Joy | Pr Daniel Chong

You're listening to a message to go from at church. We hope this message

will light up your day. I'm going to start off us on a journey.

We're going to summarize what we talked about in eight fifteen very quickly,

and then we're going into the mid of ten forty five, which is Joy

Harley Lujah Praised the Lord. So Romans. Romans was a letter that Paul

was writing to the Romans, and obviously it was to the Romans. So

there's a lot of cultural things that we can learn from the Book of Romans

and how the Romans actually reacted, how is their culture, was their background?

Now, Paul started Romans in a very positive note. You know,

he was just there and he had one mission, and one mission only I'm

summarizing, is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen. And as

he was sharing and it was going to Romans, what happened was that he

began to see different things happening. And as he saw different things happening,

this is where he came to Romans tree verse twenty three. And he saw

the gentle world and he was very distressed, was very distressed, and he

said all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Wow.

He was in the situation where the moment he stepped out full of passion,

full of energy, and he got to the place where he saw the people's

response and he went, oh, my goodness, all have sin. And

I think he was talking about himself as well. So he went in a

place of feeling very stressed. How many of you have ever been in this

situation when you are stressed? Wow, you are already chill, learn nobody's

stressed at all. How again, how many have been in the situation when

you are stressed? Stress? You know, you are just distressed. And

especially if someone else is causing that stress. Amen, shouldn't say amen to

that, Okay, especially if someone else is calling that stress. You know,

it's not an easy thing to be around stress, especially for love ones

especially, you know. And as he was going on his journey of just

writing and writing and writing, he reached Romans chapter seven, which I like

to say that it's one of the darkest books in the Bible in terms of

like his self worth and who he actually is, his value as a evangelist,

the life that he lives. And he went on to Roman seven,

and that was actually forty seven personal pronouns. Now I had to google what

personal pronounce means or how to say it. Apparently his personal pronounce is I

me, myself everything. Okay. He repeated it a lot of times,

and Paul was just, you know, just being very self critical and from

a place where other people's causing him stress, now he himself is causing himself

stress because he was depressed. Okay, he was so depressed by his situation

because everything he does, everything he tries to do, he realizes that he

will fall short of the glory of God, he will fall shot. And

he was at this place where he was just so I think, just so

emotionally occupied, and he was like, I can't take this anymore. And

that led to this verse, old wretched man that I am, who will

deliver me from this body of death? Wow, it's just an amazing sentence

to just hear. Amazing in the sense of like how can someone You know,

when we look at Paul and we look at the work that he has

done, we will say, Paul, not bad, lah, you know,

don't be so yourself, you know, okay, one, you know,

but he's he's on this perspective where he has seen or he has been

able to open his eyes to the glory of God that at the end of

the day, like everything he does, so it really doesn't. It feels

it fails in compisation. It can't even be worthy to become BAEd, you

know. And so he went into this place of like, you know,

I'm I can't this body. I try by my own strength, by my

own power, There's no way I can do this, right, So he

went into the state of depression. You're sad, You're so sad. Read

read Roman seven for these seven times. Can you imagine? He keep on

saying, I can I don't know how, I'm lousy. I cannot.

Ah, that's all. And then the answer that he was right. In

the next verse, he say, I thank God, I thank God.

Right, that true Jesus Christ, our Lord. That is the one and

only answer that was able to deliver Paul from this situation. You know,

in Paul's context. All right, I'm gonna fast forward. And then Romans

aid was just a beautiful picture of finding rest in God, finding rest in

God because he answered it right. He says, I thank God through Jesus

Christ, my Lord. So then with my mind I served the law of

God, but with the flesh of the law of sin. And Romans aid,

was just a wonderful picture of Paul just finding rest in God. If

Romans seven was the darkest picture, one of the darkest chapters in the Bible,

then Romans it would be one of the brightest chapters in the Bible,

because he was just giving evidence after evidence, And the first part of Roman's

ad I was sharing to the earliest service was that everything you do there must

be evidence, right, there must be a way to prove that you have

actually done it. Joran, just send me a message on Instagram. God,

I wish mad happy birthday, that I say all the best for your

run. And he just sent me a picture of a medal than km finisher.

And that is evidence that men actually run and finish the race. Right,

there is an evidence, and Romans it The beginning part of Romans,

especially from verses one all the way up to verses seventeen, is the evidence

of how we are children of God. Because often we say we are child

of God. We are child God. We say earlier I am a child

of God. But how do you know that you are a child of God?

