Romans 8:18-39

Groaning for Glory Romans 8:18-23

The Glory is worth it.

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

True Christians get it. What I am going through right now is difficult, but it is worth it. Unfortunately I have been in this church a long time. I am not saying that I regret my time exactly the opposite. I have a deep love for the people that God has placed in this church. A lot of pastors are there for 5 years and then on to the next church. I know I have only been pastor 7 years 9 if you include being the assistant but I have been attending this church for 40 years so the people that I am watching pass away at 80 like Fred Benedict was my age when I started coming here. I say all that to say I have watched closely the journey to glory and it isn’t always easy but the important part of the Christian life is to know that it is worth it. Heaven is coming and heaven is GOOD! I heard Neal Degrass Tyson say the first immortal human has probably been born. Don’t believe that for a second,

Death is inevitable.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

I believe he is wrong about his statement, I believe that men will always die. I will tell you this I have been reading a lot that scientist believe that they are on the brink of beating death. I read an article that this is why we need to start teriforming Mars and increasing birth control. As I read those articles I wonder and this is just me Jesus said as it was in the days of Noah so will be in the day of the coming of the son of man. I believe that verse. I think it has nothing to do with homosexuality even though I hear a lot of people say that, now I am not proclaiming my support of homosexuality by any means. That is not what I am saying. I am just being honest with the facts. In the days of Noah there was no rain, the people lived long, their were Nephilim Fallen ones ( I have my opinion but I don’t know what that means) and there was wickedness violence and corruption. They according to Jesus were marrying and giving in marriage and the flood came when they didn’t realize. In other word it caught them off guard even though they were told by Noah it was coming. I say all this to say that I have wondered will there be some scientific discovery that promises long life before the second coming. Doesn’t have to I just wouldn’t be surprised if you hear about these things in our lifetime. BUT Death is inevitable because man has sinned.

Life leading to death is hard.

Job 14:1 Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble.

Life is going to hard. The best people in the Bible had the worst years. Job and Joseph had the best years and saw the least mystical miracles, but they saw the miraculous sovereign power of God. Life is tough but it is worth it.

God helps you through the troubles.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

You need His grace when you are groaning.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Glory is coming!

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

This life is light work for what is coming. I don’t say that lightly. This world is hard. But nothing compared to what is coming. Let me put it in science terms. I use this to students. We have a skewed standard for normal.

What is cold? 0 degrees F boy some of you can’t stand 0 degrees C which is 32 F

That’s not cold the average temperature of the universe is 2.7 K that doesn’t sound so bad until you realize that is -460 degrees F. WOW THAT IS REAL COLD

What is Hot? 95 degrees or maybe 212 degrees the boiling point.

Well the temperature of the sun is 27 million degrees F WOW Big difference.

I look at this with heaven and hell. You think New York is cold and Florida is hot.

The universe and the sun have something to say about that

You think in this life hard and some people have easy street, a pampered life.

Heaven and hell are coming to the sinner and the saint and the pain of this world will be forgotten

Hope in the living redeemer.

Job 19:23–27 Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! That they were engraved on a rock With an iron pen and lead, forever! For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

Creation eagerly waits our redemption.

Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.

Eagerly awaits - Cranes the neck. It fits in this case

Creation suffers because of our sin.

Romans 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;

Adam’s fall effected the entire world.

Genesis 3:17–18 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.

We know that life on this planet is much different today than it one was. The fossil evidence bares record of that, I believe that the flood changed a lot but it was really Adam’s fall that caused things to be different and just like things changed for Adam the day he ate of the tree they got even worse after the flood that is also true for the entire world. We have fossil evidence all around us. I read a book once called how did we survive the neandrathal. My belief not just me this agrees with people like Ken Ham and of course the controversial Kent hovind that the bone structure of what they call prehistoric humans was vastly superior to ours. They even put a evolutionist spin on it and call it the pre younger drias human that was bigger stronger and had bigger brains than homo sapien. Let me tell you I look at a lot of things like the mastadon the sabertooth the wolly mammoth and just say they are pre flood. But the entire world is effected by sin. The scars of sin are all over the world every canyon every desert every vast ocean is a testament to the scars of the fall.

Creation will be redeemed with us.

