Latest / HBCWestminster / 5.7.23 Romans 8:18-27 Pastor Danny Gardner

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5.7.23 Romans 8:18-27 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Well, Romans 8 and verse 18, if you're able to stand in honor of God's Word, allow me to read our text, and then we'll pray and begin. Romans 8 and 18, the Word of God says, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it.
• 0:32
  in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he sees?
• 1:03
  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Would you pray with me? Our Father in heaven, with hearts and Bibles open, we seek your blessing.
• 1:36
  We resist our own wisdom, which falls so short, and instead trust you with all of our hearts. And Lord, we ask that you teach us what is right, that you feed us with what is needful for our souls. And Lord, may your word dwell in us richly. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Thank you, church. Well, last Sunday, if you were here with us, you'll recall that securities, we said, aren't all that secure.
• 2:03
  Your soul's longing for security can only be found in the powerful whisper of the Spirit of God, who bears witness with our spirits that we are indeed children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Amen? We concluded by saying that by sinning, we grieve the Holy Spirit, and we equated that to plugging the ears of our hearts so that we can no longer hear that powerful whisper.
• 2:30
  When we can no longer hear His Spirit testifying with our spirit, then we begin to feel displaced. We begin to doubt our belonging. We may even question God's goodness in the midst of suffering. We conclude it by stating the free reign of the Holy Spirit in our lives gives us the security that our souls long for. And we see in verse 18 that the author doesn't skip a beat. He begins verse 18 with the word,
• 2:57
  four, which means that he intends to draw a clear connection from the previous set of verses to this next section. In fact, if you're holding an ESV translation of the Bible, you'll notice that the translators have a break there before 17 and 18. For some reason, they have hit enter twice. They've decided to bump that down to make this a new section. But that word four means the apostle had no such intention. What we read in verse 18 was really had as its catalyst,
• 3:27
  verse 17 where the author clues us into the fact that if we want to share in christ's glory we must also share in christ's what sufferings this actually reflects one of the major themes of the new testament if you were to read the new testament devote yourself to the new testament and just allow the word of god to marinate in your own heart and mind so that you can distill its truths
• 3:57
  You can begin to see themes. You'll obviously notice that crucifixion and resurrection and redemption and forgiveness are all themes of the New Testament. But one other theme you would no doubt notice is the suffering of the now leads to the glory of the then. Does that make sense? We will suffer today. We will be glorified tomorrow. That is a major theme.
• 4:23
  of the new testament and it creates this tension in fact it's an underlying tension in the text tension he says produces groaning we only groan when things are tense groaning is not a normal reaction for us right we groan when there is tension we groan when the way things are is not the way they're supposed to be right for instance
• 4:54
  Our family drove past a popular Mexican food restaurant here in town this last week that we used to frequent, that we used to very much enjoy. However, we have not been back to that place in years because three times in a row after eating there, the food wrecked us. Wrecked us. Delicious going down. Anguish on the other end. I mean, it was rough.
• 5:23
  Evening and food poisoning is a clear reminder of the tension created when how things are is not the way they're supposed to be. And there is groaning. Groaning reveals this tension. The passage before us this morning has a lot of this groaning.
• 5:46
  tension three different times. It says things are groaning because the way things are is not the way they're supposed to be. Everyone, everyone on planet earth, no matter who they are, no matter what they value, no matter how they vote, everyone can see that the way things are is not how they're supposed to be. There's disharmony, discord, strife, sickness, lack, and anger, all of which create suffering and the suffering creates groaning.
• 6:17
  Our lovely state is known for its 14,000-foot peaks. People commit their summers to hiking them. Maybe you've already got plans with you and your family or friends to go hike a 14er. You've probably heard the name at some point in your life, even if you don't recognize his picture, you've probably heard the name Sir Edmund Hillary. You guys heard this guy's name before? Edmund Hillary was known for one thing. What was it?
• 6:43
  Everest. He was the first guy, 1953, he was the first guy to document summiting Everest apart from all of the people, the Sherpas, who had done it however many times before who don't get any credit, all right? But he was the first guy, the first Westerner to summit Mount Everest. There's another guy whose picture you also probably do not recognize and whose name you probably do not know. His name was George Mallory. George Mallory, 30 years before.
