Victory Through Predestination.

Steve Gentry

[0:05] Go ahead and have a seat. [0:06] Welcome to Village Church. [0:07] If this is your first time here, my name is Steve. [0:09] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:11] As always, I am thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you. [0:15] If you noticed, we have a new kind of stage environment here.

[0:21] What that has done is it has aided us in adding extra chairs into the auditorium. [0:25] It’s a wonderful thing. [0:27] And the good news is they’re all up front. [0:29] And so I’m going to make a request that I have made in all three services in both locations [0:36] this morning that if you are the type of person that gets here 10 or 15 minutes early and [0:43] reserves seating, I am so thankful that you are here.

[0:47] But I’m going to ask that next Sunday, instead of reserving them in the back, that you would [0:52] reserve them closer to me so that I could have a more personal experience with you. [1:00] The closer I get, the better looking I get. [1:04] And so my wife’s a lucky woman. [1:09] And so if you’re in the back, hey, I love you. [1:12] I love you.

[1:13] But I want to see more of you. [1:15] And so if you could just do me a favor, it would help us out wonderfully for our guest [1:21] for our first time guests. [1:23] Oftentimes they will arrive a little bit later. [1:26] And it is a very intimidating experience if it’s your first Sunday. [1:31] And you may have experienced this too.

[1:33] And you have to stand in the back worried that you’re going to have to walk up in front [1:37] of everyone and have everyone stare at you. [1:40] Because let’s be honest, that’s what we do. [1:42] We stare at them and we judge them and we’re like, sleep in a little bit. [1:47] Got a little sleepy in your eyes there. [1:50] So next Sunday, why don’t you just do them a favor and follow Jesus who would sit closer?

[1:58] I’m telling you, he would. [2:00] Because Jesus loves lost people and Jesus loves first time guests. [2:04] And so because he’s so passionately committed to first time guests, I’m going to ask you [2:08] to be passionately committed to those first time guests. [2:11] And come sit up here. [2:12] Man, it’s just when I see people up here, we become better friends.

[2:17] And the secret to getting to know Steve is sitting up front. [2:21] Because I know you care. [2:22] If you’re sitting in the back and you’re like, why hasn’t Steve become my best friend? [2:26] It’s because I don’t like people to sit in the back. [2:30] Point blank. [2:31] It’s just true.

[2:33] So let’s go to the word of God. [2:34] Romans chapter 8, let’s start in verse 28. [2:37] That’s just where I’m going to cut it off. [2:39] It’s just like, I don’t want to, I don’t feel like going anywhere else. [2:41] I don’t feel like I need to go anywhere else. [2:42] So let’s go to Romans chapter 8.

[2:45] You know, one of the wonderful things that God does is that He answers often the questions [2:52] that plague us. [2:54] And I think in Romans chapter 8, verse 28, the apostle makes what I believe to be one [3:00] of the boldest, if not the boldest promise in all of Scripture. [3:04] And it is that all things work together for good to those who love God, those who are [3:09] the called according to His purpose.

[3:10] Those are the two qualifiers. [3:11] And one of the fascinating things about that text is that while I trust that it’s true, [3:17] it’s hard to apply sometimes in my life. [3:20] Sometimes in life, and really all of our lives, things will either enter into our lives or [3:26] things will be ripped out of our lives that will bring great doubt about God’s plan for [3:32] our lives or even God’s goodness in our lives or even just God’s goodness in general.

[3:37] But the good news is that number one, Jesus has saved us and He has given us a holy calling [3:44] in which we can trust that there is a God, there is a God who is there, there is a God [3:48] who is involved, and there is a God who loves me because Jesus died on the cross and Jesus [3:53] has risen from the dead. [3:55] But more than that, when it comes to specific instances of my life, sometimes it’s not that [4:01] I’m not anchored in the cross and I’m not anchored in the resurrection.

[4:04] It’s that there are times when I struggle to apply that reality into the specific instances [4:12] when life is hard. [4:14] And the good news is that God doesn’t leave us in a place where He doesn’t answer how [4:20] He’s working in those instances. [4:23] But what can be difficult is for us to trust His answers. [4:27] And Romans 8, 29, and 30, these fascinating texts, because what the apostle Paul, through

[4:33] the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is meaning to do is to give us evidence for why we can [4:40] trust that in any and all circumstances, the follower of Jesus knows that everything that [4:45] comes into our lives or everything that is taken from our lives is going to work the [4:49] good of God’s glory. [4:51] Note that it doesn’t say my good. [4:53] It’s talking about His good, what God defines as good.

