The Book of Romans XIII, If God Is For Us

I didn't take off my hat and put on another one, I just changed microphones. I always say this when Pastor Jay is away and I'm teaching, if you really wanted to hear Pastor Jay, just get his tape at the tape library on your way out. Great tapes, you can get every message I think he's ever preached. Would you open your Bibles to Romans chapter 8, please. Romans chapter 8. How many here are fishermen or fisherwomen? Come on, put those hands up high. I know you're proud of it. I know it, because you all tell those fish stories. Well, there are seasoned fishermen and there are seasoned fishermen. I learned something one time from a very seasoned fisherman. I was up at the cottage that some of you know we have in Lake Erie. I was with a fisherman who catches lots of walleye, or pickerel as we affectionately call them, or pick for the extremely affectionate. I was watching him fillet the fish, these were large 23 to 28 inch size men and ladies. I noticed he did something very peculiar, he had filleted the fish and then he wasn't done. He pointed this out to me, he said, now you see how sharp my knife is? I said, yes, I see how sharp your knife is, now watch what I do with my knife. He began to look like, Willie, you're here tonight, Willie he looked kind of like a neurosurgeon. Willie's a neurosurgeon here with us. He took that sharp knife, which looked like a scalpel, and he went right behind the eye. Don't get grossed out here, I'm not going to tell gross animal stories, I promise. I promised the pastor I wouldn't do that, but he put the knife right behind the eye and he said, now there's a circle of meat there that if you delicately dig that out, you're going to find it is the sweetest spot of the fish. Did you know that? How many fishermen want to know more about that later? Okay, I'll tell you more about that later. He said that is the sweetest spot. He came up with these little fillets that are about the size of a silver dollar. He was right. I went back and I took my little 13 inch fish and I started to fillet it, but I ended up with one about the size of a dime, because I don't catch fish as large as his. But it was the sweet spot. Well, the word that we're going to talk about tonight in Romans chapter 8, I believe, is the sweet spot of this chapter. It's such a sweet spot, because when we eat this word tonight, I believe it's going to transform some of our lives. Now, you're saying, I've heard that line before. My life is the same as it was. Maybe heaven came down for him, but it hasn't come down for her, the one I live with. Or it hasn't come down for me, the one I live with. But you're going to see, I believe, at least many of you, that there is a sweet spot in Romans chapter 8. And we're going to look at a very small portion of scripture, beginning with verse 17. Let me remind you that chapter 8, for those of you who have missed a part of this series, in fact, I believe Grant taught the last time from this chapter, this chapter 8 is talking about our intimate relationship with Christ. In verse 1, we hear about the doctrine of eternal security. And then in verses 3 and 4, we discovered our liberation from sin and from death. And then on into verse 10, in that section, our righteousness, the fact that we are righteous through the Holy Spirit. And then finally, before the scriptures tonight, in verses 14 and 15, we see that we can be led by the Spirit of God. And in verse 15, we can be adopted as sons of God. It's getting better. It's getting sweeter. It's getting more fun. And then finally, we see that we are heirs of glory. In verse 17, I'll read for you. Now, if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings, in order that we may also share in His glory. Now, something just happened here that I need to point out to you. Because so far in this chapter, it looks like pretty clear sailing. These are good things. I like the idea of being adopted as a son of God. Anybody here not want to be adopted as God's son? Is there anybody that does not? Go ahead. I like that idea, but there is a change of momentum here in verse 17 that we need to take note of. You see, the fact of the matter is, the only way we can partake of all those promises that Paul shares with us in the first part of the chapter is if we will share in his what? In his sufferings. But some of you are saying, oh no, my Bible says, if indeed. That kind of could open the door to exemption. And I don't know about you, but I have oftentimes kind of been very willing to accept the preference of God to be an exception to the rule. And the if indeed, as I would like to read it, is kind of, you know, if I need that kind of suffering in my life, then you can go ahead and do it. But I'm going to do the best I can to keep that from happening. Any of you live that way? Do any of you try to avoid suffering? Come on. I sure do. Who wants suffering? How often do you run across people just saying, I am having a great day suffering today. I just love it. You know, I can't wait. I'm hoping to suffer all through 1990. And this is going to be the decade of suffering. I haven't heard one person say that yet. That if indeed, how many Bibles