Right? How do you know? How can you tell that you're a

child of God. Listen to a fifteen MTG. All right, So,

uh, there is an evidence the Holy Spirit will minister to you and the

Holy Spirit will empower you. I'm not going to go into two details because

you know, we got a message complete. But the Holy Spirit is the

answer is the answer. I'm going to give you the three points and then

we're going to move on. Point number one. The Holy Spirit will lead

you not to be daptists to flesh. That's point number one. You cannot

be deaptists to the flesh, all right. Point number two is this,

the Holy Spirit will lead you into a spirit, into a relationship with the

Father. In the older Jewish Orthodox culture, they do not have a relationship

with the Father, even when they call out to the Father. You know,

when they pray, they actually pray in this thing called a Haussian a

calling, you know, Hussian calling, and it's actually Hebrew for the word

their name, their name. So when I pray to God, I'm praying

my Father in heaven, the God then name in heaven. There is a

there is this unworthy feeling that we are not worthy to be called to call,

to call or him God. You know, but however, I was

just want to break. The mindset that has to be broken was that when

Jesus came and and and started him his ministry, one of the first,

one of the few first things he done on the summer of the mound was

to actually teach us how to pray. And when he taught us how to

pray, he said, our father in heaven. Can you see that?

He said, our father. It's not just my father, it's our father.

So Paul was just going on about the spirit of adoption bringing you to

this place in which you can call God albah father, and Alba father is

essentially just you calling Daddy. There is a personal relationship Mummy. Yesterday was

sharing me the story of his reunion with his or his blood mom, and

then he said that he reconciled by calling her mother, right, and it's

just not as closed and mummy or mom or say youang or you know.

There's this personal relationship that the Holy Spirit enabled us to go into. Hallelujah.

And finally, finally there is a confirmation by the Holy Spirit. There's

a confirmation or the Holy Spirit that we are indeed children of God. There

is found in Verses sixteen the Spirit himself best witness with our spirit that we

are children of God. Hallelujah. Who who is? And like who is?

And who is overjoyed to hear that? Oh? Come on, hey,

come on, the Holy Spirit best witness with your spirit that you are

true of God? Are you not happy to hear that? Would you rather

hear the Holy Spirit best witness of your spirit that maybe one day if you

do ABC said until Zach, then you are children of God? Would you

rather hear that? No? It says that the Holy Spirit best witness with

your spirit that you are children of God. Come on, we should be

over joyed to hear this. Right, there should be which we fill with

joy to hear that. And as I was just sharing with the first service,

I was just saying that there is an evidence. Sometimes when we hear

this, you'll be wondering, like, but Daniel, give me the evidence

that I am a child of God? Hello? Friends, I have no

evidence to give you because the only one I can give evidence to you is

the Holy Spirit, and you and you alone know that. So read Romans

Chater aid. Listen to the MDG if you have time, and we're gonna

move on, all right, Question I want to ask you early on we

are Jason. I don't know what he whispered the unice and Legion. I

don't know what he whispered Dorothy, but you can tell that from your reactions

they were happy. They were happy, right, Eu. Niece is proud

to call Jason her husband, you know, Amen, I don't know why

did say amen? But Dorothy is proud the girl legion her husband. This.

Yeah, correct, Ah, they're happy. There's joy. There's joy

that's overflowing, and it overflows because in the moment Jason with bird units can't

help but laugh. Right. So I want to ask you a question,

okay, and this is a question for all of us a ponder, and

we're gonna go in through the message. Amen. The question is this,

do we really enjoy being a Christian? Do you enjoy being a Christian?

All right? Amen? I hope to hear more yes, yes here?

All right? Do you enjoy being associate to do this person named Jesus Christ

associate that? Do you enjoy being in a relationship with this person named Jesus?

Okay? If you are happy, and if you're over joy then what

are you doing with that joy? What are you doing with that joy.

Because of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak Amen. So

here's some questions. I think we have to readjust our attitude, all right,

we have to readjust our attitude when we are talking about joy, because

if the joy has really dried up in your life, the first thing that

will happen is you will find yourself complaining all the time, complaining about a

pastor there's why nobody want to see me on the left every time? Empty?

Then you'll be complaining or why this? Why do this wanna go five

minutes about time? Or what is that? Why? My mom and my

husband, I don't know know what I like? You know, I I

like me. She gives me uh rets to it? Why why when I

keep on complaining, they will be full of complain all right? When we

when the joy enjoined up in your life, That's why when I want to

bring wanted to try to bring Jason, you needs back to the day where

they first decided to be a husband and wife. That joy, that joy

is second to none, because that is the reason why they decided. Whatever

happens after that, the commitment, the pack was made before God that we

are going to go through this baby all the way to the end. Man,

it's me and you, and it's not like me and you. And

then three days later I wash the dishes and break up. No, come

on, it's a pack that we have made and too the Lord. Okay,

so the joy that surpasses all understanding. But if that joy has really

joyed up in your life, I'm gonna give you some symptoms to check our

hearts. We say yes, And I am overjoyed to hear that, because

when I ask myself that question, honestly, I don'tice that there were symptoms

in my heart that points to the opposite. That there's no longer joy in

my heart. There's no longer that excitement that springs up like living waters.

