WEBVTT 1 00:00:03.425 --> 00:00:03.985 Hope. 2 00:00:03.985 --> 00:00:04.818 Community Church. 3 00:00:07.345 --> 00:00:07.465 We're. 4 00:00:07.465 --> 00:00:08.298 Gonna. 5 00:00:22.375 --> 00:00:23.208 Let. 6 00:00:33.335 --> 00:00:34.168 Lets 7 00:00:42.495 --> 00:00:43.328 come on. 8 00:00:45.255 --> 00:00:48.975 We sing your name in the dark and changes everything. 9 00:00:50.854 --> 00:00:54.055 We sing, we victory, 10 00:02:29.535 --> 00:02:33.065 looks like church. This is what living. 11 00:02:33.395 --> 00:02:34.065 Looks. 12 00:02:34.065 --> 00:02:36.945 Like. This is what freedom feels like. 13 00:02:37.495 --> 00:02:41.145 This is what heaven sounds like. We praise you. 14 00:02:41.705 --> 00:02:45.025 We praise you. This is what living looks like. 15 00:02:45.615 --> 00:02:48.065 This is what freedom feels like. 16 00:02:48.575 --> 00:02:52.985 This what heaven sounds like. We, you, we, 17 00:02:53.745 --> 00:02:56.505 you. This what living looks like. 18 00:02:57.385 --> 00:02:59.445 This is what freedom feels like. 19 00:03:00.285 --> 00:03:01.118 This is what. 20 00:03:01.165 --> 00:03:01.885 Heaven. 21 00:03:01.885 --> 00:03:02.718 Sounds like. 22 00:03:02.805 --> 00:03:06.725 We praise you. We you. This is what living, 23 00:03:08.645 --> 00:03:11.485 this is what this 24 00:04:17.205 --> 00:04:21.365 We praise you. Come on church. Praise him. 25 00:04:22.885 --> 00:04:27.395 We praise you. Come on. Give us some praise today. 26 00:04:29.485 --> 00:04:34.175 Welcome to Hope Community Church. We are so glad that's you're here today. 27 00:04:34.176 --> 00:04:38.455 We're gonna continue to worship our faithful father today. 28 00:04:39.404 --> 00:04:43.735 He's a firm foundation. He's a God who keeps his promises to us. 29 00:04:43.795 --> 00:04:48.095 And we're gonna believe that together today as we continue to lift him up. 30 00:04:48.096 --> 00:04:48.929 Come on. 31 00:05:42.375 --> 00:05:43.208 Let's declare 32 00:05:58.605 --> 00:05:59.438 I won't be. 33 00:10:50.135 --> 00:10:53.855 So faithful, so 34 00:10:57.575 --> 00:10:58.408 powerful. 35 00:11:02.615 --> 00:11:03.448 We 36 00:11:08.934 --> 00:11:09.767 thank you. 37 00:11:28.215 --> 00:11:32.934 He loves us. He loves us, 38 00:11:38.335 --> 00:11:39.168 loves 39 00:11:44.175 --> 00:11:45.008 us. 40 00:11:55.085 --> 00:11:55.918 This church. 41 00:11:56.605 --> 00:11:57.605 Oh he loves. 42 00:11:58.684 --> 00:11:59.517 Us. 43 00:12:11.755 --> 00:12:12.235 He. 44 00:12:12.235 --> 00:12:13.068 Loves. 45 00:12:13.125 --> 00:12:13.958 Just the voices. 46 00:12:16.285 --> 00:12:17.118 He. 47 00:12:34.725 --> 00:12:34.885 Come. 48 00:12:34.885 --> 00:12:37.285 On. We're wrapped in the arms of the Father today. 49 00:12:42.485 --> 00:12:43.318 Holy 50 00:12:52.684 --> 00:12:53.517 bow 51 00:12:59.005 --> 00:12:59.965 Church. Holy. 52 00:13:01.605 --> 00:13:02.438 Sing 53 00:13:10.645 --> 00:13:11.478 down. 54 00:13:45.485 --> 00:13:47.804 Above all and 55 00:13:56.285 --> 00:13:57.118 the 56 00:14:05.245 --> 00:14:06.285 creation cry. 57 00:14:08.684 --> 00:14:09.517 Holy. 58 00:14:28.245 --> 00:14:30.285 Forgiven. If you've. 59 00:14:30.725 --> 00:14:31.565 Been redeemed. 60 00:14:33.245 --> 00:14:34.525 Sing the forever. 61 00:14:53.605 --> 00:14:54.438 The 62 00:14:58.925 --> 00:14:59.758 forevers. 63 00:15:09.165 --> 00:15:09.998 Holy, 64 00:15:15.365 --> 00:15:16.198 holy, 65 00:15:28.685 --> 00:15:29.518 holy. 66 00:15:50.125 --> 00:15:50.958 The greatest 67 00:16:05.565 --> 00:16:06.398 above 68 00:16:41.205 --> 00:16:42.038 it. 69 00:17:02.005 --> 00:17:05.085 Holy. He's holy. 70 00:17:07.645 --> 00:17:09.125 Say Jesus 71 00:17:17.525 --> 00:17:18.358 to the 72 00:17:45.125 --> 00:17:48.765 holy. Come church. Lift your voice. He's holy. 73 00:17:51.484 --> 00:17:52.317 You'll always 74 00:18:00.845 --> 00:18:04.165 what? He He 75 00:18:11.725 --> 00:18:15.725 Holy forever. Still holy. 76 00:18:19.565 --> 00:18:20.398 Be. 77 00:18:21.685 --> 00:18:22.518 Holy. 78 00:18:24.865 --> 00:18:25.698 Holy. 79 00:18:45.665 --> 00:18:47.625 Who church. 80 00:19:00.265 --> 00:19:01.098 God 81 00:20:19.705 --> 00:20:21.945 be holy. 82 00:20:35.885 --> 00:20:36.718 Holy 83 00:20:44.365 --> 00:20:48.405 forever. Holy, holy. 84 00:20:51.185 --> 00:20:51.705 Father. 85 00:20:51.705 --> 00:20:56.244 You'll always be holy, holy, 86 00:20:56.395 --> 00:20:57.685 holy forever, Lord. 87 00:21:00.885 --> 00:21:01.718 God. 88 00:21:02.185 --> 00:21:06.925 We love you Lord. Thank you. Then no matter what we face, 89 00:21:07.505 --> 00:21:12.244 you are still on the throne. Lord, wherever we go, you are with us Lord. 90 00:21:12.405 --> 00:21:17.285 And we just thank you. Thank you tonight. God we love you Lord. 91 00:21:18.265 --> 00:21:20.965 And everyone said together church. Amen. 92 00:21:22.795 --> 00:21:23.628 Holy love. 93 00:21:25.605 --> 00:21:30.285 Amen. Amen. Amen. I don't know if he caught the word babe before you're seated. 94 00:21:30.645 --> 00:21:32.405 I don't know if he caught the words to that song, 95 00:21:32.425 --> 00:21:36.484 but man that reminds us that when we gather together in these times of worship, 96 00:21:36.905 --> 00:21:39.645 we are actually participating in something that is eternal. 97 00:21:40.075 --> 00:21:44.285 This worship service around the thrones been going on from all eternity past and 98 00:21:44.605 --> 00:21:46.484 will continue for the rest of eternity. 99 00:21:46.825 --> 00:21:50.085 And it's not a spectator sport. 100 00:21:51.025 --> 00:21:55.885 So I want to thank you for participating today in this eternal worship service. 101 00:21:55.984 --> 00:21:56.845 Hey, before you're seated, 102 00:21:56.865 --> 00:21:59.685 why don't you turn to one or two people and just welcome 'em to church today 103 00:22:16.665 --> 00:22:19.645 And you can take your seats. It is so good to see you. 104 00:22:20.505 --> 00:22:24.484 If you are joining us online, welcome. We are so glad that you're joining us. 105 00:22:24.505 --> 00:22:27.885 If you're new online, this is your first time joining us at Get Hope tv. 106 00:22:28.025 --> 00:22:31.165 We would love for you to just put the word new in the chat there because 107 00:22:31.445 --> 00:22:34.205 somebody would like to meet you and personally just reach out to you. 108 00:22:34.385 --> 00:22:38.525 If you are here in the room, and this is your first time with us at Hope Man, 109 00:22:38.526 --> 00:22:39.525 you're a special guest. 110 00:22:39.945 --> 00:22:42.845 We are thrilled that you're here and we would love to meet you after this 111 00:22:42.846 --> 00:22:46.645 service in an area that we call our next steps area out in the atrium. 112 00:22:46.755 --> 00:22:49.965 Stop by after the service and we'd like to learn your name. 113 00:22:49.966 --> 00:22:52.005 Just send you home with a small gift for showing up. 114 00:22:52.006 --> 00:22:55.885 Answer any questions that you have about taking next steps. But hey, 115 00:22:56.105 --> 00:22:58.645 one thing that's important to know about Hope Community Church, 116 00:22:58.955 --> 00:23:03.285 something that's super important to us is community impact, 117 00:23:03.994 --> 00:23:06.725 both here in the triangle and around the world. 118 00:23:06.825 --> 00:23:11.405 But one of the ways that we express that local impact here in the triangle is 119 00:23:11.406 --> 00:23:13.845 through something that we call Love Your Schools. 120 00:23:14.435 --> 00:23:17.725 This is an initiative we kicked off just about a year ago, 121 00:23:17.795 --> 00:23:20.445 last August as we were heading into the new school year. 122 00:23:20.785 --> 00:23:22.965 But it wasn't meant to be a one or a two week thing. 123 00:23:22.966 --> 00:23:25.244 It's meant to go on throughout the school year, 124 00:23:25.355 --> 00:23:27.325 even throughout the summer breaks and so on. 125 00:23:27.705 --> 00:23:31.845 We want this to be something that continues and we have practical ways of loving 126 00:23:31.905 --> 00:23:34.925 our school. In fact, one of those, if you've been around hope for a while, 127 00:23:34.926 --> 00:23:38.965 you've heard us talk about Backpack Buddies this last year alone through 128 00:23:38.966 --> 00:23:41.765 people's faithful giving of food through our incredible volunteers, 129 00:23:42.185 --> 00:23:47.125 we have had over 5,300 backpacks filled with food for food 130 00:23:47.365 --> 00:23:48.198 insecure homes. 131 00:23:50.705 --> 00:23:55.244 That's actually over 64,000 pounds of food. Yes. 132 00:23:55.265 --> 00:23:57.885 We actually weigh it crazy, huh? 133 00:23:57.905 --> 00:24:02.045 But that's so cool because it's making a local impact and there are many 134 00:24:02.046 --> 00:24:04.484 different ways that you can get involved and love your school. 135 00:24:04.885 --> 00:24:07.165 Actually at all of our campuses over the next week or two, 136 00:24:07.415 --> 00:24:09.765 we're gonna be doing things to practically love our school. 137 00:24:09.766 --> 00:24:14.685 You can check out more details on your campus Facebook page or at our 138 00:24:14.965 --> 00:24:18.685 campuses this weekend. At all of our next steps areas, we have, uh, 139 00:24:19.005 --> 00:24:22.805 forms that you can take with you physical forms that can help you know your 140 00:24:23.565 --> 00:24:27.045 kid's teacher more. Or even if you don't have children in school anymore, 141 00:24:27.345 --> 00:24:31.565 you have schools in your community and we want you to practically figure out how 142 00:24:31.585 --> 00:24:33.685 you can love those teachers, love those schools. 