INTRO.- ILL.- During quail season in Georgia, an Atlanta journalist met an old farmer hunting with an old pointer at his side. Twice the dog ran rheumatically ahead and pointed. Twice his master fired into the open air. When the journalist saw no birds rise, he asked the farmer for an explanation.
"Shucks," grinned the old man, "I knew there weren't no birds in that grass. Spot's nose ain't what it used to be but him and me have had some wonderful times together. He's still doing the best he can -- and it'd be mighty mean of me to call him a liar at this stage of the game!"
Do you have anyone on your side? Someone who always backs you and believes in you like that old farmer backed his old dog? Sadly, I think perhaps there are more people who believe more in their dogs than they do their friends.
ILL.- Jean Nidetch, a 214 pound homemaker desperate to lose weight, went to the New York City Department of Health, where she was given a diet devised by Dr. Norman Jolliffe. Two months later, discouraged about the 50 plus pounds still to go, she invited six overweight friends home to share the diet and talk about how to stay on it.
Today, 40 plus years later, one million members attend Weight Watchers meetings in 30 countries every week. Why was Nidetch able to help people take control of their lives? To answer that, she tells a story. When she was a teenager, she used to cross a park where she saw mothers gossiping while the toddlers sat on their swings, with no one to push them. "I'd give them a push," says Nidetch. "And you know what happens when you push a kid on a swing? Pretty soon he's pumping, doing it himself. That's what my role in life is--I'm there to give others a push."
How nice it is that people support and encourage one another in something that not only affects their health but also can affect their whole lives. People helping people. People encouraging people. People backing people. But don’t we need even more in life? There are times when friends may fail us or even forsake us and then we some divine intervention and help.
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Truly, our help does come from the Lord whether we realize this or not. If it hadn’t been for His intervention and blessing we wouldn’t be as well off today as we are. We have been protected from evil and the evil one and we have been blessed with good things from God! GOD IS FOR US! He’s not against us, HE IS FOR US!
PROP.- Paul explains how great it is that God is for us and not against us.
1- God is for us - He gave up His son for us
2- God is for us - He graciously gives to us
3- God is for us - He grants victory over all
I. GOD IS FOR US - HE GAVE UP HIS SON FOR US
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died —more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
ILL.- It was their 13th wedding anniversary. The husband, away at a meeting on their special day, called a florist to send a bouquet of 13 helium balloons, with a message of gratitude for the heights to which his wife had inspired him. When the balloons arrived at her door, she had no trouble guessing who had sent them. But the card was something of a puzzle, reading, as it did: “You Make Me Sore.”
What has been your greatest gift in life? And what has been the greatest gift you’ve given to someone: your mate or perhaps your children? In regard to our children, we might think in terms of something material, but in reality, probably the greatest gift we ever gave to our children is when we led them in the way of Christ.
Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
If you bless a child’s life with the Lord, you bless them forever. If you bless them with something material, it’s only a temporary form of kindness. They will forget the material stuff but will never forget that which affects them eternally.
ILL.- One man said: “My father was an elder in our church for many years. When I was a boy, eleven years of age, an evangelist held a series of meetings in our church. One night he asked every Christian to come forward and also asked those who desired to confess Christ to come with them. My father, of course, went up, and, as I felt the call of God, I followed after him. Just as he reached the front he turned around, and seeing me, said, “Johnnie, you go back; you are too young.”
I obeyed him, as I had been taught to do, and at thirty-three I came again, but I did not know what I was coming for as clearly at thirty-three as I did at eleven. The church lost twenty-two years of service, while I lost twenty-two years of growth because my own father, an officer in the church, had said, “Go back.”
The greatest gift any father or any parent can give their child is to encourage them in their faith in Christ. And what is God’s greatest gift to mankind?
John 3:16 is probably one of the most famous verses in the Bible. We learned it in Sunday School or else VBS. I wonder if anyone is learning it today? GOD DID NOT SPARE HIS SON, BUT GAVE HIM UP FOR US ALL! Wow! Could God have given us anything better? I don’t think so.
II Corinthians 8:9 “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”
Jesus gave up His riches in heaven to become poor for us! Do you know of anyone else who would do that for you? Would you be willing to give up all your material things and all your riches for my sake? And would I do it for you? This is what Jesus did for us.
II Corinthians 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
Jesus had no sin, meaning He never sinned like we do. But God allowed Him to trade places with us on the cross. We deserved to be crucified for our sins. We deserved to make a sacrifice of our lives for our sins, but instead, God allowed Jesus to do that for us. He took our place on the cross and we took His place in the sense of being declared righteous before God.
Jesus is the one who did it or made it possible. We had nothing to do with it. It’s about Him and all because of Him!
ILL.- A friend has done me countless favors by fixing some things at our house: he put up a ceiling fan in our bedroom. He hooked up our cable connection to our TV in in the living room and helped me put the TV on our fireplace mantle. He helped me move our older TV and cabinet to the bedroom. He repaired my garage door motor. He put up some window shutters in the kitchen for Elaine. And not only these things, he has also spoiled my grandchildren my taking them fishing and baking them cookies, candy, and buying them soda pop. WHAT DO THINK? BY RIGHTS, I THINK I OWE HIM.
