INTRODUCTION

When trouble comes into our lives, we often conclude, “God doesn’t love me.” Trouble means God does not love me. Paul had a very different view of trouble. He saw trouble as a ladder to God’s love. How is trouble a ladder to God’s love?

It’s important to figure this out because trouble is inevitable in this world and especially in the Christian life. We want to be prepared for it so that we not only do not come to wrong conclusions about God’s love in trouble but that we actually learn to use these troubles as a ladder into God’s love.

1. THE LADDER TO LOVE STANDS ON JUSTIFICATION (1-2)

We have justification by faith. “Since we have been justified by faith” (1). Most ladder accidents result from the ladder being on unsafe ground. The ground is not strong enough to provide safety. But this ladder to God’s love sits on the strongest and most secure foundation possible. It is perfect and powerful. It is the immovable granite of Christ’s righteousness (unmixed with any of our own works). This is Paul’s summary of Romans 3:21-4:25.

We have peace with God by faith.“…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1). Sin creates objective and subjective division and estrangement. Justification brings objective and subjective reconciliation and friendship. It doesn’t matter how many or how mighty the forces that try to shake our ladder, with this foundation, our ladder will never move and we will never fall off. It’s not a temporary and fragile truce but a present permanent and reliable peace. It’s not a mere end of enmity but the enjoyment of friendship. It’s not reliant on what we feel, but is true regardless of how we feel.

We have access to grace by faith. “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (2). In the Old Testament access was strictly limited to certain priests and certain times using certain rituals. Now the doors have been flung open to us. Justification by faith opens the way to God’s grace, God’s favor, God’s kindness. We “stand” in this grace, meaning we are fixed there and will never be thrown out. The whole atmosphere, ever particle of air in this sphere is grace.
We have joy in God by faith. “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (2).  Justification gives us unshakeable hope that we will see God in all his glory in heaven and even that we will be part of that glory. We go from falling short of his glory (3:23) to showing his glory to sharing in his glory. Justification is secured in the past. Grace is what we stand in at present, and glory is our future hope. We exult in this. We’re excited, and ecstatic about this.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Get this foundation. The Babel builders tried to build a ladder to heaven with their own efforts. God shattered their hope and scattered them (Gen. 11). The very next character we’re introduced to is Abraham who was justified by faith, who had the firm foundation of God’s sovereign and gracious salvation and whom God used to build an innumerable family. Don’t be a Babel builder but plant your feet on Christ as your only foundation.

Enjoy this foundation. Paul invites us to be thrilled and delighted with the foundation God has provided for us. His salvation by grace should be a constant source of increasing joy.

A CHRIST-FOUNDATION
IS OUR SALVATION

But will that ladder hold up in trouble?

2. THE LADDER TO LOVE STEPS THROUGH TROUBLE (3-5)

This is not normal. Trouble usually results in many negatives: impatience, giving up, failure, panic, despair, anger, rebellion, and even hatred of God. But here, trouble leads to many positives. We not only have joy in the the best salvation but in the most painful providences.

Step One: Trouble. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings” (3). The Christian will often experience more trouble than non-Christians (Jn. 16:33; Acts 14:22; Rev. 7:14). We are targeted by the world more, we are tempted by the devil more, we are tested by God more. The trouble can be physical, mental, emotional, relational, financial, vocational, spiritual.

Step Two: Endurance. “…knowing that suffering produces endurance” (3). This is a calm, steady, patient perseverance as opposed to panic, anxiety, erratic mood-swings, frustration. Pressure both reveals and develops endurance. “Show me an impatient Christian and I’ll show you an untried Christian.”

Step Three: Character. “…and endurance produces character” (4). This word means “proven worth.” Through trouble, God proves to us and to others that we are the real deal, that we are the genuine article.

Step Four: Hope. “…and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame,” (4). Hope is the confident desire of coming good. Each time we pass the test of trouble, each time we are proven to be the real deal, our hope of future good grows. Because of that hope, we are not embarrassed when we are going through trouble. And we will not be disappointed in our hope. We will never have the sense that we were conned.

Step Five: Love. “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (5). The focus here is not so much our love for God, but his for us. The Holy Spirit accesses our hearts and imparts a sense and appreciation of God’s love. “Poured” is not a dribble but a deluge that falls from the dark cloud of trouble. God gushes his own love into our hearts. He floods our hearts with his love. He does it through truth (6-8)

Step 6: Joy. “We rejoice in our sufferings” (3). Joy at the bottom of the ladder and joy at the top of the ladder. As we experience God’s love we respond with joy even in the middle of trouble.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Trouble is an opportunity to enjoy God’s love. It’s still trouble and it’s still painful, but alongside it, mixed in with it are unsurpassed opportunities to enjoy God’s love. It’s not joy despite our trouble but through them.

Climb the ladder of love. Maybe you are stuck on one of the lower rungs. God is calling you to climb higher, to press on, so that you can enjoy greater and greater experiences of God’s love.

TROUBLE IS NOT EXCLUSION FROM GOD’S LOVE
IT’S AN INVITATION TO GOD’S LOVE

SUMMARY

THE NEXT CHAPTER

You can’t climb the ladder without the Jesus foundation. You must start with justification by faith if you are ever to experience love by trouble.

We have multiple reasons for joy in trouble. It proves us and improves us. It makes us look back at our justification, look now at our character development, and look ahead to our heavenly glory.

Prayer. Loving Father, thank you for using the worst troubles of this life to bring me into the best experiences of your love. Help me to climb the ladder from painful trouble to your joyful love.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What troubles have you experienced and how have they affected your faith?

