The Unconquerable Grace of God.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] All right, go ahead and have a seat welcome to Village Church [0:03] This is your first time here [0:04] My name is Steve one of the pastors here at Village Church and as always [0:07] I’m grateful to see each and every one of you if you have your Bibles go ahead and open them up to Romans chapter 5 [0:13] We’re gonna be starting in verse 15 this morning [0:17] We’re on the third week of what has kind of been a little series within a series and that is

[0:23] talking and dealing with the reality of [0:27] Does the gospel deal with sin in the life of a believer? [0:32] How can you trust it in light of the fact that even as a follower of Jesus Christ you still experience the curse? [0:39] of sin in this world and the reality that God is showing us through the writings of the Apostle Paul that [0:46] Jesus is greater and Jesus is better and we can trust his power [0:51] over top of sin in the Old Testament

[0:55] There’s a book entitled Leviticus and in Leviticus [0:58] They deal with all of these rules and regulations that God sets out for Israel of [1:05] How they’re supposed to live with one another how they’re supposed to specifically offer [1:10] sacrifices for their sin to receive atonement for sin and just all of these different things just one on top of another and [1:18] We look at it and sometimes right man [1:20] What is the point of all of this and then it gets to some places where you’re dealing with

[1:25] cleaning up after sacrifices and how the [1:29] priests are to go about that and because if you don’t know anything about [1:33] Sacrifices well, they could get a little bit dirty and so they’ve got to clean up after themselves [1:37] But the reality of what that book is showing is what Romans chapter 5 has been showing us and that is just how [1:46] Large the debt of sin is and just how much sin separates us from God [1:54] Give you one example in the book of Leviticus it deals with how the priests are to clean up

[2:01] The ashes from the fire on the altar of sacrifices that just burns continuously [2:07] They were never to let the fire go out [2:10] But if you know anything about the way wood decomposes and it burns and fire it leaves kind of ashes underneath it [2:15] You’ve got to do something with those ashes [2:17] and so what the priests had to do is they had to go in and they had to clean the ashes up and they had [2:22] To take it out of the temple and they had to take it to the outskirts of town and throw it outside of the camp

[2:27] But the way that the priests had to go about this is that they had to actually put on a different type of [2:34] Garment than anyone in Israel could wear these pure white [2:38] Unblemished not dirty white linen [2:41] Excuse me garments that they had to put on and they had to go in and they had to clean up all of the [2:47] Ashes put it in the bags and the casings that they had to put it in and then as soon as they got to the door [2:52] Of the place where the altar was they had to actually

[2:55] Change their clothes because the garments that they wore in the presence of God could not be worn in the presence of mortal man [3:03] And so they had to stop at the doorway [3:05] They had to take those garments off and they had to put the clothes on that everybody else in the camp of Israel puts [3:10] On and then they walk through the camp they dispose of the ashes then they come back to the holy of holy [3:16] Excuse me [3:16] They come back rather to the holiest place and then they put on the white linen

[3:21] Garments again taking off those clothes to go back into the presence of God and you’re looking that sounds like a lot of work [3:29] Just to throw some ashes away [3:32] And that’s the point [3:34] What much of the Old Testament teaches us about our sin is just how far [3:41] From God’s presence. We’re separated as we just live [3:47] And then what sin put up is this great barrier between us and God

[3:54] So when you go into the presence of God you’ve got to be unlike [3:58] Anything from everyday life, and then when you go back into everyday life. They had to be unlike [4:04] Anything that was in the presence of God and that’s how far [4:09] Sin removes us from this presence

[4:15] Romans chapter 5 shows us Leviticus shows us that when we’re dealing with sin [4:23] All that we’re experiencing in this life apart from God is filled with judgment [4:29] That’s the Old Testament has a great deal of judgments got a great deal of condemnation [4:34] And a great deal of death and what God experiences though is completely separate from that [4:42] God only experiences holiness. He only experiences righteousness. He only experiences life [4:50] And so the experience of the presence of God has to be totally different than anything that the world has ever

[4:57] Seen or ever known and that’s what makes it so remarkable that at the moment that Jesus died

