Augustine Joy in Treasuring Jesus

have we been so angry and frustrated at our sin?

So we often think that our struggle against sin is unique,

but we take a closer look at history,

we find that we are not only studying historical facts

or theological ideas in the past,

but rather many go through similar experiences as our own.

So let's look at a man, Augustine of Hippo.

It's a town, it's a place for an animal, obviously.

Of his struggle with sin and what God did in his life.

So go through his history, go through the Bible,

and see the change and call us to do the same thing.

We will learn how when we treasure Jesus more than pleasure,

he brings us more joy.

So just to make Augustine's story a little bit easier to understand,

going through at point one,

I want to tell you his life story with an Australian twist.

So Augustine was born about 1700 years ago

in a small town of Zagast known as Algeria.

So it's a little bit like being born in a little Aussie country town.

Augustine was a son of a pagan father called Patricius

and a Christian mother by the name of Onika.

Patricius was a civil servant,

so he was respectable and had a well-paid job.

So, Monica's family thought it was a great idea

to marry someone with connection to the government

and knew that their daughter would be well provided for.

So it's a bit like what happens with the arranged marriages these days

in many parts of the world.

So Augustine, being Patricius' son,

is expected to land a good plum job, government job.

So he couldn't get a good education in that little town.

So when he was 11 years old,

he was sent to boarding school at Madura,

a larger town about 20 miles south.

So just like many people growing in the country,

he was sent to a boarding school to get a better education.

So afterwards, a rich guy supported him

to further his education in Carthage.

It's a bit like getting a scholarship

and going to a big city like Sydney.

So just like for those that move from a small city

to the big smokes,

and Augustine is getting to be of age.

So although he heard the gospel

through his mum, who is a Christian,

and through many of his friends during his studies,

he was attracted to the lifestyle of a big city,

and has taken up a concubine,

and had a child.

So just like many people these days,

he was in a de facto relationship,

and had a kid out of wedlock.

So let's take a look at Augustine's life so far.

So like many people growing up in this area,

he was expected to get a good job,

to study hard,

but at the same time,

he wanted to rebel against his mother's wishes,

and experience the pleasures of a big city.

So we can see that his desires

are pretty much like our desires.

So what's the thing that made Augustine

turn his life around?

So we actually need to look at

how Augustine views his own struggle against lust.

So if you look at point two,

on Augustine's struggle against sin,

Augustine reflected his own conversion experience,

and we can see it in a book called

The Confessions of Augustine,

which outlines his struggles.

So the thing we have to realise is,

in Roman times,

it's actually not uncommon

to get a concubine before you get married.

So the thing that stirs Augustine

to think about sin

is not what is expected in society,

because that's pretty much normal,

or at least not unusual,

but rather,

it's actually his inward reflection

of whether he can control his lust.

So you can actually see

how Augustine views his lust in The Confessions.

He describes his sexual impulses as negative.

So he reflects the image of disease,

disorder, and corruption.

So I'll just pick up a couple of quotes

to see how he describes his lifestyle.

For almost nine years followed,

in which I wallowed in the mud

of the deep and darkness of falsehood.

In another place, he says,

and what was it that delighted me

except to love and be loved?

But I did not hold on to the righted measure,

so I did not distinguish

the serenity of love

from the mist of lust.

Both boiled confusedly together,

and created off my weak age

through the steep paths of desires,

and sank me into the whirlpool of crimes.

In other places,

Augustine describes his desire as

chains, thorns,

a seething cauldron,

and an open thaw that must be scratched.

Desire for Augustine is almost a compulsion,

an irrational impulse

that he feels incapable of controlling

without God's help,

a bondage that he is too weak to escape.

So let's pause here for a moment,

and I encourage us all to take an honest look at ourselves.

So do we have a continuing pattern of sin,

which can be likened to an addiction?

It doesn't have to be loved,

which is what Augustine struggled with.

It can be an addiction to greed,

or to power,

or to pleasure,

or something else.