Romans 8:21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

Redemption - being restored from bondage at a cost.

The New earth is coming.

Isaiah 65:17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

One day I will not even remember Niagra Falls.

Revelation 21:5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

The new earth is going to be so good that this one will quickly be forgotten.

The phrase and the things of this earth will grow faintly dim in the light of His glory and grace

Creation groans with birth pangs to see our redemption.

Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Earth is feeling the pain until God restores it.

Isaiah 24:1–6 Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants. And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; As with the buyer, so with the seller; As with the lender, so with the borrower; As with the creditor, so with the debtor. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, For the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away, The world languishes and fades away; The haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left.

Birth pains of prophecy

Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

As God gets closer birth pains increase.

Revelation 12:2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

I see a lot of things in our world that I wonder if they are a contraction or a braxton hix a percieved false contraction I believe that ISrael is the litmis test to determine if they are real contractions for the second coming of Christ. I will give you a big reason why, the rapture is for the church, the second coming is for Israel and it is during the second coming that the world is restored.

The world will rejoice when the Son returns.

John 16:20–22 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

This world is longing for Jesus to come back. Picture Mary about to give birth to baby Jesus, but how pregnant is she is the question I can not answer for you. I want to think, I desperately want to think that she is 8 months and 30 days and 23 hours and 59 minuntes and 59 seconds pregnant if you know what I means but maybe she is only 6 months pregnant. Ask a woman they are much better at figuring those things out.

One day creation will rejoice when it is restored.

Psalm 65:12–13 They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, And the little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered with grain; They shout for joy, they also sing.

with creation we need to have a proper respect for creation. Is this world going to be renewed yes. Should we use it. Yes Should we abuse it. NO this is why we have been told to have dominion over it.

Until He returns we should have dominion.

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

Christians should be groaning for our redemption.

Romans 8:23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Am I already redeemed?

~Kind of~

1 John 3:1–2 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

You are saved in Christ and a child of God, but you have no idea what is coming.…

Death is the worst and the best thing that could happen to you all at the same time. The pain of death is but for a moment but praise God is Jesus the sting of death is gone

HOPE

Hoping for Glory Romans 8:24-30

Saved in Hope.

Romans 8:24–25 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

Saved by Grace through Faith in Hope!

Ephesians 2:8–10 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We should never really feel at home here.

Philippians 3:20–21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Salvation is a three phase process.

PAST - At the cross

Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Present - In the Holy Spirit

Titus 3:5–6 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Holy Spirit is the process of regeneration and renewing of the mind right now

Future - When we get to heaven

Revelation 21:6–7 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Your salvation will be complete in eternity future. I am glad He is still working on me and that I am in the process. I will encourage you with this even though you are in the process your salvation is secure.

Craning the neck with perseverance.

Persevere is to keep on keeping on. Keep on looking up. Don’t take your eyes off the prize of heaven. A lot of spiritual people can’t handle this. I didn’t say Christians I said spiritual people. People who walk into church. Things don’t go the way they want and they walk out the door and onto the next thing. God wants people that are ready to belong to Him forever.

3 Key (P) s to live by hope

1 PRAY

Groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26–27 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The Holy Spirit was left to help us.

John 16:7–8 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment

When you don’t know what to do in the Christian life, Jesus left you the Holy Spirit to help you. A lot comes up in life you can handle it because you have the Holy Spirit. When you don’t know how to pray. The Holy Spirit will help you pray. ACCORDING TO HIS SOVERIEGN WILL

Trust the Sovereign will of God.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

In context that verse is calling about Israel, but Romans 8 would make you think that this verse could apply to the Christian also.

When you can’t find the strength to pray, PRAY ON!!! The Holy Spirit will help you.

2 Providence

God’s good.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Remember God’s purpose had Joseph in prison.

Genesis 50:19–20 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.

You have to love and trust God like Job in the hard times.

Job 13:15–16 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him.

This verse doesn’t mean everything is good it means everything will work out to good for those who love God. I like Swindoll’s phrase Life is 10 % what happens to you and 90 % what you do with it.

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

Revelation 22:4–5 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

3 Predestination

Romans 8:29–30 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Glorious More the Conquerors in His Love Romans 8:31-39