Eager Anticipation Message 1

Eager Anticipation

Message 1

Romans 8:22-23

Me:

Eager anticipation

a. Going on a trip

i. Tina and I was super excited about our trip

ii. As soon as we saw an opening, we hit the road

iii. We didn’t even stay for the egg hunt

iv. I get as much joy out of planning the trip as I do being there.

b. I was exhausted

i. Leading up to Easter

ii. I was as excited about the trip as I was Easter

iii. We as believers have an eager anticipation waiting for us.

iv. An adventure beyond our wildest dreams

We:

Holy Spirit’s firstfruits

a. The pains of life

i. There is no question that life is full of pain

ii. I preach a lot about this.

iii. It seems around every corner

iv. We all suffer from the dreadful curse of sin

v. The whole of creation groans from this curse

Romans 8:22 NLT

For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

vi. I have never birthed a baby but I have witnessed it.

vii. This is not news “Life can suck”

b. We as believer have a foretaste (firstfruits)

Romans 8:23 NLT

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

ii. “The Holy Spirit within gives us as a foretaste of future glory”

iii. Think of like this. Salvation, Baptism, The joy and peace of Christian living, The power of God working in our lives. The fellowship of other believers, etc.

iv. We are able to “taste” this here in this broken world

v. But more is coming

vi. We wait in eager anticipation

God:

Eternal Perspective

a. We are promised three things

Romans 8:23 NLT

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us.

A release from sin

i. This we long for this greatly

ii. We hate our sin, but we are still under it’s curse

iii. The very thing I hate I do.

The day of adoption

i. We are already adopted in God’s family

ii. We just don’t have the full inheritance or rights that come with that.

iii. There is a tension between what we have and what we will have. (Foretaste)

The redemption of this body.

i. One day these old, tired bodies will receive a new body.

ii. Released from all the pain and suffering we go through in this life

iii. Our physical earthly bodies will be resurrected into a heavenly body

You:

Going on a trip

a. When I plan a trip

i. I check out all the places to stay

ii. Places to eat

iii. Things to do

b. We are going to heaven our future glory

i. Do you think about the things that will take place?

ii. Do you think about how there will be no more pain?

Revelation 21:4 NLT

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

iv. Compare Our present groaning with our heavenly glory

v. Our suffering will not last forever.

We:

Eternal Perspective

a. An eager anticipation

i. We have a foretaste of the life to come.

ii. Put this life in an eternal perspective

iii. The suffering you have now is preparing you for what you will do in heaven

iv. There is a future glory.

2 Corinthians 5:2 NLT

We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing.