Kopfbereich

Romans 5:12-21

Freed Captives

It is widely known that people who have been imprisoned for long periods of time become institutionalised. When released they are overwhelmed by the freedom of choice. They have to make a lot of decisions which were once made for them, when to wake up, what to eat, where to work, what to do with their free time. Many who are released re-offend so that they can go back to prison. The familiarity of prison is more comfortable than the freedom of freedom.

Escape the Reaper

You and I are exactly the same. We live our lives as though we are still bound by the chains of our sin. It seems impossible to us that we could walk away from our addiction; whether that is to alcohol, sexual immorality, adultery, pornography, gluttony, the fantasy of romance or marriage, the paralysis that prevents us from showing our love to our family and friends.

It seems horrifying that what we thought was normal is in fact our prison. When we want to change the way we look, when we worry about our children’s future, when we long that our spouse was different, when we wish our job paid more… all these normal things can in fact be our normal desires gone mad. They can control us more than any prison cell

We are like birds who have grown up having our wings clipped, never realising that Christ has restored our wings and that if we only looked up we would soar high up into the sky.

Christ has killed us, he has buried us and when he rose from the dead he raised us as well. Sin no longer has its total control over you. Christ has transferred you out of death’s reign and into his kingdom of life.

This means that you have the power and freedom to rebuild your life a new. Or as Paul puts it you “should walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:4b). This will involve bearing the fruit of the spirit and cutting out the works of the flesh. The more you live your freedom the freer you will be.

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14

the Rev

17 Live under grace

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Romans 6:1-14

Men and Women are like turbines

A turbine is a rotary engine that spins by the force of water, air or steam. Women seem to spin by the force of their anxiety. There are so many challenges, problems and calamities that need to be averted. This is why a woman cannot have a restful holiday at home. Why? Because there is always something that needs doing, the voice is strongest where she lives because that is the place of her work. That is why, my fellow men, if you want to rest then you must take her away from home. It’s hard for a woman to slow the turbine of her life down.

Where is your life heading?

Men on the other hand ignore the turbine. It can spin like mad; responsibilities may loom but a man will not even glance in its direction. Escape and ignore is the man’s favourite strategy. As long as he is good at one or two things a man can ignore the world falling down around him. Work hard at work, rest hard at home is a man’s motto. Home is a place away from work. That is why a man gets up to go into his ‘cave’ when a woman asks him to do something (work).

Would you be interested in learning something that would mean that you didn’t have anxiety to manage or cope with? I am coming to realise that 90% of my anxiety is my desires gone mad (lust of the flesh). What I need is what’s wrong with me. I need a friend, a loving wife, behaved kids, easy to write sermons, a healthy church. All of this has taken a hold of me and spins my turbine so fast I never rest, I’m never at peace.

Jesus says “he who seeks to save his life will lose it.” Mark 8:35. There are many voices that have deceived me into thinking that if I’m buffed, funny, popular I will have saved my life from being alone and rejected. I’ve worked so hard and I’m never saved.

Romans is about helping me understand I’ve been trying to save myself from the wrong things/people. God isn’t here to fulfill my desires gone mad, he is here to free me from my desires/needs/wants.

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14

the Rev

16 Live life not death

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Romans 5:12-21

Reverse Death

When we are born we immediately begin to die. Each day that passes brings us closer to the inevitable. So we are all dying in a world which is dying. The best we can do is delay our death, to fill our time on earth with as much life as we can before our time is up.

Freed to live

In addition to this very depressing outlook on life is the reality that much of our time here on earth is spent spreading more death than life. Anger, jealousy, hatred, unforgiveness, selfishness, pride, greed, gossip, lies, are all common in our experience and all of them come from and lead to death.

However, Christ reverses death for us. He explained that it is necessary for us to be ‘born again’ to enter into the Kingdom of God. When we believe in Jesus we are born again not unto death but unto everlasting life. As soon as we are born again we begin to live our everlasting life which reverses death.

In Christ we can live life and not live death. Instead of spreading death as I mentioned earlier we can choose to spread life. We can choose to be patient, kind, gentle, selfless, generous, forgiving, encouraging, truthful, faithful. Each day presents us an opportunity to grow in our eternal life. Birth as a baby is a birth into death. Spiritual re-birth in Christ leads into everlasting life.

