March 22, 2020- Submit. Love. Awake.- Romans 13
Romans: Righteousness for the Unrighteous
We all have morally neutral things we just won't do because we are too ashamed to do them. A teenage boy doesn't want to be caught going to the movies with mom and dad because his peers will shame him. A senior citizen doesn't want to use a walker or give up their driver's license because they'll feel the shame of being dependent on others. A pre-teen child doesn't want to wear their siblings hand-me-downs because they feel the shame of their friends. in much the same way, every believer from time to time shies away from sharing the gospel with someone because they are too ashamed of what that person will think or how it might effect their relationship. In this passage, Paul shows us why we should never be ashamed of the Gospel because it is God's power to save all who believe.
Everybody loves good news: wedding announcements, baby arrivals, etc. But nobody wants bad news directed their way. Yet in order to truly appreciate good news, we need to understand the bad news that precedes it. If there is one teaching the American church has all but ignored and abandoned it is the wrath of God against mankind because of our total depravity. In Romans 1:18-3:20, the Apostle Paul helps us to see that each of us deserve God's wrath because of our sins. We learn that we are without excuse, we are just as guilty as the worst, and we are condemned under God's Law. It is terribly bad news, but only those who grasp it will then be in a position to embrace the Good News.
How can a just and righteous God declare sinners to be righteous without compromising His own righteousness? Only by faith in the sinless Son of God who satisfied God's wrath on sin. In this message, we see that at the cross, God's justice and mercy are revealed and that all who come by faith in Jesus are declared right with a holy God.
February 2, 2020—Will Salter—Romans 5:1-11
What does it mean for us now that we are justified by faith in Jesus? It means we have peace with God and hope even in our afflictions. In this message, pastoral intern Will Salter shares how this peace and hope transform everything for us as believers.
How can we possibly have hope in the presence of indwelling sin and imminent death in this fallen world? This hope is only possible because Jesus Christ became sin for us on the cross and tasted death in our place, then rose again. In today's passage, we see that we all come into this world under the reign of death Adam brought and yet if we receive the free gift of righteousness through faith in Jesus, grace will abound beyond all that.
Each one of us from time to time is disappointed in our own spiritual progress. We sin yet again and are left wondering if there is any hope for us. In this oddly comforting passage, we learn that even the Apostle Paul struggled with indwelling sin and reminds us that this does not mean the Gospel is any less powerful over our lives.
When we come to the book of Romans, we come to the Himalayas of the Bible. When we come to Romans chapter 8, we come to Mount Everest. This is the chapter of the Bible that best summarizes the problem our sin caused, the wonder of our salvation, and the glorious truth that believers have nothing to fear. In this message, we look at the common fear of being condemned by God and how the Gospel gives us great hope to live without this fear.
How do we live with a fearless confidence in God? By remembering what He has done in salvation. He has taken us from being slaves to being sons and heirs, from groaning to glory, and from condemned sinners to being more than conquerors. Now, there is nothing that can separate us from God's unstoppable love in Christ.
Ever wondered if God will actually keep all His glorious promises to us? The main point of Romans 9-11 is to reassure us that God always keeps His promises. Many in the church at Rome were wondering how God could be faithful to us if it seems He wasn't faithful to Israel, since they still reject the Messiah. Paul has both a breaking heart and a thinking head and shows us how to both love the lost and remember that God is sovereign in salvation. The end result of God's wise plan with Israel and us is that He get all the glory for His infinite wisdom.
How can I live my life as an act of worship to God? Paul tells us that we must renew our thinking to change our living, use our gifts to serve our church, and live our faith to impact the world.
Should the government have the authority to call churches to cancel their corporate gatherings? How should we live among each other during this Coronavirus pandemic? Does this have anything to do with Jesus' return? These are all questions Romans 13 help to answer for us. Join us in worship through song and Word :)
How should born again believers relate with one another over gray areas in the Christian life in which they disagree? Join us as we consider from Romans 14 just how important it is that we, "pursue what makes for peace and mutual upbuilding."
Every major organization has a mission statement. Here in the end of Romans, the Apostle Paul gives us his mission statement and shows that it is really God's mission for him. Paul explains the mission to reaching unreached Gentiles, then invites the church at Rome and us to partner together in the Gospel mission, and finally provides rich encouragement while on this mission.