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Romans 8:26-30 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Take your copy of God's Word and turn to Romans chapter 8, where we'll spend our time this morning.
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At home, Sam and I have gotten in the habit of singing the doxology after we pray before our meal, hoping that Cade will learn it and learn it well.
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We don't sound nearly as nice as you guys all do together though, so I think you guys should all come to our house for dinner every night and help us sing that song.
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Because my leading it just is not nearly as beautiful.
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I'm really thankful today. I'm thankful first and foremost for the redemptive work of Christ on my behalf.
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I just feel unfettered this morning. I feel so free and unburdened because of the lack of slavery to sin this morning.
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I'm incredibly thankful this morning. On this day, six years ago, I married my lovely wife, Sam.
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So I'm really thankful for her. Thank you.
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And my family's here this morning. You guys know there's been a lot of sickness in our home.
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And I'm just really, really, really thankful that they get to actually be here.
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Both of my precious boys are here.
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I'm not stag this morning at church.
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So I'm thankful for all these things this morning.
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And I'm thankful that I get to preach this morning to you out of Romans chapter 8.
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We have, just to remind you, in Romans we've been venturing through this gospel presentation
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that Paul is giving to us.
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And he has said to us that the curse of sin has affected all humanity.
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We all bear that curse.
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And in addition to that, we've all sinned ourselves.
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So not only has the curse of Adam passed on to us, but we have brought our own condemnation because of our own sin.
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And therefore, none of us can escape the wrath of God on our own.
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Praise him for the propitiation of Christ.
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That he came and stood in our place.
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Bore God's wrath on our behalf.
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That if we will place our faith in that work of Jesus, we might be saved.
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We've seen now the effects of the gospel in chapters 6 and 7.
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And now into chapter 8, we get to learn about these positive effects of the gospel.
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The life that the Spirit has brought us.
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And we're looking together at the ministry of the Spirit.
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And we see that the Spirit in our lives ministers to us in regeneration.
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He gives us a new nature.
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We've been born in the Spirit.
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We see this in chapter 8, verse 5.
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I just won't read it to you.
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Chapter 8, verse 5.
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You can look at it.
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As well as in 1 Peter 1, 3-5, which says,
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again through the Spirit.
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To a living hope.
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To the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
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To an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.
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And kept in heaven for you.
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Who by God's power, which is the work of the Spirit in us, are being guarded through faith.
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For a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
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We see also that the Spirit ministers to us in our lives through the process of sanctification.
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Sanctification, that process by which we are passing from one degree of glory to another.
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That we are becoming more perfect as we progress in our Christian living.
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So he ministers to us in sanctification.
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Chapter 8, verse 13.
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As well as Philippians 1, 6.
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Where Paul says,
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We are being moved steadily by the Spirit towards perfection.
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We also saw that last week that the Spirit ministers to us in our security unto glorification.
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So after we die, the work of the Spirit is our glorification.
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But up to that point is our security keeping us to that day.
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You can see that in chapter 8, verse 14.
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That he puts in us the Spirit of adoption.
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That we are called sons of God because he lives within us.
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As well as Ephesians 1, 13 and 14.
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Which reads,
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So last week we saw that Paul turned in verse 17 to begin to talk about suffering in the life of a Christian.
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And that suffering includes all of the things we encounter as Christians along the way.
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As we're moving towards glorification.
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It's all those things.
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So it's from the head cold I still kind of have this morning to martyrdom.
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It's all those things that are uncomfortable for us as we're in this process of being made perfect.
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And he gives to us the way that we bear up underneath that.
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Which is the hope of future glory.
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We saw last week a certain amount of groaning going on.
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He speaks to us of the creation groaning.
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Waiting eagerly to be restored.
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To be put back in the place that it was meant to be.
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And we saw that we as believers groan inwardly.
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We wait eagerly for the adoption of the Son.
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For the redemption of our bodies.
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That final state.
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And this morning's text, we're going to see the Spirit groan on our behalf.
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So let's read together.
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Beginning in verse 26 through verse 30.
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I know that you may be thinking me rather ambitious.
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But I hope by the end of this you'll understand why I'm going to take us that far this morning.
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Beginning in verse 26.
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Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
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For we do not know what to pray for as we ought.
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But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
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And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit.
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Because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
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And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good.
