Sermon Tone Analysis

Waiting can be the hardest task anyone of us has to do.

ILLUSTRATION:

Do you remember what it was like when you were a kid

or your kids were young

....and it was the night before Christmas.

A famous Christmas poem went like this -

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;Twas the night before Yet a whole story about the house being quiet that you couldn't even hear a mouse ... It must be read at a different time or different era because of my experience you have kids sitting there wiggling in their beds wishing it was Christmas morning already.

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;”

Twas the night before Yet a whole story about the house being quiet that you couldn't even hear a mouse ... It must be read at a different time or different era because of my experience you have kids sitting there wiggling in their beds wishing it was Christmas morning already.

It must be written at a different time or different era … because in my experience … kids are wiggling with excitement the night before.

As a kid I stirred with anticipation.

My kids are wiggling in their beds wishing it was Christmas morning already.

I feel for teachers because - Even before Christmas night,

teachers are wrestling with kids to complete their work while all they want to do is start Christmas break.

Because our kids were so excited that they just can't focus.

Waiting for a good thing is hard.

Waiting for a good thing is hard.

Waiting for a good thing while you're hurting is even harder.

Waiting for a good thing while you're hurting is even harder.

Our text this morning doesn't describe us as kids waiting for Christmas… But as hurting people waiting for the agony and pain to be over.

ILLUSTRATION:

A better description would be the cancer patient, who is waiting for chemo be over and the cancer be gone.

As we consider this paragraph last week, we learned that this world is

futile

painful

corrupt

in bondage.

In fact,

so great is the pain in this world that all creation is described as like a woman groaning in pain and labor.

And we along with it.

We are groaning in pain.

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Nevertheless,

We as Christians have the job of waiting until glory .

In this passage glory is -

when creation will be set free,

We are to wait and hope for the day when creation will be set free, and our bodies will be redeemed.

when creation will be set free,

and our bodies will be redeemed.

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We are to wait and hope for the day

>>>The question I want to pose before us this morning is -

How do we wait for the glory of God?

Let’s read through this whole paragraph this morning,

as we remember what Paul has said about this world,

but also what he teaches us about waiting for the coming glory of God.

The question at hand I want us to consider today is -

PROP: How do we wait for the glory of God?

TRANS: And this passage will give three truths we should remember when we suffer.

ILLUSTRATION/EXHORTATION:

How should we wait in hope for the coming Glory?

Waiting is hard.

Reminder - What is glory?

We often think that doing something courageous and brave for God is hard.

It is one thing to tiresly

But many times … the act of being still and waiting on God can leave us desperate and groaning.

>>> It humbles and reminds us that this world is futile and painful.

is a favorite passage of mying … but we forget it written by David during a time of desperate waiting.

It is interesting that so many of the Psalms are about agony, while waiting on God.

In fact, they are officially called Psalms of Lament.

We think of King David as a mighty man … a strong and courageous soldier with a deep faith in God.

But we forget that the man who slew Goliath at times in his life wrote poems of fear and despair.

May I suggest, that one of the hardest spiritual battles we will face … will be waiting for that day.

While waiting we will face the greatest temptations of our faith.

Our minds, and hearts, and

While waiting we will face the greatest doubts of our faith.

While waiting we will face the greatest fears of our faith.

And while waiting we will face greatest weakness of our faith.

Do not take this passage lightly today … because waiting for that day will be one of the hardest Spiritual battles you will face.

>>>>>>>>Having said that, … waiting is hard … but not without hope.

This passage wasn’t written to describe how awful this world is,

but to reminds us that the glory to come is incomparable to our present suffering.

And Paul gives 3 truths that will help us wait for the wonderful day of Glory.

The first truth -

1) Remember hope is found only in Jesus Christ.

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The only reason we can hope today is because of Jesus Christ.

Without a personal belief in Jesus dying on the cross to save us from our sins … we have no hope.

- We have no hope when we stand before God.

>>>>>We could go on and talk about how believing in Jesus saves us from punishment forever, “in hell”, …

- We also could say we would have no hope for the pain and agony of this world to end.

but the point of this passage is that through Jesus Christ

- each one of us who trust him as our savior … have promise that creation and our bodies will be one day redeemed.

Look how Paul points us to salvation in Christ as our hope from the suffering of this world.

“For in this hope we were saved”

“For in this hope we were saved”

What is Paul's big answer to suffering in this world?

May I personalize it,

what is the big answer to your suffering in this world?

ILLUSTRATION:

When we hurt… We look to doctors, lawyers, or our personal planning.

And I'm not saying that in the right way and in the right time there is not a place for that.

But at the end of the day… At most these are tools to help us endure.

The are not redemption.

Redemption is the idea be set free.

Redemption is the idea be set free.

Paul

Nothing in this world can set us free from suffering of this world.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Which is why Paul doesn’t point us to this world… In fact he points out what is wrong with this world.

What does he point us to? … The hope found only in Jesus Christ.