“Saints find life!” Romans pt 7
Opening Video Illustration: Life is like a train ride! Show movie.
Thesis: In Romans chapter 5 we learn from Paul that those who find Jesus- the “Saints” find life – eternal life!
Scripture Text: Romans 5:1-21
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—13for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
15But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Message: Romans 5:1-21
DEVELOPING PATIENCE
1By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. 2And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
3There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, 4and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. 5In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
6Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. 7We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. 8But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
9Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. 10If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! 11Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!
THE DEATH-DEALING SIN, THE LIFE-GIVING GIFT
12You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma we’re in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either sin or death. 13That sin disturbed relations with God in everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from Adam to Moses. 14Even those who didn’t sin precisely as Adam did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it.
15Yet the rescuing gift is not exactly parallel to the death-dealing sin. If one man’s sin put crowds of people at the dead-end abyss of separation from God, just think what God’s gift poured through one man, Jesus Christ, will do! 16There’s no comparison between that death-dealing sin and this generous, life-giving gift. The verdict on that one sin was the death sentence; the verdict on the many sins that followed was this wonderful life sentence. 17If death got the upper hand through one man’s wrongdoing, can you imagine the breathtaking recovery life makes, sovereign life, in those who grasp with both hands this wildly extravagant life-gift, this grand setting-everything-right, that the one man Jesus Christ provides?
18Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! 19One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right.
20All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn’t, and doesn’t, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it’s sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. 21All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.
Introduction:
Our subject today is life – The Message words it this way in verse 21 “All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that’s the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life—a life that goes on and on and on, world without end.”
Let me ask you a question to ponder today – this question is addressed to Christians -- Is living out our earthly lives a test to see who is qualified for eternity and who is not qualified for eternity? Is life an eternal test with only a pass - fail grade?
When you pass the test of living life like a Christian – like a saint -- then you move on into eternal life with Christ forever? The Apostle Paul is clear on this point. But if you fail the test of living life like a saint then do you or could you fall into an eternal judgment? Could you lose your salvation if you fail to live right with God as a Christian?
Hebrews 6:1-6:
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3And God permitting, we will do so. 4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.
From this text I believe the answer is clear – yes you can! So in light of this section I think it becomes imperative that people learn to guard their hearts after salvation and then live – life like they are suppose too – like saints should.
So what is LIFE suppose to look like for a saint? How are we suppose to live our lives on a daily basis? Let’s take a moment to look at word LIFE itself:
Is life defined as the following?
Life = Living in focus (of) eternity!
Life = Living – Identifying – Focusing = Eternal perspective
L = Living in light of eternity
I = Identifying the things that matter most for all eternity
F = Focusing on eternity, and what matters most in light of eternity, focusing on purpose as it relates to eternity?
E = Eternity is the goal of life – the purpose of life – the reason for life.
Let’s pause a moment this morning and ponder this thought – Is this the main purpose of my life as a Christian? I believe it is! Let’s explore Romans 5 and see if we can support this definition of life and also look at other texts from God’s Word.
Life -- Is our subject in Romans chapter 5 today. This chapter addresses LIFE. Paul talks about how the saint finds LIFE when they discover faith and they choose to place their trust and hope in the Lord. When we as a saint chose to place our faith in Jesus we gained the great gift of LIFE – It is a LIFE that is eternal in nature and it came because Jesus paid the price for us all.
When we hear and see Paul talking about this new found LIFE we also see him describe what this new LIFE looks like from our chapter.
I. Does this new life help us to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God?
a. Paul tells us that it should!
i. Our “Born Again” experience should have opened our spiritual eyes to the Glory of God.
ii. At our conversion we should have been filled with an eternal hope from the Lord.
iii. When we discovered the truth about Jesus then this infusion of hope should have filled us with a internal joy for the Lord.
b. When we find this new life we then see and understand that our joy comes from seeing God’s glory.
i. What does God’s Glory look like?
1. Can we see it?
a. I believe we can if we look for it! I in my own personal life have seen glimpse of it and each time God’s presence overwhelms my heart and soul.
i. I usually cry in these moment of His presence!
