Romans 8:31-34

00 Gathering

How do we face the worst?

How do we face the worst that life can throw at us?

I don't know what the worst is for you, but I'll bet you can fill in the blank.

What's the greatest disappointment you faced?

What's the greatest disappointment you fear?

The fact is that we might get into a competition and try to compare.

Well, my worst might be worse than your worst.

Your worst might be worse than my worst.

But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter, does it?

Because it's your worst in that moment when it happens to you.

When your hopes and your hearts are invested in something,

when they are dashed and broken,

when they are broken,

they cause us to ask questions about God.

Jerry Sitzer writes in his book,

A Grace Disguised,

a book he wrote after the loss of several family members in a terrible car crash.

He said,

My loss made God seem terrifying and inscrutable.

For a long time I saw his sovereignty as a towering cliff in winter, icy, cold, and windswept.

I stood in my misery at the base of this cliff and looked up at its forbidding, unscalable wall.

I felt overwhelmed, intimidated, and crushed by its hugeness.

It loomed over me, completely oblivious to my presence and pain.

It defied climbing.

It mocked my pusiness.

I yelled at God to acknowledge my suffering and to take responsibility for it.

But all I heard was the lonely echo of my own voice.

Maybe you've been there.

Maybe you're there today.

But our worst suffering, our worst disappointment,

is only a part of what could be the worst in our own lives.

Because there's also our worst failure.

When we do the thing we said we would never do.

Maybe something comes to your mind when I see this.

If anyone ever knew that I did that.

The thing you promised you'd never do again.

And you did.

The act of violence or selfishness that destroyed the ones that you loved.

The things that decent people are disgusted by.

That you have done.

Our greatest failures are our David moments.

You remember King David in 2 Samuel 11 and 12.

He looked upon a woman.

He took what was not his.

He schemed to cover it up.

When he couldn't work out his first scheme,

he worked out a worse one.

That killed a man.

And even after that,

he continued to sit in his throne in self-righteousness.

And proclaim with outrage

how terrible it was that other people would do such terrible things.

And it was only until the prophet Nathan looked at him and said,

you are the man.

That David's worst failure came to light.

And we'd like to think we're not like that.

And we wouldn't get there.

But the Bible says otherwise.

The Bible says that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

The Bible says that there is no one righteous.

Not one.

The Bible tells us that we are all capable of our worst failure and sin.

Maybe these moments have not happened to you yet.

Maybe you feel like so far in life you've kind of skated by.

I'd love to tell you, good for you.

That'll be great.

Hope that continues.

But instead, I can only warn you,

the day will come.

The day will come when you will see these things.

And they will test you to the core of your being.

Some of you are sitting there and you are nodding

because you've already seen it.

Although you never know,

there may be another one yet to come.

But you've already seen what feels like your worst.

Your worst trial.

Your worst suffering.

Your worst failure.

Where do you turn?

How do you face it?

How will you walk through these worst of times?

Well, this is what brings us to our passage this morning in Romans.

We're in Romans chapter 8 in your pew Bible.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

It's page 944.

We're looking today at Romans 8, 31 through 34.

I'm going to read it in context.

So that you can get a flow of the thought.

I'm actually going to read it starting all the way back in verse 18.

So if you want to start with me there, you can.

We're going to read and pray and then look at this passage together.

The Apostle Paul will help us think through how we face these worst moments in our lives.

Let's read together.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

For the creation was subjected to futility not willingly but because of him who subjected it.

In hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

And not only the creation but we ourselves.

We who have the first fruits of the Spirit groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved.

Now hope that is seen is not hope for who hopes for what he sees.

But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

For we do not know what we ought to pray for as we ought.

But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good.

For those who are called according to his purpose.

For those 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.

For those whom he predestined, he also called.

And those whom he called, he also justified.

And those whom he justified, he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, 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 with him graciously give us all things?

Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?

It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn?

