Sermon – Week 1
The Atonement
Sermon Title: “One Steep Price”
Purpose:
To take a fundamental look at atonement by examining what was paid for us.
Scripture Focus
Romans 5:7-11 (NIV)
7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might
possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's
wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through
the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
we have now received reconciliation.
Sermon Introduction
To understand the atonement, I believe we must decrypt the celestial battle over the souls of
men. I don’t think we often take a real look at what we are worth to God.
“To be known and not loved is our greatest fear.”
– Timothy Keller
There is no doubt that nothing creates more pain than direct personal rejection. The atonement is
God’s declaration on multiple fronts that you have been chosen and are loved.
Or another way to say it: the worth of something is determined by what someone is willing to
pay for it.
So the power of the atonement is in the price that was paid. This unilaterally shows how deeply
valuable we are, and also how great our offense is.
Sermon Content
Imagine it’s a Saturday afternoon. You have just had a great steak at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
With a full stomach, you hit the mall. Thanks to an amazing quarter at work, your bonus is
burning a hole in your pocket. As you walk through the mall, you stumble across the Apple store.
The ghost of Steve Jobs seems to summon you into a land of technological bliss. As you browse,
inside grows a discontentment with your old cell phone. It doesn’t talk to you, can’t take you
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home if you get lost, doesn’t even have all the cool new video games. The new iPhone seems to
beckon you. You convince yourself you really do need it!
What would you pay for it? What’s it worth? Say you had a 90% discount, would you get it?
Would you pay full price? What about $1,000? Would you sell your car for it? Would you sell a
body organ for it? Would you give the life of someone you love for it? What about your
firstborn child?
You are so valuable to God! Your purchase price proves it!
The atonement unilaterally proves both God’s deep passion for us, and the depth of our sin.

“The English word atonement is synonymous with the Hebrew word ‘cofer’. This is a
noun from the verb ‘caufar’, which means ‘to cover’. The ‘cofer’ or cover was the name
of the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, and constituted what was called the mercy-seat.
The Greek word rendered atonement is καταλλαγη. This means reconciliation to favor, or
more strictly, the means or conditions of reconciliation to favor; from καταλλασσω, to
‘change, or exchange.’ The term properly means substitution. An examination of these
original words, in the connection in which they stand, will show that the atonement is the
governmental substitution of the sufferings of Christ for the punishment of sinners. It is a
covering of their sins by his sufferings.”
– Finney’s Systematic Theology
(Lecture XXXIV: ATONEMENT: III. The teachings of natural theology, or the à priori
affirmations of reason upon this subject.)

The price God paid by the sacrifice of Jesus proves us all to be wretched sinners. It took a
great cost to cover for our sin.

The price God paid for you also proves how deeply He loves you. No price was too steep
for Him to show his love!
Let’s take a look at our text phrase-by-phrase to learn eternally valuable truths.

7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might
possibly dare to die.
 Can you imagine finding someone who was willing to give their own life for
someone who betrayed and beat them?
 This love is so profound!

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.
 “God demonstrated His love by the death of His Son, Jesus Christ.”
-The Bible Knowledge Commentary

No matter what you have been through, you’re valuable. The price He paid for us
declares both our guilt and our value.
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
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from
God's wrath through him!
 Christ paid the price for us because of a love we can’t even begin to understand.
Our debt has been paid. We are atoned for.

10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of
his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have now received reconciliation.
 This leads us directly to the conclusion. What do we do with this?
Conclusion/Application
Our response to the atonement of Christ should be one of deep gratitude. This is how He chose to
begin His relationship with us. No other love can compare. When you give your heart to Christ,
you choose the most faithful, compassionate, caring person who ever lived or ever will. That’s
why Christians who understand this have such deep satisfaction in life. This demands only one
response of those who have experienced it: live to share this great news with others!
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Sermon – Week 2
Repentance and Faith
Sermon Title: “Restored”
Purpose
To help people move from condemnation and guilt to forgiveness and freedom.
Scripture Focus
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift
of God–9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Sermon Introduction
In counseling, I am always amazed at the lengths to which people go in order to avoid pain in
life, especially since I can say with confidence that no one has experienced a truly pain-free life.
Yet still we are so intent on eliminating pain. With all our effort, we try to run a race no one has
ever won. In fact, it appears that the more we focus on our pain, the more miserable we become.
Yet we spend all kinds of money talking with counselors about it, trying different vices to cover
it up, or watching the latest pop psychologist discuss how to evaluate our personal misery in
even more detail. Today we want to look at how we can find deep personal freedom and
forgiveness even while living in the wake of sin.
Sermon Content
Let’s take apart the Scripture lesson piece by piece.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith –and this not from yourselves, it is the
gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