2. Glory can be defined. In my research I discovered that it means a desirable brightness that is very rare!
a. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia states this about Glory - FROM THE HEBREW WORD KĀBHŌDH.
i. The fundamental idea of this root seems to be “weight,” “heaviness,” and hence in its primary uses it conveys the idea of some external, physical manifestation of dignity, preëminence or majesty. At least three uses may be distinguished: (1) It defines the wealth or other material possesions which give honor or distinction to a person; (2) The majesty, dignity, splendor or honor of a person; (3) most important of all, it describes the form in which Yahweh (Jehovah) reveals Himself or is the sign and manifestation of His presence.
ii. I must admit in my epiphany experiences with the Lord’s glory and presence “I recall the heavy presence of God and I usually bowed down in the weight of His presence.”
1. I would fall to my knees.
2. I would lie on the floor.
3. I would collapse in His presence – humbled by His presence and His majesty.
4. I would always realize in His presence how unworthy I was but yet How loved I was by Him!
ii. When we see God in all His glory we receive a hope that infuses our present day life.
1. When I got saved – I was struck by God’s love and His presence. It transformed my life! It changed its direction.
2. When we see God’s glory – even a glimpse of it then our perspective changes.
a. How?
i. We see the Lord for who He is.
ii. We discover His divine state of being.
iii. We recognize our own sinful condition.
iv. We hear His Holy Spirit telling us to follow after Him.
1. Share about the vision you had at Sand Hill Lake Bible Camp of seeing Jesus – motioning to me and calling me back into the pastorate.
c. Revelation is a book – actually it’s a vision of Jesus’ and His glory that the Apostle John received on the island of Patmos.
i. John had a vision of Jesus in all of His glory and it was given to him to share with the churches of that day and for today so as to give us a glimpse of God’s glory and to increase our hope in Him.
1. The book covers Who Jesus was – is - and will be in the future.
a. Revelation 1:4 -8:
i. John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.7 Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen. 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
2. Highlights from the Book of Revelation reveal the glory of the Lord:
a. Revelation 1:17-19:
i. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. 19“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
b. Revelation 2-3 reveals that the Lord knows the deeds and the lives of the church. He sees and He walks among His church.
c. Revelation 4 paints a portrait of the Great Throne in Heaven.
i. It reveals the glory of God the Father.
1. Read - Revelation 4:1-11 when you get a chance today – get alone with God and read this chapter and allow the Holy Spirit to illuminate your mind to God’s Glory!
d. Revelation 5 reveals the scene of the scroll and the Lamb of God who appears before the throne – this scene is what happened right after Jesus died on the cross and went and set us all free from our sins.
i. Once again get alone with God this week and read this chapter and behold the glory of the Lord.
ii. The vision was given to John to encourage the church of Jesus Christ in a severe time of persecution.
1. It showed Jesus and God in all of their glory.
a. It reminded the persecuted Christians that the Lord was in control.
b. It reminded the persecuted Christian who would win the war between good and evil.
c. It infused the church and the saints with eternal hope that would not bend its knee to evil.
2. This revelation therefore encouraged the Body of Christ and gave them hope for the future even though Rome was persecuting the church of Jesus Christ.
3. This time was a severe testing time for the church of Jesus Christ here are some stories from that time of severe persecution:
a. Because of the spread of Christianity across the Roman Empire and it being seen as a threat to the emperors of Nero and Domitian the persecution of the Christians started.
i. These emperors soon discovered that the Christian masses would not bow to them as gods.
ii. Christians worshipped God alone not a mere man.
b. When Revelation was given to John all the apostles had been murdered because a shift occurred in Rome’s dealing with the Christians:
i. Christian History Issue 27 notes: “The persecutors and their motives changed in A.D. 64. On July 19 that year a great fire engulfed much of Rome; only four of the fourteen quarters of the city escaped damage. Suspicion immediately fell on Emperor Nero: was this a madcap way of clearing part of the city to make room for new, magnificent streets and buildings in his honor? Nero, however, managed to deflect blame first, apparently, on the Jews, who had a reputation for large-scale arson but also had friends at court; and then onto the Christians. Many Christians (perhaps including Peter) were seized, tortured, and done to death in the arena.” Tacitus, writing in 115 AD, included an account of the incident in his Annales (XV, 44). Except for the manner of the Christians’ deaths, which he thought excessively cruel, he showed no sympathy for the Christians.”
ii. Nero was so relentless in killing Christians that it is said that at night he illuminated his gardens with the bodies of burning Christians on poles.
iii. The Roman historian Tacitus said that Nero did not just put Christians to death he used their brutal deaths to amuse the Roman people at the circuses.
