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

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Possession of the law is not enough; God requires perfect fulfillment of the law. In this way, the law points to the necessity and sufficiency of the gospel. 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 3:1-8
TITLE:  One Great Advantage
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

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

”If you were a first-century Jew, your worldview probably went something like this: God promised Abraham that his family would be blessed and inherit the world as God’s chosen people. As a Jew, I am part of Abraham’s family, and God always keeps His promises. Therefore, whatever I do, God’s promises are mine. So all this talk about the need for repentance and heart change, it’s good for the Gentile but not necessary for me. It’s good to be Jewish!”

“In Ch 2, Paul put a dagger through that arrogant perspective as he brilliantly showed that just because the Jews have the law does not mean they are exempt from God’s judgment. Possession of the law is not enough; God requires perfect fulfillment of the law. In this way, the law points to the necessity and sufficiency of the gospel.” 

“Paul went on to explain how their sacred circumcision has no salvific value unless it is an inward circumcision of the heart, which is the mark of a true Jew. This is how he ended Ch 2.”

“With those words, Paul radically redefines what it means to be a Jew. A true Jew is not a matter of the law or circumcision; it’s a matter of the heart that the Holy Spirit has regenerated. With one stroke of the pen, Paul, as it relates to salvation, reduces the Jew to a position of complete equality with the Gentile before God. Given the Jewish mindset we imagined earlier, this is a serious shock factor.”

“Knowing that, in our text, Paul anticipates the pushback by staging an argument, if you will. As I studied the text, I decided not to break his argument up with points. So we will walk through it, then talk a bit about how to apply it. He begins with an objection.”

“Wait a minute! If everything you just said in Ch 2 is true, then what’s the benefit of being a Jew? What’s the value of how we live our lives?  Today, we might object—Pastor, are you saying becoming members, making Sundays a priority, raising my kids in the church, and serving on Sundays is worthless? Now, you would think Paul’s answer would be—YES, worthless! Instead, he says—read verses 1-2.” 

“The fact that Paul says—To begin with—means he has a whole list of advantages in mind. You can read that list later in 9:4-5. But here Paul just mentions one, the most important one—You have the Word of God (OT Scriptures). 
- The Word of God that describes the glorious and eternal nature of God as the all-powerful Creator and Sustainer who is perfect in holiness, love, righteousness, and justice. 
- The Word of God that reveals man’s purpose and need for God. 
- The Word of God that spells out His covenantal plans, blessings, and promises through Abraham. 
- The Word of God that explains how to live and worship before God.
- The Word of God that not only warns those who reject Him, but mercifully reveals their only hope in the coming Messiah, Jesus.
We get a sense of this with Timothy, who was ‘brought up with Scripture that makes you wise for salvation.’ The Jew has every advantage because they have God’s Word that reveals the covenantal designs, desires, and demands of His salvation plan.”

ILLUSTRATION: It’s a wonderful thing to have a Bible—Today, we have the full revelation of God. Listen and share the Word of God.

“The Word of God is active and alive, revealing, convicting, encouraging, calling us to repentance and faith, drawing, shaping, and transforming our minds and hearts to Christ. It’s a wonderful thing to have a Bible.”

“Here’s the big question Paul anticipates for the Jew. What if some refuse to obey and submit to your Word? What if some don’t embrace Christ? If Jews are in the same boat as the Gentiles (1:18-2:29), does their unfaithfulness nullify God’s promise for Jewish salvation? No!”   

“Paul strikes hard at any notion that God is unfaithful in any way—(4) By no means! (Absolutely not! Not in a thousand years! Don’t even go there!) Let God be true though everyone were a liar.”

“In short, God is always true to His promises. That means He will be faithful to His covenantal promises through Abraham. Now, that is not to say every Jew will be saved, as we will see in Ch. 9-11 and have already seen in Ch. 2. Any advantage the Jew has does not exempt them from their need to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation as the only way to escape God’s wrath. But Paul’s point here is that it doesn’t matter what everyone else is like. God is always true. He is always righteous. He is always just. We make promises, and we break promises. God is not like us.” 

“God is not like us. He is always true and faithful to His nature and character. Where do you need to lay hold of this unchanging truth?”

“Now, here’s the hard part: God’s faithfulness is shown, not only in His promise to save graciously, but also in His promise to judge and punish. To demonstrate this, Paul quotes David.”

