29: Breaking the Chain of Condemnation

I will be today.

What about the chain of condemnation next to her and talk about the chain of comparison, and I want to talk about the crowd.

The chain of the crowd and the final. We will talk about one of those exactly chain. The crisis of the set of the whole series on figures that accept or 16. It's a very well-known passage of Scripture were Paul and Silas have been imprisoned and captured and taken in and put in prison.

I want to set this up by giving the visual here of what's happening in acceptor six and talk about the different shades of combination how to actually get free from that in my prayer process morning whether it's condemnation or all that goes with that.

That whatever is, holding you back from really being all that God has for you that you will literally begin to feel those things leave you in those chains break offer you but you go acceptor 16 verse 22 to 26. It says that the crowd joined in attacking them and the magistrates tore the garments off them. He gave orders to beat them with rods when they inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep him them safely have received this order. He put them in the inner prison and fasten their feet in the stocks about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them and suddenly there was a great earthquakes of the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were and fasten money to set the context here because I think this is one of those passages that we read and you say okay they got thrown in jail.

They started to pray they worship there is an earthquake that set them free. We know the story I want to set up the reality of what happened. If you look a little deeper into this passage I want to paint the visual what's going on first to start with even just the simple things that it says that they tore their clothing.

This is an act of violence by the way, this is not just take over here and take off the shirts we can beat you they ripped them completely off.

In other words, Paul and Silas were naked. They were there close off they embarrass them. They were doing it violently. That's setting the stage immediately of what was happening.

Then it turns this next thing is that there is no trial for the given no trial whatsoever. They put them into the inner prison in the Roman prison system. There's three prisons there to the outer that has air and light vendors, the first inner prison that was basically loosely guarded and then there is what is known as the dungeon and this is where they put Paul and Silas. So Paul and Silas are moths. They are stripped of their clothing.

They are brought into the inner prison and there being in this terminology be with rods that the big bundle of sticks that are wrapped together. In other words, they were been being and so their flesh was ripped open so wasn't just a few whips of a stick and then put them in a prison.

It was a beat them and so their flesh is Rex and the bleeding and naked there embarrass for the people there being down the near led down into the lower inner prison dungeon system at that point it then says that their feet were put in stocks and one of again paint the picture of the reality what this is.

These are wooden stocks that are tasted iron in the put in there and they can adjust them to be as uncomfortable and as torturous as possible and so there was further feet apart there from different angles that there be in severe pain and some people would say the historians will say they also had their hands in it and her neck was also in so wasn't that they were just sitting and I and I when I looked at a lot of historian renditions of Paul and Silas is a see what artist would rendering it usually been sitting there fully clothed with just a couple chains around their feet and a little angel over their shoulder, sitting there in their sooner singing. These guys were in the deepest part of the dungeon bloodied flesh torn open feeding stocks put it angles to make it as torturous as possible. More than likely with the wrist and their neck as well so you can really move and this is where we find them praying and singing and the reason why I set that up and I want to be kind of real with what it was is because they're chained up.

There's nowhere to go. At some point in the middle of the night to begin to turn their focus to God. And although you and I we might not be, in that scenario were not in this inner prison were not chained up. I want to get the visual in your mind and your heart of what you are chained to. So what is it in your life. Quite honestly viewed as very very honest with yourself, what is it in your life and your heart in your spirit in your mind that is chaining you down from being all that God really wants you to be everything that he has what are you chained to where we chained to really expose to were the dark places that we kinda hidden. These leading towards leading towards death and dying that that are really holding us back, and I think that for a lot of people there something something in life there's something happening, that is, holding you back and today I want talk about specifically about condemnation as a pastor.

A lot of the conversations I have revolve around people that are dealing with things of the past there dealing with their past mistakes.

Their past issues. The things that they used to be that keep haunting them or in very real time there dealing with the things that they bring the guy on the latest feet within the pick back up.

They take with them. And again, as your pastor, I want you to be a will to live the life that you were meant to live in freedom to be really free from all that I think that one of the hardest things for people is the forgive yourself move on and be all the guy wants to be without the enemy whispering back in your ear setting things up for failure. Sitting 03 chained against the things of the past so you know as I'm talking this morning Eliana caught a few things in name a few things that possibly though you been chained to and held onto Betsy, and finally to think about your own life. What is it in your life that is keeping you from the joy that God has for you, keeping you from becoming everything that God wants from you, keeping you from being bold and walking in boldness and your faith on the public what is a desk in a holding back and doing that really almost got picked kind of a different thing in my hope and prayer is that this is not a message of condemnation that you actually feel freedom and hope that there's something special. He got has with that in mind… Turn over the Roman separate no, the visual of what being chained. Looks like and the answer bring get to at the end we have a special song reflection that is to be a special moment this morning but we forget their own. Read Romans eight verse 1 to 9 rose 19 we begin to see the things that chained us to condemnation of the past and it really comes down to our flesh versus their spirit in Romans chapter 8 verse one anonymous is there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus the law, the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death for what God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do.

