What to Know When You Don't Understand - Romans 8:26-30 (3.10.19) - Dr. Jordan N. Rogers

[Music] that's why God is allowing and ordaining every event that takes place in your life that's why it happens because God is shaping you he is fashioning you he is forming you to be more like Jesus that is his ultimate goal this morning we are in Romans chapter 8 verse 26 through 30 what I want to talk to you about this morning is what to know when you don't understand what to know when you don't understand in the previous passage we saw how suffering does not eliminate hope in fact suffering merely precedes glory that's what Paul was teaching us in those few verses that precede this but in this passage he's not talking about suffering proceeding glory and hope in future glory carrying us through those sufferings now he is actually telling us about two magnificent promises that are given only to God's people two magnificent promises about how God helps you in your weakness so what to know when you don't understand when you don't understand what's going on when you don't understand what's going on so something happens something takes place in your life or you look around at your life and you're trying to add things up and you're saying things just don't add up what just happened or what has been happening it doesn't make sense to me you follow me here we get in situations like that and we say I don't really understand what's going on this doesn't compute with me and when I when I add all the variables together of the instances that are happening right now this doesn't make sense and when things don't make sense and we don't really understand what's going on what what is our tendency to do our tendency is to get angry about it to get frustrated about it to get mad and say okay God why why this god why did you allow this to happen to me why did you allow this event to take place in my family's life why did you allow this diagnosis to take place why am i going through the sufferings that I'm going through Lord I need a few answers here because I just don't understand so what what are the things that we do know what are the things that we must know when we don't understand there are two truths in this passage that Paul points you to that you have to know and these truths will help you through weakness these truths will help you to know something when you don't understand when you don't understand what's going on around you you know that God is controlling all of these things when you don't understand why something has taken place you understand that God is wise in everything he ordains and so why you can't understand you can't know that sounds paradoxic that while you may not understand you can know something you can know two things and two magnificent truths that will sustain you through weaknesses let's summarize the entirety of the message this way if you want to write this down with me in weakness you find help through God's Spirit and sovereignty in weakness you find help through God's Spirit and sovereignty those two sources are going to be the sources of strength that will get you through the most difficult times in your life so let's look at how Paul brings this about how he explains this in this passage he says this in verse 26 he says likewise the spirit helps us in our weakness like what well Paul's just told us how hope and future glory carries us through suffering he says likewise the spirit helps us in our weaknesses so not just through our suffering hope helps us through suffering but the Spirit helps us through weakness likewise the spirit helps he comes alongside literally he comes to our aid the Spirit of God he comes to already helps in our weaknesses literally when we are without strength your if something happened in your life that seemingly just zaps all of the strength out of you it sucks the life out of you as it were you're been hit so hard and in the gut that you just gasp for air and it's like your lungs won't work and and that's seemingly how some events hit us in life maybe the death of a relative it may be a diagnosis or prognosis from the doctor it may be the loss of a job it may be the anticipation of the coming change or a coming loss and you just you're really struggling to put in the words exactly how you feel exactly what you're thinking exactly what's going through your mind you really can't put it together you just feel like the life got sucked out of you Paul says likewise the spirit helps us when that happens the spirit helps us when we are without strength well I'd like to know how he does this he says verse 26 the second part for we do not know what to pray for as we ought situations like that happened to us when we feel especially weak isn't it hard to actually figure out what to pray for Lord do I pray for a cure do I pray for strength do I pray for endurance do I pray for your will to be done or do I pray for you to give steady hands to the doctor do I pray that you change my location or do I pray that you change my attitude I really don't know lord I pray that you change my finances or that you change my spending habits but I really I really don't even know what to pray Lord should I be mad at this person or should I grieve over this person III don't know what to pray for we do not know he says what to pray for as we ought but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us listen to this maybe we won't - close your eyes as you listen to this but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words I give you goosebumps think about that that when I don't know when I'm suffering through something that it's just totally sucked the life out of me and I don't even know what to pray the Holy Spirit of God comes to my aid and he prays for me not just on my behalf but he prays in my place he's not just praying about me he is praying in my place the Spirit Himself intercedes intercedes between whom between me and God between