[Sermon Summary] April 23, 2023 The Invincible Love of Christ

 Elder Greg Cox's sermon summary: 

We were back in our study of Romans chapter 8 this week. The message was titled, “The Invincible Love of God pt 3,” from Romans 8:34-37. We were covering the five things we are to say in response to this invincible love of God from Romans 8:29-30 in the immediate context, but all of Romans 8 in the larger context.

We heard in the introduction how Romans 8 is all about the Christian’s full and forever deliverance from condemnation through faith in Jesus Christ.

·         Look through chapter 8 as a group and discuss the truth of this statement found in the verses leading up to the text for this week.

o   How does this truth ground you in hope and perseverance in your walk with Christ in this life and in the hope, you have for eternal life?

We were reminded of the four points leading up to the fifth point this week. The first point was from verse 31, He is for me, and He is invincible. Discuss the peace and security that comes as you meditate on this truth and remember God is for you (see Psalm 118:6-7).

The second point was that God gave you Jesus and He will give you everything else (v.32). God saved you through the death of His Son, He won’t hold back what you need after giving you His most valuable Son.

·         Discuss this point, if God gave up His Son so you could become a part of His family with Christ, how do you think God will be with you and provide what you need from now to eternity? How does this truth help you in hard times, stressful times, loss, etc.?

The third point was God has chosen me and He will protect me from everyone (v.33). This point was that no one can bring a charge against God’s chosen ones because God has justified them through His Son and no charges could stick.

·         How does this truth bring a deep-rooted hope and joy in realizing that no charge can ever be brought against you before God? How was all of this brought about (see Romans 8:1-4)?

The fourth point was Jesus died for me and He is interceding for me (v.34). You have the Father, the Spirt, and the Son all working for you to sustain your faith and relationship with God.

·         How does Romans 8 demonstrate this truth? Look at the verses that point to the work of the Father, the Spirit, and the Son to hold you fast in your faith. How do these truths ground you further in hope and joy in salvation and your future?

This led to the fifth point on nothing being able to separate you from the love of Christ (vv.35-37).

·         We heard how this is not the love you have for Christ, but the love He has for you. Nothing can separate you from His love for you. He gave Himself up for you with His life so you could be with Him.

o   Discuss the importance of this being His love for you and not your love for Him. What are the implications of nothing be able to separate Christ’s love for you?

·         We saw in the text that there is a list of things/conditions that also have no ability to ever separate you from Christ. Look at this list and discuss what God’s word is telling you about you if these are true of you in the past, present, or future? What are you tempted to think when you encounter these things, and what is God’s word telling you about these things as they relate to the love Christ has for you?

o   Tribulation – strong pressure

o   Distress – means narrow space, like the walls of your life are closing in on you.

o   Persecution – Attack

o   Famine – extreme hunger and no access to food.

o   Nakedness – No access to clothing

o   Danger – Being under threat of harm

o   Sword – Being under threat of harm to the point of death.

·         We heard how Christ’s love is sure, but so is trouble for the Christian. See Luke 21:16-17 and discuss what this passage says about troubles as a Christian. But does this have any way of separating you from the love of Christ?

·         Look at Paul’s example in 1 Corinthians 4:11-13. What kept Paul going and persevering in spite of these troubles (see Romans 8:37)?

·         The text says you are more than conquerors (more than victorious, you are super victorious) because not only do these things have no ability to separate you from Christ, but God is using them for your good (Gen. 50:20; Romans 8:28) to grow you even more like His Son.

o   How does this truth help you with the everyday struggles you encounter in life to see it through the love of Christ?

o   How do you grow in your trust of these truths in applying them to your walk in this world? How does the Spirit help you through truth to walk by faith and not by sight? How do you deepen your relationship with God through the Spirit to more easily walk by Him and not according to your flesh (see Galatians 5:16-26