[0:00] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all for this prayer. It's a blessing to be back after kind of a long trip.
[0:13] ! I feel like we have another little church coming up this week. We're excited for that. I don't think we've ever joined youth meetings before, and so we're excited for that and looking forward to it.
[0:33] But yeah, we had a wonderful time with other believers in other states, especially in Michigan.
[0:43] We found a church there that we spent last Sunday there with a group that was much larger than I expected. And just so many young families there and children and youth.
[0:59] And I was just really amazed at the love they had for each other and just the love they had for God, I believe.
[1:10] And just, yeah, very, very good to be there with them and so on. And so, yeah, not trying to be partial to Michigan, but again, just to see that the church is, that God is building his kingdom there.
[1:27] And it was at a different area than from where you all are a couple hours north. But anyway, yeah, just to be back and looking forward to having, you know, to being here today with you all again.
[1:43] Coming here this morning is just so good to see you all again. My wife and I are very glad to be back. And I know James is there on their way home, I believe.
[1:55] Hopefully be home later today, maybe. So what I'd like to talk about this morning is something is nothing new, but maybe it'll be some different angles.
[2:08] That I believe is very necessary to be looked at occasionally in any church and in our own personal lives, but also as a church body.
[2:24] And that is about the war. I have titled it different ways. I don't know how to title it, but the war within us or the battle between the old nature and the new.
[2:39] And I know we, in our messages and devotionals and things that we talk about here, we often mention it. And so it's often mentioned even in messages and in preaching, but I'd like to just basically spend this message about that subject.
[3:01] And so, and even in doing so, I realize that I can't cover it all. I can't, I can only scratch the surface of it, probably as far as how God sees it.
[3:14] But if you want to turn your Bibles to Romans chapter 7, I want to read some verses in Romans 7, beginning in verse 15.
[3:28] Verse 15 to maybe 25 or so. Or wait, I'm in, yeah, I was in Romans 8.
[3:44] I love Romans 8, so my page goes there. But yeah, Romans 7, 15 to the end. For that which, this is Paul talking, for that which I do, I allow not.
[3:58] For what I would, that I do not. But what I hate, that I do. Sounds like a struggle, doesn't it? If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
[4:13] Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me that is my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. Do you know that in our flesh dwelleth no good thing?
[4:28] For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good which I would, I do not.
[4:40] But the evil which I would not, that I do. He says it there again. Now if I do that, I would not. It is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
[4:55] I find then a new law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
[5:16] O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
[5:34] Have we ever found ourselves at a place with this war, this battle between the two natures to say, O wretched man that I am.
[5:46] What a wretch I am. Have we ever found ourselves at a place like that? In Romans 6, verse 6, he says, Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him.
[6:00] And then again in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 22, I believe, he talks about, Put off the old man and put on the new man.
[6:12] In fact, I just want to turn there real quick. Ephesians chapter 4, if we could just briefly turn to that.
[6:22] I think there's a couple of verses. Yeah, verse 22 to 24. Ephesians 4, here we go.
[6:36] That ye put off concerning the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
[6:57] That is what we want. That's the life we want to live. But we have an old man to put off. The great inner conflict.
[7:09] I want to look at this conflict. And I believe one of the greatest, greater confusions in Christianity is, why do believers still struggle?
[7:27] Why is there still temptation? I mean, if you have been crucified and it's dead, why is it still? Or is it like some popular preachers preach that they never sin?
[7:43] They never, you know, what did the one man say? I haven't sinned in 20 years. Yeah, I believe he probably sinned when he said that.
[7:58] Why is there this, and I'm not saying that we should sin, not at all, or that we have to sin? But John said that if we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father.
[8:14] Why is there temptation if the old man was crucified? I believe it's a matter of faith that we believe, that we believe that the old man was crucified.
[8:28] The fallen, what is the old nature? I want to just look at that. It's the fallen, atomic nature. And then the new man is Jesus Christ in the believer.
[8:42] That seed of God, John talks about the seed of God within us. The flesh, the one, the old man is the flesh.
