Flip Side
Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? zIf God be for us, who can be against us?” 1
I. Ask
A. What
B. Why
II. Ally
A. Who
B. Wills
III. Adversary
A. Who
B. Watches
Introduction: Last week was quite a surprise. It was a surprise to several people here in this sanctuary. Rachael and Buddy and I were not supposed to be here in Moncure. Joanne saw the pickup truck sitting in the yard when they came by. It was supposed to be in Nags Head. That was a surprise to Joanne.
There was a greater surprise before that one though. We drove all the way to the house we had rented for the week only to find other people unloading trucks to put into the house. That was a surprise. We looked at the rental agreement to learn that it was the departure date and not the arrival date. That was an unpleasant surprise to say the least.
Rachael was not surprised when I blamed her for the mess. I surprised myself. When Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration and saw the mess the disciples had made, Luke recorded what JEsus said in Luke 9:41, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you?” [2] I felt Jesus say those words to me right there in front of that rental house.
We left for home. We got to the rest area just before we left Roanoke Island and stopped. That is when Rachael got her surprise. I hugged her in the parking lot and told her that God is sovereign. God’s will was not in us going to be there on the outer banks that week. Perhaps never again. And that is OK if that is God’s will.
Rachael still didn’t understand. You see Rachael knows me. She is having a hard time understanding that God is changing me. My revival happened again last year like it never had happened before. What I wanted last year was not where God’s will was. I praise God for that.
Steve Johnson was surprised last Sunday too. He figured that since I was here last Sunday that he would hear me preach. I praise God again that it happened the way God had it and not my way. What a message we heard! Today will be a follow-up to the message that Steve brought last week.
We know that the Old Testament tells of the fall of mankind. We know that Jesus is hidden in the pages throughout the Old Testament. We know that truth of Jesus is revealed in the New Testament and He is the promise fulfilled. We also know that stories in the Old Testament have corresponding truth in the New Testament. Today will be an example of the old being revealed by the new.
We know! For several weeks we studied Romans chapter eight. I thought we had exhausted the truth of Romans 8:28 and the corresponding text so that there was not much more to preach. Then I heard from Steve Johnson about a king named Saul.
We learned that God was with Saul at the beginning but because of Saul’s impatience, Saul slipped. He slipped so far away from God that God turned His back on Saul. When that happened, Saul turned His back on God. Jesus felt that pain of His Father’s turning away when He was hanging from the cross, but Jesus never rejected us or His Father as King Saul did. Today we will look at the flip side of a very familiar verse of promise.
Scripture: The scripture for this message is Romans 8:31. Please Stand Under the reading of God’s word.
Prayer: Please be seated.
Message: When I want something and the opposite happens, my first reaction is anger. That is this old sinful mortal man’s response to disappointment. The next thing that happens is to find who did something to cause this. Not me! It has got to be somebody else’s fault. When I decide that the one responsible is the person I trust, I become unglued. I say things I wish I could take back, but they are out of my mouth and can’t be put back. God sees! Everybody sees.
Then I get like old Job. Why would God allow this to happen? I know God is sovereign so now I question Him. Why don’t you like me anymore God? How much lower can I go? I get so low that there is no more looking down so I must look up. That, by the way, is when revival can happen and not before. Matthew 5:3, “cBlessed are dthe poor in spirit: for etheirs is the kingdom of heaven.” [3] Broke again. This time the rental money is gone too. Not only broke in spirit this time. Why Lord?
I remembered Jesus at the sea of Galilee with Peter. John 21:15c, “lovest thou me bmore than these?” [4] These what? These islands, these fish, these days of rest, these what! What could it be that God was trying to teach me through this test?
Sometimes there is a flip side. You can’t have a coin without a flip side, or you have half of a coin. You can’t spend half of a coin. I thought about Steve’s message when Saul saw the flip side and failed. You see there are no shortcuts with God.
When something happens contrary to my plans the first thing I do is question who did this. That is a good question but unnecessary. If a person truly understands that God is sovereign, there is no need to look for the bad guy. If a person truly understands that God is sovereign good will happen to that person, no matter what happens at any instance in time. God will continue to drive that truth even when He sometimes leads me to my own downfall.
