It’s a rare one-off weekend for me, not tied into a specific series that we’re walking through as a church. So, I took some time to think about what I would preach if I only had one sermon left. In some ways, that’s how I hope to preach every week, but I’m glad for the chance to search Scripture and my own heart to discern what God has for us as we open his Word together this Sunday. On Sunday, we turn to Romans 8:1-4 together. Back in 2020 I preached through the book of Romans, mostly to an empty sanctuary while we were stuck doing what we could online. I took 8 weeks in Romans 8. That is how important and jam-packed this single chapter of Scripture is. The core of the good news of the gospel is on beautiful display, applied to our hearts and lives. Romans 7 sets the stage as the Apostle Paul opened his heart about the everyday struggle with sin, guilt, and condemnation. Romans 8 then bursts in as a beam of light piercing the darkness.

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This week I am going to preach through Psalm 139. Along the way, I also hope to share with you some of the highlights of the Challenge Conference and what we have learned this week in Kansas City. Psalm 139 shows us that the transcendent God and Creator of all things knows us intimately and is not distant from us. I’m excited to open it together as we gather for worship.

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The gospel reshapes our imagination, our desires are transformed. We are now able to envision God’s best for our lives and for others. Our eyes are open to opportunities to bring greater blessings into the world. We see opportunities for decisive acts of faith, such as buying a boat and inviting neighbors and friends and pastors to enjoy a cold drink with his bare feet up on the back deck.
But seriously, what does it mean to overcome the world? In 1 John 5:1-12, although outward appearances may not suggest it, followers of Christ have overcome the world by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and now every follower of Christ can have confidence that they are a cherished member of His family with the same eternal blessings enjoyed by Jesus the Son of God. I think that is a picture worth living for.

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Why is love for one another such a high priority when there are so many lives at stake? How can we be sure that God really loves us when there are so many problems? How can we grow in our love for God and other people when we can barely make it through the week sometimes?

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In our summer journey through the letter of 1 John, chapter three ended with the two-part command to believe and to love one another. Chapter four is an elaboration of these two topics: the source of what we believe (1 John 4:1-6) and the source of our love for one another (1 John 4:7-21). This Sunday we will look into 1 John 4:1-6, the source of truth and falsehood. John emphasizes the command to believe rightly and to use discernment as our defense against false teaching which is influenced by demonic spirits who are active in the world.

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In John's Gospel, just after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered to conspire against him. They wanted a way to get rid of him. Caiaphas, the high priest, unbeknownst to himself, accidentally says something prophetic: that Jesus would die for the nation. John then adds his own inspired commentary... but not only would Jesus die for the nation but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. To gather into one the children of God...

Jesus died to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. Sin separates us from God and from people. In our separation, we attempt to create counterfeit community based on superficial connections. In 1 John 3:11-24, John makes clear that the children of God are connected on a much deeper level; our spiritual union with God makes us one family. So, who are the children of God? How do people know we are his disciples? Love is the mark of a true believer, love that is rooted in truth and that is oriented toward action by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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The previous chapter shows the clear contrast between the blinding glory of Jesus Christ and the helplessness and hopelessness of the crowds and disciples. And yet, as we begin chapter 18, we catch the disciples asking who will be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Like everything else in Jesus’ teaching, the answer is completely different than anything we could expect. On Sunday we will see what true greatness is, what it looks like in our lives, and how to get it.

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As Jesus headed down the mountain with Peter, James, and John, fresh from the revelation of his glory in the Transfiguration, he came back to the wakeup call of facing a helpless boy, a helpless father, helpless crowds, and helpless disciples. Faithlessness and inability to even understand the basic foundations of who God is and who Jesus is brought a cold reality check.

Our lives often feel that way. We might have occasional mountaintop experiences that are incredible – a vacation, a project finished at work, a presentation that was nailed, a perfect date – but then we come back to a screeching halt in the real world and regular life. Worse still, it can feel like evil is winning, and like there’s no good anywhere we look. This Sunday we will see how Jesus can meet us in the real stuff of life, in the mundane, and when we are faithless.

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