In our text today, we find a sobering explanation for our grave situation. Today’s passage is part of a larger argument in Ch. 1-3 where Paul tells the painful story of humanity. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Romans: The Power of God in the Gospel of Christ
TEXT: Romans 1:18-32
TITLE:  A Sobering Explanation for a Grave Situation
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. We Suppress the Truth of God
II. We Serve the Idol of Self
III. We Live in Our Own Misery

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

”Why is the world the way it is today? If you were asked that question, what would your explanation be?”

“In our text today, we find a sobering explanation for our grave situation. Today’s passage is part of a larger argument in Ch. 1-3 where Paul tells the painful story of humanity.” 

“Beginning in 18, Paul says, Let me show why we are so desperate for the gospel. What we find is horrifying. Think about that one phone call you never want to get—the bad news of today’s text is infinitely worse. It demonstrates humanity's downward spiral into immorality, darkness, misery, and self-ruin.”

“Paul begins by saying—The wrath of God (His holy hatred for sin and hostility toward sinners) is presently being revealed against all ungodliness (our failure to acknowledge and love God as the center of everything) and unrighteousness (our failure to treat others with love, justice, and compassion). By this unrighteousness, we suppress the truth.”

“God has made known His power and majesty, not in a saving way; we find that in the gospel of Christ revealed in the Word of God. But God has made known His power and majesty, not cryptically but clearly, in creation. Like the words of a song reveal something about the songwriter, creation reveals the glory, majesty, and power of God.”

“But in our rebellion, we suppress what has been made clear to every human being—the truth of God’s glorious existence. In our rebellion and unbelief, we push down, we try to restrain and keep it out of sight so it doesn’t bear on our lives. Suppressing the truth of God is living like we don’t know what we do know because we don’t want what we know to bear on our lives.”

“We know God exists. We know we deserve his judgment. Humanity knows. God’s existence. His power. His glory. We know! But we suppress what we know in our minds, hearts, and with our lives. So, as 20 says—We are without excuse.”

“Here’s the tragedy. The moment we suppress the truth about God, we’ve lost everything. Suppressing the truth about God inevitably leads to suppressing the truth about self and sin, which in turn leads to suppressing the truth about the gospel, which leads to suppressing the truth about true love, joy, hope, and peace. Here’s the truth: We all suppress truth in some way. And that suppression leads to a man-centered idolatry.”    

ILLUSTRATION: Importance of the local church—We need each other!

“The keyword here is exchange. Paul uses it twice. It signals a significant and disastrous disordering of God’s design for humanity.”

“Herein lies the core problem for humankind—the sin of Idolatry. God created us as worshippers. Worship is in our DNA. The question isn’t, "Do I worship?" It’s Who or what do I worship? You might not have trinkets, images, and statues around your home, but you have a heart, which, in the words of John Calvin, is a perpetual idol factory. Someone said: The problem is not that we are able to make idols; the problem is that we automatically make idols.”

“The truth is God created us to REVEAL and REFLECT His glory upward (Genesis 1:26—we were made in the image of God). Instead, we EXCHANGE His glory by focusing our worship inward and downward to creation, as it says in 25. This is always the result of suppressing the truth about God—Idolatry. Instead of giving God His rightful place in our hearts, we don’t honor him with our lives. We don’t live gratefully before Him as the One to whom we owe all things. Functionally, we live for power, acceptance, and respect. We put people, possessions, and profits at the center of our hearts.” 

“That’s what idolatry is: MY, MY, MY. At the heart of any idol is the idol of self. Instead of living with God at the center, we place ourselves there. We put ourselves on the throne and build our lives around what we want. That’s the lie and the EXCHANGE here—we are autonomous and worthy of worship.”

“Exchange the God of Psalm 8—for what? The cure is not get rid of stuff, it’s pushing upward and inward into Christ and watch your idols fade in comparison to the glory and wonder you see.”

“Here’s what’s crazy: 21-22 says, we feel pretty good about ourselves. We think we’re wise, but we’re not. It’s a lie. It’s foolishness. It’s futility. It’s sin. And, it’s the pathway to self-ruin and endless misery.”

“Three times in our text (24, 26, 28), Paul says that God gave them over. The wrath of God is being revealed by allowing people to live as they wish. God removes His restraining grace from their lives and says—Have at it!“

“What that looks like is laid out in 26-31. First, Paul says, God gave them over to the misery of dishonorable passions.”

“There are fewer hot-button topics today, not just in society, but in the church, such as homosexuality. As Christians, we need to think Christianly about the matter:
1. Homosexuality transcends politics—it’s theological.
2. As Christians, we are called to engage with mercy, compassion, and patience.
3. The gospel is our only hope because it offers complete forgiveness for any form of sexual immorality.
4. In our compassion, we must never step off the authority of Scripture. It’s God’s final word on the matter.” 

“Irrespective of all the voices weighing in with their twisted conclusions of passages like this one, God says that homosexuality is an expression of His wrath being poured out on sinners. Sin has profoundly distorted and perverted God’s gift of sex, meant to be between a man and a woman who have been united in marriage by God. That’s God’s created order. But Paul says we have exchanged God’s glory in sexual relationships for a lie that there is something better.” 

“Sexual immorality is a foolish and futile abandonment of God’s gift of the joy and pleasure of sex. No matter how natural it feels to you, homosexuality is not natural. A woman having sexual relations with a woman and a man having sexual relations with a man is not how God intended nor intends it. As it says at the end of 27, it is shameless and self-destructive. We know it, and we feel it.”

“NOTE: If you are personally struggling with your sexuality or know someone who is, and you just don’t know where to begin with them, see a pastor.”

“Second, God gives them up to the misery of a debased mind—read 28-31. Paul names 21 sins in these verses. The list isn’t exhaustive; it’s representative. And it’s sobering.”   

“The picture here is moral chaos. I’m reminded of the Book of Judges—And everyone did what was right in their own eyes. 26-31 is a picture of what 18-25 looks like. When we suppress God, exchanging His glory for our own by placing ourselves at the center of our lives, this is what we get—a debased mind that acts and treats others however they please. And notice 32—not only do they commit these sins, but they give approval to those who join them.”

“That’s what is happening in our world today. The wrath of God is being revealed in this world, in our country, in our city, on the NW and East side, by the fact that God is giving people over to their sin.”

