KNOCKED DOWN, BUT NEVER KNOCKED OUT
Rom. 8:31-39
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. I’m sure most of us have some kind of plans for the 4th of July. Many have gone camping, to the beach, and plan to watch some fireworks.
2. Sheila Settler is a school bus driver and likes to chat with the children while everyone’s getting on board. On the last day of school before the holiday, she asked one seven-year-old boy if he had any plans for the break.
3. "No," he replied. "I'm going to stay home and become a potato couch." (Reader’s Digest)
4. Farmer have speculated that the children of couch potatoes should be called “tater tots!”
B. ROCKY AND US
1. Last year (2015) the latest “Rocky” movie “Creed” (7th) came out. In it Rocky trains the son of his former opponent, Apollo Creed. Rocky helps "Hollywood Donnie" Creed defeat "Pretty" Ricky Conlan.
2. Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) is famous for his ability to look totally beaten, yet come back when his opponent’s victory seems sure. Rocky also overcame Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, the huge Russian Ivan Drago & Tommy Gunn.
3. Rocky is the poster child for being “knocked down, but never knocked out.”
4. Like Rocky, Christians, too, are in a fight — a veritable knockdown, drag out with the world, trials & bad circumstances, our own fallen natures, and the devil.
5. Although we, at times, are nearly knocked down, God’s Word assures us we are never knocked out.
C. PROMISE OF VICTORY
1. Because of persecution, first-century Christians often fought diligently for physical and spiritual survival. Such hardships caused them to wonder if their newfound faith would be defeated.
2. In Romans 8, Paul assured them that though they may have been nearly knocked down, they will be victorious.
3. By careful examination of this passage, we too can gain the assurance of knowing that victory is ours even in the most threatening situation.
D. TEXT
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He 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? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who 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. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither 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. Rom. 8:31-35, 37-39.
“We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out.” 2 Cor. 4:9 Common English Bible.
I. WE ARE NEVER KNOCKED OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE ULTIMATE POWER (v. 31).
A. EARLY CHRISTIANS Vs. ROME
1. There were crucial moments in Paul’s life where His belief in God was severely tested. Like at Lystra (Acts 14:19), where Paul was stoned by the townspeople and left for dead. Paul had just been preaching the Gospel and healed a cripple; how could God let this happen? Was the devil stronger than God?
2. We feel defeated when we are wronged even when we’re doing the right thing. Paul assured the Roman Christians that no enemy has greater power than Almighty Power!
3. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The logical answer is “NO ONE!” ; no one can defeat US because God is the ultimate power.
B. NOBODY BIGGER(ILLUS.)
1. An old country preacher was challenged by a highly educated agnostic. The skeptic asked, “Why do you Christians constantly claim victory in the battle for eternity?”
2. The old preacher replied: “Well, Son, it says in the beginning of my Bible that God was in charge when time started up. Then I flips over to the end of my Bible and reads that God will be in charge when time runs down.
3. So I figure that twixt the beginning and twixt the end weren’t nobody else big enough to whoop ‘em.”
C. US & OUR PROBLEMS
1. At times, we all feel like we’re fighting against powers which are too great to defeat. How can we defeat forces strong enough to overturn the moral structure of our nation, wreck marriages, and bring so many hardships?
2. All down through history, there have been temporary victories of darkness: communism, fascism, war, immorality, persecution. But God has always brought down the wicked and brought the Church out Victoriously.
3. Like Moses told the Israelites, “[God] brought us out from [Egypt] to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors” Deut. 6:23.
4. God didn’t save you to let you falter & founder, He saved you to bring you into Heaven victoriously! “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
II. WE ARE NEVER KNOCKED OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE UNLIMITED SUPPLY (v. 32).
A. SUPPLY LINES
1. Some people say to me, "Oh, Pastor Gaston, pray for me! The Devils after me; he's got me whipped down! He's trying to afflict my body. I hope I don't fall into sin. If I can just make it to heaven, that's all I could ask!"
2. Come on Church! How big is your God? Is your God just a deity you leave at church on Sunday who can't hear or see?
3. NOT ME! My God is the Maker of the Stars; He causes the Wind to blow and the Sun to shine, He orders the future and has all power and infinite resources.
4. If your God is small, He won't ask much of you -- just to visit church occasionally, and not sin greatly. But you can't expect much from Him.
5. BUT IF YOUR GOD IS THE LIVING GOD, THE GOD OF MOSES AND ELIJAH,
a. He may tell you to part an ocean, to raise someone from the dead, or to walk on water, or to open someone's eyes.
b. But the flipside is, you can expect great things from Him too! [He will Fellowship with you, walk with you, converse with you, etc.]
B. GOD WILL PROVIDE
1. Many times in the Bible, people lacked resources, but kept their faith in God and saw Him come through. God is Jehovah-Jireh, “God who Provides.”
2. The prophet’s widow who owed a great debt saw God provide. Israel, when invaded by powerful armies, trusted God to save them & He did. Men who stood for God were threatened with death – but God saved them.
3. In verse 32, Paul reminded the Romans of God’s unlimited supply. He says, “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?
4. Paul reasons that if God gave us His only Son, then there’s nothing in heaven or on Earth that God won’t give us. We need to ask in faith. We need to lay hold of Him to provide it.
5. James said, “The effectual fervent prayer…” (KJV) or “The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results.” James 5:16 TLB.
