuss this disintegrates you and ultimately one day when you do die and go to hell. It's just the fulfillment of the way that you lived on earth. The wages of sin is death by The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord pulses is another master Ms. master doesn't pay. He gives he gives you a gift, whereas every other master threatens you and fellowship you don't work enough for me. I'll make you miserable now to mastered us and I will money does you are working hard for me and you don't work hard enough for me. You can be poor and then when you're poor make you miserable. You will be cursed.

Relationships that you better work for me, your wife, your hot enough in your if you're skinny enough, then you'll get the relationship that you've always wanted. You get the attention you want and then you'll feel like there were something you better starve that body and you better get it down. You better feel inadequate all the time because you got a five. That relationship is about that to be miserable to work for me work for me. God says I'll give you all my joy to my blessing as a gift.

You have to work for anything you can't work for anything. You don't have to earn it. It's not a wages a gift every blessing that I have in Christ. I want to give it to you for free salvation my salvation my blessing my presence is not something you achieve something you receive. Tim Keller has a wonderfully simple way of saying this, Jesus is the only master that you give yourself to the only master who if you find him will satisfy you and the only master that if you fail, and will forgive you.

Is he Jesus is more satisfying, and he's more reliable than money. Why because he owns the cattle on a thousand Hill. He promises to supply every need that you ever have, and he never crashes and never dipped below 12,000 you want to get up and switch on some business channel to figure out what he's what he's writing after the date he is more fulfilling and more comforting and romantic love is the earthly marriage could marriage is all they are supposed to be a dim shadow of heavenly love. It turns out that the arms that we yearn for, and we sought in romance were actually his arms. It was his tenderness is security his companionship. That was the ultimate fulfillment of those things Jesus is better than earthly pleasure is the fountain of all pleasures. Jesus is better knowing God is better than earthly power. Know what greater power could there be than for you know that the sovereign God who cherishes you has commandeered every molecule in the universe to work for his purposes and for your good, you'll get greater power than that Jesus is greater than popularity to be known and honored and is seen by the God of eternity. That is our that's the one who I want say I approve of you. Well done good and faithful servant. No matter what I compare God to God wins what Paul says is listen.

You have got to get God back at the center of your life do you reckon yourself dead to sin, realize that the way that you were living, you put something in your life that was leading to death to put God back in the throat and daily present your members to him that will lead you to life is a great illustration of this is as you said, I have a shellfish analogy analogy out have a shellfish allergy, not an analogy. He says what I do is I if I every shellfish. He says my throat constrict so you break out in a rash.

I can hardly breathe is a problem is is I love shrimp. I just love the taste of shrimp and season for years as a young man I just commence myself.

You know what willpower this time out each ramp and I'll just come to mind my way over the thing he said it never worked. It never worked and he pulled up this whole thing.

He says the good thing is I have one of these is an EpiPen and EpiPen that you know if you eat shrimp and you stick it you know someone your body and your parents note it is and it counteracts the effects of the shellfish out. He's not suggesting or my that you just about that is a routine of life or you didn't figure 7. EpiPen piece of you. It sounds like that's what you're saying but essentially sent in the gospel.

That's how that works is sin is empathy media that begins to take over your whole body man you love the taste of it for a minute but it begins to constrict your breathing even constrict your circulation in the begins to work.

Death and the only way that you counteract that is a take the EpiPen of God's word and you gotta put it into your bloodstream and you gotta have a vision of God that begins to open up those passageways and open up what light what what what sin is created and death. I got to re-infuse with life policies. You gotta serve somebody.

What you been serving lead you to death. You need a vision of God and his promises that will confuse you with life God needs to become epi-again in your life because he's only one that will give life. So Paul begin this discussion with a question. The question was really saved by grace is a free gift to just go on sinning like we have an unlimited spiritual budget to cover sent Paul's answer was God for bid.

Why, because sin is a trajectory that leads to death.

If you really repented you want to be on that path and I believe you do want to be in that path I would say that begs the question of whether you've ever really repented some like a lot of my heavenly visa card is repentance trying to use God. But what repentance means is that you recognize I was walking a path that led to death. I want to walk a path that leads to life, and so I forsake this path and choose this one and if you are not choosing to follow after God that I don't care what prayer you pray, you didn't really become a Christian because repented means a change of mind, a change of mind about one thing and beginning to pursue another one pulses after you have made that choice that you want to follow God.