2. What is justification by faith (look at catechism answers) and how does it affect your life?

3. How has trouble improved your endurance? your character?

4. What rung of the ladder are you on? How can you step higher?

5. Describe a time when the Holy Spirit flooded your heart with God’s love.

6. How has this sermon changed your view of trouble?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES.

INTRODUCTION

Most Christians feel ashamed of their prayer life. We know we should pray more and for more. We want to pray more and for more. Jesus can help us with that. How? How can Jesus help us to pray more and for more? Hebrews 7:25 has an encouraging answer for us.

BACKGROUND

We’ve been looking at prayer using different images to teach us to pray:

• The cross: Taught us how to pray in Jesus name
• The throne: Taught us to pray with confidence
• The battlefield: Taught us to pray as in a war.
• The supper: Taught us to view prayer as communion
• The door: Taught us to pray for all our needs
• The window: Teaches us how to pray for perspective
• The schedule: Teaches us when to pray
• The help: The help of the Holy Spirit

Professor John Murray said, “The children of God have two divine intercessors. Christ is their intercessor in the court of heaven. The Holy Spirit is their intercessor in the theaters of their own hearts.”

Last time we looked at the help of the Spirit in the theater of our own hearts. This week we are looking at the help of the Son as he intercedes for us in the court of heaven.

The book of Hebrews emphasizes the superiority of Christ as prophet, priest, and king, compared to the Old Testament prophets, priests, and kings. The Apostle is encouraging the Hebrew Christians to look away from Old Testament shadows of Christ to fulfillment of them in Christ. In Hebrews 7:25, the Apostle helps us to find encouragement in the superiority of Christ’s prayers.

In what way is Christ superior to the Old Testament priests?

 1. JESUS LIVES FOREVER

Old Testament Priesthood

“The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office” (Heb. 7:23).

When an Old Testament priest died, his son became priest. As generation of priests passed away, they they were shown to be weak, frail, temporary dying priests. Death seized them and kept them under its power. They could not keep themselves alive, never mind give life to others. The Old Testament priest Melchisedec was the closest any Old Testament priest came to living forever. He appeared suddenly as one without any genealogy or forefathers and there is no record of his death. He seemed to be a priest without beginning or end. But he only seemed to be.

New Testament Priesthood

“But he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever” (Hebrews 7:24).

Jesus not only seemed to be without beginning or end. He really was without beginning or end. He is a priest who “continues forever.” But did Christ not die? He did. Then how can it be said, he “continues forever.”

First, because he was a priest even as he died, in his death, while dead, and then as a resurrected from the dead. His priesthood was never interrupted. While his body was in the grave, his human soul was in heaven, where he was presenting his sacrifice to God. His priesthood continued without interruption.

Second, he “continues forever” because he now lives forever in heaven where he sits at the Father’s right hand, making intercession for his people. This is why he lives. This is how he lives. This is how he has lived since his ascension to heaven. He is continually appearing in heaven for us.

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

Jesus is a reliable intercessor. He never takes a vacation, He never takes a break. He never hands over his responsibility to others. “He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). Others that we rely on die: the best doctors, the best lawyers, the best helpers, the best counselors, the best pastors, they all die. But we can fully rely on Jesus because he continues forever.

Jesus is an experienced intercessor. Think of how long he’s been doing this for. He’s continued doing this for about 2000 years. How many prayers he has prayed for his people. How many different people he’s prayed for, how many different situations, needs, problems. He has all the experience we need.

Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
All fear is gone
Because I know
He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives

Jesus lives to pray. What does his prayer life look like?

2. JESUS PRAYS FOREVER

“…he always lives to make intercession for them” (25)

Who does he pray for?

He does not pray for everyone. He told us this in John 17:9: “I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.”

He prays for his people. Who are his people? “Those who come to God by him” (25). If you want to be in Jesus’ prayers, there’s only one condition: you must come to God through him. Your only hope of access to God and to his heavenly kingdom is Christ alone. If you are not coming to God through Christ, if you are not coming to God or coming in your own name or with some other hope than Christ, you have no guarantee that you are in Jesus’ prayers. If you come as a sinner, depending on Christ alone for salvation, you can be sure that you are specifically and individually in Jesus’s prayers.

He prays for those who will be his people in the future. ““I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word” (20). If you are one of God’s people it’s because Jesus prayed for you before you came into God’s family.

What does he pray for?

John 17 does not just tell us who Jesus prays for but how he prays and what he prays for:

• He prays for God’s glory (1)
• He prays for our salvation (2)
• He prays for our education (3)
• He prays for our protection (11)
• He prays for our unity (11, 21, 23)
• He prays for our joy (13)
• He prays for our deliverance from the devil (15)
• He prays for our holiness (17)
• He prays for our mission (18)
• He prays for blessing on our witness (21)
• He prays that others would see God’s love for us (23)
• He prays for us to be with him in heavenly glory (24)
• He prays for us to know God’s love (26)

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

Jesus is praying these prayers for you. Therefore we can echo these prayers with confidence that they are in line with God’s will and pleasing to God’s ear.

Jesus is praying for us when we cannot/do not pray. We can stop praying for any number of reasons: backsliding, affliction, busyness, forgetfulness, coldness, disappointment, weakness, tiredness, dementia, dying, etc., but Jesus never stops praying and is always praying for us.

WHEN WE CANNOT START PRAYING
JESUS CANNOT STOP PRAYING

What’s the biggest benefit of Jesus’s prayers?

3. JESUS SAVES FOREVER

“…he is able to save to the uttermost…” (25).

A Powerful Salvation

The Old Testament priests could not save. No matter how many sacrifices or prayers they offered, they were not able to save anyone. No matter how willing they were, no matter how hard or long they worked, they could not save one person, not even the best person.

Jesus is able to save because his prayers are carried on his perfect sacrifice to God. His sacrifice of himself is a sweet savor to God that opens his ears and heart to Christ’s prayers. He is able to save.

