When The Lord is With You

Count Zinzendorf, the founder of the Moravians, was converted in an art gallery in Dusseldorf while contemplating a painting of Christ on the cross which had the inscription, "I did this for thee. What hast thou done for me?" This picture had been painted by an artist three hundred years before.

When he had finished his first sketch of the face of the Redeemer, this artist called in his landlady’s little daughter and asked her who she thought it was. The girl looked at it and said, "It is a good man." The painter knew that he had failed.

He destroyed the first sketch and, after praying for greater skill, finished a second. Again he called the little girl in and asked her to tell him whom she thought the face represented. This time the girl said that she thought it looked like a great sufferer. Again the painter knew that he had failed, and again he destroyed the sketch he had made.

After meditation and prayer, he made a third sketch. When it was finished, he called the girl in a third time and asked her who it was. Looking at the portrait, the girl exclaimed, "It is the Lord!"

That alone makes the coming of Christ meaningful to the world--not that a good man came, not that a wise teacher came, not that a great sufferer came, but that God came--Immanuel, God with us.

(From a sermon by Joshua Hetrick, "The Superiority of Christ Priesthood" 7/4/2009)

Immanuel, God with us.

Do we really fully understand and comprehend the import and power of that word?

Sometimes, I wonder.

Perhaps today, we can scratch the surface of it; wet your appetite to meditate upon it more and embrace it fully.

Outline

Big Idea: When the Lord is with you, what have you to fear?

God with Joseph

Sold and a Slave - Genesis 39:1-20

Successful and entrusted - Genesis 39:1-6

Falsely Accused and Imprisoned - Genesis 39:11-20

Favored and Entrusted - Genesis 39:21-23

God with Us

Abundant Life - John 10:10

Who can be against us? - Romans 8:31; 1 John 4:4

Who can condemn - Romans 8:34

Who intercedes for us? - Romans 8:34

Who shall separate us? - Romans 8:35

More than Conquerors - Romans 8:37

Sermon Body

Big Idea: When the Lord is with you, what have you to fear?

God with Joseph

Sold and a Slave - Genesis 39:1-20

Had been bought Potiphar Gen 39:1

Here we return to the narrative of Joseph after considering Judah’s twisted plot.

Vs. 1 picks up with Gen 37:36 left off…Joseph being sold to Potiphar, a solder of Pharoah, and not just any soldier the captain of his guard (Pharaoh’s own protective detail)

Not just a solider, an officer. Not just an officer, CAPTAIN of Pharaoh’s guard.

Not a man to trifle with.

Intelligent, cunning, wise, smart.

Powerful and important.

Probably a harsh and rough man.

I picture has harsh, brutal, no nonsense kind of man.

A man that demands respect and immediate compliance

Verbiage throughout the text supports his position as slave to Potiphar, despite his authority and privilege within Potiphar’s home, he is still a slave.

Master - Gen 39:3, 7, 16, 19

Servant - Gen 39:16, 19

But despite being relegated to a life of slavery and servitude, Joseph finds himself BLESSED by God and successful.

For Joseph, the betrayal by his brothers and his sale as a slave to Potiphar could have been enough to cause him to question the goodness and faithfulness of God. Why do hardship so often cause people to question God?

It does not correlate to their own idea of what the goodness of God is supposed to look like. They have a flawed understanding of “good” and do not see how bad things can be good or be used for good.

Fleshly discomfort and the wanting it to be alleviated can also be a cause of questioning God.

What trials in your life tempt you to question the love and goodness of God? Why?

Successful and entrusted - Genesis 39:1-6

Seemingly quickly became successful and prominent in Potiphar’s home.

Reminder of timeline we discussed in chapter 38

Joseph is 17 when sold - Genesis 37:2

He is 30 when he is elevated to second in command - Genesis 41:46

He is 39 when his family moves to Egypt. - Genesis 45:6

22 years lies between these events. The events of Genesis 38 are taking place within that gap.

For Joseph to rise to a place of prominence in this man’s home, given the picture of a harsh, no nonsense kind of man, shows the depth of Joseph’s character and God’s blessing upon him.

If Joseph truly had a place of supervision over his brothers, if his father has placed him in a place of management over his own home, it would also cast light on Joseph’s ability to so quickly rise to this challenge.

He may well have been trained and equipped for this very thing in his father’s own home.

