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Pastor David Mitchell
So it's it's amazing. So anyway, I know that's deep. So let's go into Romans chapter 8. And We kind of handled verse 16. 17 started on verses 18 and following and You know, we found out in the verses up above verse 16 all the way down through verse 16.
One major point that was made is that we're so different after we're saved than we are before we're saved and it gave about 20 different Things God does to us when he saves us right there in that little passage in the verses prior to verse 16.
And then the second point we saw there was that we will be glorified with Christ in it. And I've got this in all caps in my notes after We suffer with Christ in this life. So we're gonna have suffering in our families, right?
We're just gonna have suffering and If you remember as we went on down in verse 18 It says for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, so it's almost like the Lord says Okay Look, I just told you you're you're you're gonna be with me forever but it's after you go through some suffering and then in verse 18 and following you start to say but You don't need to worry about the suffering because I'm gonna tell you some things About it and he goes in and comforts up comforts us right after he tells us we're gonna suffer and here's how he does it.
He says I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared With the glory that will be revealed in us in the future so The relationship and the and the things we do together with the Lord you think snorkeling is cool to do that with the Lord.
The stuff we're going to do with him in the future is so massively amazing. That the little bit of suffering we do here can't compare to it. No matter how bad that suffering is on a human scale. It's not it's not even in the same Magnitude of greatness, isn't that something that he tells us right there in verse 18 so.
Then we sort of went through Verse 19 it's very interesting material that follows for the earnest expectation of the creation. Now remember in your Bible, it says creature just kind of put a little note up there.
It's actually the Greek word is creation. It's everything that he created not just animals or people. It's rocks trees Waterfalls oceans like I just saw the most beautiful the prettiest color in the world is the Caribbean Ocean Caribbean water so All of that it's it's creation everything all that he made waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.
You take a look at what that's talking about the man the word Manifestation is Apocalypse, which is the same thing the book of Revelation is called. So it's talking about the second coming when we are the Bible says those of us who remain who haven't died yet.
We're still here when the rapture happens that those who died before us will be resurrected and then after that We will go up and be changed in the air. That change is what this word means. So look what it's saying for the earnest expectation of the creation all of creation waits.
Until we are changed in the air now why is that because when Adam and Eve sinned it tossed the entire universe into chaos and. What is which law of thermodynamics is it that says everything leads towards greater entropy?
Second but they both kind of talk about it the whole event I guess but that. The first and second laws of thermodynamics and physics Are a direct result of the curse because the world wasn't like that before the curse after man sinned.
Then all of a sudden everything goes towards greater chaos. Kind of like your closet or your garage if you don't put energy into it. It just looks terrible doesn't it? Everything your house will fall apart everything in this universe falls apart.
If some energy isn't put into it and that's because it's falling away because of this curse now. What's interesting about it? All of that happened because of man's sin and yet the creation itself groans.
Because of it verse 20 says for the creation was made subject to vanity. Not willingly like the creation said well, it's not my fault. Adam and Eve sinned, right? And even Adam and Eve didn't willingly do this because they did it on purpose.
That's not what it means. What it means is they didn't willingly desire the result of it. Think about that death. They didn't desire that. They didn't desire this. Falling away of the whole universe where it where it moves towards greater chaos all the time.
They didn't desire that and yet that was the result of their sin. So it's interesting that verse 20 says that all the creation was made subject to vanity. What does vanity mean? The vanity means several things in utility, which means it's useless in God's hands.
It doesn't help God at all. Secondly, it's transient which means it came quickly and it's going away quickly from God's viewpoint and The Lord said I'll make a quick work on the earth. So I'd like that time the earth is only about 8 ,000 years old contrary to what scientists believe or think because they had lacked Understanding from Scripture if they'd read the scripture, they'd know how old it is.
I know it appears to be much older, but God created it with maturity. And you say well, what was he trying to fake him out? He doesn't have to fake him out. They don't read the word. He gave him the word.
So no, he told him how it works. They just don't want to believe it. The earth is actually very young and this will whole thing will be over soon. So it's also depraved this word vanity means depraved.