When we struggle against these sins,

do you echo Augustine's sentiments

that it's a bondage that we are too weak to escape from?

For those that have struggled with sin,

have you tried to stop that pattern?

Have you heard of that advice?

Snap out of it.

Let me tell you of the danger of your particular sin.

And let me tell you how you can help yourself in that situation.

And I'm sure that that advice doesn't work.

The reason why that advice doesn't work

has to do with our human nature.

And Augustine has plenty to say about that.

So we're up to point three.

So he faced a monk called Pelagius.

And Pelagius was a rung that was going around the Roman Empire,

teaching that the human race was not entirely sinful.

According to Pelagius,

there was a residue of uncorrupted goodness in every man.

It was properly nurtured,

could win the soul back to God.

So that idea that Pelagius was teaching

was also actually quite popular in the Chinese culture.

In fact, in one of the most famous Chinese texts,

it's called the Three-Character Classic,

or San Zijing.

Actually, the wiki entry is quite accurate.

Accurate.

This one is so famous,

even the ABCs overseas know it.

And these are one of the couple of poems that I know.

But let's have a look at what it says.

I'll say it in Chinese and explain what it means in English.

So it says,

So what does it mean?

It means that he's saying that people are by nature good at birth.

So all people, the nature is similar.

But the habits make them different from each other.

So it seems that Pelagius,

and a popular traditional Chinese view,

is quite alike.

That people have some goodness in them,

and if you teach them the right thing,

people can find the good in themselves and change.

So how does the Bible answer that question?

Are people inherently good?

So that all you need to do is teach them something,

and draw the good in the sinner,

and lead them to Christ.

So let's see how Romans chapter 7

Romans 7 · chapter mention

answers the claims of Pelagius,

and the claims about human nature.

So a bit about the context of Romans

is that Paul is the writer of the book,

and the context of Romans is that

he spans the first two and a half chapters or so,

describing how everyone in the world is sinful.

And the next two and a bit chapters

are about how to have a right relationship with God

by trusting in Jesus.

So chapters 6 to 8,

and we are smack bang in the middle,

is about how we live

in the state of being right with God.

So this chapter is about Paul's struggle with sin.

So firstly, does Paul think that

people are inherently good?

So from the passage we read,

this is what Paul says.

In verse 8, it says,

For I know that good itself

does not dwell in me,

that is, in my sinful nature,

for I have the desire to do what is good,

but I cannot carry it out.

So we can see that Paul thinks

that there is nothing good within himself

that dwells in him.

He gives the reason for that,

and he gives an illustration of that

because he has no ability

to carry out what he knows is right.

In verse 21, it says,

So I find this law at work.

Although I want to do good,

evil is right there with me.

For in my inner being,

I delight in God's law.

But I see another law at work in me,

waging war against the law of my mind,

making me a prisoner of the law of sin

and work within me.

So we have to modify

that three-character classic

according to the Bible.

It will be

So people are,

by nature,

evil,

or fallen.

So some of us,

a lot of people don't know

whether this passage in chapter 7

is written to describe

Paul's struggle with sin

before or after he became a Christian.

But from verse 22,

as well as the structure

of the book mentioned above,

it's a pretty clear indication

that he describes

the struggle as a Christian.

Since a non-Christian

wouldn't by nature

delight in God's law.

But this should astound us even more.

So the thing

that helps us to overcome sin

is not the label or the tag

whether we are Christian

or non-Christian.

A Christian,

if we rely on our own power,

even if we are educated

about God's law,

we cannot obey the law.

Our sinful nature

would try to go right up

to the limit of the law.

So that's always the case.

When you see the speed limit at 60,

some of us will ask,

is there a GST bonus

when there's a police

set up the speed camera?

So our nature

is always to push against

the law and try to break it.

So from this passage,

we see the ability

to obey the law

is not whether you carry the label

whether you're a Christian

or non-Christian.

It's about what's inside of us

and who we rely on.

Since there's nothing good

inside us,

we have no ability

to obey

by our own strength.

