How Religion Makes Us Stumble
Pt.5 - Stumbling Over the Narrow Way
August 30, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Romans 10:18–21
What about those who have not heard? It is with that question that we close this series in Romans 10. It’s sparked by Paul’s assertion that the message of Christ has “gone out into all the earth… to the ends of the world” (Rom 10:18). Paul is no dummy; he clearly knows that not every single soul has heard the gospel. So… what about them? This represents a major stumbling block for sincere people.
Pt.4 - Stumbling Over the Numbers
August 23, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Romans 10:14–17
Earth’s Population = 7.25 billion. Number of people who have not heard the Gospel = 2.9 billion (the majority of whom have never heard the name of Jesus). It's difficult to visualize the vast sea of souls drowning in the undertow of sin and separation from God. To describe the task as overwhelming is an understatement. The sheer size of the challenge leads us to inaction. But maybe we think too big. The solution to all the lostness around us is actually to “think small.”
Pt.3 - Stumbling Over the List
August 16, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Romans 10:5–13
Most of us here grew up in a religious environment that handed us a list. The way of religion is the way of the list. And it makes us stumble, because it creates a code no one can really keep. No one successfully lives the list. Jesus offers a simpler plan… a better plan.
Pt.2 - Stumbling Over Virtue
August 9, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Romans 10:1–4
The amount of information that is available thru online search engines is staggering. Simply enter the name of even a marginally prominent person and you will learn a lot about that person. But there is a big difference between knowing about someone and knowing someone. This is the distinction that the apostle Paul makes regarding religion in Romans 10. This week we examine Romans 10:1-4
Pt.1 - The Stumbling Block
August 2, 2015 • Senior Pastor Armin Sommer • Romans 9:30–33
The greatest cause for stumbling may not be solid objects, but ideas. Especially ideas like righteousness. Ask most people, “Are you a good person?” and they often respond with, “Yes… I’m a good person.” To say I am "a good person” means I am claiming to be “morally right.” But am I really? And by what standard do I evaluate my morality? There were many religious people in Jesus’ day who would have boldly declared, “Yes… I’m morally upright.” But their self-assessment was based on their scrupulous religiosity. Ironically, that meticulous attention to detail made them stumble in their spiritual life. Tragically stumble. A new five-part sermon series based on Romans 10, “How Religion Makes Us Stumble”, begins August 2. We will see that, among the many stumbling blocks we encounter, an obstacle that often makes us stumble may be religion itself.