Talks

Gill continues our descent down the mountain to the very bottom - MISSION.
So much gold in this message.  If you missed it, grab a cuppa and click the link below and catch hold of the MISSION we are called to, which Paul encourages us through the words in Romans 15 and 16.  Gill reads from The Message paraphrase which starts like this…..

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?”

Gill refers to the culture of “one anothering” - serving each other, preferring one another. Being more like Jesus.  Mark 12:30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

Gill challenges us on being a Church for those OUTSIDE of the Church.  How do we make our differences smaller?  Gill has an image of a “Glitter Ball” you see on a dance floor - how we represent all of the tiny mirrors which together reflect LIGHT which spreads out - WE SHINE OUTWARDS! Bringing God’s Kingdom near to those OUTSIDE!

Gill continues our descent down the mountain as she unpicked the clues that Romans chapters 13 and 14 give us about how to live in COMMUNITY.
The descent can be the most dangerous part of a mountain excursion as it is very easy to trip up. Climbing up is optional, but coming down is mandatory.

Paul who lived in a very different world to ours, (a cruel world under Nero) addressed the Roman church with incredibly wise and challenging words: “The authorities have been established by God. Just love and keep loving, Jesus is coming.”

There’s always a cost to radical Kingdom living. Here in the UK we are allowed to speak out against suffering, the cost to do that is relatively small compared to when Jesus went to the cross and hung on it willingly despite His power to change this at every given moment: That was the most powerful outliving of love ever!

Here, Paul is addressing Messianic Jews and converted gentiles who each had their ways. The same is true today in our Ashwood Church: We are a very diverse, glorious church and we all have our ways. We need to accept diversity to enhance our unity. Be who you are and let other people be who they are so we can all shine our individual colours together.

As described in the last chapter of Andrew Ollerton’s book: Some things like the good news of Jesus being the way and to accept Him as our saviour as the way to our salvation we should hold tightly: these are the things that hold us together.

Other things like whether we should wear hats or not, have loud or quiet worship etc. we should hold lightly: these are things that don’t really matter.

Gill’s message earlier in the year about “one-anothering” fits perfectly with today’s message. If we learn to “one-another” well, we can shine our light.

Bob continues our descent down the mountain as he explores all that Romans chapter 13 had to share about our DEVOTION.
Over the last 12 chapters, the Apostle Paul helpfully shared with the church in Rome all about God’s goodness, sovereignty, mercy and forgiveness, and then he hits the church on the head all of a sudden with a “Therefore”!
Now comes the time when we have to do something about all the information that has gone before, and we are issued with a much needed “therefore”, what are you going to do about it?
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God”
There were three key points that Bob helped us to explore
That a changed mind results in a changed life – That we need to be in the middle of God’s will, stand against the pressures of the world, and live in the light of His mercy.
That we are servants in God’s family – Each of us have gifts that we should use freely to serve and honour others.
That we are called to be servants towards our enemies – Living radical lives of hospitality, humility and forgiveness, living lives that show the difference that Jesus makes, but not being a doormat!
All in all, Bob reminded us that relationship with God is key to all of this, and it is through our love and devotion to Him that we are able to be transformed.
Therefore we need to renew our minds, serve one another and overcome evil with good.

Zoe talks to us about the “MYSTERY” we find in Romans chapters 9-11.
We should never expect to understand everything! – God is loving, kind, all-knowing but He is also mysterious!  There will always be an element of Mystery.

We need to remember that when we stand on a mountain and are surrounded with clouds: The view is still there whether we can see it or not. The same is true with God: He is still the same praise-worthy God, whether we understand everything or not.

On these 3 chapters, Tom Wright said: “There are more problems in Romans Chapter 9, 10 and 11 than a hedgehog has prickles!!”.

The Apostle Paul wrote about the confusion and controversy in Rome in order to create unity. (Zoe explains it really well – please listen again!)

Zoe summarises her talk with the following points:

-God loves us, even when we don’t reciprocate or choose not to follow him

-If we feel forgotten, God does not forget us

-God calls us to love our family, friends, neighbours and be passionate about seeing them know Him too

-It’s God grace that saves us

-We are all chosen for purpose

-We can all step outside of God’s purposes and mess up

With the new shoots grafted into an old olive tree, Paul paints a beautiful picture: Both the gentiles (us) and the messianic Jews (Jews believing in Jesus) are grafted onto the old olive tree of the people of Israel to bring it back to life.

