Romans Chapter 4:9-11

So what created this relationship with God.

But if you don't have this relationship with God. There's this void. There's something missing you and complete amazing around the world. Everything drugs, alcohol on the pipe a square peg in a round hole and never work many of us were so tired, to welcome you cross a bridge with the beginning when it comes to experiencing life can be incomplete without God's grace today.

Pastor David points us to that grace as he continues in the book of Romans chapter 4 teaching me last week we talked about David and and we finished up with Romans chapter 4 verse eight which is blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin, not blessed is the man who tries really hard. Blessed is the man who gets everything right, but Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.

Good stuff to now call, turns back.

Paul wrote this book of Romans, to the church at Rome before he had been there since it's an incredible book, great great book if you're new in the Lord great great book of you been following the Lord closely for 30 year verse does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only upon the uncircumcised also. We say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

So Paul is dealing with this argument that only Jewish people can know this blessing and they have to earn it. Now Abraham was a great man he did incredible things. He was a man of faith each other rescue. Lottie interceded for Lottie did a lot of awesome things he would like the kings of Solomon and the more I give them tribute or anything like that but he also went to Egypt when he should and he also lied about who his wife was and said well you know she's my sister course, if someone introduces you to the wife and her sister, and there's only one person standing there. That's always back is always bad.

So he did saying so you can really say will guide you only a man can see God you know because I've done everything right is all about Gracie good-looking. I think I'm really righteous. You got blessed you can do a brand-new that he was a center. The bad things that he had done In rooms that will guide you only this inference that part of the point of the law is to remind that we don't deserve grace.

We don't deserve forgiveness. It leaves us in a place where we understand we needed. So it's not about you saying that that forgiveness is not key to doing right and not doing what's wrong this is what this passage is no is keyed to believe and say that's one altar call works at the end of Sunday morning service talk about what salvation is.

Ask people they want to respondent and when they come up here. I say okay now here's your list of do's and don'ts, and if you follow these for the next 30 days you getting that what happens simply by coming forward believe in placing your trust in your belief in Jesus to forgive you of your sins.

It's not it's not about behaving. It's about believing son about trying trusting policy in here we can brag about it because we can't earn it. It's a gift.

Galatians 614 says that but God forbid that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the Lord is been crucified to me and onto the world to God very wisely set up a system that we can learn it because we can't earn it. We can brag about him. Doesn't keep us from brag about it sometimes doesn't. I got mine and you got years you lived like you get your week we start the way other people when size people. I wonder if there are believe, wonder if they've got a Christian bumper sticker now get on the end of the got official her car that's not going to do it. I don't think maybe the card to get out of that. You know the that's not gonna do it to the circumcisions talk about is a is a sign of faith, much like a Christian bumper sticker, but in and of itself is not going to do so we can brag about but we shouldn't brag about. Because as a gift from God to can't really say why earn the mind of been good enough long enough it because people come to hate when he got noon we say we got a good enough long enough to quit doing all that nonsense you're engaged in and according to the Bible need to trust in Jesus and once you trust in Jesus, your life begins to change, but it starts with that simple trust that simple faith that Jeremiah 924 says this would let him who glories glories in this glory in this, that he understands and knows me that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth through in these the why, says the Lord God amazing mentions lovingkindness. Jeremiah worth Jeremiah. Jeremiah is in the Hebrew Scriptures everything will God was really mad. In the Old Testament, and then you know that if everything was made okay by the cross that God was grant mercy and lovingkindness throughout all of the Bible you find it a lot in the Hebrew Scriptures. But glory and in the Lord glory hole. Look what I did look what I did this for Lord. Praise God praise the Lord. First Corinthians 131 that as it is written, he who glories line glory in the Lord. Second Corinthians 1017 but he who glories let him glory in the Lord. Luke 1710, in the same way when you obey me you should say we are not worthy of praise. We are servants who are simply done our duty. Interesting.

So even if you serve the Lord wholeheartedly and passionately. You're doing what Romans 12 12 talks about your reasonable service. So even that you can say will look at me glory to me. Give all the glory to God. Sometimes people say will really enjoy the teaching her the email enter talk to us or call us around and also praise the Lord. Same goes for anything musical that happens upon the state again.

God all the glory and all the praise. Give God the glory. There were some sayings that came out of the Reformation Reformation, the church, lost its way and began believing that you could buy salvation that you could earn salvation that you had to do this, you had to do that had all your mouth right all the stuff and in the Reformation took hold to none and all that is wrong and radically changed not only the church landscape but the landscape of all humanity. Some the things that came Alice were solo for Dallas.

What that means is only by faith. Solo Grazie only by grace, so the Scripture is only the Bible and solo deal.

Gloria only give God the glory. It's interesting. A lot of the composers of that age would write that on the pieces that they compose solo deal glory only give God the glory.

