<i> female announcer:
What if one chapter</i> <i> could change your life?</i> <i> What if there was one
passage of Scripture</i> <i> that allowed you to leave
the past behind you,</i> <i>to look
beyond your present challenges,</i> <i> and provided the hope
for a brighter tomorrow?</i> <i> Turning the page
to these powerful words</i> <i> can turn a page
in your life,</i> <i> giving you
the confidence you need</i> <i> for every step you take.</i> <i>Words that contain God's desire
to breathe renewed life into you</i> <i> through a divine promise
just waiting to be claimed.</i> <i> A promise that you
will never be abandoned,</i> <i> never be alone,
and always be cared for.</i> <i> A promise that you
are chosen and called by God.</i> <i> How would your life change</i> <i> if you knew you
could endure every trial?</i> <i> That nothing
could stand in your way,</i> <i> knowing there's nothing
God wouldn't do for you?</i> <i> Is it too hard to believe</i> <i> that such an arrangement
of simple words</i> <i> composed beautifully,
authored divinely,</i> <i> nearly 2000 years ago,
could be so great?</i> <i> What is this chapter?</i> <i> Romans VIII,</i> <i> the greatest chapter
in the Bible.</i> Dr. David Jeremiah:
Hello, I'm David Jeremiah. Over the course of this series, we've looked deeply
at Romans chapter 8, a chapter that can change
your life. But today, I'm gonna talk
about one verse that can change your life. If Romans 8 is the greatest
chapter in the Bible, then verse 28 may be
the greatest verse in the Bible. At the very least,
it's the greatest promise. That's why today's message
is titled, "The Greatest Promise
in the Bible." How can this verse change
your life? Simply because it promises
that God uses everything in life for a good purpose
if you belong to him. Good things,
bad things, everything, I can't think
of a better promise than that. So I hope you'll join me for an entire message
on Romans 8:28 on today's edition
of "Turning Point." <i>announcer: The act
of writing out Scripture by hand</i> <i> is a powerful practice.</i> <i> In fact, it is
a command directly from God.</i> <i> God understood
how writing with your hand</i> <i>imprints the words on your mind</i> <i> and that's why Dr. Jeremiah
has created</i> <i> "The Written Word Journal."</i> <i> Use "The Written Word Journal"
to write</i> <i> Paul's wonderfully rich letter
to the Romans, word for word.</i> <i> As you do, record your
thoughts, reflections,</i> <i> notes, and prayers
on the adjacent page,</i> <i> charting your personal
journey with God</i> <i> through the book of Romans.</i> <i> "The Written Word Journal"
is yours</i> <i> when you give a gift
of any amount</i> <i> in support of this program.</i> <i> And if you give $60 or more,</i> <i>Dr. Jeremiah will also send you
his current teaching series,</i> <i> "Romans VIII," on CD or DVD,</i> <i> along with a correlating
study guide.</i> <i> Or if you give generously
to the ministry,</i> <i> you will receive
"The Written Word Journal,"</i> <i> and a genuine leather
Jeremiah Study Bible</i> <i> in the New King James Version.</i> <i> Contact "Turning Point" today.</i> <i> female announcer: Thank you
for watching "Turning Point."</i> <i> Now, here is Dr. Jeremiah
with his message,</i> <i> "The Greatest Promise
in the Bible."</i> Dr. Jeremiah:
It was January 18, 2010, amateur bowler Bill Fong was just three rolls away
from perfection. Three consecutive perfect games,
a 900. In the history of bowling, there have only been
21 perfect series. After rolling
33 consecutive strikes, Bill gathered his ball,
walked up, and rolled another strike and then he rolled
another on frame 35, and the crowd went wild. But something was wrong. Two frames back, Bill had begun sweating
profusely and feeling dizzy. But he was just one roll away
from history. Bill pulled the ball
to his chest, took his usual five steps,
and released the ball perfectly. People actually started clapping before the ball reached
the pins, that's how perfect the roll was. It curved exactly where it
was supposed to, made exact contact with the pins
at precisely the right spot. Pins flew, the crowd cheered,
and the number 10 pin wobbled but settled back onto its base. Eight ninety-nine,
one pin short of perfection. Heartbroken,
Bill headed home. The dizziness that began
on frame 34 had not improved. Bill staggered into his bathroom
and threw up. The walls continued to spin
and then Bill fell asleep, and when he awoke
the next morning, he realized that he
had suffered a stroke. Later in 2010,
he had open heart surgery at just the age of 46. He survived, despite
a 70% chance that he wouldn't. The doctors told him that the only thing that saved
his life on the night of 899 was that the 10 pin stayed up. Had that last pin fallen,
Bill's doctor said his body, already in the midst
of a stroke, would have pushed
his blood pressure even higher. That most likely would have killed
him immediately. What he thought was the worst
thing that could ever happen, the most awful thing after rolling 899 pins right,
the last one didn't fall right, he thought it was the worst
thing that could ever happen, but the worst thing
that could ever happen was what saved his life. Sometimes, the things
we think are bad are only bad to us. God has a different perspective. I mean, all of us know that bad things
happen to people. Some bad things are the result of national or international
crises like pandemics. Some bad things
are the result of bad decisions
and bad conduct. Bad things happen.