You know when I see Jesus. There is no longer the sense of excitement.

So Romans fourteen, verse seventy twenty, whye is important to have joy?

Let's read from Romans fourteen, verse seventeen to twenty. I hope you're

following me, and thank you to XTV Jack. You're looking very hard,

but here we go. For the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,

but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Wow. For

he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Therefore, let us pursue the things which make for peace, and the

things which one may edify another. Do not destroy the world of God.

For the sake of food. All things indeed appear, but it is evil

for the man who eats it with offense. I don't know whady you're catching

it yet. But as a Christian, as a child of God, even

as you are confirmed by the Holy Spirit as a child of God, one

of the most important factors is to have joy, all right, John sixteen

verse the atree. Another verse for you is these things. I have spoken

to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you have

tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Be

of good cheer, joy, happiness. Second Corinthians eleven outlines the suffering that

the writer Paul had to endure. I would like to encourage you right now

to turn to Second Corinthians chapter eleven. Already down somewhere in your nose,

because you may be wondering who is this person that he can say such a

thing. Now go to Second Corindans chapter eleven and greet who is this person.

You will be shocked. I was shocked because everything that he went through,

there is things even one of it, and so I think I kenote

hand ready everything you know, shep bread, naked, blusted, no what

else that you know? No food nor water on the on the ground,

sleeping, naked. And then the end of the day. Of course they

did say he was be hated, but you know popular belief that he was

behted. What a life in prison mocked? Scorn Net wrote, done all

kinds of things. This is the person that wrote this book. There is

credibility to what he's saying. His what with Christ was so much so that

even though he had to go through all of these sufferings and endure all of

this, there was still joy in his heart. There was still joy.

Have you ever wondered how in the world did Paul manage to be happy through

all of these things that were happening. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself

this question? How some of us here? I'll just muse myself and example,

my dad was like nos with cancer that in himself was enough to bring

me down enough. I was down, dramacording drama, wildening my head thinking

about we already you know, thinking about all kinds of things. You know,

if you know that, now you want to go and buy the land

like my mo Manda, my mother land is to decay it. I don't

money, I'll buy the land. How can one more little told Miss thirty

thousand? You know, I think it's even more than that. So uh,

there were so many things that were happening in my head. One thing

was enough to take away the joy I forgot there was a child of God.

Because if I remember that I was a child of God, I will

be able to declare that by his stripes he will may make whole again,

that all things work together for those who love him. I will be able

to declare verse like that. But the first thing that came out of my

mouth, the abundance of the heart, was a curse. That was my

story. So I'm not asking you to change a question, change your answer.

I'm asking you to we may just reflect a little bit. When you

say I really enjoy being a Christian, what does that mean? What does

enjoying being a Christian mean? Let's go to Romans eighth, verse eighteen and

read from that. He says, what I consider that the sufferings of this

present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed

in us. Wow. Friends, if you enjoy it comes from adopting a

certain perspective. What is a perspective where you recognize re clearly that you're suffering

in the present is nothing in comparison to the glory that awaits you, the

glory of eternal life. That's how Paul remained happy. Let me just show

you an example. Let's say Albert when it comes to Albert, like the

user Jim jokes, but okay, let's say he was lifting. Okay,

he was lifting his baby, Elijah, Elijah Eli Elias. I was I

was just seeing Elijah, so Elias, sorry, I want hour sleep,

Please forgive me. I'm actually very very uh shaky, you know. Okay,

So only spirit helped me. Okay, So he was lifting, he

was lifting like Eli Elias, right, and then suddenly he broke his tendon,

and then he had a competition three days after. Okay. Now,

if I go up to Albert and tell him, Albert, regardless of what

happens to Elias right, three days later, your you you you're, the

result is already there. You went into the future. Okay, you saw

the result that you were national champion. You sawry. That is a result,

fixed the result. No matter what you do, that will not change.

Now. Will he still be upset when he leaves Elias and breaks it?

But he knows what's gonna happen already you accomplish your goal? Will you

still be upset? Subjective question? Now? Right? Another example? Okay,

no, not a good one. Okay. So let's say let's say

one million dollars? Okay, Jack, but you know the answer? Ready?

Check? Butter, you know you know at number already? Will you

will it change the way you live? The way you live? When?

