Fellowship Presbyterian Church

The Cost of Mercy involves five concepts: a cost of safety, a cost of being out of our comfort zone, a cost of giving of our time, a cost of financial commitment, and a cost of pride. We are compelled to show mercy, which comes at a cost. Jesus gave up many things and paid it all. He became poor so we can become rich. He made himself a servant for us. The cost of mercy is the giving of oneself for another. We are instructed to Go and do likewise.

The sermon explores the profound mystery of Israel's failure to attain righteousness despite their earnest pursuit, attributing it not to divine abandonment but to judicial blindness resulting from their hardened hearts and rejection of God's true revelation in Christ. Drawing from Paul's argument in Romans, it emphasizes that Israel's downfall stemmed from seeking righteousness through law and national pride rather than faith, leading to spiritual blindness that rendered their blessings—both material and spiritual—into traps and stumbling blocks. The passage underscores God's sovereign role in hardening those who persistently resist His truth, not as an arbitrary act but as a just consequence of unbelief, while affirming that salvation is solely by grace through faith, not human effort. The warning is clear: even the most devout religious pursuit can miss God's purpose if it lacks genuine faith and spiritual humility, and the church today must remain vigilant against the same complacency and self-reliance th

The sermon presents a theological exploration of Romans 9–11, focusing on God's enduring covenant with Israel despite the nation's rejection of Christ, emphasizing that God has not abandoned His people. It argues that while the Jewish nation as a whole rejected Jesus, a remnant has always been preserved by grace, not by works, as illustrated by Elijah's time and the ongoing salvation of believing Jews and Gentiles. The central message affirms that God's sovereign election ensures the ultimate fulfillment of His purposes, with the church sustained not by human effort but by divine grace, and that the remnant—though small—remains faithful to God's truth. The tone is both pastoral and convicting, urging believers to trust in God's unshakable promises, resist despair, and remain faithful even when outnumbered, knowing that God's purposes are secure and will be fulfilled in His time.

In Athens there was a large library where many philosophers discussed ideas and beliefs which were circulating at the time. Athens was known as a city full of idols. In Acts 17: 16-20 one sees where the Gospel is disturbed by the philosophers trying to rationalize Jesus. They were accustomed to their own idols. People were trying to make connections with their religion and their ignorance to the "unknown god", and trying to figure out what life, in general, means. The philosophers were attempting to critique God and his message. God does not live in temples made by man. Nor is he manipulated. Jesus calls us to repentance and to turn toward God for he says "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father....the fullness thereof." Rest in him!

Paul concludes Romans 10 by demonstrating that the Jewish rejection of the gospel is entirely inexcusable, as they have both heard and understood the message through Scripture, creation, and divine revelation. He argues that the gospel has been universally proclaimed—through nature, the prophets, and the apostles—and that the Old Testament explicitly foretold both the inclusion of Gentiles and the disobedience of Israel, leaving no room for ignorance. The Jews' failure stems not from lack of hearing or clarity, but from their false confidence in ethnic identity, religious knowledge, and self-righteous works, all of which they elevated above faith in Christ. Paul exposes their spiritual pride, showing that their rejection fulfills prophecy and confirms their culpability, yet he does so not in condemnation but with pastoral urgency, calling for repentance and faith. Ultimately, the message is that salvation is available to all who call on the Lord, but only through faith, not human merit or heritage.

The sermon, rooted in Romans 10:16–17, confronts the paradox of widespread gospel proclamation yet persistent unbelief by affirming that this reality was foretold in Isaiah and is consistent with God's sovereign plan. It emphasizes that faith arises not from mere hearing, but from a Spirit-enabled reception of the Word of Christ, distinguishing mechanical hearing from the transformative hearing that produces genuine faith. True faith is inseparable from obedience and joy—evidenced by repentance, renunciation of self-reliance, allegiance to Christ alone, and active participation in the church community. The sermon concludes with a call to self-examination, urging believers to assess whether their lives reflect the marks of authentic faith: obedience, joy, and a transformed identity centered on Christ, which are the inevitable fruits of hearing the gospel in the Spirit.