“This list should remind us that we are all guilty. Paul’s purpose here is not to point the finger at a particular kind of sin or sinner, as we will see in Ch 2, we all have our place in Romans 1:18-32. If you didn’t find yourself in this list, go back to point 1 because you are guilty of suppressing truth. Apart from Christ, we would be left, like the rest of mankind, to live in the misery of our rebellion and idolatry.”

“Friends, Romans 1:18-32 is really, really bad news. But thank God it’s not the last word. While the wrath of God is presently being revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, and it will be revealed on Judgement Day (2:5), the most profound expression of God’s wrath was already been revealed 2000 years ago on a cross.”

“In 23/25, Paul talks about an exchange—We exchange the glory of God for the glory of self. As great as the implications of our evil exchange, there is an even greater exchange—the greatest of exchanges! Amid all the ungodliness and unrighteousness, springs forth the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ for salvation.”    

“Jesus absorbed the full wrath of God for our sins. The one who knew no sin became sin for us, and God judged Jesus for our sin so that we would no longer be un under God’s wrath. Jesus takes our sin and punishment, and we receive his righteousness and the mercy and love of God. That is the greatest of all transactions, the GREAT EXCHANGE that changes everything.”

“The gospel proves that while our sin is great, God’s mercy is greater. We no longer live under the wrath of God because, in the gospel that reveals the righteousness of Christ exchanged for our unrighteousness, our story is only forgiveness, grace, mercy, love, and hope in life and death.”

“There are two kinds of people here today—those who need Jesus and those who need who Jesus.”

“Here’s the point: A grave situation demands a glorious solution, and we have graciously been given one in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the power for salvation for all who believe.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 119:1-2
Isaiah 6:3
Acts 14:17

QUOTES:
Kent Hughes - “The logic here is so clear: first a suppression of the majestic revelation of God, then a perversion to a man-centered idolatry, and finally a perversion of man himself

C.S. Lewis- “The lost enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded and are therefore self-enslaved.”

Alan Johnson - “In the end, their humanism, or man-centeredness, results in the dehumanization of each other.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 1:16-17

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
He Is Our God
Our Only Hope Is You
Scripture Reading: Titus 3:3-7
His Mercy Is More
The Steadfast Love of Christ
Before The Throne Of God Above

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 2:1-11

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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In Romans 1:16-17, God gives us His Manifesto. Two powerful verses that declare God’s eternal plan to liberate sinners. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Romans: The Power of God in the Gospel of Christ
TEXT: Romans 1:16-17
TITLE:  God’s Manifesto
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: We live faithfully before a righteous God, because by faith, Jesus is our righteousness from beginning to end.

POINTS:
I. The Gospel is the Power of God to Save
II. The Gospel Reveals the Righteousness We Need

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

”In June of 1776, the Continental Congress penned the Declaration of Independence. It was a revolutionary statement declaring the independence of 13 colonies from Great Britain. By this document, the United States of America became a free and sovereign country. 250 years later, it remains the most famous manifesto in history.”

“In Romans 1:16-17, God gives us His Manifesto. Two powerful verses that declare God’s eternal plan to liberate sinners. Beginning next week in 18, the rest of Romans is Paul unpacking this manifesto in all its glorious facets and practical claims on our lives. Today, here’s what we will find: We live faithfully before a righteous God, because by faith, Jesus is our righteousness from beginning to end.”

“Paul says—I am not ashamed of the gospel. We’ll talk more about being unashamed of the gospel. But first things first—Why is Paul unashamed of the gospel? He immediately tells us—The gospel is the POWER of God for salvation.” 

“Paul doesn’t say the gospel contains the power of God. He doesn’t say the gospel channels the power of God. He doesn’t say the gospel reflects the power of God. Paul says the gospel IS itself the power of God that saves sinners.”

“Paul’s assertion is powerful. Besides Jesus himself, the gospel is the only thing in the entire NT directly referred to as the power of God.”

“The Greek word here for power is the word from which we get the English word dynamite. Paul didn’t know about dynamite, but we do. It’s explosive. The point in 16 is when the gospel is preached, it’s literally like dynamite in the heart of the sinner called by God.”

“The power of God to save is not in the passion or education of the preacher. It’s not in the depth or eloquence of the delivery. The power of God to save is in the message of Jesus Christ in the hands of the Holy Spirit, ensuring His saving word will not return void. The gospel is not weak. It is not irrelevant. It is not primitive foolishness. When God chose to save sinners, He vested His power in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“Pay attention to the universal nature of the gospel’s power. Not universal in the sense that the gospel saves everyone, but that everyone God saves is saved by the gospel. There is no other message. There is no other way. This is the great equalizer—whether you are a Jew or a Greek (Gentile, meaning everyone who is not a Jew), everyone who is saved is saved the same way. There is no other way to be saved but through the gospel of Jesus Christ because it alone is the power of God for salvation.”

“This is why Paul was unashamed of the gospel. This is why he was eager to preach it in Rome. And it’s why we should be unashamed and eager. But the temptation to be ashamed of Jesus is real. Have you ever been ashamed of something?”

ILLUSTRATION: Being ashamed of my name as a child

“We are not immune. In Mark 8, Jesus warned his disciples about being ashamed of him. Paul charged Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:8 not be ashamed of the gospel. Peter was ashamed, [denying Christ three times.]”

“Scripture describes the righteousness of God in numerous ways:

- His righteous character—what God is like 
- His righteous activity—what God does 
- His righteous gift—what God provides

It’s this third category Paul has in mind here. The righteousness in 17 is not God’s righteousness that we must live up to; it’s the righteousness God provides to those who have no righteousness. That righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.”  

Martin Luther, inconsolable during his torment, Gustav Ferdinand Leopold Konig

“This is the revelation that turned Martin Luther’s spiritual torment into spiritual freedom. He understood God’s righteousness as the standard by which God judged sinners. His burning question was: If God is holy and man is sinful, what is there for man? As a pious monk, the more he tried, the more he fell short, the greater his condemnation, the deeper his despair, the stronger his hatred for God. In Luther’s own words—Love God? Sometimes I hate Him!  But as he studied and taught Romans, the Spirit awakened him to the truth of Romans 1:17.”

“Understanding that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God as a free gift of grace changed everything for Luther. It does for us, too.”