For example, if you put in that number, you will surely get that

million dollars, no matter what, you'll get it. Ready, Okay,

but today someone break into your house and still fifty ringgit, will you be

upset? No? Because you know there's a million dollars awaiting you. Fifty

ring gait and one million dollars? Is it comparable? No? Still,

lah, you won't take how many things? Oh? Tv t take three

days later? Okay? A million dollars anyways, and fully recovered all my

mind things? No problem. Paul is saying that he has tasted he has

seen. He has seen what God has showed him, a picture in which

that he considered all the suffering in Second Corinthents to eleven not worthy to become

back in comparison with the glory that shall be revealed to him. Wow,

it's just amazing just seeing how the way he thinks and the way he can

focus on Rather than focus on something that is being afflicted to him, he

was able to focus on what will come to him. That's how he remained

happy. That's how he remained joyful. That's how even in the prison he

was able to sing because he knows Herregardless of what happens to this physical body

of his, it will pale in comparison with the glory that will come towards

him. So he knows what's happening. He knows the story. He knows

how it ends. So if you know how it ends, why do you

still worry? And be said about the petty things in life? And the

petty things in accordance to him is essentially things like shipwreck pettison, Nah,

huh, shipwreck nothing us stuck in the middle of the ocean. Who cares

an no base of sleeper? Who cares? Can I trus say it to

our language. Losing your business? Who cares? God is still good?

Oh? But do you did Paul know how he was going to get to

where he was supposed to get Did he know exactly where? No? He

only had faith to live by. But you lose your business right now,

and you and you start cursing the name of Jesus, You start questioning God,

you start doubting him. You play golf and you miss one strong you

go, you fall short one year or the holy one day? You start

blaming God. God? Why there are things in our life that matters more

than God. There are things in our life that we are indebted to more

than God. No matter what we do, we will be unable to pay

the price of what Jesus is down across, because Hey paid the price for

us. But we are indebted to so many things apart from the nigh of

Jesus. I was just sharing to the earliest service. Whenever something happens to

us, the first person that we look to is our spouse. When the

c cross come, you sell, come and slap the cross from here.

When something bad happens to your life, the first thing that you look through

is man. How many of us actually look to God when it really met

us because I didn't. Now. Some of you here maybe angels and God

bless you, but I did not. Whenever something happened to me. Sometimes

when my example number one was my father with cancer, I didn't pray.

I did nothing. I just take out the phone, Mom, boss,

I'm going now through No prayer, no nothing, only in the count a

way for the police. Here my father there is like like like I was

just saying to the you know when you go from A to zech and then

you're no more eth bird, then you become aa. That's Godla. We're

done A to zech pland done and then God is AA. Right. So

what is how are we actually focusing on how we treat God in our life

affects our joy? Paul is asking us to focus on the now. He's

asking us to hang in there. He's asking us to endure, okay,

and he decided to give us a glimpse of what is to come. Okay.

Here we're going to read on in Romans eighth nineteen your Bibles please try

to follow me as much as possible. Nineteen says for the earnest expectation of

the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. And like

to point out two words over here, creation eagerly. What's the meaning of

eagerly? Eagerly means when you're sitting on the chair and you are await when

you are eagerly anticipating something? Are you like that? No? Is it

like that? Hello? When when I'm waiting for Liverpool to score, I'll

be like that. Yeah, I'll be here. There is eagerly you're eagerly

expecting, waiting for something to happen. That is eagerly. So when he

says the creation eagerly awaits, eagerly waits what the revealing of the sons of

God? That is what it means, all right verse twenty. For the

creation was subjected to futility, not willingly. By the way, all right,

the creation was subjected to futility. What is this creation? This is

the plants that God has created, the beaches that God has created, the

ocean, the horses. Horse are the ants or whatever that God has created?

The creation eagerly awaits, eagerly awaits. You're subjected to futility, not

willingly, but because of Him who subjected it. In hope, okay,

because verse twenty one, because the creation itself also will be delivered from the

bondish of corruption in the glorious liberty of the children of God. Twenty two.

For we know that the whole creation grows and labors with birth pangs together.

Until now, how did we get into this place? Friends? How

did we end up here? Powers to trying to bring us back to Genesis

one. God created a perfect world, and everything was good. Everything he

created, he said in this was good good in God's eyes. It's good

means it's perfect. It's in accordance to his will. But because of that

one decision that all of you know in Genesis three, I like to say

it happened in one verse, one verse. The husband did even do anything

he said, and he saw and he ate. That's it, the husband.

Come on, man, woa la okay. So we know that man,

okay. Even girls, you are the one that took the free in

the first place. But both hours together, we are creating a champion of

Okay, that's what's happening in our lives. And that's why the whole creation

labors and growans we've perfects together until now, until now, until now,

some of you are pregnant to pain? Right? Who who are pregnant?

Nor pain? One? As a Mila, my pregnancy no painan ah.

The only pain is when someone look at me and say when I go jim.

Okay, so, who come on, Oh yeah, got pregnancy?