“These words are from David’s humble repentance for adultery in Psalm 51, which is the greatest text on repentance in the Bible. The words that immediately precede what Paul quotes here are—Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that (4b) you may be justified in your words and prevail when you are judged. David admits his guilt before God AND That God would be right to pour out His wrath on him for his sin. This is why David’s repentance in Psalm 51 begins—Have mercy on me O God. David knows God would be just and faithful to His Word and character if He punished David for his sin.” 

“So, Paul’s point to the Jews is that God’s covenant faithfulness is expressed not only in His promises to bless those who serve and worship Him, but to judge and punish those who do not—Gentile or Jew. The ultimate truth here is that God’s glory is revealed in his faithfulness to save (we know and will see in 21-26 through faith in Jesus) AND His faithfulness to pour out His wrath on all who reject Jesus because in doing so He is true and faithful in the highest way—to Himself.”

“The objection in 5 is clear. It goes like this: (5) If I fail to keep the law and live in covenant with God, and God is faithful when He punishes me for my unfaithfulness, then wouldn’t God be unrighteous (wrong) to inflict His wrath on me? If my sin bears witness to the holiness of God, if my badness reveals God’s goodness, then whose really right and whose really wrong? The objection in 7 is the same, said differently: If through my lie the truth (faithfulness of God) is revealed, and the result is actually His glory, if being bad makes God look good, then why am I being condemned as a sinner? (8) Why not just keep sinning so that God continues to be glorified? God should be happy with me because, after all, isn’t it all about God’s glory? Paul’s response in 6 is emphatic—By no means! For then how could God judge the world (anybody)? It’s like Paul is saying—That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s absurd to think that’s what I am saying. I’m not preaching cheap grace as some are slanderously accusing me of. People who say God is wrong to condemn them rightly stand condemned.”

“And they do. They stand condemned because they see no need for the gospel. Therein lies the point today: When we don’t see our sin and guilt in light of God’s holiness, which includes His holy hatred for sin and commitment to punish sinners, we will be blind to our desperate need for salvation that only the gospel of Jesus Christ can provide.”

“When God says our sins are forgiven in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:13-14), our sins are forgiven. When God says in Christ He will give us mercy and grace in our need (Hebrews 4:16), we will receive mercy and grace in our time of need. When God says that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:39), nothing will. All that is true and God being faithful to Himself. And so is this: When God says He disciplines His children (Hebrews 12:10), we will be disciplined for our sin. Just as a parent shows themselves to be a faithful parent when they discipline their children, God shows Himself to be good, loving, and faithful when He disciplines us. Is that a category for you in your relationship with God?”

ILLUSTRATION: A friend at the front end of fighting cancer—I do see part is trial/suffering, and part the Lord’s loving discipline to change my lifestyle

“Where might God be disciplining you, bringing you back into line with His design and desire for you in Christ? Don’t ignore or minimize your sin. Don’t rebuff His sanctifying work. The Lord disciplines those He loves in Christ Jesus. And you can embrace His discipline with joy and hope because you have One Great Advantage:  God can be merciful to us because He has justly condemned us in Christ. It is only in Christ that we are rescued from judgment. Praise God that He is faithful to judge and also that the judgment that we deserved landed on Christ—R.C. Sproul”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Numbers 23:19
Psalm 51

QUOTES:
Frank Thielman - “When his punishment of David goes under review in the court of right-thinking human opinion, God wins the case: he is found to be right and true even when he must punish his people for their sins.”

APPLICATION:
Unbeliever: There is nothing you can do that will shield you from God’s judgment on the final day. Your only shield is Jesus Christ. My plea is urgent—there is no guarantee of tomorrow.

This text is important to the Christian life. Remember the perspective of the first-century Jew we reviewed at the beginning. Here’s the perspective we are vulnerable to today: God promises that all that He saves He will keep saved. Once forgiven, always forgiven. God has forgiven me, I have been saved by grace, and I know God always keeps His promises. Therefore, however I live, God’s promises are mine. I don’t need to worry about sin. I don’t need to worry about God’s discipline. I can live as I choose because I know nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. It’s good to be reformed! I don’t believe for one minute that anyone here would ever say that. But we can all live that way, can’t we? Ignoring and minimizing our sin in the name of sweet saving grace. Our lives can functionally reveal that we believe we are shielded from God’s discipline because we are good church members, we read our Bibles, gospel-centered parents, or we hang with all the right people. 