Christ Jesus is the one who died.

More than that, who was raised?

Who is at the right hand of God?

Who indeed is interceding for us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long.

We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors.

Through him who loved us.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.

Will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

Let's pray together.

Lord, we thank you for this word and we thank you for this morning that we have a chance to think on you and what a savior you are.

God, I pray this morning that you would help us to wrestle with these texts.

Lord, I pray for your spirit to apply them to our hearts.

Lord, I pray that we might be encouraged as we meditate on what you have done for us.

We pray these things in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So as we look at verses 31 through 34, this is the final section, the climactic section of this tremendous chapter,

which is the final chapter in this tremendous section in the first half of Romans,

whereby God has laid out in careful detail and argumentation all that God has done for us

in working salvation for us in Christ.

We've seen in chapter 8 this great argument.

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

Because in Christ, God has done what we could not do to satisfy the law.

And he's given us the spirit so that we might actually be able to fulfill the law.

And he's given us the spirit so we might actually live a new life, not according to our old paths of living in sin,

but our new paths.

And the spirit reminds us that we now have this new spirit of life.

Because Christ has been raised from the dead, and the spirit of Christ who has been raised from the dead is now ours.

And not only do we have this new life, but we have this new place as an adopted child of God,

where he brings us.

Not only does he raise us from the dead and call us right before him,

but he brings us into his family.

He calls us ours.

And knowing that, he says, now we can face even the greatest sufferings of life with hope.

Because we know that even the creation itself was subjected to futility, to corruption, to judgment,

so that it might also, with us who are joined with Christ, be redeemed and brought into a place of glory.

And we know that at the center of this glory is that we will be saved from our sin,

and we will be renewed in the image of Christ.

We will be conformed to who he is and his perfect humanity and sinlessness one day.

And as we take up that glory, we reflect his glory, and we enjoy his glory.

And it will be a beautiful thing, a beautiful place, and a beautiful world,

where God will perfectly reign, and we will worship him.

This is, in some ways, the argument of Romans 8.

And it brings us then to this.

What shall we say to these things, Paul says?

How do we respond to all these great things that God has done for us?

And then what we see in the thrust of these few verses in 31 through 34 is that no matter what,

we are secure in the work of Christ for us.

No matter what sufferings we face, no matter how great our sin and our failures are,

the work of Christ is enough for us.

And that's what we're going to look at.

We're going to look at those things in order.

So verses 31 and 32, in light of our suffering and hardship,

we are secure in the work of Christ.

Look at it with me again.

Paul begins this.

This section has five rhetorical questions in 31 through 39.

We're going to answer the first four today.

And Nick's going to get to finish with the last one in verse 35 next week.

His rhetorical question is,

what then shall we say to these things?

If God is for us, who can be against us?

And if you know anything about rhetorical questions,

the answer should be obvious.

Who can be against us?

And what's the answer?

Nobody.

Nobody can be against us.

And you sit there, and I sit here, and we say,

really?

Really, Paul?

Nothing can be against us.

It's one of those places where what the Bible tells us

seems to be so jarringly out of step with our experience of life

that it's almost shocking.

I know because I've walked with many of you

through your circumstances of life.

I know what is against you.

I've seen when to have and to hold from this day forward

till death do us part

seems like an empty at best and cruel at worst promise.

I've seen some of you walk through singleness

for longer than you would want to,

hearing too many times,

it's not you, it's me,

but being left alone with your longing and your desire.

I've seen you come into the office and say,

I lost my section eight.

I don't have a place to stay.

I don't know where to go.

I've seen you as you have tried again and again

to have that baby you most wanted and failed and struggled.

God, why wouldn't you give me this?

I've seen you submit your papers

and your applications for your jobs

as you're finishing your PhDs

and to find the silence be resounding

or to find that all the work that your lab has done

for the last four years

hasn't really produced any results

or the other lab produced their paper first.

I've seen some of you hear the words,

I'm sorry, there's nothing more we can do.

All of these circumstances seem to say

that God is not for us.

All of these life challenges seem to say to us

that God cannot be for us.

I think of one of my high school friends.

Married, had a family.

After they had a couple of biological kids,

they felt led to adopt.

They'd been to Haiti.

They'd seen the orphans left alone

after the great earthquake.

They said, we want to be a part of God adopting

and loving those kids.

They signed up, had a kid assigned to them.

They knew there were a few developmental delays,

but that was pretty typical

of kids who had suffered that trauma.

When they brought him home,

they realized that his trauma

was much deeper than that.

He's never spoken.

His emotional thermostat

is completely unpredictable.

He has fragile X.

He has autism.

He has a number of other things.

How's God for us

when we signed up to love a child

and to help them,

and we get this,

this child whom we seek to love,

but who is a terror in our household?

It's so hard, isn't it?

It's so hard when you face these things,

and it causes us to question God.

God cannot be for us, it seems,

if these things are true.

Paul knows that these are the things

that we think,

and so he leads us in verse 32

to the second rhetorical question,

which is an answer for us.

Look with me again, verse 32.

He who did not spare his own son

but gave him up for us all,

how will he not also with him

graciously give us all things?

Friends, this is the reality

of how we face hard circumstances

and the worst that life can throw at you.

It has to do with where you look.

Because what Paul says is,

in the face of that,

you must look at Jesus.

You must look at what God has done for us

in him.

The cross is the place

where we see something

that we may not know

in other places in our lives,

but where we see it so securely.

Look with me and walk through this,

the language that Paul uses here.

What did God do?

First of all, he did not spare his son.

What parent would choose

to willingly subject his or her child

to suffering,

and yet God gave up his own son,

not only in the incarnation,

as he became human

and took on human frailty,

but also in the crucifixion,

where he was treated abominably,

unjustly, abusively, painfully.

God, greater than Abraham,

as he offered up his son Isaac on the altar,

did not spare his son.

He did not just spare his son,

but he spared his,

do you see the language,

his own son.

There is only one like this.

For God, it was deeply personal.

God gave up his greatest treasure

of his own son

in that sense for us.

And it is not just for some of us,

but it is,

in this language,

it is for us all.

All who are in Christ,

God gave his son up for us.

None of us in Christ

can say,

yeah, God did that for others,

but not for me.

God, who did not spare his own son,

but gave him up for us all,

how will he not also with him

graciously give us all things?

God will graciously give us with him.

Do you see that?

What God gives us first and foremost

is his son.

But he doesn't just give us his son.

He gives us all things with his son.

All the things that we really want,

all the things that we really need,

all the things that we were created for,

all the things so that we might be

the glory that God created

and intended humanity to be.

Let's be clear.

All things here does not include

a big house,

a comfortable life,

lots of children,

a fast car,

and an easy retirement.

It is not those things

that God is most concerned about.

He is concerned about those he called

and those he predestined

and those he justified

and those he glorified.

He is far more concerned

with the salvation of your soul

and your eternal destiny with God.

And in that,

his redemptive work of freeing you

from the sin and brokenness

and pain of life in a fallen world

so that you might experience with him

a restoration to perfection

and to joy

and to beauty

and to glory beyond all imagination.

He who did not spare his son

but gave him up for us all,

will he not

also with him

graciously,

graciously,

not because we deserve it,

not because we've been such good

or faithful Christians,

not because we've sacrificed

to serve him

or to know him,

but simply out of the abundance

of his undeserved favor

towards us,

graciously give us

all things.

Friends,

this is what it means.

If God is for us,

who can be against us?

Well, it seems like

there are a lot of things.

God,

how do I know

that you're really for me?

He who did not spare his son

but gave him up for us all,

will he not also

graciously give us

all things?

What's the answer

to that rhetorical question?

Of course he will.

Of course he will.

God who gave up

his greatest treasure for us,

will he withhold from you?

Will he hold back

from giving you all

that you need

in this life

and the life to come?

Is he stingy?

Is he hard-hearted?

Friends,

when we look at the cross,

we can't say that he is.

Some of you know

that God has given me

a chance to walk

a road of great loss.

And I can't tell you

why he did it.

Even today.

It still doesn't make sense

to me.

Doesn't make sense

when I see my kids

without a mom

day to day

in our home.

Doesn't make sense

as I walk through life

feeling like I've lost

half of me

in ministry

and in parenting

and in life.

It doesn't make sense

as I know many of you

have lost a friend,

a confidant,

an encourager,

someone who prayed

for you.

I don't see

the good in it.

Even today,

the loss seems great

and I don't understand

why.

But friends,

if there's one thing

that I know,

it's this truth

right here

in verses 31

and 32.

that though I cannot

explain my circumstances

and I do not know

all that God has done,

I do know this.

He did not spare

his own son

but he gave us,

gave him up,

us,

gave him up for us,

for me

and for you

and for Brandy

and for our family

and for our church.

He did that

and that is how I know

that God is for us

and not against us.

That is how I know

for sure.

It is how I can sing

when peace like a river

attendeth my way,

when sorrows

like sea billows roll,

whatever my lot,

he has taught me to say

it is well,

it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet,

though trials should come,

let this blessed assurance

control

that Christ has regarded

my helpless estate

and has shed his own blood

for my soul.

My sin of the bliss

of this glorious thought,

my sin not in part

but the whole

is nailed to the cross

and I bear it no more.

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord,

oh my soul.

It is well.

It is well.

It is well with my soul.

God is for us.

Who can stand against us?

But Paul says

there is more

than just facing

the trials

and the hardships

and suffering of life.

As he goes on

in verses 33 and 34,

he faces another part

of the worst

of our lives.

Look with me again

and it is important

to get the cadence.

The language

in the English translation

sometimes is a little jarring.

He is not asking a question

and then giving an answer

and then asking a question

and then giving another answer.

Listen as I read it again

so you can try to get

what he is saying here.

33,

who shall bring any charge

against God's elect?

It is God who justifies.

Who is to condemn?

Christ Jesus

is the one who died

more than that

who was raised,

who is at the right hand

of God,

who indeed is interceding

for us.

So he starts off

with this question

and he moves it

into a courtroom language.

He is using

forensic language here

like we have now

been brought into

the courtroom of heaven

and we are standing

before God the judge

and Paul says

if our worst sufferings

are one of our great trials,

our worst sin and failure

is our other great trial

in this life.

And he says,

who can bring a charge

against God's elect?

And he says,

listen,

if it is God

who is justified,

then who can condemn?

If God sitting in

the throne room

has said,

no,

you are,

because of your attachment

to Christ,

been covered

in his righteousness

and are able

to stand before me

and I declare you

righteous,

then how can anyone

gainsay that?

How can anyone say,

no,

no,

no,

God,

you don't understand.

Let me tell you

about him.

Let me tell you

about what he's done.

I will bring

a condemnation

against him.

Then Paul says,

no,

it is Christ.

Christ who has died,

Christ who was raised,

Christ who is now

at the right hand of God

interceding for us

like a lawyer,

advocating for us,

in fact,

stepping in

and taking our place

in that judicial courtroom

so that we might

stand there.

That's the basic

argument here.

The challenge,

of course,

is like in the first section.

Who shall bring

any charges

against God elect?

Well,

I can think of a few people

who could bring some charges

against me.

Maybe you can think

of a few people as well.

Those in our past,

people you grew up with.

Oh,

you say you're a Christian now,

huh?

Really?

Well,

I knew you when.

I know what you did.

I was reading last night,

rereading a testimony

of Chuck Colson.

You may know him.

He worked for Nixon.

He was a part of the Watergate

damage control team.

