WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:02.959 Morning to the book of Romans, chapter 8. 00:00:03.759 --> 00:00:11.519 We are taking another look at this text, this short text in this powerful book. 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:19.120 I think many Christians would probably say this might be one of their favorite books in the Bible, Romans chapter 8. 00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:23.600 We're going to continue from last week. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:28.960 This has been a sermon series on the Holy Spirit for the last seven weeks. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:42.880 I pray that this sermon series has been helpful to you to open your eyes to understand God's teaching on this subject and to grow in the Spirit and by the Spirit as we've looked at it. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:52.799 Last week we really looked at the middle portion of this text. 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:56.000 We're going to fill in some of those blanks this morning. 00:00:56.320 --> 00:00:58.320 Reading God's holy word. 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:05.439 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 00:01:05.680 --> 00:01:08.480 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:13.840 But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:30.560 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God, for you did not receive the Spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba Father. 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:36.400 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. 00:01:36.640 --> 00:01:48.239 And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him, in order that we may also be glorified with him. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:53.359 This is the reading of God's holy, perfect, and precious word. 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:55.920 Let's pray for the Spirit's work. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:58.480 Father, thank you. 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:01.920 We thank you for promises that stagger us. 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:09.280 We thank you for these specific promises and commands that you've given us before us this day. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:21.280 So, Spirit of God, we pray, would you give us not only the understanding, but Lord, would you give us the desire to obey, to believe, and to trust you? 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:25.680 And Father, would you give the desire and the ability to do so? 00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:27.280 We ask in Jesus' name. 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:28.240 Amen. 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:34.800 The title of the message this morning is a spiritual assessment. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:43.360 And that thought is in my mind as I look back over the last six months of what God has been doing in this church family in different ways. 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:56.800 I'm going to speak to that a little bit more tonight at the congregational meeting, but this was a year that we began the first week in January, as we always do, with a lot of prayer. 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:04.000 No doubt in my mind, prayer has been the backbone and the foundation of everything that God has done in this church the last six months. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:06.080 God has done some mighty things. 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:08.960 It's not just been the Arise campaign. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:18.879 We've talked about prayer, and we've had days of prayer and fasting, seeking God to show us, to lead us, to guide us, to enable us. 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:24.560 And really, these are all manifestations of the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:27.680 I trust that you've seen that. 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:39.199 We come to this text again this morning, and we've looked in recent weeks at the work of the Spirit from John chapter 4, Jesus and the Samaritan woman. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:45.360 We've looked at John chapter 7, Jesus' promise to all who are weary and thirsty and burdened. 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:49.439 And we've looked at Romans chapter 8 for a few weeks. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:54.159 What's the difference between Romans chapter 7 and Romans chapter 8? 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:59.360 I wish we had a whole hour just to talk about that, but let me just tease that out, just a little bit. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:08.000 It's been noted that in Romans chapter 7, so much of the language from the Apostle Paul and his own struggle with walking by the Spirit. 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:12.319 The word that dominates in Romans chapter 7 is the word I. 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:16.800 What's the word? 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:20.160 What takes center stage in Romans chapter 8? 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:22.399 The work of the Holy Spirit. 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:35.680 John Murray, the great late theologian, said the law of the Spirit of life is the power of the Holy Spirit operating in us to free us from the power of sin. 00:04:35.839 --> 00:04:37.360 And some of you understand, right? 00:04:37.439 --> 00:04:43.680 You know that Romans chapter 8 starts now, there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:45.680 And that's great news. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:58.160 However, freedom from condemnation that doesn't lead to freedom from the judgment of sin's power is not real freedom. 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:06.480 The Bible doesn't know anything about a gospel that only justifies a sinner, but doesn't sanctify a sinner. 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:08.639 That's what we know, right? 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:12.639 There's too much of that in the church today. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:14.560 No. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:28.160 If Romans chapter 8, verse 1 speaks only of freedom from sin's guilt, but that tells us nothing about freedom from sin's power, can we really call it good news? 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:29.920 I don't think so. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:42.959 That would be like God saying, I'm going to save you and I'm going to bring you to heaven when you take your last breath on earth. 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:47.120 But in the meanwhile, your life is going to be nothing but misery. 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:51.759 And you're going to be miserable and you're going to be joyless and you're going to be powerless. 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:54.000 Is that the gospel? 