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 3:20-26

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Your Great Name We Praise
Only A Holy God
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
SCRIPTURE READING: Jude 24-25
Your Words Are Wonderful (Psalm 119)
It's Your Grace

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 3:9-20

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

We must turn our hearts to Christ, because on the day of His judgment, our hearts will matter. 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 2:12-29
TITLE:  Our Hearts Will Matter On That Day
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins

POINTS:
I. On that day, having the law will not matter (12-16) 
II. On that day, our religious identity will not matter (17-27)
III. On that day, only our hearts will matter (28-29)

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

”In the verse before our text today (v 5), he speaks of “the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.” On that day, we are told that He will not show any partiality. No one will escape His judgment (v 3).  Beginning in Chapter 1 and not letting up until later in Chapter 3, Paul takes in the darkness of the sin of man and the coming wrath of God.”

“Judgment, God’s judgment is coming for everyone. Jews and Gentiles alike, no exceptions - God will not show partiality. 

The Jews will say,  “Wait a minute, we have the law…” Paul, empowered by the Holy Spirit, forecasts this coming objection from his kinsmen, and he mercifully speaks directly to them… they must know the dreadful place that they are in. They do not see it! At times, we do not see it!”

“Vs 12 speaks of two groups of people: those who have “sinned without the law” and those who have “sinned under the law,” and both will be judged. The word “For” in 12 connects what Paul has just said in v11, “God shows no partiality.” On the day of God’s judgment, all must be right before God. no exceptions. On that day, Jesus will judge the world according to the righteous standard of the Law of God. The Law of God is the measuring rod of righteousness. The whole Law of God is in view here, and Paul has dragged us all in to face the law one more time.”

“Hear vs 12 - In divine fairness, Gentiles, who do not have God’s Law will perish (eternal punishment) without the law because of their sin. Jews who do have the law are under the Law, and have heard (v13) the law, likewise will be judged by God because of their sin. Merely having the law is not sufficient to save anyone on ‘that day!’ On that day, merely having the law will not matter! Even having a small idea of the law revealed in our actions will not save us.”

“On that day, being RIGHT with God, being righteous in His eyes according to the standards of His law, will be the ground upon which God’s just and fair judgment will be rendered on all men and women.”

“In verse 12b, we find Paul’s first mention of the word “justified.” The meaning of the word will emerge as Paul continues write, but it will serve us to have a functional meaning of “justification.” We will find that being justified by God is a legal declaration of God that we are righteous… though guilty of sin, He declares us to be righteous. WE ARE NOT RIGHT WITH GOD. WE MUST BE MADE RIGHT BY GOD!”

“On that day, we all must be right with God! Paul’s overarching concern is with the Jews in the church at Rome is that they have their eyes on themselves. They are secure in themselves. Their privileged view of themselves (hearers) was that they were already justified before God based on who they were and what they had. This would lead them to not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him (Romans 1:21). While they hold onto this sense of ‘arrogant presumption,’ privilege, and self-exalting status, they will miss THE only thing that will matter ON THAT DAY.”

“Paul presses his point. The Gentiles (lawless, unclean to the Jews…) when they “do what the law requires…” show that God has written His laws on their hearts…”

“The Day is coming when all men will stand before the great White Throne, we will answer to the Son of Man, Christ Jesus, who will sit in judgment over the very ‘secrets of men.’ He knows all. He sees all. He weighs all according to His righteous requirements. No one will escape this moment.”

“The Jews would have deeply struggled with this. Paul, holding fast to the Gospel Christ, effectively has told them that ON THAT DAY they were no different than the Gentiles. They had the law and believed that was enough, but Paul says that the Law will condemn them, just like the Gentiles. They looked to their possession of the law as their security. Paul strips this away.”

“In one sense, Verse 16 this is among the most terrifying verses in all of Scripture! That at the judgment seat, Jesus, the Son of God, with divine judgment at hand, will bring those things that we have hidden away in secret, and expose them. The white-hot light of His perfect righteousness and judgment will shine on the hearts and lives of every man and woman!”

“What will matter in the moment is whether or not we are right before Him, whether or not we are righteous before Him, whether or not we are justified… On that great and terrible day, nothing else will matter.”

“The law is powerless to save, but it is precise in judgment. It can only reveal our sin, indict, and condemn. …The law perfectly judges us as guilty, for we cannot keep it. Vs. 13b is true - doers will be justified - but sinners they remain. Paul will say in Romans 3:19-20 that ‘the whole world will be held accountable to God’ and no one will be ‘justified in His sight’ by the ‘works of the law.’”

