Church at the Cross : Sunday Messages Church at the Cross

Scripture: Romans 9:14–29
Key Takeaways:
 
Exodus 4:21
Exodus 7:3–4
Exodus 7:13
 
God’s ultimate aim in all that he does is the manifestation of and magnification of his glory.
 
Romans 11:33–36
Romans 16:27
Philippians 4:20
1 Timothy 1:17
Isaiah 42:8
 
In Election, God Displays his perfections in the manifestation of his Mercy (9:15).
 
Exodus 33:18–19
 
“The stunning thing for Paul is not that God rejected Ishmael and Esau but that he chose Isaac and Jacob, for they did not deserve to be included in his merciful and gracious purposes. Human beings are apt to criticize God for excluding anyone, but this betrays a theology that views salvation as something God “ought” to bestow on all equally.” Thomas Schreiner.
 
In Election, God Displays his perfections in the manifestation of his Justice (9:20-23).  
 
Ephesians 2:5–7
 
Before you raise your questions and objections lower your posture.
 
Job 40:1–9
 
Don’t eliminate other truths because of this one.
 
Matthew 11:25–29
 
Don’t fixate on this doctrine right now if it disturbs you. 

Scripture: Romans 9:1-16
Key Takeaways: 
1.   God did not promise salvation to every ethnic Israelite, but only to those he chose to be recipients of his saving love (Romans 9:6-29).
2.   Generally speaking, Israel did not respond to Jesus in faith (Romans 9:30-10:21).
3.   God faithfulness to Israel is seen in that there is a believing remnant (Romans 11:1-10).
4.   God’s faithfulness to his promise to Israel will one day be seen in greater measure when God saves Israel in great numbers (Romans 11:11-32).
 
The Doctrine of Election
 
Ephesians 1:3–6 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”
 2 Thessalonians 2:13 “13 But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.”  
Titus 1:1 “1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness,”
1 Peter 1:1 “1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,”
Colossians 3:12 “12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”
 
Many Christians throughout history have disagreed on this passage and on how to understand the doctrine of election.
Arminians and Calvinists.
At CATC we don’t have a flag, but we have a flavor.
The Doctrine of God’s sovereign election of particular sinners for salvation rarely sits well with us when we first hear it.
This is not a Pauline doctrine. Jesus taught this emphatically.
 
Personal salvation is ultimately grounded in God’s sovereign unconditional election of particular, undeserving sinners.
Romans 8:28–30 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
This doctrine humbles us to the dust.
This doctrine gives you tremendous boldness.

Scripture: Romans 9:1-13
Key Takeaways:  
Romans 9:6
Romans 3:20-25
Romans 5:1-5
Romans 8:1
Romans 8:28-39
 
Does Israel’s spiritual condition mean that God doesn’t keep his promises or that God can’t accomplish his purposes?
 
Romans 11:33-36
 
Not every physical descendent of Israel truly belongs to Israel.
 
Romans 11:1

Scripture: Luke 6:46-49
Key Takeaways:
 
Matthew 28:18-19
Ephesians 1:20-23
 
“Our commitment to Jesus can stand on no other foundation than a recognition that he is the one who knows the truth about our lives and our universe…Could we seriously imagine that Jesus could be Lord if he were not smart? If he were divine, would he be dumb? Or uninformed? Once you stop to think about it, how could he be what we take him to be in all other respects and not be the best-informed and most intelligent person of all, the smartest person that ever lived? He is not just nice, he is brilliant…‘Jesus is Lord ’can mean little in practice for anyone who has to hesitate before saying ‘Jesus is smart. ’He always has the best information on everything and certainly also on the things that matter most in human life.”- Dallas Willard, Divine Conspiracy
 
Matthew 7:21-24
O Christ What Burdens Bowed Thy Head:
The tempest’s awful voice was heard, O Christ, it broke on Thee! Thy open bosom was my ward, It braved the storm for me. Thy form was scarred, Thy visage marred; Now cloudless peace for me. – Anne Cousin

Scripture: Luke 24:1-12
Key Takeaways:
 
1 Corinthians 15:3–9
1 Corinthians 15:14
1 Corinthians 15:30–32
 
Jesus did rise from the dead and Christianity is true, and you must honestly face it. 
OR 
Jesus did not rise from the dead and Christianity is false, and you can completely forget it.  
 
Jesus did not die. (“Swoon Theory”)  
The disciples were deceived.  
The disciples were deceivers.  
 
You won’t find Jesus among the dead.
You won’t find life away from Jesus.  
 
1 Corinthians 15:32

Scripture: Isaiah 55:19
Key Takeaways:
 
The greatest things we need are found in a relationship with God. 
 
“What causes us to be fickle is the realization that our present pleasures are false, while failing to realize that absent pleasures are also vain.” Blaise Pascal. 
 
The Greatest things we need are completely free. 
 
John 6:35
John 7:37–39
 
Anything that would lead you away from God, or rise above him, is an enemy to your joy. 
 
“...in the past couple of years, I have noticed a happiness pattern that relates to politics. Namely, the people most in the know tend to be unhappier than those who pay less attention. I subjected this observation to a bit of analysis, and sure enough, the numbers bear it out. I analyzed the 2014 data from the General Social Survey collected by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago to see how attention to politics is associated with life satisfaction. The results were significant. Even after controlling for income, education, age, gender, race, marital status and political views, being “very interested in politics” drove up the likelihood of reporting being “not too happy” about life by about eight percentage points.” Arthur C Brooks. “Depressed by Politics? Just Let it Go,” 2017.  
 
The invitation is to come to God once and daily.