A Complete Salvation

“Uttermost” can mean completely, totally, perfectly. Unlike the Old Testament priests, whose sacrifices and prayers could only “save” people from being put out of the temple, the camp, or the city. It was a partial and limited salvation. Christ’s sacrifice and prayers save from sin, from hell, and from eternal damnation. However far sin reaches, Christ’s salvation saves from it. It is an uttermost salvation, a complete salvation.

A Forever Salvation

“Uttermost” can also mean forever. Unlike the Old Testament priests, whose sacrifices and prayers only had effect for a few hours before others were required, Christ’s sacrifice and prayers are forever. He lives forever, prays forever, and therefore saves forever.

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

Ask Jesus to pray for your salvation. If you are not saved, if you are not a Christian, you can not only pray to Jesus for salvation, but ask him to pray for your salvation.

Thank Jesus for praying for your salvation. If you are saved, if you are a Christian, it’s mainly because Jesus prayed for your salvation. Yes, you prayed for it, but he prayed more for it.

Pray for an “uttermost” salvation. Don’t rest satisfied with a part-salvation or a part-time salvation that only works at some select times. Ask Jesus for a full salvation from all sin and all its consequences, and a full-time salvation that’s always at work at all times.

AN UTTERMOST SALVATION IS
A FIRM, FULL, AND FOREVER SALVATION

SUMMARY

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Jesus’s prayers help our prayers. When we know that Jesus is already praying more than us and praying for more for us, we will pray more and for more to him. We are joining our prayers to his.

Jesus’s prayers save our souls. No one would ever be saved without Jesus praying for that. It’s astonishing to think that Jesus prayed for me before I ever prayed to him and that he wanted more for me than I’ve ever wanted from him.

Prayer. Perfect Intercessor, thank you for praying more for me and for more for me than I have ever prayed for myself. Encourage me to pray more to you by the fact that you pray more for me.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What did you know and understand about Jesus’s prayers before this sermon?

2. What discourages you about your prayers? How did this message encourage you?

3. What can we learn about Jesus’s priesthood from the Old Testament priesthood?

4. Read John 17 aloud to help you hear Jesus praying for you right now.

5. How would you describe the meaning of “uttermost” in this verse?

6. How will Jesus’s prayer change your prayers?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES.

INTRODUCTION

A prototype is a product that is made for the purposes of being an example and model for others. Inventors will often make a prototype of their invention to raise funds for production on something like GoFundMe. While waiting for the prototype to move into manufacturing and distribution, the purchasers will often look back at pictures and videos of the prototype to remind them of what they’ve bought or invested in and what they have to look forward to. Do we have any spiritual prototypes and how can they help us?

Romans 4 presents Abraham as a prototype believer in God, and especially his promise of a world-inheriting Seed. Romans 4:18-25 especially highlight the staggering unstaggering faith of Abraham. It was staggering in the sense of it being stunning, and it was unstaggering in the sense of being strong and stable.

BACKGROUND

In general terms we can summarize the first four chapters of Romans as follows:

• Chapter 1. The Gentiles are guilty
• Chapter 2. The Jews are guilty
• Chapter 3:1-19. Everyone’s guilty
• Chapter 3:20-31. Get from deadly guilt to healthy joy through faith in Jesus.
• Chapter 4: Follow Abraham’s example of faith in the promises and you’ll inherit the world.

Why was Abraham’s faith so exemplary?

1. FAITH STAGGERS WHEN IT IS HOPEFUL (18)

Abraham had no hope

“In hope he believed against hope” (18).

God promised Abraham “that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be” (18). Abraham had no hope of this promise being fulfilled when he looked at his and Sarah’s great age (90+), biology, history, or human opinion. None of those present or past sources gave him any hope that he would become a father, far less a father of many nations. He had no hope. It was against hope in the sense that hope has some rational or reasonable basis. His hope was irrational and unreasonable. It defied the usual conventions and content of hope.

Abraham was full of hope

“In hope he believed against hope” (18).

It’s possible to have faith without any great hope of what is believed happening. For example, football fans begin each season believing this season will be a championship season, but they may have little real hope of that happening. A Christian may believe that God can cure his cancer, but have little hope that he will. Abraham not only had faith, he had hope. He not only believed but hoped for what he believed in. He not only believed that God could make him a father, and a father of many nations, but he had a happy hope of that actually happening.

Anyone looking at Abraham’s situation would say, “He has no hope of a child,” meaning that it’s completely impossible to conceive of someone his age having a child.” But when Abraham encountered this view of hope, he believed against it. “In hope he believed against hope” (18).

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

“I believe, but it’s hopeless.” It’s possible to believe in God and to believe in the Gospel and yet have little real hope that God’s promises, especially God’s promises will be fulfilled in your life or that of others. Perhaps you look at circumstances, past history, people’s opinions, or your feelings, and conclude, “I believe that’s generally true but I have no hope it is true for me.”

“I believe with hope.” Abraham challenges and invites us to a hopeful faith, a faith that hopes for personal fulfillment of God’s promises despite what everything and everyone says. Hopeless faith is not staggering to anyone, but hopeful faith is staggering both to yourself and others.

HOPE-TAKING FAITH IS
BREATH-TAKING FAITH

So, does faith just ignore reality?

2. FAITH STAGGERS WHEN IT IS REALISTIC (19)

Abraham considered his weakness

Abraham “considered his own body, which was as good as dead, [and] the barrenness of Sarah’s womb” (19).

Some people’s faith is unthinking. They don’t want to think about about anything that would challenge or weaken their faith. If any questions arise in their own minds or from others, they ignore them or try not to think about them. We might say, “They’re not living in the real world. They’re denying reality.” For example, someone may have a terminal illness but they live in denial of it. They don’t want to face it.

