WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.360 Welcome to the sermon podcast of Exodus Church, located in Belmont, North Carolina. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:11.660 For more information about our church and the many ways you can be involved, you can go to our website at exoduschurch.com. 00:00:11.660 --> 00:00:16.359 Now if you'll take your Bible and turn to Romans 8. 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:19.079 Romans 8 is where we are gonna be this morning. 00:00:19.079 --> 00:00:20.719 We've been in a series called Designed. 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:23.160 We've talked about God's design and creation. 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:28.019 We made a pivot a few weeks ago to God's redesign in Christ. 00:00:28.019 --> 00:00:30.679 And we said that in Christ, we are redesigned. 00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:34.460 We are not revised as if all we needed was a few edits. 00:00:34.460 --> 00:00:39.759 We're not rebranded as if what we needed was a new outside or a new veneer. 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:42.439 We are redesigned in Christ. 00:00:42.439 --> 00:00:43.600 We are made new. 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:45.640 The old is gone, the new has come. 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:46.840 We are made righteous. 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:54.920 Jesus takes away our sin and gives us his righteousness, but that's just the beginning of God's redesign of us. 00:00:54.920 --> 00:01:11.000 We are made new and we are made righteous, but there's the second phase of being made like Jesus called sanctification, this process where we are made more and more like Christ, and then ultimately, we will be made fully like Christ, and the theological word for that is glorification. 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:24.400 And so today, we're gonna talk about this process known as sanctification, the reality that we are being made like Jesus, specifically, we're gonna talk about what God uses to do that. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:40.439 Now, our passage today is gonna say that God uses everything to do that, that God uses all things, that God is working all things together for good, and the good there is that we would be conformed into the image of Jesus. 00:01:40.439 --> 00:01:47.879 And so God is using everything, but the things that tend to take our attention is the difficult things. 00:01:47.879 --> 00:01:52.319 No one ever cries out to God, God, why are you making my life so easy? 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:59.760 None of us curl up in a ball weeping that our lives have been simple. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:10.879 It's the difficult seasons that get our attention, it's the difficult seasons that cause us to ask questions like, why do bad things happen to good people? 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:16.680 Now, there's a book written on this by a Jewish rabbi with that title, Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? 00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:30.080 It's a horrible book, and it's really not a great question because the Bible tells us there are no good people, except one, there's one good person and he volunteered for a really bad thing, okay? 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:35.439 So the question's really not a great question, but we ask it when we're going through difficult seasons. 00:02:35.439 --> 00:02:41.780 Sometimes we respond to a difficult season with the phrase, well, I guess everything just happens for a reason. 00:02:41.780 --> 00:02:48.259 Now, if you think about that, that's a really strange thing for someone to say who's not trusting Christ. 00:02:48.259 --> 00:02:51.199 Like, why would we be that optimistic? 00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:53.120 Why would we have that kind of optimism? 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.900 Then, oh, well, I guess everything just happens for a reason. 00:02:55.900 --> 00:03:01.560 Why would we say something like that if we're not rooted in what the Bible teaches? 00:03:01.560 --> 00:03:06.360 There's a meme that goes around every once in a while that says everything happens for a reason. 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:14.800 Sometimes it's that you're stupid and make bad decisions, like that's a thing, but that's usually not what we're thinking about when we say, well, I guess everything happens for a reason. 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:18.360 We're thinking there's gotta be some meaning to my pain. 00:03:18.360 --> 00:03:21.919 There's gotta be some purpose to what I'm walking through. 00:03:21.919 --> 00:03:31.319 Now, our passage tells us that everything does indeed happen for a reason, but it's not because it's some random chaos and chance. 00:03:31.319 --> 00:03:37.719 It's not cold and impersonal, and it's certainly not a guess or a wish. 00:03:37.719 --> 00:03:47.120 In our passage today, we're gonna see that as believers in Christ, we have something we know, and not know in our head, but know in our gut. 00:03:47.120 --> 00:04:04.360 Like we know with certainty this thing the Bible says, that in our darkest moments, by the graveside, in the hospital room, we know that there is a good God whose nail-scarred hand is guiding and governing all things. 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:14.560 That's what we know, that this nail-scarred hand is guiding and governing everything so that we'll be made more like Him. 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:31.000 And my hope today is that we would leave here believing that not just knowing that, but really deep in our heart and gut, believing it so that when difficulty does come, we can say with the Apostle Paul, and we know, we know. 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:34.579 So I'm gonna read chapter eight, verses 28 to 30. 00:04:34.579 --> 00:04:37.379 I'm gonna pray, then we're gonna jump into what God's Word says. 00:04:37.379 --> 00:04:38.339 Look at verse 28. 