And more education,

whether it's moral education

or otherwise,

does not help

because the problem

is in our own

inner nature.

For the ability

to obey the law

and change

is seen in Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

So if you read

from the side of Romans,

it says,

Jesus frees us

from the condemnation

of the law

because he has done

what is needed

to be done by the law

by obeying it completely.

I'll read a bit

of Romans chapter 8

Romans 8:1–4

verses 1 to 4.

Therefore,

there is no condemnation

for those

who are in Christ Jesus

because though

through Christ Jesus,

the law of the Spirit

who gives life

has set you free

from the law

of sin and death.

for what by the law

was powerless

to do

because it was

weakened by the flesh,

God did

by sending

his own Son

in the likeness

of sinful flesh

to be a sin offering.

So this passage

answers

what Pelagius

is actually teaching.

Because Pelagius

think that people

are inherently good,

one of the things

that he taught

was that

when Jesus died,

it wasn't

for our sins

as a sacrifice.

It was an example

of selflessness

that we should imitate,

that we have to

draw our goodness

to imitate

that example.

But what does

the Bible say?

We are sinful.

So what do we need?

We need someone

to not just be

an example

to us.

We need someone

to be a sin offering,

someone that pays

for our sin.

And in this way,

Jesus frees us

from our sin.

What is more,

we can see that

from this passage,

Jesus does not only

save us,

when Jesus saves us,

he changes us.

We see that

in Romans 8,

Romans 8:5

verse 5,

that those

who live

according to

the Spirit

have their mind

set on what

the Spirit desires.

What he's saying

is that Jesus

has the power

to free us

from being trapped

by sin

by giving us

the Holy Spirit.

And the Spirit

helps us

to change,

to live for

a different master

if we rely

on the Spirit.

So can we see

that the struggle

with sin

is not whether

we have enough

self-control,

but whether we have

been relying

on God's Holy Spirit

so that we have

the ability

to live for God,

our new master.

Of course,

I don't mean

that Christians

can live perfectly

sinless,

because although

we are free

from the penalty

and the power

of sin,

we presently

experience the

presence of sin.

So,

what is said

in Romans 8

somewhat reflects

Augustine's experience.

I will read

a little bit

of his biography

to see how

Augustine has been

freed from the

grip of sin.

Having been

exposed to

various friends

that challenged

him on the

gospel,

Augustine was

filled with a

growing sense

of personal

inadequacy,

realizing how

empty his life

so far has been,

and fell into

a state of

despair.

He was torn

between the

monastic ideal

on the one

hand,

and the pleasures

of this world

on the other.

Wanting to

embrace the

gospel,

but finding it

too hard to

abandon his

lifestyle.

It was then

when he was

in this condition

that he heard

the child's voice

saying,

take up and

read.

So much

confused,

he reached for

a portion of

the scriptures

that he had

in hand

and read.

let us walk

properly as

in the daytime,

not in

orgies or

drunkenness,

not in

sexual immorality

and sensuality,

not in

quarreling and

jealousy,

but put on

Lord Jesus

and make no

provision for

the flesh to

gratify his

desire.

When he read

these verses,

all his pent-up

emotions broke

down,

and he

surrendered his

life to

Christ.

Can you see

that when he

read the Bible

and saw what

Jesus is

compared to

his life,

and he relies

on Jesus

through the

Holy Spirit

to be freed,

that he

finds so much

joy.

He wanted to

live freely

in the daytime,

and it's only

Jesus through

the Spirit

has given him

the power

to be free

from his

lustful

desires.

So I

want you to

help us to

see what

this joy

that Augustine

experienced and

what is preached

through the

Bible means

for us

individually and

as a church.

So firstly,

I want to ask

a question for

ourselves.

Are there

anyone amongst

us that feels

just like

Augustine did,

that we have

a sin or

an addiction

that we can't

shake off?

As we can

see in Romans,

the answer is

not to try

harder to

have self-control

or to obey

a law or

to fix

ourselves in

some other

method.

Instead,

the only way

that we can

be rescued

in this

state is

to turn to

Jesus.