By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, for those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit for to set the mind on the flesh is death, but the set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace for the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law.

Indeed, it cannot, for those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the spirit as we get to talk about condemnation. What that really does it really comes down to the laws. The spirit of life versus the law of sin and death, and that there is this moment that God comes and he sends Jesus to do something that none of us could do in order to give us freedom from sin and from death.

But there is a constant battle that is raising that Romans eight speaks about is the battle that more than likely you and I face every single day.

That is our flesh versus our spirit is kind of the verse that says that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. That Jesus himself speaks about business constant battle between what my flesh desires what culture wants from me.

What my job wants from me. What's expected of me versus the spirit of God that's in me that actually leads me to life in the hope and there's this constant picture in this constant battle that's raising between the two. And there's condemnation in the flesh and there's life in the spirit this break it down real quick with talk first about the combination of the flesh, freedom in the spirit exact wording find freedom from all the things that are happening in our life. We talk about change. We talk about things that chained us down a callout about three things that Shane is down to this condemnation and I got a little bit helps of you guys come up here this morning with me. I want to show little visual of what's happening here in our life and so is this combination as he is in over here.

There's three areas I will identify what you think about your life and what's happening. The first one is the thank you. The first one is what the Bible calls death and hostility that when I live according to the flesh.

What is seen as I'm living and death and hostility towards God or something towards God that does not allow me to move be on the hostility that I have and we see this happened only really in our culture playing out a lot. There's a lot of people that are hostile towards God is a lot of people hostile toward the lifestyle that we say is the way to live that the Bible says how we should live our life. And so again you you got people that claim to be Christians yet are living actually very hostile towards God's word.

We talk about this regularly that there's this massive attack against the spiritual authority that God put in his Bible. There is moral tax their spiritual taxes. All this is a raging out there and work on this middle of got.

I know I know what you want me to do the same time I'm kind of stuck to culture and stuff back here and hostility to God you walk out you look at the news look at culturally immediately.

Look at the place where work and play. There's so much hostility towards faith towards God, towards Christianity towards the Bible and is playing out every day. Unfortunately, if were not careful.

At times we get caught in that now what happens also is that we have a lot of room and so we kind of feel like okay well I'm living for God and do what I have to do but there still, this is holding us back. It's all I got has raised his and Hermione in the future life and all the things in front of me.

There were in gets you in the spirit and freedom for Costley held back the other one is this the other one we talk about his guilt and this is the second chain today condemnation that is so nasty is this guilt feeling so not only are we chained to the culture and change stewards what's happening in life and hostility to God, but not careful. We also get chained to pass Gilson. Pascal's feeling guilty of the sins of the past, we have regrets. Every one of us have a sinful life of sinful past, even though the Bible constantly says that the son sets free is free and we go down the list of verses that your new creation in Christ of the old is gone and newest, like yes and there were still chained to the fields of the past. There's things in my life that that still raised up 1020 even 30 years ago were you just drive and you're going to think about all Southerners us whisper in your ear going and you maroon he did that and must have that whisper sometimes. Did you remember what you said and yet you know your free from it. You know your free you know that God is actually set you free from that guilt and yet immediately just by a whisper chained to sound Santa hostility to God and culture I'm saying to guilt to the passing all these guilt and end of the third chain which is so nasty that Shane is not the same as guilds. Shane walking and living in shape feeling as though in real time. Because here's the reality reality is probably every single day. You and I have things that we are to repent for and they were sorry for and turn away for and shame will just cause us to stop to guilt. Guilt, comes and goes and we feel it, which would shame does force though shame actually makes us this, give up. Why would God love some you like me to be filled guilty of sins of the past and the enemy whispers that would shame does machines makes me feel not worthy. I been there before two sure you have. Sometimes I live there too long. I know would put God's word says the my Bible here. I just I know what it says I know the not so solidified. I know that God says that when he forgives us that he forgets that it's the Eastman from the West.

He separates it he doesn't remember it anymore and I could list you all the verses that are so real and yet, out of nowhere, also.

And I feel so unworthy not to get a righteous sense but in the shame since God, why would you love someone you like me now why would you send Jesus to die for me.

