July 22nd, 2018
Devotional
“The Gospel in Peanuts: Good Grief” - Romans 6: 12-23
Keep the sermon topic and Biblical text preaching all week by following Pastor Michelle on twitter @tinypastor and reading her sermon blog www.revmichelle.blogspot.com
Monday: “Sin” - Romans 6: 12
I have heard people say a lot of interesting things about sin over the years. That people want to be able to do what they want. That they will accept Christ at the last possible moment so they can have fun in this life. What always strikes me about statements like this is that they fail to grasp that sin is something that has power over us.
Notice what Paul is cautioning about today - that if we are not careful, sin so takes over our very selves that we do what it wants. Not what we want. What sin is directing us to do. We don’t talk about that as often.
The truth is if we give sin even the tiniest of footholds in our lives, that often it will grow like a wild weed in our heart, choking our very souls. And it does all of this silently, without us giving it much notice until it has overrun our lives. Paul wants us to be vigilant against sin and give our hearts over to God - the only one who can set us free from the power of sin.
How would you describe sin?
What images can you think of to describe the freedom that God offers us from the power of sin?
Prayer: God, we thank you for the power you have offered us to both cancel sin and set us free to choose you and your grace. Keep us safe, O Lord, from the temptation to give into sin, even a little bit. Keep us vigilant and Kingdom focused. Amen.
Tuesday: “Brought Back to Life” - Romans 6: 13-14
What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase ‘brought back to life?’ For me, its Biblical images such as Lazarus walking out of the tomb or Jesus raising children who had died. When I worked as a chaplain in the hospital, it was often people who stopped breathing or had their heart stop beating, who received medical intervention. But in this passage, Paul points out another way we can be brought back to life - being rescued from sin.
At one of my churches, I had a gentleman who had a near death experience. After that time, which took place well before I met him, he changed - and now he sees God’s grace and the bounty of life in every single day. Should we not have that same appreciation for life when we are rescued from the muck and death of sin? Should it not result in passion, zeal, and praise for God?
According to Paul, yes. If we are brought back to life, then we should present our lives as an offering to God. We have been set free to serve God. Grace has rescued us so we go forth to proclaim that grace with our lives so that others may be brought back to life as well.
What images do you think of when you hear ‘brought back to life’?
How has Christ changed your life? How do you share things change with others?
Prayer: Lord, out of gratitude for what you have done in our lives, we offer our very selves to you. Covered by your healing mercy and grace, we ask that you use our lives to proclaim what is right and true. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Wednesday: “The One Whom You Obey” - Romans 6: 15-16
We live under the delusion that we are our own masters. That no one can tell us what to do. That no choice is made outside of our own will. While that may be true at some point in our lives, when sin creeps into our hearts, we can quickly becomes under the direction and influence of that sin, as we discussed on Monday.
The truth is we all follow someone or something in our lives. What do you think of first thing when you get up in the morning? How about the last thing at night? What are you working for with the way you spend your days? Are you pursing wealth? Or fame? Or working for your own pride?
Or is the focus of your life God? Paul puts it this way - we can either be salves to those things that lead to death or a slave of righteousness. The things that we think of and are working for, may not be in and of themselves sinful. The reals test is if we obey them more than God. If we put our hope and trust and life in them more than God. Who is the one whom you obey?
How do you know if you are obedient to someone or something?
What are those things or who are the people who we sometimes obey more than God? Why do we do this?
Prayer: Lord, we put our very lives into your hands. We ask, precious Lord, that we seek after your heart and listen to your voice in our lives alone. Strengthen us to obey you, wherever you may lead. Amen.
Thursday: “Set Free” - Romans 6: 17-19
Sometimes we can get a little confused about freedom. We think freedom means that we can do whatever we want, but that is not what Paul means when he speaks of being set free from sin.
Instead, for Paul we have been set free from sin in order to be free to serve Christ. When we are chained in sin, it is very hard to choose to follow Christ, for often we can be drawn back to who we once where. But when we invite Christ to break those chains in our lives, we turn around and flee from what once was - and instead walk the path of righteousness.
In the church, we call this sanctifying grace - that we choose to continue to grow in holiness - which is described as love of God and love of neighbor, Jesus’s two greatest commands - of heart and life. Sanctification isn’t a destination to reach, so much as a life long journey deeper into grace. We are set free to follow God all the days of our life.
What does it look like for you to grow deeper in love with God and your neighbor?
Prayer: Lord, we sing with the saints throughout the ages that our chains are gone! We praise you and you alone, Lord, from breaking the power of sin in our lives. We ask, O Lord, that your Spirit guide us all the days of our lives as we grow in grace and serve you. Amen.
Friday: “Holy Life” - Romans 6: 20-23
One of the disheartening things that I hear from time to time as a pastor is that once people have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior they can act however they want because they have a place in heaven. Every time I hear this or something similar it breaks my heart, for it totally misses the point of what Paul is trying to say. But now that you have been set free from sin and become slaves to God, you have the consequence of a holy life, and the outcome is eternal life. We accept Christ not just for what is to come in the future, but also our lives now.
People think about a holy life and thing about all the do’s and don’ts that they see accompanying it. But I think of a holy life and see the abundant freedom in Christ. The freedom to serve him. The freedom to love him. The freedom to worship him.
May we be people filled with the joy of holy lives. And may we be people who share that joy with others.
What does a holy life mean to you?
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for the gift your salvation that transforms us here and now. We thank you for your saving grace that is an invitation to holy living. May our lives be used for your Kingdom and glory, we pray. Amen.
Saturday: Preparing for the Word
You are invited to read and pray this week’s text and topic: “The Gospel in Peanuts: The Hound of Heaven” - 1 Thes. 5: 1-3, John 13: 8-9, Romans 8: 38-39.
Family Activity: Obey is a hard word for us sometime. Talk about what it means to obey. Why do we obey people? What does it mean to obey God?
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