If you are a follower of the Christ, ...... you know... ...that your life should be filled ... Filled ... with joy.
You probably also know ...... that you should experience joy ... in spite of ... circumstances.
The Scriptures clearly teach us... that the joy of the Lord ... is our ... strength.
And that God given ... spiritual joy ......is present ...no matter ... the circumstances.
A Joy ... that if properly nourished ...and if properly nurtured, ...can overwhelm ... Even the greatest grief.
When Jesus prays to the Father in John's telling: He is direct, ...I pray that... "they may have the full measure of my joy... within them." (John 17:13),
And in the proceeding Chapter, ... Jesus proclaims a spiritual truth ... to his disciples, "You Will Rejoice. And no one ... will take away ...your joy" (John 16:22).
No one ... No person... No thing ...can take away ...your Joy!
Beloved... What a Promise!
Jesus is speaking these words to his disciples, ... who are going to be ... persecuted.
They are going to be robbed ...of everything they own, ...tortured, ...and most ... put to death.
Yet Jesus promises to give them Joy ... A joy that will withstand ......all of that.
Nothing ... not disease ... not persecution... alienation ...loneliness ... torture or even death... will be able to take this gift of Joy ...away from them.
Do you have that kind of joy ... in your life?
Are you experiencing ... that kind of Joy?
You should be ... You can be!
In Romans 8 ... Paul speaks about living in ... a suffering world.
He speaks of A world ... that is marked by brokenness ... trouble ... persecution.
And ...how followers of the Christ are to live... in such a world.
Then from Our Text ... From Romans 8:28 On ...... The Scriptures offer two major principles ...for finding joy ... in a suffering world.
The two principles are these: ......
(1 Finger) our bad things ......which are bad things ... Work together for good,
(2 Fingers) and our good things ... are transforming ... and cannot be lost. REPEAT
Beloved...Those are ... reasons... For ... joy. For unending ...spiritual Joy.
(One Finger) First Principal... Our bad things ...which are bad things...work together for good.
Hear again God's Word BIBLE "We know that all things ... work together for good ...for those ... who love him." END (Romans 8:28)
The Scripture speaks to......All Things.
All Things... (Slow) The Good... The Bad ... The Ugly.
All things happen ... to followers ... of the Christ.
All Things happen .... to those who love him.
Remember Jesus words to his followers ...BIBLE Your Father who is in heaven ...makes his sun rise on the evil ... and on the good, ......and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. END (Matthew 5:45)
Circumstances ... that befall a believer ...are no worse ... and are no better .... than they are... for anyone else.
It is extremely important for us to understand this ... in order for us to fully experience ... God's relentless ... and unwavering... joy.
Terrible things happen... Ugly things happen ... Even to those ... who are in Christ... Who love God.
Many Christians openly teach......and sadly most Western Christians implicitly believe......
That if you love and serve God, ...then you will not have as many bad things happen to you... As those ... who are non-Christians.
But...That is ... just not true!
That is not what the Scriptures ... teach us.
Horrible things ...can and will happen ... to followers of the Christ.
And believing in ...and loving & serving God ......will not stop them ... from happening.
The same things ... that happen to everyone else in the world... will also happen ... to those ...who love God.
In our Text... Paul is clear... He says, "All things" and he means ...... all things.
The Scriptures go on to state this marvelous promise Hear God's Word: BIBLE "What then will separate us from the love of Christ? (7 Fingers) Will hardship, or distress or persecution, or famine, or nakedness or peril or sword?" END (Romans 8:35-39)
Beloved... These seven events ... are not good things... They are terrible things.
Paul is saying ... these things can ... and will happen ... to those ... who love God.
Hardship ... Distress ... persecution ... famine... nakedness ... peril and sword ... will ... befall believers.
It is imperative ... That we grasp this.
Yet ... Praise God ... when good comes forth ... when spiritual joy is at hand ... It is because of ... God.
God making ... all things come together ... for Good.
Notice Paul does not say, ... "Things ...work together for good."
Beloved ... Things ... on their own...... (Slow) never work together for good.
Rather, ... if good happens, ... if good appears ... it is because ... God is working it ... together.
Earlier in Romans 8, ... Paul discusses how things of the world ... fall apart.
They fall apart ... because the world is burdened with evil ... and filled ... with sin.
Things ... are subject to decay.
Every Thing ... made on this earth ... is subject to decay.
(Point to Chest) Even our fleshly body ... will Decay.
Every One ... Every Thing ... will eventually ... experience decay; ...that is the nature ... of All things.
But when we experience love ...... when someone comes along side of us ... and shows us grace.
When someone loves us ......in spite of ... all our flaws ... and shortfalls ... it is because God ...... is bringing ......all things together!
God is ...... holding it up.
Everything ... Everything that goes well ... Everything that is good ... is a miracle of grace.
Although ... bad things do happen, ...God works them together... for good. (Pause)
Now ...This verse ......does not promise ... that those who love God ...... will have better circumstances ... than those ... who do not love him.
Nor does this verse imply ... that bad things ...are actually ... good things ...in disguise.
Rather, ... it acknowledges ... that these are bad things.
The Scriptures are not saying ... hardship, distress persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword are good things.
In fact, ....it is Quite the opposite.
The promise is ... that these bad things ... will not separate us ... from the love ...of God.
Yet ... we do have the promises ... that they are working for good... for those... that love him.
That means ...... God will work them ......to good effect ...in the life ... of a believer. (Long Pause)
The story of Jesus standing before the tomb of Lazarus ... is an endless source ... of insight.
The Scriptures tell us ... that just before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead ... that he ... Jesus was troubled.
And some theologians describe this trouble-ness as righteous anger.
I am convinced... That Jesus was not happy... Jesus was not smiling ... As He was about to raise Lazarus ...from the dead.
Beloved ... He was weeping.
John's Gospel is clear ... Jesus is weeping. (John 11:35)
Yet ... Why?
Jesus was about to raise him from the dead.
Why was he ... weeping?
Because death is not a good thing... Death entered the world through sin ... Death is a bad thing!
I am convinced ... that Jesus was weeping at the tomb, ... because the bad thing he is about to work together for good ... is truly bad.
Lazarus was being raised from the dead... and would be called ... to face death ... once again.
The Scriptures are clear... Death is our enemy.
The story of Lazarus ... does not give us an unrealistic view ... of suffering.
It is not saying bad things ... are really blessings in disguise ......or that every cloud ... has a silver lining.
God's Word never says anything ... like that!
God will give bad things ......good effects..., but they are still ... bad things.
Jesus' anger and tears ... at the tomb of Lazarus illuminates ... that our Lord ... hates death.
He also hates ... loneliness, ... alienation, ... pain, and suffering.
Jesus hates it all so much ......that he was willing to come into this world ......and experience it all.
So that eventually ... he could destroy it ... without destroying us.
The promise is not ... that if you love God, ... only good things ... will happen in your life.
The promise is not ... that if you love God, ... bad things are not ......really bad.
The promise is ......that God will take the bad things, ... all things ... and he will work them for good ... in totality.
Keep in mind that the verse says ... all things ... work together for good.
Hear me on this ...That does not mean that when something bad happens, ......we can decide to give God a week ... to show us how the situation ...is going to work ...... for good.
In fact, ... do not wait a month.
Do not wait a year.
Do not wait a decade.
The promise is not ... for a month ... or a year ... or a decade.
The promise is not ... that we will even see how every bad thing in our lives ... works together ...for our good.
One of the main reasons ... Christians are continually overthrown or become discouraged ... is not because bad things happen to them.
For most ... their discouragement ... their despondency ... is due to the shock ... that anything bad ......could even ... happen... to them.
Do you see the distinction?
They are shocked ... that something bad happened to them... at all.
We have all heard these words of despair, ... "This isn't how it's supposed to be."
We may even hear others say...... This isn't fair I am a Christian ... life should be better than this ... for me,"
Yet Beloved ... that is not what God's promise is... to us.
Some ... Mostly those who are young in the faith... feel that if I love God, ... if I am a Christian Then I should have more good circumstances ...More good things happen to me... then those who don't love him.
But that is not ... God's promise.
Until you understand ... what the promise is, ... you are going to be continually shocked ......continually discouraged and even ... overthrown.
Our bad things... which are bad things... Work together for good.
I know I spent some time on this first point ... but far too many Christians ... especially those young in the faith ... are often times overthrown ... when bad things happen to them.
(One Finger) So ... Our bad things... which are bad things... Work together for good.
(2 Finger) And Secondly... our good things ... are transforming ... and cannot be lost.
If you have been a Christian for any period of time, ...you know that Romans 8:28 ...is a very famous verse.
People use it ... all the time.
It is what some call ... a "blessing box" verse.
A blessing box ... is a collection of verses ... that are often taken out of context ... and stated without concern ... for what came before ... and what came after ... the verse.
It is a ... feel good, ... so you use it.
Some people use Romans 8:28 to assure themselves ......that when bad things happen, ... then surely ... good things will follow.
They might think, ...... "I didn't get into the grad school I wanted ... but that's because there's a better grad school ... for me somewhere."
Or ... "I didn't marry the girl or guy I wanted to marry, ... so that means ... there's a better one for me somewhere."
That is not God's ... promise.
Our God works far deeper ... well beyond life's circumstances.
There is a little word between verses 28 and 29 in Romans that indicates ... the verses go together.
The little word is "for". Hear God's word: BIBLE "All things work together for good for those who love God who are called according to his purpose, For ... those he foreknew he also predestined ... to be conformed into the likeness of his Son." END (Romans 8:28-29)
God does not promise you ... better life circumstances...... if you love him.
He promises you ... a better life.
Grad school and marriage ... are circumstances.
Beloved ... The Scriptures are speaking to a joy ... a peace ... a life ... that goes beyond ... beyond life's circumstances.
How dare we ... interpret verse 28 as a joy ......that is dependent on things ... Upon circumstances!
Beloved: ... Jesus Christ did not suffer ... so that you would not suffer.
He suffered ... so that when you suffer, ... you will become ... like him.
The Gospel does not promise you... better life circumstances; ...... it promises you ... a better life.
All Things ... work together for Good for those who love him...
Why? ... (Slow) So that we will be conformed ... into the likeness of His Son.
All Things work together for Good ... for those who love him ... in order ... to be refined ... into the likeness Jesus.
To reflect ... the likeness of Jesus.
In our text ... Paul uses the word ... predestined.
He is not introducing this word ... to confuse you.
He does not intend to explain the doctrine of predestination ...... or address the issues that arise ... when the word ... is mentioned.
He uses this word ... to comfort you.
Beloved ... Something that is predestined ... is ...fixed.
What Paul is saying ... is that if you love God, ......you can count on A promise ...... that is absolutely fixed, ... that will not ... change.
So, what is it ... that is predestined?
That those who love Him ... Will be conformed ... to the image ... of Jesus.
That is what is ... predestined.
The Greek word here is morpha, ... from which we get the word me-ta-mor-pho-sis.
Paul is saying ...... that God promises ...... to "me-ta-mor-pho-size" ... Us.
He promises to change ...... (Slow) our very inner essence ......into the very inner essence ...of Jesus.
To be a Christian ... To be a follower of the living God ... is to become passionately in love ... with the nature of Jesus.
If you love God, ...... everything that happens in your life ... will be used ... to refine you ... to mold you, ...sculpt you, ... polish you, ... and shape you ...into the image ... of his Son.
God is taking ... All life's circumstances ...the good ... the bad ... and the ugly ... and working them together ... (Slow) for this good.
The Good ...... is our transformation ... Our Me-ta-mor-phism ... into the image ... of Christ.
He is making you ... like His Son.
He will give you ...Christ's incredible compassion ...
He will give you ...Christ's incredible courage.
God is working everything ... everything that happens in your life ... toward that magnificent end... That magnificent good.
It is predestined.
It is guaranteed.
And Beloved ... It gets even better.
One of the most astounding things in Romans 8 is this:
Hear God's promise: BIBLE "And those whom he predestined, ... he also called; ... and those whom he called, he also justified; ... those whom he justified, he also... glorified." END (Romans 8:30)
Glorified ... is in the past tense.
Shouldn't the Scriptures state , ... "The ones he foreknew he predestined, and justified, and will glorify"?
The Greek word is clear... the translation is correct ... You are glorified.
This transformation into Christ ... is so absolutely certain ... That the Scriptures speak of the glorification ... as an accomplished fact ... You are Glorified!
It is in the past tense ... Why?
Because ... Beloved (Slow) it is as good ... as done.
God... is not going to let anything in life ... get between you ... and that end.
You are predestined ... Predestined to be conformed into the image of Christ.
The minute you are born again, ... you have intimacy with God.
You have an ... unconditional relationship.
You become beautifully and spiritually rich ... in him.
The more you live out who you are in Christ, ... the more you become ... like him.
BIBLE "All things work together for good for those who love God who are called according to his purpose, For ... those he foreknew he also predestined ... to be conformed into the likeness of his Son." END
Beloved ... take heart in God's promise to all who submit to the Lordship of Jesus:
For Neither death, nor life, nor any "Thing" else in all creation, .... will be able to separate us ... from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
And all God's People said
Amen!
This Message is based off a Sermon by Dr. Tim Keller Titled " The Cristian's Happiness" and I commend it to you.
Help: I retired in November 2017 and am attempting to supplement my income by sharing on Sermoncentral. If this Message has been helpful to you, please consider a nominal donation: Send to The Rev. Jeff Smead 11725 Regent Park Drive Chardon Ohio 44024. Blessed To Be A Blessing
Dear Reader: So I can better help you, if this Message was not helpful and you rated it low, Please let me know what it lacked or why it was not helpful. You can search by contributor Smead (Constructive Criticism is very helpful) and contact me there. Blessings in Christ. Jeff
