The Resurrection Makes it Real, Part 2

Today at length with Jamie Greer your confession of faith has to be more than words. It has to be more than a prayer you prayer ritual you go through walking and I'll pray in prayer joining the church. Going to a confirmation class didn't baptize your confession of faith is surrendering to Christ as Lord, receiving his free offer to save you and letting him use his resurrection power in the Bible teaching ministry after Jeannie and Molly think if we can only see Jesus with our own eyes like Paul the apostle's dead never had any doubt about our faith that today. Pastor JD shows us that because we have the testimony of Hall and so many others we actually do see that Jesus is who he said he was and when we accept that we find that the resurrection doesn't just change minds about Jesus changes. Let's jump back into Romans chapter 6 with Pastor JD Easter Sunday message. How can we died to sin actually still live in it.

So what is the phrase died to sin.

What does that actually meet well for some explain what it does me. It doesn't mean that you and I have lost all interest in San after we become a believer were slowly moving away from Sumer slowly die into it as we mature peers to reasons we know that first Lord died in this verse.

You see, as in past tense. It's not that word die even thought that something that's happening to us is something that's already happened. We have died to sin. Secondly, in chapter 7 Paul is going to explain in the next chapter that the Christian can indeed still be tempted by and even seduced by the power of sin. Both can explain as I listen I'm apostle in my whole life is wrestling with sands and sometimes they get the better of me because my body, my simple body is always trying to convince me to do a bunch of stuff that I know I should be doing things like half the time my body wins out over me and I do what I don't want to do so. Paul doesn't mean here that we just lost interest in sin know what Paul means is what he explained to the next verse explains it for you. Verse three you not know that all of us to be baptized in Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that Jesus Christ was raising the dead by the glory of the father, we too might walk in newness and newness of life pulses when you accept Christ died to sin in QA's for member. First he says you right now sin once and for all. You died to sin by renouncing it once and for all. The picture of this Paul says his baptism on the questions we ask you when we baptize you.

Are you willing to go where ever Jesus tells you to go and do whatever he tells you to do right. That is called repentance. Repentance means a change of mind.

It means I was going the direction of doing what I wanted to do.

I was the Lord of my own life and now at this point forward, I am going to turn an about-face and I'm going to do what Jesus wants me to do. He is now the Lord of my life and the picture about his baptism, because then we can put you into the water showing you're dying to your old independent way of living and being raised to this new life of following Jesus again. That is called repentance is surrender and it is the essence of conversion. By the way it is going say this if that didn't happen at your conversion and your conversion was not legitimate because becoming a Christian does not mean that you go to some ritual or pray some prayer. We get a lot of people to think.

I pray this little prayer as God led me to have a than boom that was it wasn't praying a prayer and ask God to let you have an is not make you a Christian people in every religion, pray and ask God to let them into heaven just believing in Jesus, believing that he was a son of God. Many rows of the dead doesn't make you a Christian I we know that because James again.

Jesus's half-brother would say. And then in the book that he wrote he would say. Even the demons believe they believe Jesus rose and then there were sure of it or you are, as they were there when it happened but they're not Christians believing in Jesus doesn't make you a Christian going chart to get involved in religion that make you a Christian. My youth pastor growing out used to say, going to church but make you a Christian any more than going to McDonald's makes you a 1/4 pounder with extra cheese is meeting your church sometimes know what makes you a believer is that you that you surrender that you have an about-face that you renounce sin doesn't mean that God just becomes an influence on you or you become a slightly better person. I remember when I was growing up. A lot of Christians, a lot of zealous Christian before they like the fish on got popular in all of stuff it enough to put this bumper sticker on the cards. If God is my copilot, my youth pastor was also be like God in your copilot got your copilot someone is in the wrong seat right because God and come to be your inboard navigation system just to tell you how to get the situation. It didn't just come to you to be your OnStar to the reasons been better yet, when I was a teenager in this important updated monitor that you got a beer on start that you help you in the midst of a you have a flat tire package if you want to think of your life as a car.

Basically when Jesus shows up it's like, hey, you stole my car and you're like a searcher course on my car. My life is your card you get out you will sit humbly, the vaccines they okay were we going that's what it means to repentance.

It means that no longer is is you living this way, you are our renouncing sand now hear me very clearly.

I don't mean the Christians become perfect children Roman seven Paul to explain life is a struggle and is a much still stumble and fall.

