Rejoice

Children’s Bible Page 1226

Happy New Year Christ Covenant Church!

I hope you had a good and God glorifying holiday season.

I know my family and I did.

As we begin a new year, I pray God would renew our commitment to our relationship with Jesus and to our relationship to His church that we might more fully exalt Christ, equip the saints, and evangelize the world this year.

As everyone who is a member here knows, we seek to practice a meaningful covenant membership where we believe God does not just save us from our sins but into God’s family - the church.

And God lays out in his word who we are as members of his church and what we are to do by His great grace.

So, throughout the month of January, I want to lead us in a season of covenant renewal together.

We have done this each year as a church, but I want to give this month to do more to really highlight it and make it central to who we are as members of God’s church.

You know, the membership covenant should not be a document that you learn about one time when you go through our foundations class for visitors interested in membership.

We should all have a copy of it that we keep in our Bible’s as a reminder of what God’s grace has saved us from and is making us into.

The membership covenant is simply a way to summarize what God teaches we are to be and do in His word.

I have printed out…

If you are here and want to learn more about why we believe Jesus commands us to be baptized and be a member of the church, we would love to invite you to our Foundations class…

I know you all are going to find this hard to believe, but I have had times in my life where I have struggled with having a bad attitude.

This may seem crazy, but one of the things I am tempted to have a bad attitude about is traveling.

What can I say? I like sleeping at home in my own bed.

You can ask Robin, I have had a bad attitude in some of the coolest places in the world.

The truth is: Attitude is important and makes a big difference in our lives.

Pastor Charles Swindoll says, “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

Winston Churchill said, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

It is incredible to think how two people can experience the exact same event, but respond to it totally differently depending on their attitude.

Today, we find ourselves at a key turning point in the book of Romans, because as we saw back in the Fall, Romans lays out the gospel and its implications with more depth than any other Bible book.

So, chapters 1-4 have presented the great problem of all humanity being our sin and rebellion against our good Creator God.

And then has presented the solution to that problem being God’s work in Jesus Christ to declare us righteous before God by faith.

We call this justification by faith alone.

Because of our sin and rebellion, we rightly sit under the punishment and wrath of God, but Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, came and took the punishment and wrath of God that we deserved onto himself on the cross, so that all who place their faith in Him would be declared right with God.

This is the best news in the universe, the gospel, we are made right with God through faith in Jesus.

Justification by faith alone.

It is a great a marvelous truth! It is the truth of salvation from sin and wrath and the promise of eternal life forever with God.

Which is amazing and awe inspiring!

But the problem is too oftentimes we don’t know how to apply this gospel to our life today.

You may think, yeah, the gospel is great and all, but what kind of difference does it possibly make for me here, on January 5, 2025?

What kind of difference does it make for me here in the real world of bills, taxes, job, relationship struggles, health concerns, and parenting?

What kind of difference does it make for you students who need to finish homework, study for tests, tryout for the sports team, and try to manage friendships, siblings, and parents?

Well, chapters 5 through 8 of Romans make a transition from focusing on what God did for us in Christ to save us, to how that gospel plays out as we walk in our everyday lives.

And Paul starts first with an aspect of ourselves that impacts absolutely every aspect of our lives: and that is our attitude.

While I read the passage, notice that the response we are called to is an attitude response - and that response is to rejoice!

Romans 5:1–11

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

1. Rejoice! For you have peace with God.

Since you have been justified by faith, you have peace with God through Jesus Christ.

Because Jesus died in your place for your sin and rose again defeating your sin, He has declared you right with God.

Our sin and rebellion put us in a state of hostility with God, and for all who have faith in the gospel, you now have peace with God.

And this verse is not talking about a feeling that you get. That would be experiencing the peace of God.

But, here, you have peace with God meaning no matter what is happening in your life, you and God are at peace.

No hostility.

You and God are good.

I think one of the things that tempts a bad attitude in me the most is conflict.

Conflict is hard. I hate the feeling that someone is angry at me or hurt by me.

I hate it.

