Hope That Won't Let Go

Today we are going to take a little break from the book of Revelation and our End of Days study. I think we can all agree that there are some powerful evil forces at work right now, sin and debauchery is at an all time high. Listen it is not good for the human soul to try to take on all the worlds sin, day after day. Today i want to give you a message of Hope.

We are going to be thinking about what has went wrong and what God has done.

I was doing a job for a guy in flint this week and he had a cup with the word Ouija and some kind of occult symbols on it. So we got into a spiritual conversation. And the conversation really suprised me because this guy was really a philospopher in every respect of the word. And at the university here in town he majored in religious philosophy. And He like many were raised up in the church and claimed at one time to be really dedicated Christianity, but along the way somewhere he got tripped up by life. He got disoriented, like so many others by all the evil in the world and really became a hardcore human secularist.

Now he believes that all spiritual phenomenon can be explained by certain experiences that cause the synapses in the brain to fire in a certain way that creates our “perceived” spirituality. And that the mind is responsible for creating these religious pictures and symbols and stories to help explain human suffering, as a kind of accidental cosmic evolution to cope with life.

At the end of the day, here is what tripped him up more than anything, is if God then why evil. If God then why all the evil?. Why all the pain why all the needless suffering? And it is perhaps the oldest argument, but is definently the strongest argument against the existence of God.

And the aargument goes like this that if Gid is all good, all loving and all powerful. Why doesn’t he do something about the evil; in the world.

1. Now if he is all loving- (he has the heart to rescue) and all powerful- (he has the power to rescue), but he doesnt (then it must be because he is not all good).

2. If He is a good (that is he has the moral fortitude to rescue), and all-powerful to rescue but doesn’t, then He Must not be all- love.

3. And If he is good, he has the moral fortitude to stop evil , If he is all loving (wnats to stop sin) but doesnt- Well maybe its just because he can’t! He doesn;t have the power- therefore he is simply not poerwful enough to stop the evil in the world

Well these are the questions that we are going to raise today. If God then why evil. Can we first start here? THis side of heaven we may not get all the answers that we want, or that we feel like we deserve, but your bgeing out of control, doesn’t mean that God is out of control. And just because things dont make sense to you doesnt mean that they dont make sense. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so are Gods ways and Gods thoughts over our thoughts and ways.

Now lets get into our scripture today.

Romans 8:18–30 ESV

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 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. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 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. 27 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. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 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. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Paul knows a little something about suffering, and here he is addressing the proplem of suffering and I like how he starts off, that he considers that the suffering of this present time are not worth even comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us.

Now he doesn;’t mean some suffering are not worth comparing with the glory that is to come. He is speaking about any sufferring, all suffering.

1. From the abuse, to the pain wrenching losses, to the things that keep us up at night waking up in cold sweats,

2. those suffering that cause lifelong PTSD. Those things that turn our world upside down in an instant.

3. Those things that blow through our life so powerful like the power of a storm that blows through the countryside and completely changes the topography of the landscape, those things that strike us and we know that from this day forward things will never ever be the same.

4. Like when a 14 year old boy loses his mother suddenly in a tragic car wreck. You know things will never be the same, there will never be a time when she will make all the important events in my life. She wont be there at my graduation. She wont be there at my wedding, or at my children's births.

And Paul simply and beautifully says yeah those things are not worthy of being compared to the glory that's going to be shown to us.

That is that God has something so much better, so much richer, so everlasting and good, and beautiful that the things we endure here are going to be utterly consumed like a morning fog that is immediately licked up when the sun finally rises. when it comes out that we will barely remember it.

ELLIE- let me give you a little illustration. As many of you know we are about to celebrate Ellie 1 year birthday in just a few weeks. But can I tell you that those 13 years of waiting, they were hard. We had a depression that lingered like a heavy fog that we simply thought we would have to endure. But one day the son came out and dried up all our tears with the birth of Ellie. And can I tell you that the fog is gone, the heartache is gone.

You say well yes cool story bro… but back to the question of suffering… Suffering is something and if God created everything then he had to create suffering as well. And sin is something and if God created everything, therefore it is God fault. Because God create everything and suffering is something sin is something, therefore God is responsible or he is not real.

Ok I want you to learn three words today… Bondage, Freedom, and Hope

Romans 8:20–22 ESV

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Now lets ask the question if God created everything and sorrow is something, death is something, and sin is something, is God responcible for everything?

We can all look around and see that something is horribly wrong, somehting went wrong, and we default to its Gods fault or God isnt really there. And here Paul tells us why things are wrong, because there is a curse on the world. Everyhting is groaning and sighing and longing for release, that is the reason so many opt to take the short cut and commit suicide, They don’t understand the groaning inside. Now why is there groaning? it is because there is bondage, and it is a bondage to corruption. Its wants freedom, its want the pain to stop, the creation wants to go back to the way things were when God created everything.

