WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:06.400 And our gospel reading this morning is Matthew 14, verses 22 to 33. 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:16.640 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:22.239 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:25.600 When evening came, he was there alone. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:33.200 But the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:37.759 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them walking on the sea. 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:46.399 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It is a ghost, and they cried out in fear. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:51.280 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, Take heart, it is I. 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.200 Do not be afraid. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:59.119 And Peter answered him, Lord, if it is you, command me to come out to you on the water. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:00.880 He said, Come. 00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:06.000 So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:08.879 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid. 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:12.719 And beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:20.959 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, O you of little faith, why did you doubt? 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:30.400 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased, and those in the boat worshipped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God. 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:32.400 The word of the Lord. 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:34.079 Thanks be to God. 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:41.200 And friends, let us confess our faith in the ancient words of the Apostles' Creed. 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:48.159 I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:52.319 I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:57.200 He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:02.560 He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:04.480 He descended to the dead. 00:02:04.719 --> 00:02:11.680 On the third day he rose again, he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:15.120 He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:26.639 I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:27.599 Amen. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:30.159 And saints, let us pray. 00:02:34.159 --> 00:02:41.919 Almighty God, give us the increase of faith, hope, and love, that we may obtain what you have promised. 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:50.800 Make us love what you command through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:52.000 Amen. 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:53.120 Amen. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:04.159 So every four years, I probably like many of us gathered this morning, get caught up in Olympic fever. 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:07.520 I suppose it's every two years, so we alternate between Summer and Winter Olympics. 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:11.680 And well, let's be honest, the Winter Olympics matter more to us as Canadians, don't they? 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:17.840 But the Summer Olympics, there's one event in particular that always captures my imagination, and that event is the 100 meter dash. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.479 And I'll tell you why it captures my attention. 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:25.520 It's because I think about for every single second, and it is seconds that we're talking about. 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:32.639 The record for the 100 meter dash, you might know, is held by Usain Bolt, and it's 9.58 seconds. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:44.000 Think for each and every second on that track, there are hundreds and thousands of hours of training and equipping, right? 00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:49.360 Doing reps, running laps, dieting, doing breathing exercises. 00:03:49.520 --> 00:04:05.039 Think of the countless hours spent disciplining and training your body for this single moment in time where you're going to run less than 10 seconds for the sake of your country in pursuit of winning the gold. 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:09.919 Now let me set up a bit of a silly scenario for us, but it's a scenario with a purpose here. 00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:27.279 Imagine that you and I are sitting shoulder to shoulder in the front row at the 100-meter dash, and we're ready to watch these trained Olympic athletes get ready to do that 100-meter dash and within a matter of seconds go for the glory. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:35.600 Imagine we hear the pistol shot echo and we watch all of the Olympic athletes start working on their breathing technique. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:38.240 And the coaches take the field and they go, What are you doing? 00:04:38.319 --> 00:04:45.360 Well, and and and the athletes to some degree rightly say, Well, I'm not going to win this race unless my breathing is perfect. 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.720 I've got to get my breathing right, and then we can go for that. 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:57.279 Imagine in frustration, the Canadian coach turns to you and I sitting in the stands and waves us in and points us towards the finish line. 00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:02.079 And so here we go, taking off at our at our best pace, which for me is a brisk jog. 