Groaning To Glory

Genesis, somebody from Romans.

Thank you, Peter.

So, Genesis chapter 3, it's on page 5,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

from verses 8 through to 19.

Thanks very much, Chris.

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God

as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day,

and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

But the Lord God called to the man,

Where are you?

He answered,

I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid,

because I was naked, so I hid.

And he said,

Who told you that you were naked?

Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?

The man said,

The woman you put here with me,

she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.

Then the Lord God said to the woman,

What is this you have done?

The woman said,

The serpent deceived me, and I ate.

So the Lord God said to the serpent,

Because you have done this,

cursed are you above all the livestock,

and all the wild animals.

You will crawl on your belly,

and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers.

He will crush your head,

and you will strike his heel.

To the woman he said,

I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing.

With pain you will give birth to children.

Your desire will be for your husband,

and he will rule over you.

To Adam he said,

Because you listened to your wife,

and ate from the tree about which I commanded you,

you must not eat of it.

Cursed is the ground because of you.

Through painful toil you will eat of it

all the days of your life.

It will produce thorns and thistles for you,

and you will eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food

until you return to the ground,

since from it you were taken.

For dust you are,

and to dust you will return.

Thanks very much.

And then if you'd flick over to Romans chapter 8,

Romans 8 · chapter mention

which is on page 1135.

Romans 8,

page 1135,

starting at verse 17 through to verse 30.

Now if we are children,

then we are heirs,

heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.

If indeed we share in his sufferings,

in order that we may also share in his glory.

I consider that our present sufferings

are not worth comparing

with the glory that will be revealed in us.

The creation waits in eager expectation

for the sons 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

would be liberated from its bondage to decay

and brought into the glorious freedom

of the children of God.

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,

groan inwardly as we wait eagerly

for our adoption as sons,

the redemption of our bodies.

For in this hope we were saved.

But hope that is seen is no hope at all.

Who hopes for what he already has?

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

with groans that words cannot express.

And he who searches our hearts

knows the mind of the Spirit,

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints

in accordance with God's will.

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 likeness of his Son,

that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

And those he predestined,

he also called.

Those he called,

he also justified.

Those he justified,

he also glorified.

Thanks, Peter.

Well, we've been looking through

the Book of Romans

in this last mini-series

from chapter 5 through to chapter 8.

looking at how we experience the Gospel.

And here we see how the Gospel

brings hope to our lives.

So let's pray together

as we look at his Word.

Our Father, we thank you so much

for your many gifts to us,

and we thank you for the gift

of your Holy Spirit.

the Spirit of Christ

living within us.

And we pray that by your Spirit

you would take your Word

and make it alive

in our own lives.

Make it real

and make it fresh.

may it remind us of the eternal hope

and glory

that your people have.

May it give us courage

and strength

for this coming week.

And may we be people

who celebrate

all that you have given to us.

So please speak to us

afresh this morning.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, who would have thought it?

Ireland beating England

at cricket.

cricket.

Hmm?

The scenes were quite incredible.

Bats were thrown in the air

in excitement.

The whole team rushed on

to embrace each other.

The fans cheered in the stands

with tears running down their face.

You would have thought

they'd won the World Cup.

Maybe beating England

is better than winning the World Cup.

I don't know.

But every one of those people

was a picture of joy

and delight

as together they celebrated

and reveled

in their new glory.

But before that famous victory

there came an awful lot

of suffering.

The work in the gym.

The endless hours of practice.

The years of defeat

and being written off

by the press

as losers.

Before their victory

there was a lot of agony.

Before their glory

there was a lot of groaning.

Now in Romans 8

there's a lot of talk of glory

but before we get to the glory

there is a lot of groaning.

It starts in verse 17

with the promise of glory.

Look at the end of verse 17.

It says that we may also share

in his glory.

And the passage that we read

finishes with the assurance

of glory.

Verse 30.

Those he justified

he also glorified.

But between this promise of glory

and the assurance of glory

in between

we have an awful lot of groaning

going on.

verse 22

tells us that creation

has been groaning

as in the pains of childbirth.

Verse 23.

People are groaning.

Not only so

but we ourselves

groan inwardly.

and the spirit groans.

Verse 26.

We do not know

what we ought to pray for

but the spirit himself

intercedes for us

with groans

that words cannot express.

this passage

gives us a picture

of life

showing in detail

that Christians

are people

who are moving

from groaning

into glory.

Now the reason

why we're in that position

why we're moving

from groaning

to glory

is because

we have lost

the glory.

If you remember

from our study last week

the first part of

Romans 8

reminded us

that those who have

faith in Christ

are supernatural people.

The spirit of Christ

lives in us

empowering us

to live the life

that God has called us to.

But being supernatural people

does not mean

we are suffering

free people.

In fact

we live in a world

where the glory

has been lost.

