Governed by God

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. Romans 9:6-8

Last Sunday we learned that the name “Israel” means, “Governed by God” (which is why God changed Jacob's name to Israel). It implies being in the family of God, being under His authority, and being submitted to His will.  This is why Paul said that not all who are Israel by birth are governed by God.  It’s not that God isn't willing to govern His people, but rather that God isn’t a dictator who forces Himself in control of a person’s life. In order to be governed by God, there must be a willingness to be governed by God.  There must be a surrender.

For the same reason not all who are “in the church” are actually governed by God. Just believing in God and being in church doesn't equate to being governed by God.  In order to be governed by God, there must be a willing surrender of my will and my life.  To me this is the essence of our faith, not just saying a prayer and getting my ticket punched to heaven, but willingly allowing Christ to be my Lord and Savior, and allowing God access to every part of my life.  It means raising the white flag of surrender.  Chris Tomlin wrote a song that celebrates this act, the chorus line goes:

We raise our white flags, we surrender all to You, all for You

We raise our white flags, the war is over,

Love has come, your love has won.

This is one of my favorite worship songs, as it declares what I must deal with each and every day:  The act of laying down my weapons, my will, my stubbornness, my rebel heart, and surrendering to Him who loves me.

Pastor Clay

Children of the Promise - Romans 9:6-13

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Children of the Promise

Romans 9:5-13

1.         Church, this morning I’m going to ask you to engage your mind:  because we are going to wade into some intellectually deep water!

a.    I believe you guys are up to it!

2.         For those of you who are familiar with the Apostle Paul, you know that he was an intellectual genius -

a.    He was a Heavenly heavyweight!  The Einstein of doctrine and theology!

b.    For the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at some doctrinal truths that are mystical and deep, but also important, things like:

i.      God’s promises

ii.     His character and nature

iii.   His sovereignty

iv.   His election

v.     His justice

vi.   His grace

3.         To accomplish this objective, Paul is going to take us on a journey through time

a.    He is going to turn to the historic and present situation of the nation of Israel as a backdrop to help us grasp these great truths of God.

4.         Now some of us may not have an interest in the nation of Israel, and that’s OK, but I’d like to point out three things:

a.    #1 Israel is important to God, which I believe is reason enough for us to at least have a basic understanding her place in God’s plan

b.    #2 God is not finished with Israel. Isreal is like Gods timepiece in prophecy, which means we can learn some things about God, and where we are in God’s plan, based on what’s happening with Israel,

c.    #3 God’s relationship with Israel is a picture of His relationship with you and I, the New Testament believer.

A Heart for the Lost - Romans 8:35-9:5

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 “A heart for the lost”

Romans 8:35-9:5

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1.         What an awesome promise to us from God.... that NOTHING can separate us from His love for us!!

a.    And after reading in 2 Corinthians 11 what Paul went through for the sake of the gospel, I'm sure that promise kept him going through many difficult and trying situations.

b.    But this passage of scripture isn't just a stand-alone promise for you and I; it's also a setup for chapters 9, 10, & 11.

2.         A lot of people wonder why Paul would take what seems like a off-topic tangent right in the middle of his letter.

a.    Chapters 1-8 presents the solution to the problem of sin and death - our hope - God’s plan of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ

b.    Chapters 12-15 contain practical instructions for everyday living

c.    But in chapter 9, Paul suddenly starts talking about Israel, and the fact that they sort of missed the Messiah! Where's that coming from?

d.    But I believe Paul knew what he was doing...

3.         See, after the proclamation that nothing can separate us from God's love, the bible student might ask "What about the Jews? Are they separated from His love?  Aren't they lost?"

a.    Romans chapter 9 - 11 answers that question, as Paul paints a beautiful illustration of the love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God,

b.    With the Jewish nation being a living example of these attributes.

c.    Israel’s Rejection of Christ (or how to have a heart for lost people)

Israel, an illustration of God's love

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

~ Romans 8:35-39

What an awesome promise to us from God.... that NOTHING can separate us from His love for us!!  And after reading in 2 Corinthians 11 what Paul went through for the sake of the gospel, I'm sure that promise kept him going through many difficult and trying situations.  But this passage of scripture isn't just a stand-alone promise for you and I; it's also a setup for chapters 9, 10, & 11.  See, after the proclamation that nothing can separate us from God's love, the bible student might ask "What about the Jews? Are they separated from His love?  Are they lost?"

The Jews had the promise of God, the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), the Law, Moses, the tabernacle, the glory of God, the prophets.... all of this, yet they rejected and crucified the Messiah!  I mean, if the Jews, who are God's chosen people, if they're lost, what chance do I have?  In fact, many Christians have written off they Jewish people completely, arguing that the church replaced the Jewish nation as God's chosen people. Not only is this untrue, it's not biblical.

