Even now Lord Jesus even now, even now
for ask this in your name Amen God be praised the Dean
about five minutes ago stepped over to where I'm sitting and said to me "don't
you dare stop until the Spirit is finished" That's a dangerous thing. God
started a revival in the preaching of Charles Haddon Spurgeon for the people
flock to hear him. They came to hear the preacher in the church instead of the
preacher of the church having to go to them and they came. They came to the new
Park Baptist Church. They came to tipperary meeting houses and music halls
they came to the Metropolitan Baptist Tabernacle a facility that was
constructed with 5,000 seats and had room for 1,000 standees 6,000 persons and
Spurgeon filled it up on Sunday morning and Sunday night for 30 consecutive
years. They came. They came to the Surrey Garden Music Hall on October the 19th
1856 Spurgeon would preach there for the first time and 10,000 people feel that
place. James Earl Amasa calls preaching "the burdensome joy" and Gardner Calvin
Taylor calls it "the sweet torture of Sunday morning."
But on that day there was no joy that was burden there was no sweetness there
was torture for in that crowd of 10,000 people some mischief-makers screamed out
"Fire! Fire!" stampede ensued and seven people were left dead and twenty-eight
people were injured. This shadowed the life of Spurgeon
plunging him into a pit of depression out of which he would never emerge for
the rest of his life and it served as a symbol for the horror that can befall
the very people of God. On September the 11th 2001 I stood up in my classroom S
305 to open up our day's work by calling for prayer requests I was not to pay
head for what I would hear for I had not watched the news before I left home I
hadn't turned the radio on while I was making my way to school. "Dr. Smith I
think we ought to in light of the most recent development pray for our country
in light of the fact that a plane guided by terrorists has flown into one of the
twin towers." Before that class was over the second tower was struck and America
since that time has been shadowed by this disaster plunged into a pit of
depression and it has served from us a symbol for how horror can fall upon any
nation at any time. We are here to walk with Saints Charles Haddon Spurgeon, not
to copy him, but to try to comprehend him and understand his understanding of
preaching. He said and these are his words "Preaching
is for the glory of God." He said "Preaching that is done apply is
done to accomplish two purposes; one verification of the saints two the
salvation of sinners." and he shows us how both of these come together in his
sermon songs in the night. Taken from Job 35 and 10 "Where is God my maker who
giveth songs in the night?" He opens up the sermon by referring to the Ionian
heart he says they are Aldean heart renders sweet music when the wind blows
through the strings but the difficulty is when there is no wind he says a
singer can sing as long as there is light to read the notes on the music
sheet but the difficulty comes when there are no rays of light from the Sun
then the skillful singer has the reach inside of himself to his living
existence and come in contact with the spirit and sing from the interior book
he says any fool these are his words any fool can sing during the day. He says
it's unnatural to sing in trouble it's unnatural to sing at night therefore the
believer gets his songs from God for God gives songs during the nights. We have
not come here to mourn we have come here to sing I've come here to sing I've seen
the Lightning flashing I've heard the Thunder roar I've felt since breakers
dashing trying to conquer my soul but I heard the voice of Jesus telling me to
steal fight on He promised never to leave me never to leave me alone. This
teaching pericop chapter 8 of Rome 18:30 gives to us a movement from glory
to glory verse number 18 he says I consider that our present sufferings are
not worth being compared to the glory that shall be revealed the unenumerated
glory the unrealized glory the not-yet glory. Paul is saying there's a glory
that's going to be eyes but it's not yet it's in the future and what I think
about that I think about what Gear did this German poet renowned said he said
that he watched a puppy being born soon as the puppy was born he picked up the
poor puppy and pulled it by the ear and he said the puppy eyes that were close
he was trying to strain to look toward the light
and there was something within us since we are made in the image of God that
strains for the Son of Righteousness who rises with healing in his wings that
there's something there this world is not my home I'm just a passing through.
My hopes and all my treasures are laid up there in the blue thing just beckoned
me from Heaven's open door and I can't feel at home in this world anymore.
