Title: The Spirit's Gift of Renewal

Focus: God has given us the Spirit in order to free us from enslavement to sin by renewing our relationship to him and giving us the ability to please and serve him in the Spirit. In this way, we are no longer slaves to the flesh, but sons of God.

Function: To motivate the hearers to take hold of the power God offers through the Spirit to serve him, not their own desires.

Text: Rom 7:25 - 8:17

Intro:
1.  We give gifts on special occassions
	a.  Birthdays, Anniversaries, house warming, weddings, graduation, etc.
	b.  We try to remember to give gifts to loved ones
	c.  This morning’s text reminds us of a great gift God has given to us
2.  First time it given in Acts 2   -  v.38 - Peter calls it the “gift of the Holy Spirit”
3.  What this gift all about?
	a.  Titus 3:5 - “Renewing by the Spirit”
	b.  Rom 6 - Paul spoke of this renewing (newness of life)
4.  Paul describes how Spirit renews.  3 ways

I.  New Path (v.1-6)
	A.  No longer path of slavery to sin & death, but of life
	B.  Set free from law of sin and death.  How?
		1.  v.4 - Requirement fulfilled in us who walk by Spirit, not flesh
		2.  Before, we were “according to the flesh”
			a.  Gal 5:19 - These deeds of the flesh are evident
		3.  Other deeds not so evident
			a.   Phil 3:4ff - Paul’s confidence in the “flesh”
			b.  So not having Spirit not mean can’t do good works
				- Means bondage to sin
				- Works all are useless without spirit
			c.  Paul’s problem - Confidence in own flesh, not God
		4.  Sin caused Paul to go down one way path with no exit
	C.  Like Road trip through Cleveland
		1.  Got on wrong road, lots of construction
		2.  No exits, had to go 20 miles before next exit
		3.  Paul was going down road with NO exit
		4.  But God took him off Damascus road and put him on new path
	D.  Did the same for us - We no longer walk according to flesh, but Spirit
		1.  Whole new direction - not stuck in wrong direction
		2.  God also gives us power to stay on the new path

II.  Renewal to a New Power
	A.  Chapter 7 illustrates hoplessness and weakness without Spirit
		1.  Maybe that was the problem with Israel
		2.  They did not and could not please God - went to captivity
	B.  God does not leave people in captivity without hope
		1.  (Ezek 36:23-27)
			a.  God would change their hearts through his Spirit
			b.  God would give them ability to serve him
		2.  (Ezek 37:1-14)
			a.  Even though they dead in bondage, restoration
			b.  v.14 - Restoration to life through the Spirit
		3.  Rom 8 demonstrates God has now done this
			a.  (Rom 8:6-8) - No ability to serve God in our flesh
			b.  (Rom 8:13) - Power to put to death deeds of body
		4.  Sin put all of us to death in bondage to sin
			a.  We spiritually a valley of dry bones
			b.  But God gives Spirit to bring us back to life
	C.  Like Rover -- Dead all over
		1.  Fell into pit, farmer began to fill pit in
		2.  Rover panics, but shakes dirt off his back, steps up
		3.  Eventually steps victoriously out of the pit
	D.  Satan tries to bury us in our sin
		1.  He not going to make graveyard out of us
		2.  We not valley of dry bones - We shake off the dirt of sin
		3.  We step higher and higher
			a.  With Spirit, are putting to death deeds
			b.  It is a process, don’t be discouraged
			c.  Each clump shaken off takes us higher, learn and grow
		4.  What is your clump of dirt?
			- Shake it off, because you on new path and power

III.  New Position  (v.9-17)
	A.  No longer slaves, but children of God
		1.  Sin made us orphans by separating us from God
		2.  But God adopted us as his children through the Spirit
	B.  Remember visiting orphanage around holidays in Korea
		1.  We all brought gifts, I ashamed of mine
		2.  Everyone else toys, I tried to hide when came to my gift
		3.  Mom’s idea - Paper, notebooks, pencils, erasers, etc.
		4.  Children seemed to forget toys, thought mine best gift
		5.  Many of us not know what it like to truly be orphaned
		6.  Orphaned kids often dream of calling someone Daddy, Mommy
	C.  That is what Spirit did for us
		1.  Text says we “belong” through the Spirit
		2.  Through Spirit, we cry out “Abba, Father”
			a.  Hebrew - “Ab” is Dad/Pa
			b.  “Abba” is “Daddy/ Papa”
			c.  Abba is what children called their daddy
		3.  Daddy/ Papa is a very endearing term
			a.  A lot of warmth and emotion to that name
			b.  Images of days at the park, laughter, tickles, hugs, kisses
		4.  Daddy would do anything for his precious children
	D.  Spirit adopted us to our Papa, our Daddy - our God
		1.  He would do, and has done everything for his precious children
		2.  He made us fellow heirs with his only begotten son, Jesus

Concl:
1.  So the Spirit is a fantastic gift - Renews us to new path, power, position
2.  If you have his Spirit
	a.  Unlike physically adopted, you bear his image/likeness
	b.  People can see his likeness in you through Spirit
3.  Or do they?
	a.  Are you walking by the flesh or Spirit?
	b.  Are you in chapter 7 or 8?
4.  If in chapter 7, can mean one of two things
	a.  You have never become a Christian and received the Spirit
		- Time to respond today
		- Acts 2:38 - Repent, baptized, gift of Holy Spirit
	b.  You have wandered of the path he set for you
		- Don’t fret, if on wrong road, Spirit will provide an exit
		- Time to turn around and repent
		- If clump of dirt burying you, shake it off
		-  Begin with prayer