God is FOR US (Sunday march 6 2016)

Get a marker board and write down things that are negatives that can happen. Things that can be viewed as negatives. Doing this series on God is, I asked a series of questions and placed them on the back table. Here is some of my research findings: Who is God? Maker Heavenly Father Our God Creator Our Father Father of all Jesus Creator of life I am Creator of the universe Creator of all things Someone who cares for you King of Kings The Supreme Being Outside of Church: Creator of everything The founder of religion Supreme being* Maker of the universe A myth A farce created by man for them to find hope in life. Where is God(IN church) Everywhere In our hearts With all of us Anywhere you are willing to see Him In my heart In heaven Everywhere forever Large enough to be everywhere, small enough to be in our hearts Where is God(outside of church)\ IN heaven IN the air we breathe Everywhere all at once In your imagination, anything is possible with a great imagination What does God think of us?(In church) He loves us unconditionally We are a work in progress He loves us We are his children We are sinners He loves us no matter what He loves us and wants to have relationship with us He thinks we are worthless, we make Him angry We are His blessings We are sinners in need of second chances He thinks we are perfect in our own way His brothers and sisters That we can do better, but his love never falters Outside of church: He thinks we should do better He thinks we are sinners He has probably given up on us by now He deserves better He thinks we are idiots for believing this stuff Romans 8:28 says all things work together for the good so you know what, he doesn’t have a big huge board like this one where he rights out good and bad in two separate categories, therefore it all goes into one category. Good but only for them who love the Lord. Sometimes God’s truth leaves us almost speechless. Romans 8:28-30 left Paul almost speechless. All things work for your good – God sees to it, This leaves Paul almost speechless. Almost. He says, "What then shall we say to these things?" I hear two things in those words for Paul and for us. I hear, "It is hard to find words for these great things." And I hear, "We must find words for these great things." I think when Paul says, "What then shall we say to these things?" his answer is: We must say it again another way. We must find different words and say it again. That’s what he does with the words, "If God is for us, who is against us?" That’s what he has been saying all along. But he must say it another way and so must we. If you have shared the gospel with a child or a parent or a friend many times, you must say it again, say it another way. We must write another email, send another message, text another text, make another phone call, teach another lesson, put up another plaque, write another poem, sing another song, speak another bedside sentence about the glory of God and His Son Jesus. "What then shall we say to these things?" We will say them another way, over and over again till we die, and then to all eternity. They will never cease to be worthy of another way of speaking the glory. God Is For Us O how precious are those two words, "for us." There are no more fearful words in the universe than the words, "God is against us. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). God is entirely for us, and never against us. None of our sicknesses is a judgment from a condemning judge. None of our broken cars or failed appliances is a punishment from God. None of our marital strife is a sign of his wrath. None of our lost jobs is a penalty for sin. None of our wayward children is a crack of the whip of God’s retribution. If we are in Christ. No. God is for us, not against, in and through all things – all ease and all pain. Who Is Against Us? Which means, to say it still another way, "Who is against us?" We are still in verse 31: "If God is for us, who is against us?" The answer Paul expects when he asks that question is, "No one can be against us." To which we are prone to say, "Really?" What does that mean? Verse 35 says that there will be tribulation and distress and persecution and sword. Verse 36 says that Christians are being killed all day long, they are counted like sheep to be slaughtered. Paul said that. So what does he mean, "Who can be against us?" I think he means no one can be successfully against us. The devil and sinful men can make you sick, can steal your car, can sow seeds of strife in your marriage, can take away your job, and rob you of all of your money. But verse 28 says, God works all those things together for your good if you love him. And if they finally work for your good, the designs of the adversary are thwarted and his aim to be against you is turned into a Christ-exalting, soul-sanctifying, faith-deepening benefit. If God is for you, he does not spare you these things. But he designs good where the adversary designs evil (Genesis 50:20; 45:7). The things that are against you he designs to be for you. No one can be successfully against you. I have played sports and coaches sports and I can tell you there is one thing you never, ever, ever do. That is guarantee victory. You can’t do it I’ts never a good idea. Yet Paul tells us in these verses, nothing can work against you because all things work together for the good of those of us who love the Lord.