[5:06] There’s this place in the temple called the holy of holies and that is where the presence of God dwelt [5:13] And at the moment of Jesus’s death the entryway to that point the point where nothing blemished by what the outside world [5:21] Experience could ever enter from the top of that veil which no one could reach if they tried to reach it [5:29] It was torn in two and no man did it it just happened in a miraculous fashion and for the first time

[5:38] People could just see directly into the presence of where God’s Spirit dwelt [5:47] And so what Paul wants to do starting in verse 15 and following is to explain to us how great and how awesome [5:57] This work that Jesus has done in redeeming us from sin by making the atoning sacrifice for our sin is [6:05] That no longer is that barrier of sin present if you trust in Christ [6:11] But instead you have all access instead you can walk directly in because Jesus paid the price [6:21] So look at verse 15 with me here. We read the Apostle Paul writing

[6:25] He says but the free gift is not like the trespass

[6:30] For if many died through one man’s trespass much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of [6:37] That one man Jesus Christ [6:39] Abounded for many and the gift is not like the result of the one man sin [6:45] For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation [6:51] But the free gift following many trespasses [6:55] brought justification

[6:57] For if by one man’s trespass death reign through that one man much more [7:04] Will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through that one man? [7:12] Jesus Christ [7:14] I want you to understand number one this morning. Is that what sin has condemned? [7:19] Jesus has restored [7:21] What sin has condemned?

[7:24] Jesus has restored what the Apostle Paul is writing for us to understand is how much greater the power of Jesus [7:32] The person of Jesus the perfection of Jesus and the work of Jesus is [7:38] Then what Adam did in the Garden of Eden and what’s so tempting for us to do is to kind of just step past that [7:45] And begin to say well, okay, if the gospel is true. Well, how do I apply it to this part of my life? [7:50] How do I apply it to that part of my life make it practical? [7:53] Give me something I can actually do with the gospel and the Apostle Paul is saying stop do not be tempted

[8:02] To take your eyes off of the wonder of what Jesus has actually done [8:07] He wants you to be in awe of Jesus. He wants you to see what the source of worship [8:14] Is in this life? [8:18] Don’t be so quick to focus on you

[8:24] Instead be captivated by the power by the might and by the [8:31] Overwhelming grace of Jesus for you [8:36] Because when you move on to yourself so quickly [8:40] You will lose the very thing that Paul is overcome with over and over and over again in this passage [8:47] And that is the greatness of Jesus. He wants you to see him [8:52] He wants you to understand the beauty he wants you to be more than just thankful that Jesus has handed you a wonderful gift

[8:59] Instead he wants to see in you something that’s greater than gratitude [9:04] something that actually goes to what we could call awe and [9:09] wonder of a beautiful and mighty God who has [9:14] Condemned sin and somehow in the work of Jesus as we’re going to see he has not condemned the sinner [9:22] But instead he has offered salvation and when you see that beautiful wondrous [9:28] Mighty awesome in power perfect in holiness and righteousness

[9:32] God you just look and then when you’re captivated by who he just is in the [9:39] Moment that you realize that he has done a mighty historic work in order to save you so that you can have [9:46] Access for all time to his presence, then you’ll know what being thankful is all about

[9:56] Because you stop making it about you and you understand that it is all about Jesus

[10:02] That’s worship

[10:06] Takes great faith for your life to be overcome by the beauty of God takes very little faith [10:14] To be overcome by your own life [10:19] And so in this passage my hope is that we will understand the wonder of what it means that Jesus [10:26] Can restore us to the life of worship that God? [10:32] demands that we have

[10:35] And he starts by explaining that Jesus is better than Adam

[10:42] Jesus came to bear the debt of your sin [10:47] He came to pay your debt to a holy God off with his very [10:54] Life and through this he offers once again the gift of being justified by God [11:00] He brings justification back into the picture one more time, and you may be sitting there thinking why does he keep bringing? [11:08] Justification up well, maybe you’re not like me because I have a tendency to forget the gospel in my everyday life

[11:15] the [11:16] blinders that the gospel [11:17] Focus me in on Jesus they sometimes kind of fade away [11:21] And I just kind of look this way and I look that way and see this area of my life [11:24] And I see that area of my life [11:26] And I forget the greatness of what it means to be justified by grace what it is that Jesus has won me to be

