Romans 1-8 | Romans Recap

SERMON TITLE: Romans Recap

TEXT: Romans 1-8 (ESV)

SPEAKER: Josh Hanson

DATE: 9-15-24

TURN MIC ON / WELCOME

As always it’s a joy to be with all of you this weekend at Gateway Church. And there’s one thing I want you to know — and this is true if you’re worshiping with us for the first time — if you’re joining us at our North Main Campus or are with our friends at First Presbyterian Church in Bucyrus — I want you to know that God loves you and that I love you too.

SERIES INTRO

We’re returning to our series in the book of Romans this weekend. For those who may be newer to Gateway — and especially for our friends in Bucyrus — Romans is a book that we’ve been slowly working our way through since 2017. But it’s been two years since we were last in Romans. Know that you can find all of our previous sermons on Romans on our website — gatewayepc.org/sermons. And section of Paul’s letter — that we’re about to begin — is the section of Romans that’s the most controversial. Chapters nine through eleven are controversial because they cover doctrines — or theological beliefs — that challenge what we naturally believe about God, ourselves, and how things in this world work. And — my hope is that — as we allow God’s Word to be our authority on these topics — we’ll submit ourselves to his Word and see how these doctrines have huge implications for our lives.

But — knowing that it’s been two years since we’ve been in Romans — let’s start with a recap of all that we’ve encountered in the first eight chapters. So — today — we’ll recap the first half of Romans — and then — next week — we’ll begin chapter nine.

ALL ABOUT THE GOSPEL

The verse in Romans that shows us what the entire letter is about is found earlier on — in verses sixteen and seventeen of chapter one — where Paul writes…

Romans 1:16–17 (ESV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

These verses show us where Paul is headed in his letter — these words reveal to us his thesis — his purpose — in writing this letter. He’s going to show us how the power of God is at work in the salvation of all who believe — and how this salvation plays itself out in the life of the believer. For salvation changes a person — you can’t help but be changed by God’s power as experienced when one believes the gospel. The change doesn’t come all at once — but there is a change. If you believe the gospel — what’s called the Good News — that Jesus came to live, die, and defeat Satan, sin, death, and Hell on your behalf — if you believe this — how have you been changed?

Paul then goes on to demonstrate the different between those who believe the gospel and those who don’t. For example, he shows us how creation reveals to us that God exists — and yet — this truth is suppressed by those who don’t believe the gospel. God’s creation points us to him — the Creator. Whether it be the Grand Canyon or the Himalayas, the constellations in the night sky or the world full of life in the depths of the sea — all of God’s creation is directing us to look to the One who has created all things.

Another example of the difference between those who believe the gospel and those who don’t: Instead of following God’s law and moral standards — those who don’t believe the gospel chase after whatever their hearts desire. Paul goes on to list what the unbelieving heart produces.

From greed, hate and envy, to being quarrelsome and gossips, to being merciless and proud, to indulging in sexual desires that are shameful. And Paul lays all of this as a foundation to contrast how God’s people are to live because they’ve experienced the power of the gospel in their salvation. For we now have the power of God living in us — having set us free — to be greedy no more — haters no more — envious no more — no more gossiping and quarreling and lacking mercy and being full of pride or indulging in sexual desires that are shameful. We’ve been set free from our enslavement to sin — from our allegiance being solely to that of sinful living — and have been set free to live for God’s glory according to his commands which outline his will for our lives. It’s not that those who believe the gospel don’t stumble — we do — Paul gets to that later in his letter — but those who believe the gospel will repent when they sin. This is a change that’s a result of God’s power working in and through his gospel. Unbelievers don’t repent — believers do — this is evidence — a change brought about by the power of the gospel in the lives of those who receive and believe it. Is this change evident in your life — do you repent — not of sin generally — and not only of sins from your past — but is repentance of specific sin a part of your present life?

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

That’s chapter one of Romans — and now you see why this recap is needed — because that was a lot to cover from one chapter! In chapter two — Paul goes right for his readers’ pride when he writes…

Romans 2:1 (NET)

1 Therefore you are without excuse, whoever you are, when you judge someone else. For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

Those who were proud were judging others for being proud. Those who were greedy were judging others for being greedy. Judging others — itself — isn’t wrong — being a hypocritical judge is what’s wrong. Sinlessness isn’t required — but honesty — the ability to acknowledge sin in your own life — is needed before you play judge and jury of others. Thus Paul warns them…

Romans 2:3 (NET)

3 And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment?

The implied answer to Paul’s question being, “You will not escape God’s judgment.” Their danger was being blind to their own sin — thinking they were right with God — all while they were doing the very things they were judging others for doing.

