Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. You need God's supernatural life in your soul.
So it is that becoming a follower of Jesus is a supernatural event. A supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe, senior pastor of Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. No matter how smart or how gifted you are, It's impossible for you to live a righteous life in your own strength. But today, we're exploring what it means to live each day in the Spirit.
Drawing on the supernatural power that's available to us as we follow Jesus Christ.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe. What do you think is the greatest power in the universe? There is a power which is different from all power on earth. It is a supernatural power. It is the power of the gospel.
You may be very capable. You may be very successful. but this is a power you cannot achieve on your own. This is the power of God. True salvation is a supernatural event.
It's not just saying a prayer or attending a church or going through some religious ritual. Only God can give us spiritual life, this power which changes every aspect of our lives. This power lifts us up. This power forgives our sins. God Himself in Christ.
indwells us.
So as we go through life, we draw not on our own strength, but on the supernatural power. If you have your Bible there, turn with me to the fourth Gospel, John chapter 16. Where we will see, first of all, that the Holy Spirit, who is God, convicts us of our sin. John 16, verse 7. Jesus is speaking to his disciples, is speaking to us today and saying this: Nevertheless, I tell you the truth.
It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper, a reference to the spirit, will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
Now don't let's verse 8. And when he comes, that's gone the Holy Spirit. He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. Concerning sin, because they do not believe in me. Concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will see me no longer.
Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. This is one of the wonderful ministries of the Holy Spirit. Here is something supernatural that God, the Holy Spirit, convicts us of our sin. But the Holy Spirit not only convicts us of our sin, That is supernatural. The Holy Spirit also gives us new life.
Regeneration. If you're in John chapter 16, go back to John chapter 3. Where we will see this, an amazing conversation between Jesus and a man, a man called Nicodemus, according to the first verse of John 3, a man who is a Pharisee, in fact a ruler of the Jews. Manu came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you're a teacher, come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. But notice Jesus' response, verse 3.
John 3:3, Jesus answered him, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he's old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered him, Truly, truly I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit. He cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. And that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it goes.
So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Use the expression, born of the Spirit. convicted by the Spirit.
So that we realize that we've sinned. But here is a wonderful supernatural. Ministry of the Spirit. In fact, only God can do this. To take someone who is spiritually dead and make that person spiritually.
alive. And this is what the Holy Spirit does, because we are spiritually speaking, we're dead. Dead in our trespasses and in sins. God radically changes us. From the inside out.
A radical work of giving new life. This is the gift of God. The spirit Convicts us. He regenerates us, born again. Third, the Holy Spirit indwells us.
Let's see this in Romans chapter 8. These are shoot subjects. I'm just skimming over the surface. But third, the Holy Spirit indwells us. Romans eight, verse nine.
This magnificent chapter, one of the great chapters in the Bible, Romans 8, verse 9. Paul writes, you, however, are not in the flesh. But in the spirit, he's writing to those who've been born again. You're not in the flesh, you're in the spirit. If, in fact, the spirit, capital S, the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ. does not belong to him. Isn't this magnificent? Think of what God supernaturally does. This is the grace of God.
Being convicted by the Spirit. Being born again of the Spirit. And now indwelled by the Spirit. Isn't this what Paul means in Galatians 2:20, the verse we read? He says, Christ lives.
Present tense, Christ lives in me. This Christ. who rose from the dead, who's alive. It's not just he remotely, as it were, forgives my sin. No, he actually comes and in his spirit in dwells me, takes his permanent residence in all who are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone.
And the Christian life must never ever be reduced to just going through some religious rituals, joining a church, or doing good things. It is a supernatural life. It is a supernatural event. This is radical, indwelled by the Spirit of God's Son. Do you believe that?
Anyone believe that? A few half-hearted yeses. The Holy Spirit. who it dwells us. will never leave us.
But This salvation is a supernatural event.
Now if you grasp this, Here is the application. You are now to live. and the power of that Holy Spirit. If you truly have received the Spirit of God, If you truly are indwelled by the Spirit of God, truly born again, you have the supernatural power.
Now Paul is saying, turn to Galatians 5.
Now Paul is saying, live. by the power. of the spirit. Galatians 5. Sixteen.
Galatians 5. Sixteen. But I say Walk by the Spirit. That's not your own spirit, it's the Holy Spirit. Live.
By the Spirit. Live a spiritual life. Walk by the Spirit. and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the spirit.
