The Rigteousness of God

Introduction

The purpose of tonight is multi-faceted...

Fellowship & praise...

Sharing a meal together...

But, ultimately, we want to highlight the gospel...

And how God meets, not only all of our needs, but our ultimate needs in JC.

We want our time to be centered on Jesus, the Christ.

The Messiah, the Son of God, the living God...

Our Lord & Savior in whom we find refuge and security and our identity.

So, I want to pray and ask God to bless us with His presence...

And, that He would be honored in our praise and adoration...

And, to thank Him for His steadfast love.

Opening Prayer

I want to point our hearts to the righteousness of God.

When we thing of righteousness, our minds should immediately run to the throne of God...

The Throne of God

Psalm 89:14 (ESV)

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

Psalm 97:2 (ESV)

2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

The Nature of God

Psalm 48:10 (ESV)

10 As your name, O God, so your praise reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with righteousness.

God is righteous in His very nature.

What God does…doe not make Him righteous.

His righteous nature makes all that He does right.

The Deeds of God

Psalm 71:19 (ESV)

19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?

Psalm 145:17 (ESV)

17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.

God does not do what is right...

Whatever God does is right because at His very core He is righteous.

The Need of Man

Isaiah 64:6 (ESV)

6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Matthew 5:6 (ESV)

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

The gospel calls us to rightly observe and acknowledge our need for righteousness...

That we are unrighteous and need a righteousness given to us from God.

The Mission of Christ Accomplished

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (ESV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

We are made righteous before God in Christ.

We are given our ultimate need.

The record of debt to God’s Law has been paid in full.

Christ’s record is put into our account.

We’re given a righteous standing before God.

This is all possible by the work of Christ...

The powerful working of the Spirit of God on Christ’s people...

Being brought into the New Covenant of a New Kingdom in which Christ is the eternal King.

Our Life’s Mission

Psalm 71:15 (ESV)

15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.

How can we not be excited to tell such a story?!

To sing of such a story?!

Psalm 7:17 (ESV)

17 I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Let’s do so now.

Let’s sing about the righteousness of God...

And, the righteousness we have obtained in Jesus.

Sit Down

Closing Song

All of this night point us to our Savior.

He is glorious, gracious, faithful, long-suffering, and full of grace.

And, so we want to close tonight with one final song.

Stand if you will, and let’s close tonight’s worship service with one last song.