Messages | "Blessed are the Pure in Heart for they shall see God" | Sangdang International Church

April 22, 2012 - Romans 13 - Living in the World

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:11:02 +0900

Christians are called to bring the Good News of Jesus to the world, and this means we will have to deal with worldly authorities and with unbelieving neighbours. Sometimes we will even be the worldly authority. Here in Romans 13, Paul gives us some guidance about how.

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April 15, 2012 - Romans 11-12 - Mercy and Responses.

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 15:54:10 +0900

That we are saved by the law does not mean that there is no righteousness. The key to the Christian life is treasuring Jesus Christ.

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April 8, 2012 -Romans 10 - God's Desires and the Risen Lord - Easter Sunday

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 15:30:18 +0900

Jesus is Alive! This is the most important fact for life, and today we commemorate the day that Jesus rose victorious from the dead.

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April 1, 2012 - Romans 9 - God's Sovereign Choice

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:52:28 +0900

Paul deals with the difficult doctrine of God's grace to the undeserving, and His failure to show grace to some. Is God unjust? Are humans still responsible? Romans 9 begins to answer.

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Bible Study Questions:

Observation:

1. According to this chapter, what belongs to the Israelites?
2. Who will God have mercy on?
3. How much of Israel will be saved?

Interpretation:

1. What possible reason would Paul have for wishing himself cut off from Christ? Would this accomplish anything? Why is he so passionate about the salvation of Israel?
2. Which part of God’s word does Paul say has not failed in this chapter? How has it not failed?
3. Is there injustice on God’s part? Why would somebody think that there is? Can we still blame people for their sin? Are people still morally responsible for their actions?

Application:

1. How can we answer people who claim that because God chooses that He is not just or good?
2. How do we use God’s sovereignty to excuse our own responsibility for sin? How can we stop doing that?

March 25, 2012 - Romans 8 - Life in the Spirit and the Glory of Christ.

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:15:22 +0900

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In a cursory examination of Romans 8, we see this week how God is glorified in saving sinners.

Bible Study Questions:

Observation:

1. According to the text, what things cannot separate us from the love of God?
2. What can we call God?
3. Can those who are “in the flesh” please God?

Interpretation:

1. What does it mean to have a mind set on the flesh? How is this different from living according to the Spirit? Can someone be in the Spirit and still sin?
2. In what sense are have we received the spirit of adoption (v.15), and in what sense will we be adopted (v.23)? How are these related?
3. What is wrong with creation? What is the result for humanity? Why does Paul think we can be confident in suffering? Are non-believers justified in having a similar confidence? How can we be sure that God’s will works through bad things?

Application:

1. Practically, how should we respond when we feel more closely bonded to sin than bonded with Christ? What reason are we given not to fall back into ‘living according to the flesh’?
2. How should we pray given verse 26?

Mar 18, 2012

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:09:59 +0900

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March 18, 2012 - Defeating Sin (Romans 7)

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:02:10 +0900

Why do Christians often continue to sin, and why do people who are supposed to have joy in the Lord instead end up mired in despair?

Often it isn't because we ignore sin, but rather because we try to fight our sin in the wrong way, using the law to do something it was never able to do. This week we see Paul's call to the Christians at Rome to trust in Christ for their righteousness, and not in works of the law; to God's glory and our everlasting joy.

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Downloadable Mp3 here

Romans 7 Bible Study

Observation:

1. What releases someone from their marriage vows?
2. What does sin produce through the commandment?
3. Who is Paul speaking to?

Interpretation:

1. Why does Paul use the example of marriage? Who are we in this comparison? How does this relate to the analogies in chapter 6? What is he saying about the law?
2. Is the law bad? Why not? How does Paul defend the goodness of the law (specifically v.15-16)? How does he counter the argument that it is the law that brings us to death?
3. Is Paul talking about Christians or non-Christians in vv.15-25? Why do you think that? Is Paul absolving himself from responsibility for his sin in v.17?
4. Wretched earthlings, who can save you now?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!!?!??!!?!? (seriously)

Application:

1. Practically speaking, how can we 'delight in the law of God' (v.22)? How does it fit into our lives?

March 11, 2012 - The Good Slavery (Romans 6)

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 19:01:10 +0900

We all serve something, the question we need to ask is not how we can stop serving anything, but how we can be sure to serve what is really worthy of it. Paul helps us to answer the more important question in Romans 6 this week.

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This week's study questions:

Observation:

1. What are the wages of sin?
2. Will Christ ever die again?
3. Why is Paul speaking in human terms?

Interpretation:

1. How does Paul’s argument develop from Romans 5? Rephrase Romans 6:1 into your own words: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Have you ever heard anyone ask this before? How should we respond?
2. How does baptism relate to Christians continuing in sin? Can verses 17-18 be interpreted to mean that Christians never sin? What is the function of baptism? How does it relate to our connection with Christ?
3. How is it that we are always slaves? What is the difference between being a slave to sin as opposed to being a slave to righteousness (see also Matt 6:24)? What are the results of each?

Application:

1. How is it useful to consider ourselves slaves? How can we be slaves to God?

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

March 4, 2012, Adam and Adam II (Romans 5)

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:42:53 +0900

The problem with humanity goes deeper than the fact that we do bad things. In Adam, we are born as part of a sinful race. It is then good news that in Christ we have a deeper salvation than just paying for the wrath that we deserve by our actions; we are made righteous in Christ, and moved from the race of Adam, to the race of Christ.

