Sydney Cathedral 04/09/22 - Romans 12

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Sydney Cathedral 28/08/22 - Romans 8

 

Life Through the Spirit

8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c] And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Sydney Cathedral 21/08/22 - Romans 5

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Here are the main points...

  • Yes, the Good News for the believer (those who place their trust in Jesus Christ) is that our sins are forgiven and we will go to live with God in heaven, as part of His family, when our earthly life ends... But there's more...
  • No.1: We have peace with God. The fear we have (whether we admit it or not) of standing before a wrathful God, as we give an account of our life, is removed. No longer is their enmity between us and God. But more than that... we now have God's blessing on our lives. And when it doesn't feel like that we must remember the Gospel message - the Good News - is not based on our feelings. Nothing remove our peace with God.

  • No.2: We live in the realm of Grace, God's undeserved blessing, after we have accepted Jesus. Even when we continue to sin (something inherited from Adam and Eve's downfall in the Garden of Eden), including when we go through periods of unbelief. 

    'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
    And grace my fears relieved.
    How precious did that grace appear
    The hour I first believed.

    Through many dangers, toils and snares
    I have already come,
    'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
    And grace will lead me home.

  • No.3: We can boast in the glory of God. Which means we can have confidence in something that God provides. Namely, being restored to reflect God's glory, as we were always designed to do, before sin messed things up,
  • No.4: We have meaning in suffering. Everything bad that happens isn't God's doing. But even through those times, God will produce good. Even in our darkest moments, God will achieve his purpose for our lives.
  • No.5: We have assurance of God's love through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This isn't some feeling we have, it's been proved.  Jesus' death on the cross at Easter proves God's love by the lengths he was prepared to go to save us from the hopelessness that our sin has caused.
  • Why is this important? Because, admit it or not, every single human being longs for positive relationships (to love and be loved) and peaceful lives. Jesus, and only Jesus, can meet these needs.

The words of this hymn, sung in the service, sums it all up...

How deep the Father's love for us?
How vast beyond all measure?
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss?
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Sydney Cathedral 14/08/22 Romans 3

The start of a 4-sermon series on the book of Romans, probably St Paul's finest piece of writing. Good preaching, challenging but easy to understand wherever you are in your Christian journey.

Both Charlene and Janet would give the sermon content the 'thumbs-up'. Most of its content appears at some place in their story. 

No One Is Righteous

9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10 As it is written:

“There is no one righteous, not even one;
11     there is no one who understands;
    there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
    they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
    not even one.”[b]
13 “Their throats are open graves;
    their tongues practice deceit.”[c]
“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”[d]
14     “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”[e]
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16     ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”[f]
18     “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[g]

19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Righteousness Through Faith

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Here are the main points:

  • The purpose of Paul's letter is to proclaim the Gospel - the Good News of Jesus - and why we should take it to heart.
  • The Gospel comes from God. It's message focuses on Jesus Christ.
  • The bad news - we all have a sin problem. Absolutely everyhone. No exceptions!
  • The Gentiles have not honoured God, despite seeing his work in the world about us (his creation).
  • The Jews have obeyed his laws (the Ten Commandments) by their behaviour. But they too have not honoured God in their hearts.
  • Often we feel we are good because of things we do but against God's standard of perfection, everyone fails.
  • We cannot fix our sin problem ourselves. No matter how hard we try, we cannot reach God's pass mark of 100%.
  • Sober words from Paul... Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. Romans 3:20
  • The good news... We have a way out of our sin mess. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21-24
  • The Good News is only good news if we accept it. By believing in and trusting Jesus.