“You are no longer condemned.” That is the opening line of what has been called the crowing jewel of the book that is often called the pinnacle of the New Testament: Romans 8. And it opens with, “You are no longer condemned.” How does that phrase make you feel about yourself? About God? “You are no longer condemned.” We all have times when peace is fleeting, when hope is a phantom. When life’s pressures mount, when our sins and failures are put on display. When joy seems so buried it would take a lifetime just to uncover it. And in those times, our first thought is often, “How did I screw this up?” “What did I do wrong?” “I’m sorry, God.” We often don’t quite know how to let this opening line settle into our soul and quiet the accumulating accusations of failure that condemn us throughout our life. Therefore, we often don’t experience what Romans 8:1 is saying to us on the page of God’s written Word. Let’s read the whole passage together and ask God to help us see what He has for us in here this morning.

Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed Him, for they were all expecting Him. Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with Him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on His way, the crowds almost crushed Him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against You.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched Me; I know that power has gone out from Me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed. Then He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” When he arrived at the house of Jairus, He did not let anyone go in with Him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. But He took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but He ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened. - Luke 8:40-56 (ft. Tim Sin, English Ministry Pastor at New Life Mission Church).

We are in a three-week series getting ready for summer, looking at three things in our relationship with God that are easy to let fall away this summer. What if our summer was intentional and purposeful for, yes, recreation, but also something greater than that? We have talked about Giving and Growing, and today we are talking about an area that we also often forget about in the summer—Going. Going to those around us as messengers of the hope that we have found in Christ. If you are a follower of Christ here this morning, then just like the topics of the past two weeks there is something unnatural about talking to others about the hope that we have in Jesus; something intimidating. But unlike the past two weeks, there is also something more natural about it. Giving and resting don’t come naturally to us. But spending time with people is natural for most of us during the summer because summer is a natural time to hang out with those we love and like. So in a way, we just need to let Jesus work in what we are already doing, rather than adding something new to our lives. This morning I want to look at why Scripture says we share Christ with those around us. And why sharing the hope we have with others is something relatively easy to do. And at the same time, why sharing the hope we have with others is always really hard to do.

We are in a three-week series on how to thrive in three areas that typically fall by the wayside in our walk with God over the summer. Last week was Giving; this week is Growing. We will only grow in summer by having a proper view of rest. In the Bible, rest is an invitation by God into something more than just ceasing from labor or of just substituting recreation for work. God both calls us and commands us to rest in a deeper way than we thought possible. In the bible, rest a gif; it is purposeful and sacred. It is what the Bible calls Sabbath. I am convinced that true, Biblical rest is a spiritual habit that the people of God in the suburbs need to develop if we are going to look more like Jesus ourselves and help others to know Jesus well. Let’s take a look at some texts in the Bible that talk about the specific kind of rest called Sabbath rest.

We will be in a three-week series looking at maintaining a healthy walk with God this summer in three areas that we tend to let go over the summer: Giving, Growing, and Going. This morning I want to talk about giving and generosity. Why talk about money and giving at all? For one, Jesus talked about money and generosity more or nearly more than any other topic in His recorded ministry; He spoke of money more than the topics of faith and prayer combined. 11 of His 40 parables were about money or used money as a way to teach us spiritual truths. And yet Jesus never pursued wealth or money Himself, and didn’t even have a place to lay His head or many earthly possessions. He depended on the giving of others Scripture says. The other reason we need to talk about money is that it is flat out important; money is a huge part of our lives. Most of the worry and anxiety in our lives is caused by wondering if we have enough of it. Arguments over it are among the leading causes for marital, friendship, family and roommate problems. It is the reason for most of society’s crimes. It's been called The Root of all evil but also the means of great good! So no matter how much of it we have or what we decide to do with it, the one thing we can’t afford to ignore, and the one thing we can all agree on, is that money is important! I know there can be some different attitudes on giving and finances. Maybe you are a follower of Jesus but have heard money talked about poorly or abusively by the church. Or maybe you are not a follower of Jesus and your impression of Christians and churches is that they just want your money. But let me say this: It’s important that we filter our past experience through what Jesus actually says about money in His Word rather than filtering God’s Word through our past experiences.

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom He loved. God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to Him a psalm of praise. God reigns over the nations; God is seated on His holy throne. The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God, He is greatly exalted. (ft. Aaron Ellis, Worship Director at Deer Creek Church).