[11:33] Justified is to be made right

[11:38] Just in case you don’t know this that’s something that you are not

[11:43] You’re not right I’m God’s eyes. I’m not right [11:49] I’ve ever earned anything from God [11:52] All I’ve done is lost where God is concerned and Jesus comes in and by his perfection by his [12:01] Holiness by his righteousness [12:05] He takes all of my sin off of me bears it on his shoulders [12:09] And he just declares I am now right

[12:15] Friend don’t be mistaken God doesn’t view you as right [12:20] No matter how righteous you may think you are no matter how good you may think your deeds are [12:27] They’ll never be as good as God’s [12:30] You’ll never be as right as God [12:33] But here’s what Isaiah 53 11 says [12:35] Written hundreds of years before Jesus ever came so that we would trust that this has always been God’s plan

[12:42] Here’s what he says he says out of the anguish of his Jesus’s soul [12:47] He shall be [12:49] Excuse me. He shall see and be satisfied [12:53] You see that first stanza what he’s saying he’s saying that what Jesus has done on the cross is for God [13:00] And so he’s gone into anguish so that God will be satisfied you’re not the center of it

[13:09] God is [13:10] He’s doing a work to bring himself great joy because he’s going to do the work [13:17] He’s going to accomplish the salvation [13:20] He’s the one that you need to satisfy because your debt is against him [13:24] So who does Jesus pay the debt of your sin to he pays it to God he pays it to the father pays it to himself [13:32] Because he’s the one offended

[13:35] And then he says by his knowledge shall the righteous one my servant make many to be [13:41] Accounted righteous that’s justification

[13:46] See if you’re accounted righteous you weren’t righteous someone gives it to you [13:52] Someone just declares that it is and that’s what God does for you in Jesus [13:57] Justifies your life. He makes it righteous. Why?

[14:03] Because Jesus gives it that’s the gift of Romans 5 [14:08] And then he says he shall bear their iniquities [14:13] Here’s his amazing thing is he uses all of these two different types of terms one is an accounting term [14:19] That there’s this great debt that needs to be accounted righteous for and then on the other side [14:24] He talks about the spiritual reality of what in Hebrew was called iniquity [14:28] But what we know as sin is the debt is not financial in nature instead. It is spiritual in nature

[14:35] It is about your sin and [14:38] Jesus fully deals with it. This was always God’s plan Jesus came to make us accounted [14:44] Righteous it isn’t something that we work for [14:50] because [14:51] We can’t it’s rather something that God makes so [14:56] through the actions of Jesus’s perfect life

[15:01] Sacrificial death and that brings an awesome reality into your life [15:08] That you can either belong to Adam or you can belong to Jesus [15:16] There’s only two realities that can be true about you in this life [15:21] One’s the one that you’re born into and that is being born in Adam being born in sin [15:26] You know Adam gets a bad rap though [15:27] I mean because so often we read this text and we’re like man

[15:31] What a dummy if it hadn’t have been for that guy and you’re missing Paul’s point [15:38] You are Adam

[15:42] See Adam’s not worse than you Adam is you [15:46] Adam represented all of us because he was just like us [15:50] He enters into a world for one purpose then he lives a completely different purpose instead of worshipping God. He worships him [15:58] When you look at your life, you must realize that you follow just the same path that he did [16:05] So don’t be so quick to blame him being in him [16:09] You’re born under the very same curse that he brought onto himself and very quickly in life

[16:14] We reveal that we would have brought it on ourselves and we do tenfold through life

[16:20] What Adam brought wasn’t a gift instead it’s the inheritance that no one wants instead he brings condemnation

[16:28] Jesus though will make you righteous if you trust him

[16:34] You see what Jesus brings is not like what Adam brought [16:39] Adam brings shameful realities into your life of condemnation and what Jesus brings is the liberation [16:46] From that condemnation [16:49] You get the weight of the world on your shoulders every single day of your life [16:55] Realizing there’s coming a point where all of this sin all of this pain all of this turmoil [17:00] It’s going to add up and then you will die in it

[17:06] Then what then you stand before God the holy one the righteous one good luck with that [17:20] Adam does not bring a gift into our lives [17:23] He brings work [17:25] He brings enslavement to a condemned life [17:30] It holds a reality of a holy law from God over your head that you can never hope to keep and that law only [17:38] Exposes the errors over and over and over here’s how you are to live and then you do not add up to that

