All Things - Work Together For Good / Predestined To Be Transformed

If you are a follower of the Christ, ...... you know... ...that your life should be filled ... Filled ... with joy.

You probably also know ...... that you should experience joy ... in spite of ... circumstances.

The Scriptures clearly teach us... that the joy of the Lord ... is our ... strength.

And that God given ... spiritual joy ......is present ...no matter ... the circumstances.

A Joy ... that if properly nourished ...and if properly nurtured, ...can overwhelm ... Even the greatest grief.

When Jesus prays to the Father in John's telling: He is direct, ...I pray that... "they may have the full measure of my joy... within them." (John 17:13),

And in the proceeding Chapter, ... Jesus proclaims a spiritual truth ... to his disciples, "You Will Rejoice. And no one ... will take away ...your joy" (John 16:22).

No one ... No person... No thing ...can take away ...your Joy!

Beloved... What a Promise!

Jesus is speaking these words to his disciples, ... who are going to be ... persecuted.

They are going to be robbed ...of everything they own, ...tortured, ...and most ... put to death.

Yet Jesus promises to give them Joy ... A joy that will withstand ......all of that.

Nothing ... not disease ... not persecution... alienation ...loneliness ... torture or even death... will be able to take this gift of Joy ...away from them.

Do you have that kind of joy ... in your life?

Are you experiencing ... that kind of Joy?

You should be ... You can be!

In Romans 8 ... Paul speaks about living in ... a suffering world.

He speaks of A world ... that is marked by brokenness ... trouble ... persecution.

And ...how followers of the Christ are to live... in such a world.

Then from Our Text ... From Romans 8:28 On ...... The Scriptures offer two major principles ...for finding joy ... in a suffering world.

The two principles are these: ......

(1 Finger) our bad things ......which are bad things ... Work together for good,

(2 Fingers) and our good things ... are transforming ... and cannot be lost. REPEAT

Beloved...Those are ... reasons... For ... joy. For unending ...spiritual Joy.

(One Finger) First Principal... Our bad things ...which are bad things...work together for good.

Hear again God's Word BIBLE "We know that all things ... work together for good ...for those ... who love him." END (Romans 8:28)

The Scripture speaks to......All Things.

All Things... (Slow) The Good... The Bad ... The Ugly.

All things happen ... to followers ... of the Christ.

All Things happen .... to those who love him.

Remember Jesus words to his followers ...BIBLE Your Father who is in heaven ...makes his sun rise on the evil ... and on the good, ......and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. END (Matthew 5:45)

Circumstances ... that befall a believer ...are no worse ... and are no better .... than they are... for anyone else.

It is extremely important for us to understand this ... in order for us to fully experience ... God's relentless ... and unwavering... joy.

Terrible things happen... Ugly things happen ... Even to those ... who are in Christ... Who love God.

Many Christians openly teach......and sadly most Western Christians implicitly believe......

That if you love and serve God, ...then you will not have as many bad things happen to you... As those ... who are non-Christians.

But...That is ... just not true!

That is not what the Scriptures ... teach us.

Horrible things ...can and will happen ... to followers of the Christ.

And believing in ...and loving & serving God ......will not stop them ... from happening.

The same things ... that happen to everyone else in the world... will also happen ... to those ...who love God.

In our Text... Paul is clear... He says, "All things" and he means ...... all things.

The Scriptures go on to state this marvelous promise Hear God's Word: BIBLE "What then will separate us from the love of Christ? (7 Fingers) Will hardship, or distress or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword?" END (Romans 8:35-39)

Beloved... These seven events ... are not good things... They are terrible things.

Paul is saying ... these things can ... and will happen ... to those ... who love God.

Hardship ... Distress ... persecution ... famine... nakedness ... peril and sword ... will ... befall believers.

It is imperative ... That we grasp this.

Yet ... Praise God ... when good comes forth ... when spiritual joy is at hand ... It is because of ... God.

God making ... all things come together ... for Good.

Notice Paul does not say, ... "Things ...work together for good."