Romans Road Pt.2 - Enter: Sin

Romans Road Pt.2

Romans 3:23/Genesis 2:15-3:24

Dear Family,

I thought that as we were walking through the book of Romans with the Wind River Community Church Youth Group I would share some more with you about what we've been learning.

The story of Romans 3:23 (For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God) starts all the way back in Genesis when God created a reflection of himself. He made man not only to take care of His perfect creation (Eden) but also to commune with Him. He told his perfect creation, man, that he could eat anything in the garden that he wanted, except from one tree. God told the Man not to eat from this one tree because it was bad for him, plain and simple. It's like when a parent tells a child not to put their finger in a light socket, because it's bad for you. The same principle applies here as well, God didn't want His kids to get hurt.

When Paul writes in Romans that we “fall short of the glory of God.” I think back to the fall of man in Genesis chapter 3. When God's perfect creation chose to turn traitor on Him. Adam, who God made perfect, willingly acted in defiance to God's one request that he not eat from this one tree that was bad for him. So when Adam ate from that tree He absolutely shattered God's perfect creation. By breaking the rules and sinning, Adam knew what he'd done was very wrong. Because when he heard God walking through the garden later on that evening he took his wife and hid, he tried to hide what he'd done by avoiding God.

Let me paint the picture for you. So, God is strolling around in the Garden one evening and He's looking for his perfect creation (man) in his perfect creation (Eden). He calls out, “Hey, Adam, Where are you bud?”........... “Aaaadam.”....... “Where'd you go?”....... Finally Adam steps out from behind a tree wearing some sort of makeshift clothing and drops the biggest bombshell in history. He said, “I heard you coming, so I hid because I was naked”. Have you ever tried to imagine what God looks like when His heart breaks, because I have a feeling that Adam saw it just then. As soon as those words came out of Adam's mouth I can picture God's face falling as tears are beginning to well up in His eyes, His voice faltering as His gaze slowly turns toward the one tree He had told Adam not to eat from. Then as His voice falters a little, He asks the question, but He already knows the answer. “Who told you that you were naked?” then He raises a shaking emotion filled hand and points toward the tree, and asks, “did you eat from the tree that I told you not to eat from?”

Adam broke God's heart by breaking the rules, and God looks at Adam and says “do you realize what you've done?”, “don't you understand that I had a reason why you couldn't eat from that one?”... “Do you realize that now everything is broken because of what you just did?” Then God goes on to explain to Adam the consequence and enormity of the situation and the results of His betrayal. Finally God looks at Adam and his wife and says. “You're broken and I'm still perfect, now this relationship is unequally yoked.” If you can imagine what Adam is feeling right now, he's probably Got a lump in his throat as he's watching his creator go through all the throws of heartbreak. Adam's eyes start to sting as God turns His head and points away saying. ”Adam, you're going to have to die, the price of that fruit was death, I told you that it was bad for you... why did you do it, did you have to?” Adam looks at God through his tears as God tells him...“now, you have to go, you can't be with me anymore, because I'm perfect and your imperfection doesn't mix with me.” ...”You were meant to be with me forever, but now you have to spend forever away from me.”......”Leave the garden now Adam, you can never come back.”

And so in one heart wrenching moment, sin entered the picture and the brokenness of humanity's existence ensued. Man, who was meant to live with God forever, broke God's heart and divorced himself from the perfection he was created for.

So when Paul writes “for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” what he's saying is that because Adam chose to brake what God made to be perfect, we are all broken , we were born broken (all have sinned) and aren't perfectly the way God intended anymore (fall short of the Glory of God) and because of that, there is a rift between God and His creation.

Until,

Hunter Brewer

Romans Road Pt.1 - Revival Town

The Romans Road Pt.1

Acts 2:42-47

Revival Town

Dear Family,

As I have been Reading through the books of Acts and Romans while preparing for the message at youth group each week at Wind River Community Church in Lander, Wy. I've discovered three things that happened to the early followers of Jesus in Acts chapter 2. Just before the Gospel message literally exploded around the world.

The presence of God in the lives of His followers was so profound that it literally consumed them to the point where the world around them couldn't help but change. The Power of the Gospel (good news) message of Jesus was released in it's fullest array of glory. Because the followers of Jesus Truly understood and acted on the last thing that Jesus said to us in the Gospel of Mathew. He said, “Go and make disciples, baptize them, and teach them the things that I taught you” (Matthew 28:19-20 paraphrased)

I believe that when the followers of Jesus truly understand the enormity of the Gospel message of Jesus, that the world around us will change as a natural result of our obedience to God. I have this theory that, if God created the world to be perfect, and we broke it right from the start, wouldn't it make sense that when His presence is near that His creation would naturally respond to Him? That our hearts, that were made for communion with Him would react to His presence? That the deep places of our hearts where we stuff all of the emotions and feelings we're afraid to feel would come alive?

I want that! I want to understand how huge this message of Jesus is. I mean we all know the story, that Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins by dying on a cross, then he rose from the dead... great now that we've got that down, now what? What did the early followers of Jesus know that I don't? What did they do that I'm not doing?

I found three things In Acts chapter 2 that astound me about the early followers of Jesus.

First of all, they devoted themselves to the teachings of Jesus (every day), second they devoted themselves to fellowship (every day), and finally they devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and prayer (every day).

While I was reading this God laid it on my heart to pursue these three things in my own life. So, after much prayer I have decided to run at these three goals with reckless abandon and not try to excuse myself from them. Starting on monday June 1^st I will be at city park in Lander, Wy. every evening (except Wednesday for youth group) at 7:00pm until whenever to pray for... well anything and everything, to study the word of God, and to fellowship with whoever would like to join me.

Now, here's the crux of the whole thing, I'm asking you to commit as well. I know every single day seems a bit much, but what is the cost of commitment when you factor in the presence of God anyway? Please, join me as I seek after God with reckless abandon each and every day at city park in Lander, and wherever your city center/downtown/community park might be...

Until,

Hunter