Sermon Tone Analysis

read entire passage:

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SLIDE 3:

Romans 8:31-

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SLIDE 5:

Romans 8:34-

SLIDE 6:

Romans 8:35-36

pray - intro:

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As is the case with the entire book of Romans, Paul is wrapping of a conclusion which was build upon a previous conclusion, and the current conclusion lays the foundation for the new lesson which we are entering into today.

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He even lets us know, that this present message, is firmly dependent upon the previous..

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Vs. 1 states: WHAT THEN SHALL WE SAY TO THESE THINGS?

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Well, here we are… it’s a new day and a new message separated from the previous by 7 days… so before we move forward with an answer to this questions..

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We need to recap, for a moment… just what “these things” are..

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Beginning at verse 18, Erin showed us last week… that there is a glory which is present.. in both creation, and in the life of the believer… that is awaiting a time of revelation.

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As we await for this glory, which is going to be hugely significant, we will experience suffering.

- Why?

Because we exist in a creation that was made for us… it was designed in perfection for a perfect mankind.

but… AS WE ALL KNOW… - NEITHER HUMANS NOR CREATION ITSELF… are even remotely perfect.

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So creation is fallen… it is in a state of vanity… or as vs. 20 states it… it is subjected to futility..

But from that state of vanity, there is also hope.

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In a literary fashion, Paul personifies creation, so that we can better understand how similar our conditions are…

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Creation has hope… it has hope in the reality that it will one day be set free from bondage and corruption..

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And interestingly… the source of that freedom is because of what God will reveal in us.

.. that is.. the glory, from vs. 18.

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I think it’s hard to define glory.

In a song I wrote, that we sometimes sing here in church, I have defined it this way…

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SLIDE 7:

That which can’t be seen

Perceived clearly like a sign

The beauty we call glory

Is Your signature divine.

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We get hints of glory… when we recognize the wonder of His work in creation… as we look at the mountains and the sun rise, and the clouds, and through our telescopes into space and even through our microscopes at the beauty of cell structure and dna…

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And we look, and we say “Wow”… because we recognize something that is amazing… - and it’s amazing, because God’s divine signature is clearly seen… and it’s beautiful.

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God wants us to be a people who say “Wow!”

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As we saw in … this is the ultimate motivation in our lives… that we would hope in the one thing that will not disappoint… and that’s God’s glory.

He will be glorified.

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There is so much in this world, right now… that causes us to say “Wow!”.. and this world, is subject to futility.

just imagine the kind of Wows we will be saying… WHEN THAT GLORY IS REVEALED IN US.

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Many people will tell you… that our world is dying.

Why?

Because corrupt people are living on a corrupt world… and as a result… at times, we might look and say… “This place… this planet… is dying.”

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But Paul doesn’t call it death… he calls it childbirth.. and those of you ladies who have done natural childbirth can attest… that you literally feel like you might be dying..

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But, you’re not… you’re giving birth… Something amazing is about to be revealed in you, on the other side of that pain… and you are going to say “Wow.” - And you’ll look back… and you’ll say… the suffering of the childbirth, is not worth comparing to the glory of having this beautiful child in my life.

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So… a glory is going to be revealed in and through the believers… which will bring joyful freedom to creation…

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So now we are left wondering… what is this wonderful thing that is going to be revealed in us… that is so awe inspiring.. and so powerfully impacting … that it will cause creation itself to obtain freedom??

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What are we waiting for?

- Paul told us in vs. 23… we are waiting for the consummation of our adoption, and the redemption of our bodies.

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Right now, we are spiritual beings trapped in broken and corrupt bodies… so our experience of glory, is pretty limited in comparison to the future revelation.

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But all is not lost… we have the first fruits of of the Spirit.

We have a little bit of something from the Spirit of God… who works in and through us… causing us to yearn for this fulfilled adoption experience… This Spirit helps us to communicate with God in ways that we fall short…

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THIS WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES… IS AMAZING… AND YET.. IT’S JUST A TASTE… A SAMPLE… A REFLECTION… OF THE WORLD CHANGING GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US… - when our bodies are redeemed… and we receive in full, the inheritance which our adoption qualifies us for.

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It’s not a small thing.... that we would be glorified… - vss 28-30 showed us that…

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God will glorify us, because He has justified us.

God justified us, because he called us.

God called us, because He predestined us.

God predestined us, because He foreknew us…

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God is heavily invested in your life… He had a plan laid out for you as long as He has foreknown you… and since God is eternal, and knows everything, He has had you and me on His mind for all eternity… and He’s been thinking about making you His own child, and all that this entails..

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What an amazing privilege!

The sufferings of this world pale in comparison to things God has done for us, in us, and through us…

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Because of this privilege… look now… again, at vs. 31.

“What shall we say to these amazing things that God has done for us?

This amazing eternal plan and investment that God has laid out for us.

This amazing experience of the Spirit being imparted into our lives, causing us to recognized His Fatherhood and our adoption…

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What shall we say because of all this?

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Well, this is for certain… The God who has done all of that which is laid out in verses 18-30… MOST SURELY, IS GOING TO BE ON OUR SIDE in light of any opposition that this world might throw our way.

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Who or what… in all of the cosmos… could possibly pose a threat of opposition against God???

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If God is on your side… you are on the winning side.

You plus God, is the majority.

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And then… if His opulent investment laid out in the previous verses wasn’t enough… look what God has done for us in verse 32..

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SLIDE 8:

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And by “all things”… He’s not including… broken things.

God has glorious things for you.

Right now… we merely have a firstfruits experience of the Spirit… - we recognize that God is our father and we have an inheritance as children because of Spirit… we get some help communicating with God… we experience conviction, interpretation of the Word, and occasionally a miraculous uttering of knowledge, prophecy or tongues… And none of this is to be discounted in any way…

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But it’s merely a barley loaf in comparison to the full wheat harvest which is still to come.

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God didn’t give His Son… so that we could spend eternity suffering in the midst of creation’s birth pangs… as we do now

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God didn’t give His Son… so that we could spend eternity fighting with this broken and diseased flesh...

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God gave us His Son.. so that one day, as we step into eternity and experience our full redemption and adoption… - All things… and for a better understanding ‘all things’… look back to verse 28.... - all things that work together for good… will be ours.

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was not written down back in the days of Joshua… but he and his friend Caleb understood the principle.

- Ten others returned from spying out the promised land… and they were fearful.

GOD TOLD THEM, THAT THE LAND WAS THEIRS FOR THE TAKING… - But they didn’t believe it.

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The people who lived there were big… apparently, in their estimation… they were bigger than God.. - BUT NOT JOSHUA AND CALEB.

They were determined to lead Israel into that land, solely on their confidence in God’s promise.

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Jonathan, the son of Saul understood this principle…

SLIDE 9:

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Another song we sing here regularly… Whom Shall I Fear… is from

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SLIDE 10

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and then… consider this passage from Isa. 50:9

SLIDE 11

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Isaiah’s words parallel our next verse in ..

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SLIDE 12

Rom 8:

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There is no judge… there is no court… there is no ruling authority that is higher than God.

We saw in our study from two weeks ago.. - Verse one of this chapter reads: “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

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People on this planet and chose to condemn you.

The courts in this land might condemn you.

Your relatives might condemn you.

You might even earn it on behalf of our secular justice system…

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But all of that is temporary… it’s small.. it’s puny in comparison… - When God looks upon you… He sees the righteousness of Jesus, and extends that to you.

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YOu might ask: Well, what about Satan?