"Questions That Matter"

St. Patrick

Patrick- Raised in a christian home (Roman Britain) Captured taken to Ireland

Did not believe but Cried out to God when he was hungry, lonely, frightened as he prayed the love of God surrounded him

God answered his prayers walked 200 miles to he Irish coast were a boat was waiting him as God promised

30 years later god called him back to Ireland - He had a love for the people and God used him to convert thousands.

St Patricks day- a story of God’s prevision and love for people who would be deemed lost- a great reminder of God’s plan of grace.

Amazing grace - seem fitting

Quote of the week: Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord - Wait at His door with prayer, Wait at His foot with Humility, wait at His table with service waith at His window with expectancy

Romans 8:31-37

Intro: What is an important question

Nascar- Does this thing have breaks

Emergency Exit Row- Are you willing to Help

Did you use the restroom before we left

In our text we come across the important questions when it comes to our personal realtionship to Christ.

If God is for us who can be against us? (Vs 31-32)

I am aware how quickly we can have a wrong perspective concerning God

That we can earn His love, He is waiting for us to mess up to teach us something, He only loves the people who do good

This question has is relative with righteous living do we understand the extent of God’s love.

Greatest way we learn- in God’s word and a secondary way is through our families- Famalies arent what they used to be- but know God is redeeming all things

Humanity thinks we understand love- we miss it a lot of times, men we truly need to ask the Lord to help us understand how much our spouses and our children love us

I know you are doing your very best to earn their love, I am here to tell you that for most of us we already have it.. stop trying so hard and enjoy it. Yes work hard, yes provide, but also enjoy it.

Wives communicate communicate communicate! Men listen listen listen! Allow the grace of God to cover your marriage, Single individuals embrace God’s love for you, dont rush it!

The answer to this love is seen in Jesus as well as that God will freely give us all things.. God is not holding back what is good for us.

How do we know if it is good for us…

Psalm 34:10 “10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.”

To answer this question look to verse 32

God is with us- the promise

Matthew 1:23 “23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.””

God did not spare His son! God is not against you He has done the completed work to make the only way for you to be reconciled all else is secondary!

Should Satan ever contend with you concerning God’s love for you look the Cross- Chuck Smith

Some of us in here today need to look to the cross Satan and your flesh have been contending with you!

1 John 4:10 “10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

He freely gives to us- God has given us the best His son- every thing else He gives is secondary and this is where righteous living- justified by our faith comes to surface. Do we believe what God gives us is for our best?

2. Who will bring a charge… (vs 33)

It is not God…

Isaiah 50:8 “8 He who vindicates Me is near; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand up to each other; Who has a case against Me? Let him draw near to Me.”

Refresher- God has vindicated you - Justified by our faith only by the power of God through Jesus

You are free from all charges! Have you ever seen a court room when the person is declared innocent- there is a loud shout of joy! Can we return to this- Why are we so beaten up? Have we lulled oursleves to inaction- The guilty have been set free

For the believer-

Satan will bring the charge against you

Have heart breaking for those who don’t know they are free!

The Book of Job

Sometimes its our friends- Ok we need to talk about this- Have you ever wondered why there is so much turmoil in the church sometimes- Well I would say its jealousy and pride.

I heard this statement one time concerning the German people, when we always look back at history we think we would be the good guys- it was the Christians who stood up in times of hardship- I am here to tell you there is hardship coming again, will we be the ones who bring the charge or will we be surrendered people of grace.

God lays no charges against you- Let Him be your defense!

3. Who is the one who condemns (vs 34)

It is not Christ-

John 3:17 “17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

It is ourselves- we are so hard on our selves- Teach the Gospel to your self

It is Satan.. and his case is stacking up…

He brings every accusation he can and

The list is long

but remember God knows these things!

Jesus is our advocate

Romans 5:6–7 “6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.”

4. Who will separate us from the love of God (35)

Paul lay’s everything on the table

He did his best to give every reason we could think of

When you and I do not fathom God’s love we may begin to believe and live this way

Acts 2:24 “24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”

We must ask God for help

Hebrews 7:25 “25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Application: We are more than conquerors

Vs 37- What a great rally, but it is not us who has made us conquerors it is the love of God

Revelation 12:11 “11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

Don’t miss Vs 36

Doesn’t sound like a great strategy but God knows what He is doing-