143 00:24:34.035 --> 00:24:37.645 There's blank thank you notes out there that we can bless teachers or school 144 00:24:37.734 --> 00:24:40.965 staff with. We want you to be involved. And by the way, 145 00:24:41.025 --> 00:24:45.685 one of the things we want to grow in this year is identifying and loving our 146 00:24:46.085 --> 00:24:48.125 teachers who call Hope Community Church Home. 147 00:24:48.585 --> 00:24:51.565 And so if you're a teacher here or if you're a teacher online, 148 00:24:51.615 --> 00:24:56.045 would you do us a favor and text the word teach to 7 2 9 8 9, 149 00:24:56.135 --> 00:24:58.325 teach to 7 2 9 8 9. 150 00:24:58.545 --> 00:25:03.125 And that way we can get to know you a little bit more. But teachers, 151 00:25:03.645 --> 00:25:06.725 you're heroes. We love you and we wanna support you. 152 00:25:07.145 --> 00:25:11.725 But if you are a teacher in the room, yeah, if you are a teacher, 153 00:25:11.945 --> 00:25:14.325 if you are a principal, if you're a school administrator, 154 00:25:14.326 --> 00:25:16.685 if you work for Wake County Public Schools in the central office, 155 00:25:16.925 --> 00:25:21.085 as if you are in the education world in any way whatsoever, 156 00:25:21.285 --> 00:25:26.285 I wanna ask you to stand your feet because we want to honor you and we 157 00:25:26.565 --> 00:25:31.285 want to pray for you. Come on, stand your feet. Thank you so much. 158 00:25:32.215 --> 00:25:36.484 Thank you so much. And those watching online, thank you. Hey, stay standing. 159 00:25:36.645 --> 00:25:40.085 I wanna pray for all of you. Let's pray. God, 160 00:25:40.086 --> 00:25:43.685 we just thank you for these amazing people. God, 161 00:25:43.686 --> 00:25:48.405 this is an incredible calling life calling that 162 00:25:48.406 --> 00:25:51.725 you've placed on these educators. And God, 163 00:25:51.785 --> 00:25:53.525 it is not an easy calling, 164 00:25:55.105 --> 00:25:59.285 but we know that through your grace and mercy you can make this calling 165 00:25:59.815 --> 00:26:01.285 incredibly rewarding. 166 00:26:01.825 --> 00:26:05.045 And so we pray as we go into another school year that these teachers, 167 00:26:05.046 --> 00:26:09.565 administrators, principals, even people who work at central offices, 168 00:26:10.025 --> 00:26:15.005 but they're doing it because they want to pour in to the lives of the 169 00:26:15.006 --> 00:26:19.685 next generation. God, we pray that you would bless this school. You, 170 00:26:19.705 --> 00:26:24.325 you would protect our schools and God that they would see life change 171 00:26:25.115 --> 00:26:26.805 through the different subjects they teach, 172 00:26:26.806 --> 00:26:30.805 through their interaction with students and families. And we pray God, 173 00:26:30.806 --> 00:26:34.045 that you would empower them to do it for the glory of God. 174 00:26:34.744 --> 00:26:38.085 And we pray all these things in Jesus' name and everyone said, 175 00:26:39.595 --> 00:26:41.565 amen. You may be seated. Well, 176 00:26:41.566 --> 00:26:46.405 we're excited to finish off this current series of Romans eight verse by verse. 177 00:26:46.465 --> 00:26:50.805 And we've got our good friend Jeff Vanderstelt who's going to come and give us a 178 00:26:50.806 --> 00:26:53.445 great message today. But before we do that, 179 00:26:53.455 --> 00:26:56.484 we've got a great story of community impact for you. 180 00:27:02.305 --> 00:27:06.725 We had a call in February of last year with a lady that was wandering around the 181 00:27:06.726 --> 00:27:09.325 street. She was homeless, she had just been discharged from the hospital. 182 00:27:09.465 --> 00:27:11.925 She really had nowhere to go. She was just wandering around the street. 183 00:27:11.945 --> 00:27:15.405 She was carrying all of her belongings in, um, like plastic shopping bags. 184 00:27:15.555 --> 00:27:18.445 They out of their own pocket, they went and bought her food, 185 00:27:18.825 --> 00:27:21.605 change of clothes 'cause she was just a mess. 186 00:27:21.895 --> 00:27:23.885 Dirty clothes hadn't bathed or anything like that. 187 00:27:23.945 --> 00:27:27.365 And so they pulled all the resources together to kind of do what they could for 188 00:27:27.366 --> 00:27:31.085 her. At about the same time, pastor Doug had reached out to me and said, Hey, 189 00:27:31.086 --> 00:27:34.365 hope, hope wants to be involved in Apex. Is there anything we can do in Apex? 190 00:27:34.465 --> 00:27:35.525 And I said, matter of fact, 191 00:27:35.526 --> 00:27:40.525 I think so I told 'em about the situation we had and the idea I had was to have, 192 00:27:41.005 --> 00:27:45.125 uh, these bags filled with supplies, uh, that could get somebody through, uh, 193 00:27:45.225 --> 00:27:48.244 at least a day, probably a weekend. And he said, absolutely. 194 00:27:48.245 --> 00:27:51.565 I think that's something we could help out with. And so we, we brainstorm and, 195 00:27:51.566 --> 00:27:53.405 and we felt like the best thing was to present it to my, 196 00:27:53.625 --> 00:27:58.244 the team that I serve on in Kids City. And they were all very responsive. 197 00:27:58.265 --> 00:27:59.244 So they began to collect, 198 00:27:59.405 --> 00:28:03.325 I gave 'em a list of what we needed and told 'em basically I needed a bag and 199 00:28:03.415 --> 00:28:05.805 toiletries, hygiene products, stuff like that. 200 00:28:05.984 --> 00:28:07.845 One of them even got their small group involved. 201 00:28:07.846 --> 00:28:09.965 And so their small group donated a bunch of items. 202 00:28:10.155 --> 00:28:13.165 Also included in the bag is a list of resources and ministries. 203 00:28:13.166 --> 00:28:17.484 They can call those resources to get longer term help down the road if they need 204 00:28:17.485 --> 00:28:17.905 to. 205 00:28:17.905 --> 00:28:22.325 And I call them hope for the moment bags because I believe that in that moment 206 00:28:22.455 --> 00:28:26.365 we're providing hope and dignity for people, um, that don't have it. 207 00:28:26.465 --> 00:28:29.405 We ran through 'em way faster than I expected. 208 00:28:29.635 --> 00:28:34.125 It's been less than a a year really that we've had 'em available and we've 209 00:28:34.205 --> 00:28:35.965 already gone through close to 20 of them. 210 00:28:36.275 --> 00:28:40.845 It's cool to see the way that God took a simple need in the moment 211 00:28:41.385 --> 00:28:45.525 and spoke to Brian's heart and then Brian couldn't meet that need, 212 00:28:45.585 --> 00:28:48.165 but he knew people that could meet that need. Gosh, 213 00:28:48.225 --> 00:28:53.085 we could see this going from community to community and police department to 214 00:28:53.086 --> 00:28:53.765 police department. 215 00:28:53.765 --> 00:28:55.965 Pretty much every single person that, uh, 216 00:28:56.025 --> 00:28:58.725 one of these bags has been given to their responses. 217 00:28:58.726 --> 00:29:02.165 Nobody's ever done anything like this for me before. As far as I know, 218 00:29:02.425 --> 00:29:06.125 no one that we've given one of these bags to have we had a repeat call for 219 00:29:06.126 --> 00:29:08.885 service? Have we had to arrest or anything else? 220 00:29:09.165 --> 00:29:11.965 I think it's all just about making yourself available. Um, 221 00:29:12.345 --> 00:29:15.925 and and yielding to what God wants to do through you in your position and not 222 00:29:15.926 --> 00:29:20.125 seeing yourself as insignificant. Um, but if you just yield to the Lord, 223 00:29:20.126 --> 00:29:22.445 he'll do great things through you and through the church. 224 00:29:22.725 --> 00:29:25.605 I even believe that God gave me the name for the bags. You know, 225 00:29:25.606 --> 00:29:28.645 and just that impact and the fact that a government agency, 226 00:29:28.745 --> 00:29:32.845 the police department is using something like hope for the moment and they don't 227 00:29:32.846 --> 00:29:35.325 even realize it. That's how impactful it is for me. 228 00:29:35.326 --> 00:29:37.765 That we are literally a police agency, 229 00:29:37.905 --> 00:29:40.565 is giving people hope and not just arresting them. 230 00:29:40.775 --> 00:29:44.845 We're solving a problem and we're leaving people better than we found them. 231 00:29:52.195 --> 00:29:54.965 Such a good story. It's so good to be with you guys again. 232 00:29:55.085 --> 00:29:58.805 I don't know if you were with me when I was here last, 233 00:29:58.905 --> 00:30:03.685 but I'm so glad to be back with you. It's such a joy to partner with you. 234 00:30:03.825 --> 00:30:06.685 I'm from Seattle, if you don't know that. So it's a big distance, 235 00:30:07.345 --> 00:30:11.645 but it's worth it. I'm so glad to be with you guys and I'm really feel honored, 236 00:30:12.045 --> 00:30:15.325 honestly and privileged that I get to bring this series to a close. 