Fox Valley Church

Passage: Matthew 21:10-11

The question that stands out on Palm Sunday is Who is He? With such diversity in the crowd, it is no surprise.  As people come from all over the RE, those to know Him best would be from Galilee.  That question, Who is He?, echoes through history.  He is certainly a prophet, as told by Moses, but He is also the promised King and a true Priest in the order of Melchizedek.

 

Passage: Romans 8:18-27 

The Spirit is the first fruits of our future glory!  Suffering and glory are two strong themes to hold together as though wedded with no possibility of divorce.  First there is the suffering and glory of God’s creation; and secondly, the suffering and glory of God’s people.  It helps to know as Jesus reminded us that in this world we will have suffering, but there is a greater glory to come in which there is no more suffering. 

Passage: Romans 8:1-17 

The ministry of God’s Spirit first of all reminds us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. The Spirit brings freedom, gives us His mind, grants us power and serves as a witness that we belong to God.  The Spirit is our Comforter and given as a gift by the First Comforter, Jesus Christ. 

Passage: Psalm 49

The psalmist speaks to all people and takes wealth head on and sets it in the context of everyone’s future—death. Should we put our confidence in wealth for our future? Our hope and confidence cannot be in wealth for that is utter foolishness (49:13-14).   Only God provides certainty and hope as proved by the resurrection and God himself (15-20).

Passage: Romans 7:14-25 

The weakness of the Law is that the Law cannot be responsible for our holiness either.  We all experience the inner struggle: what I want to do I do not do.  Our deliverance comes through Jesus Christ!   

Matthew 18:21-35

Passage: Romans 7:1-13 

The Law could not do what Christ did! Significantly we have been released from the Law and joined to Christ.  The Law exposes sin, provokes sin and condemns sin. The issue is sin, not the Law! 

Romans 6:1-23

Theme: With the powerful truth that we have been saved from the penalty of sin (guilt and shame of all sin removed), even the wrath of God, it raises a question, “shall we go on sinning?” (6:1, 15) The amazing reality is that Christ’s death on our behalf has also broke the POWER OF SIN. We are “dead to sin” is the theme of 6:1-14 because of our union with Christ. God’s Spirit gives us grace to live victoriously, though not perfectly. Sin is pictured in this chapter as a tyrannical master (in Adam), but “in Christ” this master no longer has control and no longer rules. As Christ followers we should not let sin have sway over us nor should we serve sin. Jesus brings us freedom! The theme of 6:15-23 is we are not controlled by sin’s power, but free to serve Righteousness. This message will draw of chapter 6 three practical steps to living in victory: 1) know the truth (“know that old self crucified with Christ” 6:6); 2) Consider or count yourselves dead to sin (6:11), but alive to God; and 3) present or offer yourselves to Christ—enslaved to Christ and His righteousness. We need to live a life of Spirit-filled trust in the power of Christ! [Note: it may be helpful to think of two realms as in chapter 5; realm of sin and death in Adam and the realm of life and freedom in Christ.]

Passage: Romans 5:12-21 

Since the universal impact of sin, there is a great divide between “being in Adam” and “being in Christ.”  One brings death (judgment and condemnation) and the other brings life (reconciliation and righteousness)! With the contrast and comparison of Adam and Christ, we can better appreciate the work of God through His Son that brought Him Glory.