“The Jews had the law, and Paul shocks them. This will not matter on the day of judgment. And as shocking as that it to them, he now, in verse 17, goes further. He goes after their sense of religious privileges and lists out numerous benefits that they had by having the law. He is God’s mouthpiece to his own people and compelled by the Gospel, he must tell them that their very religious identity will not matter on that day as they stand before the Judge of all of the world. Their sense of who they are, their view of themselves, their identity will not save them on that day. Here, he addresses the matter that can be summed up as religious pride and false sense of security.” 

“They had taken these privileges and built their case of being righteous before God on these, yet in sin, they have become self-exalting and self-righteous. Surely, these things would matter… BUT Vs 21-24: THEY WERE HYPOCRITES!”

“Paul forecasts the Jew’s next argument - we have the sign of circumcision, marking us as God’s covenant people and separating us from the pagan nations. Greeks are exposed fully to YHWH’s wrath, but our circumcision protects us from God’s wrath. And this, too, Paul must call them out on. They had a false sense of security in the physical marking of themselves as God’s covenant people.”

“Paul, grounded in the Gospel, makes it clear that the very thing that they were also looking to protect them, WILL NOT MATTER. Their religious affiliation, name, together with their circumcision cannot and never did make them righteous before God. In fact, God’s word here reveals that those who were circumcised but who did not obey His law were actually UNcircumcised in His eyes.”

“Circumcision was ever only a sign for those who, through faith (Abraham), believed God’s promise that they would be His people. Numerous OT texts revealed that circumcision had no value to them if their obedient hearts were far from God, and Paul is now reminding them and preaching a salvation that is through faith in Christ alone. Therefore, their circumcision did not matter because they would not obey the righteous law of God!”

“So, IF having the law and religious benefits/privilege will not matter on that day. THEN, what in the world will matter? But Paul did not simply reveal what did NOT matter, he preached to them and to us what DOES matter - the matter of righteousness before the Holy all-seeing Judge was a matter of their heart!”

“Paul’s comparisons using the words “outward” and “inward” and “physical” and “heart” make verses 28-29 the skyscraper verses of our text. THIS is the heart of the truth - we will be judged by Christ on the basis of the matter of the heart. That which is inward… that which is inside of man… THE HEART of man, where the “secrets of men” move. The matter is a matter of the heart (v 29)!”

“What is the matter with us? It’s a matter of the heart! Whether we rise or fall before the throne of God, it is not a matter of our knowledge. It is not a matter of our outward appearance or performance. It is not a matter of our church attendance. It is not a matter of the doctrine we love. It IS of the heart. And what the Judge sees is the heart.”

“THIS IS TERRIFYING because we cannot hide what is in our heart from what Calvin called the ‘all-seeing eye of God.’ God knows the heart of man. It is from the heart that we sin. It is from the heart that a man is defiled.”

“BUT, the GOOD NEWS is the very next words following “a matter of the heart” in v29… “in the Spirit, not by the letter.” HOPE is found in these words for all who will hear! It is impossible to be right before God because the heart of man is wicked and will always be… Unless God does what the law cannot do and never could do. Unless God does what we cannot do and changes our hearts.”

“On that day, only the heart will matter, and our Gospel hope on that awesome day will be having a changed heart that is the result of the Holy Spirit's work. New hearts that seek repentance and respond in obedience to God’s word. The shocking joy of this? The Judge on that day is our Savior TODAY.”

“Christ Jesus, the Judge of vs 16, was himself received God’s wrath on our behalf! Jesus, whose heart was perfect, whose obedience was perfect, whose righteousness was perfect, HE bore the guilt and shame and wrath of God IN OUR PLACE. His resurrection was God the Father’s acceptance of His sacrifice. God’s wrath that is coming on that Great and Terrifying day has been turned away from those who have and will believe in Christ and repent. He promises!”

“He is faithful and just! Confess your sin, and you will find that He is faithful and He will forgive you! Confess your sin, and you will find that He has satisfied God’s wrath for you, and he will forgive you! Confess you sin, and He WILL cleanse your heart from all unrighteousness from the inside out!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Revelation 20:11–12
2 Corinthians 5:21
1 John 1:9

APPLICATION:
Unbeliever - On that day, Jesus Christ will come as your Judge. The Good News today is that Jesus has come to seek and save the lost. Believe in Christ and repent of your sins. He sees your heart… all of it… of its secrets… NOTHING ELSE WILL MATTER ON THAT DAY. TODAY, you need God’s mercy!

