SERIES: War is Over, The MESSAGE: Nw I Live SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig SCRIPTURE: Rmans 5-6 MESSAGE SUMMARY Our wrship team has managed t put the mst salient truths f the Christian experience int this single sng. Every step detailed in this sectin f Paul s letter t the Rmans is expressed in cndensed frm in this new anthem f praise. Tday we will walk thrugh the fur essential steps f spiritual grwth and examine where we are in relatinship t them. Sme may still be n the first step, while thers have camped n the secnd and third. The challenge frm Paul s message is t press frward t that furth step f triumph. STUDY GUIDE Cnnect Grup Recap: August 2, 2015 Teacher: Skip Heitzig Teaching: Nw I Live Text: Rmans 5-6 Tune: "Nw I Live" Path Read the text t discver the spiritual jurney f the typical believer: I. Spiritual Death (Rmans 5:12) II. Spiritual Life (Rmans 5:20-21) III. Spiritual Struggle (Rmans 6:1-2) IV. Spiritual Pwer (Rmans 6:3-7) Pints Review the fur stages f spiritual grwth: Spiritual Death: We all begin life physically alive but spiritually dead separated frm Gd because f the sin nature passed n t us. Thrugh Adam, we're dead; thrugh Christ, we can live. Unbelievers aren't spiritually sick; they're spiritually dead. Althugh we did nthing t be included in the fallut frm Adam's decisin, we als did nthing t be included in Christ's redemptin it's a free gift. We are nt sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners it's ur nature. Nw I Live - Rmans 5-6 SkipHeitzig.cm/3909 Page 1
A natural man can't understand spiritual things. Spiritual crpses can't imprve their wn cnditin; they need help a new birth. Spiritual Life: Yu get spiritual life thrugh a spiritual birth; thrugh Jesus' bld, yu g frm Death Valley t Graceland (Gd's, nt Elvis's). The law f Mses can't slve the prblem; it can nly amplify it, revealing ur need fr the saving grace f Jesus. Grace (in Greek, charis) describes the trait f a master shwing kindness t an unfavrable, inferir persn. Regarding verse 20: "Where sin reached a high-water mark, grace cmpletely flded the wrld" (Dnald Grey Barnhuse). N barrier is t high fr Gd's grace t reach yu. Spiritual Struggle: Every believer in Christ was nce dead, is nw alive, and is nw engaged in the struggle f a civil war between the flesh and the spirit. Paul's wrds in Rmans 6:1-2 are nt an excuse t be sinful but a warning t be careful and mindful t walk with Gd. Many Christians live a rcking chair life a lt f back and frth but n frward mtin. Over time, we must make prgress in the struggle against the flesh. Practice Spiritual Pwer: The ritual f baptism must pint t reality in a Christian's life: we shuld "walk in newness f life" (Rmans 6:4). By Christ's pwer, eventually, yu discver mre victry than defeat. The pwer that raised Christ frm the dead is available t us nw. Yes, we struggle and fall, but as we walk with Jesus, He develps His character in us. Press n: keep mving, keep grwing dn't rest n religin, backgrund, r previus wrks. Lean n His pwer. Nt t struggle is dangerus because yu never gain cnfidence in the pwer f Christ's salvatin. Yu shuld grw frm yur struggles. Keep yur eyes n Jesus, the authr and finisher f yur faith (see Hebrews 12:2). Reflect n the fllwing questins: Cnnect Up: Read Galatians 5, especially verses 16-18. What are the sides in the battle every believer must fight? Lk at verses 19-21 and 22-23. Cmpare the tw lists. Discuss the differences Nw I Live - Rmans 5-6 SkipHeitzig.cm/3909 Page 2
between the fruit f the ld nature (wrks f the flesh) and the fruit f the new nature (fruit f the Spirit). Cnnect In: Read Jhn 10:10. Grace gives us life, and plus ultra life at that mre beynd any expectatin r cnditin we might have. Yu can vercme any sin because f Gd's grace. Hw des regular fellwship help us t live the abundant life Jesus ffers us? What challenge are yu facing that yur brthers and sisters in Christ can pray fr? Cnnect Out: Many believers get stuck in the struggle and camp at the edge f the cemetery, ne ft in death (the wrld), the ther in life (Gd's kingdm). Read Rmans 6:3. Baptism represents the believer's unity