237 00:30:15.326 --> 00:30:17.565 Like that's a big deal. I felt like, wow, 238 00:30:17.585 --> 00:30:20.565 you really want me to be the one who does that. And yet I, 239 00:30:20.785 --> 00:30:25.645 I'm so excited to because the end of this chapter, Romans eight, 240 00:30:26.435 --> 00:30:30.485 Paul ends it with this kind of like clarion call for you to know 241 00:30:31.385 --> 00:30:35.805 all that you have all that the gospel and titles you to 242 00:30:36.155 --> 00:30:38.085 believe and live into He, 243 00:30:38.185 --> 00:30:42.685 he wants you to be so confident in it that regardless of what anybody 244 00:30:42.955 --> 00:30:47.245 says about you does to you or even you yourself do, 245 00:30:47.905 --> 00:30:52.725 he wants you to know that none of that's gonna cancel out what God has already 246 00:30:52.726 --> 00:30:55.805 done for you in Christ. And that's where we're gonna end here. In fact, 247 00:30:55.806 --> 00:31:00.245 there's this deep well of blessing that he's gonna in just a few 248 00:31:00.425 --> 00:31:04.205 verses say a whole lot about. But before we do that, 249 00:31:04.405 --> 00:31:07.525 I wanna tell you a little story about a guy named Peter Deca. Uh, 250 00:31:07.526 --> 00:31:10.725 he was actually a Russian immigrant who, uh, 251 00:31:10.915 --> 00:31:15.645 fled Russia in 1911 to go to America to 252 00:31:15.646 --> 00:31:17.445 escape the communist revolution. 253 00:31:17.985 --> 00:31:20.565 And he became a Christian shortly after arriving in Chicago. 254 00:31:20.625 --> 00:31:23.525 He ended up going to Moody Bible Institute and he was trained, 255 00:31:23.745 --> 00:31:26.325 he became a pretty effective minister of the gospel, 256 00:31:26.665 --> 00:31:30.965 saw incredible fruit in America and Russia, as many people came to faith. 257 00:31:30.985 --> 00:31:35.405 But he tells the story of his journey and how his parents saved up all this 258 00:31:35.406 --> 00:31:38.205 money and they were not wealthy, they're pretty poor. 259 00:31:38.925 --> 00:31:40.285 Saved all this money to get him a a, 260 00:31:40.405 --> 00:31:42.885 a boat ticket basically to get across the ocean. 261 00:31:43.665 --> 00:31:46.765 And all he has is a little backpack with a little bit of clothes. 262 00:31:47.235 --> 00:31:50.005 They had no money, uh, to send him with. 263 00:31:50.025 --> 00:31:54.325 He had only like a loaf of bread that was pretty stale that his mom stuffed in 264 00:31:54.326 --> 00:31:56.605 the, the backpack just to make sure he had something to, 265 00:31:56.945 --> 00:31:58.485 to consume while he was on the boat. 266 00:31:58.545 --> 00:32:02.525 And he tells a story of like looking in at the dining room and wishing he could 267 00:32:02.526 --> 00:32:05.885 have the meals that the people were having. And over time the sailors said, 268 00:32:05.886 --> 00:32:07.645 you know, like we can help you a little bit. 269 00:32:07.715 --> 00:32:11.405 Like why don't you do some work with us and we'll share some of what we've got 270 00:32:11.406 --> 00:32:12.006 to eat with you. 271 00:32:12.006 --> 00:32:14.485 And it wasn't nearly as good as what he would've got in the dining hall, 272 00:32:14.505 --> 00:32:17.645 but that he still got some food. And the crazy thing is, 273 00:32:17.705 --> 00:32:21.765 is that it wasn't until the last day on his journey that someone actually 274 00:32:21.766 --> 00:32:24.445 pointed out that his ticket included three meals a day. 275 00:32:25.925 --> 00:32:30.385 So he went this whole journey having no idea what he was entitled to. 276 00:32:31.715 --> 00:32:34.315 And he said, if I could have read the ticket, he wasn't able, 277 00:32:34.316 --> 00:32:37.155 if I could have just read the ticket, I would've known what I had. 278 00:32:38.315 --> 00:32:41.645 And I think that's what Paul wants us to end this series with, is like, 279 00:32:42.265 --> 00:32:45.965 do you understand that the gospel's not just about a ticket to heaven, 280 00:32:47.215 --> 00:32:52.065 it's about all the other things that are true for you now in 281 00:32:52.066 --> 00:32:53.665 this moment as we journey toward it. 282 00:32:54.665 --> 00:32:58.545 And so I just wanna pray and ask that the spirit would help you and I to let 283 00:32:58.945 --> 00:33:03.815 the, these truths sink so deeply in us that they would capture our affections 284 00:33:03.816 --> 00:33:04.655 and lead us to a, 285 00:33:04.735 --> 00:33:07.695 a way of living that looks a lot more like what God has saved you for. 286 00:33:08.785 --> 00:33:10.525 And if you haven't yet experienced the salvation, 287 00:33:10.526 --> 00:33:13.765 that maybe today will be the day you receive his gift. So let's pray. 288 00:33:17.395 --> 00:33:18.535 Father I I'm 289 00:33:21.135 --> 00:33:23.385 even as I think about the things I'm going to say 290 00:33:26.465 --> 00:33:30.795 that you gave the Apostle Paul the ability to write down by your spirit, 291 00:33:32.685 --> 00:33:34.365 I feel a little bit overwhelmed 292 00:33:36.535 --> 00:33:40.285 because it's so good. And Lord, 293 00:33:40.325 --> 00:33:44.525 I pray that your spirit would help us not just to think of these things I'm 294 00:33:44.526 --> 00:33:48.165 going to look at in the scriptures that we're gonna see together as just good 295 00:33:48.175 --> 00:33:51.965 ideas or facts. But Lord, that they would, they would pierce our heart, 296 00:33:53.555 --> 00:33:57.885 they would capture our affections that would transform the way we live. 297 00:33:59.025 --> 00:34:03.005 So ask that you do that by your spirit for your glory 298 00:34:04.135 --> 00:34:06.475 and our good and joy in Jesus name. Amen. 299 00:34:09.945 --> 00:34:13.085 So Paul starts, we're in Romans 8 31, 300 00:34:14.915 --> 00:34:18.695 what shall we say to these things? If God is for us, 301 00:34:19.755 --> 00:34:20.695 who can be against us? 302 00:34:22.285 --> 00:34:24.665 He didn't spare his own son but he gave him up for us all. 303 00:34:24.666 --> 00:34:28.145 How will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 304 00:34:30.155 --> 00:34:33.015 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? 305 00:34:34.425 --> 00:34:38.925 It's God who justifies, who is to condemn Christ. 306 00:34:38.926 --> 00:34:40.445 Jesus is the one who died more than that. 307 00:34:40.446 --> 00:34:43.285 He was raised who's at the right hand of the of God. 308 00:34:43.485 --> 00:34:47.765 He who is inter indeed interceding for us who shall separate us from the love of 309 00:34:47.766 --> 00:34:52.765 Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness 310 00:34:52.766 --> 00:34:56.364 or danger or sword as it is written for your sake. 311 00:34:56.365 --> 00:34:57.725 We're being killed all the day long. 312 00:34:57.735 --> 00:35:01.285 We're being regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things, 313 00:35:01.625 --> 00:35:05.605 we are more than conquerors through him who loved us 314 00:35:06.775 --> 00:35:10.455 for I'm sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers, 315 00:35:10.515 --> 00:35:14.575 nor things present nor things to come, nor powers nor height, nor debt, 316 00:35:14.835 --> 00:35:17.495 nor anything else in all creation, 317 00:35:18.325 --> 00:35:21.375 will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 318 00:35:23.105 --> 00:35:24.195 This is God's word. 319 00:35:25.135 --> 00:35:28.315 The very first statement Paul makes is what shall we say to these things? 320 00:35:28.594 --> 00:35:30.955 And the question is, what things is Paul referring to? 321 00:35:31.415 --> 00:35:33.435 Now I think in a grander sense, 322 00:35:33.505 --> 00:35:36.515 he's referring to everything he said from chapter one to chapter eight. 323 00:35:37.545 --> 00:35:40.685 And it just a, a run through. These are some big ideas, 324 00:35:40.785 --> 00:35:42.605 but we were in rebellion to God. 325 00:35:42.625 --> 00:35:44.805 We were standing in judgment because of our sin. 326 00:35:45.145 --> 00:35:49.525 We were unable to do anything to save ourselves no matter how religious we are. 327 00:35:50.995 --> 00:35:54.935 God revealed that the answer is the righteousness of Christ who not only lived 328 00:35:54.936 --> 00:35:58.775 the life we couldn't live but died the death in our place for our sin. 329 00:35:59.825 --> 00:36:02.685 And God didn't wait for us to figure it out. But he came after us. 330 00:36:03.265 --> 00:36:07.765 He pursued us. He called us. He chose us, 331 00:36:07.825 --> 00:36:10.445 he adopted us, he justified us. 332 00:36:10.446 --> 00:36:15.165 He did all this work in Christ so that it would be by faith that we would get 333 00:36:15.166 --> 00:36:16.245 this not by our works, 334 00:36:16.246 --> 00:36:20.165 that we would get this and as a guarantee that it's really the true deal and 335 00:36:20.166 --> 00:36:24.205 that it really works. He puts his spirit into our lives to be a, a, 336 00:36:24.465 --> 00:36:26.925 an indicator that we really are God's children. 337 00:36:27.395 --> 00:36:29.725 That we really can trust him to finish what he started. 338 00:36:30.665 --> 00:36:32.445 And even in these previous verses, 339 00:36:32.446 --> 00:36:36.844 Paul kind of summarizes all that in five undeniable affirmations. 340 00:36:36.905 --> 00:36:39.725 As John Stot likes to call them. He, he said this, 341 00:36:40.175 --> 00:36:42.245 these five affirmations are God for new you, 342 00:36:42.246 --> 00:36:45.565 which means he loved you before you loved him and came after you, 343 00:36:45.705 --> 00:36:49.515 before you could come after him. He predestined you to become like Jesus. 344 00:36:49.575 --> 00:36:53.035 In other words, his end goal is that you'll be like Jesus Christ, 345 00:36:53.705 --> 00:36:55.875 perfectly perfected. 346 00:36:57.275 --> 00:36:59.295 But he starts by calling you to be his own. 347 00:36:59.315 --> 00:37:03.375 And then he justifies you so that you can have a relationship with a holy God. 348 00:37:03.594 --> 00:37:05.255 But then ultimately he glorifies you, 349 00:37:05.256 --> 00:37:09.655 making you just like Jesus in all the ways he which he glorifies the Father. 350 00:37:09.675 --> 00:37:10.855 That's the kind of the, 351 00:37:10.875 --> 00:37:14.455 the five undeniable statements that Paul just went through. 