Prayer, Providence, And Predestination Series

Introduction:

A. Several years ago there was a car on the side of the road with its hood up. One man, dressed in a suit, passed by and looked at the engine and told the owner how to fix the car with a simple procedure. It worked great and the owner asked him, “How did you know this?” The well dressed man said, “I’m Henry Ford and I helped to design that car.” Our Heavenly Father designed us and he is the one who can diagnose the problem and enable us to apply the solution.

B. Years ago, Deborah Kerr played a role in Quo Vadis where the Christians are thrown to the lions. Newspaper reports asked Deborah, “Weren’t you afraid when you knew that you were going to be thrown to the lions?” She said, “No, I read the script before I accepted the role.” God has given us the script. This is his book of instructions, so we know how it is going to turn out and we know how we are going to reach our destination.

C. It is important that we pay attention to the instructions. Let’s look at Romans 8:26-30.

Thesis: 3 key words that we need to understand in order to operate as our Maker intended that we should.

For instances:

Prayer- Vs. 26-27.

A. We are weak. We all have a problem. God knows what that problem is. God is concerned about that problem. He wants to help. We don’t know how to pray. He gives the Holy Spirit.

B. We all have a weakness and the weakness is because of my sin problem in my life. My eyes see things that should not be seen, my ears hear things that should not be heard, my hands handled things that should never be touched, my feet taken me places where I should not have gone, my mind has entertained thoughts that should never have entered. I got a problem and I’m working on that but I need help. God offers me that help.

C. Jesus Christ died for us and in his death he proved God’s love and concern for us. In the resurrection he proved that he has a solution. We acknowledge that when we became a Christian. The moment we were baptized into Christian our redemption began, first with justification. The penalty is taken care of. This is a done deal.

I also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit goes to bat for me in working out the process of sanctification. 1 John 4:4: the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

With this, I now how the power over sin. Not visa versa. I am a forgiven man and a man who is growing into the likeness of Christ. My redemption is not complete. I don’t fear the penalty and I don’t fear the power. My problem is that I live in a world where sin is present. It is not until sin is removed completely that my redemption will be final.

Until that time the Holy Spirit is interceding for me. He is not the only one, vs. 34 Jesus is also. People are also interceding for us. I don’t begin to understand or know how many people are praying for me. I pray for others. Pray over many names. Are our prayers always effective? I don’t know. Have we always prayed for them as we should? I don’t know. The Holy Spirit does.

There are times when I pray that I don’t know what to say. Ex. The old person is not going to live much longer and they are really sick and they want me to pray. God let them die, absent from body is present with the Lord. Is that what the family wants me to say? Probably not. Many times the Holy Spirit intercedes because that is not what I meant to say.

With groans- Holy Spirit communicates not only with words that express the mind but words that express the heart, the emotions, the feelings that are involved. Many times we best express ourselves not with words, but with an aching heart. With a heart of concern. many times we communicate with a smile, frown, a worried look.

What a blessing to know that God is on our side, He knows that we are surrounded with a sin sick world. some of that rubs off on us and it keeps us from operating the way that we ought to operate. God says that I understand, the Spirit is interceding on our behalf. Take courage.

Providence. Vs. 28-

A. We know that God causes all things to work together for good. Don’t leave God out of that verse. He is concerned.

What is providence? Joseph in Genesis. In a position to never see family again. The day came when Pharaoh had a dream. 7 years of plenty with 7 years of famine. Plenty years Joseph was in charge of collecting. In famine years his family was suffering. The family of Joseph was brought back to Egypt. When Joseph reveled himself to his family, they were frightened because they knew what they had done.