Turn back, if you would, to Romans
8. Our text this morning is one
verse. Verse 28. Let's read that verse
again. It says, and we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. Now let's set up this message.
Let's introduce it by taking note of two things. The first
one is, we just read what God actually said. That's the first
point I want to make. Now, I want to read you some
different interpretations of the Bible. They call them versions. They call them translations,
but they're not translations. A translation is this is what
this word means in this other language. Okay, that's a translation. It's important to actually have
God's Word so that we can actually know what God said. Does that
make sense? It's vital that we actually have
God's Word so that we are following what He actually said. Alright,
now just listen to this. This is Romans 8.28 on the New
International Version, the NIV. It says, And we know that in
all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who
have been called according to His purpose. God works presently, actively. God works
for the good. He's working for it. Hebrews
4.3 in God's Word says, the works were finished from the foundation
of the world. So that's not a translation,
that's an interpretation. Alright, now listen to the New
Life Version. This is the NLV. We know that
God makes all things work together for the good of those who love
Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan. Now, the word plan is nowhere
in God's actual word. A person who has the NLV can
say, well, it's in my Bible. Well, it may be in a book, but
it's not in God's Word. God didn't say it. Isn't that
important? Alright, listen to the Revised
Standard Version. We know that in everything, God
works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His
purpose. Listen to the Amplified Bible.
We are assured and know that God being a partner in their
labor, all things work together and are fitting into a plan for
good to those, to and for those who love God and are called according
to His design and purpose. None of those interpretations
give me any peace. I looked them up on the internet.
It scared me. And I felt so sorry for the people
who have those and they think I'm holding God's Word. They're
not. Poor people. They're zealous. They don't have God's Word. Isn't
that sad? I'm so thankful that none of
that is what God actually said. That's not what he said. Now,
listen to this, okay? Here is the Greek. God wrote this in Greek. And
this became translated into English. Now, when you translate Spanish
into English, the English way is to say, I have a white van.
And the Spanish way to say it, where everybody understands it,
is I have a van white. Is that right? It means the same
thing. Some things are switched around,
but every language has a way of understanding what it says
and comprehending it, but that's an exact translation. Now here's
the Greek, okay? Word for word, this is what Romans
8.28 says. We know and that to the ones
loving God all things work together for good to those according to
purpose called being. This is God's Word. It says,
and we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. That's what God said. That's
important, isn't it? David said, this thing is ordered
and it's sure. It's ordered and sure. He's not working for the good.
He's not working with me on this thing. And he's sure not hoping
his plan works out. It's all on purpose. It's all on purpose. Now here's
the second thing I want us to take note of. Romans 8.28 is
written from the end result to the root of the matter. It's written from the effect
to the cause. It's written from the end to
the beginning. How do we know that? Verses 29
and 30 are written from the beginning to the end. Whom He foreknew.
He started with foreknowing. That's who He predestinated.
That's who He conformed. That He might be the firstborn.
Whom He predestinated. Then He called them. Then He
justified them. Then He glorified them. Now to understand what Romans
8.28 means, because my simple mind thinks according to time,
it's hard for me to comprehend that God never started. I can't go back that far. So I can understand what this
is saying about God and how He operates. Let's read this verse
backwards. Word for word, phrase by phrase. Romans 8.28 says, According to
His purpose, to them who are called, to them that love God, all things
work together for good. And we know that. We're the last
to find out. We're the last to find out. That's
how the Lord God operates. The good has already happened. The title of this message is,
It's All on Purpose. It's All on Purpose. Now, we're
going to do some turning because I'm going to make some statements
that have to be proved. They have to be proven. Go with
me to 2 Timothy chapter 1. 2 Timothy chapter 1. 2 Timothy 1, let's look at verse
9. This is talking about the Lord
Jesus Christ. It says, Who hath saved us and
called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. What happened before the world
began? What all happened before the
world began when the earth was black and void and without form
and in the beginning? Won't it be wonderful when we're
all in glory And we're all sitting in whatever we're sitting in,
and the Lord is our pastor. And He opens, He says, turn to
Genesis 1.1. And He spends about 30,000 years
on in the beginning. What happened before the world
began? Well, this text right here says,
something was given to us. That's what the end of it says,
which was given us. The us are His people who are
in Christ. That's who us is. I want to be
an us. But it says it was given before
the world ever began. It was given us. What that means is His people
were known before the world began. All of them. Every single person
was known by Him and He gave them something before the world
ever began. Alright, go over a couple of
pages to Titus chapter 1. Look at verse 2. In hope of eternal
life, The hope of eternal life which
God that cannot lie promised before the world began. The hope of eternal life was
promised before the world ever started. Go to Ephesians 1. Ephesians 1 and look at verse
4. According as He hath chosen us
in Him before the foundation of the
world. All that happened before the world ever started. He chose
some and not others before the foundation of the
world. who all of His people were before
the foundation of the world. I'm trying to set up a real point
here. Go to one more. One more. Revelation
13. Revelation 13, look at verse
8, this begins talking about the devil. And all that dwell
upon the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written
in the book of life, of the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. Why was the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world? Before anybody was, before anybody
sinned, why was the Lamb slain then? Why were His people chosen before
the world began? Why did He do all this before
anything started? Here's the answer. His purpose. His purpose. Some people say, God is a big
part of my life. No, He's not. He's not. In the purpose and will of God,
He made an earth and He put people in it. And our hope of eternal
life is that He's made us a part of His life. The only life there
is. That's the hope of eternal life.
