Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Roman 15:13
Transcript
- 0:00Turn to the book of Romans, chapter 15.
- 0:04And as you're doing that, let me say to those of you who are guests with us this morning,
- 0:09you probably have discovered, maybe shockingly, that we have the kids remain with us in the service.
- 0:14I hope that's not been too much of a shock for you.
- 0:17We believe that it's of value to the family to meet together for worship.
- 0:22And we do have some amenities across the hall if you need a place to go.
- 0:27There's both video and sound over there.
- 0:29It's a place that you can let the kids be a little more loud versus over here.
- 0:33And we'd invite you to use that space if you feel that you need it.
- 0:37Also, I am not easily distracted.
- 0:40So don't be too terribly concerned with little noises as far as I'm concerned.
- 0:45And I think the people around you will be very gracious to you as well.
- 0:49We've been working our way through the book of Romans.
- 0:52We don't always but believe that the best form of preaching is verse-by-verse exposition.
- 0:59And we have found ourselves today in chapter 15 at verse 13.
- 1:05Let's read that together and then we'll pray.
- 1:09Romans 15, verse 13.
- 1:11May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
- 1:23Let's pray.
- 1:24Father God, we do praise you this morning that by your grace we have been set free.
- 1:32That those of us who were once far off, which was all of us, have now been brought near through the blood of Christ.
- 1:40And I pray, Lord, I plead that that's the case for everyone here this morning.
- 1:47That all of us have placed believing faith in Christ.
- 1:51That the Spirit of God has regenerated our hearts.
- 1:55That we have been caused to love you.
- 1:59And I pray, Father, for those here who may not know you.
- 2:06This will be the last day that that will be true of them.
- 2:09And for those that do, our hearts will be continually warm to the gospel.
- 2:14We might live in light of it.
- 2:16We will honor you with all that we do as we go about this next week.
- 2:21And we pray this in God's name.
- 2:24Amen.
- 2:27So Romans 15, 13.
- 2:29I'd say I've been incredibly sick this week.
- 2:33I'm on antibiotics now.
- 2:35I'm feeling a little bit loopy.
- 2:37I'm actually going to work at keeping this brief this morning.
- 2:40As Paul does in his benedictory prayer.
- 2:44His conclusion here at the end of what I would call his formal letter to the Romans.
- 2:51He certainly goes on beyond this.
- 2:53We have the rest of chapter 15 and all of chapter 16.
- 2:55Which are really his closing remarks.
- 2:57The Romans.
- 2:58So this is the end, verse 13, of his formal letter.
- 3:02The case that he's been making to the believers in Rome.
- 3:07And he ends it with a simple benediction.
- 3:09A prayer on their behalf.
- 3:11May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
- 3:15So that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
- 3:19And I want to just look at three observations.
- 3:23First, Paul's desired outcome for the believers in Rome.
- 3:26The means for the desired outcome.
- 3:29And the source of the means for that desired outcome.
- 3:33So firstly, what is it that Paul wants to see happening in the lives of these Roman believers?
- 3:39He wants to see all joy and all peace and abounding hope in their lives.
- 3:49So notice here that the word all, the adjective all here, is in the original text.
- 3:55And I would assume that all of your translations included.
- 3:58If it doesn't, you may not want to use the translation you're using any longer.
- 4:01Because it is in fact in the original text.
- 4:03And all both applies to joy and peace.
- 4:08So Paul doesn't wish that they'll have just some joy.
- 4:12A little measure of joy.
- 4:14A smidgen of joy.
- 4:16And some peace at times in their life.
- 4:19But he desires that they have all joy.
- 4:22And all peace.
- 4:24Sufficient measure for every aspect and part of their life.
- 4:29For any circumstance in their life.
- 4:31That they would have all joy.
- 4:34And all peace.
- 4:36Which will lead them to so that they may have abounding hope.
- 4:43Again, not just a little bit of hope.