say if indeed? Okay, most of us say if indeed. If that if indeed is true, it does not mean perhaps. Say it does not mean perhaps. It does not mean maybe. I didn't tell you to say it does not mean maybe. It does not mean maybe. What it means is for sure. It is absolutely certain. That's what that if indeed means. It is certain that we will suffer. How many think that is good news? You are not very responsive tonight. Thank you. There are two people that think that's good news. My wife and family and I were recently looking at some furniture. And we ran across this beautiful furniture. And we found out about a guarantee that I have never heard of before, but I love it. For a little bit of extra money, they will sell you this furniture with a guarantee. It is a warranty as such. That if anything goes wrong with that furniture, I'm talking if my five-year-old takes multicolored magic marker that's three inches wide and paints new stripes on that furniture and we can't get it off and the factory can't get it off, they will send in a representative to scrub until it comes off. If that does not come off, this warranty, this guarantee, guarantees that they will replace not only that piece of fabric, but every accompanying piece of fabric on the adjoining pieces of furniture. Isn't that a good guarantee? It is a three-year guarantee. I'm not going to do what Pastor Jay does and tell you who the vendor is. Because you all go running up there and you'll say, can I have this same guarantee that you were going to give Pastor Scott? But it gives one a great deal of confidence and trust and reason not to panic and worry about the kids. They can just take the crayons and the markers and they can have a heyday. And for three years, it's guaranteed that we'll have no problem, replacement, full warranty. Wouldn't that give you a feeling of security, moms? Wouldn't it? Come on. No. Wes doesn't think so. He doesn't like that idea. Satisfaction guaranteed, a great sense of security. That's what I want. That's what I want for my salvation. That's what I want in my relationship with Christ. I want to be able to say to my four little kids, go ahead. Make my day. Take off. Draw. But folks, it's not reality in our home. It's not the kind of security that I'm allowed to have. Frankly, it's not the kind of security that most of us have regarding the issue of suffering. We would like a contract with God, nice and clearly spelled out that says, you Kent are exempt. You Leroy are exempt. You Ory are exempt. You're only going to have three rough instances of suffering in this lifetime. But somehow, for some reason, God doesn't give us that warranty. He keeps us living on the edge of our seats, on the edge of faith, you might say. Now, Paul, as we go into the next verses, uses the illustration of a scale. Let's look at this. Verse 18, if you have your Bibles, he says, I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Let's go on reading. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it in hope that the creation, verse 21, itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. In verse 18, Paul talks about present sufferings, and he talks about glory that's to be revealed in us. He's talking about the sufferings of this present time, and in other portions of scripture, Paul refers to the illustration of a scale. Now, stay with me. Now, something bad happens in our lives. We just went down on the scale, didn't we? Now, normally, our response to that is, well, I guess I'm suffering. I wonder if someday there'll be compensation for that. No, God probably doesn't act that way. Why should I be compensated for losing my son? Why should I be compensated for going bankrupt? I don't deserve that. Goodness. The scale seems even. Gee, why do you want to leave me, dear? What did I do? God, what's going to happen over here, Lord, in eternity? What's going to happen there, Lord? Our scales are off so often. We don't understand the way God weights suffering and pain. Therefore, our perspective of suffering, in many cases, frankly, in Christendom, is all messed up. It is. We begin living like we're supposed to have pain-free lives. Paul says that the suffering, and I know you know this, he says the suffering is only for the present time. He writes a Greek word, tekel, T-E-K-E-L, later on, which says, weighed in the balance, it means weighed in the balance and found light, found light. That was Paul's experience of our present sufferings. And then he says of glory, that it surpasses all we have yet known. And he says the glory, in my translation, will be in us. In others, the glory will be to us. Now, I want you to be honest. How many of you feel that the scales, frankly, are weighed against us? Come on, doesn't it seem that way? I mean, I talked to half of you. You're telling me all the time where your scale is. Scott, I'm hitting bottom. Scott, I need some help. Scott, is there still a Samaritan Fund? Scott, is there a home group that can help me? Scott, is there counseling that's available to me? Can I see Pastor Jay, please? That's when you're done with me and I haven't been able to help you. But someday, someday, in fact, God says it already is. When our suffering comes, the