Where I Find Hope

Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.

If you are new with us this morning would you please take the time fill out that little flap on the side of your bulletin. If you put it in the black boxes by the back door we will make a donation in your name to a local charity and send you cookies. Church can we show our guests some love this morning.

House Keeping

There are so many things going on right now at Freedom Chapel. If you do not read the bulletin, check the website, or the slides, or the eblast that goes out every Tuesday you might miss out on something. You have lots of options.

We currently have a sign up going in the Church Center App. If you plan to help with Freedom Fest we need you to sign up now. If you do not sign up in the next two weeks you will not get a Freedom Fest T-shirt.

Today we have a very special Honor. We as a church get to take part in the Dedication of a Child to the Lord. Before we jump into that I want to explain to you what a baby dedication is and what it is not.

Baby dedication is not Baby Baptism: We believe that Salvation only comes when a person by their own free will chooses to make Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior.

Baby dedication is when the Parents of a child make a public dedication before their church family that with the help of that Church family they are going to raise that child to know Jesus. That in their home they will demonstrate what is to be a Christ follower.

Today Jonathan and Lauren Hughes are here with their little precious baby Girl Lydia Joy for dedication.

Lydia Joy Hughes

Today they are coming forward to make a public declaration of their intent to follow the words found in Deuteronomy 6

Deuteronomy 6:5–7 ESV

5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

For their hope for Little Lydia is found in Proverbs 22:6

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Jon and Lauren I am going to read 5 Affirmations to God to you if you agree to each statement would you please answer with: “We Do!”

1. Do you today recognize that Lydia is the gift of God and give heartfelt thanks for God’s blessing?

2. Do you now dedicate your child to the Lord who gave her to you, surrendering all worldly claims upon her life in the hope that she will belong wholly to God?

3. Do you pledge as parents that, with God’s fatherly help, you will bring Lydia up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, making every reasonable effort, with patience and love, to build the Word of God, the character of Christ and the joy of the Lord into her life?

4. Do you promise to provide, through God’s blessing, for the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of this child, looking to your own heavenly Father for the wisdom, love and strength?

5. Do you promise, God helping you, to make it your regular prayer that, by God’s grace, Lydia will come to trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of her sins and for the fulfillment of all his promises to her, even eternal life; and in this faith follow Jesus as Lord and obey his teachings?

Freedom Chapel: Do you affirm that as the Spiritual Family for this precious couple and child that you will join with them in prayer and conduct is providing a place for Lydia to grow and learn of the saving power of Jesus Christ. If you agree with this statement would you please stand with me and pray over this precious child.

Thank you you may be seated:

Today we continue our series in Romans: Last week we celebrated Easter and I spoke a word from Romans 5:1

Romans 5:1 ESV

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

Can we take a moment to celebrate last weeks victories:

We had over 200 people in this room last Sunday. This is a big deal: Empty seats matter.

We had 60 children in Kid’s Church and 14 Children in the Nursery.

We are seeing God move in our church and that is something to be excited about.

There were salutations in the house last week and in the days to come.

Can we give God some praise this morning?

Lets pray over today’s word.

Romans 5:1–2 ESV

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.

For the last several weeks we have driven home this idea of Justification through Faith and how important it is to understand where and how we are justified. I want to look at this concept one more time.

Why?

Martin Luther is quoted as putting it this way.

Every week I preach about justification by faith to my people, because every week they forget it.

How Quickly to we move from a place of friendship and relationship to a place of working out our works. Every week.

Justification is the act of God Whereby He forgives the sin of an unsaved person and credits/assigns to them the righteousness of Christ when through faith they believe.

1. YOU ARE FORGIVEN

2. YOU ARE ASSIGNED CHRIST’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

3. YOU ARE GIVEN FAITH TO BELIEVE.

Paul begins chapter 5 with this all important reminders

Romans 5:1 (ESV)

1a Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,

Being Justified by Faith grants access to something:

We once went to a marriage conference and the speaker talked about wanting to take his kids to Disney World.

Justification is the Cost of Admission

Faith is the Ticket

Justification by Faith In Jesus pays the cost of admission and gives you VIP Access.

Not Just for one day though......You Get VIP Lifetime Access to:

Justification Grants VIP Access to: Peace with God.

Romans 5:1 (ESV)

1b we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your no longer at war with God, you are no longer on the outside looking in, you are no longer far from him, you are now counted as his child.

John 1:12 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Justification Grants VIP: Access to Grace

Romans 5:2a (ESV)

2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand,

Jesus made a statement regarding access to the Father.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus did not say:

Romans 5:2 (ESV)

2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand,

Romans 5:2 (ESV)

2a Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand,

The word Access used here comes from the Greek word Posagoge: Which means introduced to; Brought into, Allowed to enter into.

VIP Access Means we enter into God’s Kingdom Jesus Meets us in the parking lot..............

Ephesians 3:12 ESV

12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

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.

Hebrews 4:16 The Message

16 So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

Justification Grants VIP Access to: Hope of Glory.

Romans 5:2 ESV

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.

Romans 5:2 (ESV)

2b and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

I don’t see a lot of rejoicing going on in the lives of believers today.........

Romans 5:2 (ESV)

2b and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

John 17:24 ESV

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Matthew 25:31 ESV

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Acts 7:55 NLT

55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

2 Peter 1:16–18 NLT

16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

If we therefore have found hope in the truth of who Jesus is:

Than we can rejoice in the promise of what he said he would bring:

What he has promised is the glory of God.

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We are going to learn more about the glory of God in Romans 8

Romans 8:30 (ESV)

30b .... those whom he justified he also glorified.

1 John 3:2 ESV

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Colossians 3:4 NLT

4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

You see we can rejoice in what we will be when Christ returns...........I find my Hope in the glory that is to come......

But I also realize:

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Since God’s Glory has been Revealed to Me....

VIP Lifetime Access is worthless unless I choose to use it.

If I am choosing to use it the results should be.

God’s Glory Being Revealed in me!

2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT

18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Colossians 3:1–2 NLT

1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Romans 5:2 (ESV)

2b and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.