- 4:46Not hope in times of trouble alone.
- 4:49But abounding hope.
- 4:51An overflowing hope.
- 4:53An extra measure of hope.
- 4:55That continues to flow and to flow and to flow.
- 5:00An abiding hope.
- 5:01An abiding joy.
- 5:02An abiding peace.
- 5:04This is Paul's desire for the believers in Rome.
- 5:10So what then is the means for this desired outcome?
- 5:13How is it that we have this type of peace?
- 5:17And this type of hope?
- 5:18And this type of joy?
- 5:23Right?
- 5:23It's by.
- 5:24The means is by our faith.
- 5:28Notice here that he says that you may have all joy and peace in believing.
- 5:35The means is our faith.
- 5:38Faith in what?
- 5:40Faith in the promises of Scripture.
- 5:43Which speak of the person and the work of Christ.
- 5:48Recall contextually where we've just been.
- 5:50He's given to us four Old Testament quotations from each of the four literary types of writing that we find in the Old Testament.
- 5:59To show to us that God's eternal purpose for the world was to make his name known not just among Israel, but amongst the world.
- 6:10Right?
- 6:11To the nations.
- 6:11Paul uses here in these four references starting in verse 9 through 12 Gentiles.
- 6:18To show the Jewish believers here in Rome that it wasn't just them.
- 6:22It was the Israelites and everyone else.
- 6:26So he has just talked about, beginning in verse 8, that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness.
- 6:35In order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs.
- 6:39And those are the quotes that we give here.
- 6:40So that the Gentiles will glorify God for his mercy.
- 6:45If we back up beyond that, we see in verse 5 that the God of endurance encouragement would grant them to live in harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus.
- 6:55Because of the encouragement of the Scriptures which give us hope in verse 4.
- 7:02So notice the flow and the connection that he's making here.
- 7:05So we're to have faith in what?
- 7:06In the promises of Scripture which speak of the person and the work of Christ.
- 7:13We talked a little bit about some of the liberties that Paul seems to take with his Old Testament quotations.
- 7:19And why it was certainly permissible for him to do so.
- 7:22In his inspiration, he quotes lastly here in verse 12.
- 7:28He says,
- 7:29The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles.
- 7:33In him will the Gentiles hope.
- 7:35And this is taken from Isaiah chapter 11 verse 10.
- 7:38Now I want you just to listen to it as you look at what's found in verse 12.
- 7:43Okay?
- 7:44And notice the difference here.
- 7:46Isaiah 11 verse 10 reads,
- 7:48In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples, of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
- 7:58A little bit different there.
- 7:59Am I right?
- 8:00A little prophecy on Isaiah's part.
- 8:02And here we see the way Paul quotes it as it's been fulfilled.
- 8:06So Paul, living in the days that the gospel has now been expanded beyond just the borders of Israel and has now gone out to the Gentiles, adds some commentary to it.
- 8:19But he's also referencing Isaiah chapter 11 verse 1, which says,
- 8:24There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
- 8:34A sure promise of God given to us.
- 8:36And here, as he gives his commentary to it and quotes it differently, says,
- 8:41The root of Jesse will come, and in him will the Gentiles hope.
- 8:47A sure promise given to us.
- 8:50A promise that we can believe in.
- 8:52That we can place our faith in.
- 8:57If you've been following us and following Paul's argument all along here throughout the book of Romans,
- 9:02he's continually said to us that we're saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
- 9:08If I could just easily sum up the point, the treatise put forth in the book of Romans,
- 9:16it's that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
- 9:22That's what he's been driving at us all along.
- 9:24Recall, we've spent now, I think, almost two years in the book of Romans,
- 9:29but this would have been read to the congregation.
- 9:31It would have taken about an hour.
- 9:34A good hour-long sermon read here.
- 9:37So let's just back up and look, just in one spot, Romans chapter 5, verses 1 and 2,
- 9:42to connect you back to what he's been saying all along here.
