Let the Shepherd Lead

Originally Proclaimed: July 8, 2018

Intro:

• Just shy of two months ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were wed and she officially became a part of the British royal family.
• While most of us paused for the occasion to consider the national celebration and pomp of a royal British wedding, only the true “anglo-phile”s among us continued to wait eagerly for the barrage of Markle related royal stories.
• At the time many were already beginning to notice the transformation in Markle’s style and demeanor, and report voluminously upon it.
• Since that day, every choice that she makes is scrutinized and commented upon, making for whole sections of daily news feeds.
• To the point where one of the stories this past week that I stumbled across in my news feed discussed how the new Duchess of Sussex had begun to speak with an ever so slight “British accent”. ( http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/07/06/meghan-markle-appears-adopt-british-accent-in-new-video.html )
• While it remains to be seen how “British” Markle will eventually become, it hardly seems newsworthy for the papers to note every small accommodation that Markle makes as she fulfills her marital and national role.
• After all, did anyone really think that Markle would not take on the style, etiquette, and demeanor of the nation that now considers her one of their cultural leaders?

Hook:

• For Christians her transformation should be all the more instructive.
  • Just as Markle was adopted into the British royal family, every person who receives Christ as his or her Savior has joined an even more prestigious royal line.
  • Her exploration of this new role and standard of living comes as a gift, just as our exploration of our role as children of God through Christ.
  • No doubt attention is on anyone who claims to be a believer, waiting to see how they might embarrass their new family, just as it is upon Markle.
  • Even so, we also should not doubt that our God will be far more gracious to us than even the Queen of England has been to her new grand-daughter-in law.
  • The looming question that still remains is just how much transformation will occur.
• In order to answer that question, I want to help us consider the next verses in Romans 8, beginning at verse 12.

Message Points:

• This section of Scripture breaks down nicely into three basic movements. Verses 12-13 point out that we have a new obligation, verses 14-15 relate the reason for the new obligation, verses 16-17 give us the extent of that new obligation.
• Let’s begin with verses 12-13. Verse twelve builds on the contrast between Spirit and flesh that we have seen over and over in the past eleven verses.
  • This is why the NIV uses the conjunction therefore, Paul is drawing a conclusion that builds upon that contrast.
  • But notice how the NIV uses the words “brothers and sisters” indicating already a new family dynamic.
    • The word in the original is simply brothers, pointing to the reality in the ancient world that only men could inherit.
    • In this way again Paul alludes to a Christian’s status as inheritors of God’s amazing grace and eternal kingdom.
  • The text the points out that we still have an obligation or as other translations might render it that we are debtors.
    • Here I think the NIV captures the sense of the essence of this word. In this situation there is no transaction in view upon which our salvation depends.
    • We are not talking about a fine that must be paid, but a duty that must be kept.
    • This is the very essence of the phrase “remember whose you are”. We have an obligation or duty to our new family and its head Christ.
    • So I have titled this message “Much Obliged” as a way of saying yes we are indebted but in a way that conveys our thankfulness for God’s salvation and relationship to us.
  • Then in these verses we find the reminder of the contrast between the flesh and the Spirit.
    • We are not debtors or obliged to the flesh to live as mindless automatons obeying its whims.
    • We are again reminded that living according to the flesh is death, but then we see a new further idea being expressed.
    • The Spirit will help us according to verse 13 to put to death the misdeeds of the body that we might live.
      • The reformer John Owen preached an entire message on this one verse keying in on the KJV word mortify for “put to death”.
      • Owen says “the choicest believers, who are assuredly free from the condemning power of sin, ought to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.” (Overcoming Sin & Temptation, John Owen, ed. Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor, 2006)
      • Mortification in this sense is the other side of our sanctification.
        • Mortification puts daily routines of sin to death. Sanctification brings the life of Christ into our daily routines.
        • The more that we put to death the sinful ways of our former life, the more the Holy Spirit resurrects Christ’s new life in us.
        • This accords well with Jesus’ extreme call in Matthew 5:29-30 to tear out or cut off those members that might send us to hell by causing us to sin.
        • Derek Thomas who wrote an excellent little book upon this chapter says, “Once we give up the hope of victory, a deadly complacency sets in. Deadly? Yes, because for Paul mortification is a matter of life and death. There can be only one eventual victor. We either set about killing sin or sin kills us.”
• Thus we have our 1st Point: Due to our new relationship with God we are much obliged to mortify our former ways. (Romans 8:12-13)
  • Now before we lose sight of God’s grace in these verses, notice that this is a genuine trade off. We do not give up one former way that the Holy Spirit does not replace with new life.
  • Sin for us is like an addiction.
    • While all of us do not struggle with the same sins, Johnny Hunt said that every one of us has an area of weakness, like a well-worn path or rut in our minds (Unspoken, Johnny Hunt)
    • As is the case with any addiction if we do not replace or repurpose our access and opportunity, the desire will quickly manifest itself again and we will find ourselves back where we started.
    • Robert told me one day that in his former job they were taught that addicts ordinarily had at least five reversions before they successfully broke the habit.
    • You say, pastor, I thought we were talking about God’s grace in these verses.
    • Friends, I am.
      • Mortification and Sanctification are a journey that does not determine our salvation.
      • We only enter into that journey if our salvation is already secure.
      • And notice again in verse 13 that our constant Companion and Helper is there with us. Again the four fold work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to convict us of sin, convince us of a new way in Christ, convert us to that new way, and comfort us all along the way.
      • When we join God’s side, we begin a quest to war against any way of life except for His perfect plan.
      • God’s grace is that we do not have to begin this arduous quest against sin alone as a means to earn our salvation. We begin this quest because we have obtained salvation through our relationship with God in Christ.
  • Now you might ask why mortification and sanctification are important.
    • Our success and failures on this quest will not affect our status as redeemed, but they certainly will affect our relationship with God.
    • Those of you who have struggled with a child who faces the wary road of addiction know exactly what this means.
      • You will never stop loving your child. Their status as yours will never change and your desire for their best will not change.
      • At the same time until you see and know that they have success over their addiction there is distance in your relationship and your heart breaks.
      • The closeness and friendship that comes when victory is won is our goal.
      • God in Christ loves and longs for a closer relationship with each of us. His generosity and grace reveals His glorious character. He saved you for that purpose – as a glorious example of how his love and grace can bring a rebel home.
  • You might be here today as an unbeliever or a believer who has seen little victory in your fight against the former ways of life.
    • There may be that one area of temptation and weakness that you continue to fall prey and fail to resist.
    • Mortification may seem like an overwhelming burden, and you might be wondering if you are even saved.
    • Friend, do not hear this as a call for perfection! Hear this as a call to check your position.
      • Do you have the same attitude as the Holy Spirit about sin?
      • Do you desire the same end for sin as does the Holy Spirit?
      • Are you joining the Holy Spirit in his quest to mortify sin as much as you turn to Him for new life?
      • Do you want to experience victory over sin because God has saved you?
    • If you can answer yes to those questions then even if you have not see the victory yet, rest assured you are in the battle against the foe and victory is yours in Christ.
• Just as Paul soldiers on in these verses so must we, considering now the reason for our new obligation.
• Verse fourteen makes the reason exceptionally plain. Those led by the Holy Spirit are children of God.
• That is our 2nd point: Due to our new relationship with God we are much obliged to call on our Family help.
  • Note with me that the original language uses the word sons here, again making plain the status, position, and role of sons in the ancient world. We are those who will inherit all that the Father has to bestow.
  • But the verse goes on to make it clear that the Holy Spirit does not lead us as slaves, fearful and broken.
  • No, the Holy Spirit now leads us as one who has a family connection to us.
  • We have every right as adopted sons to call our God as our Father, more intimately in the text as Daddy.
    • Can I tell you that there are no sweeter word to hear as a father than for your children to call out to you as Daddy.
    • I heard those words several times this week.
      • Daddy let’s go jump some waves.
      • Daddy’s coming swimming!
      • I just want to sit here with my Daddy
  • And as a child, there is no greater assurance than knowing that we are both led by and able to call upon our Daddy.
    • The southern gospel song “He’s Watching Me” captures this sentiment well when it says,

