Well, thank you very much, Stephanie, for that lovely reading. Great to hear the passage read like that.
I know at my house group last week we were commenting on Thane's reading of the passage the week before,
which was really beautiful, so we're getting a high standard set for us.
Now, I stand before you this morning, very pleased to be here,
pleased to have the opportunity to take a few minutes as we look at Romans chapter 8,
but also feeling pretty inadequate, if truth be told.
So, last week, let's have a show of hands. Who was here last Sunday?
Okay, quite a lot. Quite a lot weren't, which is quite interesting.
We had Ewan Dodds giving us, I think, a really masterful exposition of Romans 7.
He had put a huge amount of work into it.
He had even consulted with Pauline theologians who had PhDs in these passages, right,
in order to make sure that the exposition was really careful.
Next week we have Wayne Sutton, the senior pastor at Corubbers,
who also has devoted his life to studying all of this.
And sandwiched in between, you've got me.
So, sorry, there's no degrees or PhDs in theology.
I haven't even found somebody with a PhD who I could consult to be able to speak to you.
But all I have been doing is reflecting quite carefully on what are incredibly rich verses
throughout the last couple of weeks and just trying to let them sink into my own heart and soul.
And, of course, reading a bit, but also just praying that God would make something here really real to me
so that I've got something to share with you this morning.
And I think you could probably look at this and study it for a week or two
and come up with about 50 different sermons, to be honest.
Such is the depth and complexity to it.
So, here goes.
Here's my attempt at making, at just sharing what this has meant to me as I've studied it.
And the title, if you want a title, is this question.
Who is in charge?
Who's in charge?
Now, we could look at that in terms of the nation.
I do, of course, have a picture there of number 10 Downing Street.
And it's a question which many are asking.
Who's in charge?
Has Theresa May really been in charge over these last weeks and months?
Well, maybe, maybe not.
And we now, of course, have a battle going on for who is going to be in charge.
Who is going to be having those keys?
Do they have keys?
The door just seems to open, doesn't it?
Who is going to have the door open as they turn up to number 10 Downing Street in a few weeks' time?
The battle is raging, isn't it, for control?
Maybe some of you, are some of you backing Boris?
Or we don't like to be too political this morning at Brunsfield.
Maybe you've got your other favourites.
Maybe you're not too sure.
Maybe you're switched off altogether with this whole battle.
But I want to present to you, as we look at Romans 8, a different battle that is raging for control.
Control this time in our lives.
Because time and again, and please have the passage and make sure you agree with me or feel free to disagree with me.
But it seems that time and again we've got a battle between what's described variously as sin, the flesh, death.
Lots of different words used for it.
All seeking to have dominance and control.
And on the other hand, we've got so much that is said about God.
God the Father, God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, 17 references in these verses to the Holy Spirit.
And it seems that God is appearing to us in this passage.
Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Moving and inviting us to allow Him to be in charge in our lives.
And telling us something about what life will be like if we really allow God to be in charge.
But yet isn't it the case that as we look in our own hearts and lives, we know the reality of this battle.
Particularly those of us who would describe ourselves as Christians.
Those perhaps who have been coming to this church for some time or other churches or seeking to follow God.
And we recognise that for all that we have come to understand something we believe about God.
Powerful forces still seem to be at work.
That cause what's in these verses about sin and flesh and death to still have an influence in our lives.
And we saw that particularly last week as we looked at what Paul was saying about the struggle with sin in Romans chapter 7.
Well, there was a little passage I came across in Tim Keller's book, Counterfeit Gods, that I'd like to share with you before we go any further.
A great book, and it's a book about how the promises of money, love and power have so much appeal but yet let us down.
And he says this, the human heart is a factory that mass produces idols.
Idols can never really be removed, they can only be replaced.
If you try to simply uproot them, they grow back, but they can be supplanted.
What we need is a living encounter with God in order for them to be supplanted.
Jesus must become more beautiful to your imagination, more attractive to your heart than your idols.
If you uproot the idol and fail to plant the love of God in its place, the idol will simply grow back.
Now those are pretty profound words that might take us a while to get our head around.
But if I can make it a bit more straightforward, I want you to think of a garden.
