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[0:00] Thank you, Amy, for sharing that. It's a beautiful, beautiful song. But the words that it shares are words of truth.! Only are we.

[0:31] Apart from Christ, we're not. But because of Christ, we can have that relationship with our Father. And thank you for that song. It is beautiful. All right, we are in Romans again this morning.

[0:42] And we have been talking this morning, or at least it's been brought up a few times, about planting seeds. And the verse that we've been sharing from Romans 1, verse 16, that we've been going over and over and over again, which you're probably getting tired of hearing, but at least it's getting solidified in your mind, is really about planting seeds.

[1:00] It's talking about not being ashamed of the gospel. It's talking about being willing to tell others about Jesus. And we're going to read it together again this morning, just like we have been. So let's share it together this morning.

[1:11] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

[1:26] Not being ashamed of the gospel. That means we're willing to share it and wanting to share it, to carry it with us and to tell others about it. And, you know, just, I mentioned this morning, somebody said, well, I only brought in one or two boxes.

[1:39] Yeah, but when you do that, look at the result of this. And it's the same thing with our desire to share about Jesus with others. And you think, well, maybe I only share with one person.

[1:49] But we have a hundred and some here this morning. Think if all of us share with one person about Jesus that accepts the Lord. How big of a difference is that? And then what if they share with their family, just one person?

[2:03] And what if they, you know, it multiplies, but we all have to play our role in that. And that is being willing to share about Jesus Christ, not being ashamed of it, but having a desire to share because it leads to salvation.

[2:14] And folks, that is what it is all about. And that's really what we're going to be talking about in Romans chapter 8. It is really all about salvation. That's what it all boils down to. Are you saved? Do you have that relationship with Jesus Christ?

[2:27] Because folks, truly in the end, that is the only thing that matters, isn't it? You may be asked many, many, many questions in your life, but it all boils down to that one question that you're going to be asked at the end.

[2:40] That is truly the only one that is significant for all of eternity. What's your relationship with Jesus? Do you have Jesus in your heart? That is the question it's all going to boil down to, all of it.

[2:52] We have questions about our jobs, about our families, and those are all so important, but not as important as what you do with Jesus. I want you to turn to Romans 8. That's where we're at this morning.

[3:03] And we're going to read a little longer section of Scripture. And yes, I'm going to ask you to stand as we read it. And you may be thinking, well, that's a long time to stand. Folks in the Old Testament, they stood when God's Word was read sometimes all day long.

[3:18] What if we do that? I'll just keep reading until, I don't know, 3 or 4 o'clock. I'm not going to do that. But I would ask you to stand, if you're able, as we read God's Word this morning.

[3:29] And we're in Romans 8. We're going to start in verse 14. Romans 8, beginning in verse 14. And I encourage you to follow along. And this is the truth of God's Word that He shares with us today.

[3:41] For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

[3:55] The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

[4:10] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.

[4:24] For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who has subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

[4:40] For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now, and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown inside ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

[4:56] For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man sees, why does he yet hope for? But if we hope for what we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

[5:12] Likewise, the Spirit also helps our infirmities. For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

[5:22] And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

[5:39] For whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them also He called.

[5:50] And whom He called them, He also justified. And whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we say, then, to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

[6:02] He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?

[6:13] It is God that justifies. Who is He that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again. Who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

[6:25] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for your sake we are killed all the day long.

[6:37] We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. But no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[7:02] Let's pray together. Lord God, we just thank You for Your Word. We thank You for just all the truth that we can find in it. We thank You for the hope that we can find in it. Lord, You know that we live in a world that has fallen.

[7:14] You know that we live in a world where there is so much deceit, so many lies, so many things that try to pull us this way or that. Lord, we sometimes get off track. But we thank You that we have Your truth to look to, the truth of Your Word, to redirect us, to get us back where we need to be, to show us the path that You want us to be on, to give us life, to give us hope.

[7:38] And Lord, we just pray this morning as we've come together as Your family that You would speak to our hearts. Lord, that You would teach us, remind us, whatever it is that we need to be the people that You want us to be.