Which means a quality of a state of being totally corrupt evil and perverted. So that's what we fell into through sin verse 21 says because creation itself also shall be Delivered from the bondage of corruption.
So listen. Why is it the rocks and the trees and the animals grown under this weight of sin that man brought into the world? Because they're waiting for Jesus to come back and put it right and Actually, that's what John 3 16 is talking about and no one knows that it's the most difficult verse for people to understand because they won't Read John 3 17 and John 3 18 and 19 20 and so forth.
They only read the one verse and pop it up there and think about it. They also neglect to realize that God put all of Genesis in the Bible before he put John in the Bible. So you have to understand the fall from the garden and the depravity of man or you will never understand the salvation.
That's in John 3 16. It won't make sense. And that's why it doesn't make sense. Today the modern gospel is so watered down. It's not even correct anymore. The modern gospel preached in most churches today and you would call them good churches the gospel itself.
The message is wrong. If you don't believe it go back and look how Spurgeon preached it just 180 years ago. Vastly differently how he described the gospel and what it meant then modern preachers. But Jesus said there'll be a great falling away in the end times many false preachers shall arise.
He said and we have it. We're in the midst of that but. Because the creation itself also shall it wants to be delivered from this bondage of corruption unto the glorious liberty of the children of God.
So when the children of God are glorified the rest of the universe will be put back, right? Also, in fact, it's all already been put back, right? Because when Jesus died on that cross he fixed it and when he came out of the grave it was proof of it and yet Satan continues to usurp authority.
That's not his in the meantime between now and when Jesus comes again. And God has allowed that just like he allowed Saul to stay on the throne even after he kicked him off and David was the new King he still stayed king for a while.
That's a picture of Satan during this time period. So the whole creation groans and derails in pain together until now. And not only the creation. But we ourselves also. Which have been the fruit which we have the first fruits of the Spirit.
So we know that we're saved in a sense, but we're not wholly saved as its body's not saved yet. Is it? So here we find ourselves practically schizophrenics. We're like our soul is saved. We have a new mind that loves the Lord and everything he wants to do.
But we have the old man still with us. It hates what God's doing and doesn't want to do any of it wants to do our own thing and we live in both spheres. Depending on which one we choose to live in. That's the state of the saved person.
You say well, that's terrible. No, that was God's will to. He said he put this treasure in earthen vessels on purpose. So that he would get the glory when we do do something, right? We don't take the credit he gets the glory all of this is God's perfect plan and yet we groan under it.
Don't we we talk about a young man that I won't say what he did. But he died this week that it was mentioned in the prayer service this morning, right? Think about that family this morning. You think they're groaning?
They're like many of us in the room have suffered death of a loved one in the family. I mean, there's no thing to express what that's like until you live through it the first time. You know I remember the first time was my grandmother who I grew up next door to and was really close to her.
And when she went to heaven, I had a rough time with it. I wasn't saved yet when that happened. So if you're saved it's a little easier because you know, they went to heaven and you know, they're. They're better off than we are, you know, all those wonderful truths, but I I just struggled with it.
My mom did too. And it was tough. So we groan under this condition that we find ourselves in it has pain and suffering and death. And the whole creation groans with us and prevails in pain until right now it's still so until Jesus comes back.
So what's interesting about this whole passage in Romans all the way down chapter 8 all the way down to verse 23. It's talking about second coming. It starts to allude to the rapture and that change in the air that will take place, but it also Sets the scene for understanding John chapter 3 verse 16.
For God so loved the world. The Greek word is cosmos. It means the orderly creation that was put out of order by man's sin. God so loved the orderly creation that was there previous to sin that he sent his own son Jesus to die for the cosmos.
To put it back in order not just for us. That's why people misunderstand the verse. That verse does not teach that God loves everybody that verse teaches God loves his whole orderly creation and Out of the people whose hearts are desperately wicked above all things.
That God made who can know it he does not love them all he loves his own whom he's known from the beginning of the World. The book of Ephesians chapter 1 teaches, but Romans chapter 8 we hadn't gotten to that.
