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February 3, 2019 3:00 pm
Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partner, please visit us online@harvest.org, you know, maybe you've come here today to church depressed because well you know your team's to lose. And I won't even say would see a team that is but you are seriously depressed is not a joke at all. Actually depression is real, it's powerful.
Sometimes when people try to cheer you up when you're depressed. They only make it worse. You known insane.
So maybe you feel the way. There are three basic reasons. I think the people find themselves depressed there either depressed about their past about their future or about their present birth are often depressed about their past. It's something you did something you wish you would not done. Maybe it was a year ago a day ago. Maybe it was 25 years ago, but the ramifications and if that exhibit are still a part of your life today, so there's a depression about that. Or maybe you find yourself anxious about your future. You're worried about something you of a problem of some kind in your thinking. What if this happens or what event happens and it weighs heavily on you. Or maybe it's just something you're dealing with in the moment you have a big whopper of a problem. It seems like an insurmountable obstacle and it may be a financial problem and maybe an illness that may be a family problem or whatever it is you come here today with this issue I read about a young woman who was living a very successful and happy lives. He was a dietitian living in New York City also kind of a foodie you know she posted on her Instagram account.
All these incredible photos of eating food in exotic locations within tragically, she committed suicide and she wrote a suicide note to her mother and said that despite all of these great things despite having a great life. She said I feel absolutely nothing. Then she wrote I have accepted hope is nothing more than delayed disappointment and I'm just plain old-fashioned tired of feeling tired." How sad that is. She thinks hope is delayed disappointment. This hopelessness, she mentioned his become something of a national epidemic columnist Carol Markowitz wrote, quote the economy is booming. Crime is fallen dramatically all over the country were richer and safer than ever, but were in the middle of this terrible malaise" and I think the problem is is if you put your hope in this world that is hope misplaced is not good. I hope you it's not gonna solve your problems. The oldest book of the Bible, the book of Job puts it this way in Job 813 the hopes of the godless evaporates. Their confidence hangs by a thread. There, leaning on a spider's web never leaned on the spider's web is sucking the support you very well. That's what it's like to lean on this world. I wish I could have spoken with this young lady and told her there's hope. She was looking in the wrong places in Romans eight is still with promises about our past, present and future breadsticks. Romans eight tells us that there is no condemnation for our past. Romans 81 there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Listen to me if you're a Christian, how many of your Christian surgery. You're a child of God right if you're a child of God and you've asked God to forgive you of your sin, your sin is forgiven and there's no condemnation for you. You must understand how important that is never to Romans 328 tells us there's no separation from God.
In the future so you don't have to be afraid of your future. Paul writes, I convinced that nothing will separate us from the love of God, neither death nor life your angels present are generally angels or demons nor our fears for today or our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love and then Romans 828 assures us that whatever you're going through will ultimately work together for good, all things work together for good to those who love God and of the called according to his purpose Romans eight is sort of like a one-stop shopping destination for hope it's not a supermarket it's I got one of those smaller markets. It's really well-stocked. You can find a lot of what you're looking for in this great chapter that were exploring together. This chapter is how to live is all about how to live a Spirit led life so it's read a few verses together. Romans eight starting in verse one there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is made me free from the law of sin and death for what the law could not do in that it was weak of the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh of the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to this spirit. There you taking notes. There's point number one, a Spirit led believer lives. A condemnation free life, a Spirit led believer lives.
A condemnation free life. Romans 81 starts with no condemnation.
It ends with no separation. However, Paul does not say they'll be no failures or inconsistencies because were all gonna mess up were still going to sin, but he tells us there's no sort of condemnation. Why because Jesus took that condemnation.
That judgment that we should have faced on himself when he died on the cross of Calvary, and I think the classic example of how this works is that woman caught in the act of adultery. Remember that we don't know the guy was there was a guy involved. Obviously, but I he was gone. This is really some kind of a trap set up by the religious leaders so they grab this woman. They dragged her and they throw on the ground in front of Jesus. They say to him. The law says she should be stoned what you say this chick Jesus off. He knew exactly what they were doing and he called them out on it is an old K and he stooped down and he wrote in the sand that we don't know what he wrote. Whatever was it was profound because we read they all left from the oldest of the youngest she said let him that is without sin cast the first stone. So there gone in these alone with this woman and he looks at her and he says, where are your accusers, she replies.
I have known Lord. He says neither do I condemn you go and sin no more. In a similar way, this will most caught the act of adultery nieces.