Christian - We must turn our hearts to Christ, because on the day of His judgment, our hearts will matter. Is there a place for you to repent of your presumption on all of the benefits that we have in Christ? 

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 1:16-17

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Thou Fount
Judge Of The Secrets
Rock of Ages
Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus
Grace Alone

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 3:1-8

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

Paul wants us to feel the darkness and deepness of the depravity of our souls. He’s not pulling punches. He’s not concerned with providing light in the pitch-black tunnel, at least not yet. 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 2:1-11
TITLE:  The Terror and Wonder of An Impartial God
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. We Are Guilty
II. God is an Impartial Judge

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

”We are intrinsically blind to our own sin and need for Christ but keenly aware of the sin and need of others. The Apostle Paul knew this.”

“In 1:16-17, Paul preached the good news of the gospel as the only hope for sinners. But just as a diamond shines in all its brilliance against a black backdrop, Paul brought a brutal indictment against mankind in 1:18-32 to show why the good news of the gospel is the best news ever.”

“If you came to church this morning hoping the brutal indictment was over, you are about to be severely disappointed. Paul continues to lower the boom and will through 3:20. He wants us to feel the darkness and deepness of the depravity of our souls. He’s not pulling punches. He’s not concerned with providing light in the pitch-black tunnel, at least not yet.”  

ILLUSTRATION: But Mr. Edwards, is there no mercy with God?

“Oh yes, mercy is abundant with God, but Paul wants us to understand just how desperate we are for His mercy so that His mercy will be all the more sweet to us. Here’s what we will learn: Because I am guilty like everyone else and God is an impartial judge, I must embrace Christ in humble repentance.”

“Therefore, you connects our text to the indictment of 1:18-32. Paul’s not done yet. The reference, O man, which was a common way for a Jew to address another Jew, signals that Paul is setting his sights on the Jews.”

“The temptation for the Jewish person was to rely on their covenant and ethnic status to shield them from the wrath and judgment of God. For example, the Midrash, a collection of ancient Rabbinic writings, taught that Abraham sits at the gate of hell to keep all circumcised Jews out, regardless of their deeds, simply because they were Jews.”

“So Paul’s words are piercing. He is saying—No, you are not exempt. In fact, I don’t need me to tell you this; your self-righteous hypocrisy is self-condemning.”

“You stand over others as a judge, pointing the finger at them for their sinful behavior. Your condemnation of them reveals you understand what sinful behavior looks like.”

“We know that God’s judgment is always just. He is righteous—unable to be corrupted. He is all-knowing—knows all details of every situation He judges, and He is all-powerful—capable of carrying out His judgements perfectly. As human beings, we see justice perverted all the time. We see bad judgments and verdicts all the time. Not so with God.  God’s justice is always just and righteous.”  

“So, O man, so, member of SGC, so, pastors of SGC, if you do the same things as those you condemn in others and believe God rightly judges, it doesn’t matter how religious you are or how long you’ve been a member at SGC—You are equally guilty, equally without excuse, and equally in need of Christ.”

“Before we go any further, the universal nature of this reality is proven in our own reaction to the subjects of the text: How many wrote an email in your heart as you read about the self-righteousness of the Jews in 1-2? I did.”

ILLUSTRATION: Nathan and David (2 Samuel 12)

“We are not immune!”

“Paul continues his argument with a question.”

“If God is a righteous, all-knowing, all-powerful Judge, how do you think you can escape His judgment? Is there a loophole I don’t know about? We love loopholes. We are always looking for a loophole to our advantage. There are no loopholes with God.”

“God is holy, just, and good. He is always faithful to His character and nature, so His judgment of sinners is always righteous. And God can’t be fooled. I can’t say I was born a Jew, or I faithfully tithe. There is no Get Out of Jail Free card with God. His judgment cannot be escaped.”

“Again, the wonder here is how patient and good God is with us. Rom 5 says when we were still sinners and enemies, God didn’t strike us down, he sent His son to provide a way for repentance. He knows every sin we have ever and ever will commit, yet He doesn’t lower the boom on us. In His patience and goodness, He leads us to repentance.”