[4:58] And so let’s read Romans 8, 28 through verse 30. [5:03] And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good to those who [5:10] are called according to His purpose. [5:13] For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, [5:19] in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. [5:24] And those whom He predestined, He also called.

[5:26] And those whom He called, He also justified. [5:28] And those whom He justified, He also glorified. [5:34] Number one this morning, I want you to understand that God’s sovereignty is the howl behind [5:38] His will. [5:40] God’s sovereignty is the howl behind His will. [5:44] And so I want to qualify this by way of an introduction that’s in a unique place, I

[5:48] think, in this sermon. [5:49] And that is to talk about what I am seeing as a growing trend, not among a specific age [5:56] group, but among just culture at large, of believing that questions make you deeper [6:03] than thinking you have answers. [6:06] And so what I mean by that is what I’ve experienced over the last really year or two is people [6:11] bringing questions about God, bringing questions about how God works, questions about the

[6:16] gospel, questions about God’s sovereignty in this or that application of life, and then [6:22] being offended when I say actually that is a great question. [6:28] And let’s go to God’s Word because He has answered that specific question. [6:32] And finding that many people are being offended that someone would deign to think that there [6:39] are answers to the questions that you have about life because you believe that your questions [6:44] make you deeper than if you thought you had answers.

[6:47] And I will tell you that your questioning or the doubts that you have don’t always [6:54] make you deeper. [6:56] They often just make you more prideful. [7:00] Because when God has answered a question that you have and you refuse to accept that answer, [7:08] that’s not a sign of humility, that is a sign of self-idolatry. [7:12] That is a sign that you probably think that God would never do anything that you yourself

[7:19] would not do or God would not do anything that you don’t necessarily naturally understand. [7:25] And I’ve seen this often where the problem of evil is concerned. [7:30] And this text, if you want to talk about the problem of evil, this text is important in [7:34] what some people call a problem. [7:35] I don’t think of it as a problem, I just think of it as an is. [7:38] God has dealt with evil on the cross.

[7:41] But God is answering the objections that you have to his sovereignty by explaining, not [7:48] just in a little bit how his sovereignty works, but explaining wholesale. [7:52] This is how sovereignty works and this is specifically how his sovereignty works in [7:56] your life. [7:59] So what often happens when people come to me for counseling is they are, and I don’t [8:02] know why anyone’s shocked by this, but they are shocked at how blunt I am.

[8:05] Because if I can’t solve your problem in one session, then you need to go to a professional. [8:09] Let’s just be honest with that. [8:12] And sometimes I’ll answer it over email. [8:15] I have great counseling sessions over email. [8:18] But the issue that you need to understand in your life is that your refusal to find [8:26] comfort in God’s answers does not say good things about your faith.

[8:32] It says troubling things about first, your pride, and second, a lack of trust in God. [8:42] And we play this game as though pride is found in answers. [8:47] No, oftentimes what you need to understand is pride is found in your questions. [8:51] Because when you continue to treat as a question something that God has given a direct answer [8:57] to, what is being revealed in your life is that you refuse to submit to the sovereign [9:03] God.

[9:04] And that, of course, is rebellion. [9:08] And it can become a blasphemous thought in your life. [9:12] I believe that the Bible is clear. [9:14] That’s one of the four pillars that you bring into the study of Scripture, or rather the [9:19] proper study of Scripture is the clarity of Scripture. [9:22] And it is a vital thing.

[9:24] It doesn’t treat the Bible as equally clear, but it does say there is a clarity in all [9:31] of the Scripture. [9:32] Here’s what I mean. [9:33] Romans 8.29 is a little more difficult to understand than John 3.16, just based on [9:42] grammar and sentence structure alone. [9:44] Because John 3.16 has just something that instantly hits you and it makes perfect sense.

[9:49] God loves me. [9:51] He gave his Son so that I can have eternal life. [9:53] It’s that clear. [9:56] Romans 8.29 has the same clarity that John 3.16 has. [10:02] It just requires a little more study to understand the terminology. [10:07] That’s the difference.

[10:09] God I believe through his word has answered every question that I can ever have about [10:16] life to what he wants me to know. [10:20] Are there things that God knows that I don’t? [10:24] Absolutely. [10:25] But the problem is in treating God as though he is some kind of tyrant for not explaining [10:29] everything to you.

