Romans 12. Live together in love.

Romans 12.

Link to MP3

What can you offer God? What can you give him to get right with him?

If you’re thinking “well, I can give him myself as a living sacrifice” you are – WRONG!

Wrong – but it says so right there. There in the passage.

No. What does it say?

Ro 12 And so (therefore), dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God – why? because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable.

ESV I appeal to you therefore by the mercies of God, to offer yourselves as a living sacrifice.

The Bible clearly tells us that there is nothing we can do to get right with God. Nothing. We are dead in our sins. We are in Adam, we rebel against God, choose our own way. And nothing we do can make us right. Rom 3:10 there is no-one righteous. Therefore the gospel is not “this is what you can do to get right with God” – that is the way of every other religion! The gospel is GOOD NEWS. It is bad news if this chapter was what we had to do to get right with God! We’d be in big trouble. No it’s not the bad news, it is good news. In light of God’s mercy – as v1 because of all he has done for you.

The gospel is that when we were in rebellion, when we were dead, when we rejected God – God came for us. Why us? We don’t know. There was certainly nothing special about us. But it is because of God’s great mercy. Because he is full of love he decided to take rebels, sinners, and make them – you and I (if we are in Christ) – make us trophies of grace.

We do not sacrifice to get mercy. We have mercy, therefore we offer sacrifice. And it has always been this way. It was the same with Israel. They were God’s people, chosen by God. Therefore they offered sacrifices – praise offerings, thank offerings, and sin offerings. Now, because of Jesus, we no longer offer sin offerings. Our sin offering was given and accepted once and for all when Jesus gave his life for us on the cross. But we do still offer praise and thank offerings. And we do that by living! Being living sacrifices, living for the glory of God.

My Dad for years hated v1. “I don’t want to be a sacrifice”. Sacrifice has to do with altars and blood and flesh and flies and death. I don’t want that. Then one day as he was reading he suddenly noticed a word he’d never noticed before: living! A LIVING sacrifice. Our sacrifice is to LIVE fully for God. We are called to LIVE for God. To be truly alive. To be what we were born to be.
We were created to reflect God’s glory, his beauty, his love, his power, his love. And in Christ that is what we are called to. We have been remade, renewed, restored, from the inside out. We have the Holy Spirit of God within us. Now, in light of God’s mercies, because of all he has done for you, people chosen, loved, and kept by God: LIVE!

You see, it is one of the great truths of Christianity that death brings life. Christ died that he might win life for all, and proved it by rising form the dead. And for us death brings life. As we die to self we find we live. As we obey we find blessing and truth. As we do what seems unwise we find wisdom.

Ro 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

It is very important for us to remember that as we start looking at how we are to live that we remember what has come before. Otherwise we might think that all this is how we impress God so that he will like us and let us in to heaven. No! In light of God’s mercies. We have been forgiven, we have everything!

Now some might argue “but where’s the motivation then? If God has given me everything, if I know I’m saved, if I know I’m going to heaven. Why do anything? Why sacrifice? It takes away the motivation.”

Well, let me tell you about two teachers I had at school. One was called Mr Shone, who I had in the 6^th grade. And one was Mr Liddle, my 7^th grade teacher. Mr Shone was a cruel man. He was petty and vindictive and took particular pleasure in making certain pupils miserable and breaking them down. We were all afraid of him. When he was in the class, everyone obeyed! In fear of what he would do. But when his back was turned…. We hated him. We called him names. We stuck our tongue out at him. Our motivation to obedience only lasted as long as his eyes were on us.
Mr Liddle was the opposite. He loved us and cared about us. Those who had been crushed by Mr Shone Mr Liddle built up again over the year. You know we loved to obey Mr Liddle – even when he wasn’t in the room. We loved him because he loved us. Love is more powerful than fear as a motivation.

What view do you have of God? Do you see a stern taskmaster who demands the impossible. And you’ve got to somehow impress him? If that is the way you think of God, that is the God you will meet. But in the gospel we meet a God who demands the impossible – and then says what is impossible with man, is possible with God, and GIVES us his righteousness, purchased through laying aside his majesty, becoming one of us, suffering with us, dying for us, and then rising to new life. That is the God we serve. A God of such love. If we have met him, if we know him and are known by him, that is motivation enough to live for his glory.

You know, I don’t have to force myself to be married to my wife. I don’t think “oh no, I’m bound by this horrible contract”. It is a JOY to be with her. I know her and she knows me and so I want to please her, to bring her glory and joy.

So that’s what this passage is about. It’s about knowing God so that we can know what pleases him. Just like I know my wife and study her so that I can know what pleases her, we study the Lord to know what pleases him and what brings him joy. Let us delight our Father’s heart in the way that we live.
And, of course, living that way brings us great joy too, because it is the way we were made to live. And our motivation is love. We are loved by God. Rom 8:39 nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is what we need to keep in mind as we look at tonight’s passage, and indeed chapters 12-16.

So that was the first point: In light of God’s mercy, live. Be a living sacrifice because he loves you.

The second point is this: To be a living sacrifice you need a renewed mind – and our mind is renewed through the church.

And the third is: A living sacrifice lives a life of sacrificial God-glorifying love

1. Live 2. together 3. in love.

So, how do we live as living sacrifices for God? How do we give glory to God in everything we do? How do we reflect his beauty and love and glory and joy in our lives?

Well, it starts here – in our minds.

2 Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

ESV Do not conform to the world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.

Our minds need to be changed. We need to think God’s thoughts so that we can do what God wants.

And how do we do that? Need to know Him. Need his word. The Bible.

Now v1 and 2 I’ve known very well. Read it lots of times. But I haven’t really paid so much attention to the context. I know. So in preparing this I was amazed to see something that I’ve never seen before. The Holy Spirit through Paul after telling us that our minds need to be renewed – what does he immediately talk about? The church! The church is where we go to renew our minds.

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.

I found that fascinating. Because I’m such an individualistic Westerner I think “renew my mind, yes, I’ll lock myself away in my room and read the word.” If I know the Bible. Or if I’m a bit more “spiritual” I might say “I’ll go and seek God and wait for him to speak to me”. Or religious “I’ll go to a monastery”. But it’s all me on my own.
But our brothers and sisters from Africa and the East will be laughing at us now going “duh, no we do this as a COMMUNITY: the church”. We do it together! In the church most importantly we hear God’s word - but we also see it lived out. That’s why we have a body, not just a mouth! 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. We need each other.

It’s like the Law. I’ve been reading the Pentateuch recently (the first five books of the Bible). And there’s a lot of law. Do this do that. And it’s not arranged logically. It’s all mixed up together. Stuff you had to do in everyday life with stuff the priests had to do with rules for the government. All mixed up. It’s impossible to remember. But not if you see it lived out. You’d watch your parents and go “oh that’s how it’s done”. Watch your neighbours. Oh yes, I’m supposed to do that. See the priests doing their duties “Oh that’s what it means”. The Law of God, his word, was lived out, on display, every day.

Likewise in the church. I have learnt so much by watching how my brothers and sister in Christ do things. I remember staying for a few weeks with our friends Paul and Penny Dawson and their five kids. I learned so much about Christian living just watching how they did things. How they balanced ministry and family demands, what they prioritised as important, how they spoke to their kids, how they taught them the Bible at their different ages. Wisdom on display.

Debby and I were both privileged to grow up in Christian families and we have gained much practical wisdom in how to live as a Christian. I know many of you did not – but that’s why we have the church! So watch godly people and see what they do. Ask. A number of people in this church will phone me up and say “I have an ethical dilemma, what should I do”. That’s brilliant. That’s Christian living.

And note that no-one has all the gifts. We need each other. Some teach, some prophecy (that is apply the Bible to everyday life), some exhort, some lead, some are generous, some kind, and so on. We are a team together, helping each other.

I want you to notice something. It is not just that God saves us. But he also gives us gifts and he decides the level of faith we have! 3 Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
God is not only sovereign over our salvation, but also our sanctification (being holy). So see yourself as you are by how much faith you’ve been given. And if you want more – ask.
Because it is God who even gives us our faith, we cannot be proud. But humble. And as for us leaders – we have been given much, so much is asked. Not pride but humility and responsibility.

Some of you are highly gifted. And we will develop those gifts. How? In submission to Gods word. The more gifted you are the more essential it is that you know the Bible! A prophet needs to know Gods word. A leader needs to know Gods word. That’s why the leaders of the church are elder because an elder is one who teaches the word. We all need each other. The church needs you! Because we are called to be a living sacrifice. And to be a living sacrifice you need a renewed mind – and our mind is renewed through the church.

So then, third point, A living sacrifice lives a live of sacrificial God-glorifying love. As a church, how do we live in a way that glorifies God. How do we live together in love?

Well, the rest of the chapter! There’s a lot here, so I’m just going to read it, make a few comments, and leave it up to each of us before God to repent! Different things will challenge us!

So, brothers and sisters, in light of Gods mercy, because we are forgiven, because we are chosen by God, because nothing can separate us from his love, because we have heaven as our inheritance and because the Spirit of God lives in us – this then is how we are to live, reflecting God’s glory:

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.

See, if we see ourselves as we really are, by the FAITH God has GIVEN us, then we will be humble, delighting in others. Let us be quick to praise each other, to honour each other, to thank each other, to admire. When you think about the church, do you think “wow” or do you think “uh, why isn’t that done, why didn’t they do this”. Complaining comes so easy, complimenting so hard. Let’s delight in honouring each other.