- 9:48And I want to show you the beautiful connection to chapter 15, verse 13,
- 9:54about joy and peace and hope.
- 9:58Chapter 5, verse 1.
- 10:01Therefore, since we have been justified by faith,
- 10:05we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 10:09Okay, so notice the means.
- 10:10We have been justified by what?
- 10:11By our faith.
- 10:12And now, as a result, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 10:16Through him, we have also obtained access by what?
- 10:19Again, the means, by faith,
- 10:21into this grace in which we stand.
- 10:23And we rejoice, okay,
- 10:25which is an exaltation, a glory in,
- 10:29right,
- 10:29the result of the salvation,
- 10:31which is birthed out of joy.
- 10:33That's what the original language means.
- 10:34Exaltation comes from joy in a reality.
- 10:37Okay, so there's joy again.
- 10:39And what do we rejoice in?
- 10:41Hope, right,
- 10:42of the glory of God.
- 10:44So you see the connection there.
- 10:45So,
- 10:46the means by which
- 10:47these things come about
- 10:49is our faith,
- 10:50our belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- 10:53that we are saved by grace alone
- 10:57through faith alone
- 10:59in Christ alone.
- 11:01It has nothing to do with our action.
- 11:04It has nothing to do with what we can earn
- 11:06of our own merit.
- 11:08Because anything that we can do,
- 11:10any attempt on our own,
- 11:11is as filthy rags,
- 11:13soiled garments to God, right?
- 11:16It is by His grace
- 11:18through faith in Christ.
- 11:20Christ.
- 11:21And this is the means
- 11:23by which we have joy
- 11:25and peace
- 11:26and hope.
- 11:28But how is it that we have this faith?
- 11:31How is it that we believe?
- 11:33And Paul tells us,
- 11:34quite frankly here,
- 11:35and simply,
- 11:36in chapter 15,
- 11:37verse 13,
- 11:38that it is by the power
- 11:41of the Holy Spirit.
- 11:43He's not introducing this as a new idea.
- 11:46He turned to Romans chapter 8,
- 11:49verse 9.
- 11:50He says to the believers in Rome,
- 12:00you, however,
- 12:00are not in the flesh,
- 12:01but in the Spirit,
- 12:03if in fact the Spirit of God
- 12:04dwells in you.
- 12:05Anyone who does not have
- 12:06the Spirit of Christ
- 12:07does not belong to Him.
- 12:10And again in verse 14,
- 12:13for all who are led
- 12:14by the Spirit of God
- 12:16are sons of God.
- 12:18So we see that the faith
- 12:20that works in us
- 12:21works in us
- 12:21by the Spirit.
- 12:24And as we were born,
- 12:25our hearts were hard.
- 12:27Our hearts were utterly
- 12:29devoid of the ability
- 12:30of believing in God.
- 12:33Some people believe
- 12:34in a doctrine
- 12:35called pervenient grace,
- 12:38which is taught nowhere
- 12:39in the Scriptures,
- 12:40that there's somehow
- 12:40some shred of good
- 12:42remaining within us.
- 12:44That's all that's good in us,
- 12:45but we have this little ability
- 12:47left to believe.
- 12:49The Bible teaches the opposite.
- 12:50The Bible teaches
- 12:51that we're dead
- 12:52in trespasses and sin.
- 12:53Not mortally wounded,
- 12:55not so sick
- 12:56we're about to die,
- 12:58but we're dead
- 12:59in our trespasses and sin.
- 13:01Totally incapable
- 13:02of righteousness
- 13:03of any kind whatsoever.
- 13:06Until the Spirit of God
- 13:08comes into our lives,
- 13:10regenerates our hearts,
- 13:12and we believe.
- 13:14There's much debate
- 13:16in Christendom
- 13:16about whether or not
- 13:18regeneration precedes faith,
- 13:20or if faith precedes regeneration.