[17:49] It’s like walking through life [17:53] With a hammer the size of the world over you

[18:00] Just waiting [18:02] For the doom that will happen when that hammer drops directly on to your head [18:09] But the gift of Jesus is different [18:12] the gift of Jesus through trusting him [18:16] Liberates your life from that impending condemnation that you know will come by the very guilt and shame that you [18:24] carry through this life

[18:27] Here’s how Romans 3 28 explains what Jesus will do with that condemnation [18:32] It says for we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law

[18:39] In other words it isn’t any sin for you to work off it isn’t any task for you to do to make [18:46] Reparations for the sin that you have committed against God instead [18:51] It is about Jesus and what he has done in order for that doom to be removed from you [18:56] In order for that weight to be taken off of your shoulders [18:59] You’re sinking in a life under condemnation and Jesus comes and he says let me bear that burden

[19:09] But so often [19:12] In foolish pride we believe that we need to bear the guilt we believe that we need to bear the shame [19:17] We believe that we need to bear the work and we can make a better day for ourselves [19:22] Even in light of all of the failure that’s behind you

[19:27] Let’s imagine if someone came to where you work tomorrow morning [19:30] And they said look I’m better at your job than you are and you’d probably me initially be pretty offended by that [19:37] Then they say but here’s the good news [19:40] I want you to just take take a rest today just have a seat you want something good to drink [19:45] I’ll bring you whatever you want and here’s what I’m gonna do [19:47] I’m gonna do your job for you all day and then at the end of the day

[19:52] People are gonna be so impressed with the job that I’ve done that I guarantee you will get a promotion [19:58] Now some of you if you’re like me and you’re lazy you’re like absolutely [20:03] As long as I have my phone

[20:07] But I know some of you would want to compete and [20:11] Prove that you’re better and maybe at the end of the day. That’s what’s wrong with your relationship with God [20:16] He’s offered you this amazing gift by his work and his work alone where he will [20:22] Liberate you from the pain of working your sin off where he will liberate you from the life under the weight of sin [20:28] And he promises to give you something better if you will just trust in his greatness over your own

[20:37] That’s what Jesus promises us absolute liberation absolute betterment to the glory of God the Father [20:46] If you will just rest in him

[20:51] See to be in Christ rather than Adam [20:54] It’s not about something that you do to better yourself [20:58] It is instead about someone you trust to do it for you and that is Jesus [21:06] He can restore and will if you trust [21:12] You see friend Jesus alone can give you the rest that you need [21:16] If you will trust him

[21:19] Number two this morning that brings us to the other [21:22] overarching reality of what Romans 5 is telling us here and that is that no one is out of reach of the grace of God

[21:32] No one is out of reach of this amazing gift of grace over and over [21:37] Multiple times in this passage when he goes from Adam to Jesus. He says much more

[21:44] There’s not something that’s limited [21:45] It’s not something that can cease to be there for you. It’s not something that has a cutoff date [21:51] It’s about the grace of Jesus and Jesus’s grace is always more than you’ve ever realized [21:58] So he puts three things up against one another in verses 16 17 and 18 [22:04] There’s three things that he puts against one another on one side. He’s got judgment [22:08] He’s got condemnation and he’s got death

[22:12] That’s what he says Adam has brought in and we prove over and over in our lives [22:17] But then he mentions three other things that Jesus desires to bring into your life

[22:23] Mentions justification, they’ll be made right. He mentions righteousness [22:29] He mentions life [22:31] When you look at these six things all three of them over against one another they are polar opposites [22:41] One side is filled with sin and turmoil and ultimately death and the other side is filled with perfection [22:48] Holiness righteousness leads to life

[22:54] And Paul it’s pretty good writer, but I think the Holy Spirit maybe had something to do with this [23:00] He says you choose [23:05] Which destiny do you want?

