Lenexa Baptist Church

This weekend we begin to study what many have referred to as the greatest chapter in all of God’s Word, Romans 8. It’s salvific and theological significance cannot be overstated. Few chapters in the Word rival Romans 8 in setting forth the Gospel and the plan of salvation. An old German commentator named Spener said that if the Bible was a ring and the book of Romans, a precious stone, chapter 8 would be “the sparkling point of the jewel.” Beyond this, few chapters of God’s Word rival its practical significance in the life of the believer. Many turn to Romans 8 when they are in sorrow to be encouraged that nothing can separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. It is the chapter that many turn to when they don’t know how to pray so that they might be encouraged by the Spirit’s intercession for them. Still others turn to this chapter when they are overwhelmed by the burden and guilt of sin to be reminded that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

For these reasons and so many others, I pray that you will join us this weekend as we dive into the first few verses of Romans 8. Make the decision today to join us for worship this weekend. God has not just saved us from hell; He has saved us into a family, the Church. I pray that gathering with the body of Christ would be the highlight of your week as we enjoy the togetherness of the Gospel. We stand on God’s Word together. We pray together. We sing together. We encourage one another together. We invite sinners to repentance and belief in Christ together. And one day, we will enjoy heaven together. Let’s gather this weekend and get a little glimpse of heaven!

— Pastor Chad McDonald

Romans 7:13-25 has been described as one of the most difficult passages in Romans to interpret. The primary question that dominates most of the discussion is, “Who is this man who is speaking here?” Is this Paul as a believer or an unbeliever? Is this Paul as a mature believer, or Paul reflecting on his past before fully grasping God’s revelation in Christ? Certainly, there are aspects of what Paul says that would seem to be impossible statements for the believer and even contradictory to what Paul has previously said in Romans. How can I be freed from the dominion of sin in Christ while at the same time in bondage to sin in my flesh? What is the nature of the true Christian life? Is it possible to have a Christian life where there is no consciousness of your own deep sinfulness? I pray that you will join us this weekend as we look into God’s Word for answers to these questions. Answers that are critical to the successful Christian life. I look forward to seeing you this weekend! — Pastor Chad McDonald

In order to keep the law, we must die to the law. If we are under the bondage of the law, we are not free from the dominion of sin to live and serve the Lord with joy. These are shocking statements. They are the essence of what Paul says in Romans 6-7, and they were the foundation of the accusations that haunted Paul in writing his letter to the Romans. Paul’s opponents were fearful that his teaching concerning the Gospel and dying to the law would lead to lawlessness. You can almost hear them saying, “Paul, we don’t need less law. We need more law.” If you read Paul carefully in these verses, you can hear his response. The real issue is not less or more law, the real issue is that we need more Jesus. We need more of the Gospel. When you only have the law, you will only have an increase of sin and trespass. The law alone cannot change a heart. Only the gospel can change the human heart. But when the gospel changes the hearts of people, they will obey His commands from a joyful heart. What a glorious paradox. In order to truly live, we must die. To keep the law, we must die to the law.

I pray that you will join us this weekend for one of our many worship services. Weekend worship is a Friday decision. Make the decision today to join us for worship. — Pastor Chad McDonald

If you have read ahead in Romans 7, you’ve probably asked the question, “How do marriage and death relate to sanctification?” Paul is a wonderful teacher in his use of illustrations. He has already helped to define sanctification as being “in Christ,” and last week he helped to define sanctification through the lens of the slave and master relationship. This week, as we turn our attention to Romans 7, Paul uses marriage to help define the believer’s relationship with the law. Far too many believers are attempting to go back and live under the law. You can often recognize them by their frustration and critique of those who don’t live up to their own set of convictions. Others use their freedom from the law as an excuse to ignore the law or even to break the law. Both of these reactions to the law are a gross misinterpretation of the gospel. The law of God is divinely inspired and relevant for our lives, but it was never intended to save us. We will spend the next few weeks walking through Romans as Paul masterfully paints a picture of our freedom in Christ and how uniting with Christ free’s us up to live in the beauty of God’s law. Make plans now to join us. Don’t wait until Sunday morning to decide. Make the decision now that worship this weekend will be a priority to you and your family. — Pastor Chad McDonald

When the New Testament speaks of our salvation, it does so in the past tense. It speaks of believers as chosen, washed, justified and sanctified. At the moment of salvation, you were given to the Lordship of Christ. Yes, there is a process of growth, and you will continue to move forward and advance.