And the desires of the spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you're not under the law. Verse 25, if we live by the Spirit. Let us also walk by the Spirit.
If you've received this new life, if you truly have been born again, If you've been indwelled by the Spirit, now live by that Spirit. You catch. The logic, do you catch the points? Followers of Jesus are commanded to live a life in the Spirit. You have received the Holy Spirit as a gift from God.
Now, walk. Walk being a metaphor of live. Live the life of the Spirit. Keep in step with the Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit lead you, control you, empower you.
Christ living in me. Galatians 2.20. Everything Christ lives in you now. Live by the Spirit. Work out.
In your daily life, what has happened to you internally in the supernatural event of the new birth of becoming a follower of Jesus Christ? We're commanded to live. By the power Now, this is something we must do. It's a command. And the command is in the present tense.
Day by day, Step by step. I'm to live by the Spirit. This afternoon? You get up tomorrow, you go to school. You go to the gym, you go to work, you go to the bank, you go to the hospital, whatever you're doing, live by the Spirit.
Each day, I'm to take one step at a time, depending. On the spirit. And Paul says, when you live this supernatural life, the life of the spirit. There's a tremendous promise that you catch it in verse 16. Walk by the Spirit.
There's the command. Here's the promise. and you will not gratify the desires of your flesh. You say, well, John, I am following Christ, but I'm drawn to the desires of the flesh. These sins.
come into my life.
Well, here's the promise. And if you don't live a supernatural life, Your flesh. Your selfish desires, your passions, will control you and in fact dominate you. The flesh The Greek word sarx. Translated in the NIV, I don't think particularly helpful as sinful nature, but the flesh.
It's what you are without the Spirit of God. It is our self-effort. It is our self-reliance. It's living the way that the unregenerate person lives. It's a life without the grace of God.
And our flesh is our enemy. Paul says that the flesh and the spirit are against one another. And apart from the working of the Spirit within you. Apart from you, Daily depending on the Spirit. Looking to the Spirit for help.
For his wisdom. For strength for guidance If you don't do that, you will find as you have found That by yourself you will not conquer the flesh. In fact, rather than conquering the flesh, you will end up Feeding. the flesh. I'm going to show the children a bird.
It is the Isn't that a beautiful bird? It is an English bird. It is a cuckoo. Not the cuckoo that comes out of a clock. but the English cuckoo bird.
I don't think you have this particular type of bird. in the US, but it's quite common in English in England. The cuckoo bird in England is unique That She looks beautiful, but she's a very selfish bird. She never builds her own nest. She's too lazy.
When she's about to hatch An egg, what does she do? She goes to the nest of another bird. She goes to the breast the the nest of uh Mrs. Thrush or Mrs. Starling or Mrs.
Sparrow. and she lays her big egg in that Yeah. She waits until Mrs. Thrash, Mrs. Sterling has left the nest.
And when she has left the nest, Mrs. Cuckoo Bird comes, lays her egg. Mrs. Sterling? Comes back, she's not very good at math, she doesn't notice that there's an extra egg.
When she left there were four, now there are five. And it's a bigger one. Eventually, all five eggs hatch. And what happens? Mrs.
Thrush, Mrs. Sterling, goes away to get worms to feed her little brood. She comes back and there's four little mouths open and there's one big mouth open. Guess who gets the worm? Baby Cuckoo.
And baby cuckoo keeps eating and eating, and eventually becomes so big. This is true. Not everything happens in America. This is true. Gets so big.
That's Baby Coco pushes the other little birds out of the nest. You can say, oh, at this point. But that's what happens. The cuckoo. Baby.
is like our flesh. Always demanding. Have you noticed? Your flash. Your flesh can't wait.
Esau in the Bible is a picture of the flesh. Unless he gets that food, he's going to die. Oh, please, Esau. You know, surely. You're not gonna die because you don't get a plate of soup.
But that's the flesh. Self-centered, demanding, immediate. I can't wait. Very, very demanding. And very quickly, our flesh, like the cuckoo bird, takes control.
What's your problem? The problem is you're feeding your flesh. Garbage. What what incidentally, what were you watching last night? Were they feeding the spirit?
or you're taking in some garbage. Watching some terrible movie, watching some trash on YouTube. Taking in garbage. with friends Hmm. I feeding your flesh.
And then you wonder Why your spiritual life is flat. You wonder why your spiritual desires are small. You wonder why you're spiritually in the doldrums. You wonder why you're living that defeated life. You wonder why you're committing that same old sin over and over and over again.