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For those who are called according to his purpose.
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For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of a son.
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In order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
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And those whom he predestined, he also called.
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And those whom he called, he also justified.
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And those whom he justified, he also glorified.
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Let's pray together.
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Father God, we thank you for your word and the ministry it is to us.
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We thank you that you have planned the end from the beginning.
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We thank you that you're bringing it about through the personal work of Jesus Christ.
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And through the work of the Spirit in our lives.
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Father, we appeal to you this morning.
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That you might work in us a miracle in clear speaking and clear understanding.
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That you will provide both knowledge and understanding that yields wisdom in our lives.
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That we might live for you and exalt Christ in all that we do, even in the midst of our suffering.
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We pray this in the precious name of Christ, who gives us the ability to approach you and even pray to you.
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Amen.
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So, we see that he starts out this language in talking about the Spirit.
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He starts groaning on our behalf.
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And he speaks of our weakness.
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So, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
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And what does he mean by that is the first question that came to my mind as I began to study this text.
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Initially, I looked at verse 25.
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And verse 25 says,
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But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
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This future glory that's coming, we wait for it with patience.
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And so, I presume that the weakness he was talking about was when we fail in that.
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So, we, in his hope of glory, we are waiting.
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We are eagerly anticipating the coming hope of glory for us.
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And when we fail in that, the Spirit intercedes for us.
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But that's not actually what he means in this text.
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The word weakness here, the Greek term, is found in Romans 6.19.
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And Paul refers there, and it's translated in the ESV to our natural limitations.
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And John chapter 5, when Jesus is at the pool of Bethesda, there's the lame man.
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And in verse 5, it says,
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One man was there who had been an invalid for 38 years.
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That term invalid is the same term weakness here.
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The inability of his body to walk.
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1 Corinthians 15.43 and 44, speaking of resurrection, says,
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It is sown in dishonor.
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It is raised in glory.
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It is sown in weakness.
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Same word.
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It is raised in power.
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It is sown a natural body.
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It is raised a spiritual body.
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And so, what he's talking about here, when he says that the Spirit helps us in our weakness,
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is the frailty of our flesh, the burden of our sinful nature that we all carry around.
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So, does that include our failing to wait with patience for future glory?
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Absolutely, it does.
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But he's expanding beyond that and speaking much more broadly than that.
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Look at the very next sentence.
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He says,
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For we do not know what to pray for as we ought.
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So, in the middle of our suffering, we don't even know how to pray because we are so corrupted by our sin.
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That's what he's talking about here.
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He starts this sentence out by saying,
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Likewise.
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He talks out by saying,
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Likewise the Spirit helps us.
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So, what is the likewise he's referring to?
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Well, it's the groaning.
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It's referring back to verse 18, the eager longing of the creation,
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the creation groaning in the pains of childbirth.
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It's that same groaning, which is the way the Spirit helps us on our behalf.
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See that at the very heart of the Spirit of God within us
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is a longing for us to be made perfect.
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He desires that.
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And he groans on our behalf
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for such a thing
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to take place.
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And he groans with words,
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with a groaning that is
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too deep
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for words.
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Now, we in Protestant evangelicalism
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have really neglected
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the Holy Spirit.
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We make much of God the Father
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and much of God the Son,
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which we should do, and we should never cease doing.
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We can never talk too much
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about God the Father
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and about God the Son.
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But we do
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talk too little
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about the Spirit.
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Pentecostals have
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elevated
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the role of the Spirit
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in life.
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They have
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done so to the degree
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that they have
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relegated,
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they have diminished
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the Gospel itself.
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They talk
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often
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about
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the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
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very little
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about the Gospel.
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they've gotten it out of balance
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in that direction.
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I think we've done
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the same
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by not talking
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as much
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as we ought to
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about the work
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of the Holy Spirit.
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We should put him
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in his proper
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place
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as part
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of the Godhead.
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If you're like me,
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often in my life
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I think of the Holy Spirit
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as a minion
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of the Father
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and the Son
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doing
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doing the bidding.
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He is equally God
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dwelling within us.
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We need to see
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that that
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part of God
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dwells within us
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and grows
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for us,
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longs
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for us
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to be made
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perfect
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in the image
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of Christ.
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What an amazing
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reality
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that is.