the one who doesn't know and the one who does know he intercedes to the one who knows the answers to why this tragedy happened he knows the answers why this life ended what I presume to be early or he knows the answers of why I'm going through this difficult time I don't know and I don't even know how to pray about it but the Spirit Himself comes to my aid and he prays for me write down this first of two facts the Paul points to about where you're going to get your strength and weakness when you don't understand no the Holy Spirit does and intercedes effectively on your behalf when you don't understand know that the Holy Spirit does and he intercedes don't miss this he intercedes effectively on your behalf you know we pray prayers all the time that we get no answers to the Holy Spirit never praise a prayer that he gets a no answer - he always prays the right thing the Holy Spirit never prays a prayer where he gets wait not yet the Holy Spirit always gets an affirmative answer and the Holy Spirit is always making intercession for the children of God especially in our weakness he prays for us to God the Father he says but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words with literally with sighs you know when you hurt so bad nothing can really come out of your mouth it's just a you just kind of grown to express the way that you feel where does it hurt and you just kind of groan say all over it hurts in such a way that I can't really express what might the kind of turmoil that my soul is going through the Holy Spirit actually gives voice to that and we don't know how to say it the spirit does and the spirit prays exactly what he should he says he intercedes with groanings too deep for words inexpressible and forget that so the Holy Spirit when I am at my weakest when I am without strength when I am hurting so bad I sigh and I groan because I can't really even express or have the strength to pray to God the Holy Spirit comes to me and he intercedes for me on my behalf and expresses exactly what needs to be said he puts words to my groans he put words to my sighs too comforting truths about the way the Holy Spirit prays for me first the Holy Spirit intercedes sympathetically the Holy Spirit intercedes sympathetically he intercedes for me he is fighting for me the Spirit is not fighting against me he is contending for me and he's contending not against an enemy he's contending with our Father praying for the best hoping for the best longing for the best praying for comfort the Holy Spirit prays he intercedes sympathetically and that a comforting thought now listen to what else he says about the way the spirit intercedes verse 27 he says and he who searches hearts who's that who is the one who searches hearts Bible tells us that's God that's God the Father and God the one who searches hearts he knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the spirit intercedes for the Saints the Holy Ones that is the people of God because the spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God so not only does the holy spirit intercede sympathetically the Holy Spirit intercedes effectively he intercedes effectively you see Paul says when we go through something our weakness and we don't know what to pray the Holy Spirit does the Holy Spirit knows exactly what to say and guess what God the Father knows exactly what No exactly what needs to be said the father knows exactly what he needs to do in that situation what a comfort that the Holy Spirit and God the Father are in perfect concert they are in perfect union interceding and pleading on your behalf if you are a child of God if you are one of the holy ones if you are one of the saints of God you have been justified by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus the Holy Spirit lives to plead on your behalf both sympathetically and effectively because how does the Holy Spirit pray you see a lot of times when we pray we don't get what we asked for because James says we asked selfishly so that we can spend it on our own desires now sometimes we just don't get what we want because we don't ask for it but the Holy Spirit on the other hand how does he pray it says he intercedes verse 27 the second half the Spirit intercedes for the Saints the Holy Ones according to the will of God literally cut off they own according to God that's how the holy spirit prays always perfectly in the will of God so even when I'm praying the wrong things the Holy Spirit says to God he doesn't know what he's saying he doesn't know what he's asking for father but you know what he needs you know how to answer my prayer because father you know the mind of the Spirit and you know what your will is and the Spirit delights in your will and that's what we want for your child what a comfort that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us sympathetically and effectively so when you don't understand what's going on when you're hurting and you are in weakness when you don't understand know that the Holy Spirit does and he intercedes effectively for you that's a magnificent truth isn't it what a spectacular truth that I have a prayer partner who is constantly with me he's always sympathetic to what I'm going through and he's always pleading on my behalf he's my helper he's my comforter now there's a second truth just as glorious as the first the second way that God helps us through our weakness rather the second truth the second fact that you have to know when you don't understand what's going on don't miss this so the Spirit comes alongside you prays effectively and sympathetically for you now listen to the second truth there's the second truth let me tell you it predates us it predates us listen to what God has been doing well God has done this is how you can know you can trust him in the moment look at this verse 28 he says and we know I thought he just said we don't know what to pray well we don't Spirit does this is the