But there's always something about us account I want to take the credit for God doing something good, something good happens or to something that is all all had something to do. All I did that I was God's anything good at all that we got. It is anything bad going think about but if it's good, is the Lord and we do this we do this in subtle ways. Sometimes we speak our own language or call Christian A's some essay all gearbox owns a saint in our proper response should be what praise the Lord generally offers all good I been praying for him wanting me just say oh it was me.

I did that. I pray for my trading Monia and you know God was God wouldn't make much ground. I started praying and he got say amen are only thank you for listening to cross the bridge with David McGee will return to David's teaching in just a moment the tragedy in Benghazi. The bombings in Boston and the current unrest in Egypt are all vivid accounts of terrorism each time an event like this occurs, it often causes us to respond with fear.

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Know your future be immune to terrorism know your future is available as a CD or DVD, and is our gift to you when you call today with a donation to cross the bridge ministries is because of your continued faithful support that were able to broadcast across the nation. With the life-changing word of God to help support cross the bridge and receive your CD or DVD copy of the know your future call 877-458-5508 or go online to cross the bridge.com and now let's return to pastor David's verse by verse teaching in the book of Romans first. How, then, was an accountant while he was circumcised or uncircumcised. Not while circumcised the while uncircumcised again with the Jewish everything. One of the circumcision is like a monopoly on God. But Paul here single item that women God told Abraham he was righteous. In Genesis 15 what we like about this sometime today but but it was much later that Abraham was circumcised actually 14 years later Abraham service 14 years before Abraham was circumcised.

God said your righteous your righteous paws presenting a an incredible discussion/argument or whatever because it just totally wipes out oversight by works night not saved by works saved by faith. If we based our relationship with God on our righteousness to understand what that would look like on a day-to-day basis.

Recent serious ups and downs going on, but she grace is standing and steadfast in God tells us in his word that his mercies are new every morning. Colossians chapter 2 verse nine intensive in Christ, the fullness of God lives in the human body, and you are complete through your union and with Christ is the Lord over every ruling authority in the universe see there is something in us. We are created to worship God were created to have a relationship with God. This part of us, it desires to worship God is kind interesting, because see these boys don't get filled will try to fill them with a lot of stuff this morning. I really enjoyed worship know the sum of it in most every debit there's a treasure in there because you understand that most people a lot of people will never experience what we experience this morning that the closest spiritual experience to worship.

They may ever come in their life is in some rock concert or pop concert wrapped can't certainly hold up a lighter challenges that not much spiritual fulfillment in it, that's for sure. So were created to have this relationship with God. But if you don't have this relationship with God. There's this void. There's something missing.

You are in the amazing at that point will run around in the world and try to fill everything drugs alcohol.

This section allows whatever kind of cut a square peg in a round hole and never works. Many of us grew so tired, trying to make that pig and one day we heard about the grace of God and it fit perfectly.

Maybe you're here this morning. Are you listening you feel like there's something missing in your life friend if you don't know the Lord.

I can tell you what is missing in your life. It's a relationship with him is the joy of Nolan your sentence are forgiven. Life lesson here we are incomplete without God's grace in her life. We are incomplete without God's grace in our life's again the foundation of a relationship is great and once we realize that we been given grace. What happens as we begin to love the Lord for extending his grace to us, something begins. The change in our life and we begin to want to do things for the Lord that out of compulsion because were reading through a rulebook because we love the Lord.

Paul puts it like this second Corinthians 514 for the love of Christ compels us, because we judge this, that if one died for all and all.give it to you in the new living translation is whatever we do it is because Christ love controls us. Since we believe the Christ operable and we also believe that we all have God to the old life we used to live about old life and I know that last week and certainly as you go in the newness of life. There are certain situations that you get in that the love of God controls you have experiences of getting a situation in and maybe it's tense or whatever and just intervenes whatever I thought about saying I didn't say whatever I thought about doing. I didn't do, and I look back at that that was you because I certainly would've handled it very differently in my flesh. She love is the most powerful motivator in the world understand that you know sometimes you hear these new stories of car rolling over and a father lift in the car with superhuman strength off of the child driven by what love mothers doing all sorts of things thrown themselves in front of their children in car accidents, driven by one driven by love.

Jesus said, you know no greater love has anybody than this, that somebody would lay down their life for others.

Jesus himself driven by love those nails couldn't hold God to a tree wasn't those nails. It wasn't the Romans. It wasn't the Jewish people.

The thing that held him to the cross was his love for you and I that's what drove them all some of you are married. Some of you been married while it's interesting what happens early on in the dating experience. You start out like all chocolates and flowers and opening doors and all those things and it sadly enough, not for me but for other sadly enough overtime that begins the fate that you're no longer really driven by love it. It's more like gonna do lose are going to go. You know that and then it gets you get so twist off first or what a hassle stated. Sadly enough, a lot of time correcting through compulsion not love says love being motivated by love, because the weaker our love for the Lord, the less will do form, the weaker our love for other people, the less will do for Paul put it like this and that. Awesome. Chapter 4 strengthens the list of all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Some days I hate that word hate it but it is very convicted feed the poor.