“The gospel is not just about receiving forgiveness. Forgiveness is necessary, but it’s not sufficient. God doesn’t require us to be neutral, which is what forgiveness achieves. He requires us to be perfectly righteous. So the gospel is also about receiving forgiveness AND obtaining righteousness.”

“Obtaining this righteousness is impossible for us to do according to Romans 3:20. It doesn’t matter how good you are. It doesn’t matter what you do or don’t do. We can never be good enough for God. Our sin has eternally doomed us.”

ILLUSTRATION: Child asking for dessert and mom saying “That’s good enough”

“There is no good enough for God. One day, every human being will be judged by the standard of God’s righteousness, not a good enough righteousness. Like Luther, that should torment us! But here’s the hope of the gospel and power that makes it effectual for salvation: The gospel reveals a righteousness apart from ourselves (Rom 3:21). This is why Martin Luther called the righteousness of God an alien righteousness. It doesn’t come from within us; it comes from outside of us. It’s a GIFT imputed or given to us by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.”

ILLUSTRATION: “ Imagine you’re in class, about to take the biggest final of your life. Your professor has said this exam will make up 100% of your grade. To fail this exam is to fail the class. But you skipped your classes, you didn’t read, and you didn’t study. So there you are, for two hours, staring at your paper, unable to answer a single question. When time is up, you go to turn in your paper, and you know you’re toast. Suddenly, the smartest kid in class grabs your paper, crosses out your name, and writes in theirs. More than that, they write your name on their quiz that has every correct answer. They fail, but you pass, not because of your own knowledge or prep, but theirs. Your A+ is a gift. You didn’t earn it. It wasn’t in you. It came from someone else.”     

“The righteousness of Jesus is our A+ before a holy God. Jesus lived a sinless life, perfectly obeying God in every way for thirty-three years. And by faith, Christ’s righteousness becomes our righteousness. The moment we believe in the gospel, we are declared and counted righteous, even though we are still sinners. This is the great reality at the heart of the gospel—justification by faith alone.”   

“If someone asks you why you believe you’re going to heaven, your answer should be—I’ve been given the gift of righteousness by grace through faith. If you’re wondering how it’s possible to have joy in the midst of trials, your conclusion should be—I’ve been given the gift of righteousness by grace through faith. If condemnation tries to bury you, your defense should be—I’ve been given the gift of righteousness by grace through faith. If boasting in your ways and works is a temptation, your response should be—I’ve been given the gift of righteousness by grace through faith. This is our story from beginning to end. It’s why Paul says in 17—we experience the power of the gospel from faith to faith.”

“The Christian life is a life of faith from beginning to end. We are declared righteous in Christ by faith, and as ones declared righteous, we continue to live by that faith. The gospel doesn’t become irrelevant after conversion. It’s not just a burst of power for our initial salvation—it is the power for salvation from beginning to end. It is the power that saves us, is saving us, and will save us.” 

“When you preach to yourself that your sins are paid in full and you can’t be any more acceptable to God than you are right now in Jesus, you are experiencing the power of the gospel that fuels your faith and faithfulness to live for God. This is what it means to live every day by faith in Jesus.”

“This is the point of Paul’s reference to Habakkuk 2:4 at the end of 17—The righteous shall live by faith. Those words were spoken to Habakkuk in deeply distressing times. Habakkuk had to patiently trust God for His promises despite what he was hearing and seeing around him.”

“Paul applies those words to us. As the righteous in Christ, we keep trusting God. We keep believing in Jesus. We keep applying the gospel to our lives daily, putting our faith, not in our own works and spiritual busyness—whatever that might be for you —but in the power of the gospel and righteousness of Jesus for our justification and sanctification all the way through the Christian life to the end.”   

“This is the claim and privilege of the great manifesto—We live faithfully before God, because by faith, Jesus is our righteousness from beginning to end.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Thessalonians 1:4-5
Philippians 3:8-9

APPLICATION:
Q. Who intimidates you? Who has rebuffed you? Who has accused you of being holier than thou? Don’t shrink back. Don’t be ashamed of the gospel. There’s no shame in the gospel. It alone is the power of God that brings you hope and joy.

If someone asks you why you believe you’re going to heaven, your answer should be—I’ve been given the gift of righteousness by grace through faith. If you’re wondering how it’s possible to have joy in the midst of trials, your conclusion should be—I’ve been given the gift of righteousness by grace through faith. If condemnation tries to bury you, your defense should be—I’ve been given the gift of righteousness by grace through faith. If boasting in your ways and works is a temptation, your response should be—I’ve been given the gift of righteousness by grace through faith. This is our story from beginning to end. It’s why Paul says in 17—we experience the power of the gospel from faith to faith.

QUOTES:
Christopher Ash - “Every human being God rescues, He will rescue by the gospel of Jesus. No one anywhere or at any time (including before Christ) will have been rescued in any other way.”

RC Sproul - “That is the real crunch for many Christians. They want to be Secret Service Christians. They do not want to be known as ‘holier than thou.’ They know that if they say one word to their friends about Christ, they will be accused of trying to shove the gospel down their throats. If we get rebuffed enough times, pretty soon we find ourselves tempted to be embarrassed about our faith….There's no shame in the gospel. There's no shame in being a Christian. The world may think that the gospel is folly, but here Paul reminds us that it is the power of God. Have this very same conviction when you share it, and especially when others try to shame you for believing that. The gospel of God—the gospel of Jesus Christ—is our only hope and our greatest joy.”

Martin Luther - “I realized for the first time that my own justification depends, not on my own righteousness, which will always fall short, but it rests solely and completely on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which I must hold on to by trusting faith….Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 1:16-17

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
The Glory Of The Cross
Death Arrested
All I Have Is Christ
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
There is One Gospel

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 1:18-32 - The Wrath of God

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Church, 

We have great news about an outstanding new resource for parents and young readers based on the book of Romans, entitled The Sword: Magnus and the Mystery of Romans, by Marty Machowski (links below).

We highly recommend this new book as another means of understanding, applying, and rejoicing in God's word through our sermon series on the book of Romans. 

This is also another reason we rejoice in our partnership in our family of churches! Marty is a fellow pastor in one of our sister churches in Sovereign Grace. We have used Marty's excellent children's ministry curriculum for several years. He has served our family of churches in numerous ways, and we thank God for him.