Matt picks up “SEASON 2” of our Romans series that we started before the Summer.  We continued with the Mountain Analogy and Matt is excited to speak from Romans Chapter 8 “The Summit of Hope!”
Andrew Ollerton says: “I believe our fragile, anxious culture needs Romans Chapter 8 more than ever!”
Why? Because Romans 8 gives us a breathtaking view of our lives:

1) There is no condemnation! “We’re not condemned under the penalty of sin and we are also no longer ruled by the power of sin.”

2) We’re adopted as children and heirs! “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory!”

3) We have a future hope! “We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.”

“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them!”

Nothing can separate us from the love of God and this amazing hope!

In the fifth part of our Romans Series, Claire talks to us about the ridge of Freedom.
In the context of praying for the General Election, Claire starts by surmising what the apostle Paul might be campaigning for! She says Jesus’ campaign would have “FREEDOM” at the heart of his manifesto!!
The Gospel (Good news) means that in Christ, we live a new life of freedom. In God’s amazing Grace we are justified (declared righteous in the sight of God). This freedom is not based on our performance but on God’s righteousness.
The question Paul is asking in these chapters (Romans 6 & 7) If salvation is dealt with by Christ, then does it matter if I continue to sin? Maybe it doesn’t matter! Certainly not! Paul says in one translation: What a ghastly thought! We’ve been saved by God, so that we don’t have to live any longer bound by our sin and our sinful desires.  Paul is saying that we can (and should) now live a life of Freedom.

What does it look like to live a life of freedom?  In Romans 6-7, Paul compares the story of salvation to the story of the Israelites’ journey from Slavery into the promised land. The blood of the Passover lamb brought the Israelites deliverance. In the same way. the blood of Christ can give us freedom today. The Israelites walked through the waters of the river Jordan to come out on the other side. In a similar picture, we can be baptised in water as a sign that we have been freed of the bondage and shackles of sin by the grace of God. Just like the Israelites who had to learn to live in freedom after they crossed the river Jordan, we need to know the truth so that we can also live in freedom. (Many people understand they are free but don’t live out their freedom.) What is it that we need to know?
My identity has fundamentally changed through my union with Christ in baptism.
I am no longer a slave! I BELONG TO GOD!
Sin is no longer my master! My old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ.
We can say with conviction: I am dead to sin and live in Christ!

The peace that the Apostle Paul talks about in the book of Romans is not a warm fuzzy feeling or just a quiet moment without emails and children!
Real biblical peace is knowing we are justified, meaning that things are realigned and we are right with God and in relationship with him.
In Rome they had ‘Pax Romana’… peace gained by bloodshed and war, but our peace is gained by Jesus’ bloodshed. He stepped in and took the guilty verdict for us. This judge doesn’t send us away once the verdict is spoken but stays with us, stays involved and allows us into his presence, access to His grace and peace.

In Romans 5: 1-5 we read that peace is not dependent on our circumstances, that we can also have peace in the middle of suffering and trouble. It produces perseverance and hope and it transforms our experience of hardship and difficulty because we know that God is in it with us.  Our salvation is signed sealed and delivered but is also ongoing.

Standing on the truth that we are justified gives us peace. Following Jesus is what helps us to hold on to peace.

Have we understood that we are justified in Christ and made right with God through Jesus?
Are there ways you can share your story with someone this week?
Keep praying, and give things to God, this is the key to peace.

Let’s pray daily:

Holy Spirit Come….
I want To know Christ more than I do
and I want to be more like Christ than I am

After last week’s “dip” into the BAD NEWS (The valley of sin) Matt talks to us about the “Crux of Salvation” in the third part of our Romans Series. He reminds us that salvation can only be understood and accepted if the principle of sin is clear: We have all fallen short of God’s best for us. If left without God, we’re all bad people doing bad things. BUT NOW (!!!) God has shown us a way to be made right with Him”. Romans 3:21
How is this possible? How can a just and holy God declare sinners righteous?

Paul illustrates this to the Roman church in 3 ways that help them understand:

1) Slave Market Freedom: Slaves were common at the time and could only gain freedom if that freedom had been bought for them. They never had the means to be able to pay for themselves. So when Paul describes Jesus death as the payment that set them free this would have been dramatic! “He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins”. Romans 3:24

2) Temple Sacrifice: The Roman culture included a whole host of religions that required sacrifices to atone for their sins. Paul refers to these and clarifies that Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient once and for all: “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood”.  Romans 3 vs 25 - “Instead of you paying the gods, GOD literally pays for you!”  It’s amazing!