The main reason he became successful....

THE LORD CAUSED ALL THAT HE DID TO SUCCEED.

The Lord, YAHWEH, is the true element, the true source of Joseph’s success.

The Lord WAS WITH HIM and made all he did to proposer, in much the same way as God made all Jacob did to prosper.

In truth, nothing succeeds without God’s blessing and hand of providence upon it. Nothing. Our best efforts would fall flat were it not for his involvement.

Acts 17:28 - IN HIM WE LIVE, MOVE, and have our being. Since this is true, ALL of our prosperity is from God.

For sure, in special cases like this God prospers because he has a specific plan and purpose in it, but understand, you cannot take credit for your prosperity, for God is the source of it all.

He provides the strength, the will, the knowledge, and the result from all our efforts. No matter how good, strong, consistent our efforts, if God does not bless them and permit them to succeed....they won’t.

Again, we know that God has a special purpose on Joseph’s life and has been uniquely preparing and positioning him for a very specific purpose.

This is all part of God’s maneuvering him into place for when the time is right.

HE FOUND FAVOR

Found himself in Potiphar’s good graces.

Potiphar is quickly impressed and continues to give Jospeh increased responsibility and authority.

Potiphar quickly discovered that anything Joseph touched turned to gold. He was the GOLDEN MIDUS. He possessed the golden hand.

He was trustworthy, a man full of integrity

And so....

HE ATTENDED HIM

Served him, as a servant.

He became...

Overseer

To entrust with, to command, to entrust, to manage, to care for.

BLESSED

Potiphar’s house became blessed BECAUSE OF GOD’S FAVOR ON JOSEPH.

Notice something here briefly with me.

Potiphar’s home, a pagan, an unbeliever, was BLESSED BY GOD on account of Joseph.

We know that God does send blessing on even those who reject him. - Matt 5:45

God’s grace and blessing is not SOLELY reserved for those who trust and obey him. His graces are intended to draw rebellious men to Himself.

They are meant to show His character to them and invoke worship and praise in His name.

But here is another truth…God’s blessings on US, HIS CHILDREN often flows over and affects those around us in profoundly rich ways.

And this too, has a purpose. God uses His body, His children to bless the world.

Just a few verses prior we read this....Matthew 5:13-17

Salt and Light

Salt - preservative, flavor enhancer

Light - reveals the way, exposes truth, protects from dangers of darkness

The world is BLESSED on account of US being Salt and Light.

Consider Abraham. The nations of the world were blessed THROUGH him.

Just our presence in the world and God’s blessing upon us WILL impact the larger world around us, including those who reject God. They will experience blessing through the Body of Christ in the world.

For Joseph, all of this blessing takes a nefarious turn when Potiphar’s wife takes a shine to him.

How is the world blessed through God’s blessing upon you? How are you permitting and serving as a conduit of God’s blessing upon the world?

What truth is revealed about a God who blessed both the wicked and righteous?

Falsely Accused and Imprisoned - Genesis 39:6-20

Joseph apparently was a stud. lol

He was good looking and attracted the lust and infatuation of Potiphar’s wife.

Couple thoughts....

As military man he was probably gone a lot.

He was probably a gruff man.

Joseph was not only good looking, he likely differed much in personality.

All of this likely had elements in this context.

She attempts to seduce him and he refuses.

His refusal

He refuses on account of this being a “great wickedness and sin against God.”

Understand this…even when our sin specifically attacks or effects another living being, IT IS ULTIMATELY AND ALWAYS A SIN AGAINST GOD as He is the one who has determined the expectations and just actions between our human relationships.

David, when confronted by Nathan regarding his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah, also acknowledged that it was against God that he sinned. 1 Samuel 12:1-15

Sometimes, I fear because God cannot be physically seen, touched, heard, smelt, etc, that we forget His constant, abiding presence. We see our sins as less than they are because we forget or neglect to consider that those sins ARE SINS AGAINST THE LIVING GOD.

Hebrews has some words about this living God we need to heed.... Hebrews 10:19-31

The admonishment here is to live holy and righteous lives before our great and mighty God.

Vs. 26 FOR IF WE GO ON SINNING DELIBERATELY after receiving the knowledge.....the consequences are MUCH more severe. Ending with this phrase....IT IS A FEARFUL THING TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE LIVING GOD.