We highly recommend Marty's new book for young readers to you:

A must-watch Video Introduction: YouTube - The Sword by Marty Machowski

Order the book (New Growth Press): The Sword: Magnus and the Mystery of Romans

-Tom

Paul desires to SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING. Even though this is simply Paul’s introduction to this amazing theological magnum opus, we can learn some things. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Romans: The Power of God in the Gospel of Christ
TEXT: Romans 1:8-15
TITLE:  Celebrating Faith and Pursuing Obligations
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: Biblical faith calls us to thanksgiving, mutual edification, and obligation.

POINTS:
I. A Godward Thanksgiving
II. An Eager Partnership
III. A Gospel Obligation

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.
”We love to see God manifest Himself. As we will see, Paul has HEARD about the faith of this Church in Rome but hasn’t SEEN it.  Paul desires so SEE WHAT GOD IS DOING. Even though this is simply Paul’s introduction to this amazing theological magnum opus, we can learn some things.”

“Now remember what we learned last week. Paul is called, gifted, and graced to bring the gospel to the Gentiles and “bring about the obedience of faith.” His life mission is to do this for the glory of Christ. Paul has heard about their faith. He has heard there is a Church - a Gentile Church -  in Rome.  He didn’t plant it, Peter didn’t plant it, but he’s hearing about their faith in Jesus Christ. Paul knows this. The first step in “bringing about the obedience” of faith is to put your trust in Jesus.”  

“Paul might not know any of the people in that Church, but he knows something very important from what he’s heard.  Their faith has been proclaimed in all the world. ‘In all the world’ might not necessarily imply in all the known world, but the world that Paul lives and ministers in, the emerging Christian world has heard of the faith of this Church in Rome.”

“Let’s remember the context of the 1st century.  Rome is a powerful empire, and this Church is in the capital of that empire. Like we learned last week, this Church is probably the fruit of the people filled with the Spirit at the original Pentecost that went back to Rome and planted a Church. There’s no influence from Peter or Paul’s apostolic gifting and leadership.  Paul’s not mentioning the level of maturity of their faith. He’s simply giving thanks to God that there are fellow Christians in a Church in Rome.”

“Paul is simply giving thanks to God for the fact that people are getting saved and building a Church. Paul’s life calling is to bring about the obedience of faith.  Faith is not the end game.  The end game is the glory of God.”    

“Paul’s thanksgiving moves to his prayers.  In Paul’s introduction section in letters to the Churches, it’s not uncommon for him to mention his prayers for that Church. It’s clear Paul wants the Church in Rome to know “THAT WITHOUT CEASING” he’s repeatedly sought the Lord about coming to see the Church.”

“Paul has already stated that he is a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, he is called to be an Apostle, set apart for this work among ALL THE NATIONS – meaning to Gentiles. To people like those in Rome. The grace and calling he received was to bring about THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH for the sake of the name of His Savior.”

“When Paul writes to other Churches, it’s not uncommon in this part of his introduction to mention some things he knows about the Church. So Paul says God is my witness … without ceasing … always in my prayers, petitioning God that I might by His will be able to come see them. Paul wants to be with them.  This is his heartbeat.  He wants them to know this.”  

ILLUSTRATION: Eagerness to hear updates and see photos from fellow churches in Gilbert, Santa Ana, CA, and Santa Cruz, Bolivia

“Even though we aren’t called like Paul, it should stir our faith and wonder what it would be like to see it and be among them!”

“Paul is deeply moved to partner with a primarily Gentile Church in a very strategic location. He doesn’t know this Church, but trusts that God has something he can impart to strengthen them and establish them in the faith. Plus, he knows that he’ll be encouraged and blessed.”

“2,000 years ago, Paul desired something that today can be so easy for us to overlook. What Paul heard about their faith is simply God’s grace active in their lives.  He wants to encourage them in this. He knows he’ll receive encouragement in return.  We are on a mission to grow a Church community that is characterized by encouragement.”  

“We don’t want to build a Church that regularly meets in Comm Group, always silent until there’s something to complain about.  We call it one of our 7 SHAPING VIRTUES.  Seeing and celebrating evidences of grace in each other.  Paul’s heard of their faith, he prays for them, he wants to encourage and be encouraged! This is what a gospel-shaped, gospel-defined, gospel-centered Church looks like.” 

“We can learn something about a Godward-oriented thanksgiving like Paul exemplifies in this letter.  We can appreciate and, to some degree, FEEL and desire to partner with a local Church when we hear about their faith.  But in this final verse, we have a sense of calling and obligation that every believer can relate to.”

“A sense of calling should run deep into our souls.  It orients us and defines us in what we give our time to. It becomes our IDENTITY.  For our Church, it’s ‘Building a local Church that PROCLAIMS and DEMONSTRATES the power of the gospel.’”

“But what does Paul mean when he says ‘under obligation?’  The word actually means debt.  Paul has a debt he is under.  So is Paul’s motivation to come to Rome all about him paying back a debt?  Is he somehow trying to pay God back for saving and forgiving his sins?  Emphatically, NO! Notice what the text says. Paul is under obligation to Greeks/barbarians & wise/foolish.  This is Paul’s way of saying all Gentiles.  Paul was saved by grace.  Paul formerly loved this world, power, and status more than God.  He lived to exchange the glory of God for earthly things that would fade.  Paul’s sense of obligation, this debt is NOW to bring about the obedience of faith in all the Churches.  To strengthen their faith in Christ. We can all identify with that.” 

“When Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, he put his faith in Christ. Paul’s gift of salvation was all of grace.  His calling and obligation is his response to this amazing grace.  We cannot and must not get the two confused.”

“We don’t have to be called to be an Apostle to relate to this sense of obligation. Paul had a unique calling during a unique time in God’s redemptive plan.  But it’s clear from the NT that all of God’s people are obligated to share the gospel of grace with others.”

“Our life purpose doesn’t become to pay God back because we owe God a debt for our salvation.  This is done because it’s part of the OBEDIENCE OF FAITH for all believers.  This is done because God is glorified when sinners receive the gift of faith and put their trust in Jesus. We do this because we love God and want to live a life doing all we can to bring about His glory!”

APPLICATION:
Q: Have you ever given thanks for and prayed for believers you’ve not met?  Part of the privilege of our partnership with Sovereign Grace is to regularly hear about Churches getting planted, people getting saved, and believers walking in the obedience of faith. 

