More than Conquerors

Introduction:

1. Engage: If Jesus walked into this room, and you could ask him anything, what would you ask him? My bible college professor asked the whole class this question a few weeks ago and it has really stuck with me ever since. I mean, what would I ask Jesus? My mind started racing through the endless possibilities. I might ask him:

“My Lord, what was it like when there was nothing but you?”

“What was it like to create EVERYTHING?”

“Wait, what’s up with the dinosaurs, what happened to them?”

“Did they make it on the ark?”

“What did the Ark smell like?”

“Did the Kangaroos behave themselves?”

“Were humans able to talk to animals?”

“Could all animals talk, or just snakes for some reason?”

“What was it like to become human after eternity with the Father?”

“Why did you wait so long to come to the earth and sacrifice yourself?”

“Why didn’t you come right after Adam and Eve sinned?”

“Why did you put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden if you knew Adam and Eve were going to sin?”

“Why did you send the flood if you knew humanity was going to be just as sinful after it?”

“Why haven’t we been able see you with our own eyes, to know you are here with us?”

“Why has it taken so long for you to come back?”

“How can God’s very own, beloved children, suffer?”

“Why do we get diagnosed with cancer and disease?”

“Why do we get persecuted?”

“Why do we get lied about?”

“Why do we get mistreated?”

“Why do we have car crashes?”

“Why do we have anxiety?”

“Why do we get depression?”

“Why does it seem that death still holds us?”

2. Focus: “Where are you?” “Where are you, Lord, when your children suffer?” That’s probably on the top of the list of questions you and I might ask Jesus. And we aren’t alone.

3. Set the biblical stage: The most godly Christians who have ever lived, have suffered greatly. The apostle Paul suffered. A lot. In 2 Corinthians 11, he lists all the ways he has suffered as an apostle.

2 Corinthians 11:24–28 ESV

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

4. Preview: And that same apostle, in our passage today, shows us how he got through it all. How he endured all that suffering. He shows us where God is. And answers our big questions on why we suffer as God’s children, but most importantly, answers on how we can get through the suffering we experience.

5. Announce the Text If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Romans Chapter 8, beginning at v.18.

I think in our passage, Paul has asked us to consider three truths. And this first one is this

I. Consider Glory

Restatement: When we Christians suffer, our minds must go to the glory that is coming. We have a great hope ahead of us that makes our suffering bearable.

Romans 8:18–25 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.

Explain Text:

So how do we get through our suffering? By looking to the glory of our future eternity with God. Paul begins here by saying that the two are incomparable, our suffering now, and our glory in the future are on completely different levels. We don’t need to compare a grain of sand to a skyscraper. We don’t need to compare a molehill to a mountain. We don’t need compare an ant to an elephant. When we hit our lowest points in our sufferings, and then look at the greatness and majesty and beauty of eternal glory with the Father. We don’t need to compare them. Because we know that our sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that is to be revealed to us.

But that doesn’t make our suffering easy, does it? We wish it did, but it’s not supposed to. If suffering was easy, it wouldn’t be suffering at all. Our sadness at death and suffering is not unholy or immature. Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus suffered with the grieving family. But Jesus didn’t leave Lazarus in the tomb. No, he gave Lazarus and everyone there one taste of the glory that is to be revealed, and all of that suffering, all of that sadness, was turned into intense joy when Lazarus came out of that grave, alive.

So you might be asking, what are we supposed to do then? Do we grieve when we suffer, or do we have joy? I think Paul answers that question here too with an illustration about the creation. The creation is what we would consider to be nature. That part of the created universe that is non-human. And he says that this whole creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Here’s what that means: When Jesus comes back to this earth, the kingdom of God, which we are a part of, will be revealed to the whole universe. And creation waits for this because the all nature has been enslaved and corrupted by sin since the fall. Here are the curses that God pronounced on the earth in Genesis 3.

Genesis 3:17–19 ESV

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Becuase of sin entering the world, curses and death enter the world. And the creation wants the freedom that we now have. We have freedom from curses and death because of the death of Jesus. We have become a new creation. We have become born again. And creation waits expectantly for the freedom that we have been promised. That’s why Paul says that the creation groans with pains of childbirth. Because pain in childbirth is temporary and bearable because of the expectation of joy that comes when a child is born. And in the same way, when those who are born of God, when we are revealed, all of nature will be redeemed.

And in the same way that creation groans with hope, we groan with hope. A hope that makes all suffering bearable, and fruitful. And this hope is this. Our adoption will be complete, we will finally see and enjoy fellowship with our Father in the fullest way, and our dying bodies will be finally and totally redeemed.

Transition: Now that we’ve considered the truth of glory in our suffering, let’s consider the next truth that we find in this passage: #2

II. Consider God’s Plan

Restatement: When we suffer not only must we consider the glory we will have in the future, but we must trust in the God’s plans for us now. Suffering does not derail the salvation and glory that God has planned for us.

Romans 8:26–30 ESV

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.

Explain Text:

The Spirit:

The Golden Chain:

e. Illustrate heading (using micro and/or macro key language)

f. Relevancy (using microand/or macro key language)

g. Transition: ask a question or make comments that wrap up the move and segue to the next move, while tying in sermon focus (using macro key language)

III. Consider God’s Love

a. Restate main heading 1-2x

b. Provide an additional mini-synopsis if necessary (using micro or macro key language)

Romans 8:31–39 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

d. Explain verses (using micro and/or macro key language)

e. Illustrate heading (using micro and/or macro key language)

f. Relevancy (using microand/or macro key language)

g. Transition: ask a question or make comments that wrap up the move and segue to the next move, while tying in sermon focus (using macro key language)

Conclusion

Wrap up message (connect to sermon focus, use key language)