Thoughts Of Some Guy In Ohio
Thoughts Of Some Guy In Ohio
Hope and Assurance in Uncertain Times
Life can sometimes feel like an unpredictable rollercoaster, and this past week was a true test of faith, starting with a joyful Super Bowl Sunday that quickly turned into chaos. From waking up sick to a hospital visit triggered by my son Griffin's sudden seizure, my week was marked by trials that clashed with the biblical wisdom of Matthew 6:34. As each new challenge emerged, I found myself wrestling with the tension between faith and the unpredictable nature of life, striving to see the beauty of God's care even amidst the turmoil.
The chaos didn't stop there. It continued with illness spreading through our home, a flat tire, and dealing with my own health complications. This episode takes you through the whirlwind of balancing family life under such conditions, yet finding solace in the transformative power of grace highlighted in Romans chapter 8. By exploring the deeper message Paul had for the divided church in Rome, we emphasize the essence of faith over adherence to the law, drawing insights into how grace can help overcome life's hurdles.
Finally, we touch on a cornerstone of Christian belief: the perspective on death. Reflecting on the joy found in funerals for believers, as opposed to non-believers, helps us grasp the profound hope and assurance that faith in Christ brings. With references to Romans 8, I delve into the promise of eternal glory that outweighs present sufferings, and the comforting knowledge that God's Spirit is always interceding for us. Encouraging a life that visibly preaches the gospel through actions, this episode seeks to inspire a faithful journey in the face of life's uncertainties, embodying hope and love as a testament to the world around us.
You know, I'll be honest, this week has been incredibly difficult. One of the hardest things in the world sometimes is when you preach a passage of Scripture and then you kind of see it lived out, right, and we preach the good ones about how God blesses us and our storehouse is overflowing, and then we're like, yes, give us that one, like we want to experience that. And then we preach passages like Matthew 6, 34, where it says don't worry about tomorrow. And right now we're going through some really important, therefore, statements in Scripture, and the one we talked about last week you know there's actually two in Scripture and the one we talked about last week. There's actually two. But towards the end of Matthew 6, jesus says don't worry about tomorrow, for today has enough worries of its own. And the reason Jesus says that in the context is he's saying listen, don't worry about what you need, I'll take care of it. Don't worry about your money. Don't worry about what you wear, what you eat, don't worry about what you wear, what you eat, don't worry Day to day, because day to day I have you and I'm in control. So Sunday night we're watching the Super Bowl and Sunday night I'm in an incredible place, right, my team is dominated. It's a good win. I'm enjoying it. I'm eating way more food than I need to be, as what happens with every Super Bowl party I've ever been to, so then I am going great.
Speaker 1:So I wake up Monday morning and I feel like junk. Whatever this sickness is that is going around, I am over it. It's been in my house since November. It went away for a little while and then it came back all of a sudden. I don't know why. It feels like it needs to revisit. It doesn't? We've already had you right. So Monday morning I wake up, I'm not feeling really good, so I stay home and I've got miles and things are just kind of chugging along like normal. And I'm going to preface this next statement by telling you that everyone in my family is fine.
Speaker 1:But Monday afternoon I get a call from the school and Griffin has had a seizure. My middle boy had a seizure in school. Now he has febrile seizures. If you don't know what those are, I had them when I was a kid. They're hereditary and I had them until I was probably eight years old, and so a febrile seizure is caused when there's a sudden spike in temperature. For a kid it's kind of like a hard reset for your body. It protects itself, so what that does is the body shuts down. We've experienced a couple of these. The school has not.
Speaker 1:So I get a call Monday afternoon and my kid is being picked up by the squad. They're thinking about life flighting him. So I I don't think I ever drove so fast from my house to the school. If there's any cops out there I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure I broke every speed limit from here to there and whatever stop sign, every stop sign I saw became a yield sign, because all I could think about is my six-year-old and once again, he's been in this before, but he's in the back of a squad. He's not doing well, so we end up in the hospital almost all day Monday, listen, that's a really hard fall to come off a sunday. Everything's seemingly going well, so he recovers and he's doing all right that.