Last week we looked at the glorious truth of Romans 6 that all those in Christ Jesus are no longer slaves to sin. We don’t have to obey it anymore. We can be alive to God in Christ Jesus and live as a new creation. And yet, I still struggle with doing things I don’t want to do. I still struggle with some of my past sins even as I consider myself a deep follower of Jesus. So what’s the deal? If sin is no longer my master, and the Bible keeps telling me I am free to pursue the goodness and righteousness of Christ, why does my life still seem like a tug of war between victory and failure? A battle between my sin and Christ’s righteousness? Is my life really an equal struggle between sin and obedience? Is it anyone’s guess which one wins on any given day? Is there any reason why I am a patient father one day, and a grouchy perfectionist parent the next? Why am I jealous, vindictive and insecure one moment, and full of faith the next? Let’s see what God’s Word says as we proceed to Romans 7.

Medical studies over the years of single, double and triple bypass heart patients, post-surgery, have found an astounding truth. Nearly 90% of heart bypass patients return to their former lifestyle and eating habits post-surgery despite the doctor’s warnings that doing so could lead to death. Why would they go back to something that they now know most certainly will lead to death? The Bible says we treat sin the same way we do many of these kinds of things. We keep returning to old things we swore we would never do again. We just celebrated Easter together; the wonderful truth of Jesus triumphantly leaving the tomb. And yet we so often willingly crawl back into the tomb of the sins that lead us into death even though we have been raised to new life with Christ. This morning we are back in our series on the book of Romans, looking at Chapter 6.

Christians call Easter Sunday “Resurrection Sunday” and celebrate Easter as the day when the resurrection of Jesus took place, after He lay three days in the tomb. Christians are the only people in the world who visit the grave of the founder of their faith, knowing full well that He isn’t there. On Easter Sunday, even amid the chaos and uncertainty in the world, Christians come to church and say to one another, “He is risen!” And others respond, “He is risen indeed!” What a strange thing to say. It’s a safe hope to hope for the coming of spring every year. We expect springtime to come every year just after Easter. But to hope for resurrection is a little more risky. We don’t expect resurrection to follow death. So this morning, let’s take a look at that first Easter account and what it means for the human condition. Because the one word you will hear a lot around Easter is “hope.” Today we celebrate the day that everything we thought we knew changed. And Christians don’t just say “He is risen!” on Easter hoping that if they say it enough it will come true; the Bible claims that this really happened. In fact, all but one of the original followers of Jesus were killed for telling others about what they saw that first Easter and for sticking to their story, claiming that death doesn’t have to be the end. And they beg us to listen to what they saw.

Have you ever experienced a case of mistaken identity? Maybe someone mistook you for someone else, or maybe the other way around. Mistaken identity almost always leads to disappointment. Today is the Sunday before Easter that Christians call Palm Sunday. Palm Sunday was a celebration, but really it is all about mistaken identity. Crowds of people gathered outside of Jerusalem waiting for the arrival of Jesus, ready to shout “Hosanna!” But most of them were missing who He really was. Some cases of mistaken identity don’t really matter much, but for the crowds lining the streets on that first Palm Sunday, mistaking the identity of Jesus could cost them everything. In fact it would be many from this same crowd calling for and celebrating the crucifixion of Jesus just one week later. The book of Matthew records the events leading up to Palm Sunday to help us not make the same mistake with Jesus’ identity. So let’s take a look together.

Everyone loves a good love story. And all good stories, and especially all good love stories, have a moment of tension or uncertainty when all could be lost. We love stories of people being pursued and loved against all odds. Or stories of an epic hero or champion fighting to protect those they love. An orphan girl finding out who her real father is after a lifetime of feeling abandoned. A last minute rush to the airport as the girl is about to fly away forever. The guy seeming to end up with the wrong girl all the way up to the altar. Every good love story has a moment where it seems like it all could fall apart. Last week, in the first verses of Romans 5, we got a picture of one of the greatest acts of love of all time: “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The bride in this love story was not beautiful, but marred and scarred by a lifetime of sin. In fact, she was living as an enemy of the one who loved her: “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.” The Champion in this story comes to save His enemy. And this morning in the verses that follow, the author of Romans takes us back to how that love story began. When all was held in the balance, and when all appeared lost.

In the first four chapters of Romans we have been talking about the amazing reality that the God of the universe, perfectly holy in His being and in all His actions righteous and just, with a right and good wrath against our unrighteousness, chooses to pour out His grace and mercy on those whom He saves by sending His Son to stand in our place. The verdict of heaven against our sin is “guilty” but the verdict of heaven when it sees us through the merciful sacrifice of Jesus is "righteous by faith!” What a gracious and merciful verdict from the judge of the cosmos to declare! And for these four chapters Paul has been saying that we are not made righteous by our own good works because they still fall short of the glorious perfection of God in whose presence we were created to be; rather we are saved out of the judgement of God only by faith that Jesus has paid all of our debt to God. Faith that God’s chosen sacrifice on behalf of His people is enough. The wrath of God that once rested on us has been taken away for all who accept Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. This is what is called the doctrine of justification by faith alone. But doctrine should always lead us to deeper praise, to deeper worship. So, in our chapter this morning, Romans 5, comes the “so what?” of all of that truth. What does it mean for us? It gives us peace to know that we can stand before God justified—judicially, legally, and forensically not guilty anymore by His grace and by our faith in Christ. But is that it? Does the judge of the universe free us from the penalty and guilt of sin but still look at us with contempt, suspicion or disgust? Or does the sacrifice of Christ show us something more about our relationship with God?