11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Like Christian and Johanna, and my parents. But not just church events. Invite people home from church. Invite non-Christians. Open you home. People SEE Jesus in your home life. Don’t underestimate the work of the Spirit in and through you. Many things we take for granted just the way we do things, for others is ground-breaking.

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Christian spoke two weeks ago on forgiveness from Philemon. Have you forgiven?
We sin against the Lord and deeply hurt him and others – yet we are forgiven. Therefore can we not forgive others who have hurt us?
This is not easy, and some of you may need help because of deep hurts. But we’ll do it together. Let’s take the ice that is in our hearts and melt it together in the furnace of God’s love.

15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. Odd translation! It’s “don’t be too proud to associate with those you think are beneath you”. I want this church to be full of “losers” outcasts, the “rubbish” of society. Because God is very good at taking those who are least and making them glorious. Let’s see what God can do! Because that’s the heart of Jesus. He was always hanging around with the lowly, the “sinners”.

And don’t think you know it all! 17 Never pay back evil with more evil. (oh how easily that comes to us. Revenge! No. Let GOD handle things). Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honourable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. 20 Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” 21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Isn’t that the very heart of God? We who are evil have been conquered by good. So let’s do the same thing! Never forget that we were enemies of God. And He has transformed us. He can do the same with that person who makes our life miserable, with that bully, with that pervert, that threat, that grumpy neighbour.
Never forget that we are sinners. But by the grace of God that is us. Perhaps if we’d grown up like them we’d be the same. Maybe all they’ve ever experienced is hatred, attacks, maybe that’s why they’re so hard and messed up. So ask the Lord for his strength, ask Him for His love, His compassion, see them through His eyes, and treat them how Christ has treated you. And see what God will do. Conquer evil with good. And if they are mean and horrible and unchanged – well, leave them in the Lord’s hands. He will pay them back much more than you can with your petty revenge. Leave it to Him.

Right. Wow. Well, aren’t we glad and overjoyed that this isn’t a list of rules to keep in order to be right with God! Praise the Lord that it is because we have been forgiven, renewed, transformed, we are called to live like Christ.
So let’s do it. Together. Let’s encourage each other. Let’s watch each other to see how to live. As they are following God, let us follow. And let’s encourage each other, pick each other up when we fall, carry each others burdens, help each other, push each other, work together until that great day when we see our saviour face to face.

1. In light of God’s mercy, live. Be a living sacrifice because he loves you.

2. To be a living sacrifice you need a renewed mind – and our mind is renewed through the church.

3. A living sacrifice lives a life of sacrificial God-glorifying love

1. Live 2. together 3. in love.

Romans 7:1-8:1 We are free!

Read: Romans 7:1-8:1

Listen to MP3

Ro 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Free. No condemnation!

Do you feel like that?

Or do you feel like a failure? Like a fraud? Last week’s message from chapter 6 that sin no longer has power over us and that we live to serve Jesus as his slaves…. but I don’t feel like that! I struggle with sin. We know in our minds what we want to do - but we face a war within ourselves. I want to do good – but I do evil instead. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

Isn’t that how we feel sometimes? Such a failure as a Christian. We don’t feel like we’re set free from sin. We don’t feel like slaves of God, but slaves of sin!

Today we’re hammered with the truth that the answer is NOT to try harder, or to find the hero within ourselves, or to abandon Christianity because “it’s just too hard”. The answer is in v25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin. Ro 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

How does that follow? How can I be a slave to sin in my sinful nature and yet not be condemned?

And what’s this stuff about the mind? How can I want to obey God’s law in my mind, but still sin?

Well if you know Romans, you know that chapters 1-11 is the “mind” part of the letter. This is the stuff we need to KNOW before we can obey. We need to THINK right before we can ACT right. It’s all about how we are to think. This is the battle-ground up here. We must understand who we are in Christ. This is our identity.

It’s no surprise then that when we come to chapter 12 it begins: Ro 12 And so, … I plead with you to give your bodies to God [as] a living and holy sacrifice…2 Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

How should we then think of ourselves? Not under law! But how can we defeat sin without the law? We defeat it with grace.

1. Grace is more powerful than law

2. We fight sin with grace, not with law

3. Grace frees us from a life dominated by sin and death, which law cannot do.

1. Grace is more powerful than law

6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit

There are only two ways to live: by effort, or by grace. We are all judged by works – it just depends on whose works. Our own works – which reveal our sin and lead to eternal death. Or Jesus’ works, which are perfectly righteous and lead to eternal life. Do we trust in ourselves, or trust in him? The law or the Spirit?

4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ.

The law has no power over the one who is dead. We died with Christ. Just like if your spouse dies, you are free to remarry – the law of marriage no longer applies. Death breaks the power of the law. So if we have died in Christ, the law no longer applies to us. 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Because the law brings condemnation. The law like a spotlight reveals our sin and condemns us, rightly. But in Christ we have died to the law. It can no longer condemn us!

4 So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.

Interesting. The fruit of a life lived by the law is condemnation. The fruit of the free gift of grace through faith produces good deeds. So if you want to do good deeds – remember who you are. Don’t strive. Don’t beat yourself up with the law. Remember who you. Dead to sin, alive to Christ. Mitt kjøtt er dødt!

And why doesn’t the law work? Because v5 When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.

6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

We are free! Not only have we died to sin, but we are alive in the Spirit. We are not just saved FROM our sin, but also saved FOR God. And he breathes new life into us. We have his Spirit.

And that’s why it feels like there’s a battle-ground in us. Because have our old sinful nature still clinging on. No it’s my effort. And we have the new Spirit-filled nature, saying it’s all Jesus. And that creates conflict within us.

Imagine you were there when Jesus was being crucified. You see him beaten and bloodied. You hear his amazing words “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing”. You see him cry out – and just before he’s about to breathe his last breath, his great work accomplished – you shout “wait!”. Jesus breathes in – surprise on his face. “Wait, wait, wait, I just need to add my bit in to this”. Jesus, his arms outstretched, nails in his hands, the mission complete, a life lived in perfect obedience to the Father, and now giving his life in perfect love, bearing all our sins in his own body, just looks at you with bemusement. As you rush forward, pulling out your wallet. Look! The stuff I gave to TV aksjon! And that time I helped my friend! And here’s my church attendance.

Foolish isn’t it? “My child, none of that is necessary. My work is sufficient.” Jesus says. And then cries out “Father into your hands I commit my spirit” and dies in the darkness of the noonday sky as the earth shakes and rocks split open and the Roman centurion says “Surely this man was the son of God”.

Jesus’ work is sufficient. Why do we think we can add anything to it?

Grace is more powerful than law. And he proved it by bursting forth from the grave a few days later. Who of us can do that? Stop trusting in yourself. Trust in Jesus! Be free! Grace is more powerful than law.

2. We fight sin with grace, not with law

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin

What is the problem with the law? Me! I’m the problem with the law. The law is good. It is God’s good law. It came from his mouth. It is perfect. But as a way of salvation it is severely flawed. In fact, as Christian pointed out last week, the law itself recognises that it is flawed, because it has the sacrificial system built in to it for all the times you fail to keep it! “Here’s the law, guys, but you won’t be able to keep it, so here’s the way to be forgiven when you don’t keep it.”

The law was never the way to be saved. We are saved by grace. Abraham was saved by grace. David was saved by grace. There is no other way to be saved.

The law is an expression of God’s character. It is good and holy and pure – but as a way to be saved or a guide to holy living, it is horrible, and drives us to despair. There is no way you can live up to the standard of the law. As Christians, we do not look to the law to live the Christian life. Not if you take it seriously. For the summary of the law is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul” Who of us does that? Could possibly do that? Never mind the second part which is easier “love your neighbour as yourself”. We just don’t love our neighbour and that reveals that we don’t love God.

The law is remote and unyielding. It is perfect perfection, as hard as diamond, and it will break us. Its holiness, its perfection, is death to us.

7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.”

God’s law reveals my sin. Like a spotlight. The rational thing to do would be to repent! But then my sinful nature kicks in. 8 But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power.

This past summer the kids and I were at a wildlife park, and there was this magnificent stuffed rhino on display. The real rhino were just over the fence – we could see them – but this one you could get close enough to touch. To feel the rough skin of the rhino. To feel as if you were right there.
But there was a sign on it. The sign said “do not touch”. Do you know, the sign did not make us want to touch the rhino less! In fact, it made us want to touch the rhino more. It was forbidden.

We touched it.

And that’s what we’re like with God’s law. God says “don’t do that”. And immediately we want to do it. Because if I’m pretending to be God in my life, I’ve got to show who’s the real boss.

Touching a stuffed rhino has little consequence apart from a few tut-tuts – but breaking God’s law kills us.

9 At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10 and I died.

14 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.

Brothers, let’s not fool ourselves. We cannot fight sin with the law. The law just makes things worse. We try to beat ourselves over the head with it – stop sinning, it’s wrong.
It doesn’t work. “Be better!” has never achieved anything. The law is powerless to change us. Only God’s grace can change us, because grace comes with the Spirit of God.

Let’s not say “be better” but “help me”. See, law-based religion is me-focussed. It’s my efforts that will help me. However much I talk about God, it’s actually me and my strength and my discipline which will help me succeed. Oh, God might help me, but it’s God helping ME. I’m in the arena, and he’s cheering me on. That will lead to frustration and death.