- 13:23And I put forth to you
- 13:24that regeneration precedes faith.
- 13:26How exactly this all goes down,
- 13:28I don't fully understand,
- 13:29and I don't think
- 13:30it's ours to understand.
- 13:33But what we need to recognize
- 13:34is that this is the work
- 13:36of the Spirit of God
- 13:37in our hearts.
- 13:39It's not our own doing.
- 13:40Ephesians 2,
- 13:43verse 8 and 9.
- 13:45If you struggle with the statements
- 13:46I just made,
- 13:47it says,
- 13:49For by grace you have been saved
- 13:51through faith.
- 13:54For by grace you've been saved
- 13:56through faith.
- 13:58If we stop there,
- 13:59it would be very easy to say,
- 14:01I had faith,
- 14:02therefore I was given grace.
- 14:04Paul is careful to say,
- 14:05and this is not your own doing,
- 14:08it is the gift of God.
- 14:09Referring to the faith,
- 14:11not the grace,
- 14:12as some would argue.
- 14:13It's referring to the faith.
- 14:14It is the gift of God,
- 14:14and it's given to us
- 14:15by the Spirit.
- 14:17It's not a result of works,
- 14:19so that no one may boast.
- 14:23So none of us have any right,
- 14:25any claim to boast
- 14:26in our own action,
- 14:28any part in our own salvation.
- 14:31Our salvation was not synergistic,
- 14:32it was not a work of God,
- 14:34and we came alongside Him
- 14:35to accomplish it.
- 14:36It was fully a work of God.
- 14:39It was monergistic.
- 14:40He accomplished it in our hearts.
- 14:43If He didn't,
- 14:46we would have willingly rejected Him forever.
- 14:51Willingly rejected Him.
- 14:54Our lives reflected this before Christ.
- 14:57Everything that we did
- 14:58was absolute, utter rejection of Him.
- 15:03These doctrines are so key
- 15:06to our understanding of the Gospel.
- 15:09And our proper understanding of the Gospel,
- 15:11our belief in the promises of the Scripture,
- 15:14is what brings about all joy,
- 15:16and all peace,
- 15:18and abounding hope.
- 15:22So that whatever circumstance you're in,
- 15:25whatever trouble you experience,
- 15:27whatever sins you commit as a believer,
- 15:29however desperate and dark
- 15:32and removed from God you may feel,
- 15:34you can remember the promises of God.
- 15:37That the work of salvation
- 15:38is fully His work.
- 15:42That you have joy and peace
- 15:44and abounding hope.
- 15:46Because God is a God
- 15:48who is sure to keep His promises.
- 15:51It doesn't depend on you.
- 15:54It depends on Him.
- 15:56It's His work in our hearts.
- 15:58Praise Him forever and ever.
- 16:03As weak as I was just bouncing around,
- 16:05doing some reading,
- 16:07I'm going to come across a great quote
- 16:08from Martin Luther,
- 16:10who was a great champion of these doctrines.
- 16:14Talked often about grace alone
- 16:15through faith alone in Christ alone.
- 16:17Lived in a day
- 16:18when the Catholic Church
- 16:19was teaching quite the opposite.
- 16:21They were selling indulgences.
- 16:22They were selling time out of hell
- 16:24for their family members.
- 16:25That there were works
- 16:28that could be committed
- 16:29to gain heaven.
- 16:32And Martin Luther being troubled by this
- 16:35became a monk.
- 16:38And as he continued to be troubled by
- 16:39how is it that I can do enough
- 16:42to gain righteousness?
- 16:44How is it that I could possibly achieve
- 16:46this holy standard that God has set?
- 16:49They put him to work
- 16:50to keep him busy
- 16:51translating the book of Romans.
- 16:54What a bad move
- 16:56on the Catholic Church's part.
- 16:58And he began to see this.
- 17:00God revealed to him
- 17:01that salvation is by grace alone
- 17:03through faith alone
- 17:04and Christ alone.
