Romans 180: Romans 6 - The Gap Between Knowing and DoingWelcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good Morning!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…a worldwide Christian Church based in Mesa, AZ…my name is Pastor Rory Clark.
James, Chapter 1, Verse 5 says…
JAM 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God the Father, who gives wisdom to all generously and without reproach, and wisdom will be given to him.
Proverbs, Chapter 2, Verses 2 to 8…
PRO 2:2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom… Incline your heart to understanding…
PRO 2:3 For if you cry for discernment… Lift your voice for understanding…
PRO 2:4 If you seek her as you would seek after silver… And search for her as you would for hidden treasures…
PRO 2:5 Then you will discern the respect of the Lord And discover the knowledge of God.
PRO 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom… From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
PRO 2:7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright (believers in Christ)… He is a shield to those who walk in integrity (believers in Christ)…
PRO 2:8 Guarding the paths of justice… And He preserves the way of His godly ones (believers in Christ)...
And if you continue to seek wisdom, Philippians, Chapter 2, Verses 5 to 8 say you will…
PHI 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus…
PHI 2:6 …who, although He existed in the same form of God the Father (Deity), did not regard equality with God the Father a thing to be grasped and held…
PHI 2:7 …instead, Jesus Christ emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, by being made in the likeness of men.
PHI 2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross.
Welcome to a place where you are seeking wisdom through the study of the Word of God that will lead you to the obedient life.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
You Ran After Me
The opening song is the title cut from June Murphy’s fourth album…YOU RAN AFTER ME.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray...
We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute truth...the Word of God…
Give us the mindset that is in Your Son through the study of the Word of God…
We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name... Amen.
TODAY’S STUDY The Gap Between Knowing and Doing
In the first eleven verses of Romans, Chapter 6, we investigated the sinful walk and the holy walk of the Christian Way of Living. As Sargent Joe Friday of the old television series Dragnet would say, the first eleven verses were, “Just the facts ma’m,” verses that present a series of facts…established in the past, and unchangeable forever facts…about the strategy of the Christian Lifestyle. In the second passage of Romans 6 which we are about to study, the Lord gives us, through the apostle Paul, a series of commands…the first commands in entire letter to the Romans…and as we know…God’s commands are requests to our free will. Now that we know some things about the Christian Way of Living, the holy walk, what does the Lord want us to do? That’s what we will learn in this lesson. First, few announcements…
BARAH MINISTRIES ANNOUNCEMENTS
REMINDER Check In on Facebook Before Church Service
Like BARAH MINISTRIES on
There are nearly 3000 people that have signed up to be a part of our online community. Get your friends to join our on line community today. Our first ten-minute lesson to our Facebook community will post tomorrow. Bring your friends to the Barah Ministries Facebook page.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Next Deacon’s Meeting April 4 7:30AM MST
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The Next Lord’s Supper Celebration April 12, 2015
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! No Face-to-Face Teaching May 3, 2015
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! No Face-to-Face Teaching July 5, 2015
MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Coeur d’Alene Conference Coeur d’Alene, Idaho August 7-8, 2015
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
Let’s take the offering. This is the time when you get to make a sacrifice on behalf of all the people around the world that can’t afford to pay to study the Word of God. Your generous contributions make it possible for them to learn about the Lord Jesus Christ free of charge by means of internet teaching or by means of face-to-face teaching.
Let’s remember to give with the motivation suggested in Scripture
2CO 9:7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful (grace oriented) giver.
Let’s welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall.
THE OFFERING Deacon Denny Goodall
Barah Ministries Financial Policy
Even though we are sanctioned by God to charge for the many things we provide so you can worship God, we choose not to exercise our right. Therefore no price appears on any material from Barah Ministries so that anyone who desires biblical teaching may have it free of charge.
Barah Ministries Financial Policy
Even though the materials we provide are free of charge, they are not free of cost. We appreciate it when the Word of God motivates you to give financial support so as to provide biblical teaching, both for yourself and for others. Please be generous in your support of God’s work through this ministry.
OFFERING VERSE
1CO 1:18 For the word of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
OFFERING How Great is Our God
TODAY’S STUDY The Gap Between Knowing and Doing
Turn in your bibles to Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 12…the next passage under consideration. Now that we KNOW some things about the Christian Way of Living, the holy walk, what does the Lord want us to DO? A series of do’s and don’ts
ROM 6:12 Therefore do not keep on letting sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts…
ROM 6:13 …and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but keep on presenting yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead would present themselves, and keep on presenting your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
ROM 6:14 For sin shall not be master (a lord) over you, for you are not under law but you are under grace.