But listen. A true believer. Paul says is somebody who has on equivocal. He renounced sin in their life proves that just first why Paul says we die to save as we renounce it. Have you done that you turned already said I'm going to say when Jesus is forbidden is Jesus. Has he ever become the Lord of your life. Second, Paul says saying you're dead to sin means that through Christ's resurrection. He has destroyed the rain, the power, the dominion of sin in your life when you accepted Christ Jesus poured the power of his resurrection into your heart.

Again, this is pictured in baptism and baptism you go under the water, showing that your body if Sam is dying in Europe raised up out of the water, showing that the resurrection life of Christ is coming into you and because of that, Paul says, you now have access to Christ's resurrection power over sin, you have the power to be able to begin to change it to be into that victory over sin through the next verse says, verse five, or if you have been united with him in a death like his.

If you receive the forgiveness of God that came from the death of Jesus, you will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his other words, the resurrection will start to show fruit in your life that you get when I was growing up. The question about the asking of me thought of this before. The question was always to be died tonight and God said why should I let you into heaven, what would you say that's a good question. You know and and and and and the answers for us to be well you because Jesus died for my sin but I'm equally important question is if you get up tomorrow morning is your life to be any different because Jesus is coming to your life, because the gospel is not just about forgiveness that comes to the death of Jesus. The gospel is also about renewed life that comes from the resurrection of Jesus, by the way, that were united right there is a horticultural term. Paul puts a horticultural turn in there yet. What is horticulture, like plants and stuff you know that's an identical definition. So if you were on how plants that died like a root digressing a disease you could cut the branches off of one bush or tree and you could draft them into a new tree so that now the life and the health from this living router. This living truck could now take care of these branches. That's the term Paul uses is like this is what happened when you became a Christian. The dead branches of your simple life. Jesus grafted them the spirit grafted them into Christ living root and his life begins to flow into your body and you begin to show that to follow the logic here follow the logic buses. If you renounce sin through your baptism and if it's dominion over you was broken by the power of resurrection. How could you continue willfully to practice it again. I'm a single struggle. But how could you be so captivated by saying that that you're still walking toward it and that is the direction you're going of independence from God. If you willfully continue to practice sin. Paul says that means that either your repentance was insincere or that God's resurrection power directly come into you. Either way you would naturally be a true believer to Paul says there's no way there's just no way for you to encounter something as powerful as the resurrection is that same way I describe as a teenager, sometimes a say.

Imagine that your eye on the parking lot.

Your little Honda Civic, but the battery goes back I see you get a jumpstart okay and so the only other vehicle in the parking lot is a big deal. It is for 250 hefty 50 super duty.

Your case is like not be off the ground and the guy gets out of the car. United egg out of the truck and he's got his jumper cables and their image of the tables like 4 inches thick in diameter and feels it up his battery and is about hooking up your battery little Honda Civic I know, will we make sure the powers flowing to these cables or you take the positive in the leg of the note and you are welcome to your tongue to see there's power, there in your like I feel it. There's power and then you take it and you hope that's not the way that storming you down right because we like that happen, then there's no real power, not that that battery because if you look back on the battery up to your tongue you be different. You want different. You taught different use mail different everything about you would be different because there is no way to encounter that level of power and stay the same. Now Paul used car batteries and ulceration. But Paul wouldn't enlighten. That's exactly what I'm talking about right there. There's just no way for Jesus's resurrection power to come into you and for you.

Stay exactly the same. So if you willfully continue to practice sin. That means that you are either insincere in your repentance for God's resurrection power never made contact with your soul in either way you're not really a believer you listen your confession of faith has to be more than words. It has to be more than a prayer you prayer ritual you are through walking and I'll pray a prayer joining the church. Going to a confirmation class didn't baptize taking communion.

Whatever it was in your tradition your confession of faith is surrendering to Christ as Lord, receiving his free offer to save you and letting him infuse his resurrection power into you. Here's my thing very natural question that we have after those five verses have you experienced this power in your life, and does your life prove does your life prove that the resurrection is come to take up its residents inside you. According to Paul.

The resurrection is not just a fact of history, past the resurrection is power in the present the gospel he said is not just his new way to live is not a superior philosophy is not a new set of moral regulations. The gospel is about power actual power that comes into you. It's not turning over a new leaf. The gospel is about the power of new life is about raw life-changing heart starting power.the center of Christianity I told you the beginning sin of Christianity is not a new moral code, not a new perspective on life, not a superior way of living, the center of Christianity is an empty tomb that literally changes everything because that empty tomb declares that death has been defeated, not just death out there.