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:14.319 And now we've surpassed the trained Olympic athletes, so to speak, and we cross the finish line together, and in pursuit of the gold, we we've we win and we win the glory as it goes. 00:05:14.560 --> 00:05:29.120 Now, this is a silly scenario, it's true, but I want to illustrate something of the sheer outrageousness and just the unexpected nature of what Paul is getting at in our Romans reading today. 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:34.000 Paul says that Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it. 00:05:34.240 --> 00:05:40.000 That is a righteousness by faith, and that's a very important phrase for Paul, righteousness by faith. 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:42.879 Jews who didn't pursue righteousness have attained it. 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:49.680 But Israel, who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness, did not succeed in reaching the law. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:50.319 Why? 00:05:50.480 --> 00:05:54.319 Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:57.360 So here we are back at the back at the track. 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:02.079 We know that the end of this race, it is all about who crosses that finish line. 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:05.839 That finish line is the end and purpose of why we're gathered. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:15.279 The breathing exercises, the training, everything else that goes in preparation is for, is only contributed towards that singular goal of crossing the finish line. 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:25.839 And if we confuse what trains us with what the end goal, purpose, result is, then we miss it entirely. 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:46.639 The Gentiles who were not God's covenant people in the Old Testament have attained a righteousness, a right standing with God by faith in a way that Israel got so caught up on the ins and outs of God's commands and statutes and law, they've confused the training with the pursuit itself. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:52.800 And what Paul wants these Roman Christians to know is what Paul wants us to know today. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:57.839 That the pursuit of righteousness is the pursuit of Christ. 00:06:58.160 --> 00:07:01.360 The pursuit of righteousness is the pursuit of Christ. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.800 And that's an important thing for us to know today. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:32.480 Because, like Israel in the Old Testament, I think from time to time, maybe with more frequency than we'd like to admit, we slip into a works-based thinking, a training-based thinking that says I need to do the right things that God demands if I want to get the goods, if I want to get the glory, if I want to get what's promised, I gotta work on the front end to do my part, right? 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:39.199 We set up a transactional relationship with God, where if we do our part, God's going to do his. 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:53.040 And what Paul sees, uh, the the fault that Paul sees with his people, Israel, is that they did not pursue the law in accordance with the heart that God was calling them to have: a heart of faith, a heart of trust. 00:07:53.360 --> 00:08:16.240 So if we want to know what it means to be, to have a right standing with God and to faithfully pursue righteousness, this is an important text for us to wrestle with this morning, because the pursuit of righteousness is the pursuit of Christ, not by works, so that no one can boast, but it's a free gift of God through Christ. 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:18.879 So we've been going through Romans. 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:23.519 We picked up at chapter five, we look back at the first four foundational verses. 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:27.680 Chapter one begins by recognizing that God has revealed his righteousness. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:37.360 The gospel is the revealing of God's righteousness for the Jew and for the Gentile alike, and that's ultimately good news. 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:41.200 But what precedes the good news is the difficult diagnosis. 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:46.879 The diagnosis is that we are all of us sinners, Gentile, that is non-Jew, and Jew alike. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:52.799 Within, without the covenant community of God, we all stand as sinners in need of redemption. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:56.320 All have fallen short of the glory of God. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.320 We all need redemption. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:09.679 But Paul describes the gospel as he describes the gospel as the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first, to the Gentile as well, to the Greek, to the non-Jew. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:13.840 In it the righteousness of God is revealed for faith to faith. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:17.039 Now these are these are words that we don't use often. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:24.399 We we don't think along these lines because, well, because the controversy of Paul's time isn't necessarily the controversy of our time. 00:09:24.559 --> 00:09:38.720 Here you have a church that's grappling with a new identity, being having been primarily a uh a Jewish uh uh uh uh work of the Spirit, a renewal, so to speak, um, of God's covenant people. 00:09:38.799 --> 00:09:51.519 Now this is a primarily Gentile community gathering in Rome, and Jews are starting to gather with them, and they've got to grapple with this question of is God's salvation coming through his covenant people that he's been working with from generation after generation? 