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This does not
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mean
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that when we
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don't know
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how to pray
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we should
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begin to speak
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in gibberish.
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Should have
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bought a Honda
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but I bought
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a Yamaha.
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It's not what
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this text means.
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That's what the
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Pentecostals
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have done with it.
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That is not
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what this text
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means.
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And I hope
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to show you
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beyond that
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what it does mean.
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So we see
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that the Spirit
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then groans
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for us
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in verse 27
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according
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to the will
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of God.
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It intercedes
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for us,
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prays on our
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behalf
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according
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to the will
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of God.
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So we see
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clearly here
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that there's
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a conversation
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happening between
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the Spirit
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of God
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within us
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and God
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the Father.
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Now is that
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to the Spirit's
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benefit?
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If the Spirit's
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groaning,
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longing for
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our perfection,
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for the
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saints'
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perfection,
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does he
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have this
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prayer time
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with God
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so that he
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can feel
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a little better
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about the
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end results?
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Of course not.
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The Spirit
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of God
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knows exactly
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what will be
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accomplished.
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The Spirit
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of God
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prays,
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groans
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by the
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will of
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God.
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So the
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Spirit longing
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within us
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for perfection
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is not for
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his benefit,
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it's for
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ours.
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When we
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suffer and
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we don't
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know how
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to pray,
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the longing
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in our lives
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for the
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will of
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God,
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even when
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we don't
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know exactly
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what the
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prayer should
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be,
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it's for
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our benefit
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that we
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know the
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Spirit of
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God is
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moving us
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toward future
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glory.
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As I
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mentioned
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before,
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this is a
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chunk of
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Scripture.
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These verses,
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particularly
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verse 28,
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29,
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and 30,
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are very
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expandable.
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Boy,
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can we
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preach some
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sermons out
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of those
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three verses.
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But keeping
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it in its
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context is
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why I'm
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going to
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take us
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that far.
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I want
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you to
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see that
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he's
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working
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these
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things
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for our
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good that
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we might
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hope in
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future glory
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and bear
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up under
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suffering.
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So,
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in verse
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27,
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he says
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he prays,
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he intercedes
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for the
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saints
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according
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to the
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will
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of God.
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What is
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God's
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will for
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us?
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We see
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in verse
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28,
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it talks
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of those
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who are
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called
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according
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to his
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purpose,
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and then
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verse 29,
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here's the
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answer,
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to be
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conformed
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to the
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image
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of his
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Son.
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And there
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you see
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again the
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longing of
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the Spirit
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to move
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us,
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to progress
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us,
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towards
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perfection.
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This is a
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Trinitarian
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activity,
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our future
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glory.
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God the
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Father
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planned it,
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God the
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Son provided
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for it,
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and God
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the Spirit
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protects it
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until it
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comes to
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pass.
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I want you
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to see that
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this morning.
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Verse 28,
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and we
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know that
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for those
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who love
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God,
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all things
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work together
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for good
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for those
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who are
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called
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according to
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his purpose.
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Now,
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this morning
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I want to
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give to
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you,
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and I
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believe it's
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what Paul
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intended here,
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a sense
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of your
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security
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in Christ.
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But I
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don't want
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to give
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to you
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false
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security
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at all.
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So,
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how is it
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that things
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work together
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for good?
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For whom?
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For those
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who love
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God.
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John MacArthur
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in a sermon
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on this text
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says,
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we love
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God.
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I hope
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you're one
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of those.
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We love
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God.
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We love
15:47
Jesus Christ.
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It is a
15:48
love that
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meditates
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on his
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majestic
15:50
glory.
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It is a
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love that
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longs to
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worship,
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to sing
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his praises.
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It is a
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love that
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seeks the
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fellowship of
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others who
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love him.
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It is a
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love that
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loves those
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who love
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him and
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are loved
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by him.
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It is a
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love that
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seeks communion
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with God,
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intimate
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communion.
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It is a
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love that
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seeks the
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knowledge of
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God and
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the word
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of God,
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to know
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him more.
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It is a
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love that
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is sensitive
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to God's
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honor and
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God's
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dishonor.
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It is a
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love that
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hates what
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God hates
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and love
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what God
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loves.
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It is a
16:19
love that
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grieves
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over sin
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and rejoices
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over righteousness.
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It is a
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love that
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rejects the
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world.