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:54.720 No. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:02.240 But it's too often, too many Christians experience, and it just doesn't add up. 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:10.480 One way you could put it like this: Romans chapter 7, it could be said, a lot of Romans chapter 7 is walking by the. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:14.319 Romans chapter 8 is walking by the Spirit. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:28.959 As we say often here, God sent His Son to give us the status of sons and daughters, but God also sent His Spirit so that we would have the experience in the Christian life of sons and daughters. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:36.319 God wants you to understand and to apprehend and to take hold of both. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:44.160 Not only your status, that you're a son or you're a daughter of God, but your experience. 00:06:44.959 --> 00:06:47.199 And you can't do that without the Holy Spirit. 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:50.639 You can't do that without learning how to walk by the Spirit. 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:53.279 That's what we're looking at this morning. 00:06:53.600 --> 00:07:02.240 Romans chapter 8 teaches us that the primary mark of the Christian is the indwelling and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:07.040 First point out of the text this morning. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:08.959 Straight out of the text. 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:17.120 We have an obligation to put to death the flesh, but we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:19.120 But we have an obligation. 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:24.480 So then, brothers, we're debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:26.720 Now look what comes next. 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:30.079 Because if you live according to the flesh, what's going to happen? 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:31.360 You will die. 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:35.600 Not only physically, but spiritually. 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:41.360 If your life is dominated by the flesh, you will die spiritually. 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:47.600 That's a teaching that is not often heard today in the church. 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:49.839 But the Bible says it. 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:53.680 So therefore, it's imperative. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:56.160 You ought to be really interested in this. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:08:00.399 Your spiritual eternity, destiny depends on this. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:04.079 You ought to be really interested in what he has to say. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:12.560 But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:22.560 Not only will Jesus Christ give you a resurrected body one day, a new body, a perfect body, but you will have eternal life. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:30.319 You will have life in glorification, is we're going to look at in just a few moments. 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:36.879 Last week we looked at the Holy Spirit's testimony to our spirits of our sonship on Father's Day. 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:38.960 Abba, Father. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:46.000 We've looked at, and let me just repeat it, there's four different proofs that Paul's giving us about our assurance of our sonship. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:49.200 The first proof is that we're led by the Holy Spirit. 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:54.720 A Christian, by definition, is someone who is led by the Holy Spirit. 00:08:55.039 --> 00:09:03.679 Second proof, that the spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba Father, and again, that's what we looked at more closely last week. 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:09.120 The third proof, the witness of the Spirit to our Spirit. 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:12.320 Do you know the Holy Spirit can do that? 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:16.639 The Holy Spirit does do that as we open up. 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:20.080 That's not easy to do, is it? 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:23.919 Sometimes we're so locked up in ourselves. 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:30.000 We're so determined to be in control of our lives. 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:39.759 The Holy Spirit can open you up to testify to the witness of the Holy Spirit what he wants to do in your life. 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:45.440 The fourth proof we're going to look at this morning are suffering for Jesus' sake. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:49.679 Saying it another way, the Holy Spirit leads us to holiness. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:52.080 He replaces fear with freedom. 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:59.919 He prompts us to call God Father, and He leads us to see Him as our inheritance. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.600 And that's a little tricky, but hang on there, we're going to get to that. 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:06.559 How we see God as our inheritance. 00:10:08.159 --> 00:10:16.879 This powerful phrase, but if by the Spirit you put to death the flesh. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:22.399 That's the key phrase. 00:10:23.360 --> 00:10:25.600 That's the key phrase. 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:36.480 Are you learning how by the work and the power of the Holy Spirit to put to death what he says are the misdeeds of the body? 00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:39.120 That's the indwelling sin. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:43.120 That's what we would call the flesh, the old nature. 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:51.440 If by the Spirit, this verb is powerful to put to death. 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:53.120 You know what it means. 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:54.320 To kill. 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:56.000 To kill someone. 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:57.759 To kill something. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:03.600 God's not soft on this. 00:11:04.240 --> 00:11:06.159 He's not messing around. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:10.639 There's no license, there's no reason to coddle this. 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:14.559 Because if you coddle this, it'll crush you. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:17.200 If you coddle this, it'll crush your life. 00:11:17.440 --> 00:11:19.120 It'll crush your soul. 