- 17:05And we all know that
- 17:06Martin Luther was no great fan
- 17:08of the Pope
- 17:10and what the Pope was teaching
- 17:12and proposing.
- 17:13And I say to you this day
- 17:14that there are many Christians
- 17:16who are claiming
- 17:18to have great hope
- 17:19in the new Pope.
- 17:21Right?
- 17:21He's going to be the champion
- 17:22of the poor.
- 17:24Good.
- 17:24That is great.
- 17:26But as he stands
- 17:27he's still a liar
- 17:29until he begins to teach
- 17:32that salvation comes
- 17:33by grace alone
- 17:34through faith alone
- 17:35in Christ alone.
- 17:37And I hope that we'll be
- 17:38praying for him
- 17:39because he has the ability
- 17:40to see that
- 17:41and to do that
- 17:42and to influence
- 17:43billions
- 17:44with that truth.
- 17:46But listen to what
- 17:47Martin Luther said
- 17:48of the Pope of his time.
- 17:50I can't remember
- 17:51who it was
- 17:51but in his commentary
- 17:52on Galatians.
- 17:53He said,
- 17:54If the Pope would concede
- 17:55that God alone
- 17:56by his grace
- 17:57through Christ
- 17:58justifies sinners
- 17:59we would carry him
- 18:01in our arms.
- 18:02We would kiss his feet.
- 18:05Now Martin Luther
- 18:06who was set up
- 18:07as this great enemy
- 18:08of the Pope
- 18:09said if the Pope
- 18:11would just concede
- 18:12that salvation comes
- 18:13by grace alone
- 18:14through faith alone
- 18:15in Christ alone
- 18:16I'll carry him
- 18:18and kiss his feet.
- 18:20Right?
- 18:20Because he would be
- 18:20a herald
- 18:21of this great truth.
- 18:25Right?
- 18:26So this is the means
- 18:27for these outcomes
- 18:30for having all joy
- 18:31all peace
- 18:31abounding hope
- 18:32is that we
- 18:33believe
- 18:34by the power of the Spirit
- 18:35in the gospel
- 18:36of God.
- 18:37Does that seem
- 18:41too simple
- 18:42to you?
- 18:45Want me to now
- 18:45unpack all the ways
- 18:47that we practically
- 18:48carry this out
- 18:48in our lives?
- 18:49How is it that we
- 18:50apply
- 18:51this type of truth?
- 18:54Right?
- 18:54We could go on
- 18:55and on
- 18:56and on
- 18:57about how this works
- 18:58out in our lives.
- 18:59The gospel
- 19:00is the answer
- 19:01to every one
- 19:03of our ills.
- 19:04Right?
- 19:05It speaks
- 19:05to all of it.
- 19:06Let me just give you
- 19:07an example.
- 19:09Many of you this week
- 19:10probably became aware
- 19:11for the first time
- 19:12of a man named
- 19:13Kermit
- 19:14Gasnell
- 19:16I think I'm saying
- 19:16his last name right.
- 19:18Who operated
- 19:19in a legal abortion
- 19:20clinic
- 19:20in Pennsylvania.
- 19:22Pittsburgh.
- 19:23Yes.
- 19:25This story's been
- 19:26going on for quite a while.
- 19:28Right?
- 19:28It was shut down
- 19:28in 2011.
- 19:31I don't share
- 19:32a lot of the things
- 19:33I follow with you.
- 19:33I've been keeping up
- 19:34with this story
- 19:35from the beginning
- 19:35and it has been
- 19:36wrenching at my heart
- 19:37for quite some time now.
- 19:38Many of you
- 19:38for the first time
- 19:39have seen these atrocities.
- 19:41Are becoming
- 19:42maybe for the first time
- 19:44aware of how
- 19:45horrible
- 19:45abortion actually is
- 19:47and the degree
- 19:48to which
- 19:48it's carried out.
