Facing life with confidence
Series: MADE NEW
Speaker: Aidan Kemp
Date: 10th July 2022
00:00:00 --> 00:00:09 Hey everyone, my name's Aidan and I'm a long-time sermon listener and a first-time sermon giver.
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 As I said earlier, I've been coming to St. Paul since the beginning of 2021 and this is my first
00:00:14 --> 00:00:20 time preaching here. And if you've ever heard of my thoughts on preaching before, you know that I
00:00:20 --> 00:00:25 really like slides, so I get ready for a lot of that today. But if we haven't met before, I would
00:00:25 --> 00:00:31 love to get to know you. Feel free to come and chat to me after the service. I'd love to hear
00:00:31 --> 00:00:37 what you think of my second sermon ever. But we've got an excellent passage to get into today, as Gary
00:00:37 --> 00:00:45 just said. So how about we start by praying. So if you'd like to pray with me. Lord, in an uncertain
00:00:45 --> 00:00:53 world, you have an unstoppable plan. Please reveal that plan to us in all its glory today. Amen.
00:00:53 --> 00:00:59 All right, I wanted to start today by us having a chat. I reckon sermons are actually a group
00:00:59 --> 00:01:04 activity. So I want you to find a person nearby, could be the same person you chatted to earlier,
00:01:04 --> 00:01:09 or someone different. Or if you're at home, turn to the people next to you or sit and have a think.
00:01:09 --> 00:01:16 I want you to have a chat about where do you think you'll be in five years. You can share as much or as
00:01:16 --> 00:01:22 little as you would like, doesn't have to be deep. But I want you to think about what you plus five years
00:01:22 --> 00:01:28 will look like. What will you be doing? Where will you be living? Still around here? What version
00:01:28 --> 00:01:36 iPhone will we be up to? What do you think your life will look like in 2027? You've got two and a
00:01:36 --> 00:01:43 half minutes, and then we'll come back together. So have a chat. All right, we might start coming
00:01:43 --> 00:01:49 back together. I hope you've been having some interesting chats. I reckon that's a really
00:01:49 --> 00:01:55 interesting question because it shows something about our attitudes to plans, and specifically
00:01:55 --> 00:02:01 plans for the future. We're going to talk a lot about plans today because the passage we just read
00:02:01 --> 00:02:08 is all about God's good plan for life. And the first point this passage makes about God's plan
00:02:08 --> 00:02:16 is that it is for good. Have a look at verse 28 with me. And we know that in all things,
00:02:16 --> 00:02:22 God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
00:02:23 --> 00:02:27 If you've been with us for the last few weeks, you know that in the last couple of chapters,
00:02:27 --> 00:02:33 Paul has been constructing a framework for how Christians should think about the sin, the law,
00:02:33 --> 00:02:40 and God. And specifically, Paul's argument in these chapters has had momentum, a directed energy
00:02:40 --> 00:02:45 and emotion to it, as if it's been building to something. It's as if Paul's been building a tower,
00:02:45 --> 00:02:50 starting with the theological foundations and then working its way up. He starts with...
00:02:52 --> 00:02:56 Oh, don't look. There you go. He starts with,
00:02:56 --> 00:03:21 So if you're just joining us for the first time, know that you've joined us at a fantastic moment,
00:03:21 --> 00:03:27 just as we see the conclusion of all of Paul's reasoning and logic, just as we get to the pointy
00:03:27 --> 00:03:35 end of the tower and the end to the first half of Romans. And the first building block in Paul's
00:03:35 --> 00:03:42 logical capstone here is God's purpose for a Christian's new spirit-filled life. And that purpose
00:03:42 --> 00:03:49 is for good. Let's look back at verse 28. And we know that in all things, God works for the good
00:03:49 --> 00:03:56 of those who love him. As Christians, I think we understand the idea that we'll end up in a good
00:03:56 --> 00:04:01 place. Like if you imagine the timeline of your life, we look forward when we get to heaven,
00:04:01 --> 00:04:08 where life will finally be good. But I'm not sure we really grasp the idea that God is using
00:04:08 --> 00:04:17 every single moment of our lives now for good. And I think there's two parts of this plan that we
00:04:17 --> 00:04:27 don't really get. Firstly, we don't feel the true scale and depth of this plan. Every day, every minute,
00:04:28 --> 00:04:35 every hour, every second, every feeling, every word, every breath. What would it mean for God to use
00:04:35 --> 00:04:45 every one of your breaths for good? If all, and feel the weight of that word with me, if all things are to
00:04:45 --> 00:04:53 be used by God for good, then there is no exception. There is nothing that God cannot, will not, and has
00:04:53 --> 00:05:04 not used for his plan. Secondly, with the massive scale of this plan, how can it be that all of a
00:05:04 --> 00:05:11 Christian's life is used for good? Given the incredible range of experiences we have, how can we truthfully
00:05:11 --> 00:05:18 say that both holidays and heartbreak lead to the same result? What a claim. And I think we struggle
00:05:18 --> 00:05:26 with this because the concept of good for us is so firmly rooted in the present. To have a good day
00:05:26 --> 00:05:32 means that you are happy today, or at least happier today than you were yesterday. To try and understand
00:05:32 --> 00:05:37 this, I spent the last month listening to a bunch of music, all songs with the same name,
00:05:37 --> 00:05:42 The Good Life. Now, if you're a musician trying to name a song, please don't name it The Good Life.