There's a straining short than not yes that's the way John puts it in first
John three and two he says it does not yet appear what we shall be future but
we know that when he appears we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is
Dr. Gardner Taylor astounded me with this remark but to show what God is
doing in our lives he said that when Jesus appears and the son smaller s of
God stands next to the Son of God capital S the angel will look at us and
we will look so much like Jesus there the angels were asked
who's Jesus because they have not yet appeared we will be like him for we
shall see him as he is its its future glory but there's present glory verse
number 3. For since he has predestinated us he also
has called and those whom he has called he has justified and those he has
justified he has also present glorified we have within us the imago day we have the image of God and we can never
find rest according to Agustin those made us for
thyself and our souls cannot find rest until they find rest in thee but we want
more of what we already have we want and bar of the glory we want more of
this Christ. James L Massa was preaching at the EK Bailey International
Conference on expository preaching Wednesday night at the Concord Baptist
Church and he lifted up this illustration
he says when a baby is disgruntled and upset and crying uncontrollably the
mother will pick up that baby and press that baby against her breast and after a
while that baby will be comforted and stop crying. He explained it this way
that baby has become reconnected with the primal tone. The heartbeat of the
mother it goes back to the time when it was in the womb of the mother and heard
that heartbeat all the time but now that it has come out of the womb it is only
when it is pressed against the breast of that mother that it hears the primal
tone. We long for the primal tone Sunday morning is not enough we want to be
somewhere where the wicked cease is from troubling and the weary is at rest and
every day is Sunday and we have uninterrupted worship. I wonder
about us sometimes one hour is too much for us but when we've been there ten
thousand years bright shining as the Sun we've no less days to sing God's praise
than when we first begun what are you going to do when there is no benediction
what are you going to do when there is no intermission what are you going to do
but there is no interlude praising my Savior all the day long. We move from
glory to glory this teaching paragraph is teaching
pericope also gives to us a theology of the cross and a theology of glory it's
right there in verse eighteen I consider that our present sufferings theology of
the cross are not worth being compared to the glory, theology of glory, that is
to come it is we are informed by when Luther challenges and criticizes the
Scholastic's he says that the Scholastic's have a theology of glory of
attainment of achievement they need a theology of the cross the Bible never
separates a theology of the cross or a theology of glory Jesus reminds us in
Luke chapter 24 verse number 26 when he is talking to these downcast disciples
going from Jerusalem to Emmaus He says "Was it not necessary that word day was
it not necessary" past tense "for the Christ the first suffer" theology of the
cross and then into glory theology of glory it is in Acts chapter 2 verse 23
and 24. God according to the pre- determinate counsel of God his set
purpose handed Jesus over to evil men who nailed Him to the cross, theology of
the cross, but the third that day he raised him from the dead
theology of glory. There it is in second Timothy chapter 2 verse number 12 if we
suffer with him theology of the cross we will reign with him and so brothers and
sisters I listen anew to Charles Spurgeon he says there will be no crown
whereas in heaven who have not first been cross bearers on earth. you say you
wanna wear crown then you're calling for suffering and when I talk about
suffering I'm not talking about the fact that you get sick I'm not talking about
the fact that you stub your toe I'm not talking about the fact that you're
unemployed. I'm talking about when you and I suffer because of our staying for
Christ because of our commitment for Christ because they are scorning us
because we have taken their a stand for Jesus Christ I'm talking about that then
you will bear in your body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ
for there is teaching pericope also Trinitarian presence and Trinitarian
activity. We have for so long been irresponsible in talking about the
Trinity. We have fragmented to Trinity we have splintered to Trinity we have made
the third person of the Trinity the stepchild of the Trinity. We need to
speak responsibly about the Trinity. In fact whatever you think about it
I hear James Weldon Johnson in God's trombones seven Negro sermons and verse
the wonderful poem on the creation that God stood out on nothing and God took
nothing and told nothing to become something and God had made everything
then God says I'm lonely I think I'll make a man. May I say this to you God has
never been lonely Trinity has always interacted
throughout human history and even in pre-existent eternity and we must speak
responsibly about the Trinity. Jonathan Etlis says in the breath of his
writings that God has forever existed in a sweet and holy society as Father Son
and Holy Spirit. Here there is to the trinitarian activity there it is in verse 28
for we know that God, God Father, God causes all things to work together for
good to those who love God and to those who are called according to the purpose
of God. There it is in verse number 29 for whom he did foreknow he did
predestinate that he might be conformed to the image of his dear Son, God the Son,
and there it is in verse 27 6 and 27 and the Spirit helps our witnesses for when
we don't know what to pray the spirit makes intercession for us with groanings