And he did,

well,

a number of not very

upright things

as he served in government.

But God saved him.

And he stayed in Washington

and he did ministry there.

And the article is interesting

because it talked about

how he continued to pursue

relationships with his

political friends

who knew what he was like

before.

And how he had to endure

at times

the accusation.

What are you now?

One of those

goody-two-shoe Christians?

I don't think so.

I know you.

I know where you've been.

Those in our past

can bring accusations

against us.

Our own conscience

can bring accusations

against us.

Because you know

better than anyone else

the worst things

that you've done.

You know the deepest

and darkest secrets

of your life.

You know your worst sins.

And even when it wasn't

an action,

even when it was

only a thought

or an attitude

in your heart,

you know how evil

and vile

your thoughts have been.

You know how often

you have lusted

for power,

for pleasure,

for selfish gain.

You know how often

you have hated

others

for your own good.

You know the ways

that you have doubted

and denied

and rejected

and resisted

God.

You know

the way

that you

so often

make your whole life

revolve around you

and you usurp

God

from the center

of the universe

and from your own life.

And if you are honest,

your conscience

tells you

how terrible

you are.

It's not just

people in our past,

it's not just

our consciences,

but there is

in the spiritual world

a power

that brings

to us

accusation

again and again

and again.

Revelation 12, 10

talks about

the accuser

of the brethren,

that is,

Satan,

who accuses them

day and night

and he whispers

the lies.

If they knew

how bad you really were,

if they knew

that you had done that,

they would never

accept you.

You can never

be forgiven

of that sin.

You will never

be good enough

for God

or for anyone else.

And he will

bring to mind

to you

again and again

and again

the worst

of your sin

and he will bring

the weight

of condemnation

and judgment

upon it

and he will seek

to crush you

under guilt

and shame.

because that's

what he does.

Friends,

not only do

these things

accuse you

but here's the thing,

the law of God

itself,

the holiness

of God Almighty

brings to you

a charge

because what we

see in the scriptures

and what we see

in the character

of God

is a holiness

that we will

never attain to.

we are only

fooling ourselves

when we think

we can be good enough.

If we think

that a 60% good

outweighs

our 40% bad

is good enough,

we don't know

the holiness of God.

We don't understand

the gravity of sin.

We don't understand

the weightiness

of our rebellion

and our rejection

of God.

God,

he holds up

a standard

that we cannot

meet

because of our sin.

These voices

speak to us.

So when Paul says,

who can bring a charge

against God's elect,

it seems like

there's a whole room

full of them.

Right?

Right?

guilty,

vile,

and helpless

we.

Who then

does God

think of us?

What then

does God

say about us?

I want to

pause here

for a minute

because I want

to make sure

that we do

understand this.

Right?

Because the argument

in Romans

doesn't make

any sense at all

if we think

we're good.

Go back and read

Romans 1-3 again.

That's the whole point

of Romans 1-18-3-20

is that

all

have sinned

and fallen short

of the glory of God.

All of us

are under it.

Religious people,

not religious people,

Jews,

Gentiles,

people with consciences,

people without consciences.

It doesn't matter

who you are.

All of us.

This is true.

And here's the crazy

thing about it.

It is the most

verifiable

theological doctrine

in human history.

All you have to do

is stop and think

about your own life.

Are you a sinful person?

Have you done things

that are not right?

Well,

of course you have.

And when you look

at the greater swath

of human history,

you think,

well,

what else is

the story

of human history?

Oh,

there are moments

of bright lights.

There are moments

of redemptive breakthroughs.

There are moments

when our created goodness

shines through

and we respond

for a moment

with goodness.

But when we look

over all,

human sinfulness

is one of the most

historically verifiable

theological doctrines

the church has.

We must not

live with the illusion

that we will be good

or good enough.

If you're here

this morning

and you're exploring

Christianity,

know how central

this is.

