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[0:00] If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things?

[0:19] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It's God who justifies. Who is he that condemns Christ Jesus who died?

[0:35] More than that, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God, and is also interceding for us.

[0:47] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble, or hardship, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

[1:01] As it's written, for your sake we face death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

[1:21] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors. Through him who loved us.

[1:36] For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, neither angels, nor demons, neither the present, nor the future, nor any power, neither height or depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, that in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[2:12] Let us pray, just ask God to bless his word to us. Lord, we just pray that you will open our hearts and mind, and that you bless your precious word to every one of us.

[2:25] We thank you and we love you. In Jesus' name, amen. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

[2:36] Paul wrote this letter about 57 AD, even before the persecution is coming to the Romans church, as if he was prophesying what the church in Rome will go through.

[2:53] To answer this question, who will separate us from the love of Christ? There is nothing, small or big, in this world or the world to come will separate us from the union and the deep relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

[3:14] And because of the different blessings, the different promises, the different privileges the Lord gave us, which continue to strengthen and to inspire us to continue in this journey, journey of faith and journey of life.

[3:32] And if you review with me quickly, loved one, these promises in chapter 8. First, he said, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

[3:44] So don't allow guilt and condemnation to rule your life because Jesus took your condemnation and my condemnation on Calvary.

[3:55] And second, we are able not to allow anything to separate us from the love of God because we become his children. And the Holy Spirit testifies and witnesses to our spirits that we become the children of God through Christ Jesus.

[4:14] And also because we have been called to suffer with Christ. And we cannot join with his glory unless we experience what it means to suffer with Christ.

[4:28] And he said, all the creation is also suffering. And the creation in agony is waiting in hope, which is waiting the children of God for that ultimate salvation that will be also hope for the Holy Creation.

[4:48] And also he talks about the Holy Spirit is interceding our behalf, especially in the difficult times. When you're not able to pray or to know how to pray, you have the Holy Spirit inside of you taking this agony deep inside, bringing it before the throne of God.

[5:09] And God the Father, who understands the language and the need of the Spirit, will answer you and me according to our needs through the intercede of the Holy Spirit.

[5:23] And then he said, another thing which is continue to inspire us and not allow anything to separate us from the love of God, that whatever happened to you or to me, not everything happened to us is good.

[5:38] Sometimes evil around us and evil happened to us. But the good news and the miracle, which is only God can do, whatever hurts, whatever disappointed we're going through, the loving God will take this evil things and turn it in miraculous way for your good and my good.

[6:01] For those who love him and who've been called according to his purpose in order every one of us to be more like him.

[6:12] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? You know, it says in verse 31, if you look with me, what then shall we say in response to this?

[6:30] In response to this, it's probably relate to the previous verses, especially 28 to 30. But then say, if God is for us, who can be against us?

[6:43] In other words, if God is with you and in your side, you are the majority, if everything else against you. If God for us, who can be against us?

[6:59] You know, Elisha, the prophet, the king of Aram in 2 Kings, turned against him because he was giving counsel to the king of Israel and also prophesy against the king of Aram.

[7:18] So the king of Aram, when they brought his army and surrounding the prophet and his servant. And this is what 2 Kings 6.15 says. When the king of Aram wanted to capture Elisha, it says, when the servant of the man of God got up, went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.

[7:47] Oh, my Lord, what shall we do? The servant asked, don't be afraid, the prophet answered, those who are with us are more than those who are with them.

[8:01] And Elisha prayed, oh, Lord, open his eyes so he may see. Then the Lord opened the servant's eye and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

[8:20] So when God is for you, indeed, you are the majority. also, when God for us, we will be able to overcome fear.

[8:31] And this is what Caleb and Joshua say to the people of Israel after they spied the land and the people are scared. It says in Numbers 14.9, only don't rebel against the Lord and don't be afraid of the people of the land because we will swallow them up.

[8:56] Their protection is gone, but the Lord with us, don't be afraid of them. And Psalm 118.6, the Lord is with me, I will not be afraid.

[9:08] What can man do to me? I want to say, loved one, it's not only God for us, but also he is with us. And the presence of God, we see it in different way.

