Romans Chapter 1:5-7

We can experience God's forgiveness of Jesus Christ faithful we can experience joy really is for God's blessing and raise what Jesus suffered and what he paid for us to be able to receive these things, the grace is the unburned favor of God.

Welcome to cross the bridge with dignity date is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. It's been said grace is God's riches of Christ experience. Find out how the gift that Jesus has given us can change your life's dignity continues in the book of Romans chapter 1, but before we get into today's teaching. Every marriage needs course corrections from time to somehow do we make sure our marriages stay on track and the struggles and pressures of life. Find out how in Pastor David's new endless love is our gift to thank you for your donation to help cross the bridge broadcast on this and other stations open more people cross the bridge from death to life across the bridge.com now to request your copy in the again that website is cross the bridge.com. Now here's the his teaching article Terminator Romans chapter 1, when looking at the life of Paul. Paul at this point is not been the room is writing this, from Corinth, and in timeline sense.

You have to peel back in a few chapters in the book of acts because act closes with Paul being in room okay but at this writing seen in the New Testament was written in chronological order and the exact timeline there's books are written earlier.

The come later in the New Testament and in Romans. He's not yet been there but it comes after the book of acts. Or, feeling the clock back a little bit. Chapter 1 verse five says, through him as H speaking Jesus through him we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name is a couple words here that he uses it need understand first when there is grace grace. We use this word, but do we really stop to think about what it means in as we go through this chapter by chapter study of the book of Romans.

Let me assure you it's going to be life-changing. It's changed lives of people like Martin Luther and John Wesley.

They were changing this book alone similar to God's inspired of God can change your life and you can have a richer, fuller, deeper walk with the Lord. If you come to a deeper, richer understanding of this word grace.

So what is this thing called grace. We know it's a woman's name. We we know when we pray over food we call it grace well grace give you something to remember it by grace is God's riches at Christ expense God's riches at Christ expense we can experience God's forgiveness.

The richness of his forgiveness this morning. Why can we experience that because Jesus Christ faithful we can experience joy freely. How can we experience that Jesus paid for. For God is blessing us in grace through what Jesus suffered and went through. He paid for us to be able to receive these things. Grace is the unburned favor of God the unearned or unmerited favor that you don't earn grace. There's nothing that you can do to earn grace. Grace is given to the Ephesians doing that talks about something that many things they will amazingly enough, as a lot of people rose, I know I'm good.

I don't need God's grace, but in reality friend every body needs God's grace and it's not just you need grace. The first day you come to the Lord know what you find out is you need grace every single day of your life to walk with to follow the Lord see the law of Moses well justification will talk about the forgiveness doesn't rest the law of Moses. But on the mercy of God because of our sinful nature we fall short of God's standard of perfection.

So what happens is, God is willing to give us his grace and it's his goodness and he makes us offer to forgiveness his goodness, not yours.

Some people think will. God sees this part of innate human goodness and designs he desires to fan the flame of that until a really good person. No, that's not it.

See friend when I came to the Lord in when people here came the Lord they had nothing offer God nothing except percent. Somehow he wanted. What about you, give you give the Lord your life or your life come from that best friend all you can do is give back your life so we come to God only through his grace. The new living translation. In this verse is this through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. You gotta get this grace you have to understand this concept in order to move forward in your life to the Lord because if you don't understand this, you were going to spend a lifetime trying to earn God's favor when through grace, God is already given you this favor, given your forgiveness. So life lesson here Christianity is built around what God has already done for us, not what we can do for him.

Christianity is built around what God is already done for us, not what we can do for him years ago started the Christian musician and he said, was in a time of prayer and God said that he needed me to. Given my musical talents he could think of my life's timeout friend. God doesn't need your talents. He doesn't need your gifting desires your talents and gifting's but God is God he doesn't.

There's nothing that week. He needs from a contrary to popular teaching God doesn't need your money desires your heart and your life desires your obedience and yes for that obedience is going. The Scriptures nothing but God just want you 20 wants now grace. Here it says grace and apostleship, for obedience was apostleship talked about last week somebody that's on a mission.

Biblically speaking on a mission or God on a mission to proclaim his goodness and assist for obedience to the faith to understand that we are supposed to be willing to reach out to people that were supposed to be willing to join together to reach other people to if you feel yourself resisting that reveal something about yourself is your following Jesus was willing to meet not only inconvenience was willing be executed on behalf of those who don't know, and he told us were supposed to be involved with this. Matthew 28 called the great commission.

Verse 18 Jesus came and told his disciples, I've been given complete authority in heaven on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the father the son.

