Senior Service

Intro:

Hi Everyone...

How many of you have heard that God is love? Most people in our country have heard this statement, whether they’ve been to church or not.

I’ve been thinking about this truth recently. That God is love. And recently, I heard someone teach that because God is love (It’s not just a feeling He has or something He does, but it is who He is), that means He created us in love. Meaning, the reason we exist is because God love us and desires to be in a love-relationship with us. That was the original plan of creation. For God and man to exist in a world of love.

But then Adam and Eve sinned. They rebelled against God’s love. And that ruined the world. It ruined the future. Because that rebellion - that sin - was passed down to all of us, so that we continue to live outside of God’s love; and because of that, the world continues to be destroyed.

However, God’s love for us never stopped. And because of that, He did not leave us in our sin; but from the beginning, began to implement a plan to save us. And that plan ultimately led to Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

To put it another way, God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us, that whoever would receive this sacrifice of love, by faith, would receive forgiveness and be restored back into the relationship of love - which was God’s original plan. What this entire book is about (the Bible) is to give us the good news that there is a way - that way being faith in Jesus - for us to exist in the love God created us for.

It’s the message that the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans about. In his letter to them, he told them about:

Why it matters that we follow Jesus. It matters (as we just discussed) because sin has destroyed everything, including our ability to exist in a love-filled relationship with our Creator.

He also wrote to them about what it means to follow Jesus. That when we place our faith in Jesus, we are made new. We pass from death to life. We move from sin to love.

But in the middle of his teaching, Paul does something interesting. He inserts a sort of parenthesis...

He starts with how sin has ruined everything.

Then, He talks about how Jesus has made a way to fix everything through His death and resurrection.

But then, in Romans 7, he changes direction. He inserts a parenthesis. And he begins to talk about how sin is destroying his life again. He even says things like...

Romans 7:18–19 ESV

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

I don’t know if any of you have ever felt this way, but I know I have. Even before I became a Christian, I always had a pretty good moral compass. I didn’t drink alcohol until the legal age of 21. I never did drugs. I respected authority. I believed you should stay faithful to one person in a romantic relationship. But even with a moral compass, I still lived a very broken life. It was like what Paul described above, “I want to do the right thing, but I keep doing the wrong thing!” It was like sin was my Master.

But then I met Jesus. I encountered the radical love of God. And it changed my life. And I turned from my sinful ways and put my faith in Jesus as my Savior. And I believe Jesus forgave me and freed me from the power of sin.

But I have to be honest… sometimes I still feel like, “I want to do the right thing, but I keep doing the wrong thing.” Even as a Christian! And it makes me think, “What’s wrong with me!” Or even worse, “I wonder if God is going to get made at me. I wonder if - even though I’ve accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior - that when I sin, God gets made at me and I am separated from His love?” And I start feeling ashamed.

And that’s the point where Paul ends his parenthesis. And it’s when he writes…

Romans 7:24–25 ESV

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

And goes onto write...

Romans 8:1–2 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

And here’s the truth I’d like to leave you with today: You can trust God with your salvation. Why? Because He loves you more than you can imagine and WANTS you to be in relationship with Him.

That even when you sin… guess what… Paul goes onto write...

Romans 8:35–39 ESV

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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.

My friends, here is my encouragement for you today: God loves you. And He is calling for you to live in His love. And even though we have sinned, He’s made a way for us to be right - and that’s thru faith in Jesus Christ. Who has paid for ALL OUR SINS past, present and future. And when we put our trust in Him, He will take care of us. And nothing will ever separate us from His love.

Maybe today you are weighed down by your sins. And it makes you think God is mad at you. That He doesn’t love you. I’m here to tell you that is a lie. God loves you and nothing can change that. Nothing can separate you from His love.

If you have already accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, live with the confidence that Jesus loves you and will always love you. And let the affected every area of your life!

If you’ve never accepted Jesus, it’s not too late. He loves you, even if you’ve never loved Him back. But maybe today is the day that you begin to live the way you were created to live - in a love relationship with Him. Turn away from your sin. Ask for forgiveness. And tell Him you believe His Son Jesus died for you sins and rose from the dead. God promises forgiveness, love, and eternal life to all who trust in Jesus.

In a moment, for any who have put their faith in Jesus and would like to participate, we’re going to take communion together. Communion is a way for those who put their trust in Jesus to remember what Jesus has done for us - it’s a way for us to remember that Jesus loves us, and nothing can separate us from that love!

Distribute communion while Janelle plays softly in the back ground. Then finish by praying.