1 00:00:08,500 --> 00:00:13,300 Well, good morning, Englewood. So take your Bibles this 2 00:00:13,300 --> 00:00:15,500 morning. Turn to Romans chapter 5. 3 00:00:16,540 --> 00:00:20,220 I know we have several folks who are on holiday this misty 4 00:00:20,220 --> 00:00:21,820 weekend. So thank you all so much for 5 00:00:21,820 --> 00:00:23,780 being here. And if you're listening online, 6 00:00:24,180 --> 00:00:28,020 thank you for tuning in with us. Maybe some of you just got done 7 00:00:28,020 --> 00:00:33,220 building this hand castle. Appreciate you all being here. 8 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:43,480 So a few days ago a guy was serving me Gelato which I'm not 9 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:48,040 supposed to eat and he told me this story. 10 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:54,600 He goes one Sunday morning a little boy walked up to the 11 00:00:54,600 --> 00:01:00,280 preacher, had this real sad look on his face and the preacher 12 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:01,120 says what? What are you? 13 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:05,200 What are you so sad about, son? He goes, well I'm worried about 14 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,040 you, preacher. He goes, I know that you need 15 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:12,520 money and I want you to take my last dollar out of my Piggy 16 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:15,280 Bank. Preacher looks down at him and 17 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,640 says, well, well, that's very kind of you, but why do you 18 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:25,280 think I need money so much? He says, well, preacher, my 19 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,080 daddy says that you're the poorest preacher in town. 20 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:35,280 It wasn't very good Gelato either. 21 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,200 But listen, I want you to here's what I want you to do. 22 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,880 I want you to refrain. I want you to hang on to your 23 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,200 dollar donations. And let's just see how this 24 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:47,400 sermon goes first, OK, We'll do that. 25 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:51,960 Listen, I want to thank Pastor Dylan and Pastor Jordan for 26 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,120 filling in for me when we were off. 27 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:57,760 I was doing some writing. We're also getting away together 28 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:59,360 a little bit in the mountains, so appreciate that. 29 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:01,400 You know, Romans 4 on senior Sunday. 30 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,720 There's your challenge. That was funny because every 31 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:09,680 verse, almost every word is a sermon in the book of Romans. 32 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:12,800 I'm telling you, it's so rich. In fact, it's so rich. 33 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,400 We're only going to try to tackle 11 verses this morning as 34 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:21,400 we continue in our series justified, a study of Romans. 35 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,200 If you've been with us week to week, then you know that we're 36 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,760 walking through this book verse by verse and and you're also 37 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,120 going to notice that Paul switches gears in chapter 5. 38 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,080 And I'll talk about this more in a moment. 39 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,920 He he's been talking about how to be saved and that and he'll 40 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:38,160 still talk about that some, but now he's going to talk about how 41 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,440 to live also now that you are justified. 42 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:42,560 So we'll talk about that in a minute. 43 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,880 Tony Morita, who wrote a great commentary on the book of 44 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:50,320 Romans, said this. He says Paul Paul style shifts 45 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,880 from argumentation to adoration. The overall tone is celebratory, 46 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,280 triumph and jubilant. In other words, Paul is helping 47 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,360 us enjoy God here. There's a difference in saying 48 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,800 I'm a Christian and actually enjoying God. 49 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:09,320 It's one thing to be legally married, but it's another thing 50 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:14,520 to actually enjoy your spouse. Paul's radiating a contagious 51 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:18,520 Christian joy and excitement because of what God has done for 52 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,480 us in Christ. So that kind of sets the stage 53 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,360 because what Paul's going to do is he's going to share multiple 54 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:29,440 blessings to us in this passage about being justified by faith. 55 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,120 In other words, now that you're saved, So what then? 56 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,320 And these blessings ought to 'cause this great joy, because 57 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,240 now that you're justified, life only gets better and better and 58 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,160 better is what Paul's going to say. 59 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,000 And he's going to reveal to us in this passage the real path to 60 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,280 peace. Now listen, this becomes 61 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:49,160 important because the things that I'm going to share, very 62 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,640 simple outline, these are the kinds of things that I use when 63 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,440 I share the gospel with people. I was meeting with the team 64 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,600 going to New York last Wednesday night before our study in here. 65 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,120 And when we were talking some about evangelism in that part of 66 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,120 the world. And, and I was just sharing some 67 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,000 of the things. And, and I've shared this with 68 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,760 some of you before, but every religion has three parts. 69 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,080 And I won't go into all that, but one of those parts is just 70 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,680 called the functional part. In other words, what does this 71 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:17,120 thing produce in your life? Does it actually produce 72 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:19,760 anything? Does it produce anything that's 73 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,080 worthwhile? So, so more than the form, more 74 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,480 than just the content, what is this thing actually doing for 75 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,000 you? And, and, and, and, and, and 76 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:35,000 what do we now possess that we didn't possess before Jesus 77 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:37,000 Christ? And that's exactly what Paul's 78 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,480 going to talk about. And every single verse that 79 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:42,200 we're going to look at could be a sermon series. 