Speaker 1:One of the blessings of the way it works out is he has no recollection of what happened, which is good for him, horrible for us. No, no recollection. So Tuesday he's up and running and he's being crazy and he's exactly who Griffin is supposed to be. By the way, I say this and I mean this jokingly and I'm not trying to make light of the situation. The only time Griffin doesn't talk is after something like that. And if you ever met my kid, like the way we know he's better is, the conversations just start rolling out of him Because he had questions about what was going on right, and so he's just back to his normal self and he's talking. And then all of a sudden Miles gets sick on Tuesday. And you're like come on, man. So Miles gets sick on Tuesday.
Speaker 1:In the back of my mind I thinking, listen, god, I know that I just preached on not to worry about anything because day to day, every night, like everything, has its own problems, but I really don't need every day right now to have its own set of problems. So tuesday, griffin's recovering miles gets sick. So wednesday morning I go to the hospital because I'm on medication for some stuff that I'm dealing with and I have to go in for an iv infusion. I've never had a problem my entire life giving blood or ivs. I blow four veins. I felt like a pincushion Wednesday Awful, by the way. So now my kids are sick, my arms hurt, I'm miserable. There's some side effects to the medicine that I just started, so I'm not feeling very good. So it's Wednesday and all I can think of is God. Please, I don't need every day to have a problem. I get it. I understand the Scripture, I teach it. I understand the scripture, I teach it.
Speaker 1:So Thursday afternoon Danny was going to go pick up Miles from school. She blows a tire on the van and I'm like you've got to be kidding me. She calls me and she's like I just blew a tire and I'm like okay. And she's like what do I do? I'm like just wait's. Like what do I do? I'm like just wait. Like wait there, right. So I go pick up my kids and all right, I go swap out cars with her and she goes home and I wait for the tow truck a really nice guy, by the way, out of Burgettstown, you know, we had a good conversation so I get to Walmart and get the tire replaced and everything is somewhat back to normal.
Speaker 1:I get home and Danny's not feeling well and listen, I don't know about you, but when mom gets sick, the whole house just shuts. Like I consider myself a pretty good dad, but when mom's sick, I'm like I don't know what to do with this. I've got sick kids and a sick wife. She's like I need to lay down and I'm like, yes, you do, but can you leave the door open in case we need something? Because, listen, I love my kids but I will never do stuff as good as mom doesn't. I can't even pour milk correctly. Laugh, but I am about as serious as I can be. That's the wrong cup, like I don't, it's a cup you know. So she's sick.
Speaker 1:So, rolling to Friday, things are calming down, everyone's kind of recovering. Valentine's Day is out the window, man, we're even celebrating. We've accepted that going to bed at nine o'clock is going to be the greatest Valentine's gift ever, accepted that going to bed at 9 o'clock is going to be the greatest Valentine's gift ever. So everyone's kind of calmed down. Friday night, putting Miles to bed and out of nowhere projectile vomiting all over me and I'm like I can't do this anymore. But I laugh about it now.
Speaker 1:But I'm telling you in the moment, I moment I was like god, I don't know what you want me to do or what I'm trying to figure out, but like this whole, like every day has enough, I get it. Every day has enough problems of its own and, like I said, I was sitting there friday night and all I could think about is I can't wait to get to church on sunday, because in this moment I need to be reminded of how good God is. Because here's the thing my life and your life is always going to have problems. It's inevitable. We were talking about this with Everett yesterday and we were trying to explain to him that, buddy, as good as life is, there's always going to be challenges. You and I don't get to escape that no-transcript.
Speaker 1:There was people this morning that you know, somebody had some issues in your house with water, that that that's life and like, but but the reminder and the reason why I think it's so important we go and we're going to talk about that and we'll get there. But, like when jesus says, don't worry about tomorrow, it's because he knows something that you and I fail to realize oftentimes is that every day is a gift, but every day also comes with its challenges. Don't allow what's happening today to get in the way of tomorrow. And not only that, but Jesus says rely on me. Therefore, don't worry about tomorrow, because every day has enough of its own problems we talked about last week. He said trust me, trust that God is with you.