[10:30] That’s pride. [10:32] He wouldn’t be God if you guys always saw eye to eye. [10:35] He wouldn’t be God if he didn’t have a greater level of understanding about certain things [10:40] than you do. [10:41] God is sovereign and I am not and by his grace he has explained to me how his sovereignty [10:51] works out in my life.

[10:53] So what you need to see in Romans 8.29 is a great level of a gracious sovereign God [10:59] to be so loving as to say, I want to explain to you how redemption works out in each and [11:07] every one of your lives on a very personal level. [11:11] And he begins with a promise that is too good to be true. [11:15] You know when I was growing up there would be these infomercials that would come on [11:18] the TV and they, I mean it ruled the day because it was before really the days where internet

[11:23] had taken off and there was just if you were up late at night, if you were up super early [11:27] in the morning there was an oven that could make you the best turkey you’ve ever had in [11:31] five seconds or there was a way to make $50,000 in three days and lose a hundred pounds in [11:38] the process. [11:40] But as time goes by what you begin to understand is that if it seems too good to be true, [11:46] it probably is.

[11:48] And when it comes to the promises that the world can give you where weight loss, financial [11:52] gain and culinary skill is concerned, ten times out of ten, if it seems too good to [11:58] it absolutely is too good to be true. [12:04] And so when you read Romans 8 28, it is that kind of a promise where you are meant, I [12:12] believe to look at this and have a reaction that all things working together for good [12:20] is a promise that is too good to be true.

[12:26] And at a human level it is. [12:30] That is why if we’re going through a period of pain or a period of suffering and someone [12:36] has the audacity to look at us and say remember Romans 8 28, you want to slap them in the [12:43] face. [12:44] But that doesn’t make it any less true. [12:48] Romans 8 28 is given to you so that you can have a warm blanket on a cold day.

[12:57] It is meant to be the pillow that you rest your head on when you are questioning God. [13:05] And God does welcome our questions. [13:08] If you look throughout the scripture, almost everyone in it questions God. [13:14] Because there are things that God will do in our lives that will evoke a response of [13:19] I don’t understand why I’m going through this. [13:25] And time and time again God welcomes the question.

[13:29] But what God won’t do is submit to your refusal to accept his answer. [13:37] Because he has answered. [13:40] If you read the book of Job, you will see someone who went through some hard times [13:45] and had some deep answers. [13:46] And God accepted every one of his questions until he refused to trust God’s answers. [13:54] And then God in very clear form spends a few chapters belittling Job.

[14:02] But how often do you ignore God’s belittling of Job so that you can act like your problems [14:08] are somehow unique and you are somehow special in God’s plan and what you are going through [14:14] is totally different than anything anyone has ever been through in the history of the [14:18] world and surely God has a different answer for you? [14:22] No. [14:23] You are not special.

[14:25] You are not unique. [14:27] God is special. [14:29] If I was the special one in this relationship, I would be worthy of worship. [14:34] And one thing living in this world 39 and a half years has shown me, I am not worthy [14:39] of worship. [14:41] I am clearly not worthy of worship.

[14:44] But neither are you. [14:46] So why do you think that your life situation is somehow unique in God’s perspective? [14:53] When God makes a promise such as if you are one of his followers, all things work together [14:58] for good. [15:00] What he means to do with that is to put you in your place, to help you to understand, [15:08] yes, what you are going through is something that God knows.

[15:11] Yes, what you are going through is something that God understands. [15:14] Yes, he knows it is difficult for you. [15:16] Yes, he knows there are questions in your mind. [15:18] Yes, he knows that doubt is entering into the arena of the way that you think. [15:22] Yes, he knows the anxieties that are plaguing your life. [15:25] But yes, he has a plan for each and every circumstance.

[15:34] And the most important part of that verse, I think, is what you often overlook. [15:39] Look at the way he starts verse 28. [15:42] It starts with three words, but two of them vital. [15:47] And we know.

[15:51] It doesn’t say, and we question. [15:53] It doesn’t say, and we doubt. [15:58] It doesn’t say, we consider. [16:01] It says, we know.

[16:06] God does not want his followers to walk through this world unaware of his power, control, [16:18] and will. [16:20] God wants you to walk through this world with a level of certainty. [16:25] And that is why the text begins, we know. [16:32] Because when hard things come into my life, and I am not untouched by hard times, when [16:39] difficult circumstances show up at my door, because doesn’t it always feel that way?

[16:45] It always feels like boom, suffering. [16:48] Boom, pain. [16:50] Boom, turmoil. [16:52] Boom, hard times.