Give your body to be burned. You can do all those things.

But if you're not motivated by love. It's not even count is what Paul is saying here new living translation will different Smith gave everything I have to the poor, and even sacrificed my body I could boast about it, but if I didn't love others, it would be of no value. Whatever this grace causes this love to spark into a flame and we want to do things for the Lord you are doing things for the Lord to be declared righteous. Surveying this futile motivation.

Apparently to God is very important for what we do these things, so we understand God loves us God's will extend grace to us. We should love others would begin to delight in the service of the Lord to delight in not only go to church today.

The joy of the Lord and worship. Worship loses all are doing well this gets worse. I get to worship love the Lord delight. So we have to do in order to come to this place of grace, policy, just come to just come to Romans chapter 5 or six.

Is this what God demonstrates his own love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us and maybe sit here, go out, you know, actually I wasn't alive when Christ made look that old, but I'm not an end and you know what is in the cross transcends time and space, while you were in your worst moments doing your most undeserving deed still in that moment Jesus said to Dr. that he or she could be forgiven. So then we come to prominence as we sit and we think we can earn it. We think we haven't messed up then that's the one thing that stands between us and the Lord. The self-righteousness first John chapter 1 verse six is when we say we that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not enough. We confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We say that we have not send, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. It's not own your work.

It's on his work and that work upon the cross is Artie been completed.

Jesus didn't wasn't God and say okay what's all up to you now I said it's finished. It's a completed work when you place your faith or trust.

It activates that grace in your life. Sadly enough, this is a very biblical concept with sampling of some churches, a actually teachable, it was all about your works is all about you are one Christian author wrote a book and said if it's going to be. It's up to me. Oh my goodness, you're in trouble because were all really dependent upon the grace of God before income the Lord will I okay I messed up at the mass of the landlord can Vincent convinces us her conviction of Somerset and we know that we need grace, we come to him that first day in the next day we think I'm doing all right today doing okay.

I used to live like that, knocking the realization went need the grace of God every day on the river heard this story that wakes up in the mornings as well. Lord so far today trusted anybody had yelled at anybody and judge anybody at gossip about anybody but them and I will get out of bed, need to help get the rest of the day were depend upon the grace of God. Every day I live as a Christian I'm not less dependent now that I was five years ago 10 years or less dependent because the pastor probably more to be honest to God's will and to declare his righteousness. June 24 is only one chapters of 24 for this amazing verse even if you're not taken note.

You might want to justice down because this is so encouraging. It is now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and everything falls before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. I love that verse to bring you faultless before his glory with exceeding joy. You not only get presented faultless you presented faultless with exceeding joy grace of God is a wonderful thing. Verse 11 and he received the sign of the circumcision, the seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised that he might be the father of all those who believe though they are uncircumcised that righteousness might be imputed to them also. So circumcision was a sign of what had already occurred before that go back to a bumper sticker analogy Christian bumper cigarettes also must grant but if you put a Christian bumper sticker on your car before you were born again or before you came to Jesus and really didn't accomplish anything. What happens usually is you come to the Lord and you asking to forgive you anything on a bumper sticker on my car that you know proclaims my faith in a but that is a sign father Abraham.

Remember that little song we got the word. When I sing a little reminder the letter that father Abraham and anything and anything. Well, I am missing a and I'm one of them and so were you unless all praise the Lord saying that I didn't really understand what I'm saying is thank you advising that I grew in my understanding of the Bible grew in my understanding of the roots of Christianity are in fact Jewish. The Paul talks about in this book were studying that we been grafted in, and that we actually are sons and father Abraham, in the sense that the Lord say you know there's can be a lot of people to get blessed are you, Abraham. They may think what that's all the Jewish people is exactly what Paul is dealing with here now. Anybody who has come to faith in God can inherit these blessings. If you you don't work on something that's Artie been given life lesson here. Salvation is not keeping the law and keeping the faith. When you come to the Lord you asking to forgive your sins.

He does say well you got this issue and you got that issue need to do the things that you do the things you can come to me you sort out all your problems and you can come to me why pastor why do you say that because I sense that a lot of people get they think the church is the place you go when you got it all figured out. Church is a place you go when you're being lost and wandering friend. You know for sure that your sins have been forgiven. You can right now own Legion. A short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. 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 could 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 friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible you've been forgiven you've been born again. So congratulations you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you if this was your first time praying that prayer with pastor David we would 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. Also, if you been blessed by cross a bridge ministries would you consider supporting us with a financial gift when you call with your gift. Make sure to ask them about this month's special offer entitled know your future be immune to terrorism. This insightful teaching will fill you with hope and also help you understand the truth about Islam donate today and will send you a CD or DVD copy right away as a way of saying thank you for your support. Our number is 877-458-5508 77458508 or go online to cross a bridge.com. While there, take a moment to sign up for David's free email devotional or browser large library of teacher again. Our website is cross a bridge.com. Thank you for listening and we hope will join us again next time. As we continue to cross the bridge