WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:05.519 We are wrapping up a series today called Can anyone guess the name of the series if you're new? 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:07.440 How did you guys guess that, right? 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:08.560 Child of God. 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:10.560 We're wrapping up a series called Child of God. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:14.240 We've been exploring this amazing section of Romans chapter 8. 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:20.239 And if you're new to the whole Jesus thing, if you're new to the whole church thing, like Romans chapter 8 probably doesn't sound super exciting. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:21.120 I get that. 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:28.239 But if you are someone who's followed Jesus for a while and you're somewhat familiar with Scripture, you know that Romans chapter 8, it's a big deal. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:37.920 This section of Scripture might be as powerful, as transformative, as impactful as any single section that we have in the entirety of the Bible. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:46.240 In fact, I believe that the words written in Romans chapter 8 are some of the most revolutionary ideas that mankind has ever been given. 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:48.399 And I'm not being hyperbolic. 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:53.039 Romans chapter 8 tells us some really important and crazy things. 00:00:53.200 --> 00:01:02.640 It tells us that the God of the universe, the God who created everything, the higher power that human beings at our core are designed to recognize. 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:05.760 That higher power loves us. 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:08.480 That higher power is for us. 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:19.280 That God wants us to know him by name, and that God loves us so much that he actually wants to adopt us as his very own children and share everything that he has with us. 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:24.239 That he gives to us everything. 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:34.000 Now, if you just do a little bit of research and you study the history of humanity and how humanity has perceived God, you will realize that that is a revolutionary idea. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:42.480 It might be an idea that because of where we're standing in history, because of our church culture, you're very familiar with, and you're like, yeah, God loves us, we're his kids, that's great. 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:50.959 But if you study human history and look at the way that cultures throughout history have perceived God or, depending on the culture, the gods. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:56.799 God or the gods are generally hostile to people. 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:05.680 At the very best, they they tolerate and endure people, but they would be just as happy to wipe people off the face of the earth. 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:08.719 I'm serious, study any culture. 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:16.800 Study ancient Egypt and what they viewed of the gods, study the Romans, study the Greeks, and you find that there's no concept of a God who loves you. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:21.280 Now there's a concept of a God who demands of you. 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:25.280 There's the concept of a God who must be appeased. 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:32.000 But there simply is no concept of a God who sees you, who knows you, who loves you. 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:36.479 Jesus is the one who introduced us to that idea. 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:39.680 And honestly, the Old Testament has a lot of that as well. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:40.560 It wasn't a new thing. 00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:45.120 God spoke his love over people all the time, but we as people get it all mixed up and turned upside down. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:53.439 So even though God had showed his hand and his love for us, we're really good at turning love into religion. 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:56.960 And so Jesus had to come and set the record straight once and for all. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:01.680 God is for us, he loves us, and we can be his children. 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:07.919 So we've been exploring this for the last few weeks, and every single week we've kind of unpacked a piece of it, and it's been a lot. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:19.039 There's been a lot to chew on, there's been a lot to savor, and my hope has been that every week we're able to leave here and have something to just process and enjoy for the entire week. 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:21.120 But today we're gonna look at all of it. 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:26.240 Today is not an appetizer, today's not even like a main course, today is a feast. 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:31.840 We're gonna look at all that this is saying about who we are and who God is and what God believes and thinks about us. 00:03:31.919 --> 00:03:34.639 And the idea today is that you have something to feast on. 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:45.039 And this is so incredible, this is so amazing, this should be something that you cannot get over, this should be something that you can't be done with in a few hours when it comes to how you process it, what it means for your life. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:52.560 The goal today is for us just to feast on how good our God is to us. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:59.360 So, with that said, we're gonna open up Romans chapter 8, and we're gonna go all the way from verses 15 through verse 29. 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.599 This is the entire section that we've been studying. 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:02.560 So let's read this together. 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:06.240 And I'm reading this off the mobile app, by the way, if you have it, you can follow along. 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:10.479 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:14.479 Instead, you received God's spirit when he adopted you as his own children. 00:04:14.639 --> 00:04:16.800 Now we call him Abba Father. 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:24.319 For his spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children, and since we are his children, we are his heirs. 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:28.720 In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God's glory. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:33.360 But if we're to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:43.360 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory that he'll reveal to us later, for all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:47.680 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:55.040 But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 00:04:55.279 --> 00:05:17.120 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to this present time, and we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering, we too wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:20.160 We were given this hope when we were saved. 