In contrast, when Abraham was promised that he would be the father of many nations, he fully thought through the obstacles to this promise being fulfilled. He thought seriously and deeply about both his hundred-year old body that was “as good as dead” and also Sarah’s barren womb. He admitted the deadness of their bodies and how they could not produce any life.

Abraham’s faith did not weaken

“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb” (19).

I remember when I was first asked to teach the Old Testament in a seminary and soon realized I would have to interact with many arguments against the Old Testament’s reliability. I had heard of some of these liberal critiques of the Old Testament over the years, but I was scarred of facing them, or researching them, in case they weakened my faith. Now I had no choice. I had to read their books and try to find answers to their arguments. I was surprised to see my faith strengthen instead of being weakened as I considered their case against the truth of God’s Word. Consideration of the opponents of the Bible did not weaken my faith in the Bible.

Similarly, as Abraham considered the deadness of his body and of Sarah’s womb, his faith in God’s promise grew stronger not weaker. He did not deny reality but faced it, admitted it, and thought it through. But his faith did not weaken one bit. That’s staggering faith.

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

Unrealistic faith is unstaggering faith. When someone refuses to see the reality of what they are facing, yet still believes, it’s not that different from what some secular people do when they face difficulties and challenges. It’s not staggering because people will just say, “They’re in denial. They are not facing reality”

Realistic faith is staggering faith. I’ve been often amazed at the faith of believers when they receive results that indicate a terminal illness. When I see the strength of their faith, I’ve sometimes asked them questions to see if they fully understand the reality of their situation. I’ve always been surprised to discover that they have through it through and are fully aware of what they are facing. That’s staggering faith.

DENIAL STRENGTHENS DOUBT
REALITY WEAKENS DOUBT

Is it OK for faith to waver now and again?

3. FAITH STAGGERS WHEN IT DOES NOT STAGGER (20)

Unbelief staggers

“No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God…” (20)

Although we’ve been using “stagger” in the sense of amazing us, it also can mean to waver or wobble. That’s the effect of unbelief. When we do not believe God’s Word, it destabilizes us. We totter, stumble, falter, dither, oscillate, vacillate, see-saw, and waffle. Abraham did not waver in this way through unbelief when it came to God’s promise.

Faith strengthens

“…but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God” (20).

Abraham’s strong faith gave glory to God and giving glory to God strengthened his faith. His strong faith gave glory to God in two ways. First, God was honored and magnified by it regardless of whether anyone else knew about it. When he trusted God’s Word, it put a shine and luster on God’s truthfulness and trustworthiness, as well as his power and grace. Second, God was honored and magnified by Abraham’s faith as others, including Sarah, found out about it both before and after the birth of Isaac. They also would have seen and appreciated God’s character and qualities in Abraham’s faith and the fulfillment of it. God blesses strong faith that glorifies him by strengthening that God-glorifying faith.

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

Weak faith is weakening. When our faith is weak, we are weak. We will stagger and stumble, oscillate and vacillate, waver and waffle. Weak faith is not something to accept or tolerate but something to change.

Strong faith is strengthening. When we give glory to God by our faith, God gives strength to our faith. When we declare him to be worthy of our trust, he gives us more trust in him. He does this because there’s nothing that glorifies God more than strong faith.

WHEN WE GIVE GOD FAITH
WE GIVE GOD GLORY AND
GOD GIVES US MORE FAITH

What is strong faith?

4. FAITH STAGGERS WHEN IT IS FULLY CONVINCED (21-25)

God will do whatever he has promised

“…fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (21).

How much did Abraham believe God. 100%. Totally and completely. He was “fully convinced,” fully assured that God would do exactly what he said he would do.

The result was that “his faith was counted to him as righteousness” (22). It’s not because of the quality of his faith but the object of his faith. It’s not so much how he believed, but what he believed in. When, by God’s grace, Abraham transferred his faith to God’s promised Seed, God transferred to Abraham, the righteousness of the promised Seed to Abraham.

God did what he promised

“But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (23-25).

As Abraham looked forward to God’s promise with faith, his example inspires us to look backwards to God’s fulfilled promise with faith. Just as Christ’s future righteousness was counted to Abraham by faith, Christ’s past righteousness is counted to ours. Abraham was the “prototype” believer and we are the “full production” believers. With the full promise of God now fully fulfilled, we should have at least as full confidence as Abraham. Given that we now know how Abraham’s Seed was delivered to death for our sin, and raised again for our justification, knowledge Abraham did not have, our faith should be staggering in not staggering. We can be saved without Abraham’s staggering faith. But we will miss out on a lot of stability, strength, and confidence.

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

Start with staggering (stumbling) faith. Abraham’s faith staggered early on when it came to his sin with Hagar. He believed in the fact of God’s promise but not the method of it. It was still faith but it was not like the faith of his later years. So, even if your faith is young, weak, staggering, know that your faith in Christ still saves.

Go on to staggering (surprising) faith. Don’t stop or rest content with faith that staggers and stumbles around. That won’t stagger anyone. But go on to ask God for and exercise faith that gets stronger and more stable by his grace. That kind of unstaggering faith will stagger many.

UNBELIEVERS WILL STAGGER
WHEN BELIEVERS DO NOT STAGGER

SUMMARY

A NEW CHAPTER

Follow THE prototype. In this section on Abraham as our prototype, Paul implicitly points to Jesus as our ultimate prototype. We are staggered at his unstaggering faith. His faith was so full of hope, so realistic, so strong, and so fully convinced in his being delivered for our trespasses and raised again for our justification. His perfect faith covers our imperfect faith.

Be a prototype. We are called to be examples of faith to others who are believers, and to those who are not. This is especially true when our faith may be expected to stagger in times of testing and trial. The faith of God’s tried and tested people staggers and strengthens me.

Prayer. Staggering God and Savior, give me Abraham’s unstaggering faith, and do this for your glory, my good, and the good of others.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What other prototypes of faith do you have and how do they help you?