00:05:42 --> 00:05:47 There's at least 30 other songs with that title. Anyway, so I've been listening to The Good Life
00:05:47 --> 00:05:52 by various artists, and an interesting theme I found amongst many of them, and especially those
00:05:52 --> 00:06:00 released in the last 20 years, is that the good life is now. Here's a line from Kanye, and I won't sing it
00:06:00 --> 00:06:08 for you. A, this is The Good Life. This is The Good Life. One Republic says, oh, this has got to be The
00:06:08 --> 00:06:14 Good Life. This has got to be The Good Life. Summer Kennedy says, it feels like the world is ours. Oh,
00:06:14 --> 00:06:18 yeah, this is The Good Life. And then there's my favourite lyricist, Ben Soule, who writes,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:24 yeah, The Good Life. Yeah, The Good Life. Oh, The Good Life. Yeah, The Good Life. And then finally,
00:06:24 --> 00:06:29 there's the voice of a generation, Hannah Montana. This is The Good Life. Take a look. Have anything you want.
00:06:30 --> 00:06:39 My theory is that in 2022, The Good Life has to be right now, because it can't happen anywhere else.
00:06:40 --> 00:06:44 We're more aware than ever that the oppression of minorities and the discrimination of those
00:06:44 --> 00:06:50 outside the mainstream, and the past, frankly, was really bad for significant portions of Australia.
00:06:51 --> 00:06:57 And the future can look pretty grim, with climate change and global conflict brewing that threatens
00:06:57 --> 00:07:04 the world. The only thing we can do is enjoy today. So today has to be The Good Life.
00:07:06 --> 00:07:11 Yet God's plans, and frankly, I'm amazed by this, aren't just counter-cultural, but culturally
00:07:11 --> 00:07:18 fulfilling. If all things are worked by God for good, it means that today isn't the only good day.
00:07:18 --> 00:07:21 Yesterday was used for good, and tomorrow will be used for good as well.
00:07:21 --> 00:07:28 Now, this verse doesn't say that all things are good or will feel good. The guarantee of the Bible
00:07:28 --> 00:07:36 is that, as a Christian, there is a purpose and intent to your days. And that intent is a good one.
00:07:37 --> 00:07:44 And if God uses all our days for good, then Christians can do something truly revolutionary.
00:07:44 --> 00:07:46 Any luck?
00:07:49 --> 00:07:51 We can relax.
00:07:52 --> 00:07:52 Relax.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:55 Christians can relax.
00:07:56 --> 00:08:01 The secular world leaves relaxation for when life is going right.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:05 But for the Christian, even if life isn't going as you expected,
00:08:05 --> 00:08:10 even if today is really hard, even if your life plan has gone completely off track,
00:08:10 --> 00:08:14 we know that God is using everything for good.
00:08:14 --> 00:08:19 We are freed from the pressure of needing things to go right because the universe is not run by chance
00:08:19 --> 00:08:25 or dependent entirely on our own actions or run by a distant, uncaring entity or by some
00:08:25 --> 00:08:26 indifferent system of justice.
00:08:27 --> 00:08:31 We are wrapped in the strong, caring hands of our Father.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:37 When life goes wrong, it can feel like it doesn't matter, but God's plan includes the little things,
00:08:37 --> 00:08:43 the good things, the hard things, the sad things, and all of that plan is for good.
00:08:43 --> 00:08:48 So we can take the pressure off our life and relax by trusting in God's plan.
00:08:49 --> 00:08:55 But God's plan isn't just some vague, general, nice idea of good.
00:08:55 --> 00:09:00 It's actually a very specific, detailed plan that ends in our glorification.
00:09:01 --> 00:09:05 Now, Romans 8 verse 28 is what I like to call a curly font verse.
00:09:05 --> 00:09:10 It's something you might see in a Facebook post, in fancy writing, or cross-stitched onto the wall of the house.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:15 It's used as a general encouragement to Christians, a nice and important thing to read in your day.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 But here's the thing.
00:09:17 --> 00:09:23 If you just read Romans 8 verse 28, you miss out on the details of God's plan.
00:09:24 --> 00:09:27 You know what he's trying to get to, his general aim,
00:09:27 --> 00:09:29 but you don't know how he's actually going to get it done.
00:09:29 --> 00:09:36 That's why you have to read Romans 8 verse 28 with 8, 29, and 30.
00:09:37 --> 00:09:38 So let's have a look at it now.
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 All right.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:44 For those God foreknew, he also predestined,
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 to be conformed to the image of his Son,
00:09:47 --> 00:09:50 that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 And those he predestined, he also called.
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 Those he called, he also justified.
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 Those he justified, he also glorified.
00:09:57 --> 00:10:01 In these verses, Paul describes the steps in God's plan.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:05 And he portrays these steps as an inevitable logical progression,
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 unbreakable chain of actions,
00:10:08 --> 00:10:10 where each step naturally follows into the next,
00:10:11 --> 00:10:13 from foreknowledge all the way to glorification.
00:10:13 --> 00:10:18 So join me as we dive in and have a look at each section of this chain.
00:10:20 --> 00:10:24 Unfortunately, we have to start with the trickiest verb, foreknew.
00:10:24 --> 00:10:29 Now, the dictionary definition foreknew is to be aware of before it happens.
00:10:29 --> 00:10:33 And if you think of God simply being aware of us in advance,
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 you might think of God in the beginning of time,
00:10:35 --> 00:10:40 looking ahead and seeing whether or not we would freely choose to be a Christian.
