Thank you for listening to this message from
Lifehouse Church. This is River. River was on
piano, and she is gifted in various different
areas, including painting. So I've asked her
to do a little bit of an illustration while I'm
preaching this morning. Thank you for praying
over our students and our staff, those that are
going to camp this week, and even for those who
have graduated. We're excited that we've gotten
to get to know them, but then also that we get
to stand together as a united body that gets
to expect such great things for them. We know
that God is working in their lives already, and
that he's just going to continue to do so. And
so we're really excited that we get to be a part
of that, both those going off to school soon,
but also for those going to camp this week. It's
crazy that it's already this point in the year,
but has anybody else kind of been like, that's
great, but where did the rest of June go? It
has flown right by. And by this time in summer,
usually it means we get to be outside, we get
to enjoy the sunshine, all that warmth, which
is super great, usually, except for the fact
that this week it has been horrifyingly hot.
And Ryan and I's house has actually been without
AC since last Monday. Yeah. When Ryan and I first
moved here from Bedford to Carlisle, there are
some things that we were not prepared for but
had to learn, such as, you know, what do you
do or what is things that are worth the hassle
when you're looking to buy a house? What do you
do when your HVAC system is iced up? And where
do you go when you're sweating in your basement?
Those were all things that we had to answer by
Monday. So you can only imagine how the rest
of the week went. And I frequently joke that
while I am an adult, I am not a premium adult.
So for any of the young adults that are in here
or even like the teenagers that are still in
here, and if you're a kid that's still in here,
listen to me when I say this. You don't know
everything. Don't give them attitude when they're
trying to help you because someday you're going
to wish that you had their advice. So there are
some things that... We have had to learn that
I wish we didn't have to deal with. But regardless,
we're so thankful for the people in our lives
that have given us hope. The ones who have shown
us that we are not alone in the struggles that
we've gone through. So Pastor Kip and Dixie,
we are so thankful for you guys. You have been
our wonderful oasis in the AC this week as we've
gotten to stay with you guys. And we're so thankful
for that. If you would, please pray with me as
we get into the morning message. Heavenly Father,
God, we thank you for what you've already done
this morning. God, we thank you that you are
present with us. And we just are praying that
this morning you allow us to be open to what
you have. What you have prepared within me. Father,
I pray that whatever is coming out of my mouth
is not just things that are from my brain. But
God, that I am just a vessel for your word. That
you allow me to speak only what I am. called
to speak this morning and that you allow anything
that is maybe not in my notes to come out because
it's something that you have designed or specifically
called out for a moment for a person. Father,
we know that you see each and every one of us
individually, and we pray that you're with us
this morning, guide our words, illuminate revelation
through the scripture, and allow us to just receive
from you. Father, we love you and we worship
you. In Jesus' name, amen. So as I was saying...
Everything is a learning moment. But some things
that you learn are unfortunately learned the
hard way. Has anybody ever heard, and you can
raise your hands, this catchy little phrase called
leaves of three, let them be. All right. Now,
if you would, raise your hand if even though
you've heard that phrase or maybe you didn't,
you still managed to find yourself in a wonderful
rash position from said poison. Yep, you're not
alone there. Now that catchy little phrase, for
those of you who don't know, is basically what
people use to identify poison ivy or poison oak
by its appearance. Basically it's three leaves
attached to one stem. And yet, despite having
been taught those various ways, there are many
of you, if you didn't look around, there are
many of you who have still incurred that poison.
And if you have not been... exposed to that poison.
You're one of a much smaller percentage for a
variety of different reasons. You possibly don't
live anywhere near it and just don't go outside.
You are not allergic to it, which is a very small
percentage of people. Or even you actually listen
to the advice and the warnings that people gave
you. But sin much like poison, is tricky. People
have tried to teach you what right is and what
wrong is, and then the first time that it happens,
you know, it's not great. You're experiencing
all of those different symptoms that you've never
experienced before. But if you choose to continually
step into ignorance and just blatant disregard
for what is right, what is wrong, then that's
when you find that when you cave, you become
a slave, which also can be stated like this.