We're headed towards that in Romans chapter 8. Predestination election predetermination for ordination for knowledge. The love of God which preceded all of it and he loved his own and when Jesus died he didn't die for every human.
He died for every of the elect all of his children. You know how I know that. Because his blood is the only thing that saves us it's his blood plus nothing and if he had shed that blood for every single person they all would end up in heaven and they're not because Jesus said they're not because He said wide is the way that leads to hell narrow is the way to heaven and few there be that go in there there by.
So his blood his precious blood was given for his own and the Bible teaches it everywhere. Isaiah 53 teaches it all through the New Testament. It says he died for many. It does not say he died for all.
Many can't mean all. All can sometimes mean many though. Because all can mean all the people in a certain place or whatever. Anyway, that's all you can't cover all that in one message. But the thing that we know is that Man brought this world into chaos and the entire human race because of that was lost.
Except that God in his mercy saved a remnant. That's what the Bible teaches. God chose to save a remnant all right, so Thanks be to God if you find yourself saved. At first you think you did it, right?
Well, look what I did. I accepted Jesus, right? You think you did it and as you take this book and you begin to read it from page to cover to cover you find Out no God did it? And people it's funny. We joke about it now at men's breakfast sometimes how.
We say we don't believe in salvation by works, but I do believe in salvation by works now. It's just that God did all the work and he did thousands of things to save us. Because we were lost as lost can be we were blind we were deaf.
We were dead. We were like whited sepulchers full of dead men's bones and he wrote raised us from that state of deafness. And the Bible says while we were in our trespasses and sins He saved us. We didn't have a thing to do with it.
We were dead. But he resurrected as he regenerated us and guess what once we were alive when he touched us. The Holy Spirit touches put Jesus blood on us individually and we came alive. There were many Effects from that we believed we repented we went to church Baptized all these things that churches think saves us.
They're all results of the salvation they're all effects of the great cause and guess what the great cause is the blood of Jesus and the calling of the Holy Spirit the Bible Jesus said so clearly Takes two things to get saved neither one of them are human neither one are human takes two things.
It takes the water and it takes the spirit. The water is the water of the Word of God. Bible says it clearly. It's the Word of God plus the Holy Ghost. Calling a person so you've got to hear the gospel and you've got to be given ears to hear it.
That's the Holy Spirit side of it that's the only way anyone gets saved and then it's the only way we grow after we're saved same two things the water and The spirit without it. We don't grow. So there we have it.
It seems quite simple, but the world doesn't get it today. But then listen. When you start to look at this part of this story in Romans chapter 8 of all places. You don't think of Romans chapter 8 is a rapture.
Passage do you second coming passage you're talking about the Millennial Kingdom, but it's all it's all alluding to it right here. And not only they but we ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit in other words We have the Holy Spirit permanently and dwelling us sealed within us.
We still grown because we still have the old man we find ourselves doing things we hate. We find ourselves not doing what we want to do for the Lord. We groan, right? We're still under that system that earthiness.
But yet we're a new man or woman and we know we are we know who the real me is the new man. Right the real you is the new man or woman and so we know we have that but we still grown because we're not done With it.
We won't be done with it till the rapture and at that point I don't believe I could describe the weight that will fall off of us. You're talking about a code red moment. If you're a visitor, you don't know what we're talking about.
But it's a weight it's a weight loss program. Some of us are involved in but but you talking about weight falling off at the rapture. Every weight of sin and anything that would ever pull away from God will be gone and you won't know how light you'll feel.
Maybe that's why we can float up. I don't know. And not only the universe but ourselves also which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we ourselves grown within ourselves waiting For the adoption to wit the redemption of a body now I want you to think about those two words adoption and redemption are both words that we think have already happened in the past.
To a Christian you've been adopted into God's family, correct? You've been redeemed which means you were bought by the blood of Jesus. Paid for and removed from the slave market of sin and placed into God's family by Jesus, correct past tense.
Here's an example where this is also taught in the future tense. So like salvation itself is past present future. So are these two items adoption and redemption of the body and actually the last phrase explains the first phrase.