III. WE ARE NEVER KNOCKED OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE UNENDING FORGIVENESS (vv. 33-34).
33 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who 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.”
A. WEAK FOUNDATION OF FEELINGS: ILLUSTRATION
1. A woman went to church wanting to be saved. The speaker quoted Isa. 53:6 and asked her to simply take God at His word & depend on Jesus for her salvation.
2. She went home rejoicing, but the next morning came downstairs with tears in her eyes. Her little boy, who’d been with her at the church asked, “What’s the matter?”
3. She said, “Last night I felt like I was saved, but not now.” He said, “Momma, get your Bible and turn to Isa. 53:6.” She did. “Momma, is that verse still there?” “Yes,” she said.
4. “If the verse is still there and you laid your sins on Jesus last night, then your sins are still there too!” She quit depending on feelings and started depending on God’s Word.
B. HARD TIMES
1. Hard times come to everybody.
a. Our personal walk – dry, dead, out of touch.
b. We have things that go wrong: sick, job, separation.
c. A Catastrophe may happen.
d. We feel that “God has abandoned me.” NO!
2. Paul went through many terrible events –beaten, stoned, ship wrecked, jailed, betrayed & persecuted. But he still had total faith that God was with him!
3. “All things work together for good to those who love God…” Rom. 8:28. Nothing should shake our confidence in Christ’s forgiveness!
4. ILLUS. A Scottish preacher named McLeod Campbell was asked by a friend, “Tell me, how do you know that you have always got a hold of God?”
5. He answered, “I don’t always know I’ve got a hold of God. But I DO ALWAYS KNOW that He always has a hold of me!”
IV. WE ARE NEVER KNOCKED OUT BECAUSE WE HAVE UNSWERVING LOVE (vv. 35, 37-39).
A. THE BEST MOTIVATION
1. HUMOR. We all learn about love different ways.
a. Allison Stein told how her family was horrified when her youngest sister arrived home from elementary school one day and informed them she knew how to French-kiss.
b. She wanted to demonstrate, and she kissed my mother-first on one cheek, then the other. “There!” she stated proudly. “That's how the French kiss! readersdigest
2. Love is one of the most powerful motivators in the world. Many battles have been fought against seemingly undefeatable foes and won, because of love for country, family, or king.
3. Paul said that he was “pepeismai”(peitho) “persuaded” of the love of God. He became “convinced against his former
belief, he was won over, he experienced a change of mind” that God does indeed love us with an unstoppable love!
4. We are plagued by cruel events of this world, poor self-images, lopsided understandings of Scripture and God’s nature, so that we don’t see God’s true feelings toward us.
5. But God has unveiled – pulled back the curtain – displaying before the world His love in all its matchless tenderness and grandeur. Paul describes it as having breadth and length and depth in height (Ephesians 3:18).
6. “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!” Rom. 5:7-8.
7. WOW! What love!
B. NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US
1. In vss. 38-39, Paul casts his mind around to envision the nine most powerful forces in the universe and discusses how none of them can ever separate us from the love of God.
2. Not even Death, or Angelic beings, nor Time, nor Distance, nor “anything else in all creation shall be able to separate us from the love of God.”
3. Paul’s crowning statement: “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Vs. 37). The Greek actually says, “CONQUERORS OF ALL.”
4. God is on your side! He’s planning all things out to eternally bless you. Now you must develop trust during this veil of tears. That trust will equip you to reign with Him throughout eternity!
CONCLUSION
We’re going to hear the story of a great Christian who had a series of catastrophes happen to him. His overcoming of those events is an inspiration to us on handling contradictory circumstances. See how God brought him victory.
A. IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
1. VIDEO, 4:47 total length
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvq3pYsHidA
2. VIDEO (start at 1:47)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C0tiEVRIvs
It does the song “It Is Well With My Soul.”
[IN THE EVENT OF NO INTERNET, HERE IS THE STORY:
In the mid 1800’s there was a successful attorney in Chicago named Horatio Spafford. He was a successful and godly man. Also, he was a close friend of D.L. Moody, the great evangelist. In 1871, Spafford went through several tragedies. His only son, 4 years old, died of scarlet fever. Then his real estate investment was totally wiped out during the great Chicago Fire. Wanting to get things together, Spafford planned a trip to Europe with his family, and that trip was going to coincide with an Evangelistic crusade of D.L. Moody. At the last minute, a business development delayed him, so he sent his family as scheduled, and he was going to catch up with them later.
However, the ship that his wife & 4 daughters were on collided with an English vessel, and it sank in just twenty minutes. All four of his daughters drowned. His wife survived though and was taken to Wales. From there she sent Horatio a telegram with the words, “Saved alone.” Right away he boarded a ship to meet her. The captain knew his sorrow, so as they were traveling, he stopped the boat over the place Spafford’s daughters had drowned.
Spafford didn’t understand why all this had to happen. But that day He trusted in the Sovereignty of God. And as that ship was stopped, it was there that “sorrows like sea billows roll” and it was there that he knew God “regarded his helpless estate” and all he could say was “It is well, It is well with my soul.” This experience led him to write probably the most inspirational song in hymn books today.]
B. ALTAR CALL
1. How many are not experiencing the peace of God this morning but you would like to have it, please raise your hands.
2. How many of you have a crisis in your life, maybe some brokenness, and you need God to do a healing work in you?
3. How many of you want to know that God loves you, signify that by raising your hands.
4. All who’ve raised your hands, please come to the altars. Prayer partners will pray for you.