No painn No, it doesn't make sense. It's a curse. It was

made all right. So the woe itself was something the bondish, and the

woe itself was under curse right Verses twenty and twenty one. Even the world

souls being is awaiting eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God so that

they will be out of this curse. Second law of the whodynamics? Who

know, I'm an engineer, So this year it comes in. What's the

second law of the wodynamics? That that that's the second lat autonomics? Okay,

that anthropy. Have you heard of the word entropy for chaos? Chaos?

Okay, let me let me educate your educate Okay. So entropy is

the degree of disorder or unsympathy in a system. There is a disorder here,

sorry to those of you who are OCD deal with it. Okay.

So even the scientists will agree that this world War one day, end flat

of the slur, round of the sla over lah, whatever they will say.

One day the world will end right right. One day the world will

end. The sun will go out decided trying to find a new earth.

Now the starts of duck, and this earth will be gone. And we

know that because this earth is subjected to sit death and decay. Here's an

amazing picture that when Jesus comes back and as chillan of God we are resurrected.

Not only we will be changed, but the rainbow that you see now

that is so beautiful. Wait till you see the full extent of what God

has in stall, the rainbow that he called good. I tell you your

minds, if you have any other time, will be blown to pits.

That is what we are eagerly expected for. That's why Paul is so full

of joy. He's so happy because all of this is awaiting him. So

what is this little beeting gonna do to me? I'm just gonna take that

hair and put it by on my neck and rock. Come on, friends,

there is the joy that we can look forward to. So the next

time we go like a you why the stock crash again? Are you Singapore,

while you multiplicative three point five six. Why rather than doing that,

rather than complaining, rather than worrying, why not just surrendering to God.

I mean, it's okay to have discussions about it, but if it's until

the point where you it affects your life and you go like, ah,

I cannot leave anymore. My one millionaire gets start inside there. Hello,

you had one million to begin with, you put inside the coin. So

that is just how it is. I think be coin is doing well now.

So it's a bad example, so okay, and troopy. So it's

an amazing picture that you know there's something in this world, even that,

even if there's something well that Jason, you know, sharing Eunie, you

know that that first love moment, it excites you so much that maybe number

four will come out. But I tell you what that will be multiplied by.

I don't know, a million. That's the joy that awaits you,

the joy that awaits your glorified body. You ain't seen nothing, mad men.

Let's go on Robants eight twenty three for not only that, but we

also have the first fruits of the spirit. Amen, Amen, Wow,

getting quiet here? Do we have the first rules of the spirit? Friends,

and even we ourselves grown within ourselves eagerly awaiting the adoption adoption. Earlier

I was just sharing to the fifteenth am service, was that the moment you're

adopted into a Roman culture, you lose everything that you inherit or everything but

uh and the moment you lose everything that you once said, but you gain

everything immediately that you will get in a new family. That's a Roman family

adoption. There's no such thing as you have to earn your right. And

when the spirit of the adoption is calling you true God, that is exactly

what you're getting. That's what it says. If sons and then heirs,

if airs, you will inherit everything everything that Jesus will get you who get

so wow, so powerful. Jesus received it by divine right. We receive

it by divine grace, and that is something that we can be or enjoyed

about. First word of the spirit Second Corinthians five, verses one to two

says, for we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is

destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands,

eternal in heaven. For in this we've grown earnestly desiring to be clothed

with our habitation, which is from heaven. Something in the future, our

future that awaits us a man because mankind, you know. In Ecclesiastics says

that we God places eternity in our hearts, and that's why we long.

There's always that void that can't be filled unless it's filled by eternity. Something

that will come that will give us eternal life. God just God did not

just put that void there, but God sent a solution. How many of

you here have bosses that just give you a question but no solution, no

suggestion, or the other way around. Our loving Father is a father that

looks and casts over every aspect of our life. And you will learn and

you will see in the verses to come how he does that. I'm going

to introduce a term to you called formal Right, it says fear of missing

out. No, we complain so much nowadays because we are stuck in the

present. Right, we are stuck in the present. And I'm going to

say something very controversial. Are you ready? We should not focus so much

on our bucket list things we do before we die. But as Christians,

we should focus more on the glory that is coming and what we can do

now to fulfill that part, even if it means giving up our desires.

All right, we're going to move on to the second point. So the

first point for those of you taking notes, I know I didn't really emphasise

it was present and things are nothing in comparison to the future glory that awaits

you. That's very long. It's actually in verse eighteen. All right,

all right. Second point is that you are not alone on halle lujah.

Who we want to say amen to that? You are not alone? Are

you? Do you like to be alone? Come on, you are not

alone. Someone is with you. Romans eight twenty six has read on.

Likewise, the Spirit also helps us in our weaknesses, for we do not

know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes

intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. I'm going to give you

a perspective to look at when he says, the Spirit himself groans, right,

mixed intercessions before us with groanings. Want me to look at it was?

