The Surprises Never Stop
Notes
Transcript
Never-Ending Surprises
Never-Ending Surprises
Hopefully by this point you’ve pieced together that God is full of surprises
Which can be both nerve-wracking and exciting
I’ve had a few surprises this week
You have too, based on a lot of what you have shared
It’s comforting to know we’re not alone
But part of a very long history
From Job (the oldest book in the Bible) to Revelation
He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
One question we haven’t tried to answer: why does God (have to) surprise us?
Ask SERVE-ants to try and answer
The answer, I think, is found in Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
But let’s read that in context
Read Romans 8:18-30
This passage starts with suffering, just like our messages this week did:
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
No matter how bad things may seem right now, it’s worth enduring for the amazing things that await us in eternity
No matter how good things may be right now, it’s nothing compared to what it will be like in eternity
Last night we left off on a powerful story of forgiveness from Corrie ten Boom
An act of forgiveness only possible by God’s Holy Spirit working in her
Tonight we’re going to talk about 2 surprising ways the Holy Spirit works
By transforming our prayers
By transforming us
We will find that the two are closely connected
The Spirit Transforms Prayer
The Spirit Transforms Prayer
“When I pray, a lot more coincidences happen” - Archbishop William Templeton
Monday we looked at Israel’s response to the walls of Jericho coming down
This is often our experience with answered prayer
God “surprises” us by answering prayer
Which really shouldn’t surprise us
It should inspire us to pray more
Yet we can feel self-conscious about prayer
Paul speaks to this in Romans 8
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
We know prayer is powerful
We know God answers prayer
(that is according to His will)
We know that the Holy Spirit helps us
But that doesn’t always translate into bolder and freer prayer
YET, it should never discourage us from praying
For ourselves or for someone else
Prayer Transforms Us
Prayer Transforms Us
The more we pray, the more we are changed
Not always by answers to prayer
But the act of prayer itself
Last night we talked about the restored relationship between God and us
Prayer is the way we talk to him
The more time we spend with someone, the more we become influenced by them
I’ve seen this in little ways as you’ve interacted with each other this week
Read Romans 8:29-30
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
The meaning of “foreknew”
Illustrate: I loved my kids before they were born
“conformed to the image of his Son”
Genesis 1:27 “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
What was broken in the Fall is restored by Jesus
But it isn’t instant
You’re going home on a “Spiritual high”
Think: The mount of Transfiguration (incl. coming down the mountain)
“Reality” will soon settle in
Stuff at home you could ignore for a week comes back …
A sin you haven’t had difficulty with this week rears its ugly head …
Something unexpected might derail you …
This week is one step in the journey
The destination isn’t who you are when you get back home
It’s who you are when you get back home
i.e. when Jesus calls you home
This is what Paul means when he says “those he justified, he also glorified”
He’s saying it as though it’s a done deal
Because from God’s perspective it already is
What remains is for it to be lived out in your time on earth
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Whatever God brings next …
Whatever “surprises” from Him await us tomorrow and beyond …
This isn’t saying that “everything works out okay in the end”
But that God uses it all for our ultimate Good
Transforming us into the people He is making us to be
The Power of Prayer
The Power of Prayer
Invitation to come forward for prayer
