Breaking free from sin - a sermon on how to get out of sin

How.Can.I.Know.If.I'm.Stuck.or.Not?.
Acts.8:9-24:..KW—05.16.10.
Intro:.
A...I.am,.as.a.Christian,.to.be.a.servant.of.Jesus..
......1...I.am.free.to.follow.His.will..
......2...The.devil.wants.me.to.be.stuck.and.enslaved...cf.,.Rom..6:17...
B...We've.talked.for.two.lessons.about.being.stuck..
......1...Sometimes.I.can.be.stuck.in.my.shame....
...........a...I.can.be.ashamed.to.do.right.when.others.are.in.the.wrong..
...........b...I.can.so.ashamed.that.I.fail.to.tell.others.about.Jesus..
................1)..Jesus.wasn't.stuck.in.His.shame..."Looking.unto.Jesus,.the.author.and.finisher.of.our.faith,.who.for.the.joy.
......................that.was.set.before.Him.endured.the.cross,.despising.the.shame,.and.has.sat.down.at.the.right.hand.of.the.
......................throne.of.God."..Heb..12:2.
................2)..Jesus.despised.the.shame.and.therefore.wasn't.deterred.from.doing.His.Father's.will...(Shame.didn't.control.
......................Him)..
......2...Sometimes.I.can.be.stuck.by.my.kinfolk..."And.if.it.seems.evil.to.you.to.serve.the.LORD,.choose.for.yourselves.this.
...........day.whom.you.will.serve,.whether.the.gods.which.your.fathers.served.that.were.on.the.other.side.of.the.River,.or.
...........the.gods.of.the.Amorites.,.in.whose.land.you.dwell...But.as.for.me.and.my.house,.we.will.serve.the.LORD."..Josh..
...........24:15.
...........a..."If.that.religion.was.good.enough.for.Momma.and.Daddy,.then.it's.good.enough.for.me.".
...........b..."If.anyone.comes.to.Me.and.does.not.hate.his.father.and.mother,.wife.and.children,.brothers.and.sisters,.yes,.
.................and.his.own.life.also,.he.cannot.be.My.disciple."..Lk..14:26.
.....3...Sometimes.I.can.be.stuck.by.my.stuff..."I.have.given.you.a.land.for.which.you.did.not.labor,.and.cities.which.you.
...........did.not.build,.and.you.dwell.in.them;.you.eat.of.the.vineyards.and.olive.groves.which.did.you.did.not.plant.".
...........Josh..24:13.
...........a...Sometimes.I.will.purchase.things,.not.because.I.really.need.them,.but.because.I.feel.the.need.to.impress.others.
.................and.elevate.myself..
...........b...The.truth.is.that.I'm.stuck.and.allowing.myself.to.be.controlled.when.I.think.that.what.I.have.will.put.me.in.
................good.standing.with.others..."For.we.brought.nothing.into.this.world,.and.it.is.certain.we.can.carry.nothing.out.".
................1.Tim..6:7.
C...In.our.last.lesson.in.this.series.(three.weeks.ago),.we.read.Edwin.Freeman's.story."The.Bridge.".
......1...I.can.be.stuck.by.my.shame,.my.kinfolk,..and.my.possessions...(But.I.also.can.be.stuck.in.other.ways)....
......2...How.can.I.tell.if.I'm.stuck.or.not?..(How.can.I.tell.when.this.is.happening)?..cf.,.1.Cor..11:28.
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I...Blaming.
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.....A...Stories:.
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..........1...Adam.and.Eve...cf.,.Gen..3:9-13.
..........2...Saul...cf..1.Sam..15:1-23.
...............a...One.of.the.ways.I.can.determine.whether.or.not.I.am.stuck.is.by.asking.myself,."Am.I.trying.to.shift.blame.
....................away.from.myself.and.towards.somebody.else?"..(As.long.as.I.can.blame.somebody.else,.then.I.don't.have.a.
....................choice.in.the.matter.)..Ex:.."It's.not.my.fault.".
...............b...I.am.stuck.in.sin.when.I.fail.to.admit.my.wrong-doing.and.try.to.pin.on.someone.else....
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II...Prejudice.
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......A...Jas..2:1-9.
.