00:10:41 --> 00:10:42 But if this were the case,
00:10:42 --> 00:10:45 it presents a tension with the rest of Romans in the last couple of weeks.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:53 How can we choose to be saved if Paul has so fiercely said that we are incapable of our own salvation?
00:10:54 --> 00:10:56 Well, the English word here is foreknew,
00:10:57 --> 00:11:02 but the original work in Greek actually is the sense of a much stronger, more intimate relationship.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:05 It's actually an older Hebrew term that God uses here,
00:11:05 --> 00:11:08 which means a God-initiated relationship.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:12 Rather than God knowing our choices before we make them,
00:11:13 --> 00:11:18 think instead of God reaching out and loving us in a personal, real way before we even existed.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:21 God puts his love on us.
00:11:21 --> 00:11:23 He didn't just foresee what we'll do.
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 He initiated a relationship with us entirely of his own will.
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 But there's a problem.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:35 How can God have a relationship with us before we existed?
00:11:37 --> 00:11:40 Well, if it's true that God foreknew us before time,
00:11:40 --> 00:11:43 it must also therefore be true that God predestined us,
00:11:43 --> 00:11:47 a word meaning determined in advance by divine will or fate.
00:11:48 --> 00:11:51 So God, in his complete control over time and space,
00:11:52 --> 00:11:54 determined before the beginning of the universe
00:11:54 --> 00:11:57 that our lives would result in a relationship with him.
00:11:57 --> 00:12:01 Now, this isn't the sermon to go into the complexity of predestination,
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 but if you have questions about it,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:04 feel free to come up and ask me about them later,
00:12:04 --> 00:12:07 and then we can go to Steve together and he can actually answer them for us.
00:12:09 --> 00:12:13 But this also isn't the passage to interrogate the nitty-gritty of predestination,
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 God's will and sovereignty.
00:12:16 --> 00:12:19 Paul mentions predestination here not to explain it,
00:12:19 --> 00:12:21 but to show the consequences of it.
00:12:21 --> 00:12:26 Because there's an issue that arises from God having a relationship with us in the here and now.
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 How can God have a relationship with us if we're stuck on earth
00:12:30 --> 00:12:33 and God's in an entirely separate heavenly realm?
00:12:35 --> 00:12:39 Well, that's why the next step in the chain is that God calls us to come to him.
00:12:40 --> 00:12:42 He summons us to be close to him,
00:12:42 --> 00:12:46 a spiritual calling to live God's way and to come into his presence,
00:12:46 --> 00:12:51 the source of life, grace, mercy, peace, justice.
00:12:51 --> 00:12:55 Although we are not physically called into God's temple,
00:12:55 --> 00:12:58 the spiritual summons is by no means any less real,
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 just as God is real and his relationships are real.
00:13:02 --> 00:13:06 But if we are to come into the presence of a perfect God,
00:13:06 --> 00:13:08 how can we come close to him?
00:13:09 --> 00:13:10 If, as Paul's repeated so often,
00:13:10 --> 00:13:13 we are stained by imperfection and sin.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:19 Well then, God justifies.
00:13:20 --> 00:13:22 And if you're looking for details on this step of justification,
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 listen back to the rest of our Roman series.
00:13:26 --> 00:13:29 But the quick summary of this incredible step
00:13:29 --> 00:13:32 is that God has completely and totally dealt with our sin
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 in Jesus' death on the cross.
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37 We are no longer considered sinful in God's eyes
00:13:37 --> 00:13:40 and by faith we can receive this incredible gift.
00:13:40 --> 00:13:43 And finally then, at the end of the chain,
00:13:43 --> 00:13:46 if we come into the presence of a perfect God,
00:13:47 --> 00:13:49 what does that mean for us?
00:13:51 --> 00:13:53 Well, it's the simplest step of all.
00:13:54 --> 00:13:57 If we are in the presence of God, we are glorified.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:01 We get to stand in the throne room of the one true God
00:14:01 --> 00:14:04 as brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ.
00:14:04 --> 00:14:07 There is nothing more glorified than that.
00:14:07 --> 00:14:13 So, what can we do with this unbreakable chain?
00:14:14 --> 00:14:18 Well, I feel like we often picture this chain of events
00:14:18 --> 00:14:21 as sort of stretched over the timeline of our life,
00:14:21 --> 00:14:25 as if we're going through life moving from God predestining us
00:14:25 --> 00:14:27 to God calling us to God justifying us
00:14:27 --> 00:14:29 and then eventually to God glorifying us
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 for some time in the future.
00:14:31 --> 00:14:33 But that's not the case.
00:14:34 --> 00:14:35 Here's a fun activity.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:38 Have a really close look at these verbs in verse 29 and 30.
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 There's a secret grammatical connection.
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 Have you picked it up?
00:14:45 --> 00:14:47 They're all in the past tense.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:50 They've all already happened.
00:14:52 --> 00:14:55 So, it's more accurate to view the chain like this,
00:14:55 --> 00:14:57 happening before we even came into being.
00:14:58 --> 00:15:00 There's nothing more to be done.
00:15:00 --> 00:15:04 God has already foreknew, predestined, called, and justified us.
00:15:05 --> 00:15:07 Ah, but then you might ask, what about glorification?
00:15:08 --> 00:15:11 Are we already standing in the throne room of God?