00:04:38.339 --> 00:04:46.959 It says, and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:54.939 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. 00:04:54.939 --> 00:04:59.420 And those whom He predestined, He also called, and those whom He called, He also justified. 00:04:59.420 --> 00:05:02.920 And those whom He justified, He also glorified. 00:05:02.920 --> 00:05:03.779 Let's pray together. 00:05:03.779 --> 00:05:05.920 Father God, thank You for Your Word. 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:15.860 Thank You for the parts of Your Word that make us think a little bit, the parts of Your Word that make us ask questions, the parts of Your Word that stretch our intellect. 00:05:15.860 --> 00:05:24.560 Lord, thank You that though we could be intellectual about these verses, there are things very practical about this passage. 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:33.899 There's truth here that grounds us in the midst of pain, in the midst of difficulty, in the midst of all things that we walk through. 00:05:33.899 --> 00:05:39.720 And Lord, I know, I know that there are people in this room who have walked through all things. 00:05:39.720 --> 00:05:45.980 There are people in this room who have walked through difficulties and pain and heartache and suffering. 00:05:45.980 --> 00:06:02.379 And so Lord, I pray that You would give us a great confidence from Your Word today that there is nothing wasted, that there is nothing that is haphazard, there is nothing that is an accident, but that You are working all things together for our good to make us more and more like Jesus. 00:06:02.379 --> 00:06:04.379 Help us see that in Your Word today. 00:06:04.379 --> 00:06:06.420 We pray this in Christ's name, amen. 00:06:06.420 --> 00:06:11.660 So our big idea is this, that God works in all things to make us like Jesus. 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:13.980 God works in all things to make us like Jesus. 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:15.680 Let's start with God works. 00:06:15.680 --> 00:06:26.899 We see that in verse 28, it says, and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose. 00:06:26.899 --> 00:06:29.420 Now Paul begins with and we know. 00:06:29.420 --> 00:06:34.019 Now this know is not simply an intellectual knowledge, though that's the beginning. 00:06:34.019 --> 00:06:38.300 We have to know it in our head before we believe it in our gut, okay? 00:06:38.300 --> 00:06:42.339 But it's not simply we intellectually know this. 00:06:42.339 --> 00:06:52.259 This know idea is an idea of certainty, of understanding, of realization, that we know something deeply, that we know something internally. 00:06:52.259 --> 00:06:54.240 What do we know in verse 28? 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:58.259 That for those who love God, all things work together for good. 00:06:58.259 --> 00:07:00.899 That's what we know, okay? 00:07:00.899 --> 00:07:03.740 Now let's look at this phrase, for those who love God. 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:05.339 Now this is important. 00:07:05.339 --> 00:07:11.899 It's important that Paul is speaking with this kind of certainty about those who love God. 00:07:11.899 --> 00:07:19.540 Now that doesn't mean that it doesn't necessarily apply to those who don't, but we need to understand that this is speaking of those who love God. 00:07:19.540 --> 00:07:25.259 And what we need to know about that is that we only love God if we are loved by Him. 00:07:25.259 --> 00:07:27.339 We only love God if we are saved by Him. 00:07:27.339 --> 00:07:32.939 The Bible tells us that we are not like born loving Him, we are born running from Him. 00:07:32.939 --> 00:07:34.620 We are born in rebellion to Him. 00:07:34.620 --> 00:07:37.779 We are born sinning and falling short of the glory of God. 00:07:37.779 --> 00:07:39.540 We are not born loving God. 00:07:39.540 --> 00:07:46.379 That's something that God has to do in our heart to change us to make us love Him. 00:07:46.379 --> 00:07:53.180 And so we're gonna deal with a lot of questions today around free will and sovereignty and all these things about how life works. 00:07:53.180 --> 00:08:00.339 But those are important questions, but the most important question is this, do you love God? 00:08:00.339 --> 00:08:05.660 Like the most important question is not how God's sovereignty and our responsibility works. 00:08:05.660 --> 00:08:08.779 That's not the most important question in the universe. 00:08:08.779 --> 00:08:12.800 The most important question right now is, have you been changed by Jesus? 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:14.139 That's the most important question. 00:08:14.139 --> 00:08:16.139 Are you a Christian? 00:08:16.139 --> 00:08:20.060 Because believers have this kind of certainty. 00:08:20.060 --> 00:08:23.379 Paul says, and we know that for those who love God. 00:08:23.379 --> 00:08:26.180 So have you been changed? 00:08:26.180 --> 00:08:27.779 Have you been saved? 00:08:27.779 --> 00:08:39.279 Have you experienced verse 15 of chapter eight, where it says, 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 out Abba Father. 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:46.259 Have you received the spirit of God that caused your heart to cry out Abba Father? 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:51.259 Like have you been changed so that you love God? 00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:54.419 Now, Paul says, we know something. 00:08:54.419 --> 00:09:00.659 We know that for those who love God, then it says all things work together for good. 00:09:00.659 --> 00:09:07.059 Now, some translations will read God works all things, or others will say God works in all things. 00:09:07.059 --> 00:09:14.539 The ESV, which is the translation that we use here, says all things work together for good. 00:09:14.539 --> 00:09:19.460 But we should not read that as if all things are just kind of randomly working. 00:09:19.460 --> 00:09:27.500 We don't read that verse to suggest that all things are just kind of colliding together in such a way that they work out. 00:09:27.500 --> 00:09:37.059 We read this and understand this to say that God is at work in all things so that they work out for good. 00:09:37.059 --> 00:09:44.340 We believe that in all things, the good and nail-scarred hand of God is guiding everything. 