...........1..."…With.partiality".comes.from.a.compound.Greek.word.which.means.to.receive.face...v..1.
...........2...James.says.we.are.not.to.show.regard.for.or.judge.a.person.based.upon.external.circumstances...Ex:.
.
................a...Prejudice.is.a.great.time-saver;.it.enables.me.to.form.opinions.about.another.person.without.bothering.
.....................with.the.facts..
................b...Prejudice.comes.from.ignorance.and.assumption,.and.generalization.(applying.the.characteristics.of.a.few.
.....................to.the.entire.group)....
.....................1)..God.isn't.prejudiced..."Then.Peter.opened.his.mouth.and.said:.'In.truth.I.perceive.that.God.shows.no.
...........................partiality."..A..10:34.
..............................He.does.not.elevate.one.skin.color.over.another..
..............................There.is.no.country.that.He.favors.over.the.rest...Article:...THERE.IS.NO.question.that.the.Bible.teaches.
..............................there.is.only.one.race.--.the.human.race...God.created.mankind.in.His.image.and.in.His.likeness..We.are.
..............................the.pinnacle.of.His.creative.activities..The.Bible.clearly.states.that.all.of.the.lineage.of.humanity.came.
..............................through.one.woman,.Eve..She.is.defined.as.the."mother.of.all.living".(Gen..3:20)..But.do.we.really.
..............................believe.that?.While.congregations.would.argue.that.they.are.not.racist,.the.fact.remains.most.
..............................congregations.remain.segregated..While.we.preach.about.diversity.and.everyone.having.a.special.role.
..............................in.the.body.of.Christ,.we.do.not.promote.or.celebrate.integration.--.because.for.many.it.is.not..
..............................comfortable..Pulpits.herald.messages.about.loving.all.people,.but.dark.hallways.echo.the.sounds.of.
..............................racial.slurs.and.jokes..We.use.terms.like."brothers.and.sisters.in.the.faith,".but.many.treat.individuals.of.
..............................different.color.like."step-families.".How.many.times.have.conversations.been.started.in.which.a.
..............................Christian.says,."I'm.not.a.racist.or.prejudice,.but...".But.what?!.How.many.times.have."faithful..
..............................Christians".of.one.color.uttered.hateful.generalizations.against.people.of.a.different.color?.Do.we.
..............................secretly.believe.(or.hope).that.there.will.be.a.heaven.for.each.individual.race?.As.sad.as.it.is,.I.think.an.
..............................honest.evaluation.of.the.church.reveals.that.we.are.still.struggling.with.race.relations..I.am.afraid.many.
..............................have.forgotten.that.God.is.the.Creator.of.Jews.and.Gentiles..Christ.is.the.Savior.of.blacks.and.whites..If.
..............................we.are.going.to.purify.the.hearts.of.our.children.and.grandchildren.we.need.to.stop.playing.the.blame.
..............................game.and.start.actively.teaching.them.the.biblical.perspective.that.there.really.is.only.one.race..(Brad.
..............................Harrub).
.....................2)..I.am.stuck.in.sin.when.I.judge.an.entire.group.by.the.actions.of.a.few..
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III...Living.in.the.Past.
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.......A...."Do.not.say,.'Why.were.the.former.days.better.than.these?'..For.you.do.not.inquire.wisely.concerning.this.".
..............Eccl..7:10.
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..............1...I.need.to.remember.the.past..
.
....................a...I.can.reflect.on.good.and.positive.experiences.and.rejoice.in.them..
....................b...I.can.remember.pain.and.mistakes.from.the.past.and.try.to.learn.and.profit.from.them..
..............2...I.am.stuck.when.I.think.that.the.present.can.never.be.as.good.as.the.past..
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Concl:.
A...Sometimes.I.as.a.child.of.God.can.get.stuck:.
.........In.my.shame.
.........Of.the.gospel.
.........By.blaming.others.instead.of.admitting.my.failure.
.........By.prejudicially.judging.an.entire.group.based.upon.the.actions.of.a.few.
.........By.living.in.the.past.and.refusing.to.living.in.the.present.or.preparing.for.the.future.
B...Jesus.doesn't.want.you.to.be.stuck,.but.free...Jn..8:32.

--Mike Benson