other scale goes like this, folks. This is God reality. This is the way God works with our suffering. When suffering comes, it's this. It tips the scales tremendously in our favor. Does that make sense? You're thinking, you idiot, Scott, that can't be true. You don't know what I'm going through. This is not Scott. This is Paul. Blame it on Paul. This is the scale that Paul is telling us about. He says the glory will far outweigh the suffering. Listen carefully. In fact, you can watch on the overheads. If you're taking notes, this you do want to write down. I want to share with you three important truths about these verses. Number one, our suffering will be more than compensated. Say that. My suffering will be more than compensated. Don't even try to compare it. Don't think, I've had three divorces, two miscarriages, lost eight kids. Don't try to figure it out. But it's what the Word of God promises. Our suffering will be greatly, much greater than the suffering we experienced compensated for. Number two, the glory, now there are slight differences between these, so try to listen carefully. The glory will not be equal to, but more than balanced in heaven. In other words, we can't add up our suffering as saints, as servants, as men, as women. We can't add it up and figure out on God's calculator what that will mean for us in all eternity. We cannot do it. You can't figure God out. You can count on the fact that the balance is way over and above the suffering. And number three, when suffering brings loss, now this is very important, very important point. Probably the most important point of the evening. I shouldn't do that now. I shouldn't tell you that. When suffering brings loss, we'll be compensated in kind in heaven. Now what does that mean, in kind? How many of you have ever tried to read through the Bible and at least read Genesis chapter 1? Come on. At least read Genesis chapter 1. Well, if you read Genesis chapter 1, you're going to find that God uses that terminology an awful lot. He said that He made seed-bearing plants and trees of the land that will bear fruit with seed, according to their various kinds. And vegetation, bearing seed according to their kinds, and on and on and on. Verse 24, God said, According to their kinds, livestock and cows and groundhogs and all that stuff. Each according to its kind. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, according to their kinds. He says that I think it's 11 or 12 times in chapter 1. Our compensation, beloved, is in kind. It is related to the suffering that we are experiencing. You're going to see in a moment why this is so important to us. What this is, is a law. It is a principle of creation that we'd better get used to. It's something that God uses as an instrument in our lives, both here in this world and in all eternity. We reap, as one author said, we reap the same in kind as we sow. You know what I mean. You don't sow carrot seed and reap water buffalo. You don't sow turnip seed and reap corn, do you? Many of us in our youth sowed what? Wild oats. I heard about half of you say, wild oats. And what do you reap? What do you reap when you reap wild oats? When you sow wild oats? Who said moldy bread? But you're right. You reap in kind, right? And you reap what you sow. Even when God comes crashing into your life. I just came crashing into your life, Debbie. Every seed that you sowed before you knew God, did it stop bearing what it should reap? Did it? It didn't, did it? Did you get mad at God? Did you get into His Word and say, come on, I know it's in here, I know it's in here. It must be a promise of God that all that stuff is behind me. It's all over with. Folks, that's not true. I'm sorry. Really bad news. Now you can leave if you don't want to hear any more. But I'm sorry. It is a law of God. We reap in the same kind as we sow, whether they be bad or evil or good. Some of us are still cleaning up our act, aren't we? Some of us pay a price for our lifetime because we can't get things out of our memories, right? We reap in kind. Let me ask you a question. Do you spend more time lamenting or complaining about what you don't have or rejoicing for what you do have? I'm going to close my eyes. I want you to tell me. All right. Everybody close your eyes. No. Do you spend more time complaining, whining? Some of you ladies can relate to that or men. Do you spend more time whining or complaining or praising, griping or rejoicing? Paul said, I glory in my suffering. How could he say that? Why did he say that? He said it because Paul knew that in heaven, listen, he knew that in heaven he would have more joy than the person who does not have those sufferings. He knew a truth. And he grabbed hold of it. And it changed his life. It changed his whole perspective on life. You see, this is God's way. Please, don't complain for what you don't have or about your suffering. I know it's difficult. Why? Because according to God's word, your compensation when that happens will be greater. Can anybody say anything? Isn't that a wonderful truth? That is something. That is like that piece of sweet meat. It should be. It must be. That is good news. Now do you know, you visitors, why people