2014 is the 100 year anniversary of two World Wars
In the First World War about 10 million people died
250'000 people under <19 managed to get into the army
Life expectancy was only 6 weeks
In the Second World War 60 million people died
The Holocaust - 6 million people died
200'000 people died from the first atomic bomb at Hiroshima
Why did so many people die?
It is to do with man's sinfulness
What is the answer to man's plight, to his humanity, to his wickedness and evil?
The wonderful gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
First restores a person in terms of their relationship with God
Then enables a person to be at peace with and love others
Ultimately, the only remedy to mans sinfulness is the forgiveness of Jesus Christ
The Gospel message is a life transforming message
Nations will only be changed with individuals are changed
There are great tragedies in our world
In Brazil: many drug related murders
In Portugal: domestic violence and murder
The answer to all this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, God changing lives one by one
Wouldn't it be a great tragedy for people to hear that peace has been made between God and man, but to be ignorant of this
Our Condition
We are sinners and enemies of God
Whilst we were still sinners God still died for us
God loves us so much
We must be real about ourself and cry out to God
"Without strength" (v6):
Helpless, powerless, incapable
God is saying that when humanity is incapable of keeping His law or no strength to do His will, God sent His Son
"In due time"
Think of the many cultures that pre-dated Christ
The Egyptians: extraordinary structures like pyramids, an advanced number system, but forever warring, had a divisive class system, had a slave trade
The Greeks: great thinks, started the alphabet, but often at war
The Romans: tremendous architects (bridges, aqueducts, roads, sewers), but their favourite entertainment was ritualised violence (the Gladiators), capital punishment for non-Romans
In the time that God had set, Christ came to redeem men from their sins
Modern society:
Advances in education
Many have embraced democracy
In the last 200 years we have had two World Wars
Recent genocide in Europe, Africa,
The sex trade: 400'000 people being sold into this in Moldova
The glorifying of violence
The encouragement of under age sex
Society is riddled with sin
Without strength - we can see that for all man's improvement, he hasn't improved himself
Have we individually the power and strength to love God with all our heart, strength and soul; and to love our neighbour as our self?
The natural man cannot understand the things of God
We are ungodly (v6)
We are not holy, selfless, motivated by love
We are sinners (v8)
We have broken the law of God
We are enemies (v10)
Is this too hard for you to cope with?
This is what God says
Men are not friends or children of God (though they are made in God's image)
Men have a rebellious heart and live in opposition to God
The Gospel can cause anger and hatred in people's hearts
This is how we were born and how we live - as sinners
Costly Love
Knowing all this, why would God give His Son for such a people as this?
We can understand the love between parents
Example of the love between a North Korean mother and daughter
We were enemies and rebels
What did it mean for God's Son to bear the sins of many?
What did it mean for the perfect, spotless Lord to take the vileness of our sin upon Himself?
What did it mean for Him who knew no sin to become sin for us
Can we imagine the pain in the Father?
Can we imagine what it was like for Christ to go through the fires of Hell?
It was endless love, real love
It was love for you and I for the Father, Son and Spirit to make this pact
God is saying that we are a rebel but that He has made peace through the blood of the cross
You can be forgiven, you can be restored
Christ died for the "ungodly" - not the religious people
Can there be any greater love that divine love?
Have you embraced this love, come to the foot of the cross and confessed your sin?
Have you worshiped Him?
Have you believed in Him?
It is no good being religious or saying prayers
We must each individually come to Christ and be converted
It is an awful thing for someone not to know that can have peace with God
Confidence before God
"Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." (v9)
If we have been put right with God it is just as if we have never sinned
We can have confidence before God
"For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." (v10)
Our salvation in secure
If we were reconciled when we were enemies, how much more secure are we
If we have reconciled then we shall be saved
God will not discard us as adopted children - could He ever throw away a child of His?
Once in Him, in Him forever
Have you this confidence?
You can have this confidence
"And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." (v11)
We can rejoice and lift up our head
We can praise God
We can be never more secure than we are [in God]
Come to the fountain of Christ's blood and be washed in this
We have one who is the doctor of doctors - who can cure 100% of those whose disease is sin