[16:56] God doesn’t want me to look to him and say, I think you’ve got this, but how often do [17:04] I do that? [17:06] I think you’ve got a will, and I think it’s good. [17:09] No, God wants his children to trust him. [17:13] God wants his followers to know that his promises are for you in the moment you need them, [17:25] because his promises are easy to trust when I’m having a great day.

[17:29] His promises are easy to trust when everything’s going my way. [17:33] His promises are difficult to trust when I don’t know what the other side of this trouble [17:38] looks like. [17:40] He wants me to know that he has a sovereign plan behind his will. [17:48] And he gives us verses 29 and 30 to trust the foundation of how he is going to work. [17:55] Verse 29 and 30 act as a guarantee.

[17:59] And there’s a few important words in verse 29 that I’m going to spend a considerable [18:04] amount of time this morning unpacking for us, because we need that hinge that the entire [18:09] chapter, all of the no condemnation, all of the victory over sin, all of the power of [18:14] the Holy Spirit, all of the hope for the future, all of the hope for my prayers now, they [18:19] all hinge on the beginning of verse 29 when he says, those whom he foreknew, he also predestined. [18:30] That phrase is God’s guarantee of your certainty.

[18:38] For known and predestined are two vital words for Christian discipleship, because it is [18:45] God expressing to you that he has absolute sovereignty over every one of his promises, [18:52] and he can be trusted. [18:54] But our difficulties come when we belittle the sovereignty of God, in my opinion. [19:02] The sovereignty of God is the pillow that I rest my head on, not my free will. [19:09] My free will has done nothing but get me into trouble.

[19:13] My free will has done nothing but damn me to hell. [19:17] My free will has done nothing but give me anxiety. [19:22] My free will is absolutely corrupted by my sinful nature. [19:28] In a world that is desperately out to prove that they are good and better than God, we [19:36] as the people of God need to accept and land that the scripture does not put my hope in [19:44] my free will.

[19:45] The scripture puts my hope solely and squarely in the hands of a sovereign God.

[19:55] Foreknowledge is one of the most misunderstood terms in all of scripture. [20:00] And so when he uses this term foreknew, that is the Greek word proegno, and it’s from [20:10] a root word, and I’m going to give you a little bit of an original language here, because [20:13] just lovingly, some people think that the Bible was written in English.

[20:19] It wasn’t, all right? [20:21] The Book of Romans in its entirety was for the most part written in Greek. [20:26] And the word foreknew doesn’t have as much meaning in English as it does in Greek. [20:35] That is a proper translation of proegno, but it is not as full of a meaning as proegno [20:43] has in the original language. [20:44] Because for us, when we say foreknew, all we think is he knew beforehand.

[20:51] And so I don’t know how you were taught, but as a young man, I was taught that what [20:55] that means is, is that God knew in advance what I would choose, and then he based what [21:04] he was going to do in my life on what he knew I was going to choose beforehand. [21:09] The only problem with that definition is that that word doesn’t anywhere ever mean that. [21:18] It doesn’t. [21:19] I’ll give you exactly what it means in the original language.

[21:22] It comes from the root word, as I’ve said, foreknowledge, which is progenosko, which [21:27] has a simple meaning. [21:29] I’m going to give you a three-word meaning. [21:30] It just simply means to choose beforehand. [21:33] But the fullest meaning of that word is this sense of a personal knowledge. [21:40] To befriend or be acquainted with someone, note this, in a familial way ahead of time

[21:48] or before meeting, implying an exclusivity of choice relative to those not befriended. [21:57] And so what that word carries with it is a relational knowledge. [22:04] It is an intimate knowledge. [22:06] And it is jumping directly off of what we talked about a few weeks ago when it said [22:11] that God adopted us by which we cry Abba Father, where the text says, because of the adoption [22:19] that he has brought into our lives, he has made us heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ.

[22:24] He’s adopted us into his family. [22:27] He’s letting you know in this passage that that means that before you were born, the [22:33] rest of the scripture goes on to understand, before he even created the world, he chose [22:39] to have a family-level knowledge of you that not everyone in this world is going to experience. [22:50] That there is a choice that God made to bring you into his family that he doesn’t make [22:58] for everyone.

[23:01] And he amplifies it by adding another key word into the phrase. [23:05] What’s that key word? [23:07] Predestined. [23:09] Those whom he, what, foreknew he also did what? [23:14] Predestined. [23:16] Right there, Paul is doubling down in his definition.

[23:21] He’s saying that this foreknowledge was so important to God on a personal level in your [23:30] life that he actually predestined that your life would work out in a specific way in [23:39] terms of coming to faith in Jesus Christ.

