Willetton Christian Church

Today, we will continue our reflection on the same passage of Romans 3:21-31. In this passage, we see that Christ is all the more worthy to boast about than ourselves. Salvation is of the Lord alone. In Paul’s description of the great Gospel message of Christ, it is God who initiates, executes, and applies salvation to us. We are merely recipients of this amazing grace. We receive this grace of God’s righteousness by faith alone in Christ alone. Faith in Christ is basically trusting in Christ and what he has done for us. Therefore, it is not about the intensity of our faith, but rather the object of our faith – who we put our faith in – Christ himself. Because it is entirely the work of God, accomplished by Christ on the cross, and applied to us by the Holy Spirit, we cannot boast in ourselves. There is nothing in our salvation that can be credited to us. To God be all glory. Therefore, we boast in God alone.

After two chapters of bleak and convicting passage on sin, Paul speaks the words of life in Romans 3:21-26 to us. In that passage, Paul declares the wonderful Gospel message to us – what God has done for us through Jesus Christ’s work on the cross. That work – the atonement – is like a multi-faceted diamond where we can inspect the beauty of the diamond from different angles. Each angle provides us with another glimpse into the intricate structure of the cut of the diamond, and thus makes us appreciate it even more each time. In our passage, Paul uses three different images to declare the wonders of the Gospel to us. In Romans 3:21-26, Paul declares that: 1. God has declared us not guilty before him as a judge. 2. God has rescued us from slavery through payment by the blood of Christ. 3. God has placated his own wrath towards us through the sacrifice of Christ. The glories of the atonement is something we as God’s people can reflect, embrace, and meditate on for all eternity.

What is wrong with our world? Many have answered this, but at the heart of the issue according to God is the godlessness and wickedness of people. In other words, our sin. Because we did not glorify nor worship God, God gives us over to our sins. He gives us over to our sinful sexual passions. We pervert our sexual desires and activities, using our bodies in a way that God has not designed for. Because of that, we all suffer the consequences that that brings. He gives us over to our depraved minds, filled with all kinds of evil and vice. These are practices that would destroy any kind of flourishing community. We have “no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.” In the Gospel, we have a God who understands, who is faithful, who is love, and who is merciful – the complete opposite to us. The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against our world today, but there is a greater revelation – the revelation of the righteousness of God found in the Gospel.

This morning, we get a glimpse into Paul’s love for the people of God and his unashamed passion for the Gospel. Even though he has never met them before, he prays for the Romans and longs to visit them. He would love to impart spiritual gifts to them to strengthen them in their faith. That is because he has been called to bring the Gospel to all mankind, particularly to the Gentiles. He does all this because the righteousness of God has been revealed in the Gospel, which is received by faith alone. It is the same Gospel that we believe today. It is the same Gospel that has transformed us, just like it did to Paul 2000 years ago. Therefore, we should seek to pray like Paul, strengthen others like Paul, and proclaim the Gospel like Paul.

The word "Gospel" means momentous, life-altering news. Right from the start, we read that Paul was an apostle that is set apart for this Gospel of God - momentous, life-altering news from God. This Gospel has been promised by God in the Old Testament through the many prophets that he has sent. This means that it is not Plan B for God, but rather that it has been in God's mind since the beginning. This Gospel is also about a real historical person and event that happened 2000 years ago - God the Son becoming the man Jesus, who lived a sinless life so that he could die for his people and redeem them. Through his resurrection, the Gospel is that Jesus is now crowned as Lord over all of creation. This news does not only have earthly significance, but it was eternal significance for all of creation. As we embark on this new journey through Romans, what is your response to this call of the Gospel?

Why am I here... why do I exist? What is the purpose of my life? These are questions that people have asked for centuries. Those who have discovered the answer find that in a purposeful life, their life is found to have 'meaning' Many people all over the world ponder these questions. It is good for us to know there are very clear answers... our lives are not meant to be aimless, without purpose or direction. In this service we explore these questions and the answers God in His Word provides.