[7:50] So thank You for Your presence, Your holy presence that is here in this place today. Speak to our hearts and help us to listen. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. And all God's people said, Amen.

[8:03] You can be seated this morning. All right. I know that was a lot of verses to read, wasn't it? But man, I just, I was going to take just a section of Romans 8 to look at, but as you read through it, it just, it all ties together, doesn't it?

[8:19] And there are so many wonderful things in this chapter. I mean, God's whole Word is full of wonderful things for us. But man, this chapter, it's just like, bam, bam, bam, one right after another of good things that God has for us as believers.

[8:35] But that is the qualifier that we have to understand in the beginning that all these wonderful things this chapter talks about, who are they for? Okay, we say us.

[8:48] Who is us? Believers. For each one that is a believer, because that is the qualifier that you have to know Jesus Christ.

[8:59] If you don't know Jesus Christ, all these blessings that are talked about in this chapter, you don't get to experience them. It is for those that come to know Jesus Christ. Look in verse 14 that we read, that we started with.

[9:12] For as many as are, in other words, that narrows down the group. It doesn't say everybody. It says the ones that do this.

[9:23] The ones that are in this category. For as many as are what? Led by the Spirit. The ones that are led by the Spirit of God.

[9:36] In order to be led, you have to do something. What do you have to do to be led? It's simple.

[9:46] It's not a complicated question. To be led, what do you have to do? If I came and said, Adam, and you don't really have to get up, but if I said, Adam, follow me, what does he have to do?

[10:01] He has to be willing to follow, doesn't he? I can say, follow me, and he can do exactly what he did right there. What did you do? Nothing. I mean, that's a choice.

[10:11] It's all a choice. But in order to be led, we have to make that choice to say, I'm willing to follow. I am willing to follow wherever you're going to take me.

[10:24] Now, if I ask Adam to follow me and just started walking, would he know where I'm going? No. Would he maybe wonder about where I'm going? Yeah, it's like, what did I just sign myself up for?

[10:38] Where are we going? What are you going to ask me to do? But that's part of following God. We don't always know where He's going to lead us, do we? Do we? No. We may not always even like where He's going to lead us, do we?

[10:53] He may ask you to do things in your life that you're not comfortable with. He may bring you into situations that you maybe wonder whether you really want to be there. But the being led means we're willing to submit to His leading, that we're willing to follow wherever He takes us.

[11:09] So as many as are willing to do that, willing to say, Jesus, I accept you in my heart, and it's not about what I want now, it's about what you want. That's the group it's talking about. Those that are willing to submit to God, to accept Jesus Christ, because by doing it, it's saying it's not about me, it is about you.

[11:29] I'm not just doing my own will now, but I'm doing yours. That's what it truly means to be a follower of Christ. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, and here comes the good part.

[11:40] The qualifier is being led by the Spirit, being a believer, following Christ. What is the good part that it says after that? They are. It's not a question. It says they are the sons of God.

[11:54] They become the children of God. And I know you've heard me say this before, because this is kind of one of my pet peeves. You have pet peeves in life, right? It's not just me.

[12:06] It is just me. Okay, I can live with that. I have some pet peeves. And one of those is that sometimes we just talk about, well, we're all children of God, talking about everyone on the planet. No, we're not.

[12:17] That is not true. Everybody is a creation of God. That part is true. But who does it say are the children of God? Those that follow Him.

[12:28] Those that accept Jesus. Then you become a child of God, not just a creation of God. But it says you are the sons of God, for you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption.

[12:43] You become adopted into the family of God. And folks, that is an amazing and wonderful thing. You've heard me share this before too, but my wife was adopted many years.

[12:54] Not so many, but I just called her old and I'm not going to get myself in trouble. A few years ago, when she was a tiny baby, she was adopted.

[13:07] And an adoption is a wonderful thing because that means there is somebody that says, I willingly am going to take on your needs. I am going to supply for your needs.

