We're going to look at a little
bit in Romans this evening. Turn in your book to your Bible
or your iPad to chapter 8. And while you're turning there, Norman and Nancy are on a cruise
ship going up the inside passage. Alaska and on their return trip
they hope to see Brother Dwayne and before that Brother Ed and
his wife and I think a granddaughter that's going to be baptized also
with Ed. So keep those things in mind
and thought. And Brother Dwayne, as he's up
there, they hope to see him. I think they saw him going up
and coming back, maybe, I'm not sure. So keep that in mind. Brother John that was in the
hospital down there, rescued last week we heard, and I don't
know where that's at, where he's at with that. Hopefully the Lord
will bless him there and heal him and put him back on his feet. I have one other prayer request. That's for Reed as he starts
flying. What's he doing? He's getting
his pilot's license. He's in school too. Airline asked to be and have
our grandson read in prayer. He's gonna be 19 years old and there
is almost 19 and he's in Montana and finishing up his pilot's
license in the near future here and be with him as he flies with
an instructor and flies by himself and the Lord to keep him safe. Okay, and keep Mike and myself
in prayer also towards Sunday that as we gather again on Sunday
and not only open the Word but as we worship together and meet
together, fellowship together as a church body that Not only would the Lord be lifted
up in those things that we do and say, but we'd be fed and
be blessed from being in each other's company and presence
at that time. So in Romans 8, 28, in this little bit that we're
going to look at tonight, called the start of this and
we know and we're going to look at a few things and we know but
Romans 8 28 we're going to look at it in the as a lot of the
scriptures the more you look at it that that particular verse
in the context that goes before it and after it and all around
it it's pretty big, pretty deep subject, pretty big subject and
not just an easy read or an easy study or an easy comprehend what
is there, both physically in the words of it and spiritually
what's being said and being shown to us. And that verse is probably
one of the better known verses of the the book of Romans and
it's used a lot and it's probably held on to a lot without much
understanding of why it's that so. And the verse reads. And we know, verse 28 of chapter
eight of Romans, 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. And that verse can be divided
up at least into six parts that say, and we know, would be one
piece, that all things, would be another section of it. Third
one would be work together, Fourth one, for good. Fifth one, to
them that love God. And then to them who are called
according to his purpose. And we know it's all one verse
there, but there's a lot of parts to it. And that taken in all
each of those pieces could take some time to look at and consider.
what is there. It's, it's, there's a lot there.
There's, and it's a wonderful verse, but people often read
about half of it and say that we know that all things work
together for good. Well, that's true. That is, that
is true in the, in the sense that as it's written here, but
there's a lot more to it than that. And people grab that and
say, I know, Or they'll comfort somebody else, say, oh, all things
work together for good. And the guy's, you know, just
been hit by a bus or something. And you think, you know, that's
not much comfort to me in that situation. So there's a lot.
It's a it's a just a wonderful verse to God's people as are
all the scriptures. But but there's more to it than
than as it appears that it's just a statement or a trite saying
that, yeah, everything works together. there's a lot more
to it than that. And we're gonna look at several
other little pieces here in Romans, and then kind of a thumbnail
sketch of some of the thoughts we're gonna be looking at on
Sunday. And with verse 28, We're going to back up a little
bit. We're going to back up a little
bit, and we're going to start with the first part of chapter
8. We're going to read a few of the first verses of chapter
8, starting with verses 1 and 2. It says, there is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law of the
spirit of life in Christ, Jesus, hath made me free from the law
of sin and death. And up to this point in Romans,
he's shown what man is like, what man's need is there, and
what God has done and how God has justified his people. And
therefore now, that can be stated built upon what has gone on before
in the book of Romans and the rest of Scripture, but that's
a wonderful thought in itself, but remember that part, and then
we're going to skip down and read starting with verse seven, and
down a bit it says, because the carnal mind is enmity against
God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed
can be, so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you're not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that
the spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the
spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you,
the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because
of righteousness. But if the spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his spirit that dwelleth in you. And we're gonna read a little
more of it. There's some things that verse
28 is built upon, and it's not just, you can't just grab that
out of thin air or out of the middle of the scripture, like
a lot of the word that we have, and grab that verse and say that
everything is okie dokie, but that verse, if it's not, There's
no foundation for you to say that. There's another verse we're
gonna look at that is another of the same type of verse, the
same way that is a wonderful verse and it's a wonderful to
God's people, but it's gotta be based on and built on something.