“Ultimately, Paul warns them against interpreting the abundance of God’s kindness and patience toward them as His approval of them. It’s tempting to think an absence of difficulty or discipline is a sign that I am good with God—nothing to see here. That’s not faith; that’s arrogant and dangerous presumption that scorns God’s kindness and patience. The terror of this is what Paul says next.”

“Paul is clear here: the goal of the riches of God’s kindness and patience is not to give us an excuse to go on sinning but to lead us to Christ in repentance. To believe otherwise is dangerous.”

“The essence of a hardened heart is a heart that despises and suppresses God’s goodness and blessings by continuing to rebel and disobey. That person is just storing up God’s wrath on the final Day of Judgement. Store up is banking imagery—my sin is a deposit I keep making, and one day I will have to make a withdrawal. That is a scary truth. But it gets scarier.”    

“The exclamation point on our text is 11—For God shows no partiality. The idea of the word for partiality is that God is not swayed by anyone’s face. There is nothing about us that persuades God to bend the rules or make an exception for us. Nothing except the blood and righteousness of Christ moves God. Our justification before God rests wholly and only on the righteousness of Jesus (5:19—By one man’s obedience many will be made righteous). We never deserve God’s saving grace, we can’t earn God’s saving grace, and we can’t store up enough good deeds to meet God’s standard (3:20—No one will be justified by the works of the law). We are justified by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone to God’s glory alone. This is the unmistakable and unapologetic gospel message of Romans.” 

“First, that is the essence of God’s impartiality—He judges everyone the same. That’s the primary point here. But when we stand before God on the final day, there will only be two kinds of people—those who have repented and are in Christ and those who have not.”

“Paul is not being hypothetical here. He is talking about real obedience. The obedience of faith referred to in 1:5. Paul gives us a portrait of a life transformed by the power of the gospel. The sinner saved by grace and justified by faith, their lives will be characterized by patience (not perfection, only Christ is perfect and he is our perfection that undergirds all our imperfection, but patiently persevering in the obedience of faith—1:5) as they seek glory (God’s glory) with their lives, they also seek honor (God’s pleasure) in their lives, and they seek immortality (living and longing for the hope of heaven).”

“These are evidence of a heart regenerated by the Holy Spirit. They are the fruit of true repentance and saving grace. The person who knows and loves Jesus through the gospel by faith will live a life very different from this world. Paul has already told us we can’t fool God. He knows our hearts, and we are all guilty. If we are all guilty, then we all need to repent. And the fruit of true repentance will be made clear on the final day of judgment.”    

“we will be rewarded accordingly. Paul taught this. James taught this. John taught this. Jesus taught this. And Revelation couldn’t be clearer: Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done—Revelation 22:12”

“On that day, and what a day it will be, Christ will reward his faithful servants, ultimately, giving them, look at 10—eternal glory and honor and peace, no matter who you are, Jew or Gentile. God shows no partiality. And He will receive all the glory!”

“The self-seekers who habitually suppress the truth and glory of God through rebellion and disobedience, this life leads to the wrath and fury of God, which will produce unthinkable, unrelenting, and unending tribulation and distress.”

“Hell is real. Whatever you imagine hell to be like, it is infinitely worse. God is holy, and His wrath and fury against the sinner will be commensurate with His holiness. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking a “good” God would never judge. Everyone is guilty before God. God will bring His wrath to bear on sinners, judging all impartially. If that’s true, then like 4 says—everyone really must repent.”  

“That’s our application this morning—REPENTANCE.”

“To my Non-Christian friend, here’s the good news: there is an escape from God’s wrath—1:16-17. The wonder of an impartial God is found in that no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, Repentance and faith in the blood and perfect righteousness of Jesus removes God’s wrath and makes you His beloved child. The gospel is the only way to escape His holy wrath and fury.”

“To my Christian friend, we have experienced the wonder of God’s impartiality in Christ. For us, ongoing repentance is a humble acknowledgment of our ongoing sinfulness and need for Christ. It’s a grateful response for Christ’s justifying work on our behalf at the cross. And it’s the pathway to spiritual growth and perseverance. Simply put—Repentance is worship, and we never outgrow worship.” 

“We can all start with 1: Self-righteousness. The truth is, we tend to be acutely aware of one another’s smallest sins while being woefully blind to our biggest sins. We’ve all written the Dear Pastor email, if only in our hearts. Here’s the good news. Jesus has been judged for self-righteousness, and we now bear his perfect righteousness. No more wrath for us. Instead, as Heb 4:16 says—We can come to God in the name of Jesus, and He will always hear our prayer, giving us the mercy and grace we need every time.”