How is it that you begin to live victoriously over sin is your two steps you reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God you believe what God says you gotta believe that you're not a slave to sin anymore that you say that back in the days of the 19th century after Abraham Lincoln and baby Emancipation Proclamation, and even after the Civil War had been one there was a whole generation of slaves. Former slaves who just could not get their mind around the fact they were free people because their identity for all their life and venomous life and they would say that when their other their former masters would come around. Sometimes they would tremble and they would quake, and they would just begin to be servile do whatever was said right you want to tell this people you're no longer slaves. You are free you have to tremble and quaint, because you are not under the control that person anymore. Paul says when you become a Christian send that old master comes around you. You want to listen to them anymore because they start saying things do you like, you know what, you're always good to be an addict you're always good to be a failure.

You're never going to get any better.

You see what you've done in your life. That's what we can expect from you.

Paul says in Romans six.

Know what you feel, no matter what you may have experienced God's told you in his word that if you are in Christ, you are no longer under the reign of sin and when you do phone. The same is because you forgotten who you are, so you need to remember what Christ is made, you need to reckon yourself dead to sin, because that's what you said and then you need to live according your new identity. You need to reckon and then you need to restore God is the center of your life at the master who brings life. All this starts with just trusting Christ for begins.

Just trusting Christ that what he has said about what he's done for you is true.

The gospel, the gospel is Jesus Christ has removed both the penalty and the power you sent you ever just trusted that is your salvation.

That's where begins. Some of you think that you gotta improve your life and get better in the gobble except you.

Here's the Army listeners. The irony of Christianity is that the only people who will ever get better are those who know that their acceptance with God is not dependent on their getting better.

It's when they recognize that he is done at all, and paid it on his powers been given. It's then that you begin to receive the power to actually become better to escape the slavery of sin. That all starts with trusting Christ and the first thing you do after that. As you demonstrate that my being baptized much try to take a small thing, make it huge thing. It's a big thing because it symbolizes for you to come back to about your life and your member that's where I give this picture. But Jesus told me to the house. With him, and I was raised I got told to. There's a bunch of you in here that have never met to me that staff are minimally give you a chance to trust Christ you never have your making a decision today. Some of you made a last week's we made it a month ago.

Some of you spent 10 years and never you never been baptized. You gotta get 10 rectified today. Gotta get that rectified today were to give you a chance in just a second. I noted that that you really sit well II didn't come prepared.

We have everything that you will meet me everything with their product for your hair. We have changes of clothes told to begin the service you can get wet, going home. I have account or something you know so what will will will will take care of. We got everything very modest, close, just a minute I'm in a have you if you want to comment different campuses get a bunch of people at our Saturday services you, will answer your question to be have any after you told somebody you want to get baptized. You can opt out of it will give you that chance. So I have been thousands of baby and I don't want to insult my parents you're listen, I praise God for what your parents were doing when they baptized on over the they were saying. I hope you grow pathologists you are you fulfilled their desire. Baptism is supposed to be you declaring your faith. Baptism is not something you receive because of somebody else faith is how you declare your own faith. So what you do is you ratify the decision they made about you 20, 30 years ago and you say what you wanted for me now is happening I get supposed to be your choice that you make you say well so I drove me today and then I don't want to wait for me from sitting not want one, but just in general terms about limited don't invite somebody if you want for them the way get baptized. Right now they're like yes I will wait for you so that look at them right now they're shaking her head like this means they won't wait and if they do is raise your hand want to like this writer as we have an usher that will, grab the gravel discussion with whatever the bottom line. Don't wait okay I promise you that other campuses raised him right on point will take care that they want to wait there excited about way back if you drive somebody look over unannounced or not, Adam, which means only what I wait. I'll go forward with you in a minute I walk up there. She don't walk up there by yourself really give you a chance to do that… Started this way want to bow your heads that all of our campuses. Never trust Christ as Savior simply believing what God said and did in receiving, it is your own you right now see Jesus. I she died, my Savior and I received I received use my same Jesus I surrender to you is my Lord. Right now I do thank you for saving me know if you never been baptized.

When you pray for me right now or whether you spend a few weeks or few 30 years in urban baptized Jesus, I'm ready to do what you said. I'm ready to take this Jesus for you give me the strength in just a minute when JD asked me to come strength say yes to step out. But Jesus, I'm ready. My father, I pray that you would give every person of the summit searcher is attending the summit church is encouraged do what I'm asked to do now. I pray in Christ