with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrectin. Des yur reality reflect that ritual? What are sme ways yu represent Jesus in yur everyday life? DETAILED NOTES I. Intrductin A. Mst peple see prfund change happen in their lifetime B. What kind f change are yu experiencing n the inside? C. What phase f spiritual grwth are yu in? D. Jhn 10:10 1. Life t the full, t the max, t the brim 2. Hw many believers are living their lives this way? II. Spiritual Death (Rmans 5:12) A. Spiritual death is where yu began 1. When yu were brn, yu were dead n arrival 2. Unbelievers aren't just spiritually sick; they're dead 3. Ephesians 2:1 B. Genesis 2-3 1. It was Gd's intentin fr peple t live frever 2. Death is an aberratin C. Sin entered; death entered; death spread; death reigned D. Yu had nthing t d with the fall just like yu had nthing t d with the redemptin that is a free gift f Jesus Christ E. This shws hw Gd feels abut sin 1. A single act was enugh t bring death and cnsign all f humanity t a curse 2. Als shws hw Gd feels abut yu 3. Nt just hw bad sin is, but hw great Gd is and hw much He lves us F. When Adam sinned, he generated a cnstitutinal change in his character 1. Frm inncence t sinfulness 2. He acted as the head fr all f humanity 3. We're nt sinners because we sin; we sin because we're sinners a. Thelgical term: depravity f mankind b. Desn't mean we're as bad as we culd pssibly be; it means we're as bad ff as we culd pssibly be Nw I Live - Rmans 5-6 SkipHeitzig.cm/3909 Page 3
4. After thusands f years, why is humanity n better? Every single human being has this nature G. This is why an unbeliever is unable t understand spiritual things 1. 1 Crinthians 2:14 2. Dead peple can't imprve their cnditin III. Spiritual Life (Rmans 5:20-21) A. Yu get spiritual life thrugh spiritual birth 1. Jhn 3:3 2. Frm the graveyard t the glry, frm the cemetery f sin t the sanctuary f salvatin B. Old Testament law f Mses 1. The law desn't slve the prblem f death brught by sin; it just amplifies it 2. Exdus 19 3. Rmans 3:23 4. The law shines the wrst pssible light n yu and hands yu a mirrr C. Grace = Greek charis 1. A master treating an inferir with care, gdness, r favr 2. Favr given t an unfavrable persn D. Three ways Gd can treat a human being 1. Justice: getting what yu deserve 2. Mercy: nt getting what yu deserve 3. Grace: getting what yu dn't deserve E. Verse 20: "When sin reached the high water mark, Gd's grace verflwed the high water mark" F. Everlasting life: a frever quality f life yu enjy in the present IV. Spiritual Struggle (Rmans 6:1-2) A. Paul cnstructed an imaginary ppnent in these verses B. When Jesus gives yu life, He buys yu and hangs a sign: "Under New Management" C. Every believer struggles 1. Flesh wars 2. Galatians 5:17 3. This is nt an excuse t be sinful; it's an incentive t be careful D. We're imbalanced frm birth; the prblem is the S chrmsme: sin E. Many Christians stp here 1. Yu will never be perfect 2. But yu've been given new life; quit ging back t the cemetery V. Spiritual Pwer (Rmans 6:3-7) A. There is a maturity where the cnsistent nature f yur life is changed 1. Mre victry than defeat, mre righteusness than sin 2. New pwer: the resurrected pwer f Christ B. This is the heart cry f every leader; Galatians 4:19 C. We can get t a place where the resurrected pwer f Jesus Christ gives us victry ver the ld life D. Baptism 1. A ritual that shuld pint t the reality 2. Baptism signifies death, burial, and resurrectin E. The pwer that raised Jesus frm the dead can be urs t cnquer sin Nw I Live - Rmans 5-6 SkipHeitzig.cm/3909 Page 4
1. Dead t the ld; alive t the new 2. 2 Crinthians 5:17 F. Keep walking; keep ging; keep learning G. We gt saved by lking unt Jesus 1. Hebrews 12:2 2. Dn't stp lking t Him Greek wrds: charis Crss references: Genesis 2-3; Exdus 19; Jhn 3:3; 10:10; Rmans 3:23; 5-6; 1 Crinthians 2:14; 2 Crinthians 5:17; Galatians 4:19; 5:17; Ephesians 2:1; Hebrews 12:2 Tpic: Spiritual Grwth Keywrds: change, grwth, life, spiritual death, sin, depravity, spiritual birth, brn again, the law, law f Mses, grace, struggle, the flesh, maturity, victry, baptism, resurrectin Nw I Live - Rmans 5-6 SkipHeitzig.cm/3909 Page 5