The bible says that God has placed eternity in the hearts of men, do you know why? Because in all of us there is a faint memory of our original glory. When Adam walked with God in the Garden of Eden. But something happened and now there is bondage and it is a bondage to corruption. Our cars are in a state of corruption, your clothes are in a state of corruption. Your bodies right now in are in a steady state of corruption they are getting old and will eventually wind down.

THE WORD CORRUPTION MEANS:breakdown of organic matter, dissolution, deterioration, corruption

Now how did this bondage happen. Well God created people. And this is where my customer missed everything, is why did God create people? Well he didn’t create them to tease or laugh at them, that's not God’s heart. He didn’t really even create them to serve him, he has the angels that do a much better job.

So why did God create people? He created people to love, and for them to reciprocate that love? Now love that is forced love is no love at all. God will not make you. In order to love, he had to create create people that were free. They have to be free to choose. They have to choose to love him or it is no love at all. But to choose to love they must be as equally free to hate him as well.

But God Gave Adam and Eve all the opportunity they needed. He created a perfect world, and created a perfect enviroment. They had the glory, they had the perfect peace, they had joy that was inmeasurable by the Spirit. But they sinned and when they sinned they brought in the curse.

You say well why didn’t God just destroy evil right then? Because if God destroyed evil he would have had to destroy them.

Yous ay well why doesn’t God just destroy evil now? Because he would have to destroy us, and that is not his heart. His heart isn’t destruyction towards you, but life. But in order for you to love him you must have the freedom to hate him and that is why there is sin.

So God had to go about things a different way. He decided to not destroy evil, but defeat evil.

Heres the Second Word Freedom

Romans 8:21–23 ESV

21 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 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.

First there is bondage but then there is Freedom

Oh listen beloved there is coming a day when the groaning will end. There is coming a day when the sun will rise and it will never set again. There is coming a day when death and seperation will be no more.

You see in order for there to be a cure for the curse there had to be a sacrifice. The first Adfam lost it in a garden, the Garden of Eden, but the Lord Jesus the second who Paul tells us is the last Adam, a new representative for mankind, he took reversed the curse also in a garden the Garden of Gethsemene.

And He laid down hsi life so that we might have new life. And when we trust him we are saved. Yes we groan, but we have the firstfruits of the spirit. A little downpayment of something much better

Romans 8:23 ESV

23 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.

There is coming a day when the adoption will be finalized and there will be freedom.

There is coming a day when the animal Kingdom will be free

Isaiah 11:6 ESV

6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.

There is a day when the mineral kingdom will be free

Isaiah 35:1 ESV

1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;

Think of the most breathtaking place you have ever been and the glory… I think about the places I have been liek Colorado Springs and those breathtaking mountains when you climb up to the top and you realize how small you are, or the crystal blue waters in Cancun and the vastness of the ocean. Or the Navagtio Beach in Greece.

They are only a remnant of the beauty that God will create the world when the final day will

There is coming a day when your bodies will be redeemed. There is coming a day when our minds will be free not only from physical ailments, but will be free from the cancer of sin. Our minds will be completely open and our hearts completely full. And we will be filled with power and glory once again of the knowledge of our God. Sin has done a number on us. You know why I didnt argue too much with my customer the other day? Because he just don’;t know. He doesn’t have the firstfruits of the Spirit of God like I do. HIs heart hasn’t felt the continual joy of God like mine has. Sin has dominated him, sin has blinded him. Its like trying to explain the beauty and power of Beethoven Serenade No 13 of the Fur Eliza. Or trying to explain the beauty of Mt Everest to a blind man. Sin has created bondage, spiritual bondage that is really spiritual corruption.

Heres the Last Thing I want to lay on your Heart- Hope

Hope is the comfort that we have today. That things will not always be as they have been

Romans 8:20 ESV

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope

Romans 8:25–28 ESV

25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 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. 27 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. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

We have hope that is there as a promise. Not as a maybe this will happen, but it is sure to happen but you just have to be patient. He gave the creation hope, hes given man hope and how is this hope conferred? Well by the firstfruits of the Spirit. We dont have the full harvest of the Spirit yet, but we have the firstfruits, and On those days when you are down lower than a snakes belly. the Spirit gives us hope and look at verse 27 For he helps in our weaknesses, For when we dont know how to pray, he intercedes for us with groansing too deep for words.

When you are so lost and broken that your not even sure how to pray… the Spirit is interceeding for you. He is there to remind you that when you are ready to throw in the towel, listen just make it through today, there is a better day coming!!!

We are predestined for glory, we are preserved for glory… there is comiong a day when the sufferings that you face will not even be worth comparing to the fullness that youw ill fill on that day. God has a plan, His plan is not t destroy evil, his plan is to defeat it and that is what he did with his son on that cross, He was defeating evil, because sin brought death and we needed one to defeat death for us. the only way was not to avoid death, or go around death, Jesus went through death.

When He came up out of that grave three days later, he made hope real, ad he made eternial life sure...

Oh death where is thy victory oh death where is thy sting! It has been swallowed up in Life