Sermon Tone Analysis
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The love of God
Romans 8:28-39
1. Introduction:
Have you ever doubted that God loves you?
There’s a beautiful photograph by Jean Guichard.
Anyone seen this before?
47 metre high lighthouse called the La jument.
Off the coast of France.
Here you can see it being thrashed by 10-metre waves.
Very full on waves smashing the lighthouse.
But the lighthouse as you can see is this impenetrable structure.
Waves?
No worries.
It can take the pounding of the sea.
The lighthouse remains immovable.
God is not saying to you today in Romans 8:28-39 be strong no matter what struggles suffering wash over you.
No actually as you closer at the lighthouse, there’s a tiny figure of man standing in the doorway.
You’re not the lighthouse.
You’re the person hiding in the safety of this immovable construction.
When Theodore Malgorn, bloke there opened the door of the lighthouse he sees the helicopter as Guichard was taking the shot.
He realises far out the giant wave was about to crash over the structure, he rushes back inside just in time to save his life.
This is the Christian life.
In christ, we are both relaxed, and forever rushing into the safe arms of the loving Father, the faithful Son and the powerful Holy Spirit.
We live this way as we are pounded by the inevitable waves of sin and suffering, until Jesus returns.
He loves us.
As we come to today’s passage, line after line this passage is so comforting.
You do not need to doubt God’s love for you.
why?
Because at the heart of God’s character.
Love.
The Lord of the universe says he loves us.
He does not stop loving us.
He won’t give up no matter what.
How can we know this?
How can he be so certain that God loves us?
We know this because God’s love does not depend on us.
It depends on him.
Two points this morning, God speaks to our heads – know that God is in absolute control and he speaks to our hearts God promises that nothing can separate us from his love.
2. God is in absolute control (8:28-30)
Firstly, God is in absolute control.
Notice how verse 28 starts, we know
This is one of those classic verses you put in a picture frame and hang it on your wall.
We know that for those who love God all things work together for good.
So how do we know?
God’s in control of everything.
Notice, it’s not in some things, not just the good things.
When life a bed of roses.
No, he is in control in all things.
He is in control of the bad things.
When there sickness, during pandemics, and in disasters.
He’s in control.
Feel the weight of that.
This is important.
It’s when life gets hard that’s when you doubt, right?
But he is working for your good.
So what does that say about God? don’t box him in.
yes.
But also, he has a purpose.
He has a plan.
He has intention to bring about good for his people.
even if it looks impossible.
But you go, how can bad things work for good?
How can it be good when Christians are beheaded?
How?
It depends on our definition of good.
My definition is: I want a nice comfortable easy life.
That’s why my parents left Vietnam right.
Good job.
Good education.
Good family.
But that’s not what God’s saying.
That’s not the good.
What is the good?
romans 8:29
Romans 8:29 (ESV)
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,
There’s the good.
He’s making you more like Jesus.
That’s the good.
To be more like Christ.
And that actually means we will suffer in this life.
We live for him.
We will suffer like him.
You see, when the Lord Jesus was betrayed, sold for 30 pieces of silver, whipped mocked, wearing a crown of thorns, suffered incredible evil.
It was the worst of suffering.
But what was God doing?
He was working for the good of those who love him.
What you meant for evil God meant for good.
Jesus brought us forgiveness of sins.
That is the good.
He brought us back to God. he died for us.
And we thank our God for that, don’t we?
God works for the good of those who love him to make us more like Christ.
But to be like Jesus is not even the ultimately goal.
romans 8:29
Romans 8:29 (ESV)
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
God is at work so that we might be more like Jesus – he loves us - so that Jesus will be number 1.
Our lives are not about us.
It’s not.
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