Our sins, are sins against God…even if it may seem like that sin is against man alone…it is not.

And we are invoking the just wrath/discipline of God every time we engage in sin COMPOUNDED by the depth and extent of the knowledge we possess.

THIS IS A FEARFUL THING.

Joseph understands this. Genesis 39:9

His refusal is NOT based on fear of getting caught or fear of losing the privilege and authority he has been granted (which is the reason many of us avoid the sins we want to do).

His refusal IS because of his love for God and His unwillingness to tarnish His glory through this act of disobedience

Day after day she attempts to get him to cave to her.

She has probably never had a problem before getting men to relent to her seduction. She was probably a woman of beauty, and by her marriage, she is a woman of power and privilege. This rejection was likely new to her.

She amps it up and gets physical, forcing him to strip off his outer garment and flee. He would not have been naked for he still would have had the undergarments beneath his outer coat on, but he left enough behind for her to use to twist her own means.

She is a woman scorned and concocts a vicious story. His continual rejection has aroused her anger and she is determined to get even, so she lies.

Claims he tried to rape her. She tells this to her servants first and then lays aside his garment and waits for her husband’s arrival home (not sure how long this is). When he arrives, she repeats this story and his anger is roused and Joseph is thrown in prison.

Probably only God’s divine protection that he was not killed on the spot. As a slave, he is property and there was no penalty for killing a slave. (Your own that his)

Another thought revealed in my study…Potiphar is no fool. He would not put a man whom he did not trust in charge of his entire household, let alone a slave whom he owned.

He may also have had an awareness of his wife’s tendencies.

Servants/Slaves talk. It is likely he also had a better awareness of the situation than the text lets on.

Rape was a crime punishable by death (Assyrian Law).

And yet, Joseph is put in the prison reserved for political prisoners (probably a slightly more comfortable prison than the normal one).

Again, Providence of God protecting him? For sure.

But also may indicate that he did not fully accept his wife’s account and knew better but to do nothing would be to bring shame on his name and his family bu ignoring her accusation....a trick and trap she would have been fully aware of, binding his hands to do something.

So, falsely accused and put in prison, we see Joseph reduced once more to the lowest place.

But like before, the hand of God was with him.

How has false accusation against you from the hand of another challenged your walk in holiness? How have you responded to false accusations? Why do you think you responded that way?

What can we learn about responding to false accusations from Jesus’ testimony and example in the NT?

Respond with truth even if they will not believe.

Sometimes the best response is silence, a refusal to defend oneself and simply leave the truth for God to make known in his time and way.

Favored and Entrusted - Genesis 39:21-23

The Lord WAS WITH JOSEPH.

God showed him steadfast love and he found favor with the keeper of the prison

He was elevated to being in charge of the prison for everything Joseph did was blessed and prospered.

Though he was still a prisoner himself, he was entrusted with great authority and responsibility.

The keeper of the prison PAID NO MIND TO ALL JOSEPH DID. He had that much trust and freedom.

Again we see these phrases...

The Lord was with Joseph

The Lord....showed him steadfast love

The Lord....gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison

The Lord…was with him

The Lord…made whatever he did to succeed.

The Lord was present with and actively involved in Joseph’s life, shaping, preparing, maneuvering him to exactly where he wanted him, to where he would be useful in the fullness of time.

Throughout this narrative, God’s presence, favor, and blessing has been with Joseph.

Now, we have to be careful here in our application. Certainly Joseph was unique and had a special plan upon his life by the Almighty which resulted in extra measure of blessings and success unfold so that he would be positioned where he needed for just the right time.

Making sweeping applications to our lives from this specific instance could result in erroneous applications if we are not careful.

However, we to have promises of God’s presence with us and we too experience the benefits of GOD WITH US and I want to take the time remaining to consider a few of these and to consider the truth that

Big Idea: When the Lord is with you, what have you to fear?

Why is it important to remember that all our success and achievements, all of our blessings come from God?

How to daily practice the habit of reflecting all praise to God for our accomplishments?

Conclusion

Part 2 Introduction

Play Video - God With Us (Full of Eyes)

Our one great hope in this life is that GOD IS WITH US. He came near.

When the Lord is near, what have you to fear?

Last week....

Outline

Big Idea: When the Lord is with you, what have you to fear?