And I do not say it

to say that you are bad

and we,

I sitting up here,

am good.

No,

what the Bible says

is that we are all

sinful.

No one is righteous,

not one.

And we are all helpless

before our sin.

And if we stood

in that heavenly courtroom

before God

on our own merits,

we would all

face condemnation

condemnation

and judgment

and punishment

for it.

I started quoting

the hymn.

Some of you probably

filled it in,

right?

Guilty,

vile,

and helpless we.

Spotless

Lamb of God

is He.

Full atonement

can it be.

Hallelujah.

What a Savior.

And this is where

Paul points us

again.

Look with me

in verse 34.

We cannot be condemned

because Jesus Christ

has died.

And more than that,

has risen.

And more than that,

is at the right hand

of God

interceding for us.

What is He saying here?

He who died,

the righteous one,

the one who is

perfectly sinless,

died for us.

He took our place

when He came

and died

on the cross.

He died not for Himself

but for us.

And bearing our sin

and taking the punishment

of God for us,

we see both

the greatness

of the offense

of our sin,

but also

the perfection

of God's sinlessness

in Christ

that He might do it

for us.

Death would be

the only proper judgment

for sin

against a holy God

who is the giver

of life.

And so Jesus

took that death

for us.

But He did not

simply die for us.

But Paul goes on,

he says,

and He rose

from the dead.

And being raised

from the dead

shows that the death

that He died

was effective

to erase

the punishment

and to be able

to then,

as He rises

to new life,

He is able then

to justify us,

that is to give us

a right standing

before God

by giving us

His righteousness

and by giving us

a new heart

and a new life,

a new spirit,

so that we might

actually be

His people.

And so we are now

raised

to a new

and indestructible

life with Christ.

And this,

by faith.

And so Christ,

who was raised

from the dead,

not only was He

raised from the dead,

but He was raised

up to the right hand

of God,

the right hand of God

being first and foremost

a place of honor,

but not only is He there,

but He also is seated

at the right hand of God,

which means that His work

is finished.

There is nothing else

to do

because what Christ did

when He died on the cross

and rose from the grave

was to defeat

the power of sin

and death

in the life

of all who believe

in Him

forever.

Sins past,

sins present,

sins future,

they are covered

by Christ's death

and resurrection.

And therefore,

when we stand

in the courtroom,

when we,

the accused,

stand before Him,

God looks at us

and He sees

not our sin,

but He sees

the righteousness

of Christ.

He looks at us

and He cannot see

what the rest of us

all see

is our sin.

and He does not

see it

because Christ

has covered us

in His righteousness.

And that's why

no one can condemn us

because can you

condemn Jesus?

That's where we stand,

in Jesus.

And no one

can condemn Jesus

because He was

the perfect man

who was without sin.

and this is His

intercession for us.

This is His standing

in our place

for us.

This is His advocacy

for us

in the heavenly throne room.

So friends,

just as we face

the greatest

sufferings

and look to Christ,

so when we face

the greatest sin

in our lives,

we look to Christ.

Is Jesus' death

sufficient

for the worst thing

that you've ever done?

Yes,

it is.

Can Jesus' righteousness

cover your worst sin?

Yes,

it can.

Is there any accusation

that can be brought

against you

when you are clothed

in the righteousness

of Christ?

No,

there is not one.

There is none.

And so we sing,

when Satan tempts me

to despair

and tells me

of the guilt within,

upward I look

and see Him there

who made an end

to all my sin.

Because the sinless

Savior died,

my sinful soul

is counted free

for God the just

is satisfied

to look on Him

and pardon me.

Friends,

I wonder how many of you

are buried this morning

under the weight

of guilt and shame.

I wonder if you

are here this morning

and you have thought,

if only I were good enough.

I look at all these

really good looking people

around me

and I think,

well,

they all have their acts

together.

What's wrong with me?

And so you hide.

And so you carry

this burden

of guilt and shame.

some of you

really struggle

to believe,

can God forgive me

of this sin?

