Confident Living - Part 4 (Romans 8:28-30)
Notes
Transcript
# 2019-05-26 Confident Living - Part 4 (Romans 8:28-30)
## 0. Introduction
> There's something you need to know about me.
>
> Its a good job you're all sitting down
>
> because this might come as a shock to some of you.
>
> Ok, here goes.
>
> My name is Liam Maguire and I am... an AFOL.
>
> And I have been for some time now.
>
> I'm an AFOL.
>
> An adult fan of lego!
>
> I mean can you blame me?
>
> From the 'click' of the bricks,
>
> to the scope of the designs, the awesome little minifigures
>
> and the brilliantly crafted themes,
>
> Lego... I love it!
>
> Now, I don't know if you've ever thought about what's inside a Lego box before
>
> but Have you ever noticed that
>
> everything about is them
>
> The image on the front, the instructions inside
>
> Everything is designed to give you confidence in what you are building
>
> And with a Lego instruction book is in your hands.
>
> You cease to be human and are transformed into a master manipulator of matter!
>
> Reshaping the building blocks of existence in your little lego universe.
>
> I mean look at this instruction booklet.
>
> A Clear picture of what you are trying to build.
>
> A step-by-step plan for how to build it.
>
> With this book in your hands you know that this set is going to be built in no time!
>
> But without it... well
>
> every parent knows the pain of trying to rebuild a smashed lego set without the instructions.
>
> Today, Like a box Lego,
>
> God has a clear picture of what the Christian life is supposed to end up like.
>
> And like a Lego instruction manual he knows the steps that will bring that picture to reality
>
> Everything about God's plan is supposed to fill us with confidence in him and that confidence is meant to play out in how we live.
>
> But there is a real danger that we end up living our Christian lives
>
> like the parent trying to build a Lego set without the instructions.
>
> We're not sure what it was supposed to look like,
>
> And we're not sure how it is all supposed to go together,
>
> So we muddle through and hope for the best.
Not a very good recipe for confident Christian living.
Well good news, today Paul is going to open up the lego box of the Christian life.
And walk us through God's step by step plan
And as he does we'll see that...
**A confident Christian life requires confidence in God's plan for the Christian life** {Repeat}
Well see Paul talk about this from two angles:
1. God's motive (v28)
2. God's mission (v29-30)
Keep your bibles open. Buckle your seatbelts. Here we go!
## 1. God's motive
First, God's motive (v28)
> Well, It's official.
>
> Romans 8:28 is one of the most popular verses in the bible.
>
> In August 2018, the online line scripture site 'bible gateway' turned twenty-five.
>
> And so mark the occasion they decided to crunch some numbers.
>
> "Out of the 14 billion page views they'd received in those 25 years, which bible verses were the most popular?"
>
> No surprise that John 3:16 {Quote?} came in at number 1.
>
> Our verse, Romans 8:28, came in at number 5.
>
> That means that over 25 years
>
> tens of hundreds of millions of people have read this verse on bible gateway.
>
> Clearly, v28 is a favourite among God's people,
>
> maybe it would be in your top 5 bible verses of all time.
>
> You might even know Romans 8:28 really well, maybe you know it by heart,
>
> But knowing what a verse says
>
> is not always the same as knowing what it means.
So what does it mean?
Paul's been riffing on the theme of suffering and glory since chapter 8:17
and a big part of this suffering is the decay of our dying world.
Last week we saw in Romans 8:23 that this suffering is a normal part of life
and it causes us to groan with hope for the world to come.
But what if we don't feel very hopeful in our groaning right now?
What if instead of hoping in God we are feeling tempted to doubt his goodness?
and particularly why God would let us face it at all.
Maybe you've felt that.
Perhaps something happened and you found yourself lying in bed or staring out the window at work,
wondering what on earth God is up to...
> Thinking things like "If God really wants the best for me, why did he let me lose my job?"
>
> Or "If God's in control of all things, why aren't my children walking with the Lord?"
>
> Or "If God's so good, why .... {fill in the blank}?"