- 19:50But listen.
- 19:52Even in those things.
- 19:54Even as our heart
- 19:55breaks
- 19:56for the sinfulness
- 19:57of man.
- 19:58How horrible
- 19:59man is
- 20:00to commit
- 20:01such acts.
- 20:02Right?
- 20:02We can have
- 20:03all joy
- 20:04and all peace
- 20:05and abounding
- 20:06hope
- 20:07because
- 20:07included
- 20:09in the gospel
- 20:10of Jesus Christ
- 20:10is the fact
- 20:11that he will
- 20:12return
- 20:12and he will
- 20:13make all
- 20:14things
- 20:15right.
- 20:17He has a
- 20:18perfect
- 20:18and a sovereign
- 20:19plan
- 20:20that it's
- 20:20his work
- 20:22and not
- 20:23our work
- 20:24being accomplished.
- 20:26That he will
- 20:27in fact
- 20:27make it all
- 20:28right
- 20:29and new
- 20:30one day.
- 20:32So the gospel
- 20:33ministers
- 20:33to my soul
- 20:34as it breaks
- 20:36for these conditions
- 20:38and these situations
- 20:39these things
- 20:39that are going on
- 20:40as I long
- 20:41to do something
- 20:42radical
- 20:42to change things.
- 20:44As I want
- 20:45to be involved
- 20:46in making this world
- 20:47a better place
- 20:48in saving those
- 20:49who can't save
- 20:50themselves
- 20:51the gospel
- 20:51ministers to my heart
- 20:53because I know
- 20:53that these promises
- 20:54are sure
- 20:55that God is a good God
- 20:56that God is working
- 20:57out his sovereign plan
- 20:58that he is fully
- 20:59in control
- 20:59I can believe
- 21:00in those things
- 21:02and have joy
- 21:03and peace
- 21:04and abounding hope.
- 21:08Now notice
- 21:09I find
- 21:12in this text
- 21:13maybe you don't
- 21:14maybe this is the first time
- 21:16you've been thinking about it
- 21:17but the order
- 21:19seems a little bit
- 21:19backwards
- 21:20to me
- 21:21because he says
- 21:22that he hopes
- 21:23he will be filled with
- 21:24by the God of hope
- 21:26with all joy
- 21:27and peace
- 21:28so that will have
- 21:29hope
- 21:30and it seems to me
- 21:32that the hope
- 21:33would precede
- 21:34having joy
- 21:35and peace
- 21:36that having hope
- 21:37in God
- 21:37believing in the promises
- 21:38of God
- 21:39would then lead
- 21:41to us having
- 21:41joy and peace
- 21:43and as I began
- 21:43to ponder this
- 21:44my mind was pulled
- 21:46back to our context
- 21:47and I recalled
- 21:49back up at the end
- 21:50of verse 4
- 21:50Paul says
- 21:52that through the
- 21:52encouragement
- 21:53of the scriptures
- 21:54we might have
- 21:55hope
- 21:56right
- 21:57so that's where
- 21:58he began
- 21:58talking about
- 22:00where the source
- 22:01is
- 22:01and then he says
- 22:02and I think
- 22:03very cleverly
- 22:04intentionally
- 22:04says
- 22:05may the God
- 22:06of hope
- 22:07fill you with
- 22:07all joy
- 22:08and peace
- 22:09and believing
- 22:09and so
- 22:10we see that
- 22:10I believe here
- 22:11that it's a cycle
- 22:12that's what he's
- 22:13trying to say to us
- 22:13that having hope
- 22:16in the promises
- 22:18of God
- 22:18makes us
- 22:20sanctified in him
- 22:21regenerates us