[9:22] In the Old Testament, in the most holy place, the Holy of Holies, the presence of God was there in a special way where is the Ark of the Covenant, where is the mercy seat above the Ark, and where is the cover above the seat of mercy, which is above the Ark of the Covenant.

[9:43] And the Lord God was speaking from above the cover. And that cover, it's called the Shekinah glory, which is the very presence of the Lord.

[9:53] But we see the presence of God in the New Testament, it's more intangible way through Jesus Christ. Like he say in first, like he say in John 1, 14, the Lord become a flesh and made his dwelling among us.

[10:10] We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and a truth. And I want to say his presence now is with us by the Holy Spirit.

[10:25] I think one of the most beautiful things for us as the children of God, when not only just close your eyes and bow your head and feel the presence of God, but the presence of God continuously with us by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

[10:40] It reminds me of the Queen of England many, many years ago. it used to visit the widows and the boar in England.

[10:53] And one day she visited one of the widows in one of the churches and one of the brothers in the church heard about it and he said, I want to go to see what's happened. So he went to the widow which used to go to the church and he sat and he started asking the question, I heard the queen came to visit you.

[11:16] And she said, yeah, and she was very excited and she said, she sat here and so loving, so kind and was very happy about that visit.

[11:26] And this brother from the church said, well, I will ask her if Jesus come to visit her. I want to see how her respond. And he said, sister, she said, yeah, does Jesus come visit you?

[11:41] And she looked at him, he said, no, he doesn't come visit me, he with me always. Continuously, he's with me. And this is what we experience, loved one, in our walk with the Lord.

[11:56] One of the approve that indeed he's with us, like in verse 32, if you look, he who didn't despair his own son, but give him up for us all.

[12:10] And you know, when he said that the sacrifice, the atonement of our Lord Jesus is not only for a small group of people, but it's for us all and it's sufficient for our humanity.

[12:25] But the one who benefited from this atonement is those who open their hearts, humble themselves, and receives God's gift, what Jesus did on the cross for every one of us.

[12:39] and he said if he gave us the ultimate sacrifice, the ultimate gift, the gift of gifts, wasn't he able to give us the small things we need?

[12:52] The one who gave us life and put the breath of life in us wasn't able to give us the food we need for this life. If he gave us this body, wasn't able to give us the clothes we need for this body.

[13:07] Indeed, the Lord can, will provide because he is our shepherd all the time. In verse 33, who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?

[13:22] It's God who justifies. Who will bring any charge against those who have been chosen? You know, those who've been elected or chosen, they've been approved and accepted by God the Father.

[13:40] So who can bring accusation or charge against them? You know, the evil one, the Hebrew word Satan, which means the one who resists, and devil, the Greek word, which means he's the accuser.

[13:56] And this is what he does day and night, 24-7, against the children of God in the presence of God. But we have our lawyer, our defend attorney, who's standing in the presence of God is defending his children.

[14:13] And this is what we read in Revelation 12, verse 10, the Lord cast down the accuser who accused the brethren before the Lord day and night.

[14:25] But then he said they overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.

[14:41] And then he said, it's God who justified. And this justification is not like what the Pharisee used to do. But when we say we are justified, or Jesus justified us, he is not only forgive us our sins, but also he gave us his righteousness.

[15:02] He didn't forgive just our sins, but give us all the qualification we need to be justified or be right before the Lord and forgiven as if we never been sinned before.

[15:20] So no one can bring accusation and succeed against me and you as the children of God, God, because our Redeemer continue to pray for us because he is the one to intercede in our behalf.

[15:38] Verse 34, who is that he that condemns? Who is he that condemns? A Christ Jesus who died more than that who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

[15:59] Who can condemn? For the one to condemn, he has to have three requirements. First of all, he has to die and to rise.

[16:11] He has to be alive, sitting on the right hand of the Father and he to intercede. And this is only applied to our Lord Jesus. So no one have the right to condemn.

[16:24] But the one who intercedes for us who is our Savior. So there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

[16:39] And we see many verses which show Jesus is the one to intercede, is the one who is sitting on the right hand of the Father. Let me quickly, if I may, read some verses about that.

[16:52] Mark 16, 19. After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. So Jesus, he didn't finish what he came to when he just died, buried, and raised, but he continued to intercede 24-7 for every one of us.