00:15:12 --> 00:15:15 Well, as nice as this building is, no.
00:15:16 --> 00:15:18 We're not currently standing in the presence of God the Father,
00:15:19 --> 00:15:19 at least not yet.
00:15:19 --> 00:15:23 So then why does Paul use the past tense
00:15:23 --> 00:15:25 when talking about glorification?
00:15:26 --> 00:15:29 Well, I think the rest of this passage shows
00:15:29 --> 00:15:33 that he is so sure that this plan will come to pass
00:15:33 --> 00:15:36 that it is as if it has already happened.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:40 He's so confident of God's unbreakable chain finishing
00:15:40 --> 00:15:46 that he depicts it as if it is already over and done.
00:15:46 --> 00:15:48 But okay then.
00:15:49 --> 00:15:52 So we're sitting between the justification that has happened
00:15:52 --> 00:15:54 and the glorification that is sure to happen.
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 What do we do in the meantime?
00:15:56 --> 00:15:58 Just sit and wait?
00:15:59 --> 00:15:59 Well, no.
00:16:00 --> 00:16:03 Remember that God is working everything for good.
00:16:03 --> 00:16:07 So there must be a purpose and intent for all your days here.
00:16:07 --> 00:16:09 And the answer is in verse 29.
00:16:10 --> 00:16:12 We're being moulded to be like Christ.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:14 All right.
00:16:15 --> 00:16:17 Halfway through the sermon, it's time to talk around,
00:16:17 --> 00:16:18 turn around and have a chat again.
00:16:19 --> 00:16:21 We've already talked about where you think you'll be in five years.
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 I have a chat with the person next to you.
00:16:24 --> 00:16:28 What's been the biggest change in your life in the last five years?
00:16:29 --> 00:16:32 You've got, we'll say, two minutes this time
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 and then we'll come back together.
00:16:34 --> 00:16:35 So have a chat.
00:16:36 --> 00:16:37 All right.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 Let's come back together.
00:16:40 --> 00:16:44 If you're keen to keep chatting,
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 please continue those conversations.
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 Afternoon tea, morning tea.
00:16:49 --> 00:16:51 I think for me, if you're wondering,
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 the biggest change in the last few years has been a relational one.
00:16:54 --> 00:16:57 I got married just over a year ago to the lovely Emma
00:16:57 --> 00:16:59 and now we live together, as I mentioned,
00:16:59 --> 00:17:01 with a little puppy in Mars Field.
00:17:03 --> 00:17:04 But yeah, I reckon it's interesting
00:17:04 --> 00:17:07 because my answer and I'm guessing your answer
00:17:07 --> 00:17:12 shows something about how we view the narrative of our own lives,
00:17:12 --> 00:17:14 where we've been and where we're going.
00:17:15 --> 00:17:17 And interestingly, the passage we've just read
00:17:17 --> 00:17:19 has something to say about the exact same topics.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:23 Verse 29 says that God has predestined us
00:17:23 --> 00:17:25 to be conformed to the image of his son,
00:17:25 --> 00:17:28 that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
00:17:28 --> 00:17:31 And now here, finally,
00:17:32 --> 00:17:35 is the good that God uses every one of our moments for.
00:17:35 --> 00:17:39 God uses every instant to make us more like Jesus.
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 Conforming to the image of something
00:17:41 --> 00:17:43 means to take on its character,
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 its properties, its form.
00:17:45 --> 00:17:47 I like to think of it like an iron mould,
00:17:47 --> 00:17:50 where you pour molten iron into a mould
00:17:50 --> 00:17:52 and as the iron cools,
00:17:52 --> 00:17:55 it takes on the shape and form of the mould.
00:17:55 --> 00:17:58 In the same way, Paul says that God
00:17:58 --> 00:18:00 is making us take the shape of Jesus.
00:18:01 --> 00:18:02 Not physically, I'm not going to say
00:18:02 --> 00:18:04 we're all going to look like a man
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 from the ancient Middle East,
00:18:06 --> 00:18:08 but instead taking on his character,
00:18:08 --> 00:18:10 his morals, his attitudes, his worldviews.
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 And if you've read the Gospel,
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 you know Jesus' traits.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:17 Kindness, forgiveness, mercy, justice.
00:18:19 --> 00:18:20 As we go through life,
00:18:20 --> 00:18:22 Paul is saying that God is making us
00:18:22 --> 00:18:24 more and more like Jesus.
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 So where does that leave us?
00:18:27 --> 00:18:28 If this is all God's doing,
00:18:28 --> 00:18:29 what are we meant to do?
00:18:29 --> 00:18:31 How are we meant to respond to this?
00:18:32 --> 00:18:34 I think this creates a fundamental shift
00:18:34 --> 00:18:37 in how Christians view the past and the future.
00:18:42 --> 00:18:43 Come on.
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 There we go.
00:18:46 --> 00:18:48 When was the last time
00:18:48 --> 00:18:50 you sat down and thought about your past?
00:18:52 --> 00:18:54 When was the last time you stopped
00:18:54 --> 00:18:56 and tried to look at how God
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 has been working in your life?
