Nothing shapes our thoughts about the church more than Ephesians 3:7-11. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Ephesians 3:7-13
TITLE: There is Nothing Like the Church
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Nothing is like the church.

POINTS:
I. The Gospel Creates the Church
II. The Church Reveals the Glory and Wisdom of God in the Gospel

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

ILLUSTRATION: My pastor—Move for a good church

“It may sound radical, but it’s not. Nothing compares to Christ’s Church. It’s imperfect, and we don’t worship it. But there is nothing like it on this planet.”

“Nothing is like the church. This is the key takeaway from our text today. Nothing compares to the church. In a society that idolizes individualism and distrusts anything organized, it’s good for God’s people to be clear-eyed about what God thinks of His church. Whether it’s planting a church on the other side of the city, faithfully serving year in and year out in the same church, or giving sacrificially to raise up new pastors, our thoughts about the church need to be shaped by God’s thoughts.”

“Church, make no mistake, our thoughts about the church are being shaped. Too often, they are shaped by our felt needs, past experiences, unmet expectations, and seasons of life. Our thoughts about the church need to be shaped by God’s thoughts. Nothing shapes our thoughts about the church more than Ephesians 3:7-11.”

“Paul begins 7, saying—Of this gospel. With these three words, Paul points us back not only to the first six verses of Eph 3 but also to the first two chapters. In Eph 1-2, Paul brilliantly unpacks God’s plan of salvation. Before the world’s foundations, God devised a plan to choose, save, and make sinners His own. Through the long-awaited sacrifice of Jesus, sinners who were once dead in their sin and alienated from God and His promises are now mercifully saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.”

“In these verses, Paul uses the word mystery when he speaks about the gospel. What does he mean? He does not mean something unsolvable. By mystery, he means something once hidden but now made known. What has been revealed to Paul?”

“The gospel was foretold in part in the Old Testament, but now, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, it has been fully revealed—Jew and Gentile are made part of God’s people in Christ. Belonging to God and all the promises and blessings that accompany it are no longer confined to being Jewish. God’s people are now marked by their union with Christ, made possible through the Spirit’s regenerative work in the heart and Christ’s sacrificial work on the cross. The new covenant foretold by Ezekiel and Jeremiah radically changes the nature of God’s covenant people. They are no longer defined by nations, bloodlines, ethnicity, or rituals, but by a new humanity, one man, created by the gospel and called the church. This is the point of 2:11-22. I encourage you to read it this week for personal application.”

“Think about that. Once an enemy of God, you are now a beloved heir in Christ and a member of God’s heavenly family, represented on earth in just one place—the Church. This is the fruit and effect of the gospel—the Church. Not merely in the general sense scholars call the church universal, but in a very specific sense we know as the local church. If you’re visiting with us, we hold a robust doctrine of the local church.”

“Your pastors are grateful for your conviction about the local church. We pray that the Spirit grants each of us the grace to live with daily awareness of who we were apart from Christ and who we are now in Christ, not only as individuals but also collectively as His beloved Church.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Are you struggling to live with a joyful sense of privilege in being part of the church, a privilege the gospel has granted you? Maybe, in your eyes, you have been burned by the church. For a variety of reasons, you are disillusioned with it. Allow me to encourage and challenge you today: Throw yourself into your church. Get ready, because as you do, God will grow your gratitude and sense of privilege in being part of it more and more and more.

“Paul didn’t want the Ephesians to be discouraged as his ministry grew difficult, and he doesn’t want us to be discouraged when ours does. Why? Because church work is the work of God’s eternal glory! And you have been saved to be part of it.”

“The claim in verse 10 is stunning: God makes His manifold, multifaceted wisdom known to the cosmos through the church. Just as a diamond’s brilliance is revealed in its multifaceted cuts, so the multifaceted wisdom of God is revealed in the collective people of God—the church.”

“God could have used any means He desired to make His glory and wisdom known—He’s God! He has endless resources. But He chose the church, you and I together, to make His wisdom known not only to mankind but also to (10) the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

“Stunning! God intends for the angels He created to worship Him endlessly, to keep their eyes on the earthly church so they can witness the greatness and glory of His wisdom. The angels of Psalm 148:2 who praise God; the angels in Revelation 7:11 who fall on their knees before the throne and worship God; and the angels who cry out, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, in Isaiah 6:3 are better able to glorify and worship God as they witness all He is doing in His church. What they see is stunning. The gospel is preached, and sinners are saved. People are being transformed from one glory to another, living in unity, growing in holiness, and sharing the good news. In the church, the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places see God’s manifold wisdom in ways they could never otherwise perceive.”

“The angels aren’t waiting with bated breath for the midterm election results. The heavens aren’t on the edge of their seats for AI’s next big reveal. The angels aren’t laser-focused on the Middle East. They are fixed on and enthralled by the church. Not convinced? Turn to 1 Peter 1:10-12.”

ILLUSTRATION: Trophy Case in School

“The world isn’t impressed with the church. They aren’t impressed with our church-planting efforts. They aren’t enamored with the sacrifices you make to give generously to Mission Tucson. It’s all foolishness in the eyes of the world.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: What kind of investment strategy do you have? Here’s the truth. Here’s real value. Here’s the best return on your investment. Here’s the best use of your time. God has devised an eternal plan in which ordinary people like you and me, living ordinary lives shaped and informed by the gospel, together as a local church, reveal God's extraordinary glory and wisdom to the cosmos! Unfathomable! Unimaginable! Unmatchable!

“There is nothing like the church. All earthly things and institutions fade into insignificance when compared with the church. The church alone, including our church, represents the grandest of all His works. It is, in the words of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the most wonderful phenomenon in the universe, the most amazing thing that God has ever done.”

“This is why we are passionate about the church. This is why we prioritize the church. The church is Christ’s priority. He designed the church in eternity past. He left his place in the Trinity for the church. He suffered in this world for the church. He died for the church. His love for the church is so profound that he regards her as his bride. He is interceding for the church right now. Jesus is returning for one reason—the church. Jesus has one thing on his mind and in his heart—the glory of his Father through the church!”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Aren’t you glad and grateful to be part of His church?

QUOTES:
Martyn-Lloyd Jones - “There is nothing beyond the Church. She is the highest and the most supreme manifestation of the wisdom of God; and to look forward to something beyond the Church is to deny not only this verse but many other verses in the Scripture. The Church is the final expression of the wisdom of God, the thing above all others that enables even the angels to comprehend the wisdom of God.”

Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith - “As an expression of Christ’s universal church, the local church is the focal point of God's plan to mature his people and save sinners. Therefore, all Christians are to join themselves as committed members to a specific local church.”

Martin Lloyd-Jones - “The Apostle is asserting that what is happening in the Church is so stupendous, so glorious, that even the brightest angelic beings who have spent their entire existence in the presence of God, even they are staggered and amazed at what they see in and through the Church.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 5:1-2

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
We Are Yours Forever
God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)
Oh What High And Holy Privilege
Let Your Kingdom Come
As You Go

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 5:6-11

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

“Encouragement: How to See and Celebrate Evidences of Grace” - Jared Mellinger

Justification through faith alone truly is, as Sproul would say - a Christmas gift worth rejoicing in “over and over again!” Today, we are tearing the ribbons and wrapping paper off! 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 5:3-5
TITLE: Our Hope In God
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Because God has given us an anchored hope in our suffering, we rejoice in our suffering.

POINTS:
I. God has given us a hope that is produced in our sufferings
II. God has given us a hope that will not disappoint us

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

“We have hope because we have Peace with God.”

“Look how Paul transitions from point v2 to v3 with these words “Not only that…” These words point us back to our justification (vs 1). They point us back to the shocking reality that we “have peace with God” (vs 1). Through faith in Jesus, we are justified, and we have  “obtained access to the grace of God in which we stand.”  The words “Not only that,” point back in the text… back to the future in verse 2… “rejoice in our hope of the glory of God!” This is shocking! If Paul stopped here, wouldn’t this already be enough?... What else does God need to do? Isn’t our justification wondrous!”

“BUT Paul’s rejoicing is not finished as he rejoices again in what God has done in justifying us! Paul HAS MORE! Without flinching, he declares justification is the ground from which we can rejoice even in the face of our present tribulation, afflictions, sorrows, and griefs.”

“First, (following Not only that…) we “rejoice,” we “glory,” “we boast,” we “exult.” The word “exult” captures Paul’s meaning best in this context, and he uses this word here in Verses 2 and 3, and again in 11.”

“The exultation in God is described as a profound, triumphant joy and boasting arising from recognizing His salvation… often expressed through singing, praising, and glorifying. It’s intense emotion and physical, dancing, leaping, and spinning with joy.”

“Paul, doesn’t hold back when it comes to our justification through faith in Jesus Christ, the ground on which we spin in joy! Look around, Christian! The floor upon which you exult in God is paved in your justification - REJOICE!”

“This wrecks the preacher’s desire as a pattern to start off in a crescendo, building from quieter melodic sounds in the sermon and building toward the crashing of cymbals and thunderous finale! GOD LEADS IN THE TEXT WITH THE DEAFENING SOUNDS OF JUBILANT TRIUMPH - YOU HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED IN MY SON! EXULT IN THE GLORY THAT AWAITS!”

“First, Rejoice!, but then… Second, we exult in… and there’s a surprise in the text - we rejoice IN OUR SUFFERINGS.”

“…here we have the astonishing statement: “We rejoice in our sufferings” - Rejoice in the horrific sufferings that we long to be set free from in this life? Vs 3 - This is not some strange attraction to pain and suffering. It is not rejoicing in the troubles themselves, but rather rejoicing while we find ourselves in the midst of trouble. The “suffering” here is tribulations, trials, griefs, and afflictions that are the crucible of the Christian’s life. IT is also impossible to do this in our own strength!”

“So, we see that we rejoice IN our suffering.

Third, we rejoice “knowing.” 

This “knowing,” this “knowledge” is the reason we boast in suffering. We are now given that reason. We are being reminded (and now we “know”) how and why we are able to boast in suffering.”

“Suffering produces Endurance (vs 3) - In our sufferings, God quite literally toughens us up. God is at work in the fiery heat and duration of our trials. In fact, they only serve, in his providence, to make us stronger, to last longer, growing a patient perseverance. The joy we have in verse 3, is that God is at work in suffering, producing endurance.”