God with Joseph

Sold and a Slave - Genesis 39:1-20

Successful and entrusted - Genesis 39:1-6

Falsely Accused and Imprisoned - Genesis 39:11-20

Favored and Entrusted - Genesis 39:21-23

God with Us

Abundant Life - John 10:10

Who can be against us? - Romans 8:31; 1 John 4:4

Who can condemn - Romans 8:34

Who intercedes for us? - Romans 8:34

Who shall separate us? - Romans 8:35

More than Conquerors - Romans 8:37

Sermon Body

As we move into this week, I want us to consider the truth that God is with us.

In the same way that He was with Joseph throughout his whole ordeal, and even more so for us (due to the indwelling of the Spirit), we have GOD WITH US and this ought to provide immense hope, joy, and peace in our lives.

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is the foundation of our hope and confidence.

What’s more because of His ascension back to heaven, another has come to dwell with us in an even more intimate way.

John 14:26–27 ESV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John 15:26

Jesus promised to send a helper the HOLY SPIRIT to permanently indwell us, bringing his presence to us in a permanent way.

We see this truth in 1 Co 6

God with Us

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

We are a temple

Temple - a place or structure specifically associated with or set apart for a deity, who is frequently perceived to be using it as a dwelling.

God DWELLS (abides, resides, inhabits, lives) in us.

The PHYSICAL presence of God IS WITH US....is near...

OT - indwelling was temporary for a specific purpose. The permanent indwelling is New and unique to the church age.

If anyone destroys the temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy. You are that temple

To destroy the dwelling of God is to attack God.

To defame, dishonor, destroy the residence of God is not just an attack on the structure where he dwells, it is an attack on God himself.

Consider for a moment....

YOU and I (You in these verses is plural) are THE TEMPLE, the residence of God. Therefore, WE ARE HOLY…set apart, sanctified for a specific purpose.

GOD TAKES THAT SERIOUSLY....considering any attack on the temple (US) as an attack against Himself and will respond with justice and vengeance.

How sacred and valuable does this suddenly make us, those who house His Spirit?

How much reverence and care does this entice us to view our bodies with?

Our bodies are living temples, purchased with the precious shed blood of our crucified Lamb.

The highest price was paid to purchase us.

Does this not humble us?

God is WITH US, IN US.

The death, burial, and resurrection was GOD COMING NEAR, but it was not the nearest he could come.

Ponder this truth for a moment.

Think about the magnitude and sheer awesomeness of this fact that GOD HIMSELF has made your being, my being HIS VERY RESIDENCE.

Consider as well the words of 1 Peter

1 Peter 2:4-10

We are being built up into a spiritual house, a dwelling for God

God was so bent on COMING NEAR that not only did he send Jesus to open the way for access to Him, but he refused to leave us alone and isolated.

He came NEAR TO live IN US.

Not even Joseph had that.

Not Abraham, not Isaac, not Jacob (Israel).

Lest we envy what they had (God speaking directly to them), let’s take note of what we have been given that not even they had.

We are chosen for Him, for His purpose. We are His. He is near.

He is with us.

What does this look like?

What is so critical and essential about meditating on the truth that God is in us every day?

In what way(s) should this truth profoundly influence us?

Abundant Life - John 10:10

Begin in verse 7. Read to verse 18.

Focus on verse 10

God CAME near to us that we might have LIFE.

Not just any life....ABUNDANT life

Abundant Life

That which is not ordinarily encountered. Extraordinary, remarkable.

To be extraordinary in amount, abundant, profuse

As believers, we have ABUNDANT LIFE opened up to us and yet so often, we fail to live in it!

Illustration: Abundant Life

J. Michael Shannon

In a classic “Peanuts” comic strip, Charlie Brown goes to Lucy for psychiatric help. He says, “What can you do when you don’t fit in? What can you do when life seems to be passing you by?” Lucy leads Charlie away from her booth and says, “Follow me. I want to show you something. See the horizon over there? See how big this world is? See how much room there is for everybody? Have you ever seen any other worlds?” Charlie replies meekly, “No.” She continues, “As far as you know, this is the only world there is…Right?” Even more meekly, Charlie says, “Right.” Lucy presses on, “There are no other worlds for you to live in…Right?” Charlie admits, “Right.” “You were born to live in this world…Right?” “Right,” says Charlie. Lucy then explodes, “Well, live in it then! Five cents, please.” While we may disagree with Lucy’s counseling technique, we recognize she is on to something. We need to make the most of our lives and really live.