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 It's not always obvious in the moment,
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 but with the benefit of hindsight,
00:19:02 --> 00:19:05 sometimes it can be blazingly clear
00:19:05 --> 00:19:07 about how God has used massive change
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 in your life to make you more like Jesus.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 Other times it can be hard
00:19:11 --> 00:19:14 to see how hardship has grown you
00:19:14 --> 00:19:16 or how a period of difference
00:19:16 --> 00:19:17 or indifference from God
00:19:17 --> 00:19:18 can be worked for good.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:21 But being able to pinpoint
00:19:21 --> 00:19:23 how God has been working in your life
00:19:23 --> 00:19:24 is an enormous encouragement,
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 whether it's realizing
00:19:26 --> 00:19:28 that hardship grows faith
00:19:28 --> 00:19:30 or that distance helps make clear
00:19:30 --> 00:19:32 the depth of your need for God.
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 So have you taken a moment
00:19:34 --> 00:19:36 on the bus to work or school
00:19:36 --> 00:19:39 or when you just put the kid down for a nap
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 or in the shower
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 in the morning or the evening?
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 Have you thought about
00:19:42 --> 00:19:44 what's been going on in your life
00:19:44 --> 00:19:47 and seen how it has changed you
00:19:47 --> 00:19:49 and thought about how God
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 might be working in your life
00:19:50 --> 00:19:52 to make it more like Jesus?
00:19:53 --> 00:19:55 And then there's the flip side of this.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:57 What are you aiming towards?
00:19:57 --> 00:19:59 What does progress look like in your life?
00:20:00 --> 00:20:01 Who are you trying to be?
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 Where are you trying to get to?
00:20:02 --> 00:20:04 What life are you trying to achieve?
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 Where do you want to be in five years?
00:20:08 --> 00:20:10 The Bible says that God is using time
00:20:10 --> 00:20:12 to make you more like Jesus.
00:20:12 --> 00:20:15 So set a goal for your future.
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 It's only a year's time.
00:20:17 --> 00:20:18 On the 10th of June, 2023,
00:20:19 --> 00:20:20 I want to be able to look back and say,
00:20:21 --> 00:20:23 God has made me more patient
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 than I was a year ago.
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 Or God has made me kinder
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 than I was a year ago.
00:20:27 --> 00:20:28 Or more generous.
00:20:28 --> 00:20:29 Or God has made me better
00:20:29 --> 00:20:32 at loving those I find hard to love.
00:20:33 --> 00:20:34 Set a goal such that in a year,
00:20:34 --> 00:20:36 you'll be able to look back and say,
00:20:36 --> 00:20:37 I think I'm more like Jesus
00:20:37 --> 00:20:38 than I was a year ago.
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 Yeah, with all these changes in growth,
00:20:42 --> 00:20:46 how can Paul be so sure
00:20:46 --> 00:20:48 that God's plan will actually happen?
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 With all these promises of change,
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 is there any evidence
00:20:51 --> 00:20:54 that this glorification or progress
00:20:54 --> 00:20:54 will actually happen?
00:20:56 --> 00:20:58 Well, now we come to the top of the tower,
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 the pinnacle of Romans 8,
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 and really the climax
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 of the first half of Romans.
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 And here at the top of the tower,
00:21:05 --> 00:21:07 we actually see there's a telescope,
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 and this telescope is showing us
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 an incredible vision
00:21:09 --> 00:21:12 of God's holy, glorious power,
00:21:12 --> 00:21:14 and we will come away from this vision
00:21:14 --> 00:21:16 certain that nothing and no one
00:21:16 --> 00:21:18 can stop God's plan.
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 Now, quick warning,
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 we're about to get to another
00:21:22 --> 00:21:23 curly font verse.
00:21:23 --> 00:21:24 Romans 8, 38 to 39
00:21:24 --> 00:21:26 is a beautiful piece of writing.
00:21:27 --> 00:21:29 An enormous encouragement
00:21:29 --> 00:21:30 to Christians around the world
00:21:30 --> 00:21:30 that I'm sure has been
00:21:30 --> 00:21:32 many people's iPhone wallpaper.
00:21:32 --> 00:21:34 If you haven't read this verse before,
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 then oh boy,
00:21:35 --> 00:21:37 you're in for a treat.
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 But you, once again,
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 you are missing out
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 on the full significance
00:21:40 --> 00:21:41 and weight of the passage
00:21:41 --> 00:21:43 if you don't read the bits before it.
00:21:44 --> 00:21:45 It's such a good verse,
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 you've got to build up to it.
00:21:47 --> 00:21:48 So let's quickly go through
00:21:48 --> 00:21:51 Paul's logic for why he's convinced
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53 that God's good plan for glorification
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 will come to pass.
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 Think of it as the nails
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 on which Paul is going to hang
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 an incredible painting.
00:21:58 --> 00:22:01 So Paul's foundation for this belief
00:22:01 --> 00:22:03 are five unchallengeable questions.
00:22:04 --> 00:22:05 Five questions
00:22:05 --> 00:22:07 for which there is only one answer.
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 The first one is in verse 31.
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 If God is for us,
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 who can be against us?
00:22:13 --> 00:22:14 Now, if the question was
00:22:14 --> 00:22:16 who is against us,
00:22:16 --> 00:22:17 there might be many answers.
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 The world, the devil,
00:22:19 --> 00:22:20 ourselves even.
00:22:22 --> 00:22:22 But for the question,
00:22:23 --> 00:22:24 if the one true God,
00:22:24 --> 00:22:26 the master of all creation
00:22:26 --> 00:22:27 and Lord of space and time
00:22:27 --> 00:22:29 is for us,
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 then who can be against us?
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 Well, then the answer
00:22:32 --> 00:22:34 is obviously no one.