2. How hopeful is your faith and how can you increase your hope?

3. How can you make your faith more realistic?

4. In what ways does your faith glorify God?

5. How would you rate your confidence in God’s promises?

6. Who do you know that’s shown stunningly strong faith to others, and how?

 PDF OF SERMON NOTES

INTRODUCTION

I’m here to tell you that you’ve been left a massive inheritance. God told me to tell you that your name is in a will and that under your name is written two words describing what has been left to you. Two words don’t sound a lot, until you hear what the words are. Would you like to hear about your inheritance? The two words are “The World.” “How do I inherit the world?” you ask. The Apostle Paul explains in Romans 4:13-17. But he also warns us about another possibility. If we don’t inherit the world, we will inherit wrath, God’s wrath. “How do I avoid inheriting wrath?” is therefore another urgent question. Thankfully Paul helps us there too in the same verses.

BACKGROUND

In general terms we can summarize the first four chapters of Romans as follows:

• Chapter 1. The Gentiles are guilty
• Chapter 2. The Jews are guilty
• Chapter 3:1-19. Everyone’s guilty
• Chapter 3:20-31. Get from deadly guilt to healthy joy through faith in Jesus.
• Chapter 4: Follow Abraham’s example of faith in the promises and you’ll inherit the world.

How do we inherit the world?

1. PROMISE-BELIEVERS INHERIT THE WORLD (13, 16-17)

The promise of the world

“For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world…” (13). Where does God make this promise? There’s nowhere in the Old Testament these exact words are used. Paul is therefore summarizing the teaching of a few passages. First, God promised Abraham that he would be “the father of a multitude of nations” and changed his name to reflect that (Gen. 17:4-5). Second, God promised, “I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God” (17:8). Third, God promised that Abraham’s multiplied descendants would “possess the gate of their enemies” (22:17).

To summarize this triple-layered promise: Abraham and his innumerable spiritual descendants will inherit all land occupied by God’s enemies. In other words, Abraham and his spiritual descendants will inherit the world.

This raises a major problem because Abraham inherited nothing (Acts 7:5) and his spiritual descendants have so far come nowhere near inheriting the world, and that doesn’t look like changing in the future. We solve this problem by acknowledging our misinterpretation of this promise and rightly interpreting it to refer to the renewed world Abraham and his spiritual descendants will inherit and occupy after their resurrection.

You’ll notice that I’ve been referring to Abraham and his “spiritual descendants.” That’s because the Apostle Paul did that just before this passage (12), and also in this passage. Abraham did not get the promise by keeping the law but by faith through grace (13, 16) so that the promise would be guaranteed to future generations of believers (16). If the promise depended on people keeping the law, all it would take was one fail and the promise would be gone. But if God gives the promise by grace, and gives faith by grace, then it’s “guaranteed to all his offspring” (16).

Abraham’s ultimate Offspring and Seed, was Jesus Christ who inherits the nations (Ps. 2) and makes us co-heirs with him (Rom. 8:17; 1 Cor. 3:21-23; Gal. 3:29). We will be promoted from stewards to co-owners with Christ (Lk. 16:12).

The promise to the world

Paul picks up Abraham as the prototype believer, and offers the same promise to anyone in the world, Jew or Gentile, who believes the promise like Abraham did (16-17). As an encouragement for the spiritually dead to believe the promise, he reminds us of Abraham’s faith story: “God gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do not exist” (17).

CHANGING OUR STORY WITH GOD’S STORY

Believe the Word. Trust in God’s promises to you, not your promises to God. Trust in his Word not your works. The promise is through faith resting on God’s grace, not effort resting on our goodness. Faith guarantees the promise; law voids the promise. We are standing on God’s promises or falling on our promises. If you are in the world, you are offered the world through faith in the Word.

Inherit the world. Why would we work, work, work for a third of an acre with a little box on it, instead of resting in faith to eventually own the whole world? Everything you see in the world will one day be yours. Nothing will say, “Posted” or “Trespassers will be prosecuted.” There will be no gates or fences and no property lines or disputes. The beaches, the rivers, the lakes, the mountains, everything will be ours.

What do I inherit if I don’t believe the promise?

2. LAW-DOERS INHERIT WRATH (14-15)

“For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression” (14-15).

Law-doers nullify faith

“The adherents of the law” are those who are stuck to the law as a way of salvation. They are glued to the law. They adhere to the law. If those glued to the law are heirs, then faith is nullified. If you are glued to the law you are not glued to Christ. Faith does not stick to Christ if it’s mixed with any of our law-keeping.

Law-doers void the promise

Faith sticks to the promise. It separates from the law and glues itself to the promise. But if we are glued to the law, the connection with the promise is dissolved. We are disconnected from the promise. The promise has no power or force. When we go to God with our law-keeping, we are effectively giving God a book full of all the Gospel promises, and over each one is stamped “VOID”!

Law-doers inherit wrath

Instead of inheriting the world with the promise-believers, law-doers inherit wrath. Only where there is no law, is there no transgression and no wrath (15). But there is a law, God’s Law, even if only in the conscience, and therefore there is transgression, and therefore there is wrath.

We may spend our lives building up an inheritance for our children, but when we die we get an inheritance of divine anger. We will own it and never be able to disown it. We’ll never be able to diminish it or give it away. We may have had our name on many pieces of property and many possessions but now all we see is God’s wrath. Wherever we turn, whatever we touch, we encounter and experience God’s wrath.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Change the inheritance. Although your inheritance presently says “God’s wrath”, that can be changed to “The world.” Your eternal inheritance can be changed if you abandon all your works and believe the promise of God. It can be changed right here, right now, and forever.

