Sermons
October 29th, 2023 by Pastor Solley102223AM Timeless Truths for Troubled Times
Sub. The truth of the Bible.
Theme: Truth in times of trouble.
Text: Romans 8:28-34
“Timeless Truths for Troubled Times” Romans 8:28-34
Introduction
I would like us to look this morning at some timeless truths for troubled times. These are certainly troubled times that we are living is today. We are seeing today things on a scale that many cannot remember ever seeing before. We are beginning to see today what Jesus said in Luke 18:8 “ Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” We see the most evil of sins praised and good condemned. We see at this moment Israel at war and nations gathered to try and annihilate God’s people. Hamas terrorists funded, trained, and armed by those nations on the attack. Russia, China and North Korea united and ready for world war. No leadership in America when we need it the most. A president in name only we have little idea who is running our country. No speaker of the hose so no legislation can go forward. Crime of every level on the rise. Inflation out of control and more and more money sent abroad. $100 million being sent to Gaza with a promise Hamas will not be able to get hands on it. Over $100 billion sent to Ukraine and no one knows where that money goes. Open borders for the past three years and unnumbered terrorists have infiltrated our nation. Hamas is here so we should be concerned when a “Day of rage” is called for. These are troubling times.
I. But how troubled should the child of God be? These are troubling times, but how troubled should the child of God be? We are to be aware of what is going on around us, we are to be awake, we are to be looking at the signs of the times. All of those things we are admonished to be doing in the Word of God. But how troubled should the child of God be?
A. Jesus said is some very troubling times for those He was speaking to “Let not your heart be troubled”: For those gathered in the upper room with Jesus on that last Passover they were experiencing some troubled times. Jesus then commanded them “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” That word means not to be overtaken or rolled over by trouble and worries. No to be so agitated by troubles that surround. It means no disturbance of soul or spirit. Jesus commanded “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
1. Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: Matt 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
2. The Bible says in 2 Thess one: 2 Thess 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us,…
3. The Bible says in 2 Thess two: 2 Thess 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled,…
4. The Bible says in 1 Peter three the last time the word troubled is found: 1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
5. Many more passages could be shared like this today: How troubled then should the child of God be today?
B. But how do we obey the command of Jesus “Let not your heart be troubled”: How can we obey that command in troubling times?
II. In Romans chapter eight we find some timeless truths for troubled times: Rom 8:28-34 In these seven verses we find one great statement concerning the purpose of God, five Bible doctrines, and a promise of Divine prayer on our behalf.
A. Romans chapter eight from the first verse to the last is for the child of God, the born again believer in Jesus Christ: Parts of Romans are directed at the Jewish people, parts of Romans are directed at lost people, but all of Romans chapter eight is directed at the born again child of God, at the born again believer.
1. This chapter begins with a blessed truth: Rom 8:1
2. This chapter ends with a blessed truth: Rom 8:39
3. Everything in between is for the child of God:
B. In Romans chapter eight we find timeless truths for troubled times:
PROP: It is understandable that so many are so troubled today. TS: But that does not have to be the case for the child of God.
Body
I. We begin with the eternal purpose of God: Rom 8:28 Notice the last four words of this verse. – Rom 8:28 – God has purpose in all that God does and especially concerning the born again believer in Christ. God has purpose and nothing takes God by surprise. There is not enough time to explore all the avenues in the purpose of God or the eternal purpose of God this morning, but God has purpose and consider just three areas concerning the eternal purpose of God.
A. The eternal purpose of God as far as this world is concerned is to bring sin and evil to judgment: As we see things on the world stage get worse and worse, as we see sin abounding more and more some tend to think that God is not in control. That is not true. God will bring every hidden work into judgment, will bring all sin into judgment and as we see sin increasing and evil taking over we need to realize that the time of that judgment is getting nearer and nearer. – Jude 14-15 – Enoch knew this judgment was coming.
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1. All that is taking place in and around Israel today we can read about in the Bible: In Ezekiel and Daniel it speaks about the nations, naming many of them, coming against Israel. God has not lost control, has not lost purpose.
2. Jesus spoke of sin abounding and faith disappearing from the world in the gospels: God has not lost control, has not lost purpose.
3. In 2 Tim as well as Jude it speaks of the dangers of our day: God has not lost control, has not lost purpose.
4. In 2 Thess as well as Revelation we see apostasy taking over the church: God has not lost control, has not lost purpose.
5. We should not be so troubled by the world or national scene because God has not lost control: God has not lost purpose.