Romans chapter 9 - 11 paints a beautiful illustration of the love, grace, mercy, and faithfulness of God, and the Jewish nation is a living example of these attributes to the entire world.

Don't miss this Sunday at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington, as we break open the next section of Paul's letter to the church at Rome.

~ Pastor Clay

Our Hope - Romans 8:18-29

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 “Our Hope”

Romans 8:18-29

When I was a young boy, one of things I looked forward to the most was going to “Uncle Rogers.”  See, my cousins lived on a farm, and whenever my dad took us for a weekend, I knew that weekend would be filled with AWESOMENESS: Exploring the woods, playing army, riding motorcycles, hunting, and fishing. Man, it was heaven for an eight-year-old boy! It took about two hours to drive there from our home, and the entire time I would be so excited, it felt like I was going to jump out of my skin!  Every week, I would wait anxiously to find out if we were going to Uncle Rogers, because I knew that no matter what problems I had that week, what bully picked on me, not matter how lame school was, some magical things were going to happen that weekend!  I looked forward to it. 

Roman’s chapter 8 paints a similar picture, when Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Vs 18).  See saints, while this world may throw rocks at us from time to time, something better is coming, Heaven! 

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

1.         One of the thorniest questions that Christians face is, "Why do Christians suffer? “

a.    Why does a God of love and power permit his loved ones to go through any anguish here on the earth?"

b.    You’d think that our Heavenly Father would put some type of protective shield (bubble-wrap kid) around us so that we’d never have to suffer.

c.    Fact is many of us have suffered through trials, or have watched a loved one suffer, and so you’ve felt the full force of that question…  WHY?

Uncle Rogers Farm

When I was a young boy, one of things I looked forward to the most was going to “Uncle Rogers.”  See, my cousins lived on a farm, and whenever my dad took us for a weekend, I knew that weekend would be filled with FUN:  Exploring the woods, playing army, riding motorcycles, hunting, and fishing. Man, it was heaven for an eight year old boy! It took about two hours to drive there from our home, and the entire time I would be so excited, it felt like I was going to jump out of my skin!  Every week, I would wait anxiously to find out if we were going to Uncle Rogers, because I knew that no matter how hard my week was at school, some awesome things were going to happen that weekend!

Roman’s chapter 8 paints a similar picture, when Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Vs 18).  See saints, while this world may throw rocks at us from time to time, but something way better is coming, Heaven!  It is the hope that forms the foundation of our faith, for without it Christianity is pointless, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.”

Join us Sunday at Calvary Chapel of Wilmington, as we finish Romans 8 (finally!), and explore the blessed hope we have in Christ.

~ Pastor Clay

Its all Good - Romans 8:26-37

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Overcoming Depression Part 3

“It’s All Good”

Romans 8:28-37

Have you ever read the account of Joseph in Genesis (starting in chapter 41)?  Young Joseph is the ‘favorite’ of his dad Isaac, but he ends up having one bad thing after another happen to him.  He finally ends up an an Egyptian jail, under false charges.  There is a glimmer of hope as a cupbearer promises to remember him when he gets out, but of course he forgot!

1.         That account is a setup for our message today, because we could all relate to Joseph at some point in our life.

a.    When it seems like everything is working against us.  Nothing is going our way. 

b.    And we wonder, "can anything good come from this?"

2.         There are some times in our life when bad things happen, and we can see the good that came out of it.

a.    There are other times when bad things happen, and maybe we don’t see the good, but we trust that something good surely will come from it...

b.    Then there the those times when when something hits us right between the eyes, - trial- travesty - tragedy - and we think to ourselves “NOTHING good will come of this at all!”

3.         And the question always comes up in our mind “What is God doing?  How could God let this happen? Is He even paying attention?

a.    The answer to that question is yes, but we have to realze that sometimes there's a bigger picture, a greater good in motion.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Overcoming Depression Part 2 - The Material World - Romans 8:3-17

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Overcoming Depression – Part 2 “Material World”

Romans 8:3-17

Back in 1984 the singer Madonna released a song titled “Material Girl”

They can beg and they can plead

But they can't see the light, that's right

'Cause the boy with the cold hard cash

Is always Mister Right, 'cause we are

Living in a material world

And I am a material girl

You know that we are living in a material world

And I am a material girl

1.         Catchy tune, and it was a hit because it resonated with the essence of our world:

a.    “Hey you’ve got to live this life to the fullest, cause this is all there is!”

b.    It describes the deep human need for fulfillment, to find happiness, and peace.

c.    The only problem is that they’re looking in the wrong places.. (lookin for love in all the wrong places!)