Stop doing. You are angering God by nullifying faith and voiding the promise. It’s not a small thing or a neutral thing. This is a massive offense to God. It’s saying, “My doing is better than your doing. My works are better than your Word.”

WORK FOR THE WORLD FOR A TIME
OR RECEIVE THE WORLD FOREVER.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Where is your name? What will is your name on? Has God willed you the world or his wrath?

Where is your inheritance? Have you limited your inheritance to the present ownership of a few acres and investment accounts? Or have you expanded your view to the whole world? Wherever you go in the world, you can look around and say, “One day this will all be mine.”

Who is your inheritance? For Israel, enjoyment of the land was tied up with enjoyment of God. So it will be in the new heavens and the new earth. Our greatest joy will not so much be owning the world, but owning Christ who owns the world and will enjoy sharing it with us.

Prayer. Wealthy God, give me faith in your promise so that I can inherit the world by grace instead of your wrath as I deserve. Fill me with joyful hope of my eternal inheritance.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What are the benefits of an inheritance? What spiritual lessons does that teach you?

2. How does this change the way you view the world?

3. How do you know if you are a promise-believer or a law-doer?

4. Why does God use Abraham as the prototype believer?

5. How can you get the Gospel promises of the world out to the world?

6. How is God’s wrath revealed and experienced in hell?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever felt helpless in prayer?

You don’t know what to pray, when to pray, how to pray, who to pray for, and even why you should pray at all. You feel utterly helpless. You come before the Lord and nothing comes out. You’re just numb, or feel so confused, or you’re scared of praying for the wrong things in the wrong way, or you are just exhausted and can’t even put two words together. Maybe you can’t stand hearing your own prayers – they sound so boring, so repetitive, so formal, so casual, so small, so pointless – and wonder, “How can God want to hear my prayers if even I don’t want to hear them?”

So we sit there, or kneel there, or fall there and nothing comes out but helpless moans and helpless groans. Where can we get help when we feel helpless in prayer?

God gives us three helps to pray and we want to look at the first help today, the help of the Holy Spirit. Our text says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness” (Rom. 8:26). Next time, we will discover the help of the Son, and then we will finish this series on prayer, with the help of other Christians in prayer gatherings.

BACKGROUND

We’ve been looking at prayer using different images to teach us to pray:

• The cross: Taught us how to pray in Jesus name
• The throne: Taught us to pray with confidence
• The battlefield: Taught us to pray as in a war.
• The supper: Taught us to view prayer as communion
• The door: Taught us to pray for all our needs
• The window: Teaches us how to pray for perspective
• The schedule: Teaches us when to pray

This week, we are looking at the help of the Holy Spirit in prayer from Romans 8:26-27, and the image I want us to think about is that of a stage. As Professor John Murray said, “The children of God have two divine intercessors. Christ is their intercessor in the court of heaven. The Holy Spirit is their intercessor in the theaters of their own hearts.”

Before we look at these verses in detail, note how this chapter is all about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s people. The Holy Spirit frees us (2), dwells in us (9), kills sin in us (13), leads us (14), bears witness to our adoption (16), and helps us in prayer when we are helpless (26).

How does the Holy Spirit help us in prayer?

THE SPIRIT HELPS BY GROANING IN US, WITH US, AND FOR US

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (26). “Helps” means “heaves together with.” It’s the word used to describe someone who comes to our help when we’re struggling to lift something. The helper picks up one end and heaves it together with us so that it is moved to the right place. How does the Spirit do this? How does he heave together with us? He helps by authoring groans in our hearts.

The Stage

Remember what Professor John Murray said, “The children of God have two divine intercessors. Christ is their intercessor in the court of heaven. The Holy Spirit is their intercessor in the theaters of their own hearts.” The Holy Spirit works there in the deep, dark, and desperate places of our hearts. The believer’s heart is the stage where he does his best helping work.

The Prompter

A prompter is a person who prompts or cues actors when they forget their lines or neglect to move on the stage to the right place. In the same way, the Holy Spirit works on the sidelines to initiate prayer words and prayer groans at the right time and in the right place. The Holy Spirit stirs up, initiates, inspires, dictates, and excites our words and our groans. The Spirit prays for us with words and with groanings by prompting us to pray with words and groanings.

Just as a Dad teaches his son archery by putting his hands on his son’s hands to help him shoot the arrow, so the Spirit helps us to pray by putting his words and groans in our hearts to send heavenwards. We don’t sit passively but heave these groans together with him. They are his groans but we groan them.

The “Actors”

This is a chapter about Christians. It’s assuming those reading are those who have no condemnation because they are in Christ Jesus (1). They have the Holy Spirit (2), they are walking according to the Spirit (5), etc. The Apostle Paul underlines this when it says “the Spirit intercedes for the saints” (27). This co-groaning is not an experience that anyone can have, but only those who are saints.

The Lines

The Spirit joins us as we pray “with groanings too deep for words” (26). The creation groans (22), we groan (23), and the Spirit groans (26). These are sounds like sighs, gasps, moans, grunts, which cannot be put into words. Though full of meaning they cannot be articulated with letters.

The Audience

“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” (27). Although neither we nor others can put words on these sounds, the Lord understands them. He is the audience for our Spirit-prompted heart groans. He knows what the mind of the Spirit is who prompted the groans, and he knows our hearts as they utter them. Prompted by the Holy Spirit these groans are automatically in line with God’s will. Indeed, these wordless prayers are often more in line with God’s will than our most articulate prayers.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

Encouragement for the tempted young man. Sometimes pornography temptation is so strong, so overwhelming, so irresistible, so devilish that all we can do is groan and gasp before God. That is Spirit-prompted prayer that God understands and hears.