6. The eternal purpose of God for this world is being carried out in moving closer and closer to final judgment:
B. The eternal purpose of God as far as individuals is concerned is that all get saved: Not all will get saved because it is also within the eternal purpose of God that man have a free will. God is sovereign but that sovereignty also allows man a free will. That is the reason that this world has not yet met final judgment, God extending grace and mercy so people can get saved. – 2 Peter 3:9 – God will not force any individual to get saved but God wants all to be saved. Salvation of man is part of the eternal purpose of God.
1. That is why we need continue to witness to and pray for the lost: It is God’s purpose that all get saved.
2. But each individual must make that decision: All can come, all are called to salvation, but each one must decide.
3. The eternal purpose of God for individuals is that all get saved:
C. The eternal purpose of God for the redeemed in Jesus Christ is always and only for our good: Rom 8:31-32 Please understand that not all that touches us in this world will seem to be good. – Rom 8:28 – But it is the eternal purpose of God that as believers in Christ we submit to His will in our lives and that all things will indeed work together for our good according to the purpose of God.
Rom 8:28 – It is not important that we understand everything in this world but it is important that we submit ourselves to the perfect will of God. God always and only wants what is good for His people even when we don’t know what is good for ourselves.
1. When the disciples asked Jesus “Who did sin, this man or his parents” of the blind man in John 9 what did Jesus answer?
“Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” No one understood why that baby was born blind, why he lived all those years in darkness, but God knew, Jesus knew.
2. God always works for our good according to His purpose: Rom 8:28 ; 12:2 It is not important that we understand all that takes place in our lives and in this world, but it is important that we trust God enough to place our lives in His capable hands. Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
a. It is not all that important that I understand everything or even anything but it is important that I trust.
b. Am I willing to simply trust in the Lord?
ILL. I can this morning give a long list of things over the past many years that have taken place in the lives of my wife and myself that neither one of us understand, I can dwell on those things, question God about those things, or I can turn them all over to the Lord Jesus Christ and trust in my capable savior. That is not always easy.
– Why on what should have been one of the happiest of days did my wife lose her mother?
– Why during a time of great trial did we receive news another soul was being entrusted to our care only to lose that one? Two times?
– Why have some we tried to do the most for over the years try and do us the most harm?
– Instead of asking why about everything why not just trust?
3. It is not important that we understand everything in this world but it is important that we trust God enough to place our lives in His capable hands and ourselves under His capable control: Prov 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
a. That simple Bible truth can take away a lot of anxiety in our lives.
b. That simple Bible truth can take away a lot of anger in our lives.
c. That simply Bible truth can take away a lot of the questions we carry around with us.
4. When by the grace of God we are truly able to trust and obey, trust completely and entirely in the Lord, it lifts our eyes off of the troubles of life, the troubles of this world and sets them on the glory that is going to be ours one day: Rom 8:17-18
D. We begin with the eternal purpose of God: Rom 8:28 Are we willing to trust?
II. Am I willing to trust in His foreknowledge? Rom 8:29 Foreknowledge and predestination are both found in this verse and many try and bind them together into one and that is a mistake, they are different.
A. To bind foreknowledge and predestination together leads to the false doctrine of Calvinism: Calvinism is also known as Reformed Christianity and follows the beliefs of John Calvin. John Calvin broke from the RC church and is known as one of the early reformers and did a great work in leading many away from the RC church in the late 1500’s. But he also brought a false doctrine with him. Calvinism takes away the free will of man and demands not only limited atonement but limited love on the part of God.
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1. It is not my purpose to go into the TULIP of Calvinism this morning: But Calvinism at its core makes God an unloving God willing to condemn certain ones to hell and certain ones to heaven.
2. In Calvinism you have no choice in salvation: If God has not arbitrarily chosen you to salvation you are going to hell.
3. Calvinism does not believe the Bible: 2 Peter 3:9
4. We do stand firmly against Calvinism here at Cherry Corner and make no apology for it:
B. But God’s foreknowledge needs to be recognized: Rom 8:29 In order to trust in the foreknowledge of God I need to understand it.