Everything that God does, He purposed it before the world
began. Every single thing that happens, happens because of God's
purpose. Every single thing. I'm hoping
to accomplish two things this morning. Number one, a person
who doesn't believe in God, I hope that they see God is. And He's in control and He's
in charge. And to all who do believe who He is and love Him,
I hope to give great comfort to see God is in control. He is. It's all on purpose. Every single thing. People say, now wait a minute.
There's a lot of bad things that happen in this world. There's
a lot of bad things that happen. There's a lot of killing in this
world. There's a lot of violence in this world. Are you telling
me God did that? Is God the author of sin? God
forbid. Absolutely not. We're studying
Exodus on Wednesday nights. Pharaoh actually made his army
throw every male child that was born into the river. They did it. He didn't just say
it. They did it. Hundreds of thousands of babies. That happened. Had Pharaoh not
done that, Moses' mother would have never feared for Moses and
put him in an ark. and gave him away, and Moses
would have never grown up in the house of Pharaoh according
to God's purpose. It would have never happened. Pharaoh beat his Hebrew slaves. He tortured his Hebrew slaves. Those are God's people, his actual
people. He wouldn't let them go until
God with a mighty hand brought them out. And then Pharaoh sent his army
after him and he said, kill them all. Go kill them all. Send the whole army. Kill them
all. Now just listen to this. For
the sake of time, you don't have to turn. But just listen to Romans
chapter 9 verse 17. For the Scripture saith, the
Word of God says, Jesus Christ says unto Pharaoh, Even for this
same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power
in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the
earth." I allowed every single bit of that to happen so the
whole earth could see my purpose, my glory. That's why it happened. All of it was for my glory and
purpose. Whether we like it or not, every single person in political
office has been put there on purpose. Whether we like it or
not. Somebody will say, then why vote? Why vote? Because the lot is cast into
the lap. The Lord told us to. The Lord told us to. The lot
is cast into the lap. But the whole disposing thereof
is of the Lord. It's all of the Lord. The Lord
God said, the King's heart is in my hand. I turn it like I
want it to be turned. What that means is every decision
that is made in political office is made for a purpose. Every one of them. Well, there's
a lot of bad decisions made. Did God make those? No. But He left those people to themselves.
And He allowed them to make those bad decisions for the purpose
of His purpose. I'm going to prove that. Let's
go to Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2, look at verse
1. And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree
from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made
when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. And all went to be taxed,
everyone into his own city. Now you know they're just like
us. They're sinners just like us. They're complaining, just like
me and you. All of them. They're raising
our taxes. I don't like it. It ain't right. It ain't right. Verse 4, And Joseph also went
up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into
Judea. He left Galilee. He left Nazareth
unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because
that's where he was from. Because he was of the house and
lineage of David, he had to go back to Bethlehem. He had to,
by law, to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife. That's where
she was from. being great with child. And so
it was, while they were there, the days were accomplished that
she should be delivered. The purpose of God was that the
Christ would be born in Bethlehem. How did He bring it to pass?