• 7:13
  Edmund Hillary, in the 1920s, attempted to summit Mount Everest three different times, tragically dying on his third attempt. On his third attempt, he disappeared. Nobody knew what happened to George Mallory in the 1920s. He wasn't discovered until 1999. 75 years later, his body was discovered frozen at the top. Nobody knows if he summited or not. Edmund Hillary gets all the credit.
• 7:44
  George Mallory, this guy, was asked one time in the 1920s why he was so determined to summit the mountain. He had gone up and come back. It didn't work. He had gone up again and come back. It didn't work. And on the third time, a reporter came to him and said, Mr. Mallory, why do you want to climb to the top of Mount Everest? And his response was awesome. He simply said, because it's there. Because it's there. God made it.
• 8:15
  He must have wanted me to climb it. Perhaps you've wondered why some Coloradans are so determined to hike, to summit, to climb. Even when they know it's going to be difficult, perhaps their response would be something similar. Because they're there. Why the 53 Coloradan 14ers? You see those bumper stickers sometimes with just a very simple 53. That's what they're talking about. I've done all 53 of them. Well, good for you. Why?
• 8:45
  Well, because they're there. But it's hard. It's hard. Is it not a strain on the way up there? Maybe you've done one before and you got to the top and you thought, man, that was hard. Well, why now do you want to do it again? Maybe it's because the summit makes the strain worthwhile. The strain is nothing compared to the summit. The groaning, the groaning on the way up.
• 9:17
  is nothing compared to the glory. The summit is worth the strain, and the glory is worth the groaning. And if you're only going to remember one phrase from this morning, make it that phrase. The glory is worth the groaning. Look at verse 18. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time. Church, are there sufferings today? Is the present time filled with sufferings? Are things the way they're supposed to be? No. There is suffering today.
• 9:49
  But the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. You notice that the apostle does not hide the fact that the believer should expect to suffer. In fact, he even highlights suffering. As followers of a suffering and eventually crucified Savior, believers should expect similar treatment. But the glory which awaits will make the groaning worthwhile. The whole book of the New Testament, 1 Peter.
• 10:19
  reflects this groaning glory tension. Notice 1 Peter 1 and verse 6. In this you rejoice, he says, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith may be found to result in praise and, what does it say? Glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Grieving today, glory then. Do you guys all see it? A few verses later, verse 11, concerning this salvation.
• 10:47
  You searched the prophets inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of the Christ and the subsequent, what does it say? Glories, sufferings of the now, glories of the then. Beloved, don't be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his...
• 11:16
  glory is revealed. There it is again. After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. I think the book of Hebrews really gives us a glimpse, helps us to understand this tension that we feel when it says in Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 8,
• 11:43
  In putting everything in subjection to Christ, that's who it's referring to, in putting everything in subjection to Christ, he left nothing outside of Jesus' control. Is that a true statement? You're going to need to say some amens. Get your ameners ready, okay? Is Jesus right now seated upon heaven's throne? Is he ruling and reigning from there in glory? Does he have absolute sovereign control over the universe?
• 12:11
  Are there any atoms or molecules outside of his control? No. Then why, when you look around, does it look like everything's out of control? You just all said everything is under his control. You just said it. Everybody's like, yeah, yeah, no, no, right? Nothing's out of his control. And yet when we look around, when we read the news, we're like, things are completely out of control. What gives? And there's this tension here. Look what he says.
• 12:41
  Everything is under the control of Christ. Everything is. He is sovereign over the universe. At present, though, at present, we don't yet see everything in subjection to him. Is he in control? Yes. Does it appear to be? Maybe not. Maybe not. There is still rebellion. At least for now, things have not been fully made right, fully made new.
• 13:10
  restored redeemed there is still this faction this rebellious faction against him even though he has sovereign control you pick up again in verse 18 he says these present sufferings what we endure today isn't even worth comparing with what comes tomorrow with the glory of tomorrow that is just waiting to be revealed to us paul's statement here shows that the glory
• 13:41
  there, is just waiting to be shown. We said last Sunday that there is an inheritance waiting for us. We are co-heirs with Christ. Everything that is due to Him by divine right, we said, is also due to us by divine grace. We have an inheritance in heaven that would make the Rockefellers blush. Do you remember that from last Sunday? Here it says it's just waiting to be shown, revealed. 1 Peter 1 and verse 4.