Grace is about recognising my helplessness. It’s not looking to me but to Jesus. He is in the arena fighting the battle I cannot win and I am cheering Him on. Yes Jesus, thank you, Jesus! He’s the focus, not me. And there is tremendous freedom in that. I am a slave to sin says v14. Do you believe that? Or do you still think with a bit of focus and discipline you can win? Is your trust in you or is it in Him?

We fight sin with grace, not with law.

3. Grace frees us from a life dominated by sin and death

24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

It’s all about Jesus. Whatever our problem, it is sin that lies at the root. And the ONLY solution to sin is JESUS. Every other solution is trying to fight sin with.. more sin. Even God’s perfect law, something from heaven, from the mouth of the living God, cannot solve our problem. Why do we look to our wife or husband or politicians, or therapists, or discipline or techniques? Sin has ruined them all.

There is only one solution: Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus, the man from Nazareth, born of a virgin called Mary. Jesus was born a human being in order to save us human beings from our sin. It is massive. Why do we think that “trying a bit harder” will succeed if God thinks that the only thing that will work is if he steps out of heaven and becomes one of us. Duh! What a miracle Christmas is.

Jesus the Man, became Christ: the rescuer, saviour, promised in the Scriptures. And showed that he is the Lord, the Living God, in his words, miracles, compassion, and his resurrection. Jesus Christ our Lord. Do you ever stop and just marvel at him. At his magnificence? At the beauty and wonder of the gospel. At the glory of Christmas? 25 Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

15 I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

I keep sinning. Why? I know it’s sin – I agree with the law! 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.

There are two of me inside. When you become a Christian, you enter a battleground. A battle in your mind. Two natures, fighting for control. Thanks be to God, the Spirit will win on the Last Day – but until then we are locked in a desperate battle against ourselves.

22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

Not me! Not my wife. Not the therapist. Not the politicians. Not even the Christian preacher peddling gospel-lite pop psychology. Only Jesus has the power to defeat sin. Only he can change us from the inside out. Don’t forget that. One of the main weapons our old nature uses is deception – lies – by convincing us to rely on ourselves to solve the problem, rather than the freedom of relying on God. the law does not work and really can never work. We need to kill any idea in us that obeying a certain set of rules, being a certain way, going to certain meetings or avoiding certain foods or certain entertainment will make us right with God. We need to kill that idea. What will make us right with God is Christ. And nothing else. We cannot add anything to the work of Christ.

I experienced this recently. I was getting stressed, anxious. My joy went. I wasn’t excited about the next day – even when the next day was getting stuck in to the Word to prepare a sermon. Oh dear. Why? Because I’d forgotten who’s church this was. I’d forgotten who was responsible for all of you, and all those on the outside, and the churches in Oslo and Vestfold, and the state of the gospel in Norway and the church building and it wasn’t me! It’s Jesus. Fool I was. It took my wife and Petter to remind me that I am not the infinite Creator and Sustainer of all things. And when I let go of that burden which was not mine to bear – oh the lightness of being and the JOY that came back. Praise God.

In Christ we are free.

8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

We cannot add anything to the work of Jesus achieved on the Cross. So how do we apply this? Brothers and sisters, one thing we cannot do is go out of here relying on ourselves to live the Christian life. We are not the answer to our problems. We must humble ourselves and turn to Jesus. Jesus is not our life coach, helping us along – we fall at his feet as he lifts us up and turns us in to a beautiful shining example of his grace at work.

How does this work in practice? To fight sin with grace, rather than law, and embrace the freedom we have been given in Christ? Here’s an example: relationships problems! Those we love the most are often those we struggle most with as well. Why? Because you’re putting sinners together. Whether it’s your wife or your work colleague you’ve got two sinners put together and that creates issues. But this is the key: All relationship problems – ALL – are rooted in sin. Either yours or the other persons (or more likely, both!). The root cause is sin. Selfishness.
And who can fix sin? Not me, not you, but Jesus. Relationships are fixed vertically before they’re fixed horizontally. Remember the triangle – particularly if you’re married. You (L). Your spouse (R). God (Top). The closer you are to God, the closer you are to each other. How is it possible to love another person? Don’t rely on yourself – draw close to God, and He will show you how to love her. Draw close to God, and He will give you the power you need to love her with a fierce undying love. Draw close to God and things will fall into their right place. That’s why we’re gathered here tonight. Draw near to God in wonder and thankfulness and humility.

When we sin, we are reminded that we are weak and need grace. Don’t beat yourself up, but turn to him who arms full of grace died for you on the cross and then rose to life to give you his life-giving Spirit. There is not condemnation but power in humbling ourselves before Jesus. Power no law, no effort, no beating ourselves up can match. Because he lifts us up so that the glory goes to him and we stand in awe of what he has done in our lives. He is the hero in our story. Let’s live like it. Hooray for Jesus. Amen.

Romans 5: 1-11 Living with deep joy even in suffering

Romans 5: 1-11

Listen to MP3

As I began to work on today's sermon, reading through the text, I suddenly saw something that I had never seen before. And that's v3.

Oh, I’ve read this verses many times. Quoted them even. But I’ve realised that v3 follows v1and 2. I’d never seen that suffering flows out of the context of salvation.

For v1 and 2 is the colossal news of God's forgiveness. We have been justified (made right) by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And therefore we now live in undeserved privilege. We live in the realm of grace. We were moved from judgment to grace. And so we have a secure future of joy with God.

But then comes the surprising continuation of this theme of joy in salvation v3: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials (literally “sufferings”).

What? Problems and trials. What does salvation have to do with that?

How can we rejoice in trials?

This is difficult for us to understand, because our culture views all suffering as only evil, and we actually suffer very little compared to, for example, the apostle Paul. But without understanding how God uses our suffering, we will struggle as Christians, and always be dissatisfied, and maybe even believe that God doesn’t like us.

Therefore, we need to understand

First, we live in the realm of grace
Second, the way we respond to suffering shows that we truly belong to God
and third, In our weakness, God is strong.

1. We live in the realm of grace.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

“Therefore” is a most important word because it connects this chapter to those before. Whenever you see a “therefore” you must ask yourself what is the therefore there for.
And it’s there to remind us of the context. What have we learned so far? That we have been made righteous by faith. We are justified, redeemed, propitiated (or reconciled).

Justified: God as judge says we are acquitted. Jesus has taken our punishment. He swapped places with us. He took the punishment we deserved as guilty sinners, and gave his righteousness. We are declared to be in the right with God. Acquitted. Justified. In Christ.

Redeemed: God as rescuer in the slave market frees us from the power of sin. The price was blood money, literally – Jesus’ precious blood was the price he paid to free us from slavery to sin. Let's not play with sin – we are bought at a price. Redeemed

Propitiated: God as sacrifice. For the wages of sin is death. To sin is to reject God, and he is the source of all life. So to reject God is to reject life and so we die. But instead, Jesus has took our place, as our substitute. He is our substitutionary sacrifice. Like a lamb on the altar, he dies in our place, and justice is satisfied, so that we can be reconciled to God. We are propitiated. Reconciled.

In Christ we are justified, redeemed, reconciled. There is no further judgment over us. God is not angry with us anymore. Therefore, v1 we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

Peace. Before, God was our enemy. We rebelled against him. “No, you shall not be my King. I will be my own king, my own master”. We declared our independence. But we still demand all the good things that comes from God: like life, creation, love, joy – even every breath.

It’s as if we here in Notodden suddenly declared that we are no longer a part of Norway. We are independent! But we still demand roads, electricity, police, hospitals, etc.
How do you think the government would react? And the rest of the country? We would awaken anger. By declaring ourselves independent we made them our enemies. And we would need someone, a peace negotiator who can reconcile us.

That's what Jesus does for us. Through his sacrifice he reconciled us and God. And so now we and God are no longer enemies. We have peace with God.

2 Because of our faith (in this reconciling work of Christ), Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand

We have now been brought out of the realm of wrath into the realm of grace. We now live in grace, under grace. Not under the law, not in sin, but in grace we now stand. Can you grasp that? That's what happened when you trusted in Jesus Christ. Moved from judgment to grace. And that's where you live now. But only in Christ. If you are not in Christ then you are not under grace, but under wrath.
But if in Christ you have nothing to fear. Through him, by faith, we now stand in undeserved privilege, grace. Amen!

and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory

That looking forward, or “hope” as some translate it – it’s the same word as in v5 – that is secure. When we say “hope” there is uncertainty “Oh, I hope I'll succeed”. But when the Bible uses the word hope there is no uncertainty. It’s in the future, but it is as certain as if it already happen. It is certain because God is behind it. So we can confidently look forward to sharing God’s glory. What joy! We who are in Christ will experience the glory of God because we live in the realm of grace. Because it does not depend on what you and I do - but what Jesus has done. It is guaranteed by his blood.
And so, we have a sure hope.

What does it mean, then, to you that you live now in the realm of grace, undeserved privilege?

For most of us live like this is not true. We try to justify ourselves by being good enough for God. Here’ s a way to test yourself: Are you ever proud of yourself because you've succeeded at being holy (or so you think!) and God’s impressed with you? Or are you exhausted or angry because you just can’t be good enough for God, and now your depressed and full of worry and believe that God doesn’t want anything to do with you? Both are wrong and reveal that you are depending on your own achievements instead of Jesus. Repent and be free!