He allowed those greedy men to raise taxes. There are a lot of things that
happen that we just don't understand. But here's our comfort. We know
that it's happening according to God's purpose. It would be
interesting to see what the Lord's purpose was in raising taxes
this time. We all got a 2% tax raise. It's
on purpose. I'd love to know. Someday He'll
tell me. I'd love to know what was His purpose in that. All things work together according
to His purpose, everything. Go with me to Ecclesiastes 3.
Ecclesiastes chapter 3, it's after Proverbs, Psalm, Proverbs,
Ecclesiastes chapter 3. Verse 1 says, to everything there
is a season. And a time to every purpose under
the heaven. A time to be born, a time to
die, a time to plant, a time to pluck up that which is planted.
There's a time to kill and a time to heal. A time to break down
and a time to build up. A time to weep and a time to
laugh. A time to mourn and a time to
dance. A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together.
A time to embrace. A time to refrain from embracing. A time to get. There's a time
to lose. A time to keep. A time to cast
away. A time to rend. A time to sow. A time to keep silence. And there's
a time to speak. A time to love. Time to hate. Can you believe God said that?
There's a time to hate. A time of war and a time of peace. Look at verse 14. I know that
whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever. Nothing can be put
to it, nor anything taken from it, and God doeth it that men
should fear before Him. Now listen to this. And verse
15 says, that which hath been the things from the foundation
of the world is now. And that which is to be the things
that haven't even happened yet hath already been from the foundation
of the world. And God requireth that which
is past. All things are according to His
purpose. He said in Jeremiah, Before I
formed thee in the belly, I knew you. I knew everything about
you. Before I was, before the world
was, He knew everything about me. Every single thing. David said, ìI will praise Thee,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Thy works,
and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid
from Thee when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought
in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being unperfect, and in Thy book long ago.î In thy book all
my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them." Everything about me was
written in thy book before anything ever happened. Psalm 37 says, the steps of a good man, every one of them. He's ordered by God. All sickness is on purpose. He said in Deuteronomy, I wound
and I heal. All famine of money, of economy,
of bread is on purpose. He told Elijah, I'm going to
stop the rain. You go tell the people, I'm going
to stop the rain. All death is on purpose. He said in Deuteronomy, I kill
and I make alive. I kill. He said in Revelation,
I have the keys of hell and death. All things work together according
to His purpose. But now listen to this. Here's
the gospel. Here's the good news. All things
work together for good. Every single thing. If something happens to those who love God, to those
who are called, it's for good. Whether we think it's good or
not, oh no, did you hear that? Whether we feel good or not. You know, we experience a lot
of pain and sadness. A lot. But to them that love
God, to them whom He called, we know that all things work
together for good. We had a work day yesterday.
I think it was... I worked harder yesterday than
I've worked in a long time. But it wasn't a work day, it
was a fun day. Why did we take a knife, we took
a putty knife, why did we scrape that wall? Why did we dig and chip away
at that wall? Why did we blast it with compound? And then we knocked it down. You know why we did that? We all worked together. Good. Look at the bottoms of
those windows. That's good, ain't it, Tony? While it was happening, did any
of us think, boy, this is a bad thing we're doing? Chris was
knocking these things out, just beating on them, just beating
on them, beating on them. Did any of us think, boy, this
is a bad thing? No. Why? You want to know why? We
knew the end from the beginning. We knew the end result. We knew
that knocking this and beating this and scraping this, just
wait until it's finished. It's going to be good. Why is it that there are times
that our chest feels like it's been ripped open and our heart's
been ripped out? And we feel like we're nothing
but broken and knocked down. Why is that? Good. The more broken and knocked down
you are, the more good has been purposed to you. The Lord has been good to us
all the days of our lives. If we belong to Him, everything
that has ever happened to us has been good. My mother died
of cancer. Was that good? Yes. I've got
three reasons why. I wouldn't be married to her
and I wouldn't have them. Because of the events that took
place after that. Plenty more where that came from.
You mean plenty more pain and plenty more suffering? Yes, I
do. But it's all according to God's
good purpose. Every bit of it. Boaz gave Ruth
handfuls of purpose. Handfuls. It's all on purpose. Alright. I hope the Lord will
bless His Word. Let's stand together.