Not just Like one day when you're when you die, but death now has been defeated the powers of death and you have been defeated. Jimmy's it until in your life is been defeated. It means that injustice has been defeated. Addictions have been defeated. Sorrow is been defeated the stairs been defeated received Jesus raised from the dead. That means Gil does not have the last word in your life is guilt for the powers of death see it's true that you and I have done things that we probably regard shameful. We've done things we regret we done things the Bible calls sin. And it's true that your like man if you knew everything that I donned of you everyday way that I was and how I thought you would want to be friends with me your brother right and you knew everything there was no about my life and everything that might be my head. You probably went on the resume either devil would want to listen leverage the perceived Jesus raising the data means that Gil doesn't have the last word of my life for yours because Jesus took my guilt into himself and he put it into the grave came out of a grave three days later he offered me newness of life, and says if any man is in Christ, to be a new creation. At that point, the old, passed away the newest, there is therefore no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus received Jesus raising the dead. It means it means that Gil doesn't have the last word because my past doesn't define me. The resurrection of Jesus defines me when I think about what is ahead for me in the future.

I don't think about the mistakes of my past. I think about his power in the resurrection and the present, and that's available to you Jesus raising the dead injustice that now the last word.

I realize we live in a world where a lot of bad and unfair things happen sometimes people get away with it is enough you will send against you and gotten away with it.

But you know, the resurrection shows you that shows you that the tomb is empty that God has last word in either one day God is right all wrongs and one day God will restore to you in eternity. All that injustice is taken away injustice that now the last word God has last word is he Jesus raising the dead addictions that are the last word your life either. I wasn't talking some people right now that you still overwhelmed drugs, alcohol, pornography, something that just like I can get away from it and destroy my life and maybe switch her family and like I just don't see anymore.

Hope the resurrection of Jesus declares to you don't have the last word because Jesus broke those when he came out of the grave. I don't mean to imply to be some quick easy prey to some greater things in different. What I mean though is that you can get out of bed tomorrow knowing that there's hope for today because Jesus is raising the dead and he sitting on the throne and is ready to offer help to all who will come to him humbly and asked for his help in faith.

Jesus rose from the dead.

It means that sorrow didn't have the last word for this role describes a veil of tears were everything in our life that we hold precious eventually escapes her grandson health, family or loved ones.

Maybe this year you walk through the bitter pain of a divorce, maybe some kind of family tragedy maybe is your parents got divorced, maybe it's your own type of health scare.

Maybe you had that terrible experience of having the wall with a loved one through that year of of tragedy where they encounter Alzheimer's disease and maybe you're just overwhelmed with the sorrow of life, but I'm not saying the song is not real.

Israel and say of Jesus, the great sorrow doesn't have the last word because God is showing that one day you will resurrect us to life in a place where he will heal every wounded dry every tear and he will make all the sad things, true in the joy that consumes us in that moment will outweigh the sorrow that plagues our days. Now, the resurrection shows us solid and have the last word, the resurrection, Jesus has last word.

Jesus got a great music despaired and have the last word made one of the things right.

There is causing you to despair, but the resurrection shows you despair can be a frightful enemy Jesus resurrection overturns all of it because as long as Jesus is on the throne there is hope for tomorrow because your future is as bright as the promises of God love the way for the mindset government is like. As he says if you're not dead. God's not done it. Jesus is on the throne and there is breath in your body. Then there is hope for you today to return despair by coming into the darkness of your season of death and speaking the words of light and life into not Jesus rose death itself has been defeated.

That is been defeated Taft didn't have a thing were most afraid of is what I was always afraid of growing up I was always afraid of what will happen when I die see the resurrection of Jesus shows me the thing that I feared the most. Death is not really terrifying at all because God is overturned to the resurrection and it shows me that the best is yet to come. The best is yet to come.

What is for me or my loved ones. Milligrams died when he died. The first thing that popped in my head somebody a statement he made in the sermon years ago on her one day you will hear the Billy Graham is dead don't you believe it be more alive than ever. I will just change addresses experiencing the past.