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:25.360 It'll drain the joy out of your life and the peace. 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:32.320 The Puritans would call this mortification, putting to death the flesh. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:37.120 To kill the misdeeds of the body. 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:43.600 Jesus picks up on this when he talks about in the Gospels if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:55.519 Don't let the sight of your physical eyes lead to your death as it affects your spiritual eyes. 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:08.399 As one commentator put it, for only the Spirit can give us the desire, the determination, and the discipline to do so. 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:10.480 And don't we need all three? 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:18.000 Don't we need the Holy Spirit to give us the desire, the determination, and the discipline? 00:12:20.639 --> 00:12:22.000 One of my favorites, Dr. 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:24.320 Martin Lloyd Jones put it like this. 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:31.519 This is not an unhealthy form of repression. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:35.200 I'm going to talk about that more on the third point. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:39.919 And in the day and age in which we live, we hear it all the time. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:41.600 I think. 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:49.279 Well, you don't need to make peace with that because you need that in your life. 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:59.360 Our culture is screaming that we not give up who we really are, whatever that might mean today. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:04.559 Lloyd Jones says, you have to learn how to pull out that misdeed of the body. 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:09.120 You need to learn how to look at it, denounce it, hate it for what it is. 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:11.200 Then you have dealt with it. 00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:12.000 Guess what? 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:13.840 This is in the present tense. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:18.879 Put to death the misdeeds of the body every day. 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:22.960 You need the Spirit to do that. 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:29.519 Sometimes the enemy wants us to feel noble because we do it every once in a while. 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:31.360 Have you noticed that? 00:13:32.480 --> 00:13:34.320 You know how that the enemy works? 00:13:34.559 --> 00:13:35.919 Well, yeah, you did that. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:38.320 Remember when you did that last year? 00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:40.720 No. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:44.000 Present tense. 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:56.080 What is the Spirit calling us to put to death today that's obscuring the light of the Father's delight in you and his love for you? 00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:58.240 What's getting in the way? 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:05.840 What the Holy Spirit does is to enlighten and persuade. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:12.480 This is Lloyd Jones, because the Spirit is gentle and he can easily be grieved. 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:14.960 He never browbeats us. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:18.240 I think that's true. 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:23.200 There are so many ways that we quench the Spirit, as the New Testament says. 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:25.840 There are so many ways that we grieve the Spirit. 00:14:28.240 --> 00:14:29.840 Not a philosophy. 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:32.000 A person. 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:35.759 We've been talking about that this summer. 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:53.200 When the Spirit speaks and the Spirit puts his finger on whatever it is that's going on in your life that's getting in the way, that's getting in the way of your fellowship with the Father, your understanding and crying out by the Holy Spirit, Abba Father, whatever it is that the Spirit's speaking to about your in your conscience. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:59.600 Are you learning how to listen and respond? 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:02.639 Or are you stiff arming? 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:04.080 No. 00:15:05.200 --> 00:15:08.320 This is my private area of concern. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:13.679 You know what he usually does? 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:16.240 He just steps back. 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:17.919 Fine. 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:19.519 Have it your way. 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:22.000 See what it gets. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:27.519 Are you learning to yield to the Holy Spirit? 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:32.240 Is he making the Father's love more real to you? 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:37.919 So that you can cry, Abba, Father. 00:15:39.279 --> 00:15:40.879 And it feels right. 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:45.679 It feels like you're coming home in a new way. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:53.440 It feels like you're coming out of that spiritual barren desert and you're just coming to an oasis. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:56.559 Because that's the work of the Spirit, what he does. 00:15:57.519 --> 00:15:58.960 What's the old saying? 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.320 The old saying that I love. 00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:37.919 When you're joyless, you're weak spiritually. 00:16:41.440 --> 00:16:44.240 The law can't give you that power. 00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:46.960 The law gives you no power. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:53.600 It shows you what you should do, but it can't enable you to do. 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:55.679 But the gospel. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:59.440 It bids me fly. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:05.839 It not only tells me, Tom, you can fly spiritually, but it gives me the wings to fly. 00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:08.880 That's the work of the spirit. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:13.119 That's the work of the spirit. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:20.559 Don't think that the misdeeds of the body are limited to the technicolor sins of this world. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:21.759 No, no. 