1. This historian tells of Christians who were clad in hides of beasts so as to be torn apart by savage dogs, lions, and other wild animals.
2. Many were crucified and burned alive on poles throughout the city and on the roadsides for all to see.
3. Nero openly enjoyed his torture of Christians and in the end he went mad and committed suicide and his last words were, “What a showman the world is losing in me!”
iv. The worst emperor was Domitian who was paranoid and a savage murderer of Christians. He was the first emperor to have himself officially entitled “God the Lord!” He insisted that other people hail his greatness with acclamations like “Lord of the earth,” “Invincible,” “Glory,” “Holy,” and “Thou alone.”
1. The Christians all refused to worship him as their God and he set out to kill them all!
2. He wanted to worshipped as “god!” and the Christians refused!
c. Fox’s Book of Martyr’s tells us this about the following martyr’s in the 1st century:
i. Peter: Among many other saints, the blessed apostle Peter was condemned to death, and crucified, as some do write, at Rome; albeit some others, and not without cause, do doubt thereof. Hegesippus saith that Nero sought matter against Peter to put him to death; which, when the people perceived, they entreated Peter with much ado that he would fly the city. Peter, through their importunity at length persuaded, prepared himself to avoid. But, coming to the gate, he saw the Lord Christ come to meet him, to whom he, worshipping, said, “Lord, whither dost Thou go?” To whom He answered and said, “I am come again to be crucified.” By this, Peter, perceiving his suffering to be understood, returned into the city. Jerome saith that he was crucified, his head being down and his feet upward, himself so requiring, because he was (he said) unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was.
ii. Paul: Paul, the apostle, who before was called Saul, after his great travail and unspeakable labors in promoting the Gospel of Christ, suffered also in this first persecution under Nero. Abdias, declareth that under his execution Nero sent two of his esquires, Ferega and Parthemius, to bring him word of his death. They, coming to Paul instructing the people, desired him to pray for them, that they might believe; who told them that shortly after they should believe and be baptised at His sepulcher. This done, the soldiers came and led him out of the city to the place of execution, where he, after his prayers made, gave his neck to the sword.
iii. The question could be asked “How could they calmly accept their deaths – the answer is simple -- they had seen the glory of the Lord and it had infused in them a supernatural hope of the eternal future on the other side of this life. They were not afraid to die for the cause of Christ because they saw the future which was waiting for them!
d. Christian History Issue 27 has an article on “Persecuted Christians of Today” The author opens with this remark - "All the long-term underlying factors which produce martyrdoms seem to be gradually increasing in our day.” by JAMES REAPSOME:
i. Martyrdom is a regular, ongoing feature of church life in the 25 percent of global Christianity that we call the ‘underground church’,” claims David Barrett of the World Evangelization Research Center. “In one part of the globe, over 10,000 Christians have been killed every year since 1950, due to clashes with anti-Christian mobs, infuriated relatives, state-organized death squads, and so on.” Such staggering statements remind us that Christian martyrdom is not confined to the early centuries of Christianity and the Middle Ages. In fact, Barrett’s statistics show martyrdoms increasing, from 35,000 in 1900 to an estimated 260,000 this year. Asked to explain the dreadful upsurge, Barrett says: “All the long-term underlying factors which produce martyrdoms seem to be gradually increasing in our day.” Such factors include widespread social, economic, and political unrest. Persecution in the Early Church: Christian History, Issue 27, (Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, Inc.) 1997
e. A person who has become a saint is one who has had a glimpse into Jesus’ glory and into God the Father’s glory.
i. This vision – will produce a heart filled with rejoicing and create a hope within that saint that will never be wavered even in the midst of persecution and or suffering.
ii. I want to pause here to address the state of the church today. I have marveled as I have read countless stories of Christians who have given their lives for their belief in Jesus Christ.