“Endurance produces Character - “tested Character” (vs 4) - 

God strengthens our endurance, and in so doing, the trial proves out our moral character. He is bolstering our character by degrees, making us holy. Justification made us right with God, “Not only that,” he effectually weaves the moral fabric of our character. NOTE: His testing of our character doesn’t simply reveal our sinfulness (and our sin at times is certainly revealed). In the midst of suffering, he is not standing on the other side waiting to see how we come through it. No, he is “working all these things,” all of our afflictions, for the good of our character.”

“Tested Character produces HOPE (vs 4) - Our hope only grows stronger as tested character. He is building our endurance. He is building our character, and now we discover THE goal of suffering! The fact that our character is strengthened is a testimony that God is at work in us. This testimony of God changing us produces hope.  This is where all of this has been leading us - HOPE!”

“Paul has not listed out the various kinds of pain and suffering. Nor does he minimize our sufferings. This is a perfect place where Paul could list out his sufferings, but he doesn’t. His goal is to preach to sufferers this amazing truth. His goal is to prepare future sufferers with this amazing truth. God, who knows all of it, who sees all of it, and that truth is he is with you in all of it, and is at work in all of it, is giving you GOSPEL-GROUNDED, JUSTIFICATION-SECURED hope.”

“DON’T FORGET verse 3 - We now know something! What we now “know” is that God’s providential design is the driving force behind the mounting elements of our affliction. God is taking us somewhere through suffering. We come to KNOW something.”

“As we marvel that God is at work in our afflictions, no matter what they are, God is at work producing a deep-seated hope in your soul. In our suffering, God produces an unwavering, anchored hope. Not Only That… see what Paul takes us to next in verse 5.”

“Let’s look at verse 5 again: Here in the English Standard Version, “and hope does not put us to shame.” Other translations will say that hope “will not disappoint.” This hope that God is producing in us will not embarrass us. Let’s remember the CONTEXT: The gift of Justification brings with it an anchored hope in the midst of suffering.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: How can I be sure that my hope will not be in vain, that it will not disappoint? In our suffering, our hearts give way. They doubt. They faint. The forget. Our soul shrinks back. Our hearts question God’s love for us. How can we be sure that our hope will not have been foolish? The answer: Paul, in Romans Chapter 5, is teaching us that our hope is not rooted. It is not anchored in us. It is found in our merciful God and in what he has already done for us in justification. It is anchored in “we have been justified by faith” in Jesus. Our hope cannot put us to shame or disappoint us because it is anchored in the Rock of Jesus Christ, through whom we now have peace with God and access to his grace.”

“This assurance is not simply an implication of the text; it is an assurance anchored in the very next words: “...because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.””

“The Holy Spirit has “poured” God’s love into our hearts at our justification and CONTINUES to pour his love into our hearts forever. The Holy Spirit continually and profusely pours God’s love into our hearts. This is what he does, not what we struggle to do. How can I get that into my soul? I can’t, BUT HE DOES! WHAT A GIFT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO US, and what a gift He is in our suffering.”

“THE foundational reason that we can be assured that our hope in our present and future sufferings will not put us shame, is we know already come to pass - THE CROSS OF CHRIST - the atoning sacrifice of our suffering Lord and Savior on his cross is the basis of all of our joy, worship, boasting, exulting… we glory in Jesus Christ, and him crucified recalling the old hymn:
“On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.””

“Our hope will not put us to shame, because Jesus bore our shame! Our future sufferings will not come with shame, but will come with faith in what Jesus did, and our Hope will be in what He said he would do.”

“The enemy “prowls around seeking whom he may devour,” particularly in our sorrow and suffering… BUT HE CANNOT HAVE US! Our Savior has crushed his head and at the same time has justified us!”

“Our HOPE in Christ, in suffering, will not put us to shame, because he bore our shame and suffered for us, and through faith in him, we are secured forever in God’s love. The Holy Spirit is pouring the love of God into our hearts!”

“To the Unbeliever: Turn away from your sin and cry out to Jesus for salvation. You are completely exposed before God in the shame of your sins; your worst nightmares cannot compare to the day of judgment when you stand before Christ, the Judge of heaven and earth. All may be well with now, but an eternity of affliction, suffering, sorrow, grief, and pain awaits you! BUT you have an everlasting hope waiting for you if you turn to Christ in repentance!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
John 16:33

APPLICATION:
1. Your justification is your reality! You belong to God, through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is pouring God’s love into your heart! Last Sunday, we learned that the doctrine of justification through faith is truly “a gift that keeps on giving.” Today, we heard R.C. Sproul say “For Paul, Christmas never ends!” - one gift inside another gift that leads us to rejoice… to glory… in God.

Q. When was the last time you pulled on the bow and opened that gift of the gospel? Again and again, turn to Romans and recall (memorize) the mounting joys that your justification secures for you forever. Open the gift of your justification and preach THIS gospel to yourself daily.

2. Another reality is that we do suffer, and for some, the affliction is almost unbearable.  So, we must be prepared for suffering! 

Q. What can you do now to prepare for future suffering? Maybe your life is going well. But suffering is coming. 

First: Do not be surprised. 1 Peter 4:12
Second: Do not lose heart. Take heart! 2 Corinthians 4:16–17, John 16:33

3. One more reality is that everyone around is suffering.

Q. How do you prepare others for suffering?
Q. How do you help others who are suffering?
Q. How can I witness to others who are suffering?

Church: Minister to and pray for those in the midst of suffering. Oh, how they need to be lifted up with an encouraging word from God’s word. They need to be reminded of verse 3 “Not Only That…” Come alongside them and endure with them. When the time is right…Gently remind them that the Holy Spirit is persevering them. Gently remind them to turn to the Lord for his grace and mercy. Witness to your suffering neighbor.Do not promise them that their suffering will go away if they believe in Jesus. But, do promise them that they will have an eternal anchored hope in Jesus if they will believe in him. Promise them that God will forgive them and love them forever, no matter what may come!

QUOTES:
R.C. Sproul - “Salvation is not like receiving just one gift under the Christmas tree but gift after gift all wrapped up together. The first package we find is our justification, and when we open that package, we find inside it another - peace with God. Inside that package is access into His presence, and inside that is the ability to rejoice in glorifying the glory of God. Inside that package, we find there is joy in the midst of tribulation, and that very tribulation gives us another gift - perseverance. Tear off the ribbon from that gift, and there is another one, which is the character that perseverance gives us, and within that gift is hope that will never embarrass or disappoint us. Finally, we open one more present, and it is the love of God poured profusely into our hearts by the grace of God. All these are the gift of our justification. Do we wonder, then, at that doxological writing of the apostle Paul, who rejoices in these things over and over again? For Paul, Christmas never ends!”

Thomas Schriner - “This is an astonishing statement, since future glorification is prized precisely because afflictions are left behind.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 5:1-2

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62)
Christ Our Glory
Help Us See Christ
From Everlasting (Psalm 90)
It Is Well With My Soul

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Ephesians 3:7-13, Nothing Compares to the Church

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

“Encouragement: How to See and Celebrate Evidences of Grace” - Jared Mellinger

Peace with God is truly the “gift that keeps on giving!” 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 5:1-2
TITLE: Gospel Powered Peace
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: Justification eternally transforms unbelievers and empowers  believers daily.

POINTS:
I. A Point in Time Gift
II. A Present Day Gift

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

ILLUSTRATION: The origin of the phrase “The gift that keeps on giving”

“‘THEREFORE’…put your phones down, turn your TV off…now that in Romans 1-3 you’ve heard of your NEED for justification…now that in Romans 3-4 I’ve argued THE WAY of justification…THEREFORE, SINCE WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH.” [Paul is trying to capture our attention using the word therefore.]

“You’ll notice also that Paul changes his prepositional usage. It’s now WE! vs. Romans 1: ‘I am not ashamed of the gospel’, Romans 1: ‘So they are without excuse’, Romans 2: ‘So you suppose, O man’ and ‘Now you, if you call yourself a Jew’, Romans 3: ‘Their throat, their mouth, their feet’”

“[This] is to [show us] how God’s past action puts the accent on God’s activity not  ours.”

“Notice also that Paul is speaking in the past tense. We have been JUSTIFIED – past  tense – we are not BEING JUSTIFIED. Scripture says believers HAVE BEEN  JUSTIFIED. There is a point in time event in each believer’s life that God justifies us.  Declares us righteous in His sight.”

“Let’s be clear. God’s justifying action in our lives is an absolute gift of grace. WE HAVE  BEEN JUSTIFIED. In other words, it was a point in time event that happened to you.  Theologians call it a monergistic work of grace. Scripture is clear that this is a work that God does to undeserving sinners.”

“So when Paul writes “we have been justified by faith” let’s make sure we put the accent  where Scripture puts the accent. GOD JUSTIFIES.”

“We have been acquitted of our sins. Justification radically  transforms us and permanently transforms our eternal status. Formerly, like Romans 3:23  stated we were in the group that ‘sin and fall short of the glory of God’ but now we have eternally been radically transformed.”

“We have received a gift of grace that keeps on giving. One of the most powerful  implications of being justified by grace is Paul’s first implication of this eternal and  powerful transformation. We have peace with God.”

“Peace with God must be understood Biblically. The secular understanding of peace is the  absence of hostility. When the Bible speaks about peace, it deals with your deepest, most inner, unrest in your soul, a well being not known since the garden – in other words a peace that only comes with salvation and reconciliation with God Himself.”

“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ – Peace with God comes to us  only one way. It only comes through Jesus Christ. Justification doesn’t stop at God’s  acquittal of our sin. IT KEEPS ON GIVING.”

“We have peace with God because our sins are acquitted but there’s more. The greatest  exchange – Jesus righteousness imputed to us only comes through the atoning work of  Jesus. Paul likes to say this comes to those who are IN CHRIST.”

“The OT understanding of peace - SHALOM - is not simply the absence of war or even an inner sense of well-being or feeling of peace. Shalom – is a deep sense of peace that arises out of an outward status of having peace with God.”

“Isaiah 9 prophesied that this Shalom would come through a person THE PRINCE OF  PEACE. God’s justifying work of grace comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  

“You’ll notice when we get to the end of this section of chapter 5:10-12, Paul uses the word reconciliation – now that we are reconciled and v. 11 we have now received reconciliation. Peace with God is reconciliation with God, but it only happens – can only happen, in and through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Has God justified you? Do you have peace with God? Are you reconciled with God? What is the implication of justification by faith alone and the peace with God we now enjoy? How does it  affect our present lives? 

ILLUSTRATION: phrase “in the now but not yet”

“Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in  which we stand, - We have access – DAILY, MOMENT BY MOMENT ACCESS. The NT calls us to boldly enter – this gift that keeps on giving means we don’t have sporadic access to God nor is it a precarious relationship with the King of Kings. It’s a gift that gives us continual and secure access to God.”

ILLUSTRATION: imagine the common OT saint having access to God’s presence once a year getting teleported to the NT understanding of access – the gift that keeps on giving.

“Church, through Jesus Christ’s justifying work in our lives we have peace with God in a  reconciled relationship. But there’s more to this amazing gift. We also have access by  faith – ALL THE TIME.”

“This gift that keeps on giving is meant to be used daily and moment by moment while  we live in the now but not yet. Not only is this a gift but we need this! When your inner voice tells you lies about your status before God. When you have sinned and fall short. In that fight to put to death or weaken a life besetting sin. When your adult kids aren’t pursuing the Lord – in fact they have no interest. When you need patience with the inevitable health struggles as your body falls apart.”

ILLUSTRATION: Having access by faith into this grace which we stand is like God providing a  water fountain in the back of the Church. You are told you have access any time for a  drink, for your water jug or to fill your 5 gallon buckets and take it home. It’s pure Swiss  water and it’s chilled all the time. Access is granted only to members of our Church.  What would it be like if members continually walked by and said “I’ve got my water  bottle I’m fine” … we would honor this gift by accessing it as often as needed!

“Justifying grace is the grace we stand in when we are tempted, when we face suffering or  anything [difficult] in this fallen world.”

“Church, justification by faith alone is a point in time event for sure. But it’s so much more. What we receive is peace with God but so much more. This access into this grace Paul is talking about is an ongoing state or realm we operate in until He returns.” 

“We have been transferred from the realm under the law to a realm of grace.”

“You’ll notice there’s an additional gift that is spoken about at the end of v. 2. We have  been justified and enjoy peace with God. We are transferred to this realm of grace  where we can approach the king without fear of losing favor. Notice what comes next.  Paul says ‘we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.’”

“We are a people who are a rejoicing people. There is much to rejoice in and Paul’s going  to develop this over the next sections of Romans 5:1-11. But here is the core truth about our justification – our hope is in the glory of God and that hope is rooted in God’s glory being displayed in the justification of sinners. We rejoice in the truth and reality that on that [final] day there will be no condemnation – God’s justifying grace will be on display and His glory will be honored. We get the benefit TODAY – there is NOW no condemnation - so we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory being on display in the future.”

ILLUSTRATION: Adoption - There was a legal declaration decided upon outside of you that powerfully changes your life.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Titus 3:3-7
Ephesians 2
John 6:44
1 Peter 1:3
Numbers 6:24–27
Ephesians 2:6

APPLICATION:
Because we have been justified, because we have a new ID, we can live humbly until the Lord returns. Being declared righteous is not the same as being actually righteous. By faith we have access to this grace because God follows the point in time event with a process of showing us what growth in actual righteousness looks like. We call it sanctification. Actually growing more in righteousness. Growing in God-likeness. 

Justification is a one-time event. It’s followed by a process. It’s that process where we need to stand in the grace of sanctification. We need to be humble. When we fail we  don’t run from our reconciled Father, we stand by faith in justifying grace.  

We don’t run away from God, we run to God. Daily.

QUOTES:
Douglas Moo - “While justification brings to the believer a new and permanent status, justification itself  is a once-for- all act by which God acquits the sinner.”

Stott - “The pursuit of peace is a universal human obsession.”

Douglas Moo - “Paul, along with the rest of the NT (John 1:17) so focuses on God’s work in Christ as that act in which God’s grace was decisively and finally realized that he can picture the new status of the believer as one in which grace is characteristic and dominant. While this state of grace includes our justification as a key element, the notion goes beyond justification to all that is conveyed to us by God in Christ.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 5:1-2

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Sing
There is One Gospel
Grace and Peace
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
Rejoice

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 5:3-5

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

“Encouragement: How to See and Celebrate Evidences of Grace” - Jared Mellinger

A few weeks ago, we looked at how and when Abraham was saved in 4:1-12. Today, we take a deeper look at the nature of his faith. 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 4:13-25
TITLE: The Saving Faith of Abraham, Part 2
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Taking God at His Word about His Son is the only way to be counted righteous in His eyes.

POINTS:
I. The Wrong and Right Path to Righteousness
II. The Faith that Leads to Righteousness

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

“In Romans 4, some form of the phrase—counted to him as righteousness—appears five times. In today’s passage, it serves as Paul’s grand conclusion about justification by faith.”

“In life, there are only two paths that truly matter: be counted righteous in the eyes of God or face God’s wrath. Ultimately, that’s it. This means everyone must answer the question—How can I be counted righteous?”

“Questions like Who will I marry? What career will I pursue? Where will I live? Which church will be my church? When will I buy the motorcycle? These are among some of the biggest questions you will ever need to answer. Okay, maybe not the last one. No question is bigger or more urgent than How can I be counted righteous?”

“Through the example of Abraham, Romans 4 puts us on the right path. A few weeks ago, we looked at how and when Abraham was saved in 4:1-12. Today, we take a deeper look at the nature of his faith. Here’s what we will find: Taking God at His Word about His Son is the only way to be counted righteous in His eyes.”  

“Our righteousness doesn't come through our own efforts; it comes by grace through trusting in what God has accomplished in Christ. I think we can all say Amen to that! Here’s the problem: In our pride, we think becoming righteous is about our own efforts and virtue. Like a smuggler sneaking drugs across the border, we try to smuggle character and works into God’s throne room. We end up applying the old adage—If it’s to be, it’s up to me—to our relationship with God. Paul says that’s the wrong path. The only right path is: Taking God at His Word about His Son is the only way to be counted righteous in His eyes.”

“At the heart of our text today is a promise. It’s mentioned five times and is a big promise. In 17/18, Paul described the promise to Abraham that he would become the father of many nations. You can see this promise unfold in Genesis 12, 15, 17, and 22. It’s a monumental promise that extends far beyond physical land and kin. As we will see today, it has eternal ambitions and heavenly implications.”

“Here’s the question right now: How did Abraham receive the promise? There are only two ways to receive God’s promise: Abraham earns it through obedience, making it a reward, or he receives it as a gift by trusting God. Those are the only options available to us. So which is correct?”

“The Wrong Path—Paul says that if you choose the law, you lose. In 14, he says that when we pursue righteousness through our own efforts, we render faith irrelevant and make the promise unattainable. Why? Because the law doesn’t lead to the promise; it leads to God’s wrath. It can’t make us righteous because it reveals our sinfulness—read 15”

“A transgression is the violation of an explicit command, in this context, the Mosaic Law. Paul’s point here is not that sin was absent in Abraham’s day. In 5:13, Paul says sin was in the world before the law. His point is, now that the law has been given, we stand even more guilty and unable to be saved by it.”

ILLUSTRATION: Trespassing (wrong to trespass, but doubly guilty if I willfully walk right by a No Trespassing sign)

“The pursuit of righteousness through the law is doomed from the start. Every command we try to keep only highlights how short we fall. This approach will never work. As Paul has already said in 3:19—By works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”

“The Right Path—Abraham received God’s promise through faith. What is faith? Faith is trusting God. God promised to give him a son and make him the father of many nations, and Abraham believed God—read 18”

“That’s faith—taking God at His word. Saving faith is trusting what God did through the person and work of Jesus to save you. Faith is not a virtuous disposition or personal accomplishment. It’s not a work. It’s trusting God. Remember the water bottle from a few weeks ago. Faith is the instrument by which I receive the gospel for salvation. If faith is receiving instead of doing, then the promise rests not on personal merit but on unmerited grace.”

“Just as righteousness through the law is linked to condemnation and wrath, faith is linked to grace and assurance. We know what grace is. It is the unmerited favor of God. We can’t earn it. We don’t deserve it. It comes to us through faith. We hold out our empty, undeserving hands for God’s gift of Jesus Christ. It’s the only way to be counted righteous before God.”

“This is why being counted as righteous alongside Abraham is guaranteed: like Abraham, it rests on God’s everlasting and unfailing grace, received through faith, not on anything we do or become.”

“Abraham believed God’s promise—’So shall your offspring be’ was God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15. One can imagine Abraham, wrinkled, weathered, and childless, standing and staring up at the stars that God likened to his offspring, saying—I know I’m 100. I know my wife is 90. I know her womb has never known life. I know this seems impossible. But it’s not. My hope is in God.” 

“Abraham’s physical weakness didn’t weaken his faith. At his age and under his circumstances, Abraham had every reason to waver in his faith and to doubt God. Instead, he believed God. And while Abraham’s faith wasn’t perfect, just read Gen 12-25, 20 says he grew strong in his faith. How by persevering and persisting in trusting God.”

“That’s what it means to live by faith, not sight. The context is salvation—Justification by faith alone. But as Paul said in 1:17, we aren’t merely justified by faith; we live by faith. Living by faith means that even when our circumstances seem to defy God’s promises, we cling to them.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Which promise do you need to cling to today?

• Colossians 2:14— All your sins have been nailed to the cross

• Hebrews 13:5—I will never leave you nor forsake you

• Romans 8:28—I am working all things for your good

• Romans 8:32— If God gave His only Son for you, will He not supply all you need? 

• Romans 8:39—Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ

“Abraham believed God’s promise because of what He believed about God. Far from being a mere abstraction, Abraham’s faith was rooted in his vision of God.”

“Abraham believed in a powerful God, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Abraham and Sarah’s childbearing abilities were dead, but Abraham believed God could do the impossible—infuse life into her womb through His resurrecting power. Abraham believed in what was yet to exist—a son—God was able to bring into existence. What was impossible for him to do, Abraham believed God could and would do. Abraham’s faith was God-centered.”

“We see this even in the text’s structure. In 17, we read that the promise Giver is the God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do not exist. Then 21 says—Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to do what He promised. Between these towering bookends of God’s power lie Abraham’s physical weakness and inability. It’s Abraham’s faith that connects his weakness to God’s power—Faith. Don’t overlook the importance of what Paul is saying here: Faith isn't primarily about the strength of our trust; it's about the character of the One we trust.”

“Now, notice the result of Abraham’s faith. Despite the whirlwind of impossible circumstances, Abraham staked his hope on God's promise, trusting the God of the promise. As a result, Abraham’s faith glorified God. How? Faith turns away from self in absolute need and dependence on God.”