Let’s break Romans 8:31 down. It begins with “What shall we say to these things?” We are saved from the groaning and anguish of waiting by hope in Jesus. Paul gave us a list of things which come from patiently waiting with hope for Jesus’ return. Paul tells us to contemplate in all these things.
Will disappointment happen here in this now? Yes! Jesus felt disappointed in us. We will sometimes feel disappointed in those we love too but we must not sin by blaming others for what God either prevents or allows. Jesus said it is OK to be angry but not to sin. Must we then wallow in self-pity while we hopefully wait? No! Same question applies, “What shall we say to these things?” It is OK to ask what happened and why it happened? The answer will come later in the form of a blessing if you just wait on the Lord. It is never OK to ask who did it so that you can blame someone else.
“If God be for us.” If God is our ally, or advocate, then he is on our side and He is in the things that we ask for because we are in His will. Who’s will? Not my will but thine be done. It is always God’s will that is right. Sometimes I am not in God’s will, and He will prevent me in those times. Why? I don’t know why. I can only trust that God is sovereign. God reveals why when He wills.
“Who can be against us.” Isn’t that amazing. Who can be an adversary when God is on your side. Nobody! There has been quite a bit said lately about our little sanctuary. People want to know. It is driving some folks crazy. Some seem to be our adversary. I pray that the devil is only making them seem that way. They say, “Aren’t you worried about what will happen to your church!” No! I am not worried one bit. I’m not worried about the sanctuary either. The church and the buildings are two separate things by the way. This sanctuary has kept this congregation safe for a long, long time. Some people seem to be worried that it will stay here with us in it. Those folks who seem so eager to see us gone, they can only watch.
Now to the flip side. What happens when God is not for us in certain things, we think we want? It doesn’t matter how much someone wants a thing. If God is not in it, then nobody is your ally. If God is not in it, then you can do nothing to make that thing happen that is not His will.
Does that make you happy? It didn’t make me happy for about fifteen minutes last Saturday. I was angry and I sinned. I blamed Rachael. We talked about surprises in the introduction. Rachael was not surprised when I blamed her. That’s what Jim Brady does. That’s what I have always done.
If God is not for you nobody else can be. We pity people and pray for people sometimes when they are in the center of God’s will, and we don’t want them to be. Who do I think I am for being upset at someone who is not to blame when God is working a blessing in my life that I have yet to realize?
Sometimes it is God who seems like an adversary. Sometimes it is God who watches as I throw my little temper tantrums. He watches! He is never my adversary. He is always my God. Sometimes I make Him laugh. More often though I know that I make Him cry. Thank you, Jesus! Thank you, God, for Merry Oaks Baptist Church! Thank you, Holy Spirit, for guiding me and comforting me and sealing me. Thank you, Rachael.
Prayer:
Invitation: If you are angry over something that you will not put away, today is that day. Why do you want to carry those old burdens around that are weighing you down. Drop it! Let Jesus carry that weight. He already has. If you carry those things that disappointed you so that you cannot love what you have now, He will let you.
Think about what you have. God is your ally if you are his. If there is that thing that you could not do all those years ago it was His good to you that was in His mind. Some day we will all understand it better by and by.
He doesn’t need your understanding. He wants your trust. Lean not on your understanding. That is not a threat that is a blessing. Learn to trust Him and leave the driving to Him and your journey will be awesome and not full of potholes.
Jesus loves me this I know. Never forget that. Even amid great disappointment know this, Jesus loves you. Consider just how much love He deserves as we sing our song of invitation. Bring all that you have to this altar, and He will give all that He has to you.
z Num. 14:9. Job 34:29. Ps. 118:6. See 2 Kin. 6:16.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 8:31). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] Ibid., Lk 9:41). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c To ver. 12, Luke 6:20–23.
d See Ps. 34:18.
e ch. 11:5. James 2:5.
[3] Ibid., Mt 5:3). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
b Comp. Matt. 26:33. Mark 14:29.
[4] Ibid., Jn 21:15). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
