bpchurch Sermons

What’s so Good about the Gospel? Romans 1:16-32

The word “gospel” means “good news,” and in Romans 1, Paul is pretty excited about how good the gospel is. To understand how good it is we need to understand how bad the plight of humanity is. That is the thrust of Romans 1:18-32. And it is against that dark backdrop that we see the gospel is God’s good news of truth, honor, wisdom, glory, liberty, purity, purpose and life!

Don’t come this Sunday to hear about the evils of particular sins described in Romans 1, come to hear that the gospel is even “gooder” news than you realized it was, and this is exactly what we need God’s gospel to be.

Let’s talk about it on Sunday. In the meantime, read through Romans and check out this 7 minute graphic overview of Romans 1-4.

A few days ago, someone asked me, “Why are we studying Romans for the next 17 weeks?” One answer is that God has given us that particular book as a foundation for how to live in what God has done for us. In fact, church historians have suggested that every major revival or reformation in church history has been connected to Christians reading and studying the book of Romans. I was reminded of another reason why we need to hear from the book of Romans, as I learned about the shocking events that unfolded at the United States Capitol yesterday. Romans tells us something about ourselves that we need to know in order to more fully appreciate what God has done and how we now live in God’s new life.

This past year has been a challenging opportunity for the church. We have been challenged concerning what is really essential and how to stay together and build one another up when we can’t all be together. These challenges will continue in the near future, but the good news is that the things we are learning in them can also continue, much further into the future. This Sunday, from texts like Ephesians 4:1-7 and Romans 14:1-4 we’ll consider some spiritual precautions in the midst of viral protections. We’ll also be celebrating the Lord’s table as the foundation of our confidence for the future and our care for one another.

December can be a wonderful month of preparing and anticipating, celebrating and recuperating. But then comes January, with its gloomy grey days and undecked halls. January can feel like we’ve boxed up and put away our hope and anticipation for another year. The realities of life and the daily grind settle back in and even though daylight is supposed to be getting longer, it doesn’t feel like it yet.

The Christmas story as told by Matthew also includes some “January” episodes. After Christ’s birth, unspeakable tragedy seems to deny the reality of God’s good news of great joy. Can there ever really be joy? Will life ever truly be good? This Sunday we’ll see how tragedy does not disprove our hope, but it can actually deepen it, if we will believe God.

May you have a joyful and hope-filled Christmas, and then Sunday we’ll talk about the month after Christmas…

Different people each have certain things that are special to them at Christmastime. In fact, Christmas is an international holiday, one which is happily and sentimentally celebrated by many who are not Christians or believers in Jesus. Christmas has become a holiday that has something for everyone. But does it really?

This Sunday we are going to consider something central about Christmas and Jesus’ coming—something that even Mary and Joseph were surprised to hear. This Sunday we’ll talk about something in Christmas that is for everyone. So, bring someone with you either to the church or online, so we too can marvel at Luke 1:22-33, alongside of Mary and Joseph.

Where do you find your joy?

When I was a kid, my joy at this time of year was linked to the coming school break, but this year school has been broken for far too long already! Other places we seek joy—success at work, food and fun times together with family and friends, even the assurance of safety and good health—all of these have been turned upside down.

In the midst of circumstances that are far from what you would choose, where can you find joy? In the midst of the various losses we each have experienced in this very unexpected year, can we still have joy?

This Sunday we will consider Mary’s song of joy in Luke 1:46-55. It might seem that Mary is blessed in ways that are so beyond our experience that we can’t really sing Mary’s song. But wait, Mary’s song echoes things that were true for others before her, and are true of others after her. Read these verses again and then this Sunday we’ll talk about where we can find joy.

Does good news always seem like good news? Imagine you’re told you are going to have a baby—is that good news? It might depend on how old you are and if you're married yet. Maybe you wonder if this the right time to bring another child into this world? Am I ready for this? This is going to turn my world upside down (you have no idea!).

This Sunday we will consider the angel’s good news to Mary in Luke 1:26-38. Read the episode in advance and try to put yourself into this conversation between a young woman and angel. Take some time to talk it over with someone: what must Mary have been feeling and thinking? Then, let’s talk about it on Sunday.

We will also connect this birth announcement to our celebration of the Lord’s table, so if you are joining us from online at home, have bread and cup ready to participate in communion with us.

What is essential in your life? We have been talking for the last two months about what is essential for church, and this week I want to bring it back to the beginning. The first week we talked about our calling as believers in Jesus: to know and follow Jesus by helping others to know and follow Jesus. But what does it look like to know and follow Jesus? Join us this Sunday to find out.

What do we do with the kids? Have you ever felt that way before? Like you have no idea what to do with your kids? That's a question that comes up a lot when you have young kids (and especially teenagers). But it's also a question that comes up in the church. God's word tells us to train up children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, but what does that mean, how do we do that? And who can help us? Lets talk about that this Sunday.