80 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:47,680 So look at verse one with me, he says in verse one, therefore, 81 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,800 and that's an important word in the book of Romans because of 82 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:53,320 everything else that we've heard, because of all these 83 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:55,920 things, including the examples we heard last week from Pastor 84 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,080 Dylan. Therefore, since we have been 85 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:04,680 justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord 86 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:06,440 Jesus Christ. So the very first thing, if you 87 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:09,520 look into the outline, it just simply says that we have peace. 88 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,320 It says listen, because of what we have already experienced. 89 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,760 Since you have believed or make a verb out of it, since you have 90 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:23,640 faith, you are justified and you now have peace with God through 91 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,480 Jesus. This is the kind of thing I 92 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:29,080 share with lost people. I don't just talk about I and I 93 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:30,400 do. I talk about the cross, I talk 94 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,000 about the resurrection, but I also want to talk about So what? 95 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:35,880 So what? What difference does that make 96 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,240 in my life today? Do I really have peace? 97 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,720 Do I know what that means? Don't pass by this too quickly. 98 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,760 Don't treat this with some passive attitude if you're a 99 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:47,280 believer. I've been a believer so long, 100 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:48,280 you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. 101 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:52,480 This is huge news. This is like saying you are now 102 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,240 cured to a person with a terminal disease. 103 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:58,760 This is like saying you are now free to a condemned criminal. 104 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:01,320 This is huge news for these people. 105 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:07,800 We are no longer subject to God's wrath for our sin. 106 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,000 So there's no more. I hope so. 107 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:12,480 We're now in a position of I know. 108 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,480 So we're now in a position of assurance. 109 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:20,120 This word peace means to bind together that which was 110 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:22,840 separated. The things that were separated 111 00:06:22,840 --> 00:06:26,480 are now brought together. We are now stuck to God. 112 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:30,040 This is supernatural, theological, spiritual super 113 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:36,360 glue and we're stuck to him and Jesus permanently bound God and 114 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,840 man together by his blood on the cross. 115 00:06:39,840 --> 00:06:42,960 In fact, Paul wrote about this in other places in Colossians 1. 116 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:46,040 He wrote this, he says, and through him to reconcile to 117 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:50,360 himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace 118 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:56,560 by the blood of his cross. Now, as Pastor Jean mentioned, 119 00:06:56,800 --> 00:06:59,760 we're celebrating Memorial Day weekend this weekend. 120 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:03,400 Tomorrow's a national holiday. Many of you will be off work if 121 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:06,200 you're still working and, and, and the main purpose. 122 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:08,720 Now, we use Memorial Day for a lot of things in our society 123 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:10,560 today. Sometimes we use it to go to the 124 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,560 cemetery to remember loved ones and things like that, or we use 125 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,240 it as a family holiday. But the real purpose started 126 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:20,320 many many years ago for Memorial Day was to remember those people 127 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:24,800 specifically who died in the service of our nation while they 128 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,280 served for our armed force, our armed forces throughout history. 129 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:34,480 And So what better weekend to remember what Christ did for us 130 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:40,280 through his death in the war against sin and lostness because 131 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,680 of his death. I want you to see these things 132 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:47,320 because of his death we have notice the the verb tense there 133 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,320 we have peace. It's present tense. 134 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,560 We have peace with God if we faith in Him. 135 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,560 Now that's a big if. It's the whole point. 136 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:03,040 We're no longer in danger of God's wrath and being separated 137 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,640 from Him forever. But Christ is the only real path 138 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:10,080 to this peace. To be bound, the to be bound 139 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,200 tightly together with God. The only way that works is 140 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,760 through Christ. That which was separated has 141 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:20,960 been eternally connected, and we have freedom from eternal death 142 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:24,640 due to Him. But that's not all. 143 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,840 It keeps getting better and better and better. 144 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,200 Look at verse 2. Through whom? 145 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:36,200 Through him, excuse me. We have also obtained access by 146 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:42,200 faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope 147 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:46,160 of the glory of God. There's about a six week sermon 148 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:51,880 series in this one verse. Listen, we not only have peace, 149 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,560 we now have access and this is huge. 150 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:02,240 Now have in verse one and have in verse 2 are both in a verb 151 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:06,200 form to mean that we have and we still have and we keep on 152 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:07,960 having. We don't not ever have. 153 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,720 We will always have. We have and we have and we will 154 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:13,000 have. We will always have proso proso 155 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,560 go gay. We will always have access. 156 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:20,200 This describes this word is used in in. 157 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,720 In other terms, it's used when somebody is ushered into the 158 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:28,880 royal presence of the king and they are announced to the king. 159 00:09:29,680 --> 00:09:33,160 In other words, the king knows you, he knows your name, he 160 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,480 knows who you are. And this word comes from two 161 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:36,640 different words brought together. 