that cannot be uttered sighs too deep for words and the Spirit who has access
to our minds since we have access to God, Romans chapter 5, we have access God has
access to us searches the hearts of the saints knows the mind of the Spirit God
only knows God's self. In fact John says in John chapter 1 verse 18 no one has
seen no one has known God except the one and only God the souigenerous God the
unique God His son who's in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him he has
executed him he has made him known and so there is Trinitarian activity even in
this teaching paragraph but there he is a trilogy
of groans. Verse 22 creation groans in fact the Greek has it creation groans
together it is univocal groaning. it is groaning
with one voice all creation groaning. Why because when Adam and Eve sinned when
sin came into the world as a result of the disobedience of humanity it
ricocheted it off of humanity and affected creation and the penalty that
man that humans were suffering was also inflicted if you will on creation so the
creation lost its equilibrium lost its balance and now roses had thorns and the
lion no longer would lie down with the lamb and the leopard would no longer lie
down with the bear and we had earthquakes and tornadoes and hurricanes
and ever since that day sin has wreaked havoc on creation and creation is
groaning desiring for Isaiah 65 and 17 to be fulfilled. God will make new
heavens and a new earth. Groaning the image there in verse number
22 is that of a woman in childbirth and childbearing
she's travailing, groaning under the pain. The water has not broken and everybody
who knows anything about childbirth understands that when the water breaks
no Midwife can keep that baby from coming. No obstetrician can keep that
baby from coming with a water breaks and one of these days the water will break
for creation and God will transform this world in fact it would be of such that
there would be no law the epidemics no longer famine, no longer
dust storms. In fact nature will be so changed and will undergo such a
metamorphosis that's we won't get sick we only have to eat the fruit but the
leaves of the tree will be good for the healing of the nation and the beasts of
the wild will be led by a child and will be changed from the creature that we are.
Creation is roaring waiting for its deliverance but not only its creation
groaning verse 23 creatures are groaning we are groaning believe us Saints are
groaning. Why would we groan? Paul has just told us in chapter 8 verse 15 that
because of our relationship because Greek hazard in terms of adoption son
placing we've been placed in his family which severs our former ties we are in
his family now and therefore we can cry out father, father why would we groan
verse number 16 tells us that because of this that the Spirit testifies with our
spirit that we are the children of God but the Spirit testifies of my spirit
and says you God's kid why would I groan verse 17 says of Romans 8 that we're not only heirs but
we are joint heirs with Christ Jesus that what he has we have my God if we
have all of that why would we groan the text says in verse 23. This image of
the first fruits of the Spirit which is synonymous to what Paul is talking about
in Ephesians 1:13 and 14 that the Spirit is the earnest, the deposit the
down payment, if you will, your ID card that you are a card-carrying member that
proves that you belong to the family of God
and since my name is written in heaven and my witness is on high and you can't
get to it to delete it, to erase it, or white it out, it's there permanently
seems to me that we'd have no reason to groan but we do why because we're
waiting for the adoption of sons. Well Paul I thought you just got finished
saying in verses 15 and 17 in the same chapter that we've already been adopted
that Spirit has already testified that we are the children of God that we can
cry out of a father but because he is our Father and that we're heirs and
joint heirs of Christ then what do you mean since you've said we were sons now
you're saying we're waiting for the adoption of sons my spirit has been
adopted I don't have a soul I am a soul I am redeemed spiritually but my body is
not. My body is the key. If you don't believe your body is Decatur I know that
some of us can take a look in the mirror and get high looking at ourselves but
keep on living you're gonna discover that's something going on in my body I'm
not the same. No sense of being mad for years and telling your wife you know you
don't look the same. Have you looked in the mirror lately? You don't either
something is happening to our bodies we are breaking down or mother Johnson at
our church used to say there's a leak in this old building and my soul has got to
move, move to a building not made by hand. This body knows that it can't go to
heaven this way it's waiting for full adoption and so therefore creatures,
Saints grown but God groans verse 26 likewise in the same manner the spirit
helps. That same word help is found in Luke 10:4 where Martha says to the Lord
tell Mary to help me. The spirit, the pneuma, helps becomes
the Paraclete force stands alongside of us to assist us and help us why because
we don't know what to pray therefore the spirit intercedes for us with groanings
that cannot be interpreted were groaning sighs too deep for words and then the
spirit who searches our hearts knows the mind of the spirit prays for us in
according to the will of God. God groans? During the Incarnation God came from God
John 1:14 says "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld
his glory the glory the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth." God
came from God. The Nicene Creed has it right God from God true light from true
lights God rose. During the crucifixion God who came from God during the