And I want you to think of a garden, perhaps if it's anything like the patches of garden that I have,
then the one thing that seems to grow very, very easily are lots and lots of weeds.
And what I think Tim Keller is saying there is, it's not enough just to be trying to uproot the weeds.
Because the reality is, we'll soon find in those patches of grounds, other weeds are going to grow in the place.
What we have to be focusing on is planting.
Planting things that will take the place of those weeds and that will cause the garden to flourish.
And what I'm going to invite us all to do is perhaps to take some of the seeds,
seeds which are in Romans chapter 8 verse 1 to 17.
Seeds of truth, of great transformational truth about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
I'm going to invite you to take these seeds and to plant them in your life.
And we're going to focus more on the seeds of truth about God
than we're going to focus on the weeds of sin, flesh, devil and all of the other idols
which we may feel are taking place in our life.
And I'm just going to invite you to perhaps focus on these seeds.
And I hope some of them will be really precious.
Maybe some you'll take and you'll want to just really cultivate in your life.
Because you know that you need these seeds to grow and flourish
so that God can really take his proper place in your life.
And may that be the case as we just try to explore this a little bit further.
So I've got three seeds to offer you which I think tell us something amazing,
something really true, something really vital about God.
First of all, God the Father.
I'm going to turn to verse 3 where it says this,
what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,
God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.
And my first seed for you this morning is that God is an active God.
God is somebody who is moving towards us in love.
God is not someone in Romans 8 who is passive,
who is simply waiting to see how we will respond.
But God is always moving and reaching out towards us.
And in verse 3 did so in the most ultimate way,
by reaching out to us to send his son in the likeness of sinful flesh in order to die for us.
Are we seeing God as someone who in Christ reached towards us in love
and still through the work of the Holy Spirit is reaching out towards us today?
Maybe there's a seed there.
The God who is active,
the God who is not disinterested,
the God who is reaching out towards each of us in love today.
But another truth about us and God is there in verse 7.
And I'm going to point you to that today where it says,
verse 7,
the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God.
It does not submit to God's law,
nor can it do so.
And verse 8,
those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
And the reality about God that we're exposed to here
is that just left to ourselves and our own devices,
we will turn away from God and from all that God wants for us.
And I wonder if we just need to take that truth again
and remind our hearts and our souls
that naturally left to our own devices,
we do not as humans get better and better and better and more advanced
and life does not, in the terms of this passage, get better.
But rather left to our own devices,
we are in rebellion against this God
who is reaching out towards us in love.
We are consciously, actively turning aside from him,
turning away from him and going our own direction.
And I wonder if we pause this morning
and we allow these words,
verse 8,
those who are in the realm of the flesh
cannot please God.
And if we need to acknowledge and confess
and perhaps repent of the fact
that our attitude towards God
has been one of turning away from him.
Today is, of course, Happy Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day to all of the dads here.
I certainly got some lovely gifts this morning.
I hope some of you are not looking around
and suddenly realizing that you'd entirely forgotten
to look after your own dads.
Well, there's still plenty of time
to write that for those of you
who need to wish someone a Happy Father's Day.
But the other wonderful truth about God here,
and you'll see it in verse 14,
and in many of the other verses towards the end,
is that God has children.
Verse 14,
those who are led by the Spirit of God
are children of God.
And the wonderful truth that God invites us,
it's there in verse 15,
to approach him
and to cry to him,
Abba, Father.
This simple cry out to,
in need,
but in trust,
to one who knows us so well.
The invitation of God this morning.
The God,
the Father God,
who is moving towards us.
The Father God,
who naturally we are moving away from.
And yet the God who invites us to approach him.
The God who invites us to be part of his family,
to share in his inheritance,
and to call him Father.
There are just a few seeds of truth about God the Father
that you might want to take
and plant deeply into your own life this morning,
in place of the weeds
that may be so prevalent
and that will crop up
if we allow them to.
I've got four truths for you now.
Four seeds about Jesus
that I see in this passage.
Jesus Christ, our Lord,
which I want to offer to you
and see if you can really take them
and if they are helpful to you.
And first of all,
in verse 11,
we are reminded of the truth.