Now — much of what Paul is writing has been directed at Jewish converts to Christianity. And an issue the early church had to figure out is what faith in Christ — the promised Jewish Messiah — what faith in the Messiah required in regards for Gentile converts? How Jewish did Gentile believers in the Jewish Messiah need to become? Was circumcision still a requirement? What about some of the other Old Testament regulations? This is all being worked on in real time as the New Testament’s being written.

So Paul — and others — are figuring out what unity in the church look like when you have people coming from all kinds of different backgrounds — as Jews and Gentiles were believing in Jesus. And — it’s in the midst of this situation — that Paul writes statements such as…

Romans 2:28–29 (NLT)

28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

And the question now to becomes, “Who’s really a Jew?” Meaning, just being born an ethnic Jew — Paul says — doesn’t make someone a true Jew. A true Jew — again — according to Paul — is someone who’s had a change of heart. And a change heart is a work done by the Spirit of God.

In the Old Testament we catch glimpses of this idea — of there being a true Israel within the nation of Israel — of there being a true people of God within the larger Jewish people — who are called God’s people in the Old Testament. But — now — what we only catch glimpses of in the Old Testament — is now all becoming more clear — especially in Paul’s letter to these Christians living in Rome.

JEWISH ADVANTAGES…TO BE CONTINUED…

Then — in chapter three — Paul starts a train of thought that he gets sidetracked from. And he doesn't pick back up his train of thought until chapter nine — which is where we’ll eventually get to — I promise. But we won’t understand what Paul’s talking about in Romans nine unless we remember what he’s written back in chapter three. And — we looked at Romans chapter three way back in 2018 — and I don’t even remember what I preached back then — so I don’t expect any of you to remember either. But — back in chapter three — Paul writes…

Romans 3:1–4 (NLT)

1 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. 3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? 4 Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”

Notice how — in verse two — Pauls says, “first of all.” He’s starting an argument that’s going to have multiple points — and this is his first point. Well he doesn’t get to his other points until chapter nine — as I said earlier — he goes off in another direction for a few chapters before getting back to his list of points proving the advantages the Jewish people have even though they’re the ones who rejected and killed God’s promised Messiah. And — what he’s trying to stress — is that the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people — as a group — not every individual Jew was unfaithful — but as a whole they were unfaithful as they rejected Jesus as God’s Messiah — Paul’s point is that their unfaithfulness did not stop God from accomplishing his plan of salvation. In fact, God used their unfaithfulness to accomplish his plan of salvation.

But — after making it clear that there are Jews and then there are true Jews — Paul wants to make clear that this doesn’t mean that somehow God’s original plan has failed. It hasn’t failed — God’s plan — made before time began — was a victorious success.

UH-OH

Paul continues his thought — in Romans chapter three — with the words…

Romans 3:5–8 (ESV)

5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come? — as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

This thought — too — will be picked up in chapters nine through eleven. Paul’s argument is this: If God used the unfaithfulness of the Jewish people to accomplish his plan — is God fair in judging them for being unfaithful? And what is Paul’s answer to his question? He declares that God is absolutely just and fair in judging them for their unfaithfulness. Paul says, “If I lie, and God uses my lie to spread his truth — does that excuse my lying?” Or — to take a biblical story you may be familiar with — Part of God’s plan was that Solomon would be the last king of a unified Israel. Yet Solomon came about because of both sexual sin and the murder of his mom’s first husband.

Does the fact that Solomon is part of God’s plan excuse David’s sin? Absolutely not — to borrow a favorite answer of Paul’s to these questions. David is still morally responsible for his sin even though one outcome of his sin — Solomon — is part of God’s plan. And I know that this isn’t neat, and clean, and tidy — and we like neat, clean, and tidy theology. But this is the tension we find in Scripture — man is morally responsible for their choices and God is orchestrating everything to accomplish his will.

Then Paul makes a sweeping statement about the spiritual condition of humanity — which again — will connect to our chapters later in his letter. And Paul’s words about us are offensive to our ears. He writes…

Romans 3:9–18 (NLT)

9 Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. 10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous — not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” 13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “They rush to commit murder. 16 Destruction and misery always follow them. 17 They don’t know where to find peace.” 18 “They have no fear of God at all.”

What a sweeping statement of humanity — regardless of ethnicity, gender, upbringing, political leaning, education — or all the other many ways we like to justify who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. According to Scripture — no one is righteous — a word that means right with God. No one seeks God. All have turned from God. In some sense — no one does good — we’ll come back to this idea in this series. We’re all liars. We all curse each other with our words. We’re bitter. We cause destruction. We cause misery. We’re always in conflict — unable to produce peace. And we do not fear God.