I don't condemn you had Stephen turn from her sins as she did say but when she said, Lord, this woman knew she was going to die that day. But instead, everything changed and she looked into the eyes of Jesus, and she looked at those others would condemned her and she believed right on the spot where your accusers.
I have none.
Lord, that's when she believed you know how long it takes to believe in Jesus pretty much like this can just happen all of a sudden the light goes on amusing this is. This is true, it's Christ I need you don't understand everything about him you don't understand all the intricacies of the theology of conversion. The justification and sanctification and adoption, etc. but you just know you need Jesus and you put your faith in him and he says go and sin no more.
Again, Romans 81 there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus you know there's some love talk right now the news about abortion and that's because of some laws have been passed the New York State legislature to pass along a law making it illegal illegal legal rather for abortionists and other healthcare professionals to perform abortions up to birth for any reason, and that includes the mental health of the mother, no mental health just been saying she doesn't want to have the child she can still abort it and after this bill was signed.
There was applause on the floor which I thought was a jarring unbelievable moment that people would applaud for something like this and now the same thing is been passed in Rhode Island and Virginia Gov. Northam of Virginia, I was asked about that bill in a radio interview. He said what Whitney was that's a question what would happen if a child was born after failed attempt at abortion.
Another was aborted child and some of the child survived the child was outside of the mother's womb. What you do with this living baby on the table. He says well what we would do is we would let the them. The mother in the family decide OIC so now were going to kill the baby outside of the work.
This is a logic carried out either you believe what the Bible says about life or you don't. Either you believe that life begins at conception and you don't so we say all that's horrible.
Yeah that's horrible but it's also horrible to take the life of the baby while it's still in the mother's womb. This is a horrible thing that's happening in our country right now you see it played out to its logical conclusion, so I sent a tweet out and I spoke out critically of this and I got a tweet back or a tweet that I was copied on from a young lady whose name was Crystal holder led to the tweet that she put out there Crystal holder Greg it was your voice speaking God's word that I listen to every morning on the radio as I drove to my job where I was the manager of Planned Parenthood in Winston-Salem, North Carolina you're delivering God's word is what gave me the courage to walk away safe. So I had to know the rest of this story, so we contacted Crystal and so she said to us. When I started listening to a new beginning. I came to know Jesus truly understand the magnitude of God's love. I've learned more from your program than all my years in church I disintegrate every day that I was at Planned Parenthood I worked there for almost a year and a certain sermon. He came scared me in it. It hit me like you never get before.
Listen to this one day while I was counting the pieces of a dismembered baby. I thought about Greg sermon. If Jesus came back right then and there would he leave me behind so Crystal repented. She left that job. Now she's working to save the lives of unborn babies.
God can do it either. Some of listening to me right now, who's had an abortion or is helped in this will help in some way like Crystal was really or maybe you're a guy that encouraged the woman to have an abortion using what I that's it for me know. There's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus US God to forgive you of that already others since then. He'll do it, no condemnation.
If you're in Christ Jesus. That's the key. The Bible says if any man be in Christ is a new creation.
Old things are passed away. Everything becomes new. Listen, God sees you for who you are in Christ, not what you were in sin.
Let me say that again when you become a Christian, God sees you for who you are in Christ, not who you were in sin.
God does not see you in your sin he sees you and his son SON he doesn't see you in your sin he sees you and his son yeah get messed up I messed up.
Since he is always is no that's my child now that's the one that is been forgiven by me.
This is the one I'm not condemning any longer. You know God always sees us for what we can become the good Simon Peter, Jesus walked up the Simon and his name wasn't Peter that came later, Christ given that they walked up to Simon he said you are Peter which means rock. If there was anything Simon was not. It was a lot. Simon was hotheaded vacillating, argumentative, and Jesus says from now on your rock your rocky buddy that that that that that that that the been attempted or that the depth of the computer went so I think the other disciples might've been laughing rock. Does Jesus actually knows Simon all yelling those but he wasn't calling him what he was. He was explaining what he would become. I think of Gideon who is hiding from the Midianites. He and God was looking for a new judge to lead Israel and the angel of the Lord appears to have says hey Gideon you mighty man of courage, any Sen. while he was hiding behind a wall hardly mighty men of courage, but again, God does not see you in your sin he sees you in the son God does not see you in your failure he sees what you can become that run that's nice didn't intend that.
So we see a failure.
God sees potential we see assignment God sees the Peter we see a cowardly Gideon.