Incarnation forsook God. Mark 15:34 "My God my God why have you forsaken me"
but in this text doing the intercession God talks to God. God groans to God now I
know that this is a battleground for interpretation whose groaning some say
well the creature, the saint, is groaning why would Paul who has already said in
verse 23 that we groan move verse 26 and say again we groan. Seems to me that
someone else is being referred to here seems to me likewise are the same manner
hmm the spirit does this others will say God is doing the groaning and it really
like God has to groan is because he has to make an intercession for us because
we don't know what to pray and since we don't know to pray then God
spirit has to pray for us in words that cannot even be uttered and then take to
God God talking to God what God has heard us say. So consequently maybe it's
not either or maybe it's both and maybe my groan is swallowed up in His groan
maybe my groan is transcended by His groan maybe when I'm trying to see it
and I don't have the words I can't articulate it maybe God the spirit takes
my groans interprets my groans and tells God what I was trying to say but I
wasn't able to say. My mother used to, I used to watch her I didn't understand it,
when we had physical needs lacks no food sometimes and she'd walk around and
start moaning because black folk used to say when your mom the devil doesn't
know what you're talking about. She'd say (moaning sounds) Hey
and tears be rolling down our eyes no food after while somebody's knocking on
the door here comes some ton of dreams here comes some corn bread I'm not
telling you about what I heard and all she did was to moan and I didn't
understand and I didn't dare ask because she wasn't moaning to me is it possible
that when pressure is really on you when their losses in your family where
there's unemployment when there are a relational rifts where diseases in your
body and you don't know what to say I don't care what your GPA is I don't care
what kind of linguist you are you just can't come up with the words and when
you try to form the worst they get stuck in your throat
and the only thing you can do is just groan. I'm just talking to the Dr. Ross this morning and he said that his wife said that a heartfelt groan is
sometimes better than a song anthem because if you can't say it He
understands if I he could even understand your tears. Tears are language
that God understands and that's all you can give him all your tears he'll take
your tears and put them in a bottle against the day of remembrance because
God understands. Maybe that's one of the things God does but maybe because verse
27 he ends with these words that he makes intercession for us in accordance
with God's will maybe the Spirit has to take my groan my desire my yearning
which is misdirected because I'm praying according to my felt and perceived needs
and the Spirit has to take my groans and my prayers straighten them out and say
God this is what he means and this is what he wants but this is show what he
needs God I want you to give me a hundred thousand dollar salaries when I
go to my first church and I want a unlimited expense account I want to
drive a BMW and I want to an unlimited Library account and all of that and God
says I hear what he's saying but let me straighten out because I've got to pray
according to God's will God what he needs is humility I want to move him out
in the country where he will preach to 20 people for five years he will be the
chairman of the Deacon board because they are no deacons he will be the
superintendent of the Sunday School because he is the most qualified. He will
be the chairman of the custodial committee because there are no janitors
and he will be the song leader because the only one he they're the elite songs
is him and I want him to stay there in the best side of the desert in Midian
for about five years until he learns to be faithful over a few things and when
he's faithful over a few things I'll raise him up and he will be rule over
many he can't handle five talents if he does appreciate the one talent and what
God will do he is will have these prayers that are so narcissistic and so
self-centered and God will say that's what he means but I want to tell you
what he needs and God will give us what we need.
I'm so glad that God has vetoed so many of our prayers some young ladies want to
get married so bad they say God give me a man I want to give you the profile of
the man I want I want him to be tall dark and handsome and God says I hear
you but that's not what you want you need a man that is short light skinned
and looks like somebody that you don't want to think about right now because if
you marry him that man will love you if you marry him that man will show God to
this in the home if you marry him he'll be a good father if you marry him he'll
be faithful to the Lord. You don't need a Denzel Washington you need a Sammy Davis
Jr. in terms of looks and if we keep on precedent God will give you what you
want and you won't want what you got and some of us are trying and this is my own
way of saying it to unget what we got he prays according to the will of God
aren't you glad that he did answer some of your prayers. Just maybe he does that. ah exegesis has
the match I experienced Dr. Massey has reminded us over and over again never
preach above your experience and we argue over this text who's this you know
something it really doesn't matter if we don't pray. What difference does it make
if we don't pray? if we're not groaning what difference does it make that's
gonna come a time when you're gonna stand in your ministry and the only
thing that's gonna keep you is not your GPA. The only thing is going to keep you
is not your theological seminary as important as that is what will keep you
is your spiritual relationship with God that you have become a person of Prayer
and when the world has turned against you