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:55.360 It seems like he's doing something new and something remarkable. 00:09:55.679 --> 00:10:00.559 So now we've got to grapple with the question of where does the law factor into all of this? 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:01.360 Right? 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:03.600 How do we get on a right standing with God? 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:13.679 And Paul wants us to know that Jew and Gentile alike, whatever our birthright is, we all come to righteousness, right standing with God on the basis of our trust in Him. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:17.600 And that's why the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:25.360 It's in the context of trusting God and surrendering ourselves to him that we find a right standing with him, not by works. 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:32.000 That's an important thing for us to grapple with because, like I say, I think from time to time we slip into works-based thinking. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:36.480 It can be insidious, it can be sneaky, it can, it can sneak up on us. 00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:49.279 One of my professors in college, he he talks about a friend of his who uh who works a uh you know a middle-of-the-road job, and and and what he does is he saves each and every penny through the whole year. 00:10:49.519 --> 00:10:55.759 He saves each and every penny and puts away in the bank so that he can take one week of vacation and head straight to Vegas. 00:10:55.919 --> 00:11:02.960 And he gets a hotel and he spends 14 hours at the casino, because you only have to make it big once to have made it, right? 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:10.799 And he's going to spend each and every penny he saved at the casino in the hopes that he is going to hit the jackpot. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:14.559 But before he hits the casino, he heads to mass. 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:16.320 He heads to mass at 7 a.m. 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:24.000 each and every morning down the street so that by so that at 7 he can he can come to the table and at 7.30 he can be at the casino. 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:32.960 And my professor, who turns out to be an Anglican, so he's got that going for him, um, my professor asks his friend, he goes, Why do you do that? 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:38.879 And his friend says to him, Well, I go to Mass because I want to get on good, God's good side, right? 00:11:38.960 --> 00:11:45.600 If I'm gonna hit it big, it's gonna be because, you know, God has God has something good going for me. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:48.159 I mean, it's an interesting thought, isn't it? 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:57.840 He's going to a worship service because ultimately he's interested in what God can give him, what he can get out of this very transactional relationship, right? 00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:58.879 We see what's going on. 00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:03.279 I'm gonna give God a little so that I can get a little bit from that. 00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:05.600 It seems to be pretty intuitive. 00:12:05.679 --> 00:12:08.879 I mean, sometimes we might think, isn't that the way religion is set up? 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:11.200 Isn't that why we come to church each and every Sunday? 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:19.120 We're gonna give God a little bit of what of the attention that he wants so that we can maybe get some blessings and prosperity out of that. 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:24.799 Even you know, this is an easy assumption to make at a face value reading of some of the Old Testament. 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:35.279 And Paul quotes Leviticus chapter 18 when he writes in in chapter 10, verse 5, Moses writes about the righteousness based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 00:12:35.440 --> 00:12:37.440 Do the commandments, get a good life. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.759 That seems to be the face value reading, right? 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:44.480 Show up at church, God's gonna get, you know, God's gonna have some blessings for me, so to speak. 00:12:44.639 --> 00:13:08.639 Now, Leviticus 18 is in the context of laying out uh what covenant uh what what um uh holy sexuality is in the midst of God's um covenant identity with his people, and it's calling his people to an unlikeness, a holiness from the pagan nations around them who are slaves to sin and uh and corruption. 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:14.159 The promise here is follow the statutes and rules, put them into practice, and you'll flourish. 00:13:15.120 --> 00:13:18.559 But there's a difference between an outward obedience and an inward obedience. 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:21.360 It's the outward obedience that Israel gets hung up on. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:32.639 If I perform these things, that I'm gonna get these good things out of it when God is calling the heart of his people into a renewed, transformed relationship with him. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:37.840 It's not simply the exteriors, it's your heart that I want to consecrate. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:43.440 It's your heart that I want to renew, so that from your heart your good deeds would follow that. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:48.480 Maybe we can think about the epistle of James, that faith without good works is dead. 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:53.200 But good works are the outworking of a very lively faith. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:14:00.240 So we might assume if I do good things, God's gonna give me good things, but that's only an exterior obedience, isn't it? 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:05.840 That's only us performing the things we think we want, so that God can perform the things we want him to do. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:11.039 God is calling us into a renewed heart-level relationship with him. 00:14:11.679 --> 00:14:19.039 Because if we get hung up on the exteriors, we're only gonna end up tripping over the law, which is exactly what Paul says that Israel has done. 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:30.799 And in chapter 9, verse 32, he quotes from both Isaiah 8 and Isaiah 28 to say this: that Israel did not pursue the law by faith, but as if it were based on works. 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:40.320 They've stumbled over a stumbling stone, as it's written, Behold, I'm laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and whoever believes in him should not be put to shame. 00:14:40.799 --> 00:14:53.039 Isaiah's prophecy comes in the midst of a warning about an incoming invasion from Assyria, this ancient Near Eastern superpower, as an as judgment against Israel's corruption and apostasy. 00:14:53.279 --> 00:15:11.919 God is calling Israel into a renewed relationship through repentance and through obedience, but not just an exterior obedience that pays lip service, a renewed heart that seeks after God's righteousness, that pursues God's righteousness, not just in the exteriors, but in the internals as well. 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:23.279 And it's this inward pursuit that ultimately leads the way towards a renewed covenant faithfulness, a renewed humanity that Paul is talking about right here in Romans. 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:40.399 So that's why Paul can go on to quote from Deuteronomy chapter 30 and chapter 10, verse 6, and he can say that the righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart who will ascend to heaven, that is to bring Christ down, or who will descend into the abyss, that is to bring Christ up from the dead. 00:15:40.639 --> 00:15:42.000 But what does it say? 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:47.759 The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that is the word of faith that we proclaim. 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:56.960 Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 00:15:57.279 --> 00:15:58.960 What's Paul saying here? 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:08.320 He's saying there's a difference between external obedience, an obedience of righteousness according to the law, so to speak, and that's righteousness and scare quotes here. 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:18.240 A self-righteousness, a self-earned righteousness, and the righteousness that comes from placing our trust in God, who earns that on our behalf. 00:16:18.559 --> 00:16:41.759 Deuteronomy chapter 30 is Moses' last sermon to the people of Israel, reminding them of God's covenant faithfulness, that from that through their generations, since their exodus from Egypt, God has remained faithful to them and calls them into a faithful and renewed relationship with Him so that they can experience the flourishing and abundance of the promised land. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:57.039 And in Deuteronomy chapter 29, Moses reminds the people that there will be consequences for disobedience, because God is the source of your life, and if you choose disobedience, you choose curse, you choose death, so choose life. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:17:09.359 But Moses reminds the people that the word is not at a distance, so that you strive after it, so that you work hard after it, so that you take a tally of each and every individual command. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:20.160 No, this is a law that's going to renew your heart, such that from the inside out you pursue him with faithfulness, with renewed covenant, faithfulness, and obedience. 00:17:20.559 --> 00:17:23.519 Friends, this is something that Paul himself knows quite well. 00:17:23.680 --> 00:17:29.519 He testifies in his letter to the Philippians a bit of his own personal testimony, which is always fun. 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:32.720 I was, isn't it great to just have someone up and share their testimony? 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:37.839 This is kind of like Paul just giving witness from his story, and it's a remarkable story at that. 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:40.960 Let me flip over to Philippians chapter three here. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:43.519 Paul witnesses to his own story in Christ. 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:56.240 He says this if anyone has any reason for confidence in the flesh, if anyone has any thinks they have any confidence of righteousness based on your birthright, based on being part of the people of Israel, I have more, is what Paul says. 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.960 I was circumcised on the eighth day. 00:17:59.680 --> 00:18:02.880 I'm of the people of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:13.920 As to the law of Pharisee, I'm as uh enthusiastic as it gets, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, I did what I thought I had to do to uphold God's righteousness. 00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:17.759 And as to righteousness under the law, blameless is what he says. 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:23.200 In terms of external obedience, I had a spot-free record. 