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:23.040 If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. 00:05:23.199 --> 00:05:27.680 But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. 00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:30.000 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:42.399 For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words, and the Father, who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:49.759 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:57.759 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his son, so that his son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:00.959 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. 00:06:01.439 --> 00:06:08.319 And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself, and having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.759 That's that's a lot to feast on. 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:13.759 There's a lot there. 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:18.480 And so far we've we've gone all the way up to verse 29. 00:06:19.439 --> 00:06:21.519 We went actually through verse 30. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:25.600 And so, what I want us to do is I want us to just unpack this a little bit to understand this. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:31.680 Because there's a lot that's being communicated, but we we've got to experience all of it so that when we get to the end, it's all wrapped up. 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:35.360 We understand it all, we can experience all that's supposed to come from this, okay? 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:37.680 So a few key ideas that we've gone through. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:40.319 Um, you've been adopted, congratulations. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:42.560 You've been adopted into the family of God. 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:46.000 God has adopted you, and that means he's not stuck with you. 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:48.240 I'm stuck with my children, you know? 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:50.480 And there's like nervous laughter when I say that. 00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:51.839 I love my kids so much. 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:54.000 I love, I mean, if you have kids, you know this. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:54.879 You love your children. 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:59.759 But if you have the ability to go back in time and like edit a few things, you totally would. 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:01.199 And don't act like you wouldn't. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:06.720 Don't be like, oh no, I love, yeah, of course you love them as they are, but you wouldn't want one of your kids to be like a little bit smarter. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:07.920 You know? 00:07:08.399 --> 00:07:09.680 Just a little bit? 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:14.319 Or like like video games a little less if you could do that? 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:15.120 Anything? 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:15.600 No? 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:16.240 Okay. 00:07:17.439 --> 00:07:24.079 Here's the reality: uh, God has adopted us, He's chosen us, He's not stuck with us, He didn't have to do it. 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:31.279 But He looked at us, He loved us, and He said, I want to pay the price that it takes for them to be in the family. 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:34.079 Adoption is expensive today, it's always been expensive. 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:38.000 The cost for our adoption was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:41.920 That makes us the most expensive adoptees that have ever existed. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:44.720 And he didn't do that ignorant about who we are. 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:46.079 We talk about this all the time. 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:48.399 A lot of times, as people, we love because we're ignorant. 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:50.079 We love people because we don't know much about them. 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:54.319 That's why it's so much easier to fall in love than it is to stay in love. 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:55.120 Right? 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:57.680 Like you fall in love with people when you know very little about them. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:07:59.360 Someone said amen to that, and I love that. 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:03.519 We can all that was an amen of experience. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:04.639 That was an amen. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:05.680 I've been there. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:07.519 Right? 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:12.000 You fall in love with someone because you know very little, you know only what they want you to know. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.879 And then when you learn who they really are, right? 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:17.920 It's you gotta work to stay in love. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:19.680 Okay? 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:22.000 God is ignorant of nothing. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:26.160 There is nothing about you that he does not know. 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:33.840 And when he chose to adopt you as his son or his daughter, he did it knowing all your stuff, all your struggles, all your issues. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:44.720 He was ignorant of none of it, and he looked at you, knowing everything about you, knowing even the things about you that you don't even know, and said, I want them, I choose them, I will pay the highest price possible for them. 00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:46.000 That's amazing. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:46.960 That's incredible. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:48.240 You've been adopted. 00:08:48.480 --> 00:08:49.679 But it goes on. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:53.519 It says, Not only have we been adopted, but we are now heirs. 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:55.600 We've been adopted by somebody pretty important. 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:03.759 You know, I made the joke the very first Sunday that if you happen to be, let's say, the son of the president, you could get away with just about anything. 00:09:03.919 --> 00:09:08.000 And everybody laughed, thinking I was making a joke about like Hunter Biden. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:10.320 And uh, and I was. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:12.159 Okay? 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:15.679 And it wasn't, look, it wasn't a political statement. 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:16.879 It's just true. 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:18.000 It's just true. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:27.840 If you're the child of a president or a king, if you look at like the history of all of the important people with authority on the earth, their kids can get away with just about anything. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:35.919 Now, yes, there's more scrutiny, and yes, there's more attention when they make mistakes, but they they tend to walk from those pretty consistently. 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:38.559 Because their parents are somewhat important. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:40.320 Is anyone more important than God? 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:41.039 No. 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:43.919 The answer, if you're wondering, like, well, no, the answer is no. 00:09:44.159 --> 00:09:44.480 Okay? 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:46.639 Because God is the king of everything. 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:52.559 That's why it's so interesting if you study the temptation of Jesus right after he's baptized, he goes out into the wilderness, he gets tempted. 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:59.120 And one of the final temptations is Satan shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the earth, and he says, If you worship me, all this is yours. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:03.759 And it was such a silly temptation because all of that already is his, and then some. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:08.480 For Jesus to accept authority over all the earth would have been a downgrade for Jesus. 00:10:08.639 --> 00:10:11.120 Because he has authority over all creation. 00:10:13.039 --> 00:10:15.919 Our God is important, our God is the king. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:18.559 And if we belong to him, we are heirs. 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:20.080 We have something to inherit. 00:10:20.159 --> 00:10:20.960 What do we inherit? 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:21.840 Well, a few things. 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:22.799 We inherit suffering. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:23.919 It said that. 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:30.559 And look, when you're in a family, you inherit some of the downsides of being part of that family, right? 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:43.840 And one of the downsides of being a follower of Jesus, belonging to this family, is that there are people who will discredit you, assume things about you, and sometimes even oppose and hate you because you belong to Jesus and for no other reason. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:45.360 But Jesus told us it would be this way. 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:47.440 John 15, 18 through 21. 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:50.559 If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:54.720 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:56.480 It's important for us to remember, Jesus followers. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:57.759 We don't belong to this world. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:10:59.759 But you are no longer part of the world. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:02.480 I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:03.840 Do you remember what I told you? 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:05.759 A slave is not greater than the master. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.559 Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:10.720 And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. 00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:14.799 They do all this because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:19.919 So, yes, following Jesus doesn't mean smooth sailing all the time. 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:26.240 Following Jesus does not mean that everything goes the way that we would like it to go and that everyone loves us and accepts us. 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:27.519 There is suffering. 00:11:28.080 --> 00:11:36.799 But Romans said, yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed to us later. 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:38.799 And that brings us to our next word, and this is a big one. 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:40.000 This is a good one. 00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:41.200 Glory. 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:45.120 What do you really inherit when you're an heir of God? 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:46.159 You inherit glory. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:56.159 Now, this is a word that we don't really use in the same way that the people who would have been familiar with this word in Jesus' day, they understood it differently than us. 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:00.240 It's a word that we just don't use in our current vernacular that often. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:04.559 And when we do, we use it to describe things that aren't really glorious. 00:12:05.919 --> 00:12:13.360 The ancient Hebrew, the word for glory that we see translated so often in Scripture, it's a word that it literally means weight. 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:15.039 It means heavy. 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:22.960 And it has the idea that there is some there's something so powerful, something so weighty, something that has so much gravity that it cannot be ignored. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:28.559 You can't be in its presence and not realize that you are in the presence of something amazing. 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:30.399 It can't be ignored. 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:34.960 And we we see little glimpses of that on the earth, but nothing that can compare to God's glory. 00:12:35.039 --> 00:12:46.639 Like, have you ever been around someone who is someone that everyone believes is important, someone that everyone just assumes and recognizes this person is very important and they have weight, they have gravity around them. 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:49.679 I had an experience with that just a few months ago. 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:55.200 Um, about two months ago, Shaquille O'Neal was here at our church, which is a pretty cool thing. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:13:01.279 Uh and so if you're not familiar, Shaquille O'Neal was a basketball player, the number one draft pick in the 1992 draft. 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:04.080 Uh and uh very who put a bulls picture? 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:06.000 Shaquille O'Neal was never on the bulls. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:07.519 That's a joke. 00:13:07.840 --> 00:13:09.279 He was not on the bulls. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:11.840 Our tech guy doesn't know basketball. 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:12.960 He got he got duped. 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:14.480 No, he wasn't on the bulls. 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:16.720 Uh, but man had he been. 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:18.399 Uh it wouldn't have even been fair. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:27.360 So, Shaquille O'Neal, big guy, seven foot one, played at 325 pounds during his career. 00:13:27.519 --> 00:13:28.240 And he was here. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:32.000 By the way, that picture is right in our front lobby, the one that you see right there on the left. 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:35.759 That's not a child he's standing next to, that's a fully grown man on the left. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:36.240 Okay? 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:37.759 Fully grown man. 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:40.159 The guy on the right, also huge. 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:43.440 That guy's like 6'7, and Shaq towers over him. 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:45.919 He had to duck to get in and out of our doors. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:47.120 It was pretty cool. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:54.879 Um and my son, you know, just being a massive basketball fan, when he found out Shaq was gonna be here, he's like, I gotta meet him, I gotta like get him to sign a card. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:14:00.000 And so Liam brought one of his Shaquille O'Neal cards, and that's Shaq signing Liam's card. 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:02.399 That necklace cost more than my house. 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:04.080 I promise you that. 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:08.240 But you know, Shaq being around him, like it's it's weighty. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:10.960 Number one, he's huge, like literal weight. 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:13.519 He weighs 320 something pounds. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:14.559 That's that's a lot. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:18.879 But it wasn't just him, it wasn't just his persona, his bigness. 00:14:18.960 --> 00:14:20.159 It was like his entourage. 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:22.000 There were all these people around him. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:27.679 There were people there to protect him, to be a barrier between him and people that he didn't want to talk to. 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:29.200 And so there was all this commotion. 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:31.440 Everywhere that he went, there was there were things happening. 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:33.039 It's glory, it's weight. 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:36.799 You know, Shaq couldn't just walk from here to there without people noticing. 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:40.159 But that's nothing compared to the glory of God. 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:43.600 There's there's moments in scripture where we get glimpses into heaven. 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:54.720 We get these little glimpses into like the throne room, and every single time you want to talk about attention, about gravity, about weight, about not being able to ignore the power that someone has. 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:58.639 Listen to what to what the angels say when they're in the presence of God. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:00.879 Keep in mind, these are not human beings, these are heavenly beings. 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:04.879 These are beings that if we were around them, we would fall down thinking something bad had happened to us. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:08.559 Like in the Bible, anytime an angel shows up, people just fall down and think they're dead. 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:11.600 And so, what do those beings do when they're in the presence of God? 00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:12.639 They worship him. 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:23.679 And so, for example, Revelation chapter 4, verse 8, they're just constantly saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come. 00:15:23.840 --> 00:15:33.120 Revelation 4, 11, you are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and they exist because you created what you pleased. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:41.519 Revelation 5, 13 says, Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:43.279 That's the glory of God. 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.039 There's nothing in this world that compares to it. 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:51.279 It's heavy, it's weighty, there's gravity, it's undeniable. 00:15:51.360 --> 00:16:02.159 And what's crazy is that because you are an heir, because you've been adopted by God, he's gonna share that glory, that glory that belongs to God the Father, to Jesus the Son, that glory will be shared with you. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:04.320 You are set to inherit that. 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:07.360 And I don't even know how to process that, I don't even know how to imagine that. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:10.000 I just know that that's unbelievable. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:16.159 That's who you are, that's what you're set to inherit because you're a child of God. 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.840 And this gives us something that we all need on a day-to-day basis. 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:21.679 It gives us tremendous hope. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.600 We read that in Romans 8. 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:25.360 We we look forward to this with hope. 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:28.000 Even if we're suffering now, we look forward with hope. 00:16:28.240 --> 00:16:30.159 And look, children are really good at hope, right? 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:31.440 We talked about this a few weeks ago. 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:33.840 Children are really good at looking forward to things. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:37.039 There's no 10-year-old who believes their best days are behind them. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:38.480 Can't find that. 00:16:38.720 --> 00:16:43.120 Children have this natural ability to just know that there's good stuff ahead of me. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:50.480 They dream, they have so much ambition for the future because they have a natural hope that says the best is yet to come. 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:56.639 And the older we get, the easier it is for us to get tricked into believing that the opposite is true, that the best is behind us. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:05.440 Look, if we really understood what God is offering us, there should be no 90-year-old Christian who believes the best is behind them. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:08.640 Your glory days are not behind you. 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:12.640 Your glory days are to come because of the glory that you're set to inherit. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:15.200 So we should live with tremendous hope. 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:17.279 Because we're the children of God. 00:17:18.319 --> 00:17:20.000 Now, hope is great. 00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:23.119 Kids are really good at hoping, but you know what kids are not good at? 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:24.240 They're not good at waiting. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:27.119 Kids are terrible at waiting, they're awful. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:32.960 It's like there's no such thing as a child who's naturally patient, and if there is, they're not one of mine. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:35.200 Um, like, kids aren't good at waiting. 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:36.559 And so, what do we do in the meantime? 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:44.319 What do we do in this time between what Jesus did for us and what he won for us and our our waiting to experience it in its fullness? 00:17:44.400 --> 00:17:46.079 That's what we talked about last week. 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:48.240 What do we do in the in the meantime? 00:17:48.559 --> 00:17:50.880 Because the meantime, it's not that fun. 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:55.279 I mean, think back to when you were a kid and how much you had to wait for stuff. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:59.039 Like, how long does Christmas seem to a child in July? 00:17:59.279 --> 00:17:59.839 You know? 00:18:00.160 --> 00:18:04.880 If my kid comes to me and he's like, Dad, I want something big, and I'm like, oh, put it on your Christmas list. 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:06.079 They're like, Christmas? 00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:08.000 That's never even gonna get here. 00:18:08.160 --> 00:18:10.079 Like in their mind, what in the world? 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:10.640 Christmas? 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:13.200 I'm like, it's just like five months away, six months away, just wait. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:14.880 And that's impossible. 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:17.119 But you know what? 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:38.160 We find ourselves in the monotony, in the struggle of the day-to-day, and all these different areas of our life, it's relationships, maybe it's our physical health, maybe it's our finances, it's it's our careers, you name it, and we're dealing with all the all the hard parts of life, and it can just feel like an eternity. 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:40.160 What do we do in the meantime? 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:45.599 And the answer is we well, we wait, but we wait and we grow. 00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:52.640 Children have to grow, they have to develop, they have to mature before they're ready to step into what they're meant for. 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:54.480 And the same's true for us. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:57.440 Now, the good news is we have help. 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:01.680 As we read just a few minutes ago, Romans chapter 8 says the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:03.279 The Holy Spirit helps in the meantime. 00:19:03.599 --> 00:19:06.079 Now, the challenge is are we helpable? 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:11.839 Because sometimes it's not easy to be someone who is helpable. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:16.240 You can you can try to help someone who doesn't want to receive help, it doesn't tend to go well. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.880 As a dad, I have this conversation a lot. 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:25.119 Because I try to help my kids, I try to instruct them, I try to help them grow, but they don't always receive what I'm what I'm offering. 00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:28.000 It's frustrating. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:35.519 And I hate to use another sports analogy because I just did the whole thing with Shaq, but uh it's really Shaq's fault for being here. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:37.200 So this is what I have. 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:43.359 You know, I I was saying to this to one of my kids the other day, I said, hey, look, when we have conversations, I feel like I'm playing a game of tennis. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:47.839 Every time I I give you something, you hit it right back. 00:19:48.160 --> 00:19:49.599 And it's exhausting. 00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:53.440 And it's unnecessary because I'm not against you, I'm not your opponent. 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:57.200 You know, when you play tennis, the person across the net, they're not on your team. 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:00.640 And so I keep I keep telling you things, and and you keep hitting it right back. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:06.640 And we just do this back and forth, and I you don't enjoy it, I don't enjoy it, but I will win. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:09.119 Right. 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:11.119 So stop. 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:15.440 I said, in reality, we're on the same team. 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:16.480 It should be more like football. 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:19.359 If I throw you something, you should receive it and then run with it. 00:20:19.839 --> 00:20:22.720 Run with it, see what happens, see where you go. 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:28.000 You know, guys, we we tend to play a lot of tennis with God in the meantime. 00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:29.359 I see it all the time. 00:20:29.440 --> 00:20:30.640 And I experience it in my own life. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:37.119 I've I've lost a lot of tennis matches to God, and I should have just surrendered at the get-go and said, let's not do this game. 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:40.240 But I do, and so do all of us. 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:48.319 And I see it constantly as a pastor where people are fighting with God, God's calling them to do something, and they just keep figuring out reasons to hit it back. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:49.920 I see it with baptism. 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:55.839 The number of people I have heard tell me that they have, they know they should be baptized, they've given their life to Jesus, they're just there waiting. 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:57.839 Something's just, I'm like, what are you waiting for? 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:00.319 The only requirement for baptism is belief. 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:02.880 It's not a finish line, it's a starting point. 00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:08.240 And and yet people are like, I know, but I'm just, and they go back and forth, and that doesn't tend to end well. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:12.559 It tends to lead to a lot of discouragement and exhaustion, and it's all unnecessary. 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:14.720 I see it happen with people in finances. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:22.240 Finances are one of the hardest parts of our lives to sort of surrender to God, which is really funny because like honestly, how many of us are good with finances? 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:23.359 Pretty much none of us. 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:25.759 Like, we're like, no, I'm pretty good, and then we're like, well, are you? 