INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Mark Smith in an article in the June 2000 Readers Digest said the following: Like many high school seniors, my son was filling out college-scholarship applications. One form asked for extracurricular activities. He answered: “wrestling.” The next question requested positions held. He entered: “pinned, mostly.” --Mark Smith, Readers Digest Jun00 (http://www.irsweb.com/)
• I will tell you; sometimes life can really wear on you. Some many things can happen that can cause a lot of discouragement.
• Sometimes even when things are seemingly going well, there always seems to be someone out there whose mission is to discourage you. By the way, discouragement is not a fruit of the Spirit.
• Have you felt the world caving in on you? You get that helpless feeling that is followed by discouragement.
• Have you thought if I could just get a break, it will be ok?
• Today we are going to see that in Christ we do not have to become prisoners of discouragement. God has done some things to help us; He has plans to help us during the times of discouragement.
• God had done and is doing some awesome things for us so that we do not have to feel like we have to live a discouraged life!
• Today’s passage is exciting to look at.
• Let’s begin in Romans 8:26-27
• SLIDE #2
• Romans 8:26–27 (ESV) 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
You can enjoy freedom from discouragement because…
I. God has provided a 911 line for you.
• In the message last week we looked at how hope can sustain us. Verse 26 starts out with the word “LIKEWISE” is comparing the way hope can sustain us in the midst of our present suffering to how the Spirit can sustain us by personally aiding us in our weakness.
• We are told the Spirit (Holy Spirit) helps our weakness. In the context of the chapter we have read (8:20-21), weakness most likely refers to the problems that are a result of the futility and slavery to corruption the world is marred with at this present time.
• Most of the difficulties we face are a result of the fallen world we live in.
• So many times we feel isolated and alone when we are facing bad things. We feel powerless, helpless, and a sense of impending doom.
• Christians are free from the slavery of discouragement because of the hope we have within us and because we have a friend who will be with us every step of the way.
• The word “help” is a word that means; “to take hold of anything with another”, “to give assistance by sharing a burden” or to “come to the aid of.”
• When we are facing difficult times, the Christian is not alone; the Holy Spirit comes along side of us to help lift the burden.
• The holy Spirit is there to help empower of spirit during those times of discouragement, those times when we are at such a loss we do not even know what kind of prayer to lift up to God.
• Verses 26-27 explain to us how the Spirit helps us.
• You do not have to feel alone because you are not. That feeling of isolation can be one of the most discouraging parts of going through tough times.
• In verse 26 we are told that part of the help in lifting burdens comes in the form of prayer help.
• Have you ever been hurting so bad that you just did not know what to ask God for? Have you ever been so down that you could not put into words what was in your heart?
• Sometimes the discouragement of the moment keeps us from seeing God’s perspective.
• Since there are times in which we do not know what to pray for, the Holy Spirit comes along side of us and helps us. It can be frustrating to not be able to put into words what we need.
• The Holy Spirit intercedes for us. He takes what is in our heart and lifts that to God.
• The word intercede is a word that indicates a continual action, a habitual action. This word is used nowhere else in the New Testament, although its roots are used.
• The word means to “turn to”, “to approach, appeal, petition someone on behalf of another.
• God knows you intimately!
• SLIDE #4
• Jeremiah 17:10 (ESV) “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
• God knows what is in your heart. He can read the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We cannot fool God.
• God searches our hearts to find the unutterable groaning’s in the heart. God knows what you need and since the Holy Spirit is working within the will of God, we can rest assured that God groaning lifted up to God will be something that is in our very best interest.
• Notice in verse 27 for whom the Holy Spirit intercedes for. This ministry only takes place for the Saints, or put another way, for the Christian.
• Slide #5
• Let’s turn to verse 28 to see some more exciting news!
• Romans 8:28 (ESV) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
• SLIDE #6
You can enjoy freedom from discouragement because…
II. God has a fantastic plan for your problems.
• We are told that we KNOW that God causes all things to work together for good.
• The word “know” means to learn by instruction. How do we know our math facts? By instruction.
• We know that God causes all things to work together for good because we are taught through God’s word this is true. The only way we know this fact is through the teaching of the Bible.
• If it were not for the revelation of the Word we would tend to think that too many things that happen in life work for evil instead of God.
• How many times have you seen what seemed like a hopeless situation turn into something good? I have seen some of the most difficult situations in life turn into something good for people.
