Romans Chapter 8:5-7

Once you get focused on the things of this world, you give away something extremely valuable. You give away your peace. And even if you're a child of God and a believer, if you're focused on the world, you will lack peace. Friend, if you're here today, if you're listening, there's a simple answer right here to kind of refocus, to do a course correction, if you will, to make sure that you're being spiritually minded. Welcome to Cross the Bridge with David McGee. You know, going through life, we may have peace, but sometimes we lay that peace down and pick up problems and offenses. Find out how you can hold on to peace and not lose it. Today, as Pastor David teaches through Romans 8, with choose life and peace.

Here's David McGee. So we're in Romans chapter eight. I've been encouraging people and would encourage you to take the time to read this chapter several times while we're in it. Minimum, I'd say, you know, read it like once a week, either Saturday night or Sunday morning. Now I'm not saying that's all you should read the Bible. You really should read the Bible every day, but keep in mind, it's not necessarily a speed reading contest. I mean, sometimes, you know, I'll just read a few verses and just, oh man, you know, the Lord just so speaks to me. And other times I, you know, I'm in there for a chapter or two every day. And so let me encourage you to read the Bible, but especially while we're looking at this chapter to reread it several times while we're in it. Now I know we all think, well, I don't, I just don't have time to do that. Well, take the time to read because he took the time to bleed.

Okay. So God gave us his word to read and to be a life-changing experience. So we should give it time and priority in our lives. So we're in Romans chapter eight, verse five. I know we ended with that, but it's such a great verse. Romans chapter eight, verse five says, for those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. Now, when it talks about flesh, the Bible is talking about our, our selfish desires, our old nature, that part of us that wants to turn and run from God that wants to do wrong things. We're all battling this nature of the flesh, if you will. And Paul in the book of Romans says here that if we're paying attention, if we're all concerned, if we're all consumed about the things of the flesh, we're not going to be living according to the things of the spirit.

And then he goes on in verse six to say for to be carnally or fleshly minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. So Paul is really saying, you know, what's your driving force? What's, what's your purpose of your will? What, what's, what's got you going? What gets you up in the morning? What do you think of before your head hits the pillow?

What, what are you all about? What or who is controlling your life? There's a lot of things that you can live for.

You can live to do this. You can live for your job or live for this or that and the other, but none so worthy as living for the Lord. It's a solid rock.

It's something you can lean on. And it says here that if you're spiritually minded, you're going to have life and peace. Do you lack peace? Then according to these passages, you're not being spiritually minded. See, once you get focused on the things of this world, you give away something extremely valuable. You give away your peace. And even if you're a child of God and a believer, if you're focused on the world, you will lack peace. Friend, if you're here today, if you're listening and you lack peace, there's a simple answer right here to kind of refocus, to do a course correction, if you will, to make sure that you're being spiritually minded.

Cause if you lack peace, according to these passages, you're not being spiritually minded. And maybe you're sitting there going, pastor, you just don't know. You just don't know what I've been through this week or this month or what my life is. You're right. You're right.

I don't know. But by the same token, you don't know what I've been through in the past week. And here's what I can assure you that I've walked in peace that even in the midst of terminals and trials and tribulations, I've been at peace.

Why? Not because I'm so spiritual, but because I'm leaning on God and being spiritually minded. It's an amazing thing. I know that's a work of God. When I go through an hour and I don't lose my peace, that's not me.

That's the Lord. And what happens sometimes is we trade our peace for things. God says, Hey, I'm giving you a piece, not the way the world gives you. I'm giving it to you. And then we give it away often, often we give it away because we get offended.

Okay. You've got peace, but then you come to a situation where you're getting offended. You want to get offended.

You've got a choice or something you didn't really like. And you, what you do is you put down your piece and you pick up an offense and then you carry it around. And then when somebody says, how are you doing?

How am I doing? Have you heard about this offense? Do you know what she said to me? Have you read that email and you carry it around? You become focused on that, but friend, you can't carry your piece and your offense at the same time. You don't want the Lord wants you to do this. Is this being spiritually mounted?

No, this is being carnally mounted. So what you have to do is go, well, you know, I could be offended about this, but I'm not going to be, I'm going to put down this offense and I'm going to pick up the peace of God. Sin is the same thing because if you've got unconfessed sin in your life, guess what?

You can't, you're not going to be at peace. God loves you too much to allow you to be at peace when you're trashing your life. And God says, no, no, no, put down your sin and walk in my peace. Cause let's be honest. Sin according to the Bible is pleasurable for a season. It's fun. If we can use that language, you're going, I can't believe pastors say sin is fun. I'm just trying to tell you the truth for a season.

It is, but you pay a big price for that season. You give away your peace. So you can't walk in sin and walk in peace.