There is a powerful dichotomy all of us must face. Our own sin is the result of our
brokenness, but we have no power to break that bondage. So here is the dichotomy: we
did it, and we can’t undo it.

We also discover in this text that the means of salvation is not through a work of ours, but
by wholeheartedly believing in a system: God’s divine compensation through the
sacrifice of his son Jesus.
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
I love the way the Bible Knowledge Commentary states it: “It is by grace you have been
saved, and adding that the means of this salvation is through faith. Hence the basis is
grace and the means is faith alone” (cf. Rom. 3:22, 25; Gal. 2:16; 1 Peter 1:5).

It’s as simple as this:
 Acknowledge that you did it, you’ve sinned. You are the guilty one.
 Then confess that you can’t get out of it! Jesus is the only one who can make you
right before God.

Romans 10:9 (NIV)
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that
God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

This leads us to two questions, often overlooked.
 Now that I am forgiven, what’s next?
 If I am still experiencing all kinds of horrible repercussions, did my salvation
work?

I am going to attempt to answer both of these at once.
Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Notice contextually what comes right after salvation through faith. We are created for
God’s works. It’s time to change the way we see our situations.

So, what if our perspective on the difficulties of life is all wrong?
Illustration:
What amazes me even more are people who are experiencing great difficulty with purpose, and
even at times, joy! Isn’t it amazing what we can endure when we have a clear objective in front
of us? A mother in labor experiencing intense pain, yet filled with joyful anticipation. A
marathon runner focused on the finish line, physically exhausted, as he pursues his goal with
determination. Or what about cancer patients, who because of their children are willing to fight
with every ounce of strength, against all odds, just to be with their loved ones a little longer? The
truth is: we can survive a great deal of pain when our goal is made abundantly clear and we
believe the fight is worth it. The renowned psychiatrist Viktor Frankl says it well, “If architects
want to strengthen a decrepit arch, they increase the load which is laid upon it, for thereby the
parts are joined more firmly together. So if therapists wish to foster their patients’ mental health,
they should not be afraid to increase that load through a reorientation toward the meaning of
one’s life.” When one’s obsession is on their personal hardship, this only fosters more misery.
While none of us can eliminate pain, when we have lasting, meaningful purpose, we can thrive
even in the midst of it!

So let me ask a question…does your life have purpose?
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
Titus 2:13 (KJV)
“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our
Savior Jesus Christ.”

God never promised a removal of our pain, but a right relationship with him brings the
words “blessed hope” to life! You need purpose!
Sermon Application

If you have acknowledged your guilt and believe Christ is the only way out, you are on
the right road.

Now we are to be about God’s work. In fact, God’s work empowers us to live to the full!

