VIDEO: A bried summary of Chapter 2: Redemption (Part 1)

VIDEO: A bried summary of Chapter 2: Redemption (Part 2)

NOTES: Chapter 2; Redemption

INTRODUCTION

I am not preaching specifically on the details of what Redemption means. This sermon is not on redemption as an isolated topic. It is about redemption as one of four chronological, and rather simplified, chapters in the “Story of God” as it is revealed in the bible, namely CREATION, REDEMPTION, MISSION AND CONSUMMATION.
So, I am continuing in the series which now have a name, The story behind all stories, about
(a) having a full view of God in our Christianity and
(b) reflecting that full view as a church.

So that we see Him in fullness, that we get to know Him in greater measure, not just in parts. My line of argument is that we tend to emphasize certain parts of God and scripture and neglect others, but God’s challenge to us is to stretch our tent curtains wide and SEE HOW He reveals Himself from Genesis to Revelation! – As Creator and originator, as Redeemer and Saviour, as One on a mission over and through His church, and lastly as the Omega, the Finisher of everything. Our developing motto is, “What we see of God, we live in the blessing and power of. What we miss of God, we walk in the lack and tragedy of.” And that is why we want to stretch ourselves to go beyond the chapters that come naturally to us. For some, chapter 1 is easy, for others, chapter 1 is hard. But God is taking us all onboard, and helping us all to see Him more clearly.
So, we want to see what a Christian church looks like that has seen God in Part 2 of the story, REDEMPTION.

This is how we are going to do it.

1.Seeing God in Chptr2;Redemption.
2.The chance of missing this as X'ians.
3.What a church looks like that lives in/from/declaring this.

Pray.

There are many messengers with half a message. 2 Sam 18v19…
I know this t be true, because I myself, had portions of the message most of my life. Even now, I am straining myself into a fuller view of God’s entire message, but at least the gospel has come to me. I feel it personally. I have tasted, I have seen… This gospel came to me in ever-deepening waves over the last 6 years, always bringing more joy with every new tide. There is no message like the gospel. There is no power such as is revealed in the gospel. There is no greater duty than to proclaim this gospel.

I have preached on worship without the gospel. I have preached on zeal without the gospel. I have preached on missions and nations without the gospel. I am no expert in gospel preaching, rather a trophy of God’s richest grace.

So,
What is the crux of the story in chapter 2; Redemption?

THAT WE WERE BOUGHT by God for freedom. (1 Cor 7:23)  

How? By the price of the blood of His Son Jesus.

Who or what were we bought from? Because we were legally bound slaves, unable to buy our own ransom. The bible describes this state of our being (from which we had to be bought) in many ways.
1.    We were dead in our trespasses. (Eph 2:5)
2.    We were foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures. (Titus 3:3)
3.    We walked in the futility of our minds, darkened in understanding, alienated from the life of God, with hardened hearts. (Eph 4:17-19)
4.    We could not be saved by the law, since it was weakened by the flesh. (Rom 8:3)

Why did God pay the ransom?
1.    Because of God’s steadfast love. Isa 54:10
2.    He had compassion. (Isa 54:7-8)
3.    For His own glory. (Isa 48:11)
4.    Many more reasons, but they had everything to do with God. (Eph 1)

What does it mean to be redeemed?
1.    We have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
2.    Past, present, future (As we heard last week, that we still confess sins as Christians)
3.    As far as the east is from the west, so does He remove our transgressions from us. Psa 103:12
4.    That God will remember our sins no more. (Heb 8-10)
5.    We belong to God. Acts 27:23, Paul speaks of himself belonging to God…
a.    Rom 8:9 implies the same.
6.    We are slaves to righteousness. (Rom 6:18-22)

But now we have an obstacle in the way…

First we have to ask, Is it really possible to be Christian and miss the meaning of God the Redeemer, the story of redemption?