So often, we look at what WE DON’T HAVE, what is lacking instead of the abundance that God invites and intends for us to live in.

But what exactly is this abundant life? What is life?

John 17:3 defines what this life is…Relationship with God. Life IS God.

So many abuse this....abundant life of John 10:10 to refer to comforts and successes in this life, in this temporal plane. That is NOT what it refers to.

God CAME NEAR, God is WITH US because it is His desire for us to KNOW the ABUNDANT LIFE COMES THAT COMES FROM INTIMACY AND RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM NOW AND FOR ETERNITY.

The abundance that God invites us to and intends for us....is found in HIM.

We look at our lives and see all that we feel is lacking…we look at the physical and financial prosperity of others....we look to their looks, appearance…to their successes and achievements....to their “easy” life…to their skill and talent…to their charisma and personality…etc and we think we are missing something.

And when we do this....we are.....because we are looking to the wrong thing.

Our abundance is waiting for us…in the open arms of a God who intended us to live life abundantly in HIM.

What does this abundant life look like?

Play Video - Nick Vujicic (Testimony Nick Vujicic Extraordinary)

I know I have played this video before…but it does not matter to me how often I hear it…I am moved and challenged.

THIS is abundant life. Joy and peace in CHRIST, in the ABIDING presence of the Spirit NO MATTER WHAT our circumstance.

Abundant life has NOTHING to do with our circumstances and everything to do with intimacy with God.

I begin here because we need this in our hearts perspective. We NEED every moment of every day to keep this purpose for Christ’s coming, indeed for our very existence to shadow and shape EVERYTHING WE DO.

Why is this NOT the most important, critical, and necessary thing in our lives?

Why do other passions (that can never compare or compete) rise to a place of prominence over this incredible truth?

Why is this not talked about more?

Why is this not pursued more?

Why is this not always and ever on the forethought of our hearts and minds?

Listen, beloved....GOD IS WITH US and desires us to know life abundant as it is found in Him.

Allow me to flesh this out for us in another familiar passage to us. Romans 8. What is this abundant life mean? What does it look like for God to be near to us? For God to be WITH US?

How does the world define life? What do they say is the meaning/purpose of life?

For many, the greatest purpose in life is finding satisfaction in earthly relationships. This is evidenced in this quote I read this week from “To Sleep in a Sea of Stars” by Christopher Paolini. He stated, “Suffering was inescapable, but to care for another and to be cared for in turn - that was the closet any person might come to heaven.” Why does this statement miss the mark? How does this relate to the discussion of LIFE?

For many, life is about finding delight and satisfaction in the things of here and now. Finding joy in relationships. Loving and being loved by others. Life is about cherishing the moments you have with the ones you love.

This statement equates the joy of finding that AS HEAVEN and deeply misses the mark of what TRUE LIFE and TRUE HEAVEN are all about.

Life is about God and finding ultimate satisfaction in HIM alone and in who He is for us. To miss this truth is to miss LIFE and not find it at all.

What does abundant life in God look like on a practical level?

Peace in political upheaval

Joy in sickness

Contentment in physical lack

Forgiveness in the face of grievous offense

Thankfulness in trial

And all of the same in the mundane and ordinary. :)

Who can be against us? - Romans 8:31

If God is for us (with us)....Rhetorical question…better read SINCE God is for us (With us)

WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?

Literally, who can oppose, thwart, be against.

Who can successfully stand against us?

Who can successfully harm us?

Who can thwart God’s plan?

Who can successfully oppose us?

Doesn’t mean we will never face hurt, harm, or injury.

Doesn’t mean we will never face sorrow, loss, grief, or agony.

Life and testimony of those like Nick Vuijcic and Joni Erickson Tada (among a long list of others) is testament to this.

It does mean, none of that can permanently mar, scar, or ruin. It does mean that none of that can cause eternal harm.

It does mean that none of that can separate us from LIFE, from the person and being of God.

God WITH US means that none can eternally harm us or strip from us that which is of most value.

In fact, every effort to do so will only strengthen the LIFE we have and deepen our enjoyment of it in the end.

1 John 4:4 - There is none in the world, the created sphere can that stand against God, for HE HAS OVERCOME IT.

Overcome - Victor, conquer, prevail.