“Here's Paul's point: Through faith, God credited Abraham with righteousness that was not his own. He didn’t earn it; he received God’s promise by faith, and it was counted to him as righteousness, thereby justifying him by faith alone in the sight of God.”

“So what does an old man's ancient faith have to do with us? Everything! This truth isn't just for Abraham; it's for us too.”

“What happened to Abraham when he believed God's promise points us to the gospel, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. We have our place in that promise. God began to fulfill His promise to Abraham with the birth of Isaac, then through Jacob, and ultimately in Christ, who created a new humanity through the gospel—a spiritual family that begins with Abraham and will reign with Christ in the new heaven and earth. For Christians, that’s our promise, the promise of heaven.”

“The same God who gave life to Isaac from Sarah's dead womb is the same God who raised Jesus from the dead, so that Jesus may give life to spiritually dead sinners like you and me.”

“When we believe that Jesus died to atone for all our sins, that his resurrection proves the penalty has been paid in full, and that God has accepted that payment, turning His wrath away from us, God credits us with Christ's righteousness, and we stand justified in His sight. Not because of anything we have done, but only because of all that Jesus has done. That comes with a heavenly guarantee!”

APPLICATION:
How does Romans 4 need to lay hold of your heart?

Q. Are you curious about how to be right with God? Don't put your trust in your own efforts of obedience—Believe in Jesus and his righteousness.

Q. Are you tempted to despair because of the condemnation that tells you, Just do more and do it better? Allow your condemnation to lead you to repentance and be replaced by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and focus on the sufficiency of the gospel. At the cross, Jesus said, It is Finished, and in the empty tomb, God said, It is accepted!

Q. Are you doubting God’s love for you? Don't focus on the size of your faith—focus on His provision at the cross, where true, unfailing, eternal love is revealed.  

Q. Do your circumstances seem impossible? Don’t look for new solutions—look to the one who raised Christ from the dead,  promises to never leave you or forsake you, to work all things together for your good, and to bring you safely home one day.

QUOTES:
James Montgomery Boice - “We are not saved because we have a strong subjective faith (that would focus the matter on us), but because we believe the promises of God regarding salvation, promises made known to us in the pages of the Bible. In other words, Christian faith is a Bible faith. Or, to put it in still other words, we are saved not because of our faith but because of God’s promises. True faith is receiving these promises and believing them on the basis of God’s character.”

John Calvin - “Let us also remember, that the condition of us all is the same with that of Abraham. All things around us are in opposition to the promises of God: He promises immortality; we are surrounded with mortality and corruption: he declares that he counts us just; we are covered with sins: He testifies that he is propitious and kind to us; outward judgments threaten his wrath. What then is to be done? We must with closed eyes pass by ourselves and all things connected with us, that nothing may hinder or prevent us from believing that God is true.”

Christopher Ash - “We ought to emerge from Romans 4:13-25 with a strong confidence in God's power to do what he has promised to do, and to do it entirely by grace. We ought to let go of even the 1 percent of our works in which we have put our trust. Only in a Christianity that is 100 percent grace can we rest secure and know we have nothing to prove and nothing to hide.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 3:20-26

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Vast The Love
Come Thou Fount
All Sufficient Merit
I Will Glory In My Redeemer

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 5:1-2

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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“Encouragement: How to See and Celebrate Evidences of Grace” - Jared Mellinger

REMEMBERING is a key part of the Christian life, and it is the point today—REMEMBER! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

EASTER SUNDAY 2026
TEXT: Luke 24:1-9
TITLE: Remembering the Resurrection Every Day
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: REMEMBERING is a key part of the Christian life, and it is the point today—REMEMBER!

POINTS:
I. The Empty Tomb Demonstrates That God Is Always In Control
II. The Empty Tomb Proves That Jesus Can Always Be Trusted

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

“In Deuteronomy, and throughout the entire OT, God repeatedly commands His people to REMEMBER all He has done and provided. In Psalms, David is constantly REMEMBERING. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus established communion as a time to REMEMBER his death and resurrection. John 14 teaches that a primary role of the Spirit is helping us REMEMBER the truth. In a pivotal moment for the early church, Acts 11 says Peter gained clarity and faith as he REMEMBERED the word of the Lord. The Epistles repeatedly call us to remember aspects of God’s redemptive purposes for the sake of our sanctification. In Revelation 3:3, the entire church in Sardis was called to—Remember, what you received and heard… REMEMBERING is a key part of the Christian life, and it is the point today—REMEMBER!”

“Here’s the problem—our forgetfulness. We do remember information, but biblical REMEMBERING is active. It involves taking what we know to be true about God and Christ and trusting in it. More than a discipline, it’s a lifestyle fueled by God's greatness and Christ's glory revealed in the gospel.”

“Our challenge is that we often forget such high and lofty realities. Too frequently, we live based on our last thought, feeling, or experience. We live by sight instead of by faith. We are just trying to get by, move forward, and survive. But REMEMBERING is what makes the difference between surviving and thriving.”

“Easter calls us to REMEMBER. Today, there is one command in our passage, and it’s in 6—REMEMBER.”

“Jesus was crucified and buried on Friday. It’s Sunday now. Luke begins with a group of women identified in 10 as Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and some unnamed women. They were disciples of Jesus who came to care for his body. But what awaited them was not at all what they expected.”

“This was a shocking moment. The tomb had been sealed and heavily guarded to prevent any resurrection “shenanigans” according to Matthew 27. Now the tomb is empty? Here’s what we need to remember about these women: 

• 23:49 says they watched Jesus die

• 23:55 says they witnessed his burial 

• With broken hearts and deep devotion, 23:56 says they went home and prepared spices and ointments in advance to care for Jesus’ dead body.

• Now, in 1, we see them going to Jesus's tomb at sunrise to tend to his body. 

The point is, they fully expected to find Jesus's lifeless body in the tomb. They forgot what Jesus had said until two angels reminded them.”

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here; He has risen! REMEMBER! Take everything you feel right now, everything you fear right now, all your reasoning and rationale, and REMEMBER what Jesus said.”

“The call remains the same for us today. As we stand at the empty tomb, two life-changing truths emerge that we must continually REMEMBER: No matter what is happening in my life—God is always in control, and Jesus is always Trustworthy.”

“I want to highlight a single word in 7—must. It’s intended to show that what follows is not arbitrary, but a necessary and crucial part of a plan. No matter how hopeless Christ's death on Friday seemed or how perplexing the empty tomb appeared on Sunday, it was all part of God’s plan. If you remember, Peter said this very thing in his powerful sermon at Pentecost: …this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up…—Acts 2:23-24”   

“The Jews’ scheme to eliminate Jesus was God’s plan. Pilate’s cowardice before the Sanhedrin was God’s plan. Judas’s unthinkable betrayal of Jesus was God’s plan. The crushing of Christ on the cross was God’s plan—Isaiah 53:10 It was the will of the LORD to crush him.”

“…the empty tomb ensures our eternal home in heaven by vindicating Christ’s atoning death on the cross. It is God’s way of standing before the universe, applauding Jesus, and declaring—What has been finished by my Son’s death on the cross has been fully accepted by Me for the justification of sinners and the praise of My glory! At the heart of God’s salvation plan is the resurrection, demonstrating that God is always in control.”

“In the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly told his disciples he would be handed over, crucified, and raised to life on the third day. It’s those words of Jesus that the angels commanded the confused women to REMEMBER.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: “When the angels had to make a case for Christ, they didn’t rely on fancy apologetics, physical evidence, or dismissing kidnapping conspiracies. They said—REMEMBER what Jesus said when he was with you: I must be crucified and raised on the third day. Think about what Jesus said.”

ILLUSTRATION: Abraham de Moivre was an 18th-century French mathematician who determined the date of his own death

“Jesus said—I will be killed and in three days I will be alive again. Not a sentimental resurrection in our hearts and memories. Not resuscitated only to die again. Jesus said he would be crucified to atone for our sins and raised eternally. And he was—Just as he said. No one else in the history of mankind has done this.”

“This is so important because the Christian faith is based on events that either happened or didn’t happen. That’s why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15—If Christ is not raised from the dead, our faith is futile, we are still in our sin, and we are to be pitied above all people. His very next words?—But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead.”

“The resurrection isn’t like your buddies’ fishing stories—I was the only one on the river, but trust me, the fish was that big! Paul wrote those words to the church in Corinth 20-25 years after Jesus’ resurrection. A quarter of a century later, people are still talking about what they saw firsthand. Two thousand years later, people are still being transformed by it, living according to it, and sacrificing everything for it. Why? Because it’s real!”

“Historical FACT: Jesus predicted his death and resurrection multiple times.

Historical FACT: These women watched Jesus physically die on the cross

Historical FACT: These women witnessed the burial of Jesus.

Historical FACT: The religious leaders REMEMBERED Jesus’ predictions about his resurrection and asked Pilate to seal the tomb and guard it so the body wouldn't be stolen.

Historical FACT: When these women visited the tomb on the third day, it was empty.

Historical FACT: Religious leaders bribed the guards to say the body was stolen, which many Jewish people still believe today.

Historical FACT: Over the next 40 days, more than 500 people witnessed the physical presence of Jesus.

Historical FACT: The search for Jesus’ body remains unsuccessful to this day.”

“Jesus is alive! He is in heaven now, interceding for you and me. Because Jesus is alive, we can trust him—trust every word he said, every promise he made, and every warning he gave—because a risen Jesus is a trustworthy Jesus.”

“This gospel message is the same message Jesus spent the next 40 days before his ascension in Acts 1, reminding them of.”

“Here is what Jesus said in his ministry 2000 years ago and still says today as the risen Savior of sinners: I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst….everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day—John 6:35,40”

RUNNING APPLICATION: “The gospel—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—is God’s plan for your salvation. The empty tomb is evidence that demands a verdict. What’s yours? Will you deny the crucified and risen Christ or trust in him for your salvation today?”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Finally, notice the effect on the women…read 8-9. They REMEMBERED the words of Jesus—and that changed everything. No longer paralyzed in confusion and fear, they ran to tell the others. As Christians, we know our sins are forgiven. We know our Father in heaven loves us unfailingly. STILL, we get anxious about money. We grow weary in faith for our children. We become bitter toward God for life’s ups and downs. We get distracted from God’s purposes by our own goals. We doubt God’s presence with us and His love for us. Mostly, it’s because we forget that God is in control and Jesus can be trusted with our lives. The resurrection reminds us that the Lord is on our side. This is ultimately the only thing you need to know for joy, life, and eternity!”