00:22:36 --> 00:22:37 I've been really struck
00:22:37 --> 00:22:39 by the English theologian
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 John Stott's comment
00:22:40 --> 00:22:44 that perhaps the most terrible words
00:22:44 --> 00:22:46 which human ears will ever hear
00:22:46 --> 00:22:48 are those which God uttered
00:22:48 --> 00:22:49 many times in the Old Testament.
00:22:50 --> 00:22:52 I am against you.
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 How good then
00:22:54 --> 00:22:55 is the news of the gospel
00:22:55 --> 00:22:57 that God is now
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 on the side
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 of those he has chosen?
00:23:02 --> 00:23:03 The next unchallengeable question
00:23:03 --> 00:23:05 is in verse 32.
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 He who did not spare his own son
00:23:07 --> 00:23:09 but gave him up for us all,
00:23:09 --> 00:23:11 how will he not also,
00:23:11 --> 00:23:11 along with him,
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 graciously give us all things?
00:23:14 --> 00:23:16 Again, if Paul had asked,
00:23:16 --> 00:23:18 will God give us all things?
00:23:18 --> 00:23:20 Look, we might have ummed and ah'd
00:23:20 --> 00:23:21 and said like,
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 kinda,
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 in a big picture
00:23:23 --> 00:23:23 sort of way.
00:23:24 --> 00:23:24 Like,
00:23:24 --> 00:23:26 we have a lot of needs
00:23:26 --> 00:23:27 and there's 8 billion people
00:23:27 --> 00:23:27 out there,
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 so like,
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 like,
00:23:29 --> 00:23:29 maybe?
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 But the way Paul expresses
00:23:32 --> 00:23:32 this question
00:23:32 --> 00:23:34 vanishes any doubt.
00:23:36 --> 00:23:38 This is the God
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 who has already given us
00:23:39 --> 00:23:41 his most precious possession,
00:23:41 --> 00:23:43 his own indescribable son.
00:23:43 --> 00:23:45 In comparison to Jesus,
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 all other gifts
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 are simple to give.
00:23:48 --> 00:23:48 So once again,
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 there is only one answer.
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 Of course he will.
00:23:53 --> 00:23:55 Now with the next two questions,
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 Paul suddenly brings us
00:23:56 --> 00:23:56 into a courtroom.
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 Have a look at verse 33 and 34
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 on the screen.
00:24:00 --> 00:24:01 Who will bring any charge
00:24:01 --> 00:24:02 against those
00:24:02 --> 00:24:02 whom God has chosen?
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 It is God who justifies.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 Who then is the one
00:24:06 --> 00:24:06 who condemns?
00:24:07 --> 00:24:07 No one.
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 Many might accuse us
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 of misdeeds,
00:24:11 --> 00:24:12 but if God the judge
00:24:12 --> 00:24:13 has declared us innocent,
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 then there is no charge
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 that can be brought against us.
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 Many might try
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 and condemn us.
00:24:18 --> 00:24:20 But if Jesus has died
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 and been raised to life,
00:24:21 --> 00:24:23 then he has taken
00:24:23 --> 00:24:24 all our condemnation
00:24:24 --> 00:24:25 and judgment on himself
00:24:25 --> 00:24:28 so that no one
00:24:28 --> 00:24:28 can condemn us.
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 And with these
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 unchallengeable nails
00:24:32 --> 00:24:32 in place,
00:24:32 --> 00:24:34 Paul asks one final
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 unchallengeable question.
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 But this isn't a nail.
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 This is the climax
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 and the conclusion.
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 This is the painting,
00:24:40 --> 00:24:42 the glorious vision
00:24:42 --> 00:24:42 that Paul has been
00:24:42 --> 00:24:43 building up to.
00:24:43 --> 00:24:45 Paul asks,
00:24:46 --> 00:24:47 who then shall separate us
00:24:47 --> 00:24:49 from the love of Christ?
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 And his answer
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 is astounding.
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 He starts off
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 by suggesting
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 possible answers.
00:24:56 --> 00:24:56 Trouble,
00:24:57 --> 00:24:57 hardship,
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 persecution.
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 Yet the previous questions
00:25:00 --> 00:25:00 have shown us
00:25:00 --> 00:25:01 that no one
00:25:01 --> 00:25:02 can condemn us.
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 No one can bring
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 any charge against us.
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 There is nothing
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 God will withhold from us
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 and there is no one
00:25:07 --> 00:25:08 who can stand
00:25:08 --> 00:25:08 against his will.
00:25:08 --> 00:25:10 So then truly,
00:25:10 --> 00:25:12 what can separate us
00:25:12 --> 00:25:12 from the love of God?
00:25:14 --> 00:25:15 And Paul's answer
00:25:15 --> 00:25:16 isn't just nothing.
00:25:17 --> 00:25:19 His answer is nothing.
00:25:21 --> 00:25:21 Paul here is trying
00:25:21 --> 00:25:23 to expand your understanding
00:25:23 --> 00:25:25 of just how certain
00:25:25 --> 00:25:26 God's plan is.
00:25:27 --> 00:25:28 Imagine your sense
00:25:28 --> 00:25:29 of God's power
00:25:29 --> 00:25:29 and control
00:25:29 --> 00:25:30 as a little balloon.