Is that it's a communication between the father son and the spirit. All

right, the father son and the spirit, because they are one, right,

So when the Spirit himself makes an intercession. It's a trinity, like

a trying try and try and trinity, trinitarian communication that is happening over there,

right, So a communication. So let's get one thing clear. We

okay, I need some response here. We may not always know what we

need, is that true? Sometimes we may know, yeah, I want

chicken rice, but tomorrow you may not want chicken rice anymore. Right,

but you want something else, but you don't know. When we ask the

famous question, you cannot answer what you want to eat? Takes hours to

answer that question sometimes, so we may not always know what we want to

eat? Right, So where is it the okay? So I'm going to

give you an example from Paul's life. Let's turn to Second Corinthians, chapter

twelve, verse seven to eight. I'm when to read from verse seven.

All right, Second Corientian Chapter twelve, verse seven. You go, unless

I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, A torn

in the flesh was given to me a messenger of Satan to buffet me,

lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning these things, I pleaded with the

Lord three times that it might depart from me. Three times I prayed,

Paul, I prayed, I really prayed. I pray to the Father.

You know he please take this torn out of my flesh. This is an

example of the Holy Spirit making an intercession according to the will of God.

Just imagine this is Paul praying three times, and then the Spirit hears Paul's

prayer. The spirit sees Paul's situation. The spirit tells communicates with the Father

because they are one and the spirit the spirit goes, Father, do not

take the touna of Paul's flesh because what he needs is to trust you.

So the Spirit is doing that with the Father. And let's read what did

the Father do? What did God the Father do? Verse nine is God's

answer, And he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you for

my strength. It's made perfect in your weakness. Hey, the answer doesn't

matter to pray at all. I ask you, I take out the thorn

from my flesh. I ask you to heal my father of cancer. I

ask you to heal my business. I ask you to heal my family relationship.

But what you say, my grace is more than sufficient for you.

Hello, how does that help me? How does that help my situation?

How does that help my affliction? How does that help my weakness? My

grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

And let's see Paul's response in verses nine to ten. Therefore, most likely

I would rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon

me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs,

in person persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I'm weak,

then I am strong. Sometimes, as believers, myself included, we

like to quote scriptures, but we need to know the context of the scripture.

The famous verse Jeremi in twenty nine eleven. We always code it in

a happy way, but actually is not actually a happy response. It was

actually an answer given to the Israelites that they go like, hey, Halloa,

why are you telling me this. I don't want to hear that.

I want you to deliver me from my anguish. Right now, my city

is being burned, my temple is being burned. The place there is whole

so holy that there's a covenant between you and God is being burned down.

My families are taken from me, my wife, my wife, my families

are gone, and now you're telling me, for I are giving you a

future and a hope. What come on, give me something better? Heal

me. All my desisays, take out the torn from my flesh. Paul's

response was, I take pleasure in my informities. It's so consistent wherever Paul

goes, whatever letters he writes, it's so consistent. And that's why.

Again, remember the topic is how can he have such joy? Now we

begin to see a little bit why now verse twenty seven, for Romans ad

says, now he who suches the heart knows what the mind of the spirit

is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

According to the will of God, we're going to go into a very

exciting verse. A lot of you may have these verse as your favorite verse

of the Diaberb will soon right Romans eight twenty eight. According to the will

of God? Who is God? Is it you? So if God is

saying, my grace is more than sufficient for you, who is God?

Are you still going to continue to come to a place whereby you are complaining

about that torne that has not been taken out of your flesh, even though

you have lived a good life. Even though you have lived according to the

world of God, are you still going to complaint because Paul did. Paul,

upon hearing that, he went like, oh, then like that I

would other boss in my even matisla, everything come my way, I'm happy

give it to me. He didn't say, oh, God, no,

why why not just take that done out? And he leastened to my third

point. My third point is not about you. Turn your neighbor and say

it is not about you. Com On, it is not about you.

How many of you read Romans eight twenty eight and felt this way before?

Actually, it is not about you are? It is not about you are.

Let's read Romans eighty eight, and we know that things work together for

good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to

His purpose. How in the world is that not about me? How in

the verse itself that it works together for good to those who love God?

That's me? What that's me? That's me? You worked for you work

together for good for me? All right? No? No, here we

go. Uh. Let me introduce you one term work together in verse twenty

eight. Work together in Greek is actually pronounced as sooner ag oh, basically

sinner Jill. All right, Siner Jill. And that's where the route.

But synergy comes from. Okay, work together, everything around you, working

together, even things that we don't know, things that we can question each

other and at times question God. Is working together for good. That means

right, that means and we know, we know that all things work together

for good. It didn't say for comfort. It didn't say for your breakthrough.