00:09:44.340 --> 00:09:50.460 And the passage gives us some examples of what God is at work in. 00:09:50.460 --> 00:09:54.539 There's some words in this passage we don't just typically use in normal conversation. 00:09:54.539 --> 00:10:01.340 Like you're not typically sitting across from a friend at the coffee shop, you know, saying, you know, I foreknew something the other day. 00:10:01.340 --> 00:10:03.820 I mean, we don't use this kind of language. 00:10:03.820 --> 00:10:07.259 We don't use, you know, I just kind of predestined something yesterday. 00:10:07.259 --> 00:10:16.700 We don't use this language, so we need to understand what it's saying, because this is part of the way God is at work in all things. 00:10:16.700 --> 00:10:18.820 Let's talk about the word foreknowledge. 00:10:18.820 --> 00:10:25.600 When it says in verse 29, for those he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:30.820 That word foreknew, some people understand it to mean that God looked forward in time from eternity. 00:10:30.820 --> 00:10:40.379 God looked forward in all of history, and he saw you or some people doing some good things, and he said, I'm gonna pick those people that do good things. 00:10:40.379 --> 00:10:53.460 Some people look at it and think, okay, that means God looked forward in history and time, and saw those who would believe, and gave them the ability to believe because he saw that they believed. 00:10:53.460 --> 00:11:00.059 Well, the problem with all that is that it begins to make what we do a good work that earns God's attention. 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:17.940 The problem with all that is that if we think God looks forward and saw some good thing we did and said, oh, I'm gonna like that person because of that good thing, we forget that God also saw all of our bad stuff too, and all of our bad stuff far outweighs any of our good stuff that we've done. 00:11:17.940 --> 00:11:24.679 And so this word doesn't mean God looks forward in time and sees something good and says, I'm gonna like that person. 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:25.519 That's not what it means. 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:41.899 It means that God foreloved, that God beforehand set his love on a people, which is really good news if you think about it, because it means that God saw all of our stuff and loved us anyway. 00:11:41.899 --> 00:11:50.460 That God saw all of our sin, all of our rebellion, all of our wickedness, and chose to set his love on us anyway. 00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:51.960 Isn't that amazing? 00:11:51.960 --> 00:11:55.139 That's part of God being at work in all things. 00:11:55.139 --> 00:11:57.000 Next is this word predestined. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:00.139 Again, we don't use that in conversation typically. 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:06.799 This means that God is at work in the history of our lives so that we would hear the gospel and believe. 00:12:06.799 --> 00:12:08.740 That's what the word predestined means. 00:12:08.740 --> 00:12:11.740 It means that God is at work in history. 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:15.500 Certainly God has been at work in human history to get to the cross of Jesus. 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:16.700 Can you imagine all the things? 00:12:16.700 --> 00:12:20.700 Think about all the things that had to happen to get Jesus on a Roman cross. 00:12:20.700 --> 00:12:24.580 Think about all the things that had to happen to get us to the cross. 00:12:24.580 --> 00:12:27.320 God was predestinating all of that. 00:12:27.320 --> 00:12:29.120 And then think about your life. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:31.259 Think about you hearing the gospel and believing. 00:12:31.259 --> 00:12:36.960 Think about all that had to happen for you to get to that moment where someone would say, hey, do you know Jesus? 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:42.299 Think about all that had to happen to get you to a point where you would say, you know, I'm a sinner in need of a savior. 00:12:42.299 --> 00:12:50.779 God, and this idea of predestined is that God is at work in all of human history, not just to get us to the cross, but to get you to the gospel. 00:12:50.779 --> 00:12:53.240 And so think about this. 00:12:53.240 --> 00:13:00.860 When you share the gospel with a friend or a neighbor, that's part of God at work in all of human history to get to the gospel to that person. 00:13:00.860 --> 00:13:05.899 And so you're a part of what God's doing in all the world to share the gospel when you do so. 00:13:05.899 --> 00:13:07.779 It's amazing. 00:13:07.779 --> 00:13:10.899 Then it says that we are called. 00:13:10.899 --> 00:13:17.220 This word called used in 28 and in 30. 00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:21.519 This is the idea of God calling us from death to life. 00:13:22.379 --> 00:13:25.679 So there's two ways the Bible uses the concept of calling. 00:13:25.679 --> 00:13:36.080 One is in the preaching of the gospel, that when we share the gospel, when you teach the gospel, when you preach the gospel, there's this calling that's going out, this general call that goes out to all. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:40.460 And then there's this call from death to life that happens when somebody is a believer. 00:13:40.460 --> 00:13:47.279 When God reaches into that dead heart we had and brings it to life, that's calling. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:49.580 That's God calling us from death to life. 00:13:49.580 --> 00:13:54.139 Like Jesus said to Lazarus, Lazarus come forth and he walked out of the grave. 00:13:54.139 --> 00:13:57.419 This is God calling us from death to life. 00:13:57.419 --> 00:14:04.580 One of my favorite things that happens every year at EKE, and I don't know if we're gonna do it again next year because that's a minute, okay? 00:14:04.580 --> 00:14:10.740 But when the kids sing the song, he called my name and I walked out of the grave. 