00:25:31 --> 00:25:32 Paul is trying
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 to inflate that balloon
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 to push you to think
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 bigger than you've
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 ever thought before
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 and to better grasp
00:25:37 --> 00:25:37 what it means
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 for God to have
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 infinite power
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 and ultimate sovereignty.
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 Do you think
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 that running
00:25:44 --> 00:25:44 to the ends
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 of the earth
00:25:45 --> 00:25:45 will hide you
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 from God?
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 Do you think
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 that if you were
00:25:48 --> 00:25:48 at the bottom
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 of the ocean,
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 God wouldn't know you
00:25:51 --> 00:25:51 better than you
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 know yourself?
00:25:53 --> 00:25:53 Do you think
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 that if you grew old,
00:25:54 --> 00:25:55 the God who knew you
00:25:55 --> 00:25:56 before you were born
00:25:56 --> 00:25:58 could forget about you?
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 Do you think
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 that if the government
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 outlawed the Christian God,
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 made church illegal
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 and you could be jailed
00:26:03 --> 00:26:04 for talking about
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05 Jesus at work,
00:26:06 --> 00:26:06 do you think
00:26:06 --> 00:26:07 his power
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 would be any less?
00:26:09 --> 00:26:10 Do you think
00:26:10 --> 00:26:10 that when you are
00:26:10 --> 00:26:12 lying in a casket,
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 God will be any less
00:26:13 --> 00:26:13 able to show
00:26:13 --> 00:26:14 his love for you?
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 And most of all,
00:26:16 --> 00:26:17 do you think
00:26:17 --> 00:26:17 that anything
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 you can do
00:26:18 --> 00:26:20 can stop God's love?
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 If he has the power
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 to raise a man
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 from the dead
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 and to grant
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 eternal life,
00:26:25 --> 00:26:26 what power
00:26:26 --> 00:26:27 do we little people
00:26:27 --> 00:26:28 have to stop
00:26:28 --> 00:26:30 such incredible love?
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 Whatever conscious
00:26:32 --> 00:26:33 or unconscious
00:26:33 --> 00:26:34 boundary you put
00:26:34 --> 00:26:34 on God's power,
00:26:35 --> 00:26:35 get rid of it.
00:26:35 --> 00:26:37 God is bigger
00:26:37 --> 00:26:38 and more infinite
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 than you can imagine.
00:26:41 --> 00:26:42 And what do we
00:26:42 --> 00:26:43 come away with?
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 We come away
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 with a certainty.
00:26:47 --> 00:26:48 A certainty
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 that God's plan
00:26:49 --> 00:26:50 cannot be stopped.
00:26:51 --> 00:26:51 Nothing will
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 separate us from God,
00:26:52 --> 00:26:54 nothing can stop
00:26:54 --> 00:26:54 God's plan
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 from coming to fruition.
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 Not even you.
00:26:59 --> 00:27:00 And you may have noticed,
00:27:00 --> 00:27:01 certainty has been
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 becoming a bit
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 of a scarce thing
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 recently.
00:27:04 --> 00:27:05 Do you feel
00:27:05 --> 00:27:06 like you've had
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 plans, say,
00:27:07 --> 00:27:07 in the last,
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 I don't know,
00:27:08 --> 00:27:09 two years
00:27:09 --> 00:27:09 that have been
00:27:09 --> 00:27:10 interrupted?
00:27:11 --> 00:27:13 Holiday plans,
00:27:13 --> 00:27:14 party plans,
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 even wedding plans.
00:27:17 --> 00:27:17 Frankly,
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 I think Australian
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 society is still
00:27:19 --> 00:27:20 grappling with
00:27:20 --> 00:27:21 the two years
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 of time we've lost.
00:27:23 --> 00:27:23 And I think
00:27:23 --> 00:27:24 it'll be a while
00:27:24 --> 00:27:25 before we really
00:27:25 --> 00:27:25 understand how
00:27:25 --> 00:27:26 so many months
00:27:26 --> 00:27:27 of lockdown
00:27:27 --> 00:27:28 has permanently
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 changed Australian
00:27:29 --> 00:27:29 culture.
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 Here's another
00:27:31 --> 00:27:32 question for you.
00:27:32 --> 00:27:33 Do you remember
00:27:33 --> 00:27:33 that week
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 in March 2020
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 when we heard
00:27:35 --> 00:27:36 that lockdown
00:27:36 --> 00:27:36 was starting
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 and we'd have
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 to start
00:27:37 --> 00:27:37 wearing masks
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 everywhere?
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 If we had time,
00:27:39 --> 00:27:40 I would love
00:27:40 --> 00:27:40 to hear your
00:27:40 --> 00:27:41 stories about
00:27:41 --> 00:27:41 that week.
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 The thing I remember
00:27:43 --> 00:27:44 is just how
00:27:44 --> 00:27:45 sudden it all felt.
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 One week was
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 a normal work week
00:27:48 --> 00:27:48 and the next,
00:27:48 --> 00:27:49 suddenly we were
00:27:49 --> 00:27:50 in challenging times.
00:27:52 --> 00:27:54 I think COVID
00:27:54 --> 00:27:54 and lockdowns
00:27:54 --> 00:27:55 attacked one of
00:27:55 --> 00:27:56 the fundamental
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 beliefs of our
00:27:57 --> 00:27:57 society,
00:27:58 --> 00:27:58 certainty.