But I owe Jesus a whole lot more and so do you! God is for us. He did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all!
II. GOD IS FOR US - HE GRACIOUSLY GIVES TO US
32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
A Little Sparrow
I am only a little sparrow!
A bird of low degree;
My life is of little value,
But the dear Lord cares for me.
He gave me a coat of feathers,
’Tis very plain I know:
With never a speck of crimson,
For it was not made for show.
But, it keeps me warm in winter;
It shields me from the rain;
Were it bordered with gold and purple
Perhaps it would make me vain.
I have no barn or storehouse;
I never sow or reap:
God gives me a sparrow’s portion,
But never a seed to keep.
If my meat is sometimes scanty.
Close picking makes it sweet;
I have always enough to keep me,
And “life is more than meat.”
I know there are many sparrows;
All over the world they’re found;
But our heavenly Father knoweth
When one falls to the ground.
Though small, we are never forgotten,
Though weak, we are never afraid,
For we know that the dear Lord keepeth
The lives of the creatures He made.
I fly through the thickest forest,
I light on many a spray,
I have no chart or compass,
But I never lose my way.
How amazing are all the creatures that God made and provides for!
Matthew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
God provides for the little sparrows/birds of the world. They don’t worry. God takes care of them but has He not taken even better care of us?
ILL.- Someone wrote this interesting little story called “Enjoying Margin Of Power.” The first time we crossed the Rockies by automobile it was in a 1916-model car. The steep grade called for all that the old motor could offer. The water in the radiator boiled and several times we were stuck. Only by repeated efforts did we reach the top. There was no margin of power. We did not enjoy the mountain scenery under those circumstances.
The second time we crossed the same mountains we had a 1922-model car. In comparison with the first experience, we did well. By employing all available power, we kept going, but the strain under which the climb was made took away much of the pleasure of the trip. A third trip carried us over the same Rockies in a new car. That was different. The motor took the mountain climbs easily. We could stop by the roadside and enjoy the scenery. It required less time to travel the same distance and with that margin of power we enjoyed our travels.
None of us know about traveling in a 1919 automobile and obviously, there is a vast different between that car and what we drive today. There is even a vast difference between what we first drove and what we now drive! We would have never imagined we would drive such fine automobiles with comfort, luxury, and AC! And the same thing is true for our homes. Wouldn’t you say we are blessed by God?
He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? We pretty much have it all. Why should we want for more?
III. GOD IS FOR US - HE GRANTS VICTORY OVER ALL
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We have to overcome many obstacles in life: raising children, work, aging, health problems, etc.
ILL.- Someone said: “Almost every child would learn to write sooner if allowed to do his homework on wet cement.” Raising children can be a hair-raising experience. Most of us experience difficulties with raising our children.
ILL.- I’ve always said that my twin sister is a saint. I don’t think she ever did anything wrong. And I don’t think she ever disobeyed mom and dad, but the same could not be said for me.
And I remember my son complaining one time in the presence of his six year older sister about all the spankings he got when he was little. And he did get plenty, but his sister said, “Shut up, Shane, I got it worse than you did.” And she probably did because she was the first born and we had to practice on her.
But now they are grown, have their own children and are decent, hard-working citizens and Christians! WE HAVE OVERCOME!
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
What is it that you have been able to conquer because of Him? What about overcoming bad habits, youthfulness passions, etc.?
ILL.- One friend told me one that he smoked for 40 years and he said that quitting was the hardest thing he ever did. By the grace, he did quit! What about you? Has the Lord given you victory over anything bad in life? And what about death?
ILL.- In 1846 former president John Quincy Adams suffered a stroke. Although he returned to Congress the following year, his health was clearly failing. Daniel Webster described his last meeting with Adams: "Someone, a friend of his, came in and asked about his health. Adams answered, 'I inhabit a weak, frail, decayed tenement; battered by the winds and broken in upon by the storms, and from all I can learn, the landlord does not intend to repair.'"
Do you ever feel that way? That is, like the great physician is not going to repair your aging body? None of us can do what we once did. BUT WE HAVE OVERCOME! How? Because we look to the Lord and we keep on, keeping on as best we can. We seek the doctor’s help and the great Physician’s blessing. And we recognize that something better is coming. WE SHALL OVERCOME!
II Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
ILL.- Mark Twain said: “I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.” How foolish!
That was his way to convince himself there was no reason to fear death.
- Actor/producer, Woody Allen said, “I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to be there when it happens.” In reality, he does fear death. BUT WE SHALL OVERCOME! The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
CONCLUSION-------------
God is for us. Don’t ever doubt it. Don’t doubt Him. Trust Him. Walk with Him. Trust and obey Him and you’ll discover how much He is for you!
Steve Shepherd, Cape Girardeau, MO
shepherd111@hotmail.com
