When the bad comes our way, we need to remember Romans 8:28. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Some folks feel that this scripture is teaching that whatever comes your way, you should scream and shout Hallelujah!
Listen, I am all for OPTIMISM.
Illus: Dr. W.T. Watson used to tell this story at Trinity College. There was a preacher who, no matter what bad thing you said had happened to you, had the habit of always saying ‘It could have been worse!’ One day a man in his church decided to put a stop to this and attempted to stump his Pastor at the door after the service.
He told his Pastor, “I had a dream last night,” to which the Pastor replied, “It could have been worse.”
The man went on, “I dreamed I died,” to which the Pastor replied, “It could have been worse.”
“I dreamed I died and went to Hell,” the man stated. The Pastor replied, “It could have been worse.”
He thought he had the Pastor this time. “Pastor, what could be worse than dreaming you died and went to hell?” The Pastor replied, “It could have been true!”
Illus: Speaking of optimism, did you hear about the optimist who said, “I bet on a good horse yesterday, it took 12 other horses to beat him.”
Illus: A large two-engine train was crossing America. After they had gone some distance, one of the engines broke down. "No problem" the driver thought, and carried on at half power. Further on down the line, the other engine broke down, and the train came to a standstill.
The driver decided he should inform the passengers about why the train had stopped, and made the following announcement:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that both engines have failed, and we will be stuck here for some time.
The good news is that you are on a train and not an airplane."
Thank God for optimistic people. But that is not what this verse of scripture is teaching.
Notice, it is teaching that ALL THINGS work together for our good. When the BAD TIMES come, I might not have any idea of what is going on, but I am to put my trust in GOD, WHO KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON. He has promised in His word that it is going to turn out for my good.
Illus: A man and his wife were driving down the highway in the mountains and they stopped at a restaurant to eat. After they ate, they got into their car and they discovered they had a flat tire. Needless to say, the man was somewhat upset because who likes having a flat tire?
After fifteen or twenty minutes had passed, he had the spare tire on and they were traveling again.
After they got down the road about 10 or 15 miles they saw some cars backed up. Rocks on the side of the mountain had broken loose and the highway was covered with large rocks. Their first reaction when they saw the traffic and the road condition was to get upset. But then they realized, if they had not had that flat tire, most likely they would have been covered by that rock slide.
Listen, everything that happens to us is not good, BUT GOD USES EVERYTHING TO WORK TOGETHER FOR MY GOOD! How many times have you seen what seemed like a hopeless situation turn into something good?
Illus: (Humor) A man in this congregation told me that when he married his wife, his mother-in-law was convinced it was the worst thing that ever happened to her. He said, “Years have gone by, and he thinks it is the best thing that ever happen to her.”
I have seen some of the most difficult situations in life turn into something good for people.
In our own life there have been things that happened, that at the time did not seem good but later proved to be the best thing that could have ever happened to us.
Illus: Joseph M. Stowell, tells a story about his childhood. “Growing up in Hackensack, N.J., just across the George Washington Bridge from New York City, provided a variety of experiences for me. One was going to school with some of the rough kids from the neighboring town of South Hackensack. I recall one afternoon, playfully sparring with one of the South side guys and having his punch actually land on my face. The blow jarred one of my front teeth loose. Thankfully, the dentist was able to anchor the tooth again, and I didn’t lose it. In fact, I was better off--the tooth had always been crooked, so the dentist straightened it as he worked. Sometimes the blows of life have a way of taking something crooked and making it straight.”
We have some Bible examples of this.
Illus: How many of you think it would be terrible to be sold into slavery by your own brothers? Then, how many of you think it would be bad to be thrown into prison for something you were completely innocent of, after things seemed to be going well for you?
This all happened to a man named Joseph in the Bible. Later on in his life, Joseph’s brothers thought Joseph was going to get his revenge on them, but Joseph said the following in Genesis 50:20, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”
Illus: When the early church was being persecuted it seemed like a bad thing, but the good that came out of it was the fact that it made the Christians leave Jerusalem and take the gospel to other parts of the world. Acts 8:4, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”
God knows what He is doing. Sometimes He sends BAD THINGS because they eventually will be used for our GOOD. Romans 8:28 is not saying that everything that happens to us is good. It is saying “…all thing work together for good to them that love God…”
Life is filled with GOOD THINGS and BAD THINGS, but the GOOD and BAD that God allows to come our way works for our GOOD.
I. GOD’S PURPOSE IN THE GOOD
Something we generally do not think about in Romans 8:28 is that God has a purpose in the GOOD that comes our way. The words “all things” include the GOOD and the BAD!