[23:45] Those whom he foreknew he went an extra step and he predestined. [23:51] The word predestined has an original meaning that literally means he drew a horizon around [23:56] your life and he said this is the path that you will take.

[24:02] God’s sovereignty is the howl behind his accomplishing of his will. [24:10] That means that his will is not dependent on me being talented or me being smart or [24:18] me being good enough or me being you know just a little bit more strategic than everyone [24:26] else. [24:27] No, God’s will is solely dependent on him. [24:31] And here’s the key.

[24:33] That should make you so thankful. [24:38] That should give you such comfort. [24:41] Comfort to the level that no matter what comes into your life that you wish did not [24:48] come into your life you look at it and say he’s working all of the good. [24:56] He’s working all of the good. [24:58] He’s working all of the good.

[25:01] It’s not about you. [25:05] It’s about God. [25:08] And each and every circumstance God wants me to trust him. [25:13] He doesn’t want me to trust me. [25:16] And by his grace he brings me phrases that prove it. [25:22] But it goes further than that.

[25:25] This is why I love Romans 8, 29 through 30. [25:27] It just keeps getting better. [25:30] Number two this morning, God’s purpose is for you to become like Jesus. [25:35] God’s purpose is for you to become like Jesus. [25:37] Some of the issues that people have with studying the Bible is that you don’t finish the sentence. [25:43] Is that we will chop it up and we will pretend that for new is just this term that’s off

[25:49] on an island by itself and I’m stuck with just having that term. [25:53] Predestined is just this other term that’s off on an island by itself. [25:56] And so we just need to understand them outside of the context of what they’re actually in. [26:01] That’s foolishness. [26:02] Because what we are tempted to do is we are tempted to read a text and begin with the [26:07] controversy.

[26:09] We read a text and we begin with our presuppositions. [26:12] We read a text and we begin with all of our questioning. [26:15] And that’s really a one-way ticket to bad Bible study.

[26:21] When you’re reading the Bible, begin with the context and you will save yourself from [26:30] a whole lot of foolishness. [26:33] Begin with not, how does this strike me? [26:35] Well that word predestination, I just don’t know. [26:38] I’ve been asked before, it’s so funny, people visit the church and maybe you’re going to [26:41] do this too and I want to answer the question before you ask it.

[26:43] People will say, do you believe in predestination? [26:46] And I always just shoot back. [26:47] Have you read the book of Romans?

[26:50] Of course I believe it. [26:51] It’s in there, isn’t it? [26:53] I have to believe it. [26:55] But the problem that we have is that we begin with our anger about a specific term before [27:00] we begin by saying, what did Paul mean by that term?

[27:04] When the church at Rome received this message, what did they think about that term? [27:10] See, the original audience is far more important than the contemporary audience. [27:13] If I ever want to apply anything from the Bible to my life, I have to understand what [27:17] the original audience thought about it before I ever begin to think, what does America [27:20] think about it? [27:21] Good Lord.

[27:24] The words are meant to draw me in to what God is doing in my life. [27:30] And if you just say, those whom he foreknew, he also predestined, and that’s where you [27:35] stop. [27:35] You will be tempted to enter into an inner dialogue where you think of yourself or other [27:41] people and you will then make this rebuttal, but I’m not a robot. [27:45] What?

[27:46] If I believe this, it just means that I’m some type of pawn on God’s cosmic chessboard [27:50] with no decisions to make. [27:52] You know, that’s not where the thought goes in the text. [27:55] Here’s where the thought goes. [27:56] Look in verse 29. [27:58] He says, those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son.

[28:07] God’s predestination always carries with it a purpose for your life.

[28:16] God has shown what the will that he is working from verse 28 is going to work out in your [28:25] life in verse 29. [28:27] You don’t have to lay in bed at night any longer staring at the ceiling and saying, [28:33] what is the meaning of my life? [28:34] What is the purpose for my life? [28:37] Does God even have anything going on in my life?

[28:40] Yes, everything that God has done throughout the history of the world was leading to the [28:47] gospel of Jesus Christ, which is always leading to you through faith being conformed to the [28:55] image of his son. [28:57] It is always about becoming more like Jesus. [29:03] And don’t you just wish though it was a little simpler? [29:07] I do.

[29:10] I wish that the moment that I came to faith, I came to faith in Jesus Christ when I was [29:14] 12 years old, I wish and I would have been saved a lot of turmoil in my life if on that [29:21] day in August of 1992 at the moment that God redeemed me, I just was like Jesus.

