Romans 190: Romans 7 - Can You Make the Flesh Obey?

Welcome 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.

 

If you, as a Christian, can be compared to a tree…are you a good tree or a bad tree?  Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 20 tells us how to know a good tree…

 

MAT 7:20

…you will know a good tree by their fruits.

 

Luke, Chapter 6, Verses 43 to 45 say this…

 

LUK 6:43

For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit…nor, on the other hand, is there a bad tree which produces good fruit.

 

LUK 6:44

For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.

 

LUK 6:45

The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth (from his mouth) what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure (of his heart) brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

 

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are a good tree, and your conduct reflects it when you walk by means of God the Holy Spirit.  Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 25…

 

GAL 5:25

If we live in the Spirit, and all believers in Christ do, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 

We walk in the Sprit when we seek the Spirit’s guidance on every decision.  Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 16…

 

GAL 5:16

But I say, walk in the Spirit, and you will not (not way, not ever) carry out the desire of the flesh.

 

God the Holy Spirit is able to control the flesh.  By our own willpower, we are not able to control the flesh…Galatians, Chapter 5, Verse 17…

 

GAL 5:17

For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit sets its desire against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

 

God the Holy Spirit is able to overpower the flesh…to block its attempts to destroy us…He is also able to produce His fruit through us…Galatians, Chapter 5, Verses 22 and 23…

 

GAL 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control; against such virtues there is no law.

 

God the Holy Spirit is often in the wings of our lives…because we put Him there…but He is always at the ready to make an appearance if we just ask for His help.  As we grow in the Christian Way of Living, we must take John the Baptist’s advice and apply it to God the Holy Spirit…John, Chapter 3, Verse 30…

 

JOH 3:30

He must increase, but I must decrease.

 

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

I Am Beautiful

 

Let enjoy the opening song…I AM BEAUTIFUL. 

 

OPENING PRAYER

 

Let us pray...

 

We’re grateful Heavenly Father for the privilege of studying the absolute

truth...the Word of God…

 

Help us to be sober and to be on the alert for the schemes of Your enemy, the devil…help us to listen to You and to obey You so that we can be prepared in advance for his attacks…open our eyes so that we can see his insidiousness coming…do not allow us to be hurled headlong in the evil day…

 

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit...in Christ’s name... Amen.

 

TODAY’S STUDY

Can You Make the Flesh Obey?

 

We continue our study  of Romans, Chapter 7…we are looking at the first passage, Verses 1 to 6 which read…

 

ROM 7:1

Or do you not know (are you ignorant?), (Jewish) brethren (for I, Paul, am speaking to those who know the principles of law…the Jewish believers, not the Gentiles…even though the Gentiles know the law as well), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?

 

ROM 7:2

For (example) … the married woman is bound in the past, and keeps on being bound by law to her husband while he is living (until death do us part); but if (3) her husband dies (maybe he will and maybe he won’t…it’s possible), she is released from the law concerning the husband.

 

ROM 7:3

So then, if while her husband is living she is joined (married) to another man, she shall be known publicly as an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.

 

ROM 7:4

Therefore, my (Jewish) brethren, you also were made to die to the marriage to the Mosaic Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God the Father.

 

ROM 7:5

For while we (Jewish believers) were “in the flesh” (“in Adam” … unbelievers…which we no longer are because we are “in the Spirit” and “in Christ” as believers), the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Mosaic Law (Romans 5:20-21), were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for (sin and) death.

 

ROM 7:6

But now we Jewish believers in Christ have been released from the Mosaic Law, having died to that marriage by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter (of the law).

 

We are dead to sin…we are set free from the sovereignty of sin…we are dead to the law…we are set free from the law.  We are set apart to Christ.  Yet we fight an internal battle that seems to negate all the truth we know.  It’s the battle in the soul of every Christian.  We’ll learn more about it after a few announcements…

 

BARAH MINISTRIES ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Prayers

Betty Pomeroy

Mother of Steve

Grandmother of Marc

At home with the Lord

Friday, April 24

 

REMINDER

Check In on Facebook

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There are nearly 3200 people that have signed up to be a part of our online community.  Get your friends to join our on line community today.  Our last ten-minute lesson posted to our Facebook community last week, God Did Not Design You to Live a Sinless Life, and it got over 10,000 views.  The God Cares for You Lesson has gotten over 15,000 views to date.  If there is any doubt that Barah is a worldwide ministry, just check Facebook.  Bring your friends to the Barah Ministries Facebook page today!

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

No Face-to-Face Teaching

NEXT WEEK!

May 3, 2015

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

No Face-to-Face Teaching

July 5, 2015

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

The Next Lord’s Supper Celebration

Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 10, 2015

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Next Deacon’s Meeting

May 16

7:30AM MST

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Coeur d’Alene Conference

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

August 7-8, 2015

 

Barah Ministries

Back on the Radio!