It's not just out there for anybody to grab it and claim it, claim
that verse or claim those verses as verse 28. So, and then, Go back to verse 28. We're going
to go backwards a little bit in this, not in kind of looking
back at some of what this verse 28 is built on in the context
that's close by here. And as we just read, this is
speaking to God's people. It's not just speaking to anybody
that opens the book and puts a finger on that verse. There's
some specifics and some reasons that can be claimed. Back up
to verse 27, and it says, and he that searches the hearts knows
what is the mind of the spirit, because he makes intercession
for the saints according to the will of God. And then verse 26,
likewise, the spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not
what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit itself
maketh intercession for us with groanings that can't be uttered.
And then back up to verse 26, 16, just verse 16, and we'll see
how this connects together. Verse 16, the spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And
if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be glorified
together. That, For I reckon that the sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the
glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation
of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of
God. For the creature was made subject
to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected
the same in hope. because the creature itself shall
be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious
liberty of the children of God." And then it talks about down
here as we read, the spirit help with our infirmities. We can't
claim verse 28 or use that if we don't have a basis for that,
how we know that thing, that those things are true. As it
says, the spirit helpeth, and this is a wonderful spot there, because
it says, because we don't know how to pray as we ought, then
it says the spirit helpeth for we know not what we should pray
for as we ought, but the Spirit itself make his intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And I read in, in
Brother Hawker's, and he says, that's not intercede, the Spirit's
not interceding between us and the Father, that's Christ's position. He's the interceder for us. Says
that speaking of this here, the interceding is done in our, in
our helpless or our unable, uh, capability of praying as we ought. It doesn't mean that we can't
pray correctly, but he, but, uh, as he, as he said that Hawker
said, um, and, and at some length on, on, um, the, well, the whole
book of Romans, but on this verse that we're talking about and
said that, cause we don't, we don't know the extent of our
fall. We don't know the extent of what sin is. We don't know
the extent of, a lot of things spiritually that he has to reveal
to us, and he does reveal some of those, but it says the Spirit
intercedes in our prayer with groanings, and it says that the
part that speaks about groanings that can't be uttered is speaking
about the desires and the earnestness that the Spirit puts within God's
people to accomplish that which we're not capable of. And it
says he doesn't, that the interceding there isn't for sin as the Savior
has interceded for sin, but as our inability is to come to God
with things. And he said, we know in our heart
a lot of things that, a burden we have, then he said the spirit
puts there, and that we can't put into words. And he said that
is what that's referring to, that the spirit does help our
infirmities it's speaking about. And it's not illnesses, but our
dullness of mind because of what we are like, sinful creatures. And only those things of the
spirit that he reveals to us do we have of the spirit. It's
all revealed of him and not anything of ourself. And that's the help, and that's
part of what we can say all things work together for good, the ultimate
good of God's people. And we're gonna look at a couple
of things, what that working together for good entails or
what it means in some ways. In, let's see, Let's go to 2 Timothy just for
a second here. One verse to start with in 2
Timothy. Let me get there. It says in 2 Timothy chapter
one. We're going to read a little
bit of a passage, but first we're going to read verse 12. It says, for the witch cause,
I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed,
for I know who I have believed and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. And we're going to back up and
start reading with It's in verse seven, it says,
of chapter one, 2 Timothy. For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord,
nor of me as prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions
of the gospel according to the power of God, 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, but is now made
manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who
hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel, whereunto I am appointed a preacher
and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the witch
cause I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed,
for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day." And
that verse is a wonderful verse that God's people love that. And there's a song that we sing
that has that in it. It's a wonderful song, but it's
based upon some things. It's based upon the gospel according
to God's power, what he has done and saved us and called us with
a holy calling, it says, by his grace and purpose, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. That's why we
can, that's why he can say that, and he goes on saying, I know
because of these things. I know whom I believe, it's not
just, somebody or something, it's the Lord himself, and that
is who I have and who I believe. And then in the end, in the purpose there,
as it says in Romans 8, 28, called according to his purpose. And
here he said, according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus. There's a There's a reasoning
and a thought there with the all things work together to good
to those who God has appointed to good and given life to in
his son and have been made heirs and joint heirs with him. Others
that are not in that position cannot say that. They can't say
that all things work together for good. And in the way that
a lot of religious people take that means that you're not going
to be poor and you're not going to be sickly and you're not going
to have all this other things happen that are not good things.
