Romans #13 These things I KNow
Romans #13
Romans 8:26-39
These Things I Know
There things I know
10. White Castle taste great
9. Ho- Ho's and Milk are great breakfast food
8. Chips Ahoys taste great with O. J.
7. That standing in the door way of an airplane about to jump is amazing feeling
6. A football game at Ohio Stadium is like no other
5. White Castles taste great
4. Pizza covers all of the 4 food groups
3. Nothing like hitting the perfect golf shot, kicking the winning goal, getting the winning hit, sinking the winning bucket, hitting the perfect note, acing a test; all are amazing
2. Waiting all night for the sun to rise over the ocean is a kick with the one you love
1. Seeing your children born is awesome yes awesome is appropriate because birth is a "God-thing"
Oh yeah ... White Castles, Ho Ho's, and jalapenos will clean you out
These Things I Know
What I KNOW builds my faith for the things I don't know
When I'm faced with a situation I can't understand I live by faith.
My faith grows through experience and knowledge
This passage tells us some powerful faith building things that you can TAKE TO THE BANK
Read 8:26-39
So, what builds my Faith?
I. The Spirit Intercedes For Saints
vv 26-27
The Spirit intercedes for WHOM?
Saints!
A. You are a Saint
1. A saint is not some special Christian voted in by other special Christians. A "saint" is one who has received Christ and been set apart for God by the work of Jesus Christ.
2. The Spirit does not intercede for some "peon" little Christians. He Intercedes for YOU, a Saint!
vv 26-27
B. Weakness
1. one of our greatest weaknesses is that we don't know how to talk to God
2. what do you say to the Creator of All?
3. what are you going to tell him?
4. why do you deserve to ask him anything
5. [1Jn 5:14] This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him.
6. BUT what's his will?
C. The Spirit Intercedes
1. he teaches us HOW to pray
he teaches us what to pray and equips us to continue in prayer
2. he calms our fears
3. he knows the heart of the Father and translates our feeble prayers into the language of the Father, and conforms it to the Will of the Father
4. Just as he knows the heart of the Father, he knows the heart of our renewed self even when our flesh/natural man gets in the way of our prayers
5. A baby has intentions and motives that are often failed to be understood because they can't communicate.
6. "I know that sounds stupid but here's what he meant" Tony. Campolo
7. Even more, the Spirit moves on US to give us
a. the desire to pray,
b. the desire to do the will of God,
c. the desire to please him,
d. the words to pray that we might come in line with God
This I KNOW … God's Spirit is my Advocate interceding for me
II. God Works All Things FOR God
v 28
God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called to his purposes
NOT all things are GOOD
All things come together FOR the purpose of good
A. Good - 3 kinds
1. temporal - what we all want but the least important and lasting
2. spiritual - build us into who Christ intends us to be, enables us to complete the tasks here on earth that God has for us and has planned for us ahead of time to us to participate in
3. eternal - lasting good, the ultimate good that really counts
B. God Works
1. First Things First; GOD is at the heart of this NOT me.
2. This is NOT about me, it is about God.
a. He is the One I place my hope and Trust and
b. HE is the one who will come through for me
3. My faith is built by knowing WHO is behind it all and before it all and working on my behalf.
a. Father - Perfection, Promises, Power, Order, Provision, Protection, Refuge
b. Son - Creator, Mighty God, Mediator, Sacrifice
c. Spirit - Servant, Teacher, Intercessor, Encourager, Strength
4. ALL of these are the singular Person of God, manifested in Father, Son, and Spirit;
C. WORKING Jehovah, is working on YOUR behalf,
1. in peace, in covenant relationship, redeeming, sanctifying, glorifying,
2. God is heading somewhere and is working on our behalf to include us in the process
III. God Completes His Work in Us
vv29-30
A. Process
1. Foreknew
2. Destined
3. Called
4. Justified
5. Glorified
B. Completed
1. Now we could spend much of our time talking about this process and discuss the theological ramifications of our choice in the process,
2. but I don't think this is the place, nor would that discussion impact what we are learning today.
3. What's important is that God FINISHES his work.
4. He is altogether trustworthy and Just and his GRACE reigns
5. ALL of these are completed tasks - Past Tense
Stop talking about what WILL be … and BE what you already ARE
a. Foreknew - God knew from the beginning that although he would and does call all to him, that only a relative few will accept his invitation. And he knew who would accept his call. So, He …
b. Destined those to Heaven and His Likeness.
1) Live like a resident of heaven not of earth.
2) Because you are destined for completeness in him.
So, then he
c. Called me to a relationship with the Almighty Creator of the Universe, King of kings, Lord of lords, and yet lover of my soul.
Then he,
d. Justified - Yes, he would not call me without the means to complete me so I have been Justified so I can enter his presence.