Keep your finger

in chapter 8

and just go back

to chapter 1

of Romans.

Verse 22.

Chapter 1

verse 22.

This is true

of all people.

Verse 22.

Although we claimed

to be wise

we became fools

and exchanged

the glory

of the immortal God

for images.

So it's telling us

that we have exchanged

God's glory

for an imitation glory.

Rather than looking

to God

for life

and meaning

and purpose

we have looked

to idols.

We have substituted

God

with things

and people.

And the consequences

are a complete

breakdown

in the world's order.

Look at verse 28

of chapter 1.

God's glory.

Furthermore,

furthermore,

since we did not

think it worthwhile

to retain

the knowledge

of God

he gave us

over to a depraved

mind

to do what

ought not

to be done.

You see,

the people

in this world

do not reflect

God's glory.

We have distorted

God's glory.

glory.

Everything

has become

twisted.

Go to chapter 3

verse 22.

Here was his summary

of the way

things have gone.

The end of verse 22.

There is no difference

no matter who you are.

For all have sinned

and fall short

of the glory

of God.

it's become

unrecognizable.

It's broken

and twisted

and so what we see

now in this world

is a people

who live in a world

that suffers

and people

who suffer

and we suffer

because

we have exchanged

God's glory

for an imitation

glory.

But the wonder

of the gospel

is all about

the restoration

and the renewal

of that glory.

The promise

and the assurance

of a world

and a people

who will one day

experience God's glory

in all its fullness.

And so with our feet

firmly fixed

in this life

but with our eyes

firmly fixed

on the life

to come

he says

in chapter 8

verse 18

I consider

that our present

sufferings

are not worth

comparing

with the glory

that will be revealed

in us.

Compared

contrasting

what we have

today

and the glory

that is to come

it's not worth

comparing.

Christians

are people

who are moving

from groaning

into glory.

Well let's see

how this

is worked out

in three stages.

Firstly

creation

groans

for glory.

All around us

we see the signs

of a broken

and a decaying

world.

Verse 20

chapter 8

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 creation

itself

will be liberated

from its bondage

to decay.

The story

at the beginning

of Genesis

in the Garden

of Eden

we had Adam

and Eve

where they enjoyed

a world

which reflected

the glory of God.

It was full

of beauty

everything in harmony

with its creator

there was no death

there was no disease

there was no decay

there was enjoyment

with God

but then

they exchanged

God's glory

didn't they?

They substituted God

for things

and for people

and when that happened

the physical world

broke.

We read

in Genesis 3

that God

cursed

the world.

