Year in Review

Days to be Remembered: The Book of Esther (January 6 – March 24)

We started the year by studying the short, unusual book of Esther.  You’ll recall how the Amalekites and Israelites had been enemies for years, despite being distant cousins through their fathers Jacob and Esau.  The Israelites found themselves in captivity due to sin.  The second in all the Persian Empire was a man named Haman who hatched a plan to kill all the Israelites with the King’s permission.  However, he did not realize that the king’s new wife, Esther was herself and Israelite.  Despite her initial fear and at the urging of her relative Mordecai, she approached the king to see a way to save her people.  God granted her favor in her husband’s eye, and spared her.  Once he heard of the plot to kill his wife and her people, he had Haman put to death on the very gallows he built for Mordecai and empowered the people of Israel to fight back and be allowed to live. 

Infant King

Matthew 2:1-23

Merry Christmas and welcome to this second message in our new series in the gospel of Matthew. John set the stage for us last week, remarking how Matthew tells the story of Jesus from an intensely Jewish perspective. He frequently quotes from the Old Testament to make his case for Jesus being the promised Messiah. In the things that Jesus said and did – even through who he was and what happened to him – Jesus fulfilled many prophesies that foretold the coming of a savior, a leader who would deliver the people of Israel from everyone oppressing them and give them a life of shalom: peace, freedom, and fulfillment. The word Messiah literally means “anointed one,” harkening back to the anointing of David by Samuel to be a godly king over the people of Israel. The anointed Messiah would come from the line of David and reign in righteousness and blessedness, expanding his own divine kingdom into the whole world. The message of redemption would be universal. Matthew emphasizes how the Messiah, though Jewish and coming in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, touches all people everywhere and for all time. We’ll see evidence of this in our passage for today.

Generation 42

Matthew 1:1-25

 Good morning!  We are starting a new series today.  It is titled, “The Kingdom of Jesus.”  We will cover the first half of Matthew’s gospel, chapters 1-12.  It will carry us till the end of March.

Carl wrote the introduction for the series in this way … “In the decades before Jesus, expectations grew of a long-awaited Messiah who would finally bring the kingdom of God to earth. Even the long-celebrated kingdom of David was seen as a foreshadowing of the far greater kingdom that was to come. For centuries, prophets had written about this coming King and kingdom, but the age of the prophets had seemingly ended. Life in Israel was difficult as a result of foreign occupation and interference. Had God forgotten His promises? Matthew tells the fantastic story of how, at last, the Messiah had come.”

Multiplying Workers

Fulfilling the Great Commission: Multiplying Workers

Welcome! Today is our final message in this series entitled “Fulfilling the Great Commission.” Today’s message is entitled “Multiplying Workers.” As I have mentioned throughout this series, this series is based in part on the book “What Jesus Started” by Steve Addison.

I want to start today with a review of where we’ve been, and to also specifically ask the question, “Is this really what Jesus started?”

Gathering Communities

Fulfilling the Great Commission: Gathering Communities

Welcome! Today we continue our series on “Fulfilling the Great Commission.” Today’s message is entitled “Gathering Communities.” I want to start with a pretty provocative quote by Richard Halverson, a former chaplain to the US senate:

“In the beginning the Church was a fellowship of men and women who centered their lives on the living Christ. They had a personal and vital relationship to the Lord. It transformed them and the world around them. Then the Church moved to Greece, and it became a philosophy. Later it moved to Rome, and it became an institution. Next it moved to Europe and it became a culture. Finally, it moved to America, and it became an enterprise. We’ve got far too many churches and so few fellowships.”

I think there is unfortunately a lot of truth to this quote. There have always been exceptions, but the church in Greece, and then in Rome, and then in Europe, and then in America, has had its struggles. In each of these setting, the trouble begins because people try to “do” church without first and foremost submitting their lives to Christ, living in submission to Him day by day, depending on the Holy Spirit to convict, teach, and guide them. Apart from Christ, the church starts to look like the institutions of the world. Although I think the illustrations of Jesus’ first disciples and the early church in Scripture are more descriptive than proscriptive in terms of the organizational details, from looking at the letters to the churches in Revelations, as well as Paul’s letters, it is clear that individual relationships with Christ must always be the foundational bedrock of “church.”