But, in Christ, you can be certain that that is never the case between you and God.

Think about it: God is the sovereign God of the universe.

Every person who is in your life, is in your life through the sovereignty of God.

Every situation you face has come to you through the sovereignty of God.

Every disappointment, discouragement, health concern, relationship difficulty, everything that threatens to rob you of peace comes through the hand of an all sovereign God with whom you have perfect peace.

So, even when you are not feeling peaceful, you can be sure that you are peace with the God of the universe.

And because you are at peace with God, your final destination is peace.

Think about it: one of the most discouraging questions that keep us with a bad discouraged attitude is the question: will this ever change? Will this ever end?

For you who know Jesus, your future is perfect peace with God.

All your sufferings and hardships have an end date.

Believing that leads to an attitude of rejoicing.

I’ve told you this one before but imagine if you get a phone call telling you that one million dollars is going to be deposited in your bank account, all you have to do is drive to the bank to receive it.

Now imagine, that two blocks from the bank your car breaks down.

What do you do?

Do you rant and rage, stomp your feet and kick the car?

No, you happily hop out of the car and skip down the road for the next two blocks because you know what is waiting for you there.

And when you know Jesus, you know that no matter what you face in this short life does not compare to an eternity of peace with God.

Let the gospel clarify your perspective in the things you face in this new year.

Rejoice! For you have peace with God.

2. Rejoice! For you stand in God’s grace.

Romans 5:2

2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Notice the timeline here, back when you placed your faith in Christ, you were saved into peace with God, and now, in this moment, you stand in God’s grace, while you rejoice in the future hope of the glory of God.

You see, the grace of God is not something that is only offered to you the moment of your salvation, but it is with you at all times as you walk in this world as a believer.

You see, we never move beyond God’s grace, instead, we grow deeper and deeper into God’s grace as He empowers us to live for Him and His glory.

God’s grace is his ongoing favor that He has granted to us in ongoing relationship with Him.

Listen: this is more powerful than you may initially realize, no matter where you are or what you are facing, if you are in Christ, God is for you! You are in God’s favor.

You may feel like there are a lot of things in your life coming against you, but would you always remember that God is for you?

And that you stand by His grace.

Hebrews 4:16

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Why can we confidently draw near to God’s throne of grace and find mercy and grace to help in time of need?

Because we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.

What this means is on your worst day and in the midst of your darkest hour, you can be sure of this: God is not punishing you, He already punished Christ in your place.

God is not against you, He is for you.

I remember the first time I was going to preach on a Sunday morning, and I was so nervous.

But an older lady told me to remember, everyone here is for you.

That was so encouraging because I kind of pictured everyone having an attitude sitting there like, “You better be good!”

Sometimes we can imagine that is God’s posture with us right.

Okay. Here’s a situation in your life. Let’s see how you do. You better do good. Don’t fail now.

But, no, instead he is for you!

Great job, you’ve got this, I’ve got you, you’re not done, it’s not over, you’re gonna make it, I am for you.

The favor of God is on you.

Rejoice! For you stand in God’s grace.

3. Rejoice! For Suffering Leads You Deeper Into The Love Of God.

Here is where the rubber truly meets the road when it comes to walking in faith: it’s when we suffer.

Romans 5:3–4

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

For many who do not believe the gospel, they say that the reality of so much suffering in the world and their own personal lives lead them to believe that there cannot be a sovereign loving God.

But, for those who have faith in Christ, have peace with God, and stand in His favor and grace, we are called to rejoice in our sufferings.

Have an attitude of rejoicing in the midst of suffering.

Now, it does not say rejoice for your sufferings.

God does not call us to be happy for the sufferings we experience.

Instead, he says, “Rejoice in the midst of suffering.”

And He tells us why.

Because suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

Consider the example of physical exercise for a minute.

Now, how many of you in this room would consider yourself runners?

Okay, and how many of you would say, “I would rather have a colonoscopy than go for a run.”

Well, how is it possible for different people to have such different attitudes about running?

