A sermon by Josh Remy, preached on March 22nd, 2015 at Veritas East as part of “The Book of Acts” series.

A sermon by Josh Remy, preached on March 1st, 2015 at Veritas East as part of “The Book of Acts” series.

A sermon by Josh Remy, preached on February 1st, 2015 as part of “The Book of Acts” series.

Josh Remy preaches on “Peace and Patience,” part of the “Fruit of the Spirit” series from Galatians 5:22-23.

Doubt comes in various forms. Sometimes it challenges the believer’s intellect. Other times it attacks the believer’s emotions. The good news is that God can handle doubt. Jesus died for the mistrust of his people and gifts them with faith.

What is the gospel? Is it Jesus work on the cross? Is it the declaration of his kingdom come? Is it God graciously working in us? These are all ways of talking about the same gospel. Often, it’s easy for us to come to an intellectual understanding and affirmation of the gospel, but it still not be our deepest conviction. Through the Holy Spirit’s help, we can be a gospel convicted people—controlled and compelled by the gospel, rather than merely affirming it.

As we continue through our Genesis sermon series, we come to the story of Joseph. In this chapter, the theme of family dysfunction continues as Joseph is favored by his father Jacob and Joseph’s brothers are replete with envy. In a jealous rage they kidknap Joseph and sell him into slavery for some silver and lie to their father about what they had done. Ultimately, this text points us to Jesus, who was loved by his father, hated by his brothers, and betrayed for a negligible amount of silver.

Jacob is forced to go on a journey to his relatives that live far away. While on his way, he is uncertain of his future and afraid, but in the midst of his uncertainty and fear, God graciously speaks to him. God visits Jacob in a dream and shows him a ladder with angels ascending and descending on the ladder. God then gives Jacob the promise of the covenant blessing showing himself gracious to Jacob, who responds to God in awe.

When the time came for Isaac to bless his firstborn son, Esau, Jacob does what he does best and deceives his father by impersonating Esau, and thus getting his father’s blessing. This reveals to us the weight of blessing, as Isaac cannot take back the blessing he pronounced over Jacob, but his words set the trajectory of Jacob’s life, even the nation of Israel. Ultimately, we see the way of blessing in Jesus, our older brother, who became a curse for us so that we could experience true blessing.

Paul wraps up this section of Romans with a call to welcome and accept those around us as Christ has welcomed and accepted us. We can often be tempted to surround ourselves with people just like us but Paul is not calling us to uniformity but to unity in the midst of diversity. This can only take place when we are centered upon Christ, not our preferences, secondary beliefs, and opinions. And the end result of this type of this welcoming and unity is the glory of God.