And if you read this to them and you're on your deathbed or
you're in poverty or whatever problem you might be in, we're
not guaranteed that kind of situation that we would like in this world,
look at the end of the gospel preachers that we have record
of in the New Testament and the Old. Most of them did not live
to be old men and die in their sleep somewhere. They died violently,
many of them, for the gospel and for the preaching of it.
So knowing who you believe in, That's can only be based again
upon if we have been called and according to his purpose and
in our Lord Jesus Christ. And then another verse that I
just. A wonderful verse in Jeremiah.
In this speaks, this speaks directly to to this Jeremiah verse or
Chapter 29. Jeremiah's got some a lot of
the gospel in Jeremiah. And in chapter 29, And this is, in chapter 29, it
says, these are the words to start with in verse one, just
to set this a little bit. These are the words of the letter
that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue
of the elders, which were carried away captives and to the priests
and to the prophets and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar
had carried away captive from Jerusalem. to Babylon. And then it goes on, and he tells
them, he says, in verse four, it says, thus saith the Lord
of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away,
captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem
unto Babylon. And there are probably some of
them that thought, it's working together for good, all right,
we just got carried away into Babylon. Verse six, build ye
houses, or verse five, build ye houses and dwell in them.
Plant gardens and eat the fruit of them. Take ye wives and beget
sons and daughters and take wives for your sons. Give your daughters
to husbands that they may bear sons and daughters, that ye may
be increased there and not diminished. And seek the peace of the city,
whither I have caused you to be carried away, captives. and
pray unto the Lord for it, for in the peace thereof shall ye
have peace. He told them to settle down where
you're at, grow gardens, raise families, seek peace in that
city, wherever I put you, and in that place. Verse eight, for
thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, let not your
prophets or your diviners that be in the midst of you deceive
you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed,
for they prophesied falsely unto you in my name. I have not sent
them, said the Lord. For thus saith the Lord, that
after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you
and perform my good word toward you in causing you to return
to this place. For I know the thoughts that
I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not
of evil to give you an expected end. Then shall you call upon
me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto
you. But hear this, verse 11, for
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts
of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. And
the expected end is that life in that, that being with the
Lord himself, as he said that is in his prayer in John, that
he prayed that his people would be with him where he is. And
that is part of the hope that we have and part of those things
that we look to, that we have an expected end and God's people
know and expect that expected end. It's not just pie in the
sky and we'll see what happens someday, but we have an expectation
and a hope that is given to us The Spirit gives us that hope.
It's not just a hope-so type thing, but it's a faith that
is given of God by His Spirit to us to believe. It's a real It's a real comfort to God's
people when he says, I have thoughts of peace and not of evil to give
you an expected end. That's pretty, that's pretty,
that's pretty comforting, pretty good to God's people. And then And actually, I'm going to read
one while we're back this way. Go to Job, and you'll probably
know what I'm going to read here. Job 19. Job chapter 19. Okay. Job chapter 19. Let me
back up just a little bit. Okay, verse 25, Job is speaking. He says, for I know that my Redeemer
liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth.
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my
flesh shall I see God. Verse 27, whom I shall see for
myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins
be consumed within me. So he says, I know that I shall
see him. I know that my Redeemer liveth. fits very well with what we saw
in Jeremiah, what it says there in 2 Timothy, and other places,
many other places. We know that in 2 Peter, there's
a spot in there where it says, the Lord's not slack concerning
his people as men count slackness. Things don't happen in a short
frame maybe sometimes, but we know that in the latter end,
as it said there, the latter end is good and the expected
end is expected and will take place and will be. And then in Ephesians chapter one, saving a few in-betweens here
that we're going to look at on Sunday morning. But in Ephesians
chapter 1, Starting with verse nine, and
not to leave out the rest of chapter one, read it on your
own, but starting with verse nine, it says, having made known
unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure,
which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the
fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth even in
him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise
of his glory who first trusted in Christ, in whom ye also trusted
after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed
with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of
His glory." And in here, in whom we have obtained that.
