What Do You Live For?
I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Pastor Tom
January 31, 2010
Romans 8:18–30
There are smaller podiums in life like getting a ribbon for a swimming level or receiving a certificate at a training seminar. There are medium podiums like passing a grade, graduating from high school, completing a degree or earning your working certification. There are large podiums like securing a permanent position, entering into marriage, parenting or influencing a child’s life, leaving a legacy, retiring after decades of service and seeing your grandkids.
Then there is the ultimate podium; the one that towers over our entire lives both now and forever. That podium stands behind Jesus on Judgment Day. God’s verdict about us that Day determines whether or not we will reach that ultimate podium. What is this podium and how can we know that we will make it?
That’s what we will hear about today. If you’re a Christian, I have great news for you again. God supports His children through tough training and will get us all onto the ultimate medal podium.
So Christian, don’t fret when you don’t know what to pray. Many times this will happen. But that’s okay. God doesn’t leave His children without resources. Here is a link to an entire message dedicated to Romans 8:26–30 in 2008. Please go there to discover more about this great help of God.
http://www.svbc.ab.ca/sermons/2008/nov/02/when-we-dont-know-what-to-pray/
Our Adoptive Father
I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Pastor Tom
January 24, 2010
Romans 8:12–17
Since Our Father adopted us, we must adopt our new status as His children. Now when I make that statement, I am using the word “adopt” in two different ways. “Our Father adopted us” means God is like an adoptive parent. So adopt means “to take into one’s family through legal means and bring up as one’s own child.” The second use of adopt means “to take on or assume.” So since Our Father adopted us, (took us into His family as His own children), we must adopt, take on, or assume our new status as His children. We are going to explore what that looks like today.
Why there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus
I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Pastor Tom
January 17, 2010
Romans 8:1–11
But Christians here all have God Almighty who holds an eternal priceless inheritance for His children. Yet there are times we wander away from God. Sometimes we’re tickled with God and other times ticked. We find ourselves wanting to honor God in our minds, but sometimes in our actions we dishonor Him.
Does this mean our inheritance is in doubt? Do we have to wait until the Last Day to find out if we made it? Well friends, our text today brings some very remarkable news. It reveals that our God is unlike Grandpa or anyone of us when it comes to news about our inheritance.
Link on Parallel Commentaries on Condemnation.
God’s Gospel and Sin’s Hijack
I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Pastor Tom
January 10, 2010
Romans 7:7–25
Credit Card bills. They’re coming and for some they make the winter bluer. Not only is the holiday season over. Not only are the days short. Not only is it cold. But it’s time to pay bills; big bills for some; maybe even monumental bills.
Our issue might not be overspending. It might be a sharp tongue or a wagging tongue or a judgmental heart or a real problem with that person. We desire to do good in that area of struggle. Yet we often blow it. What’s going on?
Today’s Bible passage explains what’s happening. It reveals that inside of us there is a powerful force that opposes our desires to do right. What’s worse, this force uses God’s law as an opportunity to head off our good intentions and direct them in a different direction. This force is Sin. It often hijacks our good intentions.
The Gospel Moves Us to a New Place
I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel
Pastor Tom
January 3, 2010
Romans 7:1–6
God’s Gospel moves us to a completely new place in life. But there might be times we don’t want to live there. We may hang on to our old way of life or our old way of thinking. Or we circle around and around some sin. It might be a sin we commit habitually. Or it might be a sin because we omit addressing it—like reconciling with that person—or neglecting to reach out in love or show mercy. As we look into 2010, we’ve convinced ourselves “this part of my old life will be with me until I die.”
But the Gospel moves us to a completely new place. So how do we live here, embrace life here and bear fruit here? That’s what we’re going to look at today in our return to the letter to the Romans.