“The steady truth that God is always in control and Jesus can always be trusted means we can sing in our hearts and with our lives: Because he lives, I can face tomorrow! Because he lives, all fear is gone! Because I know he holds the future, and life is worth living, just because he lives!”

“Lord, we remember your words: Matthew 11:28-30. Come to me and REMEMBER that I lived for you. I suffered for you. I bled for you. I died for you. I was raised to live for you. I did all of this for you—just as I said I would. Help us to REMEMBER every moment of every day that we can come to you and you will give us rest—your empty tomb guarantees it!”

QUOTES:
Scott Redd - “In the Bible, memory is an act of faithfulness to God. It is an appraisal of the past that understands history as the outworking of God’s providence in the world. Such a stance has a way of transforming how we understand the rest of our lives. If history is the outworking of God’s providence in our lives, we cannot help but begin to see our present and future in the same way.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones - “The death of Christ on the cross was not an accident, ultimately it was not even something achieved by men; it was part of the plan and purpose of God…It was God who contrived the cross. The cruel hands of men actually knocked in the nails, but it was by the predetermined counsel and foreknowledge of God.”

C.S. Lewis - “Jesus would have been deceived or a deceiver. But His most amazing promise has come true, so how can we not depend on and live by all the rest of His promises?”

Phillip Ryken - “We are to believe in the resurrection on the basis of what Jesus said. The empty tomb is not self-explanatory. There is a word that explains the deed, and this word is the gospel message that Jesus not only died, but also rose again with a glorious and everlasting body that would never die again.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 3:20-26

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Christ Is Risen
Christ Is Risen He Is Risen Indeed
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 7:25
Before The Throne Of God Above
Rise My Soul The Lord Is Risen
Because He Lives

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 4:13-25

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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This is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions. We can’t work harder, try harder, or do more. We are saved by grace through faith; nothing more, nothing less, and it’s nothing new. 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 4:1-12
TITLE: The Saving Faith of Abraham, Part 1
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: We are saved by grace through faith; nothing more, nothing less, and it’s nothing new.

POINTS:
I. How Abraham Was Saved
II. When Abraham Was Saved

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

ILLUSTRATION: Using a second way to start a Harley

“Thank God there is more than one way to start a Harley. What is true about Harley’s isn’t true about our relationship with God. There is only one way to be right with God—faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Our performance, our resume, and our righteousness have no role in our salvation. There are no Plan B’s. There isn’t another way.”

“In Romans 4, Paul will analyze Abraham’s faith to demonstrate that this message is not new; it has always been true—for everyone.”

“Paul sets out to prove his gospel claim by turning to none other than Abraham. There are some big guns in the OT—Moses, Elijah, David, Isaiah—but the biggest gun of them all is Abraham.”

“Abraham was revered by the Jews as the friend of God, the forefather of the Jewish faith, and the model of righteousness. Some even claimed that Abraham obeyed the law perfectly, even before it was given.”

“Here’s the big question about Abraham: Was he justified in God’s eyes through good works or through faith? If the answer is works, then Abraham has reason to boast. But as we saw in 27—Salvation is a boast-free zone.”

“The answer to the big question is in 3—What does the Scripture say? Before we talk about Abraham, don’t miss HOW Paul argues.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: What does scripture say? A question that should drive all our lives.    

“So what does the Scripture say about how Abraham was saved? —(3) Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Paul is quoting Genesis 15:6 here. If you’re unfamiliar with the passage, I encourage you to spend time studying it this week. For our purposes, in Genesis 12, God promised to bless and make Abraham a great nation. God revealed that promise gradually. And in Genesis 15, God promised Abraham a son.”

“God made this covenant with Abraham when he was in his eighties, and Sarah was in her seventies, and she was barren. There was nothing in Abraham’s physical circumstances to give him any hope that he could have a son. Yet, he believed God’s covenant promise; he trusted God; he had faith, and his faith was counted to him as righteousness.”

“The term 'counted' is an accounting term. Imagine opening your bank app and seeing a deposit you didn’t make. You didn’t earn it. You don't deserve it. No one owes it to you. Someone just deposited money into your account. This is the idea of imputation. It’s the Great Exchange—Our sins are credited to Christ, while his righteousness and everything he achieved through his suffering are credited to us, all through faith.  That's what happened with Abraham. When he believed God, God credited him with righteousness he didn't possess, couldn’t earn, and wasn’t owed. God treated him as perfectly righteous, not because he was, but because he had faith in God.”  

“The idea here is not that God and Abraham made an equal exchange—Abraham’s faith for God’s righteousness. That would turn faith into a work. Scripture never considers our faith as a work. Instead, faith acts as a conduit or channel through which we receive the undeserved righteousness of God.”

ILLUSTRATION: Water Bottle—Water is the saving grace I need; the bottle is the means by which I receive the life-giving water in the conviction and power of the Holy Spirit.

“Paul explains the difference between works and faith in a simple way everyone can understand in 4-5. Think of it as two different plans.”

“Works Plan: Tomorrow, you'll wake up, put in a good day’s work, and earn a paycheck. Your pay isn't a gift; it’s what you deserve for your efforts. You don’t thank your boss for your paycheck because you earned it. Anything that puts YOU at the center is work.”

“We will all answer to God for our lives someday, and the stakes are high—eternal heaven or hell. The most important question everyone must answer is this: When you think about standing before God, what makes you confident?  If your answer is—I gave being a Christian my all, that’s salvation BY works. If your answer is—I believe in God and try hard to obey Him, that’s salvation by faith PLUS works. If your answer is—I believe in Jesus from the bottom of my heart, that’s salvation by faith AS a work. None of those will get you anywhere with God because you can’t be justified by works.”

“Faith Plan: Faith doesn’t earn anything, so it isn’t owed anything. Faith extends empty hands, trusting they will receive God’s promised gift of Christ’s righteousness that justifies us in His eyes. Faith answers the question—When you consider standing before God, what gives you confidence?—with Because of what Jesus has done!”

“When we stop relying on ourselves, when we cease trying to earn God’s favor, and when we abandon all efforts to make ourselves right with God and instead trust Jesus for our salvation, God credits us with a righteousness that isn't ours. We don’t want the work plan of 4 because the only thing God owes us as sinners is His eternal judgment. Paul emphasizes this in the next verses.”

“If Abraham is the leading figure in the OT, David is a close second. A man after God's own heart, Israel's greatest king, and the one from whom the Messiah would descend. However, David was also an adulterer who tried to hide his sin by murdering her husband. Paul uses David’s words of repentance from Psalm 32 to show that he had no resume of his own to lean on. In verse 7, David does not say—Blessed are those who are righteous because of their own deeds and deserving of salvation. Instead, he says—Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

“David realized there was no sacrifice or ritual he could do to atone for his sins and unrighteous deeds. There was nothing he could accomplish—no actions or obedience—that could make him right with God. He understood he had no righteousness of his own to lean on. He was condemned and worthy of God’s judgment. He could only throw himself on God's mercy with a humble heart, trusting that God would be merciful and rescue him from his sins. And God was merciful, not by ignoring David’s sin but by pointing forward to the cross where the blood and righteousness of Jesus would provide what David could not earn.”

“The word Blessed in 7/8 means being happy with the implication of enjoying favorable circumstances. Isn’t that the Christian life?”

RUNNING APPLICATION:  Have you lost sight of your favorable circumstances? Go back to your justification!

“In the Old Covenant, circumcision was central. It was a distinguishing mark of God's people and a primary work of the law. As such, it couldn’t save you. To make that point, the key question in these verses is: When was Abraham circumcised? Before or after he was counted righteous by God?”

“Paul’s reasoning is simple: God counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness in Genesis 15. Circumcision wasn’t given until Genesis 17. That’s Paul’s reference point in 11. So, you cannot say Abraham was saved by works because he was circumcised AFTER he was saved.”

“Abraham’s circumcision had no independent value. It was a sign, proof that he had been declared righteous by God through faith, which happened 15 years earlier. In God's sovereign and infinite wisdom, Abraham set the pattern of salvation for everyone.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: Marvel at God’s wisdom in ordering salvation history.

“Technically, Abraham was a saved Gentile before he was a circumcised Jew. He was raised in a pagan, polytheistic household. But God revealed Himself to Abraham (Abram) and called him out of darkness to follow Him. God promised to make him the blessed father of many nations and, ultimately, the father of the Christian faith as a Gentile, not by works, but by faith. In doing so, Jews and Gentiles, the circumcised and the uncircumcised, OT saints who looked forward to the cross by faith and NT saints who look back to the cross by faith, share, as it says in 7-9, in the blessing of forgiveness, righteousness, and unity of the gospel.”  

“We are saved by grace through faith; nothing more, nothing less, and it’s nothing new.”

“There is only one way to be right with God: We are saved by grace through faith. When we stand in this, it changes everything.”

RUNNING APPLICATION:  Do you fear you aren’t doing enough for God? Are you tempted to rest on your righteousness resume? Are you worried you’re falling behind in your relationship with God? What do the Scriptures say: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it  is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast—Ephesians 2:8-9

“This is the foundation you stand on; if you are in Christ, it’s not your work, but His finished work that defines and sustains you. Your failures don’t disqualify you, and your successes don’t improve your standing. Hear God’s verdict: You have been counted righteous, justified in God’s eyes, by grace through faith in Jesus, today and forever.”

RUNNING APPLICATION: If you're clinging to your performance—let it go. If you're buried in shame—embrace forgiveness. If you’re relating to God transactionally, if I do this, He will do that—drop the I and focus on the He.

“Whether it’s your first time or your hundredth, abandon your works plan by coming to Jesus with empty hands and a believing heart that trusts completely in the finished work of Christ. That's how Abraham was saved. That's how we're saved. That’s the only way anyone can be saved.” 

QUOTES:
Douglas Moo - “The Jewish interpretation of Abraham stressed his works as the essence of his piety and the basis for his extraordinary, exemplary relationship to God.”

Christopher Ash - “‘Not to work’ here means to abandon all hope that anything I do or possess can contribute anything at all to my status before God.”

Frank Thielman - “Because God counted Abraham righteous by faith before he was circumcised, Abraham unites believers in a single family of uncircumcised gentiles and circumcised Jews, all of whom, like Abraham, trust in the grace of God.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 3:20-26

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Praise And Glorify
Reformation Song
Scripture Reading - 1 Peter 1:3-6a
Christ Is Mine Forevermore
Because He Lives
Reformation Song

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
GUEST SPEAKER: Ernie Blanco

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

From start to finish, the ground is level at the cross because we have all been justified by faith. Nothing unites us more than that! 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 3:27-31
TITLE: Justification by Faith Alone for Everyday Life
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Justification by faith enables us to humbly live for Christ together as His people.

POINTS:
I. Justification by Faith Alone Humbles Us
II. Justification by Faith Alone Unites Us as Believers
III. Justification by Faith Alone Frees Us for Joyful Obedience

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

ILLUSTRATION: Charles Munger and Warren Buffet, “Take a simple idea and take it seriously.”

“That’s the goal today. After 10 weeks in Romans, here’s where we stand: We are guilty and condemned before God because of our sin. But Jesus bought our freedom on the cross, where he absorbed the wrath of God that we deserved, so we can be forgiven and declared righteous before God.”

“It’s actually a pretty simple truth—Everything needed to make us right with God has been done for us. We call it the gospel: a simple truth that profoundly changes everything. At the heart of the gospel, as we saw last week in 21-26, is Justification by Faith in Jesus.”

“Today, we are going to take that simple truth, and take it seriously by exploring how it reshapes our daily lives.  Here’s what we’ll find: Justification by faith enables us to humbly live for Christ together as His people.”  

“Paul just preached the gospel in 21-26. Notice his conclusion in 27—No human boasting. No one saved by God has a reason to boast before God, regardless of who they are. If you’re a Gentile, you can’t boast about figuring out God. If you’re a Jew, you cannot boast in your ethnicity or obedience to the Law. Justification by faith excludes all human boasting.”

“As fallen human beings, we love to boast. Boasting is in our DNA. Whether you boast publicly, privately, or secretly in your own heart, boasting is the language of our prideful hearts. Paul understood this in his own life, particularly as a Jew—look at Philippians 3. That’s quite a resume of righteousness. But Paul goes on to say—I count it all as lost, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ Jesus.”

ILLUSTRATION: Purpose of a resume—Jesus is our spiritual resume

“As Christians, we boast in knowing our Bibles or understanding theology better than others. We boast in how long and deep our daily devotions are. We boast in how well regarded or respected we are within the church. We boast in our position or role in the church. We boast in our personal convictions about issues like dating, education, and entertainment. Justification by faith alone humbles us. It kills our pride and silences our boasting because the gospel has nothing to do with what I do for God, only what God has done for me.”

“What Paul holds in 28—That one is justified by faith apart from the law—was established in 20-21. The principle behind the law is that if I follow the law, I will earn my salvation. But in 20, Paul made clear that no one will be justified by their own righteous efforts. He follows that up in 21 by stating a righteousness that comes apart from the law through faith in Jesus Christ. The principle of faith is that I cannot earn my salvation; I can only receive it.”

“Pride seeks to earn God’s love and acceptance; humility believes and embraces it.”

“Justification by faith alone humbles us by eliminating any grounds for spiritual pride, because it demonstrates that our acceptance by God depends solely on Christ's work, not ours.”

“At the beginning of this chapter and in Chapter 9, Paul discusses the religious advantages the Jews possessed. Clearly, this could have led them to spiritual pride. So in 29, Paul cuts through the noise to show them that there is no distinction when it comes to salvation. Paul is quite clear here: It’s not one God for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. God is not just the God of one ethnic group. He can’t be limited or confined to a single nation. God is the God of everyone.”  

“Paul strengthens his point in 30 with one of the most well-known verses in Judaism: Deuteronomy 6:4—"God is one.” Paul’s point is that God is the Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe. He is God over the whole world. He is the only God people will give account to on the final day. He is the author of salvation, and He has one plan of salvation—(30) He will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.” 

“There is not one way of salvation for the Jew and another for everyone else. Jew or Gentile, Muslim or atheist, agnostic or Hindu, circumcised or uncircumcised, everyone is saved by the One true God in the same way—faith in Jesus Christ. God shows no favoritism; the ground is level at the cross. This means we are united in Christ.”

“As Christians, we are connected through the gospel. Everyone here has a different story, but it’s the same gospel that saved us all. The same blood that covers your sins covers mine. The same promises that belong to you as a Christian belong to me. The same inheritance waiting for me in heaven also waits for you. We all find salvation through the same God. We are filled with the same Spirit. We believe in the same gospel. We are saved in the same way—by faith in Jesus Christ, as a gift of grace.” 

“We are united by one faith in Jesus. Every testimony in this room speaks of God's amazing grace. No one here earned their way to God. No one in this room is superior to another. No one here has anything to boast about. From start to finish, the ground is level at the cross because we have all been justified by faith. Nothing unites us more than that!”

“The more we understand our gospel unity, the more we will view each other through the lens of grace instead of sinful judgment, petty comparison, or self-righteousness.”

“The law was precious to the Jews. It distinguished them as God’s people, and as such, they went to great lengths to follow it. Having once been a dedicated Jew himself, Paul understood this. He also knew that his gospel message of grace and faith in 21-26 could be misunderstood as rendering the law useless and irrelevant, or, as we just read in 31—overthrowing the law.”

“If salvation comes apart from the law, and is truly a gift of God’s grace received through faith in Jesus and his propitiating work on the cross, as 21-26 claims, it stands to reason that the gospel abolishes the law. To this, Paul immediately responds in 31—By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”

“Being justified in God's eyes, not by obeying the law, but through faith in the only one who is truly obedient to God, Jesus Christ, upholds the law. What does that mean? I believe it means that the gospel frees us to live a life of joyful obedience. When our obedience is the fruit of our justification rather than the means, we can pursue all that God requires of us with freedom, joy, and delight, knowing that Jesus perfectly kept the law for us. There’s no fear of failure. With a heart changed by grace, I am free to go for it because I’m not trying to earn God’s approval; I already have it in Christ. God boasts in us through the person, work, and return of Jesus Christ. This reality transforms my obedience from a burdensome duty to a worshipful response that is my ongoing boast in Christ! In this way, we uphold the law that reflects God’s character and exalts the Great law-fulfiller—Jesus Christ.”  

“Justification by faith alone gives us a heart that delights in God’s ways and the freedom to pursue obedience as a grateful and loving response to the gospel.”

“I call it aggressive rest. The more we rest in the righteousness of Christ, the more aggressively we will pursue humble, grace-filled Spirit-empowered obedience.”

“Charles Munger made Warren Buffett a lot of money by taking a simple idea seriously. The gospel is pretty simple. When we are serious about letting it sink deep into our lives, the effect will be profound. It will transform how we live every day. The result won’t be riches that will one day mean nothing, but rather increasing humility, deeper unity, and joyful obedience that strengthen the church and testify to the power of the gospel as our only hope for eternity.”    

“Justification by faith enables us to humbly live for Christ together as His people.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 1:30-31
Galatians 6:14
Jeremiah 9:23-24

QUOTES:
Thomas Schreiner - “Boasting would be fitting if righteousness were based on what we do. Faith, however, achieves nothing but with an empty hand receives and trusts in what God gives. Faith can't claim any credit, since it doesn't accomplish anything; instead, believers put their faith in what God has done in Jesus Christ.”

John Piper - “What the moral law of God requires of us, we will do, if we pursue it by faith, as those who are already justified, and not by works, in order to be justified. If we get right with God first by faith alone, and then live in that freedom of love and acceptance and justification, we will be changed from the inside out and will begin to love the very things the moral law requires so that they become established in our lives—not as works of merit, but as the fruit of faith and thefruit of the Spirit.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 3:20-26

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Great (Psalm 145)
Jesus Your Mercy
The Wonderful Cross
In Christ Alone
Cling to Christ

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 4:1-12

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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As people accountable to God for every thought, word, and deed, that’s a God-sized problem in need of a God-sized solution if ever there was one. 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 3:21-26
TITLE: God’s Big Solution to Our Big Problem
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. The Gospel has Always Been God’s Plan
II. The Gospel is All of God’s Grace
III. The Gospel Preserves All of God’s Glory

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

“The Roman poet, Horace, once warned writers—Do not bring a god onto stage unless the problem is one that deserves a god to solve it.”

“We’re three chapters into Romans, and here’s what we’ve learned: Man has one big problem—SIN. Since 1:18, Paul has been describing the human condition without Christ, and it’s been brutal. We’ve likened it to being trapped in a dark tunnel with no light and no way out. All have exchanged the glory of God for the glory of self. No one is righteous. And as we saw last week, no one can be justified by their own works. As people accountable to God for every thought, word, and deed, that’s a God-sized problem in need of a God-sized solution if ever there was one.”

“This morning, we leave that dark tunnel and step into the glorious light. Our God-sized problem is met with a God-sized solution. Welcome to the stage, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“Today’s text is our new memory verse, and for good reason. Here’s my sense this morning—Take it all in!”

ILLUSTRATION: Family IV’s at Cabin

“But now! Don’t move on too quickly and miss the wonder in that phrase. If it read ‘So then’, we would be forever sealed in the dark tunnel. Instead, Paul says, But now, signaling a God-sized solution to our God-sized problem.” 

“The righteousness Paul mentions here is not God's judging righteousness; it’s God's saving righteousness. This refers back to 1:16-17, where we see that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. Why? Because it reveals God's righteousness. How? Through the righteous life of Jesus.”

“The solution to our sin problem is not found within us but outside of ourselves. The saving righteousness of God has been manifested or made known, apart from the law, in Jesus Christ.”

“This is not a new idea, as if righteousness through the law was a failed experiment. The righteousness of God has never been revealed in this way before Christ, but it is not new. Notice what Paul says next in 21—although the law and the prophets bear witness to the saving righteousness of God that comes apart from the law. The gospel has always been God’s plan to save sinners. Faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins has always been God’s big solution to mankind’s big problem.”   

“The Bible consists of 66 books written in three languages by 40 authors across at least eight genres over a period of 1500 years. There is both continuity and discontinuity. Still, the Bible forms a single overarching story that begins, unfolds, and reaches its climax in Christ. The OT makes promises about Christ; the NT shows those promises fulfilled in Christ.”

“A new era has begun in Christ, but the gospel has always been God’s plan, which the OT has pointed to all along. Moses preached Christ (John 5:46). God’s promises preached the gospel to Abraham (Gal 3:8). The law foreshadowed the work of Christ, and the prophets foretold it. The fullness of the gospel has been hidden, but it is not new. And here is the good news: God's saving righteousness is available to everyone through faith in Jesus' person and work.” 