1. Throughout the centuries countless men, women, and children have refused to bow to evil tyrants, evil rulers, self-centered leaders and the like.
2. But I wonder if the current modern day church could endure trials and tribulations for the Gospel.
3. I wonder how many confessing Christians today would deny Christ rather than suffer for their faith.
iii. I recall from the book of Acts 4:1-22 how Peter and John were arrested for preaching about Jesus and his resurrection from the dead to the people.
1. It says in verse 13 that when the religious leaders saw their courage they were amazed because these two ordinary men stood their ground about the truth of Jesus.
a. They recalled that they had been with Jesus – if you think about it they had seen Jesus suffer, die and be resurrected – they saw Him in His glorified state.
i. This view of Jesus transformed these two men from former cowards to courageous devoted followers of Jesus.
ii. They were not afraid to preach and teach about Jesus publicly.
iii. When they were told to stop there response became a classic response to anyone who threatens us and our message of the Gospel Acts 4:18-20:
1. “I must obey God not men!”
2. The text: “Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
3. Here is the truth if you have encountered the Lord Jesus Christ in all of His glory – you see Him for who He is and it changes who you serve, it changes how you live your life – you know that you must obey God rather than men!”
a. Why, because one day I will stand as a Christian and give an account of my life to the Lord and I don’t want to hang my head at that important moment in my life.
b. I want to hold it high in heaven and be proud that I stood firm for the message of the Gospel.
4. Reference the parable and CD Affabel by John Bevere.
T.S. – The saints life should have had a revelation of God’s glory and because of this revelation the saint should have been enabled to persevere, which will develop their Godly character and expand their hope in their eternal life and future. Let’s look at our next questions raised from this text.
II. Does this new life and its revelation of God’s glory help the saint to persevere through hardship, develop Godly character and expand their eternal hope?
a. Paul says – “Yes it should!”
i. The saints new life in Christ should empower them to progress through this life and to finish strong.
b. This discipline of perseverance – the mindset of “I will not quit serving and living for Jesus!” will develop a Godly character within each person who endures this life for the Gospel.
i. When our Christ like character is developed through hardship in life then Hope rises up even more on the inside.
1. The truth is hardships in life draw us closer to God!
2. Why, because we discover that we cannot do it on our own. We learn that we need help!
ii. It lets us know that Jesus is enough to help sustain our life and our future hope.
iii. This type of suffering common to all who are believers or saints helps us to develop an eternal perspective.
1. Hardships in life teach us valuable lessons of were our hope comes from – in other words were we should really be placing our energy and our time.
a. It teaches us what really matters in life!
2. Paul tells us that our hope will never disappoint us if it is placed in Jesus and in the eternal things of God.
c. This time of perseverance in this life will develop our character for Heaven and it will raise our level of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.
i. As we press on through this sin filled life and evil infested society God tells us that we will develop our Godly character.
ii. Just as Jesus endured the hardships of Passion Week we too need to endure the many trials and tribulations that will come against our saintly lives. As we stay faithful we will move to a higher spiritual plateau in this earthly life as God’s mindset takes root in our hearts and our heads.
iii. As we endure the pains of evil as it beats against our life we will discover the reality of God’s love flowing through us.
iv. We are told by Paul that as we stay faithful to the risen Savior we will find more and more of His love being poured into us by the Holy Spirit.
1. This love will be poured into us so much that it will get to a point were it eventually needs to start flowing out of us to others who need a touch of the love of God in a sin filled evil society.
d. As I read these first few verses in Romans my heart spoke to me:
i. I see a promise woven throughout these passages in Romans 5 – The Lord promises to infuse our lives with love in times of suffering and trial.
1. His Holy Spirit will at difficult times in our life unleash bursts of God’s love into our lives. This was all set in motion by the Lord’s willingness to go and die for us on the cross.
ii. Since we are now saints – holy and set apart for the work of God’s Kingdom He promises to help us press through the hardships of a life circled by sin, evil and selfishness.