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Study Questions for Romans 5:

Observation:

1. Why should we rejoice in our sufferings?

2. What were we when Christ died for us?

3. What reigned from Adam to Moses?

Interpretation:

1. What was God's motivation in sending Christ to die? What does Paul mean when he writes about a 'good' or 'righteous' person? How should we respond to our reconciliation with God?

2. What's the difference between justification and reconciliation? What would our Christian life be like if we had just one and not the other?

3. How was Adam a 'type' of Jesus? Who is affected by Adam's trespass? In what way? How is Christ's obedience different to, and greater than, Adam's disobedience?

Feb. 26, 2012 - Romans 4

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:58:57 +0900

Still in Romans, we look at an argument against salvation by faith alone, "wasn't Abraham justified by works?". Paul answers the question "no", and his answer has implications for distinctions we may have in the Church. As Christians, we are all children of Abraham by faith, and all other distinctions, while maybe important, are not of ultimate importance. Our identity is found in Christ.

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Here were the Bible Study Questions this week:

Romans 5 Bible Study

Observation:

1. Why should we rejoice in our sufferings?
2. What were we when Christ died for us?
3. What reigned from Adam to Moses?

Interpretation:

1. What was God's motivation in sending Christ to die? What does Paul mean when he writes about a 'good' or 'righteous' person? How should we respond to our reconciliation with God?
2. What's the difference between justification and reconciliation? What would our Christian life be like if we had just one and not the other?
3. How was Adam a 'type' of Jesus? Who is affected by Adam's trespass? In what way? How is Christ's obedience different to, and greater than, Adam's disobedience?
4. How would the law increase sin? What is the relationship between sin and grace?

Application:

1. What is our natural reaction to suffering? What should it be? Why?
2. What does it mean to 'reign in life' through Jesus Christ? How does life look different when we do?

Feb 19, 2012 - Romans 3

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:15:57 +0900

Continuing our quick trip through Romans, we look at the fact of our justification by faith, and our utter inability to be saved by our own works. Why would God do this? Romans 3 answers.

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Here are the questions the Bible Studies used to discuss the text:

Romans 3 Bible Study

Observation:

1. How is the throat an open grave?
2. Who is righteous?
3. Is God the god of Jews only?

Interpretation:

1. What are the advantages of being a Jew? Why arenʼt the Jews better off if they have the advantage? In what ways are the Jews and the Gentiles in the same situation regarding their unrighteousness?
2. Why not do evil that good may come? Can we boast in anything? Why or why not? Where does all this leave the law?
3. Why did Jesus have to die? How did the death of Christ demonstrate Godʼs justice? Why did it need to be demonstrated?

Application:

1. Paul is talking about our sinful nature, but what specific sins does he warn us against?
2. How do we live as people saved by faith? How can we avoid the trap of thinking we’re saved by the law (legalism)? How do we avoid falling into the trap of ignoring the law (antinomianism)?

Bible Study Ezra 9-10

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:51:24 +0900

Due to Korean New Year celebrations, we did the Bible studies for two weeks, Jan 29 and Feb. 5, in one (you can download Mp3s of the sermon by clicking on the dates).

Bible Study Questions for Ezra 9 and 10:

Observation

1. What sin were the people guilty of?
2. What was the fate of Ezra’s cloak?
3. Who opposed the Israelite plan to deal with the sin?

Interpretation

1. How is the sin of the people a serious sin (see Deut. 7:3-4)? Is this about race? Is this just about marriage? Who does this sin effect?
2. What was Ezra’s response to the sin? How was this his responsibility? Was he overreacting? Defend!
3. How did the people respond? Why didn’t they react to the sin before Ezra did? Why didn’t they ignore Ezra? Was it a good idea to “put away” a wife because she isn’t Jewish? Defend!

Application

1. How does this sin apply to Christians? (see 2 Cor. 6:14-18) Does this mean we should avoid talking to non-Christians?
2. How serious is sin? How should we react to our own sins? How should we react to sin in our community?

Jan 29, 2012

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:51:16 +0900

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Feb 5, 2012

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:46:11 +0900

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Feb 12, 2012

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:09:57 +0900

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Romans 1-2

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:07:33 +0900

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Download Link Mp3

We begin our time in the book of Romans with an examination of one of the biggest problems for Christians: our tendancy to pretend that righteousness is something we perform rather than something given to us through our faith in Jesus Christ. Paul corrects us.

Bible Study Questions:

Observation

1. What does Paul want to do in Rome?
2. According to Paul, what can be clearly understood from what has been created?
3. Is a man a Jew if he is circumcised?

Interpretation

1. How does Paul choose to begin his letter to the Romans? What is Paul’s relationship to the Church in Rome? What is Paul’s main priority?
2. Why did people start sinning? What are the consequences of sin? What does God do with those who follow sin?
3. According to Romans, is sin just a problem for Gentiles? For Jews? For non-Christians? Why do you think Paul brings up sin at the beginning of the letter?

Application:

1. What can we learn from Romans about how we can present the Gospel? How is Paul an example for how we should approach other believers?
2. How can we cause people to blaspheme God? How easy is it to avoid thinking about our own sin and its consequences?