- 22:22brings to us
- 22:23joy
- 22:24and peace
- 22:25as we believe
- 22:26which births
- 22:27more hope
- 22:28right
- 22:31because it's
- 22:32evidence
- 22:32of the fact
- 22:33that we are his
- 22:34that we're found
- 22:36in him
- 22:36the fact that
- 22:37when we go
- 22:38through difficult
- 22:38times in our lives
- 22:39and we can have
- 22:39joy and peace
- 22:40in those times
- 22:40shows us
- 22:42that we do
- 22:42in fact
- 22:43rest
- 22:43in the promises
- 22:44of God
- 22:44that we do
- 22:45hope
- 22:45in the promises
- 22:46of God
- 22:46and it births
- 22:47more hope
- 22:48right
- 22:50it's like a
- 22:51perpetual wheel
- 22:52of joy
- 22:53peace
- 22:54and hope
- 22:54right
- 22:55and the axle
- 22:56of which
- 22:56is
- 22:57our belief
- 22:58that term
- 23:01abounding
- 23:02in hope
- 23:03to abound
- 23:04in it means
- 23:04that it goes
- 23:04on
- 23:05and it goes
- 23:05on
- 23:05and it goes
- 23:06on
- 23:06and it goes
- 23:07on
- 23:07and here's
- 23:08the cycle
- 23:09which we find
- 23:10ourselves in
- 23:11listen beloved
- 23:14the Christian life
- 23:16is not an easy
- 23:17life
- 23:18that promise
- 23:19is never given
- 23:20to us
- 23:20in fact
- 23:20quite the
- 23:21opposite
- 23:21is given
- 23:21to us
- 23:22he said
- 23:22we'll be
- 23:23persecuted
- 23:23for our
- 23:24faith
- 23:24it's not
- 23:26an easy
- 23:26life
- 23:26but it is
- 23:27a simple
- 23:28life
- 23:29it's a life
- 23:31of believing
- 23:33being filled
- 23:34with joy
- 23:35and peace
- 23:36in believing
- 23:37the gospel
- 23:38of Jesus
- 23:39Christ
- 23:39and then
- 23:40abounding
- 23:41in hope
- 23:41and I think
- 23:43that the trouble
- 23:44is that when
- 23:45we don't have
- 23:45joy
- 23:46and we don't
- 23:46have peace
- 23:47and we don't
- 23:49abound in
- 23:49hope
- 23:50is that we
- 23:50look to the
- 23:51world for the
- 23:52answers
- 23:52we look to
- 23:53pop psychology
- 23:54to the answers
- 23:55we look to
- 23:56some pulpits
- 23:57that aren't
- 23:58giving us
- 23:58the real
- 23:59answer
- 23:59to where
- 24:00these things
- 24:00come from
- 24:01and we
- 24:01fail to
- 24:02look
- 24:02to the
- 24:03gospel
- 24:03we fail
- 24:05to behold
- 24:06Christ
- 24:06on the cross
- 24:08on our
- 24:08behalf
- 24:09we fail
- 24:10to recognize
- 24:11the fact
- 24:11that he's
- 24:12promised
- 24:12to return
- 24:13he will
- 24:15complete
- 24:15the work
- 24:16we get
- 24:17distracted
- 24:18by this
- 24:19world
- 24:20and we
- 24:20fail to
- 24:21look at
- 24:21the simple
- 24:22source
- 24:23of all
- 24:24of these
- 24:24things
- 24:24and that
- 24:25is the
- 24:25person
- 24:26and work
- 24:27of Jesus
- 24:28Christ
- 24:28so we see
- 24:31the desired
- 24:31outcome
- 24:32here
- 24:32and we
- 24:33see now
- 24:34the means
- 24:35for that
- 24:35desired
- 24:36outcome
- 24:37what is
- 24:37the source
- 24:38then
- 24:39of the means
- 24:40for the
- 24:41desired outcome
- 24:41what is
- 24:42the source
- 24:42simply
- 24:43he begins