Speaker 1:You know, one of the greatest things about being a Christian is the realization that everything I walk through, that I've never been alone. When I got sick on Monday, god was there. When Griffin had his seizure, god was there. When Danny blew the tire in her car, god was there. When I got thrown up on on Friday, god was there. When my wife was sick on Thursday, I really needed God to be there. But that's the beauty, that's the reminder of what you and I get to live with, is the realization that every day, through, no matter the trials, no matter the tribulation, no matter the fears, everything we have, we can rely on God to be there.
Speaker 1:So this week, as we go into Romans, chapter 8, we're going to be looking at. So Romans is probably one of Paul's greatest letters. It's one of the greatest gospel presentations that he gives in letter form. So we're going to be in Romans, chapter 8, and we're actually going to read through the entirety of it. I was only going to do a chunk of it, but, to be honest, I think we need it and I think we need to be reminded today exactly who we belong to and exactly what has been offered to us.
Speaker 1:So Romans, the book of Romans is written to a church in Rome that is, at this point in time, is somewhat divided. So there's some Gentiles who are part of this church. There's some Jews who are part of this church. They're still trying to practice Judaism. So at some point there's a conflict among this church because the Gentiles are trying to live in the way that God is calling them to live, in the way that Paul has called them to live by grace, and the Jews are still kind of stuck in the way that Paul has called them to live by grace. And the Jews are still kind of stuck in the law and they're still convinced that if they just hold to their practices, if they continue to do the respect the eating requirements, if they continue to respect circumcision, that these are the things that save them. And it's become a problem, so much that the Jewish part of this church is telling the Gentiles they're speaking to the men of this church and they're saying grown men, you have to be circumcised. And all the men on the Gentile side are like what? And they're saying but in order to fulfill the law.
Speaker 1:And so Paul, the first seven chapters. He's like listen, you misunderstand the message of the gospel, the law that you have been given has revealed what sin is to you. The only reason that you and I understand that we need grace is because the law has been broken. The law brings light to the sin that exists in the world we live in, but Paul wants to make sure that they understand. Do not misunderstand the law is not what saves you. Adherence to the law is not what saves you. I'll go one step further being a good, moral person is not what saves you. And so the Jewish part of this church is trying to make an argument, and Paul says you're missing the point of the gospel. He's saying I need you to understand that the only thing that saves you, the only thing that has saved you, is Christ, that the one who came into the world, who lived in the flesh, who not only lived but lived a perfect, sinless life. And then he went to the cross, he died, he was buried and he was resurrected.
Speaker 1:Paul talks about this in Romans, chapter 6. He says listen, the same way that you were baptized into the death of Jesus, you also will experience the life of Jesus. He reminds them that your baptism, that you experience, is a reminder that you were buried with Christ and raised to life because of Jesus. That is the answer to the question you seek. It's not the laws, it's not the rules. It only has to do with whether or not you understand what it is to be in Christ. And so Romans, chapter 8, that's where Paul lands, that's where he starts this conversation.
Speaker 1:So, chapter 8, verse 1, listen, if you are someone who believes in Jesus, who has committed your life to Christ, who has made a decision to follow him, this chapter is for you. For those who have not made that decision, this chapter is what God has for you, this is his purpose and his intent for your life. Starting in verse 1, therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because, through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, god did by sending His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
Speaker 1:Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to god. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of flesh, but are in the realm of the Spirit. If indeed the Spirit of God lives in you, and if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then, even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. In the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. Who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of a Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation but it's not to the flesh to live according to it, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if, by the Spirit, you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again. Rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship, and by Him we cry Abba, wow. Now, if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his suffering in order that we may also share in his glory. Wow, wow.
Speaker 1:Paul, in this 17 verses, is saying for those of you who are in Christ, you need to understand that the flesh no longer controls you. There are so many people who are Christians, who have given their life to Jesus, and they walk around like they're dead. They walk around defeated, they walk around broken. They walk around, but they don't have the Spirit of God in them. And Paul is saying if you are in Christ, there is no longer condemnation for you. The sins of this world do not control you. Your mind is not focused on the things of the flesh, they're focused on the things of the Spirit. You are born again. You are a son and daughter of the Most High. You share in the same revelation and the same hope. Everything that is Jesus now belongs to us In Christ. Death has been defeated. Death has been defeated. This is one of the greatest passages, in my opinion, in all of Scripture, because Paul is saying if you are in Jesus, you have everything. The world is second to you, the things that you used to struggle with, the things that people think about you they don't matter. The past mistakes that you've made, the things of your flesh you're not slaves to those anymore. You've been set free. You have been adopted into the family of God Church.