Whatever you submit to, is what you commit to.
I'll say that one again. Whatever you submit
to, you commit to. If you want, you can turn
with me to Romans chapter six. We're gonna be
in there for the majority of the morning. So
I'm in Romans chapter six, verse 15. I'm gonna
pull it up on the screen there. Paul writes in
Romans 6, starting in verse 15, says, well then,
since God's grace has set us free from the law,
does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course
not. Don't you realize that you become the slave
to whatever you choose to obey? You can be a
slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can
choose to obey God, which leads to righteous
living. You see, every action, reaction, or even
inaction is a choice we've made to see something
and continue to watch it, to hear something and
to choose to not interject, or even to eat something
and to feel its effects. Whenever we make a choice,
we commit to it. Even if we take a bite and reject
it immediately, you've already chosen to expose
yourself to something. You've chosen what would...
take up a part of your day. You've already given
it a place in our history, even if we basically
want to clear it away. Whatever it becomes, something
that we choose is something that we commit to.
So when it comes to sin and poison, then the
next choice, the next step is what's crucial.
In movies, if people are poisoned or they're
in danger, what do they do? They what? They panic.
Well, sure. But basically they look for an antidote
or they possibly call for help. You know, basically
they're like, somebody help me. I'm dying. I'm
struggling. So then why in our personal lives
when we're struggling with something, do we just
want to kind of hide away in shame? We want nobody
to know that we're struggling with something,
that we're tangled in something. Because it's
one thing to realize that we've been poisoned,
but then another one to realize it and continue
in our old ways, because that's when we discover
that we've just been rolling in poison. And instead
of learning from the effects of it, we get used
to it. Who has ever watched God's Not Dead? Anybody?
Yeah, it's a great movie series that I highly
recommend if you've never seen it before. But
there is a scene in there where there is an atheist
son and he goes to visit his mother who has dementia.
The son says, you have prayed and believed your
whole life. Never done anything wrong. And here
you are. You're the nicest person I know and
I'm the meanest. You have dementia and my life
is perfect. Explain that to me. Her reply. was
sometimes the devil allows people to live a life
free of trouble because he doesn't want them
turning to God. Their sin is like a jail cell.
It's all nice and comfy and there doesn't seem
to be any reason to leave. The door is wide open
until one day the time runs out, the cell door
slams shut and suddenly it's too late. When I
think of this scene, I picture somebody kind
of laid out in a recliner. They've got a bag
of potato chips on one hand and a TV remote on
the other. Basically, you could say they're going
nowhere fast. They are completely consumed with
what they're doing and content with where they
are. Likewise, if we find ourselves wrapped up
in poison but continue to kind of ignore the
symptoms, the things that we've been going through,
the discomfort and the convictions that we feel,
The voice of God can grow distant. But it's not
because he is distant, but because we began to
not listen. Have you ever felt like God was so
distant in your time of need? Or maybe you actually
managed to utter a prayer, but it felt like nobody
was on the receiving end. I've been there too.
I've struggled and I've cried. But the amazing
thing. Is that even if we felt that he was distant,
he was always making a way. It just may not look
like what we expected. And despite our choices,
God continues to plant exactly what we need near
our mess. When there is poison, there is often
a remedy growing close by. And that remedy points
to the creator. You see, often growing near poison
ivy is another plant sometimes called a touch
-me -not. So we've got these two plants growing
right next to each other in the same environment,
one called poison and the other one specifically
telling us not to touch it. And naturally, you
may be wondering, okay, I thought she was talking
about a remedy. Why is her message getting worse?
And why would God create something like that?
Well, here's the thing about these two plants.