We know that. But if you'll listen today, you will discover
that because of Romans 8:28, Christians have a unique way
of processing life when bad things happen to them. One student of Romans 8:28
put it this way: "The truth of Romans 8:28
can change the way you think. It can provide
a corresponding shift in your moods,
emotions, and outlook. In time, it can actually
transform your personality, alter your circumstances
in life. It can turn troubled souls into people of confidence
and good cheer. It's the secret of resilience
and irrepressible joy. And this promise
has your name on it. It meets the challenges
you're facing right now. It's God's guarantee. Now, let us all stand
to our feet and read this promise aloud
from the screen. Everybody stand. This is Romans 8:28. I wanna hear your voices. Read this out loud with me:
"And we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are called
according to his purpose." You may be seated. The interesting thing about life
for me as I look back on it is most of the important things
in life are pretty simple, aren't they? We make them complicated, we make them profound,
but they're simple. And that's true with this verse,
this verse is one of the simplest verses
in the Bible. I mean, it's made up
of one-syllable words. There are 25 words
in Romans 8:28; only three of 'em
are more than one syllable. These one-syllable words
are put together in such a way and compressed in such a way that they're the greatest truths
to be found anywhere within the Scripture. So here are five great truths
from this verse, five things I want you
to remember from Romans 8:28. First of all, this is
a definite promise. This isn't a suggestion
or a possibility; it's a definite promise. Listen to what it says:
"And we know." How incredibly important
it is to know. I mean, we live in an age
where people say you can't know
anything for sure and where truth and knowledge seem to have taken a back seat
to errors and opinions, and sometimes you wonder if truth even exists
in the minds of some folks. But I'm here to tell you
that what you know is important. That is why we're committed
to teaching the Word of God. We want to know what we know. And here we are told
something that we can know. The word "know" is used
1098 times in the Bible, and the little phrase,
"We know," is used 5 times
in the book of Romans, and Paul says that we
can know beyond all doubt that every aspect
of our lives is in God's hands and will be divinely used
by the Lord, not only to manifest his glory but also to work out
our own ultimate blessing. We know that. It's definite. We don't have to guess about it. We don't have to get
a counselor to tell us. It's in the Bible, and we know. It's also a divine promise. Here, Paul says
that we know that God works and he's at work
in our lives. God is ceaselessly,
energetically, purposefully working
on our behalf. It is God who is bringing
this good about on behalf of those who love him. Here's what Isaiah says.
I love this verse. He said, "Since the world began,
no ear has heard and no eye has seen
a God like you, who works for those
who wait for him." God is working for us. This is a definite promise:
and we know. This is a divine promise:
that God works. God is working in all of this. And then thirdly,
this is a definitive promise. He works all things. The "all things" of this verse
is totally comprehensible. You may think, "Oh, yeah, this may work
for a lot of people, Pastor Jeremiah,
but you don't know what I've been going through. My 'all things' are not good. And God isn't involved in this.