The Holy Spirit teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I've given you, and be sure this time with you always, even to the end of the age of the way closes are going to do this to be with not leave you turn my back on your forget your anything to be with you why you're doing life lesson here is we should all be a part of reaching and teaching the world. We should all be part of reaching and teaching the world. It's not a certain segment of missionaries who alone are supposed to do this is not pastors who requested this is what were all supposed to be part of the challenge I guess is what find a church where they think this is important to place find a church where there's an environment where they welcome people to come in that don't know Jesus because friends when you do that understand things can get messy churches are supposed to be the sterile environments not wish to be a museum for Saints, especially hospital for sinners. Jesus said be fishers of men inside beekeepers of the square. This is what Ross was all now as we look at this verse and and and understand to spend some time amazed with this is that I'm gonna build the foundation for this book and and these words, and things will keep coming up that we need to understand Paul's heart. What are supposed to be this this environment here in this church is a team it's a team you need to understand that on Sunday morning. Sometimes when people come forward and asked Jesus to forgive the mother sent they've been born again that's not my win that are with. If you serve here. If you get here. If you pray for us that are win.

The people that are out in the parking lot, helping people parked cars, and welcome that are win. The people that are great now. That are win people serve in the café. These please pick the guys back at the media team.

We got try to keep up with my whole frenzied approach with each of the date they are there and when July comes Lord is our win.

What you think about when you get to heaven.

Somebody's going to come up to you that you've never seen before and don't know and say do you hate to think I came to the Lord in China was a missionary there that Joe help support. That's how I came to be and I want to say things wouldn't also moment that's going to be and again these are our wins. A team approach to reaching and teaching you were listening to Pastor David McGee only crossed the bridge to be back with more in just a moment, God desires to reveal himself to the world and the Bible teaches that marriage is supposed to be a picture of God's love to others. Pastor David and his wife Nora want to show you how to make your marriage, one that proclaims God's love in their new three DVD series endless love. It's our gift to thank you for your donation to help cross the bridge error on this and other stations helping more people cross the bridge from death to life. Go to cross the bridge.com now to request your copy of endless love, this is Pastor David McGee was cross the bridge and want to thank you for listing the cross the bridge also want to tell you about an exciting website. The website is lost loved ones.org and it works very simply like this you go to the website you put the first names of up to 10 people that we begin praying that they get saved takes two things to get same presentation and prayer, and what were offering is prayer and also there's different tools there to help you present the gospel to them. So were there with you, helping you with the presentation helping you with the prayer. There's over 920 people that belong to the prayer team on lost loved ones and you can join the prayer team as well and help us to pray for others who don't yet know Jesus and together we can see a huge revival starting with your lost loved ones. Now back to today's teaching verse six, Paul continues among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ.

Henry seven to all who are in beloved of God, called to be saints, grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ called in verse six among you also are the called. Now there's a word that needs some defining because we feel like the called or just a small segment of the population actually called what happens as God sees that spark of innate human goodness again. If you're walking with the Lord long enough in your righteous enough or long enough, God will call you into ministry. If you go to school long enough, God will call you in the Bible says limit me to. I'm firmly convinced God doesn't have me because of my righteousness. Some people once or twice a week, church that's good. God wants me like five, six days a week to maybe give me on. It wasn't my righteousness more than anything friend is my availability.

My availability to because understand we are all called we are all called that word we talked about this last week called means invited the Lord has invited you on this adventure are called to do different things.

I'm called to be the senior pastor here God call me didn't a group called mirror committee call me strong search. God called me to be and I will be here until God takes me a God moves me somewhere else. That was tenure for senior pastor about three years. You need understand that's not my plan.

I'm not waiting for some bigger church a call with a better packaging and and a higher salary more benefit. This is God call me to be here so be now God called you to understand what happens thinking when God called Ms. like you must.

You got the wrong number you meant to get my neighbors house. He's a really good solid got no course I went through the reasons why that calling should happen to me fracture going to those reasons and print were not unlike other people, mom. When God called Moses. Moses start telling God like you think God's goblet them and all that's really good if you can think of that one. Okay, don't be the deliver. That's not what happened. I'm going to be your strength and your weakness. So we sit here we run through will this is what the Bible says from his first first chapter 26 verse. Remember, dear brothers and sisters. A few of you will live in the world are powerful or wealthy when God called you instead, God deliberately chose the things the world considers foolish in order to shame.

Those who think their wives and he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful.

God chose the things despised by the world.

Things counted as nothing in all and using the bring the nothing what the world considers important so that no one can ever boast summary read this verse is understand why your pastor. Praise God this way gondolas different.

Don't sit there and go well on this week, all year and that verse. People don't like me all here in there will people think I'm foolish. Got it right there minutes I can about and that glorious at the same time it kind of takes away our excuses, but here's a glorious thing. See at some point in your Christian walk and follow Jesus you're going to be discontent would just sit in the bleachers afraid I gotta be honest.

If this is your church. I will make sure I am committed. If it takes me stirring you. I'm committed to doing.

I love you that much because at some point you gotta leave the bleachers and get into the game. Christianity is not a spectator sport was never intended to be.

When Jesus sees people coming in is not sand well done, thou good and faithful spectator nice as well done good and faithful servant. But here's the great thing. The moment you walk on the field to join the gang you want your flight, it's not a matter what happens during the course of this life you have by walking on the field you are a winner by not when you lose because God called you to more than just being a spectator, Jesus said these things are just so strength, if you want to know what life is all about.