This ought to give you hope in troubling times, in sickness, in poverty, in failure, in temptation. God has overcome it all and none of it can harm you. He intends it for good.

How/Why is it comforting to know that there is none who can stand against us? How does this help to remember and meditate upon in the midst of trial and hardship?

When going through hard times, reflecting and meditating on this truth helps to endure the struggle and see to the other side of it.

What would we lack? - Romans 8:32

He who did not SPARE his own son

to save from loss or discomfort

to abstain from doing something

He did not HOLD BACK on his own son, subjecting Him to the worst fate possible....FOR ME. For you.

He subjected him to the splintering of THE ONLY EVER perfect relationship, one that has never known division

He subjected him to the full filth of not just one person’s sin but ALL THE WORLD’s sins…the guilt, shame, filth, and reproach of it all.

He subjected him to the rejection of man, the mocking, scorning, humiliation of man’s most cutting words

He subjected him to THE WORST physical pain and suffering one can endure in this flesh

He subjected him to HIS FATHER’s OWN rejection and RIGHTEOUS WRATH for sins he never even committed.

He did not SPARE or REFRAIN from any of this. He did not hold back, soften the blow, or make it easier.

He bore the full brunt of it all.

He, the very son of God, the most precious thing one can give.

God has already given us the greatest thing there is to give…His son.

Why on earth would he then withhold any necessary thing from us? After giving us his son, there is nothing too hard to give.

Does not mean God give us whatever we want. He gives us whatever is good for us and necessary for LIFE with Him.

He ALWAYS Give us WHAT IS BEST.

God with us means that He will give us all good things for our good and His glory.

He already has done so with His son.

God with us means that we will lack no good thing, no necessary thing for our growth in holiness, our intimacy with Him and His glory (which is our greatest good).

Reflect for a moment on these truths...He did not HOLD BACK on his own son, subjecting Him to the worst fate possible....FOR ME. For you.

He subjected him to the splintering of THE ONLY EVER perfect relationship, one that has never known division

He subjected him to the full filth of not just one person’s sin but ALL THE WORLD’s sins…the guilt, shame, filth, and reproach of it all.

He subjected him to the rejection of man, the mocking, scorning, humiliation of man’s most cutting words

He subjected him to THE WORST physical pain and suffering one can endure in this flesh

He subjected him to HIS FATHER’s OWN rejection and RIGHTEOUS WRATH for sins he never even committed.

He did not SPARE or REFRAIN from any of this. He did not hold back, soften the blow, or make it easier.

He bore the full brunt of it all.

He, the very son of God, the most precious thing one can give.

Have a time of prayer together, thanking God for these truths, repenting of the many ways we ignore or devalue these truths, and in commitment to allowing them to convict our desires, motives, and actions.

Memorize and meditate on Romans 8:32 this week.

Who can charge or condemn? - Romans 8:33-34

Who shall bring any just accusation against the elect?

Any accusation against the elect fall flat because the debt is erased, the penalty paid, the invoiced stamped satisfied.

When SO GREAT A PRICE HAS BEEN PAID in the blood of Jesus, how can any claim of outstanding debt stand? The debt has been overpaid.

Jesus’ blood made sure of that.

Therefore...

Who shall condemn (pass sentence) God’s own?

Receipt of God’s satisfaction for justice met has been provided.

He sits in heaven, next to his father, and intercedes on our behalf.

When accusation comes, Jesus produces his own pierced and scarred body as evidence of payment made.

No charge can stick because all charges have been dropped against the elect.

No condemnation can stick because for the believer there is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus BECAUSE HE WAS CONDEMNED ON MY BEHALF.

God with us means that we will never face judgment or punishment for our sins because Christ already did so.

God's love is an exercise of his goodness toward sinners who merit only condemnation. J. I. Packer

We will never see condemnation because Christ did.

God’s love flooded our lives and removed the condemnation with Jesus’ sacrifice and our repentance and faith.

There stands no one left to condemn

God with us means we will not face condemnation.

It also means we have an intercessor.

Read Romans 8:1. What does this verse mean? How ought the lack of fear of condemnation impact our daily lives?

We will never face judgment, punishment, or death for our sins. Jesus paid them. To punish us again would nullify the effect of Jesus’ payment, stating that his punishment was not sufficient. This would be blasphemy.

