Tuesday, July 26, 2011

July 24/25, 2011 Sermon on Romans 6:1-14 by Pastor Paul Eckert

Sermon by Pastor Paul Eckert - July 24/25, 2011 - Pentecost 6
Sermon text - Romans 6:1-14
 
Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, politics, our economy, taxes - does anybody here have the answers to all of these and other problems that face us as citizens of our country? I don’t think so.
What about answers to questions that face us as citizens of God’s kingdom, citizens who are waiting for the inheritance of heaven where there will be no problems? Here there are answers, answers that come from God’s throne in His revealed Word. Let’s get the questions and the answers from our sermon text, starting out with a theme question:
WHAT SHALL WE SAY, THEN?
I SHOULD GRACE MAKE US SIN? (1-2)
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
1. Grace is God’s undeserved love in His Son.
a) How greatly God’s grace of forgiveness in Jesus is needed!
b) How wonderfully God proclaims His grace in Scripture!
2. There is more grace than there is sin, as Romans 5:20 clearly
states: "Where sin increased, grace increased all the more."
3. But if there is plenty of grace available, then it makes no
difference how much I sin, right? (1)
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
a) So if I know getting drunk is a sin, then I can go on getting
drunk and there is forgiveness, right? If I steal, harm, slander
my neighbor, cheat on my spouse, there is more grace, right?
That means I can go to church and hear the public
pronouncement of forgiveness, or come to the Lord’s Table
and receive that message of forgiveness in the Lord’s Supper,
and then I can go out and start sinning all over again, right?
b) That is what our sinful nature only too easily wants to think.
4. But what do we as God’s children say to that? (1-2)
a) Should grace make us sin? Listen to Scripture’s answer:
By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
b) Scripture’s plain answer is "No!" Hear it again:
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
c) But now, what does it mean when it says "We died to sin"?
Let’s go on to ask our second question.
II DOES OUR BAPTISM MEAN ANYTHING? (3-4)
1. First, do you remember your Baptism? (3a)
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized ---?
a) If you had Christian parents who brought you, be thankful. b) But if that was as a baby, you don’t remember that, do you.
2. Next, how often do you think of your Baptism?
a) The Lord’s Supper, we are often reminded of that Sacrament
because it is regularly scheduled in our church services.
b) But do we think of our Baptism much less because we are
reminded of it only occasionally whenever the Sacrament of
Baptism is used in one of our church services?
3. But why should we think of our Baptisms? (3-4)
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
a) Why think of our Baptisms? As the Lord’s Supper tells us
something is ours because Jesus gave His body and shed His
blood for us, because He died, so Baptism also tells us
something is ours because by Baptism we are connected with,
baptized into, Jesus’ death.
b) Jesus’ death and resurrection, transcendently amazing
historical facts, also picture for us that Baptism, like the
Lord’s Supper, in a similar way means death and life for us.
4. What shall we say, then? (3-4)
a) Baptism does mean something, something wonderful.
b) It is not just a ceremony without any real value beyond that.
c) It means we are and should be new people. Listen again:
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
III DID JESUS’ DEATH DO ANYTHING FOR US? (5-7)
1. A terrific claim is made here. (5)
If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
a) We are going to live, be united with Jesus who now lives.
b) But how is that possible? If the wages of sin is death, an
eternal separation from God in a place that isn’t life but a living
hell, how can we be united with Jesus in His resurrection life?
2. This claim is based on our death with Jesus. (6a)
For we know that our old self was crucified with him ---.
a) When Jesus was on the cross as our Substitute, loaded down
with all of our sins, we were there! Yes, you and I were there!
b) When Jesus died, we died, we were crucified with Jesus; the
wages of our sins were taken care of by our perfect Substitute.
3. That has tremendous meaning for us. (6)
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - .
a) By Christ’s atoning death, sin has been overcome, is now
powerless, cannot condemn God’s baptized, believing people.
b) And surely God’s people then do not want to be slaves to sin,
don’t want to sin deliberately or take orders from sin anymore.
4. What shall we then say to this? (6b-7)
--- we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
a) In Baptism Jesus’ death became ours, we died, we are free!
b) That means that sin’s damning power has been overcome, that
the devil no longer has the power of a slavemaster over us.
c) Listen again to what Jesus’ death did and means for us:
If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
IV DOES JESUS’ LIFE MEAN ANYTHING FOR US? (8-11)
1. Jesus’ life means we will live. (8-9)
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with
him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he
cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.
a) Jesus died once, to save us - but never again.
b) We all will die once - unless Judgment Day comes first. But
then we too will live, will be united with Jesus in resurrection
glory, and death will no longer have power over us either.
2. Our text repeats that astounding truth. (10)
The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
a) Once Jesus died, once He did it for all of us.
b) Then He returned to the right hand of eternal glory where He
now reigns and awaits receiving you and me into glory.
3. This is how to look at life and death and life. (11)
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
a) You don’t want the death we deserve because of sin.
b) Believing in Christ Jesus, now already count yourselves to be
alive to God, serving Him and not the sin that leads to death.
4. What shall we say, then? (8-11)
a) Had Jesus stayed dead, we would be lost forever.
b) But Jesus lives - and we shall too!
c) Listen again:
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
V DOES HOW WE NOW LIVE MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE? (12-14)
1. Obviously it should make a difference. (14)
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
a) The law can’t condemn us when we are under God’s grace.
b) So don’t live letting sin and the law be master in your life.
2. Instead make it obvious you do not serve sin. (12-13a)
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you
obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as
instruments of wickedness, ---.
a) Use my mouth to speak filth or to slander someone, use my
hands to steal, use the sexual parts of my body which God has
given for use between husband and wife and use them instead
outside of marriage on a date or an affair, use my feet to go
where temptations will make me want to go along with sin, use
my eyes to enjoy pornography? - And so on and on.
b) Surely a Christian does not want that to be his response to
God’s will that says, "Do not offer the parts of your body to
sin, as instruments of wickedness ---"!
3. Rather show by your lives that you belong to God. (13b)
--- but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
a) We have been brought from death to life, from condemnation
for sin to forgiveness of sins, from a deserved hell to a
promised heaven.
b) May our thank offering be lives and bodies that glorify God, as
we hear also in 1 Cor. 6:19-20: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
4. What shall we now say? (12-14)
a) Let us say "Thank You" to God for His Son and our salvation.
b) Let us ask His Spirit’s strengthening to show that thankfulness
by honoring God with our bodies, with our lives.
c) And now, in closing, let’s hear again the opening and ending
words of our sermon text.
What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! --- Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.
 
 
 

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