WWUTT 154 Cannot Please God?

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Just because you stand in a church service and sing worship songs doesn't actually mean that you are worshipping
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God. If your mind is still set on the things of the flesh, it's impossible to please
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God when we understand the text. This is when we understand the text studying
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God's word to reach all the riches of full assurance in Christ. Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe.
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Thank you, Becky, and greetings once again everyone. We continue our study of Romans chapter 8 today.
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If you want to open up your Bibles and join with me there. We'll move on to the next section that covers verses 5 through 8.
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But let's go ahead and read so we get all this in context. Verses 1 through 11. Romans chapter 8, starting at the top of the page.
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There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the
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Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do.
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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.
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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.
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But 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.
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But to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God.
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For it does not submit to God's law indeed it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please
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God. You however are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.
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If in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
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But if Christ is in you although the body is dead because of sin. The Spirit is life because of righteousness.
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If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies.
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Through his Spirit who dwells in you. In verse 7 we have the statement for the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God.
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For it does not submit to God's law indeed it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please
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God. It is possible for a person to proclaim themselves to be a Christian. Or say that they believe in God and even say that they love
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Jesus Christ. But their minds are actually still set on the things of the flesh. They desire the things of this world.
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They still burn with passions that they are enslaved to. And they lack self -control probably still engaging in sexual immorality.
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They cannot control their tongues and spread gossip about others. They lie and bear false witness.
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They cannot keep their hands to themselves. And they steal things that do not belong to them.
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Perhaps padding their time card to claim hours that they work that they didn't really work. In which case they would be stealing from their employer.
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This is just a few examples of a person whose mind is still set on the things of the flesh.
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Instead of repenting of these sins. And has been transformed in the spirit and therefore focuses on the things of God.
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So a person whose mind is still on the things of the flesh. Though they might say they believe in God.
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They might even proclaim with their mouths that they love Jesus. Their actions don't dictate that they've been transformed by God.
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Their minds are still set on the flesh. And it is impossible for them to please God. So though they might attend church.
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Though they might even sing hymns or praise and worship choruses. Their hearts are not actually lifting praise to the
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Lord. Because their minds are still set on the things of the flesh. Let me draw another example here.
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And I'm going to use one of our what videos. This happens to be our most played video in fact.
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The voice that you are about to hear is that of Victoria Osteen. She is the wife of Joel Osteen.
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Pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. You're not doing it for God really.
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You're doing it for yourself. Because that's what makes God happy. Amen. 1 Corinthians 10 31.
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Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do. Do it all to the glory of God. Not the glory of you.
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Look those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. But those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit.
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For to set the mind on the flesh is death. But to set the mind on the spirit is life and peace.
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For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law.
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It can't. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You however are not in the flesh but in the spirit.
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If in fact the spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
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Jesus said if anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
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In 2 Timothy 3 the apostle Paul warns about those who are lovers of self. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
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Having the appearance of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people. When we understand the text.
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If you attend church. And you sing praise songs. And you read your bible.
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And you pray. And you do all of these things for you. You do them because you like the feeling that you get out of them.
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You do them because you think that you need to do something religious. And so this is just the religion that you've chosen.
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If these are the reasons why you do these things. They mean nothing. They are not received by God.
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And he doesn't care for them. So just reading your bible. Or just praying certain words.
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Or just singing certain songs. These things are not in and of themselves right worship to a holy
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God. For it is the spirit of God that transforms our hearts and minds. To be able to offer to him right worship.
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Consider this that happened to Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 6 here is what we read. In the year that King Uzziah died.
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I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne. High and lifted up. And the train of his robe filled the temple.
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Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings. With two he covered his face.
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With two he covered his feet. And with two he flew. And one called to another and said. Holy, holy, holy is the
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Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the threshold shook at the voice of him who called.
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And the house was filled with smoke. This was what Isaiah saw. And some of what he's describing here.
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Is probably in ways that we can kind of get an idea of what it was that he saw. But it may not have been exactly it.
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Because he was seeing some spiritual things that human eyes just were not meant to see. And then in verse 5.
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Isaiah said. Woe is me for I am lost. For I am a man of unclean lips.
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And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts.
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Then one of the seraphim flew to me. Having in his hand a burning coal. That he had taken with tongs from the altar.
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And he touched my mouth and said. Behold this has touched your lips.
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Your guilt is taken away. And your sin atoned for.
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And then Isaiah was able to hear the word of the Lord. And not die from hearing the word of God.
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And furthermore he was able to speak to God. And have his voice received by God. Why? Because he was made righteous by the holiness of God.
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Not by anything that he did. As he stood. He had no right to be there in the presence of God.
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And could not lift up any words to him that would have been received by God. Until he was made righteous by the holiness of God.
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And then he was able to lift up right worship. We are only able to lift up right worship to God.
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Because God makes us able to worship him. That is what is meant here in Romans chapter 8.
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So a person who is just lifting up worship. Can be doing it in a very fleshly manner.
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In a way that does not bring glory to God. If a person worships the way that Victoria Osteen described it.
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To please themselves. Then their minds are actually hostile to God.
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They hate God. They hate everything that God stands for. And the declaration of his glory.
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Desiring instead to proclaim their own glory. Now does
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God give us satisfaction when we worship him? Absolutely he does.
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Paul said to the Philippians in Philippians 4 .19. My God will supply every need of yours.
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According to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. So God does absolutely give us those things.
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But it is only when we worship him in a righteous way. And we can only worship
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God in a righteous way. Because God is the one who has made us righteous.
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The person who is still in the flesh. Is hostile to God.
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And cannot obey God in a way that is pleasing to God. Those who are in the flesh.
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Cannot please God. So let me put it upon you to test yourselves. As Paul said to the
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Corinthians. Test yourselves to see that you are in the faith. Is the worship that you do done in the spirit?
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Rejoicing in Christ our Savior. Who died on the cross for our sins. And rose again from the grave.
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Or are you doing the things that you do. Simply for a religious experience. Repent of your sins.
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And know the righteousness that God gives. Through his son Jesus Christ. Lord we pray and ask that you convict our hearts.
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That we might know. That we are living as holy and pleasing sacrifices unto the
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Lord. And this is our spiritual act of worship. Romans 12 .1 We pray and ask these things in Jesus name.
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Amen. Gabriel Hughes is the pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Junction City, Kansas. Find out more online at www .tt