Well if that is you, and even if it isn't,
Paul is going to use verse 28 to remind us that,
despite our doubts, God can be trusted and that is motive is good.
_The first thing Paul does it remind us of something we already know!_
Look at what he says,
he says **"we _know_ that in all things God works for the good of those who love him."\_**
He doesn't say 'we' should know by now', or 'may we know.'' He says we know!
Paul is reminding us of something we've all we've already seen.
In fact, he has been talking about it for the last eight chapters!
How God is using Jesus death and resurrection to bring good out Adam's fall and our sin.
We know that God is working for our good
because we've experienced at the cross.
Paul reminds us that If God can bring good out of our sin and his son's sacrifice
Then he can bring good out of anything we face.
_Paul also tells us that God is working that good for us!_
**"we know that in all things God works for the good of those _who love him_, who have been _called_ according to his purpose."**
Those who Love God and are called by God are the same group of people.
They are Christians. You and me.
If, you have placed your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins,
Then God is at work for your good! Right now.
Paul's going to spell out God's good purpose in v29.
But for now, I want us to stop and think about this for a moment.
Consider this, if you are a Christian then,
The all-powerful creator and ruler of the universe is at work in your life right now for your good.
Even when we don't feel like it.
God has a plan, and that plan involves him working for your good
Isn't that amazing? Isn't that incredible?
Well, Paul is not finished yet.
_Paul says that God is working for that good all the time._
**"we know that in _all things_ God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."**
Did you catch that... all things. ALL THINGS!
Paul reminds us that
In the good, in the bad, and in everything in between
God can be trusted.
Because in every moment of every day God is at work in the lives of his people
to bring about their good according to his good purpose and plan.
That means that nothing we face ever takes God by surprise.
nothing comes by chance, nothing is an accident,
God's not dropped the ball.
He's not fixing his mistake or making the best of a bad hand.
God is never making the best out of a bad situation for us.
* * *
from the wonderful - the wedding day, the birth of a child, the promotion, the holiday –
right the way through the wearing - the death of a loved one, that medical diagnosis, the end of a marriage, or the daily slog of work and parenting.
God allows us to face it all.
Because God is at work in it all.
Which means that through it all God can be trusted
because despite it all God is working for the good of his people. You. me.
Even when it doesn't feel like it.
And sometimes it doesn't, let's be honest.
Many you know that Abi and I have had our share of ups and downs over the years
And it can be a battle sometimes to believe that
what we are facing is meaningful and that God is working for our good.
And there’s a good reason for that.
let me explain.
> Abi and I are currently working through a BBC Drama series called Line of Duty.
>
> Line of Duty follows the stories of detectives who investigate police corruption.
>
> We're at the start of the final season, so please no spoilers! Thank you.
>
> It's not my usual thing, but to be honest, I'm really enjoying.
>
> but one thing I didn't expect was to be on the edge of my seat wanting
>
> to shout "Look, it's him! He did it! Why can't you see that! It's obvious"
>
> But it is only obvious to me because, as the viewer, I see the whole picture
>
> I’ve seen the murders, the dodgy deals, the backroom conversation with the Chief Constable.
>
> That's all hidden from the detectives they’ve only got partial information about what’s happening
>
> Only the viewer sees the whole picture.
In many ways that's a lot like the Christian life.
What we feel in a moment is only ever based on partial knowledge of what is really going on.
We only see what's gone before us, and what's happening right now.
And some times we don't even see that very clearly.
But God sees the whole picture.
He sees what's come before, what we are going through right now, and what is waiting in our future.
And he sees the whole picture perfectly.
Which is why we can trust that he is both willing and able
to work all things for the good of them who love him,
Paul wants us to see that God can be trusted, he knows what he is doing.
Paul knows that a
**A confident Christian life requires confidence in God's plan for the Christian life**.
And that means knowing (and sometimes being reminded) that God can be trusted
because in every situation God is motived by a desire for our good.
