Posts Tagged sin

Ridiculous Love – Romans 3.21-26

Feb 22

Posted by Big Island BC Admin in Pastor Bryon, Sermons | 2 Comments

Friends,

Another great day to be in the House of the Lord!  Last week I talked about “Ridiculous Faith”, and today I looked at the story of Christ on the Cross and spoke of “Ridiculous Love.”  When we look at the story of how the Creator of the entire universe could be so concerned that He would send part of His very essence in order to redeem us to Him…well, that’s pretty out there by itself.  But the way He would do it, to allow His Son to be beaten, tortured, and killed in such a way – well, to call that a story of love is absurd.

And yet, that is exactly what scripture says to us.  It invites us into an understanding of how deep the Master’s love is for us, and how much much we are in need of it.  It is the greatest love story ever told, and though our world today cannot understand it, we still stake our faith on it, because we know that it is through the sacrificial atonement of Christ on the cross that we are redeemed, that our sins are canceled, that the debt of sin is paid.

And you?  What does this great story mean for you?  How has it moved you into a real, deeper relationship with God through an understanding of what He has done for you in and through Jesus Christ?

You can listen to/download my sermon here: Ridiculous Love – Rev. Bryon LePere

Scriptures Referenced:

  • Romans 3:21-26
  • (Romans 3:21-22)
    • Matthew 5:17, Romans 10:4
    • Hebrews 10:10
  • (Romans 3:23)
    • Job 15:14-16
    • 1 Peter 4:5, Colossians 1:13-14
  • (Romans 3:24)
    • Romans 5:6-8
    • Jeremiah 44:4, Psalm 5:4-5
    • John 3:16, 1 John 4:10, Romans 8:22-23
    • Ephesians 1:4, Genesis 1:27ff, Psalm 139:1ff
    • Galatians 4:4-5, 1 Peter 3:18
  • (Romans 3:25-26)
    • Colossians 1:20-22, Acts 9:1
    • Colossians 2:14, Galatians 3:13
    • 2 Kings 4:1-7
      • Psalm 23:5, Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45
      • Philippians 2:7

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Are you coming or going? Genesis 3.8-24

Nov 16

Posted by Big Island BC Admin in Pastor Bryon, Sermons | 1 Comment

Friends,

What a morning!  What a blessing to be in God’s house!  I looked at Genesis 3 where Adam and Eve and the serpent are judged, cursed, and cast out of the Garden of Eden.  In our own lives and faith, we are either moving away from God through our sin (going) or we are growing closer to Him through our maturing faith (coming).  My 3 points:

  1. Are you going?  Are you living in sin absent a relationship with Jesus Christ?  Just as Adam and Eve through their disobedience were driven out (and away) from God, so too we are moving away from Him when we persist in our sinful disobedience.
  2. Are you coming?  Are you a believer, having truly repented and been baptized into a community of faith?  2 Peter 3.18 tells us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Our lives should be lived in the constant pursuit of knowing Christ and growing in Christ each and every day.
  3. If you are coming, if you are a believer, how are you influencing others?  Does your life and witness cause them to move closer to faith in God (coming) or are you driving them away (going)?  Too often we get comfortable, thinking that we are saved and have little left to do.  That in itself is wrong, but how much worse to consider that because of our negative or hypocritical example of faith we might keep others from coming into the saving grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ?

Scriptures Referenced:

  • Genesis 3.8-24
  • Isaiah 59.2
  • Matthew 7.13-14
  • Luke 17.1-3
  • Romans 5.18-19, 6.23, 10.9-10, 12.17
  • 1 Corinthians 10.31-32
  • 2 Corinthians 5.16-21
  • Ephesians 2.1-2
  • Hebrews 6.4-12
  • Revelations 21.25

Your thoughts?

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Ingredients of Sin – Genesis 3.1-8

Nov 9

Posted by Big Island BC Admin in Pastor Bryon, Sermons | 1 Comment

Friends,

Good evening!  Hope each of you has a blessed week.  My goal this morning was to look at the story of Adam and Eve in the garden and what is now known as The Fall.  From this scripture, we can that there are several steps that lead humans through temptation and then sin.  How we understand this can influence how we seek to win the battle against Satan and his temptations.

Consider how the battle begins with an influence outside of us, then a debate and struggle goes on within us.  If we lose, and we sin, then we must deal with the consequential guilt.  It is for this reason that Christ came into this world, to show us that as He did, we can overcome this world if we fully trust in Him.  Also, realize that Christ, though fully divine, was also fully human and endured every trial and temptation that we do.  Your thoughts?

Scriptures Referenced:

  • Genesis 3.1-8
  • 1 Kings 8.46-50
  • Numbers 32.23, Psalm 51, Daniel 9.5
  • Matthew 4.1, 6.13, 9.13
  • 1 Corinthians 10.13
  • Hebrews 2.18, 4.15
  • John 1.29
  • James 1.13-14
  • Romans 3.23

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