Rom 8:14-18 (outline)

[Announce the Text] Please turn with me to Romans 8:14-18.

[Help those unfamiliar with the Bible to find it] Romans is located in the New Testament. You have Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and then Romans. If you see 1 and 2 Corinthians, then you have gone too far.

[Scripture Introduction] What is it like being a child of God when life is hard. What is God’s posture in those moments?

[Read the Text] 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:14-18 ESV)

[Prayer for Illumination] Let’s pray . . .

[Introduction] Antwone Fisher

Foster child in Cleveland Ohio

Abusive Foster Family - Foster Mother - Babysitter

The world was a scary place - controlled by fear

[COR]

Paul writes this letter to the Christians in Rome who also had many reasons why they could be controlled by fear. It was not safe to be a Christian in Rome in the first century.

Because Christians had a loyalty other than Rome, and because they served other God’s than Rome, the Romans were scared of Christians. They knew that they could not control them so they tried to wipe them out.

Christians were sometimes tortured and killed for their faith - sometimes as entertainment for the Roman elite.

were often ridiculed for their strange new religion and not respected

Like Antwone Fisher, the Christians and Rome to whom Paul writes had many reasons they could have been controlled by fear.

“God has left us, we are abandoned orphans.” They could have lost all courage, given up, or lived lives controlled by fear.

Romans 8:14–15 (ESV)

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons,

[apologetic Moment] why sons and not daughters?

Galatians 3:28–29 ESV

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

The point of this verse is that they do not need to be controlled by fear, because they are sons of God - sons of the one who controls all things, the one to whom the Roman emperors must bow their knee.

Even though their trials were legitimately terrifying, they need not fear for their God is even bigger.

[FCF] Do we ever let fear control us?

Perhaps we are afraid of not measuring up - neglecting family and cheating

We might be afraid of the political climate - quarrels

Perhaps we are afraid to be lonely - unhealthy relationships

[Garden Lens]

But Paul reminds the Romans, and he reminds us, that we are children of God. In this secure relationship, in which our Father is the all powerful God, we have security and confidence to live boldly in this life.

[Big Idea]

If I could summarize this sermon in one sentence, it would be the following:

As Children of God, we can suffer into glory because...

1. Our Father hears us (15b)

2. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our adoption (16)

3. Jesus suffers with us (17-18)

[repeat]

As you see, this is a beautiful portrait of our triune God.

1. Our Father hears us (15b)

Let’s look at this first aspect of what it means to be children of God, that our father hears us

Romans 8:15 ESV

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

As sons and daughters of God, we can cry out to him, and he hears us!

[Apologetic Moment] experience is with your earthly father, some of you may have a hard time imagining God as father.

Some of you might feel pain and insecurity when you think of Fatherhood rather than love and security. If this is the case, I am really sorry for the pain you must feel.

take the courage to consider God as a good father, even if that seems like an oxymoron, because you need a Father who hears you in order to live confidently as a Christian in this world.

Our Father hears us, even if we are not used to being heard. He hears us.

Paul says that through the Spirit, we cry “Abba Father”

[Illustration] Mateo

In the security of his relationship with his father, the pain seemed so small compared to his big dad

This is the kind of dependence that God wants us to have with him. He wants us to approach him with our fears and pains. No pain is too small, he doesn’t expect us to grow up and deal with life on our own. He wants us to stay small, like little children, and call out to him without shame. Our Father hears us.

[illustration 2] We see this dynamic in the relationship of Jesus and the Father.

Mark 14:36 ESV

36 And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

In this very dark moment for Jesus, he was able to be small before his father.

Dependence is not a bad thing. We might feel uncomfortable with it, we want to be strong and figure out life on our own

but we can’t make it on our own. We weren’t created to do that. We were created to live as Children of God - fully dependent on Him.

[Application] like Jesus, I ask for the situation to change.

Notice that the solution to our fear is not situational but relational!

God does not take us out of scary situations, but he gives us himself as a Father to whom we can cry “Abba Father”.

The Spirit of Slavery is not replaced by a Spirit of comfort and ease, but a Spirit of adoption by whom we cry “Abba Father”

The solution to our fear is not situational but relational - Our Father hears us.

As Antwone Fisher grew up,

Who will cry for the little boy? - Lost and all alone.

Who will cry for the little boy? - Abandoned without his own?

Who will cry for the little boy? - He cried himself to sleep.

Who will cry for the little boy? - He never had for keeps.

Who will cry for the little boy? - A good boy he tried to be.

Who will cry for the little boy? - Who cries inside of me.

Antwone is morning fatherlessness. no one knows his pain because no one listens to our cry.

We have a Father who knows our pain. We have a heavenly Father who listens to us as a good father listens to his dear child.

Psalm 68 describes God as the Father of the Fatherless who settles the solitary in a home.

If you are fatherless, biologically or spiritually, if you do not know God as your father, then I encourage you to consider God’s invitation to you, to be his son and to find a home by him.

If you are God’s child, then find your home by Him. Cry to him because he hears you!

