Sermon by Markes Wilson
Hebrew 12:28-29
"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire."
- Our gratitude is not for something that we can achieve because we worked hard; our gratitude is received for something that no matter how hard we try, we can never achieve.
- It is our natural tendency to be thankless.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
081119: Romans 2 & 3
Romans 2:17-29 "The Jews and the Law"
- The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
- A man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.
Romans 3:1-8 "God's Faithfulness"
- "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew...? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God."
- "Someone might argue, 'If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increase his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?'... Their condemnation is deserved."
--> God is righteous and faithful REGARDLESS of human actions.
Romans 3:9-20 "No One Is Righteous"
- "Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
- "There is no one righteous, not even one;... There is no fear of God before their eyes."
- "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."
Romans 3:21-31 "Righteousness Through Faith"
- "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are jusified freely by his GRACE through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God present him as a sacrifice of atonement, through FAITH IN HIS BLOOD."
--> Righteousness is NOT earned by following the Law. Righteousness is a GIFT by the Grace of God, by Jesus Christ dying for us on the cross, shedding His blood to wash away our sins; the Law is there to SHOW how we all sin. There is NOTHING we can do to ever make us righteous. We are righteous THROUGH Jesus Christ.
- "A man is justified by faith apart from observing the law."
- "There is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith."
- The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
- A man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code.
Romans 3:1-8 "God's Faithfulness"
- "What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew...? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God."
- "Someone might argue, 'If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increase his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?'... Their condemnation is deserved."
--> God is righteous and faithful REGARDLESS of human actions.
Romans 3:9-20 "No One Is Righteous"
- "Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
- "There is no one righteous, not even one;... There is no fear of God before their eyes."
- "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."
Romans 3:21-31 "Righteousness Through Faith"
- "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are jusified freely by his GRACE through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God present him as a sacrifice of atonement, through FAITH IN HIS BLOOD."
--> Righteousness is NOT earned by following the Law. Righteousness is a GIFT by the Grace of God, by Jesus Christ dying for us on the cross, shedding His blood to wash away our sins; the Law is there to SHOW how we all sin. There is NOTHING we can do to ever make us righteous. We are righteous THROUGH Jesus Christ.
- "A man is justified by faith apart from observing the law."
- "There is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith."
081116: Justification by Grace
Sermon by Pastor Don Willeman
Romans 3:9-25
I. meaning of justification
a. to demonstrate or to prove to be just, right, valid
b. to declare something/someone free of blame; to absolve of guilt
c. a court room term whereby a judge declares a person to be righteous and to save the person from the punishment that the person would otherwise deserve
II. justification by grace
Romans 3: 24 "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus..."
thus, to be declared righteous by grace alone, through Faith alone, on account of Christ alone
III. implication of justification by grace
a. opens up a whole new world for us to be good, i.e. to change focus from self-centeredness to centeredness on other things
b. opens up a way to a more genuine fellowship
repentance: "I cannot make myself righteous and need the Grace of God"
Romans 3:9-25
I. meaning of justification
a. to demonstrate or to prove to be just, right, valid
b. to declare something/someone free of blame; to absolve of guilt
c. a court room term whereby a judge declares a person to be righteous and to save the person from the punishment that the person would otherwise deserve
II. justification by grace
Romans 3: 24 "...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus..."
thus, to be declared righteous by grace alone, through Faith alone, on account of Christ alone
III. implication of justification by grace
a. opens up a whole new world for us to be good, i.e. to change focus from self-centeredness to centeredness on other things
b. opens up a way to a more genuine fellowship
repentance: "I cannot make myself righteous and need the Grace of God"
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
081109: The Discipline of Speaking the Truth to Our Neighbors
by Pastor Don Willeman
- we are all spiritually bankrupt
I. the need to speak the Truth
- Jesus sends disciples out to speak the Truth, thus as Christians, we all have the calling to speak the Truth --> so that people know about the Truth!!