Speaker 1:Why don't we live like that more? Why do we walk around sometimes and as Christians we look like the most unhappiest people in the world? We're so grumpy. I don't think I'm wrong. Sometimes I come to church and from where I stand I look at people and they're just like praise God, praise God. From whom? All? I'm like what are we doing? Why do we act like we're scared to show emotion? I mean, I saw more emotion on Sunday night a football game than I see some most people that ever come foot in a church and listen, I realized that this is probably my fault too, because I'm like a very logical person. My wife will tell you that I'm not like an overly emotional person I used to be. I used to be when I was in my 20s and someone made fun of me so much for it that I like shut down and became like this, like stoic.
Speaker 1:I want to be a man who sits on a mountain and says nothing, but everyone learns from me, right, like like we just we come to church, we talk about God and we're like oh yeah, jesus, jesus saved me, saved me from my sin. It's really cool. I mean, I love Jesus and and and Paul's saying we have everything at our disposal. We no longer have condemnation, we no longer are slaves to the things we struggle with in our flesh. We have a changed mind, a new spirit. The Spirit of God is in us. We cry out Abba, father, to the One who has saved us.
Speaker 1:And when we talk about Jesus with people, we act like we're talking about our taxes, like, oh, I've got to file my taxes. I've seen people approach their taxes with the same energy they've approached God with and I'm like I don't think those things are the same. One of them brings me stress. I will never understand taxes. I don't know why the government just can't tell me how much money I owe them or they owe me. Why do I have to do it? But then, when I talk about my relations with God, I should be on top of amounts, and even through my valleys. Listen.
Speaker 1:Monday was rough, but I remembered that God still had control of my child. I remembered that death and sickness and illness are not meant for me, even if I experienced them. That's not what God intended for this world. When that tire blew on my van, I had to remind myself that the God who provides in the Scripture is the God who provides for me too, that my money might be limited, but His resources are unlimited. I have to remind myself and I think that this is such a fitting connection, because as we walk through life and challenges come, when we come back to the words of Paul, we remind ourselves that we are still walking in the Spirit of God, we are still walking in the power of God, we still have the Spirit in us. And at the end of my life, even if all this fades away, even when I meet death, my life will go on.
Speaker 1:Death does not scare me as Christians. It shouldn't. One of the craziest things in the world is when, if you've ever been to someone who has a funeral who's a believer, the the funeral of a believer is incredibly different than someone who's not. Because there's a celebration, because why we miss them. We understand that they just stepped into glory. We understand that all the problems they have and all the suffering they have no longer exist for them. We you and I in Christ, don't experience condemnation. We don't experience the same hopelessness that the world does, even in all of its trials and all of its tribulations.
Speaker 1:I remember when I was younger in my faith, like overly, like energetic people bother me Like I'm just throwing that out there and that's part of my personality problem and I'm aware of that. So, like people who are like really giddy and uppity, I'm like I don't want to talk to you, like just you're nice but like like you're making me anxious because no one should be that happy, right, like ever. But that's the way it used to be. I'm not. I'm sorry. I don't mean that personally. Don't take it personally. My personality is very like you know, I have three kids that are nuts. I think God was like here, try this out right so. But I remember thinking to myself when I was younger.
Speaker 1:Part of having faith was, like I said, I wanted to be like that stoic person that was kind of calm and collective, and so that's how I approached life. And so when I would come across someone who had been through some life experiences and the joy that they carried with them, my initial response when I was early on in my faith was that that joy they had was fake, because no one should have that much joy, no one should be walking through turmoil and somehow smiling about it. And the older I've gotten, the more I've experienced, the deeper I've gotten my relationship with God, the more I realize joy is part of the plan. I can walk through darkness and still feel good about it. That doesn't make me a hypocrite, that just makes me a realist, because at the end of my life, my faith, everything about me, is held together by everything Jesus has done. It's not about me. I didn't do this. I could not make it in this world without God, and I don't understand how people do, because having faith and knowing that God not only loves me but that he died for me, carries me from day to day.