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:29.680 The misdeeds of the body are the pride that we fight, the unbelief, the self-righteousness. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:38.079 The misdeeds of the body speak to the hearts of the older sons in the parable as well as the younger sons. 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:45.920 Think of the sins that are holding you back from loving God with all of your heart, soul, strength, and mind. 00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:50.640 Think of the sins that are holding you back from loving other Christians and loving the world. 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:53.279 Those are the misdeeds of the body. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:18:05.440 Christian, you have an obligation to put to death the misdeeds of the body. 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:08.559 How? 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:12.240 By the Holy Spirit. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:14.400 And you will not do it without that. 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:18.960 Oh, how we need the Spirit. 00:18:19.200 --> 00:18:21.680 How this morning we need to embrace the Spirit. 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:24.160 How we need to yield to the Spirit. 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:27.200 Spirit of God, show me. 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:29.440 Show me what's getting in the way. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:44.079 But secondly, and this is a very brief point because this is really what we covered last week, essentially, we have the testimony of the Holy Spirit Himself bearing witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:51.359 It's by the Spirit that we can cry out from the depths of our heart, Abba Father, and really mean it. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.359 So it's not just words. 00:18:54.559 --> 00:19:01.440 As we say here often, yes, you have the words to the gospel, but do you have the music to the gospel? 00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:04.640 Is the gospel singing in your heart? 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:08.400 That you are God's beloved son or daughter? 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:11.759 Do you have that assurance? 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:17.359 Do you have that joy that comes with that assurance? 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:19.599 That's the work of the Spirit. 00:19:20.640 --> 00:19:27.519 If children heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:34.160 And so grammarians debate is this a subjective or an objective genitive? 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:37.680 What is the inheritance referring to? 00:19:38.640 --> 00:19:45.039 Is it to is it referring to the inheritance that you're going to receive that because you're God's son? 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:52.079 Or is it the inheritance that it's God? 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:58.799 It's what you're going to receive from God more so than what you're going to what God is going to receive from you. 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:01.519 Is it what you're waiting for? 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:04.079 And by the way, the Bible teaches both. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:09.119 The Bible clearly teaches both that there are rewards laid up in heaven for the Christian. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:16.319 We know that there are rooms, mansions, Jesus promised, waiting for us in heaven. 00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:22.720 And we know that there's glory, and we know that there's reigning with the saints. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:29.039 We know that there are so many gifts awaiting us in heaven. 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:30.640 And that's true. 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:34.960 I don't think that that's what he's referring to here, though. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:39.680 I think what he's referring to here is God your reward. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:42.000 Is God your inheritance? 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:45.200 That's different, isn't it? 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:52.319 And that's why we read in the service earlier this morning from Psalm 73. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:59.119 This man who was really struggling with living a godly life. 00:21:00.559 --> 00:21:02.880 You know Psalm 73, right? 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:09.359 This godly religious man who'd been walking with God for a long time was starting to lose his way. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:13.519 He started looking around at life and he saw, wait, wait, what? 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:15.119 Why am I serving God? 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:18.640 What benefit is it giving me? 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:23.599 I mean, I look around and I see my non-Christian friends doing pretty well. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:26.720 Seems like they're in good health. 00:21:27.839 --> 00:21:31.119 Seems like they're getting promoted. 00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:35.039 Seems like their families are flourishing. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:39.279 And I look around sometimes at Christians, I don't see that. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:46.319 What he's really struggling with, is it really worth my while to take the Christian life seriously? 00:21:48.799 --> 00:21:51.680 Oh, but that verse 17. 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:58.720 Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then I discovered their end. 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:02.240 Then I got That gospel clarity back. 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:06.720 Then I realized: wait a minute, no, no, they're not right. 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:08.319 God's right. 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.279 God's promises are true. 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.039 But he had to go into the sanctuary. 00:22:16.400 --> 00:22:21.359 He needed the fresh work of the Spirit to show him and to convince him. 00:22:22.160 --> 00:22:26.960 Always, always bet on God and his promises. 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:31.839 Not your experiences in life. 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:36.240 That's why he could say. 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:40.799 That's why he could say, Whom have I in heaven but you? 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:45.039 And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you? 00:22:46.000 --> 00:22:53.920 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, and he is my portion forever. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.200 Can you say that this morning? 00:23:02.640 --> 00:23:04.400 Whom have I in heaven? 