You can't do it. So you walk away from your sin and you can walk in that peace because when you are out of rest, you're not walking in the spirit. And if you're at peace, you are walking in the spirit. So Paul has given us just a key thing about life. It is sin fun for a season.

Absolutely. Sin is pleasurable for a season. And if there wasn't pleasure, we wouldn't be drawn to hurt ourselves and hurt people around us. But God says, you know what? There's something so much more valuable. Don't live for that.

Walk away from it. Cause friend, as it's been said, there is no high like the most high. Amen. And the world doesn't have a substitute for that. And when you surrender to God and you're spiritually minded, man, it is just, it's an incredible way to live.

It is an incredible way to live. I've been so fleshly minded at points in my life and I've been so spiritually minded and let me assure you to be spiritually minded as this verse says is life and peace. Colossians chapter three, verse eight says this, but now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don't lie to each other for you are stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds in its place. You have clothed yourself with a brand new nature that is continually being renewed. As you learn more and more about Christ who created this new nature within you.

So when you come to Jesus, ask him to forgive you of your sins. You've been given a new nature, but then you grow in that new nature. Now God has forgiven you of your sins by grace, but then your life begins to change and things that used to matter don't matter as much anymore and things that used to hold you down.

Well, you, you come away from those things and they don't control you anymore and everything in your life. You can look at in spiritual terms or in carnal terms. Some of you are going through hard times and in the economy and stuff, but look at it in terms of spiritual. What, what is God doing? What is, is God perhaps getting my focus again on him and getting it off jobs and monies and retirement accounts?

Is God trying to refocus my life? And see, you can walk away with a spiritual win rather than a fleshly walk. You can look at the Bible in terms of spiritual terms or carnal terms. You can look at other people in terms of spiritual terms or carnal terms. You can look at somebody and go, oh, that guy's, oh, he's such a loser.

He's this, he's that. Or you can look at it and go, well, you know, God's really started something in him. According to this passage, what's the difference between carnally-minded and spiritually-minded? It's life and peace. This is especially important to remember because a lot of Christians think you can just live however, and God is still supposed to give you joy.

Well, not according to this passage. You can't live however. You're not built, you weren't created to sit on the fence. And if you're trying to sit on the fence as a Christian, you're not going to be a happy camper. Not only that, but the people around you are not going to be happy campers.

Why? Because somebody with one foot in the world and one foot in the Lord is miserable. I think perhaps even more miserable than somebody who doesn't know the Lord. Life lesson from this is simple. The way to walk in peace is to be spiritually and heavenly minded. The way to walk in peace is to be spiritually and heavenly minded.

See life in its fullest, in its highest expression, and its most glorious purpose is found in being spiritually minded. Now I know we've heard that phrase. Well, he's so heavenly minded, he's no earthly good. You ever heard that one? Raise your hand if you've heard that one. Yeah, that's a cute little saying.

It's so wrong. I have never met a person who is so heavenly minded that he's no earthly good. But here's what I have met, friend. I've met people who were so earthly minded, they were no heavenly good. Because they weren't living their lives for the Lord and living to share, living to tell about the love of God, the goodness of God.

Friend, if that describes you, then today you can make that change. When we sin, the relationship is still there, but we've broken fellowship with the Lord. When my children mess up, sometimes it strains the relationship or the fellowship, but it doesn't change the relationship. I've never looked at my daughter or looked at my two sons and said, well, that's it. You're no longer my daughter. I've never looked at my sons and said, well, that's it.

You're not my son. The relationship is still there, but the fellowship sometime is broken. And see, when we choose sin over God, we break the fellowship and we need to be washed.

We need to be forgiven. And we need to do this often. I mean often. How often?

You know what, friend? I repent several times a day over things that I say or don't say. Things I think, things I feel, God forgive me, continue to change me. If you're waiting until Sunday to repent, man, that's way too long. Until you get that unconfessed sin out, you can't enjoy his peace. And why would you hang on to unconfessed sin anyway?

It'll eat you alive. Remember, there's a little passage at the last supper when Jesus is wanting to wash the disciples. It goes like this, John 13, verse eight. It says, no, Peter protested, you will never wash my feet. And Jesus replied, but if I don't wash you, you don't belong to me. So Simon Peter exclaimed, then wash my hands and my head as well.

Lord, not just my feet. That should be our attitude. Not sitting here going, well, I don't know if I should go forward.

I don't know if I should do that. Seems like an emotional thing. Maybe, you know, if I go forward, people wonder what I'm doing up there. Could be. Maybe they're wondering why you don't come. Maybe they're praying that you'll come forward.

