Faithfully Series

“Faithfully”

Romans 8: 31-39

November 6, 2011

Intro: When Mike Kollin was a graduate of Auburn University and was playing linebacker for the Miami Dolphins he received a call from his old coach Shug Jordan. Jordan called to ask him if he’d help him out w/some recruiting for his team. Kollin said it would be a pleasure but he needed to know what kind of player the coach was looking for.

-The coach said, “Well, Mike, you know there’s that fellow, you knock him down and he just stays down?” Mike said, “Yeah coach, we don’t want that guy.” The coach said, “That’s right. But then there’s that guy you knock him down, he gets up, you knock him down again and he stays down.” Mike said, “We don’t want that guy either, do we coach?”

-The coach said, “That’s right. But then there’s that guy you knock down, and he gets up, you knock him down and he gets up again. You just can’t keep him down.” Mike said, “That’s the guy we want, right coach?” And the Coach Jordan said, “No! We don’t want him either. I want you to find the guy who’s knocking everyone down! That’s the guy we want.”

-You know, there are a lot of times in life when we end up settling for 2nd best instead of going after the very best. And this is especially true when it comes to a relationship w/Jesus Christ. Over and over again in the Scripture we’re taught that God desires for us to have an abundant life; we’re taught that Christ can cleanse us; He can wipe our slate clean concerning our past sins; we’re taught that eternal life is promised for those who trust in Him; and the list goes on.

-And yet the majority of us settle for just patching up our life here and there instead of seeking after the God who has charge over all things. When you’re in need; when you’re looking for victory in life, the place you can turn to find it is in Jesus Christ. God never lets His people down; He never fails those who are His own. It’s time for us to start looking for the One who’s doing the knocking down in this life; the One who’s knocking down the walls that separate us from a fulfilling life; the One who’s knocking down the sinful way of life that hinders us from finding true contentment and purpose in life.

Sermon Idea: Today in our passage of Scripture we’re going to see Paul sharing w/the Roman Xians the absolute faithfulness of God. I believe this is a message for all times b/c all of us desire to find something we can count on. We all desire to be a part of something that’s going to work every time.

-Paul shared 3 ways God is faithful to His people. I hope this message will encourage you as you see that there is a God who’s worthy of your trust.

TEXT: ROMANS 8: 31-39

Bckgrd: I find this to be one of the most comforting passages of Scripture concerning the faithfulness of God. Apparently the Roman Xians were struggling w/the idea that they could somehow lose their salvation; that somehow God would renege on His promise to be faithful to His people and they’d be left twisting in the wind when the day of judgment came.

-In our human minds it’s hard to imagine anything that is eternally faithful. And when you study our society it’s not hard to see why we have so many questions concerning God’s faithfulness to us. Everyday people take marriage vows that they’ll be “faithful and true so long as they both shall live.” But still half of marriages end in divorce.

-People make promises every day that they’re going to perform a job to the best of their ability, and yet quality work seems hard to find. And then you turn to the Bible and read @ a God who promises to be faithful for all time. That’s pretty hard to believe when you’ve jaded by your personal experiences w/people.

-So my hope today is to demonstrate to you thru Scripture the faithfulness of God. So how is God faithful to us? For starters:

DIV. 1: HE IS FOR US (v. 31)

Exp: This might come as a surprise to many of you. But did you know God is for us; that God’s on our side desiring the best of our lives? Very clearly v. 31 states that God is FOR us! Now you might say, “Hey, it says IF God is for us! That seems a little ambiguous to me.” Well, let me share w/you some good news.

A.The word “if” doesn’t signify that it’s just a possibility that God might be on our side. The word “if” should be translated “because.” It’s a guarantee that God is for His people.