Book of Romans, Sermon Starters—Week 7

Lectionary Readings for the Sixth Sunday After Pentecost, Year A

• Genesis 25:19-34
• Psalm 119:105-112 or Psalm 25 (UMH 756)
• Romans 8:1-11
• Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Scripture Notes for Romans 8:1-11

Overview:
The focus of this week's passage is life: life through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Choice, following the way of the Spirit, is necessary to access this new life.

There are several key concepts that Paul advances. Life in God, which the law could not provide, is now possible through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ put on human flesh and dealt with sin and death. Now, new life can dwell in the place of death within God's people.

How is all of this possible? Because God resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead, proving that God is greater than death. That unparalleled power that resurrected Jesus Christ brings new life to God's people.

Summary:

• There is no condemnation for those who, by faith, believe in the resurrected Jesus who conquered sin on the cross. God has dealt with sin in the flesh as Jesus Christ.
• Walking according to the Spirit sets a person free from sin's power.
• God, in Jesus Christ, fulfilled what the law failed to do. Jesus Christ dealt with sin; he condemned it and fulfilled the requirement of the law.
• People have a choice: live by the flesh, which is death, or live according to the Spirit and find life and peace.
• Anyone focused on the flesh is antagonistic toward God, cannot please God, and does not belong to God.
• If Christ is in you, the Spirit of God and the power of the resurrection live in you.

Key Preaching/Teaching Points

Paul sets forth a clear dichotomy between living according to the flesh and living according to the Spirit. Living according to the flesh means living according to the law of human desire. Such a life is controlled by passion or lust or pride or ambition. The person's life is self-absorbed.

In contrast, living according to the Spirit is a new life, refocused on Christ. It is a life that has relinquished control to the Spirit of God. This life bears spiritual fruit, practices faith and ministry, and subjects itself to Christian discipline.

Key Terms:
Does your audience know the following terms found or concepts alluded to in Romans 8:1-11?

Flesh — Paul applies multiple meanings to flesh.

• Looking at things from a human perspective — "according to the flesh"
• Sinful human nature with all its weakness and vulnerability
• With regard to Christians, Paul makes a distinction. Walking "according to the flesh" refers to a life dominated by the desires and dictates of human nature.
• By contrast, the Christian who walks "according to the Spirit" lives a life dominated by the desires and dictates of God's love.
• Paul equates walking according to the flesh to being dead, being incapable of pleasing God, and being hostile to God.
• Life according to the flesh is self-idolatry — the individual becomes the center of all values.
• Paul delivers an unequivocal message to Christians. You are NOT in the flesh — so don't act like it.

Spirit — the Hebrew ruach refers to Spirit and wind, lending to the idea of power from a gale-force wind. This wind represented something more powerful than a human could generate. It was divine power. Paul advances the definition in the New Testament. God's Spirit, God's power, which raised Jesus Christ from the dead, now resides in Christians. We have power to overcome ungodly influence and temptation.

Evangelistic Preaching Tips

This week's passage begs for a clean, clear presentation. Bring out the clear dichotomy between life in the flesh vs. life in the Spirit. Provide a concise remedy for the dilemma posed by living according to human desire — i.e. life-changing trust in Jesus Christ.

Reading: Romans 8:1-11 (An Evangelistic Approach — To lead people to Christ)

Who Are You? In Romans 8:5, Paul literally says in the Greek, "those who are according to the flesh." This state of being combined with the notion of thinking in verse 6 leads to the embodiment of the way of the flesh or the way life in Christ. It is a matter of choice. Consider gathering a collection of self-portraits by famous artists to project on screen. Note how each artist depicts himself/herself detached from reality. Perhaps the image is distorted. Perhaps the artist is dressed in regal clothing while actually poverty-stricken. Perhaps a mere silhouette represents the artist. But who is the real person?

How do we determine how we are — really? Explore the kinds of things that people think and do that point to their inward identity. Is the result a Christlike person or a person in need of Christ?

Aim: Help pre-Christians recognize their need to embrace Christ and a Christian life of discipleship.

Reading: Romans 8:1-11 (A Renewal Approach — To strengthen the faith of Christians)

The Power to Change the World. Christ in you — the reality of this is nearly incomprehensible. Why would Jesus Christ want to live inside of us? John 3:16 provides the answer. God loved the world ... God's care for the world involves transformation from the world's present state of chaos. God lives in us to enable the transformation of the world.