[13:17] I am going to raise you. I am going to teach you. I am going to nourish you. When someone adopts you, that's really what they're saying, isn't it? I'm going to accept you as mine. Folks, that's what happens when we accept Christ.

[13:29] God is saying, I accept you as mine. You're going to have these blessings, but I am also willing to take on your needs and your burdens. Folks, that is an immense blessing of God that we become adopted into the family.

[13:42] And then look what it says after that in verse 15. The spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

[13:55] And then down in verse 17. And if children, if we're the children of God, then we're also what? Heirs of God. Join heirs with Christ.

[14:06] What does it mean to be an heir? Heirs, not heir like we breathe, but the other kind of heir, H-E-I-R. What does that mean? You're going to inherit something. You're entitled to something.

[14:16] It's part of what's going to be left for you. We become joint heirs with Christ. That means God has something for us, doesn't it? Isn't that what it means?

[14:27] You're all awake this morning, right? Sunshine, a beautiful morning. Wake up. We become heirs when we become part of the family. And you know, some mornings when we're in church and we read from God's Word, some of the Scriptures are just, they're tough and they ask things of us that are difficult.

[14:44] And then there's other sections of Scripture that really are encouraging. I think this is one of those really encouraging sections of Scripture. To think that we get adopted into the family and it says then we receive, we become heirs, we have all these blessings that God has for us.

[15:02] And that's why I couldn't really take just a part of this chapter because the rest of this chapter is just talking about all those good things we get, all those good things we get to be a part of as children of God.

[15:12] And we're going to go down through these quickly. We're not going to spend weeks on each one. But look in verse 18 because it starts right off with one that we can probably understand. And I love verse 18.

[15:23] For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time, so any suffering we go through right now, and we do sometimes go through suffering, don't we? And I can't tell you what suffering you're going to go through in life and you can't tell me what suffering I'm going to go through in life.

[15:39] We don't know. And we don't even know when that suffering might start, do we? And we can suffer in a lot of ways, whether it's a physical condition that we have, a diagnosis that we get, the loss of someone that we love, the loss of a job.

[15:57] Who knows? Suffering comes in a lot of different forms, doesn't it? But he says, I reckon, in other words, I determine or I know that the sufferings of this present time which we all experience, look what it says afterwards, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

[16:16] What does that really mean? It means no matter how much that suffering, no matter how hard it may be while we're here, a couple things.

[16:26] First of all, it points out it's temporary, but it says it's nothing compared to the glory that's going to be revealed in us. In other words, what we have waiting for us, what God has in store is so great, what does it mean about the suffering we may experience now?

[16:44] It doesn't even compare. This suffering is just as hard and as long as it may seem, it's just a little thing compared to how great the things are that God has for us.

[16:55] When you go through a difficulty, remind yourself of this verse. No matter how hard it may be, God has something so great waiting for you, you're going to look back and think that was nothing.

[17:08] Look at what God has for me now. That is part of that adoption that we have. And it says that the glory that shall be revealed in us, and how long will that be?

[17:18] Eternity. Eternity. The suffering we have now is not for an eternity, is it? Does it sometimes feel like it?

[17:29] But is it? There's that saying that, I don't know that it's in the Bible, but it's a truth. This too shall pass. There's truth in that, folks. This too shall pass.

[17:41] The suffering that we have is not eternal. The glory that God has waiting for us is. That is a benefit of being a child of God. We will have eternal glory.

[17:53] Isn't that what it means? So I want you to say that. Blessing number one, I will have eternal glory. You said it. Do you believe it? Okay.

[18:04] So eternal glory. Look down in verse 26. We're going to skip a few verses here. Look down in verse 26. Likewise, so also, the Spirit also helps our infirmities.

[18:17] What's an infirmity? It's a weakness. The Spirit helps our weakness, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered.

[18:31] And I know we can look at that verse and think, well, that's maybe kind of hard to understand. What's God really saying? Well, first of all, He talks about our weaknesses. We have infirmities. We have weaknesses. Do you think God knows that and understands that?