I'm outside of it." Well, you can't be outside of it because here you have
this all-encompassing statement. What is involved
in this promise? What does this include? It includes all things. All means all. Or as one preacher put it, "All means all
and that's all that all means." Take it in context,
the promise allows for no restrictions
or no conditions. All things is inclusive
in the fullest possible sense. It includes
the suffering of verse 17, it includes the groaning
of verse 23. In other words, all that is
negative in this life is seen to have
a positive purpose in the execution
of God's eternal plan. Nothing is beyond the overruling, overriding scope
of his providence. I wanna say that again. This promise
that we're investigating is not a partial promise, it's not a conditional promise,
it's not a "probably," it's an absolute, all things. Everything that goes on
in your life or mine comes under the umbrella
of this passage. That's what Paul is saying. Let me tell you
what he is not saying. What he's not saying
is that sickness, suffering, persecution, grief,
or any other such thing is good. He's not saying that. On the contrary,
these things are evil. Hatred is not love,
death is not life, grief is not joy. The world is filled with evil, but what the text says
is that God uses these things to affect his own good ends
for his people. God brings good out of evil. Paul is not saying that God prevents his children
from experiencing things that can harm them. He's rather telling us
Lord the Lord takes all that he allows to happen
to his beloved children, even the worst things, and he turns those things
ultimately into blessing. No matter what our situation,
our suffering, our persecution,
our sinful failure, our pain, our lack of faith, in those things
as well as in other things, our heavenly Father
will work to produce ultimate victory
and blessing in our life. In other words,
Paul is not expressing faith in the goodness of all things. Paul is expressing faith
in the goodness of God, in the goodness
of God's purpose for us. What a tremendous promise
that is. It's a definite promise:
and we know. It's a divine promise:
that God works. It's a definitive promise:
he works all things. Now here's the one that I think
is the best of all and most important
that we understand: it's a dynamic promise:
all things together for good. Say this, "Together for good." Say that with me.
"Together for good." Few things can frustrate us more than when we can't see
or understand how the pieces of our lives
fit together. Some of you here today
are trying to figure out what is God doing
right now in my life? How is what's happening to me, how does that fit in
to God's plan for my life? And sometimes,
if the problems are serious and you're trying
to sort them out, it can really keep you
up at night. But Paul uses
an interesting expression to describe how God
is working in our behalf. He says that all things
work together, and he uses a Greek word. I don't use
a lot of Greek words, but this is an important one. The Greek word is sunergeo. Sunergeo. And the word comes from the word from which we get
our word "synergism." Sunergeo, synergism. Now, let me
just remind you since you probably
have forgotten this from your school days, that synergism
is the working together of various elements
to produce an effect that's greater than and often
completely different from the sum of each element, if they were acting separately. Now, I know
that's a long statement but let me say it again. Synergism is
the working together of various elements to produce an effect
that's greater than, and often
completely different from, the sum of each element
acting separately. In the physical world, the right combination
of otherwise harmful chemicals can produce substances
that are extremely beneficial. I'll give you
a simple illustration. Ordinary table salt is composed
of two poisons: sodium and chlorine. But when you put it together,
it's salt. And you've gotta have it
for your French fries. Now, once again, it's important
to point out that Romans 8:28 is not saying that things
will just work together. It is saying that God causes
this synergism to happen so that everything will
ultimately and somehow work out for our good, for your good. God is the one
who is stirring the mix. God is the one
who is making this happen. Until you have seen this work
in your life or experienced it, it's hard to believe it's true. But it's true. And if you live long enough
and walk with the Lord, you'll be able to,
even in this life, look back over your shoulder
and see, "Oh, so that's
what that was all about." This is a definite promise:
and we know. It's a divine promise:
that God works. It's a definitive promise:
he works all things. It's a dynamic promise:
is together for good. And it's a defined promise. Watch this,
"To those who love God, to those who are the called
according to his purpose." Now, this is one of the most
absolute verses in all of the Bible. We are absolutely to know
that absolutely all things work absolutely together
for absolute good. It's absolutely wonderful. But now comes the part
that's not absolute. Listen carefully. This promise does not apply
to absolutely everyone. This is a precondition
that must be met before this promise
does its work. The Bible says this promise
that I have just explained and we have just outlined, belongs
to a certain group of people. Who are those people? Those who love God.
