Romans 8

December 6, 2021

Hope in God’s Promises

Romans 8.18-25

In this in-between time, this already/not yet time that we live in, we eagerly await the glory to come…we hope in the promises of God. And as we do, whether in good times or in bad, we have the Spirit who not only empowers us to put to death the deeds of the body, but who is also praying for us in the midst of our waiting…our groaning and suffering. He is battling on our behalf. And He will see us through to glory.

Suffering before glory…it’s the reality of the world that we live in today. The threat of war and rumors of war abound. Fear is on the rise, and wickedness seems to reign throughout the land. Pandemic. Social unrest. Racial tensions. Riots in the streets. Illness, death of a loved one, financial hardships, broken relationships, dashed hopes, forgotten dreams… And if we are honest with ourselves, we find all kinds of other things to hope in rather than Jesus. Overwhelmed by the circumstances of life, we too quickly forget that Jesus promised that He would never leave us or forsake us. That our hope is secure with Him.

Who or what are you hoping in today? Here’s what I’ve found to be a good indicator for me of where my hope is…what’s my level of worry/fear/discontentment vs. contentment/joy/rest. You see, the more our hope rests with God, the more the fruits of the Spirit will abound. But when our hope is anywhere else…not so much.

So while we wait, we pray. We share our stories. We share the hope that we have. You see, though we groan…in our suffering, we have a hope that this world cannot offer. A hope that the Hero has already won the day and that one day we will reign with Him. A hope that we must share…we must share…with a lost a dying world.

May you experience hope in God’s promises this Christmas season.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Advent series: Christmas at Central. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster. You can also download our Central Christian app in the iTunes App Store, Google Play or the Amazon App Store.

September 14, 2020

Victory in Jesus

Romans 8.28-39

Confidence in the right thing makes all the difference. For those of us who have trusted in Jesus, our confidence is in exactly the right place. Not in ourselves or in anything that we’ve done, but in Jesus and all that He’s done on our behalf. From beginning to end, our salvation is secured.

Paul wants us to be encouraged…what God has started, even before the foundation of the world, He will bring to completion. If we have trusted in Jesus, we can be assured that one day we will reign with Him in His kingdom.

No doubt suffering will come…everyone who walks this planet has suffered, is suffering or will suffer. Guaranteed. But the difference is this…for those of us who have trusted in Jesus, our suffering is not wasted. God is using it to make us more like Jesus. And not only is our suffering not wasted, but in the midst of our suffering, we never have to doubt God’s love for us. The Spirit is constantly interceding for us (along with Jesus) and is pouring out God’s love within our hearts.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Romans series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster

September 7, 2020

The Glory to Come

Romans 8.18-27

In this in-between time, this already/not yet time that we live in, we eagerly await the glory to come. And as we do, whether in good times or in bad, we have the Spirit who not only empowers us to put to death the deeds of the body, but who is also praying for us in the midst of our waiting…our groaning and suffering. He is battling on our behalf. And He will see us through to glory.

Suffering before glory…it’s the reality of the world that we live in today. It’s true for us as believers, but it’s also true for all of creation. The world as it is is not what God originally intended. It’s under the curse, waiting eagerly as are we, the revelation of God’s glory and the redemption that is to come.

So while we wait, we pray. We share our stories. We share the hope that we have. You see, though we groan…in our suffering, we have a hope that this world cannot offer. A hope that the Hero has already won the day and that one day we will reign with Him. A hope that we must share…we must share… with a lost a dying world. And while sharing that hope, we minister to those around us who are in need. We point them to Jesus.

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Romans series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster

July 20, 2020

Living by the Spirit

Romans 8.1-17

In the war against sin, we have been given an Ally who is truly OP (over-powered), as my son would say. The Spirit who is life and peace, puts to death the deeds of our body when we rely on Him. The Spirit also testifies to our spirit that we belong to God. That we have been adopted into His family. That we are sons and daughters of the King.

If you have trusted in Jesus, choose to live your identity in Him. So much is true about you…Forgiven. Justified. Righteous. Alive (eternal life). Reconciled. At peace with God. Free from the rule of sin. New heart. Spirit living within. Adopted into God’s family. Co-heir with Jesus. What would it look like to live your life based on those truths? How would it change your outlook on things? Your day-to-day interactions (social media)? What if every morning you reminded yourself of who you are…before your first cup of coffee, or checking your social media accounts, or catching up on the latest news…before you interact with your spouse or your kids (or your parents) or with folks at work or school? What if you reminded yourself of you are before you post or comment or forward…how might that change things for you and those around you? How might your life and your relationships look different? How might it impact the choices you make?

But you have to make the conscious choice. You have to choose to live out the reality of being “in Jesus”. You have to train yourself…discipline yourself…to say “yes” to Jesus and “no” to sin. The good news is…you are not alone. You have the best Partner ever…the Spirit. Why not try it today?

pro rege

This post is based on a sermon from our Romans series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter: @ccclancaster

June 5, 2014

Who Shall Be King?

Thoughts About What We’re Reading…

The people of Israel, aware of Samuel’s advanced age and of the wickedness of his sons, demanded of the prophet that he select a king to rule over them.

Samuel was old and his sons were dishonest judges, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

But when the people asked Samuel to provide a “king to judge us”, Samuel the Judge and Prophet was hurt.  But God tells Samuel that the people have not rejected him they have rejected God as their King.

The request for a human king was not in itself improper, for God had promised a king back in Genesis and Deuteronomy.

But the refusal to wait for God’s timing was clearly displeasing to the Lord and to His prophet.

In the face of impending conflict with the Ammonites the people wanted a king “such as all the other nations have”.

Even after witnessing the leadership of the Lord in stunning victory over the Philistines at Ebenezer, Israel demanded a fallible, human leader.

God would permit them to have a king, but they would live to regret their hasty impulse.

And so we read the heart-breaking story of Saul, Israel’s first king.  His jealousy of David tore apart his family, his country and his relationship with both Samuel and God.

Two of Saul’s own children – Jonathan and Michal protected David against their father, to Saul’s dismay and bitterness.

We feel for Jonathan, torn between his love for David as God’s anointed King and his loyalty to his father.  Jonathan would die in battle with his father at Mount Gilboa.

There is one touching story at the end of 1 Samuel 31.

Back in 1 Samuel 11, the Ammonite army had surrounded and laid siege to the city of Jabesh-gilead.  The people cried out to Saul for help.  Saul defeated the Ammonites and rescued the citizens of Jabesh-gilead.  It was a joyous time for Israel in the new monarchy.

Many years later, in Chapter 31, Saul and his three sons are defeated and killed in battle against the Philistines.  The Philistines cut off Saul’s head and hang his body along with his three sons on the wall of Beth-shan.

When the citizens of Jabesh-gilead, the people Saul rescued many years before, learn about the desecration of the bodies, they send warriors out at night to rescue the bodies of Saul and his sons and bring them back to Jabesh for burial under a tamerisk tree and mourn his death, fasting for seven days.

And so ends the story of Saul, Israel’s first king.

Saul was more worried about himself and what the people thought then what God thought.  Jesus warned us about the same things in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

When we read the story of Saul, we are reminded that when we seek safety and security in anything other than God – be it governments, bank accounts, relationships, or anything else, they will never deliver.

True security can only be found in Jesus – our reigning King.

We are called to resist conforming with worldly thinking. Through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are called to be transformed in our thinking and in how we live.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 8:6-7, “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” Amen.

Until next time – Keep reading.

Jim