Rev. David Holwick Book of Romans series
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
May 28, 1989
Romans 8:31-39
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I. Optimism of graduates.
A. World by tail.
1) At least, you have a few weeks to let off steam.
B. My first graduation:
1) Dignitaries.
2) Speeches.
3) Sadness because we were going our separate ways.
4) Richly embossed Diploma.
a) Garfield Elementary School made a big deal out of my
graduating from Kindergarten in 1962! [St. Louis, MO]
C. Problem: Just when you graduate, you start out at bottom again.
1) A diploma cannot guarantee happiness or success in life.
II. Adversity in life.
A. School has been a breeze.
1) Friends.
2) Parties.
3) Not much studying.
B. Life can be much tougher.
1) Trouble and hardship. 8:35
a) External pressures.
2) Famine or nakedness.
a) Internal needs.
3) Danger or sword.
a) Ultimate threats.
1> Nuclear threat.
2> Can changes in Russia, China be trusted?
C. When hardships come, many turn against God.
1) Don't think about him till things go wrong.
2) In meantime, Bible and church thought to be for naive people.
a) They may not seem to relate to the real issues of life.
3) Most of you will experience hard times.
a) How will you respond?
III. God makes all the difference.
A. People will be against you. 8:31
1) God is on your side.
a) God is not merely neutral.
2) He will graciously give us all things.
a) Includes his Son. 8:32
b) Language recalls Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. Gen 22
1> Ultimate dedication.
2> Abraham was spared anguish, by substitution.
3> God did not spare himself, for our sakes.
A> No other substitution could be made for our sin.
3) What person or circumstance can measure up to him?
B. People will accuse you, rightly and wrongly. 8:33
1) We will face prosecutors in life.
a) Experience already with parking tickets?
2) God is ultimate judge.
a) Better than Judge Wapner on Peoples' Court.
b) He has already acquitted (justified) us.
C. People will condemn you. 8:34
1) Not just accusing you, but trying to put you away,
write you off.
a) Maybe even church.
2) Jesus is our defense attorney. 8:34
a) He is interceding for us. (making our defense)
b) Four aspects of his work in one sentence:
1> Died - to remove penalty of our sin.
2> Raised - to give us relationship with God.
3> Exalted to right hand - power.
4> Interceding - help for our daily needs.
D. A thousand things in life are out to destroy us. 8:35
1) If Jesus loves us so much, why do we still suffer?
a) He promised us we would suffer.
b) It is part of our identification with him.
2) In Jesus, we can overcome all of these things.
IV. Life gives us options.
A. Other approaches are available besides Christianity.
1) Humanist autonomy.
a) I can handle life on my own.
b) Or at least with my "babe" by my side.
1> She'll dump you and sue you for all you're worth.
c) When trouble comes, will you be bitter and alone?
2) Down through ages, heroes have faced tremendous odds.
a) (Examples: overcoming disease, handicap, obstacles.)
b) But one obstacle cannot be overcome, no matter how hard
you try.
B. All you young people will die! (Tony Campolo's preacher)
Children, you're going to die!
You may not think you're going to die.
But you're going to die.
One of these days, they're going to take you out to the cemetery,
drop you in a hole,
throw some dirt on your face,
and go back to the church and eat potato salad.
Some of them will shed a few tears.
You'll be missed - for a while.
But it will be their sorrow they focus on.
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1) How will you face death?
C. Hope in Jesus is only reliable option.
1) All the promises in this chapter require one thing - faith.
a) Admit your need for salvation.
b) Confess and repent of sins.
c) Turn your life over to Jesus.
d) Then God will be on your side.
2) We must chose him, every day and situation, in faith.
a) Your bibles we give you today won't protect you.
b) Mom or Dad's faith doesn't carry over.
1> (Just like their checkbooks, you'll soon discover.)
3) You may still face hard times, but God will be with you.
a) He will love you no matter what you face.
b) The perspective of eternity.
V. More than conquerors. 8:37
A. Greek: "Super victors."
1) Americans love to win.
2) Sports heroes here? (football, pole vault)
B. Win at most important thing in life - relationship with God.
Greatest preacher 1,400 years ago - Chrysostom.
"Golden tongue."
Very popular with people, and brilliant scholar.
Rome was still pagan, and Chrysostom was called before the Emperor.
He threatened Chrysostom with exile if he remained a Christian.
Chrysostom replied,
"You cannot exile me because this world is my father's house."
"I will kill you," said the Emperor.
"No, you cannot, because my life is hid with Christ in God."
"I will take away your treasures."
"No, you cannot, for my treasure is in heaven and my heart is
there."
The Emperor was furious at this point.
"I will drive you away from man and you shall have no friend left."
"No, you cannot, for I have a friend in heaven from whom you cannot
separate me...
"I defy you; for there is nothing that you can do to hurt me!"
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