[8:55] The flesh and the old man is the same thing. So, going forward here, if I say the flesh, we're just talking about the old man, the old nature. And the new man is the spirit, the spirit of God, the spirit that God makes alive in us.
[9:11] That's the new. What is flesh? Yeah, the old nature. We know what it is. Would somebody look up John 3, verse 6, and read that here in a minute.
[9:28] And I'm going to jump to Romans 8, verse 7. While you look that up, John 3, verse 6, Romans 8, verse 7 says, The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
[9:48] So, the old cannot be subject to the law of God. It's not possible. We can't even please God with the old nature.
[10:00] Who has John 3, verse 6? That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Amen.
[10:12] That's Jesus speaking, I believe. To Nicodemus, actually. Right? He was explaining to Nicodemus that about the flesh and about the spirit.
[10:30] Amen. The flesh cannot submit. It cannot please God. It cannot improve somehow. It can't be improved into spirituality.
[10:44] There's a lot of cannots about the flesh. Romans 8, verse 8 says, They that are in the flesh cannot please God.
[10:56] And then I want to read some thoughts and some notes here that I have about the flesh. And I also want to talk equally, hopefully, about the new life.
[11:10] It's not all that pleasant to talk about the flesh, but it can appear religious. It can perform external duties.
[11:21] It can mimic godliness. It can change bad habits and even addictions. Like stopping.
[11:32] I know men that, in my own family, that stop smoking and stop drinking and stop cursing and just by a lot of willpower and trying really hard.
[11:44] It's amazing what the flesh can do. And I'm glad when people stop doing those things, right? That doesn't necessarily mean that it's a new person or a new life in Christ.
[12:01] In other words, a Muslim that doesn't believe in Jesus Christ can also stop doing bad things. Even though it's much, much harder.
[12:11] I will add that. It's much, much harder. But the flesh can do a lot of good stuff. But it can't please God. It can't actually bring glory to God.
[12:26] Because at its root, it is still self-life. The flesh wants control. It wants recognition.
[12:38] I wrote here, that's why social media is so successful. So popular. It's so, because, so many times, I'm not saying you can't use it for God's glory, but, I think, overall, it's so popular because it's so much flesh.
[12:58] It's so much the old nature. Wanting to be seen and wanting recognition. And, popularity is about the flesh and God hates it.
[13:09] God hates the flesh, by the way. The flesh wants its own will. Even in spiritual things, the flesh wants to be seen.
[13:25] The Pharisees, they were religious, but it was flesh. Saul, Saul, before he became Paul, he was zealous for God, he thought.
[13:38] He thought, but it was in the flesh. He was actually persecuting the true believers. You see how powerful and how, how strong that flesh can be and how wrong it can be at the same time.
[13:53] I wrote down here, the flesh can preach, the flesh can sing, the flesh can serve, but it cannot glorify God.
[14:05] Again, the core of it is self-serving. It seeks its own. And God will not accept it. What is the solution?
[14:20] You know, the modern thing today is, modern thinking says to improve it, to educate it, to refine it, to manage it, to make it behave, to make it good.
[14:37] But God says to crucify it. In Romans 6, verse 6, our old man is crucified with him.
[14:50] God does not reform the old man, he executes him. And it's very important that we, as a church, individuals, but also as a church, that we understand that.
[15:03] That we understand this about ourselves, and that we understand it about each other, about God's people, God's desire, and how God sees this.
[15:15] It is very crucial that we understand that God wants to see the old man crucified. The cross.
[15:28] Jesus said to take up our cross, right? What did he mean? The cross was not for behavior modification. It was for death. Yes?
[15:39] Do we agree that the cross in our life is for death? Death of the old. God has already pronounced judgment on the old nature.
[15:51] It is corrupt. It is incurable. It is condemned. In Galatians 5, verse 24, Paul says, They that are Christ's, meaning they that are, belong to Christ, they have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
[16:17] Why must it die? Because these two natures cannot rule simultaneously. They can't. These two natures cannot coexist, if you will.
[16:33] The misery of trying to improve the flesh. I would say much or probably most of Christian counseling today is trying to do exactly that.