We can live without a sense of guilt or shame. We are forgiven, cleansed, restored. We can walk in the newness of life.

We should live with a renewed commitment to honor the act of Christ that made it possible for us to be removed from the coming judgment and wrath of God.

Who intercedes for us? - Romans 8:34

Jesus sits at the right hand of interceding for us to God the Father.

Intercede

To make an earnest request through contact with the person approached

Jesus approaches the God Father FOR US and makes earnest appeals for us.

Stop and consider this for a minute....God the Son, Jesus PLEADS FOR US TO HIS FATHER.

Have you ever had someone of import in this life go to bat for you? Support you?

Can I be vulnerable for a moment…I got a hint of those a couple years ago when our church body endured the greatest disunity and conflict it ever had in my time here. The result of that, friendships were broken, long standing relationships were severed as some chose to stand in support of me in that conflict. To this day, I am extremely humbled by that, and at times, feeling so unworthy of that. During a time of disunity and hardship, to have someone stand with you and advocate for you, at great cost to themselves…it is an extremely humbling experience.

Jesus’ paid the ultimate cost to have the right and authority to stand as intercessor for us before God the Father in the face of accusations and condemnations against us.

He acts as our advocate, our legal counsel if you will. When accusations and condemnations arise, he is there to intercede and declare that the penalty and punishment for those accusations (most probably legit) has been expunged and satisfied in HIS sacrifice, his death, and his resurrection.

In this context, his intercession for us is one of defense against the accusations of the adversary and the cries to condemn.

He produces his own body and scars as rebuke against those accusations and condemnations that the adversary levels at us.

Listen, God with us means that God Himself intercedes for us. And not only does Christ intercede for us, the Spirit does as well.

Romans 8:26

A businessman from time to time would have to write a report to the chairman of the board of his corporation. He would write the letter and would give it to his secretary, and she would read it, then type it for him on the company letterhead. To his approval she would correct grammatical mistakes and misspellings, then she would send the letter off to his superiors.

After doing this many times, he received a commendation for his good and timely reports that helped improve their business. Now, he knew deep in his heart that he had commented on a few things and suggested others, but he really didn't feel that he deserved such accolades.

So he went back to the reports that he hand-wrote and compared them with the ones his secretary typed. He discovered that his secretary had typed not what he said but what he really meant, and with the award that he received he gave to her an award of her own.

This story shows us just what the Holy Spirit does for us. We pray our prayers to the Lord with our hearts not sure of what to pray for, and the Holy Spirit intercedes and says it for us.

The Holy Spirit indwells us, teaches us, guides us, leads us, prays for us, intercedes for us.

We are never alone. We are never isolated. We are never powerless. We are never abandoned.

God with us means we have an intercessor.

God with us means we are never alone.

Why is there joy and peace found in knowing that Christ and the Spirit intercede for us?

Who shall separate us? - Romans 8:35

ILLUSTRATION: One pastor once shared that as a child I remember watching a movie about a little boy who got sprayed by a skunk. His parents nearly scrubbed the skin off him but they could not get rid of the odor. So for a couple of days, he had to sleep in the barn and eat his meals outside the house. He could see his family inside the house eating at the table, laughing and talking. When it got dark he sat in the yard and watched through the window as Pa read a story to the other kids and watched his Ma tuck the others in bed. It broke his heart to be excluded… on the outside looking in.

Many of us fear that this is our experience with God. That the smell of skunk, of our sins separates us from the love of God. That he ceases to love us because of our failures and our sins.

Certainly our fellowship and our intimacy with God is hindered by sin

BUT

God loves us NO LESS when we sin than when we do right.

His love is the same, it is present, it is faithful even when our sins invade and cause us to stink and when that stink hinders our fellowship.

The boys parents did not love their son any less while separated but the stink hindered their fellowship.

The same is true in our relationship to God. His love remains the same and it remains true even when our sin hinders the intimacy and closeness we share.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Who or what is able to negate the truth of “God with us?” Who or what can remove the most precious thing we possess from us? Who or what can take that of eternal value and strip it of its worth?

These continue to be rhetorical questions.

The answer is obvious.

No one.

Nothing.

Not even the smell of skunk or the stink of sin…for those have been purged from us.

No circumstance.

No person.

No being.

No matter how bleak our lives get...

No matter how pain filled...

No matter how sorrowful...

No matter how “lonely”...

No matter how chaotic...