“Paul couldn’t be clearer: There is no distinction. The gospel works for everyone who believes. Paul states two more times in 25/26 that salvation is only through faith in Jesus, not personal performance for Jesus.”

“If you aren’t a Christian, I appeal to you—Believe in Jesus! Do you want the wrath of God that you deserve to be what Jesus bore on the cross, so you don’t have to? If so, behold Jesus in whom the righteousness you need in order to have eternal life is held out to you in Jesus as a gift of His grace. Believe in Jesus. Trust in Jesus. This is what is required of you. Not performance or payment. Faith in Jesus.”

“If I gave you a box labeled God’s solution to your problem, you would discover three things inside.”

“Justified (24) - We talked about justification last week. It’s more than forgiveness. It is God imputing Christ’s perfect righteousness to us so that He sees us as He sees His Son Jesus, perfect in His eyes. The moment we have faith in Jesus, we are justified in God’s sight forever.” 

“Redemption (24) - The idea of redemption involved paying a price for a slave’s or prisoner's freedom, something they couldn’t do themselves. It had to be done on their behalf. This is the truth about sin, which we all are under (9). Sin is bondage, and we cannot break free on our own apart from Christ. Jesus came to free us from our sin and to bring us to His heavenly Father. Jesus lived the life we should have lived, and He took the punishment we deserve. This is the price Jesus paid for our redemption.”

“Propitiation (25a) - The word propitiation means to turn away wrath through a sacrificial offering. This is what the blood of Jesus accomplished. As Jesus hung on the cross, he absorbed the full wrath of God, turning it away from us and onto himself. Remember what Ch 1-3 says about our dilemma: We are sinners, therefore we are under God’s wrath. As Ch 1:18-32 clearly states—In His holiness, God must respond to sin and rebellion. That response is His holy and just wrath upon the sinner.”

“Christ’s violent and bloody death on the cross didn’t just remove or expiate our sin; it fully satisfied the wrath of God. And notice that this was all of God—read 25a. God put forward His only Son. Propitiation isn’t Jesus placing himself between an angry and vengeful God and rebellious sinners.”  

“This is not like a spouse getting between an angry you and the kids. God the Father took it upon Himself to put God the Son, the offended one atoning for the offender, by becoming a self-sacrifice for sinners. This isn’t immoral, as some objectors claim. Why? Because Jesus wasn’t an innocent third-party victim, as 2 Corinthians 5:21 says—For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin.”

“God does the work, and it is an act of grace and love. We contribute nothing but to accept His merciful provision of redemption through faith in the one who carried out His work—Jesus Christ, the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10 calls this true love.”

“This is the gospel: we are justified before God through our redemption in Christ, who was our propitiation. And all of this —(24) is by God’s grace as a gift. Notice how Paul describes our justification—it’s by God’s grace, making it a gift. It’s apart from the law. It’s void of our works. We make no payments. We do no work. We put in no time to qualify for salvation. It is a gift—Period.” 

“Someone once said—I like to commit crimes; God likes to forgive them. Paul reminds us that God’s JOB is not to forgive sins; it’s to carry out justice. In 25-26, God presents Christ in his death in a way that demonstrates and preserves His righteousness and glory as His greatest concern and highest goal.” 

“Remember what 23 says—All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Then we get to 25 and read—in His divine forbearance, God passed over former sins. We know that God is slow to anger. He is merciful. He is patient. Just consider your own life. But to pass over former sins sounds like God doesn’t always take sin seriously. If people fall short of God’s by exchanging it for the glory of self (Ch 1), and God overlooks those sins and justifies them anyway, then what does that tell us about God’s view of His glory? What kind of Judge doesn’t punish the guilty? [See R.C Sproul quote below]”  

“So whether it was the OT saints believing in God’s promises, of which Jesus was the principle, or it’s this present time (26) that began at the cross and continues today through the proclamation of the gospel, God is the—look at 26—the JUST Justifier of sinners whose holiness is uncompromised and whose glory is exalted above all.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 2:8-9

QUOTES:
Martin Luther- “It is the chief point, the very central place of the Epistle to the Romans and of the whole Bible.”

Leon Morris - “It may be the most important single paragraph ever written.”

C.E.B. Cranfield - “The center and heart of the main section of Romans.”

Kent Hughes - “The greatest display of this radical righteousness was of course, the life of Christ. From a human perspective, Jesus Christ achieved eternal life through sheer merit. He is the only man who ever deserved eternal life simply by the way he lived. Jesus is the radical righteousness of God!”

Christopher Ash - “We must not soften God's wrath. For, if we soften God's wrath, we diminish his justice, and we minimize the sacrifice of the cross….(good news) The sacrifice on the cross was the perfect satisfaction of the wrath of God.”

R.C. Sproul - “There is no such thing as cheap grace. The gospel is not simply an announcement of pardon. In justification, God does not merely decide unilaterally to forgive us our sins. That is the prevailing idea, that what happens in the gospel is that God freely forgives us of sin because He is such a loving, dear, wonderful God, and it does not disturb Him that we violate everything that is holy. God never negotiates His righteousness. God will never lay aside His holiness to save us. God demands and requires that sin be punished. That is why the cross is the universal symbol of Christianity. Christ had to die because, according to God, the propitiation had to be made; sin had to be punished. Our sin has to be punished.”

John Piper - “Christ is our propitiation. That is, out of love for the glory of God, he absorbs the wrath of God that was rightfully ours, so that it might be plain that when we are “justified as a gift by his grace through the ransoming in Christ Jesus” God will be manifestly just, righteous, in counting as righteous those who trust in Jesus.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 3:20-26

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Grace Alone
We Are Yours Forever
We Receive
The Glory Of The Cross
It Was Finished Upon That Cross

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 3:27-31

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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As if we hadn’t had enough daggers plunged into our hearts, here’s one more—You are condemned before God, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s the concluding exclamation point that summarizes everything Paul has said up to this point. 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 3:20
TITLE: No Way Out
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: We are helpless, but we are not hopeless.

POINTS:
I. What We Need Most
II. What We Can’t Do

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

“In 1:18 we entered the dark tunnel of humanity’s condition apart from Christ. The message is clear and brutal. Everyone is guilty and stands condemned before God. The Jew and the Gentile—guilty. You and me—guilty. Your boss and co-worker—guilty. Your teacher or professor—guilty. Your favorite uncle—guilty. Your dear old aunt—guilty. Your kindest neighbor—guilty. Your local Barista—guilty. Your barber—guilty. The Apostle Paul—guilty. The most loving and giving person you have ever met—guilty. Everyone is guilty and deserving of God’s eternal wrath and no one has anything they can say in their defense. As 19 says—every mouth is shut.”

“So Paul concludes: (20) For (Therefore) by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. As if we hadn’t had enough daggers plunged into our hearts, here’s one more—You are condemned before God, and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s the concluding exclamation point that summarizes everything Paul has said up to this point.”

“In light of everything Paul has said about humanity, our one great need is to be justified in the sight of God. We are guilty. The guilty will be condemned to the eternal wrath of God.  More than anything else a human being could ever need, justification is needed most. In this: We are helpless, but we are not hopeless.”

“Justified is one of the most precious terms in the Bible. It was crucial to the Reformation, and it is the heart of the gospel.”

“To lose the doctrine of justification is to lose the gospel. And to lose the gospel is to lose the church. Of course, that means as individuals, we stand or fall before God on the doctrine of justification. It’s imperative we understand it, believe it, stand in it, and share it with others.”

“Justification is the removal of our sin and God’s pronouncement that He considers us righteous in His sight.”

“Justification is a legal pronouncement, a judicial declaration by God that we are free of guilt and we stand righteous before Him. He doesn’t make us righteous, He declares us righteous the moment we believe. We aren’t infused with righteousness,  we are imputed (clothed) with the righteousness of Jesus.”

ILLUSTRATION: We see this in Zechariah 3

“Think of the perfect righteousness of Christ, provided through his perfect life, draped over you as a robe. The filthy garments (sin) replaced with pure vestments (Christ’s righteousness). God now sees you, not through the lens of your sin, but robed in the righteousness that He requires. Seeing you this way, God can justly declare— ’Derek, you are just before me. There is nothing for me to punish you for because your sins are washed away, and you bear the full righteousness of Christ. You are free to go!’”

“To be justified is more than being forgiven or even pardoned; it means we are totally right with God. It means, as guilty as I am, I stand before God, and He sees me—Just as if I had never sinned, but obeyed Him perfectly in every way. This is the only way to have peace with God (Romans 5:1).”

“We can never talk about justification enough, because our functional tendency is to confuse our sanctification as justification.”

“Here’s a good way to distinguish between the two: Justification is about our position before God. Sanctification is about our practice before God.”

“Justification is one-time declaration that happens the moment we have faith in Jesus and it never changes. Sanctification is about my heart being changed progressively as I learn to live for Jesus as one justified in His sight. Justification is the grounds for our sanctification; sanctification is the fruit of our justification.”

“As we saw in Ch 2, the Jews thought they were able to be justified by the law God gave them. Paul says—No, the works of the law could never justify anyone in the sight of God. Whether it is the law given to the Jews through the OT Scriptures, or the law written on the heart and attested to by the conscience of the Gentile, justification is not a matter of personal righteousness. No human being can merit salvation. We can’t give enough. We can’t attend church enough. We can’t pray enough. We can’t be in God’s Word enough. We can’t obey God’s Word enough. We can’t be kind enough. We can’t sacrifice enough. We can’t be good enough. It’s impossible to earn salvation before God.” 

“No one will be justified in the sight of God through anything they do or don’t do because all are under sin (9). No one is righteous (10). Not even one measures up (12). All fall short of God’s glory (23). AND, look at the end of 20—through the law comes the knowledge of sin.”

“The law isn’t intended to produce faith; it reveals our sin. In doing so, it can’t justify. It only condemns us because it reveals the sins that condemn and make me deserving of God’s wrath.”

“When the law says Do not covet it tells me I should be so grateful and satisfied with God’s provision in my life that there’s not even an ounce of jealousy when you have something that I don’t.”

“When the law says Do not lie it tells me that I should treasure honesty so much that I won’t entertain even the smallest of lies no matter the personal advantages or consequences.”

“But our hearts aren’t like that. We are jealous. We don’t treasure honesty at any cost. Paul says the law reveals that and we are condemned. And the law can’t fix that.”