[16:52] It is trying to improve the flesh. It is trying to... I'm not calling it Christian maybe, but I'm calling it Christian because it's called Christian.
[17:07] Do you understand? Like, we call it Christian counselors. And I believe that what is needed more is true biblical discipleship and biblical doctrine and not just this thing of trying to make people feel good about themselves.
[17:27] we had a family member very close to us that for years he was a very popular counselor and hundreds of people came to him or he went to them and was counseling them in, you know, in many, what we would consider good thoughts, good philosophy, good, you know, well maybe if you try this then this won't happen and this will become better in your marriage or whatever and whatever the problem was.
[18:04] But we never heard the thought or the concept or the teaching that the old needs to die. It was more just, in other words, the new birth wasn't the answer.
[18:19] It was trying to be a better human being. And that's what I'm talking about modern day Christian counseling. And what we read there in Romans 7, it describes a man trying to obey God in his own strength.
[18:37] Where Paul said, the good that I would, I do not. And he ends with, oh, wretched man that I am. Like there was something within him that wanted to be right with God.
[18:49] It wanted to live right. But the battle with that old nature. Religion without death produces much frustration.
[19:05] The flesh will, these are some things the flesh will do. It'll make a promise at an altar or a promise or a commitment. but break them by Tuesday.
[19:21] It'll feel remorse but then repeat the cycle. The problem is not just a lack of effort. The problem is the wrong source.
[19:33] Death is the source. The cross is the answer. The flesh cannot produce righteousness. trying harder in the flesh is like trying to wash mud with more mud.
[19:49] Who would take and try to wash mud off a clean shirt with a rag that's completely muddy? That's what that would be. Like trying to, no, you just need a new shirt.
[20:03] You need a new life, right? This is why some churches make excessive rules. They are dealing with a lot of the old man or maybe the fear of the flesh taking over.
[20:22] And rightly so if it is not crucified. You know, that discussion of rules or not is often coming from the old nature's thinking.
[20:36] Making judgments. Maybe we, you know, judge other churches. Even with the Bible. While still operating in the old nature versus living in the new.
[20:50] I believe that God isn't pleased when that becomes our focus. He wants our focus to be death to the old and life in the new.
[21:06] I believe God wants us to focus on that. In fact, Paul did in Colossians 2 he talks, or 3 maybe, where he talks about if you've been crucified, if you've died to sin and you're alive in Christ and you believe in the word of God, which you do if you're living for Christ, you believe this book, the Bible, you will follow it.
[21:34] Right? So if that's the case, why are you subject to all the rules and the laws of man? Right? I believe that's the answer. You can have all the rules you want, but if you're not dead to self, you're still not going to please God.
[21:51] and if you're dead to self and alive to Christ, you're not going to focus on rules either. Talking rules of men, but you will carefully and quickly obey the word of God.
[22:15] He wants our focus to be that. If we are dead and alive unto God, and I mentioned that word speaking of death, I'm just going to kill that yellow jacket or whatever's down there.
[22:44] There's a word if. If we are alive unto God. There's a qualification if. If we are in the new man in Christ.
[22:57] Let's look at that, the new man in Christ. It's a glorious truth. When we are born again, God does not just patch up the old, but he creates a brand new one.
[23:12] 2 Corinthians 5 or 17, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. And old things are gone. We use that verse a lot, don't we?
[23:25] Like if you're in Christ, you have become a new person, a new creature, a new creation, actually. The new man which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.
[23:40] I believe we read that already. This man loves God. I also added the word and fears God.
[23:52] I've been studying some this weekend about the fear of God and what it is and what it is not. And I don't know for sure, I was thinking of sharing that at youth meetings about the fear of God and how much we need that in our day.
[24:13] We are losing the fear of God, the fear of doing wrong, the fear of living in the flesh and knowing God hates it. Where'd that fear go?
[24:25] Everyone wants to focus on the love of God. Yeah, we do. We do want the love of God, but is there a fear of displeasing God?