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It is a
16:24
love that
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longs for
16:25
the coming
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of Jesus
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Christ,
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but mostly
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it is a
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love that
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obeys the
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scripture.
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If you
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love me,
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do what?
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Keep my
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commandments.
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Whoever
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keeps my
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word,
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he it is
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that loves
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me.
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That's
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who all
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this is
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working for
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for good.
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That's
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who the
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Spirit of
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God abides
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in and
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longs and
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groans on
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our behalf
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for future
16:50
glory.
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Those who
16:52
love God.
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And we
16:53
see that
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all things
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in verse
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28 work
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together for
16:58
good.
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All things
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work for
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good.
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Now I
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hope if
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you've
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spent any
17:03
time at
17:03
all as
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a Christian
17:04
you're
17:04
familiar
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with
17:05
Romans
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8.
17:06
28.
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Again,
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I believe
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this is a
17:09
verse that's
17:10
commonly
17:10
taken out
17:11
of the
17:12
proper
17:12
context.
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Very
17:14
expandable.
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It certainly
17:15
means that
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all things
17:18
in our
17:18
life,
17:18
those things
17:19
good,
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those things
17:20
bad,
17:20
the suffering
17:20
that we
17:21
experience,
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works together
17:22
for good,
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that we
17:23
might be
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able to
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share in
17:25
the suffering
17:26
of others,
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that we
17:27
might learn
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perseverance,
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that we
17:30
might deeper
17:31
rely on the
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grace of
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God,
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certainly
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those are
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good.
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That is good
17:36
that these
17:36
things are
17:37
working toward,
17:38
but ultimately
17:38
what Paul is
17:39
saying to us
17:40
is an
17:41
ultimate good
17:42
for these
17:43
things to
17:44
work toward,
17:44
an ultimate
17:45
and final
17:46
good,
17:47
the glorification
17:48
of our
17:49
bodies.
17:50
So all
17:51
things,
17:53
including sin
17:53
in our
17:54
life,
17:54
God is
17:55
working and
17:56
bringing us
17:57
toward glory
17:59
together.
18:01
My son,
18:02
my second
18:03
son Judah,
18:03
is here this
18:04
morning.
18:04
I don't know
18:05
if many of
18:05
you have had
18:05
a chance
18:06
to meet
18:06
him yet
18:06
as Sam
18:07
has been
18:07
home with
18:08
primarily
18:09
Cade being
18:09
sick.
18:10
Please go
18:11
say hello
18:12
to him this
18:12
morning.
18:12
He's already
18:13
two months
18:13
old and he's
18:14
been such a
18:15
blessing for
18:15
us.
18:16
He was born
18:17
on February
18:18
17th.
18:20
Sam went
18:20
into labor
18:21
on the night
18:22
of the 16th
18:22
and labored
18:24
rather uncomfortably
18:25
all through the
18:26
night,
18:26
but the
18:27
contractions were
18:28
only about 10
18:28
minutes apart,
18:29
so we waited.
18:30
We didn't go to
18:30
the hospital.
18:31
The next day,
18:32
we had Cade
18:33
sent off to my
18:33
parents' house
18:34
and figured any
18:35
moment we would
18:36
rush off to the
18:36
hospital to have
18:37
Judah.
18:38
We waited and
18:39
we went for a
18:40
walk.
18:40
I think we walked
18:41
three and a half
18:42
to four miles
18:43
and got those
18:44
contractions speeding
18:45
up and we had
18:46
them about five
18:46
minutes apart on
18:47
clockwork and we
18:48
thought,
18:48
hey, let's go
18:48
home and take
18:50
off.
18:50
And we got
18:50
home and Sam
18:52
said we can eat
18:52
some lunch before
18:53
we took off to
18:53
the hospital and
18:54
in that time her
18:55
contractions slowed
18:56
back down to about
18:58
15, 20 minutes
18:59
apart.
19:00
So we waited and
19:01
we waited and
19:02
finally Sam just
19:03
said, I'm tired of
19:04
waiting.
19:04
Let's just go to the
19:05
hospital and see
19:06
what's going on.
19:06
They're probably
19:06
going to laugh at us
19:07
and send us home,
19:08
but let's just go
19:09
see what's going
19:10
on with me.
