Do You Really Want That?
Big Idea: Freedom from God is slavery to everything else; freedom in Christ is life as God created it to be.
1. The Destruction of Worship (24-25)
2. The Destruction of Sexuality (26-27)
3. The Destruction of Society (28-32)
Preparing for Sunday
Come Ready to Worship
Each week, we provide the following resources to help you spiritually prepare for communal worship. Investing time in preparation will enable you to grow and worship God more deeply during the Sunday Service. Resources for the upcoming Sunday are available by Saturday morning.
Preparation Questions: Romans 1:24-32
1. What created thing are you most tempted to look to for the satisfaction, security, identity, or happiness that only God can provide? How has it failed you?
2. Where might persistent sin in your life reveal a deeper problem of worship? Instead of merely asking, “How can I stop doing this?” ask, “What am I wanting, trusting, or fearing more than God that causes me to continue in this sin?”
3. Have you ever assumed that getting something you desperately wanted—or having a door seemingly “open”—must mean that God approves of your pursuit? How should Romans 1 change the way you pray and make decisions?
4. How should remembering that Christ rescued you from your slavery to sin change the way you view those who remain trapped in it? Does your life communicate condemnation or compassion?
Sunday Songs
You can listen to our musical lineup for the Sunday Service using the YouTube links or the Spotify Playlist below.
Song Highlight: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?
This week’s song highlight is Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed? Written by Issac Watts in 1707, this is a particularly famous Baptist hymn also known as At The Cross due to a refrain that was added in 1885 by Ralph Hudson, who also wrote the famous melody that many of us know today. However we do not sing to that melody but rather sing it to an old Irish folk melody named Foggy Dew which was written in the 1910’s as a stirring tune to call the Irish men to fight for their country in World War I. This rendition was recorded by Sovereign Grace in their live T4G album.
But, you may ask, why would we change the melody of such a well known hymn? When we worship through song, the primary focus is upon the words and truths we are singing. This has led some to believe that it doesn’t matter what the melodies sound like. However, the melody and music of a hymn should reflect and flow with that which is being sung. In the case of Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed? I would argue that the original At The Cross melody doesn’t fit the lyrics too well. This melody, while very good on its own, is very upbeat, cheery, and has a bit of a bouncy sound to it. This upbeat happy song is being sung while the majority of the lyrics focus on the intense suffering of Christ on our behalf. In my opinion, the melody and lyrics don’t seem to match too well. Because of this, Sovereign Grace put these moving lyrics on Christ’s passion to a more reflective melody that helps us sing these lyrics while being stirred to respond in worship as we see our Lord’s suffering for His elect.
We don’t want to be filled with gloom over the crucifixion because, after all, Christ rose victorious defeating sin and death. But we also shouldn’t be numb to the suffering He endured to give us life. This is not intended to make us feel guilty, but rather to grow us in our love for Christ when we see just how deeply He loved us, so much so that He bore our sin. This song helps us to contemplate His sufferings, adore Him for this magnificent work, and then be moved to live as the new people He has redeemed. In his reflections on Calvary, here is how Isaac Watts responded:
Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness
And melt my eyes to tears
But drops of grief could never repay
The debt of love I owe
Here Lord, I give myself away,
‘Tis all that I can do.