Poison ivy, it is what it says it is. If you're
allergic to the oil in the plant, you're going
to get a rash or worse. But this other plant
is actually just called a touch -me -not because
somewhere along the line, somebody decided to
poke its seed pods and it exploded. The other
name for this plant is called a jewelweed because
it refers to the dew droplets that can glisten
when on the leaves. So yeah, that is the picture
of how closely these two plants can actually
grow right next to each other. And so the interesting
thing about jewelweed is it actually can function
like a natural remedy to the poison, to the oils
within the poison ivy. If you are exposed to
the poison, the sap within the jewelweed can
neutralize the attack so long as you apply it
as soon as possible. I mean, it might help minimize
your symptoms. If you've already developed a
rash, but it certainly is not something that
we use to just throw caution to the wind and
walk through a patch of poison ivy thinking that
nothing could ever go wrong. Because this remedy
is not necessarily a healing, but it's a start
towards one. Jewelweed was designed to direct
us, to point us in the direction of hope, of
healing. himself. Romans 6 17 and 18 says thank
God once you were slaves of sin but now you wholeheartedly
obey this teaching we have given you. Now you
are free from your slavery to sin and you have
become slaves to righteous living. I also kind
of like this version in the Amplified because
at the end it says you have become obedient with
all your heart to the standard of teaching in
which you were instructed and to which you were
committed. And so again, earlier I said, whatever
you submit to is what you commit to. But we have
to remember that mercy is not permission, but
the grace of God is what empowers us to walk
away from sin, not to remain in it. We are in
fact saved by grace through faith. in Christ
who has saved us. But if we choose sin again
and again with the mindset that he'll just forgive
and forgive, we're missing a part. Yes, God's
grace is sufficient. He is kind, he is loving,
he is forgiving, but he's also seeking a repentant
heart. He's seeking the one trying to turn from
their current path of destruction and chaos and
poison and seeking someone who is actually going
to follow after him. He gives grace because he
knows that we're not always going to get it right.
He knows and he's going to heal us and he will
protect us and he will provide things along the
way to continually help us to seek after him.
Scripture tells us that we were once dead. We
were once entangled in sin with no hope. But
God made a way. He gave us his son and he continues
to give us grace and mercy when we sin. But we
have to make the choice to live free and wiser.
We no longer just have to chase down symptom
after symptom because it cuts to the root of
the issue. For the spirit of the living God does
not just soothe wounds, but he breaks chains.
The power that has set you free, the power that
is within you in Christ Jesus is what can break
you free from anything from depression to anxiety.
He can take you from self -harm and suicidality.
He can take you from fear and generational curses.
He can do it. And so the question here is not,
is it true? But okay, I believe that. So God,
what can I do? If we truly believe that God takes
us one step further, instead of just walking
in our normal path, he sets us apart and sets
us on a path for his glory. Romans 6, 19, kind
of the latter half of it, it says, Previously
you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and
lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin.
And now you must give yourselves to be slaves
to righteous living, so that you will become
holy. Obviously this week we've got the 4th of
July coming up. And most people around this time,
they're attending freedom parades. And we're
celebrating with fireworks. And it is a time
that people often remember that freedom isn't
free. And we know that we've got people serving
our country daily. That people are dying on battlefields.
That people are doing what they have been called
to do. But we also have to remember that Jesus
came for us. He came to pay that price, to die
on the cross for us, bearing the weight of our
sin and shame. And then he resurrected to claim
his rightful victory over death. And we believe
that he came to redeem us so that one day we
could live an eternal life with him. free and
in no pain and in peace and the comfort and the
love that comes with his embrace. But until that
day, we have a mission. He didn't just say, okay,
you get to just live and go enjoy yourself and
I'll see you later. It was no, while you're there,
I have a mission for you. Do you remember that
I told you that the jewel weed can also be affectionately
called the touch me not? The thing about those
plants is that their scientific name is called
impatiens capensens. Impatiens comes from that
Latin word impatient. Basically because the members
of this family group are impatient to disperse
their seeds. At the slightest touch, this pod
will just explode. The capsules can dramatically...
go even as far as six feet away from where they
were currently at, where they were currently
planted. And to make it even more so, their seeds
are buoyant, which means they float. So here's
the point. In a world full of despair, bring
hope. Many of us have been in patches of poison
and we needed relief. Many of us have sat in
the hot seat and needed a break. Many of us have
endured the heat of the week and needed a C.