00:14:10.740 --> 00:14:11.580 You guys remember that? 00:14:11.580 --> 00:14:14.500 When the kids are jumping and screaming and yelling and having no idea what they're saying? 00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:22.220 Like it's amazing to see those children rejoicing in God's internal call to bring them to life. 00:14:22.220 --> 00:14:24.100 That's what we're talking about. 00:14:24.100 --> 00:14:32.059 And so what the Bible is saying is that God is at work in eternity past, in history, and in you to get you to Jesus. 00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:34.019 That's what it's talking about here. 00:14:34.019 --> 00:14:35.779 And so God is at work. 00:14:35.779 --> 00:14:36.779 And what is he at work in? 00:14:36.779 --> 00:14:39.279 He's at work in all things, verse 28. 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:49.019 It says, and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. 00:14:49.019 --> 00:14:55.740 Now, when we say God works in all things, we mean all things, all things. 00:14:55.740 --> 00:14:59.100 Let me give you a few stories to illustrate that. 00:14:59.100 --> 00:15:00.860 First one is the story of Joseph. 00:15:00.860 --> 00:15:05.659 So the story of Joseph shows up in Genesis 37 to 50. 00:15:05.659 --> 00:15:12.740 Joseph is the youngest in his family and his father likes him a little bit too much, probably gives him a coat of many colors. 00:15:12.740 --> 00:15:15.580 And Joseph kind of tends to live into that with his brothers. 00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:18.620 In fact, he tells his brothers, hey guys, I had this great dream. 00:15:18.620 --> 00:15:20.100 You all were worshiping me. 00:15:20.100 --> 00:15:27.139 Now, I don't know if you know about family or not, if you've ever had a brother, but if you tell your older brother, hey, you're gonna worship me, that's not gonna go well for you. 00:15:27.139 --> 00:15:30.059 Well, these guys take it to another level. 00:15:30.059 --> 00:15:32.759 They throw him in a pit, they sell him into slavery. 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:34.820 They tell their dad that he's dead. 00:15:34.820 --> 00:15:37.059 Now that's dysfunction 101, right? 00:15:37.059 --> 00:15:40.019 That's just a lot of bad things happening right there. 00:15:40.019 --> 00:15:43.539 So God gets Joseph from that pit into slavery in Egypt. 00:15:43.539 --> 00:15:47.299 He gets to Egypt, he gets to Pharaoh's house, no, Potiphar's house. 00:15:47.299 --> 00:15:54.500 And he gets to the like second in command of Potiphar's house and he's ruling his house and doing all these things for him. 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:59.500 And his wife sees Joseph and makes an advance toward him. 00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:04.220 Well, Joseph runs away and he's like, no, I can't do this to God or to this man. 00:16:04.220 --> 00:16:09.059 And he runs away and she tells a lie that he had made an advance to her. 00:16:09.059 --> 00:16:10.460 Well, Joseph goes to prison. 00:16:10.460 --> 00:16:18.820 And throughout the story, there's this phrase, and the Lord was with him, and the Lord was with him, and the Lord was with him. 00:16:18.820 --> 00:16:23.019 Well, in prison, the Lord was with him and he interprets a dream for a couple of his cellmates. 00:16:23.019 --> 00:16:30.980 And he says, hey, look, when you get to Pharaoh, you tell him I can interpret dreams because I'm not here, I shouldn't be here, okay? 00:16:30.980 --> 00:16:33.799 Well, the guy gets to Pharaoh, he forgets about Joseph for a while. 00:16:33.799 --> 00:16:34.899 And then he remembers. 00:16:34.899 --> 00:16:36.860 Pharaoh has a dream that needs to be interpreted. 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:38.860 He says, oh, I know a guy. 00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:40.100 He goes and finds Joseph. 00:16:40.100 --> 00:16:41.259 He brings him before Pharaoh. 00:16:41.259 --> 00:16:43.240 Joseph interprets his dream for him. 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:45.419 I'm skipping a lot, okay? 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:48.179 Joseph interprets his dream for him. 00:16:48.179 --> 00:16:57.700 And the dream is that there's gonna be seven years of plenty and seven years of famine, and the famine's gonna be so great, nobody's gonna remember the plenty. 00:16:57.700 --> 00:17:01.299 And so Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of getting the kingdom ready for the famine. 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:03.500 Well, he does that and does a great job. 00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:09.380 Well, the famine comes, his family, which is in the region, begins suffering the effects of the famine. 00:17:09.380 --> 00:17:11.799 And so they come to Egypt to get grain. 00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:13.200 Well, they don't notice Joseph. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:14.339 They don't recognize him. 00:17:14.339 --> 00:17:15.279 I mean, why would they? 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:20.779 Why would they expect that they would be talking to this ruler of Egypt and it'd be their brother? 00:17:20.779 --> 00:17:27.339 Well, a few things happen, and finally Joseph reveals himself to them, and he says this to them. 00:17:27.339 --> 00:17:36.140 "Now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here." Now, Joseph is acknowledging that what they did was wrong, right? 00:17:36.140 --> 00:17:40.299 He's just saying, hey, don't worry about it, and here's why. 00:17:40.299 --> 00:17:43.420 "For God sent me before you to preserve life. 00:17:43.420 --> 00:17:57.920 For the famine has been in the land for two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest, and God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:14.640 So it was not you who sent me here, but God sent me here." So Joseph is reasoning that God used the evil intentions of his brothers to get him to a place to preserve the people of God. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:16.500 That's what Joseph is saying. 