How to wait for the glorious future

Sunday 24th September 2023

Read: Psalm 44:17-26; Isaiah 65:17-66:2; Romans 8:18-39

Sermon: Romans 8:18-39

Romans 1-7 The Gospel of grace

8:18-30 How to live with suffering while we wait

18-25 groaning while we wait for redemption

26-27 the Spirit helps us in our weakness while we wait

28-30 the Father works out every detail for our good while we wait

8:31-39 How shall we respond to what God has done for us?

31-32 What shall we say?

33-34 Who will bring charge against the elect?

35-39 What can separate us from the love of Christ?

Objections to justification: How does it relate to the law?

Sunday 10th September 2023

Read: Psalm 119:9-16; Deuteronomy 5:1-29; Romans 7:1-25

Sermon: Romans 7:1-25

Romans 1-6 Saved from sin by Christ, not the law

Romans 7:1-6 Freed from law to be fruitful

Romans 7:7-25 The blame for the human predicament is sin, not the law

7:7-13 Israel’s historical experience with the law: death not life

7:13-20 Israel’s ongoing experience with the law: it cannot be done

7:21-25 The impact of the law: wretched person that I am!

Objections to justification: How can it control sin?

Sunday 27th August 2023

Read: Ephesians 4:17-32; Romans 6:1-14

Sermon: Romans 6:1-14

Romans 1-5 The Gospel as the only means of right standing with God

Romans 6:1-2 Questions about justification: should we just go on sinning?

Romans 6:3-11 No, because we have been united to Christ

     6:3-4 United with Christ in baptism

     6:5-11 United with Christ in death and resurrection

Romans 6:12-14 Don’t let sin reign in your life

The benefits of being right with God

Sunday 13th August 2023

Read: Psalm 85; Isaiah 9:1-7 or Ephesians 2:1-19; Romans 5:1-11

Sermon: Romans 5:1-11

Romans 1-4 The Gospel as the only means of right standing with God

Romans 5:1-5 The benefits of God’s justifying actions in Christ

5:1-2 peace with God

5:3-5 joy in suffering in hope of glory

5:6-11 The depth of God’s loving actions in reconciling enemies

5:6-10 God’s love demonstrated in loving action

5:11 joy in being reconciled

Righteousness by Faith in God

Sunday 6th August 2023

Read: Genesis 15:1-7 & 17:1-14; Romans 4:1-25

Sermon: Romans 4:1-25

Introduction
– Romans 10:3

– God revealing Himself & His thinking

– God’s revelation Romans ch 1 to ch 3

The Key Question
– Righteousness by Faith? Proof! V 1 – 8
– Abraham

– David

Sub-question 1
– Righteousness by Faith for whom? V 9 – 12

Sub-question 2
– Why Righteousness by Faith? – Purpose? V 13 – 17

Sub-question 3
– What does this faith look like? V 18 – 22


Conclusion
– Applying Righteousness by Faith to ourselves V 23 – 25

But now a righteousness from God has been revealed

Sunday 30th July 2023

Read: Psalm 65; Leviticus 16:1-17; Romans 3:21-31

Sermon: Romans 3:21-31

Romans 1:18-3:20 God’s wrath and human unrighteousness

Romans 3:21-26

But now … a righteousness from God apart from law

3:21 how can we be righteous when the law exposes how sinful we are?

3:22-23 all sin, all who believe are declared righteous

3:24-25 justified by redemption in Christ who propitiates!

3:26 the just God justifies to show his justice

Romans 3:27-31

But now … a righteousness from God by faith alone

3:27-28 righteousness by faith excludes boasting

3:29-30 God is one so he will justify Jews and Gentiles by faith

3:27-31 faith is not against the law but upholds it