Can God forgive me

when I blew it

like that?

Who can bring a charge

against God's elect?

It is God

who justifies.

Who can condemn?

Christ Jesus,

it is He

who died

and was raised

and now intercedes

for us.

Friends,

I want to say

these things to you.

This is how

we face

the worst moments

of our lives.

We look

not at those things,

not at the circumstances

and not at the realities

and it is not

to deny

that those things

are true,

that we are suffering

and that we are sinful.

It is not

to deny

those things

but Paul says

when we face

those things,

how do we face them?

We look up.

We look

to Christ

and when we look

to Christ,

we see

what we really need

because He

has done it

for us.

it is there

that we find

assurance

that God

is for us

because He

died for us.

It is there

that we find

the assurance

that even

our worst sin

cannot condemn us

because Christ

has taken

that condemnation

for us.

And friends,

I want to say

this with all,

I know some of you

may be thinking,

yeah,

yeah,

yeah,

I grew up in church,

I've heard that

my whole life,

I know,

Jesus died on the

cross for my sins,

blah, blah, blah.

Friends,

they may feel

like pat answers

and they may feel

like platitudes

to you

but I tell you

that they are

the very bedrock.

When everything

else is stripped

away,

they are the thing

that will,

these truths

are the things

that will remain.

Christ crucified

and risen

is the

unchangeable

truth

that will help

you through,

that will help

you to face

those worst

moments.

And friends,

as you think

about how to

prepare for those

worst moments,

I tell you,

practice this.

Practice looking

to Christ.

Practice looking

to Christ

in a life

of hopeful

faith,

even when you're

not in your

worst moments.

Look to Him

and remember

His goodness.

Look to Him

and develop

a reflex

of trusting

Him with

little things

so that you

can trust Him

with the big

things.

Friends,

look to Him

and live

a life

of costly

obedience.

Don't let

your suffering

or your failure

become an excuse

for you to say,

well,

it's all

gone to hell

in a handbasket

anyway,

so I might as

well just indulge.

Don't let that

happen to you.

Look to Christ

and seek to live

a life of

obedience,

even when it's

costly,

knowing

the greatness

of His sacrifice

for you.

And finally,

look to Him

in a life

of worship.

Whatever treasure

you are clinging

to,

the treasure

of peace

or security

or satisfaction

in this life,

the treasure

of your own

righteousness,

whatever treasures

you are holding

on to,

release them

so that you

might treasure

Christ

for you.

Let this

be the thing.

and as you

prepare

now

by doing

those things

daily,

weekly,

then

when you

face those

moments

of the worst,

you will know

where to stand.

What then

shall we say

of these things?

If God

is for us,

who

can be

against us?

Let's pray.

Lord,

this morning

we have

talked about

things that

are

touch on

perhaps

some of the

most painful

and difficult

things of our

lives.

Lord,

we pray

this morning

that you

would come

and bring

the comfort

and the

balm of

the cross

to our

hearts.

Lord,

I pray

for those

this morning

who are

burdened,

who are

doubting,

who are

questioning,

who are

wrestling

as they

face

suffering,

Lord,

as they

see and

feel the

guilt of

their own

sin.

Lord,

I pray

that you

will meet

them in

those moments

and Lord,

that you

will raise

them,

raise their

eyes to

see what

you have

done in

Christ for

them.

Lord,

that you

would help

us,

Lord,

to look not

on the

earthly things

but to look

at Christ

in the heavenly

realms,

to fix our

eyes on

him,

Lord,

to be

helped.

Lord,

will you do

this,

we pray in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

As the

music team

comes forward,

we're going

to sing a

great hymn,

Immovable Our

Hope Remains,

and I hope

that as you

sing it,

you will

consider the

words as

he walks

us through

the very

things we've

been looking

at this

morning in

Romans 8.

Please stand

as we sing

together.

Amen.