[29:31] I was perfect. [29:33] I would never need any more repentance in my life. [29:36] I would never make any more mistakes in my life. [29:38] I would know exactly what God would have me choose in each and every moment in my life. [29:45] But you know, that’s not the way it works out, is it?

[29:49] He tells us, he says, God has predestined you to be conformed to the image of his will. [29:55] And that word conformed is also very important. [29:58] It’s the same word that he uses in Romans chapter 12 verse 2, a very popular text, [30:03] where he says, don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world. [30:10] So he says, don’t be conformed to the world. [30:13] And in chapter 8, he says, do be conformed to the image of his son.

[30:18] But note what he begins with. [30:20] He says, this is not going to be a work that God leaves you in charge of.

[30:28] He predestines you to become conformed to the image of his son. [30:33] Therefore, I can have a certainty that every pain, every pleasure, every hardship, every easy day, [30:44] everything that I want to celebrate and everything that I want to curse in my life, [30:50] I can always be certain that God is going to use it to make me more like his son. [30:55] There’s a purpose behind every pain. [30:58] And God wants me to be aware of that.

[31:00] He doesn’t want me to walk through this life doubting. [31:03] He doesn’t want me to walk through this life questioning. [31:05] He doesn’t want me to walk through this life not knowing. [31:08] He wants us to know that he will conform me to the image of his son.

[31:16] It reshapes my prayers.

[31:19] Because I don’t know if you’ve experienced this, but when you’re going through a period of pain, [31:23] your prayers look a little different.

[31:26] I’m tempted to, whenever I’m going through a period of pain or whenever I’m going through a period of turmoil, [31:31] you know, my prayers are pretty simple. [31:34] Personally, in my personal life, I don’t use a whole lot of, [31:36] whithersoever thou goest, Holy Father, please anoint me with thine sanctification. [31:41] I don’t pray like that. [31:42] You know what my prayers usually look like?

[31:43] Oh, God, fix it. [31:46] That’s my personal mantra. [31:48] So if you want to know what do Steve’s prayers look like on a lot of mornings, [31:51] you can say, Oh, God, it’s broke, fix it. [31:54] Or Oh, God, I’m broke, fix it. [31:56] And that can have a lot of meanings.

[31:58] All right. [31:59] I’m physically broken. [32:00] I’m financially broken. [32:02] All right. [32:02] There’s lots of broke. [32:03] I need fixed.

[32:04] All right.

[32:08] But man, how self-centered is that prayer?

[32:13] And I try, sometimes very unsuccessful. [32:16] I try to repent towards a prayer where instead of just beginning with wanting the quick fix, [32:23] I say, God, how are you using this to make me more like your son?

[32:31] Verse 29 finishes with this statement that Jesus, and I’m going to give you the Steve version. [32:38] Jesus is meant to be the big brother to lots of younger brothers and sisters. [32:44] And that is why God is conforming you to his image, because he wants us to follow in his footsteps.

[32:53] Friend, God’s sovereignty is less about me getting everything that I want, [33:00] and it’s less about me being a robot, and it’s more about the work that God wants to do throughout all of the years of my life, [33:06] however many of them they are. [33:08] In 2 Timothy chapter 1, Paul writes this. [33:13] He said, God saved us and called us to a holy calling. [33:20] That’s vital.

[33:21] He’s jumping off of Romans 8 and 29 here. [33:24] He’s saying that there is a purpose behind which God has saved you, [33:29] and it wasn’t some impersonal thing where he just brought you to faith in Jesus and then said, [33:35] you’re going to heaven, I’ve got nothing for you till then. [33:39] He says he saved us and then called us to a holy calling, [33:43] which we know was to become more like Jesus, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace.

[33:51] He doesn’t ask you what you want it to look like, he tells you what it’s going to look like, [33:56] which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

[34:04] It’s vital for you to understand because every one of you are going to be tempted at some point in your life [34:11] to believe that your life doesn’t matter. [34:15] You’re going to be tempted to buy into the lie that your life is insignificant.

[34:21] You’re going to look at it and say, I’ve never been noteworthy for anything. [34:25] I’ve never accomplished something so much that anyone in this world has ever looked and said, [34:30] wow, you are a success. [34:33] You are a great person. [34:35] You are very skilled. [34:37] We are going to be tempted to look at our lives and believe that we are very small,

[34:43] to believe we are very insignificant, to believe even, oh, why was I born in this area of Virginia? [34:49] Nothing ever happens here. [34:50] Why couldn’t I have been born where important people are born?