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:26.559 I nailed it, is what Paul's saying. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:34.799 But listen to what he says: whatever gain I had, whatever gain I thought I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 00:18:35.039 --> 00:18:37.519 This is what Paul's saying to the Romans. 00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:45.440 The word of God, the law that you pursue, the external obedience is not far from you as though you've got to run and chase and strive after it. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:51.759 If we think we do that, it's as though we're chasing after the goal, pursuing the finish line with our shoelaces tied. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:19:00.480 No, Paul is saying that the goal, the end, the righteousness, who is Christ Himself in chapter 10, verse 4, has come to us. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:04.240 He's drawn near to our hearts and to our mouths. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:22.000 He's made himself known to us so that we can be renewed and transformed from the inside out, and so that our obedience isn't just an external lip service, it's a part of our renewed humanity, the thing that God has done in Christ to reconstitute us, to bring us back to himself. 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:28.079 And so God has brought his salvation near to us in Christ. 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:33.920 For with the heart one believes and is justified, with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:38.079 The scripture says, whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:45.599 The difference between an external obedience and an internal renewal is our trust in Christ. 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:49.920 The pursuit of righteousness is the pursuit of Christ. 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:51.599 So here we are, friends. 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:59.599 Here we are gathered over Zoom at New Song Church in 2020, reading these words written to a Roman church 2,000 years ago. 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:01.519 What do we have in common? 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:05.680 We want to pursue a right relationship with God too, don't we? 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:08.240 We want to know what God requires of us. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:10.400 We want to know how to pursue that. 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:15.200 We want to know that we will cross that finish line and receive the prize, so to speak. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:17.440 Where does our assurance come from? 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:19.759 Where does our confidence come from? 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:23.839 Because it's very easy to put confidence in our external obedience, isn't it? 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:27.519 To check off all the Christian boxes that we think we have to do. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:35.920 I wonder if that's why some of us are gathered right here over Zoom, because we feel like this is the kind of thing that makes that I feel like I've got to, I'm I'm obligated to give God. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:37.519 Give him a little bit of attention. 00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:39.599 He's gonna give me those promises. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:47.599 Friends in Christ, the word of God has drawn near to us to renew our heart, to transform our lives. 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:52.160 The word of God is not a far distance away and says jump higher. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:57.680 The word of God climbs down into the pit, as it were, to pull us out of it. 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:05.839 And that's who Jesus is the end goal, the finish line, the res the pursuit of righteousness. 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:08.799 And that's what we see in his cross. 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:13.920 And our cross, all our assumptions of what God's righteousness means for us are crucified. 00:21:14.240 --> 00:21:44.960 Because if we think we have an external obedience to pay, a mark to hit, and we've got to try harder, we see the Lord who's taken on our sinful flesh to put it to death, to break the power of sin, so that he can be the end of the law for righteousness for all who believes, Jew and Gentile alike, gathered at level footing at the foot of the cross, so that he can live the sinless, perfect life that we can't, so that we who put our trust in him can be renewed. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:53.279 By his resurrection, he renews our humanity, he raises it up to a new glory and calls us to himself to share in that. 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:59.759 So the pursuit of righteousness is the pursuit of Christ, but we see that it's not our pursuit that comes first, it's his pursuit. 00:22:00.559 --> 00:22:01.359 After us. 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:08.880 Those of us who are in Christ know what it is to be grabbed by Christ and brought into his covenant family. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.759 We're held in his hands, as it were. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:15.759 The word of God is drawn near to our hearts and to our lips. 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:23.279 So now that we can rest, rest in the sure and certain knowledge that everyone who's called on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:29.039 That word to call is to say more than just lip service, more than just to say the words, as it were. 00:22:29.200 --> 00:22:31.279 That word call is a summons. 