162 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:41,120 It means to bring face to face. And so we are brought face to 163 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,760 face with God. And it implies not only the 164 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,880 right to be there in the presence of the king, but it 165 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:51,040 also implies the right to actually address or speak to the 166 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:53,640 king. What a powerful thing. 167 00:09:54,680 --> 00:09:57,200 Ephesians 3 says this. Paul wrote about this. 168 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,880 He says this was according to the eternal purpose that he has 169 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:04,080 realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness 170 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:11,280 and access with confidence through our faith in Him, faith 171 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:17,560 obtains access into grace. This free gift is offered to us. 172 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,920 We believe in that. We receive that gift and, and 173 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:26,400 Jesus does this for the believing Sinner because we're 174 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,480 now, when we do this, we're now clothed in his righteousness. 175 00:10:29,560 --> 00:10:33,040 We're cleansed and we're covered by the blood of Christ and 176 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:37,440 clothed with his righteousness. And so the Sinner has now able 177 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:42,200 to have bold and confident access to God's full flavor of 178 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:45,560 grace through faith. Now you got to think about how 179 00:10:45,560 --> 00:10:48,160 significant this was to the original readers in Rome. 180 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,120 To these Jewish readers, this was this was mind boggling 181 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,120 because in their whole experience with the law, in 182 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,440 their whole experience with the Tabernacle, in their whole 183 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,960 experience with the temple, they never had this kind of access to 184 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,200 God. They couldn't just March into 185 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,480 the Holy of Holies only one day a year during the Day of 186 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:09,720 Atonement on Yom Kippur, would even the high priest dare to go 187 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:12,440 into the holy of Holies. And yet now Paul is saying you 188 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,920 now have direct access because of what Christ has done for you. 189 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:18,920 You think about these Gentile Pagan background believers who 190 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:20,920 never had this kind of relationship with the Pagan 191 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:22,800 gods. It was fear based. 192 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,600 It was works righteousness. And now they have they're not 193 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:29,960 being able to to be ushered into the very presence of grace 194 00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:34,720 because of Christ. I mean, this is, this is huge. 195 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:43,000 And, and it also means for us that we now have the right and 196 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,760 the opportunity to speak with God, but not only just to 197 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:48,480 believe in him. And this is what Paul's going to 198 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:49,720 do. Paul's shifting gears here. 199 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:51,960 This isn't just about being saved anymore. 200 00:11:51,960 --> 00:11:54,040 He's, he's still always going to talk about that. 201 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,040 But now he's going to say that because you're saved, you ought 202 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,640 to live differently. This ought to affect who you 203 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:01,720 are. So what this is a So what 204 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:03,520 passage? And in other words, what 205 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:07,160 difference does this make? And so, so not only do we have 206 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:10,520 access to God, but now we have the ability and the opportunity 207 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,560 to live differently because of this. 208 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:17,360 So, so this new life under grace operates under completely new 209 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:20,520 standards, under completely new methods, under completely new 210 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:24,120 rules. Faith into this grace in which 211 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,360 we stand. You'll start seeing these active 212 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:31,160 verbs. So faith in his grace. 213 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:34,320 Notice what we're believing in. We're believing in this 214 00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:36,920 incredible grace that has been extended to us. 215 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,800 So we not only obtain grace, we also have the ability to stand 216 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:46,800 firm in that grace. So listen, that word stand is 217 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:49,120 written in a tent where it means permanent access. 218 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:53,120 We're in a fixed state before God in this connectivity, in 219 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:56,040 this super glue being held together by him, that which was 220 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,360 separate, brought together. We're now in a fixed state in 221 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:03,800 God's grace through faith. What an amazing place to be. 222 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:09,720 And this is what strengthens us to thrive and to grow. 223 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,120 So, so he says, so then think about it. 224 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:18,560 Because of all this, we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 225 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,360 And this word, hope doesn't mean wishful thinking. 226 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:25,520 It it, it, it, this word means an an assured expectation. 227 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:28,600 I know this is going to happen. I'm expecting it. 228 00:13:29,360 --> 00:13:31,840 I, I, I, I'm looking forward to it by faith. 229 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:37,000 I have an assured expectation that God will bring about his 230 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,240 great glory, which is why this is part of our mission statement 231 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:41,960 or his mission statement here at Inglewood. 232 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:44,360 We believe he's going to bring great glory to himself. 233 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:47,240 We buy into, we believe that with all our hearts because it's 234 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,880 here. And the word glory refers to a 235 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:55,200 state of things in this in this existence where where everything 236 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,960 is as God desires it to be one day. 237 00:14:00,160 --> 00:14:03,640 Charles Wendell writes about it. He says good triumphs over evil, 238 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,920 justice prevails, sin has no place, and everything exists in 239 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:13,480 harmony with his holy character. So we can stand permanently 240 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:18,640 bound with him in his grace by faith, with his incredible 241 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:25,440 assured expectation of hope, knowing that one day God will 242 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:31,920 reveal his whole full glory and everything will be in order one 243 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:37,000 day. One day. 244 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:43,000 So we we rejoice. And that rejoicing hope isn't 245 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,480 just something we sit back and we think this rejoicing hope 246 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,560 empowers us to live in a different way. 247 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,760 So we live in a different way until that time comes and we 248 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,880 live with peace. We live with access to Him, 249 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:58,400 which helps us to live the way He wants us to live. 250 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:00,800 Look at verse three. He just keeps building. 