I'll tell you why. You've been feeding the flesh. And you've not been walking. by the Spirit. The problem is not that the Holy Spirit has left you.
The Holy Spirit indwells you, but you're not walking by the Spirit. Stop feeding the flesh. Walk by the Spirit. Don't be dominated by your flesh. This is what Paul is saying.
Christ lives in me. With this power, Why would you find A lifestyle of feeding the flesh. The power of Almighty God is available to you and to me as we follow Jesus. Didn't you confess your sins when you came to Christ? We'll call his name Jesus, for he saves his people from their sins, not in their sins, but from their sins.
And this is one of the characteristics of the authentic follower of Jesus Christ. That overall in our life we are walking by the Spirit. And when we do that, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh each day. Reject sin. Each day kills sin.
Each day, put it to death. Each day, walk by the Spirit. And the power of the Spirit in us is greater than the power of temptation. This is a life. of dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Isn't that a wonderful way to live? A daily experience. A step-by-step dependence. on the Spirit. Isn't that wonderful that the beginning of day of the day We can ask God for his strength.
Isn't that wonderful? When you go into that difficult business, At work. You carry out that difficult operation in the hospital. You have to deal with that difficult exam. You can ask God.
to give you a peace. And to give you strength. And to give you help. Isn't that wonderful? Isn't it wonderful that when temptation comes, however fierce it is, However demanding it is, however attractive it seems, that God is faithful, Paul says, and always provides a way of escape, and He gives us the supernatural power, the power of the Spirit.
This, says Paul in Galatians 2.20, is a life of faith. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. Sin blocks your faith. Sin quenches the work of the Spirit. And so live.
by the Spirit. Some people think that the Christian life is don't do this, don't do that, a life of negativity. Yes, there are things we must not do. That is true. But following Jesus, a life in the Spirit is a life of joy, it's a life of freedom.
It's a life of drawing on the supernatural power of God. If you come to my home, I don't have signs up in my home saying, do not swear at Goodney, my wife. I don't have a sign up in my Home saying, please help your wife clean up after dinner. I don't have these kinds of signs up. Can you imagine living in a home like that?
Don't hate your wife. Remember to take out the garbage. That's how some people think the Christian life is. Christian life, in its essence, is not following a law of rules and regulations. Rather And Paul has explained this in Galatians 5.
It is a life of freedom, it's a life of love. If I love my wife as I do, there are certain things flowing from that love relationship which I don't do, and there are other things that I do. And as we follow Jesus, there is this internal motivation. A spiritual desire because we've received the life of God in our soul, the gift of the Holy Spirit. A motivation, a love for Christ, a love for His Word, a desire to please God.
Yes, the struggle is there. Yes, the flesh never goes away. As long as I live, the flesh will be there. But each day as you walk by the Spirit. You'll experience the supernatural power.
of God. in your life. We have amazing power. Much more power than a Lamborghini or a Ferrari or any other human power. Paul says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, for it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.
This power, the greatest power in the universe, is so powerful that it will forgive your sins. This power is so powerful, it will give you eternal life so that when you die, you immediately go to heaven. And this power is so powerful that you have all of the power you need to live a life for the glory of God, displaying and proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ. Live by the Spirit is the point. Live the supernatural life.
This is the next step. and following Jesus. Our Father and our God. We're amazed. Humbled.
Are these great truths? Father, we confess that often We live life. a life of the flesh. A life of mediocrity. A life like her unbelieving friends.
who work with us, who live next door. And so I pray, Father, that your spirit will be doing his unique work of conviction. Opening eyes. To see the horror of our sin, opening our eyes to see the beauty of Christ. And may Your Holy Spirit graciously, graciously draw boys and girls this morning and men and women.
to Christ. Thank you for our Saviour. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for this amazing power. that we have.
And may each of us Open our hearts and our lives to Christ. and live for him, we pray. In His precious name, amen. This is the verdict featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us.
From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. but to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource, John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity. Get your copy today by visiting our website at the verdict.
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Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, We invite you to join us for our Sunday services. For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe. Well, what's your verdict? Many people want to make a difference in the world, but they're doing it in their own strength. God loves you. Christ died for you and rose from the dead so that His life, His power may be available to you.
Perhaps you are following Jesus, but you're not availing yourself of this power. Will you repent of the sin in your life? Will you ask God to renew your spirit? And join me next time as we think of prayer. This next step.
in following Jesus. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