are smiling here, why we rejoice? Because he's a good God. God is going to give you that which you've missed in greater measure and in like kind. That's good. That's good. Jill, if you're single all your life, you don't have to worry. Because God is going to bless you in all eternity in greater measure and in like kind. It doesn't matter. You pray for God's will to be done. And I'm picking on you, I know that. But you're single, you're available, and everybody knows it. She's good looking too over there, you single bachelors. But the fact of the matter is... Listen, the fact of the matter... I didn't have you come up here anyway, Jill. The fact of the matter is, what does God do? What's he do? Oh, his compensation is incredible, folks. It is incredible. Greater measure and like kind. I have known many, many people who have suffered. And that isn't funny, is it? It isn't funny. Suffering is not a funny thing. But you see, the compensation that God has in store for those who suffer, for those who have anguished, for those who have been confused, for those who have been depressed, for those who have lost loved ones, for those who have been alone, to those who have experienced pain, to those who have suffered prematurely, to those who have died prematurely, to those who have been left alone prematurely. In every single situation, God's compensation is greater too, and it is in the same likeness as the suffering. That is something to give God thanks for. That is something that we can rejoice in. Because no matter how great our suffering, where the suffering is the greatest in our lives, is going to be compensation galore. And we can't imagine, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into our hearts what God has in store for those who love Him. The compensation is way beyond my scale, beloved. And we've got to learn to start giving thanks to God in all things. Why? Because His promises bring us to a point of such security. I'm supposed to be teaching, not preaching. I'm really sorry, but I got excited. God does not want us, furthermore, to spend our lives reliving the past. When you try to relive something that you've missed, well, I'm 40 and I've never been married, and doggone it, I want a woman. And I know what I can do to get that woman. And when you go back and you try to get that woman and you try to play God and you try to manufacture circumstances and you try to make things happen, not only are you manipulating God, but you're missing what God has in store for you for the then and there. Now we're talking about what Pastor Jeff preached on Sunday. That was the coming and the what is, the present. Do you hear that? Oh, what dumbos we can be. Don't we? We get caught in those traps. But today's sufferings, they don't compare to the glory that's to be revealed to us. So let's let God give us in heaven what we think we're missing on earth, okay? See, it doesn't matter what we've missed. It doesn't matter. The glory will far outweigh the pain. One more thing. Too many of us live in the tomorrow and the yesterday syndrome. What does that mean? I'll tell you what it means because I'm going to bring this right into your laps here. We're all familiar with the stories. I don't even know if my wife made it. Oh, yes, she did. Well, here it goes, hon. I always have to tell one story about you. Come on. We never are satisfied with our circumstances. We have four beautiful young children. My children all know this story that my wife is told that when the last one gets into school, when the last one gets on the bus on the first day of September, 1998 or whenever, they're finally going to be out of the home. Actually, it's going to be next year. She has told the children that she's going to do cartwheels all the way down the driveway. Now, we have a 400-foot driveway. The kids have this picture in their mind of taking off on the bus going down Babcock Boulevard watching mommy do cartwheels down the driveway. Now, you mothers know why she's going to do cartwheels all the way down the driveway. Not because she wants her aerobic exercise, but because she finally has her life again. She thinks, but she talks to Sharon Beck or she talks to, I could pick on any of you, and I won't, but she finds out that there are other women who can't wait for their children to get out of school and out of the home. And then she talks to mothers and fathers whose kids are out of the home, and they come up and say, I hope you know these are the best years of your life. Then why am I going to do cartwheels all the way down the driveway and celebrate something that I want to get behind me because of a better tomorrow? Do you see what we do? So many of us live our lives that way. I wish, I wish. How many of you, you don't say it, you think it. I wish, I wish, fill in the blank. How many of you have that tomorrow or yesterday syndrome? This is a maturing kind of message tonight, I believe, this filet of God's Word. But you see, we have this secret, I believe, of contentment at our fingertips. Paul spoke of this secret in Philippians chapter 4. You don't have to read it or turn to it, but I'll read it for you. Philippians chapter 4 and verse 11, where he said, I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need. I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well-fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. Revelation 3.21 says that if we overcome, we shall reign. 