251 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:04,080 We're done with that. We're done with that six week 252 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,840 sermon series and verse 2, sort of look at verse 3. 253 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:13,760 Not only that, I mean, if that wasn't enough, but we rejoice in 254 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:15,160 our sufferings. What? 255 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,840 That's counter intuitive, but we rejoice in our sufferings 256 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:25,320 knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces 257 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:28,040 character and character produces hope. 258 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:30,760 Now I just summarized this by saying we have strength. 259 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:33,120 Pick out any words you like there. 260 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:35,400 But I just, I just thought of this in the way this is what 261 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,720 strengthens us. So even though we have peace and 262 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:43,040 even though we have access leading to this hope, we still 263 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:48,440 live right here, don't we? And we still have suffering for 264 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:51,880 now. Our grace filled life is not 265 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:55,360 free of trouble. I don't know why we're surprised 266 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,200 by that. Jesus promised us that we would 267 00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,880 still have trouble. Remember what he said in John 268 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:03,760 15? He said if the world hates you, 269 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:05,840 know that it has hated me before it hated you. 270 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,560 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. 271 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:12,640 But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of 272 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,160 the world, therefore the world hates you. 273 00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:21,400 So it's easy for us. It's easy for people to have 274 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,160 hope. It's easy for people to rejoice 275 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:29,480 in times of blessing. But it's much harder, much more 276 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:34,800 difficult to live with such joyful confidence in times of 277 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,280 suffering. And I want you to understand 278 00:16:37,280 --> 00:16:40,240 this word suffering. This word suffering in a general 279 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:43,120 usage can just refer to pressure or distress. 280 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,040 Think of olives being pressed in the olive press. 281 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:47,800 That's what that word would be used for. 282 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,040 It's that idea of pressure. We all face pressure. 283 00:16:51,160 --> 00:16:53,960 We all face distress in this life. 284 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:57,320 In fact, some of you here, some of you listening, you might, you 285 00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:58,880 might feel the squeeze right now. 286 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:04,599 And it comes in many shapes and it comes in many sizes and it 287 00:17:04,599 --> 00:17:07,400 comes at varying times and it comes up with varying degrees. 288 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:11,720 And it hits from all directions sometimes, often catching us off 289 00:17:11,720 --> 00:17:13,920 guard. And it can feel overwhelming. 290 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:18,079 Life can feel overwhelming. It's too hard, it's too pressure 291 00:17:18,079 --> 00:17:23,800 filled. But Paul's trying to help us 292 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:26,319 understand because we've been ushered into a completely new 293 00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:31,240 manner of life and grace. We can still live with a joyful 294 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:36,880 confidence. We can still live with grace, we 295 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:42,600 can still live with joy, even during these times of great 296 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,800 pressure. Now, how in the world do we 297 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:47,800 obtain such supernatural ability? 298 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:52,440 Well, it's not simply going to come from our own manifestation 299 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:57,200 or from our fellow human beings. No power positive thinking 300 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,440 created by the human brain is going to muster this up. 301 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:03,520 No vision board, no dream catcher, no incantation or self 302 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,480 manifestation can ever achieve this. 303 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:10,040 No matter what this world tries to jam down your throat, it will 304 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:14,120 not happen that way. So Paul then describes a 305 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:16,920 powerful chain. It's like I said, a Domino's, a 306 00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:21,520 powerful chain reaction, revealing how the process of 307 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:26,240 strength grows and eventually gives us the ability to 308 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,960 experience joy even in the midst of difficult circumstance. 309 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:33,320 So let's just look at them together. 310 00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:40,880 Suffering produces endurance. When the pressure builds, we 311 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,520 seek to relieve the discomfort. That's what we're going to 312 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,880 naturally do. And sometimes we can't. 313 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:48,960 Sometimes we can't avoid it. Sometimes we can't escape it. 314 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:54,160 I've got a hole in this eardrum. Teresa was with me on this trip. 315 00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,520 I think I'm always going to have a hole in this eardrum. 316 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:59,000 It never does heal. It's been some years now. 317 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:04,240 I, I was preaching overseas and I had a translator who was sick 318 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,280 and he was right here for, for all this time, right here 319 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,360 talking right next to me. And he was sick as a dog talking 320 00:19:10,360 --> 00:19:12,040 to me. And, you know, as he's 321 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:13,880 translating everything I've got to say. 322 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,200 And by the time I got on the plane, I had an earache. 323 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,320 And in the middle of that flight, my eardrum burst. 