Two weeks from today, on Sunday morning, Bill will be getting baptized. So, let's see, your mom, Carrie, she was in her 90s. How old was she? 90. 90, yeah, she was 90 years old. So, 90, 91, I'll be able to baptize an 85 year old. So, that's pretty sweet. Oh, that's right. He just had a birthday. That's right. So just Bill came up this morning, said, I got to talk to you after church. And I said, all right. And he, he was over here and we sat down. He said, I want to join the church. I want to get baptized right before that two weeks from today. And I said, two weeks from today to work. I like a little advanced notice that really helps. So let's pray. Lord, you thank you for many blessings, guide, lead, and direct in all things. We praise You and give You all the honor and glory for anything that is done that is glorifying to Thee. And we just pray You'd be with us tonight. In Jesus' name, Amen. Well, Romans 7 is an unusual chapter. Romans 7 talks about the Apostle Paul, and if you'll look, starting in verse 7, and I don't know that you can see it, but I've got it marked, he says, "...Nay, I had not known sin by the law, for I..." He mentions I, I mean, I don't know how many times, but I guess I did not count them, but you'll see it throughout the rest of the chapter. I'll, you know, you look in 15, for that which I do I, I didn't mark that one, allow not, for what I would do that I, that do I not, and what I hate that do I. Boy, it's a lot of I's in there, but he's telling about himself, and listen, I want to give you some hope. Sometimes you'll fail God, but don't ever give up and think that God doesn't... He's not ready to forgive. He is ready to forgive. You say, well, I'm forgiven already. You are forgiven eternally, positionally. But practically, you need forgiveness. If I confess my sins, He's faithful and just to forgive my sins, 1 John 1.9, that whole chapter is about fellowship. So your fellowship with God is based on you keeping short your sin, recognition, and confession. So look at verse 1. He says, know ye not. So there he starts again in Romans 7.1. Know ye not, brethren. So who's he talking to right off the bat? He's talking to believers. Know ye not, brethren. Sorry, I need to text somebody and tell them we're starting. See, when He's here in the morning, I forget at night. So, know ye not, brethren, for I speak to them that know the law, how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth. But if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then, if while her husband liveth she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. But if her husband be dead, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit and not in the oldness of The letter. So as you look at this thing, and it talks in verse 4 about being dead to the law by the body of Christ. Look at Galatians 2, and let's run some references on being dead to the law, because it is so very important to understand. The law is your schoolmaster to do what? To bring you unto Christ. Once the schoolmaster has brought you unto Christ and you are a believer, you are no longer under that schoolmaster. What does that mean? You are no longer under the law. So we're not under the law. In Galatians 2, look at verse 19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ. So when you say you're dead to the law, you're crucified with Christ in God's sight. Nevertheless, I live. So even though you're crucified, you live. So it has to be a spiritual thing. Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. So I, through the law, am dead to the law. Isn't that amazing? I mean, through the law, I'm dead to the law because the law says such a thing. Christ fulfilled the law, you get saved. And to say you accept Christ is not really a great terminology. It doesn't really say that. You believe on the Lord, and in believing on the Lord, He saves... Sorry, I've got a call from Donald Trump right now, so... I just hit the button and sent him the voicemail, because I really want him to leave me a message. Sometimes I've got to check it just in case it's family or something, or even anybody really that has an emergency. I have answered a phone twice. One time was up in California. I told you the pastor's mother got hit by a car, flew 40 feet in the air, and she passed away. I mean, they're just blowing up my phone. And we're out in California, so we're two hours behind them. They don't even know we're in church at the time. So I took that call, and I was just blown away. And then there was another one, too. I took another call that was unusual, because you can tell when it's blowing up that somebody has to get hold of you. So that one, if he calls back, I'll take the call. Life is so much fun whenever you have a sense of humor. Look at Colossians chapter 1. If he hadn't gotten a call or a text from Donald Trump, I don't know. Something's wrong. Colossians 1, look at verse 18. And he is the head of the body. Remember he said you're dead to the law by the body of Christ. So let's look at Colossians 1.18. For he is the head of the body, the church. So what's the body of Christ? The church. who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence. It's pretty important that you understand He has the preeminence. Look at verse 24. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind in the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which is the church. Why do we suffer? Well, we suffer for the church, for the body of Christ. We ought to be willing to go through things and experience things for the love of one another. Look at Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter four. Look at verse four. There's one body and one spirit, even as you're called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above all and through you all and in you all. Now notice it says one body, and that's the body of Christ. One spirit, that's the spirit of God, the Holy Ghost. One Lord who is Lord of lords. So, wait a minute, wait, wait. If there's only one numerically, how can He be Lord of lords, King of kings? Because the point is, in salvation, there's one Lord and it's the Lord Jesus Christ. But it doesn't mean there are not many lords. Now let me give you another one. One faith. Well, there's one faith that saves you. You've got personal faith. You've got the faith of Jesus Christ. The faith of Jesus Christ saves you. Your personal faith is what you live by. And then it says, one baptism. Well, that's water baptism. No, water baptism doesn't save you. That's not the baptism. He says there's one baptism that's baptized by the Spirit of God into the body of Christ. One baptism, but there are many baptisms. There's at least seven baptisms in the Bible. That is not salvific, and that's not the baptism he's talking about. He's talking about that baptism that's the operation of God, like the circumcision that's the operation of God. There's one circumcision, but then they had Old Testament circumcision, but that wasn't a spiritual circumcision. It was a physical circumcision. There's one baptism. It's not that baptism. It's baptized by the Spirit of God in the body of Christ. So get that, because that verse right there, and then he says one God, Well, doesn't He say that there are gods? So there's one God who's the Father, who's above all, through all, and in you all. So the point is, it's not one numerically. There's one in the context that it's for salvation, and it's the only one that matters. If you don't get baptized in the water, you're not going to hell. But if you aren't baptized by the Spirit of God in the body of Christ, you're not saved. If your body's not circumcised away from your flesh, you're not saved. If you're not in the body of Christ, you're not saved. And then you got people that say, well, the body of Christ, the local church. That's real problematic. So how do you get into the body of Christ? Well, if you join the church. Anybody lost ever join a church? So you see, so listen, there are whole churches, whole doctrines, whole groups that make a big emphasis, including some people that have come through here, not candidated, but wanted the church. And they believe in local church only. There is no body of Christ of all believers. Now, listen, I wish they were right. It'd make my life a lot easier among the brethren. But I have to stand on truth. So when I say that all believers are part of the body, and they say, well, the church is the Ecclesia, which is a gathering together. So if this church and another church and another church are all the body, and all believers are the body, where's the gathering together? Doesn't the Bible say we're seated together in heavenly places? So where's the Ecclesia? You see, it all works. You just can't go to the Bible and go, well, here's my argument, and I look at him and go, sometimes I'm nice and I don't say anything. Other times I'm nice and tell him the truth. Other times I'm not so nice and want to just beat him over the head and say, stop already. You guys are teaching that the Baptist church, local church, is the body of Christ. That is what they teach. In fact, a majority of the people in a group that I'm in, I want to be careful, believe that. I started that group. And then I backed off administering it because I realized we weren't on the same page. Now they love me. Oh, man, I love you. And hug me every time. And man, I really appreciate you. And listen, I appreciate you too. But I don't agree with you. And I can't agree with you. Because I've studied it out. I have spent hours upon hours upon hours because I don't mind being wrong. I just want to be wrong. And then because I was wrong and I learned the truth, then what am I? I'm right. So I sometimes want to be wrong and to get along and to all be together and go, man, we all believe the same thing. Well, guess what? We don't believe the same thing. Why? Because you're wrong. How do I know? Because I've spent hours upon hours studying it. And I am not one that stands up here and says, I'm going to compromise and just teach you for sake of popularity, acceptance. I don't want popularity. I don't want acceptance. I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And if that means I lose friends, it won't be the first friends I've ever lost. I will lose you as a friend if you go contrary to the Scripture and I have to tell you that what you're doing is wrong or what you believe is wrong. And I don't, listen, I don't just do it lightly. I have put I don't know how many thousands of hours of study in. I'll show you. Some of you have seen my Bible. This is not my first Bible, but that's what my Bible looks like. Somebody said, well, when you get older and your eyes start going, you're going to regret having done that. Guess what? Regrets are coming. However, I can see most of it still, because I keep getting higher powered glasses, trifocals, you know. So I'm okay right now. But what I'm saying is, I studied and I studied, and anytime I'm faced with something I don't know, I want to know. I want to know the truth. I want to know what's right. I want to be able to say, thus saith the Lord, and not go, Thus maybe saith the Lord. This could be the Lord saying it. No. If I give you my opinion, I will tell you this