What’s the Focus of Your Life? Romans 8:5-11

Focus The center of interest or activity Center of attention Heart; core The state or quality of having or producing clear definition

“What We Focus on Expands.”

The Focus/Energy Matrix Bruch and Ghoshal, Beware the Busy Manager, Harvard Business Review, February 2002, pp

“God’s Word comes to us in the Law and the Gospel” Law – God’s word of demand; what to do Gospel – God’s word of deliverance; what God has done The law forces us to face our sin The gospel can forgive our sins "God's Word in Two Words"; Tchividjian, Christianity Today, September 2013

Key Terms Righteousness – God’s saving of us and putting us in right relationship with Him Justification – God’s pardoning all sins of those who believe in Christ Sanctification – the work of the Holy Spirit bringing the whole nature of a person to being more Christ-like in character

Paul’s Letter to the Romans Sent to the church at Rome – predominantly Gentiles Theme: God’s plan of salvation and righteousness for all mankind – Jews & Gentiles Presents the basic system of salvation

Romans 6-8 Freedom from Sin’s Tyranny Freedom from the Law’s Condemnation Life in the Power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:5-11 The decisions you make about how to live determines how you think about things. The moral choices you make determines how you think. You act yourself into how you think

What’s the Focus of Your Thinking?

“Those who live in accordance with the Spirit…” The Holy Spirit – the mysterious power or presence of God in nature or with individuals and communities, inspiring or empowering them with qualities they would not otherwise possess.

The Holy Spirit God gives Jesus power as the Messiah Jesus gives power to the church for its mission The ‘counselor’ who represents both divine presence and guidance for the disciples (John 14)

Two Distinct and Contrasting Ways of Living Focus on the World Set your heart and mind on the sinful nature and what it desires. Sexual immorality, fits of rage, self-ambition (The acts of the sinful nature - Galatians 5:19-21) Focus on God Place yourself under control of God’s Spirit, living in you as a Christian. Love, kindness, self-control (The Fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22-23)

Consequences Focus on the World Death “The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction.” – Gal. 6:8 Focus on God Life and Peace “The one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” – Gal. 6:8 “To allow the things of the world completely to dominate life is self- extinction; it is spiritual suicide.” – Barclay

How Do We Know What We’re Focused On? Focus on the World Hostile and antagonistic to all God is and stands for Refuse to and cannot submit to God’s law “Friendship with the world is hatred towards God.” – James 4:4 Aligned with a power that is in fundamental opposition to the nature and will of God Focus on God Under the direction of the indwelling of the Spirit of God The Spirit has taken possession of them “Because of the Spirit, we know we live in him and him in us.” – 1 John 4:13 Without the Spirit, there is no assurance of salvation

What’s At Stake? Focus on the World Death comes as a consequence of sin Death is the absence of God Focus on God The Spirit’s presence is the believer’s guarantee of life Physical bodies die, but Spirits are already enjoying life Life is right standing before God and the reward of justification The Spirit’s living in you is a life and death matter.

What’s Your Focus? What do you find yourself thinking about? What word and language are you using? What actions are you engaged in? How satisfied are you with your life experiences?

How Are You Experiencing Life?

“Brothers, what shall we do?” Be intentional about your thinking “Be transformed by the renewing of your minds.” “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened… since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.”

“Brothers, what shall we do?” Be intentional about the words and language you use “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

“Brothers, what shall we do?” Be intentional about your actions “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” “Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.” “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Increase Your Focus: The Gospel – Unchanging – Transforming – Attacks the root of evil – Unites us – Gives us a new compass for living – Has everything Jesus calls us to do and be

Increase Your Focus: How You’re Living: – Acts of the Sinful Nature – Fruit of the Spirit The perfect righteousness of Jesus The absolute inflexibility of God’s law The absolute indispensability of God’s grace God accepts us on the basis of Christ’s perfection, not our progress

Increase Your Focus: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” – Rom 7:18 “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Rom 8:1 Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Rom 8:35-39 We live our lives under a banner that reads, “It is finished.” – John 19:30

Increase Your Energy: Meditation Prayer Fasting Study Simplicity Solitude Submission Service Confession Worship Guidance Celebration

What’s Your Focus?