Solid Rock Church Sermons

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel produces hope in our suffering. In Romans 5, Paul reminds us of the justification that we have through our faith in Jesus and how that justification brings us peace with God and access into God’s presence. Additionally, our faith in Jesus has secured for us God’s forgiveness for our sins and eternal adoption as God’s children. All of this gives us hope not in the circumstances of this life but, rather, in a hope that is founded in the life to come. Through Romans 8, we were reminded that all suffering is painful but our hope isn’t based on a temporary end to our pain. Our hope has to be found in something that is beyond what happens to us today. True hope can only be found in the eternal end of pain and suffering, which is offered to us through believing the Gospel and placing our trust in Jesus.

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God’s abounding grace works in our lives to eradicate sin and transform us into the image of Jesus. In Romans 6, Paul give us two primary commands in our battle against sin: consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ and present ourselves near to God rather than near to sin. Paul says that when we obey the command to consider our identity and our worth according to the Gospel, we are empowered to draw near to God rather than drawing near to sin. When we walk in nearness to sin, we will give in and obey it’s desires. However, when we walk in nearness to God, by setting our affections on Him, we will walk in obedience to God and sin will no longer have dominion over our lives.

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how the Gospel calls us to walk in transparency with God and each other. In 1 John 1, the Apostle John admonishes the church to understand that our confession of sin is what opens the door to true fellowship. John says that if we claim to have no sin in our lives, we are essentially calling God a liar and declaring that we have no need for the Gospel. To live as though there is no sin in our lives is to live in disbelief of the Gospel. This is why it is ludicrous to claim to be a Christian while, at the same time, living in self- righteousness. God calls his Church to wholeheartedly believe the Gospel and to walk in authentic transparency with God and one another.

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at how God’s power is perfected in us in the midst of our weakness. In 2 Corinthians 12, we saw how the Gospel leads us to boast in our weakness rather than hiding or pretending to be something we are not. The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth, encouraging them from his own experience, that God takes the things that Satan uses to harass us and uses them to humble us and, ultimately, make us stronger.  Paul's conclusion is that if Christ's power is made perfect in our weakness, then we would rather boast in our weakness rather than try to hide it.  Through Paul’s example, God is showing us how to embrace our weakness in humility and transparency and allow His power to meet us in our weakness.

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the humble confession of the Apostle Paul to Timothy, when Paul openly declared himself the “chief of sinners.” Through looking at Paul’s confession, we were reminded that Jesus didn’t come to rescue people who think they have it together. Jesus came to save sinners. In contrast with what much of the Church today believes, the sign of true spiritual maturity isn’t the absence of repentance; it’s the growing presence of Christ-exalting, Gospel-saturated repentance as believers become more and more aware of the daily need for the Gospel. At Solid Rock, we desire to become a church where Gospel- transparency is part of our DNA. This means that we are open with one another about our struggles because we are walking in covenant relationship with one another, creating a context where our identities aren’t in jeopardy by being honest about our weakness. Ultimately, we desire to become a church that is honest about our struggles because we believe the Gospel, which says we are sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus came to the world to save sinners, even sinners such as I.

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Matthew 9:35-38 and focused on a powerful word that reveals the heart of Jesus: compassion. Much of the work Jesus did during his earthly ministry displayed the compassion He had for others. In this passage, Jesus saw the harassed and helpless and didn’t judge them or turn His back on them; He felt compassion for them. Jesus challenged His disciples to have this same kind of compassion. In a world full of the harassed and helpless, laborers are needed. In order to be a laborer for the harvest—or, in other words, to see those struggling and have compassion to do something about it—we must pray and follow the example of Jesus. He asks us, as disciples, to see those struggling around us and act with the same compassion and love that God has shown to us.

For our Mother’s Day sermon this past Sunday, we looked at Sarah’s response to God’s promise in Genesis 18 and 21. Through her example, we see a beautiful picture of what it looks like to be a woman after God’s own heart. Through her lack of faith, God turned Sarah’s self-doubt and fear into faith in God’s power to do what seemed impossible. Being a woman after God’s own heart means that your identity is rooted in what God alone thinks of you and what God alone has promised you. Being a woman after God’s own heart means that your life is rooted in God’s promises as you trust Him to do the impossible in your life and through your life. God desires to free women from the shackles of shame, the burden of legalism and the lie that, unless they have it all together, they have no value. God promises to take the ashes of failure and turn them into beauty. God promises to take the discarded and broken shards of self-image, which women often have from living in a fallen world, and give them an identity rooted in what Christ has done for them, rather than what they can do for themselves.

In the sermon this past Sunday, we looked at the Bible’s Gospel Story conclusion in Revelation 21 and 22. In this passage, God reminds us that He is the author of the story and the Bible is ultimately about His redemption plan to rescue the nations from sin and death and restore all things to the condition they were originally created to be at the beginning of the story: “Very good.” What makes this good news for us is that Jesus has done all of the work and made the ultimate payment on our behalf in order that God’s redemption would come to us for free. The Gospel Story calls us to trust and believe that the payment Jesus made on the cross was enough forus.AtthemomentwehearandbelievetheGospel,oursalvationispaidforinfull. The Gospel Story ends with the glorious reminder that God has invited us, who are unworthy and have nothing to give for payment, to receive what He is offering for free and have complete and eternal satisfaction.

What aspects of this life are you tempted to trust in before or instead of Jesus? How does it affect you to know that God is offering you His love and forgiveness for free?