Romans Chapter 6:18-20

February notice that when you do something good. What that feels like.

In the words of comfort whenever you do something good just sit back, close your eyes and give you that's not what happened.

God created you when you do something good you feel good about. And he also gifted you with something equally important and that's when you do something wrong that you feel bad about welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee Senior Pastor of the bridge near Winston-Salem, North Carolina. What's going Pastor David in the service as he continues in the book of Romans chapter 6. Last week we finish up with verse 18 to come back to verse 18 Romans chapter 6 verse 18 and having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness the Lord you've been set free to do what's right. Also, understand that you didn't have that freedom to completely do what was right before you came to the Lord's matter fact you were struggling in your in your power to do what's right in, or send them to that struggle continues after you come to the Lord.

But it's different in the sense that now God is made of power available to you that you can yield to what God wants to do through the sometimes my going to make a real strong Christian life is just as hard to not encourage them to correct them as it was my heart. It's actually about that encouragement, though, here's what I mean by that it's impossible for you and your strength in your power to do what God is called you to do with friend.

God makes his power available to you so that you can do what he's asking to do and the things that the Bible talks about cannot think of it like this that I have had a toaster. When Dana was going to make a sandwich. I put the bread in clickable thing you got all the different things on the bread should be.

Now you got out my things ready and bread.

Still not doing things. Nothing bread still not coming like a long time like five minutes or something like that your some of my personality. I think five minutes is a long time ago over the toasters not so like they for the toes to get done but you don't course once a minute you happen to know about a new toaster. This does is really I don't how does but is critical because when you go to push the button won't stay down. And it's not plugged in so you so why toasters you gotta be plugged into the power to get the job done in your life. You're not plugged in the power. Guess what happened is not override you and make all the decisions he still has given you the ability to choose once you come to visit Jesus, forgive me of my sins.

It is okay that's it for now I'm going to violate your will and you no longer have free choice he enables or empowers you to choose him to choose the right when talking about this chapter of yielding to the Lord something that you have to do you still have the choice you can yield to the Holy Spirit talks about. You can green the spirit or you can yield to the spirit you can live the life that God is called called you to live without the power of God without me implying then you will simply not happen. Folks are speaking of being set free and slave understand Rome at this time.

About one third of the population of the city which was large, probably over million people at this point were indentured servants or or in slavery, they would live with the family that would work for the family. They were bought and sold and whatnot. And so they understood this concept of being slaves once when Spartacus tried to leave this revolted and did not well yet here it says we can be set free and set free is an interesting thing and it's interesting when people say will you know is the good book says, and then understand part of the value of what we do here going verse by verse. There's a saying that text apart from contacts leads to error.

Here's what I mean by that is that sometimes people take one verse out of this place of the oldest and this really means that when you read the chapter you will sign what is talking about. As we go through the Bible that helps us to keep the context of the verse. People do this all the time lately known as the good book says no people say have a good book says to tell you something is not in the good book. You know the good book says you probably have your little as a good book says the Lord helps them help themselves is not in the good book. I said this is next to godliness. I'm pretty sure the well-intentioned mother came up about, you know, talking to her kids as they came in all masking their here's one place that people tear the text out the context they actually use the phrase it's in the good book but it's been very misused and people say will the truth will set you free to say I mean movies and telling the truth will set you free. Sounds great, and it is in the Bible, but you have seen it in the context of what Jesus actually said in John chapter 8 then Jesus said to those Jews who believed them in what we so when you see that word is let this is a conditional statement. In other words, it's an is then statement is this happens, or if you do this, then the next thing will happen if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. So there's more to it than just truth shall make you free.

You have to abide in the word and be a disciple and you'll know the truth and then you'll be made frequency we have to know case in OW know the word of God. Know the truth so that we can say in oh no losing to hold us back.

Those things that would bring us in the bondage now understand Jesus died for our sins that we could be set free.

That we can be forgiven but a lot of times here's what happens slices okay how do I want to.