Training Disciples

Fulfilling the Great Commission: Training Disciples

 

Welcome! Today we continue our series on “Fulfilling the Great Commission.” A starting point of our series has been the idea that disciples are people who make disciples. Today’s message is entitled “Training Disciples.” As I have mentioned throughout this series, these messages are based in part on the book “What Jesus Started” by Steve Addison.

Today, I want you to imagine that you are one of the people who lived at the time of Paul and the early church. I am basing this on a real person. This person is male, and I apologize if this makes this exercise somewhat less relatable if you are female. You are Greek, not a Jew, and while a young adult, you come into contact with the gospel, believe, and are saved. You are either taught directly by Paul or in a circle of people that were taught by Paul. Because you are faithful and earnest in the work of sharing the gospel and helping to disciple believers, your reputation leads Paul himself to want to take you along with him and use you as needed to further the work of growing churches. However, there is the question of circumcision. There were leaders of the church in Jerusalem who thought that being an “upper tier” leader required that one be circumcised. In the case of Timothy, Paul had gone along with this, perhaps because Timothy had a Jewish mother. But in your case, not having any Jewish connection at all, Paul feels it is entirely inappropriate. He feels it is important to establish that in Christ, circumcision is nothing and is certainly not meant for any Gentile believers in Christ.

Sharing the Gospel

Fulfilling the Great Commission: Sharing the Gospel

Welcome! Today we continue our series on “Fulfilling the Great Commission.” As I have mentioned in the past two messages, this series is loosely based on a book called “What Jesus Started” by Steve Addison. Two weeks ago, we looked at God’s heart towards the lost, how He loves them and wants them to turn to Him in faith. Last week, we talked about connecting with people. Jesus taught His disciples by example, showing them that compassion was for everyone, including those whose lives were quite a mess. One such example was the Samaritan woman at the well, who was in many ways the absolutely last person Jews might otherwise talk to. She was a Samaritan, whose religious beliefs were a toxic hodgepodge of half-truths and cultish traditions. She was a woman, and Jewish men did not talk in public with women at all. And she had lived a very immoral life and was likely shunned by even her own village. Yet Jesus chose her to talk to, she was very receptive to Him, and the disciples learned to seek out the lost, no matter what “package” they came in. Jesus also spoke to a demon-possessed seemingly crazy and dangerous man in the Gerasenes. Jesus cast out the demons and the man was then very receptive to Jesus and His message. We likewise see all kinds of people coming to faith in Christ in the Book of Acts, from the non-Jewish centurion named Cornelius, to the woman of Thyatira named Lydia. Brought to faith were everything from the wealthy and influential to the poor and anonymous.

Connecting with People

Fulfilling the Great Commission: Connecting with People

Welcome! Today we continue our series on “Fulfilling the Great Commission.” As I mentioned last week, this series is loosely based on a book called “What Jesus Started” by Steve Addison. Today’s message is entitled “Connecting with People”. Last week we considered God’s heart towards the lost – He loves the lost and has great compassion for them, and as Christ followers we too should have great compassion for the lost. We looked at the Great Commission in Matthew 28, and how disciples are by definition people who make disciples, and thus, as Christ followers, we too should reach out to the lost with the gospel, and as they come to faith in Christ, we should continue to help them grow and become people who themselves can help others come to faith and grow. In this way, the effects of the gospel multiply like wildfire, and this is what we see in the gospels, in Acts, and in the New Testament letters. We also talked about the “Satanic lullaby” in America that encourages believers to “sleep” spiritually and not be about the work of the Great Commission. Shockingly, an Iranian Christian woman living for a short time in the United States wanted to go back to Iran facing potentially severe persecution and possibly even death, because she preferred these threats to the sleepiness she felt in America. How do you feel today? I pray that we are not spiritually sleepy.

Seeing the End

Fulfilling the Great Commission: Seeing the End

 Welcome! Today we begin a new series entitled “Fulfilling the Great Commission”. This series is loosely based on a book called “What Jesus Started” by Steve Addison. I want to start this series with a well-known passage from Matthew 9:

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” – Matt. 9:35-38

Lessons from Paul's Personal Greetings

Romans 16:1-27

As World War II was coming to a close, American soldiers began to wonder about the sacrifices that were made to fight the war.  They had gone through many sleepless nights in battle, many weeks of being hungry and many fellow soldiers had fallen at their side.  They had left home to fight for what?  They had left wives, children or girlfriends to fight an enemy on the other side of the ocean...but why? 