If we are in Christ, we never need to do anything good again. We never need to do anything good again. Because it's not our performance that matters - it's Jesus's performance. And he succeeded! He passed the test. Therefore we have passed the test. That's the first thing we must understand. If we are in Christ, we never need to do anything good eve again.

Of course, because we have a new nature, the Holy Spirit in us, we will do what is good, more and more, not out of desperation to satisfy God, but because this is what Jesus is like and we are becoming more and more like him as He renews from the inside out.

OK. Got that. If I trust in Jesus, I am righteous, I have peace with God, I live in the realm of grace, and look forward to taking part in His glory. But how do I know that I’m actually trusting in Jesus, and not in myself. How do I know that I'm not just fooling myself. I say I'm a Christian, but am I really?

2. The way we respond to suffering shows that we truly belong to God.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Rejoice in trials? What kind of problems and trials? Trials because we are Christians: for example, the fight against my own sin? Or is it persecution we are talking about? Or is it just living in a fallen world with sickness and death and lies and cheating and violence and immorality and so on?

Our battle with sin, persecution, or living in a fallen world? Or all three?

And I think this is about all three. The word translated “problems and trials” or “suffering” in other translations means “that which causes pain”. Everything that causes pain, whether it is internal conflict or external pressure, whether it’s because we are Christians or just because we are not yet in the new creation. Problems and trials. Suffering. And this we should rejoice in?

Why?

To explain that let me tell you about Richard Wurmbrand. Richard Wurmbrand was a Christian leader in Romania during Communism, and was brutally tortured and persecuted, along with many other Christians. He said this “When they pressured us Christians, when they hit us, squeezed us - what came out? Love. Love came out.”

We rejoice in our sufferings, or as in Norwegian we have confidence in our sufferings not because we like to suffer, but because of what they reveal in us. They show that we truly belong to Christ.

Remember last week when we talked about sin: the core of sin is ... “I am God”. I am god. I choose. But if I am God, I would never have chosen suffering for myself. Problems and trials clearly show us that we are not God.

As sinners, this makes us angry, despondent, full of fear and bitterness. But if we are Christians then we discover something else at the same time. Calm. Inner peace. Another power beyond us that comes from within and carries us. It is the Holy Spirit. God in us. God with us. And we turn to Him.

As we go through such sufferings, whether it's persecution or just a cold - we are encouraged in our faith. Wow! God is really with me! He's alive! We see the power of God in us (sometimes only afterward as we look back). And those around us noticed it as well.

Because think about this: if everything just went our way, how would we know that we are Christian? And how would others?

Imagine a good-looking couple. They’re both Christians. They both grew up in a good Christian home with Christian parents who loved them. They were popular at school, had many friends, were academically gifted. They met at university, fell in love and had a dream wedding. They deeply loved each other and had no problems in their marriage. They had two children, both of whom were dream children. They also were popular at school, gifted and talented, and they too met their spouse at university, and they too had a dream wedding and a joyful marriage without problems and had dream children. And at a ripe old age this couple died togheter in their sleep. They never had any health problems, financial challenges, or any other form of suffering. Not even a headache.

How would anyone know that they were actually Christian? Did they love God because they loved him? Or did they love God because he gave them what they wanted? If we just love God because he does what we want, then we’re not loving God but loving ourselves! But when we discover that we still love God even while we suffer – then we know that love is real.

For how would this “perfect couple” known that they were actually Christians? Because a Christian is one who sets himself aside and puts God first. A Christian is someone willing to sacrifice everything, to die to himself and to live for Christ. If God only does what you want him to do - are you really a Christian?
You know that you belong to Jesus when you choose to be obedient when it costs. When it hurts. Especially when you think God is wrong. Even when it goes against what society says.
For example, Glenn and Birthe have chosen to get married because they trust what God says and not what society says. It shows that they belong to God.

I know that Christian and Johanna did not want to go through what they went through when Isabella was born. Both Johanna and Isabella nearly died, and they were extremely ill for a long time. No way Christian would have chosen to go through that!
But as Christians, we run to God, because we know that He can carry us through. And that's what they did. They had no choice! But God carried them through. Yes, it was difficult, and we’re not saying that the suffering itself was good. No. But through that suffering they learned to know God better, deeper. Their faith was strenghtened. And that is good.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

This is how it works (yes I have a drawing!).

For endurance through suffering develops character. We experience that God is with us. We find that we really believe, it's not just something we do. This is our life! And character develops hope. Because when we suffer, we are reminded that this world is not our home and we look forward to the next, where we will experience the glory of God in its entirety. Here there are problems and trials - but we look forward to the day when will we see our Saviour face to face. When all is renewed. Where evil is destroyed. And we are made new and sin in us is crushed. Amen!

When you squeeze people you see what’s in them. When you squeeze an orange, orange juice come out. When you squeeze a Christian, Christ comes out. People do what serves them. But when we suffer because we are obedient to God, it’s proof that we belong to Jesus. And it is a testimony to all around us that Jesus lives in us. Just think of Mia. How she responded to her cancer has been a great testimony to her work colleagues. They have seen Jesus in her.

The way we respond to suffering shows that we truly belong to God.

Therefore, when we suffer, what should we do? Thank God. And pray for his strength to get through. Because We are weak, but he is strong. Richard Wurmbrand and our Christian brothers in Romania were not supermen. They didn’t have some extraordinary gene that allowed them to shout out “I forgive you in the name of Jesus” while they were being beaten by the police. No. They had the power of Jesus in them. Jesus was with them. And this is often what we forget. We fear things and are anxious and worried because we forget God in the situation. Elisabeth Elliot said “there is no mercy for the imagination”. When we sit and worry about everything that might go wrong, we find no comfort because we look only to ourselves and our own strength and then we freak out “I can’t do this!”. We forget God. We forget that if what we are worried about should actually happen (and it usually doesn’t) but if it does - then we're not alone. God is with us. And all his strength is with us. Christian and Johanna experienced it. Richard Wurmbrand experienced it. And you, if you are a Christian, have experienced it. Remind yourself of it. Especially when you are worried about obeying God. You know you need to obey but Oh, it too hard, what if everything goes wrong, what will people say, etc. All the excuses we use. Pull yourself together, be a man, and do what's right. And God will not let you down.

Be a man and do what is right. And you will learn endurance. And endurance develops character, and character delivers a sure hope. Because, though we are weak, he is strong.

3. In our weakness, God is strong.

6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.

My brothers and sisters, Jesus died for us when we did not deserve it. When we were weak, ungodly. Against God. In the moment we deserved it least - he died for us, his enemies.

7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

It’s completely unthinkable. It is as if a Jew stood up and said “I will die instead of Hitler so that he can go free”. Completely inconceivable. There was nothing in us that was appealing. We were sinners in rebellion against God. And then he chooses to save us by giving his life. Hallelujah! In our weakness he is strong.

9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.

I love v10. If he loved us so much when we were enemies - why do we think he will love us less when we have become his friends, his children? For we speak warmly of salvation, about justification - but when we talk about sanctification, living as a Christian – then suddenly it's all serious and hard and duty and we can lose everything. Nonsense! 10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
God doesn’t save us halfway. Good luck with the rest! We have a sure hope. Because we don’t rejoice over our works v11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Our trust is not in ourselves, but in Jesus. We live in grace. Therefore, we can rejoice in our sufferings because it makes us dependent on Jesus. And when we call on him for help we are not disappointed. In our weakness, we experience his strength, and that is a great witness to us and to everyone around us.

So next time we suffer, let's say, “Thank you God for these problems and trials, because they make me depend on you, and you will show you glory and strength to me through this and to those around me.” Amen.

One final word: this is for Christians. Those who trust in Jesus. Those who have him as Master and Lord. If that’s not you, then there is no comfort, no help in suffering. But sufferings are a great warning sign that you are not God and you need to repent and accept Christ. So if life is too difficult to bear - you're absolutely right! It's too difficult to bear. None of us can bear the burden of life because we were created to live with God. Repent and come to Jesus.

Almighty God, I am a sinner because I’ve chosen to put myself first. I have ignored you. I have lived as if you were dead.

In your mercy, Lord, forgive me. Thank you for the Cross, for there Jesus died to take away my sins. Let your Word renew me and give me new life.

I choose to set you first, Lord. From today I want to belong to You. Be my Saviour, my Lord, and my God! Amen.

Romans 4. Jesus was always Plan A

Romans 4:1-25

Listen to MP3

A few weeks ago when Christian started us off in Romans he told us a story from when he was a young Christian. He said that he didn’t understand how God’s salvation plan worked – that it seemed like a lot of trial and error. He thought that God first tried Adam and Eve with just ONE RULE but then they messed that up, so then he tried a WHOLE NATION with MANY RULES, but that didn’t work – so finally he tried Jesus and oh my goodness that worked! Hooray.
And Christian’s not the only one who thought this. There are many today who believe in dispensationalism – that God had a number of salvation plan attempts. And many believe therefore, wrongly, that there are a number of ways to come to God!
But as Christian grew in his faith and read the Bible – like today’s passage - he realised, hang on a minute, that’s totally NOT how things worked. There wasn’t plan A, B and C – JESUS was plan A all along. Jesus has always been the plan. Jesus was always God’s plan to save the world.