Speaker 1:So when I read passages that say don't worry about tomorrow, god reminds me of why I don't need to worry about it. Paul reminds me in these passages. He should remind us that you and I don't have to worry about the same things because we have God in Christ. Don't have to worry about the same things Because we have God in Christ. That's what he says. Romans 8, verses 18,.
Speaker 1:Paul continues he says I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. Paul says I consider that our present sufferings is not even worth comparing with what's coming next, for the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and the glory of the children of God. The creation that you and I enjoy is waiting for the day that it finally gets restored to its intention, paul says in verse 22,.
Speaker 1:We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption, the sonship, the redemption of our bodies. I don't know about you, but as much as I love this life and I love my family, I cannot wait to the day that I step into God's presence that I long for, for in this hope we are saved. But the hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us through wordless groans, and he who searches our hearts knows the minds of the Spirit. Because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.
Speaker 1:Romans 8.28. If you ever wrote down a passage, this is it. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose, for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called. Those he called, he also justified. Those he justified, he also glorified.
Speaker 1:And then Paul finishes Romans chapter 8, with this. He asks a question. He says what, then, shall we say in response to these things? Then he asks another question If God is for us, then who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all? How will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against them? Who God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who, then, is the one who condemns? No one.
Speaker 1:Christ Jesus, who died more than that, who was raised to life, is the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble? Verse 37 says no. In all of these things we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us, for I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Speaker 1:As someone who is in Christ if you are walking around defeated, you're not paying attention, are walking around defeated, you're not paying attention. You and I have something the rest of the world doesn't the knowledge and the belief that at the end of this life it's it's not over for me. There are so many things in this life that are going to get us down Day to day. Life happens, man. It's unavoidable. But in Christ we are overcomers. In Christ we can face each day like it's new. In Christ, there's no condemnation. In Christ, we're not slaves to our flesh. In Christ, in Christ, in Christ, if you have Jesus, you have everything you need to be exactly what he wants you to be. So let's worship Him like that. Let's worship like people, with abandon. Let's worship like people who have gained everything through the sacrifice of his son. Let's tell the world about this hope that we have and tell them how desperately they need it. Let's live in such a way that they look at us and they realize they really do need it, a way that they look at us and they realize they really do need it.
Speaker 1:The quote's been accredited to St Francis of Assisi, but there's evidence that proves that it's probably not him who said it. But I'm going to quote him because that's as of now it's the last person. But I'm going to quote him because that's as of now it's the last person. But he was credited one time with saying he's talking about sharing the gospel. He's talking to a group of people. He's talking about that, if you should share the gospel in such a way that you should be able to do without speaking a word that's a paraphrase. But he's talking about living in such a way that you should be able to spread the gospel message even if you never open your mouth.
Speaker 1:So I've always understood that my whole life is that I should live in such a way. The spirit of God should be so evident in me that if people even if I can't tell people about Jesus, they should look at me and be like well, there's something different about that guy. Preach the gospel, he says, and use words if necessary. I knew my brain would get there eventually. I had to circle back around. There was nothing worse than wanting to say a quote and then you're like I forget the quote. But preach the gospel and, if necessary, use words.
Speaker 1:We should live in such a way that the world is hungry for what we have. They should see something in the body of believers that makes them stop and think man, I need that in my life. It doesn't mean it's going to be perfect. It doesn't mean that we're always going to handle things the best way. You and I don't get to skip the bad stuff of this life. I wish that could happen, but we don't. We still live in the same broken world, but in Christ. In Christ, we have hope that the rest of the world knows nothing about church. If there's ever a time to get excited about your faith, it's now. With all the chaos that exists and everything going on in the world and all the fear and all the doubt, you and I have something that's not only eternal, but it's going to reassure those who believe in it that, no matter what comes in their life, if they are in Christ they have everything they need. That is something we should never stay quiet about. That's right.