Many of us have been through fire and we needed
the fourth man. And all of us have been on our
way to the heat of hell and needed saving. Romans
5 .8 says that but God showed his great love
for us by sending Christ to die for us while
we were still sinners. And while we can't personally
save anybody in our own might, our testimonies
can bring hope. Instead of harming people, shaming
people, or pulling people down because of the
messes that they are in or have been in, things
that are part of their history, we should be
taking everything and pointing it towards Jesus.
Although we may be around trends and talks and
all sorts of terrible things, every person that
we meet, every action that we do is something
that should reflect and point straight to him.
Because we are to be in this world and not of
this world. Jesus pointed out those two greatest
commandments were to love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul, and with
all your mind. And then to love others, to love
your neighbor as yourself. 1 John 2, 3 -6 says,
we know that we have come to know him if we keep
his commands. Whoever says, I know him, but does
not do what he commands is a liar. And the truth
is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his
word, love for God is made truly complete in
them. This is how we know we are in him. Whoever
claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
And what better way to love God and love people.
than to tell them and to show them that there
is hope and freedom in the name of Jesus. Amen?
So then just as the jewel weed plant propels
its seeds far and wide, we should be spreading
seeds wherever we go. Because we never know just
how far that seed will travel, and we don't know
which ones are going to grow. It's not up to
us to decide who needs the word of God and who
does not. Because everybody needs the word. But
it's not up to us to decide who we should tell
or who needs it the most in this moment. Every
single person that we need should be a seed that
we plant of the gospel. We have that living seed
inside of us. And so at the slightest touch,
we should be ready to explode, to spit out the
good news. To be a slave of righteousness means
to take every action, every reaction, or even
at times our choice of inaction and turn it to
be glorifying to him. He called us to live in
freedom. And sometimes people kind of turn their
noses up at that. And they're like, well, this
freedom doesn't feel very free. It feels like
restrictions. Even though the restrictions are
meant to be like protections. With the 4th of
July coming up, think of children around fireworks.
You don't want a child to just grab a firework
and take off running, right? God is the same
way. He doesn't want us to take hold of something
that he knows is just going to explode and harm
us. Romans 6 .22 says, but now you are free from
the power of sin and have become slaves of God.
Now you do those things that lead to holiness
and result in eternal life. For the wages of
sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal
life through Christ Jesus our Lord. But as he
gives us direction to stay away from things,
he's not just a God of no, he's a God of go.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28 tells us that
Jesus came to them and said, all authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore,
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything
I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always until the very end of the age. And while
the Great Commission says go make disciples of
all nations, and you may look at me and say,
well, I'm not going to be a missionary. I don't
plan on leaving the United States. And that's
fine. The thing about it is your mission field
is all around you. Right here where you're planted
or anywhere that you go, regardless of how long
your season is. Again, that's not up to us to
decide. So go make disciples. Go tell your friends
and your families about God and tell them when
they're making the wrong decisions and continue
to guide them. Go pray for the waitress who just
dropped a tray of glass and is concerned and
worried for the rest of her job. Go pray for
the quiet one sitting in the corner who doesn't
even think that anybody cares that they're there.
Go because we're called to do more than just
to avoid sin, but to walk in the power and authority
given to us by Christ Jesus and acknowledging
that he declared that he would be with us until
the very end of the age. Worship team, if you'd
join me, and then also prayer team, if I could
get you to come up front as well. No matter what
has been. You are heard. Your prayers, our prayers
are not just hitting a wall, but God is asking
us to step out in faith. He's calling people
to turn off the TV and walk out of their prison
cells. He's telling people that we need to leave
our seats. We need to step away from our old
selves and into who he has called us to be. And
even in the commission to go. We are reminded
that we are not the savior and thank God for
that. We are not the ones that have to save everybody.
We just have to follow the one who did. We are
an imperfect people trying to follow a perfect
God. Thank you for tuning in to this message
from Lifehouse Church. We pray that you were
impacted powerfully by this message. If you have
been personally affected by our ministry and
you would like to partner with us as we love
God, love people every day, visit our website
at www .lifehousecog .com.