No longer are you bound to death but in Christ you are bound to living life.the Rev

These exercises will help you explore how you can better understand that you are in a kingdom of life not death. Click on 'read more' to access these exercises.

14 Experience Justification

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Romans 5:1-11

Is God good and is God real?

Is believing in God a nice theory that is comforting at times, like Christmas and Easter, or when we are in a tight spot? Or is God really fair dinkum? If He is real then why can we feel so bad, so guilty so far away from him? Why doesn’t God help us more the way we want? And is there any real sure hope for the future and eternity. It is time to not just to know what justification means but to actually experience justification in your day to day life. Learn then about God’s blessing, God’s hardship and God’s hope, all of which can be yours by believing in Jesus Christ. the Rev

These exercises will help you explore how you can experience justification in your every day life. Click on 'read more' to access these exercises.

Hope for the hopeless

15 Experience Assurance

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Romans 5:1-11

Take the mask off and be yourself

Fitting in, being accepted, being successful, is no easy task. We live in a world that rewards the beautiful, the famous, the successful, the powerful, the strong. Having the right image, looking good, being positive and being popular become burdens we think we must carry because we fear rejection, ridicule, loneliness, sadness and suffering.

Hope in God

It is hard for us to accept that God loves us even though he can see through our mask, through our facade. He can see the sadness behind the smile, he sees us before we have prepared ourselves in front of the mirror. He sees the darkness that lurks within our heart. He knows our weakness and our addiction to what is wrong.

While we were without strength Christ died for the ungodly (Rom 5:6). Instead of pretending to be better than you are, instead of trying to impress people, instead of trying to impress yourself, instead of believing in yourself why not believe in Jesus Christ? Why not be impressed with Christ?

For Christ can fix all that is broken. Christ can strengthen that which he fixes. Christ brings a bond that can never be broken, a bond that requires no mask and no pretending. Be encouraged to take off your mask and be yourself, to put your faith in Christ so that you can enjoy the assurance of God’s love, the assurance of God’s achievement and the assurance of God himself. the Rev

These exercises will help you explore how you can experience assurance in your every day life. Click on 'read more' to access these exercises.

13 Understand God's Promise

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Genesis 15:1-17 and Romans 4:13-25

Refreshing our Faith

Routine is good for simplifying and making life efficient. But any relationship that becomes routine is unhealthy. Our relationship with God can become a series of tasks to be done; bible reading, prayer, church, tithe. So how can we refresh our relationship with God? Understanding God’s promise to us will help us appreciate God. This will encourage our hearts to warm again towards Him so that when we pray we desire to really connect with God, we read his Word with a desire for him to speak to us. In fact everything we are and do will be done with God. the Rev

These exercises will help you explore more deeply God's unconditional promise. Click on 'read more' to access these exercises.

Refresh your faith

12 Understand Justification

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Genesis 15:1-7 and Romans 4:1-12

God for dinner

It would be very intimidating having God over for dinner? What would you cook? Would it be nice enough? Should it be vegetarian, Vegan or is God a steak and three vegies kind of deity? What topics of conversation would you bring up, the weather, politics, sport, religion? Abraham had a very personal relationship with God, as did King David. Just like having God over for dinner. None of us is good enough for God but in Christ we have been justified. What this means is explained in this message. It involves grace, forgiveness and favour. the Rev

Exercises: Will help you to dig further into God's word and into your own heart. Click on 'read more' to access these exercises.

Don't make a turkey of yourself when God comes for dinner

11 100% Victory

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Romans 3:21-31

Flowers and Fire (Easter Sunday)

Today we celebrated Easter in action and visually. During the service everyone had an opportunity to write down (on grey paper) something of their short comings, some way they fall short of what God wants them to be. These we put in a glass jar. After the service we burned the grey paper which symbolises how Christ takes our sin and they are burned up in God’s wrath. Yellow paper was used to give thanks. Flowers were placed in recognition of the new life we have in Christ. Just like a seed that is planted dies, grows and makes a flower. Christ takes our lives which are full of death, corruption and evil and he gives us new life. the Rev

Flowers represent new life in Christ

10 It's not Fair

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