[23:11] And [23:12] Sadly when we refuse to be more overwhelmed with Jesus than we are ourselves [23:17] We fall into the category of willfully saying I would rather have [23:23] Judgment I would rather have condemnation and I would rather have death then admit that God can save a sinner like me [23:33] Because you see friend when you reject the greatness and beauty of Jesus Christ, that’s exactly what you’re doing

[23:42] God gives us his law [23:45] Either the one of conscience or the one that is written in the Old Testament and it hangs over our heads when we reject Christ [23:54] It’s not just ten commandments. I understand there are [23:59] 639 of them in the Old Testament, it’s pretty tall order and guarantee you fall short and probably all

[24:07] If you’re questioning that read the words of Jesus about the law and even the ones you think you couldn’t possibly be guilty of Jesus [24:13] As oh on the inside you are [24:16] You’re a worse sinner than you think but he is a better Savior than you probably think as well

[24:22] This hammer of his judgment and condemnation is hanging over our heads to bring the very things that Paul points out to [24:30] But God is so good that the hammer of judgment that hangs over your head has instead fallen on Jesus for you [24:39] And he will replace it with the light of simply being declared righteous if [24:47] You will trust him and [24:50] Imagine if you will [24:53] Constantly being told that there is more beauty in the universe than you’ve ever known of if you could just see

[25:01] The wonder of the world the way that you were meant to see it. You would be overcome with worship of the Creator [25:08] But when you go to look at it [25:10] There is this iron dome like the head of a hammer [25:14] Hanging over your head and you can never see past it to see to the beauty and the wonder of what God has made in this world

[25:24] And then imagine what it would be like [25:27] For that iron dome from your life to be removed for finally the first time you see the [25:34] Awesome wonder of the world that God has created in the way in which the author of the universe [25:41] Intended for you to see it

[25:46] What Paul is saying here about trusting in Christ [25:49] He’s saying if you will trust him you will see the world in a way that you’ve never seen it before [25:57] Because instead of a barrier of sin [26:01] You will simply see the beauty of God, but you can only see it through Jesus [26:06] You can only experience it through trusting him more than you trust you

[26:13] Oftentimes the reality of sin overwhelms us because it brings a realization of the greatness of [26:22] sins curse [26:24] And it is there and that is the step that we need to realize and being honest about the gospel [26:32] But so often in this world in [26:35] Times of realizing that great truth of sin and the pain that comes through sin and the pain that comes because of sin [26:43] The world will cry out in its most honest moment. Why doesn’t God do something?

[26:53] It’s because all they can see is that iron dome that hammer hanging over their heads

[27:00] Here’s the reality [27:02] God has done something [27:05] And he did it in Jesus and through Jesus [27:12] You see your identity [27:15] Needs to be found in the life of Jesus Christ over and above the life that you have to offer [27:22] Look in verse 17 to see what he says about what Jesus will bring into your life

[27:26] He says that because of one man’s trust path death has reigned. So what are you doing in Adam? You’re reigning in [27:33] Death that’s the best case scenario [27:38] And then he says his death has reigned through that one man, but much more [27:44] Will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in? [27:52] life through that one man Jesus [27:56] You see the gift of justification

[27:59] Righteousness and life are there for all men. No one is out of reach of it

[28:07] But he says that gift must define your life [28:12] Paul is giving you the two sides of life that exist in this world [28:17] One is reigning in death and the other reigns in eternal life [28:23] One is the one that you earn and it is bad [28:28] But the other is the one that God will give you [28:32] The emphasis here is on what God will give you in a moment. He will declare

[28:41] That you are righteous if you trust in Jesus [28:45] Not because of who you are but because of who Jesus is because of how good he is [28:51] Because ultimately it brings the realization that life wasn’t meant to be about you and that is a great thing [28:59] And that will give you all the joy that exists [29:02] You see too often we look to the gospel and we try to translate it over [29:07] From something that just shows the amazing wonder of who Jesus is and we say well if it’s so good

[29:13] It will fix this part of my life. It will fix this part of my life [29:16] It will be about me and if it were about that the hammer would still be there [29:21] But instead God desires to remove what this world is blinding you from in the awesome nature of who God is [29:28] So that you can gaze into his wondrous beauty and realize that his grace is so powerful [29:34] That the curse of sin while still being felt by this world and while still being felt in this world [29:40] Can never remove from you the hope of the awesome beauty of Jesus forevermore

[29:49] Don’t exchange the life of Jesus for the life that you are attempting to build without Jesus