In the movie series, Band of Brothers, you see a portrayal of what the army soldiers went through.  The documentary was about E(Easy) Company, 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment.  They were a part of the 101st Airborne Division. 

A discontentment was growing among the soldiers as to their involvement in this war.  And then, they saw it.  As Easy Company was travelling through Germany they saw what was unexplainable.  It was an image I’m sure they would never get out of their mind until the day they died.  In just a few brief moments the anguish of the war made sense.  They finally saw what they were fighting for.

Paul's Example

Romans 15:14-33 

Praise God for his indescribable gift!  It is too easy to overlook the blessings we have in Christ.  I know we all face challenges and even trials of many kinds.  And yet, in Christ, we have something which the world simply does not have.

Friday night around the campfire we were talking briefly about our inability as individuals to serve others and accomplish worldly achievements.  In particular, we were talking about not being able to pursue achievements which would be to our own advantage and I don’t even mean selfish advantage.  Arguably, these advantages to pursue now would allow the chance to have more freedom to do good in the future.

So, there is room for people to go in either direction.  I don’t think working hard now to have a future opportunity is wrong.  Nor do I think that serving others now to the point where an opportunity is lost is wrong.  What I am saying is how we concluded the discussion Friday night … in Christ.

Psalm 37:8 “Do not fret—it leads only to evil.” and I Peter 3:6 (ESV) “Do not fear anything that is frightening.”  The world can be a confusing and complex, difficult and sometimes scary place.  Why then shouldn’t we fret or fear?

Because the Lord says, “Do not be afraid for I am with you,” throughout scripture.  Twice in Genesis (26:24 and 28:15) including the exhortations “I will bless you, and I will watch over you wherever you go.”  Twice in Isaiah (41:10 and 43:5), including the familiar verse Isaiah 41:10, “Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Then, in Jeremiah where times were bleak for the Jewish people, we see God’s promise five times!  (1:8, 1:19, 15:20, 30:11, 42:11, 46:28)  These verses also include the promises, “I will rescue you; the enemy will not overcome you; I will save you; I will deliver you.”  Twice in Haggai, the LORD Almighty declares, “I am with you.”  And then Jesus says to us in Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always.”

Accept One Another Like Christ Accepts You

Romans 15:1-13

Have you ever been in a situation where another person was driving you crazy, and you wanted to put them in their place? Or maybe you just wanted to give up because you were tired of putting up with them. How about relating to someone struggling with a sinful habit or attitude that just isn’t a temptation for you, and you wonder why it’s such a big deal for them all the time? How should you react? Do we have to put up with other people regardless? How does Jesus want us as his disciples to behave with people that we just don’t understand or get along with? Well, there’s a clue in our title for today: Accept One Another Like Christ Accepts You. This is a very important part of our Christian walk and can make a big difference in all our relationships. Let’s pray as we begin.

Do Not Destroy the Work of God

Romans 14:1-23

Good morning!  We are closing in on the end of our series on the book of Romans.  In fact, the series will conclude on the last Sunday of this month.

Last week’s message talked about submission (always a popular topic) and clothing ourselves with Christ.  This week’s message is going to carry that thought forward giving us additional things to think about in how we relate to one another especially in the areas of personal conviction and conscience.

I realize that for me that is a pretty short introduction, but we have a lot of ground to cover today, so let’s pray and jump right in to Romans chapter 14.

Father God, we need Your insight continually.  Please help us to see our conduct rightly.  Please fill our hearts and minds with Your Holy Spirit as we look into Your Word.  Show us what You have for each of us.  We pray in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Submit and Clothe Yourselves with Christ

Romans 13:1-14

Welcome back to our study of Romans, as we look at chapter 13 today. It might feel like we are on the downhill side of this book now, heading toward the conclusion. In the first 11 chapters we climbed a long, steady theological mountain. Paul was step by step making his case about the universal need for salvation and the fact that Jews and Gentiles alike can only be reconciled to God by his grace through faith in the work of Jesus to pay the price for our sin. We reached the top of the mountain, the climax of the book in chapter 12, verse 1: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” God in his mercy has provided this wonderful way of salvation – now what are we are supposed to do with it? The other side of the mountain, the remainder of this book, is about our response, motivated and empowered by grace. What does it mean to live a life of worship as a living sacrifice? These are very practical chapters that bring us down to earth in our spiritual walk. Paul describes how our thoughts and behavior should be different from “the pattern of this world,” mentioned in 12:2. What does transformation by the renewing of our minds actually look like in daily life?