second thing we know and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose notice how that second phrase modifies the first or rather the third phrase modifies the first for those who love God he modifies that with the statement those who are called according to his purpose why do they love God we'll explain in a minute they love God because He first loved them he loved God or they love God because God called them God called them by his sovereign will he selected you he chose you don't set that aside because this is going to be one of the most great comforts that you can have in all of this life that God chose you he says and we know that for those who love God you love God you love God he first loved you he called you but you love God and because you love God you know that he called you you know that he saved you therefore you can know that God works all things he says all things work together for good all things what is it that is included under all things all things right it's a redundant definition all things are included in all things in whose life let's be specific here in whose life the life of the Christian the life of the follower of Jesus that means that in the life of the follower of Jesus every happening every event every day every moment that God is weaving those things together to accomplish something good now on the opposite end of the spectrum that means you have purpose don't you everything in your life has purpose that kidney stone that comes along well that has purpose doesn't it I sure hope I sure hope I never get a kidney stone because I've seen people suffer through that but that kidney stone has a purpose in the sovereign will of God I asked his permission if I could do this but brother Rodney just a couple of weeks ago was not feeling very good hurting real bad in his back went into the hospital cuz that kidney stone goes into the hospital and they're examining him for a kidney stone and they find a major blockage in one of his arteries so they go in there and they clean it out and he's sitting right back there hey thank God for kidney stones amen hey but there are people in this world they get kidney stones and there's no purpose in it but just to suffer that's the opposite end of the spectrum for those who don't love God their suffering is pointless suffering is purposeless they feel like they live in a sewer and that's all there is a miserable life but for those who love God he works together all things for good for those called according to his purpose he works together that word that Greek word is where we get our English word synergy synergy so it's as though God takes the pieces of everything that happens in our life and he folds them up weaves them together and they're all going in one direction they're all moving in one direction you can think of the events of your life like a rainstorm the events of your life or like those water droplets that fall down they seem half hazard they seem unorganized they seem to get in places in your roof that they were not supposed to get into and those water droplets fall and there's nothing you can do to stop it from raining is there it just happens and these are the events of our life these things just happen and that water falls and it drips where it may but you know what happens to every one of those water droplets somehow they all funnel together and they end up in the river and that river is going one place that river is going to the ocean Paul says that's the way the events in the life of a believer are they happen all over the place they're seemingly half hazard to us they seemingly don't have anything intertwined about them but they're all working together flowing in the same river to the same exact destination look at where the destination leads says this verse 29 for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers in other words the first foundation of how you know that God works together all things for your good the first foundation is this that before you existed God determined to make you like Jesus before you ever existed I'm not just talking about before you took your first breath outside the womb I'm talking about before your parents existed before any human being existed God determined in his sovereignty to make you like Jesus every event every detail of your life has led you to this moment and is leading you to glory that's God's purpose for your life listen to how Paul says it he says for those whom he foreknew prone egg no he knew them beforehand not just that God knew of them not just that God peered into the future and he knew that you would exist that's not what that word means that word speaks of an intimate knowledge in Exodus 33 17 God speaks of of Moses he says I know you by name it speaks of an intimate knowledge of knowing a person face-to-face knowing a person by name he says those whom God foreknew he knew you before you ever existed what'd he do he predestined literally he preordained he determined in his sovereignty this is the way that your life will go so then that that event that happens that is unsettling that event that happens that catches you off-guard that was all part of God's plan and it was part of his good plan what was God's purpose and all of these things those of me foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to go through metamorphosis literally to be conformed to the image of his son that's why God is allowing and ordaining every event that takes place in your life that's why it happens because God is shaping you he is fashioning you he is forming you to be more like Jesus that is his ultimate goal listen to what God says about Jeremiah you know we put this verse up on Billboard's all the time talking about how how God knows babies even in the womb the verse actually says that God knew Jeremiah before he was ever formed listen to this Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5 he says before I formed you in the