352 00:37:14.475 --> 00:37:15.495 And we probably went, you know, 353 00:37:15.496 --> 00:37:17.255 you probably went through that last time we were together. 354 00:37:18.925 --> 00:37:20.785 But Paul's answer to that question, 355 00:37:20.815 --> 00:37:24.985 what shall we say to all of this gets answered with five rhetorical 356 00:37:25.945 --> 00:37:26.778 questions. 357 00:37:27.785 --> 00:37:31.435 John sto likes to call them a five unanswerable questions. 358 00:37:32.855 --> 00:37:36.905 And, and the reason why is because the answer is no one and nothing. Okay? 359 00:37:36.906 --> 00:37:39.225 That's where we're gonna go. So if you wanna know the title of my message, 360 00:37:39.335 --> 00:37:43.585 it's no one and nothing, okay? You'll see what I mean by as that, 361 00:37:43.586 --> 00:37:46.545 as we go through it. So first off, here's the first question. And by the way, 362 00:37:46.645 --> 00:37:50.105 here's, here's my challenge to you. Uh, and even I would, 363 00:37:50.225 --> 00:37:52.745 I would strongly urge you to take this challenge up. 364 00:37:53.145 --> 00:37:55.625 I would love for you to memorize all five of these questions. 365 00:37:56.575 --> 00:38:00.255 I would love for you to rehearse them on a daily basis because they are the 366 00:38:00.256 --> 00:38:03.255 types of questions you're gonna need to state out loud in order to get through 367 00:38:03.256 --> 00:38:08.215 this life in a way that's confident that God is true to his word and that you're 368 00:38:08.216 --> 00:38:12.935 secure in it. Okay? So the first question is, if God is for us, 369 00:38:13.795 --> 00:38:14.855 who can be against us? 370 00:38:15.594 --> 00:38:18.935 Now notice he doesn't ask the question who is against us? 371 00:38:19.695 --> 00:38:23.415 'cause if you just ask that, we'd have a list, right? Minimally, you'd say, 372 00:38:23.605 --> 00:38:27.015 well, especially in his day, the world seems against us. 373 00:38:27.016 --> 00:38:28.415 We're experiencing persecution. 374 00:38:29.355 --> 00:38:32.855 But Paul also talks about this idea of the flesh, which is that that old nature, 375 00:38:33.005 --> 00:38:35.725 that indwelt sin, that that part of me that says, 376 00:38:35.726 --> 00:38:38.844 even though I know what I wanna do, I find myself not doing it. He says, 377 00:38:38.845 --> 00:38:41.765 that's against us. We're, we're fighting this war against the flesh. 378 00:38:42.915 --> 00:38:47.855 And we also know that Satan and all the dark rulers in the heavenly realms are 379 00:38:47.856 --> 00:38:50.775 against us. So it gets summed up in our enemies are the world, 380 00:38:50.776 --> 00:38:53.895 the flesh and the devil. So if he just had said, who's against us, 381 00:38:53.896 --> 00:38:55.815 we would've said, well, the world, the flesh and the devil. 382 00:38:56.235 --> 00:39:00.455 But he doesn't just say that. He says, if God is for us who is against us, 383 00:39:00.475 --> 00:39:03.575 that's really important. 'cause what he wants you to understand is yes, 384 00:39:03.576 --> 00:39:07.594 those are your enemies, but those enemies don't get to prevail, right? 385 00:39:08.075 --> 00:39:12.795 Because if God's for us, really who is against us, I mean the answer is no one, 386 00:39:12.796 --> 00:39:16.995 because God in Christ Jesus has already victoriously, overcome the world, 387 00:39:17.215 --> 00:39:21.755 has defeated sin, and has overcome Satan and death through his resurrection. 388 00:39:22.215 --> 00:39:25.395 So the reality is, if you're in Christ, you have the one who, 389 00:39:25.775 --> 00:39:30.515 who overcame your greatest enemies. So if he's for you, 390 00:39:31.025 --> 00:39:35.955 he's also gonna prevail for you over your enemies because your life is hidden in 391 00:39:35.956 --> 00:39:40.515 Christ, the one who overcame. So I, I want you to hear this, 392 00:39:41.255 --> 00:39:45.035 you and I are no longer victims, right? We're not just sitting around going, 393 00:39:45.055 --> 00:39:47.395 I'm not just helpless. I don't know if I'm, we can make it through. It's like, 394 00:39:47.495 --> 00:39:52.225 no, you have the one who is the victor who you are united with. 395 00:39:52.325 --> 00:39:53.745 If you're united with Christ, 396 00:39:53.746 --> 00:39:58.145 you're an heir of all that Christ is and all that Christ has done for you. 397 00:40:00.545 --> 00:40:01.885 Now, I I like to watch sports. 398 00:40:02.105 --> 00:40:06.965 I'm a bit of a fan of the Seattle Seahawks because I'm from Seattle and I 399 00:40:06.966 --> 00:40:10.364 don't know if you're like me, but whenever we lose, it's always the ref's fault, 400 00:40:12.075 --> 00:40:12.295 right? If, 401 00:40:12.295 --> 00:40:16.515 if you ever happen to follow me on Twitter during football season and I'm not 402 00:40:16.516 --> 00:40:19.075 being wise about what I put on Twitter, 403 00:40:19.305 --> 00:40:23.955 it's usually complaining about ref's bad calls. And I, I, I can fall into that. 404 00:40:24.515 --> 00:40:26.515 If, if it just the ref's had it together, we would always win. 405 00:40:27.175 --> 00:40:30.235 But I want you to imagine you're on a team where the refs are always gonna 406 00:40:30.236 --> 00:40:34.864 guarantee that you win. And every game, you know, I already know this is a win. 407 00:40:35.545 --> 00:40:37.065 'cause I already know the refs are on our side. 408 00:40:37.405 --> 00:40:41.825 And the reality is that is true for Christians. Like in the end, 409 00:40:41.885 --> 00:40:46.305 we always win in the end, Jesus will prevail in the end, 410 00:40:46.445 --> 00:40:50.985 if your faith is in Christ, you will make it at the end we will be victorious. 411 00:40:51.575 --> 00:40:55.305 Amen? Because here's the deal, no one is greater than God. 412 00:40:55.565 --> 00:40:59.185 So no one can stand against you because you are god's and God is more committed 413 00:40:59.205 --> 00:41:03.455 to his purposes for your life than you are that is true for you. 414 00:41:05.125 --> 00:41:09.285 So who, who, who's, who's against me? If God's for me and who's against me? 415 00:41:09.465 --> 00:41:12.344 No one, no one is against me. 416 00:41:12.745 --> 00:41:16.505 Ultimately that's not all. Question two, he goes on, 417 00:41:16.506 --> 00:41:19.825 he says he did not spare his own son, but he gave him up for us all. 418 00:41:20.045 --> 00:41:24.985 How will he not also with him graciously give us all 419 00:41:25.145 --> 00:41:28.545 things? Now, once again, Paul could have easily asked the question, 420 00:41:29.455 --> 00:41:32.225 will God not graciously give us all things? But he doesn't do that. 421 00:41:32.226 --> 00:41:36.445 He preface it with what he's already given us in Christ. Because I, my, 422 00:41:36.805 --> 00:41:40.525 I wonder if, if he would've just asked, won't he give us good things? 423 00:41:40.545 --> 00:41:41.405 We might go, well yeah, 424 00:41:41.485 --> 00:41:45.085 I mean he's generous but we shouldn't over presume on his generosity. 425 00:41:45.145 --> 00:41:48.285 And you know, maybe there's some things he won't give. And so most of us, 426 00:41:48.286 --> 00:41:51.645 we kind of have that internal debate about God's generosity and kindness. 427 00:41:52.385 --> 00:41:56.555 But he starts with what you've already been given, which is Jesus. 428 00:41:56.655 --> 00:41:59.355 And he uses this language who did not spare his own son. 429 00:41:59.415 --> 00:42:03.235 But so if you know the biblical story, you know where that phrase came from? 430 00:42:04.335 --> 00:42:07.425 That phrase came from a time where he called a man called Abraham, 431 00:42:07.426 --> 00:42:11.465 who he changed his name to Abraham because he was gonna become the father of 432 00:42:11.466 --> 00:42:12.905 many nations. If you know that story, 433 00:42:13.125 --> 00:42:16.465 you know that Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children and God 434 00:42:16.665 --> 00:42:20.625 miraculously promised that they would have a child and through that child there 435 00:42:20.626 --> 00:42:21.465 would be a a, 436 00:42:21.625 --> 00:42:26.344 a name that would get great and a nation that would become huge and a a means of 437 00:42:26.545 --> 00:42:28.905 blessing. All the other nations would come out of that, 438 00:42:29.775 --> 00:42:33.505 that kind of chain of events. And that child was Isaac. 439 00:42:34.405 --> 00:42:38.344 Yet as Isaac grew older, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his own son. 440 00:42:39.245 --> 00:42:42.905 And Abraham believed that God must be able to just raise him from the dead. 441 00:42:42.906 --> 00:42:45.785 So he was willing to do whatever God said 'cause he was gonna trust him with 442 00:42:45.786 --> 00:42:50.585 everything. And as he had Isaac on the altar to be sacrificed, God said, 443 00:42:50.605 --> 00:42:54.545 no, stop. I now know be that you were un, 444 00:42:54.546 --> 00:42:56.065 that you were willing to spare your own, 445 00:42:56.325 --> 00:42:59.945 to give up your own son 'cause you believe and trust in me that much. 446 00:43:00.685 --> 00:43:05.225 And so God provides a alternative sacrifice with a ram caught in the bush 447 00:43:05.525 --> 00:43:09.785 nearby. So you know that story and that's what Paul is referencing actually, 448 00:43:10.344 --> 00:43:13.344 that this idea that he who did not spare his own son, 449 00:43:13.495 --> 00:43:14.505 your mind would go back to, 450 00:43:14.506 --> 00:43:18.545 oh that's about Abraham and how he speared his own God spirited him from 451 00:43:18.705 --> 00:43:21.105 actually having to give up his own son. And if there was no Isaac, 452 00:43:21.106 --> 00:43:23.305 there'd be no nation Israel. If there's no nation in Israel, 453 00:43:23.395 --> 00:43:27.785 there is no offspring ultimately that comes in the name of Jesus who becomes the 454 00:43:27.985 --> 00:43:28.685 ultimate savior. 