## 2. God's Mission (v29)
> We've looked at God's motive, now let's look at his mission (v29-30).
>
> Take a look at this picture and tell me what you see.
>
> Take a good hard look at it. take your time.
>
> Ok hands up if you see a duck?
>
> Good. Good.
>
> Ok, now hands up if you see a rabbit?
>
> IF you're struggling to see either here is how it works.
>
> If you look at the split pointy end here, the image looks like a duck.
>
> But if you look at this nook over here you are more likely to see a rabbit.
>
> This famous reversible image first appeared in a German newspaper in the 19th Century.
>
> And I love because it is a reminder that sometimes things look different deepening on how you look at
>
> Different perspective on the same object often reveals different things.
>
> The angles you look at something from the fuller the picture you build up.
Often times, we are used to looking at Salvation from a human perspective.
I heard the gospel, I believed the gospel, I chose to follow Jesus
And that is true. A person must hear and believe the gospel to be saved.
But, that is not the perspective Paul wants to show in verses 29-30.
Paul wants us to see salvation from God's perspective
He wants to give us a God's eye view of salvation.
Particularly, he wants us to see two things.
What God is trying to achieve in saving us, his mission.
And how he is going to do accomplish that mission
_The mission is summed up in the second half of v29._
He says,
> For those God foreknew he also predestined"
>
> "to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he
>
> That's Jesus
>
> "might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
God's mission in saving us, the purpose he's called us to and the good he is working out in our lives is this.
**He is making us like Jesus.**
That is God's mission.
And Paul says that the Father is doing this so that Jesus would "be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters."
he is not simply saying that Jesus would be the first,
as in the front of the quest
To be the firstborn was more than being the first in order, it meant being the first in honour.
The firstborn is the heir of the dad's estate and the most honoured among the children.
Paul wants us to see that God the father is working out his mission
for the honour and glory of the one who made it all possible!
The Lord Jesus!
God's mission is not simply to save us from our sin, but also to perfectly remake us and prepares for his new Creation.
This is the purpose he calls to. This is the good he is working out in our lives.
So how does he do it?
_V29-30 contain God's mission plan_
These verses are sometimes called the golden chain because of the way
Paul links together five words to outline how God will complete his mission to make us like Jesus.
And that chain doesn't only run through our lives it runs through all of history.
Beginning in eternity past, running through human history, and on to the end of time.
So let's look at the first three links of the chain
Paul says in v29 and 30 **"For those God _foreknew_ he also _predestined_... and those he predestined he also _called_"**
Foreknew, predestined, called. Three words that really go together.
**Foreknowledge** describes how before the creation of the world he knew exactly who he would save.
Not because of anything they had done but because of his love for them.
> And here is the thing, God's foreknowledge is not a cold and abstract knowledge.
>
> A filing cabinet with names and address, it is a warm, intimate relational knowledge.
>
> Like a family photo album.
Given God's great love for us, refused to leave our salvation to chance so he predestined us.
He chose the moment when we would come to place our trust in Jesus.
And lovingly directs our lives towards that moment.
Like a dad guiding a toddler as they learn to walk
And when that moment arrives, God called us.
That calling is a not a request it is a summons,
and it happened when an ordinary Christian shared the gospel with us.
Maybe through a sermon, a CE course, a bible study, or a conversation over coffee.
Because God doesn't just choose who he will save but how he will save us.
And he has chosen to save sinners through ordinary Christian's sharing the gospel.
People like you and me.
> We are never responsible for what people will do with message,
>
> or even if they like the message,
>
> Nope. We're like a Christian ParcelForce, our job is to make gospel deliveries,
>
> the rest is up to God.
Now, sure this means that someone I know might never be saved,
I say that knowing my two sisters and my oldest friend currently have no interest in Jesus. At all.
But I am grateful that God chose to save some when he could have chosen to save none.
Because let's face it we made this mess, but God is gracious chooses to clean it up for us.
Foreknowledge, predestination, calling.
Paul's got two more links to go,
v30, **"And those {God} called he also _justified_”**
Justified, or justification is probably one of the most important words in the whole bible.