Why does it say our adoption is in the future? Well, what it's really talking about is at the rapture now your body catches up with your soul. It is just as saved as the soul. It is just without it is just as much without sin as your soul.
Which has already been washed and cleaned by the Word and the Spirit the water of the Word and the Holy Spirit. Now your body will be totally cleansed as he changes it. He does not describe what he does when he changes it or how that happens.
It might frighten us. I don't know. All I know is it's gone. The sin is gone of the body part the old man is totally even our physical body the part that we dwell in the tent we live in is perfect at that point to and that's where it says we're fully adopted into God's family and in our redemption of.
Even the body becomes evidence. So Jesus did die for our whole body soul and spirit, didn't he? But the body part doesn't seem saved yet, and it's really not. But at this moment it is and that's why it refers to it as the adoption of redemption of the body so when we Think about all of this and how the entire universe was thrown into chaos.
We understand John 3 16 so much better as it says that Jesus died for The cosmos the orderly creation of God to replace it and put it back like it was. We went into Genesis last time and talked a little bit about that event of the fall of man.
It was kind of interesting because when Satan told Eve. You know, God wouldn't want you to not understand good and evil right now. You only know good. He wants you to know good and evil like we know like we know me and God know that.
And why would he withhold that from you? Right? That's how he deceived Eve. And so she thought she was doing God's will she was deceived. I mean she didn't willfully sin. She thought she was doing this for God because Satan said this is what God wants, right now.
Adam on the other hand. It says he knew it was sin when he did it and that's why when Adam took a bite from that fruit. That's when the the universe went out of order. Not when Eve did it, but when he did it and so we read a little bit about that in Genesis 3 5 it says for God doth know that in the day you eat thereof then your eyes shall be open and you will be as God.
Knowing good and evil. Now think about that. You will be as Elohim God knowing good and evil and we mentioned last time. It's interesting because when you look at those two Hebrew words the one for good and one for evil the one for good is 21 different synonyms.
That's 3 times 7 which is the number of perfection and the number for evil is 3 is 4 times 6 6 being the number of Satan and the number of man 24 different synonyms for the evil and so with a point that we made last time is that look.
When you think of all the beauty and I just got to see so much of it the beautiful oceans and the seas and the waterfalls and a little baby born and the smile of a baby when he sees his grandpa walk up after being gone for a week and says Papa and.
And your older grandbabies who are practically grown giving you a big old hug you can't tell me life isn't good but you know what comes with it a Bunch of bad too because we never just get the good people say how can a good God?
Have so much bad things happening because we asked for it. We said we wanted good and evil not just good. He gave us just good in the gardens. All we had we owned everything except one tree. And we had to have that one too.
So we plunged the world into the chaos. Jesus is gonna pull it back out he's already done it really but it's gonna be de facto when he comes here the second time and It's gonna be quite quite an amazing event.
John 3 16, let's take a look at it for a second. We have a little time left turn to John 3 16. When you understand Genesis and you understand Romans chapter 8 Down through verse about 21 23 24 somewhere in there you can understand John 3 16 so much better.
For God so loved the orderly Creation the cosmos and Greek thinking that means order cosmos means order. God loved the orderly creation so much that he gave his only begotten Son. So that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
That is a true statement that does not say that he died for everyone nor does it say he loves everyone. It says he loves his order and because he loved his orderly creation so much He gave his son to die for it and then anyone who believes in him will not perish because really we're already condemned when we hit the earth because we're born of sinful parents and.
And we go all the way back telescoped into Adam and Eve when they send as a race. We're lost already when we get here that's that's the fact taught throughout the Bible every theologian ever lived agrees with that fact and.
Yet then we choose to sin to at a certain age we get where we do it on purpose. So then you've got that stacked on top of that. And so now we find ourselves in need of salvation and Jesus says look. Here's the answer just believe in me and you've got it because I did all the work.
God did everything to save you already. You just believe in me. Take my hand. That's it. There's nothing for you to do. And so that's what the gospel teaches in 16. But people read into that things that the Bible doesn't teach makes it very dangerous.
But let us keep going and see how we can get even more light on what verse 16 actually means. Look at verse 17. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world. But that the world for him might be saved the cosmos doesn't mean every human.