I will set Jesus as my Savior asking to forgive me my sins and do that and places you at the starting line of the race. Now you can join in the race. You can run the race and fight the good fight happens a lot of folks maybe some people here so I get to start my okay all right all right starting gun goes off you go was annoyed. I like the way he held people running the race around it all wrong. Their money is short you're talking about the people that are running the race. Meanwhile, your sins may help me with something.

We've gotten to the point where we think that were supposed to be church critics to figure out what's wrong with the church. You could go into any church in America and figure out what's wrong with is not a price not get if you think that your gift you have a great gift of criticism is not listed as a spiritual different take long to pick it apart while you know what people are involved, God instituted the church.

He came up with, not us. But when we got involved you in on bring problems came in so it's not a gift to committing to what this is wrong and that's wrong.

It's a gift to come and you know how can I help how can I help change how can I help improve. I'm ready to get involved. That's a gift we weren't designed to figure out what was wrong with the church.

The church is designed to figure out what's wrong with us now the bad news is we can figure out looking in the word and into the teaching.

What's wrong with us but then it tells us how to fix see the world can say well you know your messed up all right lawyer must. That's the best I can do say well yeah you got from our conviction can do anything. The 12 steps and seven promises never separate. You know what we had come to the Lord and God will do work in our lifetime member at a young age 16 years old going into what was was to be the best child psychiatrist in the state and sat with him in an accountant to be honest I got twisted little kick out of kinda messing with them a little bit you know, yeah, and he asked me questions about ask him questions back and stuff was really coming becoming a troubled youth is that understatement but after seeing it for a few weeks. He looked at me and he said you know what there is just something wrong with you and you're going to do drugs until the day you die and and so I thanked him for that little ray of sunshine is the best he had no see God is not just interest in sample. This is the problem is not this is the problem.

Here's the solution here's the solution they were looking at the solution, not just that you know you you bound up or you can be ensnared, but that you can be set free. Start 2012 off right with the new daily devotional book from David McGee across the bridge every day pick up for yourself what has already helped thousands cross the bridge every day. Features 365 daily devotionals that are sure to make everyday life of God -sized adventure.

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That's 877-458-5508 cross the bridge every day with David McGee and find hope along life's journey. Now let's return to our study.

Look at verse 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh for just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness and of lawlessness, leading to more lawlessness. So now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.

What's all that sand well before you came the Lord if you come to the Lord here today, maybe you're still on the fence trying to figure out what Jesus is about and I'm glad you're here like a hammer here through things that you yell at your anything but if you're here and you've Artie made that decision thing back for a moment about your old life the way you used to be in the things used to do thing back of really your kind commitment, if you will just said for me personally it was quite the commitment.

I mean, you know every like whatever Friday or Saturday night.

You got paid got money going to go out and hang out the bargain. Be there for hours.

Minivans are doing everything spent a lot of money expend a lot of energy and then you know you get some point they close the bar closes will know that they do close at some point they look at you. Well you don't have to go home but you can't stay here anymore so you wake up the next morning.

Can't wait to do it again next weekend because you keep thinking that maybe one of these time something different happened. Maybe you see Mr. writer Mrs. writer doesn't happen there still at commitment to that lifestyle. That's interesting. God gets a hold of us right and then were like well you know I'll go to church but I'm not going hang out after anything on me actually start serving or doing anything about that friend of you are working in your balls came by and said hey I need to do a little extra at most of you go okay I'll do what I need to do dances were useless to serve him all my gosh we will a lot of money in the world. I spent a long remember what I spent on sin. A lot of money on blowing money for this money for that when it comes to serving God with our financial churches are all about the money. Money when you go to restaurant you know what they're going alone at the end want you to pay you ever heard anybody walk out a restaurant all all about the money. No, we don't mind paying for males within Montana for arson.

Somehow when it comes to spreading the word to spread the gospel in a manner only, so policy he used to do that. She is to give yourself wholeheartedly.

This now yourself wholeheartedly to God and begin the survey when and I share this before, but you know when I was a center was a bad center out of there there's not really a good center but I mean I went with it.

I went forth with a passion and got hold of me and he got hold of my and I never been, you know I got like this mainly on got to speak all hundred 80 miles from and you know what when I was going away from the Lord.

