What, Who, and Why
Romans 8:28 , “And we know that kall things work together lfor good to them that love God, to them [1]mwho are the called according to his npurpose.” [2]
I. What
A. Things (All)
B. Together (Not apart)
II. Who
A. Them
B. That
III. Why
A. Together (According)
B. Truth (His Purpose)
Introduction: In our last message we learned how we came to know what we know. Paul declared that we are saved from worry because of the hope we have. His name is Jesus. When the world seems to be closing in and we have no hope except to take what the powers that would quiet us will allow us to have, remember what you know. You know Jesus!
If you believe that this is the first time or if you believe that this will be the last time that Satan throws his darts, believe this; Satan will not be through until God says so. Then he will most certainly be through. Until then we have hope that will not fail unless your faith fails. With patience wait for Jesus. Remember the church in Philadelphia was counted righteous because they preached God’s patience. God is patiently waiting for that one who has yet to accept Him. God is waiting to send Jesus again because He is patiently waiting for that one whom you have been praying for so long. Do you know?
Don’t give up! Never give up! I don’t know how many if any NC State basketball fans there are, but they remember Jim Valvano. He died with cancer, but he never gave up. He was a good old Catholic boy by the way. He attended Rachael’s mother’s church. For those people who have said, “I am ready to go” when God wasn’t ready to take us; wait. Wait! Have hope! Until you see Jesus face to face hope is enough. When hope in Jesus is so real to you that nothing else matters, you will know.
Today we will consider what it is that you will know. We will think about all the things that you will know when your hope is enough. We will think about what we will do with what we know and what will be happening now and soon. We will consider what will happen when we allow Him to decide, and we leave it up to Jesus.
We will talk about who will know and who will not know the things that Paul spoke of in Romans 8:28. We know that all things will work together but not all people. This secular world is pulling against itself and is tearing itself apart. Seclusion from God is one day going to be the cause for global annihilation, and most will never accept that. They will not know and will continue to insist that mankind can fix all that mankind broke.
Finally, we will attempt to stand under His word as we understand why all that has happened throughout the existence of mankind. That is a huge undertaking to understand. It is so huge that mankind will never understand without the mind of Christ. Romans 8:27, “And ghe that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is hthe mind of the Spirit, ||because ihe maketh intercession for the saints jaccording to the will of God.” [3] He knows your heart and you can know His too.
Scripture: The scripture for this message is Romans 8:28. Please Stand Under the reading of God’s word.
Prayer: Please be seated.
Message: Paul says that we know that all things work together for good. What sort of things work together? Here in this so-quoted verse Paul says all things. Are people things. When we work together does good come from that? What happens when all things don’t work together? Can good possibly come from that? Together means not apart from other like things.
Let’s suppose that there is a congregation of sharks and seals. I suppose that sharks and seals might not work together for the good of the whole congregation. The sharks would probably feel pretty good but the seals not so much. If you attempt to force un-like-minded people into the same congregation that might not work too well either.
For good to come to the whole would require consensus. Some would have to change and adapt. Remember that we are speaking of good here. Jesus reminded the rich young ruler that there is no good without God. The godless who will continue to ignore to death will not find much good. Things for them will not work together for their good. Things for the godless will not work together at all because it is His puzzle. Nobody else’s.
So who will have all the things to work together for good? Paul says that things will work together to them. Notice that Paul didn’t say for them; he said to them. Paul said for good. God is good. All things will work together for God’s good to them that love God and are called by God. God is the object, and we are His subjects. It is to us for His good. Not the other way around.
Notice something else. Paul says that we know. Later in the same sentence Paul says to them. Who is “we” who know? Who are “them” that God’s good will happen to? Could this be two different groups? Remember that Paul is a Jew who happened to be a Pharisee and a Roman citizen. Could Paul have been speaking about the Jews when He said we know? Could he have been thinking of the gentiles like us when he said them? I’m sure that I don’t know.
I would like to say that this is another white space in the Bible up for the reader’s interpretation as the Holy Spirit leads. For me it is hopeful that “them” are those that have not yet decided. “Them” who may not be decided until my time here is complete, and I am in eternity. I would like to think that it is “them” who will later decide and then we will meet in heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Who do you think is "them?" Don’t give up on them!