Well, you see, at one time, the runner suffered through going on runs even when they were not in good shape.

But, as they continued to go on runs, they began to build some endurance that allowed them to run a little further and a little faster, and that was encouraging, so their mindset about running shifted from something hard and miserable to something beneficial and rewarding.

Their attitude toward running turned great when they built up some endurance.

And now, even when they go on a really long run, or they are one of those crazy people who run marathons, even when the run gets really hard, they have hope that they are going to get through it because they’ve built up endurance, and they’ve become positive and confident that all their past running has prepared them for the current run they are facing.

Okay, now I’m not going to ask anyone to like or enjoy suffering,

But I am going to say in the confidence of God’s word that suffering is used for good and glorious purposes in the life of the believer in Jesus.

Because, when you suffer, you are going to be faced with questions like: Is God still good? Is God really for me? Is God going to help me through this?

But, as you watch God be good and help you through it, you rejoice and gain a little endurance knowing that God has seen you through storms in the past, so He is not going to leave you now.

Then, maybe the next storm lasts a little bit longer and feels a little bit darker, but your faith has grown with a little more endurance so you see and experience little bits of God’s goodness and care along the way.

You come to see that in suffering, God is sometimes removing something good or comfortable from your life, so that He can make space for more of himself in you.

Because suffering has a way of making us focus in on what truly matters, and nothing matters more than an intimate and dependent relationship with God.

And when you come on the other side of suffering with a closer, more dependent and intimate relationship with God,

You develop a positive view of what God did through your suffering,

And you begin to believe all the more that God’s ways are right and good which develops the character of God in you.

And when the next storm comes, you continue to pursue God and His ways which fills you with hope and confidence that He is always with you and will never forsake you, and that no matter what He is for you, and even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil, for his rod and staff comfort you.

This is how God uses suffering to produce in your endurance, and endurance, character to love and trust in His good ways, and hope to know he will never leave you or forsake you, and He will get you through this.

Look at how he ends the thought in verse 5:

Romans 5:5

5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

You see, in the flesh, suffering leads to shame.

It leads us to believe that we are being punished, that we are in the wrong, that God is against us.

But, through faith in the gospel, suffering does not lead to shame but to hope, as God’s love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

I have had many people share with me that they have felt the love of God most palpable to them in the midst of their suffering.

It’s sometimes hard to explain.

I remember when I was suffering in a deep depression on the mission field in India.

Crying uncontrollably on our couch as Robin had to take care of the children on her own as I loudly wept.

As I cried out to God when I could sense nothing but sadness, terror, and a deep soul darkness.

Psalm 42:7

7 Deep calls to deep

at the roar of your waterfalls;

all your breakers and your waves

have gone over me.

In other words, the depth of your pain and suffering call out to the depth of God’s great love and care for you.

And it is sometimes in the place where we are completely dependent and unable to do anything for ourselves, totally overwhelmed by our situation and having no idea how it could ever work out for any kind of good, that God floods our souls with the truths of his love to the point where we palpably experience the love of God.

He’s a good father to us.

You know, I always love my kids.

But, they probably experience my love the most when they are sick, hurting, or suffering, because I go out of my way to check on them, to try to help and comfort them, to be near them and let them know I am praying for them and am for them.

God does that same thing for us, just in all the more powerful and personal ways.

But, you have to set your frustrations, doubts, and questions to the side long enough to remember, whatever you’re going through, and no matter how many things you wish were different and how many questions you have that you wish God would answer, He loves you with all He is, and He is for you, and He will carry you through and all the way home to Heaven where suffering will be no more.

Rejoice! For suffering leads you deeper into the love of God.

4. Rejoice! For Christ Died For You While You Were A Sinner.

At this point, it is as if Paul knows just how difficult it will be for us to remember the gospel and apply it to our hearts, lives, and attitudes in the midst of suffering.

He also knows that while we have peace with God and His great love is poured into our hearts, that those feelings of love don’t stick around all the time, especially in the midst of suffering,

So, Paul makes sure that we remember that our relationship with God is not based first and foremost about how we feel at any given moment, and it is not based on how good or bad our circumstances are.