[18:43] Yeah. Do you think sometimes we maybe even pray for things we maybe shouldn't? It's not a trick question. Do you think we ever do that? Yes. Yes. But what does it say here?

[18:57] It says the Spirit helps our infirmities. In our weakness, are we in that weakness alone? No. We have what? Help. We have help.

[19:08] Isn't it good to have help? Yes. Yes. Yes. I know sometimes when I always, I don't use my head and sometimes I try picking up things that are heavier than what I probably should try picking up myself.

[19:20] Once in a while around here, we're setting up tables or whatever and I'll be he-man. I'll grab a table and go carrying a cross. But you know what's wonderful? When all of a sudden I'm carrying a table and the back end gets lighter.

[19:33] Because I just got a lot stronger, right? No. Why does it get lighter? All of a sudden there's somebody back there that grabbed the back end of it. I didn't ask them to. They just grabbed the back end of it and they're helping to carry it.

[19:44] That's help in a weakness. And it says the Spirit will give us help in our weakness. We have help in our weakness. We are not going it alone. So that's number two.

[19:56] I have help in weakness. Go ahead and say that. I have help in weakness. And I hope we don't just say it. I hope we believe it. It says the Spirit gives us help and makes intercession. It prays for things that we may need when we don't even know we need it.

[20:10] Because we don't even know everything we need, do we? Why? Because we're not smart enough. Go ahead and say that too. I'm not smart enough. It's true. It's not an insult.

[20:21] It's fact. You know, for a child, when they have somebody caring for them, do they know all their needs? Do you take care of needs they don't even realize they have? Yeah. Same thing with God.

[20:33] He takes care of things we don't even know we need. All right. That was number two. Look down in verse 28. You've probably heard this verse before. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.

[20:49] This one is that we have knowledge that God gives us, that it says all things work together for the good to those that love the Lord. If you love the Lord, He's going to work it all for the good.

[21:00] Now, you may not think of it as good, but God in the end is going to work it all for the good. So you can look back and, oh, yeah, I see that now. You might not see it until you get to heaven. You might not understand it until you get there, but we can be assured that God is working it all together.

[21:15] Do you know why we know that? Because God has a plan. Do you understand that? Do you want to understand that plan? Do you want to understand that plan?

[21:26] Too bad. It's on a need-to-know basis. I'm serious. And guess what? We don't always need to know.

[21:37] We just have to have faith. God doesn't tell us He's going to explain everything to us. But God says you need to have faith that I love you and I have a plan for you. And I will work it all out together for the good.

[21:49] So we need to know, and that's a blessing of being adopted into the family, God has a plan for us. That's number three. Say, God has a plan for me. Okay, look down in verse 31.

[22:02] We're moving right along. What shall we say then to these things? This is a good verse two. If God before us, what does it say after that? Well, that's kind of good, isn't it?

[22:14] If God is on our side, who can be against us? Nobody. God is on our side. If you're a believer, guess what? God is on your side. Right?

[22:26] And I kind of was thinking about this week. That means, guess what? If God is on your side, He's rooting for you to succeed, isn't He? Isn't He? What came to my mind is, do you know, when a kid is playing sports, who is their greatest fan?

[22:40] Beyond doubt. All shadow of a doubt. Who is their greatest fan? Their parent. Is always going to be their greatest fan. They might be their greatest annoyance at the same time, but their parents are always going to be their greatest fan.

[22:54] Do you know who our greatest fan is? It's God. He loves us. He wants us to succeed. You know, I think back in the Old Testament with Job, you know, when Satan was in front of Job, you know what God said?

[23:07] Hey, have you seen my servant Job? Have you seen him? He is a faithful guy. Do you think God was proud of Job? Yes. Do you think God was a fan of Job? Yes.

[23:18] Do you think God is a fan of us? Yes. He wants us to succeed. God is on our side. If you're a believer, God is on your side. I want you to say, God is on my side.

[23:30] Are you starting to feel good about these things? Verse 37, we got a couple more, talks about some other things before this, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword, all difficult things.