[30:00] See friend too many of us [30:03] Spend our lives focused on what we are building apart from Jesus instead of what Jesus wants to build in us

[30:14] See grace is always greater than you probably imagine that it is [30:20] That’s why in verse 17 Paul puts this amazing emphasis on [30:26] Reigning in life because too many of us view the gospel is this something that comes in at this point and then later on [30:33] After death you’re going to experience its wonder but Paul writes in the present tense [30:37] He says you will reign in life now because you will live as you were always [30:44] Designed to if you are overcome by the greatness of Jesus

[30:49] Because that is what you were designed to do that is what you were designed to be just overcome and [30:55] Insaturated by that is to be the overarching theme of your life not what you’ve got going on [31:01] But what he’s got going on [31:04] But too many of us are so overwhelmed by the lives that we are building and the lives that we can build [31:11] Without the reign of Jesus in our lives that we never tap into how awesome a life of worship for Jesus could be

[31:21] So what are the limits of his grace [31:25] The limits of his grace or something that only he can define [31:29] And they’re limitless note what Jesus is about his grace in John chapter 12 verse 32 [31:34] He says I when I am lifted up from the earth. I will draw all people to myself [31:41] So where does Jesus want you when you’re experiencing life? [31:44] He wants you with him. He wants you near him

[31:47] He wants the [31:50] Excuse me the trajectory of your life to constantly be one that is going closer and closer to who he is [31:56] That is learning more and more about how awesome he is that is knowing more and more about him [32:01] That is more and more in relationship with him because when you come to him

[32:09] That is where life is that is where life is experienced [32:14] Verse 19 Paul uses the phrase that more will be made righteous [32:19] By the power of Jesus, but you will only experience it when you experience how great his mission in this world is

[32:29] Friend God has a life for you

[32:34] And it is probably far different than the one that you’re living

[32:40] It is different than the one that you can build without him being in it [32:45] It is marked by holding Jesus up for others so that they can come and experience his [32:51] unconquerable grace

[32:55] But for that to happen you must be overwhelmed by how great his grace actually is

[33:04] Is [33:06] The question that you must deal with and what you need to ask yourself is

[33:12] How much of your life is overcome by the greatness of Jesus [33:18] How much time [33:20] Do you spend building things in this life and for your life that have absolutely? [33:27] nothing to do with Jesus and [33:30] all to do with you

[33:34] Are you in awe of his grace? Do you trust it fully?

[33:44] What would be different about your life [33:48] If you were truly captivated by God’s great power to save on display through Jesus

[34:01] When you add up the hours

[34:05] Of life that has nothing to do with him [34:08] Versus the hours of life of your time that does have to do with him [34:15] What does that say is captivating your all?

[34:19] What does that say is captivating your worship?

[34:26] See terrain in life [34:29] Is to live a life marked by the beauty of Jesus

[34:38] Number three this morning

[34:42] Grace is greater than sin [34:47] So one things that I love and I’ve just just as I’ve gone for these years [34:52] Through the teachings of the Apostle Paul and in God’s Word [34:56] What I’ve noticed is is that man he can convict me really well, and I think the Holy Spirit also has something to do with that [35:06] But I just always see sometimes that Paul will bring this great force into my life [35:11] This is what it looks like to follow Jesus, and then I look in the mirror

[35:14] And I’m like this is not the life that I’m living [35:18] What I love about the way that Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes is that every time [35:25] He brings those demands and by the way he does bring demands because Jesus brings demands is [35:32] That he always bookends it [35:35] with the gospel for me [35:38] Is that he declares the gospel in my life

[35:40] And then he says this is what the gospel is going to do and then he knows that I’m going to be [35:45] Overwhelmed by the power of my sinfulness, and he says don’t forget what the gospel says is true about you I [35:52] Think that’s what he does in verses 20 and 21 know what he says [35:58] This is now the law came in [36:01] To increase the trespass, but where sin increase [36:05] Grace abounded all the more

[36:07] So that as sin reigned in death grace also

[36:13] Might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

[36:20] See friends here’s the truth that many of you will carry into this [36:27] Is that there’s this mountain of debt in sin I [36:34] Mean sometimes I look at it, and it’s like the size of Mount Everest

