Breaking the Chains

Romans 5

*Illustration – High school Musical “Sometimes I want to scream”

*Illustration – Personal Testimony?

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we[c] rejoice[d] in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-5

3 Things On What Rejoicing In Your Sufferings Does.

Endurance – Steadfastness, patience. (Romans 12:12)

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

Suffering teaches you to be patient.

When we learn to rejoice in our sufferings, patience doesn’t come as hard.

It is a fruit of the spirit.

It’s what love is described as in 1 Corinthians

James 5:7-8

Why would James use the illustration of a farmer?

I think that maybe it’s because the farmer has to go through a lot of suffering to see his crops be ready for harvest, only to have to wait for them to grow and for there to be rain to make them grow.

*Illustrations – Basketball Conditioning

Character – Proven Character, Experience (KJV)

a. What is proven character?

b. It is worked for, it is not freely given.

c. It literally means to prove or test.

d. It’s saying, you know the material, here is the exam.

e. Taking what you have learned from practice and applying it to the court.

3. Hope

a. This is what I want to really focus in on today.

b. See we can talk all day about what suffering produces, but until we grasp the hope we have in the midst of suffering we will never be able to rejoice in our suffering to begin with.

c. So how do we experience hope?

Two Things:

1. The only way that we are going to be able to have Hope in our sufferings is if we realize that our Hope suffered for us.

a. Jesus came to earth, a perfect person, lived a perfect life, and then was betrayed and mocked, but not only that he was beaten. He was beaten to the point of unrecognition. He was hung on a criminal’s cross, and died. Did no wrong, but died for us.

b. Do not be surprised at the fiery trail when it comes upon you to test you, as though suffering strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

2. I will never experience hope if I am not looking to Jesus.

a. I will not experience hope to its fullest if I am not seeking to know God better

i. “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of scriptures we may have hope” (Romans 15:4)

ii. LISTEN. You will never find true hope if you do not look to the Word of God

iii. It lies in the knowledge of who he is.

iv. *Cliff Notes Illustration.*

v. If you don’t know what God’s Word says, when the tests come and you reach a subject you haven’t studied, it makes things difficult.

b. I will never experience hope to its fullest if I do not desire to communicate with Him.

i. Prayer.

ii. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness(or gentleness) be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:4-7)

c. And you know what? God says that having our hope in Jesus will not put us to shame. (v.5)

i. God isn’t going to let us down. His love has already been poured out generously on us.

ii. When we put our faith and trust in Him, we have eternal security of hope with him.

What if you don’t struggle with this hope or with suffering?

*When we realize our hope is in Christ, it enables us to show others hope.

*When we have hope we have a light that is noticeable to others and we can share with others about the hope that is inside of us.

*Illustration of the power of a note

* be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; 1 Peter 3:15