But look at Romans 8:28 again, we read, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Look at the word “know” in this verse. “… we KNOW that all things work together for good to them that love God…”
Many folks do not KNOW this. They think only the BAD works together for our good. But not so, God uses the GOOD!
God’s Word says, “all things” and that includes the GOOD and the BAD that comes our way. Many folks do not KNOW THIS!
This may sound strange, but did you know that some folks can handle the BAD better than they can handle the GOOD that God allows in their life?
• When BAD things came into the lives of some folks I have known, THEY DREW CLOSER TO GOD.
• But when GOOD things entered the lives of those same people, they DRIFTED FROM THE LORD!
When GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO US THEY HAPPEN FOR A PURPOSE. His purpose of sending GOOD THINGS into your life was not to lead you away from Him, but to Him!
We are His creation and He wants the GOOD and the Bad that comes our way to BRING GLORY UNTO HIM.
YOU SEE, LIFE IS NOT ALL ABOUT US, IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM.
1 Cor. 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
When GOOD things come our way, we have nothing to boast in, it is GOD WHO SENDS THE GOOD. We can only be thankful for His GOODNESS, AND MARVEL THAT HE WOULD USE SOMEONE LIKE US! IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM!
When GOOD comes, we can’t take the credit, He is the ONE who sent it, and we must make sure He receives all the glory.
• Have you ever succeeded at anything in life?
• Have you ever done a good job at something?
• Have you ever got a great job?
• Have you ever received a hard-earned pay raise?
• Have you ever blessed anyone?
• Have you ever ministered to anyone?
• Have you ever done good to someone?
We need to MAKE SURE that HE WHO SENDS GOOD THINGS GETS ALL THE GLORY!
• It is amazing that when BAD TIMES come, people give God the credit for them
• When GOOD TIMES come, they want to take the credit for themselves
Remember God’s Word says in 1 Cor. 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
When God sends the GOOD TIMES our way, we need to make sure that WE GIVE HIM ALL THE GLORY FOR THE GOOD!
In Acts. 12: 21-23 we read, “And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
Notice, as Herod sat on his throne in his royal robe, delivering a message to the people, they said, “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, “… the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.”
God is not going to allow anyone to rob Him of His glory.
WHEN GOOD COMES, IT IS NOT ABOUT US IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM.
We live in a “me-centered” world, but God is trying to teach us that life is all about Him. Getting to know Him, to love Him and to glorify Him.
Let’s look at the life of David and Goliath again.
• When this young man had to face this big giant, IT WAS BAD!
• But when this young man had to face this big giant, IT WAS ALSO GOOD!
How else could the lost world see that God is a GOOD GOD?
It is a perfect picture of you and I who are NO MATCH FOR SATAN, but when we come to recognize that it is not about us, it is all about Him, then God can use our lives to bring about a victory that will bring honor and glory unto the God we serve.
Some of the best preachers in this nation have come to realize IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT THEM, IT IS ALL ABOUT HIM. They will not enter the pulpit until they ask him to take them as vessels of clay and use them.
Some of the worst preaches are those who think it is ALL ABOUT THEM, and when the congregation leaves, all they have heard is an idiot bragging about himself.
It was such an uneven match between the two of them that if God did not intervene, he would be clobbered.
He realized it WAS NOT ABOUT HIM, it was ABOUT THE GOD HE SERVED!
Some looked at Goliath and said, “That guy is too big to hit!” But David looked at him and said, “The God I serve is so big compared to him, this giant does not stand a chance!”
He saw this as a chance to show these Philistines how big his God was!
Notice, David was not operating on the POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING.
Goliath thought positively.
• Goliath “despised” David (vs.42).
• He “cursed David by his gods.” (vs. 43).
• He threatened David saying in verses 43-44, “Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?… Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.”
There was no doubt in his mind that he could do to David everything he claimed he would do.
When it came to GOLIATH it was all about him. But when it came to David it was all about God.
Goliath was operating on POSITIVE THINKING, David was operating ON FAITH IN ALMIGHTY GOD!
Look at verse 45-47, we read, “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands.”
Maybe David looked back on this great victory when he wrote Psalm 20:7-8, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”
With God’s help, David overcame a giant problem. With God’s help, we can too.
Conclusion:
Have you got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible.
He does the things others cannot do.
Let’s pray.
I. GOD’S PURPOSE IN THE BAD (previous message)
II. GOD’S PURPOSE IN THE GOOD