The best death is no longer the terrifying enemy that was death is the passage into the eternal life that God has for us. The resurrection changes everything. Resurrection changes people changes you think about the changes made in Paul. Paul was a bigoted judge mental hateful murderous man resurrection turned him into a humble person who would call himself the chief of sinners became what he called a bondservant of the church.

Peter was a coward denied Jesus.

Essentially, before middle school girl. The resurrection turned him into the rock on which Jesus built the church. The resurrection turned him resurrection turned Peter into somebody who would testify under pain of death, even to the point that he was crucified upside down and he wouldn't deny Jesus. The resurrection turned him from a coward into a victorious courageous leader think about several of the prominent women in the early church read their stories didn't come from great pass.

Most of them.

For example, Mary Magdalene. She had seven demons, one of them was a prostitute. Get these women. These women with the scandalous past, they become the pillars they became the string mimicking the beauty of the early church don't know why because because of the resurrection their past did not define them anymore. It was the resurrection I define them in Paul speaking to us through the corridors of history from 2000 years ago, looks to us to the lens of Romans six and he says in the resurrection can change you.

The resurrection can transform you into the kind of person you have been the kind of person Jesus wants you to be. You are going to be buried with him by baptism into death, that doesn't just mean the symbol which are buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just like Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father you to. You can walk in newness of life is offered to you as a cast like a set at the beginning you receive that gift. Nobody can receive it but you.

The gift is only yours if you if you take it. So maybe is crystal clear as I can and that's okay crystal clear what the gospel is all actually gives one of the shortest vessel definitions of the interim six Bible slope and went to the last verse existed.

The problem is the wages of sin wages means penalty. The price price for sin is death. So two ways you can pay the penalty always tuition paid a wage you pay for yourself which means you experience death internally which means separation from God eternally or somebody who loves you more than you could possibly imagine to pay it in your place. Paul says the gospel is that Jesus Christ came down and live the life you were supposed to live in, and died the death you were condemned to die offers you.

This is a gift and all you can do is receiving receiving resurrection power can come into you begin to transform you. Here's a question you ever see that gift personally for yourself.

I mean, your parents, Christians mean that what you check on a religious sense, is that your Christian, I mean have you received Christ as Savior and have you surrender to him as Lord, I know the circumstances to get you here were you want to be here. You don't want to be here on anything you please and being here, but I can say one thing God brought you here today.as he wanted offered to you free gift of eternal life, you would receive if you've never done anyone in doing you do it like this. You can even use these words uses words make sure they come from your heart.

Jesus, I believe you died for me ever see me right now is my Savior, I receive the gift of salvation. Surrender to you as Lord.

From this point forward I saw, whatever that means.

I'm actually just a minute if you pray that prayer you need to pray that prayer should make a bold step of telling somebody about it and praying with somebody establishing this he said we don't want this letter said to be just this kind of emotional they get their library praying like a funny moment, and you want to pray with you. I will make sure your questions are answered, symbolizes necessary will technically is not necessary, but it's a moment that you that you were say. I'm ready to actually begin this life following Jesus and stop trying to do except what Jesus surrender to him if you decided it's time to accept Christ's forgiveness and live for him today know we'd love to pray with you and encourage you on your new walk of faith. Give us a call at 866-335-5220 okay JD we learned in the first two chapters of Romans about the righteousness of God revealed through the gospel and then about God saving righteousness through faith in Christ. Now in this section of Romans will be shifting to how having faith in God's righteousness leads to unfailing have you know hope is an important concept.

The book of Romans, because hope becomes the power to do a lot of other things that Paul tells us all to be part of the Christian life example persevering and suffering that comes from from hope we didn't come from just sort of buckling down saying I'm to make it, and suffering.

It comes from having something that you know God is doing something he is put in front of you that that enables you to suffer. Well so hope is a concept that the more you get into it. Not only will you understand book of Romans better it will unlock most of the treasures of the Christian life as of this new resource. The second part of our Bible studies of the book of Romans that will offer now one of the key concepts can be hope. And I think you'll find it very richly rewarding and a great blessing to you so you get that second volume now available@jdgreer.com and you like wait a minute, second volume, I don't have the first volume. You can also get the first volume. JD Greer.com. Take yourself deeper into one of the most rewarding books of the Bible, the book of Romans. The book on which the Protestant Reformation and the great missions awakenings in the missions movement that they've all been founded. So get your survey more in-depth chapter 8 we study Romans together this year to your copy today. Going into our thank you Denny today ministry from a study that 552 21 more time.

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