• 14:12
  That inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, unfading. It's just kept for you in heaven. It's like a savings account that is just being kept there. And in the remainder of the text, the author gives three examples of groaning. As we read, what becomes clear is that sin really actually did mess some things up.
• 14:33
  These groans are like cries for deliverance. And the passage states that three different entities are groaning under the weight of sin. As long as we are separated from that inheritance, there is groaning. Three different entities are groaning under the weight of sin, beginning first with creation. Verse 19 says that creation itself groans. Look at verse 19. For the creation waits.
• 14:59
  with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of god paul in these next few verses personifies the created world by the creation he means everything that is sub-human birds reptiles and fish and animals and rocks and trees and dirt and air and clouds and so on and he says that their frustration is not a result of their own doing because of humanity's failure in the garden
• 15:29
  The whole of creation is subject to the curse. And so he says the creation is waiting with eager longing. That's an interesting translation, that literal translation, that Greek phrase would literally say the creation is waiting with an outstretched head. An outstretched head. Imagine...
• 15:51
  standing on the curb at a crowded bus stop and you craning your neck out to see up the road, to see when the bus is coming.
• 16:01
  You can't see it, and so you crane your neck out to see what's coming next, to see how much longer you'll have to wait. The creation is craning its neck out, hoping, anticipating the return, hoping and anticipating the bus coming, standing on its tiptoes, hoping to catch a glimpse of something that's just out of view. The creation, it says,
• 16:24
  God eagerly waits, anticipates something in verse 19. Read it again. What is the creation eagerly waiting for? It says the revealing of the sons of God. Do you see that? For the sons of God to show themselves. Now, as we sit here, the world cannot distinguish between those who are genuine believers and those who are not, right? They don't know the difference.
• 16:53
  They don't understand that there is a fundamental difference between Christians and non-Christians. They don't get it. Some of that is normal, right? People who call themselves Christians walk and dress and talk similarly to everyone else. So just from a physical standpoint, maybe it's tough to tell us apart. Some of that might be our own doing when professing Christians act and speak in ways which are worldly.
• 17:19
  really offer very little evidence of genuine salvation then yeah it makes sense they can't tell us apart when some non-christians live by a high moral code telling determining the difference between the two is probably impossible but this says there will be a day when the sons of god the true sons of god are revealed that there will be a day when that division becomes clear and colossians chapter 3 and verse 4 describes that day it says when christ
• 17:48
  Who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. When Jesus shows up, what does that mean for us? We will be revealed. The sons of God will be revealed. At the appearance of Christ, all genuine followers of His will be eternally separated from sin. I told you to have your ameners ready. I was ready for that one. I'm going to give you another shot, alright?
• 18:20
  Listen to this truth. Tell me if it doesn't resonate. Tell me if you're like, I can't wait for that day. At the appearance of Christ, all genuine followers of his will be eternally separated from their sin. Amen. Never to deal with it again, never to be tempted by it again. It's gone, erased, evaporated over at the appearance of Christ.
• 18:42
  all genuine followers will be eternally separated from their unredeemed flesh and will put on instead robes of holiness and splendor and on that day will it be easy to tell who are the sons of god oh yeah there'll be no denying at all there will be no gray area i mean that'll be it jesus will show up and boom it's over the sons of god will be revealed and this says that creation
• 19:11
  is longing for that day why because in the same moment that we are revealed creation itself will be redeemed look at verse 20 for the creation was subjected to futility we'll come back to that okay creation was subjected to futility not willingly but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption
• 19:40
  The creation itself, the rocks and the birds and the trees and the animals and the fish and the air and the dirt and everything else is under the curse. The creation is looking around and saying, things are not the way they're supposed to be. And so the creation is groaning, longing for the day when everything will be fixed, longing to obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. And we know that the whole creation has been groaning together.
• 20:10
  in the pains of childbirth until now. You all know Chris and Caitlin Jordan, a beloved young couple from our church, married a few years ago. This last Wednesday, we're here at Thrive. They have been expecting their first baby to be born, a baby girl, baby Drew. Last Wednesday, Chris and Caitlin were sitting right over here during Thrive. And if you were here, you'll recall we prayed for them because baby Drew was 11 days overdue at that point.