[24:39] It's another message, but the new man desires that. It desires true holiness. It delights in obedience and he is empowered by the Spirit.
[24:54] Praise the Lord that we have a power that is not our own. this new man. It's not just an imitation of Christ.
[25:06] It's not just lookalikes, but it is actually Christ in you. It's Christ in you.
[25:17] Jesus living his life through us. And the reason that the old, it's so important that we understand the old to be crucified is because if he's not, Christ can't live in us.
[25:37] Again, Colossians 3, verse 4, when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory. But Christ is that life.
[25:52] The Christian life is not you trying. I know we sing that song. I think Jesus loves me. Somebody added a verse. I'll try to live for Jesus.
[26:05] No, it's Jesus living in and through you. It's not just me trying to live for Jesus. But it's Jesus' life living in us.
[26:18] The hope of glory. death comes before the resurrection. The cross comes before the crown and crucifixion comes before victory.
[26:35] Paul said in Galatians 2, verse 20, I am crucified with Christ, recognizing the death of the old. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, not the old, but Christ liveth in me.
[26:55] Crucified, then living, but not I, but Christ. There's that scripture in 1 John 3, verse 9, where John talks about the seed of God.
[27:13] This is a little bit off to the side here, but we've talked about this before, how that John said that, you know, talking about the seed of God or the spirit of Christ in you cannot sin.
[27:30] He says you can't sin. And he's talking about this new life. This new life in you cannot and will not ever sin.
[27:40] sin. But if we do sin, then what is it? It's the flesh, isn't it? The old can still raise its head and if allow it to, right?
[27:51] If we allow it, it will still cause us to sin. But not the seed of God. It was not the spirit of Christ in you, not the new life that sins. Victory is not self-improvement.
[28:05] Victory is replacing the old for the new. the flesh is dethroned. It's kicked off the throne of your heart and dead.
[28:17] And then we put Christ on the throne. When self is in control, you have striving, you have frustration, you have comparison, comparing yourself among yourselves, you have pride, you have defeat, you have bitterness, you could go on and on of the things that come out of the flesh.
[28:40] But when Christ rules, we're talking about in our hearts, then we have peace, we have power, power to overcome. We have freedom, true love for the brethren, fruits of, all the fruits of the spirit.
[29:02] I was in our travels lately, I have been with people from different groups and places, and some, I don't know if I should say it this way, but some may be much more conservative, others more not conservative, but I just thought of that when I read that true love for the brethren.
[29:30] brethren. You know, there is something about it when a person, maybe slightly different than I am or you are, but when you know and you sense the new life, right, you connect with that.
[29:48] And it's the spirit of God within the believers. And I believe we need to love the brethren. Yes, first of all, right here, but even beyond here, that we love each other and we recognize what is the old and what is the new.
[30:06] And that's why I think this subject is important, that we recognize when we're dealing with flesh, we recognize that that's the old nature we're dealing with.
[30:16] That can't be, you can't fix that. It can only be replaced with the new. Mortifying that word mortifying, the Bible means put to death.
[30:33] In Romans 8, verse 13, we should have just read the whole chapter of Romans 8, but for time's sake we'll just pick out a few verses. But in verse 13, if you through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.
[30:49] In other words, putting it to death. It's not a mystical thing. It's not as complicated as we make it. In fact, it's very practical.
[31:01] It's actually very practical. This can be done. When pride rises up, you sense pride in your heart. Deny it. Don't let it.
[31:15] When lust whispers, reject it. When self seeks applause, refuse it. this thing is very practical.
[31:26] And it's a daily thing. It's not a once. That's how I find it in my life. It's not a once and done deal. I wish it was. Once we get to heaven, it'll be done.
[31:38] That battle will be over. And we'll just rest. But here in this life, the way I find it is, it's an ongoing battle. That we need to deal with.
[31:50] But when you're dealing with him, you can tell that voice, that thing, that self, that that man was crucified with Christ and I believe it.
[32:05] The Bible says to reckon him to be dead, to believe that he is dead. He does not get a vote on this. He will not rule or he will not have a voice in my life.
