Sermon for October 1st, 2017

Romans 7:14-25

14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

The Doctrine of Total Depravity

A sweet, little old lady got pulled over for speeding one day. When the police officer approached her vehicle, she said, "Is there a problem, Officer?" He replied, "Ma'am, you were speeding. Can I see your license please?"

The woman replied, "Well, Officer, I'd give it to you but I don't have one. You see, I lost it, four years ago...for drunk driving.

The officer was somewhat surprised, but asked, "Well, then could I see your vehicle registration, please?

To which the sweet, little old lady replied, "I'm sorry, but I don't have that, Officer. You see, I stole this car."

The officer's eyes grew wide as the lady continued, "Yes, and I killed the owner. I chopped him up in little pieces, and his body parts are in plastic bags in the trunk, if you'd like to see."

At this point, the officer slowly backed away to his car and called for backup. Within minutes 5 police cars arrived and circled the woman's car. A senior officer slowly approached the car, clasping a half drawn gun.

And he said, "Ma'am, please step out of the vehicle." So, the woman stepped out of her vehicle, and asked once again, "Is there a problem, Sir?"

"Ma'am, one of my officers told me that you have stolen this car, murdered the owner. Could you please open the trunk of your car?" The woman opened the trunk, revealing...nothing but an empty trunk. At which point the senior officer, somewhat confused, asked, "Is this your car, ma'am?"

The woman replied, "Yes, of course. Here are the registration papers." The senior officer, stunned, said, "One of my officers claims that you do not have a driver's license. Is this true?" The woman dug into her handbag and pulled out her license, handing it to the officer, who examined it. After a few moments, he said, "Thank you ma'am. I was told that you didn't have a license, that you stole this car, and that you murdered and hacked up the owner.

And the sweet, little old lady looked the senior officer right in the eye and said, "What kind of totally depraved person does he think I am? I bet that liar told you I was speeding, too."

Today's sermon is on the doctrine of total depravity. But in case you are wondering why, first a little background.

500 years ago this month, on October 31st, an Augustinian monk from Germany named Martin Luther, nailed a list of 95 objections or protests to the door of the church in his town of Wittenberg.

• "Yet for those confident they can do anything by their own power, things cannot happen otherwise."

• "Man with all his shrewdness is as stupid about understanding by himself the mysteries of God, as an ass is incapable of understanding musical harmony.

• total "inability" -- we are totally unable to reform ourselves.

• story about joe "i just grew up thinking I was bad."
• naughty by nature

• everyone, everything is broken (Bill Schleslinger)

• Lord of the Flies