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:34.240 It speaks to the very depths of our soul. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:58.640 Those of us who've been called to put our trust in Jesus are those who are called to know him as our Lord and Savior, are those who are called to an assurance that he's won our righteousness for us, that he willingly gives himself to us as a gift, that we are filled by his Holy Spirit, and that we can be renewed and transformed from one degree of glory to another as we faithfully pursue him. 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:02.880 So the pursuit of righteousness is something of a surrender. 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:11.200 Sometimes I think we think the pursuit of righteousness or cultivating spiritual disciplines or personal holiness is us striving after God. 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:18.559 And it's true there's there's hard work involved, but remember, good works are not an earning of salvation. 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:27.200 Good works are the outworking of a faith, of a lively, vivified faith in Christ that is saving. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:40.240 So when we think of the pursuit of righteousness, when we think of cultivating a personal holiness that reflects the glory of God, when we get caught up in His kingdom, we might consider the first steps towards that. 00:23:40.480 --> 00:23:49.680 Calvin, one of my favorite theologians, he writes this: He writes, the first step to obtaining the righteousness of God is to renounce our own righteousness. 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:52.079 That was the mistake that Israel made. 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:57.440 Israel assumed it was our righteousness, the righteousness we earn that will make us right with God. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:00.960 Paul is saying, no, the righteousness of God has come near to you. 00:24:01.200 --> 00:24:02.720 Put your trust in Him. 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:06.400 Friends, the same is true for us. 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:12.480 If we want a right relationship with God, we have first to renounce our own self-reliance. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:16.720 Are we striving to meet the demands we think God has on us? 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:18.880 The good news is we can release that. 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:31.119 We can release ourselves, we can surrender to him, put our trust in Jesus, who's earned our salvation on the cross, and we can know that we too will be saved because we've been summoned, we've been called. 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:35.279 And when we call on the name of the Lord, we will know his salvation. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:54.559 So suddenly prayer and Bible study and generosity and confession of sin, all these spiritual disciplines become not something that try that that attempts to earn God's favor so much as knowing that we who've been greatly favored by God, we who have been saved, get to grow in likeness and in promise, in righteousness with him. 00:24:54.720 --> 00:25:04.799 We get to get caught up in the kingdom and they become acts of surrender, of greater surrender of ourselves, greater and greater hope of glory. 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:10.319 So the pursuit of righteousness, friends, is the pursuit of Christ. 00:25:10.559 --> 00:25:12.880 Christ who is the end of the law. 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:16.640 Think of those runners stuck on the track, as it were. 00:25:16.880 --> 00:25:25.359 Here we are called into the race, called from without, called to pursue the end of that righteousness, knowing that the goal is Christ. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:31.680 The author of the Book of Hebrews says to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:47.519 For those of us caught up in the kingdom, caught up in the race of righteousness, the pursuit of righteousness, we have only to set our eyes in Jesus, knowing that as we pursue him, he has first pursued us, and that the word is near to our hearts, and it's on our lips. 00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:51.440 So if you haven't before, would you call on the name of the Lord? 00:25:51.680 --> 00:26:02.160 You have only to call on him to know that you are saved, to know that you are caught up in his kingdom, that he has a place for you at his table and a place for you in eternity. 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:14.559 And friends, as we, whatever stage of discipleship we're at, we can rest assured that we are truly, fully, completely caught up and saved in him, the pursuit of righteousness who pursues after us. 00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:18.000 So, Jesus, we pray that you would come to us once again. 00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:22.480 Lord, you are the word of God, and you've drawn near to our hearts and to our mouths. 00:26:22.559 --> 00:26:24.960 So, Lord, we confess you as Lord. 00:26:25.200 --> 00:26:26.480 We bless your name. 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:29.920 We pray, Father, catch us up in your kingdom once again. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:34.000 Lord, as we pursue you, we know that you pursue us by your righteousness. 00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:35.440 That's what the cross is. 00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:38.240 So, Father, would you catch us up in yourself? 00:26:38.480 --> 00:26:43.279 Renew us by your word, renew new song, renew your church. 00:26:43.519 --> 00:26:45.519 All this we pray in Jesus' name. 00:26:45.839 --> 00:26:46.480 Amen.