The Seven Marks of Spiritual Maturity - Romans 15:14-21

“The Seven Marks of Spiritual Maturity"

Romans 15:14-21

1.         What does it mean to be a “mature Christian?” What does that look like?

a.    Been a Christian for a long time?

b.    Someone who can recite the bible?

c.    Never missed a Sunday service?

d.    What marks do we look for?

2.         The word carries the meaning of being ripe, fully developed,

a.    In psychology, maturity is the ability to respond to the environment in an appropriate manner.

A mature person understands who they are, what they’re supposed to do, why they’re supposed to do it, how they’re supposed to do it,  and then they do it!

3.         As we come to the middle of chapter 15, it’s like we’ve been sitting in a classroom, the Apostle Paul teaching us, encouraging us, sharing not only his heart, but his knowledge and wisdom,

a.    And most of all the timeless truth of God’s word

4.         But now the class is over, and as the case in a lecture, some of the students have fled the room, busy with their agenda,

a.    While the more diligent students, those wanting more, have gathered around the teacher, and the teacher is giving some final words of encouragement.

b.    and the encouragement seems to center around the theme of being spiritually mature…

c.    Today we’re going to look at Seven Marks of Spiritual Maturity

14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you,

 #1 The Mature Christian has their heart in the right place - they were full of all goodness

5.         Paul could sense that the Spirit of love and truth and goodness was at work among them, which is to say the fruit of the Spirit was evident

the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.  Galatians 5:22-23

(CLICK BELOW to read the rest of the message)

Message Notes: The Perfect Will of God - Romans 12:1-2

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

“The Perfect Will of God”

Romans 12;1-2

What is the will of God for your life? It's a serious, and a popular question: I Googled it and got 32M hits!)

1.         Typical responses

a.    “I don't know and I don’t care.” (new believer, lukewarm Christian)

b.    “I don’t know, and it’s too overwhelming for me to try to know.”  (the uninformed Christian)

c.    "I don't want to know Gods will, He might send me to Africa." (the earful Christian)

d.    “There is a specific, perfect will for me, I just haven’t figure it our yet.”  (the theory Christian)

e.    “I think I know God’s will for my life, I’m just not there yet, I'm still preparing.” (the “I’m almost there Christian, that never gets there)

f.      “I know God’s will, and I’m doing it today.” (the mature, informed, fearless, willing Christian)

2.         Quest: Which one are you?

3.         FACT:  God’s will for our life is not a mystery, it’s not hidden, its actually quite simple, as we’ll see today.

Our Relationship to God

12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Never Cast Away - Romans 11:1, 25-27

(To listen online CLICK HERE)

Why Israel is Important – Part 4

“Never Cast Aside”

Romans 11:1, 25-27

1.         As we're finishing up the section in Romans dealing with Israel, we're still wrangling with the big question – will God ever cast me away?

a.    If I trust in Him for salvation, is my position secure?

b.    If God would toss Israel to the curb, His own chosen people, maybe I should be concerned that He might toss me to the curb if I'm disobedient, I mean, look at Israel, hasn’t God cast them away?

2.         Now you might be surprised to learn that there are some Christians that believe that because Israel rejected Jesus Christ, that God has in fact cast them aside.

I say then, has God cast away His people?

3.         This morning we’re going to take some time to address a theological position.

a.    What Paul is describing here is a doctrine that’s often referred to as replacement theology, or covenant theology.

b.    Which holds that because Israel rejected Christ as Messiah, all of the promises and covenants that God made to Israel are now nullified, and the NT church has replaced Israel as the recipient of Gods promises and covenants.

God Chooses, We Believe - Romans 10:14-20

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

Why Israel is Important – Part 3

“God chooses, We Believe”

Romans 10:14-21

1.         As we continue in our study of Romans, we continue to look at the nation of Israel as a backdrop on Paul’s teaching on righteousness through faith in Christ alone

2.         And as we look at Israel, we see that they are a uniquely blessed people:

a.    Adoption as God’s people

b.    Covenants, the promises given to Abraham

c.    The Promised Land

d.    Law, the oracles of God

e.    Temple Service,

f.      The presence of the Glory of the Lord

g.    Finally, they were the chosen people to bring into this world the Messiah

3.         Clearly God has placed upon this people the greatest of blessings ever given to any nation, t

a.    To which one might wonder, “Why?  Are they really that awesome? “

b.    No, actually as we’ll see, the Israelites were quite stubborn, disobedient, and contrary!

c.    Showing us that God’s choice was based on His sovereignty, His will, and His purposes,

d.    some of which we can understand:

Four Reasons God chose Israel (Scripture gives us four reasons)

4.         Reason #1 was to reveal Himself to the nations

(click below to read the entire post)

The Problem with Religion - Romans 10:4-15

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

Why Israel is Important – Part 2

“The problem with religion”

Romans 10:4-15

Is being zealous for God a good thing?  Maybe Not!