KXEG - 1280 AM

9:30 AM on Sundays

Broadcasts Began Today

 

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

 

MAT 15:4

“For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’”

 

OFFERING

Be Exalted Oh God

 

TODAY’S STUDY

Can You Make the Flesh Obey?

 

It is an established and irrevocable fact that believers in Christ are dead to sin and dead to the law.  This family of chapters we are studying in the book of Romans is detailing the truth of this matter…

 

ROMANS:  Revealing the Spiritual Lifestyle Offers

 

…we also know that Satan and the Lord Jesus Christ are offering us

 lifestyles…

 

ROMANS:  Revealing the Spiritual Lifestyle Offers of SATAN and CHRIST

 

Satan offers us THE RELIGIOUS LIFESTYLE.  The Lord Jesus Christ offers us THE RESURRECTION LIFESTYLE.  Satan’s Lifestyle has antinomianism and legalism as the driving forces.  The Lord Jesus Christ’s lifestyle has freedom as the driving force.

 

Let’s talk about the challenge for Christians, who are no longer “in Adam” … but instead are “in Christ” … when we revisit our former husband, the religious lifestyle.  We revisit these lifestyles when we ask “the flesh” not to sin.  We revisit these lifestyles when we expect “the flesh” to obey the law.  Take a five-minute break and we’ll detail the challenge.

 

BREAK

When I Think About Home

 

TODAY’S STUDY

Can You Make the Flesh Obey?

 

Welcome back.  “The Flesh” is the source of temptation in believers in Christ.  James, Chapter 1, Verses 13 and 14…

 

JAM 1:13

Let no one say (making an excuse) when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and God Himself does not tempt anyone.

 

God is untemptable.

 

JAM 1:14

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.

 

What does it mean to be enticed?  It means to be lead on.  It means to be lured out of a safe hiding place.  The flesh is constantly leading us on…to sin…to break the rules…to try to be perfect…to destroy ourselves. The Lord Jesus Christ always provides a way of escape.  First Corinthians, Chapter 10, Verse 13…

 

1CO 10:13

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

 

The way of escape is to walk in the Spirit.  The Lord understands the temptations we have to endure…He’s been there.  Hebrews, Chapter 4, Verse 15…

 

HEB 4:15

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ was never confused about sin…never had an inward struggle over sin as we do…he hates sin…He is completely apart from it.

 

The temptations we face as Christians are these…

 

SIN

          Why not sin anyway since God has already forgiven you?

 

It’s Satan’s anti-nomian lifestyle offer.  The other offer is…

 

LAW

You need to live a great life, to do your best, to be disciplined, to be dedicated, to be consistent.

 

It’s Satan’s legalism lifestyle offer.  Both of these lifestyles are a dilemma, because we can't do either of them.  We can’t make “the flesh” obey.  When we visit these lifestyles, neither of which God intended for us, we become enslaved, limited, defiled, corrupted, defensive, self-righteous, critical, proud, guilt-ridden, bored, dull, discouraged and depressed.   These lifestyles offer the wrong kind of slavery, bondage.  We are tempted by “the flesh” to visit them, and we do visit them.  They lead to death.

 

I feel for our children.  They live sheltered lives.  The live protected lives.  In their homes, they learn a misperception of what the world is like.  The world is crooked, and perverted, and self-centered, and hostile, and bitter, and afraid, and anxious, and evil.  That’s not our children’s typical experience in the home.  In their homes, our spoiled kids get to act out…they get what they want…they are not exposed to real sin.  So in the teen years, often they get to successfully reject authority in the home.  They begin formulating their escape plan (college or a job), and they can’t wait to take their anti-nomian act (sex-drugs-country music) or their legalistic act (I’m a goody two-shoes…I’m the type of person who…).  They delude themselves into believing that they are ready for the world because they think the world is going to respond to them like their parents did.

 

God will always allow the right situation to educate them immediately so they know the world is nothing like their home.  They will not be equipped to resist the temptations.  There will be no authority to protect them…only their own thoughts available to protect them…and their own thoughts will not be good enough to protect them.  This is what Satan has to offer.  THE RELIGIOUS LIFESTYLE…a program that will destroy our kids no matter which of its faces they adopt.

 

Satan offers an orgy…a lifestyle of unbridled indulgences, all of which lead to death.  Orgies are not always sexual.  If it weren’t for God’s protection, we’d be destroyed.

 

Our challenge is to turn to God the Holy Spirit for the answers.

 

Our challenge is to understand that SIN and the LAW are foreign languages to us now.

 

Our challenge is to understand that we are now slaves to righteousness.

 

Our challenge is to realize that “the flesh” is more powerful than our will.

 

Our challenge is to realize that “the flesh” responds to the law with more sin.

 

Our challenge is to realize that the Lord has offered us a completely new life…a life beyond SIN and the LAW.

 

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!

 

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