455 00:43:28.685 --> 00:43:33.225 And Paul's using this to help us understand just like Abraham was willing to 456 00:43:33.226 --> 00:43:34.745 give up his own son but didn't have to, 457 00:43:35.205 --> 00:43:38.665 God was willing to give up his own son and he did. And if there's no Abraham, 458 00:43:38.666 --> 00:43:40.665 there's no blessing. But if there's no Jesus, there's no salvation. 459 00:43:42.495 --> 00:43:46.635 So he wants to make it really clear. This is God telling you, 460 00:43:46.975 --> 00:43:48.995 not only will he be faithful to his word, 461 00:43:49.215 --> 00:43:53.915 but he loves you so much that he will give you the most costly gift 462 00:43:54.675 --> 00:43:58.275 possible His own son, for you and me, 463 00:44:00.655 --> 00:44:01.655 Octavius Winslow 464 00:44:03.315 --> 00:44:07.015 was correct to write who delivered up Jesus to die. 465 00:44:07.675 --> 00:44:11.215 Not Judas for money, not Pilate for fear, 466 00:44:12.465 --> 00:44:13.805 not the Jews for envy, 467 00:44:14.344 --> 00:44:18.325 but the father for love because he loved you that much. 468 00:44:19.885 --> 00:44:22.545 See, Paul is arguing from the greater to the lesser's thing. 469 00:44:22.605 --> 00:44:24.705 If he was willing to give you Jesus, 470 00:44:26.445 --> 00:44:30.785 you can be absolutely certain He will give you everything else that you need. 471 00:44:32.775 --> 00:44:36.675 Why would he waste Jesus on a people he is not gonna provide for? 472 00:44:40.085 --> 00:44:42.745 And Jesus God gave you everything. 473 00:44:44.114 --> 00:44:46.715 So why won't he give you everything else? 474 00:44:48.364 --> 00:44:49.885 See the crosses the guarantee that the God, 475 00:44:49.886 --> 00:44:54.805 that the God we worship who sent his son will continue to generously provide 476 00:44:54.806 --> 00:44:59.585 according to your needs. So do you lack right now? You go like, man, 477 00:44:59.665 --> 00:45:04.665 I i need this. I I I I'm struggling God, are you gonna be a good provider? 478 00:45:04.975 --> 00:45:06.665 Come to him. Ask him, 479 00:45:07.844 --> 00:45:11.585 be confident that the crosses the evidence that you have a generous God is 480 00:45:11.586 --> 00:45:14.645 willing to give you everything you need. Jesus. 481 00:45:14.965 --> 00:45:18.045 And and James later both say you don't have because you don't ask, 482 00:45:20.364 --> 00:45:24.705 ask him. And I want you to hear this asking is actually an act of worship. 483 00:45:26.305 --> 00:45:29.225 'cause there's three big things that are, you're saying when you ask one, 484 00:45:29.605 --> 00:45:33.585 I'm in need of God. And anytime you say I'm in need of God, 485 00:45:33.586 --> 00:45:37.545 you're at the beginning point of the good news of the gospel taking root inside 486 00:45:37.546 --> 00:45:40.385 of you. Second, you're saying, I believe God's rich. 487 00:45:41.565 --> 00:45:45.535 Like I think he has a lot, he owns everything. And third, you're saying, 488 00:45:45.614 --> 00:45:49.005 I also think he's generous. Anytime you ask, 489 00:45:49.006 --> 00:45:53.045 you are saying those three things through your act of worship. I I, 490 00:45:53.046 --> 00:45:56.165 I don't know about you but like I loved Christmas time with our kids in our home 491 00:45:56.166 --> 00:45:58.445 because especially when they're little now they're, 492 00:45:58.446 --> 00:46:01.125 we have two adult kids and one who's almost out of high school. 493 00:46:01.445 --> 00:46:04.045 She's got one year left and but when they were young, you know, 494 00:46:04.315 --> 00:46:07.725 they would just ask for stuff at Christmas time and sometimes it just seemed 495 00:46:07.726 --> 00:46:11.165 ridiculous. Like you must think I'm loaded . 496 00:46:12.545 --> 00:46:15.844 But what I loved about it is that they actually, one thought I was a rich dad. 497 00:46:16.585 --> 00:46:19.925 Second they thought I was really generous and loved to give good gifts. 498 00:46:20.545 --> 00:46:23.525 And what I do really love about that and we did our best to try and give 'em a 499 00:46:23.526 --> 00:46:26.205 lot of what they asked for. But it framed in them, 500 00:46:26.905 --> 00:46:31.364 if I a dad who's broken and not perfect 501 00:46:31.975 --> 00:46:32.925 would do this for you, 502 00:46:33.025 --> 00:46:37.205 how much more will your heavenly father do this for you as evidenced by him 503 00:46:37.206 --> 00:46:39.285 already giving you the greatest gift? Jesus. 504 00:46:40.665 --> 00:46:42.245 So I just wanna say to you tonight maybe, 505 00:46:42.255 --> 00:46:44.045 maybe some of you haven't even received that gift. 506 00:46:44.445 --> 00:46:48.364 'cause I would say if you haven't received the gift of Jesus Christ for your own 507 00:46:48.365 --> 00:46:52.364 forgiveness of sins and for you to be made right with God and for you to have a 508 00:46:52.365 --> 00:46:55.725 relationship with God that changes everything and for you to have a hope that is 509 00:46:55.726 --> 00:46:58.245 a future forever with God in a new heaven and new earth, 510 00:46:58.344 --> 00:46:59.445 if you haven't received that gift, 511 00:46:59.675 --> 00:47:01.285 what I'm saying doesn't make a whole lot of sense. 512 00:47:02.425 --> 00:47:05.795 You have to receive that first in order to actually believe the rest is gonna be 513 00:47:05.796 --> 00:47:08.675 real. So maybe that's where you're at today. You's gotta go, 514 00:47:08.676 --> 00:47:12.555 I gotta come to Jesus and go like I just receive you and all that you've done 515 00:47:12.556 --> 00:47:15.555 for me. I want that gift right now. 516 00:47:17.094 --> 00:47:20.635 And there's others of you who maybe it's like I just forgot how generous he was 517 00:47:21.535 --> 00:47:25.795 and I need that today. So I'll go back to him and ask again. 518 00:47:27.055 --> 00:47:30.925 Question three, who shall bring any charge against God's elect? 519 00:47:31.275 --> 00:47:33.965 It's God who justifies. So what is he saying? 520 00:47:33.966 --> 00:47:38.725 He's bringing you into the imaginary courtroom where you regularly 521 00:47:38.985 --> 00:47:43.325 and probably likely on a regular basis experience accusation where you're, 522 00:47:43.425 --> 00:47:46.645 you feel like there's charges brought against you maybe 'cause of what you know 523 00:47:46.646 --> 00:47:48.085 you've done or failed to do. 524 00:47:48.465 --> 00:47:50.485 But he's bringing you into that courtroom and he is going, 525 00:47:50.765 --> 00:47:53.125 I wanna remind you who the judge is. 526 00:47:54.635 --> 00:47:59.215 The judge of you is God. And that judge already said you're justified. 527 00:48:00.145 --> 00:48:03.855 It's already been decided before you ever made a decision, 528 00:48:03.856 --> 00:48:07.215 before you ever behaved in any particular way. He already said, 529 00:48:07.216 --> 00:48:09.335 because of what Jesus has done, if your faith is in him, 530 00:48:09.515 --> 00:48:13.255 you're already justified. You stand before the judge not guilty. 531 00:48:14.895 --> 00:48:17.915 That's really good news, . And because of this, 532 00:48:18.735 --> 00:48:22.395 as we looked at at the very beginning of Romans chapter one or chapter eight 533 00:48:22.594 --> 00:48:26.555 verse one, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 534 00:48:27.725 --> 00:48:30.105 Now, once again, if we were to only have asked the question, 535 00:48:30.395 --> 00:48:34.425 who's gonna bring a charge against us? I guarantee you we all have a list, 536 00:48:35.745 --> 00:48:39.815 right? We go, I got people who know me real well and they'd say, I've hurt them, 537 00:48:39.925 --> 00:48:42.055 I've wronged them and they could bring a charge. 538 00:48:43.215 --> 00:48:46.975 I know my own conscience does a lot, a lot of times I beat myself up. 539 00:48:47.094 --> 00:48:49.775 I I tell myself, these are the things I've done to fall short. 540 00:48:49.835 --> 00:48:53.775 And and and then the devil loves to pro pronounce on that because he's called 541 00:48:53.776 --> 00:48:58.614 the accuser of the brethren. Like he loves to accuse God's people regularly. 542 00:48:58.915 --> 00:48:59.635 So if the, 543 00:48:59.635 --> 00:49:02.935 if the question was who's gonna accuse us or who's gonna bring a charge, 544 00:49:02.955 --> 00:49:05.215 you all have a list. But he doesn't say that. 545 00:49:05.275 --> 00:49:08.175 He says Who's gonna bring any charge against God's elect? 546 00:49:08.585 --> 00:49:11.935 Which already tells you who you are? 'cause he's already justified you. 547 00:49:12.605 --> 00:49:15.585 So there's no charge to be brought 'cause you're not guilty. 548 00:49:16.445 --> 00:49:18.265 And I know that your conscience tells you otherwise, 549 00:49:18.266 --> 00:49:20.425 but I'm telling you that gospel says you're not guilty. 550 00:49:22.335 --> 00:49:26.125 It's amazing news. Gosh, I need that daily. 551 00:49:27.325 --> 00:49:30.844 'cause I can tell you a lot of reasons why I feel guilty for ways in which I've 552 00:49:30.845 --> 00:49:31.678 fallen short. 