324 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:26,640 That's a joyful experience. And after that I had to go see a 325 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:29,360 doctor and he had to put a machine in there and do all 326 00:19:29,360 --> 00:19:31,760 kinds of really gross things to get all kinds of gross stuff out 327 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:36,160 of my out of my head. But it left a messed up eardrum. 328 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:37,880 It broke because of the pressure. 329 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:41,680 It couldn't handle it. It burst and it's never grown 330 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,840 back. Sometimes the pressures a lot, 331 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:53,080 but in Christ, in Christ and his grace, the distress and the 332 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:59,000 pressure can actually help us build patient endurance that's 333 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:03,520 sometimes hard to understand. He he might even allow us to 334 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,760 walk through the storm and to walk through certain 335 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:12,320 circumstances purposely to do this in our lives, to help us 336 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:16,920 grow and to help us build. As one of our shut insurance, 337 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,120 and one of the great joys I have is every, every week I go out 338 00:20:20,120 --> 00:20:22,440 with one of our deacons to see some of our folks. 339 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:24,720 And often some of our folks are shut insurance who can't 340 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,760 physically make it here. And I, I, I, I remember the sign 341 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:29,000 that she had. It's not original. 342 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:31,800 I've seen this saying before, but it simply said don't fear 343 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:37,160 the storm. Learn to dance in the rain in 344 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:42,200 him. We must choose to recognize the 345 00:20:42,200 --> 00:20:46,960 temporary sufferings we endure here can actually be powerful 346 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:51,160 trainers to build up our strength of faith for what's 347 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:55,520 next. So suffering produces endurance 348 00:20:55,680 --> 00:21:00,120 and endurance, Paul says, produces character. 349 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:03,600 So the ability to endure actually will develop. 350 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,360 And it's not just any character. The word, the word here is 351 00:21:06,360 --> 00:21:10,120 actually talking about a tested or a proven character Dokieme. 352 00:21:10,360 --> 00:21:13,360 It's talking about to be proven by testing. 353 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,520 So this could be like testing the purity of a metal or it 354 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:21,280 could it's also used in terms of soldiers or athletes who have 355 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,880 been proven and and their endurance has been proven by 356 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:29,320 combat or by competition. So this is a strengthening of 357 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,160 character. And this isn't pretending this 358 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:35,400 isn't denying this isn't coming up with some some false. 359 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:37,480 I'm just fine. I hope you are kind of moment. 360 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:42,480 This comes as the trials of life become instruments in the hands 361 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:48,560 of the Holy Spirit who crash within us, a proven character, a 362 00:21:48,560 --> 00:21:53,720 strong character because who we are not, not just what we know, 363 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:58,440 not just what we do, but who we are actually becomes stronger. 364 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:02,720 But this demands faith in him. This isn't something we do on 365 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,440 our own. The Holy Spirit has to do this. 366 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:08,600 We have to faith in him and and then this character produces 367 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:10,840 hope. We almost come full circle here. 368 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:15,000 We see that that proven tested character will that will bring 369 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:20,200 about this sure expectant expectation and hope again. 370 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:23,440 So we can observe without anxiety. 371 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:28,520 We can endure without panic. We can hope without 372 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:33,760 disappointment. Because we know I don't have to 373 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:39,840 guess, because we know. We faith that we have an assured 374 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:44,760 outcome in the end. The fact that our guaranteed 375 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:50,400 victory is true and real provides me both destination and 376 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:55,320 direction so that I can live the life that I'm supposed to live. 377 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:01,080 Look at verse 5. And hope does not put us to 378 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:03,400 shame. Why? 379 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:06,920 Because God's love has been poured into our hearts through 380 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,680 the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 381 00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:15,240 So the Holy Holy Spirit provides the power for this progressive 382 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,720 development. This is what we call spiritual 383 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:21,240 maturity, this progressive development. 384 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,960 He helps us this to occur. Our hope is in Him, not in US. 385 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:26,960 My hope's not in you. It's in Him. 386 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:28,680 It's not in this temporary place. 387 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:30,600 It's not in this world, it's in Him. 388 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:34,600 So when I'm free from that idolatry, we trust in and expect 389 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,160 Him to help us work through this life. 390 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:41,400 And He provides the strength in our weakness. 391 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:43,320 He provides wisdom in our foolishness. 392 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,360 He provides love in our doubt. He provides evidence in our 393 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:50,080 despair. As Swindell writes, the Holy 394 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,960 Spirit living within us is our ever present guarantee, a future 395 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,920 victory. So my strength is I believe in 396 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:02,200 him, not in me. Listen, our world pushes self 397 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:04,960 belief. Just pay attention for a second. 398 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:08,960 You can believe in yourself. You can achieve anything. 399 00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:13,160 That's a lie. This world pushes self belief. 400 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:16,360 We're going to push Christ's belief because it's only in him 401 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:24,840 that you can do all things. So peace, access, strength, what 402 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,880 a valuable list, but he's not done. 403 00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:30,680 Some of these verses are going to be more familiar to you. 404 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,240 You've probably heard sermons just out of these few verses. 