It means the orderly creation might be saved is exactly what it says in the Greek. The world caused the word cosmos literally means orderly arrangement or decoration so when you come into Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 and it says and everything was in chaos and.
Then the Holy Spirit hovered over it and put energy into it and created order. He decorated it all the beautiful things that you see. Some of which didn't quite exist until after the flood like the pretty clouds and things like that.
But all of that. Were where he added the order it's kind of cool that it can be called decoration. He he made it beautiful when he put the order into it, right? Verse 19 says and this is the condemnation.
Now now we start to see how verse 16 works because now it starts to talk about something that Genesis talked about that. If you hadn't read that yet, you will miss Interpret verse 16 and you'll just say what God's just love and he's gonna save everybody.
That's what you'll say. It doesn't say that it's very clear. If you just read it in context look at verse 19. This is the condemnation. Now that does not sound like God loves everybody and everything can be okay that word Condemnation does not sound like that to me.
This is the condemnation. Now. Look at this. Here's the truth. The light is coming to the world. That's Jesus. That's Jesus Christ. The light is coming to the world and men loved darkness rather than the light.
Now see if you read that you can understand 316 a little more clearly that yeah He loves the universe and he came to put it back in order, but not everybody loved him. In fact, none of them did. Read it carefully.
Look at verse 19. This is the condemnation that light is coming to the world and men love darkness. It doesn't say some men all men 100 of human beings loved darkness rather than Jesus. So people say well the modern gospel is well, come on, you know, raise your hand.
If you want to go to heaven instead of hell raise your everybody close your eyes raise your hand. Just no one looking right. You've heard it. No one look around raise your hand. Okay, if you raise your hand come down here and I will show you how to get saved.
And the first thing I tell them is ask Jesus in your heart He'll save you and that that verse right there tells me not one of them wants him. Not one of them wants him because they love the darkness. Well, let's keep reading it just a little bit now.
Here's the state they're in and yet the modern preacher is saying well, all you need to do is just ask Jesus in your heart. Well, yeah true, but you can't do it. You don't know how to do it, but they don't add that right?
They're like it's a choice that man makes don't you agree a choice that man makes man determines his own destiny, right? That's all lie out of hell. It sounds great. But it just doesn't work that way because look what it says.
All all of these men love darkness rather than light. Why because their deeds are evil they've already sinned and Everyone that does evil now, how many is that? How many humans do you know that aren't sinners other than Jesus, right?
So look what it says. Everyone that does evil so that's everyone. This is called total depravity. Ladies and gentlemen, man Human race is totally depraved. They say well, it's not in the Bible doesn't mean that yes.
It's exactly what it means. It's exactly what it says. God usually means what he says. For everyone that doeth evil I put who question mark right there. Who's that? Everyone that do the evil hates The light now, so I'm going to give an invitation.
And I got a room for I'm not counting the people that are to save okay because in a big church. Like a little church probably everybody here say. Because I know most of you so but in a big church like 600 to 3 ,000 people.
I don't know who's in there. We've got a mixture of everything. You got three kinds of people, right? Save sheep lost sheep and goats and they're all mixed in you can't tell them parts about. So I just give an invitation and I know there's lost people.
All you need to do is come down here to this aisle and I will tell you what to do and you'll be saved. And I'm just gonna say just ask Jesus into your heart and yet the scripture says here that they hate the light.
So, how are they gonna ask someone they hate to save them and Really mean it and that's why two weeks from now. They're back living like they were because it's not true genuine salvation and So it says pretty clearly here that Everyone does evil and everyone who does do evil hates the light.
That's Jesus. Neither cometh they to the light. Wait a minute. You mean they don't they won't come to Jesus. But my whole invitation is for you to come to Jesus. How many times you heard him say come to Jesus, right?
Come to Jesus, but they can't come to Jesus because they've already sinned and they love the darkness and they hate the light. Nor will they come to Jesus. It says now listen, you can argue with me all day long.
But the scripture says they won't come to Jesus. Did you just see it? Let me read again. Let's make sure we got this and This is the condemnation that light is Jesus has come into the world and men love darkness rather than him.
