God's Love Works It All Out For Good! Series

God's Love Works It All Out for Good!

The Book of Romans

Romans 8:28-39

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Bank Springs Baptist Church - March 15, 2020

(Revised January 25, 2021)

BACKGROUND:

*I preached this sermon almost a year ago. It was on March 15th, right at the beginning of the Covid 19 epidemic. Truly this has been the strangest, most difficult year I have ever seen for our nation, and that's saying something, since I am almost 70 years old.

*Two of our children had relatively mild cases, and by God's grace, Mary and I have been spared so far. But we know around 15 families whose loved ones have died from Covid. And last night, my closest friend in the ministry passed away from it.

*Covid 19 is a monster, not to mention the way it has been used as a political weapon and a tool to help suppress our God-given freedoms. I never thought I would live in a country where God's Church was considered to be "non-essential."

*Even at the start of Covid, we could begin to see its impact, and on that day in March, the Lord led me to preach on Romans 8:28. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

*WE STAND ON THE TRUTH OF THIS SCRIPTURE AND ALL OF GOD'S WORD! Sometimes we have to wait to see the good, but I surely did see it last summer in the testimony of a Christian friend. Kevin Bayles texted it to me on July 31, 2020:

*"Hey Rick. I just thought about you. I had a Terrible bought of Covid that kept me in Glenwood for 6 days. I'm recuperating at home since last Wednesday. I've had this since 7-9.

I finally figured out about a month ago that God was breaking me to totally conform to Him. When I laid in GW with 78% oxygen, (needing 92-100%), that fact was hammered home. The 'guy that doesn't get sick' was totally dependent on the God of the Universe: my Savior, Creator, and Sustainer.

I thought 'Wow, aren't we always?' I want to make my life COUNT for Christ. Thank you for being one of my Spiritual Mentors on my journey. I love you and your family more than I am able to express."

*Kevin is doing fine now, and we know that God used that sickness to draw His child closer to the Lord. God is also bringing good out of Kevin's stronger desire to serve the Lord. And God's not through yet! Just as He always has, God will continue to bring good out of the bad things we have to go through.

*Below is the message I preached last year after we read Romans 8:28-39.

MESSAGE:

*Romans 8:28 is one of our favorite verses, because it gives Christians hope for the hardest times of life. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."

*Most anybody who has been a Christian for a while can look back and see how God proved this verse in their life. I got saved in October 1975, about 6 weeks after I started teaching school. And before that year was out, I was so miserable, I was asking God to take me home.

*When we went out for recess, I would look up at the sky, and pray: "Please God, take me home, I'm ready to go!" I was 24 years old, and I was praying: "Please God, take me home, I'm ready to go!"

*I was fervently praying that prayer before my children and grandchildren were born, before God called me to preach, before I got to serve the Lord for 36 years, and before a million other great blessings from God.

*Plus, if I hadn't taught at that school, I may have never gotten saved, because one of my fellow-teachers invited me to the church that led me to Jesus. And when I answered God's call 8 years later, that was the same church where I started my ministry as a Youth Pastor.

*God surely does work all things together for good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. But Church: Why does God do that? It's because of His infinite love for us. So, Paul goes on to tell us some of the amazing things that God's love can do in our lives.

1. FIRST: THE LORD'S LOVE GIVES US INFINITE BLESSINGS.

*And vs. 29-32, show us some of the greatest blessings of all:

29. For whom He (God) foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.