19:12
We got there and
19:13
they were quite
19:13
busy and in fact
19:14
the nurse that
19:16
checked Sam,
19:16
you could actually
19:17
tell she was a tad
19:18
agitated that Sam
19:19
just wanted to be
19:19
checked out and
19:20
she even assumed
19:21
that by Sam's
19:22
telling that she
19:24
was going to send
19:24
us on home and
19:25
she checked Sam
19:27
and laughed.
19:27
Sam was six
19:28
centimeters dilated
19:29
and gentlemen,
19:30
for those of you
19:31
who don't know,
19:31
that's quite
19:32
dilated.
19:32
It's time to be at
19:34
the hospital at
19:35
that point.
19:36
And so they very
19:37
quickly admitted us
19:38
and got everything
19:39
going and Sam
19:40
decided to have an
19:41
epidural this time
19:41
and got her on an
19:42
epidural and not
19:44
long after she
19:45
started pushing.
19:46
God's grace,
19:48
I believe,
19:49
to us,
19:50
Sam's epidural
19:51
didn't take
19:51
entirely so she
19:52
had a rather
19:53
massive pain spot
19:54
on her left
19:54
side and I
19:56
think that it
19:56
motivated her to
19:57
push hard and
19:59
I think she
20:01
pushed through
20:01
like four
20:01
contractions and
20:03
Judah's little
20:04
head came out
20:05
of the womb.
20:06
It was purple
20:07
and that's not
20:09
the normative
20:10
thing for a
20:11
child's head.
20:12
Quickly, as is
20:13
always the case,
20:14
doctors take a
20:14
little syringe
20:15
bulb and they
20:16
suck the gunk
20:16
out of their
20:17
heads and try
20:17
to get them
20:18
breathing as
20:19
they've been
20:19
breathing water
20:20
up to this
20:21
point.
20:21
They come out
20:22
and he still
20:23
didn't.
20:24
So the doctor
20:25
gave him a
20:26
little yank
20:26
and saw that
20:27
the umbilical
20:27
cord was
20:28
wrapped around
20:28
his neck.
20:29
I was going
20:30
to crack a
20:30
joke about
20:31
letting him
20:32
cut it.
20:33
Hey, you can
20:33
go ahead and
20:33
cut that if
20:34
you'd like to.
20:34
Before I could
20:35
even process
20:36
the words out
20:37
of my mouth,
20:37
he had go-go
20:38
gadgeted instruments
20:39
and snip-snip
20:41
cut and had
20:41
that thing
20:42
around Judah's
20:43
neck.
20:44
But still,
20:45
Judah didn't
20:46
change color.
20:47
His head was
20:47
still very,
20:48
very purple.
20:49
So the doctor
20:50
said, let's give
20:51
him one more
20:51
push and
20:52
yanked him
20:53
right out of
20:54
him.
20:55
And his little
20:56
body was
20:56
lifeless,
20:57
gray.
20:57
His head was
20:58
purple, his
20:59
body was just
20:59
gray.
21:00
And the image
21:01
of the doctor
21:02
looked like a
21:04
lateral to the
21:06
nurse.
21:07
Judah's little
21:07
body just limp,
21:08
arms hanging,
21:10
looked entirely
21:11
lifeless.
21:12
And quickly
21:13
shuffled him
21:14
over to the
21:14
receiving nurse.
21:16
She had already
21:16
hit the triage
21:17
button, so a
21:18
team of nurses
21:19
came kind of
21:20
busting in the
21:20
door.
21:21
There's just
21:21
this kind of
21:22
pandemonium
21:23
breaking out.
21:24
And we had,
21:26
in a number of
21:26
ultrasounds
21:27
beforehand,
21:29
Judah always
21:29
looked a little
21:30
funny in the
21:30
womb.
21:31
He looked like
21:31
a bridge troll.
21:33
And so Sam
21:33
and I had joked
21:34
around about him
21:36
being a rather
21:37
ghastly baby.
21:39
So I just kept,
21:40
I believe at least,
21:41
from what I can
21:41
remember, I was
21:42
just saying the
21:42
same.
21:42
He's beautiful.
21:43
He's so cute.
21:44
Like everything's
21:44
great.
21:45
Definitely good.
21:46
And it wasn't.