- 24:44verse 13
- 24:45by saying
- 24:45may the
- 24:46God
- 24:47of hope
- 24:48our God
- 24:51is the
- 24:51God of
- 24:51hope
- 24:52who reigns
- 24:53over hope
- 24:54who is
- 24:54the source
- 24:55of all
- 24:56hope
- 24:57our God
- 25:00the great
- 25:00I am
- 25:01the one
- 25:03who exists
- 25:03apart from
- 25:04any other
- 25:05exterior
- 25:06circumstance
- 25:08from any
- 25:09other
- 25:09control
- 25:10the one
- 25:12that everything
- 25:13plugs into
- 25:14but he plugs
- 25:15into nothing
- 25:15he is
- 25:17self
- 25:17existent
- 25:18he is
- 25:20the God
- 25:21of hope
- 25:22the source
- 25:23of all
- 25:24this
- 25:24of our
- 25:25joy
- 25:25and our
- 25:26peace
- 25:26and our
- 25:27abounding
- 25:28hope
- 25:28so we
- 25:30could read
- 25:31verse 13
- 25:31this way
- 25:32the God
- 25:36of hope
- 25:36fills us
- 25:37with all
- 25:38joy
- 25:38and all
- 25:38peace
- 25:39which leads
- 25:40to abounding
- 25:41hope
- 25:41by working
- 25:42in us
- 25:43faith
- 25:43in the
- 25:44person and
- 25:44work
- 25:44of Jesus
- 25:45Christ
- 25:46by the
- 25:47power
- 25:47of the
- 25:48Holy
- 25:49Spirit
- 25:49this is
- 25:52the way
- 25:52that Paul
- 25:54decides to
- 25:55conclude
- 25:56the formal
- 25:57part of his
- 25:58letter to the
- 25:59Romans
- 25:59that their
- 26:00lives would
- 26:01look
- 26:02like this
- 26:03and he's not
- 26:04suggesting that
- 26:05their lives don't
- 26:06already look
- 26:07like this
- 26:07that God's not
- 26:08already accomplishing
- 26:09this in them
- 26:10but it's his
- 26:10prayer that he
- 26:11will continue
- 26:12to carry
- 26:13that out
- 26:14that that will
- 26:14continue to go
- 26:15that cycle
- 26:16will run
- 26:17notice in
- 26:17verse 14
- 26:18he says
- 26:18I myself
- 26:19am satisfied
- 26:20about you
- 26:21he's seeing
- 26:23already this
- 26:23progression in
- 26:24their lives
- 26:25this great
- 26:25work of God
- 26:26he's confident
- 26:26that the work
- 26:27that God
- 26:28began in
- 26:28them will
- 26:29be completed
- 26:30back in
- 26:31Romans chapter
- 26:318
- 26:32we can see
- 26:32that he
- 26:33knows
- 26:33that the
- 26:34things that
- 26:34God begins
- 26:35he finishes
- 26:35from the
- 26:37beginning to
- 26:38the end
- 26:38we're secure
- 26:39in God's
- 26:39hand
- 26:39he knows
- 26:40that this
- 26:41will take
- 26:42place
- 26:42and this
- 26:43is his
- 26:43desire
- 26:44that their
- 26:45lives
- 26:45will be
- 26:45flavored
- 26:46with joy
- 26:47and peace
- 26:47and with
- 26:48abounding
- 26:49hope
- 26:49and it's
- 26:50my prayer
- 26:51for us
- 26:52this day
- 26:53the
- 26:54benediction
- 26:55for you
- 26:56at the
- 26:56closing
- 26:57of this
- 26:57service
- 26:58that the
- 26:59God of
- 26:59hope
- 27:00will fill
- 27:00you
- 27:00with all
- 27:01joy
- 27:02and peace
- 27:02in believing
- 27:03so that
- 27:05by the
- 27:05power of
- 27:05the Holy
- 27:06Spirit
- 27:06you may
- 27:07abound
- 27:07in hope
- 27:08let's pray
- 27:09together