INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed.
• She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room.
• " A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!" http://www.christianglobe.com/Illustrations/
• 5-year old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup, but he didn’t want to go in alone.
• "It’s dark in there and I’m scared." She asked again, and he persisted. Finally she said, "It’s OK--Jesus will be in there with you."
• Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came, and he said: "Jesus, if you’re in there, would you hand me that can of tomato soup?" http://www.christianglobe.com/Illustrations/
• SLIDE #2
• In his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933 President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated the following famous line, “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear... is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
• In life we have a lot of things we fear. When we were little, we may have feared things like the dark, storms or the neighborhood bully.
• When we get older, we may fear the same things but we may also fear for our jobs, finances, marriage, children, retirement, and the list goes on.
• We have a word for every kind fear; I found words for the fear of going bald and a fear of bald people. There is a word for the fear of the number eight!
• You name the fear; there is a word for it. I saw a program once where people were afraid of frogs, they were even afraid to touch a stamp with a frog picture on it!
• On the surface the program was funny, but for the people suffering from the various fears, it is not funny. Fear to the extreme will freeze us in our tracks, it will keep us from doing things we should and need to do.
• Over the past few weeks, we have been spending time looking at the freedoms we have in Christ. Today we are going to look at Christ offering us freedom from fear.
• Are you being burdened with fear in your life? Maybe it is relational, financial, health, or circumstances.
• Today we are going to see that we can enjoy freedom from fear!
• Let’s begin by turning to Romans 8:31-34
• SLIDE #3
• Romans 8:31–34 (ESV) 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
• SLIDE #4
SERMON
I. We can enjoy freedom from the fear of people. (31-34)
• In the previous three chapters Paul has been trying to show us the depth of God’s love for us by showing us the many blessings we have by belonging to Him.
• In verse 31 it tells us, WHAT THEN SHALL WE SAY TO THESE THINGS? Because of all the blessings that have been mentioned in the previous chapters, how can we doubt the love God has for us, or that God is really in our corner?
• In life we face many different types of people, some will like us and others will not like us and will do whatever they can to make life miserable for us.
• In the context of the letter, there were many who were persecuting Christians and in the midst of that, it would seem to some that God had forsaken those who were being mistreated at the hand of another.
• In this verse 31 we are asked IF God is for us, then who can be against us?
• In the original text, the “IF” is not a doubting “if” as to question whether God is for us or not, but we would translate it “SINCE” God is for us, who can stand against us.
• This does not imply that we will have no opposition in life or that we will not have people try to impede our work for the gospel, but instead it tells us, in comparison to God, what are all these other people?
• It does not matter what position of power a person is in, they are not more powerful than God.
• People may be able to make your life difficult, they may be able to take your very life, but they cannot take away your gift of salvation, they cannot take your relationship with God away, they cannot separate you from the love of God!
• I know on a practical standpoint that people will let other people be the reason they turn their back in God.
• Maybe a wife has been so abused by a husband that she thinks God is to blame, maybe a child has been abused by a parent to the point they feel God does not love them.
• People do terrible things to other people, but they do it because we live in a fallen world, it is not God’s fault. Why doesn’t God stop it now?
• Why don’t they pay for it NOW! Well they will and the payment will be far worse than anything we could do to them.
• They will not abuse God, if they do not change, they will be punished for eternity.
• It is easy to fear people.
• In verse 32 we are reminded that since God did not spare or withhold His own Son from us, will He not also give us the lesser things in life?
• When God freely give, He does it by His grace; this is what “freely give” means.
• In verses 33-34 we have a shift in imagery to a court room where a person is standing there accusing God’s people before a judge.
• Paul asks who will bring a charge against God’s elect. We are told over and over again that God justifies His people, or declares them innocent. People can accuse you all they want, but if you are faithful to God, He is pronouncing you innocent.
• In verse 34 we are given four reasons as to why no one can condemn those who are declared innocent by God.
• SLIDE #5
A. Jesus died for us
B. Jesus was raised for us.
C. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father!
D. Jesus intercedes for us.
• Who is greater than God? Who is against us? Who will bring a charge against us? Who is the one who condemns us?
• We have no reason to fear people; The God you belong to is greater than all!
• SLIDE #6
• Romans 8:35–37 (ESV) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
• SLIDE #7
II. We can enjoy freedom from the fear of circumstances. (35-37)
• Now we shift from people to circumstances. How many people do you know who have let bad things run them away from God?
• Verse 35 asks a fourth in a series of questions since verse 31 to demonstrate the love God has for us!
• This verse opens a new facet to be considered, Jesus love for us. No matter what happens around us or to us, we must remember that Jesus loves us even if we feel like He does not because of the circumstances.
• When people mistreat us it is easy to feel like God has left us. When bad things start happening to us it is easy to think God does not love us.
• Sometimes we cause our own issues and can still feel abandoned by God because of the consequences of our actions.
• When we suffer because of our faith or when we suffer something from which we have no control, we tend to feel as if God has left us.
• In verse 35 we see 7 types of suffering that are not indication that Jesus doesn’t love us.
• SLIDE #8
We need not fear the loss of Jesus’ love because of…
A. Tribulation- a feeling of pressure.
B. Distress-This is the inner anxiety that comes from being penned up in a very narrow place while not knowing where to turn.
C. Persecution- the pursuit or hounding by enemies, sometimes including bodily harm.
D. Famine- this hunger happens when you are fleeing your persecutors.
E. Nakedness-When you have everything confiscated, you can end up with no clothing.
F. Danger- this is peril or risk in general, either from natural or personal threats.
G. Sword- this is symbolic of violence or death that finally happens to the pursued.
• Verse 36 is a quote of Psalm 44:22 where the Psalmist is upset and complaining over the persecution that is happening to the people at the time.
• This is a quote of Psalm 44:22 to show that such trials have always been a part of the life we live, but these trials never separated us from God. Even though the saints of old suffered at the hands of evil men, they were still the object of God’s love.
• The phrase “FOR YOUR SAKE” in Ps 44:22 gives the picture of Israel suffering not because of their sin, but because of their faithfulness to God.
• In verse 35 of Romans we see people being persecuted, but this is not a sign of God’s disapproval of them. They suffered because they were objects of God’s love.
• Psalmist does not understand what is happening and is complaining about the circumstances, but Paul is not doing the same here.
• Paul exhibits a sense of rejoicing. With the help of Jesus, bad trials can be turned to good.
• Not only can bad times glorify God, but we are told that through Jesus we can not only conquer the things listed in verse 35, but we can be more than conquerors!
• Not only are our adversaries void of the power to separate us from the love of God, but their opposition is turned to a badge of honor, enhancing the power of our victory through Jesus. It may look like things are against us, but they are not!
• Bad circumstances can make us think we are not being loved by God, but instead we are enabled by Christ to have victory upon victory through Him.
• SLIDE #9
• Romans 8:38–39 (ESV) 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• SLIDE #10
III. We can enjoy freedom from the fear of any potential problems. (38-39)
• In verses 38-39 we have the grand conclusion to this section of Romans.
• Paul gives some personal commentary to this section. He is completely convinced of the love of God for those who are saved. Paul faced a lot of hard times because he belonged to Jesus, yet He did not question God’s love, Paul lived a life without fear!
• Paul lists 5 potential problem areas in life to illustrate that NO potential problems are to be feared!
• SLIDE #11
A. No condition of existence.- Life of death! Death is a fear most people have, yet death will not separate us from Jesus! Life is mentioned also to include EVERY possible circumstance in life which ends in death. This illustrates the strength of Jesus’ love for us!
B. No beings.- Angels or principalities. Paul is saying that no supernatural created being, good or evil, can sever our relationship to Christ.
C. No time frame.- Present or future. Everything we have experienced and have yet to experience.
D. No powers.- nothing in the way of powers of forces
E. Nothing in space.- Heights or depths. This refers to the high point or zenith of a stars path and the depth- or low point of its path. This refers to the beginning and the end of the Christians path!
F. Nothing in all creation. This adds an exclamation point to this section!
• I do not care what you are facing, who you are facing, or what you have faced or done in your life; you need not have fear if you belong to Jesus!
• Some of you do not feel loved by God because of your past, some of you do not feel loved by God because of a situation you are facing, and some of you do not feel loved by God because of bad things other people have done or are doing to you.
• In Christ we have no fear!
• Many of our fears spring forth from ignorance. One thing can know that should help dispel any fear you are living with, Jesus LOVES you and He wants to be with you for eternity!
CONCLUSION
• Do you want to have no fear of the future? Do you want to know where you are going when this life is over?
• Are you walking through what seems your valley of the shadow of death alone?
• Today is the day to change that!