[34:56] And to that God says, your life is so significant that God planned it before he ever created the world itself.

[35:10] Friend, if you want to understand what predestination to be conformed to the image of God’s Son shows, [35:15] it shows that you matter. [35:17] It shows that your life has significance to God. [35:22] Francis Schaeffer is one of my favorite philosophers and apologists. [35:27] I’ve been a student of his for years, and most of the books that he wrote are from the 70s and 80s. [35:31] He’s gone on to heaven.

[35:34] He wrote a lesser known work that was just all about that, and it’s called No Perfect People. [35:40] Excuse me, No Little People, No Little Places, No Little People, No Little Places. [35:45] And it is about this specific subject. [35:49] Friend, if God has redeemed you, while no one in the world may ever look, God is, [35:57] while no one in the world may ever know, God does, you are significant in the plan of God. [36:07] And he’s planned everything to conform you to the image of his Son.

[36:12] God has determined, though, that through that you understand that you need to enter a life of discipleship. [36:19] You see, note that when we think about our purpose, we don’t think about it the way that God does. [36:24] I think about what job should I have, what house should I buy, what kind of car should I have, [36:28] what wife should I have, how many kids should I have, and I think that my significance [36:32] and I think that my purpose is all wrapped up in those things. [36:35] Does God say that?

[36:38] No. [36:38] He says the purpose that he has made for your life is for you to be conformed to the image of his Son. [36:47] And you need to find joy in that. [36:49] The problem that many of us have is we are so prideful that we look at that and we say, that’s not enough.

[36:55] And that’s why you avoid discipleship. [36:59] Because you think you’ve got better things to do. [37:02] You think you’ve got important passions to work out. [37:05] You think that your life needs to be more significant than some meeting between a few people [37:10] where you just get together and read the Bible. [37:12] I mean, what is really being accomplished there?

[37:14] I will tell you, the eternal will of the sovereign God is being accomplished in that moment. [37:21] And when you avoid personal discipleship, you are walking away from the purpose of God in your life.

[37:30] It’s so important that he planned it before the ages began. [37:37] Some of you have bought into a lie that there’s something greater than God’s plan for your life. [37:45] And I can trust his plan because number three, God’s promises are certain. [37:50] God’s promises are certain. [37:52] God’s call is final. [37:54] Romans 8.30 is often referred to as the golden chain of salvation.

[37:59] The Apostle Paul strings together the verbs of God’s work in salvation for our life. [38:04] Note what he says in verse 30.

[38:17] He begins again with that word, predestination. [38:22] A word that should bring comfort to your heart rather than controversy to your mind. [38:28] That God has a purpose. [38:30] But then he says, here’s how he works it out for you. [38:36] That’s what verse 30 is. [38:38] Verse 30 takes an eternal plan and says this is how it works out in your specific life.

[38:46] He says God predestines your purpose and through that he then called you to salvation. [38:53] That word called is very important. [38:55] It’s the same idea that Jesus talks about in John chapter 6 where he says no one will come to the Father [39:00] except those whom the Father draws to himself. [39:03] He’s wanting you to understand that there is a work of God that goes on to bring you to salvation. [39:08] Have you ever wondered why two people can hear the same gospel message at the same time in the same room

[39:13] and have completely different reactions? [39:17] One person says that’s the best news I’ve ever heard. [39:20] Who wouldn’t want to follow Jesus? [39:22] The God who created me loves me to the extent where he’s going to forgive me of every sin [39:26] that I have ever committed and could ever commit and then he’s going to draw me into a new life [39:30] based on the resurrection where he’s going to make me more like his son.

[39:34] That is great news. [39:35] I’m going to follow Jesus and that one person will react that way and the person right next to them will say [39:39] that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. [39:43] Why would I want to follow Jesus? [39:46] What’s so great about him? [39:47] I don’t even believe that God exists.

[39:48] How could a good God be in such an evil world? [39:52] And we’ll look at it and we’ll say didn’t they both hear the same thing? [39:54] Why did they react totally differently? [39:56] Because the calling that he’s talking about right there is not the same type of calling [40:01] that I’m making for you to come to faith in Jesus. [40:04] He’s saying that there is a special call that God himself does and brings into the life

[40:11] of every person that ever comes to faith in Jesus Christ.

[40:16] This is where we can look at and say God surpasses your quote unquote free will [40:22] and opens your eyes to salvation in Jesus Christ so that you will choose him every single time. [40:29] Those whom he called he also justified.