The world appears too large for us to change, unless you begin to define the world you can transform. What world is that? Marriage and family, law and government, the community in which our children reside, and the church. The church is the place where God transforms people into Christians.

Aim: Convince Christians that Jesus Christ dwells in them for the wider purpose of transforming the world that they touch.

Reading: Romans 8:1-11 (A Reclamation Approach — To restore "de-churched" individuals to vital faith in Jesus Christ)

What Were They Thinking? This popular title is shared by a movie documentary, a book on the 100 "dumbest events" in television history, a book on marketing faux pas, and a book that lists dumb historical events. The focus of each of the above is on the ridiculous predicaments that people get into. Observers can only ask, "What were they thinking?"

Paul points out that "thinking" according to fleshly human desires leads to death. Who would continue to participate in thinking and behaviors that lead to death? If people choose to continue an unhealthy way of living, you have to ask, "What were they thinking?"

Possible resources:

• What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History by David Hofsted
• What Were They Thinking? by Robert M. McMath and Thom Forbes
• What Were They Thinking?: Really Bad Ideas Throughout History by Bruce Felton

Aim: Help de-churched people realize the futility and foolishness that results when living apart from Christ.

Provide Opportunities for a Faith Response

1. Who Are You? Place comedy and tragedy masks in the worship area or on the bulletin. Consider preaching while wearing a mask and removing it after making the point that with Christ we can discover who we really are. Invite pre-Christians to take the first step in self-discovery through embracing Jesus Christ in faith.

Suggested Resource: The Relinquished Life by Oswald Chambers

2. The Power to Change the World Gather stories depicting people who chose to make a difference in the world that they touched. Consider a visual aid such as a photo of the person or a three- or four-word summary of the impact of that person. Note the impact that one person can have in another person's life. Provide opportunities for people to sign up for some focused ministry project that will make some difference in a person's life in your church or community.

Suggested Resource: Our Most-Alive Times: Escaping the Hells We Create, by Johann Christoph Arnold

3. What Were They Thinking? Issue a challenge to the congregation to monitor their thoughts for one day in the upcoming week. Invite them to journal about their experience. As a spiritual exercise, participants can reflect on the experience with God close in prayer.

Provide Opportunities for Follow Up

1. Ask a member of the congregation to call any persons who responded and invite that person to come to church the following Sunday.

2. Invite participants to share with a friend, family member, and so forth what they experienced after participating in ministry.

3. Invite participants in the monitoring thoughts exercise to share their experience with a trusted friend or family member the following Sunday.

Online Resources

• Our Most Alive Times: Escaping the Hells We Create, by Johann Christoph Arnold
• For a list of movies with a conversion theme, visit The Text This Week

Helpful Print Resources

• What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in Television History, by David Hofsted
• What Were They Thinking? by Robert M. McMath and Thom Forbes
• What Were They Thinking?: Really Bad Ideas Throughout History by Bruce Felton
• The Message of Romans: God's Good News for the World (The Bible Speaks Today) by John R. W. Stott
• Romans: Tyndale New Testament Commentaries by F. F. Bruce
• Romans: A Shorter Commentary [ABRIDGED] by C. E. B. Cranfield

Follow Up Resource Available in pdf

Small Groups & Accountability: The Wesleyan Way of Christian Formation by Steven W. Manskar, Director of Accountable Discipleship, Discipleship Ministries

General Evangelism Resources

• Ancient Future Evangelism by Robert Webber
  Webber explains Pentecost as the traditional time to declare one's Christian vocation.
• The Faith-Sharing Congregation by Roger Swanson and Shirley Clement
• Faith-Sharing: Dynamic Christian Witnessing by Invitation by H. Eddie Fox and George Morris
• The Faith-Sharing initiative Participants' Manual (Spanish Version) — El compromiso de compartir nuestra fe: Manual del Participante (pdf)
• The Faith Sharing New Testament
• That the World May Know Jesus Christ! by Brazilian Methodist Bishop Paulo Lockmann
• Transforming Evangelism: The Wesleyan Way of Sharing Faith by Henry H. Knight III and Douglas Powe Jr.

Witness: Learning to Share Your Christian Faith