It was not just

a cause

an effect

result

but God

at work

in the world

verse 20

for the creation

was subjected

to frustration

not by its own

choice

but by the will

of the one

who subjected it

and ever since

that day

we have felt

and experiences

the consequences

and we were

reminded of it

two weeks ago

as an earthquake

ripped through

Christ Church

in New Zealand

the plates

that moved

underground

were an outworking

of that initial

curse

God who had

frustrated the world

we see it

in parts

of Africa

as thousands

and millions

live with drought

some parts

of that vast

continent

haven't seen

a raindrop

in years

some parts

in decades

the land

is barren

and cracked

dried bones

litter the landscape

as children

die as quick

as they are born

with no food

or water

and in contrast

in another part

of the world

in Australia

we see it's been

submerged

through extensive

flooding

homes

towns

whole cities

destroyed

in what seemed

like an endless

flood

and that's not

to mention

the ongoing cycle

of hurricanes

and tsunamis

and typhoons

and other destructive

weather patterns

the world

verse 21

is in bondage

to decay

the glory

has gone

and the curse

is at work

so what are we

to make

of all of this

well all this

groaning

in the physical

world

is a sign

of the glory

that is to come

look at verse 22

we know

that the whole

creation

has been groaning

as in the

pains of

childbirth

right up

to the present

time

now for those

who've experienced

the maternity ward

you'll know

that it's a place

where we see

and perhaps hear

a lot of

groaning

and glory

before the glory

of holding

a newborn baby

in your arms

comes the groaning

and agony

of giving birth

but it's a pain

that is full

of hope

because you know

that at the end

of it all

you will hold

a new life

in your arms

in the same way

the groaning

in this world

the earthquakes

the volcanoes

the destructive

weather patterns

is like

birth pains

it is all

signs

of a new

and a perfect

world

to come

verse 21

creation

itself

will be

liberated

from its

bondage

to decay

and brought

into the

glorious

freedom

of the

children of

God

with every

earthquake

with every

storm

with every

lightning bolt

it's like

creation

crying out

in pain

shouting

at the

world

telling us

that glory

is coming

one day

there is going

to be a world

where there will

be no more

earthquakes

no more

drought

and no more

flooding

creation

is moving

progressively

from groaning

into glory

but it's not

just

creation

Christians

also

groan

for glory

not just

the physical

world

in which

we live

but our

own

bodies

suffer

as well

look at

verse 23

not only

so

but we

ourselves

who have

the first

fruits of

the spirit

groan

inwardly

as we

wait

eagerly

for our

adoption

of sons

the redemption

of our

bodies

it's a

reality of

life

isn't it

that the

moment we

are born

we begin

to die

that is the

process of

life

we don't

like to

talk about

death

but it's

too real

for us

to avoid

I was

reminded of

it again

this week

as I

stood with

a friend

who buried

his mum

very well

before the

weekend

and then

died very

suddenly

somewhere

along the

course of

life

things begin

to slow

down

our vital

organs

don't function

as they

should

our

faculties

begin to

deteriorate

it may

happen at

birth

a rare

disease

or a

syndrome

because the

genes

somehow got

twisted

it may

happen as

we grow

old

aches

and pains

increase

sometimes

they go

only to

return

with greater

force

cancers

grow

and spread

and eventually

our physical

bodies

fail

look at what

it says

in verse

23

we groan

inwardly

every ache

and every

pain

is a cry

and a

reminder

that our

bodies

don't

work

and they

don't

function

the way

they

should

the glory

has gone

and the

curse

is at

work

and what

are we to

make of all

this suffering

that so many

people have

to endure

well for the

unbeliever

the person who

is not yet a

Christian

it's completely

hopeless

it's just an

empty cycle

of life

we've come

from nowhere

we're going

nowhere

and these

things just

happen

but for the

Christian

it is so

much

more

look at the

end of

verse 23

as we

groan

inwardly

we wait

eagerly

for our

adoption

as sons

and the

redemption

of our

bodies

yes we

know from

chapter 8

verse 15

that we

have been

adopted into

God's

family

yes we

have been

redeemed

but that

experience is

only partial

each aching

cry

each shout

of pain

is a

groan

not just

of empty

suffering

but of

anticipation

for the

day

when we

will enter

into the

fullness

of our

adoption

and our

redemption

our cries

and our

pain

are not

empty

and hopeless

they are

cries of

expectation

for what

is to

come

again look

what it

says in

verse 23

it says

we have

the first

fruits

of the

spirit

the holy

spirit

in us

is a

mark

it's a

sign

and a

seal

on our

lives

that

one

day

we

will

experience

the

redemption

of our

bodies

in all

its

fullness

and

completeness

look back

at verse

11 of

chapter 8

here is

real hope

as we

live with

our aching

and suffering

bodies

verse 11

if the

spirit

of him

who raised

Jesus from

the dead

is living

is living

in you

he who

raised

Christ

from the

dead

will also

give life

to your

mortal bodies

through his

spirit

who lives

in you

just as

Christ

was raised

from the

dead

just as

the spirit's

power raised

Christ

so with

that same

spirit in

us

we also

will rise

with a

brand new

body

just like

the Lord

Jesus

with no

more disease

no more

pain

no more

cancers

and no

more death

look at the

end of

verse 24

who hopes

for what

they already

have

but if we

hope for

what we do

not yet

have

we wait

for it

patiently

we don't

want

what we

see around

us

because what's

around us

is broken

it's frail

we hope

for what is

to come

for what is

to come

is eternal

this life

that we

live in

is marked

not with

glory

but with

a curse

and so

we wait

patiently

in expectation

and in

anticipation

of what

will be

ours

one day

creation

moves

from groaning

to glory

and Christians

because we

have the

spirit within

us

are moving

from groaning

to glory

glory

where the

experience

of suffering

in this

world

and in

our lives

has become

so intense

that we

can feel

utterly

weak

and helpless

and because

of that

we discover

that the

spirit within

us

also groans

for glory

look at