Knowledge is not enough. Knowledge must be translated into action, which becomes experience. That’s a great lesson when parents think that just because they teach their kids what to do, and just because their kids may “know” what to do, that their kids can or will also “do” what they know. Often…quite often…knowing is not translated into doing. There is a book on the subject…not so oddly enough, it is called “The Knowing-Doing Gap,” and the questions it poses are, “Why are there so many gaps between what businesses know they should do and what they actually do? Why do so many companies fail to implement the experience and insight they’ve worked so hard to acquire?” Well…it’s the human condition. But it doesn’t stop the Lord from issuing commands…from making it clear what to do and what not to do. After the Lord is sure we have the knowledge, then He makes recommendations concerning action. First, the “do not” commands…
THE “DO NOT’s”
Do not…
…keep on letting sin be the king in your mortal body
…keep on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness
Now the “do” commands…
THE “DO’s”
Do…
…keep on presenting yourself to God
…act as if you are alive from the dead, because you are
…keep on presenting the members of your body as instruments of righteousness to God.
This passage starts with the word “Therefore.” That’s another way of Paul saying, “In light of all we KNOW from the first eleven verses of this passage in Romans 6, what must we DO?” Take a five-minute break and we’ll remind ourselves of the way to close the gap between KNOWING and DOING.
BREAK When I Think About Home
Welcome back…Romans, Chapter 6, Verses 12 to 14…now that you know all of these wonderful things that you are in union with Christ…
ROM 6:12 Therefore (in light of this knowledge) do not keep on letting sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts…
ROM 6:13 …and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but keep on presenting yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead would present themselves, and keep on presenting your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
ROM 6:14 For sin shall not be master (a lord) over you, for you are not under law but you are under grace.
The lesson the Lord offers here is the lesson of obedience. Once you know who you are, you get to decide what you want to do. What does it mean to decide?
DECIDE To arrive at a conclusion that gives a victory to one side or the other.
So what side will win? In every decision, you get to decide what you want to do…you have free will. With every decision, you get a clear recommendation from the Lord concerning what to do…first…
THE “DO NOT’s”
Do not…
…keep on letting sin be the king in your mortal body
…keep on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness
THE “DO’s”
Do…
…keep on presenting yourself to God
…act as if you are alive from the dead, because you are
…keep on presenting the members of your body as instruments of righteousness to God.
So what is your decision? To whom will you give the victory? The do not’s or the do’s? As you decide, first remember who you are…Colossians, Chapter 3, Verses 1 to 3…
COL 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, and you have, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
COL 3:2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
COL 3:3 For you have died (to the sovereignty of sin) and your life is hidden with Christ in God the Father.
More commands in this passage…
THE “DO’s”
Do…
…seek the things above where Christ is…
…remember that in union with Him you are seated at the right hand of God the Father, too
THE “DO’s”
Do…
…remember you have died…
…take advantage of Christ
In His commands, the Lord is telling us what not to do AND what to do.
“Keep on presenting yourselves” means to report for duty. God tells you who not to report to…and whom to report to…Romans, Chapter 6, Verse 12…
ROM 6:12 Therefore (in light of this knowledge) do not keep on letting sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts…
Do not report to sin…do not make sin your king…do not obey the lusts of sin. Do not turn yourself over to the power of sin in your body, which is much more powerful than your will. Do not keep on living in your Old Man comfort zone…adopt the New Man comfort zone. Do not think that knowledge is enough. Do not obey your enemy. Romans, Chapter 6, Verses 13…
ROM 6:13 …and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but keep on presenting yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead would present themselves, and keep on presenting your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
“As instruments” … the Greek word helpa…
INSTRUMENTS
a tool
a utensil
available for use
offensive in warfare
Do not “keep on presenting yourselves” “for duty as a utensil of warfare” “to sin.” Powerful statement. Based on what you KNOW about who you are “in Christ,” DO something different.
For example, do you let your tongue report for duty as a utensil of warfare in your relationship? James, Chapter 3, Verses 5 and 6 warn against this…
JAM 3:5-6 …the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things.*** See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire!
Even though you KNOW what to DO, from Romans, Chapter 6, Verses 1 to 11, in the second passage in Romans, Verses 12 to 14, the Lord leaves no doubt about what it means to be “such ones as these…the children of a King” … and as to how we are to decide to be in our holy walk.
Who will you give the victory to…the do’s or the do not’s?
The Promises of the Lord Jesus Christ are Guarantees!
ACT 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
JOH 14:6 Jesus said to doubting Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through believing in Me.
JOH 3:36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life (the ZOE life); but he who does not obey the (command to believe in the) Son will not see (the Zoe) life, but instead the wrath of God the Father abides on him.”
CLOSING SONG Hero
CLOSING PRAYER Let us pray...
THANKS INTERCESSION PETITION
And we pray that You continue to shape the messages from this pulpit that are an accurate reflection of Your unconditional love, Your person, Your thinking, Your work, and Your essence...we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit, in Christ’s name, Amen.
Thanks for coming! Thanks for watching! Thanks for listening!
www.barahministries.com |