2.         See, as Christians, those “in Christ,” we know that this world isn't all there is. 

a.    We know there’s an eternity waiting for us, it is our blessed hope.

b.    But until that eternity comes, we’re stuck here in this place… this material world.

3.         Now, last week we learned that there are three prime culprits that get us feeling down and depressed:

a.    Haunted by something from our past

b.    Weighed down by something in our present

c.    Anxious about something in our future

4.         We learned that when you’re haunted by the past, when those depression bombs start going off in your mind,

a.    You have an arsenal of your own, the powerful truth that “in Christ,” there is NO condemnation! (none, zero, not one bit!)

5.         This week we’re going to learn how to respond when we’re weighed down with something in our present…

a.    Today we’re going to look at one of the ways Christians to lose their peace, and that’s when we “walk according to the flesh”

The Secret to Overcoming Depression

Last Sunday we learned a power truth: There is NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ!  When our adversary starts dropping ‘depression bombs’ on us, we can counter with this powerful truth:  “It is written, There is NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ!”  Why does this weapon have the power to shut down the enemy? Because it states the truth that WE ARE FORGIVEN!  Once you are “in Christ,” what is His is now yours, and since God does not condemn Christ, neither will he condemn you! Christian, once you’ve grasped the fact that you’ve been totally, completely, 100% forgiven, you can walk free from guilt and condemnation of your past.  For the next installment of Romans 8, join us Sunday for “Overcoming Depression Part 2,”  10 AM at Calvary Chapel Wilmington.

The Secret to Overcoming Depression - Romans 8:1-7

The Secret to Overcoming Depression

Romans 8:1-7

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1.         Don’t raise your hands, but has anyone ever struggled with depression, or you’ve known someone who has?

a.    NIH reports 2% of the population suffers from severe depression, and 16.5% some depression related disorder.

b.    It has touched almost every family in our country.

2.         In this chapter not only will we learn the final piece of Gods plan to walking in victory, we’re also going to learn the secret to overcoming depression!

3.         See, depression stems from one of three areas:

a.    1 - We’re haunted by something from our past, something we've done, or something that was done to us.

b.    2 - We’re weighed down by something in our present, some heavy situation, a trial, or some sin we're dealing with

c.    3 - We’re anxious about something in our future

4.         In this chapter we’re going to learn that God is sovereign over ALL of these areas of our life:  past, present, future!

Who will Save Us? Romans 7:8-25

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Who will Save Us?

Romans 7:8-25

1.         Remember - Romans 6-7-8 is the key to overcoming sin

a.    Today is the day that Paul is going to reveal the final piece of that key

b.    But before we get there, he has a few final words about - THE LAW.

2.         What is “The Law?”

a.    Most people when they think of the law, think of the Ten Commandments (which Jesus summarized)

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.  Matthew 22:37-40

3.         True - if you love God, you won’t break the first four commandments,

a.    if you love others, your won’t break the last six!

b.    Love God, love others, who would get upset about those two statements?

4.         But people do get uptight about the Ten Commandments

Mr Perfect Must Die - Romans 7:1-6

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Mr Perfect Must Die

Romans 7:1-6

There was once a woman that was a perfectionist in everything she did, and so prayed “Lord, please send me the perfect man.”  And the Lord answered her prayer.

One evening a young man knocked on the door, politely asked if he could speak to the young women, and she first laid eyes on him, she knew “this is my perfect man!”

Romans 6:12-23 - We Are Free!

We Are Free

Romans 6:12-23

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1.         Last week we learned some powerful truths:

a.    When a person enters into a relationship with Jesus Christ, that person is born into a new reality:  An eternal link to Jesus Christ.

b.    Because of that relationship with Christ, everything that is Christ’s is now available to that new Christian

c.    Christ died, we died, and thus sin no longer has any power over the Christian.

d.    Christ lives, we live;  The  Christian has been given new life, they’re alive to God!

e.    The Christian has been set free from the bondage of sin, and the bondage of the law!

2.         Last week: "Sin is dead!"

3.         This week: We are free!

4.         It’s critical that the Christian not only KNOW these things, but that we accept them as FACTS, and walk in FAITH based on these facts

a.    Remember what happens when Faith takes his eyes off of Fact!

b.    We have a NEW REALITY “in Christ” and we can now walk in that new reality!

c.    That’s why Paul tells us...

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Romans 6:1-14 - Sin is Dead

Sin is Dead

Romans 6:1-14

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1.         Question:  Have you ever had sin that you couldn’t overcome?

2.         These next three chapters are the most powerful sections of scripture when it comes to overcoming sin.  

3.         See in the context of what we learned in chapters 1-5:

a.    Chapter 1-5 helped us understand the positional truth of justification,

i.      in 6-8 we’ll learn the practical truth of sanctification

b.    1-5 taught us we were dead IN sin,

i.      6-8 teaches us we are now dead TO sin.

c.    1-5 taught us we were free from the penalty of sin;

i.      6-8 teaches us we are free from the power of sin.