Even way back in Genesis 3:15 we read “And I will cause hostility between you [Satan, the snake] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Right at the start God promises a rescuer will come – a human being, born of a woman, who will strike the head of the devil. (This verse by the way is called the “protoevangelion”: the seed of the gospel) The rest of the Bible is really a search for this serpent-crusher, the one who can defeat evil – but at great cost to himself, for he will also be struck.
The whole way through the Bible it points to Jesus who fulfils all things. Jesus is the serpent-crusher of Genesis 3:15 who defeated Satan. Jesus is the Noah’s Ark of rescue, saving everyone who trusts in him from the coming judgement. He is the seed of Abraham who blesses the whole world. He is the prophet like Moses who leads the whole world from slavery to sin and to the promised land of the new creation. He is the fulfilment of the Law, the perfect Sacrifice, our great High Priest. And Jesus is the King in David’s line, who was promised that an everlasting King would come from him who will rule in peace and prosperity forever.

The whole Bible points to Jesus, rests on Jesus. He is the foundation, the theme, the one great subject of all of the Bible. Amen!

(By the way, that means that if you don’t understand how a certain part of the Bible relates to Jesus, you haven’t understood that part! The Bible is like a diamond, and Jesus is at its centre. There are a thousand beautiful ways to see him from multiple different angles as we read the Word.)

And this is the theme in today’s passage. The Jews had fallen into the trap of thinking that they were loved by God because of who they were: because they were “good” people – better than those “out there”. (How often do we fall into the same trap?)
No, says the Holy Spirit through Paul. It is not by works but by faith, and has always been by faith. And here’s Abraham, your forefather, to teach you!

Ro 3:20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

Three points tonight and in honour of 500 years since the Reformation two weeks ago, I’ve pulled in a few of the Reformation rally cries to help us. Excuse the Latin!

1. Sola fide (by faith alone) – we are saved through faith in Christ, not through works (which is faith in ourselves)

2. Sola fide, Solus Christus (by faith alone in Christ alone) - there is no other way to be saved except through faith in Christ

3. Sola Gratia (by grace alone) - our faith is based solely on the grace of God, not on ourselves. We are counted righteous.

1. Sola fide (by faith alone) – we are saved through faith in Christ, not through works (which is faith in ourselves)

2 If [Abraham’s] good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”

Abraham had nothing to boast about, nothing he could go to God with and say “you owe me”. This was the absolute opposite to how Judaism viewed Abraham at that time (and still today). They view him as a great pioneer of ‘torah piety’, a man who pleased God above all by his obedience to the law. And many church groups and cults do the same thing. Because what we WANT in our heart of hearts is for it to be possible to earn our salvation and not be by grace. Why?

Because if it’s by grace alone then we have no control, no influence, no way to pretend to be God! The heart of sin is that I want to be God in my life. I want to answer to no-one but myself. I want to have faith in myself, my own efforts, rather than trust in (have faith in) God.

Because if I can jump through enough “good person” hoops, then God will owe me. God will be in my debt! I have something over God!
But if it’s by grace alone… then I am in His debt, He is God and I am not, and I must just submit to His will. Ooh. It’s hard.

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

If we could work for our salvation then we could earn it. But we can’t. The Scriptures don’t say “Abraham earned his salvation and so was righteous” but they say “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous”.

Righteousness is given, not earned. It cannot be earned. It was never earned. Abraham, the “great man of faith”, the forefather of the Jews – he did not earn his righteousness, but it was given to him. And King David, Israel’s greatest king – he also did not earn his righteousness, but it was given.

6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: 7 “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. 8 Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”

We are saved, declared righteous, worthy of standing before God - only through faith in Christ, not through works, which is faith in ourselves.

How can we apply this?

Well, if we understand that the heart of sin is “I want to be God” and I want to earn my salvation and declare MYSELF righteous, we can understand the world a lot better.

For example, this gets to the heart of the transgender debates. Because they’re really about who will be God. I am God and I will determine my reality. My sex will change to conform with my perception of reality.
That’s why seemingly intelligent people are jumping on this bandwagon. Because it’s a great way to declare that we are independent of God. He cannot determine our sexual reality. I will. So I will support your campaign to determine your own gender because I support above all your right to determine your own reality, your right to be God.

Because if I say you can’t – well, then I’m admitting that there are boundaries to what we can do, that it may not be possible for us to determine our reality and that it may be that we are not God.
It is sin, the desire to be God, which lies at the heart of all this transgender foolishness.

So let us have grace, and present the gospel, because Jesus is the only solution to sin. Angry posts on Facebook and ugly protests are not going to save anyone or win anything, but push people away from Jesus. When we understand that sin is the underlying issue, the real problem, then we can have compassion, and come with grace and open arms – because that’s how Jesus accepts us.

You can certainly think of many other applications in the world today! And closer to home. Why is there conflict amongst us, in our homes. Is it not because I’m pretending to be God, and you’re pretending to be God, so when we meet – who’s going to be God? Fight!

Jesus is the solution. When I understand that I am a sinner who has been GIVEN righteousness and therefore I have nothing to boast about - not even ABRAHAM could boast… then I can meet others more and more with Christ’s love and Christ’s forgiveness.

Sola fide (by faith alone) – we are saved through faith in Christ, not through works (which is faith in ourselves).

2. Sola fide, Solus Christus (by faith alone in Christ alone) - there is no other way to be saved except through faith in Christ

11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.

Circumcision was the mark of being a Jew. If you were a Jew you were circumcised to show that you belonged to God. A bit like being baptised into the church. But just like baptism, people began to mistake the outward sign of God’s grace as the thing that really mattered. They thought that having the mark was what was important, not the actual reality of God’s grace behind it. I’m circumcised, I can do what I want. I’m baptised, I’m safe now, I don’t have to bother with this Jesus fellow any more.

That’s like me saying “have you met my wife” and then pulling out a picture of Debby. And then talking to the picture and kissing the picture and sleeping with the picture – and never saying a word to Debby! That’s replacing the reality with the symbol.

Because circumcision was just a sign, nothing more. Circumcision without faith in Jesus is useless, just as baptism without faith in Jesus is useless.

And the Holy Spirit shows us this by pointing out that Abraham received God’s promises BEFORE he was circumcised. Circumcision was a sign of the grace he had been given.

In Genesis 12 God calls Abraham and promises to be with him and bless the world through him. In Genesis 15 he reconfirms his promise to Abraham (after Abraham had sinned) and that’s where he says in 15:6 And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. In Genesis 18, 29 years later, Abraham is circumcised. He is declared righteous, and then receives the sign.

Therefore we who are Christians, if we have faith like Abraham in the promises of God – he is our spiritual father, whether we are Jewish or not. Whether Jew or Gentile, we who trust in Jesus are the sons and daughters of Abraham, the people of God.
But if you’re Jew but don’t believe in Jesus – well then your sign of circumcision is worthless and condemns you.

In the same way, baptism, taking communion, even serving in the church – is all worthless without faith in Jesus. If you are doing things to impress God, to get God in your debt, you are lost. Repent quickly and receive God’s grace!

We are baptised because we believe in God’s word that we who believe in Jesus are 1. justified (declared righteous); 2. redeemed (set free from sin); 3. and propitiated (the wrath of God is satisfied). That’s what we learned last week: the court, slave market, and sacrifice. The judge has declared us righteous in Christ. In Christ we are no longer slaves of sin but now set free to serve God. And the wrath of God like a blazing fire was taken by Jesus, and satisfied in his death on the cross. Hallelujah!

Therefore we as Christians serve with joy! We are declared righteous and so we want to live like it!

To give a personal example of this. A few people have remarked on how Debby and I can just keep on serving. And serving. And serving. Year in year out. And this is the secret – what we’re learning in this passage. Because it’s not about our efforts, what I can do, but what Jesus has done. We are saved through Christ alone. Our eyes are on him, not ourselves, and so we are filled with His strength.
Our friends who are Jehovah’s Witnesses are confused. They can’t understand how we can work and work and work and still be happy and full of energy. Because they cannot keep up with us! As Jesus say “Our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees”. And I’ve seen the same amongst many of you as well. You give and give and never are exhausted. Because the love of Christ burns in you. What a witness that is to those around us. The way we love each other burns blindingly bright!

Because others serve out of self-reliance, faith in themselves. Whereas we serve out of the joy of faith in Jesus. So I’m free! I’m free to give up my career and to move to Norway. I’m free to work only part-time in order to plant a church. I’m free to serve and serve in as much energy as the Lord gives me because my worth is not attached to my output. I’m already declared righteous. I’m God’s son! So whether I’m sick for two weeks like recently, or whether I’m meeting with forty guys and preaching ten times – my standing before the Lord is unchanged.

And faith is trusting in that truth.
Sola fide, Solus Christus (by faith alone in Christ alone) - there is no other way to be saved except through faith in Christ. And that sets us truly free!

3. Sola Gratia: Our faith is based solely on the grace of God, not on ourselves. We are counted righteous.

You may have noticed now that I'm just saying the same thing three times! That’s because this whole chapter just says one thing. We are saved by faith alone, in Christ alone, by grace alone. But look now at what that means in practice. How God sees us.

20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Now here it’s useful if you’ve read the story of Abraham. Because if you have – isn’t v20 weird? How can Abraham be described as “not wavering in his faith” and “his faith grew stronger”. Hasn’t Paul read the Old Testament? Did the Holy Spirit make a mistake?