3 ways we live out this OBLIGATION:
1. Biblically understand the why behind personal evangelism. Personal evangelism is an obligation.  Not like paying a car loan back.  Not like paying taxes.  It’s God’s claim on our lives to joyfully participate in bringing about the first step in the obedience of faith in others. Paul is called to be a servant, an Apostle to the Gentiles. Wherever he goes, he preaches Jesus.

2. Grow a deeper commitment to the local Church. Paul’s life is about willingly obligating himself to the local churches.  Because his sins are forgiven, he no longer needs to pay his debt back to God. He can now be a slave for God’s purposes. He, of all people, understands God’s purposes revolve around building local churches.  This truth is the same for you and me and for all believers.

3. Prepare for unique times of mission. At times, God will call you, or in this case, a local Church to a unique place. For us, it’s a deep sense of calling to duplicate what God has done in this Church to the east side.

QUOTES:
Douglas Moo - “That people in the Roman capital had bowed the knee to the Lord Jesus is something that would be widely known, and perhaps highlighted, by the early missionaries.” 

Jared Mellinger - “Distinctly Christian encouragement is different than a compliment, because it aims at directing hearts to Christ and deepening confidence in Him.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
ROMANS 1:16-17

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Great (Psalm 145)
Oh What High And Holy Privilege
There is a Fountain
Jesus Thank You

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 1:16-17, The Manifesto of Romans

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Why Romans? Romans is the clearest, most comprehensive presentation of the gospel in all of Scripture. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Romans: The Power of God in the Gospel of Christ
TEXT: Romans 1:1-7
TITLE:  God, The Gospel, And Us
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Because the gospel is God’s eternal good news, we can confidently surrender our lives to Jesus in every way.

POINTS:
I. The Author of the Gospel
II. The Person of the Gospel
III. The Goal of the Gospel

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.
”As a unit, it is the longest introduction of all Paul’s letters. Romans 1:1-7 is a summary of Romans packed into one long sentence.”

“Why Romans? Romans is the clearest, most comprehensive presentation of the gospel in all of Scripture. As we explore the theological depths of the gospel and humbly embrace its practical outworkings in our lives, the ultimate effect of Romans should be a more profound gratitude for saving grace, a stronger unity within our church, and a greater zeal for our mission together.”

“Martin Luther called Romans the purest gospel and the chief part of the NT. He also said this: [Romans] is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with, the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes.”

“We agree. So we sent an email on Friday with a list of suggested ways, each one different, that you can benefit from this series beyond the preaching. One correction. In the email, it was suggested you start memorizing Romans 8. Don’t do that. We thought it would be beneficial to memorize portions of Romans together. So, if the week's preached text includes a scripture memorization, we will let you know.” 

“The author of Romans is clear in 1—the Apostle Paul. He wrote this letter while in Corinth around 57 AD. In Ch. 15, Paul says he was going to Jerusalem to deliver an offering and intended to stop off in Rome on his way to Spain. Paul wanted to encourage them in Christ, be encouraged by them in Christ, and appeal to them to partner with him in taking the gospel to Spain (Romans 15).”

“Here's what Paul knows: The best way to fuel zeal for mission isn’t clear strategy—it’s more gospel. Strategy is good and important, but being enthralled with the gospel is paramount!”

“Don’t miss God’s providence: We are feasting on the gospel of Romans as we continue to grow in evangelism and plant a church on the east side. God’s got us right where He wants us!”

“The church in Rome knew who Paul was, and he knew who they were, as we will see next week. But Paul had never visited the church in Rome. In fact, he didn’t plant this church. This church probably began with a group of Roman Jews who, according to Acts 2:10, were at Pentecost. Saved in Jerusalem, perhaps responding to Peter’s powerful sermon, they brought the gospel back to their synagogues, and Christianity was born in Rome. As it says in Acts 1:8—You will be my Spirit-filled witnesses, not just in Jerusalem, but to the ends of the earth.”

“So Paul begins this letter introducing himself—read 1. The interesting thing about 1 is that Paul makes himself small. He is a servant (slave) of Jesus Christ. His life is not his own. He committed and surrendered to Jesus. He also introduces himself as an apostle, the NT version of the OT prophet—an authoritative mouthpiece of God. Paul was who he was because God called and set him apart.”

 “Someone said—We Christians are a bunch of nobodies pointing to a great somebody. That’s precisely what Paul is doing here. But I want you to notice the end of 1. Paul refers to the gospel as the gospel of God. Now keep reading in 2 where he refers to the gospel as the promise of God handed down through the prophets in OT Scripture. God is sovereign over it all because he is the Author of it all.”

“God is the author of the gospel.”

“Right up front, Paul establishes that all that follows in his letter is from God. The gospel is God’s idea to save the world, not Paul’s. The gospel is not a new idea; it’s God’s eternal plan. The gospel is God’s wisdom, not the church's. God, not the culture, defines the gospel. The gospel is God’s promised thread of continuity from eternity to eternity, not a fleeting novelty.”

“Thank you, Paul, for beginning this way! Because how critical is this conviction? Paul has just shared how his entire life is owed and surrendered to God and the gospel. As we will see in 5, that is our calling as well. So, don’t we need to be confident that we aren’t building our lives on shifting sand but solid rock?”

“When the seas and mountains of life roar and shake. When the grass of this world looks so much greener. When we are unsuccessfully trying to be faithful evangelists, to be confident that the gospel is not human speculation, not one religion among many, not a desperate shot in the dark, not a philosophy that evolves one culture at a time. It is God’s eternal and just plan to save the world.”  

“One of the fruits we pray will be borne by preaching through Romans in our church is a greater confidence in the power of the gospel for every area of our lives and every aspect of our mission together.”

“Now and then, you hear a politician say that America is an idea, an experiment in human potential that is continually being perfected. And the substance of this grand idea is not a person or group of people, but certain inalienable rights and liberties. The gospel is not an idea. It’s not an experiment. And it's built on a person. At the heart of the gospel is God’s Son, Jesus.” 

“Paul presents the gospel from beginning to end here. He starts by linking Jesus to David, identifying him as the person of the messianic promises of the OT, beginning in Gen 3 and spanning 1500 years and 30 different authors, all of whom consistently tell the same story about Jesus, the one who comes to save God’s people.”

“Jesus entered our fallen world, where sin and death reign. In doing so, he exposed himself during his own ministry to a life of weakness and humiliation. In that weakness and humiliation, or as 3 puts it—according to the flesh, Jesus lived a perfect life for 33 years and gave up his life on the cross as a substitutionary death for sinners. But Jesus overcame death.”