21:48
And you know,
21:48
you've ever seen
21:49
a movie where
21:49
time seems to
21:50
kind of stand
21:51
still.
21:51
Like the characters
21:53
are moving at
21:53
regular pace,
21:54
but everything
21:54
around them is
21:55
moving in slow
21:56
motion or it's
21:57
stopped.
21:57
That's how it
21:58
felt.
21:58
All these nurses
21:59
and doctors
21:59
are running in
22:00
and out and
22:00
all this stuff.
22:01
And all I could
22:02
do was look at
22:03
Judah's little
22:04
lifeless body
22:05
on the table.
22:07
He's obviously
22:07
alive, so the
22:08
story ends very,
22:09
very well.
22:10
They just had to
22:12
get him on some
22:12
oxygen.
22:13
The little bit of
22:14
trauma he experienced
22:15
with the cord around
22:15
his neck coming
22:16
out, he just
22:17
didn't jumpstart
22:18
the way he should
22:18
have.
22:19
And that first
22:20
little cry was
22:21
so precious.
22:22
Even the doctor,
22:23
I heard him go
22:24
when he started
22:26
to cry.
22:26
I'll always
22:27
remember that.
22:28
But what was
22:28
going on in me
22:31
as this is
22:32
happening was
22:34
828.
22:35
All things for
22:36
good.
22:36
All things for
22:37
good.
22:37
All things for
22:38
good.
22:38
I didn't even
22:39
know what should
22:40
have happened.
22:41
I didn't know
22:41
how to pray.
22:44
If my life is
22:45
ultimately about
22:45
exalting Christ and
22:47
moving in this
22:48
process of perfection,
22:49
I didn't know what
22:50
was best for me.
22:51
maybe losing my
22:52
son was the best
22:53
thing.
22:54
Maybe that would
22:55
have been the best
22:56
thing to move me
22:57
toward ultimate and
22:59
final glory.
23:00
I didn't know what
23:01
to pray, but I
23:02
believe that the
23:03
Spirit of God was
23:04
groaning for me and
23:06
reminded me of 828.
23:08
All things for good.
23:09
All things for good.
23:09
All things for good.
23:11
And I came back.
23:13
But that would have
23:14
been true either way,
23:15
wouldn't it?
23:16
There are people in
23:17
our congregation who
23:18
have lost babies.
23:20
It's for good.
23:21
Ultimate and final
23:23
good.
23:24
And that can be so
23:25
hard to swallow in
23:26
the moment.
23:28
But we have the
23:30
Spirit within us who
23:33
groans for us.
23:34
Then we might
23:35
believe that to be
23:36
true.
23:37
And Paul affirms
23:42
that for us.
23:44
He puts that into
23:45
proper perspective
23:46
for us with a
23:48
view of eternity.
23:51
Verse 29.
23:54
For those whom
23:55
he foreknew,
23:57
those that he knew
23:58
would be his,
24:00
those that he knew
24:00
would have the
24:01
Spirit of God
24:02
abiding within them,
24:03
that would cry to
24:04
him, Abba,
24:05
Father.
24:05
Father.
24:06
Those he knew
24:07
that about in the
24:09
beginning of time.
24:11
There's not such
24:12
a thing.
24:12
But in the beginning
24:12
of eternity,
24:14
he predestined,
24:16
he preordained
24:17
that we would be
24:18
conformed to the
24:19
image of his Son.
24:21
That we would,
24:22
in fact,
24:23
reach final and
24:25
full glorification.
24:27
It's going to
24:28
happen.
24:29
Because God
24:30
wrote it.
24:32
In order that we
24:33
might be the first
24:34
born among many
24:35
brothers.
24:36
Verse 30.
24:37
And those whom
24:38
he predestined,
24:39
he also called.
24:41
So those that he
24:42
preordained would
24:43
become like his
24:46
Son, he called.
24:47
And this is an
24:48
effectual call.
24:49
This is not a
24:49
general call here.
24:51
This is an
24:51
effectual call.
24:52
If he, in fact,
24:53
preordained that
24:53
they would become
24:54
like his Son,
24:55
the calling must
24:58
have been answered.
24:58
Because those who
24:59
he called, he
25:00
justified.
25:01
If you don't know
25:04
Christ, if you
25:05
don't have saving
25:06
faith, this, I
25:08
think, would cause
25:10
you to question,
25:11
how do I know?