1. Even though we are encircled by evil – with His help and power it will not overwhelm and take our eternal life.
e. In verse 17 we are told by Paul that those “saints” who have received grace and right standing with God will receive the ability to reign in this life because Jesus is with them – to help them reign.
i. Romans 5:17 “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”
ii. We are told else where in Scripture that “Jesus actually lives in us when we invite Him into our life.”
1. This presence within by Jesus is what enables us to reign over sin and evil in this world.
iii. “Greater is He who lives in me than he who lives in this world.”
1. That means I can “Reign” – in my life with the help of Jesus.
a. I can keep sin out of my life and live my life even in the midst of darkness for the Lord Jesus.
2. Reign -- International Standard Encyclopedia: rān: The Hebrew word מַלְכוּת, malekhūth, may be rendered “kinghood,” “royal dignity,” “kingdom,” “government” (“reign”). The verb is מָלַךְ, mālakh, “to be king” (“to reign as king”), “to become king,” “to accede to the throne,” “to assume royal power publicly” and, generally speaking, “to become powerful.” In the New Testament… (3) Men (kings, etc.), in regard to the source of their power (“By me (i.e. the wisdom of God), kings reign” (Prov 8:15)); respecting legitimate succession (2 Ch 23:3); meaning “to have power or dominion” (Gen 37:8 and Job 34:30); in regard to an essential characteristic (Isa 32:1); in connection with the covenant of Yahweh with David (Jer 33:21)… In the New Testament the term basileuein, “to reign,” is used to illustrate and emphasize the power of sin, death and grace (Rom 5:14, 17, 21 and 6:12). Sin, the vitiating mental factor, is to be looked upon as being constantly and resolutely bent on maintaining or regaining its hold upon man, its power being exercised and reinforced by the lusts of the body. Death, the logical outcome of sin, at once testifies to the power of sin and its inherent corruption, while grace is the restoring spiritual factor following up and combating everywhere and always the pernicious influence of sin. It strives to dethrone sin, and to establish itself in man as the only dominating force. (5) In describing the future glorious state of the believers, the New Testament uses the expression of those who endure (in faith; compare 2 Tim 2:12); of those ‘purchased unto God with the blood of the Lamb’ (Rev 5:10); of those partaking in the first resurrection (Rev 20:6); of the servants of God, “they shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev 22:5); on the other hand, it teaches us not to anticipate the privileges of heaven, while our Christian life is anything but satisfactory (1 Cor 4:8), and Rev 17:18 shows us the terrible fate of the woman, the great city (the corrupt church), “which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” See further KING, KINGDOM. BY WILLIAM BAUR
iv. We are told by Paul that we as “saints” need to be reigning with grace over sin today and we can do this because of Jesus power.
1. So why are many Christians not reigning today?
a. Maybe because they have not met Jesus and seen Him in all His glory?
b. Maybe because they did not have a personal relationship encounter with Him?
c. Maybe because life has become so busy and rushed that we have lost sight of eternal things?
d. Maybe because we have created “Jesus” in our own image and not seen Him as He is?
e. Maybe because we have lost our first love?
f. Maybe because personal prosperity has overshadowed Jesus.
g. Maybe because we have allowed society to dictate to us what is truth rather than God’s Word dictating truth?
h. Maybe because we all want to do our own things?
i. Maybe because there is no reverence for the Lord like there is suppose to be?
f. The development of Godly character only comes through persevering through the trials of this life.
i. Giving up on God and on His ways leads to destruction and devastation not life.
ii. The America Way states, “The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it but rather what he becomes by it.”
iii. Charles Swindoll states in his book “The Quest for Character” in the introduction page 14 the following:
1. “God is forever on a quest. Ever thought about that? His pursuit is a subject woven through the fabric of the New Testament. The pattern He follows is set forth in Romans 8:29, where He promises to conform us to His Son’s image. Another promise is stated in Philippians 1:6, where we’re told He began His work in us and He isn’t about to stop. Elsewhere he even calls us His “workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10). He is hammering, filing, chiseling, and shaping us! Peter’s second letter goes so far as to list some of the things included in this quest-diligence, faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5-7). In a word…character.”