God sees a mighty man of courage, we see the past God sees the future. We see him as God sees a message God can change everything in your store appeal letter.
There's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Number two, you're taking notes. The best way to not go backward just to go forward in the spirit. The best way to not go backward just to go forward in the spirit verse for the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
When we look at Romans seven together that the struggle of Paul, may we just come up. Romans six says are no longer slaves to sin were children of God, everything salsa and palm room seven is yeah but then there's this good I want to do. I don't do that. To bad I don't want to do I do that I struggle with this and I just cried out to God, O wretched man that I am, who's going to deliver me from this law sin and death. You see the struggle of Romans seven is out of a person trying to live Romans six without the help of the Holy Spirit. Again, though, the struggle of Romans seven is a person is trying to live the truth of Romans six without the help of the Holy Spirit toward noting that the word I is used 30 times in Romans seven, without a single mention of the Holy Spirit with him when you come to Romans eight the word spirit or Holy Spirit is used 20 times so the ideas we need the help of the Holy Spirit, and so we decide to walk in the spirit using to get up in the morning you make choices. I'm either going to walk in the spirit today Robin a walk in the flesh today. We can apply this to other areas of life.
Let let's take people who are thin. Now there are biological freaks of nature who do not gene way even though they keep all the bad things are any of you out there decision him. I hate you if you hear no other area. One guy raises an other people like that. I know people like that they give you anything and everything way others are at the rest of us. That's not the case. So you know so you notice that people are thin and they're in good shape. There's a reason for that. The other day I went to a place called the meatball shop with my friend Skip hi tech now. I that's a great name for a place the meatball shop right and they have great spicy pork meatballs itself.
So I ordered that sort of a hoagie type sandwiches, spicy pork meatballs with spicy pork sauce with provolone cheese melted on it.
That's how you order in the meatball shop can just tell it skip I'd said he ordered chicken meatballs are what chicken meatballs out of chicken and then he got it on. I can even say it. Kale salad.
Then again, Skip is a very thin guy and I'm not. Maybe there's something to that you look at some of their dues in great shape order they do they get up in the morning to get the door run and then they go they lift weights in and they think about things that they even you wake up in the morning and you don't know anything and you eat breakfast and then new up donuts afterwords or whatever it is you do okay as I bring this up to since eight dollars compared to the spiritual life. One person gets up in the morning and they open their Bible and they read what the Bible has to say and they pray and then there on the way to work all have in our community.
Elevate the listen do Christian radio or they listen to good podcasts that have does messages, or other things that will encourage them spiritually or praise and worship music and then even at the lunch break to open the word of God again and they're involved in the church and they think they're obviously there every Sunday.
That's kind of a no-brainer, but there is a midweek study there in a small group all of their doing well spiritually imagine that in there someone else to get up in the morning then read the Bible and they listen to talk radio on the way to work and they get to church every now and then notes around two times a month to retake and midweek snow home studies are small groups. No, you see, and then they wonder whether struggling spiritually go. Don't get me wrong because I am not trying to put someone under legalism because in fact that's what we been freed from this is not of works righteousness, but rather listen working righteousness. There is our part as well as God's part and I think we need to see that if you don't want to go backward you go forward in the best way to not walk in the flesh is to walk in the spirit and to be conscious about that and take practical steps to do that each and every day.
Listen to this, every one of us should start every day by asking God to fill us with the Holy Spirit because Ephesians 5 says be filled with the Holy Spirit speaking yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. The word filled speaks of something that's continuous as in be constantly filled over and over again with the Holy Spirit. Also in the original language of the command gutsy and I commend you to be filled over and over again with the Holy Spirit, what is it me, means that the Holy Spirit permeates my life because one way this word is translated is permeation as in salt permeating me to preserve it.
God wants his spirit to permeate every area of your life. Your thought life. Your your marriage is your business. Everything that you do. He wants to permeated and then another translation of the word filled means to have the wind fill your sales ever been on a lake in a little sailboat. There's no when Bob and a renowned and then a gust of wind comes in you waste your sale and you pick up speed. That's the way to do it. How much better life is when I let the Holy Spirit fill my sales to give me the strength to live this life. He's called me to live. I'm not talking about trying harder. I'm talking about asking God to help you, because you can do this on euro point number three spirit led people are spiritually minded people. This is a big one spirit led people are spiritually minded people. Verse five. Those were dominated by the sinful nature Inc. about sinful things.
