Crossbridge Community Church of Ocean County

In this passage. Paul is now ready to teach us the theology of the incredible gospel of Jesus Christ. We know from the previous chapters that God takes sin seriously, and the sinner must be punished because God is holy. The penalty for sin is death.

Let me ask you a question: How do you define the word "faithfulness"? And, as a follow-up question, how would you define God's faithfulness? We must consider this matter carefully, as faithfulness is one of God's qualities that comes from the core of His holy character. In the last chapter of Romans, Paul addressed the superficial religious image that the Pharisees presented to the people. The Jews thought that since they were born a Jew, they were automatically right with God because they were the chosen race. Paul made it clear to them that they were sinners needing a Savior. This was a rude awakening to the religious leaders and the Jews. Paul addressed two theological facts with which the Jews and Gentiles must wrestle. First, only God is faithful; we are not. Second, there is only one way to be right with God: faith alone in the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

Our culture, which places a premium on appearances, has fostered an environment where deception is rife. A case in point is a film I once screened at a church movie night, 'Super Christian.' The protagonist, a young man, wakes up on a Sunday morning, meticulously preparing for Sunday school and church. He dons a bright shirt and tie and proudly carries his Bible, conforming to the societal expectations of a 'good Christian.' Initially, he is in the church service, sitting in the front row with his Bible open and pen in hand, ready to take notes as the Pastor preaches his sermon. When the service ends, he politely and kindly greets people on his way to his car in the parking lot. At first glance, everything seems to be in order, reinforcing his carefully crafted image. He gets in his car and pulls out of the parking lot, grumbling at the other drivers. When he gets on the road home, his impatience with other drivers shows. As the movie progresses, we witness a stark contrast in his behavior. He's tardy, unproductive, and disrespectful at work, a far cry from the image he meticulously presents on Sundays. This stark dichotomy underscores the theme of appearances being deceptive in our culture. The Pharisees, priests, and Sadducees had turned Judaism into a religion emphasizing appearance rather than substance. They believed that being born Jewish automatically made them right with God. Then, they added many man-made laws and told Jews that they must keep all the rules perfectly to be considered" good Jews." Religion was all about image, not a changed heart and character that comes from faith in the Person and the work of Jesus Christ. Paul confronted the Jews and their religious leaders on this very issue. Let's investigate this passage and see what valuable insights it offers today.

We need to put this passage into the context of what we have read thus far in Romans. Last week, Paul described what happens in the culture when we choose to ignore God and live as if we think we know better than God. He outlines the moral downward spiral that happens and the resulting dire consequences. In the context of this letter, this was addressed to the Gentile world. Now, it seems that Paul is addressing the Jews and some of their unfortunate assumptions of who they are and their view of the righteous character of God. The Jews believed that they had special privileges because they were born Jews and the Jews were God's chosen people. Therefore, they thought they were automatically saved from God's wrath and judgment. This belief was a total misunderstanding of the righteousness of God and that salvation for anyone is only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. There are some precious lessons in this passage, not only for Jews but for us also.

Would we agree that all moral decisions we make have consequences? But, there is a crucial problem: Whose moral compass do we use to make moral and ethical decisions? Do we use the populace's moral compass, the prevailing moral compass, a religious moral compass, or the moral compass of the Scriptures? Let me illustrate aviation navigation. When pilots are trained to use a compass to navigate, periodic adjustments during the flight are needed to account for the rotation of the earth in order to maintain a true and accurate course. For example, if a pilot flew from New York to Chicago, an error of one degree can have some dire consequences. "An Air Force pilot said that for every one degree, a plane gets off course, you will miss your targeted landing spot by 92 feet for every mile you fly. From <https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=2f37674a3ad0ce97&sca_upv=1&sxsrf=ACQVn09KKRIFPPf5lHdKRPGh7y_4GDRdfQ:1711997801318&q=If+a+pilot+flew+from+New+York+to+Chicago+and+was+off+course+by+one+degree,+where+would+he+end+up?&spell=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiU27bm2KGFAxUdC3kGHThkCIIQBSgAegQICBAC&biw=1280&bih=607&dpr=1.5> The flight from New York to Chicago is 700 miles. The pilot will miss his runway by 12.2 miles, which could be catastrophic. Paul wrote about the catastrophic consequences of veering slightly off course from God's moral compass. Let's explore this passage together.

Happy Resurrection Day! We need a view of the Risen Christ.

