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Northwest Church of Christ 3904 38th Street NW Canton, Ohio 44718 330-492-5523 Fax: 330-493-7119 |
“All We Really Need to Know” |
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I. Introduction.
A. It must be admitted, there are some things that are hard, if
not wholly impossible, to understand. As great a creation
as the human mind still cannot comprehend something so
vast as the love of God. A love without limits; a love that
even loves the unlovely; a love that is not altered by
rejection or the animosity of the ones loved.1. From the cradle to the cross, we struggle to begin to
understand such a sacrificial nature, such a humble
nature, such a compassionate nature – from an
Almighty God.2. How do we respond to that kind of sacrifice, that
kind of compassion, that kind of love? How do we
react to knowing that the God of the universe would
choose to die for us rather than live without us?3. How can we explain the incomprehensible?
B. If you’re the apostle Paul, you don’t try. You make no
statements. You offer no explanations. What you do –
what Paul does in Romans 8 – is to ask a few questions.
Five questions to be exact.C. Paul’s response to God’s grace is a quintet of questions –
questions designed not to provide answers, but to inspire
awe and amazement.1. These questions are not new to people. They’re
questions we may have asked. They often come in
the midst of problems and pain.2. While the questions are not new, possibly we can
put a different perspective on the understanding
that the questions are intended to bring.D. The questions involve protection, provision, guilt, grace,
and endurance.II. The Five Questions.
A. The first of the questions is found in Romans 8:31: “. . . If
God is for us, who can be against us?”1. Look, first, at what this question is not. It’s not just
“Who, or what, can be against us?” That we can
answer: disease, calamities, fears, doubts, enemies,
the list goes on.2. We can list our foes much more easily than we can
fight them. But, the question is not the foes and the
fears – it’s “If God is for us, who . . .”3. Take that first phrase and repeat it four times, each
time emphasizing a different word:a. GOD is for us.
b. God IS for us.
c. God is FOR us.
d. God is for US.
4. In regard to the first emphasis, we may be forgotten
by people, we may be neglected by people, we may
be an embarrassment to some people, but there is
one who will not forget, nor neglect, nor be
ashamed of us, and He is always within reach of our
prayers.5. Then God IS for us – not that He may be, or has
been; not was, or would be – He IS for us. Today,
now. No need to wait until tomorrow; no need to
feel you can be any closer to God then than you
can today. His love won’t increase if we are better,
nor lessen if we are worse. God IS for us, always.6. God is FOR us – He encourages us, He strengthens
us, He wants the best for us and for us to succeed.
Are we emotionally drained, or physically weak?
That’s all right, God will carry us. Are we too
discouraged to struggle anymore? No problem,
God will pick us up. Like no one else, He is FOR
us.7. And His love is personalized and specific – He is
for US. God tells us: “See, I have inscribed you on
the palms of My hands; . . .” (Isaiah 49:16). In the
verse just before this, we read: “Can a woman
forget her nursing child, and not have compassion
on the son of her womb?” (Isaiah 49:15). Can we
imagine a mother who could so forget, or neglect,
an infant child? God says “I cannot forget nor
neglect my children, either.”8. If God is all these things, then what force can
stand against us? Death cannot harm us; disease
cannot rob us of life; our purpose cannot be taken
from us, nor our value diminish. No one can defeat
us, if we seek the protection of God.B. The second question is of provision: (Re-Read verse 32).
1. (Illust.) Suppose a man comes upon a child being
beaten by thugs. He dashes into the mob, rescues
the boy, and carries him to a hospital. The
youngster is nursed to health. The man pays for the
child’s treatment. He learns that the child is an
orphan and adopts him as his own and gives the boy
his name. And then, one night, months later, the
father hears the son sobbing into his pillow. He
goes to him and asks about the tears.
“I’m worried, Daddy. I’m worried about
tomorrow. Where will I get food to eat? How am
I going to buy clothes to stay warm? And where
will I sleep?”
“The father is rightfully troubled, “Haven’t
I shown you? Don’t you understand? I risked my
life to save you. I gave my money to treat you.
You wear my name. I’ve called you my son.
Would I do all that and then not meet your needs?”2. So, Paul asks the question: “Would the One who
gave His Son for us not meet our needs?”3. Yet, we still worry. Did God give His Son so that
we could still fret about everything? Would His
Son be nailed to the cross for our sins and then
disregard our prayers?4. Is the Bible wrong when it says: “. . . He shall give
His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your
ways?” (Psalm 91:11).5. No, God provides for us, just as He protects us.
C. Then, there’s a question of guilt: (Re-Read verses 33-34).
1. (Illust.) A youngster was shooting rocks with a
slingshot. He could never hit his target. As he
returned to Grandma’s backyard, he spied her pet
duck. On impulse he took aim and let fly. The
stone hit, and the duck was dead. The boy panicked
and hid the bird in the woodpile, only to look up
and see his sister watching.
After lunch that day, Grandma told Sally to
help with the dishes. Sally responded, “Johnny told
me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t
you Johnny?” And she whispered to him,
“Remember the duck!” So, Johnny did the dishes.
What choice did he have? For the next
several weeks he was at the sink often. Sometimes
for his duty, sometimes for his sin. “Remember the
duck,” Sally’d whisper when he objected.
He became so weary of the chore, he
decided that any punishment would be better than
washing more dishes, so he confessed to killing the
duck. “I know, Johnny,” his grandma said, giving
him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw
the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you.
I wondered how long you would let Sally make a
slave out of you.”
He’d already been pardoned, but he thought
he was still condemned. Why? He had listened to
the words of his accuser.”2. We, too, have an accuser. He’s constantly filing
charges against us: immorality, greed, anger,
arrogance – he notices every error and marks down
every mistake.3. Neglect our priorities, abandon our promises, he
makes a note of these.4. Try to forget the past, he reminds us of it. Try to
make amends, he puts blocks before us. The Bible
identifies our accuser: “. . . the accuser of [the]
brethren, . . . accused them before our God day and
night, . . .” (Revelation 12:10). Satan accuses us to
God.5. He rails: “This one you call your child, God. He is
not worthy. Greed lingers within. When he speaks,
he thinks often of himself. He’ll go days without an
honest prayer. Why, even this morning he chose to
sleep rather than spend time with you. I accuse him
of laziness, egotism, worry, distrust . . .”
As he speaks, you hang your head. You
have no defense. His charges are fair. “I plead
guilty,” you mumble.
“The sentence?” Satan asks.
“The wages of sin is death,” explains the
judge, “but in this case the death has already
occurred. For this one died with Christ.”6. Satan is silenced by the question of grace, question
number four. (“. . . It is Christ who died, and
furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right
hand of God, who makes intercession for us.”).7. Isaiah 50:7-8 (READ).
8. Once the judge has released us, we need no longer
fear the accuser.D. Then, one last question: “Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ?. . .” (Romans 8:35).1. This question concludes all we really need to know.
How long will God’s love endure? What can I do
that would cause God to stop loving me? How far
can I drift? How long can I wait? How much can
I sin?2. Not bound by time, not limited in His vision, God
knows and sees all.3. To show the limitless nature of His love, He left
a throne to be born in a stable. He took off His
kingly robe to put on suffering. He laid aside His
scepter to accept nails in His hands – what could
ever separate us from such sacrifice, such
compassion, such love?4. Can anything come between such a God and me?
Here’s all we really need to know: (Re-Read
Romans 8:38-39).III. Conclusion.
A. We cannot explain it. We cannot really understand it. We
need not. We only need to accept it.B. God, what in the world are You doing? No, it’s God, what
are You doing in the world?