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

1.         If there is one thing you can say about the Jewish people:  They are zealous!

a.    An observation of the lifestyle of Hasidic Jews, orthodox Jews, these are groups that expend a great amount of time, effort, and energy being obedient to the Torah.

2.         You can trace this back to the return of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity,

a.    The people in that group understood why they were sent into captivity; they finally got what the prophets had been telling them!

b.    Israel was cured of her idolatry!

c.    Even when Jesus come on the scene, the nation of Israel was not guilty of idolatry, just looking at Jesus ministry and His discussions with the religious leaders,

d.    No, idolatry wasn't their problem, their problem was religion!

3.         The Jews had a zeal for God, but it was a misguided zeal, it was a self-righteous zeal.

3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

(click below to read more)

Why Israel is Important - Romans 9:26 - 10:3

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

Why Israel is Important - Part 1

Romans 9:26-10:3

1.    Chapters 9-11:  God’s plan for Israel, which is a picture of

a.    The sovereignty of God

b.    The responsibility of man

c.    The future of Israel, and the human race.

2.    Israel has been in the news, and will continue, as we are heading into the End Times as prophecy in scripture has foretold.  Psalms 83 War:

Psalm 83:1-8

1 Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace, and do not be still, O God! 2 For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; and those who hate You have lifted up their head. 3 They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, and consulted together against Your sheltered ones. 4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” 5 For they have consulted together with one consent; they form a confederacy against You: 6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; 7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot.

Psalm 83 Coalition:

·      Tents of Edom = [decedents of Esau] Palestinian Refugees and Southern Jordanians

·      Ishmaelites = Saudi Arabians

·      Moab = Palestinian Refugees and Central Jordanians

·      Hagrites = Egyptians

·      Gebal = Northern Lebanese

·      Ammon = Palestinian Refugees and Northern Jordanians

·      Amalek = Arabs South of Israel

·      Philista = Palestinian Refugees and Hamas of Gaza Strip

·      Inhabitants of Tyre = Hezbollah and Southern Lebanese

·      Assyria = Syrians and perhaps Northern Iraqis included

·      Children of Lot = Reference to Moab and Ammon (above)

1.         This impending war in the Middle East will be a major and devastating war. The Arab confederacy of Psalm 83 will be defeated and destroyed by the army of Israel:

Jeremiah 49:2

But the days are coming, "declares the LORD," when I will sound the battle cry against Rabbah of the Ammonites [Ammon, Jordan]; it will become a mound of ruins, and its surrounding villages will be set on fire. Then Israel will drive out those who drove her out," says the LORD.

Jeremiah 49:8

Turn and flee, hide in deep caves, you who live in Dedan [Saudi Arabia], for I will bring disaster on Esau at the time I punish him [Southern Jordan].

2.         Damascus, the oldest continually inhabited city on earth, will be drawn into the conflict, as presently, almost every known Middle Easter terrorist organization has representation in Damascus.

a.    In this battle, Damascus will be instantly and completely destroyed and Syria will be crushed by the IDF [Israeli Defense Force].

The secret to breaking the power of sin - Romans 8:2

And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:2

Sadly what many Christians don't realize is that sin enslaves you.  They’ll see sin as something that’ll be fun, it’ll feel good, and they’ll only do it for a little while.  But soon they discover that sin is like Rumpelstiltskin, the deal seems like a good one, until they enter it, then they discover they’ve been fooled!  Sin has captured them, and there will be a price to pay. There’s an old proverb that holds true:

Sin will take you take you farther than you want to go, 

keep you longer than you want to stay, 

and cost you more than you want to pay.

Sin seems cool and fun, but after a while you look down and there’s a chain around your ankle. You want to get out of it, but you’re stuck, and you realize the truth of Romans 6:18:

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?  Romans 6:18

But for the person who’s placed their faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, a new power is in play:

And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:2 

In other words, the power of the cross destroyed the power that sin had over the Christian, the chains have been removed, the prison door has been thrown wide open! You’re free!

“But,” you ask, “what about the Christian that still sins? Why does that happen?” I’ll tell you why: Yes, the cross destroyed the power that sin had over us, but it didn’t destroy our free will.  So while a Christian is no longer controlled by the power of sin, they can still choose to sin.  And the cycle starts all over again.

So what do I do?