- Matthew 28:18-20 "The Great Commission"
- Luke 24:45-50
II. the truth we need to speak
- about what God has done to make us possible
- 1 Corinthsians 15:3-12 "The Resurrection of Christ"
"I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God, that was with me."
- The gospel is not about you; it's about what the Messiah has done for you
III. the way/manner we need to speak the Truth
- i.e. WHO we are when we say it
a. via the Church (John 17:20 "Jesus prays for all believers")
- God speaks to us about the Truth via Jesus Christ, thus the Church is our means to speak the Truth about God
b. via ourselves
2 Timothy 2:23-27 "A Workman Approved by God"
to "gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance, lending them to a knowledge of the Truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."
- repentance is NOT religious, is NOT pious, is NOT sincere in spirit
Confession of Faith (from the Theological Declaration of Barmen)
We confess that as Jesus Christ is God's assurance of the forgiveness of all our sins, so in the same way and with the same seriousness is he also God's mighty claim upon our whole life. Through him befalls us a joyful deliverance from the godless fetters of this world for a free, grateful service to his creatures. We reject the false doctrine, as though there were areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ, but to other lords--areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.
- we are all spiritually bankrupt
I. the need to speak the Truth
- Jesus sends disciples out to speak the Truth, thus as Christians, we all have the calling to speak the Truth --> so that people know about the Truth!!
- Matthew 28:18-20 "The Great Commission"
- Luke 24:45-50
II. the truth we need to speak
- about what God has done to make us possible
- 1 Corinthsians 15:3-12 "The Resurrection of Christ"
"I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God, that was with me."
- The gospel is not about you; it's about what the Messiah has done for you
III. the way/manner we need to speak the Truth
- i.e. WHO we are when we say it
a. via the Church (John 17:20 "Jesus prays for all believers")
- God speaks to us about the Truth via Jesus Christ, thus the Church is our means to speak the Truth about God
b. via ourselves
2 Timothy 2:23-27 "A Workman Approved by God"
to "gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance, lending them to a knowledge of the Truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."
- repentance is NOT religious, is NOT pious, is NOT sincere in spirit
Confession of Faith (from the Theological Declaration of Barmen)
We confess that as Jesus Christ is God's assurance of the forgiveness of all our sins, so in the same way and with the same seriousness is he also God's mighty claim upon our whole life. Through him befalls us a joyful deliverance from the godless fetters of this world for a free, grateful service to his creatures. We reject the false doctrine, as though there were areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ, but to other lords--areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
081105: Romans 1 & 2
Romans 1
- “you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith”
- “The righteous will live by faith”
- “what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them”
- “men are without excuse”
Leviticus 18:19-23 “Unlawful Sexual Relations
Romans 2
- “God’s kindness leads you toward repentance”
- “God will give to each person according to what he has done”
- “God does not show favoritism”
- “It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”
- “you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith”
- “The righteous will live by faith”
- “what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them”
- “men are without excuse”
Leviticus 18:19-23 “Unlawful Sexual Relations
Romans 2
- “God’s kindness leads you toward repentance”
- “God will give to each person according to what he has done”
- “God does not show favoritism”
- “It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”
081102: A Place for Truth
Sermon by Jason Achmoody
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
- "Do not give the devil an opportunity"
The church MUST be a place of Truth
- by admonishing each other
- by encouraging each other meaningfully (require good listening with graciousness)
- by singing to each other
To keep silence is to give Satan the opportunity
Message: we as Christians are called to God to speak the truth; there exists an ABSOLUTE TRUTH, revealed to us through God the Father and Jesus Christ
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
- "Do not give the devil an opportunity"
The church MUST be a place of Truth
- by admonishing each other
- by encouraging each other meaningfully (require good listening with graciousness)
- by singing to each other
To keep silence is to give Satan the opportunity
Message: we as Christians are called to God to speak the truth; there exists an ABSOLUTE TRUTH, revealed to us through God the Father and Jesus Christ
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