00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:19.640 Well, years go by and the people of God move to Egypt. 00:18:19.640 --> 00:18:22.180 That's how we get the beginning of Exodus, okay? 00:18:22.180 --> 00:18:28.359 They move to Egypt, and Joseph's father dies, and that's when his brother thinks, okay, here it comes. 00:18:28.359 --> 00:18:30.400 He's gonna take vengeance on us now. 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:34.079 No, he doubles down on what he said. 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:37.019 In Genesis 50, he responds to them, and he says this. 00:18:37.019 --> 00:18:53.920 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today." Notice, you meant evil, God meant good. 00:18:53.920 --> 00:18:58.720 Joseph is saying here, you had evil intent, God had good intent. 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:06.680 What we see is that God is using even the evil intentions of his brothers for the good of God's purposes and God's people. 00:19:06.680 --> 00:19:10.339 It's what we see from Joseph. 00:19:10.339 --> 00:19:13.259 Another story in the Bible, Job. 00:19:13.259 --> 00:19:17.960 So the book of Job's just an amazing story of God's sovereignty over suffering. 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:21.579 Job was known as a man who was blameless and upright. 00:19:21.579 --> 00:19:23.619 He feared God, he turned away from evil. 00:19:23.619 --> 00:19:29.259 Well, one day it says that the evil one came before the presence of God, and God says to Satan, where have you been? 00:19:29.259 --> 00:19:31.740 He says, I've been roaming about to and fro on the earth. 00:19:31.740 --> 00:19:34.519 Well, God says to Satan, have you considered my servant Job? 00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:41.400 Now, I'm imagining one day Job reading the book of Job and seeing that going, excuse me, what? 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:43.279 Like, what, this happened? 00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:45.759 And God's like, yeah, and Job like, well, okay, all right. 00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:48.920 I mean, what's he gonna say at that point, right? 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:52.099 But imagine this moment, God says, have you considered my servant Job? 00:19:52.099 --> 00:19:56.200 And Satan says, well, he trusts you because he has all these things. 00:19:56.200 --> 00:20:06.059 And so then God says, well, you can strike him in these ways, and God gives him the parameters and the permission to strike Job, and he does. 00:20:06.059 --> 00:20:12.700 Satan uses weather, he uses invading armies, and Job loses all of his property and his children. 00:20:12.700 --> 00:20:13.859 It's horrendous. 00:20:13.859 --> 00:20:18.539 And this is how Job responds in chapter one. 00:20:18.539 --> 00:20:22.799 It says, then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground in worship. 00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:26.619 And he said, naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. 00:20:26.619 --> 00:20:29.359 The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:30.559 Blessed be the name of the Lord. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:36.200 Now we have this information Job doesn't have, and we would wanna say, hey, no, no, God didn't do that. 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:38.519 Satan did that, Job. 00:20:38.519 --> 00:20:43.519 But then verse 22 says this, in all this, Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:55.000 And so what we see in the life of Job is that God uses even the evil ones' activity in our lives for his purposes, for God's purposes. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:57.779 So when the Bible says all things, it means all things. 00:20:57.779 --> 00:21:00.480 Finally, in Jesus. 00:21:00.480 --> 00:21:08.599 In Peter's first sermon on the day of Pentecost, we see how the plan of God interfaces with the intent of sinful men. 00:21:08.599 --> 00:21:11.180 Peter's preaching, he says,"'Men of Israel, hear these words. 00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:40.440 "'Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God"'with mighty works and wonders and signs"'that God did through him in your midst,"'as you yourselves know, this Jesus,"'delivered up according to the definite plan"'and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed"'by the hands of lawless men.'" And so what Peter does is he sets these two realities next to one another, the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, and the responsibility of these sinful men. 00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:51.480 And even in the life of Jesus, what we see is that God is using the evil, sinful intentions of people to accomplish his purposes. 00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:59.859 And so when the Bible says all things, it means all things, that God is using everything in your life. 00:21:59.859 --> 00:22:04.980 There is nothing accidental, haphazard, or out of his sovereign rule and reign. 00:22:04.980 --> 00:22:24.440 One writer said it this way,"'If there is one single molecule in this universe"'running around loose, totally free of God's sovereignty,"'then we have no guarantee that a single promise of God"'will ever be fulfilled.'" When we say all things, when the Bible says all things, the Bible means all things. 00:22:24.440 --> 00:22:29.440 Now listen, this is not chaos, this is not impersonal. 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:35.960 This nail-scarred hands of Jesus guide and govern all things. 00:22:35.960 --> 00:22:41.220 Now, I know, I know that creates questions. 00:22:41.220 --> 00:22:43.799 It creates questions about our pain. 00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:46.799 Like, do you mean that God has intention in my pain? 