2 Timothy 2.12, if we suffer, we shall also reign. The Amplified Version of 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 17 and 18, for our light momentary affliction, parenthesis, this slight distress of the passing hour, is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory, beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations a vast and transcendent glory never to cease. Like Paul, let's consider that all our present sufferings are not even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Amen? Amen. Let's stand together. Would you take the hand of someone, please? Let's take the hand of someone and come into a point of agreement. Stretch across the aisles, if you would. Father, we rejoice in Your Word tonight. Your Word that's so rich. Your Word that's so sweet. And Father, we pray right now for that one on our right, that one on our left, that Your Word would in every way become reality in our lives, in the way we live, in the way we think, in what we do, in what we say, in our tomorrows, in our yesterdays. Lord, make Your Word like a fire burned within us, a fire, a light, a hope of restoration, of healing, of ministry to our wounded spirits, ministry to our fragile memories. O God, we pray, Holy Spirit, that You would minister in spirit and truth. Go ahead, pray for that one on your right. Go ahead, pray for that one. O Father, O Father, come, change our lives, we pray. See, I know tonight that some of us in this room are living. We are living as if there is no eternal reward. We're living as if there is no heaven. We're not living by faith. We're not living by faith. Our hope is very insecure because we haven't learned to trust God. Some of us are trying to compensate for our past mistakes. We're living our lives with penance, with many regrets, with a fear of facing God one day. Others are trying to relive their past. I know you. You know you. You want it back again, and you can't get it. You can't find it. You keep groping, you keep hoping, but it never seems to come. Some of us live in the future. We spend our lives fantasizing about the future because that's where it all is. The past we regret, and the present isn't good enough. Some of us are never satisfied, tomorrow or yesterday. And others have never learned how to deal with their suffering and the pain that they've had in their lives. I know that. I know that. But you see, God has good news for us tonight. For His Holy Spirit is able to take His Word and feed it to us as it were. And we might eat His Word, digest it into our spirit, change that perspective, change those emotions, change that sorrow, change those fears, change our lives. We're going to worship the Lord tonight. You can let go of those hands. We're going to worship God for a few minutes, right on through the rest of our time. We just ask that no one leave, unless you have to. We want to worship God, but as we're worshiping God, I want to invite right now our Home Group leaders and our elders who are here forward as we begin to sing. I want you to come forward. Beloved, if the Holy Spirit has touched your heart or your spirit, your mind in such a way that you know you need Him to finish the work that He can do as His Word comes alive in you, I want to invite you to come and agree in prayer with one of these men or women who come forward in a moment. There's a real interesting thing that happens when we step out sometimes, because we're stepping out of that place, frankly, that we really want to get out of, but we're afraid to get out of it, but sometimes we need to take a step so that God can do it. So don't be afraid. Nobody's going to be watching you. We're just going to be worshiping the Lord, and as we worship, if there's a prompting of the Holy Spirit, I believe the Holy Spirit is here to heal and deliver, not to impress us, not to blow our socks off, just to change our lives from glory to glory into His image. Amen? Amen. All we like sheep. Home Group leaders and elders, please come forward. All we like sheep have gone astray. Each of us turning our own separate way. We have all sinned and fallen short of your glory. But your glory is what we've decided to see, and in your presence is where we long to be. O Lord, show us. Show us your mercy and grace. Show us, Lord. O take us to your holy place. Forgive our sin and heal our wounds. We want to be in your presence once again. Taking our sickness. Taking our sickness. Taking our pain. Jesus, His sacrifice that has been slain. He was despised, rejected by men. He took our sin. Thank you, Father. Draw us near to you, Father, through Jesus, your Son. Let us worship before you, cleansed by your blood. O Lord, show us your mercy and grace. Take us to your holy place. Forgive our sin and heal our wounds. We want to be in your presence once again. Take us to your holy place. Show us your mercy and grace. Take us to your holy place. Forgive our sin and heal our wounds. We want to be in your presence once again.