is what I think. You don't hear me say that very often. If I don't know for sure, I don't teach it. There are things that I have been faced with that I stopped teaching because I couldn't prove it anymore. One of them was dispensational salvation, meaning people in other dispensations had faithless works and the future faithless works. I was taught that, I wrote that, and I taught it. Then I was faced with one of my students my best student ever, and he confronted me, and he gave me some things to think about. And I went, I blew him off a little bit, but he got in there, and he got in there. So then, within a year, I quit teaching what he had a problem with, and that was the Faithless Works. Within five years, I was starting to put together my position. You have to understand, to put together a position on that, you've got to go to Ezekiel, you've got to go to Hebrews, you've got to go to James, you've got Romans, you've got every book in the Bible just about where you have to dot your I's, cross your T's, and make sure that you're not going to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. We used that earlier. Because I don't want to do that. I want to go, well, yeah, you know what that is? That's tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. So here I am. So you might, you know, you might look at me and you say, well, boy, you know, I know you're wrong about this and da-da-da-da, and you give me something. And I look at it and I don't automatically accept what you're saying. Why is that? Well, first of all, If I've taught it wrong and you're telling me right, I have got to check out what you're saying. It takes time to do that. I'm not going to just take it and go, well, look at this verse right here. Hey, I've had people do that. Look at this verse right here. And I can look at them and go, what about that verse over there and that one over there? What about this one here? I said, well, what about that one over there? And see, so what you've got to do is I have to internalize what I believe the Bible teaches before I externalize it. I never, ever teach a new doctrine. You say, well, I've heard some new things out of you. Yeah, but they're not new to me. They've been with me for 15, 20 years. But when I first learn something, I don't just teach it unless I have a huge foundation behind it. I just want you to understand that because, listen, you can build a big church based on false doctrine. Because that's how you build a big church most of the time. You have to be unique. You have to give some people something where they can't just go down the street to another church because you're the only one teaching the truth. And that is what they do. I never want to be guilty of that. So back here to verse 5. So Romans 7, 5. For when we were in the flesh, when we were in the flesh, You realize you're not in the flesh anymore. You are in Christ Jesus. You are in the Spirit. So, look at chapter 8 verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Why? You were in the flesh, now you're in Christ Jesus. Who walked not after the flesh but after the Spirit. There still is some condemnation to those that walk ungodly. So it talks about that, and then look at another one, look at chapter 8, verse 9, when you're in the Spirit. But ye are not in the flesh. You see that in verse 9 of chapter 8? But in the Spirit, if so, be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. And look at the rest of the verse. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. His righteousness. So you see, you're not in the flesh. You're in the Spirit. You're in Christ. You're in the body. You're in all those things. Now, you dwell in this dead body. but you're not in the flesh. So go on to verse 6 of Romans 7. He says, But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held, that we should serve in newness of spirit, not in the oldness of the letter. Look at 2 Chronicles chapter 30. I think it's important to look this passage up. 2 Chronicles chapter 30. Look at verse 17. Verse 17, "'For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified. Therefore the Levites had the charge of killing in the Passovers for everyone that was not clean.'" They usually kill their own animal for the Passover, but they couldn't do it because they were unclean. They were not sanctified, set apart. "...to sanctify them unto the Lord. For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, Manasseh, Iscar, Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the Passover, otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good Lord pardon everyone." Well, that's a good prayer. The good Lord pardon everyone. "...that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah and healed the people." When you're looking at that, he said back there that we shouldn't be living in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the Spirit. And then back here, this is Hezekiah, And he prays for those that weren't sanctified and he said, the Lord pardoned those that prepared their heart to seek God. And then the Lord heard it and He healed the people. Prayer works, number one. And then two, here is somebody intervening. That's why prayer is so important for this country. Pray for all those that are in authority. You may lead a quiet and peaceful life. I don't know about you, but I like living a quiet and peaceful life. I don't like to be in turmoil. I don't like to have anxiety. I don't have a whole lot of anxiety. But I like peace. And peace comes from relationships. And peace comes from working together with others so that you're not one of these people that, hey, it's my way or the highway. Hey, if you do me wrong, I'm going to get you back. All of that turmoil that goes on. And then you look at the country. The country's split 50-50 or thereabouts. What a terrible, terrible thing. And you look at him and you go, how come you can't see the truth? You know that they say that to you. How come you can't see? He's a Nazi. He's going to do this. And you just look at him and go, you know you're being brainwashed, don't you? And that's what they are. And listen, that's going on. Listen, the devil knows that if he can cause turmoil and hatred and vengeance and all this stuff, he wins in the long run. You know what I had to focus on this morning was going over here watching the videos to see the kids, you know, throwing the rocks around. I had to focus on that. I had to contact Nita and say, hey, send me one of those other videos. And got the close-ups of the kids' faces that were doing that. That didn't damage anything. It all got blown off of the driveway. There's probably some on the roof. I mean, it's not that big a deal. But then again, we're done. Mr. Nice Guy's gone. You know, the last time we had two girls on the roof, I called the police. Just said, hey, just spend a couple hours with them. And the parents had to come get them. That makes a difference. You let it go for a while. These people out here, soon and very soon, they're going to, you know, if we would have got the new cameras in, I probably would have nailed them today or tomorrow. But, you know, you got this going on. But, you know, you just look at it and you say, hey, listen, they don't get under my skin. I look at it and go, wow. I remember when I was a kid, I went to the bowling alley with two other guys, and we took all the powder, the cleaning stuff, and we threw it all over the bathroom in the Army Depot bathroom and just totally wasted the place. My dad gets a call. I mean, how dumb. It's only the place I went bowling three times a week. Why did I do it? I have no idea. My dad says, you know, I can lose a stripe over that. I'm like, oh, now it's real. But I look at that and I go, and that's just one of the little things. I mean, we built a fort, two-story fort. And you say, where did you get the wood? Well, they're always building new houses around. See what I'm saying? I was not a perfect angel. So you see, I understand, I don't justify what happens here, but I look at it and I say, you know what? Give a little grace. Then the chief of police shows up at our fort. Now you have to understand, you gotta go up the steps to get in the second floor, because we didn't put any doors down on the first floor. There wasn't any fire escape on that first floor. Whole place burnt down, by the way, the week before summer break started. We were about ready to fight everybody. Must have been an ember that went inside. It was not a pretty sight. When it burnt down, there were plastic bags everywhere, trash. Of course, all the beer cans, when the trash bags melted, came floating out. I'm 14 years old. Well, the chief police comes in, and we're all sitting around there, and all of a sudden, we look over, and he's taking off his cap as his head comes in the door, because he's bent over. He looks over and he says, get rid of that keg. What I'm telling you is I see these kids and I don't go, how dare them? Do you understand? I was not a pristine little child myself. The first time I ever got drunk was 12 years old in the Boy Scouts. 12. Syndrome seven. Go spin around in circles. I don't feel a thing. Go spin around in circles. You'll feel something. I did. Threw up all night. So what I'm telling you is, look, just so I look at it and I consider that and I go, and listen, I want to minister. So I visited, I thought it was these kids down here. So I visited them. I visited one here and one down there. And I got to talking to him and build up a good rapport with the dads. He said, I'll bring my kids out and show it wasn't them. They got, that kid has longer hair. And I go, oh yeah, he does. And I said, anyway, you and I are, you know, cause it was one of the kids that was causing problems, got on the roof three years ago. I said, yeah, you and I have talked already. He goes, It's like, don't tell my dad. But by the way, if you go to the parents, many times you can solve the problem. People didn't know, like when I got an unsatisfactory in music for destroying the class, they didn't know they could have gone to my dad, my dad would have ripped me apart. That's what a lot of people in teachers. Now today, it's a whole lot less. They will tell you in the school, You go to the parents and you're the problem. They will automatically side with those children. Now that's not the way it is on this street, I'll just tell you. And that's not the way my dad raised me. Boy, you get a paddle in school, which I got. And you didn't go home and tell your dad. I got suspended from school when I was in seventh grade. I'm just confessing everything. This is the pastor you have. Now remember, I was lost in seventh grade. So in seventh grade, we were smoking cigarettes behind this shed. So we'd leave the school, go smoke the cigarettes. Then we'd sneak back, because we had 30 minutes to wait for our bus. Well, the principal comes walking down. Two guys go that way and he yells their name, so I go the other way. And I come all the way around. And daggone if that principal didn't walk up that side and he says, you know what he did? It killed me. It was Friday. He said, you're suspended for three days. And you have to tell your parents. Man, we went camping. I'm just laying around, just dying. And