QUOTES:
John Stott - “The presence or absence of saving faith in our hearts will be disclosed by the presence or absence of good works of love in our lives.”

Augustine - “In distributing awards according to our levels of obedience, God is crowning His own works in us.”

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 1:16-17

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Bless The Lord O My Soul (Psalm 103)
Thy Mercy
Have Mercy On Me
Jesus Your Mercy
And Can It Be

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 2:12-29

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 1:16-17

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

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 2:1-11

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ILLUSTRATION: Being ashamed of my name as a child

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

“Scripture describes the righteousness of God in numerous ways:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
Romans 1:16-17

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

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

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION:
ROMANS 1:16-17

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

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

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“God is the author of the gospel.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

CLICK BELOW TO PURCHASE OUR BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

As we leave 2025 in the rear-view mirror for 2026, let’s grab a little taste of heaven right here in Tucson. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Book of Advent
TEXT: Revelation 5
TITLE:  From the Manger to the Throne
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Because Jesus has made much of us with His life, we must make much of him with ours.

POINTS:
I. Allow the Gospel to Define Our Lives
II. Allow Our Lives to Praise the One Who Defines Us

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

“Thursday night, after the last grandkid loaded up in their car and headed home, I closed the door, looked at Donna, and said—That was a great Christmas, what now? The shopping is done. The presents are opened. The food is gone. The Christmas movies have all been watched…twice. The Church Christmas parties are over. The Candlelight service is behind us. What now?”

“Christmas can feel like that, can’t it? All the planning, prep, and anticipation, then it’s over in a moment. Spiritually speaking, we know what proceeds Christmas—the cross on Good Friday, the empty tomb on Easter, and the ascension forty days later. But what now? We know Jesus will come again. But what about right now?”

“For that, we look into the heavenly throne room where Advent meets eternity. Here’s what we will find: Because Jesus has made much of us with His life, we must make much of him with ours.”

“That’s the answer to the question—What Now? We spend the remainder of our time on earth making much of Jesus with our lives. And the inhabitants of Revelation 5 show us how.”

“Our text takes us into the holy throne room of heaven. In chapter four, John pulls back the curtains on the ceaseless praise and adoration of God Almighty. His splendor and majesty were described in the only way John knew how, in brilliant colors and precious jewels. Then in 5:1, John says—Then I saw. With these words, John shifts his focus. What has caught his eye?”

“John’s attention is captured by a scroll in the right hand of God that had writing front and back and was sealed with seven seals. This scroll contains God’s plan for judgment and salvation, inaugurated in the birth, life, and death of Jesus and literally unfolding, then, now, and in the future. In short, the scroll reveals who wins, and how. Spoiler alert—Jesus wins and that means we win!”

“There is one problem. There is no one who is able to open the scroll. Not the four heavenly beings. Not the twenty-four elders. Not even the mighty angel. There is no one in heaven or on earth, in all of creation, anywhere, at any time, worthy to open the scroll. No wonder John weeps aloud. But suddenly, a voice thunders through the heavenly throne room. In 5, the elder describes a ferocious Lion and invokes David, the militaristic and nationalistic warrior king. These are the titles of a mighty conqueror. But what John sees in 6 is seemingly far from a conqueror. He sees a Lamb that had been slaughtered.”

“We know who this is. It’s the seed promised in Genesis 3. It’s the child foretold about in Isaiah 9. It’s the baby born in a manger and welcomed by a heavenly choir in Luke 2. It’s the one by whom we have received adoption into God’s heavenly family, according to Galatians 4. It’s the crucified and risen Jesus! He takes center stage in the heavenly throne room as the only one worthy to open the scroll. What makes him worthy is not his perfect power and wisdom symbolized by the seven eyes and horns in 6. What makes him worthy to open the scroll is his saving work on the cross.”

“I don’t want us to miss John’s focus here: What has captured the full attention of the throne room is not a ferocious roaring Lion or a mighty warrior king. That’s how we would write the script. But we didn’t write the script, God did. And the centerpiece of His script is a slaughtered Lamb - revealing that at the heart of His eternal rule is the gospel. The one born in a manger conquered sin, death, and Satan, not by killing them enemy with a sword but by dying on a cross. That same death that conquers also redeems a royal and holy people for God. The metaphors are paradoxical. The conquering power of the roaring Lion is expressed in the death of the slain Lamb.”