The key to defeating sin isn’t to try harder, the key to remaining free from the power of sin is to remain in the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us! 

One Word:  SURRENDER.  Each and every day, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, to guide you, and then surrender to His leading. 

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  Romans 8:13-14

This Sunday, we’ll be taking a closer look at the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Don’t miss it! 

Governed by God

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. Romans 9:6-8

Last Sunday we learned that the name “Israel” means, “Governed by God” (which is why God changed Jacob's name to Israel). It implies being in the family of God, being under His authority, and being submitted to His will.  This is why Paul said that not all who are Israel by birth are governed by God.  It’s not that God isn't willing to govern His people, but rather that God isn’t a dictator who forces Himself in control of a person’s life. In order to be governed by God, there must be a willingness to be governed by God.  There must be a surrender.

For the same reason not all who are “in the church” are actually governed by God. Just believing in God and being in church doesn't equate to being governed by God.  In order to be governed by God, there must be a willing surrender of my will and my life.  To me this is the essence of our faith, not just saying a prayer and getting my ticket punched to heaven, but willingly allowing Christ to be my Lord and Savior, and allowing God access to every part of my life.  It means raising the white flag of surrender.  Chris Tomlin wrote a song that celebrates this act, the chorus line goes:

We raise our white flags, we surrender all to You, all for You

We raise our white flags, the war is over,

Love has come, your love has won.

This is one of my favorite worship songs, as it declares what I must deal with each and every day:  The act of laying down my weapons, my will, my stubbornness, my rebel heart, and surrendering to Him who loves me.

Pastor Clay

Children of the Promise - Romans 9:6-13

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

Children of the Promise

Romans 9:5-13

1.         Church, this morning I’m going to ask you to engage your mind:  because we are going to wade into some intellectually deep water!

a.    I believe you guys are up to it!

2.         For those of you who are familiar with the Apostle Paul, you know that he was an intellectual genius -

a.    He was a Heavenly heavyweight!  The Einstein of doctrine and theology!

b.    For the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at some doctrinal truths that are mystical and deep, but also important, things like:

i.      God’s promises

ii.     His character and nature

iii.   His sovereignty

iv.   His election

v.     His justice

vi.   His grace

3.         To accomplish this objective, Paul is going to take us on a journey through time

a.    He is going to turn to the historic and present situation of the nation of Israel as a backdrop to help us grasp these great truths of God.

4.         Now some of us may not have an interest in the nation of Israel, and that’s OK, but I’d like to point out three things:

a.    #1 Israel is important to God, which I believe is reason enough for us to at least have a basic understanding her place in God’s plan

b.    #2 God is not finished with Israel. Isreal is like Gods timepiece in prophecy, which means we can learn some things about God, and where we are in God’s plan, based on what’s happening with Israel,

c.    #3 God’s relationship with Israel is a picture of His relationship with you and I, the New Testament believer.

A Heart for the Lost - Romans 8:35-9:5

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

 “A heart for the lost”

Romans 8:35-9:5

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1.         What an awesome promise to us from God.... that NOTHING can separate us from His love for us!!

a.    And after reading in 2 Corinthians 11 what Paul went through for the sake of the gospel, I'm sure that promise kept him going through many difficult and trying situations.

b.    But this passage of scripture isn't just a stand-alone promise for you and I; it's also a setup for chapters 9, 10, & 11.

2.         A lot of people wonder why Paul would take what seems like a off-topic tangent right in the middle of his letter.

a.    Chapters 1-8 presents the solution to the problem of sin and death - our hope - God’s plan of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ

b.    Chapters 12-15 contain practical instructions for everyday living

c.    But in chapter 9, Paul suddenly starts talking about Israel, and the fact that they sort of missed the Messiah! Where's that coming from?

d.    But I believe Paul knew what he was doing...

3.         See, after the proclamation that nothing can separate us from God's love, the bible student might ask "What about the Jews? Are they separated from His love?  Aren't they lost?"

a.    Romans chapter 9 - 11 answers that question, as Paul paints a beautiful illustration of the love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God,

b.    With the Jewish nation being a living example of these attributes.

c.    Israel’s Rejection of Christ (or how to have a heart for lost people)

Our Hope - Romans 8:18-29

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

 “Our Hope”

Romans 8:18-29

When I was a young boy, one of things I looked forward to the most was going to “Uncle Rogers.”  See, my cousins lived on a farm, and whenever my dad took us for a weekend, I knew that weekend would be filled with AWESOMENESS: Exploring the woods, playing army, riding motorcycles, hunting, and fishing. Man, it was heaven for an eight-year-old boy! It took about two hours to drive there from our home, and the entire time I would be so excited, it felt like I was going to jump out of my skin!  Every week, I would wait anxiously to find out if we were going to Uncle Rogers, because I knew that no matter what problems I had that week, what bully picked on me, not matter how lame school was, some magical things were going to happen that weekend!  I looked forward to it. 