[32:20] That's how we need to deal with that old man. Put him on the cross daily. Our daily choices determines who rules.
[32:31] The flesh might scream, but the spirit calls quietly. Victory requires submission. You know, like I said, that flesh can preach, it can sing, it can do all the things Christians do.
[32:52] I want to call out that patriotic rule thing that is going around today that is so promoted. And it even sounds spiritual.
[33:04] It uses the Bible, but it is flesh and it needs a cross. It needs to die. That spirit needs to die because it's flesh.
[33:18] It's only raising up one man over another and so on. It's not of God. Jesus said in Luke, I like this, in Luke where Jesus, well I'll just read it, but Luke 9 verse 23, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
[33:43] I think the other gospels say, you know, take up his cross and follow me, but here in Luke it says he recorded it to say daily and follow me. And one man here in this valley about 15 years ago or right when we moved out here was trying to convince us that I don't have to worry about taking up my cross.
[34:14] I did that when I got saved however many years ago and there it is, you know, no problem ever since. It doesn't line up with what Jesus said.
[34:25] He said, take up your cross daily and follow me. Deny yourself. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
[34:38] I believe Jesus is, or Paul agrees with Jesus. I almost said Jesus agrees with Paul, but Jesus first, right?
[34:49] But he's saying here that if you save the old man, you're going to lose your soul. But if you lose it, then you will have life.
[35:05] If you lose that old, in other words, crucify it, deny it. For Jesus' sake, that is, then you will save your soul. The beauty of the new man's life.
[35:20] And just because we say man doesn't mean the ladies are exempt. It's all the same. It's the flesh, right? And the spirit. But the new man walks in victory, not because he is stronger, but because Christ is sufficient.
[35:38] and he is our strength. Think about that. The creator of the universe, the one that, the God that created all things, the one that is the great I am, and has always been, and will always be, the I am, the beginning and the end.
[36:00] He is our strength. You're telling me he is the one that lives in us? Wow. Wow. Are we thankful?
[36:17] Do we rejoice in the new? The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from that law of sin and death.
[36:30] That's what makes us free. There's freedom. Freedom from sin. Freedom from crippling guilt. Living in guilt is crippling.
[36:41] Did you know that? We have a guilty conscience all the time. It's crippling in our life. And it won't allow us to live for Jesus.
[36:55] Dominating passions, free from those things, free from the wrath of man. freedom. Isn't that what we want is freedom?
[37:06] The new man, he forgives quickly. He loves deeply. He serves humbly and he obeys willingly. The word of God.
[37:20] This is not all of a sudden a personality change. some might look at it that way. Wow, here, she's different.
[37:32] No, it's resurrection life. Resurrection life. The Bible says that the same spirit that raised up Jesus from the dead now lives in you.
[37:44] So we're talking about resurrection life. It's the only life that God accepts. are we believers who walk in the spirit and have that power, that victory?
[38:02] God only accepts this new life and by faith we believe these things. The old is crucified by faith.
[38:14] I didn't understand that for years. I just couldn't figure out, well, if it's crucified, why do I struggle with it again? Why is it still hounding me if it's dead?
[38:28] And then one day I realized it's by faith that we reckon it to be dead. We need more faith. We need to believe the word of God. Not our feelings, not even our experiences, but the word of God.
[38:44] Not of our own, but by the power of God. I wrote down here the church must be a place of new man living.
[39:01] Did you get that? Is that our heart this morning, that the church, wherever we go to church, wherever we fellowship, that it is a place where we are excited and we promote and believe in new man living, the new creation, living.
[39:23] When believers operate in flesh, then there's competition, there's division, there's offenses, there's power struggles.
[39:36] But when believers walk in the spirit, there's unity, there's gentleness. I heard the word gentleness before church. I don't know what it was about, but that sounded good.
[39:49] There's sacrifice when we walk in the spirit. We sacrifice for each other, lay down our differences many times. There's mutual edification, there's immediate obedience to the word of God.