405 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:36,240 Look at verse 6. For while we were, while we were 406 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:41,640 still weak at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 407 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:46,920 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps 408 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:49,240 for a good person one would dare even to die. 409 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,960 But God shows his love for us, and that while we were still 410 00:24:53,960 --> 00:25:00,840 sinners, Christ died for us. So we not only have peace, we 411 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:02,880 not only have access, we not only have strength, we have 412 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:09,280 love, a pure love, a God love. You go back to verse 5 just for 413 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:11,480 a second and just remember, because God's love has been 414 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:13,720 poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has 415 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,240 been given to us. Why does all this happen? 416 00:25:16,360 --> 00:25:19,320 How does all this happen? Listen, don't, don't 417 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,280 misunderstand or try to define Christianity in some non 418 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,080 biblical way. We do not determine the 419 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,480 expectations. We do not determine the 420 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,000 standards. We do not determine the outcome. 421 00:25:30,120 --> 00:25:34,920 Once we are saved, we are not on our own and we must not live by 422 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:39,240 our own strength. We're still helpless without the 423 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:43,560 forgiving grace of God. We never rise above our need for 424 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,720 Him. He's done everything. 425 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,800 He's done everything we need, even when we could not do it 426 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,320 ourselves. And so Paul stresses the fact 427 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,400 that nothing in US deserves saving. 428 00:25:56,320 --> 00:26:01,600 Nothing in US deserves saving. Yet Christ died for us. 429 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:06,040 When we're sitting there in the gutter, Christ died for us, but 430 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:11,640 God shows his now I want you to say this big deal, but God shows 431 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:13,920 his love for us. I want you to notice this that 432 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:17,320 that verbs in the present tense. Now a lot of the other verbs 433 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:19,440 around it or not they're in the past tense is something God did 434 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:21,440 in the past, but God shows present tense. 435 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:25,240 Paul's trying to make a point. Holy Spirit's inspiring Paul to 436 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:29,480 remind us that we received what we did not deserve and we aren't 437 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:34,480 what we should be now. But God still faithfully 438 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:38,200 provided undeserved grace to save us from sin. 439 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:44,880 And He continues now to offer that same grace and love to help 440 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:48,440 us live for Him today. It's amazing. 441 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,520 We receive what we did not deserve, and we aren't what we 442 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:55,680 should be now. But God is still doing this. 443 00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:01,240 So this act of grace, by the way, what we're talking about 444 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:05,680 right now, distinguishes biblical orthodox Christianity 445 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:09,480 from all the other world religions, from all the other 446 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,880 belief systems. This is why Christianity is the 447 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:15,480 only real path. Other beliefs are going to make 448 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:17,960 you earn it. Other belief systems are going 449 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,880 to make you work for it. But what we see here is that 450 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,800 while we were yet sinners, the sacrifice of Jesus granted 451 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:29,920 access to us into a completely new territory called grace. 452 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:34,520 Grace doesn't exist anywhere else in which we can thrive 453 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:38,120 according to a completely new perspective. 454 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:45,440 So our God don't ever take this lightly. 455 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:51,000 Our God lowered himself. We ought to spend a whole lot 456 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,040 more time on the doctrine of the incarnation. 457 00:27:54,040 --> 00:27:56,640 We ought to spend a whole lot more time on the sacrifice of 458 00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,560 the Incarnation. We focus a lot on the 459 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,760 crucifixion than the resurrection, rightly so. 460 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,640 But we ought to focus more on the incarnation. 461 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:09,200 God perfectly in a in an agape, a choice of the will to love us 462 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,480 no matter what. In fact, in spite of who we 463 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:17,840 were, he lowered himself to perfectly become one of us, to 464 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:25,000 be our perfect blim, blimless sacrifice, and to pay our price 465 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:29,160 for us. So he gives us peace, He gives 466 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:33,160 us access, He gives us strength, and he gives us this perfect 467 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,280 love that this world cannot offer. 468 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,560 Those are the kinds of things I mean, I'll share about. 469 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,720 I have to share about a cross. I have to share about an empty 470 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:42,680 grave. But in our world today, I also 471 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,240 share about those words when I'm talking to a lost person, 472 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:47,560 because I have those things and they don't. 473 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,600 The reason I have them isn't because of me. 474 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,600 I'm a gutter dweller, but I haven't because of Christ. 475 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,920 But we're not quite done. Look at verse 9. 476 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,640 Since therefore I'm telling you therefore is a big word in 477 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:11,040 Romans. We have now been justified by 478 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,320 His blood. Much more shall we be saved by 479 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:18,400 Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we 480 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,960 were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more now 481 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:24,120 that you. Now that we are reconciled, 482 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:28,960 shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice 483 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:33,040 in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now 484 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:38,080 received reconciliation and point #5 I just said we have 485 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:39,440 relationship. If you like the word 486 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:40,960 reconciliation, put that in there. 