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:07.359 Who do I have on earth but you, Lord? 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:12.319 Now read that back into the language. 00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:17.359 Friends, only the Holy Spirit can do this. 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:22.000 Only the Holy Spirit can convince you that God is your inheritance. 00:23:22.559 --> 00:23:24.880 That having God is having everything. 00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:28.240 Whom have I in my life? 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:40.480 But Him, in fellowship with Him, and communion with Him, and receiving His love, and resting in His the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and resurrection. 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:50.400 We have the testimony of the Holy Spirit Himself, bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God and we have the promises of God. 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:55.200 And yes, there is great reward waiting for you in heaven, Christian. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:59.359 But the reward starts on earth. 00:23:59.920 --> 00:24:01.680 He goes with you. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:07.279 He wants to be your joy and your delight by the work of the Spirit. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:10.000 Which brings us to the last point. 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.160 A theology. 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:17.200 A theology of suffering. 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:20.960 We have the privilege of suffering for Christ. 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:25.680 And again, I know that's not very popular today in Christian churches. 00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:31.519 To their shame. 00:24:32.400 --> 00:24:35.759 We have the privilege of suffering for Jesus Christ. 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:37.440 He says it. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:41.519 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:55.279 And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:05.599 We have the privilege of suffering with Christ. 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:07.759 We have the privilege of suffering for Christ. 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:18.319 And only the Holy Spirit can make suffering for Christ something that is not onerous to us, or something that we feel like is above and beyond what we should have to endure in this life. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:21.759 Because the flesh is always trying to weigh us down with this. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:25.119 The flesh is always speaking evil lies to us. 00:25:25.440 --> 00:25:26.640 You deserve. 00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:29.680 You deserve a better life. 00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:33.680 God's holding back on you. 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:41.200 I mean, if God really loved you, if you were really his son or his daughter, he'd be giving you this and he'd be giving you that. 00:25:41.359 --> 00:25:42.799 You know that voice. 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:45.119 That's the voice of the enemy. 00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:46.160 That's the voice of the flesh. 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:48.160 That's not the voice of the spirit. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:52.799 The voice of the spirit says to you, Christian, come and die. 00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:57.119 Come and suffer. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:02.319 If it was for Jesus Christ, why would it be any less for you or me? 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:07.119 The cross always comes before the crown. 00:26:07.519 --> 00:26:09.759 For Jesus and for us. 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:19.279 So we must ask ourselves, what does this look like in my life, in this day, in our culture? 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:21.039 What does this look like? 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:23.359 Don't be naive. 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:28.799 As a pastor, I just come, I just reminded of that time after time. 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:33.440 So many today are so naive about this. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:36.319 No, I shouldn't have to suffer. 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:45.039 And I don't know how much of it is because of the bad preaching today or how much of it is just the work of the enemy or the work of the flesh. 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:46.640 Don't be naive. 00:26:46.960 --> 00:26:49.279 Suffering does feel like death. 00:26:49.440 --> 00:27:07.039 When you put to death the flesh, it actually feels like death if in fact you stop looking to the false gods that you have placed in your life to prop you up when you feel lonely, when you feel insecure, when you feel unappreciated. 00:27:08.799 --> 00:27:10.240 Do you hear me? 00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:12.960 Don't be naive. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:16.799 That's the work of the enemy. 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:20.559 They're not appreciating you. 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:26.480 You deserve better. 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:30.880 And you're feeling lonely. 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:33.519 And you're feeling insecure. 00:27:35.119 --> 00:27:38.319 And you're thinking, yeah, I do deserve more. 00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:41.440 I do deserve something better. 00:27:42.799 --> 00:27:44.880 Why would I have to suffer for Christ? 00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:47.359 Why would I have to suffer for being a Christian? 00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:49.440 I'm a son, I'm a daughter. 00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:54.240 You're not hearing the Holy Spirit when you think that. 00:27:55.200 --> 00:27:58.000 I'm not hearing the Spirit when I think that. 00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:07.440 A false God presents itself as good news because it promises us a good feeling. 00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:08.799 Please hear me. 00:28:09.039 --> 00:28:11.920 That is just rampant today. 00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:21.839 A false God presents itself as good news, the good news, because it promises us, it will promise you a good feeling. 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:27.599 And when we start to live for good feelings, we've been cut off from the work of the Spirit. 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:34.240 Which is what we sometimes are looking for most, aren't we? 00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:39.200 But what we most need is not a good feeling, but a good promise. 