Talk to your pastor or ministry leader and find a place to engage. Don’t just exist, do
“good works.”
Conclusion
Our greatest hope lies in an interesting dichotomy. Our own sin is the cause of the broken world
we live in and we can do nothing to fix it. Only belief in God’s divine judicial system brings the
hope of salvation. Yet God isn’t done with us there. The journey to thriving in life comes
through serving in His work.
The ball is in your court.
Confess, believe, and engage!
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Sermon – Week 3
Justification
Sermon Title: “Made for More”
Scripture Focus
Romans 5:1-2
Sermon Introduction
One of our statements of faith as a Wesleyan denomination is incredibly powerful. Listen to
these words:
“We believe that justification is the judicial act of God whereby a person is accounted righteous,
granted full pardon of all sin, delivered from guilt, completely released from the penalty of sins
committed, by the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by faith alone, not on the basis of
works.”
Our intrinsic value becomes defined by our purchase price. Today I want to define clearly your
new value as a justified son or daughter of God. I want to offer a glimpse not just of what you
been saved from, but also the reward that awaits you.
Sermon Content
I find it interesting that most teachings on justification deal primarily on the reality that we are
lost without a Savior. This is ecclesiastically essential, yet there is another amazing piece of this
puzzle. You aren’t just saved from the penalty of sin; you are saved to something so much more.
We can’t really imagine a life without the seemingly endless ripple of sin. Even the most wealthy
or popular still must live with the repercussions of sin—no one is exempt. Because of His
wonderful grace, justification before God gives us something so much more than pardon from
sin.
Lewis says it like this.
“If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most
probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
– C. S. Lewis
Being made right before God brings the hope of a fulfillment of our deepest longings.
Justification isn’t about a good life; it’s about a perfect eternity.
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Illustration:
I want you to imagine you are in a dream. Not a nightmare, more like a dream where everything
is foggy. You are aware enough to know that it isn’t quite real; you may even try to wake
yourself up. Nothing really makes sense or seems logical. One moment you’re talking to
someone from work and the next, you’re at the zoo. When you finally wake up you look back on
the dream thinking, “That didn’t make sense at all.” As you get up and on your way to get a
drink of water, you realize how irrational and senseless it all was. Now everything is clear and
logical again.
I believe that when we are justified before God, we are not just forgiven; we are also promised
the greatest gift we could imagine. One day we will wake up in an eternity that will bring perfect
clarity. “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face” (1 Cor.
13:12). We are much too earth-centric in our perspective as finite humans. In heaven, we will
have absolute peace, the exact fit for our deep longings, like a missing puzzle piece finally put
into place.
Let’s take a look at Romans 5:1-2
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we
now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

“The participial clause since we have been justified (cf. 5:9) through faith describes
antecedent action to the main clause, we have peace (echomen) with God.”
– The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Blasé Pascal states: “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which
cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through
Jesus.” This deep longing to be right, to be whole, to be complete is only fulfilled through
justification. In our right standing with God, we have (echomen) peace.

The other ramification is deep value. Our deficits are paid in full by Christ’s sacrifice.

Listen to the words of J. Vernon McGee: “Paul now is going to show that there are
certain benefits that accrue to the believer right here and now when he trusts Christ, when
he's been justified by faith in the redemption that we have in Christ. And actually these
are benefits that the world is very much concerned about, and would like to have them.”
McGee is right! People pay incredible amounts of money to feel valuable and at peace.
No amount of counseling, money, or medication can bring us the deep satisfaction of
being right before God!

So what do we do with this?
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Sermon Application
Here are some action steps as a believer:
1. Don’t let the world define you! Constantly return to the time-transcending Word of God
to discover your value. The mirror you choose to stare in will absolutely affect your selfperception.
2. Do everything you can to explain and share the good news of Christ! This truth will not
just save you, but your hearers. Tell others of God’s love for them.
3. Commit to daily devotions and prayer. Again, the mirror you choose to look in will
define you! If you don’t know where to start, buy the book The Divine Mentor by Wayne
Cordeiro. It offers great first steps to begin a devotional life.
Conclusion
I want to address two groups of people:
1. Those who don’t believe in God at all. If you hear this and would love to find deep
meaning and purpose in life, it will only come through a right relationship with Christ. I
challenge you to make that decision.
2. Christians who still define themselves by worldly standards. It is time to be free from the
ever-increasing hunger of self-gratification. You have been justified-- live pursuing
Christ and experience the peace that Paul talked about in Romans. Commit to daily
devotions, spending time without noise and distractions of the world.
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Sermon – Week 4
Adoption
Sermon Title: “What Am I Worth?”
Purpose: I want to take two seemingly opposing views: we are slaves, and we are also
invaluable sons of God, and combine them to discover our intrinsic value as Christians.
Scripture Focus
Romans 8:15, Romans 1:1
Romans 8:15 (NIV)
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the
Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Romans 1:1 (NIV)
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.
Sermon Introduction
We want to take an interesting look at our intrinsic value.
The other day a lady came into my office. She started listing all the things she has accomplished
in life. Unbelievable success, she had truly lived the American Dream. She was an author,
musician, successful even as a businessperson. However, as she sat in my office she began to
break down. As tears started welling up in her eyes she told me she hit a wall a few years back.
The success in which she had been immersed firsthand was quickly becoming “the good ole
days.” She told me she just wanted to feel like she was valuable.
I discovered all her perceived worth was in her work.
I wonder how many of us really struggle with value. Maybe we don’t even realize it yet because
we are still on the rise and still in demand. Maybe some of you have topped the hill and find
yourself watching your value slowly slip away.
Today I want to redefine value. In the crux of the following Scriptures, we are going to find a
powerful truth.
Sermon Content
I want to take a look at two overarching themes in Scripture that can at times seem to contradict
each other. In fact, it can feel like Paul is contradicting himself in his own literature. Let’s take a
look at two Scriptures:
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Romans 1:1 (NIV)
1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.