Live Love

Romans 12:9-21

Good morning!  We are continuing on through the second half of chapter 12 in Paul’s letter to the Romans.  We’ve moved into a more practical section of instruction and exhortation about how to live the Christian life.

Last week, Carl shared the ultimate secret of how to live the Christian life.  Do you remember?  It is found at the beginning of Romans 12 in verse 1, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”  This doesn’t mean our outward body alone.  Body here includes our physical body and also our minds as verse 2 alerts us, “Stop conforming to the pattern of this world.  Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Offer Your Bodies and Use Your Gifts

Romans 12:1-8

Welcome! Today we continue our series on the book of Romans, venturing into Chapter 12. Now, don’t look at the verse until I tell you to do so. (Otherwise, you will spoil my introduction.) Today, we are going to learn the ultimate secret about how to live the Christian life. Am I over-hyping this passage? I don’t think so.

You Grafted Ones and the Future Salvation

Romans 11:17-36

Good morning!  We are moving forward in our series on the book of Romans.  Today, we are at the end of a section in the letter which addresses the people of Israel, the Jews.  This section began three weeks ago and covers chapters 9, 10 and 11.

In chapter 9, we saw how Israel had stumbled over the stumbling stone.  They had not accepted Jesus as their Messiah.  Chapter 9 concludes with these words from Isaiah, “The one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”  (9:32) Believing in Him is what we are called to do.

In chapter 10, we were reminded again there is no difference between Jew and Gentile.  “The Lord is Lord of all, and richly blesses all who call on Him.” (10:12) And yet, the Jews in large measure stuck to seeking their own righteousness by effort and works.  That chapter concludes saying God stretches out His arms to Israel desiring to draw them to Himself.

Last week, in the first half of chapter 11, we were told again that God has not rejected Israel.  There is even a blessing for the Gentiles, the non-Jewish, believers.  According to Romans 11:11, Salvation has come to the Gentiles because of Israel’s transgression.

What is the big deal about this division between Jews and Gentiles?  The Jews trace their ancestry back to Abraham.  Then, of course, there was the time that the nation spent in Egypt before receiving the Law through Moses.  God called Israel His chosen people.  The Law told them to keep separate from those who did not follow the Law.  Instead of the people of Israel becoming a kingdom of priests who displayed God to the world around them, there was enmity between Israel and those Gentile nations around her.

God’s plan was clear from the beginning.  God gave this promise to Abraham, “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)  In writing to the Galatians, Paul explained this further, “Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ ” (Galatians 3:8)

Would They Be Envious!

Romans 11:1-16

As we have seen over the last couple of Sundays, this section of the book of Romans, chapters 9 to 11, focuses on the relationship between God and the people of Israel. Paul had a great burden for his own people. He begins chapter 9 saying that he would gladly be cut off from Christ himself for Israel to be saved. That is a serious statement! Paul means that would do anything to save the Jews; he is heartbroken over their refusal to accept Jesus as their Savior. They had stumbled over the stumbling stone of Jesus himself, rejecting a righteousness that comes by faith and instead continuing to apply their own effort in pursuing the law as though salvation was on the basis of works. They missed the fact that Christ had come as the culmination of that law, paying the price himself for sin, so that there could be righteousness for everyone who believes, both Jew and Gentile.

The Tragedy of Establishing Your Own Righteousness

Romans 10:1-21

Welcome! Today we continue our series into the rich but challenging book of Romans. We are in the middle of a section about Israel that consists of Chapter 9 through 11. Really, to step back a bit, I believe the point of these three chapters is to answer the question: If salvation really is by faith in Christ, and not by works, then why don’t the Jews, of all people, who should have known God more than any other people, because to them the history happened, to them the Scriptures were given – if this salvation by faith thing is really true, why don’t the Jews believe it? It is a good question, and in Chapter 9, Paul lays the groundwork says in effect that this is not a surprise to God; indeed, it is part of God’s sovereign will. The chapter concludes with the thought that, from a human perspective, the rejection of Christ as savior is because they “stumbled over the stumbling stone” – because they pursued righteousness not by faith but as if it could be attained through works. Paul continues in Chapter 10:

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  – Romans 10:1-3

Stumbling over the Stone

Romans 9:1-33

Good morning!  Today we are going to turn a corner in our series on the book of Romans.  This book is really a letter.  Obviously, Paul is writing to Romans.  In particular, he is writing to the church in Rome.  In the letter, we see that this church is composed of a mix of Jewish and Gentile believers with the Gentiles in the majority.  (Romans1:13) The theme of this letter is Romans 1:16-17.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.  For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed--a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” – Romans 1:16-17

Salvation is for everyone who believes first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.  And through the first 8 chapters of Romans, Paul has convinced us about everyone’s need of salvation.  And, he has shown us clearly God’s glorious provision of Jesus Christ His Son as our Savior.

Inseparable

Romans 8:31-39

Welcome! We are at about the halfway point in the book of Romans, and before I get into today’s passage, I want to go back to some of the most encouraging verses we have seen so far in Romans. Now I believe most of you already know these verses – maybe not by chapter and verse, but if I start the verses, I believe you will be able to finish them (or at least come close). So I am going to present you with the first half of the verses, and then encourage you to complete them, one phrase at a time.

Having an Eternal Focus

Romans 8:18-30

By way of review, let’s look at a quick synopsis of Romans.  The first 5 chapters are really about the Gospel.  Chapters 1 through 3:20 show the sinfulness of all man and the need for the Gospel.  From 3:21 until the end of chapter 5, Paul explains the Gospel: salvation through Christ alone.  Then in chapters 6 through 8, he’s been talking about the benefits of that gospel.  Chapters 6 through 7 gave the “negative” benefits.  Not that they are bad, but they are given in a negative light.  We are no longer under the law, slaves to sin, under the curse, dead in trespasses and sin, nor victims of sin.    Chapter 8 shows us the positive benefits of salvation.  We are no longer under condemnation.  We are free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).  We live according to the Spirit (8:5).  We are in the Spirit; we belong to Christ.  Then in verses 15-17, Paul says we are adopted children of God.  If we are the children of God, we are the heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ. 

Be Led by the Spirit

Romans 8:1-17

Welcome! Today we continue with our series on Romans. Last week, Fred, despite a broken leg, taught us powerfully on Romans 7. In this passage, Paul jumps from third to first person (from “he” to “I”), saying that there are two laws at work in him. The first law is God’s law, and in his mind, Paul says he is a slave to this law, and in his inner being he delights in this law. But the second law is the law of sin, and Paul says that in his sinful nature, in his flesh, he is a slave to this law. This second law wages war against the first law, and Paul calls himself a prisoner of this law of sin. He calls himself wretched – in the Greek, a powerful compound word that literally means pierced with affliction, and asks who will rescue him? Of course, everything Paul describes is not just the situation for Paul; it is also reality for all of us. We all struggle with doing the very things we do not want to do – we all battle ourselves in our struggles to avoid sin. Who will rescue him? Who will rescue us? The answer is God, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord – and how rescue really works is explained in today’s wonderful passage from Romans 8. Let’s get right into this passage:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus… - Romans 8:1

Wretched!

Romans 7:14-25

We have been going through the Book of Romans for a number of months now, and we still have a ways to go.  Today we are going to continue in Romans 7:14-25 to get a better understanding of the struggle Paul had between his flesh and his spirit.  The apostle Peter said this about Paul:

Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. –2 Peter 3:15-16

Released from the Law, but the Law is Good

Romans 7:1-13

Do you feel that Romans is a very theological book? It is indeed full of foundational concepts that define what we believe as Christians. It uses some words that are very important for us to understand: sin, law, grace, faith, righteousness, judgment, and so on. These words are like pegs on which we hang the tapestry of the Christian experience. We need to consider them in the context of the entire Bible to understand what they really mean. And that’s important for us to do, because we can see examples throughout history of where misunderstandings or misconceptions of these key words have led people into all kinds of errors. I will tell you today about how the church got a little off track on the concept of grace and what happened then. But I also want to reiterate the importance of something that goes beyond correct doctrine. We can have our theology all tidily laid out, but that’s not what really matters. The bigger question is what difference it is making in our lives – in how we are truly loving God and truly loving other people. That’s where the rubber hits the road in our understanding of Romans.

Then Shall We Sin? No!

