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Sermon Starters
Support and Resources For Pastors and
Christian Ministry Professionals
Thomas F. Fischer, M.Div., M.S.A., Editor
Twenty-Second Sunday After
Pentecost/
Festival Of The Reformation
Series C
Option #1: "Who
Do You Think You Are?"
Romans 3:19-28
Rev. Wayne Dobratz, B.A., M.Div.
1) The Law cant help you--vv19-20; Rom 4:13, 9:30-31; Gal 2:15-16, 3:10
2) Your only hope is the righteousness of Another--vv21-26; Acts 13:39; Gal 2:19-20, 5:4; Titus 3:5-7
3) No boasting allowed!: Rom 3:19; Lk 18:9-14; 1 Cor 1:29-31, 4:7
NOTE: This theme ties in with the Gospel for Reformation, John 8:31-36
A possible sermon introduction could use the haunting question that Luther had to answer within: "Are you alone wise?" We, like Luther, are "wise" to salvation only through faith in Christ, despairing of our own righteousness and clinging to Him.
MacArthur's New Testament Commentary: Romans 1-8
Even under the Old Covenant, good works based on Gods own standards were worthless as far as salvation was concerned. Paul says, "David also speaks of the blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works" (Rom. 4:6) and then proceeds to quote from Psalm 32:1-2.
God holds before men the standards of His righteousness in order to demonstrate the impossibility of keeping them by human effort. Because of that inability, "the Law brings about wrath" (Rom. 4:15), Gods judgment on mans sin. "For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, 'The righteous man shall live by faith'" (Gal 3:10-11). "By grace you have been saved," Paul told the Ephesians; "and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works" (Eph 2:8-9). Countless other New Testament passages (see, e.g., Phil 3:9; 2 Tim 1:9; Titus 3:5) repeat the basic gospel truth that rightness with God can never be achieved by human effort.
Whether the law of God is the Mosaic law of the Jews or the law written in the hearts and consciences of all men, including Gentiles (Rom 2:11-15), obedience to it can never be perfect and therefore can never save. That is a devastating truth to everyone who seeks to please God on his own terms and in his own power--which is why the gospel is so offensive to the natural man. (Rom 3:22-24) This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, {23} for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, {24} and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
+ + +
The Message For Children
Objects: a chain and a cross
I dont know if youve ever gone traveling out West in the Rocky Mountains. Ive driven on some roads where there are no guard rails and the trip to the bottom is a long way down. Suppose that someone rear-ends the car youre riding in and you go over the edge. Theres a small ledge about five feet down and youve been saved from going to the bottom. But you still need help. Someone throws you a chain and starts pulling you up. But ONE LINK of the chain breaks and now youre falling 5,000 feet to the floor of the valley.
The Bible tells us that we all FELL INTO SIN. We cant help ourselves, anymore than you and your family could FLY and get back on the main road. We simply cannot help ourselves.
We need someone to help us. We need someone to pull us up out of trouble. Thats where Jesus comes in. Jesus REACHES DOWN and pulls us up. But before he could reach down to help us, he had to BE LIFTED UP on the cross. He died for our sins there.
So try to remember two things:
1) We FELL DOWN and cant lift ourselves up.
2) Jesus is the only One who can LIFT US UP out of the trouble our sin got us into. His cross LIFTS US UP. So when Jesus reaches down to you, take hold of his cross so that he may LIFT YOU UP.
+ + +Option #2:
"A Reformation Wedding"
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Rev. Kelly Bedard, B.A., M.Div.
Ministry Health
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This page was revised on: Friday, January 20, 2006 12:10:34 PM |