Knowing that you're struggling with something, something that's holding you back. It's amazing how we argue with God like that sometimes. The apostle Paul laid the foundation for the New Testament church, and yet few of us in the church today really understand the events and places that shaped this remarkable man. But now, pastor and Bible teacher David McGee has created the footsteps of Paul tour through the heart of the ancient world. You'll be a part of a breathtaking three-day tour of the famous Greek islands. Also during the tour, David McGee will be opening the Bible to teach on Mars Hill, the very place in Athens Paul taught about the unknown God. We'll go up to the Acropolis and visit the Parthenon. Also, we'll visit Patmos, the place where John wrote the book of Revelation. We'll continue to Ephesus in Turkey, sharing the history, stories, and reality of these historic places that changed the future of the church. Plus, be a part of an actual television production as we film parts of the tour for our national TV program, Cross the Bridge. The footsteps of Paul tour with pastor and Bible teacher David McGee. Combine your vacation with an in-depth experience in the reality of God's Word. For more information, visit crossthebridge.com or call us at 877-458-5508.

That's 877-458-5508. Contact us today because space is limited and this tour will fill up fast. Did you know one of the keys to spiritual growth is to daily be in the Word of God? I want to help you to do that. You see, I send out an email every day with a scripture passage, a life lesson, a directed prayer, and some encouraging thoughts. All you need to do is go to crossthebridge.com and sign up for our absolutely free devotional. And also, you'll receive prayer support. You let us know if you have a prayer need and you'll get specially discounted offers. God in His Word promises that His Word always produces fruit.

Always. So let's get started. Go to crossthebridge.com and sign up for our devotional.

You'll be glad you did. Now let's return to our study. Verse 7, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So Paul again is speaking of this war. He's not speaking, and I really differ, there's a few commentators on these passages that say, well, Paul's talking about before he was a Christian.

No, he's not. He was talking about when he was a Christian, there was this internal battle that was going on of yielding to the Holy Spirit to do what's right, yielding to a selfish nature, to the flesh to do what's wrong. This war is going on.

The worst thing we can do, friend, is deny that that war exists. Because what happens then, especially if we do that in churches, if I tell you you need to deny that you have a sinful nature, that you're struggling with any sort of stuff, guess what? You have to do one of two things. You either have to leave or you have to become a hypocrite.

You have to put on your mask. When I use hypocrite, when the Bible uses hypocrite, this isn't somebody that loves God and occasionally messes up. That's not a hypocrite.

Hypocrite in the Greek, hypocrite means somebody who wears a mask. May God grant us the grace for this place to always be somewhere we can take the mask off. How you doing, man?

Please pray for me. I am struggling with this. And be open to that. And when God pulls at your heart, maybe to come forward at the end of the earth, do that. Don't struggle with that. Somehow we've got, well, you can only really go to the altar like once in your life.

You know what? If I wasn't up here, I'd be down there like every, I'm going to give myself a break and say every other Sunday, it's probably more like every Sunday. God forgive me a fresh wash away these things that would hold me back. Do you understand the reason we don't want the thing that keeps us from doing that?

Do you think it's our spirituality? I don't need to go. I'm good.

Had a great week. Hadn't sinned this week. Well, God bless you. You're in the wrong church. Go ahead and flap your little angel wings and flap on out of here. No, we all mess up.

The one thing that keeps us from asking God to forgive us either just flat out denial or pride, pride should ask Jesus to forgive you. I'm good. I'm okay. I'm fine. It's been a good week.

Hadn't messed up that much. Ask your spouse, honey, have I messed up this week? Yes, honey. I actually have a list.

And then I'll share it with you now. And you can think about, are you going to hold on to pride or grab hold of Jesus? And you know what we do in this moment?

Well, my war is not as bad as some people's. I don't know why we do that. Well, I do know makes us feel better. We pick up the newspaper. We watch television. We listen to the radio. We hear about horrible people and praise God.

I'm not that bad yet. There was somebody in the Bible that did that. Maybe you remember the story. Two people go into temple, the church, if you will. And one of them's over there going, thank God, I'm not like him. And the other is saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner.

And the passage says, which one do you think God is listening to? Part of you is at war with God. So you have to come to grips. I'm at war. You're not only at war with God, really. If you think about you're at war with yourself, if you've come to the Lord, ask him to forgive you of your sins, part of you passionately wants to follow the Lord.

And part of you keeps stumbling. And we've talked about before, as we've gone through these passages, how do you, how do you do that? Well, number one, part of it is an act of will to follow the Lord.

He's given you the power, a renewed life, a changed life where you can make decisions for God. You can do that. You're able to do that, but you have to make a decision on what or who controls you, spirit or the flesh. Most of you are somewhat familiar with my testimony.

I used to play rock and roll music. And, and in that lifestyle, it's just like, it's normal to indulge every fleshly desire you have. And you get in those circles around people and everybody else is doing it. So you're thinking, well, it must be okay.