Romans 6:15-23

Welcome! Today we continue with our series on Romans. I want to start by backing up a bit to the end of Chapter 5:

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:20-21

What does it mean that the law was brought in so that the trespass might increase? Did the law really make more things sin than were sin before? I would argue “no” – what it means is that the law made explicit things that people who really had loved God and had really loved other people should have known already.

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

Romans 6:1-14

Welcome back to the book of Romans, the most comprehensive and detailed explanation of the gospel in the New Testament, the good news of salvation through Jesus. What have we learned so far? At the beginning of this book Paul spends a few chapters making the case for the universal need for salvation. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, as it says in chapter 3. No one can approach God on their own. There is no hope of our good deeds somehow outweighing our bad ones, as the Muslims believe. No one will ever be good enough to satisfy a perfectly holy God. Our only hope is to humbly receive the salvation that he offers us, with Jesus having paid the penalty for our sin through his death on the cross. God’s own righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. This free gift that we don’t deserve is called grace.

The Gift is Not Like the Trespass

Romans 5:12-21

At the beginning of our study in Romans, we looked at Romans 1:16-17: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed…”  One of the main things Paul was doing was explaining the gospel to the Romans.  The message of the gospel isn’t just the death of Jesus, His resurrection, and us receiving the gift He gave on the cross.  The gospel message is simple but it’s multi-faceted, like a diamond.  In Romans, Paul is showing us the many facets.

Saved from Wrath

Romans 5:1-11

 

Good morning!  We’ve got more good news from Romans today.  God is good. 

We’ve gone through four chapters in Paul’s letter to the church at Rome.  We’ve talked about the introduction and theme of this letter which is the righteousness which comes from God rather than from anything we do.  It’s summed up in Romans 1:16-17:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.  For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed--a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”  —Romans 1:16-17

Exhibit A: Abraham

Romans 4:1-25

Welcome! Today we continue our journey into faith and the gospel through the book of Romans, focusing on Chapter 4. After learning the bad news of our sin and separation from God through Romans Chapter 1, 2, and the first part of 3, we finally learned the good news:

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. – Romans 3:21-24

Righteousness Through Faith?

Romans 3:20-31

Good morning!  We’re continuing in our series on the book of Romans.  Today, we’ll finish up the end of chapter 3.  Even though we’re in the same chapter, we are turning a page compared to the last three weeks.  In those passages, we were confronted with humankind’s need for salvation.  All people need saving, Jewish people, non-Jewish people, lawless and lawful, everyone needs saving.

Everyone Needs Saving

Romans 3:9-20

Welcome! I want to start today with a transcript from a video of a conversation between an evangelist and a guy on the street. I’m using a transcript because the audio quality is uneven, but the link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDOttK1Gg08 in case you want to watch it yourself.

The Lawful Need Saving

 Romans 2:17-3:8

The book of Romans was written as a letter to the church in Rome.  Since it was a letter, it’s important to review what we’ve learned the past two weeks, in order to keep the context in mind.  When we read a letter from a friend or loved one, we typically read that in one sitting, from beginning to end.  We are taking about 6 months to go through this one, so I want to go back for a minute and remind us what Paul has said so far.  When we study Scripture, context is king.  We look at who is speaking, who they are addressing, and what was said before now that may help us to understand what message the speaker/author is trying to convey. 

The Lawless Need Saving

Romans 1:18-2:16

Welcome! Today we continue our exploration of the incomparable book of Romans. Last week, John did an excellent job introducing the book, giving background, and exploring the first half of Chapter 1. Romans is filled with theology – even the opening words include a significant discussion of who Jesus is and how Jesus has called Paul’s audience in Rome to “belong” to Him. After explaining how he longs to be with them and share the gospel in their city, Paul writes:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” – Romans 1:16-17

Introduction to Romans

Romans 1: 1-17

Good morning!  Today we are starting a new series delving into the book of Romans.  It is going to take us several months to travel the length of the entire book, but it is a rich store of truth that we should not rush through.

Perhaps you’ve already read the flyer for this series.  In it, several stories are shared about how the book of Romans in some way dramatically impacted well-known servants of God including Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Wesley.  The powerful words of Romans have inspired and drawn believers to deeper understanding of the immutable foundation of our faith in Jesus Christ.  It is our hope and prayer that this series will strengthen your faith as well.