Part Three of the Reformation Conference Celebration Series.

I’d like to take this space in our bulletin to encourage you to do everything you can to learn all you can over the next two days about the key truths of the historic Protestant Reformation. You may have not read much about it and may not ever pick up a book about it in the future, but will you please listen over the next two days to glean some of the essential truths every disciple of Christ needs to know? This morning you’ll get a clear picture of the mess the Church was in that Luther addressed … tonight we’ll talk about Luther drinking beer … and Monday night about the brave men burned alive for keeping the Reformation fervor moving forward. Yes, this stuff matters that much … people burned alive! And it starts with what we are looking at this morning.

The Two Huge Reasons the Reformation Matters…

1. The Word of God is the Only Absolute Authority over all Mankind

2. Justification by Faith is the Only Means of Reconciliation with God

Part Two of the Reformation Conference Celebration Series.

I’d like to take this space in our bulletin to encourage you to do everything you can to learn all you can over the next two days about the key truths of the historic Protestant Reformation. You may

have not read much about it and may not ever pick up a book about it in the future, but will you please listen over the next two days to glean some of the essential truths every disciple of Christ needs to know? This morning you’ll get a clear picture of the mess the Church was in that Luther addressed … tonight we’ll talk about Luther drinking beer … and Monday night about the brave men burned alive for keeping the Reformation fervor moving forward. Yes, this stuff matters that much … people burned alive! And it starts with what we are looking at this morning.

The Two Huge Reasons the Reformation Matters…

1. The Word of God is the Only Absolute Authority over all Mankind

2. Justification by Faith is the Only Means of Reconciliation with God

Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:21

[iks-cheynj] Verb - “To give up something for something else; to give and receive reciprocally; interchange”

Do you know how to think about your sin now that you are a Christian? Do you walk in freedom or in fear? In this one little verse we are given the wonderful and mysterious picture of how God reconciles wicked sinners like us. This verse answers the most important question any human can ever ask: How do I get right with God? So, friend, do you know how to answer that question? Do

you know how to delight in the reality of the answer? This will change your life!

The two great glories of our justification …

1. Christ Made Sin [5:21a]

2. Sinners Made Righteous [5:21b]

Gaining Gratitude – Thank God for the sacrifice of His Son as the perfect substitute in your place for the

judgment you deserve. Thank God that when He sees you ‘in Christ’, He sees you clothed in a perfect

righteousness based on nothing that you have done!

Prompting Prayer – Ask God to give you greater understanding and joy over the righteousness you’ve been

given. Ask God to give you right emotions to match the wonder of this gift you’ve received.

Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

If there ever were a more obvious passage that “God has done great things!” This is it! From creation to new creation, there is no other work of God that matches his work of reconciliation. This wondrous work of bringing us to God is better than any religiosity or man-made system ever devised. It is divine. It is all of God. It is all of grace. And we get to play a part in God’s move of redeeming the fallen mess. We are His human-royal messengers bringing good news!

1. God’s Story of Reconciliation

2. Reconciliation is All of Grace

3. You’re place in God’s Story

“[Jesus] told people that their sins were forgiven, and never waited to consult all the other people whom their sins had undoubtedly injured. He unhesitatingly behaved as if He was the party chiefly concerned, the person chiefly offended in all offences.”

CS Lewis, Mere Christianity

Passage: 2 Corinthians 5:16-17

[juhj-muh nt] Noun - “The ability to make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and

wisely”

Do you think about people rightly? How are you to judge others? The Bible couldn’t be clearer about the foundation for proper thinking regarding those around you. Without this foundation, we

will make wrong judgments, show partiality, and fail to operate out of a Gospel framework. With this truth, we will be people of grace who can make right judgments without anger, prejudice, or

mean-spiritedness. Come learn it!

The two options in making judgments of one another …

1. Wrong Judgment [5:16]

2. Right Judgment [5:17]

Gaining Gratitude – Thank God for the work of Christ which forms the basis of all judgment. Thank God for

how He took away your ‘old’, and made you ‘new’.

Prompting Prayer – Ask God to make you sober-minded in making Godly judgments. Pray for discernment

and discretion to think rightly about yourself and others, and then to act consistently according to the spiritual and

not the fleshly.

Freedom Sunday

What is Freedom Sunday? Freedom Sunday is an invitation from International Justice Mission (IJM) to our congregation to give ourselves for one service to learn about slavery and partner with IJM to end it. We have accepted and are dedicating Sunday, September 24 to ending slavery. God wants everyone to be free and wants your church to help bring hope and freedom to every enslaved and abused child, woman and man.

Gospel Vision for Freedom

Philippians 2:5-11

- Biblical-Historical Reality of Human Trafficking

- Today’s Reality of Human Trafficking

- Biblical Hope for Freedom – The Gospel

- Responding with Gospel Vision for Freedom

“The gospel ‘lays the explosive charge…that…ultimately…lead[s] to detonation, and the destruction of slavery.’” (Murray J. Harris)

“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:31-32

It’s personal! Addiction has touched us all in some way or another. You have felt the magnetic pull of sin’s pleasure and its tentacles have gotten wrapped around your own heart. You have been lied to and deceived by a loved one keeping secrets and living a double life. Whatever it may be, it has devastating effects and we desperately need to think Biblically so we can act decisively for the good of those we love and the glory of God.

“As people who want to help addicts, we need something very powerful to break the hold of idols. Pleas, tears, arguments, or threats will not penetrate. Reason is useless. We cannot simply say, ‘Stop doing drugs, get control of yourself, stop worshipping an idol.’ As a result of spiritual oppression, drug worshippers may be very intelligent, but they can be oblivious to the destruction and slavery associated with drug abuse. They need the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18), the message of Christ crucified and risen. Other therapies can offer sobriety, but only this good news is powerful enough to liberate the soul. [Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave: Ed Welch, pg. 55]