The Spirit Intercedes

Geoff Lightsey

God With Us • Sermon • Submitted 2 years ago • Presented 2 years ago

Romans 8:18–30

Holy Spirit

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Scripture

Romans 8:18–30 ESV

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 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. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Intro

Even more than a mother intercedes for her children, the Spirit of God is interceding for you

Suffering of God’s creation

Romans 8:18–19 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”

Two aspects of the suffering of creation

Humanity’s suffering

The earth’s suffering

Humanity’s suffering

Sin

We know where sin leads, death, yet we are tempted by it and fall to it

Sin separates us from God and takes us away from our purpose of relationship with Him

Sickness and death

Death is the result of sin, Paul says, the wages of sin

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sickness is a result of death, our body is not operating as it should

We all must deal with sickness and death and sometimes we bring it upon ourselves

The futility of the world

Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”

Too much pleasure is hollow, too much work is futile, too much learning never ends

Constant work, cleaning, cooking, laundry

Such hatred, bitterness, envy, hopelessness in the world

Such idiocy in politics

Wars that destroy and end lives

I believe in just wars, but the loss of lives is always a travesty

The earth’s suffering

The world was created for us

If we are living under the consequences of sin then the “whole creation” also suffers

I must mention, don’t buy into the “Climate Change” hoax

For 50 years they’ve been saying we only have 10-12 years

None of their predictions have come to pass, false prophets

The solution is fewer people in the world

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Genesis 1:28 “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

That doesn’t mean climate is not changing, it always does

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care for the earth, we most certainly should

I hate seeing the trash in the oceans

I hate seeing the destruction of forests, especially for solar panels

Destruction from wars

Mines in the ocean

Landscapes devastated

I believe the atomic bomb was necessary but also horrible

Subjected in hope

Romans 8:20–21 “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

The creation was subjected to futility, not out of anger or wrath, but for hope

It is for discipline, and discipline is never fun

To point us back to God

Romans 8:22 “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

We groan because it is painful

We groan because we are at a loss of what to do

We groan because it seems the forces are too great to overcome

But we are to never lose hope

Hope is expectation

Romans 8:23–25 “And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

“In this hope we were saved” - the redemption of our bodies

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience”

We will soon be headed to Belize for our mission trip, but we’re not there yet. It will happen so we are in a time of hope, waiting eagerly and patiently for the time to get here.

God didn’t subject creation to futility wishing things would be made right, but knowing that they would, and now we wait for His fulfillment

The Spirit intercedes

Romans 8:26–27 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Another Helper

To help in our weakness

Praying for what we ought

Praying in Jesus’ name

We think we know what is good for us

We are often shortsighted in seeing that God is doing something more

When Paul was on his way back to Jerusalem the believers prophesied well that he would be imprisoned. However, they took that imprisonment as a bad thing and Paul’s only concern was that the gospel would be preached.

The Spirit groans with us

We are not alone

God is also looking forward to that day when all will be made right

The Spirit intercedes for us to pray for what we need not what we want

God is praying for you!

We may doubt in our own prayers but there is no doubt in God’s prayers

God is working for your good

Romans 8:28–30 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 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. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

“All things work together for good”

Not that all things are good, but that God will work it out for you benefit

Trust Him, “I can’t wait to see how God works this out.”

Foreknew, predestined, called, justified, glorified

God is outside of time and is omniscient, all knowing

He has predestined, ordained, worked it out, for you to be saved

We can look at our past and see God’s hand at work even in the hard times and wayward times

You are being shaped into the image of Jesus

He has called you from where you are to His purposes

He has made you right with Him, Justified, “Just-as-if-I’d never sinned”

He has restored your glory

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

God does not simply leave you to your own devices and He certainly doesn’t leave you to be run over by the world. There are definitely times where God uses difficult circumstances, suffering, to humble us so we will run back to Him. In all of that, God is watching over you, praying for you, and calling you to something greater. The whole Godhead is on your side and working for your good.