It says,
If the spirit of him
who raised Jesus from the dead
is living in you,
he who raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies
because of his spirit who lives in you.
Now reality,
in that one little verse,
we've got truths about what God the Father is doing,
what the Holy Spirit is doing,
and we've got a great truth in the middle of it
about what Jesus,
what has happened with Jesus Christ,
and that is that he has been raised from the dead.
And the word that is repeated a lot
in this passage is the word life.
And just as Jesus was given newness of life,
so the promise that comes to us
time and time again here
is that the reality,
if we are to live the life that God wants,
then that is what we will experience too.
That new life that Jesus had
is in some ways like the new life
that we will be able to experience.
Why on earth have I just put up a picture now
of a sports car?
You may ask.
Well, I'm keen to get your attention here
as we think of three other truths
that we are,
that we're encountered,
that we're invited to reflect on here
about Jesus Christ.
The first truth is that it is possible
to experience life in Christ.
Verse 1,
Therefore there is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus.
And verse 10,
If Christ is in you,
then even though your body is subject to death
because of sin,
the Spirit gives life
because of righteousness.
So we can know the truth
of being in Christ
and having Christ in us.
Just reflect a little
on the closeness,
on the intimacy involved
in that image.
And I can't really think of
an image that is in any way
good enough
to even come close
to describing it.
But I was spending some time
this week sitting in my car.
The kids were having
an incredibly long haircut
and I decided
I wasn't waiting there any longer.
And indeed,
I was going to give
a little bit of thought
to what I wanted to share
with you today
while sitting in my car.
And it struck me
that as I was in the car,
I was completely enclosed
by that car.
The doors were shut,
the windows were up,
and this doesn't seem
a particularly profound truth,
but I was in the car.
Yeah?
But also that within that car
there was so much
that could be done
that I would not be able
to do myself.
By simply pressing the button,
putting my foot
on the accelerator,
and trying my best
to pay attention
to the surroundings
and the rules of the road,
I would be able to
get places
at a speed
that would be
utterly impossible
if I wasn't actually
in the car
and driving in the car.
You see where
kind of my mind went to
in eventually giving you
an image of a racing car
to think about.
And I freely acknowledge
that the image
is limited.
But the seed
I want to give you
this morning
is just this thought
about Jesus
that he invites us
to step into
all that he is,
all that he has,
and all that he wants
us to be.
and not just have
a kind of head knowledge
of Jesus
and yes,
a set of beliefs
about who he is
and what he did,
but to really step in
and to think about
what it means
to be in Christ
and to be experiencing
a life
where we are
surrounded
by him
and by his love
and by his power
and by all
that he offers
to us
in Christ.
But the other phrase
that comes
time and again
here
is that it's possible
not just to be
in Christ
but to belong
to Christ.
Verse 9
says
you whoever
are not of the realm
of the flesh
but on the realm
of the spirit
if indeed
the spirit of God
lives in you
if anyone does not
have the spirit of Christ
they do not belong
to Christ.
Verse 10
but if Christ is in you
then even though
your body is subject
to death
because of sin
the spirit gives life
because of righteousness.
And here's the truth
here is the seed
about Jesus Christ
in the same way
as I
and my children
can say with confidence
that we belong
to the Johnston family
and you
I'm sure
can look at the family
and hopefully
have a sense
of belonging
to that family
though I appreciate
that's not a reality
for everyone.
So Jesus
invites us today
to recognize
the truth
that not only
has he died
and risen for us
not only does he invite us
to step in
and experience
a life
in Christ
but that he says
you belong.
You're no longer
strangers.
You're no longer
at a distance.
Come in
and experience
what it is
to belong
to this family
this family
of Christ.
And I wonder
if some of us
need to experience
again
a sense of belonging
first and foremost
to Jesus.
We're not alone.
We're not isolated.
We're not trying
to work all this
stuff out ourselves.
We belong.
Hear the truth.
You belong
this morning.
If you just step in
willing to step
into that relationship
with Jesus Christ
you're not on your own.
And of course
church
is intended
to be
an expression
of the truth
that God offers us
which is that
in Jesus Christ
we're not alone.
We belong.
And so in church
we're told
we belong to
one another.
