Readings: Romans 8:26-39
Sunday 30th July. Rory
Sermon
- Chock full of inspirational quotes – I counted 6
- Why? Persecution of the Roman church
- Let’s dive in
- We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
- We don’t know if our prayers are effective
- Assurance
- We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.
- We worry about the circumstances of our lives
- Roman church was suffering under persecution and doubt
- What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- We feel vulnerable to enemies and accusers
- Simple message of assurance that is at the heart of our faith. God is for us.
- Lost sheep
- Prodigal father and son
- Jesus death and resurrection
- Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
- Romans 3:23 – All have sinned and fallen short
- Isaiah 59:2 – Our sins separate us from God
- Tension at the heart of creation – we know that we’ve fallen short, we know that we are separated from God, after all of that, is God really on our side anymore?
- Real worry.
- In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
- We fear failure through our own weakness
- On this solid foundation of assurance, we build castles of sand
- Simple message of assurance, can’t be that simple?
- Designed to add to our assurance, but inevitably end up undermining it.
- Medieval – indulgences, priestly authority
- Reformation!
- Double predestination
- Total depravity
- Communion tokens
- Altar calls strength of God’s will vs strength of our will
- It really is that simple:
- For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