The sermon centers on the biblical necessity of being 'sent' to preach the gospel, emphasizing that true preaching is not a self-initiated vocation but a divine calling confirmed by the church. Drawing from Romans 10:14–17 and numerous New Testament examples—including the appointment of deacons in Acts 6, the sending of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13, and the ordination of elders and Timothy— it establishes that a preacher's authority arises from both a personal conviction and the church's corporate confirmation through prayer, discernment, and the laying on of hands. The message underscores the gravity of the preacher's role, warning against self-appointed ministry and highlighting the dangers of false prophets, while affirming that the gospel is not moralism, prosperity, or social activism, but the life-transforming good news of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. This gospel, rooted in God's mercy and love, declares that sinners are made alive in Christ, raised with Him, seated in heavenly plac

The sermon centers on Romans 10:14–17, emphasizing that faith arises from hearing the gospel, which requires preaching, and preaching demands being sent by God—highlighting the necessity of both evangelistic proclamation and divine commission. It distinguishes between the general call to all people and the efficacious call that results in salvation, affirming that while preaching is the normal means by which God saves, He remains sovereign over all, including those who have never heard the gospel. The passage underscores that salvation is not earned by human effort or knowledge but is entirely God's work, with the preacher's role being one of divine appointment, not self-appointment. The sermon also addresses the pastoral and theological challenge of those who have never heard the gospel, affirming that God's justice and mercy are beyond human comprehension, and that the church's duty is to faithfully proclaim the gospel as the ordained means, trusting in God's sovereign grace to save His elect in ways known

The sermon centers on the universal and secure nature of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, emphasizing that true belief is not merely intellectual assent but a transformative confession that permeates every aspect of life. Drawing from Romans 10:11–13, it affirms that salvation is available to all—Jew and Gentile alike—because the same Lord is sovereign over all and bestows His riches on everyone who calls on Him, guaranteeing that no believer will ever be put to shame. The message underscores that salvation depends entirely on God's grace and Christ's finished work, not on human merit, ethnicity, or religious performance, and that genuine faith is marked by desperate humility, as illustrated in the parable of the tax collector. Ultimately, the sermon calls believers to live in the assurance of eternal security, knowing that Christ has conquered all enemies—law, sin, death, and the devil—and that the only requirement for salvation is a heartbroken cry to the Lord, trusting in His mercy alone.

True saving faith is inseparable from a heartfelt belief in Christ and an inevitable, outward confession with the mouth that confirms and proves its authenticity. This confession is not a mere verbal formula but a transformative expression of a life radically changed by the gospel, evidenced by repentance, obedience, public identification with the church, and a willingness to suffer for Christ's sake. The New Testament consistently shows that genuine faith produces visible fruit—repentance, discipleship, moral transformation, and bold witness—because the believer's heart, mind, and actions are now governed by the lordship of Jesus Christ. To confess Jesus as Lord is to submit to His authority in every area of life, to reject worldly wisdom, to prioritize fellowship with believers, and to live with a constant concern for God's glory, even at great personal cost. Ultimately, such confession is not self-justifying but a testimony to the reality of regeneration, where the inner transformation inevitably breaks fo

The sermon centers on the necessity of genuine, heart-transforming faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, rooted in the biblical claim that salvation comes through confessing with the mouth and believing in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. It warns against two extremes: reducing faith to mere intellectual assent or decisionism, which leads to superficial belief without true regeneration, and adding human traditions or doctrines—such as papal authority or specific Marian teachings—to the core gospel, which distorts the sufficiency of Christ's work. True saving faith, the sermon emphasizes, is not a human achievement but a divine gift, involving the whole person, not just the mind or emotions, and is evidenced by a transformed life and dependence on Christ rather than self. While full assurance of salvation is not required for faith to be genuine, believers may experience fluctuating confidence, and the Holy Spirit sustains them through doubt, ultimately leading to growing certainty through fai