I was going away from the Lord out of hundred 80 miles. Now that I'm serving the Lord. Guess what I'm more passionate about that ever was about a man God wants you to be passionate about him and to present yourself with this as lay of righteousness for holiness. I thought I was being set free European set free to be what you were created to be. You were created to have a relationship with God. You were created to do what was right. God created you like that you ever notice that when you do something good. What that feels like inside where I come from. They did not come from your mom and dad.

Your mom and dad and I hate whenever you do something good just sit back, close your eyes and give yourself a more that's not what God created you when you do something good you feel good about.

And he also gifted you with something equally important and that's when you do something wrong that you feel bad about where does that come from comes from God's welcome from the Holy Spirit against psychology and psychiatry interesting studies with they try to answer that whole sin question than the guilt complex not read some stuff in studies and interesting but none of it really ever answered that question of where these things come from come from God.

Remember as a young boy be doing something good feeling good about doing something bad feeling bad about what you you know you at a young age we figure out well feel bad about this.

Gotta blame somebody gotta blame somebody else will blame us up on the fall.

You're now in my house.

I had two older brothers so those pretty easy for a while. I think Tom did. I think Bill with this this thing will always tell you we were camping out and we were and are so troubled youth. Okay, so you know we were out and we had the idea they were going to smoke bomb in somebody's porch and ring the doorbell run I know to begin with, but when we did that again kid that opened the door, picked up a smoke bomb and throw it and when he did he burned his hand and he dropped where roll down the stairs where his parents were having a party so not good and I felt really bad so I went to my dad things that this is what happened you feel bad. I'm sorry Lisa will do me a favor as to what he said don't talk about. So he's asking older brother who don't have anything to do with the Festa and you fear my older brother but I fear my dad more and talk to about three or four days of that going to do you have anything to do with this brother Tom finally comes in that I got doctors is what you know you been asked me about this mobile things is beyond us to go to be open with. I think David might've been involved in the same thing blame and him first blame and my older brother for something just got harder as they went off to school and college and the members will Kimberly. They were often glossed around the house and some would be messed up mama go Thompson school, Mr. nobody.

He went that way and it worked.

For years I did. I was like 22 when I stop doing that. But there was this blame thing because I wanted that I've done some wrong you know as we grow up and we grow older part of us still doesn't want to admit C admitting that were wrong, and we've done something wrong is part of being set free from you because as long as you're denying that it's a problem or an issue, you're still under its power, but the moment you say no this is an issue.

This is a problem and I need you to set me free from God will do it set you free. Look at verse 24. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So when you were serve and send your servant righteousness you were serving said that's what you were doing. That's what you were about and keep in mind with this thing last week.

You know you are serving some you are serving something everybody in serving somebody or something that'll Bob Dylan song years ago you got served. It might be the devil it might be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody that matter who you are, what you're doing you got a searchlight you are serving somebody right now. It may be yourself and maybe materialism may be greeted maybe this it may be that could be something even worse it could be the Lord, but it's it's not a choice as far as in here, sir. Choices. One thing about sin that's interesting so hard last you look at people who live their lives, dedicated to send. Often times it shows the God is an awesome master loving, kind, caring master sin is an incredibly cruel master Jesus timeout to Masters in Luke 1613 said this, no one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Nice timeout God money right there.

God has to come first. Anything that you put above God's idolatry in your Jason something that you really were created to chase and even when you get a hold of you be sadly disappointed this passage is really speaks a lot of truth speaks to us as individuals times we like to think well in the problems not really me. It's it's really other people problem is with my spouse or my parents or children are this is between you and the Lord it really is between you and the letter I don't know if you ever heard the story, you know, they come to deserted up. You know, I've actually are people say will be a better Christian, I could just get away from people are problem people are showing you what the problem is in here so they shut the skies on a desert on their three buildings on this that Michelle to go with the one thing what's that one structure should sort the second structures of the last lecture. Once the third structures are what you are you I was by himself.

The problem here, but there's always presenting here that we can know the solution friend you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out well right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry.

Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible. You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you if you've prayed this prayer with Pastor David receiving Jesus Christ for the first time or re-dedicating your life to the Lord.

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