womb I knew you and before you were born I consecrated you and I appointed you a prophet to the nation's he doesn't say Jeremiah I knew that you would excel at school I knew that you would excel in seminary and so I decided to just go ahead and say I'll make you a prophet he says before I ever formed you I knew you I consecrated you I appointed you Jeremiah this is the way your life was gonna turn out boy what a comfort to know that everything that comes my way is part of God's plan and as part of God's good plan to turn me in to the person he wants me to be which is a person that resembles the likeness of Christ for those of me foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son to be conformed to the image of his son to be made just like Jesus in our actions in our person in our response it's in our love that's God's plan is to make us more and more like Jesus she would be conformed to the image of his son unless we think that predestined means something else but let's look at it in a couple of contexts in the Bible here Acts chapter 4 verse 27 and 28 speaking about Jesus this is what the Apostles said they said for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place so when we think about the the sovereign act of predestination let's understand that that applies first and foremost to Jesus in fact that applies first and foremost to the most awful thing that ever happened in history which was the crucifixion of Jesus the murder of the perfect Lamb of God but the worst thing that ever happened in all of history is also the best thing that ever happened in all of history because by the death of Christ he has redeemed a people for himself he's taken sinful people and washed them clean through the blood of his sacrifice so you know how God makes all things work together for good for those who love him those who are called according to his purpose listen to Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3 and 5 he says blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places even as he chose us in him when before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has blessed us in the beloved God determined to show affection and grace to you he chose to do that before he created anything before the foundation of the world so you know what that guarantees for you that guarantees that God still loves you his love for you was never based on anything that you were going to do his love for you was based on his sovereign will so when you're weak and when you're suffering and you're wondering God do you love me well God says I always have I always will I never stopped I only started my love never fails that's what we just say you stay the same through the ages your love never changes there may be pain in the night but joy comes in the morning your love never fails it says these making us to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and Colossians 1:18 talks about Jesus being the firstborn from the dead same reference in Revelation chapter 1 verse 5 talks about Jesus being the firstborn from the dead the firstborn indicates that there's also seconds coming after right just like firstfruits indicates there's a crop that's coming after so just as Jesus was raised up from the dead as the firstborn from the dead what are we we are the second born from the dead that is God's good purpose in us not just to get this not just to change us in the here-and-now to resemble Jesus in the way we interact with our coworkers God's purpose for us yes that's part of it but God's ultimate purpose for us is that we shed this corrupt body and put on a perfect glorified body just like Jesus that is his ultimate purpose for us he hasn't completed it yet but he will be faithful to see that to completion so before you existed God determined to make you just like Jesus look at Philippians 3 verse 20 and 21 I'll read it for you he says but our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a savior the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself so what's God gonna do ultimately he is going to transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body what a comfort when we're dealing with the weaknesses of our bodies with that with the ailments that we suffer through when we're broken and we need to have surgery and when the surgery really doesn't fix everything that was broken I'm comforted to know that God's not going to leave me in that state there will come a day where that body will die and God will give me a glorified body in the image of Jesus I know that he works all things together for my good whatever ailments come to this fleshly body they'll all be gone and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and His grace see these truths they help us through weakness but we're good we're going through weak times and we see things partially we tend to get frustrating said God what are you doing in this moment not not being so inquisitive but we're just wondering because we're a little frustrated cuz we don't understand it we think God must not understand if we react we react somewhat like a somewhat like a person who gets out some pieces as they get out those pieces they look and it's a god that this is puzzling is is so small I can't even make out exactly what it is it irritates me I can't see the whole picture I just see some colors I see some shapes I'm trying to make sense of what you're doing in my life but all I see is pieces that don't really go together and God's saying in this passage would you just trust me would you just trust me that all of those pieces go together you just don't see it yet you you just don't trust me yet if you truly trusted that I'm working together all things for the good of those who love me and who called according to my purpose you would understand that these pieces fit together God just says you you just don't have my perspective yet you don't still see things the way that I see them yet and I'm