Encouragement for the exhausted young mother. Young mothers especially find it so hard to get time for personal devotions. Feeding, clothing, organizing, providing, protecting, driving, washing up. You feel guilty that you are getting so little time for “proper prayer” in the morning and by bedtime, all you have left is a sigh heavenwards. That heavenward look and sigh is Spirit prompted prayer that God understands and hears.

Encouragement for the repentant backslider. Although guilt closes your mouth so that you can hardly utter a word of prayer, your repentant pantings and sighings are Spirit-prompted prayer that God understands and hears.

Encouragement for the aging senior. You are getting weaker and lonelier. You are forgetting more than you are remembering. Dementia is debilitating your mind. It’s hard to speak to others or God. But your heavenwards grunts and groans are Spirit-prompted prayer that God understands and hears.

Encouragement for the young Christian. Maybe you hear others pray and think, “I can hardly pray a sentence. My prayers are worthless.” Even if you can hardly put two words together, the very fact that you groan about that is a Spirit-prompted prayer that God understands and hears.

Encouragement for the mentally ill. Perhaps your depression has got you so down that you are barely able to lift your head, never mind your voice. Or your anxiety has got you so agitated that you cannot keep your mind on prayer for even five seconds. You moan and sigh over this, but know that these are Spirit-prompted prayers that God understands and hears.

Encouragement for the stressed and busy. You are so rushed off your feet all day that you barely have time to pray. But you do at various points in the day look heavenwards and groan for help. Such prayers are Spirit prompted prayers that God hears and understands.

Encouragement for estranged parents. You poured your lives into your children but they have turned their back on you, maybe even turned their back on God. You are so upset that you can barely think straight, never mind pray. You fall on your knees and can only groan about the pain and the pointlessness of life. This is a Spirit-prompted prayer that God understands and hears.

Encouragement for the convicted sinner. The Holy Spirit has shown you your sin in a way you’ve never seen before. You feel so hopeless you can’t find words to express your situation. All you can do is look heavenwards and groan for mercy. That’s a Spirit-prompted prayer that God understands and hears.

Encouragement for the dying saint. You are in your last days and hours and instead of seeing angels, all you can feel are pains and weakness. You thought you would depart to heaven with songs of praises and a bold witness, but all you have are groans. These are Spirit-prompted prayers that God understands and hears.

GOD LOVES GROAN PRAYERS
MORE THAN “GOOD” PRAYERS

A NEW CHAPTER

Thank the Holy Spirit for your groans. Don’t feel guilty about prayer groans but thank the Spirit for seeing our helplessness and coming into our hearts with groans too deep for words that God loves to hear and answer.

Know Jesus through your groans. If anyone ever groaned it was Jesus. He groaned over the death of Lazarus, he groaned over the unbelief of Jerusalem, he groaned in Gethsemane, he groaned over the loss of his Father’s presence. The Spirit helped him in his weakness. We can enter into Christ’s life and experience via our groans in our weakness.

Prayer. God of my groanings, thank you for giving me groans to pray to you with the help of the Spirit. Help me to groan with faith that you hear, understand, and will answer my groans.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. When have you felt helpless in prayer and how did it affect your prayers?

2. What roles does the Holy Spirit have in your life? How does he help you daily?

3. What surprised you about this message from God’s Word? What thrilled you?

4. How will this sermon help your prayer life?

5. What other human situations can you think of that need this truth?

6. In what other situations do you think Jesus groaned in prayer?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES

INTRODUCTION

Our finances reflect our faith. Our faith is expressed in our finances. Our finances are an opportunity for faith. One way or another our faith and our finances are connected.

Jesus realized this and therefore spoke about money more than any other subject. That’s probably part of the reason he was criticized so much. Because few of us like to connect our faith and our finances. We prefer to think of our faith being in one compartment and our finances being in another compartment and try to keep them separated, usually only opening one at a time.

This disconnect between faith and finance might make us materially richer but it also makes us spiritually poorer. The closer we can connect them, the spiritually richer we will be. How can we connect faith and finance to make us spiritually richer?

I ask this question because our church family is embarking on a massive fundraising campaign. We are hoping to raise $5.8 million of an $8 million budget so that we can begin building our new ministry center.

When we think of what we can give to this project, we tend to think about how little we can afford to give or how much pain and loss is involved in the giving. At least, that’s how I often think, if I’m honest. When I look at the massive amount needed and how little I can give, I think, “It’s hardly worth trying.” Then, when I think about what we would have to give up from our limited family budget, I see a vacation evaporate, I see a new boat sail away over the horizon, I see fishing trips reduced, I see dental work delayed, and so on. It’s painful. It’s hard. Is it worth so much pain for such a little dent on this $5.8 million budget?

I need help to connect my faith and my finances and I believe God gives me that help in 1 Chronicles 29.

BACKGROUND

David wanted to build God a beautiful house for him to be worshipped in. Because David had been involved in so much military bloodshed, God told David that he could only gather the materials for a temple, but that his son Solomon would build it. In 1 Chronicles 29, David threw himself into this fundraising campaign. In doing so, he shows us how God connects faith and finances.

The heart of this chapter is the people’s joyful freewill giving to the Temple project (5, 6, 9, 14, 17). We’ll come back to that at the end, but I want us to focus mainly on the three truths that God connected with this giving.

How does God connect faith and finance?

1. IT’S GOD’S HOUSE (1-5)

David’s opening words are highly significant. Four times he emphasizes that this is about building a house for God. It’s not primarily for him or even for the people of Israel, but for God.

• The palace will not be for man but for the Lord God (1)
• So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able (2)
• Because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God (3)

David was reminding his hearers that although they would get benefit and blessing there, he doesn’t make it all about that. Rather, his appeal was based first and foremost on it being a place for God’s special presence, a place where God would make himself known, a place where God would draw near, a place God would be lifted up, a place that would be all about God. It would be a physical witness to all who passed by that God is, that God lives, that God is important, that God is worth it, that God is God.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

We already have a beautiful and substantial sanctuary where God lives in a special way and is worshipped. God makes himself known in a unique way here, he draws especially near in the public worship of God’s people, he is lifted up as he is praised, prayed to, and proclaimed. Why shouldn’t we be satisfied with that? Why do we need a family ministry center?