This is the state — or the condition — of every human being apart from the Spirit of God awakening a person’s heart to the love of God for them in Christ Jesus. The news Paul starts with isn’t good news to our ears — but it leads to the Good News when one recognizes how true these words are of them. For then — and only then — can one repent — or turn from — these patterns and behaviors as they turn to Jesus in faith — the theological term for this is called conversion. A turning from sin — repentance — and a turning to Christ — faith — are the two parts that make up conversion — or a person being saved. But the awakening by the Spirit of God must come first. For — if there is no seeking of God on our part — then God must be the One who first seeks us out — calling us to him — drawing us to him — giving us new life, a new birth of our hearts and desires — what some call being born again — this comes first and is the reason why we then repent of sin and turn to Jesus in faith and — thus — are saved. This is the power of the gospel in our salvation.

FATHER ABRAHAM HAD MANY SONS (AND DAUGHTERS)

Paul then continues to show us what he means by the power of the gospel. Paul’s trying to get his original readers — and us — to elevate our understanding of what we mean when we say we believe in Jesus Christ and are saved. So he takes us back to Abraham — whose life will be brought up again in chapter nine. And — it’s through Abraham’s example — that Paul makes a case against works-based salvation — an earned salvation of any kind. Regardless if the work earning salvation is now — or at some point in the future upon which God foresees — Paul makes it clear that it is not our works that save us — by the power of God unto salvation is a power that’s solely a work of God’s grace alone.

Here’s how Paul says it in chapter four.

Romans 4:4 (ESV)

4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.

Is salvation a gift from God or is salvation something he owes to those who’ve earned it? Well here’s what Paul says…

Romans 4:5–8 (ESV)

5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

So this is Good News. The gospel — which is the power of God unto salvation — is not given to those who’ve earned it. For — if it were only given to those who earned it — then — we’re all in real trouble because — we’ve all sinned — we all curse, are bitter, divisive, don’t seek God and so on — from Paul’s earlier evaluation of us all. But — the gospel isn’t given because of our works — it’s given because of God’s grace — which Jesus earned for us.

And — did you see what a gospel of grace means for us — for you — if you believe and receive the Good News? It means God counts you righteous apart from — not because of — your works. The power of the gospel of grace means that all of your lawless deeds have been forgiven — it means all of your sins are covered — have been paid for — the theological word is “atoned for.” And — Paul says — “Blessed is the man or woman whom the Lord does not count their sins against them.” And our hearts response to this wonderful grace empowered news should be, “Yes! What wonderful news to my longing heart!”

But is this news for you — for me — for remember — Paul was talking to Jews? So is this Good News — good news — for us who aren’t Jews? Yes and no. This Good News is for anyone — regardless of ethnicity — so that’s our yes. But — in a sense — the answer is also no. For all who truly believe the gospel become children of Abraham — become part of the “true Israel of God” for they are united to Jesus Christ by faith — and he — Jesus — is the true Israel of God.

Here’s how Paul says all of this.

Romans 4:9–12 (NLT)

9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised! 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.

Abraham is the spiritual father of all who believe — the ethnic Jew who believes in Jesus and the non-ethnic Jew who believes in Jesus all have Abraham as their spiritual father — both ethnic groups are one spiritual group — one spiritual family — the true Israel.

FAITH VS WORKS

Yet Paul knows the struggle his readers — and us — have when it comes to the Good News being all about God’s grace. For we all — and this isn’t a new phenomenon, this has been our struggle as humans since the beginning of time — we all desire to be our own savior. We all desire to add some contribution to our getting out of this mess we call sin. The lie we tell ourselves — and so easily believe — is that grace surely can’t be enough — surely we must do something to ensure our salvation. And this line of thinking always leads to one destination: a lack of peace.

Thus — in chapter five — Paul writes…

Romans 5:1 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The peace within our souls that we’re so desperate for — a certainty in knowing that you have peace with God — is found only by grace alone through faith alone in the gospel of Jesus Christ and it alone. When we add just the tiniest bit of our works to the gospel we’re left unsettled, in a constant state of disarray, wondering if today we’ve done enough to earn — or keep — our salvation. What a burden to carry — an impossibly heavy burden that crushes all who try to add what they do to what Christ has already done.

Against this heavy burden — Paul contrasts God’s gospel of grace with these words.

Romans 5:8–11 (NLT)

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 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. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Essentially Paul is saying, “Look at all that God’s done for you before you believed in Jesus? Isn’t it marvelous? Isn’t it wonderful? Isn’t it unexpected and — yet — hope giving? Life giving? Purpose giving? If God did all of this for you — before you believed — what hope we now have in having believed in the gospel?”

