Sermons Online
Ruin and Rescue
By Bishop Nicholson
Oct 5, 2008, 12:52

Also with the prison inmate, I was able to share of the importance of confession.  That’s why as Moravians today, we enjoy the Liturgy for the Preparatory to the Holy Communion.  In this observance we wait upon the Lord, draw nigh to Him, we search our hearts, look at our ways and in unison turn again to the Lord. 

In today’s observance of World-wide Communion Sunday we celebrate our “oneness in Christ”, the Prince of Peace, in the midst of the world we are called to serve – a world ever more in need of peacemaking.

From last week’s study into Romans chapter 4, we learned the another faith example of David who sinned, confessed his error of judgment, and yet found grace in God’s sight.  David’s trust in God is why he was able to find peace and joy.  So too like David, if we are to maintain our faith walk, we must be worthy of God’s calling.  We must walk according to the Spirit and God’s Word, not by our own selfish desires or like Paul says carnal walk in the flesh.   As we participate in communion today, I trust that we all will find renewal and in this transformation bring peace to one another in everything we say and do.  

As I shared last Sunday, as a congregation we are moving forward.  The new Anchorage Moravian Church mission statement approved over a week ago is wonderful.  It says, we are “a vibrant, compassionate network of diverse believers sharing God’s indispensable Word that transforms and nurtures lives”.  We cannot be vibrant unless we understand Romans 5.  In this chapter we suffered ruin because of original sin, but we were rescued by the work of Jesus Christ.

In Romans Chapter Five verse 1-5, it is almost as if Paul breaks out into singing.  This passage is wonderful.  “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

God is first the peace maker.  He made the possibility of peace within our hearts.  Many today see God as a stranger.  I am reminded of the story of a traveler in China, who had no other place to overnight but in a Chinese temple.  She woke up in the middle of the night; the moon light brightly shined through the windows on the face of the idols in the temple.  She notice that on every face of the gods there were sneering or snarling at the onlookers.  The big picture for us is that we have a God through Jesus Christ who offers us his grace.

The word grace (prosagoge) in verse 2 of Romans 5 is one that any commercial fishermen or subsistence gatherer or hunter will understand.  The word grace in how it is used here has the meaning of ushering someone into the presence of royalty.  Here we see that Jesus opens the door for us to the very presence of God and it is there we find grace.  The meaning of this word grace is important for us to understand - it means no condemnation, no judgment, no vengeance from an angry God, but the sheer undeserved, unearned, unmerited incredible kindness of God. 

Another meaning for the word grace (prosagoge) is the word for harbor or a haven.   For the fishermen or subsistence traveler in a boat or skiff, the presence of calm waters is a blessing most of the time.  Here the word grace also means the haven of God’s grace.  If we are not in this harbor or haven, we are on the outside where we are tempest tossed, like one fighting the waves.   Good encouragement if you are not in his harbor or haven find it today!

In the scriptures shown in verse 3-5, we see here that the Christians at Rome had difficulty living a Christian live just like we do today.  Tribulations or the word stress happens to everyone.  In 2 Tim. 3:12 it says, ‘yes and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”  But the main thing to remember here is that we should accept the stresses that come to us.  There are many difficulties.  Like the inmate I visited in prison there is no need to be angry at God for your difficulty or loss.  The stresses that come should do a work of grace in our hearts.  Trouble should produce fortitude; it should develop perseverance, character and then hope.  

When we have this hope we have everything.  Hope in God does not disappoint.  Why, “because the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

The remainder of the chapter is familiar.  Sin was imputed into mankind by the 1^st Adam, verse 12.  Adam brought ruin to all of us, but Christ is a figurehead of God’s grace; Through faith in Christ we are rescued from sin and eternal death.

The death of Christ is God final proof of His love for all of us.  On the other side is God’s wrath, but through Christ we have a gentle, loving Christ.

Verse 19 says, For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous”

God has done much for us!  We rejoice on this day of celebration that God has made reconciliation and peace with us through Christ.  We should share this peace that the world can never understand to those around us. 

In verse 21 it says that “grace might reign”.  God has given us all things, all sufficiency (2 Cor. 9:8), all power (Eph. 3:20), all the supply we need (Phil 4:19); we have an entrance into heaven (John 3:16) and absolute satisfaction (John 10:10) for our lives.

Enjoy it as God’s grace pours out to us as we celebrate communion today.