How would you expect a very controversial king to come into Forked River, New Jersey? Security is the first order of business. So, he would always ride into town in a bulletproof car with a security detail surrounding him. Since this king is very controversial, the security guards want to guard the king against attempted assassination. The king would want to ride in a vehicle befitting his office and position. How would it look for a king to ride into town in a Volkswagen Beetle? That would not be very dignified for the king of a nation. The car could be a new bulletproof Cadillac SUV or Mercedes SUV. After all, he is the king. There is a Person who invaded this mess of humanity 2000 years ago. He is fully God and fully man. He is the Creator of the universe, the Savior, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords. The religious establishment and the political powers were not happy with Jesus. His words and actions threatened their power, greed, and selfish agenda. Because there were religious leaders who wanted to do away with Jesus, He was in danger. He had just raised Lazarus from the dead, and many people followed Him. There were several occasions when the crowd wanted to make Jesus their militant king, but Jesus would slip away because He didn't come to be that type of King. Now, Jesus does something visible to make a grand proclamation. He chooses to ride into Jerusalem and publicly declare Himself King. This was a very bold move from Jesus for several reasons. Note: we had a malfunction in our recording equipment. Please go to https://www.facebook.com/crossbridgeofocean to hear and see the service.

In a few short months, we will be in the summer season. Lake, bay, and ocean beaches will be busy. Most of these venues will have highly trained lifeguards on duty who will rescue swimmers who get into life-threatening situations in the water. These rescuers put their own lives on the line to save people from the jaws of death. In a few short months, we will be in the summer season. Lake, bay, and ocean beaches will be busy. Most of these venues will have highly trained lifeguards on duty who will rescue swimmers who get into life-threatening situations in the water. These rescuers put their own lives on the line to save people from the jaws of death. The problem is that our sinful natures fuel our pride to the point of believing we are okay on our own and don't need someone to rescue us from the perils of the water. So, the reality of this danger impacts us when we realize there is nothing we can do to save ourselves and that we need to be rescued. Spiritually, we are born rebels against God as a result of the sinful nature we inherit from Adam, and we find ourselves in deep waters, being dragged down by our sinfulness. The sad thing about this story is that we don't even know we are in dire trouble and need a rescuer. Paul wanted to make it very clear to his readers in Rome that mankind is in deep trouble because of sin and is destined for hell, eternally separated from God in a place of eternal torment without any hope of being rescued. Let's investigate what you and I can learn from this passage.

Intro: The most powerful message in this universe is the Gospel of God about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As people who have trusted in Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we have no reason to be ashamed of the Gospel. As we look at the following several verses in Romans 1, Paul revealed to His readers in Rome, and by application, to us why he wasn't ashamed of the Gospel.

Intro: Years ago, many people worked for a company for many years, even to retirement. Then, something happened in the 80s that seriously breached faith and trust and still has a negative influence today. Companies could have made better financial and personnel decisions to operate lean and mean. Instead, they fired many loyal and long-time employees who were faithful to the company. The result was a severe breach of trust between the employee and the employer. Even today, most people who work for companies don't believe a company can be trusted. So, many employees will work for a few years and move on to another company. When a person is born again, we enter into the family of God and His kingdom by faith alone in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. We are under new ownership when we have faith in Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Our response to the Savior who redeemed us from a life of rebellion and an eternity in hell deserves our total love, faith, and loyalty. Today, we will learn from Paul the concept of biblical faithfulness.

"Grace and Peace to You!" Romans 1:1-7 2/25/24 We often skip over the introduction or greetings of Paul's letters. Unfortunately, when we do this, we miss critical theological concepts and practical applications to our lives. We and our lost world need two critical gifts from God through faith in Jesus Christ: grace and peace. We live in uncertain times financially, politically, emotionally, and spiritually. It seems like everywhere we look, there is chaos and violence. We are in a time where evil is called good, and good is called evil. The churches in Rome needed encouragement because of difficult times. I suggest that the churches in America need this encouragement today. Let’s see what God has for us today. Background It probably started from Jewish believers who experienced Pentecost in Jerusalem. The church was primarily Jewish with a mix of Gentile. Paul wished to visit the church in Rome but had been blocked in his attempts. He wanted to visit to disciple them and impart spiritual gifts. So, Paul determined to visit Rome on his way to Spain. The Author and the Purpose v. 1-7 The apostle Paul was the author. He identifies himself as a servant (slave) of Jesus Christ. Christ called him to be an apostle. Apostle means ambassador. He was set apart for a particular work, e.g., for the gospel of God. This is the gospel God promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures. The gospel is regarding God's Son, Jesus Christ, who was to His earthly life a descendant of David. Jesus was appointed the Son of God in power through the Holy Spirit by His resurrection from the dead. Through faith in the Person and work of Jesus Christ, the church received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for God's glory. The Readers and Hearers of the Letter. This letter is addressed to the saints in Rome. God loves them. Called to be His holy people. Grace and Peace come from our personal relationship with God through the Person and work of Jesus. Conclusion: There is true freedom in Christ alone. We need to take the gospel to the world. We need to put ourselves under the authority of Christ. True grace and peace are only available by faith in Christ alone.