[Transiton] Our sonship is necessary for our confidence and boldness as Christians. Since our Identity as God’s children is vital to our survival as Christians, Satan will often try to convince us that we are not really God’s children.

As Children of God, we can suffer into glory because...

1. Our Father hears us (15b)

and

2. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our adoption (16)

Lets look now in our Bibles at verse 16

Romans 8:16 ESV

16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Do you guys ever have times when you doubt your faith?

Doubt is a part of the Christian life and growth. It’s not good but I do think it is common. If it were not common, the Holy Spirit would not need to continually remind us of our adoption as this verse describes.

In Romans 7, Paul describes this battle that goes on between his mind and his body.

He loves the law of God, but his body acts out of his flesh.

He does not do the things he loves but does the very things he hates.

He describes this battle between himself and sin and cries out in Rom 7:24

Romans 7:24 ESV

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Paul seems to doubt his status before God because his deeds and his desires do not match. But Paul is able to say in Rom 8:1

Romans 8:1 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Paul hopes in the truth that he is forgiven, and that God is on a mission to make all things new, even his body that is corrupted.

And Paul could only believe in these things because of the Spirit’s work in his heart.

Paul says that the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit. What does this mean? It means that our spirit plays a part in the demonstration of our adoption.

If we read verse 15 carefully, we see that it is through the Spirit that we cry “Abba Father”. So this cry itself, is a testament to the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts, and therefore a testament to our adoption.

So if you are doubting your adoption, if you are doubting that you are God’s son and doubter, do not ask if you are perfect, ask yourself if you are crying out to God, because you can only do that through the Holy Spirit. Don’t ask yourself if you are perfect, ask if you are dependent on God. Because that is what a child is, a child is dependent on his Father

[Illustration] I grew up playing soccer

This work of the Holy Spirit in our spirit, that causes us to cry Abba Father, is the jersey, it reminds us whose we are.

[application] Hold fast to your identity as children of God and be encouraged that the Holy Spirit will not let us loose this identity. He will continually remind us.

As Children of God, we can suffer into glory because...

1. Our Father hears us (15b)

2. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our adoption (16)

and now we will see that we can suffer into glory because

3. Jesus suffers with us (17-18)

Romans 8:17 ESV

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Paul does not only say that we are children of God, but he takes it a couples steps further. We are not only children, we are his heirs. We are not only heirs, but we are heirs with Christ!

We receive this inheritance through our union with Christ.

We are not only heirs with Christ, we are also people who suffer with Christ.

I used to think that suffering is avoidable.

Brothers and sisters, suffering is a reality for all Christians. Paul says in v17 that we are

Romans 8:17 (ESV)

17 ... heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

There is no inheritance without suffering, and it even seems that suffering plays a necessary part in our future glorification.

The truth is, we live in a world that killed Jesus

why should we follow Jesus? I would like to give two reasons

It is a great honor to suffer with Jesus.

[Illustration] It is an honor to be a soldier in Christ’s army. It is an honor to fight side by side with him. To bring about renewal and goodness as we fight against the powers of darkness.

By giving us the same words to cry out to our Father that Jesus used in the night of his death, Abba Father, Paul is showing our union with Christ. It is an honor to cry out to God with these words that Jesus himself used

Suffering is not a necessary evil - it is something that God redeems for our good.

I used to think that suffering was something that isolates.

Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief.

Jesus understands our pain, not only because he can cognitively understand it, but because he is with us in it.

It is a great honor to take up our crosses and to share in the sufferings of Jesus.

2. The second reason why we should follow Jesus, despite the inevitable suffering, is given to us in verse 18.

Romans 8:18 ESV

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

[Illustration] Our trials are like feathers on a scale.

You might feel overwhelmed with your suffering today. But tomorrow you will be 10,000 more times overwhelmed by the glory of God in the new heavens and the new earth

Maybe you are poor because of the gospel - In heaven you have riches overflowing

Maybe you are lonely and rejected by your family because of your faith - with God you have more brothers and sisters and a sense of belonging than you can imagine

Maybe you are suffer from mental illness - With God you will have complete peace and joy for eternity.

Maybe you are sick or you lost a loved one - God knows how hard this is, and he encourages us to hope in the day with no more crying and no more death.

All of us will be tired - when our inheritance becomes reality, we will find our rest.

let us not be consider ourselves wretched when Jesus says

Matthew 5:10 ESV

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Even though life is hard as a Christian, we should consider it an honor to suffer for righteousness sake.

[Application] As Children of God, We can suffer into glory, because Jesus is with us. It is an honor to be with him in our pain. It will be a greater honor to be with him in glory.

[Conclusion]

As Children of God, we can suffer into glory because...

1. Our Father hears us (15b)

2. The Holy Spirit reminds us of our adoption (16)

3. Jesus suffers with us (17-18)

David, the shepherd king, also understood the God’s presence as his shepherd, and the future glory to come. He writes:

Psalm 23:4–6 (ESV)

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

forever.