[40:04] Not just obedience, but immediate obedience. obedience. Why is that important? Sometimes we hear this thing of, well, yeah, God's been convicting me in the last couple months and speaking to me about something.
[40:22] You know, well, why? Why so long? I'm just talking to myself. Why don't I just do it? I just want to obey the Bible then instead of this, well, yeah, I'm still thinking about it.
[40:39] Don't think about it too long. Immediate obedience. When we walk in the Spirit, the church does not need more talent.
[40:51] It needs more crucifixion. We love talent and especially God-given talents, but I truly believe that the church as a whole, I'm not just talking to here, but the church of Jesus needs more crucifixion, more yieldedness, more not I, but Christ.
[41:16] Let's turn there to Romans 8. Romans 8. No condemnation to those that are after the Spirit.
[41:29] Let's read just a couple of verses. Verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.
[41:42] Isn't that what we want? No condemnation. Are you tired of condemnation? Or feeling guilty? Well, try walking after Christ Jesus the Spirit and not after the flesh.
[42:01] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. There's that verse that we were looking for earlier. Yeah, just those few verses.
[42:12] They're very encouraging. inside the believer the flesh still waits for opportunity but the Spirit invites surrender.
[42:28] There's this story of a man that had two dogs and they were fighting dogs that were tied up I guess and somebody asked him once when they fight which one wins?
[42:42] I think it was maybe an Indian that had these two dogs and he said it's the one that I feed the most. He wins. Which are we feeding?
[42:56] One must dominate and one must die. The flesh must die. The new life must live. You cannot feed the flesh all week and then expect somehow to impress God on Sunday.
[43:11] day. Remember I think it was Bert Clendenin that taught about living I think one of those messages was about living the life of another.
[43:24] In other words Jesus is living his life through us. We're allowing that to happen when we walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh.
[43:35] let's agree with God's verdict. Reckon yourself dead unto sin indeed and let Christ live. Let's agree with God that the old man was crucified and the new man is victorious.
[43:50] God has a desire to use the church to accomplish his will on earth and he wants to actually live his life through his body, through his church.
[44:09] Jesus isn't here anymore in person like in a physical body like he was. But he has his church and he'd like to live through his body.
[44:23] God desires to manifest the life of Jesus again through a people that have died to self. Jesus said in John chapter 10 verse 10, the thief cometh not but for to steal, kill, and destroy.
[44:44] I am come that they might have life. And then how does that verse end? I am come that they might have life and that they would have it more abundantly.
[44:59] They might have it more abundantly. Abundant life, abundant living. believe that that is the only thing that God will accept is his son, the one that he loves, living through the believer.
[45:21] You know, when Jesus was baptized there in Luke 3, it records it like this. The heaven was opened when God spoke. Verse 22, it says it like this, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him and a voice came from heaven which said, thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased.
[45:50] God is well pleased when he sees his son living through you, Mike. Tony, I could just name all of you, but that is what God is looking for.
[46:07] If he doesn't see that, is he well pleased? God is well pleased when he sees his son in you and in me, in all of us.
[46:22] That is what is acceptable to God. not some improved, self-made, rehabilitated, revised old man, but a new man, only Christ.
[46:42] I think this is why the cross means so much to God. Through us taking up our cross daily, so that it's possible for Jesus to actually live through us.
[46:58] It's not just to kill something or to make something old dead. It's to bring life. The purpose of this whole thing is for life. The life of God.
[47:14] Yes, the spirit bears witness in our spirit when, may I say, when there's the sweet aroma of Christ in other believers. And we know that, yeah, sometimes we have customers like that.
[47:29] There's just something like they leave and you go, I just saw Jesus in them. It's rare, but it happens. It's like, wow, that felt like Jesus.
[47:44] Have you met people like that? People you didn't know, but you just know that they had Christ. there are so many well-meaning people and religions trying to deal with the old man and trying so hard to control him or even kill him.
[48:07] They know he needs to die. But without the power of the new man, the power of the life in Jesus, Jesus Christ in us, the hope of glory, without that power, it's impossible.
