New Life Now - Through the Power of the Resurrection

Summary and Outline of the April 29 Message

We are in a series this Spring on the power of the Resurrection - Yes, Christ rose from the dead - But now we need to make connections between that even and our daily living.

We make that connection by going into passages that help us process the fact that our Lord transcends death and desires to transfer that power into our living, our fiath and our praying!

In this message we go to Romans 6.1-14 as Paul addresses how difficult it is for us to deal with the force of sin in our lives - how difficult it is to change ourselves. In order for that to be truly manifested in our living - we need the power of Christ's resurrection - that power that changed Him and made Him alive - phsycially, spiritually and forever.

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Passage: Romans 6.1-14

Focus verses: "... just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in the newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly by united with Him in a resurrection like His." (Romans 6.4b-5)

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From an episode of Numb3rs ...
... Don Epps is with his therapist. Key line in conversation = "There's a difference between feeling good and feeling right. If you want to feel good you can drink or take a pill - or - you can make the decisions you need to make to get your life right."


Romans 6 - Overcoming Sin (Context)
... Are we at the decision points in our lives to go beyond a life that seeks to stop the pain ... to a life that walks with God, who will make things progressively "right" for us and with us?


Overcoming Sin
... We need resurrection power - not more effort - not more guilt. We need out of the cycle of "sin-repent-sin-repent ..." We know how to apologies with religious language - How do we actually get beyond the sinning to a life that is filled with the power of God?


Raised by the Glory of the Father
... Our perspective/relationship with God is paramount here. Is God the source of your problems or is God the source of your solutions?

... The inner witness for me in this message was - God directing me to pass on God's word: "Tell my people that they walk in the newness of life only as they walk by My Glory." How? - my response.

... God reveals Himself in His Word as ... Faithful, our Strength, our Rock, our Savior, our Fortress, our Provider, our Helper, our Comforter, our Healer, our Sheild and Banner of Protection, our Peace, our Hope.

... When we build ourselves up in knowing Him as He reveals Himself and on knowing His promises - we are lifted by great power to release from the death and dead-end places of our lives to a newness and freshness that maginfies Him.


United in a Death Like His ...
... "United" - from the Greek, meaning "Grow up together" - A word that designates "experience" with Christ.

... United in a Death Like His ... What does this mean? Once could say: "It means the forgiveness of my sins." True. But go beyond that - to the Death of the Old Self ... the death of those destructive forces that keep us disobedient and captive to our petty and often pathetic selves.

... The Cross of Jesus is our fixed point. We are not our own - we were bought with a price. Keep you sin accounts with God real short and be honsest with Him about the sin and struggles of our lives.


United with Him in a Resurrection Like His.
... Allow Him to call you out of the death dimensions of our current life. Learn to depend upon Him in the midst of the struggle.

... The Apostle Paul ... 2 Corinthians 4.8 and following with 6.8b and following ... Note the nature of his life and ministry ... It is really hard with plenty of setbacks. But these are not the words of a man who has to take his lumps from God ... These are the words of a man who knows God as His source ... of Provision, Help, Strength, Solution ... He knows the power of the rusurrection in all of life's situations.

... Paul ... Philippians 4.13 ... "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."


A Norwegian Folk Tale
... A boy took an eagle's egg from its nest and took it to his farm and put it into the nest of the goose on the farm. In time the eggs hatched and the little eagle thought he was a goose, not realizing his true nature. He had a rough time ... He couldn't honk like the other geese. He couldn't swim. They didn't fly so I didn't know to fly. He spent his days waddling around in the dirt on the farm ... Until one day he saw a strangely familiar sight overhead. He saw an eagle in flight. He responded by spreading his wings. He got some air underneath them and rose higher and higher. He finally entered the life he was intended for all along. As he rose higher, the farm and the old life there got smaller. Ahead of him as a new world and a new life.

... God has not destined you and me to live captive to sin and death. ... We were meant to soar.


A Truth to put some air under your wings ...
... God loves you as much as He loves Jesus.

... United with Him in His Death ... United with Him in His Resurrection