553 00:49:32.364 --> 00:49:35.825 But no accusation is gonna stand before God because God's already chosen and 554 00:49:36.185 --> 00:49:37.825 justified us, not based upon what we've done, 555 00:49:37.826 --> 00:49:40.425 but based upon what Jesus has done for you and me. 556 00:49:42.125 --> 00:49:44.985 So who's to condemn? He continues next question. He says, 557 00:49:44.995 --> 00:49:47.065 Jesus Christ is the one who died. 558 00:49:47.765 --> 00:49:52.545 And more than that he was raised And even more he's at the right hand of 559 00:49:52.685 --> 00:49:56.175 God who is interceding for us. What is he saying? 560 00:49:57.155 --> 00:50:00.535 We know the end of the story. All humanity is gonna stand before Jesus. 561 00:50:00.594 --> 00:50:01.427 The righteous judge. 562 00:50:01.485 --> 00:50:06.305 He's the only human who can righteously judge humans 'cause he's the only 563 00:50:06.315 --> 00:50:09.825 human who perfectly lived out the righteousness. We can't. 564 00:50:10.485 --> 00:50:14.145 So he can stand in a right place of judgment and go, you're measured to me. 565 00:50:14.525 --> 00:50:17.975 How well did you do compared to me? That's the measurement. 566 00:50:18.475 --> 00:50:21.295 We all love to compare ourselves around other people and go like, 567 00:50:21.296 --> 00:50:23.535 well at least I'm not as bad as them. That's not the standard. 568 00:50:23.915 --> 00:50:25.815 The standard isn't your neighbor or somebody else. 569 00:50:25.995 --> 00:50:29.205 The standard is Jesus Christ who lived the human life in our place. 570 00:50:29.465 --> 00:50:32.685 And those of us who are in Christ get what he did for us in our place. 571 00:50:33.105 --> 00:50:36.285 So when we stand before Jesus, we'll stand with his righteous, not our own. 572 00:50:37.465 --> 00:50:40.685 But everyone will stand before Jesus as the judge. 573 00:50:41.225 --> 00:50:43.445 And the good news is for those who have put their faith in him, 574 00:50:43.446 --> 00:50:45.245 he's not just the judge, he's also the advocate. 575 00:50:45.715 --> 00:50:50.325 He's the one making your case for why you can stand and not be condemned. 576 00:50:51.075 --> 00:50:52.605 Just like Romans eight, three said, 577 00:50:52.705 --> 00:50:57.165 God condemned our sin in the very physical body of Jesus 578 00:50:57.985 --> 00:50:58.965 and in so doing us, 579 00:50:58.995 --> 00:51:03.725 he's redeemed us from the curse of our sin and the condemnation that our sin 580 00:51:03.726 --> 00:51:04.559 deserves. 581 00:51:04.825 --> 00:51:08.685 But not only did he die and therefore can be our righteous advocate of someone 582 00:51:08.686 --> 00:51:10.405 who lived perfectly and died in our place, 583 00:51:10.665 --> 00:51:14.805 but he was also raised to new life by the Father. That's really important. 584 00:51:15.065 --> 00:51:18.445 The father raised him up 'cause the father said the wage of sin is death and you 585 00:51:18.446 --> 00:51:18.926 paid for it. 586 00:51:18.926 --> 00:51:23.485 So you get to be raised from dead to alive in a new resurrection reality. 587 00:51:23.705 --> 00:51:27.125 So that all who put their faith in you will also get the same reality. 588 00:51:27.126 --> 00:51:30.165 They'll be raised from dead to alive. Not because they did it, 589 00:51:30.285 --> 00:51:33.844 but 'cause the Father raised them up by the spirit because of what Jesus did for 590 00:51:33.845 --> 00:51:35.335 you and me. I mean, 591 00:51:35.336 --> 00:51:39.935 isn't that good news that you actually get full acceptance when Jesus' 592 00:51:40.175 --> 00:51:43.295 resurrection is like the, is like the the paid in full deposit, 593 00:51:44.175 --> 00:51:46.775 that it's already been paid but the deposit of the spirit comes into your life 594 00:51:46.935 --> 00:51:50.175 to say he paid for you and he paid for you and he paid for. 595 00:51:50.176 --> 00:51:53.255 It's like Oprah like and you get one and you get one and you get one. 596 00:51:53.255 --> 00:51:54.335 Like that's what's happened. 597 00:51:55.515 --> 00:51:59.535 And he's not only raised but he is raised to the right hand of God where he is 598 00:51:59.536 --> 00:52:00.855 interceding for you and me. 599 00:52:01.265 --> 00:52:05.895 Which means he's constantly making advocacy for you and me through what he's 600 00:52:05.896 --> 00:52:09.695 done for us. Jesus is constantly praying for you. 601 00:52:11.065 --> 00:52:13.405 If your faith is in him, he has been praying for you, 602 00:52:13.594 --> 00:52:17.165 he's been praying for you during this message that this will be true to your 603 00:52:17.166 --> 00:52:19.965 heart. Robert McShane said, 604 00:52:19.966 --> 00:52:22.485 if I knew that Christ were in the next room praying for me, 605 00:52:23.085 --> 00:52:26.565 I would not fear a thousand enemies. He is 606 00:52:28.525 --> 00:52:31.385 so who is there to condemn No one, 607 00:52:33.844 --> 00:52:38.705 no one can bring an accusation against you because Jesus's 608 00:52:38.706 --> 00:52:42.825 word of forgiveness and justification will always trump everybody else's word of 609 00:52:42.826 --> 00:52:44.785 accusation, including your own. 610 00:52:47.285 --> 00:52:51.765 I had a guy who used to come to me after I was preaching in Seattle often and he 611 00:52:51.766 --> 00:52:52.885 would come to me afterwards. He goes, you know I, 612 00:52:53.205 --> 00:52:54.364 I love it when you say this stuff, 613 00:52:54.365 --> 00:52:57.765 but I'm just telling you I can't believe it not for me. 614 00:52:59.485 --> 00:53:01.925 And I said, why? And he said, 'cause you don't know what I've done. 615 00:53:03.665 --> 00:53:04.765 If you knew what I've done, 616 00:53:04.864 --> 00:53:09.065 you would not believe for a minute that God would forgive me. And I said, 617 00:53:09.066 --> 00:53:14.065 what have you done? I, I said, tell me it all. And he did. 618 00:53:15.585 --> 00:53:20.025 And I said, that is really bad. He said, see I told you. I go, oh, 619 00:53:20.045 --> 00:53:22.705 I'm not saying he can't forgive, I'm just saying you are right. 620 00:53:22.735 --> 00:53:25.080 What you've done is really bad by the way, way, 621 00:53:25.175 --> 00:53:28.445 let's not diminish sin so that we can somehow make the savior small 622 00:53:31.114 --> 00:53:36.105 right by, by making sin less we make Jesus less. And I said, 623 00:53:36.106 --> 00:53:38.425 your problem isn't that you believe you sin too much. 624 00:53:38.426 --> 00:53:40.545 Your problem is that you believe your sin is bigger than his grace. 625 00:53:41.295 --> 00:53:43.145 Your problem is that you believe that your, 626 00:53:43.146 --> 00:53:45.665 your behavior is stronger than what he accomplished. 627 00:53:46.165 --> 00:53:48.745 You actually just believe you're bigger than Jesus. That's your problem. 628 00:53:49.045 --> 00:53:52.795 You believe you're bigger than God. So let's call that pride. 629 00:53:53.585 --> 00:53:57.195 Your problem is pride but it's not. It's not pride that you've sinned too much. 630 00:53:57.265 --> 00:54:00.275 It's pride that you think your sin is bigger than God's grace. 631 00:54:01.215 --> 00:54:04.114 Please don't make god's small, small, 632 00:54:04.135 --> 00:54:06.555 let your sin be big but he's way bigger than your sin. 633 00:54:06.895 --> 00:54:10.995 Let your sin be what it really is. It is rebellion, it's broken, it's not right. 634 00:54:11.455 --> 00:54:14.395 But his grace is so much bigger than our sin. 635 00:54:16.905 --> 00:54:19.405 He said, man, I don't know if I can believe that. I said, 636 00:54:19.406 --> 00:54:24.215 I'm gonna keep telling you it until you, he disappeared for a while. 637 00:54:24.216 --> 00:54:28.495 And then I remember a few years later actually I was preaching and got done and 638 00:54:28.496 --> 00:54:32.975 he came. I saw him walking down the aisle and he was not the same man. 639 00:54:33.965 --> 00:54:34.656 I'll tell you what, 640 00:54:34.656 --> 00:54:37.695 people who are riddled with guilt and think their sin is so bad that they can't 641 00:54:37.696 --> 00:54:41.795 even come before God who loved them while they were a sinner. 642 00:54:42.575 --> 00:54:46.114 You can see it on him. And when he walked down the aisle, I'm like, 643 00:54:46.115 --> 00:54:49.995 this is a new man. And he came up to me, he goes, I believe it. 644 00:54:51.555 --> 00:54:53.435 I believe that his grace is bigger than my sin. 645 00:54:54.035 --> 00:54:57.235 I believe that what Jesus has done is more, is bigger than what I've done. 646 00:54:58.395 --> 00:55:00.635 And he goes, I'm, I'm a different person. I go, 647 00:55:00.675 --> 00:55:05.485 I can tell you don't look the same. If you look forgiven, 648 00:55:06.705 --> 00:55:10.295 you look free. I want you to hear this. 649 00:55:11.555 --> 00:55:15.935 You can't outs send his grace and you can't overextend his love. 650 00:55:18.855 --> 00:55:21.775 His grace is big enough for everything you'll you've ever done and will ever do 651 00:55:22.075 --> 00:55:23.415 no matter how many times you do it. 652 00:55:24.035 --> 00:55:28.655 And his love is long enough and strong enough because he is love that it'll 653 00:55:28.656 --> 00:55:31.215 never run out. Which is the next question. 654 00:55:31.755 --> 00:55:35.495 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? This question, 655 00:55:35.735 --> 00:55:36.815 I think Paul is now gonna go, 656 00:55:36.844 --> 00:55:40.375 he's just gonna wax eloquent in poetry because I think he wants you to 657 00:55:40.376 --> 00:55:44.415 understand this rhetoric. Rhetorical question has so much depth to it. 658 00:55:45.594 --> 00:55:49.215 So he just starts going like he, he just wants it to sing deep in our hearts. 