4.         Chapters 6, 7 & 8 will teach us three important truths:

a.    Through Christ, the power that sin had over us has been broken

b.    Through Christ, we’ve been released from the bondage of the law

c.    Through Christ, we’ve been given the Spirit of the Living God to guide us, to help us, and the reveal to us God’s love for us!

5.         These truths that we’re about to learn are so important for the Christian, especially the new Christian, because all too often, Christians try to fight sin by saying “no, no, no!”

a.    Guess what, that only works for a short time – eventually our willpower weakens, and we give in…

b.    Paul is going to teach us a new way:   “Know, know, know!”

5:20 But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord 6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

VICTORY!

Is there a sin in your life that you haven't been able to obtain victory over?  If so, I have two things to say to you:

#1  YOUR NOT ALONE

#2  THERE IS A SOLUTION!

Trust me when I tell you that I know what it's like to have an area of sin in my life that's still hanging on. It's as if that sin is tied to your leg with a bungie cord;  Every time you think you've left it behind, you turn around, and SMACK - there it is!  I believe if Christians were transparent, we'd find that there many still struggling with one sin or another.  That reality can be very defeating for the Christian, especially the new Christian, leading them to conclude:  "Whats the point?  I keep falling back into my sin, I may as well give up!"

Take heart Christian!  There is a solution!  And that solution is nowhere better illustrated than in the pages of your bible, specifically in Romans 6, 7, & 8.

This Sunday at Calvary Chapel we'll be opening up a new section of Romans:  Romans 6-8. Romans 6-8 have been described as the "Victory" chapters, because in these three chapters the Apostle Paul lays out the strategy for victory over sin:

VICTORY (Romans 6)

LIBERTY  (Romans 7)

SECURITY (Romans 8)

All based on one thing:  Our relationship to Jesus Christ.  Join us Sunday morning at 10 am at Calvary Chapel.

Pastor Clay

State of the Church

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Audio to be posted soon.

The Great Exchange - Romans 5:6-20

The Great Exchange

Romans 5:6-20

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1.         One of my favorite movies is Act of Valor, which is about a team of Navy Seals that goes after a terrorist group.

a.    And while there are some really cool scenes of firefights (the riverboat scene is, to me, one of the top ten action scenes ever filmed!)

b.    The underlying theme of the movie the valor of the men, and how they’re willing to go to any length to complete their mission.

d.    Without hesitation, Lt Rourke jumps on the grenade, shielding his teammates from the effects of the blast, giving his life to save his team.  

e.    Truly an act of valor!

2.         But what about the bad guys?  Well, they are summarily gunned down, because, hey, they’re bad guys!

a.    If that grenade had accidentally bounced into the group of terrorists, I doubt LT Rourke would’ve jumped on it!  (“well, that was helpful..”)  

3.         That’s what Paul is saying here:  There are a few people, not many, that would give their life to save a family member, a loved one, a friend, a comrade…

a.    But who would sacrifice himself to save a terrorist, or a criminal?

b.    There is one - Jesus!  In an unprecedented demonstration of love, Jesus gave His life to save sinners!

c.    He died to save the terrorist, the mass murderer, the child molester – and yes, you and me!

Peace with God - Romans 5:1-5

“It’s all about Faith”

Peace with God

Romans 5:1-5

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In 1972 two fishermen were checking their shrimp traps along a river on the South Pacific island of Guam, when they ran across a man they thought to be a local villager.  Unprovoked, the man attacked them, yelling at them in a strange language.  They were able to subdue the man, and they brought him into town, where it was discovered that he was no native villager.  The man’s name was Shōichi Yokoi, a Japanese sergeant in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) during the Second World War.  When US forces regained control of the island in 1945, Yokoi and nine other soldiers retreated into the jungle to await reinforcements. As the years went by, the reinforcements never came. Seven of the men eventually left, two died in flooding, leaving Yokoi, who remained at his post, believing he was still at war, ready to defend the island the Emperor! He didn’t realize that the war had ended, his country had entered a peace agreement, Japan and the US were now allies! Yokoi didn’t need to hide any longer.

1.         So it is with many people:  Deep down they know they’re not living according to God’s law, deep down they understand that they’re not righteous…

a.    So they feel they have to run from God, they have to hide from God!

b.    Just like Yokoi, they don’t understand that the war is OVER! Peace has been achieved. 

c.    Not by setting off a nuclear bomb, but through the sacrifice of the Son of God.

d.    Through Jesus, God has made peace available to mankind

2.         That's what Paul tells us in Romans chapter 5