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:48.900 Do you mean that this is part of God's plan for me? 00:22:48.900 --> 00:22:53.079 Like, there are hard questions when we talk about things like that. 00:22:53.079 --> 00:23:01.339 But I would rather deal with the hard questions about a difficult life with a sovereign God than the hard questions about why we would worship a God who is not. 00:23:01.339 --> 00:23:06.480 Why would we worship a God who is kind of trying to figure everything out? 00:23:06.480 --> 00:23:08.200 Why would we worship that being? 00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:11.440 Our God's not that. 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:13.039 Our God rules and reigns. 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:16.039 And the nail-scarred hand governs and guides our lives. 00:23:17.039 --> 00:23:23.039 In his book, The Pleasures of God, John Piper sets kind of two stories side by side. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:25.200 The first one is about the son of one of his deacons. 00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:26.440 He writes this. 00:23:26.440 --> 00:23:30.200 "'The son of one of our former deacons was run over by a motorboat. 00:23:30.200 --> 00:23:37.380 He lived, but his knees were badly damaged and there were superficial nicks on his chest and neck from the propeller. 00:23:37.380 --> 00:23:41.799 When his father testified in a deacon meeting, he said his main comfort and lesson was the sovereignty of God. 00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:46.359 He said this, God has his purposes for the life of my son and for the whole family. 00:23:46.359 --> 00:23:49.900 This will turn out for the good of all of us as we trust in him. 00:23:49.900 --> 00:24:00.099 God could have taken my son with another half inch, but he said to the blade, this far and no farther.'" And we hear a story like that, we're like, praise God. 00:24:00.099 --> 00:24:03.799 He continues with a story about his mother. 00:24:03.799 --> 00:24:07.799 Piper says, "'God does not always stop the blade. 00:24:07.799 --> 00:24:13.359 On December 16th, 1974, he did not save my mother's life. 00:24:13.359 --> 00:24:17.460 She was riding with my father on a touring bus heading toward Bethlehem in Israel. 00:24:17.460 --> 00:24:21.819 A van with lumber tied on the roof, swerved out of its lane and hit the bus head on. 00:24:21.819 --> 00:24:28.900 The lumber came through the windows and killed my mother instantly.'" He writes this, "'what was my comfort in those days? 00:24:28.900 --> 00:24:31.339 There were many. She suffered little. 00:24:31.339 --> 00:24:34.660 I had her for 28 years as the best mother imaginable. 00:24:34.660 --> 00:24:36.680 She had known my wife and one of my children. 00:24:36.680 --> 00:24:38.140 She was now in heaven with Jesus. 00:24:38.140 --> 00:24:43.480 Her life was rich with good deeds and its good effects would last long after she was gone. 00:24:43.480 --> 00:25:01.039 And underneath all these comforts, supporting all my unanswered questions and calming my heart, there was the confidence that God is in control and God is good.'" He says, "'I took no comfort from the prospect that God could not control the flight of a four by four. 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:08.279 For me, there was no consolation and haphazardness nor in giving Satan the upper hand. 00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:18.559 As I knelt by my bed and wept, having received the dreaded phone call from my brother-in-law, I never doubted that God was sovereign over this accident and that God was good. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:22.119 He said, I do not need to explain everything. 00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:26.480 That he reigns and that he loves is enough for now. 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:38.539 Listen, there are people in this church that have been through significant pain, significant loss, significant suffering. 00:25:39.539 --> 00:25:55.619 And in those moments, I would rather deal with the hard questions about a difficult life with a sovereign God than the hard questions about why we will worship a God who is not.'" God is at work in all things. 00:25:55.619 --> 00:26:00.579 And when the Bible says all things, it means all things. 00:26:00.579 --> 00:26:02.900 And these all things have a purpose. 00:26:02.900 --> 00:26:05.579 They make us like Jesus, which is our next point. 00:26:05.579 --> 00:26:07.119 They make us like Jesus. 00:26:07.119 --> 00:26:08.619 Look at verse 28. 00:26:08.619 --> 00:26:14.500 All things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. 00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:15.579 Now, what is his purpose? 00:26:15.579 --> 00:26:17.299 We see that in verse 29. 00:26:17.299 --> 00:26:27.420 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. 00:26:27.420 --> 00:26:37.299 Now, this purpose and the good that all things are working toward is that we, God's people, would be conformed into the image of Jesus. 00:26:37.299 --> 00:26:46.319 We don't yet look like Jesus as we ought, and so God is using all things, joy and pain, pleasure and suffering, all those things. 00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:54.660 God is using all things to conform us to the image of Jesus so that we look more and more like him. 00:26:54.660 --> 00:27:00.539 Now, this work of conforming us to the image of Jesus is this work of sanctification. 00:27:00.539 --> 00:27:03.779 One writer said this about sanctification. 00:27:03.779 --> 00:27:06.660 This is from the book, Lies Christians Believe. 00:27:06.660 --> 00:27:08.359 This is by Rosaria Butterfield. 00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:09.619 It's an excellent book. 00:27:09.619 --> 00:27:11.220 I would encourage you to read it. 00:27:11.220 --> 00:27:26.460 In it, she talks about sanctification and how God worked to take her from being a non-Christian lesbian woman to a woman who followed Christ, got married and had children, and is now a grandmother who lives in Durham, okay? 00:27:26.460 --> 00:27:29.099 She writes this about sanctification. 00:27:29.099 --> 00:27:54.619 "'Sanctification is the work of God's free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die to sin and live to righteousness.'" And so God is using all things so that we are renewed after the image of God and are enabled more and more to die to sin and to live to righteousness, which means we look more and more like Jesus. 