659 00:55:49.216 --> 00:55:52.775 I think he wants you to feel the depths of God's love. So you just go like, 660 00:55:52.776 --> 00:55:56.535 okay, I get it, I get it, I get it. More, more, more, more. Give me more. 661 00:55:56.895 --> 00:56:00.415 And he goes, sell tribulation or distress or persecution. 662 00:56:00.445 --> 00:56:02.535 He's addressing all the pressures that we feel, 663 00:56:02.594 --> 00:56:07.535 all the pain we go through or famine or nakedness dealing with our basic 664 00:56:07.585 --> 00:56:11.535 needs and what we feel like we don't have enough or danger or sword. 665 00:56:11.635 --> 00:56:14.415 And you know in their day they have the real possibility that Christians are 666 00:56:14.416 --> 00:56:18.415 gonna suffer and die for their faith. In Paul's time we may not experience that, 667 00:56:18.416 --> 00:56:21.135 but we still experience danger. We still experience threats, 668 00:56:21.235 --> 00:56:22.975 we still experience great fear. 669 00:56:24.225 --> 00:56:27.005 And then he quotes Psalm 44 22, 670 00:56:28.155 --> 00:56:31.505 which is depicting the persecution that Israel is going through by the nations. 671 00:56:31.506 --> 00:56:33.545 And he says, as it is written for your sake, 672 00:56:33.565 --> 00:56:35.185 we are being killed all the day long. 673 00:56:35.725 --> 00:56:39.265 We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. And what Paul is doing here is, 674 00:56:39.445 --> 00:56:41.385 is using a rabbinical tactic. 675 00:56:41.705 --> 00:56:45.425 A a rabbi to his students would often quote one verse and then they would, 676 00:56:45.735 --> 00:56:48.225 they would, he would expect that they could quote the rest of the chapter. 677 00:56:50.315 --> 00:56:53.895 And the rest of the chapter basically is them crying out for God to save them. 678 00:56:54.955 --> 00:56:58.094 And what he is trying to say I think is you ever get in those places where 679 00:56:58.095 --> 00:57:01.295 you're just so desperate, you're like, I feel like a sheep before a slaughter. 680 00:57:01.335 --> 00:57:04.135 I feel like I'm getting beat up. I feel like I can't take it anymore. 681 00:57:04.215 --> 00:57:05.775 I feel like I'm at the end of myself. 682 00:57:05.855 --> 00:57:10.335 I don't know if I can make it through this. Does God know? Does God see? 683 00:57:10.525 --> 00:57:14.015 Does God care? Does he love me? And by the way, 684 00:57:14.016 --> 00:57:15.215 that's where some of you are at today. 685 00:57:15.315 --> 00:57:19.975 And I'm just telling you cry out to him 'cause his love never 686 00:57:20.225 --> 00:57:23.805 fails. That's, and that's what Paul is saying, he's going like, 687 00:57:23.806 --> 00:57:25.125 if that's where you find yourself, 688 00:57:25.315 --> 00:57:29.565 just understand there was a sheep who was slaughtered for you and I so that we 689 00:57:29.566 --> 00:57:32.165 can go through what we're experiencing and have the one who overcame, 690 00:57:32.345 --> 00:57:34.205 be the one who helps us and joins us in. 691 00:57:34.206 --> 00:57:38.765 It feels what we feel understands what we're going through and can be with us 692 00:57:38.905 --> 00:57:43.815 the entire time. A lot of times God's not gonna get you outta your troubles, 693 00:57:43.816 --> 00:57:46.375 but he's gonna make sure he's in it with you while you go through your troubles. 694 00:57:47.115 --> 00:57:49.295 And I've had those seasons honestly myself, 695 00:57:49.825 --> 00:57:54.415 where at times I felt like so much despair and yet I have somebody. 696 00:57:54.935 --> 00:57:58.895 'cause what does Paul say? He says no in, not in the not. 697 00:57:58.896 --> 00:58:02.735 Once you get through it, in the midst of it, while you're going through it, 698 00:58:02.955 --> 00:58:05.095 in the midst of all these things, 699 00:58:06.145 --> 00:58:09.855 we're more than conquers through him and not through your own triumphalism. 700 00:58:09.915 --> 00:58:12.255 Not through your own, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps. 701 00:58:12.256 --> 00:58:17.215 Not because you strive no through him we are not conquerors 'cause 702 00:58:17.255 --> 00:58:17.705 we conquer, 703 00:58:17.705 --> 00:58:22.335 we're conquerors 'cause he conquers and through him we are more than 704 00:58:22.336 --> 00:58:25.215 conquerors 'cause he loved us. 705 00:58:28.045 --> 00:58:31.765 So you and I can experience victory in the midst of suffering and trial because 706 00:58:31.825 --> 00:58:35.605 we know the one who experienced the greatest trials of them all. 707 00:58:37.275 --> 00:58:40.415 And even in the midst of his greatest trial, he cries out, father, forgive them. 708 00:58:40.416 --> 00:58:41.455 They don't know what they're doing. 709 00:58:43.485 --> 00:58:45.895 Nothing is gonna thwart his purpose for your life. 710 00:58:46.685 --> 00:58:50.735 Paul has already said God cause all things to work together for the good of 711 00:58:50.736 --> 00:58:52.335 those who love him and are called according to his purpose. 712 00:58:52.755 --> 00:58:57.455 I'm telling you nothing, no one and nothing are gonna thwart his purpose. 713 00:58:57.915 --> 00:59:01.695 He will do it and we will make it. I promise you, 714 00:59:07.025 --> 00:59:08.805 you may suffer, you may experience loss. 715 00:59:09.705 --> 00:59:11.645 You may feel like a sheep's being slaughtered, 716 00:59:13.365 --> 00:59:15.785 but in the end nothing's gonna separate you from his love. 717 00:59:16.785 --> 00:59:20.285 And he continues ending it this way. I'm sure that neither death nor life. 718 00:59:20.485 --> 00:59:21.318 And I just wanna pause there. 719 00:59:21.765 --> 00:59:23.805 I notice that I love that he says neither death nor life because you're like, 720 00:59:23.806 --> 00:59:27.325 yeah, I'm gonna die. But he also says life. In other words, even how you live, 721 00:59:27.795 --> 00:59:30.805 some of you go on, yeah, but you don't know how I live. I mean I, I, 722 00:59:31.005 --> 00:59:33.965 I I could blow it and he'd stop loving me. Nope. Not even the way you live. 723 00:59:35.615 --> 00:59:39.305 That's not gonna make him stop loving you. He loved you while you were a rebel. 724 00:59:39.995 --> 00:59:44.455 He'll love you when you fail. Nor angels or rulers, nor things present, 725 00:59:44.515 --> 00:59:46.255 nor things to come, nor powers nor height, 726 00:59:46.315 --> 00:59:51.295 nor depth nor anything else in all of creation will be able to 727 00:59:51.495 --> 00:59:55.135 separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. 728 00:59:56.835 --> 01:00:01.335 Is that good news to you? It is. 729 01:00:05.355 --> 01:00:07.335 If you are in Christ, this is all true for you. 730 01:00:09.655 --> 01:00:11.515 The end of your life won't be an end to his love. 731 01:00:12.495 --> 01:00:14.475 The ways you fail in this life won't take away his love. 732 01:00:15.535 --> 01:00:18.635 No authority in heaven and on earth can rob you of his love. 733 01:00:19.905 --> 01:00:24.055 What you're going through right now is not evidence that he doesn't love you. 734 01:00:24.595 --> 01:00:27.415 Please hear this 'cause there's a false gospel out there that says if 735 01:00:27.416 --> 01:00:28.335 everything's going really well, 736 01:00:28.336 --> 01:00:30.975 it's 'cause your faith is strong enough and therefore God's rewarding your 737 01:00:30.976 --> 01:00:35.965 faith. That is a false gospel. Like we call it the prosperity gospel. 738 01:00:36.065 --> 01:00:39.125 The true gospel is God blesses you when you don't deserve it. 739 01:00:39.905 --> 01:00:43.845 And sometimes you suffer when you don't deserve it too. Again, 740 01:00:43.846 --> 01:00:46.285 it's a mystery job's, friends were messed up. 741 01:00:46.286 --> 01:00:47.525 They tried to figure out what was wrong. 742 01:00:47.595 --> 01:00:49.565 They didn't know what was going on in the heavenly realms. 743 01:00:52.175 --> 01:00:54.995 Same for you. Don't try to figure it out. 744 01:00:54.996 --> 01:00:59.315 Don't try to ha bolster more faith to be able to somehow change the outcomes. 745 01:01:00.245 --> 01:01:02.315 Trust in God who will control the outcome. 746 01:01:02.455 --> 01:01:04.115 And if it means it's hard for a long time, 747 01:01:04.116 --> 01:01:08.455 just know that that won't suffer you from his love. He's still with you. 748 01:01:08.555 --> 01:01:11.575 He still loves you. He's still for you. He is not against you. 749 01:01:15.135 --> 01:01:19.355 No one can condemn you and nothing can separate you 750 01:01:19.945 --> 01:01:23.315 from the love of God in Christ Jesus. No one and nothing. 751 01:01:24.795 --> 01:01:29.275 I'm gonna say it again. No one and nothing. No one in your life, 752 01:01:30.215 --> 01:01:34.885 no one in the heavenly realms and nothing you do or fail to do 753 01:01:35.195 --> 01:01:40.165 will ever God's purposes for your salvation, for your sanctification, 754 01:01:40.166 --> 01:01:42.485 which is you becoming more like Jesus and your glorification. 