I keep making the same mistakes over and over and over again we start to feel shame these three chains of condemnation, keep us back be in everything that God wants us to be and we can know all the verses we can know all the verses we can know what it says we can come and we can we can sing songs, we can be part of small groups. We can be part of ministry teams and leadership team and we can still be chained all the stuff and again we had this little freedom so at times we feel like they were good and where we can move around but then as soon as we get to a certain point it just stops no more progress we can move forward and we get a little bit of freedom here we a little bit. We have one moment were one of the chains, breaks free and we feel the better we can fill it stronger than just like the enemy also bespeaks a Bakken and he has a back to us again. We take it back up her chain back again is like this constant dropping of one to give the other. I'm just telling you everything God has for me is that way it's not in the past is not in shame and guilt's is not to be hostile to God. It's all this way. This is why silly people to stop the roof to get to certain point in their faith, and is, stop. They never grow further they'll take those next steps will dive deeper into discipleship. Why will you somewhere, somehow, there still chained to something I want to ask you a question before I go further. What are you still chained to what is it in your past in your life. Maybe something that's fresh that's happened 80 something years ago that the enemy just keeps whispering back to you that you are chained know this to be a really bad sermon. If we descend here through talk now about how we actually get set free from the site. Guess how we execute for free for the first thing is this with understand that there's a very real enemy and seen as a very real role in and seen his role in this award and be free. If you believe what Rome is a one says that there's no condemnation shall says that there's no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus got it no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.

No condemnation. No condemnation.

I feel like I'm terrible person. No condemnation.

I'm free.

Jesus set us free.

God gave us Jesus is the perfect sacrifice in him is all the righteousness I don't want to live according to the flesh to the hostile to God and yet I find myself engaging with the flesh instead of the spirit and why does this happen. Well, it happens because there's a very real enemy is accusing the saints forget that, just like Jesus has a role that he's playing in our life is a very real adversary that plays a role.

Revelations chapter 12 verse 10 as I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers is been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before God is get that picture in your mind that there's is very real enemy that is constantly just accusing the saints. It is so good at whispering in the year that is so good at reminding us of all the past that God is already forgiven us of that we for some reason can't forgive ourselves. We, for some reason can't move beyond it and the enemy just keeps pulling at the and in the one moment you feel good and then you do something and it was like see there is there is the old person. I was in all my life.

The enemy is so good us and have thought you are a new creation anti-I thought the old was gone and the news come so are you doing that. Why think about that. Why did that happen. Why does this happen and and then you start down this tracking down the long dark road of all these mistakes that you've made takes time it takes energy it takes effort. It drains us is a reminder when it comes to the flesh and the spirit that my battle is actually spiritual first. If I can't win the spiritual battle first. I'm never going to win the flesh and force a lot times.

We will try to do is against these chains. We try to fight it in our flesh we try to fight it as best as we can. We try to do all that we can to battle it.

We put up safeguards. We put accountability partners. We get part of groups and all the decisions all great but I'm just telling you if you don't allow the Holy Spirit to make you new you will never be free from the change the past, never will. You feel like it for a moment that you never will be truly free fusion, 6/12 a great reminder.

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places. We have a very real enemy is a very real accuser that loves the whisper guilt and shame and hostility, and we've got to remember that I have to be a spiritual person first so talk about how we are free from this number to real quickly living according to the Spirit will talk about that in verse nine we just read in Romans as you however you are not of the flesh, but you are dispersal I would say that before you jump into the take away that we gotta recognize that we are spiritual beings and that's we have to live in that spiritual realm not in the flesh around here you living according the spirit means this is that we have life and peace, not death, and hostility.

Social get the opposite side of that and then Romans eight it talks about those in the flesh are hostile to God that they got so so the opposite of that living the spirit means I have life, and I have peace in them.

John 663.

It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help at all the words I've spoken to you are spirit and in life. You hear that the spirit gives us life, it's not your job is not your spouse is not your kids is not your career is not your school SportsCenter talent that is not where we get our life when we get our life from the spirit. But what happens if we live according to the flesh, then we highlight that we minimize the other side. In John 1427 peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I love what he says this is not as the world gives Jesus does not give you peace. The way the world offers you peace again at July the enemy and trigger the enemy is the say hey you can have peace. By doing this you can have peace if you would just engage in the world.

This way if you just be like everybody else in your school and in your job if you just act like all the rest your neighbors you'll have peace because you get along with everybody the same time we are dying spiritually every day because were more concerned about that, but Jesus says I give you life and peace. The next one is this living according spirit means I have freedom and I have purpose and these are things that I know for me that I had to regularly remind myself that I am free from that and there's a purpose for my life. It doesn't matter how bad my past was it is a matter how dark it may have been when Jesus set us free and renewed us. He gave us purpose.

Amen.

Somebody you've got purpose in your life and were hanging onto the chains of all the past up. You will never step into the purpose God has for you.