• 20:39
  uh poor caitlyn man she just was uncomfortable in pain never complaining i mean i'm not kidding never complaining in fact she never even she never missed a church service never wednesday sunday she was always here 11 days overdue she was sitting right over there in those chairs at the end of the sermon pastor sam said you know what let's pray for chris and caitlyn jordan and to god be the glory our prayers were answered there she is drew may jordan there she is
• 21:12
  born May 4th. That was Thursday night at 11.03 p.m. She was 57 minutes away from being born on Friday. And lo and behold, at 8 o'clock service, guess who showed up to church, her very first church service? Yeah, she was 55 hours old. Chris and Caitlin came. They were sitting right back there. They set a new Highland record.
• 21:37
  That is officially the youngest baby who has ever graced us with her presence. The previous record was held by Michael and Ashley Christmas, who brought their daughter Jupiter to church when Jupiter was eight days old. That was the previous record. Now it's 55 hours. I'm excited. I'm excited to meet the couple who breaks that record. Honestly, though, I have to admit, and I'm a little bit scared by this, to break that record, you might just have to go into labor in the church sanctuary.
• 22:05
  I'm not necessarily praying for that or asking for that. But you guys who are paramedics in the room, you just be ready, okay? Because if we have another record breaker, that'll be them. 11 days overdue. And listen, with every day that passed, she was supposed to be born two weeks ago. With every day that passed, Chris and Caitlin were like, listen, what gives? Every day, when you're overdue, every day feels like a month.
• 22:33
  Doctors told me a date that we circled on our calendar. It's over. It's that day or earlier would be okay. But not 11 days late. And with every day that's ticking by, and Caitlin is like, another night where I don't get to sleep. Another day where I can hardly eat, where I can hardly breathe. This kid is getting bigger and bigger. I mean, come on. What gives? It's been long enough.
• 22:58
  It's been long enough. I've waited long enough. Imagine for a moment, church, creation itself just saying, what gives? It's been long enough. We've waited long enough. I've been uncomfortable and in pain long enough. When will the sons of God finally be revealed? Jesus, when are you coming back? Can you hear the groans of creation? It says it was subjected to futility. That word for futility means impossible to win.
• 23:30
  You're playing a game that you cannot win. It is mathematically impossible to continue to have to play it. I'm playing a game. I'm stuck in a cycle that I cannot be victorious in. Jesus, would you just come back? It's like those Major League Baseball teams who are down by so many runs that they're like, you know what? We're not even going to call to the bullpen. We don't want to waste a pitcher. We're just going to call in the guy from left field. Have you seen them doing this? They've started doing this.
• 23:59
  A left fielder will just come in and pitch the remainder of the game. The enemy is just lobbing these things up there, 65 miles an hour. And these major league hitters are teeing off on these things. Whack! And the managers of the baseball teams are just saying, you know what, the game has become pointless. We're down by so many. There's no possible way we can win. We'll just try to get outs by turning this into a church softball game. Eventually, somebody must miss.
• 24:28
  The author here likens creation's groanings to the pains of childbirth. Every day that passes, the day getting nearer for the birth to come, that groaning becomes more intense. We know that nature's destiny was inseparably linked to man's. And so when man was corrupted, so also was creation. But here we read when man becomes glorified, so also will be creation.
• 24:54
  Like a pregnant wife, creation is groaning with labor pains, eagerly waiting for the day when the birth finally comes. I liked Martin Lloyd-Jones' comments on it when he said this, I wonder whether the phenomenon of spring supplies us with a part answer. I wonder if spring is like a little glimpse into what this day will be like. We're sitting here in the middle of spring in Colorado. Spring in Colorado is...
• 25:21
  Beautiful, they tell me. Nobody can see or breathe, but they tell me it's actually quite lovely. He says, nature every year makes this effort to renew itself. It dies in the winter. It comes back to life in the spring. Produce something permanent. It has come out of death and darkness of all that is true of the winter. In the spring, it seems to be trying to produce a perfect creation. To be going through some kind of birth pangs year by year. Unfortunately, it doesn't succeed.
• 25:49
  Poor old nature tries every year to defeat the vanity, the principle of death and decay and disintegration that is in it, but it can't do it. It fails every time. It still goes on trying as if it feels things should be different and better, but it never succeeds. So it goes on groaning and travailing.