Because their deeds are evil for everyone that does evil. That's all of them hate Jesus neither come they to him. Neither do they come to the light? Lest his deeds would be reproved. Now there is the problem with the human race is it can't save itself by coming by doing anything.
I can give an invitation till my face is blue, but you may have noticed I don't give invitations anymore. I mean I sort of do. I Sort of do. Well, I mean I'll tell the gospel and I'll say if you receive Jesus into your heart, you'll be saved.
That's the truth, right? If you will you'll be saved and that's my job. And I've done my job, you know whose job it is to get people to get saved whether they come down the aisle or whether They don't it's the Holy Spirit while we were yet in our sins.
Have he quickened us brought us to life from death. It's his job to do that. I can't do it and when I lie to people and tell them hey just make a decision and ask Jesus in your heart. What's the person you don't love?
And you love the darkness still and you won't come to him. I just lied to hundreds and thousands of people when I when I say it that way. That's not how it works. The Holy Spirit will move among the the fallen human race and he will select Exactly who the Father chose before the foundation of the world.
That's all he will go to although he will tell the gospel to the whole world and he'll reprove their hearts and they'll know they need Jesus, but they will never accept him unless he flips the switch and that's called the effectual calling.
You'll see it later here in Romans chapter 8. It's all right here. The effectual calling when he literally wakes up your blind eyes and your deaf ears and all of a sudden he changes your want to. And for the first time in your life, you want a Jesus who you previously hated two nanoseconds ago.
Only God can make that change. Therefore God gets a hundred percent of the glory for any salvation that ever happens. It is a miracle. It is not a human thing. It is not scientific. It's not capable of human hands doing only receiving.
Not doing there's a big difference. A Child D. Why did Jesus say you must be born again because a child has nothing to do with his own birth whatsoever. All he can do is receive it as a gift. He didn't know none of the work to make it happen.
He does nothing to help get at come out. He does nothing except receive it after it happens. Perfect picture of salvation. Of course if Jesus gave the picture it would be perfect, wouldn't it? So now Let's look at Romans 8.
Let's see. Let's let's not do that. I've already covered that last week. Do we did mention last week in current 2nd Corinthians 4 just jot that down. I'm not going to cover it again. But it talks about this very actually I will read it.
Sorry. It's been two weeks. I've got to remind myself I'll read it because it ties in so well, but Romans 2nd Corinthians I should say chapter 4 verse 6 ties in with Romans 8 so well. It says for God who commanded the light to shine in darkness.
Now, let me explain something. That's where he connects John 3 16 with Genesis chapter 1 because in Genesis chapter 1 is where God created everything out of nothing. He created the darkness and he made the light to shine Into the darkness and now he relates that physical creation to spiritual salvation, which is equally an equal miracle.
When he made everything he spoke into existence. Everything out of nothing. There was nothing before that and he spoke it into existence and when he created your new man He spoke that into existence out of nothing because it's nothing to do with your physical self.
It is a total new creation being born again a Total new creation than your first self and that old body that still pulls against God. The new man is totally different a totally new. He didn't fix the old man.
He put a new one in you and yes, it's you. In fact, it's the real new you now. It's the one who should control this body and cause it to serve God. Because it's his temple and so God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts.
You do see that's a miracle, right? It's not something we chose to do because the preacher told us here's the formula. This is something happens on your tractor while you're plowing the field. This is something that happens in your car the executive in his car driving to work.
This is something that happens to the grandma who just decided you know. What my beautiful grandbabies and kids all that can't be by accident there must be God and all of a sudden God saves her. This is something that happens one-on-one in various places hardly ever in churches and Usually in church it it can happen in church.
But it's because it already happened before they got there or it happened in the pew before they came down the aisle. It's just it's one-on-one with God and the person and he shines in that dark heart and he says let there be light and It's a miracle and man has nothing to do with that except receiving it with joy.
He shines in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God as we look at the face of Jesus Christ so at the moment listen, this is amazing the moment the Holy Spirit awakens us and Our eyes open when we look at Jesus's face.