We're intended
to have fellowship
that just
emulates in some way
what it is like
to be part
of this
family.
And finally
and marvelously
in terms of Jesus
we're about to move on
to some seeds
in relation
to the Holy Spirit.
Verse 17
tells us this.
If we are
God's children
then we are
heirs.
Heirs of God
and co-heirs
with Christ.
Verse 17
the truth about Jesus
is that as we
think of Jesus
and his greatness
his splendor
his glory
as creator
of this universe
as the one
who we see
who we read about
in Revelation
as enthroned
and exalted.
We're told
in verse 17
that part of
what's going on
here in terms
of God
is that we are
co-heirs
with Christ.
All of his
inheritance
all of his
riches
are things
that we are
invited to
share in.
I don't pretend
to understand
even the
beginnings
of what that's
really all about
other than to
offer it to you
as a truth
as a seed
which perhaps
can supplant
some of the
rubbish
that might be
in our lives
and growing
all around us.
Truths about God
truths about Jesus
and now we come on
to in many ways
the person who
seems to be
the central figure
in this passage
the Holy Spirit
himself
note in verses
9 and 10
that he's not
somebody who may
or may not
be present
in the lives
of Christians
it's very very clear
in verses 9 and 10
that he comes
and dwells
in every single
person
who is
a follower
of Jesus
Christ
and again
he offers
us life
verses 2
verses 6
verses 10
verses 11
verses 13
and there are others
repeating time
and again
that the Holy Spirit
comes and offers
life
but I want to
just give you
two or three
specific seeds
about the Holy Spirit
that I observe
in this passage
which I think
might be helpful
for us
verse 5
let's look at it
those who live
according to the flesh
have their minds
set on what the flesh
desires
but those who live
in accordance with the
Spirit
have their minds
set on what
the Spirit
desires
and just that wee phrase
at the end
has been playing
in my mind
mindset
on what
the Spirit
desires
and the truth
about the Holy Spirit
that I offer you
this morning
is that the Holy Spirit
is not disinterested
in us
and in our life
and in our choices
and in our present
and in our future
but he has desires
for us
the Holy Spirit
has desires
for your life
and for mine
regardless of our age
and stage
regardless of our past
regardless of our regrets
regardless of our fears
I stand confident
because it's in God's Word
and say
that the Holy Spirit
has desires
for our life
and for my life
verse 13
another truth
if you live
according to the flesh
you will die
but if by the Spirit
you put to death
the misdeeds of the body
you will live
and the truth here
is that the Holy Spirit
gives us power
the Holy Spirit
is the only one
who gives us power
to change
he's the one
who gives us the power
to uproot those weeds
and rubbish
that might be taking
place in our lives
and so if we are here
this morning
struggling with sin
feeling regretful
about the
perhaps the events
of the last week
month
year
or maybe even
our lives
then in and of ourselves
that's normal
but I want to
encourage us
and to give you
this seed
this morning
that the Holy Spirit
is the one
who says
I'll give you
that power
day by day
to change
I'm not saying
it'll be easy
I'm not saying
that suddenly
because you've got
the Holy Spirit
in your life
everything will be fine
and you'll no longer
experience the desires
around sin
but I am saying
I'll give you the power
to put to death
the misdeeds
of the body
and then another truth
about the Holy Spirit
is in verse 14
where it says
those who are led
by the Spirit of God
are the children of God
I don't normally use slides
and some of you
might be saying
Paul we wish you
continued not to use slides
because some of your pictures
are really a bit bizarre
why on earth
are you now showing
a picture of a dog
with a dog's lead
in its mouth
well I was thinking here
of what it means
to be led by the Spirit
because as well as
the Holy Spirit
having desires
as well as the Holy Spirit
having power
the reality is
the Holy Spirit
wants to lead us
now I find it's quite strange
I for the last couple of years
have had a little dog
and have very much enjoyed
being out with a dog
but there's a choice
you have to make
every time
you're going to go out
with a dog
and that is
is it a time
to have the dog
on the lead or not
now some of you
who might be in the
kind of centre of Edinburgh
maybe have never experienced
taking a dog out
without a lead on
because I appreciate
you probably don't want
dogs walking up and down
Leamington Terrace
without leads on
it's probably a bit dangerous
but I do like the times
where living slightly
out of town
it's possible to have
our little dog Harris
running around
without his lead on
but do you know
what happens?
