Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Announcements
Next Sunday is “Big News Sunday” - Elementary students will be in the service, communion, Water baptisms, new sermon series (Home: ) BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
Introduction
Barna research - #1 question = “How can a good God allow suffering?”
(A question we’ve all wrestled with at one point or another)
When his 3-year-old son was diagnosed with a degenerative disease that meant he would only live until his teens, Rabbi Harold Kushner attempted to answer that question in his book “When Good Things Happen to Bad People”.
And since it was published in 1981, over 4 million other people have apparently turned to his book to get answers to that question.
In his book Kushner concludes that there are only 3 possibilities when it comes to suffering:
1) God does not exist
2) God exists but He is not good
3) God exists and He is good, but He is not all powerful.
Kushner choose the third explanation – that God is good, but that He just isn’t powerful enough to prevent bad things from happening to “good people”.
First, just let me say that Kushner’s entire premise – that bad things happen to good people – is a problem right off the bat.
While, as we’re going to see in a moment, God is good, the Bible is clear from cover to cover that no man is truly “good”
Psalm 14:2-3
The real question – How can a good God allow suffering?
(Why?)
Romans 8:
1.
By God’s grace we can have the right perspective in our sufferings
Suffering = not worth comparing
Perhaps no truth is so glaringly absent from the understanding of most Christians than the truth, and the implications thereof, that this world is not our home.
When it finally settles into the heart and mind of the believer that we are “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Pet.
2:11; cf. also Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet.
1:1), many things change.
“Present sufferings” = sickness, pain, disappointments, injustice, rejection, sorrow (sufferings characteristic of this present age)
(1) Suffering due to sin (2) Suffering we endure for Christ’s sake (3) Suffering that arises because of this imperfect world
Troubles = are achieving for us
“Paul didn’t write as a kindergartner in the school of suffering – he had an advanced graduate degree”.
David Guzik (Commentary of Blue Letter Bible.com)
He described some of his suffering ...
#1 - Grace helps us to put our suffering in the right perspective!
2. By God’s grace He is able to use ALL things for the good
Read literally, it is easy to see why some consider this the greatest verse in Scripture.
It tells us that nothing happens outside of God’s plan for our good.
God has two purposes in all that happens: Our good and God’s glory
The things themselves may not be good, but God harmonizes them together for believers’ ultimate good, because His goal is to bring them to perfection in His presence
The things themselves may not be good, but God harmonizes them together for believers’ ultimate good, because His goal is to bring them to perfection in His presence
Ephesians 1:3-8
Nowhere in the Bible do we read that God predestined anyone to eternally condemned.
People are condemned when by their own choosing they refuse to trust Jesus Christ.
The Father is for us!
The Son is for us!
The Holy Spirit is for us!
Sometimes we react like Jacob ...
Genesis
The truth is ...
3.
By God’s grace we are more than conquerors
rather than being separated from Christ’s love, believers are more than conquerors (pres.
tense, hypernikōmen, “keep on being conquerors to a greater degree” or “keep on winning a glorious victory”)
More than conquerors: How is the Christian more than a conqueror?
(David Gozik)
He overcomes with a greater power, the power of Jesus
He overcomes with a greater motive, the glory of Jesus
He overcomes with a greater victory, losing nothing even in the battle
He overcomes with a greater love, conquering enemies with love and converting persecutors with patience
To conquer is to be victorious over an adversary.
To be "more than a conqueror" means we not only achieve victory, but we are overwhelmingly victorious.
There are many illustrations in the Old Testament of God bringing miraculous victory to His people, Israel.
Humanly speaking, Israel was no match for their enemies.
But God cautioned them not to be afraid, that He would fight their battles for them.
Paul closes out this great chapter with one more powerful thought that could be a sermon in itself.
Romans 8:
“For I am convinced” = (perfect tense) I stand convinced that nothing can separate believers from the love of God!
Paul lists 10 items beginning with death; These elements in God’s universe are the extremes of all existence!
Even the most extreme things in this life can not separate you from God’s love and power over death and the grave!
Closing - Invite the prayer team forward
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