Bulletins - Bethel Baptist Church (Laramie, WY)

Joy to the World
Joy Has Dawned
- - Genesis 22.15-16ESV
- - Genesis 22.17-18ESV
Good Christian Men, Rejoice
The Perfect Wisdom of Our God
O Little Town of Bethlehem
INTRODUCTION:
When we consider the difference between us and God -
a basic truth we all must recognize is my ways are not God’s ways.

After all,
Isaiah 55:8–9 ESV
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

We can know this from God’s word -
That God is holy >>>>> which doesn’t simply mean God doesn’t sin,
but that God isn’t like us.
God is diffirent.

One of those differences is in his wisdom.

While we are often characterized by futility or foolishness … God is characterized as the all-wise God, who knows everything.

And we can know this from God’s Word -
but in suffering this difference becomes obvious.

While God is often generous and kind to us,
he also is wise enough to recognize when what really need is suffering.

But we don’t understand that.

We may know that as a fact,
but we don’t experientially understand and process that.

[[[[ This is why the Christian who is saved by grace, through the death of God’s own son,
(In irony) still questions whether God loves them when they suffer. ]]]]]

Because God’s ways are not my ways.
And suffering makes that difference obvious in our lives.

How can we be sure that God works good in our lives?

It is natural to question the goodness of suffering.
And that is why gives us two reasons we can be confident of God’s goodness in suffering.

And teaches us why we can be confident that God works good in our lives.
Romans 8:28–30 ESV
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Romans 8:28=30
(ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

From this passage - I want to ask the question>>>
PROP: How can we be sure that God works good in our lives?
TRANS: And Paul gives us two reason’s why we can be confident that God works good in our lives.

Of course, last week we looked at .

We concluded,
that for those who believe in Christ, God works all things for our Good.

Romans 8:28 ESV
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Based on our examination of this passage last week -

We concluded,
that for those who believe in Christ,
God works all things for our Good.

>>>>> The good and the bad times.

But how do we know that to be true?

When we are hurting,

Reformers Calvin and Arminius debated about this issue.
and were wondering what God is doing in our lives,

>>>>> how can we be sure that God is working all things for our good.
Which is now become known as the Calvinist and Arminian debate.

And verses 29-30 teach us how we can know that is true.

The First Reason,
we can be confident that God works good in our lives is - because

1) God predestined us to be like Christ. ()

One of the ways that we can know for sure God is working good in our lives is

because we know what God has predestined us too.

If God is sovereign,
and God is all-knowing,
and God is eternal… Then if God decides he wants us to be like Christ – then we will be like Christ.

EXHORTATION:

Understand,
God is not a king who contends for his will to be done,
but a creator who speaks his will into existence.

{{{There is a profound difference between the two}}}}

CAVEAT:

Now here for a moment, I am going to get into a debate that some of us care about and some of us don’t.
But I think it has to be said.
And today’s sermon will probably be a little more technical because I think it needs to be.

You guys know if you have been regular here,
my goal on Sunday morning is

Our text contains some words that have often been debated in Christian circles.
>>>> One that is even caused controversy in our churches.

The word “predestination” has been the seed of controversy for nearly 500 years.

The Protestant Reformers Calvin and Arminius debated about this issue.

Which is now become known as the Calvinist and Arminian debate.
Which is now become known as the Calvinist and Arminian debate.

And as we begin here – let me begin by saying I don't care what you believe about the Calvinist and Arminian debate.

- Too often good Christians who love the Lord have separated and argued the fine details of predestination,
And our text is the center of that debate.

The Protestant Reformers - Calvin and Arminius debated about this issue.
And today we call this debate the Calvinist and Armenian debate.
After all - it is untrue that Armenians don’t believe God is sovereign and Calvinists don’t believe God loves all people.

But I will be honest

- I don’t care what you believe or don’t believe about this debate.
My personally way of handling this issue - is to avoid it.
Further,

To often - We argue and debate this issue -

- Too often people have decided what they believe in this debate because a pastor, or a Sunday school teacher, or influential scholar has told them this or that - rather then an honest answer of what God’s word says.
when we should've been agreeing with each other that God is sovereign and that God loves all people.

- Because it is a false statement to say that -
we are argueing seperating,
Armenians don’t believe in God’s sovereignty.

- Just like - it is false to say that -
Calvinists don’t believe God loves all people.

Those are false statements about the debate … because most Calvinists and Armenians agree on these issues in broad terms.
And may I say - we should never define a theological disagreement based on the extreme, worst case examples anyway.

ILLUSTRATION/CAVEAT:

You want to know why I could care less about this debate -
because I have watched people argue, get mad, and separate over minor issues >>>

For example, I once had a visitor who cornered me about the subject.
And asked me- are you a Calvinist or an Arminian?

And if you know people, you know there is no winning this discussion.

So instead of giving them a yes or no answer – I avoided the issue.