755 01:01:42.825 --> 01:01:47.645 You will be like him in the end. Rest in that. 756 01:01:49.325 --> 01:01:52.925 I think Paul is wanting to end chapter eight with the sense of like, 757 01:01:53.315 --> 01:01:56.845 just take a big breath and go whew. 758 01:01:58.485 --> 01:02:03.185 That's for me. And don't just rest in it. Revel in it. Like just 759 01:02:04.885 --> 01:02:07.185 do what Paul did. I pray that the depths of your heart, 760 01:02:07.186 --> 01:02:09.945 that your heart would know the depths of this love, the width of this love, 761 01:02:09.965 --> 01:02:13.905 the breadth of this love. Like we have yet to understand how good it is. 762 01:02:14.065 --> 01:02:18.505 I promise you it'll take us all eternity to celebrate it. It's so good. 763 01:02:20.975 --> 01:02:23.705 So how do we respond? First, 764 01:02:23.785 --> 01:02:27.465 I pray you learn to worship Jesus more and more because of this. 765 01:02:28.255 --> 01:02:32.625 Like he's the hero of this whole story, not us. This is meant to move you. 766 01:02:32.655 --> 01:02:35.065 It's meant to stir you. In fact, I'll tell you this, 767 01:02:35.265 --> 01:02:37.425 whatever you give your attention to, you also give your affections to. 768 01:02:38.285 --> 01:02:42.065 And that's called worship. And if we keep attending ourselves to this truth, 769 01:02:42.475 --> 01:02:44.945 we'll grow in our affections for Christ who did it for us. 770 01:02:45.685 --> 01:02:48.305 And when you grow in your worship and it captures your affections, 771 01:02:48.535 --> 01:02:49.785 then it changes your behavior. 772 01:02:50.525 --> 01:02:52.545 And that's the second thing that we're gonna do is not we're gonna, 773 01:02:52.546 --> 01:02:53.745 we're gonna worship, but we're also, 774 01:02:53.875 --> 01:02:58.465 we're gonna also have this sense of we don't get overly discouraged when we're 775 01:02:58.466 --> 01:03:01.945 in hopeless situations 'cause we aren't hopeless. 'cause we have, 776 01:03:02.005 --> 01:03:06.385 we know at the end it, he's going to win and you're going to overcome. 777 01:03:07.645 --> 01:03:08.478 And then third, 778 01:03:09.085 --> 01:03:13.905 let this embolden you for the mission of making disciples, 779 01:03:13.906 --> 01:03:17.505 of letting this world know that they have good news if they'll turn to Christ. 780 01:03:18.845 --> 01:03:23.385 Ray Orland said this, the felt love of God. When we really feel this, 781 01:03:23.585 --> 01:03:27.385 when we really get it, when at a guttural sense, we know it's true. 782 01:03:28.805 --> 01:03:31.345 The felt love of God makes heroic Christians. 783 01:03:33.865 --> 01:03:35.245 If you read to the end of Romans, 784 01:03:35.246 --> 01:03:37.485 you get introduced to Paul's entire missionary team. 785 01:03:38.315 --> 01:03:41.565 Most people believe that he was in his sixties when he was writing this from a 786 01:03:41.566 --> 01:03:45.045 jail. And if you know much about Paul's writings, 787 01:03:45.046 --> 01:03:49.765 he was anticipating getting to go to another city eventually a 60-year-old in 788 01:03:49.766 --> 01:03:50.965 that day and age. That was like, you're, 789 01:03:50.966 --> 01:03:54.875 you're on your deathbed 'cause of medical conditions and all that. 790 01:03:55.135 --> 01:03:58.075 And he commends this whole team. And what I think Paul's doing, he's going like, 791 01:03:58.175 --> 01:04:00.435 you need to know that the team that I get to do this with, 792 01:04:00.436 --> 01:04:05.075 they all believe this so confidently and securely that they were willing to 793 01:04:05.076 --> 01:04:07.835 leave home for it. They were willing to spend their lives on it. 794 01:04:07.836 --> 01:04:09.595 They're willing to spend their resources on it. 795 01:04:09.596 --> 01:04:11.275 They're willing to give everything for it. 796 01:04:12.275 --> 01:04:14.835 'cause when you get it that at that level you'll say, Jesus, 797 01:04:14.836 --> 01:04:16.675 here I am semi me and I don't care where it is, 798 01:04:16.676 --> 01:04:20.075 but I will go because what you did for me. And I want the world to know, 799 01:04:20.975 --> 01:04:25.315 it leads to heroic Christians who are willing to go out on this mission no 800 01:04:25.316 --> 01:04:28.955 matter the cost. Because we know we're rich, we know we're safe, 801 01:04:29.415 --> 01:04:31.995 we know we're loved, we know we'll never be condemned. 802 01:04:31.996 --> 01:04:34.435 And we know that we're gonna be there in the end when it's all done. 803 01:04:34.436 --> 01:04:39.135 And we're all gonna say he won. So here's the question, 804 01:04:39.245 --> 01:04:40.655 have they captured your heart? 805 01:04:41.685 --> 01:04:46.095 Have these questions sunk deeply for you? Like that's what I wanna, 806 01:04:46.175 --> 01:04:49.135 I wanna respond tonight together. I would love if you just, 807 01:04:49.136 --> 01:04:52.295 if you'd be willing to bow your head and close your eyes just so you can have a 808 01:04:52.296 --> 01:04:56.495 little personal space. And what I'm gonna do is I'm just gonna, 809 01:04:57.355 --> 01:05:02.015 I'm gonna restate each question and I want you to at least think of it, 810 01:05:02.355 --> 01:05:05.375 try to connect with at least one. You might need all five of 'em today, , 811 01:05:06.235 --> 01:05:10.095 but I want you to personalize them because I think that's what Paul wants us to 812 01:05:10.096 --> 01:05:13.215 learn to do is this is almost like a catechism for life. 813 01:05:13.555 --> 01:05:18.155 How we're gonna get through this one. So the first one, and again, 814 01:05:18.156 --> 01:05:20.955 if this is the one you need to say I, I just want you to personalize it. 815 01:05:21.135 --> 01:05:25.865 So if God's for me Who can be against me, 816 01:05:27.695 --> 01:05:29.955 if you wanna say that quietly, if you even wanna say it out loud, 817 01:05:30.455 --> 01:05:31.715 that's the one you need right now. 818 01:05:31.975 --> 01:05:35.575 If God's for me who can be against me? 819 01:05:38.835 --> 01:05:42.775 Second, if he didn't spare his own son, 820 01:05:43.315 --> 01:05:44.775 but he gave him up for us all, 821 01:05:44.875 --> 01:05:48.095 how will he not also with him graciously give me all things. 822 01:05:53.685 --> 01:05:58.475 Third, who's gonna bring any charge against me? 823 01:05:59.585 --> 01:06:02.715 It's God who is the one who justifies. 824 01:06:03.855 --> 01:06:07.515 And I'm his elect chosen by him 825 01:06:11.565 --> 01:06:15.875 who's there to condemn me. Jesus Christ. 826 01:06:15.876 --> 01:06:20.795 The judge is not gonna, who's left in my life that's got a bigger word, 827 01:06:21.155 --> 01:06:22.875 a bigger voice than Jesus. 828 01:06:26.455 --> 01:06:31.275 And can anything or anyone separate me from the love of God 829 01:06:31.276 --> 01:06:32.155 in Christ Jesus? 830 01:06:38.365 --> 01:06:41.325 The answer is no one and nothing. 831 01:06:43.105 --> 01:06:45.125 Father, would you help us to believe this? 832 01:06:47.395 --> 01:06:48.725 Help us with our unbelief. 833 01:06:52.115 --> 01:06:56.965 Help us to so deeply believe that you are for us, that you are with us, 834 01:06:57.075 --> 01:07:01.685 that you overcome and that you will never reject us 835 01:07:02.305 --> 01:07:06.805 and you'll never leave us. Oh, help us to believe these truths. 836 01:07:08.275 --> 01:07:12.815 No one in nothing can thwart what you are doing and what you will do. 837 01:07:14.135 --> 01:07:17.895 And we thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. 838 01:07:28.695 --> 01:07:33.245 Thank you Jeff, for sharing those powerful truths of God's word with us. 839 01:07:34.305 --> 01:07:36.845 You know, I like how Jeff, toward the end, he said, 840 01:07:37.745 --> 01:07:40.405 the appropriate response to all of these truths, 841 01:07:40.505 --> 01:07:44.565 to all of the questions answered and know when nothing is worship. 842 01:07:45.745 --> 01:07:50.485 And one of the ways that we believe we worship as Christ followers is through 843 01:07:50.555 --> 01:07:51.388 song. 844 01:07:51.645 --> 01:07:55.925 And another way is through reading his word and prayer and another way asking 845 01:07:56.285 --> 01:08:00.085 questions. As Jeff said, another way is through our financial giving. 846 01:08:00.865 --> 01:08:02.725 And I was reminded in that second question, 847 01:08:02.865 --> 01:08:05.685 he who did not even spare his own son, 848 01:08:07.395 --> 01:08:10.845 He's willing and able to give us all things. Here's the deal, 849 01:08:11.185 --> 01:08:12.845 we will never outgive God. 850 01:08:13.585 --> 01:08:18.564 And so our giving financially from that act of stewardship that he's placed 851 01:08:18.565 --> 01:08:23.125 in our hands, we get to worship him through our financial giving. 852 01:08:23.425 --> 01:08:27.205 My family and I do that through just direct deposits, online giving. 853 01:08:27.705 --> 01:08:30.205 And there's multiple ways we don't take up an offering here at hope, 854 01:08:30.206 --> 01:08:33.925 but there's multiple ways to give. You can see those ways there on the screen. 855 01:08:34.805 --> 01:08:37.725 I wanna thank you so much for coming and being a part of this service. 856 01:08:37.775 --> 01:08:39.285 Thank you for joining us online. 857 01:08:39.705 --> 01:08:43.325 If there's any way that we can help any of you take next steps, 858 01:08:43.385 --> 01:08:45.805 please stop by next steps. Let us know if you're new. 859 01:08:46.115 --> 01:08:48.645 Stop by next steps teachers, please reminder, 860 01:08:49.075 --> 01:08:53.045 text the word Teach to 7 2 9 8 9 so we can know you, 861 01:08:53.064 --> 01:08:56.325 we can pray for you and teachers. Please stop by next steps as well. 862 01:08:56.326 --> 01:08:58.885 We've got a small little gift of appreciation for you. 863 01:08:59.265 --> 01:09:00.645 Thanks for being here today. 864 01:09:00.835 --> 01:09:03.205 Have a great week and we look forward to seeing you next week.