2. He adds, “Character qualities in His children-that’s God’s relentless quest. His strobe light will continue to penetrate our darkness. He won’t quit His quest until He completes His checklist. And when will that be? When we rest in peace….and not a day sooner. Only then will His mission be accomplished in us. We have Him to thank for not giving up as we go through the process of developing character.”
a. Life’s struggles are designed by God to develop our Godly – Christ like character.
b. I honestly believe that the harsh realities of life on this planet are here to help us develop our character with God.
c. I have pondered a thought that I want to hurl at you this morning:
i. Could it be that this life is a test to see if we qualify for Heaven?
ii. Life is a jungle filled with swamps, obstacles, deadly snakes savage beasts and harsh climates. Yet the Lord tells us to survive and to push through the jungle of life so that we make it to “Paradise.”
iii. This means that we have to persevere through quicksand. We have cut through all the under brush of life. We have to cross great ravines and dangerous rushing rivers so as to get to this place called “Paradise.”
iv. Jesus said, “You will face trials and tribulations in this journey of life.”
1. This whole journey that we are on as a Christian is preparation for eternal life and each of us will be held accountable for our jungle tour of duty.
2. Mike the pastor of Redeeming love said some things on Friday at our Board Meeting with Heart of the Father.
a. To survive we must be revived in this world!
b. Revival means Survival!
i. I thought how true!
c. He also added “The greater the hill the bigger the thrill!”
d. Friends this is what life is meant to be a wonderful journey filled with excitement, thrills and frills and challenges. All these things help to develop our Christ like character so as to prepare us for eternity.
g. The goal of this life is to expand and to develop our hope in God Almighty and Jesus Christ.
i. Life should help us to become more and more confident in our eternal hope.
1. Each valley crossed re-affirms that our hope is there for us.
a. He promises to help us through the valleys and each one that we cross over develops our eternal hope in Him more.
2. Each mountain climbed and conquered encourages our Hope in the Lord all the more.
a. He gives strength to the weary and we discover this is truth!
i. Why? Because we climbed the many mountains and made it by His assistance!
ii. Paul W. Powell stated the following, “God is more concerned about our character than our comfort. His goal is not to pamper us physically but to perfect us spiritually.”
T.S. – Saints of God listen closely! You have received a precious gift in Jesus Christ and his gift of eternal life and right standing with God. Now we need to use this great gift, our new life in Him, for His glory. Let’s all decide to live like a saint and make our life count for something eternal!
Conclusion:
John Bevere stated in his book Driven by Eternity , “The desire of most people is to live a life that counts” (pg. 1).
I believe this is true for most people. But for us to live a life that really counts then we need to be living and serving in the Kingdom of God with our life. For life to count for eternity and to mean something then we need to put our efforts into the eternal things of God.
Scripture tells us:
Psalm 90:12, 17 (NLT):
“Teach us to make the most of our time…and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful.”
The writer of this Psalm is crying out to God to help him make the most of his time. He does not want to squander his life away, he wants to be able to make the right choices and live the right way so as to make a difference with his life. But he knows that he needs help from the Lord so that he does not waste away his life.
Many people have a misguided idea of what life is…To many live their lives only in the light of the here and now. Their life is not focused on eternal matters or even on serving their eternal Lord. They do not view life as it should be viewed as preparation for their eternal life to come.
In my 20 plus years of ministry I have done some really sad funerals. One funeral that I did about 5 years ago still races through my mind. I did a funeral for man who never did anything for God – he as far as I could tell lived a self-centered life. Life was all about his enjoyment of it and serving or helping others was never his desire. When I was trying to do the message at his funeral the only thing the whole family could come up with was one night in a blizzard the car in front of him slid into the ditch. He stopped asked the young lady if she wanted a ride and then drove her home. Now this was a nice deed but this was it for 65 years of life. Nothing else could be re-called! I thought to myself I never want to get to end of my life and have to put my family in a position of having to lie at my funeral or even look speechless when the minister asks the question, “What were some good things that your father did for the Kingdom of God?” I don’t want to get to heaven and stand before the judgment seat of Christ and here, “You never impacted anyone for the Kingdom of God!”
Closing Illustration: Close with the 3 Crosses song by Randy Travis.