Our relationship with God is based on what God has done for us in Christ because of His great love for us.

Romans 5:6–8

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It is not a very common experience for a person to be presented with the opportunity to die in the place of someone else.

Of course, we know of events where a soldier falls on a landmine in order to save his fellow soldiers while killing himself.

A bodyguard taking a bullet for the person they are called to protect.

While it is a heroic and sacrificial act, a display of great love, it makes sense to our minds, the sacrificed for the good of those they lived life with, rubbed shoulders with, those who had the same mission and purpose as themselves.

But just consider how much more God’s love is put on display in Christ dying for us when we are ungodly.

It would be like the soldier jumping on the landmine in order to save the very enemy who was fighting against him.

It’s a love that defies any kind of natural reason or understanding.

It is a love bound up in the very nature of who God is, when we read that God is love.

Romans 5:8

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

It’s a great passage to have memorized, to rehearse to your heart daily, and to have on your lips for a quick word of gospel witness to others.

Suffering in illness, in relationships, in work, in whatever is tough and raises a lot of questions, but here is one question you can always be confident of the answer: Is God still loving me through this? Is it even possible that God is for me? That He is going to ultimately turn these things for my good and His glory?

It seems so unnatural and unthinkable that He would love me this way.

Well, remember how unnatural and unthinkable it is that while we were still his enemies, God displayed His love in dying for us.

Rejoice! For Christ died while you were a sinner.

5. Rejoice! For You Have Been Saved From The Wrath Of God.

Romans 5:9

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Let me share with you a statement that is a complete attitude killer, here it is: I don’t deserve this.

I deserve better.

Self-pity and indignation absolutely drown out any opportunity to have an attitude of rejoicing.

Yet, verse 9 reminds us, Jesus’ shed blood saved us from the wrath of God.

Because you and I are naturally sinners and hostile toward our Creator God, there is one thing we deserve:

And that is to live an eternity in hell under the righteous wrath of God.

That’s what I deserve. That’s what you deserve.

Any time you are tempted to believe you really have nothing to rejoice in, remind yourself, I deserve hell and wrath.

God gave His son to take on all the hell and wrath I deserve, so that what I get is to heaven and God’s eternal love and favor.

Rejoice, for you have been saved from the wrath of God.

6. Rejoice! Through Jesus Christ, You Have Received Reconciliation.

Romans 5:10–11

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Reconciliation is a shockingly beautiful reality.

If you have ever known of a couple who fought constantly but by God’s grace they have been led to a place of peace and reconciliation with one another, it is shockingly wonderful!

When it comes to God, we were made for Him.

The only reason you exist, the only reason you were created, is to know God, love God, find all your needs met, and your desires satisfied in the vastness and greatness of God.

And the time we have spent living in selfishness and sin, wanting to choose right and wrong for ourselves, wanting to be our own god, wanting to live our own way,

That did not set us in some kind of neutral state when it came to God and His glory.

It set us against God in firm and continual hostility.

Which is the most helpless state we could possibly find ourselves in both in the moment and for eternity.

But while we were enemies, God reconciled us to himself through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

For now and forever, if you are in Christ, your relationship status with God reads this way: at complete peace.

The attitude you bring into this new year is going to mean so much for how this year plays out.

Remember, life is on 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond.

Would you in this first Sunday of 2025 take a moment with God to say, “God, by your grace, I pray you would give me a heart of rejoicing because of who you are and what you have done.

God, I want to face each day, each circumstance, with the trust and knowledge that you are with me and you are for me. I stand in your grace.

God, give me grace to rejoice in the midst of suffering, growing in endurance, leading to having a character that says, God’s ways are right, God’s ways are best, I am going to trust and obey you no matter what.

God, as I obey you by your grace, fill me with hope and your great love!”

May I respond to others the way you respond to me.

Give me a heart of faith.

If you are here today and do not know Jesus…

(elder at couch)