3) Law Court Justice: Even though we know we’re guilty, we can hear the “not guilty” verdict from the judge of all judges: “God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus”.  Romans 3 v 26

Matt shares the story about the potato famine in Ireland where some Tenants requested the cancellation of their debt as they were in no position to pay it. Rather than letting them off the hook as that would set a bad precedent, the landlord sent them a cheque that covered more than their debt. He paid for their debts!  Jesus did the same for us in His death on the cross.

How can we receive this free gift of salvation from God? “We receive God’s free gift of Grace BY FAITH.” Romans 3:22 We can do this by simply praying:
Lord Jesus, I recognise that I am a sinner and fall short of your best for me. I repent of my sin before you today. I receive your free gift of salvation by faith today.  I choose to put my trust in you and build my life on your promises for me.

In the second part of our Romans series, Zoe speaks about the big “valley” before climbing the mountain (title picture on Andres Ollerton’s book): The Valley of “SIN”.
Sometimes we have to face up to the BAD NEWS before we can step more fully into the GOOD NEWS.
In the book of Romans, Paul doesn’t hold back about how bad the culture in Rome was. (See Romans 1:18-32.)
The passage starts with mentioning the “Wrath of God”: God’s anger and fury are not unhinged, saved up for judgment day, seeking revenge. It is a righteous anger, God’s response to sin.

Paul states that everyone, whether a Christian or not, has an inbuilt moral compass – a sense of right or wrong. The people in Rome led a lifestyle that was not God’s way. They rejected it and exchanged God for “idols”. Our lifestyle might not be the same but the principle is still true for us today. What are we exchanging God for? Everybody worships something, it’s the way we are made, the people in Rome worshipped idols and statues that represented gods. We might not do that today, but we can easily worship the gods of our culture.  Wealth, careers, material things, comfort, sex and pleasure.  Anything that absorbs our time and our focus.
As a result, God reveals His wrath: He allows our desires to become “over desires” and sometimes even to develop into an addiction. God doesn’t want to see our destruction, but by leaving us to experience the consequences of our choices, He allows us to see the stark contrast between living our lives God’s way or not.

The church in Rome was a mixed bunch of people. Some were Jews and some converted Gentiles. Having followed all the Jewish rituals all their lives, the Jews could have easily felt that Paul wasn’t addressing them – after all they had followed the Jewish laws all their lives.  However, Paul doesn’t let anybody off the hook. Just like them, we often feel we are ok, but are we really? Don’t we sometimes judge others thinking that we are better? But when we judge others, we condemn ourselves. Romans 2:1-3

Here’s the BAD NEWS: which was true for the church in Rome and true for us today.  “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;” 
How do we respond?
A mark of spiritual maturity is to become more aware of our shortcomings and acknowledge that we all desperately need “saving” from sin and ultimately from ourselves.  Until we reach that point we can’t be ready to accept the Good News.
What are our idols that may have found their way into our attention and affection?  (Even good things must never replace our desire firstly for God Himself.)
Do we tend to judge rather than look at ourselves and our own sin?

We finished with a prayer of David: (Psalm 139)
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Matt introduces us to a new series: “Romans!”
Why Study Romans?
“All roads in the Bible lead to Romans”. (J I Packer)
“I was not a Christian, but when I had finished reading “Romans” I felt compelled to become one”. (Sir David Suchet)
“If the New Testament were the Himalayas, Romans would be Mount Everest. And the highest point of it is chapter 8.”
Understanding Romans – helps us even understand the rest of the BIBLE!
What did it mean in the original context?
The author of the letter “Romans” was Paul the Apostle and the writer was the Scribe Tertius. We believe that the Bible (including Romans) was inspired by God, making it more powerful than any other writing in history. The letter was written to the Christians in Rome, likely several groups of Christians who met in homes. Paul mentions 27 people by name: the letter was written to people Paul had a relational connection with, some were close friends and others had been with Paul as he faced trials, even prison! They represented a very diverse group of people: there were Greek, Latin and Jewish names, some of them were wealthy, others poor, and some even slaves. Some had Jewish backgrounds, others were Gentiles, including men and women. Paul writes to all of them and lists them alongside each other disregarding all hierarchical and patriarchal structures.
What does it mean for us in our context today?
The church should be Home for everyone!
Paul’s letter is still relevant for everyone!
The content of the letter is THE GOOD NEWS: Jesus! Paul says: “It is my job to share this good news and it is now yours as well. I am not ashamed and neither should you be!” We believe it is still powerful GOOD NEWS TODAY!
Death and sin have been defeated by Jesus (the Saviour) and now new life and eternal hope are on offer. This is the Good News of God.
The reality of our dark world is bad news, but Jesus’ GOOD NEWS shines all the stronger in it.