“Paul goes from Jesus’ life of humiliation and weakness in a fallen world—which was climaxed at the cross—to his powerful resurrection. At that moment, he was declared and crowned, just as God had ordained, the Son of God in power. To be clear, Jesus has always been the Son of God. When he lived on the earth as David’s descendant, he was the Son of God. Paul begins 3—concerning His Son. We believe in the eternal sonship of Jesus.” 

“It’s not the resurrection that MADE him the Son of God, that would be the heresy of adoptionism. As the second person of the godhead, Jesus is eternally divine. But his resurrection did usher in a NEW ROLE as the Messiah. Just as Jesus has not always been the Lamb that was slain, Jesus is now the risen Lord and Savior.”

“Jesus resurrection marked a new stage in redemptive history, the age of the Spirit, where the living and life-giving resurrected Messiah brings salvation to all who believe, even the Gentile— (5) among all the nations, rescuing them from this world of weakness, sin, and death. And at the heart of it all is God’s son, Jesus. Jesus is the substance of the gospel. A crucified, risen, and reigning Jesus is what makes the gospel good news.”   

“We love good news. We anticipate the call giving us the good news that we got the job. Young people nervously await the good news of acceptance into a college. A husband eagerly awaits the good news from his wife—We’re pregnant! Like many of you, this week Donna and I eagerly awaited the good news that Jim Francis was free from cancer in his brain. Who doesn’t love good news? Yet, we can forget the most fantastic news we have ever heard and ever will hear—the best news of all in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“If you’ve ever heard someone around here say—I’m doing better than I deserve—here’s why. They are convinced the good news of the gospel is the best news they could ever and will ever hear and believe.”

“That’s what Romans is about—the good news of the gospel. The bad news is we must pay for our sins, which we can never do (Romans 3). The good news is—Jesus paid it all! The good news of the gospel puts all the bad news in our lives into perspective. That’s what Romans does—it puts our lives in perspective!”  

“In a letter where Paul pounds the nail of justification by faith alone, what he says here seems out of place—the goal of the gospel is to bring glory to Jesus through the obedience of faith.”

“What is Paul talking about? Is he talking about obedience that flows from faith in Jesus? If so, he has just leapfrogged conversion to get to sanctification. Or does he mean to say obedience, which is faith? In one sense, the evangelistic call to believe in Jesus is an act of obedience. Jesus himself said in Mark 1:15—The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. So, which is it—sanctification or conversion? Is this about evangelism or Christian living? It’s about both. The purpose of Paul’s ministry and the goal of the gospel is transformed lives that bring glory to Jesus through the power and grace of God.”    

“Contrary to what some people believe, you can’t accept Jesus as your Savior, but not live for him as your Lord. By raising him from the dead, God has declared Jesus to be Savior and Lord, and commands all people everywhere to believe and submit to him. So, to have faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior is the first act of obedience.”

“For Christians, saving faith always leads to faith-filled obedience. Faith alone saves, but saving faith is never alone. This is the point of James 2—Faith without works is dead, and it’s Paul’s point here. We will unpack this more as we go because throughout Romans, Paul repeatedly reminds us that true faith always results in obedience.”

“It’s by the grace and power of the gospel that I believe in Jesus for my salvation. By that same grace and power, I am enabled to obey him. God calls me to be patient with Donna. As a sinner now justified before God, that is a gospel claim on my life. But I can’t do that in my own strength. So, when I rely on God’s grace to be patient with Donna, what is my reliance—FAITH. That makes my obedience the fruit of my faith. In this way, faith and obedience go together. They are distinct yet inseparable.”

“We live for the glory of Jesus through the obedience of faith, by grace and with a peace in our hearts that comes from knowing that we stand justified and loved by God in Christ. Now we are free to live the freedom of the gospel, assured that all our sins and failures are covered in the grace of the gospel, and nothing can separate us from Christ. That brings true peace and great glory to our Lord and Savior. And it’s all because of the power of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s the book of Romans.”

APPLICATION:
Question for 2026: In what areas of your life do you lack confidence in the power of the gospel? 

QUOTES:
Thomas Schreiner - “While Jesus was on earth, he was the Messiah and the Son of God, but his death and resurrection inaugurated a stage in his messianic existence that was not formally his. Now he reigns in heaven as Lord and Christ.”

Douglas Moo - “Jesus as the locus of good news is intended to counter the idea that true good news can be found anywhere else—whether it be another religion or philosophy, a particular lifestyle, or the pleasures of ordinary life.”

Karl Barth - “Faith is not obedience, but as obedience is not obedience without faith, faith is not faith without obedience. They belong together, as do thunder and lightning in a thunderstorm.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
The Gospel Was Promised
In Christ Alone
Grace and Peace
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:16-20
How Vast The Love

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 1:8-15, The Church of Romans

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Happy New Year, Church!

Your pastors count it a privilege and joy to encourage and serve you in the many ways that the Lord has called us to. The word of God preached is central to our ministry in the life of our church, and so, we are excited to begin preaching through Paul's letter to the Roman church: Romans: The Power of God in the Gospel of Christ.

With the preached word as primary, BELOW is a list of resources that we highly recommend to help you engage with, enjoy, and apply the book of Romans. How kind of God to have provided a myriad of ways for us to hear the word. Throughout the Scriptures, we find God's people reading the word, remembering the word, singing the word, praying the word, retelling the word, devoting themselves to the word, counseled from the word, writing the word, meditating on the word, teaching the word, and obeying and applying God's word. All of these are means of God's grace for us as we respond to Him in worship and glorify Him!

Our Senior Pastor, Derek, recently said of this sermon series in Romans, "As we explore the theological depths of the gospel and humbly embrace its practical outworkings in our lives, the ultimate effect of Romans should be a more profound gratitude for saving grace, a stronger unity within our church, and a greater zeal in our mission together."

This is what awaits us: a "more profound gratitude for saving grace, a stronger unity..., and a greater zeal in our mission together."

We can joyfully anticipate knowing God more, understanding ourselves biblically, and, together, growing all the more in our faith and love for the Savior, Jesus!

We are praying for you all, and by the grace of God, may we all marvel together in "The Power of God in the Gospel of Christ" throughout our exploration of the book of Romans!