It didn't say for your healing. It didn't say for your one million

dollar company. It didn't say all that for your good finances, for your

children. No, it didn't say. It's say it for for good.

And who's who defines what is good? It say you or God? I

pray, and I pray that we cling on to what is good for God

and other than what is good for us, because what was good for us

was that fruit that we thought was the answer to everything, but that condemned

us to eternal separation from God until the day that God decided to send his

one and only because his Sonnymen, we cannot at times, sometimes we may

not see the result Romans Antony. We won't see the result. We wouldn't.

We won't, Okay, but we wish that God will tell us what

he's up to, right, Like how I give the example of the million

dollars. We wish God would sometimes just come to our dreams and tell us

this is why you're going through all of this, right. But that's where

faith comes in. You trust God based on the character of God. Roman

Stance says that now faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

You trust God based on his character. Let me just show you another

perspective of Romans eight twenty eight. And we know that all things work together

for good to those who love God. Verse twenty nine says for whom he

for niw wow for nil, for neil, right for new Okay. In

Greek, it also means that something that is already known, right, I

can't uh, yeah, it's something that's already known, right. And he

goes on and say he also predestined to be confirmed to the image of his

son, that he might be the first born among many brethrens Okay, So

we trust God based on the character of God. Amen. And what verse

twenty nine can be read ass is for whom he for nil he also predestined

to be confirmed to the image of his son that can be replaced by the

Israelites that were delivered from Egypt. Right, something that already happened. There

is a track record when it comes to God. Because God is not confined

by time or space. Whatever that happens in the past is passed to us,

but maybe future to God. God is not confined by that. He

doesn't care about that. But for us, it's an assurance that even though

we have not seen it yet, God has already done it for us.

Isaiah fifty eight. When the Messiah is being prophesied, most read the chapter.

It is all written in past tens. It's all written as if it's

already done. Jesus wasn't even born, and yet the Messiah was prophesied.

The works of the Messiah was prophesied. When God says something is as good

as done, think of it that way. Your story Again, the third

point is not about you? Why is it not about us? Okay,

let's read for whom he for you. That could be the Israelites, that

could be us, that could be anyone. All right. He also predestined

to be conformed to the image of his son, that he who's the heat,

who's the heat, Come on, follow me. Some Bible study going

on here? Who's the heat that he might be the first bond? Who's

the heat Jesus? So who is it about Romans eight twenty eight and Romans

eight twenty nine. Yes, he'll make things work together for good for those

who love God. But why in verse the United It ends by saying that

he might be the first bond among many prisents for us to become like Jesus,

by being transformed into the image of Christ, so that Jesus will be

glorified. It's not about you. Sometimes in life we get so upset because

we think that the whole world revolves around us. Is because we make one

wrong decision, and we make the wrong decision whatsoever. No, it's actually

to whatever that happens, whatever that comes along your way, is actually to

give glory back to Christ. Everything that happens is so that his son will

be the first bond among many brethren. That is the purpose I would like

to imagine. Right when Paul was writing this, why does he not get

upset? Whenever we get upset, we feel that the world is against us.

How can we how there, how can we dare say this about us?

How dare you say this about me? But it's not about you.

Whatever that happens in your life is not about you. It's about giving glory

to God, to the Sun, Jesus Christ. Amen. And fourth point

I'm gonna give you one is from Philippians, chapter four, verse four.

I found it so funny and I was reading it because it's literally called Philippins

says say right, die die. But actually the verse is rejoiced in the

not always and again I say, rejoice what the world men's for death,

God can turn around for good. Rejoice in the Lord always always, not

today, not yesterday, not tomorrow. Always every situation that you're in,

you rejoice in the Lord. Philippians for for same author Romans eight thirty to

thirty two continues by saying, more over whom he predestined, he also called,

whom he called, he also justified, and whom he justified he also

glorified. So when you read this, if you read this, if you

believe in Jesus Christ as your personal lot and savior, you walk in him,

you are already glorified in the eyes of the Father. Because God is

not bounded by time. He said in his word that if you are the

call, he also justified you whom he justified this, he also glorified.

Notice that this is in past tens. It's all said in the past.