• In my own life there have been many things that happened that at the time did not seem good, but later I could see they were the best thing that happened to me or they led to something really good.
• We are told that God causes ALL THINGS to work together for good. In the context of the book thus far, all things includes all the trials and tribulations we deal with in life. It deals with the persecutions we face as a result of our faith.
• We have some examples in the scriptures of this principle.
• How many of you think it would be terrible to be sold into slavery by your own brothers? Then how many of you think it would be bad to be thrown into prison for something you were completely innocent of after things seemed to be going well for you?
• This all happened to a man named Joseph in the bible. Later on in his life, Joseph’s brothers thought Joseph was going to get them back when Joseph said the following in Genesis 50:20.
• SLIDE #7
• Genesis 50:20 (ESV) As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
• When the early church was being persecuted, it seemed like a bad thing, but the good out of it was the fact it made the Christians leave Jerusalem and take the gospel to other parts of the world.
• SLIDE #8
• Acts 8:4 (ESV) Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
• Whatever we are facing in life, God promises that it will work together for good. Who is that promise for? Is it for every person or just a limited few? Look at the rest of verse 28.
• for those who are called according to his purpose
• The passage implies that only those who continually love God are the ones for whom this promise is for.
• In Romans 6:13 we see that if we love God, we will present ourselves to Him.
• In 6:22 we learn that if we love God, we will grow in sanctification (or we will become more holy and Christ-like in our lives). In chapter eight, we have learned that if we love God, we will walk according to the Spirit.
• SLIDE #9
• John 14:21 (ESV) 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
• The promise is for those who are called according to God’s purpose. The word “purpose” means to place something before one’s mind, to plan, to resolve.
• This verse implies that a called one is one who has heard the call and has accepted it and obeyed it.
• Let’s examine verses 29-30
• SLIDE #10
• Romans 8:29–30 (ESV) 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
• SLIDE #11
You can enjoy freedom from discouragement because…
III. God has an awesome plan for your future.
• Part of God’s awesome plan for you future is that you be conformed to the image of His Son Jesus!
• The word we translate “conformed” is a word that means a likeness inside and out. A thorough change, not just an outward superficial resemblance.
• One of the purposes for God working in our lives through the difficult times is so that one day we will have the same resurrection body that Jesus has. We will look like Him.
• SLIDE #12
• 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV) And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
• In the meantime we are to allow ourselves to be transformed into His image.
• SLIDE #13
• Romans 12:2 (ESV) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• Another part of God’s plan for your future is that He wants you to be a part of His LARGE family!
• In verse 29 we are told that God wants Jesus to be the firstborn of many brethren.
• What this means is that God wants a big family. Jesus was resurrected and given a new body and now is seated at the right hand of the Father.
• God wants a VERY large family. He wants many others to follow the path of Jesus.
• Remember, the reason we are given freewill is because God only wants those in His family because they love Him. Giving us freewill is the only way for God to know we love Him.
• Verse 29 speaks of those whom He foreknew. God knew He would accept anyone who accepts His Son.
• In the context the word “foreknew” means to “approve of beforehand.”
• The passage says He predestined them to be conformed to His image.
• Once again, this deals with the fact that God decided beforehand that those who accept Jesus would be conformed to His image, that we would have a resurrection body.
• We also see in verse 30 that those whom he predestined, He called!
• The ones who are predestined to glory are those who accept the call of the gospel. The call is open to EVERYONE! 2 Timothy 2:4 tells us that God desires ALL to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
• Those who reject the call are lost, those who accept are saved.
• Then we are told that part of God’s plan for you is that you be justified, which means you will be declared innocent before God because of Jesus.
• Then comes GLORIFICATION!
• When it is all said and done, when Jesus returns, we will be glorified with Jesus. We will be a brother or sister of Jesus.
• We will receive our inheritance in full from God!
CONCLUSION
• It is SO easy to become discouraged and then to allow that discouragement to trap you into a life of negativity, cynicism which will lead to not living the joyful life God wants you to have!
• When we feel discouragement coming we need to rebuke that thought and cling to the awesome promises of God!
• We have a great God who will help us rise above the misfortunes in life! Don’t be discouraged; look for the silver lining in the cloud of distress.
• God does not want us to fail or to think that Satan is more powerful than He is.
• Pain and suffering are a reality of this world, as long as we live this life; it will be a part of life. We do not have to let these things defeat us!