• 26:08
  in pain together until now the good news of romans chapter 8 is that church there will be a day creation is longing for it groaning for it a day of eternal spring a day of new life a day when there will be no heat of summer no dying of fall no decay of winter always spring not only does creation groan but you continue in verse 23
• 26:37
  so do believers believers grown verse 23 says and not only the creation but we ourselves who have the first fruits of the spirit grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption of sons the redemption of our bodies things are not the way they're supposed to be and church have you not agonized at times over the appalling consequences of sin sin in your own life sin in the lives of others you see the fallout from sin when you hear stories
• 27:06
  Like the one we were confronted with a couple of weeks ago about the boys throwing rocks on Highway 93 and killing that young lady. When you heard that story, I was on Highway 93 yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny day. I told my sons, let's go for a drive. Let's go for a hike. We drive up to Highway 93 and I thought as I'm driving along Highway 93 between Golden and Boulder, I thought this is where it happened. Young lady lost her life and you...
• 27:31
  You hear stories like that, and doesn't your heart just break and your soul grieve over that? Your soul groan over that? That's not the way it's supposed to be. There was no justice in that. It's not right. And the world will look at that, and yes, they will bemoan such actions. But listen, their hearts do not break like our hearts do.
• 27:55
  Their hearts grieve, yes, but they don't grieve like ours do. We feel the despair and the depths of sin to a greater degree than does the world. Why? Because when we see injustice, we have experienced actual justice. They don't even know what justice is. When we see sin and its devastating consequences, we're comparing that to righteousness. We know the one who is righteous.
• 28:25
  And so we've got this standard that is so much higher than theirs. And so when that standard is violated, we feel the despair so much more deeply. This says we have the first fruits of the Spirit of God. The Spirit lives in us. And so when we see the law broken, it breaks our hearts because we know the law giver. When we see the sins in others, our hearts mourn. But when we see the sin in ourselves, we mourn all the more. We know the one who is righteous, and yet we rebel against him.
• 28:55
  And so our hearts groan because of the indwelling spirit in us. We feel that disparity and disaster of sin more deeply than does anyone else on earth. Once the spirit enlightens our understanding so that we know how things are supposed to be, we mourn how things are. Our own frustration at not meeting God's righteous standard in our own lives increases. We yearn for what God wants us to be. We grieve over our failures.
• 29:25
  This says we groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons. You might say, well, that doesn't make any sense. I was here last Sunday. You talked about adoption. Everybody remember me talking about adoption? Adoption. You've already been adopted. So what does it mean that we are waiting eagerly for adoption? We've already got adoption. What gives? Why are we waiting for the adoption that we already have?
• 29:53
  It is true that we have been adopted as sons. That is true. Never to be given away. Amen and amen. But at present, we are separated from our Heavenly Father. So are we adopted? Yes. Do you bear the Lord's name? You weren't a family and now you are a family. Remember me talking about you belong here. You have brothers and sisters in Christ that nobody else gets to enjoy. This is it. We are a family. All of that is true. But for now, we are separated from our Heavenly Father.
• 30:24
  In August of 2012, our very good friends, who you all know, the Pavlics, Mike and Rebecca Pavlic, adopted two young brothers from the Congo, David and Joe. Here's a picture of Joe when he was just a little dude still in the Congo. Here's his older brother, David. Man, you can totally see both of them. They're in junior high now. Their older sisters are in high school. They're in the youth group. They're getting ready to go to kickback and all of those things.
• 30:51
  They were born in the Congo into an orphanage. Don't know their biological parents. It doesn't matter now. They were adopted by Mike and Rebecca. They were said, you know what, we want you. The Lord had compelled them to do that. We'll take the two young brothers. The adoption was finalized in August of 2012. But in August of 2012, the government in Congo decided they were not going to, although they recognized the adoption.
• 31:15
  The legal adoption of these two boys and that they belonged to this American family, they would not give them exit visas to leave the country. They finally got to bring their boys home in September. And you're like, well, that's not that big a deal. Except that it was September 2015. For three years, those boys adopted Pavlich boys, stayed in the Congo in an orphanage.