Jim Elliot once said, “It takes the whole of your life to give the whole of your life to Christ.” I love that quote, and it is true. But at the same time, it is inconceivable to Paul and the New Testament writers that a person could come to faith in Christ as Savior without Christ also becoming Lord at that very same moment. You can never be a justified believer without also being a sanctified believer. This is what Paul has been rejoicing in through Romans 6. Now, as we begin to walk through the latter verses of the chapter, Paul digs even deeper into the means and motivation of the sanctifying work of Christ in our hearts. These are passages that we must know and understand.

I pray that you will join us this weekend for worship. We will celebrate and rejoice with believers as they publicly confess Christ in baptism. We will pray for one another and fellowship. Most importantly, we will gather round the Word of God and sing praises to God that we might be changed more and more into the likeness of His glory.

— Pastor Chad McDonald

Up to this point in Romans, we have received no real commands from Paul. He has not given us something to do. He has told us what Christ has done and who we are in Him. This is the pattern of Paul. He starts with doctrine and then moves to daily living, because Paul knows that behavior always follows our beliefs. This week, we will be introduced to our first real commands from Paul as we move from justification to sanctification. We began this work last week. It is not easy to understand, but it is critical to a victorious walk with Christ. It is worthy of our work and effort to know this chapter and to study it deeply. I pray that you read ahead. Prepare your heart now for worship this weekend. Let us gather with expectant and excited hearts as we gather around His Word with His people and sing His praises.

“I was glad when they said to me, let us go into the house of the Lord.” Psalm 122.1

— Pastor Chad McDonald

Where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more! This is a glorious statement and a wonderful reality of the gospel. For many living in Paul’s day, however, it was an incredibly dangerous statement. For them, it was a license to sin. If grace abounds more when I sin more, why not keep on sinning? To answer this question, Paul reminds us of what has really occurred in our hearts when we placed our faith in Christ. In fact, he responds by asking the question, “Do you not know what occurred to you when you trusted Christ?” The answer to this question is foundational to the Christian life. What occurs when we trust in Christ, and what difference does it make in our lives? I pray you will join us this weekend as we continue our study through Romans and address these critical questions that are essential to Christian life.

If you have read ahead in Romans 5 to the verses we will study this week, you probably noticed that there is a significant difference between verses 12-21 and verses 1-11. A few years back, the deacon body set out to memorize Romans 5. The first eleven verses were no problem. The last nine were incredibly difficult, not just to memorize, but also to understand. I even had the thought this week that I should have assigned these verses to Pastor Ryan, and then we could have just marched into Romans 6 this weekend. But, while these verses may be difficult to understand, their value cannot be understated. These verses are foundational to Christian thinking and Christian living. They help us to understand how God saves sinners and how what one man did on a cross has brought justification, life and salvation to a multitude of people. Understanding these verses will bring you into a greater appreciation of the magnitude of the salvation that is ours through faith in Christ.

Pastor Ryan McDaniel | Psalm 146

In our “big event” culture, Christmas is always the biggest annual event of all. We plan for it, prepare for it and celebrate it for over a month, and it doesn’t even matter if we are believers or not. When it comes to Christmas, we all want the same thing. We want Christmas to be perfect. We have this hope that everyone will get along. We want perfect decorations, we want to give (and get) the perfect gifts, and we even want perfect desserts. After all, it’s Christmas, and isn’t Christmas supposed to be perfect? The reality is, in this imperfect world, Christmas will never be, and has never been, perfect. This week, we will take a look back at that first Christmas which was anything but perfect for Mary and for Joseph. You see, the only thing perfect about Christmas then, and Christmas now, is that perfect baby who was in the manger. God gave the world the perfect gift for an absolutely imperfect world.