Instead,
I gave them a classic Calvinist argument.
I was careful to precisely use terminology that a Calvinist would use.
Language that anybody who had read some basic Calvinist systemic theology would recognize as the language of classic Calvinism
Language that anybody who is really studied theology would recognize as the language of classic Calvinism

For which they then accused me of being an Armenian and told me they are Calvinist … and they have never been back.

It didn’t matter
And the saddest part … their discussion was centered on two opposing theologies that they did not actually understand,
rather then God’s Word.

I understand there are extreme hyper-Calvinists and Armenians.
I am more concerned about us understanding God’s Word today,
I am

then deciding which theological box we fit in.

I am just saying, I don’t care - what does God word say.
I am more concerned about us applying God’s word to our lives then having a debate.

ILLUSTRATION:

I once had a visitor come, and corner me on this subject.
He said >>> Are you Calvinist or an Armenian?

Now, if you know how this goes … there is no winning this question.

So I avoided calling myself either Calvinist or Armenian.
Of which I
- Instead I was careful to use Calvinist terms to describe what I believed.
- The Kind of terms that someone who has done a basic reading on the subject would identify has classic Calvinist language.
- In others words are telling him I was a Calvinist by giving him the definitions of classic Calvinism (Rather then just blanketing myself with whatever he calls a Calvinist)

But do you think it mattered?

That person accused me of being an Armenian anyway… and never came back.

What is saddest about this story -
is that they left convinced they right about the debate that they didn’t really understand …
… and never once stopped to consider whether Scripture actually taught what they believed.

They didn’t tell me what they believed Scripture says , they repeated a theology somebody else told them.
They never really stopped to consider what God’s word says.

So let’s get back to this text - And I will let you decide whether you are a Calvinist or an Armenian!

So what does God’s Word say about why we can be sure God is working Good in our lives.

(ESV)
1) God Predestined us to be like Christ.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

We briefly looked at this passage last week as we understood in context.

Our text says
a) God's goal in our life is that we will ultimately be conformed to Christ.

I love the word here that Paul uses for conformed.
Is a word that we in the English borrow to describe the process of metamorphosis.

ANALOGY:

Remember that science project you had to do in high school or elementary about a Caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

>>>> This word speaks about us being transformed into Christ likeness.
word speaks about us being transformed into Christ likeness.

Just like a Caterpillar enters as the overgrown ugly bug… And comes out transformed into a beautiful butterfly.

We come to the cross as slaves to sin,
but then God transforms us and conforms us into the image of Christ.

In fact, the word image in our text, would be the same word we describe the pagan idol.

ANALOGY:

The Ancient near East was filled with these carved images that were supposed to be the exact representation of their God.
And they worshipped it.

Now The law specifically forbids us to make graven images of God,

Leviticus 26:1 ESV
1 “You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.
Lev

but here in this passage Paul actually tells us to be an exact replica, a graven image, of Jesus Christ.

God has a purpose and a plan in your life when you suffer - he wants you to be an exact replica of of the moral and spiritual character of Jesus Christ.

I hope as you serve Christ
– that you would not simply seek what you get out of Christ, salvation
- but because of his great love you would seek to become an exact replica of the faith and love of God’s son.

May I make a side note
– doesn't that sound a lot like what discipleship is.
The process of helping a person to be a follower of the teachings of Christ.

We ought to mimic God’s work in our life,
by helping each other become more like Christ.

The one another commands of Scripture demand that we help each other mimic Christ.

And our text gives us a time tempo for when God decided to do this.
>>>> It is the reason we can be confident that God is working good in our lives.
It is the reason we can be confident that God is working good in our lives.

When did God decide to make us more like Christ?

As our text says,
(ESV)
1) God Predestined us to be like Christ.
29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

As we consider this text,
are ESV translates those whom he foreknew.

As we consider this word,
recognize that this word has two translation possibilities.

This word could be he foreknew what was going to happen in advance – he foreknew you.
2 Peter 3:17 ESV
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.

But the range of meaning on this word could also mean he for chose us.

is an example of this word meaning he foreknew.

The Greek translation of the Old Testament uses this word in .

Jeremiah 1:5 ESV
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

And - As we interact with the idea of whether God fore-choose or foreknew us,
As we interact with the idea of whether God shows us or for new us, we make the point that he is not saying God foreknew our choices.
let me challenge us that he is not saying God foreknew our choices.

The object at hand is not our choices.

God foreknew us. We are the object.
This word in context means that God had a relationship with us in eternity past.
This word is context means that God had a relationship with us

The text doesn't just say that God foreknew our choices, but that God foreknew us.

If you want to do back flips in your theology, to say that God doesn’t choose us, but

And Those whom he foreknew he predestined.

The word predestined means to decide before hand. To predetermine.

Paul uses the same word in –
1 Corinthians 2:7 ESV
7 But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.

So put this passage together.

Why can we be confident that God is working good in our lives,
even as we suffer greatly?

Because God had a relationship with us in eternity past,
and predetermined that he would make us an exact replica of Jesus Christ.

This explains to us why suffering fits in to what is good for us,
but it also comforts us that God will continue to love us – even in the darkest holes of our lives.