He gets so distracted
he's having a great time
but he can't really
get anywhere
because
let's face it
it's smells
it's lamp posts
it's random bits
of ground
it's the grass
it's another dog
but there are just
so many distractions
that if he's out
without his lead
then it's pretty much
running round
in circles time
and every so often
when I call him
because I think
we're going to go somewhere
the odd thing is
he gets quite excited
about the lead going on
and as somehow
or other then
having a somewhat
more purposeful
journey
where we see more
than just the same
patch of grass
that we're sort of
running round and round
and round
and fascinated by
slightly unpleasant
smells in it
now again
it's an illustration
which I'm offering you
it's got huge limitations
because I do not think
God sees us
as people
in the same way
as I see that dog
right
so I'm not suggesting
for a minute
God wants to take us
in a lead
and drag us through life
or that that's what
the Holy Spirit's up
but what I am saying
from this passage today
is the Holy Spirit
wants to lead us
and I think the question
is whether we are
willing to be led
by the Holy Spirit
and I think
where my illustration
may have some relevance
is that the reality
is that without
the Holy Spirit's leading
we might be a bit
like that dog
running round and round
and round in circles
being totally distracted
maybe at times
thinking we're having
a great time
but getting absolutely
nowhere
and so I ask
myself
where is the Holy Spirit
wanting to take me
where is he wanting
me to go
what decisions
is he wanting me
to make
today
and in the days
ahead
and am I seeking
his will
am I saying
God
through the power
of the Holy Spirit
please lead
and direct my life
so that I do not
just run around
in circles
and waste this time
on earth
but that I use
whatever days
and moments I have
to bring pleasure
to you
and to go
in the direction
that you want me
to go
and then finally
the Holy Spirit
comes
and in verse 16
he assures us
he gives us
power to change
he leads us
he assures us
verse 16
he testifies
with our spirit
that we are
God's children
and maybe some of us
the seed I can offer you
is that the Holy Spirit
comes and says
you're not alone
you're not forgotten
you're not abandoned
and just as children
need assurance
after a fall
or after a scare
the Holy Spirit
comes and assures
you today
you are indeed
God's children
we're pretty much
out of time
so I'm going to
have to finish
but I wanted to
leave with you
three of the promises
which happen to
begin with an F
and therefore
might be memorable
for some of you
if you like
that kind of thing
that we are offered
if we are willing
to do that work
of getting rid
of the weeds
and planting
in place
the truth
of God
the truth
of what God
the Father
Son
and Holy Spirit
are wanting to do
and it's there
in verse 1
there is no condemnation
for those who are
in Christ Jesus
and it's there
in other bits
of the passage
the word freedom
that's what we are
offered today
do you know
in Scotland
there are more people
imprisoned
in our prisons
across Scotland
than has been the case
for many many years
more than 8,000 people
are in prison custody
today in Scotland
despite our crime
being at a lower level
and it's been for many many years
to discuss
feel free to have a chat
about why that might be
the case over lunch
but I wonder how many of us
while not being in prison custody
in reality
are not experiencing
anything like the freedom
that God actually intends
for us
and that he offers
if we allow him
to enter
into our lives
and then the other truth
that we see time and again
is that he offers us
the reality of a life
that is not
marked by fear
dread
insecurity
but rather
a life
where we can know
what it is
to be fearless
and finally
a life
where we know
what it is
to be part of
God's family
I offer you those
as we close
and
just invite us now
to take a moment
as we reflect
on all that God
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
want to do
in our lives
in our hearts
in this church
in our families
for our today
and for our future
let's come before him
and invite him
to supplant
all the other stuff
and to take his place
in our lives
God thank you
for your desires
for us
thank you for
the work
that you have done
for us
to
offer us
rescue
hope
purpose
and a future
Holy Spirit
thank you
for your
presence within
and your desire
to lead us
and we say
as we
move on
from this point
would you
dwell within
be at home
in our hearts
and rule
in our lives
we ask
in Jesus name
and for his glory
Amen