Megan may have known some things to us. The Spirit is the only
way that we can know these things and not just know the words of
them, which we often know the words of things and not the meaning
of things, spiritually speaking, and the The Lord himself, the
Holy Spirit reveals those things to us and makes us of that, understands
that. We had a lesson that we looked
at a few verses some time back called that we have the mind
of Christ and we hold the words of Christ. what he would have
us to know and to be in and understand. And by his spirit, those things
that he wants us to understand, he reveals to us. And it's not
up to our own understanding and our own comprehension of those
things. And some of those we can only
see on the very surface without the Lord revealing to us. And
then in chapter two, while we're here in Ephesians, just to kind
of connect together with that and with where we're at in Romans,
but in chapter two of Ephesians, starting with verse six and reading
down. verse five, even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace
are you saved, and hath raised us up together, made us to sit
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In that the ages
to come, He might show the exceeding riches
of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself,
it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should
boast, for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto
good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk
in them. And this passage that, very familiar with that, but
it has to stand on chapter one and some of those thinkings and
some of those things that are revealed to us, that he has quickened
us by his spirit and reveals those things to us. And that
faith by his grace is given to us by his spirit. And... another one of the pieces by
which we can say and claim that all things work together for
good. And then we're going to look at the book of Esther, where
we've been. Turn to the book of Esther. And that has been another wonderful
spot that we have been in in the Old Testament that has
just revealed a lot there that I sure did not see or understand before. But in Esther chapter four, and
we're gonna start with verse 10 and read down just a bit,
and you'll see where we're headed here. Again, Esther spake unto
Hathak and gave him commandment unto Mordecai. All the king's
servants and all the people of the king's province do know that
whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come into the king, into
the court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put
him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out
the golden scepter, that he may live. But I have not been called
to come into the king these 30 days." Now remember where we're
at in this issue, we're jumping in into this part along the way. that there that Mordecai fell
into disfavor with Haman that was planning on exterminating
the Jews and had a decree sent out that that would take place
and had take place and Mordecai, Esther's cousin, said you need,
who is the queen at this time, you have to go in and plead the
case to him. And says, you can't just go in
there. If the king doesn't bid you,
your head could be on the block there. And it could be a serious
thing. Verse 12, and they told to Mordecai
Esther's words. Then Mordecai commanded to answer
Esther, think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the
king's house more than all the Jews. She's the queen in there,
if she doesn't say anything, she's of Jewish descent and she's
on the order just like Mordecai and all the rest of the Jewish
people that were there, his intent was to kill them. And that's
what the decree had said. And verse 14, it says, for if
thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall their
enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place,
but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed. And who know
whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"
It says, you're not going to escape. And
if they hold your peace, somewhere else, some other way that God
is going to bring things up. Enlargement will come, it says.
And there shall be deliverance come. in this matter. And there should be, deliverance
will come. And then verse 15, it says, Then Esther bade them return
Mordecai this answer, go gather together all the Jews that are
present in Shushan and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink
three days, day or night. I also my maidens will fast likewise,
and so will I go in under the king, which is not according
to the law. And if I perish, I perish. So
Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther
had commanded him. So he said, God's going to cause
a deliverance. And we can say that assuredly
with the expected in for God's people, there's going to be a
deliverance. Not just a physical as this picture here shows in
this story, the actual physical deliverance that they were looking
to God to have, but spiritual deliverance is is only as God
decrees that and puts that out. And as she says here, and as
she said, I'll go in. It's not according to the law.
If I perish, I perish." She was going to go before the king.
You need to read the rest of the story if you don't know it,
because it's a page-turner. It's a pretty good deliverance
of God to his people. But here, Mordecai and is pointed
out, God's not mentioned in this, but there's, Mordecai had an
expected end, not only in this life, in this situation, but
he had a deliverer that he, as Job, he could say, I know my
redeemer liveth. And as it come about, they, it,
They did get delivered. You'll have to listen on Zoom
or sermon audio or yourself and find out how the story goes.
So I would say do that. And how could Mordecai say that? How could he say that? He could
say the same as we saw. And I know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, that they're called
according to his purpose. And that's kind of what he was
saying here, that it's gonna happen, and that's gonna take
place. And in Jeremiah, I know my thoughts for my people, and
they're gonna come to an expected end, and those that aren't his
people are gonna come to an expected end. I mean, that's as sure that
way as the other, but it's comforting to know, and we can say that
all things work together for us, in the spiritual realm, and
they work together for good for us now. We don't see how the
pieces work together, but we know that it is. It's not just,
well, it may be crappy here, but it's gonna be all sunshine
and roses on the other side. Well, we don't know how God works
step-by-step to make it work. In our lives and others to bring
his people to him, but we know that that's what he what he's
about is bringing in. Bringing in its sheep and in
John 17, read it, read the Lord's what the Lord's praise about
with his for his his church for his people and and his. His prayer is not. We know that it's according to
his will always, and so we. We have, as another passage that
we didn't look at says, if God before us, who can be against
us? We have that hope that's within
us that he gives to us. And with that, I'm gonna punch
the button again.