487 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:43,760 We have reconciliation. I, I used the word relationship 488 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:45,480 because I felt like it was more relatable. 489 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,880 Perhaps. But if everything else, if 490 00:29:47,880 --> 00:29:51,360 everything else we gained is not enough, there's, there's still 491 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,880 much more. He didn't just die for us, He 492 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,800 rose again. And because of his life, because 493 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:01,800 of his resurrection, we have a guarantee of eternal life and an 494 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:07,160 abundant eternal life with him, and we were reconciled to God. 495 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:11,080 Past tense and and the cost so the cost of reconciliation has 496 00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:14,760 been completely paid and and so the bridge that connection that 497 00:30:14,760 --> 00:30:17,960 binding that peace has been permanently fixed. 498 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:23,680 Our access to live connected to God has been obtained much more 499 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:29,040 now that we are reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 500 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,800 So I have been reconciled past, I'm being saved present, and I 501 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,480 will be saved future I'm covered. 502 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:43,600 Salvation includes all of that. Which also means, my friends, 503 00:30:43,600 --> 00:30:49,480 that salvation includes any of our future sin that threatens to 504 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:53,720 keep us from enjoying our new life in the land of grace. 505 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,720 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus 506 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,040 Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. 507 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:06,680 All this truth then, ought to lead us to a place of rejoicing. 508 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:09,120 That's what Paul's trying to get to. 509 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:11,720 Listen, I've been talking, he's been talking, he's been talking, 510 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:13,400 he's been talking. Both Jew and Gentile have the 511 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,040 opportunity to be saved. They have both acts, access to 512 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:18,560 salvation because of Christ. Now you've been saved. 513 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:20,360 You ought to be happy about that. 514 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:23,640 You ought to. The one translation you might 515 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:26,520 have, your translation might say exalt in God. 516 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:33,080 So live with a joyful confidence that despite the afflictions of 517 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:38,600 this fallen world, despite the consequences of past sin, and 518 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:43,120 even despite the failure to live as we ought to today and 519 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:48,080 tomorrow, we can still have forgiveness, we can still have 520 00:31:48,080 --> 00:31:55,640 hope, we can still have grace, but only if we faith in Jesus 521 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:58,120 Christ. So things are not yet as they 522 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:00,920 should be. We still have a lot of the old 523 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:03,240 sinful nature in us. We're not perfect. 524 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:05,840 This church isn't perfect. It's made-up of us. 525 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,560 Nevertheless, we who have trusted in Jesus have been 526 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:15,200 declared just by faith by the Judge of heaven and the 527 00:32:15,200 --> 00:32:18,800 universe, and we no longer have to fear his wrath. 528 00:32:20,400 --> 00:32:25,480 We have peace with Him through our Lord and have been ushered 529 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,920 into a new existence with Him. So we ought to thrive. 530 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:32,240 We ought to rejoice with a sense of assured confidence, knowing 531 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:39,480 that one day, one day, all things will be made right, sin 532 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:44,720 will be removed, and everything will exist with God's holy 533 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:49,520 nature. But we also have to remember 534 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:52,640 that this joy, this peace, is not attained by natural means. 535 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:54,200 We can't muster this up ourselves. 536 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:56,920 The Holy Spirit has to work within us. 537 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,760 Justification, salvation, and reconciliation. 538 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:02,600 These big words are ours, but they're only ours through Jesus 539 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:07,760 Christ. So forgive the poor theology of 540 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:10,560 this story for just a moment, but I want to make a point. 541 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:16,800 A woman named Susan dies and goes to heaven and meets Peter 542 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,440 at the gate. And she says, what do I got to 543 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:21,920 do to get inside? And Peter says all you got to do 544 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:26,440 is spell the word love. So Susan spelled it right out 545 00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:32,280 LOVE and goes right in. Well, some time passes and one 546 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:35,560 day Peter asked Susan if if she'd watched the gate for him 547 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:37,120 one day he had some other things to do. 548 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,920 And so Peter standing at the gate, when she notices her 549 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:44,880 husband in line, four or five folks down the line, when he 550 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:46,840 finally gets up to the gate, he greets her. 551 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,600 I mean, it's a, it's an, it's an incredible moment. 552 00:33:49,880 --> 00:33:52,840 You know, how, how are you? You know, I've been missing you. 553 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,240 How are things up here? How are things down there? 554 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:57,320 How are things going? Everything's wonderful. 555 00:33:57,320 --> 00:34:02,840 How in the world are you and how and, and how did you die? 556 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:07,480 Susan asked him. Well, you know that nurse that 557 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:14,360 took care of you toward the end? I I ended up marrying her and 558 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:18,440 then I won the lottery. And then I bought a Big Lake 559 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,560 house like we always wanted and a big boat. 560 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:26,239 But I wrecked that boat, and that's why I'm here. 561 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:28,760 So what do I got to do to get in? 562 00:34:29,679 --> 00:34:33,760 And Susan looks at him and says, honey, all you got to do is 563 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:47,040 spell the word Czechoslovakia. Now aren't you glad it doesn't 564 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:51,840 work that way? It's not according to the work 565 00:34:51,880 --> 00:34:56,440 on our part. Just listen. 