[17:17] Colossians 3, 1. Since then you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

[17:28] Hebrews 1-3, after he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the majesty in heaven. Hebrews 2-20, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

[17:44] Hebrews 8-1, we do have such a high priest who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in heaven.

[17:54] 1 Peter 3-22, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand with angels, authorities, and powers in submission to him.

[18:08] And see how he intercedes, Hebrews 7-25, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 9-24, he entered heaven itself now to appear for us in God's presence.

[18:23] 1 John 1-2, it's known verse, he writes in order for you not to sin, but if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus Christ, the righteous one.

[18:40] Verse 35, if you look with me, who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall it trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword.

[18:58] he talks about some of the heroes of faith, Hebrews 11, he say, they were stoned, they were sowed into two, they were put to death by the sword and mistreated.

[19:13] people and they were called polycarb and polycarb was the disciple of John, the disciple of Jesus. And he was a bishop in Asia Minor and polycarb, he was in his 80s and they captured him and they asked him to deny Jesus.

[19:36] He refused, they brought him to stadium and people is watching and they asked him to deny his Lord. And he said for 84 years he was faithful for me and you want me in the end of my life to deny my Lord.

[19:54] And he refused and he burned the life in the front of many people but he kept his eyes on the Lord and in the most difficult moment in his life he refused to deny his faith.

[20:08] In verse 36 as it's written and this is taken from Psalm 44 verse 22 for your sake for your sake we face we face death all day long.

[20:23] We are considered as a sheep we are considered as a sheep to be slaughtered for your sake we face death all day long.

[20:35] And if you look to the list loved one which Paul went through in 2 Corinthians 11 23 it's a long list because of the time we're not going to read it but may I read a few verses for example 1 Corinthians 15 30 to 31 Paul said why do we endanger ourselves every hour he says I die every day I mean that brothers and 2 Corinthians 4 11 to 12 for we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body so then death is at work in us but life is at work in you you know Paul when he stood before Nero and shortly he murdered after he wrote 2nd

[21:44] Timothy the last epistle he ever written he said in 2nd Timothy 4 16 17 no one no one came to my support but everyone deserted me we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered and this is the topic which we see it in the Middle East before I continue I like if I may just show you a few pictures and what's happening to many Christians in the Middle East and we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered the Coptic brothers 21 one of them from Sudan in the beaches of Libya you see the verse almost literally fulfilled as our brothers has been taken as a sheep to be slaughtered next please next in the most difficult moment of their lives they keep their eyes on the

[23:04] Lord and one of the voices we heard in Arabic when they showed the video in the darkest moments they crying out Lord Jesus Lord Jesus next please another family we minister to who is from Iraqi Christian her husband been kidnapped by ISIS and came with two of her children Mario 12 Marianne is 14 but in spite of the difficulty they experienced healing in the midst of suffering next please and some of you probably knows about Rami who was a member in the church I was pastor in Gaza he refused to deny his faith and in the darkest hour of his life he kept his eyes on the Lord and his testimony continue to inspire us and to encourage us next please and he left a wife two children and his wife was pregnant and now she is raising three children by herself in the

[24:12] West Bank you know it's the picture we saw in front of us this is what happened to our master to our Lord Jesus himself Isaiah prophesied when he said in 53 verse 6 we all like sheep have gone astray each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all and see what he say in verse 7 he was oppressed and inflicted yet he did not open his mouth he was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her sharers is silent so he did not open his mouth and my question loved one if the Lord allow us to talk or to walk in the same road will we continue to follow the

[25:17] Lord if there is a price we have to pay as followers of Christ are we willing to pay that a price in verse 31 after he gave a list about different things a trail sword could separate us and then the answer in verse 31 no in all these things we are more than corn cookers through him who loved us why Paul said we not just only have a victory or conquer but we are more than conquerors and I think one of the reasons because in the tough time we learn things we probably couldn't learn in any other way the most precious lessons in our walk with the Lord we learn it in the toughest days of our life and also in the difficult times loved one we see the

[26:23] Lord in a way we never saw him before the disciple realized indeed he's the son of God after the storm and also I want to say our faith will be tested in the difficult time not when everything is going fine if it's genuine faith or or not so I pray may God help us all whatever we go through to continue to be faithful to the Lord he says suffering in Romans 5 3 to 4 suffering produce perseverance and perseverance produce character if you want to be more like your Lord don't complain much about the trial and the tribulation but say Lord what do you want to show me in the time of disappointment in the time of disappointed when the time

