Ernie Harbridge, Jerry’s dad. He worked at the Hydro. He would come down in the morning and
he’d map and put a chalk line across the, yep, cut that wall out there. Then he told me, you know,
we needed to bust the floor open to put some pillars in. He taught me a lesson back there. It
says, it doesn’t matter what it looks like, as long as it’s square. So it could be cut off and ripped
up there. But as long as you make it square, it works. And that’s what Jesus does. He takes us
rough, the, you know, uncouth. And he redeems us. And he brings us and we become just perfect
in his sight because of his merit. So we got that on. Hallelujah. Now I don’t have to yell. That’s
good. Hallelujah.
And I didn’t bring my hearing aids, so I know I’m. Oh, I got to stay in the light as he is in the light. There you go. Can you see me? Well, you know, I want to sing like another one. As we prepare
to pray for healing. What’s the one? He’s worthy of it all. Do you know that one? I’ll sing it. You play it. Okay.
How many know that one? He’s worthy of it all. Let’s stand. Let’s worship the Lord. He’s worthy of it all. I’ll sing it. Can you find the key? All right. He’s worthy of it all. He’s worthy of it all. All to him I give. Hallelujah. For you are all things. And to you are all things. You deserve the glory. All right. Well, Hallelujah. Beautiful spirit in this place. And as Pastor David was mentioning all of the various needs, I want you to know no matter how great your need is. Jesus is greater. Amen? He not only hears but he answers prayer. Call unto me and I will answer you. And so as we worship the Lord and just come before him, I’m going to call for those that need prayer. We’re going to be in the name of Jesus. We’re going to be in the name of Jesus. We’re going to be in the name of Jesus. He will bring healing.
He was wounded for our transgressions and by his stripes. That beating that he took would have killed anybody. But he did that for our healing. By His stripes we’re healed. So look up to Jesus right now. Lift your hands and just shut in with God. And as the brothers go ahead and anoint with oil, we’re going to believe God to bring healing in Jesus’ victorious name. Hallelujah. Thank you Lord even now. As we anoint in oil in Jesus’ name, we’re believing O God together for healing, for miracles, for breakthrough. Hallelujah. We thank you Lord.
And for you too. Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus right now as we lay. Father in the name of Jesus, we boldly come to the throne of grace. And you who have begun a good work in us, you are fully committed to complete it till the day of your return. And in your name and by your stripes and through your shed blood. Lord release healing now
in Jesus’ victorious name. We believe and we receive. Say that. I believe and I receive. Go ahead. I believe and I receive healing in Jesus’ name. Amen. Amen.
Thank you Lord. We don’t have to beg. He said just simply ask believing. And the prayer of faith will heal. The sick. Amen. Hallelujah. Thank you Lord. Let’s just praise and lift your heart, lift your voice. Hallelujah. We thank you Lord. Over every circumstance, Hallelujah. King of all kings. Lord of all lords. Hallelujah. We bless and glorify your name.
Hallelujah. Thank you. Hallelujah. Now before you see it, shake hands with somebody and say I’m glad we’re related. Go ahead. Hallelujah. God bless you. Amen. Bless your brother. Okay, we’re good. Hallelujah. Thank you. Well it’s so good to be here today and as Pastor David mentioned, we go back quite a ways and became long time friends. You know, you get to this point and you can’t really make life long. Three years ago I met him. Yeah.
But God is good. All the time. Now how many brought your Bibles? Oh you got a tablet or something? I know, I like the Bible. Anyway, turn with me to Romans chapter 8. I’ll share with you a word. Sorry. I wonder, get that spotlight moving. There we are. Oh, because we’re online, are we? Oh, hi everybody. I forgot about that. Anyway, I want to share with you one of the greatest texts in all of the New Testament and it’s Romans chapter 8 verse 31 and it reads, What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
Hallelujah. This was written by the Apostle Paul in the church at Rome and it’s God’s word for us today. Amen? It’s the infallible, inspired, timeless word of God. We can’t live by bread alone but by every spoken word. Hallelujah. So I want us to look at this great text and it begins with a demanding question. Look at it.
It says, What shall we then say to these things? What things was Paul speaking about? What things? Well, you need to realize that on to the very beginning chapters of the Book of Romans and everything that’s written up to that point. That’s what Paul’s referring to. If you look at the first three chapters in Romans, he’s describing the wickedness, the sinfulness, the depravity of mankind. All have sinned and all. That includes you and me.
If you look at chapter 3, it says this, there is none righteous. No, not even one. There’s none who understands. There’s none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way and they’re all together become unprofitable. Their throat is an open sepulcher. Their tongues, they have, with their tongues they practice deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips.
Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. There is none that fear God. All have sinned. He goes on to describe the depravity of man and you see the evidence of that in today’s presentation. I mean up is down and down is up. Everybody’s saying it’s my truth. There’s only one.
And Jesus said, I am the truth. I am the life. I am the way. No one can come to the Father but by me. It’s not your truth, my truth. What they’re doing is saying, I don’t believe God’s truth.