Give your life but if you try to hold onto it you lose it goes through your hands like shifting sands most of you folks decided to walk on the film be winners and I am eternally grateful. Some of you are still wondering some of your freight at this first minister to you as a matter of your weaker frail and not powerful maybe are foolish or despised or counted as nothing at all. I can issue. See, there's like a timeline if you will out here is Pam given my life away servant have given up doing.

Maybe you're in the middle, still on the central I'm not sure about this.

Not sure about that. I'm still looking for the perfect surgeon for the past when I find that then I'll give that officer you'll eventually get off the fence as some of you maybe you just came to the Lord what I just want to forget that's awesome that's great place to start this way. That's was a beautiful thing about people getting saved here. They are not birds freshly into churches is okay and I need to go sit on the bleachers for five years. Okay, now that's awesome. Great step here where you honest, the Lord is asking you that this will not mean the Lord is asking where are you ever hear. If you're not here you're frustrated you lack in peace. You don't have the joy because you're not given your life away.

Maybe you got saved and like to join the pizza joint apiece come as you give your life for granted the day you get same man that joy and peace you get a taste of some loss little taste of heaven. But Jesus is go this way.

Where are you on here Miller did something interesting in gardening Genesis 3 verse nine the Lord called Adam and said them. Where are you messy question friend you think God wasn't sure where Adam was that somehow he couldn't find it. God knew right where he was the one that got him a question. What he knew and I think that's a great question for us that where am on this.

I'm over here. I'm in the middle making excuses for my given my life away and experience the fullness of what God has for me in. We want to reach the world.

You can be a part of it here goes. In verse seven uses some phrases that are interesting to all who are in room beloved of God, called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God our father Lord Jesus Christ want you to notice something when it says, beloved of God, called to be saints if you're in the King James Marine from the new King James thinking NLT as well to be is in italics now when you see something in the Bible that's in italics. What that means is it's not in the original language and they for the Greeks different than English and and the Hebrew Old Testament is the researchers of different things. Sometimes I have to put these words in their service connectors they let you know that that's out while Massena because the phrase actually in the Greek, there is called saints called saints called to be saints called saints.

You understand the different called to be saints says all we are called to be something called saints says you are something as important differences. Why is that she neither understand the hearsay know some of you may have come from movements or denominations and said we gotta do this you gotta do that kind of couple miracles and I will call you St. and then are just a few their St. Matthew St. Mark St. Luke John St. John just a few and we have build items and worship him pretty. That's not the biblical sense of St. according to the Bible you come to Jesus and Jesus, forgive me my sins. You're saying that St. David, like that is just wrong to put your name in there because according to the Bible when you come in here you're a saint your holy and spotless Lord. He looks at you. It doesn't seem sent seizure covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and then as other cleats also called we talked about that invited called St. invited St. and then this beloved love affairs from agape explained that word love is we use the word love in some weird ways in the sense of I love pizza in a row.

I love food and understand have said those things, but you really love pizza. I mean do you really are you willing to lay down your life. Well that's probably not a good some of your will is or do you have the like an emotional experience complete unit you have a relationship with pizza. Hopefully not contrary to the Pizza Hut Domino you have a relationship with pieces that you make love eating pizza but is not like a love relationship with other people less understand this. This is even above that love relationship with people as we use the word love and sometimes a look at what a loving 11 then was it really love to begin with and we use things like I don't feel love for you is not feeling the commitment snack of the will and but in this work.

A gotta say no I love you unconditionally. I love you when you're in church. I love you when you're out of church. I love you when all time. As a matter fact and Jeremiah chapter 31 verse three. This is the Lord has appeared of old to me St. yes I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, lovingkindness on drone life lesson here.

You are loved.

You are loved your love other people here love you guys more informally that lotion and he doesn't love me with a split beloved easily get to market well, you still love you feeling John 316 says for God so love the world, not just love the world so somebody can say to you know I love you and that's meaningful once my says so. Love you beyond that, we know Jesus loves us. John 1513 greater love has no one than this, than the lay down one's life for his friends. Jesus showed prove that this would call this invited is that everybody is everybody you come to the Lord you're the called yearly invited friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I can have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry.

Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen it friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible.

You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you prayed that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can call us toll-free at 877-458-5508 to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ before we say goodbye in both the old and new Testaments. Marriage is a practical picture of God's relationship with his people. People are intrigued and drawn to godly marriages and when they're drawn to our marriages there drawn to God.

We want to help you keep your marriage in balance and proclaim Christ through it by sending you pastor David's three DVD marriage series endless love. This series is our gift to thank you for your donation to help cross the bridge air on this and other stations so there is across the bridge.com today to request your copy again. That website is cross the bridge.com. Also, if you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday. Why not join us for our lifestream at 9 AM and 11:30 AM just is across the bridge.com and click on our live streaming video you can watch Pastor David teach from his home church.

The bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina. Again, that website is cross the bridge.com and be sure to join us next time across the bridge with David McGee will see you then