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:26.480 Ah, not really. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:31.119 Uh and yet it's like a one thing that we're like, no, God, I can't trust you with this because I'm so good at it. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:38.960 Uh but I see people do that, and God's calling them, hey, be generous, and and I want you to use what I've given you for other people, not just for yourself. 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:42.160 And they're like, yeah, but but and they play tennis and it doesn't work. 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:44.240 Or maybe it's a specific part of obedience. 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:53.839 God's calling you to do something, he's helping push you into something really good, but you struggle with it, and it's like there's all this pushback, and God's okay with pushback for a while. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:57.599 Look at the story of Moses when God speaks to Moses from the burning bush. 00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:59.519 Moses plays tennis with God for a little while. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:02.559 But you just don't win that match. 00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:06.240 And it's unnecessary because God's not your opponent. 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:07.680 He's for you. 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:15.279 So what if instead of providing it, what if you just received it and took the help that the Holy Spirit is giving you as you're growing and maturing and ran with it? 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:18.960 Then you would see what God really has for you. 00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:20.960 So in this meantime, we've got to grow. 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:22.880 We've got to be helpable. 00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:26.880 We've got to receive the help that the Holy Spirit's given us, even when that help is hard. 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:30.799 Because look, at the end of the day, guys, it's all for our gain anyway. 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:32.079 Romans 8, 28. 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:41.680 It says we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:43.440 What does everything entail? 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:45.039 All the things. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:52.880 Because he's on your team, because he's for you. 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:53.279 Why? 00:22:53.359 --> 00:22:54.720 You're his child. 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:57.119 You're his child. 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:02.079 Now all of this wraps up in worship team. 00:23:02.160 --> 00:23:08.480 If you guys want to make your way out, all of this wraps up with this unbelievable realization that this is not a nice sentiment. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:10.240 This is not a sweet thought. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:11.359 This is not a metaphor. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:15.759 This is not something that's intended to make you think, yeah, I know God loves me like a father. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:17.200 No, he loves you as a father. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:20.000 You're not like the son or the daughter of God. 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:21.759 You are the son or the daughter of God. 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:24.720 And this may be impossible to fully grasp as human beings. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:26.480 It might be impossible to fully appreciate. 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:27.680 I think it is in some ways. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:32.799 But this is a feast that we are meant to savor. 00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:34.720 This is a feast that we're meant to enjoy. 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:37.839 This is something that is meant to lift our spirits every moment of the day. 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:42.319 No matter what is happening, no matter what you're going through, this is meant to lift you up. 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:52.880 In fact, at the very end of this section, we're looking at if you can put into words just how incredible this is, I think this does a good job. 00:23:53.119 --> 00:23:54.880 Romans 8, 29 through 30. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:23:58.400 It says, For God knew his people in advance. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.440 He knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his son. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:09.680 So that his son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters, and having chosen them, he called them to come to him. 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:13.920 And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself, and given them right standing. 00:24:14.480 --> 00:24:15.759 He gave them his glory. 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:24.000 Like honestly, think about this. 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:28.559 It says He knew you in advance. 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:30.400 I don't know when you met God. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:35.920 I don't know when you first became introduced to God, but I can tell you when he became introduced to you. 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:37.680 Ephesians chapter 1, verse 4. 00:24:37.920 --> 00:24:47.599 It says, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:55.039 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself. 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:24.160 You created my inmost being. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:26.480 You knit me together in my mother's womb. 00:25:27.440 --> 00:25:30.480 And I praise you because I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:31.680 Your works are wonderful. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:33.039 I know that full well. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:34.880 My frame was not hidden from you. 00:25:35.039 --> 00:25:41.279 When I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:47.200 All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:51.200 God has known you well in advance. 00:25:52.319 --> 00:25:53.359 It was powerful. 00:25:54.960 --> 00:25:56.960 Hey Joshua, would you bring some music up? 00:25:57.039 --> 00:25:59.279 Because I think this is kind of a worshipful moment. 00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:06.720 This is not just meant for us to think about intellectually, this is meant for us to be able to have a worshipful spirit about. 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:09.039 This is awe-inspiring. 00:26:09.119 --> 00:26:10.880 This is meant to make our jaws drop. 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:15.119 And so, Arthur, if you want to play, Joshua, just bring Arthur up if you don't mind. 00:26:15.440 --> 00:26:16.319 Thank you. 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:21.440 He knew you in advance. 00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:25.519 He knew you were gonna drop that Lord's Supper Cup. 00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:26.559 He knew it. 00:26:26.799 --> 00:26:29.440