25:11
If I'm being
25:12
called, if I'm
25:13
feeling a tugging on
25:14
my heart to answer
25:15
the call to the
25:16
gospel, how do I
25:17
know if it's an
25:18
effectual call?
25:20
Your response is
25:22
the evidence of
25:23
that.
25:24
If you respond to
25:26
the gospel in your
25:27
life, you place your
25:29
faith in Jesus
25:30
Christ, it was an
25:31
effectual call.
25:32
The Spirit of God
25:33
was working in you.
25:35
I can make a call.
25:37
I can preach the
25:38
gospel to you.
25:38
But I can't give to
25:40
you an effectual call.
25:42
I can't make you
25:44
believe.
25:46
The Spirit does
25:47
that.
25:47
Remember the first
25:48
ministry of the
25:49
Spirit?
25:49
Regeneration.
25:50
The Spirit gives
25:51
to you a new heart.
25:52
Causes you to
25:54
believe.
25:55
So how do you
25:55
know if the call
25:56
is effectual?
25:57
You answer it.
25:59
And he justifies
26:01
those.
26:01
The work of Christ
26:03
is given to you.
26:04
He has taken your
26:05
wrath, given you
26:06
his righteousness,
26:07
and we stand right
26:09
before God.
26:11
And those whom he
26:12
justified, he also
26:14
glorified.
26:16
Now notice that the
26:17
word glorified is
26:20
past tense.
26:22
Isn't that
26:22
interesting?
26:24
It doesn't say,
26:24
and those whom he
26:25
justified, he will
26:27
also glorify.
26:30
Talking about future
26:31
glory.
26:32
Remember, that's the
26:33
context that we're
26:33
in here.
26:34
Paul is telling us
26:35
the hope that we
26:35
can have and what
26:36
will come to pass.
26:39
Why does he use a
26:40
past tense version
26:42
of this verb?
26:45
Because it has been
26:47
accomplished.
26:50
We're in the process
26:52
of it being
26:52
accomplished, but it
26:53
has in fact been
26:54
accomplished.
26:55
It's already been
26:56
written.
26:58
God knew our
26:59
eternal ending from
27:01
the eternal
27:02
beginning.
27:04
Because he's the
27:04
one that brings it
27:05
to pass.
27:06
He's fully sovereign.
27:08
He's fully in
27:08
control.
27:09
And as we suffer
27:11
here in this earth,
27:13
we can know,
27:15
Paul's trying to
27:16
tell us here, we
27:17
can know that we
27:19
are secure.
27:21
It does not matter
27:23
what this world
27:23
throws our way.
27:24
And in fact, the
27:25
Bible teaches us
27:26
that we will suffer
27:27
as Christians.
27:29
If you haven't
27:29
already, it's
27:31
coming.
27:32
In all types of
27:33
degrees, you'll
27:35
suffer as a
27:35
Christian.
27:36
You'll long for a
27:38
better place.
27:40
This world is not
27:41
my home.
27:42
I don't know about
27:42
you, but I'm really
27:43
uncomfortable here.
27:45
I'm ready to go to
27:46
where I belong.
27:48
Heaven and then the
27:50
new earth when God
27:51
recreates all things.
27:53
is back as it
27:54
should be.
27:57
If I could lose
27:59
my salvation, if
28:00
God granted to me
28:01
any control at all
28:03
over these things,
28:04
if I could lose my
28:05
salvation, I would.
28:08
I am so utterly
28:10
corrupted by sin,
28:12
the weakness that we
28:13
talked about earlier.
28:14
I would lose my
28:15
salvation.
28:16
You would too.
28:17
You may not think
28:17
that, but you would.
28:18
Praise God that he is
28:19
fully in control.
28:21
from the very
28:22
beginning of it
28:23
to the very
28:24
end.
28:25
And so, those
28:26
whom he justified,
28:28
he also
28:29
glorified.
28:32
See that God the
28:34
Father planned
28:35
our glory.
28:36
That God the
28:37
Son provides
28:39
for our glory.
28:40
And that God the
28:41
Spirit protects
28:43
our glory.
28:45
Bear up
28:46
under suffering.
28:47
Bear up
28:48
in your sin.
28:50
Because our
28:51
end is sure.
28:53
It's pretty good.