Because when we read the story of Abraham we see someone who “wavered” many times and outright disbelieved God’s word! Abraham lied because he was afraid of Pharaoh. He didn’t trust that God would protect him even though God had promised him exactly that. Instead, he lied and put his wife at risk - in fact, she became part of Pharaoh's harem. That is, he allowed another man to abuse his wife sexually because he did not believe in the word of God. Is this the man of faith?

But it get worse. Abraham was sexually immoral, raped his servant Hagar, and then abandoned her to die in the desert!

My wife also pointed out that another sin was that he “listened to his wife”. When Sarah came up with the suggestion, “Why not be unfaithful to me and sexually abuse my servant Hagar?” he said “ok”. He was the “nice man” and said “yes dear”. Just like Adam, he did not take responsibility for saying “no” to his wife. He didn’t want to be unpopular. Anything for a quiet life…

I want to spend a bit of time on this because it’s a big issue today. Men who aren’t leading, aren’t taking responsibility, but instead are “nice”. The nice man. We are called to be much more than nice - we are called to be godly! Love demands that you take responsibility and say “no” when necessary.
Because it is tempting to be “nice”. It looks like you're a modern man who values his wife - but it's really just laziness. You just say “yes dear, whatever you want”. And then when things go wrong, you just say “It's not my fault, she said ...”.

You know, God wasn’t fooled when Adam tried that, nor when Abraham tried it, and he won’t be fooled when you do either. And neither will your wife. A friend of mine is a nice man. He bent over backwards to satisfy his wife. He’s now divorced. Because what he thought was being “nice” and even perhaps “other-person centred” she experienced it like this “He's lazy! He doesn’t care about me. He just sits on the couch and says ‘yes dear what you want’. He doesn’t love me”.

Don’t be nice. Be godly. Have faith that God's way is the best way, no matter what our culture and norms say. Who knows better? God or us?

Back to Abraham. He wasn’t godly with his wife, he was a liar, abuser, and so on... but he is described here in Romans as one who “did not waver in his faith” Why?

Because this is how God works. The point of “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” is not Abraham's faith but God’s faithfulness. Our faith is not what matters. So often we have such weak faith. We doubt. We waver. We act in disbelief and disobedience. Just like Abraham.
But because God is faithful, Abraham and you and I are counted as righteous. And so God says about us “Daniel Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God.” Put your own name there into v20 and lets read it together.

Do you believe that? Because if God is for you, who can be against you (8:31)?

If you feel like you've messed up, like you've sinned, that you're not worthy of forgiveness – that’s right! Admit that now as we confess our sin together. I am a sinner. But keep listening, don’t get distracted: because after confession comes communion. When we are reminded of Jesus' masterwork on the Cross, and we are reminded that though we may be unworthy and unrighteous, he is worthy, he is righteous, and he has given us his righteousness! Abraham understood this. He believed in what God said: “You are righteous.” Let's do the same.

We are saved through faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. Glory to God in the highest! Soli Deo Gloria! Amen.

Revelation 21 We keep going for the joy set before us

Revelation 21

Listen to MP3

Have you ever waited for something you're looking forward to?

Life is full of delayed gratification: doing something we don’t want to do in order to get something we do. Whether it's a sweetie because we read a book at age 10 or the salary we get to go to work, we all know about enduring in order to get something better. We are even willing to suffer because we see the goal, the reward, in front of us. Just ask the guys in the gym. Or athletes. Or my wife when she’s excercising. The momentary suffering is nothing compared to the joy that awaits.

And that’s how we as Christians should live. In this life, we keep going, we endure, because we have our eyes fixed on what is to come. We follow Jesus and obey his words not because we get everything we want now, but because we see the prize in front of us. We are willing to suffer now because joy – pure joy - is just a moment away. In a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, we will be with him.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.

1. God is almighty and he is good v1-5

2. God is full of mercy v6-8

3. The Holy City is made up of God's people and contains only the best of this world.

1. God is almighty and he is good v1-5

In the movie Batman v Superman, Luthor raised this familiar issue: “if God is all-powerful, He cannot be all good. And if He is all good, then He cannot be all-powerful.” Because if God is good, he would not allow what we see around us. He would not allow sin. And because he does, he is either not good or does not have the power to stop it.

This was very real to those John was writing to in year 90. For they were persecuted. In Smyrna they lost jobs, houses, business – they were poor and hungry because they were Christians. In Pergamon they were killed. In Philadelphia they were under such pressure that they nearly collapsed. In Ephesus, they forgot love, Thyatira just compromised and conformed to the society around them (State church?), Laodicea was lukewarm, and Sardes was nearly dead. So why keep on going? Why believe in Jesus? Is it worth it? Can God really fulfill his promises? Can we really believe in a God of love in the midst of suffering?

And the answer is yes. For we have already seen God's answer to Luthor's problem. On the cross we see both God's love and His might. He is good because he dies for us. And he is almighty, even over evil, because on the cross we see how evil is transformed by God to serve His good purposes. Jesus' crucifixion was at the same time the worst thing that ever happened - because we murdered God! - and the best thing that ever happened - because through His death Jesus set us free and laid the foundation for the new creation.

Because of Jesus' death on the cross, all evil will be erased, and we who are in Christ will live forever in an eternal paradise together with our God. Satan and sin and death and pain and all evil was dealt a death blow on the Cross.

3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”

God is good and he will destroy all evil. Soon. Until then evil is permitted a narrow and limited role in God's plan. Evil is forced to obey God’s will and achieve his purposes: to either lead us to salvation, or to judge those who do not repent. But soon all these things will be gone forever. Soon, Jesus will return, not as a servant, not to die, not to open the way to heaven for evil people like us through His death on the cross. No, he will return as the Holy Warrior, the White Knight who will destroy evil forever.

For this world will be washed clean: all evil, suffering, pain, gone! Because God will live here with us. God's home will be with his people, with us. He will live with us, and we will be his people.

We see this illustrated in the Exodus with Moses, where God saved his people with great power from suffering and slavery in Egypt, and lived with his people. The word “home” in v3 is “tabernacle”, which was God’s tent in the desert - a physical picture that God was with them. Here I lived in my tent - and God lived in his tent. God is with us! Later King Solomon built a new permanent symbol: the Temple in Jerusalem. Here was God’s house. God lived with his people. He was their God, and they were His people.

But those were shadows of the reality. Here is the reality. Here is the fulfilment of that promise. God with his people - but without any barrier. Jesus has removed sin from us and given us white robes so that we can stand as his bride in the new creation. Our name is written in the Book of Life! And this is what we are looking forward to. The day when God himself will wipe away every tear and where death and sorrow and crying and pain are no more. Amen and Amen!

So why should we endure, keep going? Because this is our future.

Why doesn’t God do anything about evil? Well, he has already. He smashed it on the cross, and showed us his power and his love. And he will wipe evil out completely on the Last Day.

But why doesn’t he do it now? Why, for example, is Robert Mugabe, dictator of Zimbabwe, still alive? Justice now!
But are you really sure you want instant justice? To be struck dumb (unable to speak) because cruel and hurtful words were about to come out of your mouth? Or your hand to rot off before you could sign the shady fiannaical deal? Deaf because you listened to gossip? See we don’t think about ourselves when we cry out for justice! Just because our sins aren’t as public and don’t affect as many people doesn’t mean they’re any better.
If we really got immediate and rigorous justice, this world would be a literal hell. It would be impossible for us to live. In his mercy God has delayed judgement day, and he has limited how much of the consequences of sin we experience. Just enough for us to realize we are sinners - but not enough to crush us with hell.
But that Day will comes when everything is put right and justice will rule - but thank God it is not today, because it means that we and those around us still have the opportunity to find mercy in Jesus. And that's point number two.

God is almighty and he is good, but he delays the day of justice - judgment day - because

2. God is full of mercy v6-8

6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Everything will be renewed, re-created, transformed. That has always been the plan. We, too, will be transformed, re-created. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

We are made new – re-created - when we receive Christ. We are re-created every day as the Holy Spirit works in us and transforms us, changes us, renews from the inside out. Today, I'm far from perfect, but I'm much more like Jesus than I was when I was saved at age 19. The Holy Spirit is at work in me. I was re-created that moment I received Jesus. I died, and a new me, me in Christ, was created. The child of wrath died, and the child of God was born. I was re-created. I am being re-created. And I will be re-created when Jesus calls me from the grave and into the New Creation.
And this transformation, this growth from grace to grace, is sure because it is guaranteed by Jesus. He who is Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. He says he is A to Z (or Å), the beginning and the end. He created everything in the beginning, and he will re-create everything in the end. And he says to us, “Come! Whoever is thirsty, come! He who desires, let him come and he will receive the water of life as a gift.” Amen and Amen!

God is full of mercy. Anyone who wants to can receive the water of life. Those in the Bible groups will recognize this from John 7:37 where Jesus says, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ” He was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him.

This is a gift from Jesus. An gift bought at great price. For I do not think it's a coincidence that the words in v6 “It is finished” echo what Jesus said on the Cross in John 19:30: “It is finished”

For this was the goal of the cross. A huge multitude! A massive crowd of people from all nations, tongues, and cultures - the gift of grace! Saved by Jesus' blood on the cross.

