Defining Moments
Romans 8:28-30
August 24, 2014
Morning Service
Life is made up of a series of moments. Some good, some bad and some we rarely think about. Life is simply a series of the daily random events that take place. It seems like most of those moments slip into the void of history and they make little or no impact on the way we live the rest of our moments. Then there are moments that define the remaining moments that we have and they change the way that we experience the new moments in life. These defining moments change the fabric of our lives and they redefine us. Maybe you know exactly what I’m talking about and maybe one of those moments came to mind just now. The reality is that we all have those kinds of moments that reshape the reality of our lives.
These moments may surround an event or a decision. Maybe they are enveloped in happenings that we caused or things that were beyond our control. Some might call them fate, chance, happy random accidents or simply coincidence that changed us. Sometimes we think they are events that happen just by luck or the lack of luck. Somehow all of the stars aligned at just the right time and everything clicked. Perish the thought because there is no such thing as luck or bad luck. There is no mystical reality with planets coming together and things just happen at random.
No every moment of our life has come together at the work of all powerful and all-knowing God who rules the universe. Defining moments come directly from the hand of the almighty. God is at work in the good, the bad and the ugly moments of our lives shaping us into the kind of people that He can use. How on earth can this be? How can God be at work in everything? We can easily see His hand at work in the good things in life. We can easily see how God is working in the moments that we cherish. We can see God in those things that we like but rarely do we see God in the difficulties of life until we are through them.
Let’s take a few moments to think about some defining moments that fill the pages of the Bible.
* Noah deciding to actually build the Ark
* Abraham making the decision to follow God to a new land
* Moses encountering God at the burning bush
* Daniel facing the lion’s den
* Peter hearing the call of Jesus to come follow me
* Mary Magdalene seeing Jesus following the resurrection
* The coming of the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room
* Saul of Tarsus being face to face with Jesus
These are just a few of the various moments that happened in the pages of scripture and maybe our moments are not as dramatic but they impact us in similar ways. We all have moments that help to reshape us into the people Christ desires us to become.
* The moment that you accepted Christ
* The moment you lost a loved one
* The moment a relationship started or ended
* The moment you discovered an illness
* The moment you got a new job or lost one
* The moment you moved to a new area
Defining moments all have one thing in common, they bring change and they leave us different than we were before. Sometimes the difference is minimal and sometimes the difference is vast. The good moments are easy to take and in fact, we often welcome them but what about those moments that are anything but good? What about the moments in life that we would say are just downright bad? What do we do in those moments?
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30
God works through the various moments of our lives to bring us to maturity. God desires for us to grow in our faith to be more devoted disciples of Jesus. He directs us in our relationship with Him so that we might be able to draw closer to God. The reality of life is simple, we will either draw closer to God during difficult times or we will pull away from God during those times.
Sadly, many people struggle in life and the first thing to go is church. Paul makes it clear that everything in life happens to direct us toward becoming more like Jesus. Every experience helps us to grow in God’s grace. We need to understand that life should help us become more and more like Jesus. Many misunderstand the point that Paul is making here. Paul is not saying that everything works out and that we won’t have problems. Instead, God brings something good out of everything we go through.
Suffering will bring pain, loss and sorrow. Nothing changes the fact that life is difficult and everyone has struggles. It is in those struggles that we should become more like Jesus. Paul saw this play out in his own life. Now I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. Philippians 1:12
Our goal should be to make the most of very opportunity that God sends our way. Verse 28 beings with a simple assurance: we know. Paul does not say we think, we hope, we wish but we know. We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.
God works things out for the best for those who love Him. Why does Paul say this? The issue is God’s goal for our lives. We are to further and further grow into the likeness of Jesus. God works in the best interest of those who love Him and gives additional support to those who are His children.
God works on our behalf. It means that God weaves together the fabric of life and creates a beautiful work to display. He makes all things work for His purpose. The Greek phrase here describes the universe. Paul is telling us that God works out everything in the universe to direct us toward the purpose of God. This means that the things we see, things we don’t see, the good and the bad, all things work to help us become like Jesus.
The problem is that it boils down to our choice. We choose to become more like Christ in the midst of our challenges. We choose to allow God to work in our lives or we choose to resist.
God not only chooses to make everything work for us but for it to work for our good. God makes everything to help make us like Jesus. The next time you have difficulty, remember that Jesus did too. The next time you face a challenge, remember that Jesus had challenges too. The next time you deal with difficult people, remember that Jesus did too.
The good that Paul speaks of here is a reflection of God’s character. God moves to make His character transform our character and allows us to be increasingly like the character of Christ. Everything that happens in life is for us to develop the character of God within us.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
God foreknew: Paul is not speaking about future knowledge here like many presume. The word here describes an intimate knowledge that implies a close relationship. It signifies the reality that God knows us on a deeply personal level but the relationship can only be completed if we return the personal aspect. God knows our lives so well that He is able to guide us through our moments towards Himself.
God predestined: Paul is saying that believers are predestined to be conformed into the likeness of Jesus. Our future in Christ is that we will be made like Him. We have been predestined to be like Jesus. The focus is on the word predestined, which means to be set apart. Paul is saying that God has acted ahead of time to ensure that those who follow Christ will be like Him. God is proactive in sending Jesus to die in our place. God is proactive in sending the Holy Spirit. God is proactive in raising Jesus from the dead.
What do we learn here?
1. In every moment, we can trust Jesus
There will be good moments and bad moments along the way. No matter what we go through, we can trust Jesus to bring us through and to help us be more like Him.
2. In every moment, Jesus is with us
In every moment, we are never out of the presence of Christ. He will never leave us and never let us go. We will never go through anything alone, not now and not ever.
3. In every moment, we need Jesus
No matter what moments we have, we need Jesus. We need Him through the good times and especially in the challenging times. There is never a time when we don’t need Jesus.
What kind of moments are you going through? Do you have some difficult moments on the horizon? No matter what we go through we need Jesus. This morning we are going to open the altar and give opportunity to seek the face of Jesus for any moment we face.