This final chapter of Daniel brings us back to the tribulation prophecy but with greater detail. It incorporates the reality of spiritual warfare with the reality of that terrible period of persecution and death among the believing Jews and Gentiles. So, let's unpack this passage to gain more insight and wisdom about the end times and tribulations yet to come.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. In several hours, there will be a clash of two powerful teams. The victor will be declared the champions and best of all football teams. I am sure that this will be good entertainment for football fans. There will be plenty to eat, drink, and cheering and booing. The Monday after the Super Bowl has the highest absentee rate of any other day of the year because people partied too much and irresponsibly. The bottom line is that the football players will be more wealthy, and the outcome of the game will not make a bit of difference one way or the other in God's historic plan. History has unfolded and will continue to unfold just as God planned it from the beginning. Be encouraged! God is in control! Here is the truth: we are one day closer to the return of the King of kings and Lord of lords! Will we be ready?

I would like to ask you what are the two general reasons for conflict in our world? Think about your answer carefully. Original sin. Spiritual warfare. Daniel's vision in this chapter gives us great insight into what happens in the spiritual world behind the wars and conflicts leading up to and including the end times. For example, there have been many wars in my 72 years. I was born at the end of the Korean conflict; we were involved in the Bay of Pigs conflict; we had the Cuban missile crisis; we had the Vietnam War; we had Operation Desert Storm and Operation Freedom. These are not even all of them. Let's remember that our country was born out of the Revolutionary War. There was the French and Indian War. We had a Civil War. There is always spiritual warfare behind these wars and conflicts. Let's see what we can learn from Daniel 10 today regarding prophecy and spiritual warfare.

Intro: I would like to ask you what the two general reasons for conflict in our world are. Think about your answer carefully. Original sin. Spiritual warfare. Daniel's vision in this chapter gives us great insight into what happens in the spiritual world behind the wars and conflicts leading up to and including the end times. For example, there have been many wars in my 72 years. I was born at the end of the Korean conflict; we were involved in the Bay of Pigs conflict; we had the Cuban missile crisis; we had the Vietnam War; we had Operation Desert Storm and Operation Freedom. These are not even all of them. Let's remember that our country was born out of the Revolutionary War. There was the French and Indian War. We had a Civil War. There is always spiritual warfare behind these wars and conflicts.

Last week, we looked at Daniel's powerful prayer in the first part of chapter 9. Today, we will look at the result of Daniel's prayer. God gave Daniel a vision of both the present and the future. This vision concerns the Jewish people and the restoration of Israel and Jerusalem. Many of the Jews either ignored God's prophets and prophecies or killed the prophets. We need to remember God's mandate to His prophets. First, they could only tell people what God had told them, no more and no less. A biblical prophet primarily aimed to call people back to God through repentance and faith. God would say to the prophet to tell the people the consequences of what will happen if they refuse to repent. I believe that God still raises prophets in the church to call His people back to Him through repentance and faith. The Scriptures call people to repentance and faith. God's word also invites an unbeliever to faith and repentance. So, what is going to happen to Israel in the future? Daniel's vision tells us.

Do we take the power of prayer seriously? Do we take God's prophecy seriously? Daniel chapter 9 gives us great insight into both of these issues. Let's set the context of this chapter. This occurred in the first year of Darius, son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom. Daniel was approximately 80 years old in the first year of Darius' reign. Let's not forget that God disciplined Israel for their disobedience, and the Babylonians invaded Israel and took them captive, destroyed Jerusalem, and forced many to exile in Babylonia. What happens next is so beautiful; it is worth learning and applying these lessons to today's situation.

Intro: If you are concerned about the chaos, evil, and sin in our country and the world, you are not alone. For born-again believers, these things should concern us. As we study the Word and let the Holy Spirit apply God's principles and love to our hearts, we should become more sensitive to our culture, families, and country, and the world has gone away from the Jewish-Christian ethic. Daniel 8 gives us glimpses of past prophecies fulfilled and future prophecies to be fulfilled. Please know that as Christ's followers, we are secure in His love no matter what happens to us in the future. But these prophecies should drive us to share Christ with people who need to be saved because the time may be short. In this chapter, Daniel makes a critical transition in the use of language. Daniel wrote the first seven chapters in Aramaic, a language understood by Babylon. Daniel wrote the remaining chapters in Hebrew because these chapters address the future of Israel.

Tomorrow is 1/1/24 AD. Does anyone remember what AD means? It comes from the Latin phrase Anno Domino, which means the year of our Lord. We tend to forget that God controls time, history, and the future. In this section of Daniel, we enter the prophecy of the end times, which theologians call eschatology. The focus is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This type of literature is called apocalyptic literature. Daniel uses symbolic language with strange symbols and descriptions which appear "like." As we explore these chapters of Daniel, let us remember that the centerpiece is the Second Coming and our preparedness.

The core meaning of Christmas is faith and hope. To understand this, we need to put ourselves into the time and place of the faithful Jews of Israel who understood God's promise of the coming Messiah who would suffer and die for the salvation of Israel and the world. They had faith and hope in the promises of God about the incarnation of Jesus into this mess of humanity to bring redemption, forgiveness, new life, and new purpose by faith in Him. In this passage written by Dr. Luke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we meet two people of faith who trusted God's promise of the Messiah. We will learn valuable faith lessons from Mary, Joseph, Simeon, and Anna.