What amazing mercy. Because when we read v8 we realise what we deserve. This is us. 8 “But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

The word “cowards” caught my eye. Is it really sinful to be a coward? But how true that is. How often do we not do what we know is right because we are afraid. We do not want to lose status, risk our reputation. We don’t want people thinking we’re weird. So we remain silent or we do what we know we should not do. Have another beer and get drunk. Be greedy and eat another piece of cake. Take that pill. Punch him. Steal that. Sign the dodgy contract. Then lie about it. Cover it up. Because we are cowards! The biggest coward in history was Pontius Pilate! So in Christ let be men of courage. Men of convction who do what is right. Men and women who stand for Christ no matter what.

Because by nature we are cowardly, unbelieving, corrupt - we don’t want to believe God’s word, we don’t want to obey Him – we want to do what WE want. And so we are murderers. We strike people down with words, and if looks could kill... of that we are all guilty. Some of us have blood on our hands because we have been misled and pressured into abortion and killed a baby person. And there are even some in Christ who have killed or tried to kill others. Perhaps in this very church. I had a murderer in my bible study a few years ago. We are murderers all of us. And we are immoral. Sexual sinners. Unfaithful in our thoughts, and for many of us, our thoughts have become actions and we have been unfaithful. We are trapped by pornography and are unfaithful to God and to those we love. We live together (samboere) and refuse to commit to being one and so turn our back on God's commandment “the two shall become one” in marriage. Or we are married but we live parallel lives as two instead of united as one - and too many of us who ignore what God says about sex in marriage - which is “be united often!”

Witchcraft? Well that doesn’t apply to us, does it? (knock on wood).... Actually, every time we look to something other than God to secure our future, we play with witchcraft, sorcery, magic. When we read horoscopes or visit a medium, talk to the dead, ask them for help, pray to our ancestors, pray to Mary or the saints instead of God. When we play with occultism, Charlie Charlie, Ouja board, and such things. Witchcraft. We seek power from things other than God – and that is idolatry. We worship the god "me" - I'll decide, I'll say what's right and what's wrong.

And if we’ve managed to dodge the previous words, the last one gets us all. Liars. We are all liars. All it takes is putting us under a little bit of pressre, and out the lies slip, as easy as breathing. Debby says she told her first lie almost as soon as she could talk. She had some porridge that she didn’t like and when her mother’s back was turned, she emptied the bowl on the floor. When she was asked, “where is the porridge, Debby?”, she answered “gone!” and pretended that she had eaten it! It is deep within us, part of our nature. We are all liars.

And that’s why here in this church there is no judgment! For here we are all sinners who stand before the throne of God. Here is no rubbish that God likes us because we are better people than the “sinners” out there. No. We are sinners, and God likes us because God likes to save sinners. Maybe because we are worse than those “out there”?
Here there are no judgments. In this church there is mercy. Amen.

Not one of us deserves a place in Heaven. But because of Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection, we can receive his salvation. All we have done has been written down and blocks us from God, from the waters of life. But Jesus took our sins and went through death and hell for us so that we could drink the water of life instead of being thrown into the lake of fire.

Do you thirst for the water of life? The water of life's that can wash you clean? The water of life that re-creates you so that the old sinful life dies and you rise again to everlasting life? If you thirst for Jesus, receive him!

And if you have received Jesus, drink deep of the water of life. Fill your mind with him so that you no longer want to be sexually immoral, or a liar, or a murderer. Live for Christ! Do not be a coward, but stand firm no matter the cost - for we know how this all ends. We have read the final chapter.

Just like Jesus, who for the joy set before him, the joy of this day, the day we are reading about, the day when everything is put right and we are joined with him – because of the joy of this day he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.

Let's follow in his footsteps, for we are children of grace. And because he is a God of grace, just look at the joy he has prepared for us:

3. The Holy City is the people of God and contains only the best of this world.

9 Then one of the seven angels who held the seven bowls containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me! I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 So he took me in the Spirit to a great, high mountain, and he showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper as clear as crystal.

What a vision! Here we, the church, all the people of God, pictured as a city, the city of God. Jerusalem was the capital of Israel from the time of King David. The king reigned from Israel, and the Temple was built in Jerusalem by King Solomon built the temple. But now we see the heavenly Jerusalem! The earthly Jerusalem was just the shadow. Here we see the reality. And it is the bride of Christ. Yes, men, we are the sons of God, but we are also the bride of Christ! And we should be happy about that. Because a bride is one with her husband, united. And we are one with Jesus, united on the cross. And as a bride inherits all that the bridegroom has, we inherit all that Jesus has. No wonder we shine with the glory of God.

Look around now. This is the shadow. One day we will see each other - Rock Church - as we really are. And we shall shine with the glory of God.

16 When he measured it, he found it was a square, as wide as it was long. In fact, its length and width and height were each 1,400 miles (since numbers in Revelation are symbolic, converting stadia to miles was a rather silly. 1400 miles it tells you on the bottom of the page, is 12000 stadia. 12000 – 12 x 1000. 17 Then he measured the walls and found them to be 216 feet thick, look down: 144 alen that is 12x12.

The number 12 represent the people of God in Revelation, and the number 12 is found all over the city. 12 tribes and 12 apostles - all the people of God are included. Both Israel and the Church, Old and New Testament. Israel before Christ, where all those who thirsted for living water received grace from God because he held back the punishment for the sins committed and poured them out on Jesus on the cross. And we in the church, the new Israel, after Christ, our sins he bore on the cross. Like a huge funnel, the sins of all the people of God were gathered and poured out on Jesus on the cross.

The whole city is a cube - as tall as broad and wide. And there is no temple. Because in the temple there was a room, the Most Holy Place. That was where God “lived”, symbolically. And nobody could enter that room without dying. The Most Holy Place. And that room was... a perfect cube. And now the whole city is that cube. The whole city is the Most Holy Place. God’s home is with us!
When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple was torn in two. It was that curtain that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the Temple. The message was clear: the way to God is now open. And here we see the fulfillment! We will live in the Most Hoy Place, together with our God.

It’s a return to Eden. In the garden of Eden Adam and Eve walked with God. But this is better. Not a garden, but a great city, 12,000 times 12,000 times 12,000 - all the people of God.

21 The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure gold, as clear as glass. John is almost at a loss for words trying to describe the beauty of the Heavenly City. Nidaros Cathedral, Notre Dame, St Pauls, St Peters are ugly 70's concrete blocks compared to the new Jerusalem!
22 I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The whole city is the Most Holy Place - we will live with God. We are His people, and He is our God, our Father!

23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city.

The new creation is a “Greatest Hits” of this life - only the very best of this world is good enough for the next. All that we love and hold most dear in this will be in the next. And never again will anything be corrupted or ruined, but it will shine with unparalleled glory and beauty, reflecting our Lord.
27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

An eternal paradise is what awaits those of us in Christ.

So, how does that change how we live now? Three examples to end off.

“If I give money to the gospel, I'll might not have enough for a summer holiday to “Syden””... travel in the new creation. Becuase then there’s no litter, travelling doesn’t exhaust you, and you’ll see everything as it was created to be, not as a shadow as it is today. I’m sure Greece is beautiful now - but imagine how it will look in eternity! You’re not missing out by not travelling now.

“If I obey God's word and don’t drink or don’t have illicit sex, then I'll miss out, I’ll be a square, a prude, and I'll never have that experience.” Really? When has sinning ever been a good experience? Sin only harms us, hurts us. Hold out for what’s best. Why play in the mud in the slum when the bus to paradise beach is waiting outside?

“If I make a stand as a Christian, I’ll get criticised, or teased, or I’ll lose out on that promotion, or I'll be killed!” Here we need perspective. Do we live for ourselves, or do we live for Christ? What matter this light and momentary suffering compared to eternal glory!

In all that we do, we follow in Jesus' footsteps.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.

Mark 8:34-38 Jesus lives and you die…and LIVE!

Mark 8:34-38

MP3 Link

Jesus.

Swear word. A great moral teacher. A threat to State security. A fairy tale. A myth. The Living God in the flesh. Messiah.

He is a divisive figure. Someone who 2000 years after his birth, death and resurrection continues to dominate world events. But who was he? Or perhaps who is he?

As we’ve read through the first eight chapters of Mark’s gospel we’ve seen an amazing man doing amazing things. A man with awesome power, truly terrifying power. We see the demons, evil spirits, trembling before him, so afraid. We see even his own disciples, dearly loved friends, terrified after he speaks to a storm and it obeys him. Who is this man? They wonder. Jesus is to be feared.

We see that Jesus has authority – authority over the spirit world, authority over Creation – the wind obeys him, the water obeys him; even death obeys him, sickness flees at a word from him. Only God has this kind of power.
Only God is feared by the evil spirits. They would not fear an angel – they too are angels, fallen angels. But their Creator? Yes. They fall down at his feet screaming in terror “What do you want with us Jesus, Son of God.”
Only God can command creation to obey him.
Only God has power over death.
Only God can forgive sins. All this Jesus does. And very significantly, he does this in no-one else’s name. He does not call on God the Father, he does not cry out O Great Jehovah, he does not say “in the name of… “.
We do. We pray in the name of Jesus. We cast out demons in the name of Jesus. We pray for the sick in the name of Jesus. It is the name of Jesus that has power. No other name. He is God Almighty, and that’s why it is right that the glory goes to him.

Mark’s gospel opens with these words: 1:1 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek) which means the Promised Rescuer. He is the one promised in the Old Testament, the first part of the Bible, the one who will rescue us all from sin and death. Christ is not his surname but his job description. Jesus: saviour of the world!