[27:24] I'm hurt Lord build me to be more like you and suffering you produce perseverance perseverance produce character and characters produce hope and hope will not disappoint us because God poured his love in our hearts I end with verses 38 to 39 for I am convinced this mean past and also now I'm convinced that neither death nor life neither angels nor demons neither the present nor the future nor any powers neither the present nor the future and verse 39 neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ

[28:25] Jesus our Lord you know loved one it's not worth it don't allow anything small or big affect your relationship with the Lord or even separate you from the Lord I end with this story about Hook Candy who is a minister in Scotland when he was dying in the last moments of his life was laying on bed and his friends surround him and then he asked them to bring him a Bible and then when they brought the Bible he realized he lost his sight so he asked them to open at Romans chapter 8 verse 38 and verse 39 and he said put my finger on these verses and then he asked is my finger on these verses they said yes and without speaking more he said my beloved children I'm going to leave you and I will be with the

[29:27] Lord Jesus Christ tonight and in this way he departed he departed depending on the word of God you know the promises of God the word of God this is where we stand and this is why we consider it it's worth it to live the rest of our life not for ourselves but for the one who gave his life for every one of us I'm really grateful for the blessing and the privilege to share with you my brothers and sisters because we belong to a bigger body the body of Christ and when part of the body is suffering the whole body is suffering in spite of all the difficulties God really helped us and we really grateful for the partnership and for the church that we work together and especially in the last 12 months there's hundreds we minister to thousands of Iraqi Christians who fled the persecution of ISIS and came to Jordan many of them didn't have much maybe just the clothes they have but God helped us helped us by his grace to minister to one another to learn from one another and to grow and the Lord always is the shelter and also even in Gaza we say they say about 14% of the people in Gaza sympathize or agreed with ISIS doing so please pray for the

[31:01] Christians in Gaza and for all Gaza people because also it became very dangerous for them and we praise the Lord that we not alone and we'll never be alone because he said I will be with you always and please keep us in your prayer thank you and God bless you Amen please stand with us church Father let me dedicate all this life to thee in whatever worldly state thou wilt have me be not from sorrow pain or care freedom dare

[32:10] I claim this alone shall be my prayer glorify thy name be glorified in me be glorified Be glorified in me Be glorified Can a child presume to choose Where or how to live Can a father's love refuse All the best to give More thou givest every day Than the best can claim Nor withholdest thought that may Glorify thy name

[33:13] Be glorified in me Be glorified Be glorified in me Be glorified Be glorified in me Be glorified Be glorified in me Be glorified If thou callest to the cross And its shadows come Turning all my gain to loss Shrouding heart and home Let me think of thy dear son Let me think of thy dear son To his glory came

[34:14] And in deepest woe pray on Glorify thy name Glorify thy name Be glorified in me Be glorified Be glorified Be glorified in me Be glorified Be glorified Be glorified Be glorified Be glorified in me Be glorified Father let me Father let me dedicate All this life to thee In whatever worldly state Thou would have me be

[35:15] Not from sorrow Pain or care Freedom dare I claim This alone shall be my prayer Glorify thy name Amen May that be our prayer Brother Hana, thank you so much for bringing the word to us this morning We're grateful for you If we invite you to stay around Downstairs there's lunch that you can take some lunch and then around 12 o'clock Hana will start a presentation presenting more detail about his ministry ongoing ministry in Gaza and in Jordan ways that you can be praying for them If this is something that the Lord seems to be putting on your heart and you wanted to give financially to support them you can also you can write a check to Trinity and designate it for them and we'll pass that on to them and you can also get more information downstairs and if you're signed up for the prayer emails you will get regular updates from Hana and the other missionaries that we support will pass them on to you as they come in so if you're not on that list fill out one of the welcome cards or email the office call the office sign up for the prayer email list so you can be updated and be encouraged to pray

[36:37]  Tonight for our evening service Dustin Hawkins will be preaching concluding our service our series in 1 Samuel so I invite you to come out and listen to him and go with this word of blessing May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope and all God's people said Amen Go in peace