Paul says twice, “to them.” To them that love God. To them who are called according to His purpose. Why two statements. Why not simply say that those who love God and are called for His purpose will have God’s good delivered to them?
Is it possible to love God and not be called for His purpose? Sometimes it seems that there are actually two groups in some churches. The preachers and the teachers and the deacons should be together but even those groups often are divided instead of being together. Why should we consider that all things will work together when we don’t? We must be together! What brings us together who are called; His purpose. That must be the only thing that unites us and keeps us together.
Back to the question of those who love and those who are called; is it ever possible that these might be two groups. There are some true believers that think they are in church for their entertainment. The soloist is going to sing for us. The preacher is going to bring us a message. The teacher is going to teach us today. Is there an audience in the sanctuary? Certainly, there is! God is the audience.
Some people really do believe that they are the audience and the called people are there for them. Please remember that we are all here for one thing only and that is His purpose. We are all here called together or according for His purpose which is truth. Jesus said as recorded in John 14:6, “I am hthe way, ithe truth, and kthe life: no man cometh unto the Father, lbut by me.” [4] We are all here to worship God and give Him, and only Him, all the glory that He deserves.
What was Jesus’ purpose for coming here? So that we might have a way to the Father. That is the truth. That is Jesus’ purpose and so should it be ours. If we are not here to bring others to Jesus and we are here so that we might be entertained by the so-called called; we are not here for God’s purpose and things will certainly not be good to us. We are all called!
This is what we who know, know. We do love God. We have been called here together for His purpose. His purpose is the only truth that Jesus Christ is the only way to the Father. As long as we stay focused on His kingdom which is His purpose for us, good will come to us.
Not only that but to them who come after us, the same truth applies. We are here now and there will be others to follow Jesus after we have left this place. We are here to witness even though it means that sometimes we must wait and let others see what happens when we stay the course.
All good will come to us who love Him and are called to His purpose and for His purpose. Never give up. Never give in. Let us rejoice together because we know Him.
Prayer:
Invitation: Last Sunday this church received a new family member. There are some here today that have been attending and you are welcome guests. Churches do not have visitors. It makes me crazy to see visitors’ signs in church parking lots. We have welcomed guests.
Very soon our new member will be baptized in the manner in which Jesus was baptized by His cousin John the baptizer. The pastor here is that new member and the deacons here will baptize him.
If you feel the call to join as a church family member here with us, there is room. If you already are a church member somewhere else, we would not want to rob your church of a family member. However, if you feel the pull from the Holy Spirit that, this is the place for you, please come.
Our audience in this sanctuary is God. He has provided this safe place, this sanctuary, for Merry Oaks Baptist church to worship Him for many years. We would love to have you join us.
There are two ways to join a local Baptist church family. One is by immersion or as we call it, believers’ baptism. The other way to join is by letter from the church that you are presently a member and have been called to depart from. If you were ever baptized by immersion and you are moving your membership from another church, there is no need to be baptized again.
Some may be here under watch care or for some other reason you may feel the need to keep membership in the church where you are presently a member. If you want to join here that would be a great reason to be baptized again here as a show of unity with us.
Finally, you may have thought that being a member of this church meant watching the called. You love God but never truly understood that you have a calling for His purpose. Today is the day for you to come humbly and kneel before Him. It is not about what He can do for you. It is what He can do through you if you will once and for ever present your life to Him.
What are you hoping for? Who loves you more than God? Why are you waiting? For whatever reason the Holy Spirit is dealing with you today, please come as we sing…
k So ver. 32. 1 Cor. 3:21. 2 Cor. 4:15. Comp. Ecclus. 39:27.
l So Ezra 8:22.
m Jude 1. So ver. 30. See ch. 1:6.
n ch. 9:11. Eph. 1:11. & 3:11. 2 Tim. 1:9. See Acts 27:13.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Ro 8:28). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
g See 1 Sam. 16:7. & 1 Chr. 28:9. So Acts 1:24. 1 Thess. 2:4.
h ver. 6 marg.
|| Or, that.
i ver. 34.
j So 1 John 5:14. See 2 Cor. 7:9. marg.
[3] Ibid, Ro 8:27). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
h Heb. 9:8. & 10:20. So ch. 10:9. See Eph. 2:18.
i See ch. 1:17.
k See ch. 11:25.
l So ch. 10:9.
[4] Ibid., Jn 14:6). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