It’s my truth. It’s my body.
But we’re made. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Body is not according to His purpose. So we see the difference between wickedness and man. Could people live like that and yet it’s true? And He said, what will we see in all these things? But there is no doubt that God is the truth. Christ, seeing our dead, he who was rich became poor.
He became flesh and blood. And then we held Him full of truth and grace. Wow. They saw Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. That’s what He is referring to. Peter was there, James, and he was afraid about it. He literally, physically, visibly, actually came in flesh and blood. Born by a miracle, a virgin birth.
Joseph wasn’t his father. God was. And people say, oh, that’s folklore. No sublime act of God. Only God could pull that off. And inner proof of that is, I mean, everybody knows how babies are made. Joseph, he wasn’t sleeping, you know? Until one night God woke him up.
And he assured him, Joseph, don’t be ashamed or afraid to take Mary unto yourself. It is exactly as she said. And his name will be called Jesus, the Savior of mankind. He was so fully convinced. And the Scripture says he knew Mary intimately until after the birth of Christ. So he never knew her as a virgin when you gave birth. But he was fully convinced Jesus is who he says he is, the Son of God. He’s the one who came by deliberate choice.
Born of a virgin, he was exposed and tempted in all points like you and me with this exception without sin. There was no taint of sin in him. Tempted in all points, yet he did not sin. He committed himself to the will of his father. He walked among us. And in chapter four of Romans, it says, the righteousness of God has been revealed unto us. That by believing in Jesus Christ, it’s through his merits that God looks at us and says, you’re sinless. You’re forgiven because of the merits of Christ.
Not because of me, myself, but because of him. He is our righteousness. He is our Redeemer. There’s no other name given on mankind whereby we must be saved. And one day at that name, every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to the glory of God the Father that he is who he says he is, the sinless Son of God, Lord of Lords, King of Kings. Get an A, get an A man. I’ll tell you.
Then when we got to chapter five, I was taught by Doc Rott’s. Remember, yeah, that was his favorite book in Bible College. Chapter five talks about when we receive Christ into our life, we are justified by faith. We are accepted. There cannot be any sin. Proof of that was when Christ died on the cross. And the sin of the whole world in that dark moment in our Jesus said, my God, why have you forsaken me? He always referred to him as his father, but in that moment, God placed on him and he couldn’t accept sin in his presence.
Jesus paid the price. We’re justified because of his merits, not of our good works, but by faith in him. Amen? And then to chapter six, he talks about our identity in Christ.
And he uses the term of water baptism and he’s buried in his death and raised in the hallelujah. You know, that’s when your will goes into effect. Amen? Jesus not only died, he wrote out his will and then he came back to life again to enforce it.
That’s amazing, isn’t it? The resurrection. Yeah, he came back to make sure everything, every detail is covered and I’m vouching for it. And he comes before our father and he prays for us. We have a heavenly advocate. And by the time you get to Romans chapter eight, it’s been saying, there is therefore now. When is now? Talk to me.
When is now? Now. So right now, if you’re in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. Right now, we’re free of condemnation. Right now. It’s done. When he said it’s finished, paid and full, not only looking back at what was done, but right now it’s available. And now there is no condemnation to us who are in Christ Jesus. It goes on in those verses, verse five to 12 saying, and there’s a congregation to live according to the dictates of our flesh. Why? Because the life-giving, changing presence and power of the Holy Spirit lives within us. We’re born again. His very presence is in us. Amen? Think of that. The same spirit that was in Christ Jesus is now in all of us who believe.
We have the same spirit, a real person who has power to redeem, but cause a life. We’re no longer based on the desires of our creation. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Song, what was on the journey? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And then…. We have a Redeemer. We have a Savior. We have one who has conquered the grave, conquered sin, conquered death, and he’s our heavenly advocate. And when we come before the throne of grace, the judge is on our side. And he says, not guilty. I know you by name.
You’re mine. I’ve called you. And I know that you are forgiven. Amazing. And so we have all of this. And then it goes on not only with this demanding question, what are we going to say to these things? But then there’s a bold declaration. If God is for us who can be against us, a better translation is since God is for us. It doesn’t denote doubt and unbelief. It’s confident saying God. Think of it. God. The one who created heaven and earth, the eternal, all powerful, everywhere present, the God. . . . . . the disease. God of all creation who created us in his image and likeness and called us to himself. The eternal creator of heaven and earth. He’s for us. Isn’t that amazing? If God is for us, hallelujah.
And how do we know he’s for us? If you question that, come with me to Bethlehem. We celebrate every Christmas. And God, in a feeding trough, in a barn, with all the smell and refuse of animals. Why there? No holiday inn or hill. . .
hotel? He stooped down so that the lowest of the low would be welcome to come. That’s how I know God’s for us. When he saw our dilemma, he did something about it. He couldn’t turn his back. He stepped forward. He stooped down. And he was.
. . We know God’s for us. Read the Gospels. On the shores of the valley. How’s the fishing? You know the story. Come and I’ll make you a fisher of men. He’s a little town called Nain and a brokenhearted mother with her only son in a casket. And he says, get up.