That's with that shame comes in is what comes into why can't be used by God because of this MediaNews set you free.

Galatians 51 is as it is for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm them and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.

You are free look at something next you and say you are free tell somebody that you are free, so don't pick up that yoke of slavery anymore.

Galatians 513 for you were called to freedom, everything freedom you call the freedom only. Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another for our freedom doesn't mean I guess you could do whatever I want to do. That's not true freedom affect the final. We were to talk about how we actually live free by being chained to Christ. That's were real freedom actually is. We remind ourselves that we are free. We have a purpose in our life in the last one is that there's joy. There's joy in our lives that a shame there's joy there's fruit that God has for us. I don't have to live feeling guilty and shameful about my past is that I can. I can walk in the fruit of the spirit. I love Galatians 522 most you know it but but here is the product of living in the spirit is with the fruit of the Spirit is love, it is joy. It is peace. It is patients. It is kind of goodness, faithfulness that is gentleness, self-control. These are the fruits that we have. We live according to the spirit so there is the picture live according to the flesh, and you've got hostility towards God. You have death you have sin, you have guilt you have shame the other side that Romans eight speaks about is the other side living according to the spirit you actually have life. You have peace you got freedom you have purpose you have joy and all those other fruits that go alongside of that. So how do we actually get there is one thing, the know it is another thing to walk in my hope and prayer for you is that you don't just know the difference between the flesh and the spirit, but you actually walk in all the things that the freedom of the spirit has been the answer is not very difficult. Yet sometimes so hard to do is actually found back in what we just read in acts 16 go back to ask 16 verse 25 to 26 suitors, freedom from condemnation. Ultimately, through two things, prayer and worship. Again, it brings it back to spiritual things, prayer and worship, acts 16 2526 is about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, mind you, they are bleeding they are broken they are in pain their agony there in the dungeon where people are sentenced to die. And this is where we find them praying and we find them worshiping. How can that happen what happens because the heart and mind are set on heaven, not on the chains Paul and Silas. Their focus wasn't on how to why get out of these chains. Their focus was on how do I worship God in this moment. If you and I want to be free from condemnation weathers hostility towards God, guilt or shame. The answer is back to prayer and back to worship. We pray we worship a beautiful thing happens and the beautiful thing happens that we take what's in our hand that shame that gilts that hostility and we let it go. That's what prayer does this worship does. It allows me to open my hands from the chains that are holding me down so that I can receive what God has for me. I can certainly praying I guess only worship God, and in many different ways but I'm just telling you that one of the greatest things that happen is that even I would be chained to different things. At some point in my prayer and my worship I have to let go of these chains. That's what prayer worship does force we see that happen in phone solstice case there praying in their worshiping in. If you read into the original language you what was happening.

They prayed and as they prayed, their prayers, which I'm sure they were probably praying for their freedom and praying for different things it's shifted to actually singing their prayer and singing and focusing on God and as they did that, here's the beautiful thing that happened is as there was a great earthquake, the foundations of the prison were shaken and says that immediately the doors are open, and everyone's bonds were set free, there is freedom found in prayer and in worship and you will exhaust yourself in the flesh. If you try to fix your marriage in the flesh, you will exhaust yourself in the flesh. If you try to fix your soul by doing flesh the things you will exhaust yourself in the flesh. If you try to find purpose and just working harder and just being a better person instead of allowing God to make you new in your heart.

This is how well we do this. It is through prayer. It is through worship.

The end result of this is that not only was a ready free, but the jailer and his whole household became saved.

What a great picture of what happens when you and I find freedom he sought on the video part of what we want to do with the transmission happen and families in the life in the world around us and again we can be used but at some point, working to be held back from really all that God has for us to be used in the way that God wants us to be used to see transmission happen in our families and our lives in our world until we learn just to let it go and pray in the worship were an end this morning and a little different way, in a special way in a minute.

Had the team come out. We have a special song that the team is going to do. It's a beautiful song and the song is not meant for you to sing the song is meant to minister to you why you reflect and here's I want to do as they come in as they get ready. I want you to ask an honest question of your heart.

What are the chains that are holding back. Maybe it's hostility towards God maybe are to love the culture not enough with God. Maybe it's shame maybe it's gilts. Maybe it's burdens of the past you, so feel free from can we allow this moment to do what Paul and Silas did and that is the just give it to the Lord in prayer given to him and worship the song. The biggest thing is is all about Jesus.

It's all about what Jesus came to do because Jesus came, according to Romans eight, he came to set us free. He came to take all of our burdens and all of the bondage and all the chains and all the yoke of slavery. He came and took all of that on him, not so that you and I would carrier this think about that Jesus came to set us all free and how many of us today are stuck in some work chained down the sum my prayer is that you find freedom