Gospel Transformation (Part 2)

Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.- Romans 7:16-‬25 ESV

Dr. John Applegate

A Picture of Addictions

For a layman to preach, one of the best ways to start is to address from where we come. Not to instruct about topics that we know little, but rather what we are familiar with.

Addiction to drugs are much like desire for other's approval. Addicts were seen as people with some sort of moral failure. Why then are we equating pride to addiction?

"Bondage to the rule of a substance, activity, or state of mind, which then becomes the center of life, defending itself from the truth so that even bad consequences don't bring repentance, and leading to further estrangement from God." - Ed Welch

Each person has different desires and natures that makes them vulnerable to various substances, activities... From gambling, drinking, eating, ... etc.

Challenges to Applying the Gospel

We go through these addiction cycles. We're told to apply the gospel, but what does that mean? We don't unpack the gospel and see how it maps and applies itself to each person's addictions and the rest of their lives.

We are aware of our conscious personality, but what of the the subconscious? A picture of a crack pipe, needle, or other drug paraphernalia can trigger the reward center of the brain in 33ms. Too fast for the conscious mind to process, but enough for the brain to start considering the addiction. It's like our addictions know how to bypass the guard at the front gate and go around to the easy back door.

The heart knows both the conscious and the subconscious. It drives them both. It is our core identity that drives our behavior. This is why we often co-op the gospel to drive our own desires and agendas. The Gospel is used and abused, often rationalized as a way to justify our sinful addictions.

The Gospel Path to Freedom

So what then? Are we to be forever stuck in this cycle of addiction? Paul calls us wretched men. And then tells us of our new identity in Christ. What does this mean?

We need to learn several things:

First, there is a fight. Self deceptions are coming. There is an enemy within, foremost among sinners. Prepare to spot the lies that will open the door for other sins to sneak by. We must prepare for the next attack rather than sitting in the dark.

Secondly, we need to know our counterfeit gods in our lives. There are competing desires that keep us from taking in the Gospel. They keep us from tapping into the power of the Gospel when the battle comes to our gates.

Lastly, consider the downsides of our sin. Burn the sweetness of Christ into our hearts. Consider the aftermath of sin, the guilt and remorse. Think of the intimacy we have with God and how this sin distances us from God. We need the pleasures afforded by Jesus to overtake the pleasures of our addictions/sin.

"Faith keeps us laying hold of the grace and mercy of Christ and thereby avoiding despair.  Repentance keeps us facing our ongoing struggle with sin and thereby avoiding pride." - How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp

We are without hope without the gospel of Christ. This is our path out of addiction. Jesus came into our world to identify with the outcast, shameful, and guilty. We need not be afraid, Jesus came for those who struggle with guilt and shame.

Gospel Worship

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for." And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me." And he said, "Go, and say to this people: "'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." Then I said, "How long, O Lord?" And he said: "Until cities lie waste without inhabitant, and houses without people, and the land is a desolate waste, and the Lord removes people far away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land. And though a tenth remain in it, it will be burned again, like a terebinth or an oak, whose stump remains when it is felled." The holy seed is its stump.- Isaiah 6:1‭-‬13 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

The making of worshippers

Isiah was a prophet during the reign of King Uzziah. He was walking into the temple when he received a vision. He saw angelic beings. These were pure beings compared to humans. So the angels covered the eyes and feet in an act of modesty. God was set apart even from the angels. He is so great that he is on a whole other level. Isiah sees this and he is lost, he is undone. Isiah was considered the most righteous man in his generation. But when he caught a glimpse of God, his sense of self worth and righteousness fell apart. As long as Isiah compared himself to his peers, he could consider himself righteous. But the moment he saw the greatness and righteousness of God, he saw himself as unclean. But God does not come to crush and judge, he comes to save. He sends the angel to cleanse him of sin. Then God asks for someone to go and speak to his people and not be heard. This is a job that nobody would want. Preach and get no response. Speak and be ignored. There is nothing for Isiah to gain from this. Isiah is not coerced. This is grateful response of one who is forgiven by God.

The pattern of encountering of God
. Sees God
. Sees his sin
. Receives grace and assurance
. Responds in grateful devotion
. Given a promise

The focus of worshippers

The story of Jesus is the central storyline of the Bible. Some consider the Bible to be a book of stories. A collection of good moral teachings. But we consider the Bible to be all about Jesus. The Bible is not like a bag of pearls, but rather if we grab a pearl, we will find that we have pulled out a necklace of pearls and Jesus is the centerpiece.

But it is not just the general worship of God. We worship God for his redeeming work through the life and death of Jesus. The gospel is how we focus our worship.

The shaping of worshippers

Why do we need to reminded again and again of the gospel? Doesn't it get old? Why are we called to worship again and again? Worship is where God does a work in our hearts. He is working on our hearts. Why would we need this? Because this world is constantly trying to turn us away from God and to worship other things. We are prone to wander. We are easily distracted from and forget the gospel.

Sundays are important. But we need more, we need daily gospel immersion. More than just worshipping on Sundays, our everyday lives should become a daily worship of God.