It is the way that God declares us innocent and right with him.
He does this when we trust in Jesus death on our behalf.
You could think about it like this.
Many of your children are taking exams at the moment.
> So Imagine if God scored your life and Jesus life as if it were an exam.
>
> I don't really understand the new grading system for exams so let's say Jesus results slip has "100% A\*.
>
> Jesus reminds us in _Matthew 5:48_ that God moral standard is perfection.
>
> Since we've all sinned at some point in our lives,
>
> our exam result would read “0% U”
>
> When God justifies us through trusting Jesus death on our behalf
>
> God takes Jesus exam result and makes it ours
>
> Then he takes our sinful record and gives it to Jesus
>
> Which he deals with at the cross.
Through justification, we are made right with God.
Now When God looks at us, he looks as at as if we were perfect, just like Jesus.
But that is not enough for God.
He doesn't just want to make it _as if_ we were perfect like Jesus is perfect
He wants sot to make it so that _we are_ perfect, just like Jesus.
In v29 we saw that God's mission is to "Conform us to the likeness " of Jesus for the honour of his Jesus.
The final step in God's mission plan to make that happen is to glorify us.
V30, **and those he justified he also _glorfied_"**
We often talk about glorifying God, so what does it mean for God to glorify us?
> Glory has two uses in the bible. ONe the one hand it can mean honour or worship.
>
> Like in 1 Corinthians 10:31, **"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory (honour or worship) of God"**
>
> But it can also mean "perfect visible splendour", like in Exodus 33:18.
>
> Moses says **"Let me see your Glory"**
>
> Let me see you Lord in all your splendour and perfection"
And that’s how Paul uses the wod here
You see when Jesus returns and the earth is made new,
God plans to honour Jesus by making us perfectly like Jesus! Forever!
Right now, God chooses to look at us as if we have lived Jesus perfect life,
but on that day we will be perfect and free from sin just like Jesus is perfect and free from sin.
No more sin, sickness, death, decay, more groaning, no more tears!
Us and our bodies will be new, perfect and pure forever, just like he is perfect and pure
Paul is so confident in God's mission to make us like Jesus that describes it in the past tense.
Like it has already happened.
That's because Paul knows that is is something that starts now but won’t be completed until Jesus return.
But also because Paul knows that if God says something will happen then it will happen.
That's the confidence that he wants us to have here and now.
Confidence for today in light of the certainty of the future.
_AConfident Christian life requires confidence in God's plan for the Christian life._
Confidence that in all situations - good and bad - God's mission, his good purpose for our lives is being worked out.
he is making us more like Jesus now, and one day he will complete the work he started.
## Confidence: Confident Living
> Author Francis Chan once said that our lives are like an inifinite piece of rope.
>
> Imagine a rope that went from here out the door and around the earth a few hundred times and on forever.
>
> And imagine that this rope was the timeline of our life.
>
> If that rope were our lives, these first two inches would be our lives here on earth
>
> and everything else would be an eternity.
>
> If you are not yet a Christian I'd encourage you to think long and hard about that
>
> because if you don't come to Jesus in faith for forgiveness here.
>
> then all of that will be spent experiencing God's perfect justice against your sin
>
> Why wait? Come to Jesus today. Don't delay!
But for those of us who are Christians what awaits us from here out is a perfect eternity on a remade earth in remade bodies free from sin and death forever.
In Romans 8:28-30 Paul waits to live our eyes off of this tiny bit here to see what God has in store for us here.
And he wants us to see that everything that happens here, the good the bad and everything in between,
God is using it all to make us ready for all that he has for us here in eternity.
He wants us to be confident in God's good and perfect perfect plan to get us here
So that we'll live our Christian lives with confidence in here and now.
Whatever we are facing with however much time we have left.
Because as we have seen,
**"A confident Christian life requires confidence in God's plan for the Christian life."**
A plan that will bring us safely through here come what may into the glory that waits for us here forever.
Let's pray.