There are two important aspects of a trust fall: both the catcher’s A-bility and the catcher’s RELIA-bility to catch the faller. When either of these things fail, bad things happen. When it comes to trusting in God’s promises, we also need to be sure of both His ability and His reliability. Can we trust Him? Most people don’t have a problem with His A-bility (CAN He give me what He promises?) but we often have trouble with His reliability. We doubt, “WILL He give me what He promises?” When it comes to trusting in the promises of God, perhaps no one has been called on to trust God more than Abraham. Abraham’s trust of God when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac so captured the existential philosopher Soren Kierkegaard that he came to define faith as a blind leap into the absurd. But faith in God’s promises doesn’t have to be a blind leap of faith. I think we can do better. The key is knowing both God’s ability and His reliability when it comes to fulfilling His promises.

We are in the midst of studying the book of Romans in the Bible as a church family. The Bible often pits two ideas against each other when it comes to our right standing before God, our eternal life, and our being saved out of our sin and restored to life with God: these two ideas are wages and gift. A gift is something we didn’t do anything to deserve; it’s simply an act of kindness, while wages are what we are owed for our work. Why does Scripture want us to get this idea right, this difference between wages and a gift? Pastor and theologian John Calvin wrote of the doctrine of being saved by God’s grace alone and not our own work: “Whenever knowledge of grace is taken away the glory of Christ is extinguished, religion abolished, the Church destroyed, and the hope of salvation utterly overthrown.” Indeed, it is this idea of grace and justice mingled together that is so antithetical to our nature as human beings and so opposed to all other religions except that of Christ. So let’s take a look at our passage this morning.

There are two major extremes that Christians are tempted to go to when it comes to what the Bible calls the Law: some say now that God has shown us His grace and forgiveness in Jesus, we can just discard God’s Law and live free of it. Others treat God’s Law as if it should still be something to be kept in its old place where it has always been before grace came to us through Christ; something that we still need to cling to in order to make sure we will be saved. We read things like Galatians 3 that make it seem like maybe God’s Law is something we don’t need anymore. But then we also read things like James 1:25 that declares blessing for those that follow the Law. So it seems like if the Law still is perfect, and brings freedom, and gives us blessing, why would we not want to still live by it? So which is it? Can we discard the Law of God in light of grace? Or does it still have a place in our lives? And why does it even matter? Let’s continue in Romans this morning.

According to one recent Barna survey, when asked to describe Christians, 78% of Americans responded with “judgmental.” According to another survey, that number jumps to nearly 90% among Americans ages 16-29. That statement may be true but it also comes from a culture that itself judges and cancels a person without mercy for the smallest perceived infraction against the court of popular opinion. It seems that passing judgement might be a universal human problem rather than a problem only isolated to communities of faith. Why do Christians and human beings in general struggle with sitting in judgement over others? Let’s look at our passage today and see what judging others reveals about ourselves as human beings and if there is a way that the Bible says to put judgment in its proper place in our lives and in our world.

If you have been with us for the last month or so, you know we are going through a book of the Bible together as a church. And I love that because it is easy for me to figure out what to preach each week: we just go where Scripture takes us. This week, we are still in Romans 1 and it is going to talk specifically about homosexuality. And homosexuality is a difficult issue because it is such a divisive issue in the church. And it’s a prominent conversation in our culture: how should communities of faith interact with the gay community? What does the Bible say and what does it not say? Can we love those in the gay community without affirming the behavior? Or is not affirming homosexual relationships in itself an act of hate? And the modern world and increasingly the modern church have both typically had the same spectrum of responses when it comes to the issue of homosexuality: on the one hand, the response is to hate those in the gay community. And the other response is to accept, affirm and advocate for the expression of homosexuality in all of its forms in the growing acronym LGBTQIA+. I believe that the Bible does not allow us to go to either of those extremes of either hate or affirmation. But I believe the Bible and the witness of the early church presents a third way. Let’s see what that way might be together.

We are in a series going through the book of Romans together in the Bible. In Romans 1:16-17 Paul, the writer of this book of the Bible, says: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” Most commentators believe that it is the thesis statement, or the driving statement of the whole book. What does it look like to not be ashamed of the gospel? What does it look like for a follower of Christ to not be ashamed of the message of the cross? And why would a follower of Jesus be tempted to be ashamed of the gospel in the first place, if, as Paul says, it holds the power to save? Let’s look at our passage together this morning as we continue through the book of Romans.