[36:39] And I can’t even consider what it would look like to try to climb it [36:44] So that I can begin to kind of deal with the sin that’s in my life with how I’m captivated by so many things [36:52] Other than Jesus by how I’m so overwhelmed and tempted to trust in things and people [36:58] And places and hopes that have nothing to do with Jesus and what Paul is saying is first [37:04] Understand that when you think it’s the size of Mount Everest. Oh, you’re really not giving an accurate quote. It’s bigger than that [37:13] Size of the world

[37:17] He says understand that no matter how much sin you build God builds his mountain of grace about a foot higher

[37:25] And I’ll keep building a foot higher [37:26] and I’ll keep building a foot higher and I’ll keep building a foot higher and I’ll keep building a foot higher and [37:31] Understand that no matter how powerful sin looks in your life [37:35] No matter how powerful sin looks outside of your life. There’s always more [37:40] Grace for you to have that you can never [37:44] Exhaust you say how can I believe that and he says look at the life of Jesus and Adam

[37:50] This is Jesus is better. Why look Jesus is greater than Adam in every way

[37:57] Adam was created by God [38:00] Jesus is God [38:03] Adam could not restore his own life [38:06] Jesus restores all who trust in him [38:11] sin brings great judgment and condemnation and [38:15] Jesus endured that judgment and condemnation and rose from the dead on the other side in

[38:23] every instance [38:25] Where sin grows in power? [38:29] God has shown through his mission to save that his grace is [38:34] Mightier than sin ever will be

[38:40] All those who receive Christ will be in Christ [38:48] the life death and resurrection of Jesus show the pain of condemnation, but more than that [38:57] Jesus shows the power of God to give grace to all those [39:02] Who need it see every one of us is born under the weight of sin

[39:11] My great fears for all of you

[39:15] Is that instead of being in awe of how great this power that Jesus has

[39:20] Is that you will just work you will just do you will try to earn? [39:26] You will try to prove that you’re more faithful than the person sitting next to you [39:30] You will work to show that you’re stronger than the one sitting next to you [39:34] You will just work and work and say I will build my faith. I will do more. I will power through it [39:40] I can overcome this sin that so easily besets me on my own [39:45] I’ll do I’ll do I’ll do and Jesus comes in and he says stop

[39:49] Nothing you have ever done and nothing you will ever do will earn you one ounce of God’s free gift

[40:04] Jesus wants you to stare at him in beauty and say I’m done

[40:14] That hammer of debt that hammer of judgment that hammer of condemnation and death that was hanging over your head [40:26] Fell right on to Jesus and then Jesus has destroyed that hammer

[40:39] That’s what it means to be free

[40:45] I’m often asked what it means to have freedom in Christ [40:51] Friends it means that there was once a time in my life where I looked up and all I could see was impending doom all around

[41:05] But when I trusted in Jesus the impending doom gave way and all that I see when I look up now is eternal joy

[41:20] That is what it means to be free [41:27] You can have the freedom from the penalty of sin that God offers through Jesus [41:37] There’s a life worth living waiting on the other side [41:40] A life that will go on forever without fear of the hammer ever dropping [41:49] He offers so much more than you could ever imagine because he offers more than our limited minds can imagine

[42:02] Friends as Paul says in this passage receive the abundance of grace

[42:12] Receive the free gift of righteousness [42:17] Reign in a life with Jesus and through Jesus in worship of Jesus

[42:32] Every week we reflect on the life and death of Jesus through communion

[42:40] We reflect as the band comes on how Jesus has defeated sin and death [42:51] The cup represents the shed blood of Jesus [42:56] The blood that Jesus shed as life left his physical body [43:02] The blood that he shed as he endured the wrath of God to pay the debt for your sin

[43:15] If you trust him I invite you in just a moment to come to one of the six stations in this room

[43:24] And express by eating and drinking that you trust him [43:32] Through doing that you express that you trust Jesus [43:35] You express that you believe that he has taken your judgment that you deserve [43:41] Your condemnation that you deserve and the death that you deserve onto himself

[43:49] By eating and drinking you express that you trust that in exchange [43:55] He’s given you the gifts of justification, righteousness and life [44:03] And then as you walk away from this table as you walk into a life every day

[44:12] Live a life that reigns in Jesus [44:19] When you’re ready