so my dad doesn't go to work Monday morning, because he knows whatever's coming around is coming around on Monday morning. Monday morning, I tell him I got suspended from school. And man, I had to wash windows with my mom two days. Oh, man. I mean, we were cleaning. Listen, it's different today. But I'll tell you that I look at myself, and I see these kids, and I see those things, and I say, you know what? I've got to be gracious first. And then when they go over the line, kids on the roof, bam. And now we're going to put up more cameras, so now it's going to be like good cameras. We're going to be able to see whatever we need to see, and we're going to have proof. And listen, I'm not going to be as gracious anymore, because the way it's going to be in today's society is if those kids would fall off the roof, you know who's going to get sued? We are. If those kids throw in the rock and one goes up and one comes down in their eye, you know what they're going to do? They're going to sue us. We're talking about putting some fences out. We're going to put a fence in between the two buildings for sure. I told Bill to go ahead and look at that. And pray for Bill. He's got physical problems, but we need to do some of this stuff to protect ourselves. Go ahead and look back at Romans 7. I don't know how I got on that confession stuff. I guess it's just good for the soul. Look at verse 8. He said, But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was dead. Now watch this because this next one is going to be the age of accountability. We've got children that are young age. They haven't reached that age of accountability yet. Verse 9, For I was alive without the law once. How could Paul, a Jew, ever been alive without the law once when he was a child? But when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. He was born with a sin nature, but He was not born dead in trespasses and sins. That's important to understand. And the commandment which was ordained to life I found to be unto death. And then he goes on, For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and the just and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me, by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin." The Bible says that in 1 Timothy 1.8, the law is spiritual. In Galatians 3.21 it said if a law could have been given to give life, it would have been given. What is the problem with the law? Man. The problem with the law is the law couldn't justify because of man. The law is perfect, the law is holy, the law is righteous, but man is the problem. Verse 15, and I want to do all these I's in one time, so I'm going to go through them. For that which I do, I allow not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. You see, Paul had a sin problem. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that is good. Now then, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" You see, this body is death. Remember, you're two-thirds redeemed. Soul, spirit redeemed, body is not. You're waiting for the redemption of the purchased possession. Your body's been purchased, you're waiting for that redemption, but that redemption hadn't happened. Two-thirds saved, you might say. Two parts redeemed. One part's not. So who shall deliver me from the body of death? And when He delivers you from the body of death at the rapture, and the dead in Christ rise first, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, so shall we ever be with the Lord, so on and so forth. What happens in the twinkling of an eye? Our body is changed. It's glorified. It's sinless. It's perfect. It's not ever going to die. And if you're dead, it's not gonna die again. But he said, who's gonna deliver me of the body of this death? Look at verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord, so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. You will serve one or the other. You will serve the law of the flesh or that of God. And you have the choice. To whom you submit, that is who will control you. If you submit to the flesh, of the flesh you shall reap corruption. Submit to the Spirit, you'll reap life everlasting. It doesn't mean you get life everlasting. It doesn't mean you die and go to hell. It means you'll reap something. And you have to determine in your life whether sacrificing self... There's one thing you're supposed to sacrifice. Present your bodies a living sacrifice which is wholly acceptable unto God. Present your body a living sacrifice. You have to decide to do that. If you present your body a living sacrifice, then you will know the will of God. Look at Romans 12. We'll close on that. That's the verses I'm quoting. Look at what he says here. Romans 12.1, I beseech you therefore brethren, now he's begging us, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. You want to prove what is the good and perfect and acceptable will of God? Present your body a living sacrifice. That's what you do. Listen, I fail every day. But I know what God wants. And I still have to tell you what I know, what the Bible teaches. You do not have somebody you're looking at that says, hey, I've done it, now just be like me. You have somebody that says, listen, we all struggle. Be like Him. And the closer you get to Him and present your body a living sacrifice, the greater your life will be for Him. Let's all stand together. Lord, we do thank You for Your many blessings. Thank You for all that You do for us. Thank You for a Bible that's perfect. Thank you for the Word of God, how it can transform lives. Help us to be transformed for sure. In Jesus' name, with your head bowed and eyes closed.