trying in this passage through the Apostle Paul to communicate to you that there is a picture that goes together and that picture is going to look just like Jesus that picture is going to be glorious because you you look at these pieces and the individual events of your life when God has the whole design already and he sees how everything fits together he sees the the waves and the birds and the reflections and the haze and the colours that are kind of murky but you put them all together and it's a it's a beautiful peaceful harbor with a couple of churches in the background so god help me trust you with the pieces because I don't really understand and the Holy Spirit says I do I do and I see that those are the only pieces you've got I'm gonna pray for you and I'm gonna pray right I'm gonna pray sympathetically for you I'm gonna pray effectively for you and I want to remind you that before you ever existed God determined that all the pieces of your life when there ultimately put together you're gonna look just like Jesus you don't worry you don't worry he's not done yet widget would y'all would you let God keep working would you let God keep putting that puzzle together let him orchestrate everything in your life it'll turn out the painting the Lord is painting looks just like Jesus so don't worry find strength than your weakness through the Spirit and God's sovereignty now look at verse 30 this is incredible look at what happened in eternity past how it takes place in our present and it secures our future look at this read the end of verse 29 he says for those of me foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers so he's he's for known you he's known you intimately known you by name before he ever met you before he ever made you verse 30 and those whom he predestined he ordered their lives he also called so God had determined to call you he called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified he also what he glorified them every one of these five verbs is in the Erised indicative tense you know what that means that means in the eyes of God every one of these is a completed action it's past tense it's so secure that God speaks of it in the past tense well sure God foreknew me before the foundation of the world sure God predestined me before the foundation of the world he ordered my steps the man plans his ways but the Lord orders his steps sure he foreknew and he predestined me but there was a day when I gave my life to Jesus and Paul saying the day you gave your life to Jesus is because God put his sovereign call on you and he brought you forward he brought you to your knees and he didn't have to he did it by His grace and notice that every one of them those he called he justified it doesn't say that he called a bunch of people and justified a few it says those he called he justified that means God always gets his man that is an effectual call of salvation your salvation was secure before you ever called on Jesus and Jesus called you you called on him and you were justified by grace through faith Osumi foreknew he predestined those he predestined he called he justified and then he ultimately glorified he made them just like Jesus the glorification process for the believer is talking about the end of days the resurrection from the dead and our presence everlastingly in the kingdom of God and Paul is saying that was secure before God made you so don't think God abandoned the process because you got a bag diagnosis from the doctor don't think God abandoned the process because somebody got in a terrible car accident no no no no no this was sent and God is still working you let him finish with the pieces it'll all turn out listen to this passage from Philippians 1 Paul says and I am sure of this that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ he is talking about the resurrection from the dead God began a good work in you that day in Sunday school when you felt a stir from the Lord guess what God began that work before time began he justified you when he called you and guess what he will bring you to glory he's not gonna leave you by the wayside just let him finish putting the pieces together just trust him just take comfort in it foundation number 2 that you know all things work together for good before you existed God determined to bring you to glory so God determined to make you like Jesus and God determined to bring you to glory that's how you know that second fact that will help you through any weakness when you don't understand know that God works all things together for the good of his people that's what you need to know the Spirit is your helper he's interceding for you and God's working it out for good but close here with this final passage from John chapter 6 Jesus said for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me and this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day for this is the will of my father that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day friends God's not done putting the pieces together in your life but he's committed to finishing it and he will finish it so in weakness you find strength through the spirit and through God's sovereignty would you pray with me [Music]

Channel: Dr. Jordan Neal Rogers

Views: 3,313

Rating: 4.818182 out of 5

Keywords: sovereign, sovereignty, grace, salvation, Romans 8, predestination, predestined, elect, election, doctrine, doctrines, chose, Christ, Jesus, Gospel, called, calling, glorified, justified, golden, chain, redemption, sermon, sermon on, help, understand, forgive, forgiveness, God, Father, Messiah, Messianic, Christian, preaching, teaching, expository, exposition, expository preaching, exegesis, exegetical, Hillcrest, Baptist, Church, Nederland, Texas, Jordan, Neal, Rogers, Jordan Neal, Jordan Rogers, Dr. Jordan Rogers, Dr. Rogers

Id: OEsbM8kh37I

Length: 42min 3sec (2523 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 09 2019