[23:44] But verse 37, no, in all these things, in all those difficulties, we are more than what? Conquers. Say, I am a conqueror.

[23:57] What does that mean? You said it. Do you know what it means? You're an overcomer. You're a winner. You got the victory. We can overcome, not because of our own strength, but because of God's.

[24:09] Whatever comes our way, sometimes we may ask, how will I get through this? You ever been in a situation like that? There's an answer for that. How will I get through this? I'll get through it because God's on my side. Because God will give me help.

[24:22] That's how I'll get through it. I don't have enough in myself to do it, but God does. We are conquerors. And lastly, a few verses.

[24:34] 36. Let's look at 37, starting in 35. Look at 35. I'm having a hard time deciding.

[24:47] Who shall separate us from what? The love of Christ. And then it lists a whole bunch of things. And then down in verse 38.

[24:59] For I am persuaded that neither death, life, angels, principalities, powers, things present, things to come, height, depth, any other creature, none of those shall be able to separate us from what? The love of God.

[25:11] When you are adopted into the family, there is one thing that you can know and always know and that nothing will change and that is that you are loved. Isn't that good? You are loved.

[25:23] Sometimes we may feel unloved by the world around us. We may feel unloved by people around us. We may feel unloved by everybody. But what's the promise of God's Word if you're a believer?

[25:35] God loves you. I want you to say, I am loved. That's the message this morning. These are all benefits.

[25:47] Blessings. Part of being a child of God. But again, who are these for? Believers. People that have Jesus Christ in their heart and they're being led by Him.

[26:00] This morning, if you've never accepted Jesus, folks, ask Jesus into your heart. He's saying, I've got a plan for you. I want to love you. I want to work all things together for the good. But you have to be willing to follow.

[26:12] It's a choice you have to make. God is not going to force us to do it. If you have never accepted Jesus and been adopted into the family, ask Jesus into your heart. Ask Him to forgive your sins because when you do that, you become part of the family.

[26:26] But you know, even after we're part of the family, sometimes we can get stubborn and say, I don't want to lead. I don't want to follow right now. Just think about your life. Are you following God the way that He wants you to?

[26:38] If you are, folks, these blessings God has for us are part of being in His family. God loves you, folks. He's got a plan. He'll give you strength.

[26:49] Never forget that. Let's pray. Lord God, I thank You again for Your Word. I thank You for the promises it contains. I pray that if there is anybody in this place right now that doesn't know that they have Jesus Christ in their heart, that they would make that decision this morning, that they would ask You to forgive their sins and ask Christ to come into their heart.

[27:08] Lord, for those that have already done that, just remind us that that makes us part of the family we're adopted in, and that we are joint heirs. And all these blessings, all these wonderful benefits in this chapter belong to us.

[27:20] You've given them to us. Satan will try to convince us that we don't have them, but Lord, we do. Remind us of that. Help us to find hope. This chapter talks about hope. Help us to find that hope in these promises.

[27:33] And it's in the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. As we close this morning, this altar right here is open. And there's nothing special about the carpet or anything else up here, but it's a place to meet with God.

[27:45] And any place that you meet with God, guess what? That's a holy place, isn't it? This place, if you want to come and meet with God, talk to God, the altar is open. If you have anything on your heart, if you want to accept the Lord, if you want to recommit your life, if you just want to tell the Lord, I want to follow you, the altar is open this morning.

[28:04] Let's bow our head as we close in prayer. Lord God, we thank You for Your presence in this place. We thank You that we can be a part of Your family. And Lord, we just pray that as we leave here, that we are not following our own path, but that we're following Yours, that we're willing to be led by You each and every day.

[28:18] Remind us of that. And then remind us of all the blessings, all the benefits, all the promises that Your Word has for us. So thank You again for being our God, the holy God that You are.

[28:29] And we ask and pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ and all God's family said, Amen. As you leave this morning, tell somebody you're glad that you're part of the same family, the family of God.

[28:40]  God bless you.