Reforming Grace: Embracing Forgiveness and Hope
Summary
The sermon begins with a reflection on Martin Luther's struggle with the church's commodification of grace, which was only accessible to those with means. Luther, a priest himself, empathized with the masses who lacked understanding of these matters. Instead of abandoning the church, Luther chose to reform it, recognizing the church as the conduit of grace. He delved deeper into the Bible, finding solace in Romans 1, which states that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. The pastor encourages the congregation to adopt Luther's mindset and work on improving the church rather than giving up on it.
The pastor then discusses Luther's struggle with his sinful nature. Despite knowing what he was supposed to believe and who he was supposed to be, Luther couldn't reconcile his thoughts and actions with God. This terrified him. The pastor emphasizes that when we see our sin as irreconcilable, the only acceptable response before God is silence. Luther found no solace or hope in the church, only further condemnation and fear. The pastor highlights the terrifying place of accepting one's sinfulness and the need to come before God with a humble heart.
The sermon then shifts to the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, both Jews and Greeks. The pastor explains that man is not made righteous, but rather regarded as righteous by God, who declares them not guilty. This realization ignited the Reformation and became a central belief for Lutherans. The pastor emphasizes the amazing truth that forgiveness occurs in the mind of God, who declares believers as His children and loves them. The pastor encourages the congregation to cling to this truth and to believe that whatever God says is true, just like when He says, "You are forgiven."
The pastor then emphasizes the importance of not living in fear, drawing inspiration from the example of Martin Luther. The congregation is urged not to give up and to share the message of the Gospel with others who may be in a similar place of darkness and hopelessness. The pastor reminds the congregation that the point of the Reformation is not to separate into different denominations, but to remember the Gospel of Jesus Christ and why it matters.
The sermon concludes with a prayer for the Church of God and all people, asking for the preservation and proclamation of the gospel. The pastor prays for ministers to preach the law and gospel faithfully, for the enlightenment of those blinded by sin, for discipleship and family life, and for civil authorities to serve with integrity. The pastor also prays for those suffering from terrorism, seeking God's refuge and protection.
Key Takeaways:
- Martin Luther's struggle with the church's commodification of grace led him to reform the church rather than abandon it. He found solace in Romans 1, which states that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. This should inspire us to work on improving the church rather than giving up on it. [12:45]
- When we see our sin as irreconcilable, the only acceptable response before God is silence. This terrifying place of accepting one's sinfulness requires us to come before God with a humble heart. [24:30]
- Man is not made righteous, but rather regarded as righteous by God, who declares them not guilty. This realization ignited the Reformation and became a central belief for Lutherans. We should cling to this truth and believe that whatever God says is true. [36:15]
- We should not live in fear, but rather share the message of the Gospel with others who may be in a similar place of darkness and hopelessness. The point of the Reformation is not to separate into different denominations, but to remember the Gospel of Jesus Christ and why it matters. [48:00]
- The pastor's prayer for the Church of God and all people emphasizes the need for the preservation and proclamation of the gospel, faithful preaching of the law and gospel, enlightenment of those blinded by sin, discipleship and family life, and integrity in civil authorities. We should also pray for those suffering from terrorism, seeking God's refuge and protection. [59:30]
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Romans 3:19-20: "Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin."
2. Romans 1:16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'"
3. Romans 3:24-25: "and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith."
Observation Questions:
1. What does Romans 3:19-20 say about the purpose of the law and its effect on human beings?
2. In Romans 1:16-17, what is the gospel described as and who is it for?
3. According to Romans 3:24-25, how are we justified and what role does faith play in this process?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the law lead to the knowledge of sin, as described in Romans 3:19-20, and how does this relate to the concept of righteousness?
2. What does it mean that the gospel is the power of God for salvation, as stated in Romans 1:16-17? How does this power manifest in the lives of believers?
3. How does the concept of justification by grace through faith, as outlined in Romans 3:24-25, challenge or affirm your understanding of salvation?