566 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:59,080 You might even close your eyes. You don't have to, but I, I, I 567 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:02,400 took some portions of our passage today, nothing out of 568 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:06,720 context, but just took some phrases out of our verses and I 569 00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:08,920 just want to put them together for you for a moment before we 570 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:11,360 close. Just listen to what God is 571 00:35:11,360 --> 00:35:15,520 saying to us. We have also obtained access by 572 00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:20,720 faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in hope 573 00:35:20,720 --> 00:35:25,320 of the glory of God because God's love has been poured into 574 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:30,520 our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 575 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:34,640 God shows His love for us and that why we were still sinners. 576 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:39,400 Christ died for us. More than that, we also rejoice 577 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:44,640 in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now 578 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:51,160 received reconciliation. My friends, the password for 579 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:57,720 access into eternal life is Jesus. 580 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:02,960 He's the only way and you have to faith in Him. 581 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:05,760 We must believe in Him. So we should rejoice. 582 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,320 We should exalt. That word literally means to 583 00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:10,800 boast about Him. It means to, to to give a 584 00:36:10,800 --> 00:36:14,680 massively high degree of confidence to God in grace. 585 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:18,360 We can live with this complete confidence and boast of our Lord 586 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,200 because we recognize that our confidence isn't in us. 587 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:27,200 Our confidence is in our faith in His free gift of grace that 588 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:33,960 He offers us, and we can grow even more because we know what's 589 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:39,920 ahead of us and we know who overseas it with complete, 590 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:45,920 assured expectation. Father, thank you for the hope 591 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:50,720 of your glory. Thank you, Father, that we do 592 00:36:50,720 --> 00:36:53,520 not have to somehow figure this out on our own. 593 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:57,480 That Father, we cannot do that even if we tried. 594 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:03,920 The Father, you extend to us a gift of grace, that while we 595 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:08,120 were still sinners, Father, Jesus Christ died on the cross 596 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:12,160 to pay for our sins, and then he rose again because death could 597 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:16,880 not hold him in his perfection. And through Him we have 598 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:22,080 salvation and assurance. Now, Father, there might be 599 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:25,160 somebody here, I'm sure there is even listening online or here 600 00:37:25,240 --> 00:37:29,440 live, who would have to admit I don't have that kind of peace. 601 00:37:29,440 --> 00:37:31,800 I don't have that kind of hope. I don't have that kind of 602 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:35,040 strength. I, I don't know if I have access 603 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:40,120 to God or not. Well, Father, there's no reason 604 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:42,160 for them to leave this place without knowing. 605 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,720 You tell us in the Bible that we can know for certain that we 606 00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:50,160 have eternal life if we believe in Jesus as your son. 607 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:54,680 And so Father, right now I pray that as our worship team leads 608 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:58,840 us in just a moment and we sing praises, we exalt you, we praise 609 00:37:58,840 --> 00:38:02,880 you, we rejoice in you that Father, we recognize that only 610 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,880 in Christ alone can we find this answer. 611 00:38:07,960 --> 00:38:11,600 And I pray that your Holy Spirit now would be be pouring into 612 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:15,520 their hearts, in their minds, no denying your presence, no 613 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:18,720 denying this truth and that right now, Father, they would 614 00:38:18,720 --> 00:38:22,280 ask you to come into their heart and through life to forgive them 615 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:25,280 of their sin, that they would turn from their sin, that they 616 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,080 would commit themselves to live for you. 617 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:32,200 Father, there may be believers here who've just kind of been 618 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:34,880 passive. They take all this for granted. 619 00:38:35,640 --> 00:38:38,080 And I pray that this morning will be a moment of recommitment 620 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:41,720 or rededication of renewal to recognize what an incredible 621 00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:46,400 gift you've given us God. What an an amazing life you've 622 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:50,120 given us. God, Father, we have to, we have 623 00:38:50,120 --> 00:38:52,080 to believe in you. We have to trust in you. 624 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:54,800 We have to walk with you. We have to take advantage of 625 00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,400 that access with you, speak with you. 626 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:02,280 So Father, as we sing, I pray that people might come take a 627 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:05,320 pastor by the hand, Father, to ask what do I need to do to be 628 00:39:05,320 --> 00:39:07,160 saved? What do I need to do to join the 629 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:08,680 church? What do I need to do to be 630 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:10,880 baptized? Or would you just pray with me 631 00:39:10,880 --> 00:39:13,160 about this? Or maybe they just need to go 632 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:16,320 and talk to one of our trained volunteers in the Next Steps 633 00:39:16,320 --> 00:39:19,200 room and have a private conversation about your Father. 634 00:39:19,400 --> 00:39:23,280 Or maybe they just want to come and pray a prayer of praise, a 635 00:39:23,280 --> 00:39:27,840 pray of forgiveness, of a pray for repentance, a pray for of 636 00:39:27,840 --> 00:39:32,120 intercession for someone else. Help us to have the freedom to 637 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:34,240 respond. You've given us the grace. 638 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:40,440 Now help us to believe, help us to faith and to receive that 639 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:42,560 gift as your Holy Spirit helps us. 640 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,440 Thank you, Father in Christ's name, Amen. 641 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:49,320 Will you stand with me? We'll have pastors here. 642 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:52,080 The Next Steps room is open where people would love to just 643 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:53,960 pray with you and share with you in private. 644 00:39:54,120 --> 00:39:56,440 Our ushers are going to come and take up the offering. 645 00:39:56,600 --> 00:39:59,320 If you're a guest, put that Next Steps card in there for us. 646 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:00,960 Or you can just come and pray at this altar. 647 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:03,720 Whatever you want to do as the Lord leads you, you come right 648 00:40:03,720 --> 00:40:04,040 now.