Those who love God. It's the fraternity pin
of the believer. How do you describe a believer? He's a person who loves God. I have been totally blessed
at how many times we, as believers,
are described in the Bible simply as those who love God. What a great name for believers. We're God lovers. Are you a God lover? Deuteronomy 7:9 says: "Therefore know
that the Lord your God, he is God, the faithful God
who keeps covenant and mercy for 1000 generations
with those who love him." Psalm 145, verse 20 says: "The Lord preserves
all who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 says: "Eye has not seen,
nor ear heard, nor have entered
into the heart of man the things which God has prepared
for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 8:3: "But if anyone loves God,
this one is known by him." Let me ask you
a question this morning. Do you love God? I see you shaking your heads,
most of you. Somebody might be here
and say, "Well, I know God. I know about God. I'm here
because I know about God, but do I love him? Ah, come on, Pastor,
does anybody really love God? I mean, how can you love
somebody you can't even see?" The Bible teaches us
how to love God and it describes what we do
when we love God. The Bible says if we love him
we will keep his commandments. Are you walking
in fellowship with God? You know, if you're married, your partner has every reason
to be able to look at your life and see if you're-- any elements that would make
your partner believe that you love her or him. There should be evidence
every day. I've told you before that one of the great secrets
to marriage is to develop a servant spirit and try to figure out
what your mate wants you to do, and do it
before they ask you. Isn't that a great thought? I mean, some of you
are thinking, "Oh, my goodness,
I never thought of that." What would it be like if you
looked at God that way? Do you love God? Are you trying to do what you
believe God wants you to do before you're apparently aware
that he's watching? Are you loving God in your life? Do you love God? What I'm asking you today
is are you a Christian? Because a Christian loves God. That's the view
from our perspective: Christians love God. Here's the view
from God's perspective. God says we are the called
according to his purpose. We love him
because he called us. Because God has called us,
and we are his children, the incidents in our lives
are not incidental. Did you know that? We are God's children, the trials of our lives
are not trivial. When you look
at what's going on in your life, God is up to something. He has called you, you love him, you're in this relationship
and God is working in your life. He's working
all things together. He's stirring the mix so that what happens
in your life is for his glory
and for your good. He is using even setbacks to advance
your spiritual maturity. Some of the things
that you think are the most negative
may be the most productive. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God has a plan
that is better than ours. Sometimes it's uncomfortable, sometimes it
doesn't make sense to us, but it is always for our good
if we love God and are the called
according to his purpose. That's Romans 8:28. Let me give you three things
to take home with you from this verse that I feel
very strongly about. First of all, I am determined
to trust God because of Romans 8:28: "For I am God,
and there is no other; I am God,
and there is none like me, declaring the end
from the beginning, and from the ancient times
things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
and I will do all my pleasure.' Indeed I have spoken it;
I will bring it to pass. I have purposed it;
I will do it." In theory, it is easy
to understand this promise that all things work together
for good. It's easy to understand it, but to get this
into our blood stream is another matter. It's one of the most difficult
tasks for the practicing Christian. Here's what it is. It's not only believing in God,
but it's believing God. Do you believe in God? "Yes, I believe in God." No, no, that's not the question.
