10 Jan “Slave to Sin” | North Attleboro

Announcements:

Tuesday Cafe in NA is open from 10-1.  This cafe is open to the public!

Please note: This is not a forum for Life Groups, if your group meets at this time, please meet at your usual location.  Thank you.

Phil Wickham & special guest, Josh Baldwin, will be performing the Hymn of Heaven Tour at Waters Church North Attleboro on Sat, May 14, 2022!

All announcements can be found at:  waterschurch.guide

Our text alert number is 81411.  Text ‘waterschurch’ to 81411 to join our text alert system.

The Deep End, the new Deep Dive Bible Study, and 10 questions with Tim are back! Please note that The Deep End will only be available on timhatchlive./live.  Be sure to like and subscribe to the channel to be notified of each new podcast.

Key Verse: Romans 6:15-23

 We are all slaves to someone and something, but where do we put our worth? The pharmacist companies want to enslave us into addiction, fast food restaurants want to enslave us to food, the internet wants to enslave us into content, pornography, and consumerism.

The Book of Romans is divided into Jew and Gentile, the Circumcised and the Uncircumcised, and Law versus Grace. 

The world is divided, we know that because we see it everyday. There are two types of people in the world, we are either a child of God or a child of the world. We are either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. We are all slaves to who and what we obey. 

When Paul wrote this later ⅓ of the population of Rome were enslaved. 

Who and what you follow will have control over all aspects of your life.

Q. What is something in your life that has or has had control over you?

1. What it means to be a slave to Sin

A.  slave to sin leads to emotional death.

Romans 6:20-21 (ESV)

Sin will break us and crush us emotionally. 

Q. What are sins in your life that are crushing you emotionally? (or have in the past).

B. A slave of sin leads to mortal death.

Romans 6:16 (ESV)

We did because Adam sinned. But God gives us a choice to accept the greatest repair possible, His Son Jesus.

C. A slave of sin leads to spiritual death.

John 12:48 (ESV)

We will all die and stand before God on The Day of Judgement. It is up to us if we are judged by the law or by Grace! Only through Christ can we have freedom from sin and live a life worthy of standing in His righteousness. 

2. What it means to be a slave to righteousness

The closer we are to God, the more we realize we are sinners.

When we know our Savior,  He changes our behavior and our destination.  We must have a personal relationship with God through Christ.

Q. As you grow closer to God, what changes are happening in your life?

A. A slave to righteousness leads to God’s will in your life

Romans 12:9-19 (NLT)

It is His will not our own that leads to emotional, mortal and spiritual death. Imagine judgement day being surrounded by some of the heroes of the Bible or missionaries asking us what we did for God while on earth.  Paul, for example, who did amazing things for the kingdom of God, wrote more than half of the New Testament.

Q. How would you answer these heroes and missionaries or how would you hope to answer them? What can you do to further the kingdom that you are not doing already?

B. A slave to righteousness leads to eternal life.

(Romans 5:21 (ESV)

We get freedom from sin, freedom from eternal death, but even more rewards we will get in heaven such as mansions, and crowns of life, but heaven is not equal.

C . A Slave to righteousness leads to true freedom

Romans 8:14-23 (ESV)

We are free to walk in righteousness, free from emotional, physical, and spiritual death, and free from Hell which is separation from God. Only as children of God can we have true freedom!

Motivation matters, we do not do this to get something,  we do this because He gave! Motivation has to be joyful, not out of atoning for sin, or making up for our wrongdoings.

Q. What motivates you to serve, give (ie is it out of making up for something, or out of joy)?

3. What it means to be set Free

When we are free in Christ we are motivated to do His will and set others free because we ourselves were set free when we were still guilty.

A. You are free to live a life that glorifies God

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

We are to glorify Him, tell others about Him and what He has done for our life. 

Practice, read the Bible, walk away from sin.  God wants better things for you.  Study God’s word, spend time in prayer with Him.  Daily victories from sin will encourage you! 

A. What are some “practices” you could incorporate more in your daily life to live a life free from sin?

B. You are free to tell people what He did!

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

We are not to love this world but love God’s gift to us, His Son. We should pray for the Holy Spirit to open up doors for us.

Q. When was the last time you told somebody about Jesus?  Have you told somebody about what Jesus did in your life?

C. You are Free from the penalty, punishment, and power of sin.

Romans 8:1 (ESV)

We have been saved in the past for the penalty of sin, we are being saved from the power of sin, and we will be saved from the presence of sin.

When our identity is in Adam, we try to earn our way but when our identity is in Christ, we try to live up to the gift He has given. To truly be free means understanding we were chosen by God to be set free from sin and death and used by Him for good works that He has prepared for us.

Sermon in a Sentence:

You are either a slave to sin which leads to death, destruction, and unhappiness or you are a slave to God which leads to gratitude, good works, and eternal life.

Challenge: Be motivated by gratitude for what Christ has done in your life to tell someone about Jesus this week!  Pray for God to give you opportunities to share with people about His free gift.