And he raised him from the dead. He took five lo. . . Two, four, over five thousand, they say, maybe fifteen, twelve thousand women and children. And he declared, I’m the bread of life. He, Jesus, is for us. Come, let’s stand before the cross. His naked body. This summer. I want to read to you what he looked like.
Isaiah 53. He said he was despised, rejected. A man of sorrows, fully acquainted with bidders grief. And we. . . We turned our backs on him. We looked the other way when he went by. He was despised and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried. It was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God for his own sins. But he was wounded for our transgressions. Crushed and bruised for our iniquities. He was convinced that we might have peace. He was whipped and we were healed.
All of us have strayed like sheep. We have left God’s path to follow our own. And yet the Lord laid on him. The guilt and sin of us all. Picture the scene through the Via Dolorosa Christ making his way to the cross. Beaten beyond recognition, I swollen his back as lacerated hunks of flesh hanging out. And we turned our backs. There was nothing that attracted us to his presence.
See him on the cross. Naked, how humiliating. He not only died, he suffered spiritually, physically, emotionally. They jeered at him, if you are who you say you are, come on down. And from nine o’clock in the morning till noon hour he repeatedly prayed. Looking at those folk there and down through the quarters of time. He said, Father forgive them. They don’t know.
They don’t understand what they’re doing. Father forgive them repeatedly. He have to push himself up unless he suffocates him with all the energy or strength of him. He prayed this prayer. Father, the very first thing, forgive them. But I know who I am. And I know why I’ve come. I’ve become their substitute, their savior.
I die in your place, my place. Amazing love. How can it be? If you wonder if God is for you, think back to your own personal encounters with him. Let me ask you a question this morning. Have I ever failed you? Pardon? Do I get a witness? Has God ever failed you? No. Don’t answer, but have we ever failed God? Hang your head. Yeah. If I was God, but he never has and he never will. And that’s what makes me love him all the more.
He knows the good, the bad, the ugly. And he chooses. Aren’t you thankful for that? Where would we be without Jesus? Do all these things? Since God is for us. It goes on to fight challenges. Who?
Against us. I mean the highest thought of all creation says not guilty and who or who can overthrow that. None. I’m getting fired up. Let me read to you this chapter from the Living Bible. What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? Since God is on our side. Who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own son for us, but gave him up for us all. Won’t he surely give us everything else? For a rhetorical question. Obviously he will.
And who dares accuse us when God has chosen us for his own? Your mind. Will God? No.
He’s the one who’s forgiven us and has given us a right standing with himself. Who died for us? At the place of highest honor. Interceding. Praying for us. Father Viguend. Think of that. I’m going to have to.
I’ll be back. Be right back. Yes. So who can ever keep Christ’s love from us when we have trouble or calamity and we will? Is it because God doesn’t love us anymore? No. For the scriptures tell us, despite all of these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Jesus Christ who loved us enough to die for us.
For I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t. Life can’t. The angels won’t. All the powers of hell itself. Our fears for today are worries about tomorrow. Absolutely nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God. Demonstrated by our Lord Jesus Christ when he died for us.
Hallelujah. So this great chapter, Romans chapter eight, begins with no condemnation. There is now no condemnation to you who are in Christ Jesus. No obligation to live to the dictates of flesh by the life-changing, empowering presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. And what else? There’s no frustration. Why? Because we know something.
We know that all things are working together for our good. And there’s no separation. Nothing can separate us. Nothing in the past. Nothing in the past. There are circumstances you’re going through. They’re working together for good and for his glory. We’re not exempt from the realities of life, but in the midst of it he’s in us.
He’s in us. He’s in us. And he’s for us. Now unto him who is able to keep us from stumbling in this present world. And present us faultless before his glorious presence to him, the glory, majesty and honor forever and ever and ever. And everyone said, man, I don’t know what we could sing now. Hallelujah. Think of something.
What’s that? Okay, try it out. What’s that one? What started? Amazing love. How can it be? Yeah. Amazing love.How can you feel that one? Come on. Stand. We’re going to sing it. Amazing love. How can it be that thou my God should die for me? Hallelujah. I want you to fill up both lungs.
Some sing better. Some they play by note. But I’m going to be sick later. You just quit. Hallelujah. Amazing. Amazing love. How can it be that thou my God should die for me?
Yes, amazing love. How can it be that thou my God should die for me? How can I go? I stand. I stand. I stand. In the presence of Jesus. Wherever we are. And I think that he is a seed of command. Oh, no. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, praise God. Well, I’ll tell you what, you can’t go out the same way you came in because faith comes by hearing the Word of God. And we’ve heard his voice and he’s deposited his faith in us. Greater is he that’s in the world than us, the He that’s in the world. Amen. Because he’s in us, he’s with us, he’s for us.
And how long are we to keep celebrating communion? Until I come again. I’ll tell you the best news Jesus is coming and it’s sooner than you realize. So greet one another and say, God bless you, have a great week. Amen.