Cause everybody's doing this, but it's still wrong. And you know what? There is no peace. There is no joy in living that kind of life yielding to the Holy spirit. Oh man.

Now some people, they still have, Oh man, that must've been the life. Time out. Time out. I'm here. I'm not there. Guess what? This is better.

I've explored both. So now you don't have to go find out for yourself at war with God. Do you realize, I was thinking of this the other day, do you realize that if you, your carnal fleshly self, part of your body dies, your, your, your selfless nature, your carnal nature dies and your spirit lives on eternally. And, and do you realize part of why that is because of you and your present form got the heaven, but you would walk around and figure out what was wrong with it. You would walk in and go, well, that music's way too loud.

Angels, could they sing a little more quietly? Well, I don't like this. What's Fred doing here?

I can't believe Fred's doing it. I mean, Frank, Frank, you get out of here. You don't belong here. Your carnal nature doesn't belong in heaven.

It's at war with God. Realize this. And if your carnal nature is at war with God, you realize that you can't fix you. You cannot fix you. He doesn't say life in, in your, you know, little self-improvement thing, life in the spirit.

He gives you the will to make the decisions. Part of it really is up to you, but the life lesson here, you cannot fix you. You need God to do that. Do you realize you can't fix person sitting beside you, person sitting in front of you, person sitting behind you. Now you want to live a life of Christian frustration.

You go ahead and try to do that. You can pray for them. You can share with them, but they need the Holy Spirit to change them from the inside out. You cannot fix you. He gives you the will to make the decisions. Part of it really is up to you, but the life lesson here, you cannot fix you. You need God to do that. You need God to do that. Friend, do you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven?

You can know right now. I want to lead you in 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 loud 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. And I've done wrong things. I have sinned 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, if you prayed that prayer according to the Bible, you've been forgiven. You've been born again. So congratulations, friend.

You just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you. When you call, let our call team representative know where you heard about our broadcast. One of the most important parts of growing in Christ is being in fellowship at a local church.

But what happens on those times you're sick or traveling? Simply log on to crossthebridge.com and click the live stream button, and you'll instantly be streaming from David McGee's home church, The Bridge. Catch every life lesson and scripture reference as you take part in hearing the Word of God from anywhere in the world. Pastor David McGee teaches live online Sunday mornings at nine and eleven fifteen.

Watch this week at crossthebridge.com. Hello, Pastor. I hope this letter finds you well.

I've been praying for you and was just writing to give you an update. I really have been blessed by being able to read and stay in the Word without everyday worldly things hindering my thoughts. That's the only good thing about prison.

A lot of time to get myself together with Christ. I've gotten a job working with the local animal shelter. I get to take the abused dogs and train them. This is also good for the other inmates. They come to me about seeing the dogs. It allows me to ask them if they know Jesus.

The Lord is good in all he does. This job pays 70 cents a day, and I wanted to send the 10% I'm supposed to, but it was going to cost me seven dollars to send 50 cents a week. So I'm going to send you a stamp. That's 44 cents. It's all I have to send.

I know it will be used. Love all of you, and God bless. Bradley. You know, I want to thank everybody who's been giving or who has ever given to Cross the Bridge Ministries on behalf of Bradley, because without your support, we couldn't be telling you about Bradley.

But friends, there's a lot of Bradleys out there, and you know what? We need your help to reach them. So please join with us to reach more people by supporting financially the work of this ministry. For less than a dollar a day, for $25 a month, you can become one of our Bridge Builders and help us to reach more people. And the next time we tell a story about the next Bradley, you can know that you helped us play a part. Thank you so much for supporting this ministry. Look forward to hearing from you.

To become a Bridge Builder, simply go online to crossabridge.com or call us at 877-458-5508. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the single most important event in the history of mankind and has been documented by eyewitnesses and ancient historians. If that is the case, then we must ask ourselves, what does the resurrection mean to me? In his latest teaching series, David Magee unlocks the truth of the resurrection and explains how it has the power to change your life forever. In Volume 1, titled Resurrection, What are the Odds? David shares the historical details and the probability of Jesus dying and rising again. As you look over the prophecies of Scripture pointing to this event, you will be encouraged in your faith.

Resurrection, What are the Odds? includes six teachings and is available to you now for a gift of any amount to Cross the Bridge. Act now and for a gift of $50 or more, you will also receive Volume 2, titled Resurrection, Living for Eternity. This six-CD set features David's teaching on how the resurrection not only impacts your eternal life in heaven, but also equips you to deal with life on earth. To receive either volume of David Magee's Resurrection series, visit crossabridge.com today or call 877-458-5508, where Across the Bridge representatives are waiting for your call. Thanks for listening to Cross the Bridge with David Magee. Join us again next time and invite your family and friends to listen, as together we cross the bridge.