verse 26

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

with groans

that words

cannot

express

as we

journey

through

life

if we

haven't yet

experienced

it

we will

experience

all kinds

of

suffering

it

can be

an

illness

it

could be

the loss

of a

loved

one

it

could be

the

extreme

poverty

the

wasted

life

that we

see

around

our

world

and at

times

all of

these

things

can be

too

much

for us

it's

overwhelming

all the

suffering

in the

world

we feel

broken

and we

feel

defeated

the

glory

has

gone

and it's

like the

weight

of the

curse

is crushing

down upon

us

and crushing

down upon

the world

but into

our helplessness

comes the

spirit

literally

he comes

alongside

he joins

in

with our

agony

and pain

that's what's

being said

here in

verse 26

the second

part

the spirit

the spirit

himself

intercedes

for us

with groans

that words

cannot express

he takes

our cries

and our

shouts

of pain

he makes

them his

very own

and he

prays them

out to

god

our helpless

and hopeless

groans

are taken

by the

spirit

and turned

into prayer

before god

he joins

with us

in our

agony

and he

prays it

to our

father

but what's

happening

as he

prays

what's this

mystery

of this

groaning

with words

that words

cannot express

what's being

achieved in

this prayer

well look

at verse 27

and he

who searches

our hearts

knows the

mind of

the spirit

because the

spirit intercedes

for the saints

in accordance

with god's

will

we're told

aren't we

here that the

spirit intercedes

for us

he prays on

our behalf

but we also

know

and we saw

this last week

that the spirit

in us

is the spirit

of god

that's why

it says

in verse 27

that he

knows the

mind

of the

spirit

so in

effect

when the

spirit

is praying

it is

god

who is

praying

to god

it's not

something

separate to

god

it is the

spirit of

god

god

himself

within

us

praying

to god

so it's

not just

us

who feels

the weight

of the

curse

it's not

just us

who feels

crushed by

the suffering

in the

world

god

also

groans

longing

and waiting

for the

glory to

come

so these

wordless

prayers

is god

within

us

groaning

out to

god

himself

for the

fulfillment

and the

completion

of his

plan

it is

god

longing

for his

promised

future

for he

has

promised

that a

day will

come

when

everything

will be

put

right

but the

prayers

that the

spirit

prays

within us

is god

himself

crying out

to god

longing

for the

day when

christ

will come

again

and renew

and restore

all things

now i don't

know about

you but

when you

pray

we're always

wondering

am i praying

according to

god's will

is this what

god wants

is he going

to answer

well if

god is

praying to

god for

us

we can be

assured that

that prayer

will be

answered

god

praying to

god for

us

praying

that we

will receive

and that we

will enter

into his

eternal glory

we can't get

greater assurance

than that

so creation

groans for

glory

christians are

groaning for

glory and

god himself

within us

groans for

glory

glory

if anyone

suggested to

you a couple

of weeks

ago that

ireland was

going to win

the cricket

against england

you would

have laughed

you probably

would have

said cricket

what's that

never heard

of it

you say

it's not

possible

it's in your

dreams for

something like

that to

happen

well the

suffering that

we face in

this world

can be so

heavy

that it

makes glory

seem unreal

it makes it

seem just

not possible

our experience

in this life

of all that

goes on

it's just a

dream

the stuff you

talk about

heaven

it can't be

true

but the gospel

doesn't do

dreams

the gospel

isn't about

wishful thinking

it guarantees

and it secures

our hope

look at

verse 29

and as we

read these

couple of

verses

look at

the unbroken

chain

that starts

in eternity

past

and goes on

to eternity

to come

from eternity

past to

eternity

to come

look at

verse 29

for those

God

foreknew

that doesn't

mean that he

knows about

us in the

future

it means he

knew us

personally

and intimately

in eternity

past

before we

were even

born

God knew

us

for those

God

foreknew

he also

predestined

verse 30

those he

predestined

he also

called

and those

he called

he also

justified

and those

he justified

he also

glorified

glorified

can you see

that unbroken

chain

from eternity

past

God

foreknew

to eternity

to come

he will

glorify

God begins

the process

and God

will finish

the process

and the

promise

is so

sure

it is so

guaranteed

that a

future

event

glory

is spoken

of as a

past

event

look at the

tense of

the verb

it says

glorified

it's all

past tense

so something

that we

don't yet

have

he speaks

of as if

we already

have it

that is the

absolute

certainty

that the

restored glory

to come

is ours

today

we don't

yet have

it in all

its fullness

and all

its

completeness

but each

day

little by

little

we are

people who

are moving

from groaning

into glory

every day

that goes

past

is not

just another

day of

suffering

it is not

just another

day of

living within

the curse

of this

world

it is

actually a

step closer

to the

glory

that is

to come

let's pray

together

our

father

god

we thank

you for

this

amazing

promise

your

sure

and

certain

guarantee

that your

people

all those

who love

you and

put their

trust

in you

are heading

towards

a glorious

home

a day

when

creation

will be

full of

glory

everything

made right

no more

natural

disasters

no more

droughts

and no more

famine

and your

people will

no longer

ache

or struggle

for we

will receive

our brand

new bodies

living in

your new

creation

and we

thank you

that this

is true

that this

is sure

that this

is guaranteed

because god

by his

spirit

is living

within us

praying

prayers

to god

himself

that we

would receive

our eternal

glory

we thank you

for the promise

that we have

in you

and we

thank you

that that

is ours

today

please give

us eyes

to keep

looking forward

and faith

to trust you

in the midst

of our

struggles

and our

suffering

in jesus name

amen

well we're

going to try

and sing

hopefully there'll

be no explosions

but a celebration

as we look

forward

to the life

that is to

come

as long as

we're

there'll остан

we take

another

verse

start

to

and

氣

has

the

beautiful

and

continues

through

things

happening

in

through

the

you

continue

really