Because Jesus

has saved us

from condemnation

and the Holy

Spirit helped

us to change.

Trusting in

Jesus and

relying on

the Holy

Spirit's

power means

that God

has the

power both

to save

us and

to change

us.

So Jesus

has the

power to

set a new

path for

us.

So if you

are interested

or convinced

just like

Augustine did

1700 years

ago, that

only Jesus

can change

your life,

or you're

curious about

how this

path is

like,

please fill

in the

card in

front of

you and

tell us.

James, who

was trading

the service

or myself,

will be

happy to

talk to

you after

the

service.

And if

you fill

in the

card, we'll

respond to

you.

So please

take this

opportunity.

Secondly, I

want to talk

about how

we invite

people to

church or

share the

gospel.

So I

want to pose

this question.

Are we

functionally

Pelagian?

So I

explain what

I mean.

When we

try to

think of

people to

share the

gospel or

who to

invite to

church, we

might think,

this guy, he's

beyond help.

He's so

different from

me.

I don't

know what he's

been doing

last night.

He'll be too

sleepy, too

drunk.

He won't be

interested in

church.

I'm not going

to invite him.

I'll invite

this more

moral neighbor.

He's more

like me.

Maybe it's

just easier

for God to

convict and

convince us

person of

the gospel.

Do we

sometimes do

that?

Of course,

there might

be other

reasons why

we don't

invite people

that are

not like

us.

Perhaps we

are scared

to talk

to them.

Perhaps we

are feeling

uncomfortable

or judgmental.

But when we

understand the

full power of

the gospel in

saving and

changing people,

we have the

confidence to

invite anyone

to church.

So I

want to ask

you, if

you really

believe the

gospel has

the power

to save

and to

change,

how does

it affect

who you

invite to

church?

In the

bookmark that

James is

saying, how

does it

affect the

person you

put on the

bookmark that

you want to

pray for?

So thirdly, I

want to paint a

picture of

church.

What would it

look like if

we really

believe in the

power of the

gospel to save

and to change

us?

So I

want to tell

you about

the church

I visited

in Dallas.

So I

went one

day earlier

than the

rest of the

team to

visit my

friend Calvin

and one of the

things he did

was he brought

me to a

church called

the Watermark

Church in

Fort Worth

on a Monday

night because

I missed the

plane on Sunday

so not due to

me, due to

Quantis.

But there

were 500

people gathering

in that

auditorium.

But on a

Monday night,

it wasn't a

church service.

There's a

ministry called

Regenerate.

So this

ministry models

itself after

Alcoholic

Anonymous'

12-step

program.

But instead

of using the

traditional

addiction program,

they replaced

each element

in the

element of

the gospel.

In fact,

the first

step of the

program quotes

Romans 7-18.

And it states

that we have

to admit that

we are powerless

to overcome

our addiction,

brokenness,

and sinful

patterns.

That in our

own power,

our lives are

unmanageable

and unimaginable.

So they

advertised this

ministry openly,

not just for

Christians, for

non-Christians as

well.

And people

throughout Dallas

and Fort Worth

come to this

place.

So they

break people

up into

small groups.

And it was

in a group

of about

20 men.

And they

share all

types of

problems.

Domestic

violence,

marital

unfaithfulness,

and many

other patterns

of sin and

addictions.

And the

church was

open and

ready to

minister to

these people.

people.

So if

everyone here

at church

believes in

the power of

the gospel

of Jesus

and the

Holy Spirit,

that he

has the

power to

save and

change us,

what would

our church

look like?

In order to

represent a

diverse community

of Chastwood,

it can't be

just about

ethnic diversity.

It needs to

be a diversity

of social

economic

background.

And church

is not just

for the

moral

middle-class

person.

If we

can, by

a church,

be a church

that welcomes

people of

every background,

every type of

sin and

addiction,

and share

Jesus with

them,

we can

let Jesus

change them.

And we

can truly

echo the

vision that

treasuring

Jesus is for

the joys of

all people.

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