What's God Doing in Me?

Introduction

Government - Romans 13 God is Accomplishing His Sovereign Plan

World - Romans 11

God is bring Glory to Himself

Us… What is God in Us - Romans 8:30-33

God is keeping us secure in HIs Love so that we can have the joy of joining Him.

Today - What is God doing in you?

Need to know when we need help!

“Pastor… how about in the future, you stick to preaching the sermons, and leave the plumbing up to me”

My Help Comes from the Lord.

Does God know what is happening?

Does He care about what I am going through?

Does God have purpose in my life?

Is God Working out a plan in my life?

What is God doing in my life?

All is not right with the world; on the contrary, all is wrong with it

Thesis in vs. 28: God uses Everything in His Children's Lives for His Good Purpose

Explanation in vs. 26-27, 29-30

Who is He helping?

His Sons and Daughters (vs. 26)

The Help of the Holy Spirit

Helps... active case… keeps on helping

Helps” translates synantilambanetai, a rich word that pictures someone helping another carry a heavy load.

Luke 10:40 - Martha says to Jesus, tell Mary to help me!

The Holy Spirit is active

The Holy Spirit is Active… but in whom?

People who love God and are Called by Him

Love God

only regenerated people love God

regardless of what they may think, nature man and God are enemies

depraved and sinful natures cause the unredeemed people to hate God

Romans 5:5 God puts love in our hearts (vs. 1 demonstrates this is love towards God)

Romans 5:10 explains that we are enemies of God before salvation

Romans 8:7 says that the mind set on flesh is hostile to God

1 John 4:19 (ESV) — 19 We love because he first loved us.

Called according to His purpose

those who are called… those is in the dative case (the person to which something is given or for whom something is done)

Vs. 30 makes it clear that the called are the ones that God has predestined and justified and will be glorified

Only His Sons and Daughters… those who love God (vs. 28) and who are called (vs. 28)

vs. 16 - The Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.

Does God work in unbelievers lives?

First of all, there is not promise, no guarantee, and even no references

John 16:8-10 - God does one thing in unbelievers lives: convict of sin, righteousness, and judgme

Psalm 66:18-19: If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.

God is helping only his people, all other are under the wrath of God (Romans 1:18)

For the Believer - Phil 1:6

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Why is His Help Needed?

Our Judgment is Faulty

Helps In our weaknesses

Does not indicate weak moments, but our human condition in its weakened state

All human are in a state of weakness… Romans 8:18-25 describes our state

Then, Our Need is revealed as even Greater

We don’t know what to pray for

We don’t what we ought to pray for.

We don’t know our own hearts… wicked and will lie to us

We don’t know the mind of God

We don’t know the will of God

We live in a perpetual state of weakness,

in a futile world that lives under the curse of God

and we lack the wisdom to even know what is good

And so, we destroy each other… James 4:1-3

We dont know what to request

We are unable to determine what is good

What is the Help He Gives?

Good Comprehensive, and Purposeful

Intercession and Sanctification

(Carrying and Conforming)

Described in vs. 28 as Good, Comprehensive, Purposeful

Good: The Help is for Good

agathos - align with its intended purpose

Good is defined by God

Beauty is in eye of the beholder, good is mind of the giver

“I’ll make you something good.”

Grandmother - Fried srapel, fried eggs, fried potatoes

Vegan - salad and pile of tofu

American - fast food sandwich and fries

Remember, vs. 26 - our wisdom is faulty.

When it comes to identifying good, “Our picker is broke”

Comprehensive: All Things

“All things” - Comprehensive - Good and the Bad

“work together” - Synergy - He works all things together

synergism, the working together of various elements to produce an effect greater than, and often completely different from, the sum of each element acting separately

God is overruling everything for good of His people - You can’t believer this and be depressed, discouraged, or dismayed

Categories - Pleasant and the Unpleasant

Pleasant Things - His character, His Word, His People, His Angels

Unpleasant Things - Suffering, Temptation, Sin - Many are listed in vs. 17-27

illness, accidents, sickness, viruses, challenge, failure, death, sin

These are not pleasant, but God overrules them for our good

Sufferings, Trials and Tribulations awaken us, push us out of our easy routine back to our designed reality of God

Reveal our weakness, our smallness, our frailty;

Destroy our confidence, self reliance

Uncover our creatureness, our helplessness

Expose our lack of understanding

Disclose our grumbling complaining heart; which is worse than many sins of the flesh because it evidences a lack of belief in the goodness of God

God Uses All These Things - Inner Works of a Watch

Gears turning clockwise, others clockwise, gadget and gizmos clicking and ticking

like the work of a madman

But the designer is using these to accomplish a good thing

So what do we do? We run to God. And that is Good

Identified in vs. 27-29 as Intercession and Sanctification

Intercession - Appealing

This is God’s Provision

approach or appeal to someone

Carrying our needs to God and our righteousness before Him… this is the help

Jesus makes intercession for us (Heb 7:25) and He is called our mediator (1 Tim 2:5)

Groaning - Not speaking tongues

Believers groan (23), the world groans (22)… inaudible (too deep for words)

Expression of pain or suffering

Sanctification - Conforming

This is God’s purpose

Sanctification - a progressive work of God and man that makes us more and more free from sin and more like Christ in our actual lives

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

How Does God Sanctify?

Spirit -This passage

Word - John 17:17 - Sanctify them by the truth, your word is truth

The Church - Hebrews 10:24-25 - Stir up one another in love and good works

Prayer - John 14:13-14 - Ask anything in my name (according to God’s plan), I will do it

Chastening - Hebrews 12:10 - He disciplines us for our good

Where is His Help Leading?

Christlikeness and Glorification

of all the Family of God

“First Born among many brothers”

Christlikeness

God is making us like Jesus…

and for the true believer, he or she agrees that this is good.

Unstoppable Chain in vs. 30 -

Ends in Glorification

Progresses from eternity past, through the blip we call life, into the eternity future

Stands the Test of Time

Predestined - chose us before the foundations of the world

Called - at the moment you responded to the gospel

Justified -snap

Glorified - ultimate presence of Christ character

Give it some thought and prayer...

Have you allowed God to grow a desire in you to be like Jesus?

What can you do today to partner with God in His “helping” you?

What can you do today to partner with God in His “helping” others?