and when the bottom of life has dropped out and when you feel like saying to God
like Jeremiah I want to resign I said I wouldn't say anything in his name
anymore but his word was in my heart like fire shut up in my bones belief I
tell you it's what you made whole but conviction holds you Spurgeon said I
would rather give up my sermon than give up my prayer. Your experience has the
match of exegesis you can have a four point average and flunk in ministry you
can write excellent papers and you shoot and flop in ministry there has to be
something more than being a good preacher. There has to be something within that
holds the reins something within that vanishes pain. Some of the name that we
cannot explain all that we know there is something within my father in the
ministry Dr. George Q Brown his sufferings Alzheimer's disease. You
didn't even know his wife any longer but a few years ago about three years ago we
had him brought down from Cleveland Ohio to Cincinnati and we had a celebration
program. He doesn't talk in an intelligible
way, he slurs he mumbles and at the end of the program if they everyone had
given their remarks and pastors who had pastored with him 30-some years before
given their remarks he was on the program to sing precious law how's he
gonna do that he can't talk he doesn't know the words any longer but his wife
of 50 some years stood next to him she's a singer in her own right
gave him the mic and the organist played and when it's time for him to sing she
whispered in his ear "precious lord" "precious Lord" "Take my hand" "Take my hand" Lead me on" "Lead me on" She just kept feeding him the words
standing alongside of him and helping him and when he didn't have the words he
took the word she gave him and sung and when he couldn't continue to finish the
song. I think that's what happens when we don't have the words. the Spirit will take on mumbling and clarify it and tell God exactly
according to the will of God what we meant well I thank God that there is a
verse 28 in this episode. Paul wrote according to most New
Testament scholars Paul wrote Romans formed from Corinth not from Rome but
from Corinth when he wasn't in jail he's in prison in Rome not as the political
prisoner but as a witness of Christ and it's much easier to write Romans 8:28
when you're not in Rome for God causes all things to work together for good to
those who love God to those who call to coordinates purpose but when you're in
Rome it's much more difficult to live out Romans 8:28
when I see what God has done it amazes me he causes all things that work
together for good and all things are not good but he can recycle them and make
something good according to his purpose come out Joseph will tell you what
happened to me in itself isolated was not good.
he wrote Genesis 50:20 what you met him to be free
evil brothers God meant unto me for good to save much people alive
and Judah was saved and out of Judah would come Jesus but he didn't say that
overnight it took him 20 years to say that he didn't say that with his brother
sold him into slavery and he did not say that when mrs. Potiphar put a phoney
molestation charge on him and he did not say that when the chief cupbearer forgot
about him but when you look back over his life in the words a certain kick of
God life has to be live falling but it can only be understood backwards he
could see that God was up to something and as he says God brought him to Egypt
brothers and sisters things in themselves may not be good but God can
bring a good purpose out of it for those who really love God and to those who are
called according to God's purpose when I look at the tragedies that have taken
place in America I wonder how God can bring good out of them they run like
lines of credits in movies across the screen of my mind Columbin, Katrina,
Jonesboro, Virginia Tech, where 76 year old Jewish professor of engineering
stood in front of the door given enough time for students to climb to the edge
of the window and jump out to safety and he suffer the consequence of this
deranged assailant taking his life. How can God bring any good out of X? Well as
horrible as that is there is something that is even more horrific that looked
senseless that looked meaningless so meaningless
that the Jews called it a stumbling block and the Greeks called it
foolishness for the Jews couldn't understand how there could be a blessing
when they said cursed be the man that hangs on the tree. It was ridiculous so
ridiculous the way we look at it the God didn't even watch it. The Father turned
his back on his son and earth started protesting mid day became like
Midnight's the earth reeled and rock like an inebriated man. Peter and six
disciples went back fishing and two on the road from Jerusalem went back to
Emmaus it was horrible nothing good to come out of that but you have to hang
around long enough because three days later God caused it to work together for
good because God had a purpose to bring out of it and sure enough on Friday
it looked meaningless it looked ridiculous
on Saturday looked hopeless but on Sunday morning God brought treasure out
of what seemed to be trash and on Sunday morning he rose from the days with all
power in his hand oh yeah I want to tell you today as you sit here
in your seats that God is the one who can take a groan and bring glory out of
it yeah God sister Darlene as I was talking to
you yesterday can bring you joy in the midst of your storm because I have
suffered the same thing 23 years ago but God is able to take your life and
straighten it out. So that you can bless his name for what he has done yes there
will be glory wondrous glory glory around the throne of God
Gloria giving him praise glory lifting his name. glory! He turns our grows in the
glory and we will exalt rejoice in him while will exalt Him forevermore we'll
stand this time sing our closing hymn to the glory of God. you