Consider this quote from a sermon by DA Carson, and see some other emphases instead of the gospel, generating huge momentum…

“If the gospel is assumed, while teaching peripheral issues, the gospel will be downplayed. It is easy to sound prophetic from the margins, but what is urgently needed is to BE prophetic from the centre. What is to be feared is that the centre will not hold. Once the centre is taken hold of, a vast array of topics become clear and we start knowing what to do and how to behave.” – DA Carson

1.    Engaging with culture.
a.    Some guys act as if the gospel needs renewal, the church needs rethinking and the message must be totally repackaged
2.    Consumerism meets Christianity.
a.    Providing products for buyers as opposed to proclaiming a message to believers.
b.    “The spontaneous expansion of the church reduced its elements to a very simple thing. It asks for no elaborate organization, no large finances, no great numbers of paid missionaries. In its beginning it may be the work of one man, and that man neither learned in the things of this world, nor rich in this world… What is necessary is faith. What is needed is the kind of faith which, uniting a man to Christ, sets him on fire.” – Roland Allen
c.    When Michael Eaton was asked, “What must a man know and how much study should he do before he can plant a church?”, his answer was, “If a man knows the gospel, firsthand, he can plant a church.”
3.    Phenomenaism – Michael Eaton, last week.
a.    Seeking experiences of God.
4.    Temporary concerns emphasis
a.    Anything that raises issues from this life to utmost importance.
b.    Social issues. Making people’s lives better, safer and richer, but still shy on the gospel, leaving them “rich sinners”… (Eaton)

Remember, models become messages.
Remember, people only remember what we say the most and live the loudest.
Remember, even fractional spinoffs of the gospel will have enough life to sustain decades.

Finally, What does a church look like that lives in full view of Chapter 2; Redemption?

1.    She looks like the gospel.
2.    She looks unburdened and relieved, yet yoked.
a.    Matt. 11,28       “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
b.    “I believe that many people have been distressed half their lives from the fact that they have not had clear views of truth. Many poor souls, for instance, under conviction, abide three or four times as long in sorrow of mind as they would require to do if they had someone to instruct them in the great matter of justification.” – Spurgeon
c.    Restful and restless.
3.    At peace
a.    Not Comparing herself to other churches, but to God revealed in Jesus.
i.    Like the Song of Songs example… The man likens his bride, NOT to other women, but to nature.
4.    Jesus is front and center.
a.    Read from The forgotten ways, page 94. (marked)
b.    Not Missional BECAUSE we are trying to have peace with God. We are joining God’s mission BECAUSE we HAVE peace with God.
c.    Not ambitious because we are feeding our bankruptcy with reputation.
d.    Not moral, but white-hot lovers of God.
5.    Free.
a.    We love to talk about freedom, but struggle to tell what it looks like.
i.    The basic test of freedom is perhaps less in what we are free to do than in what we are free not to do. —Eric Hoffer
b.    From what?
i.    From slavery to sin. From bondage. From divination.
ii.    From love of money. (Heb 13:5)
c.    FOR what?
i.    Freedom. Gal 5:1
ii.    Inheritance.
1.    In the saints. Eph 1v18
2.    Sealed by the Spirit. Eph 1v14
3.    As a reward in Jesus. Col 3:24
4.    Cities and places. Heb 11:8
5.    Heavenly inheritance. 1 Pet 1:4
iii.    Servanthood. 1Pet. 2,16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants* of God.
1.    Want to sign up for the “Lucky Packet Serving Squad”?
iv.    Others’ freedom. 1Cor. 9,19   For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
6.    Bold
 Acts 4,23   When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,* said by the Holy Spirit,
     “ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
        and the peoples plot in vain? 26     The kings of the earth set themselves,
        and the rulers were gathered together,
         against the Lord and against his Anointed’*—
Acts 4,27   for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants* to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Conclusion

Chapter 2;Redemption story gives us

1.    The meaning and purpose of everything
2.    Establishes our identity.
3.    Defines our task.
4.    Joy unspeakable.

Is your heart not strangely warmed?