Here are the recommended resources:

Romans Scripture Journal (Crossway) - A GIFT for you: Stop by and pick up your copy of one of these journals for each of our men and women at our Welcome Desk in the lobby.
Personal Bible Study—Romans: A 12-Week Study (ESV-Knowing the Bible)
Grace Has Come: Songs from the Book of Romans—Sovereign Grace Music
Devotional—The Power of the Gospel: A Year In Romans by RC Sproul
Commentary—The Message of Romans by John Stott (BST)
The Cutting Board Blog—Each week, we email you our latest Sermon Spotlight Post that provides a very useful and detailed summary of every Sunday Sermon. As we preach through Romans, these Sermon Blog Posts will be an excellent tool provided for your further study. Additionally, throughout the sermon series, look for Special Topics on Romans right here on the Cutting Board Blog.

-Tom

The church doesn’t exist for itself—we exist for God’s glory. That means we need to understand where God Himself is going and what He is doing so that all we do serves His purpose. That’s the point of the next four weeks. Our theme for the new ministry year is Going not Knowing. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Going Not Knowing
TEXT: Romans 12:1
TITLE: Living on the Altar
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: We do what we do because Jesus did what he did.

POINTS:
1. A Life of Worship is Compelled by the Gospel
2. A Life of Worship is Complete Gospel Devotion

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Everyone is looking for meaning and purpose—Why am I here? Where do I fit in? Where should my life be going? These are crucial questions. As a local church, those questions are crucial—Why do we exist? Where are we going? What are we supposed to be doing?  Too often the answers to those questions arise from the convenience of pragmatism, the pressure of the majority, the winds of culture, or the sanctity of tradition. But the church doesn’t exist for itself—we exist for God’s glory. That means we need to understand where God Himself is going and what He is doing so that all we do serves His purpose.”

“Our theme for the new ministry year is Going not Knowing. That phrase is rooted in Acts 20:22 where Paul said—Behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there. We are going into this new year not knowing what God will do. Here’s what we do know: Our mission is to build a God-glorifying church that proclaims and demonstrates the transforming power of the gospel to our city and beyond.”

“It’s a mission that is upward, inward, and outward. Biblically speaking, this is the three-fold purpose of any church:

• Upward Ministry to God, which is worship

• Inward Ministry to believers, which is edification

• Outward Ministry to the world, which is evangelism”

“We’ll end our series with a Family Meeting to unpack the practical details of what it looks like for us to fulfill our purposes this year. Today, we begin with Purpose #1—Upward Ministry to God, which, in a word, is Worship.”

“We do what we do because Jesus did what he did. That is the big idea of Romans 12:1. We are to offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice because He offered His only son Jesus as a sacrifice for us. The result is a life of worship that is pleasing to God.”

“The gospel moved from Paul’s head to his heart, and he explodes in worship. But Paul isn’t done. He spends the final five chapters of Romans showing us what the transformative power of the gospel looks like in everyday life. This is the corner Paul turns in 1 when he writes—I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God. The mercies of God are an obvious reference to the gospel. The word therefore points us back to the glories of the gospel in the first eleven chapters.”

“Borrowing some phrases from John Stott—Paul loves to move from exposition to exhortation, combine doctrine with duty, link belief with behavior, connect creed to conduct. It’s a reminder for us that while God is MOST concerned with the heart, He is not ONLY concerned with the heart. God wants my heart and my feet.”

“This is not a given. We can’t assume a gospel-driven life. A life of worship is neither automatic nor inevitable. Paul knows this so he urges us.”

“This is where a life of worship begins. We don’t do what we do to gain God’s favor. We don’t do what we do because it’s religiously productive. We don’t do what we do because its emotionally rewarding. We do what we do because Jesus did what he did!”

“Paul’s point is not that we must pay God back for His grace. The holiness of God, the nature of Christ’s sacrifice, and the pervasiveness of our sin makes that impossible. The point is a heart fixed on grace will overflow with gratitude expressed in discernable and practical ways because the gospel is the foundation and fuel for a life of worship.”

“Paul now explains the nature of our worship—a complete devotion that demands our entire existence. Drawing from 2, the gospel transforms our hearts so that our minds will be renewed to TREASURE, THINK and LIVE like Christ. The term Paul uses for bodies in 1 refers to the whole person—body and soul, head and heart, beliefs and behavior. It requires every part of us.”

“That’s what the gospel does. It leads us to full surrender. It makes us new creations who are satisfied in God and treasure Christ above all else in this world. This is the essence of  worship.”

“Ponder the picture pastor Sproul gives us here: I climb up on the altar to present myself as a living sacrifice for God’s glory and renown. It’s good to sing. It’s good to serve. It’s good to give. But a life of worship is more than that. Paul says it’s full consecration. We die to ourselves and live for Jesus.”

“If I am a Christian, the only sensible, logical, and appropriate response is to surrender my entire existence to God. He deserves it. He demands it. It’s what He saved us for. On the flip side, to experience saving mercy but live for myself doesn’t make sense. Why do dogs bark? They are dogs. Why do kids act like kids? They are kids. If I’ve been saved by grace, I make my whole life an a sacrificial offering of praise to my Savior. Why? Because I belong to Jesus.”

“To the degree we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will fulfill God’s purposes for us. The real power is in the one who climbed up on a cross and became a sin sacrifice for us. Christ alone is our strength, hope, and vision!”

“A Romans 12:1 life is individual, yes, but it is also corporate. Together we are the body and bride of Christ. I know people (so have you) who believe they are a church unto themselves. It’s Jesus, me, and my ministry and the local church is barely an afterthought. That approach may be safe and convenient, but it’s unbiblical. The dominating theme of the Bible is God’s glory revealed in His grand purpose to redeem a people for His own who will worship Him forever.”

“Church, we believe the Lord is leading us to Go not Knowing in some every specific ways this year. To be sure, our going is not an end, it’s a means. Worship is the end. It’s what we were created for. It’s why we will Go not Knowing what the Lord will do, whatever the sacrifice. Our Savior is worthy.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 5:2
Matthew 16:24-25
Ephesians 2:1-10
Jeremiah 31:33
1 Peter 2:9

QUOTES:
John Stott- “Only a vision of his mercy will inspire us to present our bodies to him and allow him to transform us according to his will.”