Those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit, postural moment. Think about things that please the Spirit's in other words be preoccupied with things that preoccupy the Holy Spirit over those things be with the rest of Romans eight answers that question is a few things. The Holy Spirit want you to think about. Verse 14 says those were led by the spirit are the sons of God.
Verses 15 to 16 tells us God removes the fear of rejection and assures us for his children. Verses 26 to 27. Tell is that the Holy Spirit gives us confidence to approach God in prayer is that the Holy Spirit is preoccupied with. He wants us to think about the fact that were adopted were loved and were welcomed adopted love and welcome your adopted as a child of God. I'm adopted.
That's right got my last name Lori amending Oscar Lori one of my mother's many husbands adopted me and treated me as a father and I still feel great love for him is in heaven now, but I'm adopted maybe some of you were adopted heard about two kids who were arguing. One was the biological son.
The other was an adopted son the biological son said to the adopted brother. You know what I was born into this family. You were adopted in the adopted boy said well they chose me, and I got stuck with you. So God shows you he adopted you he wanted you. You are adopted you are love and you are welcome. He welcomes you in prayer. So this is important when you're going through something that's stressing you out in causing you to worry. Remember you're an adopted child of God. You are welcome by God. God wants to hear from you and that's what it is to be spiritually minded and have your mind dominated by the spirit. The contrast is to think about sinful things first buys those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things.
A lot of things can fall under this category can be wicked, horrible things lost in anger and hatred that can be empty. Things like fame and fortune can be a person that just thinks of the physical and there he was up never gives a passing thought to the spiritual. Jesus said don't be like nonbelievers only think about what they're going to eat what they're going to drink you what the gun aware. He says don't is nothing. Don't think about those things just don't make that the only thing you think about pre-preoccupied. If you will with the things of God. Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will delete what you where would children will be added to you. Attempting to be righteous by trying harder is also living in the flesh. You just need to admit you can do it on your own that's appalled. In Romans seven. All wretched man that I am going to deliver me. I can't do this on my own. That's an important thing to say. On that here we just cried out to God and said God if you don't come through for me. I'm done on the water. Lord, I need your help right now.
I love what the psalmist wrote some 42 was so honest with God, he says, oh God, my rock, why have you forgotten me, why am I walking around in tears harassed by my enemies.
By the way is something wrong with bearing your heart to God is crying out against God is crying out to God.
It's okay to say Lord I don't get this, Lauren. I don't like this Lord. This is frustrating where are you wire my enemies prevailing over me.
Why is this happening to me and to get to see that the God but then I love what the psalmist does he sort of corrects his own thinking and of verse 11 is this why am I discouraged and why is my heart. So sad. I'll put my hope in God all praise him again for he's my Savior and my God I love the fact that he cries out to God and frustration.
These honest it's hard fill these candid in any corrects himself hey man, put your hope in God, you can get trusted is come through for you before you come through for you again so we cry out to God, number four, the Holy Spirit is at home in the hearts of spirit led believers the Holy Spirit is at home in the hearts of spirit led believers.
Verse nine you who are in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in Nellis when you come become a Christian. The Holy Spirit comes the lives inside if you are the Bible says that were convicted by the spirit and then ultimately what we believe were sealed by the spirit, then the Bible tells us we can be filled with the spirit empowered by the spirit. So Saul happens to the follower of Jesus. We were with our grandkids couple nights ago and there were stayed overnight in a we were telling them about the Holy Spirit in the about how the Lord with us wherever we are. And then I started talking about angels for their bedtime story and I told my granddaughter Alena when angels appear the appearance men.
She said that's not fair that she wanted to be girls too and then I said to Christopher, our grandson, angels are with us in this room right now and then he said that's kind of scary about those Alaris that's kind of scary. I said no it's not scary, it's good, but the Holy Spirit comes in every believer, but this is very important. Awarding the Paul uses here, he says if the spirit dwells in you, the word well means to be at home see there's a temperature during this trip he then use this word being at home in you ever been to someone's house and you just feel at home you're comfortable ever been to someone's house and you don't feel at home. Let's say the moment that I have in a fight. There can want to go now let's say the food sucks that you don't hang out there.