He calls himself a servant of Christ. In fact, the original Greek uses the term “doulos.”
This term can be translated “slave.” It actually is derived from the word “deō,” meaning
“to bind to something.”

Over and over again, Paul makes the statement that he is a slave to Christ; he is bound to
him.

In our modern understanding of slavery or bondage, your worth is dependent on what you
can do. If a slave couldn’t carry his or her weight, they would move from asset to liability
and need to be cast aside.

Man longs for an idealistic love that this world can’t offer. It’s built into us to want this,
which is a good thing. Since man longs for something that this world can’t offer, our only
hope is to bind ourselves to something greater than this world. Therefore I bind myself to:
 Value what God values
 Pursue what He says I should pursue
 Interact with people the way God teaches us to interact
 Invest in the things He says to invest in

In fact, J. Vernon McGee says it like this:
“Romans teaches the total depravity of man. Man is irrevocably and hopelessly lost. He
must have the righteousness of God since he has none of his own.”
– Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee.

In my slavery to the Divine, I find what the deepest parts of my heart long for.

But there is more! To be loved in return like a child!
Romans 8:15 (NIV)
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the
Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."

Wait, so here we have almost an opposing view. We are not slaves? We are infinitely
more valuable…children. So what is Paul saying?

Well, if we accept the entire Scripture he seems to be saying both. Yep, you’re a slave
and also infinitely valuable. Let me see if I can explain through an illustration.
Illustration:
 Imagine two baseball players standing in front of me. One is Josh Hamilton, outfielder
for the Texas Rangers, and the other is my five-year-old son Nate. Josh Hamilton is
obviously better at baseball, immeasurably better. I have watched this guy pull the
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Rangers out of dismal situations with his God-given ability. This guy is just awesome to
watch, especially in real life. Then there is my son, one year of T-ball under his belt. He
almost ran the bases without help.
Their abilities are very different. So is the way in which they are valued. One is valued
completely by what he can do. If Josh fails to produce anymore, he becomes a liability
and would be removed. If Nate fails at baseball, he is still my son, and his value remains
the same because it is not dependent on his performance; it is dependent on his
relationship to me.

Hopefully it’s starting to set in now. To understand this we need to look at the original
language. From my perspective, isn’t translated all that well in the NIV. The NIV render
it: “a spirit that makes you a slave.” The old KJV actually gets it a little better: “received
the spirit of bondage.” The original Greek is two words: pneuma douleia (Doo-li-ah)

It means you aren’t supposed to have a spirit like a slave. As a Christian, you are one, but
you’re supposed to have a spirit like a son!
Sermon Application

Here is the powerful truth. Your value is not in what you have accomplished, you are
loved like a son, yet also like a slave, you have been purchased (by the blood of Christ)
and have bound yourself to a way of living that sets the deepest parts of your heart free.

So what does this mean for you?


You don’t have to prove yourself to God.
(You are a son!)


You are wanted.
(God paid a huge price for you, like a deeply desired slave!)


You have a new master. You don’t have to be ruled by your past!
(Like a slave, you have been freed from an abusive master and have been bought by a
loving one.)


You do have a mission.
(Like a slave, you have a purpose and are expected to honor it.)


Your value isn’t in the success of your mission.
(Like a son, you are still loved even when you fail.)


You have a loving home.
(Like a son, you are family.)

You don’t have to fear failure!
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
(You have a job, like a slave, but again your value is in your relationship to your
Father.)
Conclusion
Since man needs more than this world can offer our only hope is to bind ourselves to something
greater than this world. God responds to us like a loving Father and values us not because of
what we can do, but who we are… children of God.
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