If God had predetermined to have a relationship with us and to transform us,
then we know that whatever we face - it will not overcome us.

Despite all the debate that goes on regarding this passage,
this passage gives us great reason to hope in God.

But Paul doesn't end there.
Paul gives us a second reason we can be confident that God is working in us -
Paul gives us a second reason we can be confident that God is working in us -

The Second reason,
we can be confident that God works good in our lives - because
2) God’s Work of Salvation Guarantee’s Our Victory. ()

Paul links our guarantee of salvation with our guarantee of ultimate glory.

Essentially Paul is saying in this verse,
>that if you believe you are justified by the blood of Christ paying for your sins,
((((a lamb slaughtered for the forgiveness of all those who will believe, ))))

>then you can also be confident that God will glorify you.

(ESV)
2) God’s Work of Salvation Guarantee’s Our Victory.
30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

R.C. Sproul makes a really important observation about this text in his commentary -

First of all, Paul is saying here that each one of these categories is all – inclusive, that is, all those whom God for knows, he predestines, and all he predestines, he calls, and all he calls, he justifies in, and all he justifies, he glorifies. It is very important to understand that, in the structure of the language here, everyone in each category lands totally to every other category. (R.C. Sproul, Romans)

We've already looked at some of this in the last couple of weeks -
God -

a) .
a) Predestined us.

We said predestined is the idea of God for choosing and pre-determining to make us like Christ (verse 29)

God
b) Called us.

Further every person who God has chosen to have a personal relationship with,
and predetermined that they would be conformed to Christ,

>>>>has been called.

b) Called us.

The idea of calling is that God has chosen you to be a believer in Christ
– with the ultimate goal of transforming and changing your life to mimic the perfect morality and spirituality of Jesus Christ.

God
c) Justified us.

The idea of justification is the idea that Christ paid for our sins in order to present us as righteous people – justified before God.

It's not my perfection or my righteousness or my good works
– but the work of Christ in my life through salvation.

This ushers is back to

Romans 3:20–25 ESV
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

God
d) Glorifies us.

Romans 8:22–23 ESV
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 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.
Romans 8:19–23 ESV
19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 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. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 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.
Romans 8:22

Romans 8:
This is the Concept that the Bible presents as glorification.
>>>>> It is a day when Jesus Christ will transform both the world and us back to the way God intended it.

It is a day when Jesus Christ will transform both the world and us back to the way God intended it.
To a time before there was suffering and sin.

Remember this is not simply a list of theological ideas.
This isn't a passage to defend election and predestination.
Though it speaks to those ideas.

It is a passage to remind us that nothing in this world will separate us from the love of God.

As Sproul put it,
if you can say I am justified by the blood of Christ
– then you can also say God
fore-chose me,
predestined me,
called me,
and ultimately will glorify me.

You cannot separate your salvation in Jesus Christ from what God will do when Jesus Christ returns.

God's work of salvation guarantees us glorification
- which is to say that God guarantees that we will overcome the suffering that we face in this world.

We wait for the day when that is reality,
but we know with confidence that this is going to happen.

CONCLUSION:

I wonder how many of you today are chess players.

Personally – I have to admit, I'm not a very good chess player.

If you want to play checkers, call me up
– but you want to play chess find somebody else.

A good chess player is thinking 3 to 4 moves ahead,
and often has you snared before you even know what hit you.

May I say – God is the ultimate chess player.

- Many times he's moving the pieces around in our life for our good,
but we can see it.

- Sometimes God moves the chess pieces around in our life – and it hurts.
And we are wondering why did God do that.
Am I just God’s pawn.

Because God is the perfect all wise God he is thinking 1000 moves before you.

The only comfort we have is that we know
God is good,
God is sovereign,
and God has promised us a better life - glory.

As I begin this morning,
God's ways are not our ways.

We know that from Isaiah,
but we also know that from suffering.

God in his great love for us,
is working through are good and are bad for our good.

And we may not always understand his ways,
but we should be comforted because we know how this ends.

God is the victor over suffering and we will one day be able to see how the suffering of this world is incomparable to his glory.

And I hope you leave here this morning - Confident that God is working Good in our lives.

After all,
Remember how this passage started out –

(ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Leave here this morning - Confident that God is working Good in our lives.
- - Isaiah 55:8–9ESV
- - Romans 8:28ESV
- - Jeremiah 1:5ESV
- - 1 Corinthians 2:7ESV
- - Romans 3:20–25ESV
- - Romans 8:19–23ESV
My Father Planned It All

Genesis 22.15-16ESV

Genesis 22.17-18ESV

PROP: How can we be sure that God works good in our lives?

TRANS: And Paul gives us two reason’s why we can be confident that God works good in our lives.

1) God predestined us to be like Christ. ()

2) God’s Work of Salvation Guarantee’s Our Victory. ()

Isaiah 55:8–9ESV

Romans 8:28ESV

Jeremiah 1:5ESV

1 Corinthians 2:7ESV

Romans 3:20–25ESV

Romans 8:19–23ESV