00:27:59 --> 00:28:00 It reminded us
00:28:00 --> 00:28:01 just how quickly
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 our plans and
00:28:02 --> 00:28:02 lives can get
00:28:02 --> 00:28:03 disrupted and
00:28:03 --> 00:28:04 taken away
00:28:04 --> 00:28:06 any confidence
00:28:06 --> 00:28:06 that would happen
00:28:06 --> 00:28:07 tomorrow.
00:28:08 --> 00:28:08 I'm not sure
00:28:08 --> 00:28:09 about you,
00:28:09 --> 00:28:09 but I've been
00:28:09 --> 00:28:10 really uncertain
00:28:10 --> 00:28:10 about the future
00:28:10 --> 00:28:10 over the last
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 two years.
00:28:11 --> 00:28:12 I didn't know
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 when lockdowns
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 would end,
00:28:13 --> 00:28:13 when they would
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 start up again,
00:28:14 --> 00:28:15 if the plans I had
00:28:15 --> 00:28:15 to see my friends
00:28:15 --> 00:28:16 and family would
00:28:16 --> 00:28:16 happen,
00:28:17 --> 00:28:17 if my wedding
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 would be able
00:28:18 --> 00:28:18 to go ahead.
00:28:20 --> 00:28:21 Why else did
00:28:21 --> 00:28:21 New South Wales
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 watch the daily
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 COVID press conferences
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 with such dedication
00:28:24 --> 00:28:26 except to try
00:28:26 --> 00:28:26 and establish
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 some semblance
00:28:27 --> 00:28:28 of control
00:28:28 --> 00:28:29 over the future?
00:28:30 --> 00:28:31 And as COVID
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 has slowly stopped
00:28:32 --> 00:28:32 being part of
00:28:32 --> 00:28:33 our daily worries
00:28:33 --> 00:28:34 and concerns,
00:28:34 --> 00:28:34 I think we're all
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 still pretty shaken
00:28:35 --> 00:28:36 from the experience.
00:28:37 --> 00:28:37 We know now
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 that any certainty
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 in jobs,
00:28:39 --> 00:28:40 relationships,
00:28:40 --> 00:28:41 schedules,
00:28:41 --> 00:28:42 or lifestyles
00:28:42 --> 00:28:43 is all built
00:28:43 --> 00:28:44 on shaky ground.
00:28:46 --> 00:28:47 Well,
00:28:47 --> 00:28:47 in this uncertain
00:28:47 --> 00:28:48 age,
00:28:48 --> 00:28:48 there is only
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 one real
00:28:49 --> 00:28:50 certainty
00:28:50 --> 00:28:51 to build your
00:28:51 --> 00:28:51 life on.
00:28:52 --> 00:28:53 God's good
00:28:53 --> 00:28:54 plan for glorification
00:28:54 --> 00:28:55 is so guaranteed
00:28:55 --> 00:28:57 that Paul talks
00:28:57 --> 00:28:57 about it like
00:28:57 --> 00:28:58 it's already
00:28:58 --> 00:28:58 happened.
00:28:58 --> 00:29:00 It is the rock
00:29:00 --> 00:29:00 you can build
00:29:00 --> 00:29:01 your worldview,
00:29:01 --> 00:29:02 your family,
00:29:02 --> 00:29:03 your career,
00:29:03 --> 00:29:04 your identity
00:29:04 --> 00:29:04 on.
00:29:05 --> 00:29:06 God is using
00:29:06 --> 00:29:06 each and every
00:29:06 --> 00:29:07 moment of your
00:29:07 --> 00:29:08 life to make
00:29:08 --> 00:29:08 you more like
00:29:08 --> 00:29:09 Christ.
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 This is an
00:29:10 --> 00:29:10 unstoppable
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 plan.
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 So trust
00:29:13 --> 00:29:13 that it will
00:29:13 --> 00:29:13 happen.
00:29:14 --> 00:29:14 Live with this
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 knowledge in
00:29:15 --> 00:29:15 your head.
00:29:16 --> 00:29:17 And as you go
00:29:17 --> 00:29:17 out into the
00:29:17 --> 00:29:18 world this week,
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 this is my
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 challenge to you
00:29:19 --> 00:29:20 personally.
00:29:21 --> 00:29:22 Every time you
00:29:22 --> 00:29:22 hear a piece
00:29:22 --> 00:29:23 of troubling
00:29:23 --> 00:29:23 news,
00:29:24 --> 00:29:24 any time you
00:29:24 --> 00:29:25 hear a story
00:29:25 --> 00:29:25 that threatens
00:29:25 --> 00:29:26 to overturn
00:29:26 --> 00:29:27 your life,
00:29:27 --> 00:29:28 remember the
00:29:28 --> 00:29:29 unique realness
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 of God's
00:29:30 --> 00:29:30 plan.
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 Whenever you're
00:29:32 --> 00:29:32 feeling shaky,
00:29:33 --> 00:29:33 feeling uncertain
00:29:33 --> 00:29:34 about the way
00:29:34 --> 00:29:35 your life or
00:29:35 --> 00:29:35 the world is
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 going,
00:29:36 --> 00:29:37 remind yourself
00:29:37 --> 00:29:38 of God's
00:29:38 --> 00:29:38 unstoppable
00:29:38 --> 00:29:39 design for
00:29:39 --> 00:29:39 your life.
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 Put your
00:29:41 --> 00:29:41 trust in His
00:29:41 --> 00:29:43 power and the
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 certainty that
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 can only be
00:29:44 --> 00:29:45 found in Him.