[40:34] Justification is a work that we talked about in the first two weeks of this series. [40:37] I won’t prolong an explanation on it because that would take the rest of the you know an entire [40:42] sermon unto itself. [40:45] But it is the work that Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. [40:49] He bore our sin on himself and through his death has brought complete forgiveness into [40:57] our lives for all of our sin.

[41:00] I am guilty but in justification God declares me innocent. [41:06] Not because I deserve innocence but because Jesus has said I will pay the penalty for the [41:13] guilty therefore they have no penalty to pay anymore. [41:16] That’s what happens in justification and he’s saying those whom he predestined he also called [41:21] and there’s a moment in your life where you feel that calling and you come to faith in Jesus [41:27] and in that moment justification becomes a very personal thing.

[41:32] But he doesn’t stop there. [41:35] He then says those whom he justified he also what glorified. [41:39] Here’s what’s fascinating. [41:40] Even if you’re a follower of Jesus in this room you have not experienced glorification. [41:47] So is that a typo? [41:49] Did Paul make a mistake because if you read it I don’t know if you know English very well.

[41:53] I don’t. [41:55] But that ED on the end that’s past tense. [42:00] So the Apostle Paul says something that I have not experienced and it was reserved for [42:06] my future. [42:06] Romans 8 has been very clear that future glory is something we haven’t experienced yet but [42:11] he writes about it in the past tense.

[42:13] Why? [42:15] Because he’s closing his case and he’s saying God will work all of the good. [42:22] Here’s how he’s working all of the good and you can bank on it as if it’s already happened. [42:29] He is going to deliver to every single follower of Jesus an eternal weight of glory that [42:36] is so certain I’m going to talk about a future reality as though it’s in the past tense. [42:43] Those whom he justified he also glorified.

[42:49] And there’s no chance that that glorification will ever be in question because it’s not [42:56] in my hand. [42:58] It’s in the hand of an eternal sovereign God who has the power to bring death to life [43:06] so I know he can be trusted to work my life to his good.

[43:14] But only if you trust Jesus. [43:18] Only if you trust Jesus. [43:21] God does not promise to work one ounce of good apart from faith in Jesus Christ.

[43:33] Therefore if you want God’s good trust Jesus. [43:37] If you want God’s hand trust Jesus. [43:40] If you want what God has for you you must trust Jesus then you must follow him the [43:45] rest of your life.

[43:49] Every single Sunday we reflect on what’s called the Lord’s Supper. [43:56] The bread represents the broken body of Christ the cup represents his shed blood and when [44:00] we eat and when we drink we profess to everyone in this room I am a follower of Jesus Christ. [44:06] I know that some of you may not be followers of Jesus and not to offend but I assume some [44:13] of you are not followers of Jesus. [44:15] Friend if that’s the situation you find yourself in today and you want God to work all of

[44:21] the good here’s a deal friend I’m not begrudgingly follow Jesus. [44:26] I’m with joy following Jesus because I believe a future with Jesus is better than anything [44:30] else that I could ever have in my life. [44:32] It brings me great joy to follow Jesus and I want you to have that same joy. [44:37] I want you to have the same certainty when you encounter suffering in this world that [44:42] I have.

[44:42] I want you to have the same hope in such a hard world that I have and that’s why I [44:48] want you to follow Jesus Christ. [44:51] If you’re in a situation right now where you might be being confronted by the Holy [44:55] Spirit who’s saying you’re not a follower of Christ from right here right now where [45:00] you sit you can become a follower of Jesus Christ. [45:04] If you will just simply trust him to pay the penalty for your sin and love him for it with

[45:11] all of your heart. [45:11] He will save you. [45:13] And in just a moment even as I talk right now as people are reflecting in communion [45:18] because they believe in Jesus I’m going to ask you to do something different. [45:20] I’m going to ask you even in your seat just pray God I know I’ve sinned against you and [45:27] thank you that Jesus has paid the penalty for my sin.

[45:30] Please save me. [45:32] Please save me. [45:34] If you will pray that and you will mean it he will. [45:38] He will save you and he will never leave you. [45:41] He will never forsake you and every promise that he has made through Jesus is yours. [45:47] If you’ll trust him after the service maybe find a leader talk to them.

[45:53] They’ll pray with you and will baptize you into the church. [45:58] But if you’re in here and you are a follower of Jesus come proclaim your faith and go be [46:04] conformed to his image. [46:06] When you’re ready come.

[46:10] You.