ILLUSTRATION: Engine Light (ELP Engine Light Panic)—tells me something is wrong but can’t fix what is wrong 

“Like an engine light, the law tells me something is broken, but it can’t fix it. Only Jesus can fix me.”

“The law is meant to reveal our sin and show us our need for Christ, who is our only hope and stay in the sight of God. This is the point of 1-3.”

QUOTES:
Martin Luther- “Because if this article [of justification] stands, the church stands; if this article collapses, the church collapses.”

Martin Luther - “Therefore the principal purpose of the Law in theology is to make men not better but worse; that is, it shows them their sin, so that by the recognition of sin they may be humbled, frightened, and worn down, and so may long for grace and for the Blessed Offspring.”

John Stott - “We should not try to evade it [our sin and guilt] by changing the subject and talking instead of the need for self-esteem, or by blaming our behavior on our genes, nurturing, education or society. It is an essential part of our dignity as human beings that, however much we may have been affected by negative influences, we are not their helpless victims, but rather responsible for our conduct.”

John Stott - “Their mouths are closed in guilt; let our mouths be open in testimony.”

APPLICATION:
We have spent the past six weeks in the dark tunnel of our condition apart from Christ. What can we take away?

• We must be serious about sin. Romans 1:18-3:20 is clear—sin is our problem. Not our upbringing. Not our life experiences. Not our genes. Not the culture. Not personal trauma. That is not to say those things have zero bearing on our lives; they just aren’t the problem. The problem isn’t out there, it’s in here—in our hearts. We are sinners in need of a Savior, and that means our answer is always found in Christ. And any solution that doesn’t have Jesus at the center is merely a band-aid, not a solution. While as believers, our sin can never separate us from the love of God in Christ, it seriously hinders our relationship with and experience of Him (James 4:6). We must be serious about sin. If we are going to take sin seriously, we must call our sin what God calls it in the Bible—sin. We must own our sin, hate our sin, mourn over our sin, repent of our sin, run from our sin, and warn and rebuke one another about sin. TIP: Don’t attempt to be serious about your sin without seeing Christ as your Savior. Let me remind you of Paul’s progression of thought in Colossians 3: 1-4, Eyes on Christ, 5-11, Put off sin, 12-17, Put on righteousness.

• Guard against legalism. Legalism is anything we do that is motivated by trying to earn God's favor. Primarily, legalism relates to justification—God will save me if I just follow a set of rules—which is what Paul's addressing here in the book of Romans. But legalism also surfaces in our sanctification. It happens when we view activities like reading our Bibles, going to church, or avoiding R-rated movies as ways to keep or gain greater favor from God. Legalism is like trying to smuggle good character into our relationship with God to get something from God. In essence, it turns our worship into a tool to manipulate God. As Romans Ch. 2 and 3 have clearly communicated, no works can justify us before God, make us more justified, or keep us justified. The way a Christian lives is grace-motivated obedience that is an expression of grateful worship to God for our justification before God that is through faith in Jesus and by grace alone. As Christians, we don’t rest in what we do, we rest in who we know.

• Bold in evangelism. The first three chapters of Romans make it clear: we are surrounded by people who are guilty and without excuse before God. Like us, apart from Christ they stand condemned. Nothing they can do will fix their situation. Only Christ can fix them, period, and we have Christ. 

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 3:20-26

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
Thy Mercy
Death Arrested
We Have Been Healed

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 3:20-26

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Everyone, everywhere, in every way, is guilty before God, without excuse or escape. 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 3:9-20
TITLE:  An Open and Shut Case
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Everyone, everywhere, in every way, is guilty before God, without excuse or escape.

POINTS:
I. The Charge
II. The Evidence
III. The Verdict

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

ILLUSTRATION: “Zuckerberg’s excuses crumble as Meta’s sinister Instagram model is exposed in trial. …The evidence in this social media trial speaks for itself.”

”TRANSLATION: The social media king was silenced by the overwhelming evidence against him. No excuses, no explanations, no buts. The evidence says it all. How airtight the prosecutor's case will be is yet to be seen.”

“But in today’s text, Paul puts forth an airtight, open and shut case. In fact, 19 creates a picture of a courtroom scene.”

“Whether it is the law of God that has been written upon the heart and attested to by the conscience of the Gentile (2:15) or the law of God given to the Jews through the OT Scriptures, the evidence against Gentiles and Jews as lawbreakers is so overwhelming that every mouth is shut. No excuses. No explanations. No appeals of injustice. No ‘Yeah, buts.’ Everyone, everywhere, in every way, is guilty before God, without excuse or escape.”

“Paul’s conclusion of 1-8 comes in the form of questions—(9a) What then? Are we Jews (God’s chosen people who possess the law and God’s promises), are we any better off? (in our hearts before God than the Gentiles). Paul’s answer reveals the charge—(9b) No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin.” 

“This is not new. Paul has been establishing universal guilt ever since 1:18. As it pertains to the Jews, there may be certain advantages as God’s chosen people, but at the end of the day, everyone stands guilty before a holy God.”

“What is new is how Paul talks about sin. He says at the end of 9—all are under sin. Paul presents sin as more than a behavior; it’s a slave-master. We are under sin. Sin has hold of us. We sin because by nature we are sinners.”

“Why do people suppress truth (1:18)? They are under sin. Why do people commit evil and approve of others who join them (1:32)? They are under sin. Why do people self-righteously and hypocritically look down on others in judgment when they do the same thing themselves (2:1)? They are under sin. A doctrine of sin is forming here that will help us as we move through Romans. More than bad behavior, sin is a dynamic power that rules over us apart from Christ.”

“So the charge here is that we are all under the power of sin. Next, Paul will lay out the evidence of our slavery by using a string of OT passages.”

“Evidence #1: Hearts that have turned away from God. In 10-12, Paul cites Psalm 14 and 53. As you read, pay attention to the universal language. There are thirty words in these verses. Thirteen of them are a mix of no one, none, and all. Paul leaves no room for—Yeah, but not me. He shuts our mouths before God.”

“Paul says—No ‘yeah, but.’ By nature and apart from the saving grace of God, the Gentile and the Jew, you and me, and everyone else out there, we are all under sin and unable to stand before God because we are wholly unrighteous and spiritually worthless in every way.”

“Evidence #2 Tongues that deny truth. Paul moves from the heart to the tongue. Out of the heart the mouth speaks, Jesus said in Matthew 12:34. By nature, our mouths are like open graves. Deception, curses, and bitterness pour from our hearts through our speech. Paul likens our words to the venom of asps, one of the deadliest snakes on the planet. We twist and spin truth to look good. We put others down to puff ourselves up. We selfishly flatter others to stroke our own egos. We pollute others with our gossip. Our careless and coarse speech leads others astray. It’s all poison that reveals a self-seeking heart.” 

“Evidence #3 Behavior that causes destruction. In the Bible, words like feet, path, and walk refer to behavior or the way one lives. Paul is pretty clear here: Apart from Christ, the sinful heart leads to a destructive tongue and life. Murder, misery, and conflict characterize a world that is under the power of sin. With our actions, we create division and despair. Instead of being excited and happy for someone else, we are angry and envious because they have what we think we deserve.” 

“In 17, Paul says the way of peace is unknown to them. That peace is the peace of God that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. We were created to live in harmony and peace with God as His people. But when we reject that vertical relationship, all peace is gone, including peace with one another. Harmony and unity are no match for a self-seeking heart.”

“Jonathan Edwards once said—The slightest sin has an infinite amount of hatefulness in it, enough to outweigh whatever loveliness the creature possessed. Here’s the bottom line: In our sin, we resist and reject God, and we ruin our relationships with one another.”

“The root of all this - wayward hearts, bitter tongues, and destructive behavior - is not sociological, emotional, economic, or some humanistic theory of oppression. It’s theological.”

“Paul sums it up here—We just don’t care about God. His power, authority, and rule just aren’t important. I have my own agenda. I know how I want to live my life. My desires and needs are most important to me. God may be good, but I am great!”

“Taken together, these verses reveal our spiritual inability. Sin is so pervasive that it has corrupted us in every way, leaving us in a state of total depravity. Not that we are as sinful as we could be, but we are sinful in every way; sin has affected every nook and cranny of our being, leaving us with zero ability to respond and relate to God as we ought. Apart from God acting on us through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirt, no one comes—because no one can come to God in repentance and faith. As Paul say in Ephesians 2:1—We are spiritually dead.”

ILLUSTRATION: Dead in water vs treading water

“As 19 says—Our mouths are shut as we stand accountable before God in the divine courtroom. That’s the human race as we listen to the heavenly charges against us. We sit, staring up at the holy Judge with absolutely no defense. No protesting. No accusations of unfairness. No playing the victim card. No, I did my best. No, If you only knew. No extenuating circumstances. No threat of mistrial. In the face of overwhelming evidence, mouths are stopped shut before God.” 

“If you want to cultivate greater humility before God. If you desire to have deeper gratitude for the gospel. If you need a fiercer hatred for your indwelling sin. If you long for a stronger love for one another. If you want to stoke the flames of amazement at saving grace—Remember where you came from and who has brought you to where you are today. Though you stood justly condemned, Christ took your place…” 

QUOTES:
John  Stott- “Paul appears almost to personify sin as a cruel tyrant who holds the human race imprisoned in guilt and under judgment. Sin is on top of us, weighs us down, and is a crushing burden.”

Thomas Schreiner - “The purpose in life is to fear and reverence God so that he is esteemed as holy and majestic and mighty. Sin at its heart decenters God; it degods God; it rejects his rule over our lives.”

Christopher Ash - “Paul wants to expose the terrible anatomy of sin, so that we do not just admit in a shallow way but feelit deeply. He wants each of us—including (indeed especially) the religious person—to be speechless with guilt and shame before God. He wants us to feel in anticipation that final judgment scene, that without Christ we will have nothing to say in our defense.”

APPLICATION:
Everyone, everywhere, in every way, is guilty before God, without excuse or escape. APPLICATION: Never forget where you came from! Paul could have gone from 9 straight to 19. He didn’t. And he didn’t because he wants us to remember where we came from. Here are is one powerful way you can Remember: This week, MAKE TIME to share your testimony with a fellow believer and ask someone to share their testimony with you, even if you’ve already heard it.

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 3:20-26

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Sing
All I Have Is Christ
Shine Into Our Night
You Made Us Your Own
Thy Mercy

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 3:9-20

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