00:28:39.519 --> 00:28:43.119 And that promise we've read about this morning in Psalm 73. 00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:46.960 And that promise we've read about this morning in Romans chapter 8. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:49.759 You're not a pauper. 00:28:50.079 --> 00:28:51.759 You're not an orphan. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:55.680 You're a son, you're a daughter of the living God. 00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:58.160 And you need his promises. 00:28:58.640 --> 00:29:01.200 And you need God to be your rock. 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:04.799 Otherwise, you're going to stumble and you're going to lose your way. 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:11.279 And it's going to bring hurt and pain, not only to you, but it's going to bring hurt and pain to your family. 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:15.359 And God says, I've got something better. 00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:19.279 I loved you so much that I gave you my son to save you. 00:29:19.440 --> 00:29:23.279 And I love you so much that I gave you my spirit to sanctify you. 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:30.240 When you most need the promises of God, the Spirit is there to bring the promise of God and make it come alive. 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:34.000 And that's the work of the Spirit. 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:45.759 Don't be scared of the death of your false gods. 00:29:46.319 --> 00:29:47.599 They need to die. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:56.400 And if it feels painful, God will be with you in the pain and needs to die. 00:29:57.200 --> 00:29:59.920 Whom have I in heaven but you, O Lord? 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.720 And having you on earth, what do I need? 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:04.480 What else do I need? 00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:11.039 So I'm going to close with two letters. 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:26.400 I'm going to close with a letter that Jim Boyce wrote to a friend of his who was really struggling in the Christian life, thinking that if God really loved him, he should be giving him more. 00:30:27.119 --> 00:30:31.039 And you'll get the drift as I read the letter. 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:34.480 To his friend. 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:38.559 I'm sure that you will find strength to do what is right in this situation. 00:30:38.799 --> 00:30:44.319 And the reason I'm sure you will find strength is I know that you already have it in God. 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:45.920 You can do it. 00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:51.680 I do not mean that you have the necessary strength or willpower in your own strength. 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:59.759 The reason I know that you have the strength you need is that you do have the Holy Spirit, which is true of every Christian. 00:31:00.079 --> 00:31:13.119 The reason you are troubled by the need to do right, and are not willing simply to drift along in wrong living, as unbelievers do, is that you know that you belong to Jesus Christ. 00:31:13.359 --> 00:31:17.440 And deep down inside, most of all, you want to please Him. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:19.839 God's Spirit is within you. 00:31:20.079 --> 00:31:29.039 So if you were to say, I don't have the strength to serve God this way, you would really be saying that the Holy Spirit is inadequate. 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:33.119 And that is the answer to your other questions, too. 00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:39.039 You want to know why God has not intervened in your life to do something special for you. 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:41.680 I've heard many people ask that question. 00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:49.839 It's a natural one, particularly since we read about God's special intervention sometimes in people's lives. 00:31:51.599 --> 00:31:54.799 But what do we mean when we ask that question? 00:31:55.119 --> 00:32:01.039 Do we mean that we want God to reorder the events of our life to suit our own personal wishes? 00:32:01.359 --> 00:32:05.359 If so, we have no right to ask that. 00:32:05.759 --> 00:32:07.359 Nor should we want to. 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:18.079 That would mean that we know better than God, that we can order the events of our lives better than He can, and that would be terrible. 00:32:18.799 --> 00:32:43.119 Or do we mean, and I think this is actually the case, that we want God to solve our problem by some external means, perhaps by removing the temptation that we face the most, by changing our thinking so that we are no longer attracted by this temptation, or by providing an experience that will strip the temptation of its power? 00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:56.960 But if God were to do that, which he could, it would mean that we were able to do as normal Christians, unaided by supernatural power of God. 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:02.319 And this would mean that the Christian life ultimately has no meaning. 00:33:02.640 --> 00:33:12.319 What would be the point of being a Christian if in crisis situations God had to give you more than the Holy Spirit? 00:33:19.279 --> 00:33:21.200 That's a powerful letter. 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:21.920 Dr. 00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:24.720 Boyce wrote to his friend. 00:33:25.279 --> 00:33:32.240 But his friend's concerns and his friend's troubles reflect the values of our world today, don't they? 00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:36.640 I really don't, I shouldn't have to struggle. 00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:40.240 And I certainly shouldn't have to suffer. 00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:44.079 I call that the theology of suffering. 00:33:44.559 --> 00:33:49.119 Is there room in your theology, Christian, for a theology of suffering? 00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:52.240 For the sake of Jesus. 00:33:55.359 --> 00:33:57.519 I said I have two letters. 00:33:59.279 --> 00:34:02.799 The other letter I want to read is from Charles Spurgeon. 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:08.639 Written to ministers primarily, but take heart, it applies to all of us. 00:34:09.920 --> 00:34:12.320 Don't be surprised when friends fail you. 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:14.239 It's a failing world. 00:34:14.480 --> 00:34:17.920 Never count upon immutability in man. 00:34:18.639 --> 00:34:22.480 In constancy you may reckon without fear of disappointment. 00:34:22.639 --> 00:34:24.400 People will disappoint you. 00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:27.119 The disciples of Jesus forsook him. 00:34:27.599 --> 00:34:36.639 Be not amazed if your friends wander away to other teachers, as they were not all with you perhaps in the beginning. 00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:40.880