APPLICATION:
God’s grand purpose in it all is to create a worshipping, not person, people, to the praise of His glory forever (Revelation 21:1-4)

Church, God has always called us to be a part, as a Church. We aren’t THE part, but we are a part. As the church, we get to:

• Climb on the altar and sacrifice our schedules to make the Sunday gatherings, CG, and other faith building and Christ-exalting ministries of our church a priority.

• Climb on the altar and sacrifice our personal convenience as we give ourselves to the hard work and inconvenience of planting a church.

• Climb on the altar and sacrifice our personal comfort and maybe even reputation as we proclaim Christ to those around us.

Everyone has sacred cows they are unwilling to climb up on the altar with. We believe what God is calling us to will challenge those sacred cows. What are yours?

• What aspect of your lifestyle or routine needs to be hoisted upon the altar because it is hindering a life of worship?

• Maybe for you, going is just getting to church or CG consistently.

• For some here, going may be rearranging your life to be part of the groundwork on the East side this year.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
He is Our God
Holy Holy Holy
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
We Receive
My Life is An Offering

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Acts 2:42-47

In its simplest form, godliness is flying by God’s instruments (The Word, the Gospel, The Spirit) whether the skies are clear, you are facing the headwinds of our culture, or you are in the storm of circumstance. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Our 7 Shaping Virtues
TEXT: Romans 12:1-2
TITLE:  Godliness
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Godliness is an active life of faith built on the commands, promises, and wisdom of God’s Word, rooted in our identity in Christ, and confident in the power of the Holy Spirit.

POINTS:
1. The Reason for Our Godliness
2. The Reality of Our Godliness
3. The Path to Our Godliness

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”The glorious gospel moves from [Paul’s] head to his heart, and he explodes in worship. We can all just go home now, right? Wrong. Paul is not done. He spends the following four chapters showing us what the first eleven chapters mean for our lives.”

“Paul is saying, based on what God has done for you in Christ Jesus, NOW, live a certain way, as the rest of Romans exhorts—pursue godliness.”

“I do not pursue godliness to gain God’s favor. I do not pursue godliness because it’s morally appealing. I do not pursue godliness because it is religiously productive. I do what I do because Jesus did what he did!”

“This is true biblical godliness. Because of God’s mercy toward us in Christ, every day, we present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice. Not in a temple or church building, but with our, Paul’s word in verse 1—bodies. The term body refers to the whole person—body and soul. The outer man and the inner man. Our thoughts, our affections, our actions.”

“Godliness is not dropping money in the offering box or good attendance at CG. True godliness goes beyond the external—it is total transformation. That’s what the gospel does—It makes us new creations to give God what He is worthy of—Full Submission.”

“That doesn’t mean we are withdrawn from the world. It means we are different from the world; that difference is the Holy Spirit empowering us for godliness. Paul is saying don’t be a spiritual chameleon!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Personal Bible Study: Ephesians 4:17-5:21 and Colossians 3:1-17
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Colossians 1:9-14
Hebrews 10:24-25

QUOTES:
John Stott - “We human beings seem to be imitative by nature. We need a model to copy, and ultimately there are only two. There is this world, which is passing away, and there is God’s will, which is good, pleasing, and perfect.”

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
How do we know if we are growing in godliness?
1. Do my thoughts about life begin with God’s thoughts about life? What does God’s Word say about this? Not what do my feelings, or the culture, or my politics, or past experiences, or conventional wisdom say about this matter, what does the Bible say?

2. Is the gospel increasingly my hope in life? Godliness is ultimately the work of the gospel in our lives; indeed, Christ is our godliness. So the more central Jesus is in our lives, the greater godliness we will experience. 

3. Am I growing in contentment? The world has many distractions, but true godliness is expressed in an uncommon contentment in the Lord, no matter your circumstance.

The Cross takes cold hearts that are ungrateful and makes them new…creating gospel-grounded gratitude. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Our 7 Shaping Virtues
TEXT: Romans 8:31-39
TITLE: Gratitude
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: The Cross of Jesus creates gospel-grounded gratitude.

POINTS:
1. The Cross of Jesus is the PROOF of God’s undeserved favor
2. The Cross of Jesus is the MEANS of God’s gracious gift of “all things”

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”It is discovered here in these adjoined sections of text that the word of God has the power to cause our souls to burst forth with endless joy and THANKFULNESS to God.”

“God has revealed enough of Himself that every man and woman is held accountable. NO ONE has an excuse! It is only cosmic rejection and rebellion against God to stand back and refuse to acknowledge Him and THANK Him. Yet, in the Gospel, God, in His Sovereign Grace alone, has set His affection on us and makes this amazing declaration: “I am for you!” And this should shock us!”

“‘What shall we say to these things?’ should be followed by ‘God is against you, and everything and everyone will have their way with you’ BUT no… He is for us! Instead of crushing blow after blow in sorrow and abject grief, The Cross of Jesus rescues us by His sovereign grace!”

“To ‘the sufferings of this present time’, the apostle preaches The Cross. In verse 28 - all things work together for good…through The Cross! The “golden chain” of salvation in verse 30 cannot be broken because of The Cross!”

“While still holding up His Son, given for us, He promises the ‘gracious gifts’ of ‘all things’. These are given as the very things that we need and will need and are detailed in the following verses - 33-39.”

“Anything that you and I face is found in at least one of these 19 questions. What may come your way is not ultimately unique nor is it outside of the power of Jesus to save. NOTHING will separate us from the love of Christ except for rejection and hatred of Him.”

“Today, you may feel deep thankfulness again! That would be your heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit revealing the majesty of Jesus and reminding you of His great sacrifice at Calvary. But what about tomorrow? Will you still remember and honor and thank God? What will you do then? Do THIS again! Go again to His word of truth and search out the mercy of God revealed in the Cross of His Son and give Him thanks.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Our Dilemma: Romans 1:18-21
Isaiah 53:5
Psalm 107

QUOTES:
Martin Luther - “I feel as if Jesus had died only yesterday.”

APPLICATION:
- Are you able to again take in how wondrous The Cross of Jesus is? Like drawing the Message of the Cross in like a breath and exhaling thankfulness!

- What is it that you need? The Lord says, remember that I have given up my Son for you! This is a joyful, heart-satisfying, fear-calming, foundation-laying, gracious anchoring of our souls…and a gracious reminder that His affection and favor is FIXED on His children.