• 31:42
  If they had been old enough to understand the question and you had asked them, have you been adopted? They would have said what? Yes. What's your last name? Pavlich. My parents are Mike and Rebecca. Okay, then what gives? Why are you here? We're just waiting. Waiting for what? Waiting for our dad to come pick us up. We're just waiting.
• 32:06
  For three years, they stayed in that orphanage in the Congo. This is a picture of September 2015 when Mike and Rebecca flew over to the Congo, finally able to get them out of the country. They were reunited and met for the very first time their older sisters, who we all know now. And David and Joseph, we just see them now. They're just our normal youth group kids, but that's where they came from for three years. Adopted, adopted, legally adopted, done.
• 32:32
  The paperwork was done, and for three years had to wait. Wait for what? Their parents to come get them. Now let me ask you, church, have you been adopted? Yes. Are you part of the family of God, and do you bear his name? Yes. Then what are you waiting for? My dad to come pick us up. At some point, he'll come get me. I know that he's going to come get me, and this is the hope that we have. Look at verse 24. For in this hope we were saved. What hope?
• 33:03
  That adoption, yes, it's been finalized. I can't wait to go. Hope that is seen isn't hope. For who hopes for what he sees? If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Our Heavenly Father will indeed gather us to Himself. We've been adopted. We've got a family. We're just waiting for Him to come get us. Douglas Moo has said it this way. He said, God has promised us glory.
• 33:29
  a glory already existing in heaven for us, but we can't see it, we can't hear it, we can't taste it. We must simply hope. We just have to wait. And as we do, our souls groan. Notice finally, and with this we're finished, the creation groans, believers groan, but so does the Holy Spirit. This is an interesting idea. The Holy Spirit groans. Verse 26, likewise, meaning in the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
• 33:58
  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Creation and believers are groaning for redemption, for release. And then He releases this kind of bombshell truth. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. There's no denying that we are weak.
• 34:28
  Fighting temptation does not come naturally to me. Acting righteously is not my default position. Speaking words that build up rather than tear down is not normal. Being charitable and unselfish is hard for me. And so the Holy Spirit must help us in our weakness. Our prayers, he says, not only are we weak, but he says we don't even pray the way that we should. And so the Holy Spirit himself helps us in prayers by interceding for us.
• 34:59
  With groanings, I've often wondered if our prayers don't seem very petty from heaven's perspective. Certainly some of our prayers are pure and true and aligned with the word and will of God, but certainly some of them are not. And so the Holy Spirit filters out the bad prayers and fills in the gaps. We'll pray things like, Lord, take away my pain, take away my suffering, take away my discomfort. In truth, Lord, if I'm totally honest, I just want to live here forever in peace. That's really what I want.
• 35:28
  You can imagine our prayers floating up to heaven's throne. Lord, take away my pain. And the Holy Spirit, with a simple grin that communicates an eternal perspective, just saying, no, Father, don't take away his pain. His pain is for his good. They say, well, fine. Then, Lord, take away my suffering. No, Father, his suffering will produce perseverance. It will result in his maturity. Okay, Lord, well, take away my discomfort. No, Father, discomfort is a reminder for him.
• 35:59
  That true comfort will only be found here in heaven. No, leave him where he's at. Teach him patient endurance. Use this comfort to remind him that his home is not earth. His home is here. Make him long for it. In fact, make him more uncomfortable so that he longs to be here with us. I wonder if our prayers reflect our anxious desire for the Savior's return, our anxious desire to join the Lord and the countless redeemed in heaven.
• 36:30
  Perhaps you're living in that groaning tension as we've described, but take heart, beloved church. The summit will be worth the strain when we finally get there. It will be worth the suffering. And in fact, with heaven's eyes, as we look back to our discomfort, our suffering, those suffering, that tension will pale in comparison. We'll look back and just say, wow, it was totally worth it. In fact, I can't even really remember it. That's how insignificant that groaning will seem.
• 37:01
  Once we get to glory, the glory, he says, will be worth the groaning. And allow me to pray. Lord, would you bless the preaching of your word? May it penetrate our hearts. May our ears be open to your truth. God, we thank you and we rejoice in the Holy Spirit, our helper who intercedes for us and prays for us in ways that we don't even understand. God, would you answer creation's groans? Lord, we long for you to return. That's what we want. And until that day, Lord, we wait.
• 37:33
  with eager anticipation. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.