The Temple had different areas for different purposes. There was the Holy of Holies (limited to the High Priest), and then there was the Holy Place (limited to the priests, there was the inner court (limited to the Jews), and there was an outer court (open to the Gentiles). Each of these areas had different purposes but they were all part of God’s building, God’s courts. The outer court was a place that outsiders could begin to know God and be introduced to the faith of the Bible. The inner court was a place for fellowship and service for God’s people. So, although the different areas had different purposes, they were all parts of God’s house and all were about making God known.

So although this project is not raising funds for a worship sanctuary, it is raising funds for God’s house. Although we trust that many in our church family and many outside the church will get blessing and benefit there, it’s first and foremost about being a place for God to work in his people and in those who are not yet his people.

So as we begin 2023, let’s connect our faith and our finances by reminding ourselves that it’s God’s house we’re giving to. It’s to make God known better in our church and community. It’s a place where we will proclaim him, praise him, pray to him, experience his nearness, and get training and education to serve him better everywhere. At a time when churches are shrinking and even closing, it’s an opportunity for us to build something that will be a physical witness to all who pass by: God is, God lives, God is important, God is worth it, God is God.

AS OUR HOUSE MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT US
SO GOD’S HOUSE MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT GOD

That’s one connection between faith and finance. Any others?

2. IT’S GOD’S MONEY (6-19)

Nine times David emphasized that all money and property is God’s. We are not owners and we’re not even co-owners. God alone is the owner of everything and we are simply stewards or managers of what he gives us for a time.

• For all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord (11).
• Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all (12).
• For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you (14).
• O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own (16).

Although David highlights the people’s giving, he ultimately traces it to God’s giving. They couldn’t give anything unless God had first given to them. They wouldn’t give anything unless they recognized that God had first given to them.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

We should teach this vital truth to our children from their youngest years and constantly repeat it to them and to ourselves. There is nothing so hard to remember than that God is the owner of all my money, all my property, all my investment, and I am just a temporary manager who will one day have to give an account to the Owner.

When our bank statement or IRA statement or investment statement arrives, and we see our name on it, maybe we should simply score that out and replace it with “God.”

It doesn’t start being God’s money when we start earning a certain amount. It doesn’t stop being God’s money once we earn a certain amount. It’s God’s money from the first cent to the last million.

When we look at our houses, our properties, our cottages, our trailers, our boats, our toys, we should never look at them and say, “Look at all I have,” but rather, “Look at all God gave me.”

Or when we look at what we don’t have, our limited finances, the little savings and the tiny givings, we don’t say, “Look at how little I have,” but rather, “Look at what God has decided is best for me at this time in my life. I must be content and live within that constraint.”

This changes what we give and how we give. We no longer think, “What can I give to God?” but “What has God given me and how can I manage that best for him?”

SOME ARE SAVERS,
SOME ARE SPENDERS,
ALL ARE STEWARDS

That’s another connection between faith and finance. Any others?

3. IT’S GOD’S SALVATION (20-22) 

The people gave willingly, freely, cheerfully, not reluctantly, resentfully, or slowly. They began by offering themselves to the Lord and then their stuff.

• Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the Lord?” Then the leaders of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings (5-6).
• Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord (9).
• “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? (14)
• In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you.

How was this possible? How did the channel between their faith and their finances connect so openly and powerfully. The channel of “It’s God’s house” opened the pipeline about 25%. The channel of “It’s God’s money” opened the sluice gate about another 25%. But the chapter climaxes by reminding us that “It’s God’s salvation” that burst the pipeline and overflowed in a gushing giving.

They ended with a massive tribute to the God who saved through the sacrifice of another to bring them into joyful eating and drinking fellowship with himself.

CHANGING OUR STORIES WITH GOD’S STORY

We give when we remember it’s God’s house. We give more when we remember it’s God’s money. We give most when we remember it’s God’s salvation.

Israel saw God’s salvation through the sacrifice of another in their place, but they only saw it in shadow form. The sacrifices were pictures of what they needed and God would provide to forgive them and bring them into his friendship and fellowship. But it was like watching a theater show without lights or microphones.

In the New Testament, God turned on the lights and gave his Son a microphone to proclaim his provision of salvation as clearly and loudly as possible.

When we get that salvation, we get giving willingly, freely, joyfully, whole-heartedly, and sincerely.

OUR FREEWILL GIVING IS FROM
GOD’S FREEWILL GIVING

THE NEXT CHAPTTER

Giving is an opportunity to increase our spiritual riches. As we give, we learn more about God’s house, God’s money, and God’s salvation, and therefore also get more of God’s joy. As we experience cheerful giving, we experience what God’s heart is like in all its cheerful generosity, especially in giving us his Son and in his Son’s giving of himself.

Giving is an opportunity to increase others’ spiritual riches. As we give, we may have to deny ourselves certain expenditures and have opportunity to explain why to our children. We have an opportunity to proclaim the rich and enriching “Why?” to our community too. “It’s God’s house, it’s God’s money, and it’s God’s salvation.”

Prayer: Rich and enriching God, enrich my faith by helping me to give for the right reasons (for the truth) in the right way (with joy). Amen

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What do your finances say about your faith?

2. What examples are there of Jesus speaking about money?

3. What hinders you from giving and how can you help yourself to give?

4. Which of the three truths will help you change the way you give and what you give?

5. How can we help our children learn these truths and give from an early age?

6. How much joy do you get in giving and how can you increase that joy?

PDF OF SERMON NOTES