We are never separated from Christ, from God from the Spirit.

God is WITH US.

And when God is WITH US…there is nothing to fear, no harm to worry about, no death that can defeat.

One final thought from this passage. God with us also means that we are more than conquerors

Meditate on all the implications of never being separated from Christ. Share a few thoughts.

More than Conquerors - Romans 8:37

MORE than conquerors.

Victor

Completely prevailed, overcome.

What does it mean to be MORE than conquerors?

Oswald Chambers provides some insight

“The things we try to avoid and fight against-tribulation, suffering, and persecution-are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. "We are more than conquerors through Him" "in all these things"; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn't know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4).” — Oswald Chambers

Listen, God has overcome the world.

He has given us ABUNDANT life in relationship with Himself

He has come nearer then we could ever hope for by indwelling us with His very Spirit.

He has removed all opposition, denounced every accusation, and denied every condemnation.

He actively and regularly intercedes for us and has given us His Spirit who also does so.

He has made his love INSEPARABLE from us

He makes it possible to have joy and peace in the midst of ongoing struggle and strife.

See…NOT ONLY has got defeated the penalty and power of sin, He has given all we need to live life to its fullest AND to live with joy and peace, contentment and hope in the midst of a still yet broken world.

WE ARE MORE THAN CONQUERORS because the continuing troubles and trials of this life cannot defeat us, cannot destroy us, and cannot rob us of our joy and delight in God! In fact, those very things that intend to destroy actually end up CONTRIBUTING to our joy! :)

For those who struggle with this and feel that they will never reach a place in their journey where they will feel like MORE THAN CONQUERORS, heed these words by Amy Carmichael

“Sometimes when we read the words of those who have been more than conquerors, we feel almost despondent. I feel that I shall never be like that. But they won through step by step, by little bits of wills, little denials of self, little inward victories, by faithfulness in very little things. They became what they are. No one sees these little hidden steps. They only see the accomplishment, but even so, those small steps were taken. There is no sudden triumph, no spiritual maturity. That is the work of the moment.” — Amy Carmichael

Listen beloved…We see the testimony of the “Greats in the faith” and we wonder how they do it, how they got there. We see the victory, we see the strong moments, we see the result of a long struggle to embrace these truths and write them onto the core of their hearts. Truth is, they would admit to you that there are still tough days and hard days, days they do not feel like more than conquerors.

The trick is simple…ONE DAY AT A TIME, ONE MOMENT AT A TIME, we take each next step by faith and trust in God, pressing hard into him and accepting his Grace for the very next step. Sometimes that is all we can do.

But as you press into him and as you commit your way to him, as you find rest in him, the very thing that has caused you grief will yet turn to a reason for rejoicing, for joy, for glory of God!

We are MORE THAN CONQUERORS in Him and there is nothing that can keep us from God, rob us of our joy, or steal our eternity preserved in heaven for us by the very hands of God.

THAT is reason to say with confidence....WHEN THE LORD IS WITH YOU, WHAT HAVE WE TO FEAR.

What does it mean to be more than conquerors in Christ? What does that practically look like in your life?

He has given us ABUNDANT life in relationship with Himself

He has come nearer then we could ever hope for by indwelling us with His very Spirit.

He has removed all opposition, denounced every accusation, and denied every condemnation.

He actively and regularly intercedes for us and has given us His Spirit who also does so.

He has made his love INSEPARABLE from us

He makes it possible to have joy and peace in the midst of ongoing struggle and strife.

How are the very tribulations that plague our lives actually a means for joy?

They draw us near to God, strip us of our delusions, sins, and worldly loves so that we can know and enjoy God more fully.

They reveal more of God to us as he comes to us in our suffering and comfort us, sustains us, and grants grace for the journey.

What fears are you living with that exposes your struggle to embrace, God with us? How will you address those fear this week?

Conclusion

Play Video - God with Us (Charles Spurgeon)

God was with Joseph and made everything he did to prosper.

He positioned him so that he would be where God needed him in the fullness of time.

Though his life was full of turmoil, betrayal, subjugation, false accusation, and suffering....God was with him and he had nothing to fear.

If this God be with us, what have we to fear?

God with us means we have nothing to fear.

Big Idea: When the Lord is with you, what have you to fear?

As we enter this already tumultuous year 2021, may this truth comfort you as you are growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.

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