03 Life Encounter: It's Extravagance Series

Rom. 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Either television writers have finally run out of ideas for bad situation comedies or the baby boomers’ nostalgic longing for their 60s youth is simply in control of the airwaves. Whatever. In our retro-chic craziness, there is now a resurgence of some of the corniest 1960s programming.

One of the biggest new/old hits is that silly spy-spoof, "Get Smart." Perhaps no other show except "Laugh-In" coined so many catch phrases that worked their way into 60s conversations.

> "Sorry about that, Chief"

> ".... And loving it"

> "Missed it by that much ... "

> And most famously, "Would you believe ...?"

In the TV show, secret agent Maxwell Smart would inevitably come up against some brick wall of a bad guy from whom he had to escape. Smart would try to intimidate his foe by scaring him off with some hopelessly transparent exaggeration: "Right now, there are 50 armed police officers surrounding this place." When the adversary doubted him, Smart would counter with: "Would you believe 20 police and an angry dog?" With the crook still not impressed, Smart would finally suggest: "How about a troop of Girl Scouts on a cookie-sale drive?"

How many of us are willing to put what we believe on a similar sliding scale? When we were young in years or young in faith, we were able to believe almost anything we were told. Our parents, our teachers and our pastors were unimpeachable sources of truth and integrity. If any one of them said something, it must be true.

But when we grew older in years and more "sophisticated" in thoughts, we learned to stop believing things simply because an authority figure told us it was true. Our own intelligence, skepticism and curiosity forced us to go out and make inquiries for ourselves. While this process results in the gradual development of a healthy, well-informed, personalized faith, for too many others, the entire concept of "believing" can eventually erode completely away.

What is it to which you can stand up and boldly say "I believe"? The Bible is full of the most extravagant promises, the most expansive gifts. Do you read those texts and nod, asserting that "I do believe this"?

■ Would you believe ... the Bible says

> You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you? (Philippians 4:13)

> You can do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that you can ask or think? — Eph 3:20

> To as many as received him, to them he gave power, even to become the sons of God? – Jn 1:12

> That God freely gives us all things - Rom. 8:32

Three Key Phases in Rom 8:32

➔ Spared Not

➔ Delivered Him Up

➔ Give Us

➊ RARE - Spared Not

> Spare: To save and refrain from harming

- The rare and extremely valuable we guard and protect

- Children

Genesis 42:3-4 KJV

3 And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph’s brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him.

Jacob & Benjamin

Genesis 42:36 KJV

36 And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

Genesis 42:38 KJV

38 And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

- What is most precious to us we are most reluctant to spare

- Once in awhile upon great occasions we part with them

Grandfather Abraham

Genesis 22:2 KJV

2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

Genesis 22:12KJV

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Times When the Father Did Not Spare .

2 Peter 2:4-6 KJV

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;