He’s a busy God but on his list of things to do,

his number one priority is watching me and you.

He’s taking care of business, feeding birds and making rain.

But he’ll stop what he’s doing when I speak his name.

Cause he’s watching, he’s watching me.

• Paraphrasing John Piper, God is most glorified in us, when we are most willing to turn to him for satisfaction.
• Far from us resisting turning to our family for help, the Scripture here insists upon it.
  • We need not suffer or be tempted alone, we have the right and privilege to call upon our spiritual Family beginning with God our Father.
  • Calling for our spiritual Family’s help should not be a last resort, but a first resort as it is for a child.
  • We should in humility turn to God, and confess our great need for Him and the help only he can supply.
• Further, if we are now a part of a Spiritual Family, then it should not be a foreign concept for us to call upon our brothers and sisters in Christ asking them for aid and help.
  • James 5:16 is a verse you might know, but I wonder if you have ever realized the first part of the verse. There God’s Word says, “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”
  • Galatians 6:2 agrees with this sentiment when it says “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” How will we carry other’s burdens unless they first make us aware of the burden?
  • What a shame and a disgrace to hear believers say that they cannot be open and honest about their struggles and burdens with those in the church because they fear being rejected or turned out instead of helped!
  • Christian, if a brother or sister comes to you for help, then by all means offer them the help that will best address the need of their soul. If you do not know what to do, then ask them to go with you to one of your pastors for help. But let it never be said of this church family that people could not be open, honest and real about their need for help here.

• Calling upon our spiritual Family for support is important, because the extent of our new obligation is great.
• Look with me at verses sixteen and seventeen.
  • We are again reminded that the Spirit testifies that we are God’s children.
  • So we know that our connection to God in Christ again is vital.
  • We are then told that as children we are heirs.
  • To top it off, we are co-heirs with Christ.
  • But what have we inherited? Verse seventeen tells us that we have inherited a life of suffering that will lead to a life of glory.
• This leads to our final point today. Due to our new relationship with God we are much obliged to suffer to share the glory of God. (8:16-17)
  • These are the words of Jesus from John 15: 18-25 on the night he was betrayed:
    • 18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
  • Remember that the apostles when they suffered thanked God and rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41)
  • In today’s Christianity most of us avoid suffering of any kind as if it were a mortal threat to us.
  • Friends the mortal threat is not suffering for the name of Christ! That is the sign of the immortal God at work in our lives.
  • Please do not misunderstand. I am not saying that we should purposefully go out looking for ways to suffer for Christ.
    • Look again at verse seventeen. The purpose of suffering is that we might share in Christ’s glory.
    • The most clear way that we share Christ’s glory right now is to speak about Him.
    • When we proclaim his ability to save, his love for sinners, his unique ability to indwell and transform our lives, we share His glory.
    • When we tell others of what Christ has done for us and how thankful we are to him we share His glory.
    • IF WE SUFFER, LET IT BE BECAUSE PEOPLE TAKE OFFENSE AT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST WE SHARE; NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN OFFENSIVE.

Conclusion:

• Friends Christ has called us to adoption into His Royal Family.
  • That means that we are obliged or show our thanks by turning increasingly away from our former way of life and to Him.
  • Are you on this journey of transformation today?
  • It is as simple as surrendering to God as the leader of your life.