Romans 5:8
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…
Think about a time when you screwed up. Really screwed up. So bad you might not want to tell anyone about it.
You probably know someone who might have gone to church at some point, but for some reason doesn’t go anymore. Maybe that person thinks he or she did something that was so bad they just weren’t worthy of setting foot on holy ground. Have you ever felt that yourself?
Now think about the symbol of our church – the cross. God sent his son to earth, and a mob beat him and tortured him until he died. The crazy thing is, God used that betrayal as the way that He would save the very people that put Jesus up on that cross.
Guess what? There is absolutely nothing you can do to keep God from loving you. We’re all screwups, sinners, and don’t deserve the amazing gift that God has in store for us. But you are a child of God, and God is loving you into being the person He wants you to be.
Pastor Mark Summer’s sermon for Zion Lutheran Church of Oldwick, NJ on June 18, 2017.
Zion Lutheran Church has been Connecting People with God’s Grace for over 300 years.