00:27:54.619 --> 00:27:56.299 So God is using all of this. 00:27:56.299 --> 00:28:00.940 He's using everything in our lives to make us more and more like him. 00:28:00.940 --> 00:28:04.059 Now, we cooperate with him in some way, okay? 00:28:04.059 --> 00:28:07.299 God's using all, and this is the mystery of sanctification to me. 00:28:07.299 --> 00:28:12.299 God is using all things to do it, and then we cooperate with him. 00:28:12.299 --> 00:28:18.700 She continues,"'Sanctification does not mean that I'm a passive recipient of grace, no true believer is. 00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:33.539 Sanctification is a gift of God's grace, but only when we participate in our own sanctification are we renewed in the image of God.'" And so in some mysterious way, God is working all things, and we are participating with him in this. 00:28:33.539 --> 00:28:45.019 Our time with Jesus in his word and prayer, our time trusting him through joy and pain, our obedience to Jesus when we want to and when we don't, our submitting our lives to the will and way of Jesus. 00:28:45.019 --> 00:28:54.420 God is at work in all things, and us submitting ourselves to Jesus participates with him and are being made more and more like Jesus. 00:28:54.420 --> 00:28:55.339 I have a little dog. 00:28:55.339 --> 00:28:56.539 She's not little anymore. 00:28:56.539 --> 00:28:57.619 She's about 60 pounds. 00:28:57.619 --> 00:29:02.619 She's a golden lab, a yellow lab, and she is all energy all the time, okay? 00:29:02.619 --> 00:29:06.980 And we put a little collar on her to send her out in the yard so she can do her business. 00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:14.660 And when I'm trying to put that collar on her, sometimes she sits still, and most of the time she does not, right? 00:29:14.660 --> 00:29:17.819 And so I'll sit, and she's doing her thing. 00:29:17.819 --> 00:29:19.539 I'm like, sit. 00:29:19.539 --> 00:29:23.700 And when she sits, I can easily put the collar on and she can go out and do her business. 00:29:24.859 --> 00:29:31.619 Part of our work of sanctification is to sit and let God do his work in us. 00:29:31.619 --> 00:29:34.299 That analogy breaks down so quickly, doesn't it? 00:29:34.299 --> 00:29:35.859 So quickly, but it's the best I got. 00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:37.859 All right, fourth thing. 00:29:37.859 --> 00:29:43.180 Not only are we made like Jesus, God is using all things to make us like Jesus. 00:29:43.180 --> 00:29:46.500 One day we will be with Jesus, which is what verse 30 gets to. 00:29:46.500 --> 00:29:49.500 We're gonna talk about glorification later in this series. 00:29:49.500 --> 00:29:52.539 I'm really excited about that sermon because I love the thought of it. 00:29:52.539 --> 00:30:00.140 Verse 30, those whom he predestined, he also called, and those whom he called, he also justified, and those whom he justified, he also glorified. 00:30:00.140 --> 00:30:06.400 Paul is using past tense here, not because the action happened in the past, but because the action is certain. 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:10.980 There is a certainty about verse 30. 00:30:10.980 --> 00:30:16.859 And those whom he predestined are gonna be called, those who are called are gonna be justified, those who are justified are gonna be glorified. 00:30:16.859 --> 00:30:23.359 There is a certainty about what's happening, and one day we will be with Jesus. 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:24.940 Because Jesus has saved us. 00:30:24.940 --> 00:30:41.059 Last weekend in Columbia, Cheryl was speaking at a women's conference on suffering, actually, and I was in the back sitting next to Mart Larson, and she was preaching, and she talked about, one day we're gonna see Jesus, and everybody erupt with an amen. 00:30:41.059 --> 00:30:44.980 And Mark starts elbowing me, hey, she got an amen, pressure's on. 00:30:44.980 --> 00:30:47.460 Like, when you're preaching, you gotta get at least one amen. 00:30:47.460 --> 00:30:51.740 And then she got another one, and so then Mark starts kind of tallying, like, how are we gonna do this? 00:30:51.740 --> 00:30:54.799 And we're having a laugh in the back, and all those things. 00:30:54.799 --> 00:31:03.640 And the next night, I was teaching through the book of Titus, and talked about how we are waiting on the blessed appearing of our Savior, and I got an amen, okay? 00:31:03.640 --> 00:31:05.839 Believe it or not, I got an amen. 00:31:05.839 --> 00:31:06.880 Thank you for laughing. 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:10.119 The eight o'clock was like, yeah, I don't know why you did that, I don't know. 00:31:10.119 --> 00:31:15.000 So I get an amen, and we're talking after, and kind of, you know, laughing it up about that whole thing. 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.000 And I said, hey, did you guys notice, like, what they amened? 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:25.140 Like, of all the good doctrine we affirm, did you notice what they amened? 00:31:25.140 --> 00:31:27.680 I said, they amened that we're gonna be with Him. 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:34.220 Not something we get in this life, but that we're gonna be with Jesus. 00:31:34.220 --> 00:31:39.259 We're being made like Jesus, and we're gonna be with Jesus. 00:31:39.259 --> 00:31:42.900 And we'll talk about that more later in this series. 00:31:42.900 --> 00:31:47.900 So God is working all things to make us like Jesus. 00:31:48.539 --> 00:31:54.640 The nail-scarred hand is guiding and governing all of our lives so that we will be like Him. 00:31:54.640 --> 00:31:57.240 And so my question for you today is simply this. 00:31:57.240 --> 00:31:59.220 Do you know this? 00:31:59.220 --> 00:32:09.200 Not, not do you know this, not do you intellectually ascribe to this, but do you know this? 