Sermon Notes
Main Verse: (Romans 7:7-25)
Key Thought: We all sense that something is wrong with us. Deep in our souls, we are fully aware of our corruption, error, and brokenness. Paul announces what this force is that is on the inside of us. His name for it- sin. Sin is the powerful internal draw toward self-serving disobedience. This principle is deep within you. And as long as you are part of this broken created world, you will struggle with this opposing force.
Consider:
We have a car problem. We often follow this course of action:
- We notice the symptom
- We identify the root cause
- We secure a solution
Key Questions:
Have you ever decided that a behavior was right to do and yet you didn’t do it?
Have you ever decided that a behavior was wrong to do, and you did it anyway?
We can fix our car, yet we can’t seem to fix our reoccurring problems. Why is that?
Perhaps we treating symptoms of the problem and not root causes.
In these passages, the Apostle Paul tells us what is the main cause of our root problem along with symptoms that we will all experience. He also tells of the struggle that we will all face along the way. And then points us to the only solution that deals with the main problem and the symptoms.
Supporting Points:
- Sin is presented as a noun (7:14, and 5:12)
- Sin came entered into the world through one man
- This sin force brought death
- Thus, you have sinned because you have sin.
- Here are the results (symptoms) of sin
- I want to do what is right, but I don’t (14-15
- The evil things I want to avoid, I do (19)
- Sin is drawing me to this
Sin is part of who you are, not just what you do.
Pause: can you relate to this tension.
- Anger
- Lust
- Selfishness
- Pride
- Laziness
- Power hungry
- Name yours
Naming sin is part of defeating sin
3. What do I do? (21-24)
- This is an inside war (23)
- And this war is never going away. (1 John 1:8)
- I bring the war to Jesus (24)
- Jesus knows you, loves you and wishes you a victory over sin
Application:
- Name your sin and your tendency to do this sin
- Recognize how this sin is different than the teaching of the Scriptures
- Bring this tension to Jesus
Discussion Questions
TALK IT OUT:
- Pastor Rusty observes that “deep in our souls we are fully aware of our corruption, error and brokenness. Paul announces what this force is which is inside of us. His name for it- sin. Sin is the powerful internal draw toward self-serving disobedience. This principle is deep within all of us. As long as you are part of this broken created world you will struggle with this opposing force.” Reflect on how you have experienced this struggle in your own life.
- We might compare our problem with sin to a car problem. 1) We notice the symptom, 2) We identify the root problem and 3) We secure a solution. Often the problem we have in dealing with our own sin is that we focus on the symptoms of our sin problem and not on the sin itself. Why is it important for us to focus on the root of our sin instead of its symptoms?
- Pastor Rusty says, “sin is part of who you are, not just what you do.” How might understanding this reality change the way we resist sin?
- Romans 7:14-15 makes the point that I want to do what is right, but I often don’t. Romans 7:19 says the evil things I want to avoid; I end up doing. Reflect on your own experience with how sin had drawn you to do things you shouldn’t and pulled you away from the good you wanted to do?
- Pastor Rusty lists several areas where we may experience this struggle with sin in our lives: 1) Anger, 2) Lust, 3) Selfishness, 4) Pride, 5) Laziness, and 6) Power hungry. Which of these areas do you have to be most alert to as you seek to avoid sin?
- Pastor Rusty says, “sin is part of who you are, not just what you do.” How can understanding this reality change the way you resist sin?
- “Naming sin is part of defeating sin,” according to Pastor Rusty. How might naming the sin we struggle with help us overcome it?
- Romans 7:21-24 pictures our inner war with sin. 1 John 1:8 makes the point that this war is never going away. Romans 7:24 says we are to bring this war to Jesus. Why are we often so hesitant to bring our sinful struggles to God?
LIVE IT OUT
- Make a list of the sins you struggle most with personally.
- Beside each sin on your list write down how this sin contrasts with the teaching of scripture.
- Bring the tension between your sin and God’s revealed perfection to God and ask Him to help you live His way rather than your own way.