[48:27] Can Jesus live in the church the way he desires, or are we hindering that with the other men? You see, there's that battle, there's that war between the two.
[48:39] if we can daily take up our cross. I just want to close with a few thoughts. But if we daily take up our cross, it will change your outlook, it will change how you see things, how you even see other people.
[49:01] Maybe have a little more grace with people that are still walking in the flesh, knowing in your heart what the answer is. But not just judging the flesh, but no, we understand that they need a new creation, they need a new life.
[49:19] It will change your outlook, it will change your marriage. Wow, this can be used in our marriages, can't it? Your church, it will change your destiny.
[49:36] Allowing the spirit of God to lead you, to lead us, to answer our questions. When we do these things, when we accept this truth, taking up our cross daily, and following him, it's not just taking up the cross, but it is following him.
[50:01] It will make you useful in his kingdom. It will give you purpose. purpose. That's something that I think is so important. Many believers lack purpose.
[50:14] I've been there. I know what it is to just feel like, what am I here for? What am I doing? What? I think that purpose is found in saying, Lord, I want you to live through me.
[50:28] That gives you purpose. purpose. Maybe even, you know, I'm thinking of mothers that have little ones or mothers that have bigger ones even, whatever.
[50:42] But just know that if Jesus is living through you, to your children or whoever you're serving, that you have a deep purpose.
[50:53] God sees that. God loves that. it is truly found in Jesus living through us. I believe that as a church body, as believers, we should only accept what God accepts.
[51:12] Excuse me. Even as an individual, in my own heart, I should only accept what God accepts. If he says it's of the flesh, I need to renounce it.
[51:26] to put it on the cross, do we realize, and this is a question that I think I know the answer to, I don't think I realize, or you, how wicked the old nature is to God.
[51:46] I've thought of that already. If we would truly know, we'd probably act different, wouldn't we? live a little different.
[51:59] But it is so wicked that it cost him his own son in order that he could deal with it, that he could bring that cross to us. And I don't think we realize how lovely and how accepted the new creation is, the new life in Jesus, to God, love, the new creature in Christ, how much he loves that.
[52:32] He hates the one, but he loves the other. Somewhere in the Bible, I remember, Joe, we had this discussion one time about Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
[52:46] And I don't, I didn't study into that, I don't know what all was meant by that, but I somehow believe that God was talking about the old man and the new.
[53:01] He wasn't talking about just the person, this twin I don't like, this one I do like some people make God to be a monster over that. But he's talking about I hate that old life, but I love the new life, the life of promise through Jesus Christ.
[53:18] Is anyone here today trying to just fix the old man, the old nature? If you are, you're probably very tired because it's a hard task.
[53:37] And all we need to do is to come to the cross. I've had to do that. I had to do that yesterday. It's to come to the cross.
[53:48] Just say, Lord, I just want you to let it die. Just give me the new life. Refresh me and show me the areas in my life. Why don't we stand together and just ask God to show us the areas in our lives that he wishes were crucified.
[54:12] Not our thoughts, but his. Let's just pray together. Father, we thank you for your word. Thank you for your word that is true. And Lord, we just scratched the surface of this subject, Lord, today.
[54:30] But I pray that you would shine your light into our hearts. Lord, that you would reveal those things that are wicked to you and maybe they look so good to other people, but to you they're just wicked because it's the flesh.
[54:45] and Father, I pray that you would show us that. Help us to not look at each other and judge each other, but to judge our own hearts, to look at our own life and say, Lord, would you just reveal what you want removed out of my life, what you want me to repent from and how I can take up my cross.
[55:07] And then, Lord, that you would give us life more abundantly like you promised. you don't just give us life. I don't know what all that means either, but you give it to us more abundantly, Jesus.
[55:22] I pray that we could live a life like that. Lord, and that you would be glorified in our individual lives and yes, even in this body, Lord, that you would receive much glory, not because of anything we do, but what you can do through us, Lord, for your glory.
[55:41] we give you all the honor and praise and ask you, Lord, to just be with us and that you would bless each one our week as we go through this week.
[55:54] Just help us to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Amen. Amen.