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:34.759 So that in your darkest moment, in your most significant loss at the graveside, in the hospital room, when you get that phone call you never want to receive, do you know, do you know deep in your gut that the nail-scarred hand guides and governs your life? 00:32:34.759 --> 00:32:43.119 And that the nail-scarred hand is using everything, all things, all things, so that you'll be more like Jesus. 00:32:43.119 --> 00:32:46.160 Do you know this? 00:32:46.160 --> 00:32:48.279 Do you know this today? 00:32:48.279 --> 00:32:51.380 Because we live in a world with a lot of all things. 00:32:51.380 --> 00:32:56.380 We live in a world of pain, hurt, disappointment, death. 00:32:56.380 --> 00:32:59.680 We live in a world of all things. 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:04.640 And so we need something better than, well, I guess everything works out for a reason. 00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:07.579 We need something better than that. 00:33:07.579 --> 00:33:11.380 And as believers in Christ, we have something better. 00:33:11.380 --> 00:33:14.680 We don't just guess, we know. 00:33:15.559 --> 00:33:19.559 We know that God is at work in all things. 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:23.299 We know there is nothing wasted. 00:33:23.299 --> 00:33:26.200 We know that there is a point to our pain. 00:33:26.200 --> 00:33:28.680 We know there is a purpose to our problems. 00:33:28.680 --> 00:33:30.339 We know this. 00:33:30.339 --> 00:33:32.880 So do you know this? 00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:42.920 So that when those things come, because they're gonna, so when they come, you can say, we know, we know. 00:33:42.920 --> 00:33:44.920 God's at work in all this. 00:33:44.920 --> 00:33:47.759 The nail scarred hand is guiding and governing my life. 00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:49.420 I don't have to be afraid. 00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:51.000 I don't have to worry. 00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:52.640 I don't have to be anxious. 00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:54.880 I don't have to fret or fear. 00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:57.359 Because we know, we know. 00:33:57.359 --> 00:34:02.299 So follower of Jesus, do you know? 00:34:02.299 --> 00:34:05.200 Do you know this? 00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:07.279 Do you know that life is not random? 00:34:07.279 --> 00:34:09.619 That pain is not accidental? 00:34:09.619 --> 00:34:13.039 Do you know that God is at work? 00:34:14.139 --> 00:34:15.199 And do you trust him? 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:25.039 Long time ago, Cheryl was, when she was little, living in Texas with her parents, they were riding home in the midst of a big Texas thunderstorm. 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:29.820 If you know anything about Texas, you know that everything's bigger and better in Texas, right, including thunderstorms. 00:34:29.820 --> 00:34:30.659 They are massive. 00:34:30.659 --> 00:34:38.639 I was there one time, and there was hail coming down, baseball-size hail, huge, massive, Texas-size hail coming down out of this thunderstorm. 00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:42.360 Well, this was one of those kind of thunderstorms they were riding home in. 00:34:42.360 --> 00:34:46.539 And Cheryl's mom looked back at Cheryl in the back seat and said, hey, sweetie, are you scared? 00:34:46.539 --> 00:34:49.460 And she said, no, daddy's driving. 00:34:49.460 --> 00:34:50.420 It's gonna be okay. 00:34:50.420 --> 00:34:56.739 That's the kind of childlike faith that says we know. 00:34:56.739 --> 00:35:06.179 Like in the midst of hurt, pain, difficulty, suffering, in the midst of all that, we know, we know. 00:35:06.179 --> 00:35:10.099 That for those who love God, all things work together for good. 00:35:10.099 --> 00:35:18.300 For those who are called according to his purpose, for those he prorogued, he predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn of many brothers. 00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:22.280 We know this so we can endure this. 00:35:22.280 --> 00:35:27.219 We know this is true so we can endure what comes. 00:35:27.219 --> 00:35:36.500 And my prayer for us is that we would not know this, but that we would know this deep in our gut as we follow him. 00:35:36.500 --> 00:35:37.320 Let's pray together. 00:35:37.320 --> 00:35:41.000 Father, thank you for your goodness to us, your love for us. 00:35:41.000 --> 00:35:43.059 Lord Jesus, thank you. 00:35:43.059 --> 00:35:48.460 Thank you that you hold all things together and that you work all things for our good. 00:35:48.460 --> 00:35:54.260 That there is nothing in our life that you are not working in to make us more and more like you. 00:35:54.260 --> 00:36:05.940 And Lord, one day we'll be with you and we'll be like you, and we eagerly await that day, but between now and then, we want to honor you with our lives and be shaped by you so that we are made more like you. 00:36:05.940 --> 00:36:08.500 So would you work in us? 00:36:08.500 --> 00:36:11.119 Lord, thank you that you are working all around us. 00:36:11.119 --> 00:36:24.699 Would you help us as we submit ourselves to that work, as we place ourselves in your hands, as we surrender ourselves to your work and trust you to do what you have promised will happen? 00:36:24.699 --> 00:36:26.840 Help us, Lord. 00:36:26.840 --> 00:36:29.000 Help us, Lord, in these things. 00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:39.619 And Lord, from our friends who do not yet love you, from our friends who have not yet trusted Christ as their Lord and Savior, Lord, would you work today? 00:36:39.619 --> 00:36:44.519 Would you make today the day you have predestined them to be saved? 00:36:44.519 --> 00:36:49.480 Would you make today the day that you call them from death to life? 00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:53.500 Would you make today the day that they are justified forever? 00:36:53.500 --> 00:36:56.019 Would you do that? 00:36:56.019 --> 00:37:01.019 Call people from death to life today by your sovereign hand. 00:37:01.019 --> 00:37:03.519 And in your name, we pray these things. 00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:05.659 In the name of Christ, amen.