“At the heart God’s sovereign and eternal rule that was inaugurated in a manger is the sacrificial and saving death of Jesus. This is what eternally defines Jesus and is the basis for is worthiness to open the scroll.”

“Now, if Jesus is eternally defined by his gospel work, then the gospel is what must define us in our daily lives. In answering the question—What now?, our answer should be—Allow the Gospel to Define Our Lives. This is how we make much of Jesus until his return—allowing his life, death, and resurrection to define every aspect of our lives.”   

“In the final chapter of this book Jesus promises three times—I am coming soon. The second Advent. But until then, our lives are meant to defined by the person and power of the cross to save sinners and change lives.”

“Unfortunately, there are so many things OTHER than the gospel that COULD, and all too often DO, define our lives: vocation, tradition, success, season of life, physical appearance, felt needs, roles in the church, life experiences, past failures, besetting sin.”

“But a biblical worldview (and by worldview I mean what shapes your thoughts about life and what guides your behavior in life) a biblical worldview will always have Christ at the center. Revelation is a book that doesn’t merely tell us God’s plan, it SHOWS us God’s plan. That’s why there’s so much symbolism. If we could create a picture that SHOWS what defines our lives, it should be Revelation 5. To the degree that the gospel shapes your worldview is the degree to which your life will be defined by the gospel.”

“John is witnessing a TSUNAMI of praise. They sang a new song, and they fell down and worshipped Jesus. Their worship was verbal and physical. It included their hearts and their bodies. They praise him for giving his life on the cross and saving sinners from every corner of the earth, including ours! They praise him for building God’s kingdom and defeating Satan so that God’s people—here’s the now/not yet tension in redemptive history—reign in God’s kingdom as priests, now in part, and fully when Christ returns and establishes his eternal kingdom. They praise Jesus for the eternal excellencies of his power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing.”

“Notice the crescendo effect. In 8-9, it was the four living creatures and the twenty-four singing praises to the Lamb of God. Then in verse 11, they are joined by myriads and myriads and thousands and thousands of angels (translation: a lot of angels) singing the praises of the Lamb that was slain. And if that were not sufficient, 13 says every creature in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and in the sea, and all that is in them are praising the victorious Lamb of God.”

“They are giving Jesus all they have. Fear of man is nowhere to be found. They are worshiping Jesus in truth—according to who he is and what he has done. They are delighting in him. They are expressing their deepest joy and satisfaction in him. They are holding nothing back. They are making much of Jesus.”

“If you want to know what heaven will be like. If you want to know why the universe exists. If you want to know the point of all that’s written in the scroll. If you want to know why Jesus came. If you wonder why you exist. The inhabitants of the heavenly throne are showing you—To make much of Jesus with every ounce of our being.”

“Christmas is three days past. But the truth is Christmas is never really over. The manger leads to the cross, which leads to the empty tomb, which leads to the eternal throne room. What we see there is not a distant and irrelevant moment. It’s the eternal vocation of all God’s people who will one day join in to worship in the presence of the Triune God for all his excellencies as our Lord and Savior, the Lamb that was slain for the ransom of sinners like us.”

“As we leave 2025 in the rear-view mirror for 2026, let’s grab a little taste of heaven right here in Tucson by joining in with heaven in the only appropriate way—Let’s make much of Jesus by singing the praise of who he is and what he has done and all he has for us one day in heaven.”     

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Philippians 2:8-11  

QUOTES:
Sam Storms- “And so all creation in heaven and earth stands motionless and speechless as a search is undertaken for someone worthy to open this book. Is no one capable of bringing history to its ordained end? Call your Congressman! Call your Senator! Write letters of inquiry to the most brilliant of scientist and astrophysicist! If necessary, get in touch with the White House! Surely someone here on earth is worthy enough and strong enough to open the book of human history and tell us its content and its consummation.”

G.K. Beale - “While he was suffering the defeat of death, he was also overcoming by creating a kingdom of redeemed subjects over whom he would reign and over whom the devil would no longer have power….Therefore, while Jesus was being defeated at the cross he was nevertheless beginning to establish his Kingdom.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Sing
Is He Worthy
Crown Him With Many Crowns
Jesus Paid It All
This Is Amazing Grace

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 1:1-7, The Christology of Romans

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