Roman’s chapter 8 paints a similar picture, when Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Vs 18).  See saints, while this world may throw rocks at us from time to time, something better is coming, Heaven! 

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1.         One of the thorniest questions that Christians face is, "Why do Christians suffer? “

a.    Why does a God of love and power permit his loved ones to go through any anguish here on the earth?"

b.    You’d think that our Heavenly Father would put some type of protective shield (bubble-wrap kid) around us so that we’d never have to suffer.

c.    Fact is many of us have suffered through trials, or have watched a loved one suffer, and so you’ve felt the full force of that question…  WHY?

Uncle Rogers Farm

When I was a young boy, one of things I looked forward to the most was going to “Uncle Rogers.”  See, my cousins lived on a farm, and whenever my dad took us for a weekend, I knew that weekend would be filled with FUN:  Exploring the woods, playing army, riding motorcycles, hunting, and fishing. Man, it was heaven for an eight year old boy! It took about two hours to drive there from our home, and the entire time I would be so excited, it felt like I was going to jump out of my skin!  Every week, I would wait anxiously to find out if we were going to Uncle Rogers, because I knew that no matter how hard my week was at school, some awesome things were going to happen that weekend!

Roman’s chapter 8 paints a similar picture, when Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Vs 18).  See saints, while this world may throw rocks at us from time to time, but something way better is coming, Heaven!  It is the hope that forms the foundation of our faith, for without it Christianity is pointless, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

Join us Sunday at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington, as we finish Romans 8 (finally!), and explore the blessed hope we have in Christ.

~ Pastor Clay

Its all Good - Romans 8:26-37

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

Overcoming Depression Part 3

“It’s All Good”

Romans 8:28-37

Have you ever read the account of Joseph in Genesis (starting in chapter 41)?  Young Joseph is the ‘favorite’ of his dad Isaac, but he ends up having one bad thing after another happen to him.  He finally ends up an an Egyptian jail, under false charges.  There is a glimmer of hope as a cupbearer promises to remember him when he gets out, but of course he forgot!

1.         That account is a setup for our message today, because we could all relate to Joseph at some point in our life.

a.    When it seems like everything is working against us.  Nothing is going our way. 

b.    And we wonder, "can anything good come from this?"

2.         There are some times in our life when bad things happen, and we can see the good that came out of it.

a.    There are other times when bad things happen, and maybe we don’t see the good, but we trust that something good surely will come from it...

b.    Then there the those times when when something hits us right between the eyes, - trial- travesty - tragedy - and we think to ourselves “NOTHING good will come of this at all!”

3.         And the question always comes up in our mind “What is God doing?  How could God let this happen? Is He even paying attention?

a.    The answer to that question is yes, but we have to realze that sometimes there's a bigger picture, a greater good in motion.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Overcoming Depression Part 2 - The Material World - Romans 8:3-17

(CLICK HERE to listen online)

Overcoming Depression – Part 2 “Material World”

Romans 8:3-17

Back in 1984 the singer Madonna released a song titled “Material Girl”

They can beg and they can plead

But they can't see the light, that's right

'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash

Is always Mister Right, 'cause we are

Living in a material world

And I am a material girl

You know that we are living in a material world

And I am a material girl

1.         Catchy tune, and it was a hit because it resonated with the essence of our world:

a.    “Hey you’ve got to live this life to the fullest, cause this is all there is!”

b.    It describes the deep human need for fulfillment, to find happiness, and peace.

c.    The only problem is that they’re looking in the wrong places.. (lookin for love in all the wrong places!)

2.         See, as Christians, those “in Christ,” we know that this world isn't all there is. 

a.    We know there’s an eternity waiting for us, it is our blessed hope.

b.    But until that eternity comes, we’re stuck here in this place… this material world.

3.         Now, last week we learned that there are three prime culprits that get us feeling down and depressed:

a.    Haunted by something from our past

b.    Weighed down by something in our present

c.    Anxious about something in our future

4.         We learned that when you’re haunted by the past, when those depression bombs start going off in your mind,

a.    You have an arsenal of your own, the powerful truth that “in Christ,” there is NO condemnation! (none, zero, not one bit!)

5.         This week we’re going to learn how to respond when we’re weighed down with something in our present…

a.    Today we’re going to look at one of the ways Christians to lose their peace, and that’s when we “walk according to the flesh”