This series of sermons is biblically based on the Book of Romans.

This page has the sermons in this series listed in chronological order. The first sermon listed was preached on April 24, 2022 and the most recent sermon is at the bottom of this page.

Your Faith: Dead or Alive

Many people claim to be a Christian or to be religious or to have the Faith. However, the apostle Paul writing from Corinth to a church in Rome sets forth in the first three paragraphs characteristics of a living faith or qualities of a genuine Christian. Anyone can read this section and answer the question “Is your faith dead or alive?” Turn in your Bibles to Romans 1:1-17 for our scripture text.

Does God Grade on a Curve?

Grading on a curve is a familiar concept to teachers and students. The teacher takes all the grades and lists them from highest to lowest and then plots a curve. The only time I remember any teachers grading on a curve was when a large number of students bombed the test. The question before us today is does God ever grade on a curve? Many today believe because God is a loving God surely he will give an eternal passing grade to all who do their best. Let’s turn in your bibles to Romans chapter one and see what God says.

Are Christians on Parole or Fully Pardoned?

In the 1970’s former president Richard Nixon who was known to be guilty of a crime or crimes was pardoned by President Gerald Ford. With that pardon Richard Nixon was freed unconditionally, no strings attached. This is different than when a prisoner is paroled. A paroled person has to report to his parole officer. They are not completely free to come and go as they please. Their freedoms are severely curtailed including being told who they can associate with and even what time they must get home at night. The question in front of us today is “Are Christians on parole for their past sins or are they fully pardoned?” The apostle Paul answers this question in Romans 3:21–4:25.

Fire Insurance or Faith?

Some people pray the sinner’s prayer or the prayer of faith simply to escape the fires of hell. They view being a Christian as nothing more than possessing fire insurance. Truly we know when we ask Christ to save us He will keep us out of the fires of Hell forever. However, the faith or salvation is much more than fire insurance. In Romans 5:1-11 the apostle Paul enlightens us to some of the benefits of being justified or of becoming a Christian. Many of these benefits the world seeks after and would like to have.

Whose Slave Are You?

Whose slave are you? You may object to that question by saying slavery in the U. S. was eradicated by the Civil War nearly 150 years ago. What do you mean asking me whose slave are you? You may think you are not a slave but according to the apostle Paul, in Romans 6 everyone is a slave to something or someone. Every person is either a slave to sin and satan or to righteousness and God. Turn in your Bibles to Romans 6 and let’s find out how to be freed from sin and satan and how to choose to serve Christ.

The Civil War Within

When I was a child I read a Dr. Seuss book entitled, Horton Hatches the Egg. In this story a bird named Mayzie shirks her responsibility to hatch her egg and pawns it off on to a faithful elephant named Horton. Throughout the story no matter what adversity Horton faces, he remains faithful to his assignment to keep an egg warm. He repeats over and over the following words, “I say what I do I do what I say I hold my head high every day. I meant what I said I said what I meant. An elephant is faithful 100%. Through hot or cold through thick or thin doesn’t make a difference what shape I’m in. I meant what I said I said what I meant an elephant is faithful 100%.” Every true Christian desires to be 100% faithful. However none of us are! We all blow it! Why is this? Because there is a civil war going on inside every Christian. Paul addresses this very issue in Romans 7:14–8:17. Turn in your Bibles to this passage and let’s discover how to win this war!

The Civil War Within – Part 2

All Things Work Together for Good

Some teach and some believe that if you become a Christian all your problems will go away.  The implication is you will never get sick; you will become wealthy; and all your relationships will flourish.  However, nothing could be further from the truth.  Christians still get cancer; suffer financial reversals and feel the pain from broken relationships.  This is because the whole creation groans because of the fall of man six thousand years ago.

Certainly it can be argued that if a person follows God’s Biblical principles regarding health, finance, and relationships, as a rule these areas will be healthier. 

In Romans 8:18-39 the apostle Paul teaches us that Christians are not immune to suffering but are given the promise that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  Turn in your Bibles to this passage and let’s explore more fully this great truth.

All Things Work Together for Good – Part 2

Who is in Charge Here Anyway?

For millennia people have debated the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.  Individuals and religious groups have fallen on one side of the debate or the other.  In Romans Chapters 9 through 11 the apostle Paul addresses this issue.  Some have wrongfully used this text to say since God is sovereign man doesn’t have anything to say about his salvation.  According to this extreme view God damns the non-elect to hell and the elect he graces with heaven.  Unfortunately this view can lead to a lack of evangelism since man has nothing to do with his salvation.  Let’s look at Romans 9-11 and discover how God can be totally and completely in charge and at the same time give every person a free will to choose to accept or reject Him.

A Living and Holy Sacrifice

Legitimate or Illegitimate Authority: When to Obey or Resist

The questions of what legitimate or illegitimate authority is and when should we obey or resist has been wrestled with since the dawn of human history. Our very own founding fathers wrestled with these questions when trying to decide whether or not God would bless rebellion against a tyrant like King George II. Fortunately, they made the right decision and signed the Declaration of Independence. Unfortunately, the people of Hitler’s time answered these questions wrongly and 6 million Jews were murdered and the world was plunged into a bloody world war. Let’s look at God’s Word to find out how we should answer these questions.

Legitimate or Illegitimate Authority: When to Obey or Resist – Part 2

In Conclusion:

How do we navigate through the current mine field of lawlessness and illegitimate authority? Peter answers this in I Peter 2:16,17 where he writes:

Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

For me, I want to keep the main thing of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and making disciples right up front. I want to be known as genuinely loving and fearlessly committed to God’s Truth.

I want to be known as someone who is submissive to God’s legitimate authorities and at the same time will fiercely oppose and resist any evil illegitimate authority! 

May the Lord give each of us though His Holy Spirit wisdom and everything we need to be found faithful!

Pastor Jeff Nyberg, Ph.D.