And in 8:29 Jesus asks his disciples: “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah.”

Who is Jesus? He is the Messiah, the Christ, the Rescuer. He is our Saviour and our God.
He is the one who should be feared, the one with great authority, great power because he is Almighty God, holy and perfect.
But he has come not to judge us, not to condemn us, but to save us. He is Messiah, Rescuer. But what does that mean? How is he going to save us? And what do we have to do? What does it mean to follow him? That’s the message of chapter 8-16.

1. Jesus’ death brings life

Peter has just made the good confession “You are the Christ!”. Yes! But then things go very wrong. Jesus starts saying the most outrageous stuff! 8:31–33 (NLT) Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. 33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Peter had a different plan for Jesus, and probably, himself, as one of Jesus’ closest followers. Peter saw glory and honour – a victory procession into Jerusalem, Jesus the victorious King, riding into Jerusalem after beating the Romans, Israel’s oppressor, and setting Israel free. That’s the Messiah he thought was coming.

But his point of view was too low, too human. God’s view is high and lifted up! Yes, there will be a victory procession: Jesus, beaten and bloodied, carrying his cross through the streets of Jerusalem as people jeer at him, spit on him, mock him. There will be a great battle: Jesus on the cross, refusing to give in to the temptation to “Come down from the cross, that we may see and believe” “Ha he saved others, but he can’t save himself” “Save yourself, “Messiah””. No. His love keeps him there, until he can give up his life with a loud cry, and descends into the darkness of Hell itself in order to defeat Hell, defeat sin, and defeat death itself: the great enemies not just of Israel, but of the whole world!
Lift up your eyes, Peter, and see the great vision! Yes, I will suffer and be killed – but in three days will rise again. My death and resurrection will bring new life to all people throughout the world, through all time and space- this is what the Temple is about, the sacrifices all point to my sacrifice, the meeting place between God and man. This is what Moses looked forward to, what David was promised, what Abraham was promised. This is it! Lift up your eyes Peter.

This is so important Jesus says it three times. As we’ve just read in 8:31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. then again in 9:31 (NLT) He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.”

And again in Mk 10:33–34 (NLT) 33 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. 34 They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again.”

Many people, like the disciples, do not understand Jesus’ words here. Many who call themselves Christians try and explain away the cross – or even deny it. Some feel sorry for Jesus. But this is the heart of the Gospel. This is where we see God’s awesome love. This is how God can forgive sinners – by bearing the cost himself. This is love: that Jesus lays down his life for us who believe in him.

In Halifax, Canada, in 1917, a ship carrying high explosives was on fire and about to explode in the harbour. 2000 people died in the explosion – but the death toll could have easily been much higher. Because the train station was right next to the harbour, and passenger trains carrying hundreds of people were coming in, unaware of the danger. Vince Coleman, a train dispatcher, had started to flee – but, remembering those trains, turned back, stayed at his post and began broadcasting messages to stop the trains coming into the city. His last words (via Morse code) were "Hold up the train. Munitions ship on fire in the harbour and will explode. Guess this will be my last message. Goodbye boys." He was killed in the explosion, but saved hundreds and hundreds of people. He gave his life so that hundreds of others might live.

Jesus’ death on the cross was no mistake, no misstep by a popular teacher who made too many enemies and suddenly got trapped by them. No, this was the deliberate purpose of God, the great rescue plan made before the creation of the world, to showcase his glory, his love, his compassion, his power. This is Jesus plain teaching. What a glorious God we serve! Praise him!

Jesus’ death brings us life.

So then, what does it mean to follow this great Saviour, our Rescuer, our God, our King? It means we must die.

2. Our death brings life: we must die to ourselves to truly live

Jesus uses shocking language here. We’re kind of used to it, so we miss the impact this would have had: 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Crucifixion was the worst punishment the Romans could dish out. It was reserved for enemies of the Roman state and for the worst criminals. No Roman citizen could be crucified, it was that bad. Follow him on that path? The path of rejection, humiliation, even death?

Well, if you want to be a follower of Jesus, that is what you must do. It’s choosing to follow Jesus, wherever that path may lead. For some of disciples it led literally to crucifixion. They were called upon to die for Jesus, to be crucified for him. But that’s not just what it means – it doesn’t mean we all have to get on a physical cross. No. look at verse 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

We are called to “lose” our life – not on nothing, but for Jesus’ sake. In other words, live our life as if it belongs to Jesus, and not to us. To make friends for Jesus. To work for Jesus. To serve our families for Jesus. To use our money for Jesus. We’ll talk more in the next weeks about what it means to live for Jesus.
Note that he says take up your cross.. daily. It’s not doing one big act of sacrifice and then you’re done with it. It is every day living not for yourself and yur glory, but living for Jesus. It is 10,000 little sacrifices, a lifetime of often unnoticed loving acts, which cumulatively become huge – for Jesus. It’s not just big acts – it’s all the little moments which mark you out as a follower of Jesus. And if you are faithful in the little, you will be faithful in the big. Living every moment as a son or daughter of God.
Because that’s the only way to live! “This day, choose life” said Moses, the prophet of God, to the people in Deut 30:19. Jesus, the true Prophet, the better Prophet, the better Moses leading the better Exodus (rescue) is saying: “Choose life!”.

Why? Because to live any other way leads to death. Even if, by ignoring Jesus, you could gain the whole world, what a waste because you lose your very soul. V36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? Steve Jobs was on top of the world. He’d rebuilt Apple into the biggest and most successful company in the world. But he died. And he died rejecting Jesus. What a fool, says Jesus. Do you think he can offer Apple stock to God? He owns the Universe! For what can a man give in return for his soul?

Only Jesus can save us. Only his blood is sufficient to be a perfect sacrifice. Only Jesus is enough. Nothing else will work.

You know, it’s a tragedy when people die for the wrong reason. I remember one of my classmates got high on drugs, got into his car, sped down the highway with no seatbelt on, and smashed into a tree. Dead. What a foolish way to die.
I remember reading about a man trying to impress his friends with a chainsaw, said “Ha, watch this!” and swung it at his own head. Obviously, he died. What a tragedy.
To die for the wrong thing is a tragic. It’s foolish. And Jesus says the only wise thing to die for, is him. Everything else is foolishness.

38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels

Let your life reflect your devotion to Jesus. If you have been rescued by him, let your joy shine through. Christians should be talking about Jesus, excited about Jesus, waiting for Jesus’ return, praying to Jesus, preaching about Jesus, teaching about Jesus, telling their children about Jesus, giving their money for Jesus, giving their time for Jesus, making friends for Jesus, choosing where they will live and work for Jesus. Our lives should be one big advert proclaiming JESUS! I am saved by his grace. Put your puny ambitions to death, your foolish plans for you life to death, and follow Jesus on the road to humiliation, to death, and to eternal GLORY, eternal life.

Because if you don’t, if you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. Even if you gained the whole world, what benefit is that if you lose your soul? How many of the rich and famous feel empty, lost and alone. How many artists, actors, top sportsmen confess to reaching the top to find nothing there except anxiety – worry about the next person who’s going to come and take the crown from you. What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

There is only one way to save your soul, your very life – and that is to give it up to Jesus. We were designed, created to obey God. Our reason for existing is to glorify God. That is our purpose.

Following Jesus is both the easiest and hardest thing to do. Easiest because everything is done! He died for us, he rescued us, he brought us new life, his Spirit is given to us to live a new life, and he will take us to Paradise. And nothing we do can separate us from that, because it is guaranteed, underwritten, by his blood.
But it’s the hardest thing because we have to give up pretending to be God. We have to acknowledge our dependence on him. We have to obey him, to live life as HE wants, not as we want. That’s hard, and that’s why Jesus describes it as taking up your cross – that’s dying! 9:35 Give up your life for my sake. We must nail our old life, our selfish ambitions, our foolish desire for self-determination (that’s deciding for ourselves) – nail it to the cross! Say I am dead. Jesus lives instead. I am his. Imagine if all of us really started living like that. Let it start tonight. Make a decision to die to self, and live for Jesus. Because if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And if you don’t the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

The Jews, the disciples, wanted a political saviour to swoop in and rescue them – but they misunderstood the problem. The problem is not circumstances, but deep in our heart. Jesus did not come to rescue them (or us) from physical oppression, but spiritual oppression. They saw the burden of Rome, but not the burden of sin! Jesus came in order to rescue us from our sin, taking the punishment upon himself, the warrior King, fighting by dying, the suffering servant upon the cross, faithful to the end.

The rescue is available to everyone, but the cost is a change of allegiance – instead of the kingdom of ME, you know belong to the kingdom of God. Instead of you pretending to control your life, you know bow to Jesus and let him control your life. You die to self and live for Christ. You are not your own, you belong to him.

But that’s worth it, because he is the life-giver. In Jesus, and him alone real, joyful, free, life is found; eternal life. And he can guarantee it because he is the Creator God, maker of heaven and earth, vast in his glory and majesty – yet so full of love and compassion that he becomes as nothing, the servant king, willing to suffer and die in order to rescue a people for himself. If you belong to Jesus, bear his name with joy and gratitude, and live for him, no matter what the cost.

Pray – think about where you have denied the Lordship of Christ. What area of life do you consider your own? What area of life are you dissatisfied with, not trusting his Lordship?

Perhaps need to give you life to him.