2006-08-06 - You can know - Romans 5 1-11
Message: You can know Newport Baptist Church
Scr: Romans 5:1-11 Date: 2006-08-06
· Intro: Larry Walters, a 33-year-old man who decided he wanted to see his neighborhood from a new perspective. So, he went down to the local army surplus store and bought forty-five used weather balloons.
· That afternoon he strapped himself into a lawn chair, to which several of his friends tied the now helium-filled used weather balloons. He took with him, something to drink, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, and a BB gun, figuring he could shoot the balloons one at a time when he was ready to land.
· Walters, who assumed the balloons would lift him about 100 feet in the air, was caught off guard when the chair soared more than 11,000 feet into the sky--smack into the middle of the air traffic pattern at Los Angeles International Airport. Because he was too frightened to shoot any of the balloons, he stayed airborne for more than two hours, and forced the airport to shut down its runways for much of the afternoon.
· Soon after he was safely grounded and cited by the police, reporters asked him three questions:
· "Were you scared? "Yes."
· "Would you do it again? "No.
· "Why did you do it?" "Because you can’t just sit there."...
Explanation –the world is constantly trying to find God, and if they find him they either run from him or attempt to earn his love.
Problem – cannot outrun God – he is everywhere
Problem – cannot earn his love – greatest acts are like dirty rags – mud pies.
TS - Need something more – need to know something deeper – justification.
Romans 5 - explanation of the last word in chapter 4, justification.
· You can know! - Justification - Just as if I never sinned!
· Keep in mind that justification is God’s declaration that the believing sinner is righteous in Christ. It is righteousness put to our account. Sanctification is righteousness given by God, worked out in and through our lives by the Spirit. Justification is our standing before God;
· Sanctification is our state here on earth before others.
· Justification never changes; sanctification does.
· Note the blessings we have in justification: (at least 5)
1. We can know peace (v. 1). – ever have an enemy? Kevin Fabian!
a. There was a time when we were enemies (v. 10);
i. Romans 5:10
ii. Romans 8:7-8
iii. Isaiah 48:22 – “there is no peace,” says the Lord “for the wicked”
iv. When God declares all men to be sinners, that isn’t just a label, it is a declaration of war!
b. but now in Christ we have peace with God. Kevin and I at peace!
i. Romans 5:1 again!
ii. Being declared righteous is a declaration of peace – through Jesus!
iii. Peace with God means that our problem with sin has been settled by the blood of Christ. God is our Father, not our Judge.
2. We can know we have access to God (v. 2a) – Deb and I drive – Blomidan – authorized personnel only
a. Jews were kept out by veil in the temple
b. Gentiles were kept out by a wall – punishment for going past was death
c. Before our salvation, we stood “in Adam” and were condemned; but now in Christ, we have a perfect standing before God and can enter into His presence (Heb. 10:19–25). (turn to and read)
i. Justification is our standing
ii. Sanctification is our state
iii. child can come no matter how he looks – wookie hair
3. We can know we have hope (v. 2b) -
a. Literally, “We boast in the hope of the glory of God.”
b. Read Eph. 2:11–12 –
i. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
ii. note that the unsaved person is “without hope.”
iii. We cannot boast in good works that bring salvation (Eph. 2:8–9),
c. but we can boast in the wonderful salvation God has given us in Christ.
4. We can know we have daily confidence (vv. 3–4).
a. “rejoice in our sufferings.”
b. The true Christian not only has a hope for the future, but he has confidence in the present trials of life.
i. The “formula” looks like this: testing plus Christ equals patience; patience plus Christ equals character [experience]; experience plus Christ equals hope.
ii. Note that we do not glory over trials, or about trials, but in trials. Not masochism – love of pain, but trust, in God to preserve and prevail and protect and produce in us a true faith.
iii. James 1:2-4 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
iv. Message version - We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged.
v. NKJV - And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5. We experience the love of God (vv. 5–11)
a. Ill – Grandpa and Jeffy in the playpen – Mom says no, grandpa gets in with him
b. God sent his son so that we might experience his love! God took human form and got in our playpen, he shared in our sorrow and suffering and then went further, he took our place and died for you and for me. Vs7-8!
c. 1 cor 13:13 – three remain – faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.
d. No accident that Paul refers to these three things – faith in God grants us hope and reveals his love by his spirit.
i. The Spirit within sheds God’s love to us and through us.
ii. God revealed His love at the cross when Christ died for those who were “without strength,” who were “ungodly,” “sinners,” and “enemies,” thus proving His great love.
e. Paul’s argument is this: if God did all that for us while we were His enemies, how much more will He do for us now that we are His children!
i. We are saved by Christ’s death (v. 9), but we are also saved by His life (v. 10) as “the power of His resurrection” (Phil. 3:10) operates in our lives.
ii. We have received “reconciliation” (atonement, v. 11), and now the love of God is experienced in our lives.
iii. War to peace is not just the end of conflict, must be a true reconciliation – willingness to forgive and to forget as only God can and did for us.
Conclusion – communion today celebrated
NOT CHEAP GRACE!! REMEMBER DESCRIPTION OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS – PUNISHMENT WAS NOT JUST DEATH, BUT A HORRIBLE, PAIN FILLED, SEPARATION FROM GOD DEATH!
By faith, we are justified, and so you can know that hope and experience that love that only God can give.
we can know God… YOU can know God.
We can KNOW God’s peace, Access, Hope, Daily confidence, The love of God
Heb 10 - Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,
Because we know, let us draw near to God together each and every day
Prayer –