Redeemer Rockford Students

How can sinful human beings become right with God? Are you in rights standing with God? These are some of the most important questions we could ask ourselves. In this sermon Pastor JT Stead weaves through one of the most important doctrines for the christian life. It is said that it is the doctrine by which the church stands or falls. Justification by faith alone is a doctrine that is in need of being recovered today. 

Q. 23. What offices does Christ fill as our Redeemer?

Christ as our Redeemer fills the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, in his states both of humiliation and exaltation.

Q. 24. How does Christ fill the office of a prophet?

Christ fills the office of a prophet in revealing to us by his Word and Spirit the will of God for our complete salvation.

Q. 25. How does Christ fill the office of a priest?

Christ fills the office of a priest in his once offering up of himself to God as a sacrifice, to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God; and in making constant intercession for us.

Q. 26. How does Christ fill the office of a king?

Christ fills the office of a king in making us his willing subjects, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.

Q. 21. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?

The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person for ever.

Q. 22. How did Christ, the Son of God, become man?

Christ, the Son of God, became man by taking to himself a body and a soul like ours, being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

Here is a reading of questions 1-20 of the Westminster shorter catechism. In the month of July we will continue our study looking at questions 21-38. 

GOOD NEWS - God in His grace will not leave us to die in our sins due to our breaking his law. In this episode we learn of another covenant God makes with mankind. Unlike the covenant of life based on works, this is a covenant of grace based on the works of God's son. 

Q. 20. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the state of sin and misery?

God, solely out of his love and mercy, from all eternity elected some to everlasting life, and entered into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the state of sin and misery, and to bring them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer.

 Tonight Jesus calls himself the door or the sheep gate, which is what sheep passed through in order to gain access to pastures. Jesus’ illustration of a Door communicates a few things. First that we need a door out of the place we are in and second that going through the door leads to something. Jesus is the door that leads to eternal life and abundant spiritual blessings in this life and the life to come. Many people don’t recognize Jesus as the door and are trying to create their own “door” or way to eternal bliss. Other doors could be through good works, earthly pleasures, and pursuits. Have you walked through the door of salvation by faith? 

Jesus said that He is the Light of the World. What does this mean? What is Jesus claiming and why is it that his audience wanted to put him to death for saying that? In this Sermon Gabe Whittaker breaks down the passage and calls us to receive the light of the world by faith. 

Just how bad are we? In this episode we answer this question as we learn about the depths of human depravity. 

Q. 18. What is the sinfulness of that state into which man fell?

The sinfulness of the state into which man fell includes the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the lack of the righteousness which he had at first, and the corruption of every part of his nature, which is commonly called Original Sin; together with all actual sins which flow from it.

Q. 19. What misery did the fall bring upon mankind?

The fall brought upon mankind loss of communion with God, and his wrath and curse, so that we are justly liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to punishment in hell for ever.

Why is there so much brokenness int he world? In this episode we answer this questions by looking at the Westminster Shorter Catechism. 

Q. 13. Did our first parents continue in the state in which they were created?

Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the state in which they were created by sinning against God.

Q. 14. What is sin?

Sin is any failure to measure up to what God requires, or any disobedience to his commands.

Q. 15. What was the sin by which our first parents fell from the state in which they were created?

The sin by which our first parents fell from the state in which they were created, was their eating the fruit that God had forbidden.

Q. 16. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first disobedience?

Since the covenant of life was made with Adam for his descendants as well as for himself, all mankind descending from him in the ordinary manner, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression.

Q. 17. Into what state did the fall bring mankind?

The fall brought mankind into a state of sin and misery.

In Today's episode we discus the 2 lost doctrines of God's providence and the covenant of life he made with Adam. These doctrines are vital to understanding the story of the Bible. 

Q. 11. What are God’s works of providence?

God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preservation and control of all his creatures, and all their actions.

Q. 12. What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the state in which he was created?

When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, on condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil on penalty of death.