It's all said as if it's already done to God is already done. Your

brikhoo is already done to him. When you're crying as a baby over there,

wondering when your brichee will come to his eyes, if you remaining faithful,

your virtue has already come to his eyes. It's whether you see it

or not. God has an attribute that you and I don't have. It's

called omniscience. Okay, he knows everything and everything right. The way scripture

is written at times is as good as He's done. I explained earlier about

Isaiah. Right. Isaiah fifty three, so verse thirty one says, what

then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who

can be against us? What could be the things that Paul are referring to

here? The immediate texts, the different things that were highlighted in Romans from

Romans one, two, three, four, five, sixty seven, right,

or just the things that he was saying earlier, the Gospel, the

Grace, the trials. What is these things that he was referring to What

shall we say to these things? What are the things that you are longing

for in your life? What are the things that you're longing for in your

life? Verse thirty two. He who did not spare his own son,

but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also

freely give us all things. God already gives you his one and only begondes

Son. Are you telling me he's not going to deliver you from the trial

that you're going through. He already gave you his' all. He already gave

you his all. And that's why Paul was able to say, what shall

we then say to these things? If God is for us, who shall

be against us? God already gave us everything that mattered to him, which

is his one and only begond son. What more can he not do for

you? Friends? The next time you are in a situation where you feel

despair, when you feel the lack of joy in your heart, remember this

that God already gave his all for you. It's not like he didn't he

gave you a four days, he gave your three days. No, he

gave you his all. And that's why Paul was able to say this in

versary two, he who did not spare his own son. Why why do

we think that he won't be able to deliver us if he already, you

know, send his own son to die for us Verse Timothy, Verse chapter

two, verse three to fources, God desires all men to be saved and

to come to the knowledge of the truth. I'm going to wrap up my

message today. Sorry, I'm going a bit longer, but I hope you

give me some time, maybe just five more minutes. Conclusion, Verse thirty

five says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation

or distress? Remember Paul was going through some distress earlier, right or persecution

with everything that he was labeling in second current is eleven or faming or nakedness,

peril of sort. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

It is written for your sake, we are killed all day long. We

are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. He's essentially caoting a sum and vers

tharty seven says, Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through

Him who love us. The Greek for more than conquerors is actually three words

in one okay, three words in one the Greek is called hyper nicow hyper

nicou, which basically means hyper super or mega or whatever, right, extremely

and nicou conquerors. So when they say hyper nicau to explain more than conquerors,

it means you are a super conqueror, right, you are a super

conqueror, not just a conqueror, right, which we were, a title

that will be given to you if you manage to conquer something. Hyper conqueror

basically means that if we are conguerors we read when we win the battle,

hyper conqueror hypernicao means that we rejoice in the midst of the battle because we

know the outcome of the battle. So asked herself a question again, how

did Paul manage to rejoice in such a situation in the midst of the battle.

You know, it's not one yet. It's still going on. Your

trials are still gonna be there. It's not gonna magically disappear overnight. It's

still gonna be there. You're still not gonna be hitting that hole in one

right list Uh, but maybe it will hit the hole in two. I

don't know. But but but it's gonna be there. The trials are gonna

be there the person that don't like you were still gonna like you. There

were so many people that didn't like past the Raymond Coo, so many people

that wanted him gone. I was just considering what story should I use with

the teen's materials for face. So I decided that's the Ramon because it's such

a story. It's such a reflection of what Paul lived through. And the

amazing thing is this it's not just him, it's also his family and his

family, the wife, especially at the end of the interview, she said

that I have forgiven. I have forgiven those who adopted and potentially even killed

my husband, because it's the commandment from God to love God. But not

just full stop over there. But you have to love others. You have

to love your enemies, You love your neighbors because if you don't love them,

you don't love me. Wow, you can't just love God without loving

people that He loves. We are more than conquerors. High Pernicault, turnt

your neighbor and say, hyperenny, how sounds like a man dream term and

verse thirty eight, I'm closing already says for I am persuaded that neither death

nor life nor angels, nor principalities, no power, nor things present,

nor things to come. The height, nor death, nor any other created

thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is

in Christ, Jesus our Lord. Amen to the reader of God's word.

Amen, Come on, we deserve better and then deserves better than that allowed

of Amen, allowed of praise because Paul in verse thirty A, this is

how we're gonna close, and I close the same way in the first race,

he says, for I am persuaded. Friends, Are you persuaded?

Are you persuaded that Romans aid is the truth? It's the way to live

victoriously. It's the way to live full of joy. It's the way that

you can rejoice in any trial and any tribulation that comes your way. Romans

Are you convinced? Are you convinced that he will come true for you?

Regardless of what happens. Sometimes we can't see it. I can't see it.

I don't even know whether my dad will be alive next year. I

don't know, but I want to declare that his will be done over his

life. Amen. Regardless, you hold me accountable. Next year, I

may be crying, Okay, whatever happens. But at the end of the

day, what matters is his will be done. And if really his will

is dead, that's so be it. I may take one day, two

days, one week, one month to cry, but at day I got

to pick myself up, and I got to say that I am convinced.

Lord, you did not take out the tone from my flesh, but your

grace is more than sufficient for me. I hope and I pray that this

is the way that we can live victoriously and live full of joy in our

hearts. Amen. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more

information on our church, please visit as church Org. We are also active

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good week. I hit for you. God, bless