Let's say the house is a bad smell. Why don't want to be here much longer to my point is simply some homes I don't want to be another home is why I don't want to leave and the ideas here is the Holy Spirit is at home. He's at home is comfortable there. Is he comfortable in your life. You know the Bible tells us that there are certain sins we can commit that offend the Holy Spirit can grieve the spirit we can make the Holy Spirit sad we don't want to do that but we want to let him have the rule of our home and our home These in charge of all decor, all decisions of what colors walls are furniture pictures can't give my input. Now I have my little department anything mechanical I'm into that site to rebind a toaster on the research. Toasters now can I get in all that stuff. But you decide the house. I'll tell her what I think and she decides this on the been married 45 years. Is that what I'm telling you, I just let her have her way, and most of the time she's right. Sometimes I disagree. What is the matter in a we have peace peace in the home. Let the Holy Spirit have his way in your home, you can say all I will. Lord, I kind of think this is nicer to think down the Holy Spirit like okay but this is what I want and that's what were going to do because I want you to dwell in my heart I want you to be at home in my heart I want you to be comfortable there and I want you to be ruling there one last point spirit led believers overcome the old life spirit led believers overcome the old life. Verse 13 if you live according to the flesh, you will die by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. You can't do it on your own.
You can try all day long.
Crucify the flesh note well know, walk in the spirit in you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. If you go forward you won't go backwards.
The best defense is a good offense. Modern translation of Romans 813 says so don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life, one red cent. There's nothing in there for us. Nothing at all.
The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. Because God spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go. That's and that's a fun translation and I think it really catches the just of what Paul is saying is in the best way to put something together is the private of oxygen you don't feed the flesh to starve. It don't keep those things.
Focus your energies on walking in the spirit in being closer to Jesus one last verse is a you said want your love is your last point I said that was the last point. This is the last verse, verse 14 for as many as are led by the spirit. They are the sons of God closing question are you a child of God.
We sing earlier. I am a child of God. I no longer a slave to sin. Are you a child of God is a well were all God's children. Actually, we are to pretend to you, were all created by God were all made in the image of God well loved by God, but we are not all God's children in a technical biblical set. The Bible says, for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become sons of God, daughters of God. So the way I become a child of God is not by birth in a Christian home. It comes about by rebirth. Jesus said you must be born again. There must be a moment when I say Lord I know I'm a sinner and I know you're the Savior and ask you to forgive me and come and live in my life then you are reborn born again and then you become a child of God back to this horrible story of this young lady who took her life who wrote I've accepted hope is nothing more than delay disappointment and I'm just plain old-fashioned tired of feeling tired or I wish it, I could've told her hope is not delay disappointment I would've told her hope has a name and it's Jesus and that's what you need. That's what we all need right now.
So pretty much done here to pray in the moment, but I want to extend an invitation on this day, to any of you hear any of you watching wherever you are if you don't know Jesus Christ right now. If you're not sure you're a child of God which you want to become one.
If you've done something in your life you're ashamed up something you wish you had never done but you don't know what to do.
I'm telling me you can be forgiven of it and no be no condemnation in your life but you must call out to God.
If you need to do this, please respond to this invitation as we close now in prayer. Let's all bow our heads if you would everyone pray father referred your word. We know you love us. We know you send Jesus to die on the cross for us and now we pray that you will speak to us and I pray specifically for anyone here or anyone watching or listening wherever they are.
If they don't know you, Lord, bring them to yourself right now the letterheads about their eyes are closed and were praying together. Maybe there's someone here that needs Jesus someone here that is lost hope someone here that is in the throes of depression. You've even considered taking your own life. I want you to know hope has a name and it's Jesus, and he stands at the door of your life in the Knox and says if you hear his voice and open the door he will come in. Would you like him to come into your life. If so, here's your opportunity. If you want God to forgive you of your sin if you want to know you go to heaven when you die if you want to put your past behind you if you want Jesus Christ to come in your life right now I want to lift your hand up and I'm in a pray for you wherever you are razor in think I want Jesus today. I want this.
Hope you're talking about. I want this relationship with God, pray for me that your desire raise your hand up wherever you are accomplishing.
Raise your hand above. Pray for you.
God bless you. You may be watching the screen right now, would you raise your hand wherever you want to say yes I need Jesus.
Let me pray with you right now anybody else. God bless you, bless you. Bless each one of you now.
I would ask that everyone of you raise your hand would just pray this prayer after me right when you are pray this prayer.
You could even print out loud just pray Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner but I know you're the Savior who died in the cross for my sin. I ask you to forgive me now and I put my trust in you. I choose to follow you. Thank you for calling me and accepting me and forgiving me in Jesus name I pray, amen.
God bless each one of you