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt like your sin was irreconcilable. How did Romans 3:19-20 help you understand your position before God?
2. How can you demonstrate the power of the gospel in your interactions with others this week, as inspired by Romans 1:16-17?
3. In light of Romans 3:24-25, what is one way you can remind yourself daily of your justification by grace through faith in Christ Jesus?
4. Can you think of a situation in your life where you felt like giving up, similar to Martin Luther's struggle with the church? How can Romans 1:16-17 inspire you to persevere?
5. How can you use the understanding of justification by grace as a gift, as described in Romans 3:24-25, to share the gospel with someone who may be in a place of darkness and hopelessness?
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Church Reform
Martin Luther's struggle with the church's commodification of grace led him to reform the church rather than abandon it. He found solace in Romans 1, which states that the gospel is the power of God for salvation. This should inspire us to work on improving the church rather than giving up on it. [12:45]
Ephesians 4:15-16 - "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
Reflection: What is one way you can contribute to the improvement of your local church community this week?
Day 2: Accepting Our Sinfulness
When we see our sin as irreconcilable, the only acceptable response before God is silence. This terrifying place of accepting one's sinfulness requires us to come before God with a humble heart. [24:30]
Psalm 51:17 - "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent time when you felt the weight of your sin. How can you approach God with a humble heart in these moments?
Day 3: Righteousness Through Faith
Man is not made righteous, but rather regarded as righteous by God, who declares them not guilty. This realization ignited the Reformation and became a central belief for Lutherans. We should cling to this truth and believe that whatever God says is true. [36:15]
Romans 4:5 - "However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness."
Reflection: How does understanding that righteousness comes through faith and not works change your perspective on your relationship with God?
Day 4: Sharing the Gospel Fearlessly
We should not live in fear, but rather share the message of the Gospel with others who may be in a similar place of darkness and hopelessness. The point of the Reformation is not to separate into different denominations, but to remember the Gospel of Jesus Christ and why it matters. [48:00]
2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Reflection: Who is one person in your life that you can share the Gospel with this week? How can you approach this conversation with love and not fear?
Day 5: Praying for the Church and the World
The pastor's prayer for the Church of God and all people emphasizes the need for the preservation and proclamation of the gospel, faithful preaching of the law and gospel, enlightenment of those blinded by sin, discipleship and family life, and integrity in civil authorities. We should also pray for those suffering from terrorism, seeking God's refuge and protection. [59:30]
1 Timothy 2:1-2 - "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."
Reflection: How can you incorporate praying for the Church and the world into your daily prayer routine?
Quotes
"Be the voice of the Reformation in the future, be the voice of Hope, be the voice that proclaims we are justified by his grace as a gift through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood to be received by faith. This is the point of the Reformation not separating ourselves from into different Church groups and being different denominations, the point of the Reformation is remembering the Gospel of Jesus Christ and why it matters." ([48:54])
"For Luther it was tumultuous, it was kind of scary... he struggled with his demons... he literally lived in fear of Hellfire." #!!35:48!!#
"When we get to this place in our lives where we see our sin as irreconcilable, there's only one response that's acceptable before God... so that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world may be held accountable to God." #!!37:13!!#
"The church has taken Grace and turned it into a commodity something that we can buy and sell and trade... it's only for people that have means." #!!40:16!!#
"Instead of walking away and bashing the church for the rest of his life, he wants to fix it... the church is still the body of Christ in this world, the church is still the conduit of Grace." #!!41:47!!#
"Man is not made righteous, man is regarded as righteous. God says 'not guilty' and therefore we are not guilty. It isn't about what we make, it's about what God says." (#!!44:19!!#)
"Forgiveness doesn't occur here in the hearts of people, it occurs in the mind of God. God says you are my children and I love you, and that makes it true. Just like when God says let there be light and there is light, it's not made, it is declared." (#!!45:05!!#)
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