We then can know God and we can't even know him until we see him in Christ's face. Because God is an invisible spirit being you can't know anything about him the father you know nothing about him. No man has seen him at any time except Jesus.
And so when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and we can see Jesus for who he is now we now can see the father. Jesus told his Apostles if you've seen me you have seen the father. And that's an amazing way that how God the father reveals himself through the Holy Spirit.
Opening the eyes to see the face of Jesus so that we might see God. So he gives us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. There is no other name named under heaven whereby men might be saved.
None. Jesus said I'm the way the truth of life. No man comes the father but by me why. Because you can't see God the father except in the face of Jesus. You don't see him in Buddha's face. You don't see him in my hot Muhammad's writings.
You can only see him in the face of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. But we have this treasure. What treasure this new man that he just created out of darkness and he put a new man in there. We have this treasure in earthen vessels that still move away from God.
They still don't want to do stuff for God and it's awful and we groan under it but we still they're there because it's God's will for us to be this way for a season to learn things and To learn more about him than we could have if we'd have been innocent babes in the Garden of Eden in no fault.
So God thought this was better. So I have to accept that it is better even when it hurts and even when I have suffering and pain. So we have this treasure in earthen vessels. So that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.
We're trouble on every side. Is that not true? You turn around and something went wrong in this earth. Right about the time you think you're gonna have some peace it goes away. We're troubled on every side yet.
We're never distressed. Paul says why are we not dispressed because we know God is sovereign. And we know that we're joint heirs with Christ. So we own everything he owns. So why am I distressed about anything?
Yeah, it troubles me a little bit when I look around stuff's falling apart. Yeah, that bothers me and I do think about it. I'm troubled. In fact every side I look around. It's that way in this world, isn't it?
But I'm not distressed about it because I know who's in control. I'm just gonna watch it play out. We are perplexed. Yeah, I do listen you tell me you always understand why God does what he does. You know, you always understand.
Why the Lord would cause an infant to die. You really understand that or does that perplex you a little bit? So there are many things God will do that perplexes because he is not who we thought he was growing up.
He is vastly different his ways are higher than ours. We don't understand his ways because he sees everything in goodness from a good perfect heart. We only see part of it from a bad heart and we think we're smarter than God, but we're not and so yeah.
We are perplexed, but you know what? We're not in despair. Why are we not in despair when we see things happen that we wonder why God did it that way? We're not in despair because we still know who he is.
He's love. It's not that he loves. He is love and he is all wisdom and he is. I'm not present and he has seen the end from the beginning. Apparently looked at it and thought that's perfect. So I'm gonna do it that way.
How many you think that might have happened? That's perfect. So I'm gonna do it that way which included the fall which included the suffering which includes the death which includes all of it. And he loved it and he said it is good.
The whole of it is good, even though it includes bad. Now think about that. He's different than we are. We would have done it differently. No doubt. We'd mess that up too, wouldn't we? But he didn't. So yeah, I'm perplexed sometimes, but I'm not in despair because I know he's seen the end from the beginning and it's good.
It's perfect and verse 9 says we're persecuted from time to time. But when we go through that and others treat us wrongly. We're never doing it by ourselves because we're not forsaken. He is right there with us.
He is right there with us and The only reason we're persecuted is because of him and us they would never persecute us if we were worldly. If we had some system of salvation by works. The world would love us if we were Mormons if we were Jehovah's Witnesses.
We were Church of Christ if we were all these different groups that believe you get saved by works the world would love us. They would come in and pack by huge numbers and we would never be persecuted.
Paul himself said I would not have these stripes on my back except that I preached the pure gospel of salvation by the blood of Jesus. I Am cast down from time to time by these people and by this world system, but I am never listen to this destroyed.
I May fall but I will not be utterly cast down for the Lord upholdeth me with his hand. Hallelujah, I'd like to stop right there. Let's stand in that prayer together. Same place. I stopped two Sundays ago.
I don't care. It's got way more in it than I can preach in an hour. Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you that you deliver it to our hearts by your spirit be with us in our time of fellowship. Bless the meal in Jesus name.