There are so many fake things in the world of information and media in which we live and breathe. We often don’t know their source, and the wise thing is that if we ignore them, our lives will be unaffected. But there is a radically important truth which will totally impact our lives and change our priorities. It is the truth about who Jesus is and what he has done. It is the Gospel. It is found in the Bible. This is truth which underlies everything in 3 John.

Resurrection Sunday Part 1

Resurrection Sunday Part 1

Resurrection Sunday Part 2

Resurrection Sunday Part 3

Good Friday Service Part 1

Good Friday Service Part 2

Good Friday Service Part 3

Mankind longs for salvation. Some think that they can find it in gaining power, either power by strength or by influence. Others think it can be found by looking inward to ourselves, either by embracing all our impulses or discarding all our desires. We think that power or inward peace will bring about eternal peace and security to our restless souls. Thank God that true salvation is not found within us and what we can do. According to the Scriptures, true salvation is found external to ourselves in the one eternally unchanging God. He is the one who has revealed his righteousness to us in Christ, and through Christ, purchased our righteousness by Christ's death and resurrection. That is the great Gospel news, meant for all mankind. It is freely offered to all, no matter our background, ethnicity, culture, status, wealth, and moral status. That is why we are called to go and share this wonderful Gospel news. How can people believe in the Gospel without knowing who Christ is? How

Two weeks ago, we read in Ezekiel 37:1-14 that God brings about our spiritual resurrection by his Word through the power of the Holy Spirit. God's people is a creature of God's word - creature in the sense that we were created and made alive by God's word. One author puts it this way, "She [the Church] has been made alive by the Word. God spoke her into existence through the declaration of the Gospel - his righteousness on our behalf." The church has been made alive by God's word. It is also God's word that sustains us, just as how God's word sustains all things by his powerful word (cf. Heb 1:2). This Sunday, we take a look at what the Israelites did when they returned from their exile in Nehemiah 7:73b - 8:18. It presents a wonderful and powerful scene of God's people gathering once again after their exile. There is much we can learn from their example in this case.

Most people want something to believe in even if it’s just belief in themselves, something to hope for even if it’s a bit wishful, and some experience of love even if it's only fleeting. Our hearts are hard-wired for faith, hope and love. And this great triad is also at the heart of the gospel that is perfectly designed to meet, substantially and lastingly, our deepest desires. These three virtues take us to the essence of Christianity and the greatest needs of our souls.

The fundamental problem with our world is the spiritual death of mankind. There is nothing we can do to change that. What can dead people do to save themselves? Ezekiel speaks God's word to the very dry bones and they came to life. Only God can raise us from spiritual death to life. He accomplishes that through the proclamation of God's word by the power of His Spirit. This means that the first and most important activity of our Christian life is to sit under the faithful preaching of God's word. We trust in God's sovereignty in our redemption and in the redemption of the world. He is the one who saves and raises people from spiritual death to life, just like how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

We’ve heard it a lot… ‘Step out in faith’. Yet do we really know what that entails? As individual Christians and as a church are we prepared to adventurously launch out with lots of unknowns and TRUST God that He will provide? Then also, when things appear to go ‘pear shaped’, do we have PATIENCE to ride out the storm with God in the boat knowing He can still the storm? In today’s sermon, looking at the life of Joseph, we will see what it means to trust God and have patience; really believing no matter what happens, He has it all in hand and His plans and purposes for our lives are being worked out for His glory.

It is no easy task to be an elder in the church of Jesus. The church is not another club or organisation, it alone in all the world is the body of Christ, His bride for whom He is very jealous. He loves us dearly, warts and all. In the life of Moses we see how great the love of God is for His people, a love to be reflected in the love, compassion, grace and patience of those He appoints as leaders. Such Christ-like service seems impossible... not everyone in the church is easy to get along with, some are downright obstinate and difficult, just like those Moses was called to lead. God in great love for His people - yes, even the obstinate and difficult ones - calls elders and pastors today to be like Jesus to all His people. He not only calls them to be like Him, through the Spirit He empowers them to do the work to which he calls them.