FREED SLAVES

And now we’re to chapter six — where Paul starts what’s really a two chapter explanation of our struggle against sin. He first makes it clear that — prior to experiencing the power of the gospel in our lives — our relationship with sin is an enslavement. He also describes it as a relationship of death — and the only cure for death is a resurrection. Thus Paul points us to Christ — and his death and resurrection — and says something about what the power of the gospel does to those who believe. He writes…

Romans 6:3–14 (NLT)

3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

What Paul’s saying is that — our baptism — visibly points to our being united with — or one with — Jesus in his life, death, and resurrection. And not just metaphorically — but our being united to Christ actually means something — it guarantees something — and what it guarantees is wonderful news. Being united to Jesus Christ — through our faith — means we died in his death. So that pesky thing we’re all scared of — our death — has already happened. Wasn’t so bad, now was it? Thus — no need to fear the death that’s before you — for the day of your death has been planned by your Father in Heaven — it’s your homecoming day — the day he’s determined to welcome you into his arms.

And we hold fast to his promise — because — we’re also united to Christ in his resurrection — in his defeat of death. And he was resurrected to everlasting life — which is ours because we’re united to him. Therefore — as Paul would say — you’ve died to sin. It’s no longer you master. You’re no longer a slave to sin. You’re no longer a slave to believing what you do is what will save you. You’re free to now live under God’s grace.

And — I don’t know about you — but I’m like, “Yes! I love this! But — Paul — I’ve gotta question. Umm…If I’m free — why do I still sin? And — do so — all the time?” The issue — Paul tells us — is that — though we’re free from being a slave to sin — until we find ourselves in the eternal presence of God in Heaven — in this life — our freedom includes the choice to obey God or to disobey him. And — our flesh, our enemy, and the presence of sin in the world all are working to get us to disobey while God’s Spirit, God’s Word, and — often — God’s people — are working towards our obedience.

Paul describes it this way in his own life when he writes in chapter seven…

Romans 7:15–25 (NLT)

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. 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. 18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. 21 I have discovered this principle of life — that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 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? 25 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.

So — if you can relate to these words — of there being an internal war going on in you — where you want to do good, to live a godly life, to obey Scripture, to read your Bible, to be a man or woman of prayer — if you have godly aspirations while you also experience the defeat of temptation in your life, the shame of having just burst out in anger at your kids — again — or are tired of being so judgmental, or racist, or greedy, or a people pleaser or — whatever it is for you that you know is ungodly and yet you just can’t seem to stop doing it — know that this is part of the ongoing spiritual war that God’s people are in. A war whose Victory Day is guaranteed — yet the daily carnage of fighting against our flesh, sin, and the Devil are real and often leave carnage in our lives.

NO CONDEMNATION

To which — Paul unexpectedly proclaims in chapter eight…

Romans 8:1 (ESV)

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. None. Though we know the fickleness of our hearts — how easily we go from chasing after God to chasing after this world — because of the power of the gospel — because of what Christ has done — for those who repent and turn to him in faith there is no condemnation.

And — here in chapter eight — a chapter that took eighteen sermons for us to get through — we learned of the wonderful gift that is God’s Spirit who lives in us, interceding on our behalf, empowering us in our weakness, and who gives confident assurance to our spirits that we are children of God.

Here — in chapter eight — we read of a promise I like to remind us of often.

Romans 8:28 (ESV)

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Which leads to Paul’s next words that he’ll expand on in the coming chapters.

Romans 8:29–39 (ESV)

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

CONCLUSION

And I can’t think of better words to end on than these. Dear Christian, as we’ve journeyed back through the first half of Romans — my prayer and hope for you — is that you will rest in and receive these wonderful promises that are yours. No condemnation. You are a conqueror. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ.

And — if you’re not yet a Christian — may these promises attract you to the Promise Making and Promise Keeping God. And know that — for however long chapters nine through eleven take us — know that resting in and receiving great big promises and truths from God are going to be what we’re to do. I know we American Christians love stuff to do — but in chapters nine through eleven — there aren’t many commands. In fact there are only three — which we won’t come to until chapter eleven.

But come prepared each week to have our view of God, ourselves, and of salvation refined by God’s Word with the help of his Spirit as we begin the last half of Paul’s letter next time we’re together. Let’s pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, as we’ve remembered what we’ve previously encountered in your Word to us through Paul and his letter to Christians living in Rome — we marvel at the breadth, and length, and height, and depth that is your work of salvation in our lives. So vast in your love for your people that nothing can separate us from it. Words that — honestly — seem to good to be true even as we believe them to be true.

Spirit of God, this is why we’re thankful for your indwelling presence in our lives. For often we encounter wonderful truths like this — and so desire to believe them — and yet are too weak on our own to fully believe. So Spirit, help us in our weakness — we’re trusting in your strength.

And — Jesus — to you our Savior, the One who gave your life in love for us — what hope is ours because of you. What joy. What life. What strength. What salvation. What an eternity. Jesus, thank you for being our loving Savior. And may you save many more by the power of your gospel. And we pray all of this in your name. Amen.

BENEDICTION (Prayer teams available)

May you go with great confidence in knowing that — if you believe in Jesus — nothing can separate you from his love. Amen.

God loves you. I love you. You are sent.