Finally,
e. I am Glorified with his
1) spiritual image like unto the resurrected Christ,
2) seated with him in Heavenly places.
3) I may not look it now, but I am already Glorified.
SAY IT AGAIN ! ! !
4) God would not go to all of the trouble of calling and justifying me if he did not intend to keep me and glorify me.
HE is a FINISHER.
Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)
"… Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
New Living Translation - Hebrews 12:2
"We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven."
Jeremiah 29:11-
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
He that has prepared a crown and a kingdom for us, will give us what we need on the way to it- M. Henry
IV. God's Love is without Beginning or End
vv31-35a; 38-39
A. Without Beginning
1. God did not start loving us one day, he has ALWAYS loved us. In the perfection of his omniscience he has always known each of us and has always loved us
2. Jer 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
B. Expressed in the gift of Christ
> If God would give Christ for you what will you ask of him that will stretch his love to the limit?
C. Without End
> If his Love is big enough to offer Christ for us while we were yet sinners, what would break that love for us?
1 Tim 2:13 - if we are faithless, he remains faithful
D. Jesus is our "CO-Counsel"
1. it says he intercedes also on our behalf
2. Don't you love it when someone tells you that they are praying for you?
3. Maybe your mother or father or grandparents send you a card or email or call and say "I'm praying for you"
Perhaps a good friend calls when you are going through a tough time to say "just wanted you to know I'm praying for you"
4. * Well listen, JESUS is PRAYING FOR YOU RIGHT NOW
(M. Henry)
The love of Christ for us is evident from his undertaking for them, espousing their persons, assuming their nature, dying in their room and stead, paying off their debts, and redeeming their persons, by going to prepare a place for them, by interceding for them, by supplying them with all grace, and using them in the most free and familiar manner; which love of his is wonderful, matchless, and inconceivable, special and peculiar, free and undeserved, exceeding affectionate, unchangeable, durable, and for ever. This is the bond of union to Christ; and the union which is made by it is exceeding near and close; it is real; perfect, and indissoluble, nothing can separate from it: (M. Henry)
not Tribulation or distress, famine or nakedness, peril or sword, death nor life, angels or principalities, present or future, power, height or depth, no created thing can Separate you from the Love of God that is found in Christ Jesus
5. Why do we need to know all of this?
(Verse 37) because the most important thing we need to know is that …
V. God's Love Propels us / Empowers us to be Conquerors
vv35-37
Do you understand your WORTH to Him?
What's a human worth?
3260 A Six-Million Dollar Man
When biochemist Harold J. Morowitz of Yale University received a humorous birthday card from his daughter that read: “According to biochemists, the materials that make up the human body are worth only ninety-eight cents,” he reached for a catalog of a supply company and began looking up prices.
It turns out the human body is actually A Six Million Dollar Man.
Hemoglobin is $285 a gram; insulin, $47.50 a gram; purified trypsin (an enzyme), $36; bilirubin, the bile pigment, $12; human DNA, $76; collagen, $15; human albumin, $3.
Some less common constituents: Acetate kinase, a substance that activates an enzyme, $8,860 a gram; alkaline phosphatase, $225; hyaluronic acid, the cement substance of the hyaluronic acid, the cement substance of the tissues, $175; bradykinin (amino acids), $12,000.
A real shocker came when he got to follicle-stimulating hormone-$8 million a gram-a gift he suggests for people who have everything. For the really wealthy, there is proclactin, the hormone that stimulates milk production in the breast glands-$17.5 million a gram.
Calculating the percentage of each chemical in the composition of the human body, Morowitz arrived at $245.54 as the average value per gram of human being.
He then weighed himself: 168 pounds or 79,364 grams. Since man is 68 percent water, his dry weight was 24,436 grams. Multiplying that by $245.54 came to $6,000,015.44.
“It was an enormous upgrade to my ego after the 98-cent evaluation,” Morowitz wrote in the journal Hospital Practice.
Tan, P. L. 1996, c1979. Encyclopedia of 7700 illustrations : [a treasury of illustrations, anecdotes, facts and quotations for pastors, teachers and Christian workers]. Bible Communications: Garland TX
1. we can/will face trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword and be Conquerors
a. he did not give us this list as an example nor as a concept or object lesson
b. No this list is an understanding Of the facts of life
Life is tough
But God is good
2. The entire purpose of all of this revelation of knowledge is so that we will STAND boldly in the face of Adversity,
3. Square your Jaw to the Evil One,
4. Take the Shield of Faith and the Sword of the Spirit,
wear the Armor of God
5. And be a Conqueror, an Over-comer, a Victor
Why?
- Because of He Loves Me
- Because I KNOW that he loves me
- Because I LIVE like I know that he Loves me
SING à<BECAUSE HE LOVES ME>
CLOSING