Do you believe God? God said what we
have been talking about today. Do you believe that? There will not be anything that you and I will face
in the years ahead that will surprise God. He has already told me that all things are
under his control, so I choose not to live my life out of fear of what bad thing
might happen to me, but out of faith in what great thing
could happen to me. And this is not reckless,
fearless living; this is radical,
faithful living. And I've made my choice. If Romans 8:28 is true, I am determined to trust God
and not live in fear. Number two,
I'm determined to thank God. 1 Thessalonians 5 says: "In everything give thanks;
for this is the will of God." Recently, in my reading, I've come across a lot of guys who are suggesting
keeping a blessing journal. That's not a bad thing to do. "Count your blessings,
name them one by one, and it will surprise you
what the Lord has done," says the writer of hymns. I'm determined to trust God, to thank God,
and to test God. Here's a word from John Piper. He said, "If you live
inside this massive promise, your life is more solid
and stable than Mount Everest. Nothing can blow you over when you are
inside the walls of Romans 8:28. Outside of Romans 8:28, all is confusion and anxiety
and fear and uncertainty. Outside of this promise,
future grace, you see straw houses of drugs
and alcohol and numbing TV and dozens of futile diversions. There are slat walls
and tin roofs of fragile investment strategies and fleeting insurance coverage
and trivial retirement plans. Outside of Romans 8:28 are a thousand substitutes
for this promise. But once you walk
through the door of love into the massive, unshakable
structure of Romans 8:28, everything changes. There comes into your life
stability and depth and freedom. You simply can't be blown over
anymore." Something happens in your life
that you didn't expect and that you don't know
what to do with, you just say, "All things work together
to those who love God." I don't understand it,
but I believe it. "Everything that happens to you
is for your own good. If the waves roll against you, it only speeds your ship
toward the port. If lightning and thunder comes,
it clears the atmosphere and promises your soul's health. You gain by loss,
you grow healthy in sickness, you live by dying,
and are made rich in loss. Could you ask
for a better promise? It is better that all things
should work for my good than all things should be
as I wish them to have been. All things might work
for my pleasure and yet might not be
for my good. If all things
do not always please me, they always benefit me. This is the best promise
in the Bible. This is
the best promise in life." And as we close this message,
seated, once again, let's read this verse out loud,
shall we? "And we know that all things
work together for good to those who love God, who are the called
according to his purpose." <i> announcer: Dr. Jeremiah
will return in a moment</i> <i> to close today's program
right after this.</i> <i> male announcer: Thank you
for watching "Turning Point."</i> <i> Dr. Jeremiah
would like to offer you</i> <i> "The Written Word Journal:
Romans,"</i> <i> sent to you in appreciation
of your gift of any amount</i> <i> in support of this program.</i> <i> And for a gift of $60 or more,</i> <i> Dr. Jeremiah will include
his current teaching series,</i> <i> "Romans VIII: The Greatest
Chapter in the Bible,"</i> <i> on your choice
of CD or DVD,</i> <i> and a correlating study guide.</i> <i>Or, if you give a generous gift
of $100 or more</i> <i> in support of the ministry
of Turning Point,</i> <i> you'll receive
"The Written Word Journal"</i> <i> and a genuine leather
Jeremiah Study Bible</i> <i> in Dr. Jeremiah's preferred
New King James Version.</i> <i> Thank you for your support
of Turning Point.</i> <i> Contact us today.</i> <i> female announcer: And now,
with one last word</i> <i> for today's program,
here is Dr. Jeremiah.</i> Dr. Jeremiah:
Romans chapter 8 was written
to believers in Christ. All the blessings of Romans 8, including the promise
we talked about today, are for those who love God. Does that include you? I pray you will not leave
this series on "The Greatest Chapter
in the Bible," without knowing for sure
that you belong to him. And you can know that by placing
your faith in Jesus Christ and receiving him
as your Savior and Lord. I would love to send you a booklet called,
"Your Greatest Turning Point," that can help you know what it means to become
a Christian, and our monthly
devotional magazine called "Turning Points" will encourage you daily
with articles and devotionals. And we will gladly send
both of these resources to you, completely free of charge, if you will contact us
here at Turning Point today. <i> announcer: Next time,
on "Turning Point."</i> Dr. Jeremiah: The preacher
doesn't cause people to come to Christ. The preacher announces
the gospel, invites people
to come to Christ, but it is God working in them that is the one who brings them
to salvation. <i> announcer: Thank you
for being with us today.</i> <i> Join Dr. Jeremiah
next time for his message,</i> <i> "Salvation's Golden Chain,"
here on "Turning Point."</i> Dr. Jeremiah: Experience
a night of powerful worship, uplifting fellowship,
and enriching study when you join me
on my new tour this fall. Together, we'll discover how we can infuse
the hope we have in Christ into the world around us and live as powerful Christians
in today's culture. I hope you'll join me. <i> male announcer:
Request your free tickets</i> <i> at davidjeremiah.org/tour
or call 1-800-947-1993.</i>