1. Foreknowledge is a result of the omniscience of God, of the all knowing nature of God: Almighty God knows everything past, present and future. God knows the number of stars in our universes and in each galaxy, God knows the number of angels He created, God knows the number of hairs on each head in this room this morning, God knows every animal alive in this world and every animal that has died over the centuries, our God knows everything. – Matt 10:29-30
2. God knows things about us, things that concern us, before we do: Matt 6:8
3. God knows the secrets of our heart that even we don’t know: Jer 17:9-10
4. It is impossible for me to hide even one thought from God: Ps 94:11 ; Ps 139:4-13
5. God’s foreknowledge covers all time and all events: God knows everything, nothing takes God by surprise.
C. It is when I couple God’s foreknowledge with God’s eternal purpose for me that I begin to find great comfort and peace: Read these verse together and then in reverse order. – Rom 8:28-29 ; Rom 8:29-28
1. God knows all that will ever take place in my life as well as yours: Rom 8:29
2. God wants to use all that takes place for my good and His glory: Rom 8:28
ILL. This does not mean I can choose to walk in sin and God use that for my good and His glory. That is another message…
3. But it does mean I can in faith and trust place my life in the hands of Jesus Christ: It means I can trust that He is doing all things well even when I don’t understand.
4. It means I can trust that God sees things that I can’t and He does all things well: Many things over many years that I did not and do not understand but am I willing to trust that God sees things that I cannot and just trust in Him? – Ps 143:10 – Am I willing to believe that His will is best and God knows more than I do?
a. When I question God I am really telling God I know best.
b. When I question God I am telling God my ways are higher than His ways.
5. It is God who knows what is best for me for God knows all things covering all time:
D. Am I willing to trust in His foreknowledge? Rom 8:29
III. Am I willing to be conformed to His image? Rom 8:29 Predestination is confusing to man but it does not need to be. Note in this verse what we are predestined to be. – Rom 8:29 – Predestination is not an agent in salvation as many try and make it, predestination is an agent in changing one saved by grace through faith into the image of Christ.
A. It is also within the eternal purpose of God that there be a change in one when they are born again: 2 Cor 5:17 Predestination is the agent in bringing that change to pass.
1. That Greek word is found only six times in the Bible: Two times it concerns God, three times God and man.
a. Acts 4:28 This speaks of what was done with and to Jesus Christ in this world.
b. 1 Cor 2:7 This speaks of God’s wisdom.
c. Rom 8:29-30 This speaks of the change that is to take place in the child of God.
d. Eph 1:5-12 This speaks of the change taking place in the child of God.
2. We are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, to be changed after we are saved: Eph 1:11-12 ; Rom 8:29
B. It is Bible that there is going to be a change after salvation in Jesus Christ: When there is no change one does wonder if there has been real salvation. – Matt 7:13-21 – That is not being judgmental, that is looking for a change that God says will be there.
1. Many profess to be saved and with no change in their lives one must wonder if they were ever truly saved: Matt 7:20 They have the words of salvation and lack the works of salvation.
2. When salvation is real God begins to make changes in our lives:
ILL. There is a wedding coming up Dec 30th and on that day two lives are going to change. They do not know yet how much their lives are going to change but they are going to change because two will become one. Shouldn’t there also be a change when the Holy Spirit of God takes up residence within the born again child of God?…
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C. Am I willing to be conformed to the image of Christ? It is a legitimate question for when I am not willing God then must make me willing to be changed because God has said He is going to change me. – Rom 8:29
1. That change will come gently when I obey the Word of God and keep His commandments:
2. That change will come a little harder when I fight against God and His Spirit within: Heb 12:1-11
3. I have felt more times than I would like to admit the chastening hand of God in my life: Gently at first through conviction, a little less gently when confronted through preaching, and finally through action.
a. God does chasten. – Heb 12:8-9
b. God chastens to bring us to His image, to a walk of holiness. – Heb 12:10
D. Am I willing to be conformed to His image? Rom 8:29
Conclusion
In this great chapter we have some timeless truths of which we have looked at just a few this morning.
I. We begin with the eternal purpose of God: Rom 8:28 Notice the last four words of this verse. – Rom 8:28 – God has purpose in all that God does and especially concerning the born again believer in Christ. God has purpose and nothing takes God by surprise. There is not enough time to explore all the avenues in the purpose of God or the eternal purpose of God this morning, but God has purpose and consider just three areas concerning the eternal purpose of God.
A. The eternal purpose of God as far as this world is concerned is to bring sin and evil to judgment:
B. The eternal purpose of God as far as individuals is concerned is that all get saved:
C. The eternal purpose of God for the redeemed in Jesus Christ is always and only for our good: Rom 8:31-32
II. Am I willing to trust in His foreknowledge? Rom 8:29 Knowing that God does all things well am I willing to trust in the foreknowledge of God?
III. Am I willing to be conformed to His image? Rom 8:29 Predestination is confusing to man but it does not need to be. Note in this verse what we are predestined to be. – Rom 8:29 – Predestination is not an agent in salvation as many try and make it, predestination is an agent in changing one saved by grace through faith into the image of Christ.