At this time now, the kids are going to come forward. We're going to kids' choir sing. While they're coming, could we just sing that chorus one more time for Rejoice in the Lord? Just the chorus as the kids come. Oh, rejoice in the Lord. He makes no mistake. We know at the end of each path that I take, for when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold. From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God is the sure foundation. It can separate the truth from the lie, so train your brain, buckle down and memorize. The word of God is the sharpest blade, better than what any man has ever made. When the battle rages, I can overcome with the word of God on the tip of my tongue. Word of God on the tip of my tongue. There is a verse for every season. Always be ready to give a reason. Put it in your heart. ♪ And put it in a ring ♪ ♪ Be the worst for the worst ♪ ♪ That's the only way to drink ♪ ♪ The word of God is the sharpest blade ♪ ♪ Better than what any man has ever made ♪ ♪ When the battle rages why children come with tongue ♪ ♪ The word of God on the tip of my tongue ♪ ♪ The word of God on the tip of my tongue ♪ 2, 4, 6, 8. 2, 4, 6, 8. Everybody concentrate. Everybody concentrate. 3, 6, 9, 12. 3, 6, 9, 12. Train your brain, prepare yourself. Train your brain, prepare yourself. Switch on guard. The way of God is the sharpest blade. Better than what any man has ever made. When the battle rages, I Word of God on the tip of my tongue. Word of God on the tip of my tongue. Amen. Well, that was wonderful. I loved that. I've never heard that song before, but they knew it. That was great. So if you need a bulletin, I don't know, do we have any extra bulletins back there? If we do, if you need a bulletin, just raise your hand and we can get one to you. I guess we won't need it. Everyone has one. That's great. Wonderful. Just want to mention a couple of announcements. And I just saw, Pastor Pate, you have your parents here and your sisters. So we are so glad that they're here. In a moment, we'd like to ask your father, if you wouldn't mind to come up and lead it in the offering prayer. We'll call you up here in a minute. But I'd like to have you come on up here to do that. But that'll be in just a couple of minutes. But we are glad that they're going to be able to be here. And I know it's hard. and they have to say goodbye again, and they're going to Canada, and there's gonna be some distance, but I know yesterday you all were together, so it is nice. Moving down here, for me, I moved closer to my parents, so that was nice for me, but it's great that they're not too far away from us. I just want to mention a couple of things. Again, March 27th, Women's Missionary Prayer Group. You're going to meet right there in the Fellowship Hall. And Ms. Joanna Smith will be the special speaker. So ladies, look forward to that. Friday, we do leave 5 p.m. If you could be here a little earlier, 4.45 p.m. That way we can get on the bus and get on the road and be there by 6. I think it's an hour and seven minutes. So if we could leave just a little bit early, that would be great. If we get late, that's okay. Teens don't need to eat, right? Yeah. But we have that youth rally. That's this Friday. It's interesting also to do ministry with family members. My wife's uncle is going to be one of the pastors, and he's bringing his group there to have their youth group there. So I'll be able to be with him for a little while. So that's neat to do ministry with family members. March 30th, that is next week, we are going to have a fellowship for our pastor's wives, that would be my wife and Mrs. Capel, and we do want to honor, there are other people here that have been a pastor's wife, and we want to honor them as well on that night, and they bear a burden that we will never understand, but I appreciate all the things that the church is doing, and with that, I did want to read a card, and this is from Mrs. Capel. Dear Crossroads Church, thank you so very much for the gift bag full of gift cards and other goods. Thank you so much for the love and thoughtfulness. Most of all, thank you so much for all the prayers over the last years through all my health issues. I know your prayers made a difference and helped me to heal quickly. I love each of you and pray for you and thank the Lord for you in my life. You are our family. All my love prayers, Pat Capel, Philippians 4, excuse me, Philippians 1, 3, and 6. So I appreciate that and just thank you so much for everything. This church is such a kind church and we appreciate everything that you have done for my wife and for Mrs. Capel. So thank you so much. And then just want to say there's a couple's wedding shower for Justin Southern and Emily Birchwell after the evening service on April 27th. That sign-up sheet is on our brand new welcome desk. Now, My wife and I were talking about it. We have the sheets under the glass. You're allowed to take it out and sign it instead of get your hand in there. So I thought most people would know about that. But if you were curious, yes, you can take it out and then put it back. That's fine. Or leave it out on the counter. But we are thankful someone was able to donate money to be able to get that. And it looks really sharp. And so I appreciate that. So that's wonderful. And there's something else I'm forgetting. Oh, yes, next week, right at the end of the service, we will also be observing the Lord's table, so just be looking forward to that. Now, before the ushers come forward, we're gonna have another song, and then right at the end of that song, they'll come forward, and then Pastor Peyton can come up. 375, it is well with my soul, 375. We're just gonna sing the first and last, first and last verses. When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll, has taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. If you would like to turn to that, it's 375. This is not the IT guy's fault. I accidentally deleted the song, and they never got it. And we just found out just a minute ago. So the last verse of 375, if you all need that. And Lord haste the day. And Lord haste the day when my fate shall be solved. The clouds be rolled back as a scroll. The trump shall resound, and my Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with my soul. It is well with my soul. It is well, it is well with my soul. Amen. Thank you for your singing. Brother Pate, would you come and pray for the offering? Father, thank you for how you have blessed this church, and you poured out your gifts to them. And Father, I pray you'll use these gifts to increase your kingdom. I just pray that you would, I just thank you for how you've filled them with your love. Father, I just ask that these gifts would be used for your glory, and we pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, amen. Yeah. All right, this time Daniel and Laura are gonna join my wife and I. We're going to sing a song entitled Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. We have this in our hymnal, but this is to a different tune. And so listen as we sing Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms. What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, oh, leaning. Leaning, safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning, oh leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms. Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning, oh leaning, safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning, oh leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. What have I to dread? What have I to fear? Leaning on the everlasting arms. ♪ I have blessed peace with my Lord so near ♪ ♪ Leaning on the everlasting arms ♪ ♪ Leaning, oh I am leaning ♪ ♪ Safe and secure from all alarms ♪ ♪ Leaning, oh I am leaning ♪ Leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning on the everlasting arms. Leaning on the everlasting arms. All right, let's turn to Romans chapter eight. Thank you. Romans chapter eight, thank you, Pastor, for the opportunity to preach tonight. In fact, I'll use that, actually, thank you. I sure appreciate it. And Church, I just want to thank you for your kindness to us, especially over the past few months as we've been here. It has been such a blessing to be assured of your prayer for us. I just want to thank you for that. It's been a blessing to also be in the Mission House, so thank you for your hospitality to our family, and then specifically to our children. It has been a blessing for them to be here in the different classes. The children's class, of course, with Luke and Hannah and also their Sunday school classes on Sunday mornings and even on Wednesday nights and Master Club. So thank you for allowing them to be a part of that and for demonstrating love to our family and to our children. But that means so much to us and it has meant a great deal to us, to me and to my wife. as well. But I want to thank you for your prayer for us as we have transitioned our ministry from the Ivory Coast to Montreal, and hopefully just give you a couple of praises and prayer requests here as I begin. First of all, I want to thank you for praying specifically for our visas. And we received a word from the lawyer that we have pre-approval for those. And that was a blessing. The lawyer said they've never seen that processed so quickly. It was processed in 20 days instead of a normal two or three months. And so we're very thankful for that. And I told the lawyer, well, people have been praying. A lot of people have been praying. And they said, well, clearly this is the Lord's work. And I said, yeah, it has been. So very, very thankful for that. And also, we There was kind of a miscommunication. We realized we needed to renew our passports here instead of renewing them next year in Montreal. And so we had to do those very quickly, unexpectedly, and the Lord allowed those to be processed, and we received them back in the mail on Wednesday. And so several of you knew about that, and I want to thank you for that. We were able to work to get those expedited, and the Lord answered our prayers. And so thank you for praying for that as well. But the plan is that we'll leave on Tuesday. and take a couple of days to drive to the border. We'll stop at a supporting church on Wednesday night in Delaware. Marco's church, where's Marco? Yep, we're gonna be at your church or on your former church. Sorry, this is your church. Yes, your former church in Delaware on Wednesday night and then, Well, Lord willing, cross the border on Friday morning. And so you could be praying about that. I'd say mid-morning, we'll try to cross the border and show all, I'm gonna bring a stack of documents and our pre-approval for visas and everything. And we're just praying that the border agent is very kind that day. And so everything should be in order. And so we're hoping to be able to cross the border and arrive there sometime on Friday. But like I mentioned to someone this morning, we'll hit the ground running on Sunday. And so right away, like a week from today, I'll be preaching two sermons there next week. And so if you could just be praying for the ministry there as we just really hit the ground running, and then for our children and our family as we get adjusted again to a French speaking environment, that does take time for me because it's not my first language. After a week or two or three, then I feel like I'm starting to be able to communicate more freely. And so just as we get adjusted, that would be a blessing if you continue to pray for that. And then April 5th through 7th, Pastor and Candace will be coming to see us for our installation service there, official installation. And so I'm thankful for that. He'll be preaching there on Sunday morning through a translator. And I'm excited for them to be able to come and see the work there in the church. And so you can be praying about their trip. And then one last thing. More ministry related, but she could be praying for a youth conference at the church at the end of April where we take the teens to it to a conference in Barrie, ON. And so really, I would love to see the Lord do a great work in the lives of the children. The teens of that church. There's a lot of potential there. And I would just love to be able to see the Lord get a hold of their hearts and really to see them be willing to serve Him with their lives, whether it's in full-time ministry or not, but just to be able to serve Him with their lives and to live in a way that's pleasing to the Lord. And so if you think about it, you can pray specifically for that, that at the end of April, that the Lord would bless that conference. But this evening, we're gonna be in the book of Romans, chapter eight. Let me just try to connect my laptop really quickly here. All right, I think I'm connected. There we go. Romans chapter eight, and we're gonna be picking up the reading here in just a moment in verse 16. But first of all, I just wanna kinda give us an overview of the book of Romans. Probably most of you are aware of the book of Romans, but just really quickly, I want us to be able to see what this book is all about. As you look through the book of Romans, chapters one through three really emphasize our sin. indicating to us that every single person is a sinner. Whether you're moral or whether you're not, you are still a sinner. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Then Romans chapters three through five emphasize our salvation, the salvation that we can have in Jesus Christ. But God commendeth his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Then beginning in chapter 6 through 8, we have an emphasis on sanctification for the believer. Really, the Book of Romans is a letter written from the Apostle Paul to the saints who lived in the city of Rome. And so this section right here is very applicable to them concerning their sanctification in Jesus Christ. If you notice, our text this evening is in chapter 8. It's within that section of sanctification for the believer. Now within chapter eight, there's quite an emphasis on suffering for the believer. And so this suffering for the believer takes part in the section on sanctification for the believer. And that means there is a divine connection between suffering and sanctification for the believer. And then chapters nine through 11 deal with the sovereignty of God and his providence as it pertains to the nation of Israel, that he has not yet finished with them and fulfilling his promises to them. And then chapters 12 through 16 emphasize the believer's service for the Lord. But this evening we're in that section of sanctification and dealing with the concept of suffering in the believer's life. You'll see on the screen there the title of the message is Groanings to Glory, From Groanings to Glory. And it's because as you read through the chapter eight, you will see these two words emphasized and repeated. In fact, the word groanings is used numerous times dealing with the difficulties, the trials, and the sufferings of this world. The fact that we live in a sin-cursed world, in a fallen world. The fact that we experience groanings. And then, the word glory is also used, really just as much, if not more so, to emphasize the glory that is available to us in the future, the hope that we have in Christ in heaven, even in the midst of suffering. And so that's why we've titled the message, From Groanings to Glory, and this evening we'll see six assurances that we have for the Christian in suffering. But I want to start by mentioning I am not an expert on this topic. I'm not very old yet, and I have not experienced that much suffering in comparison to some of the folks in this world. There are many people in this world who have experienced intense trials, very, very difficult things. In fact, right now I'm reading several books. One of them is entitled Suffering is Never for Nothing by Elizabeth Elliott. I have these books here. I mentioned this to Pastor that I was going to mention these two books. The first one is an excellent book on suffering. You know the name Elizabeth Elliott and the suffering and the trials that she's experienced in her life. And the second is Gentle and Lowly by Dana Ortlund. Another emphasis, if you see the subtitle, it's very small there, The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers. And it's amazing to be able to see that in the midst of suffering, that's when Jesus is the most near to us, and that he is ready to help us, and ready to carry us through those difficulties. If you find yourself in a difficult circumstance, or if you happen to be a Christian this evening, I would encourage you to read these two books. I think you would really be encouraged by them. Because as a believer, we experience little sufferings all the time, little things, little discouragements and difficulties. And then sometimes those things are very, very large, and which the Lord brings us into. And so I would encourage you to look at these books. But I say all this to say, I am no expert on this topic when it comes to suffering. Suffering in this world is a very deep topic and there are people who have experienced very, very difficult things. But the Lord has really encouraged me through this passage over the past few months. And I really just want to mention a few highlights of this this evening. I was talking with Katie before the service and I realized this really is a sermon series that we're looking at tonight. And in fact it probably will be that when I get to Montreal. I'll probably preach multiple sermons on this one passage. So therefore, We're gonna cover a lot tonight, and you might find that I'm giving you a lot of information all of a sudden, but there's so much more, and I feel like as I'm working on my sermon notes, there's so much more that I can pull out of this. And so I wanna encourage you to take your Bible and go to Romans 8 throughout this week and next week, and maybe you can just read it once a day or perhaps once a week even, just to be encouraged by this passage. It is such a powerful passage for us. But I did wanna begin by reading just a few quotes. to kind of calibrate our thinking as far as suffering. My message this evening might seem a little bit mechanical. Six assurances for the believer in suffering. It might seem a little bit insensitive because I'm not talking about the intricacies and the difficulties. It's just six facts about suffering. So that might sound a little bit insensitive. And so I wanna balance my message before I even start. I wanna balance myself out and say, okay, what is suffering all about? What's the big picture in suffering? And that is that suffering's objective is to bring us closer to Christ. So look at this quote from Elizabeth Elliot. I don't have it on the screen. Excuse me, it's by Johnny Erickson Tada. But she's talking about Elizabeth Elliot. She said, Elizabeth Elliot knew that true maturity, joy and contentment has less to do with the mechanical assessment of God's plan and more to do with being pushed and at times shoved against your savior. talking about suffering, drawing us closer to Jesus Christ. Another quote, speaking of Elizabeth Elliot, the quote says, what was extraordinary about her was the light of Christ that showed through all the cracks created in her by the extraordinary experiences she suffered. Through suffering, we draw closer to Christ, to be able to shine the light of Christ to others. Elizabeth Elliot herself said this, although I have not found intellectual satisfaction, I have found peace. And the answer I say to you is not an explanation, but a person, Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God. She also said joy is not the absence of suffering, but the presence of God. And then one last quote before we get into the message. Samuel Rutherford, a preacher from many years back, he said, speaking of suffering, we don't know what it's like. So we're talking to people, we're trying to encourage them and console them, we don't know what it's like. So he said, we don't know what it's like, but we know the one who knows, that princely one who took up to heaven with him a man's heart to be a compassionate high priest. And for us, we recognize that Jesus knows. Jesus cares. Jesus understands. And even if we don't, Jesus does. And we can point people to the one who does understand. And so the objective of our suffering is to bring us closer to Jesus Christ. And I assure you that he does understand. And he does care. and he will help us in our time of need. But I just wanted to say those two caveats before we start. First, I'm no expert on this topic. There are others who are more of an expert, and of course the scriptures are given to us to help us understand this. And then secondly, the objective, lest my outline seem mechanical, just six facts about suffering, I want us to recognize the main objective is to draw closer to Jesus Christ, and to be able to understand that he does care for us. So let's look at this this evening. Number one, we'll see in verses 16 and 17 that Christ is our partner in our suffering. Look with me at our text in verse 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs. Notice these together words, heirs, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Multiple words here dealing of our partnership with Jesus Christ. We are suffering with him because we are in Christ believers. And the reality here is that we have a relationship with Jesus Christ. And because we are in Christ, we are experiencing life together with him, including the suffering. Yesterday I was hiking with my brother and his family. And it's interesting, as I'm watching our children on the hiking trail, they respond to hiking differently. Allison's really a trailblazer. She would love to be the first one to the end of the trail. And she can follow that trail pretty well. She knows where she's going. But for Bethany and Maddie, they don't even know where the trail is. And when Maddie is in front of me, she just starts walking in the woods. She has no idea where the trail is. and especially for Bethany. She's 15 months old. Sometimes she didn't want to be held, so I would put her down. And she would just walk off in the woods. She had no idea where the trail was. And I was thinking about this concept. Maddie and Bethany, all of our children, but especially those two, need me on the hiking trail to be able to stay on the path. The path is difficult, and they need me as a guide to be able to show them where to go. And the same is true for us as believers. We're just children. And we need our Great Shepherd to lead us. To be able to show us where to go. So in our suffering, Christ is our partner. We are doing this with Him. That's what verses 16 and 17 are telling us. Yes, we are the children of God. We have this assurance. But we are heirs of God. We are joint heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. We are together with Christ. We have a the reality of our relationship with Jesus Christ We know these things from Romans chapter 8 even right here. There is therefore verse 1 There's therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus this concept is explained to us in Ephesians chapter 1 in detail and Our identity is in Christ. Not in our vocation, not in our family, not in our ethnicity, but it's in Christ as believers. We are children of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. I want to encourage us, because we are in Christ, because we have a relationship with Christ, that means that Jesus is near. He is close by all the time. We need to look at a few passages in Psalm. Let's go look at Psalm 34, 18. Psalm 34, 18. We'll just look at two verses, and then we'll get back to Romans chapter eight. Psalm 34, 18 tells us, the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. The Lord is nigh, the Lord is near. He's close by to those that are of a broken heart. If you're grieving, if you're going through suffering and difficulty, Jesus is there. He is near. He is there as a shepherd to lead us and to walk through that valley with us. One other verse, Psalm 46. You know this psalm is a great psalm of encouragement. Another one that would be good to meditate on. Psalm 46 in verse one. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. And so what's the next verse? What's the response? Therefore will not we fear. Though the earth be removed, though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, we could go on. No matter the suffering, no matter the circumstance, because he's a very present help in trouble, I don't have to fear. We can therefore, as verse 10 tells us, be still. and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. In the midst of suffering, because we are in Christ, because He's our partner, we know that He is near. We know that He is close. Jesus is always in the midst of our difficulty, no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in. But then secondly, we see the reality of our suffering with Christ. This is what verse 17 is telling us, that if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Back in Romans chapter eight, verse 17 there. The reality is as Christians, yes, we're in Christ, but that means that there is suffering for those that are in Christ. The Christian life is not always perfect. It certainly is not always easy. There is suffering, but we're in Christ, and we're suffering with Him. In fact, 1 Peter 2 outlines this, that as Christ suffered, we're following in His steps. We're following according to His plan, and we're suffering with Him. And then I love how verse 17 ends, that we may be also glorified together. The reality, we're a partner with Christ, that means we have a relationship with him, we are suffering with him, but there is a future with Christ that is promised to each one of us. The title of this message is From Groanings to Glory, and all throughout the message, all throughout this passage, you see these concepts. Yes, there's groanings, there's sufferings, there's difficulties, but at the same time, there's glory, there's hope, there is a promise of our future home with Christ. All of these things are with Christ. We are not doing this alone. He is our savior, he is our good shepherd, and he walks with us. I was thinking back to our hiking yesterday with my family and my brother's family. Hiking is hard sometimes, and it's especially hard for toddlers, right? They can't really hike very well. They can barely walk, right? That's why they're toddling around. That's why we call them that. So hiking is, by nature, a difficult thing for toddlers. But it's interesting, as I was walking with my nephew, it was difficult for him to maintain a positive spirit during that hiking. He doesn't really want to be there. He doesn't want to do this. This is not fun for him. But I realized there was something we were about to do that was encouraging. We were going to eat lunch next. And I kept saying that. Hey, we're going to eat lunch. Are you ready? We're almost there. Just a little bit more. We're at the end of the trail, and you can eat lunch. And all of a sudden, he wouldn't just keep walking, but he would run with a smile on his face. And he would run until he forgot that we were going to eat lunch. And then I would remind him of that. And then he would run some more. And it was amazing to watch this. And I was thinking, all he needed was motivation. food. I'm going to eat food in just a little bit." And as soon as he had that motivation, he could keep walking, he could keep running. And I think the same is true for us as believers. There's difficulty. There are groanings. There are sufferings in this world. But we have motivation. We are in Christ, and therefore we have a promise of our future home with Christ. The future certainty of being with Christ is for each one of us as believers. No matter the difficulty in which we find ourselves, we have this hope. And we can look forward to that, and we can run with patience. Secondly, not only do we see that Christ is our partner in our suffering, but we see that groanings exist in this world. This might seem like a negative fact, and it is, but it's true, and it's helpful for us to be able to remember this as believers. This is normal, this is a part of living in a sin-cursed world. We see this in verses 22 and 23. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. We see this word groaning. It's as if someone is sighing. It's a sound of grief. And as Americans, I don't think we have this sound very much. We don't make this groan as some other cultures do. When I was in the Ivory Coast, when I would hear people grieving, it's a sound that I cannot even mimic because it's so unique, so distinct to their culture. I've tried to mimic it, not to make fun of them, but to mimic it and to try to be able to express my emotions, my condolences on different occasions. But I can't. It's so distinct to that culture. And going to different funerals there in the Ivory Coast, the groanings that they have, the sighings that they have, is very unique, but it's an expression. Even when they just hear bad news, the way they respond to try to show sympathy to their fellow brother is very unique, very distinct. but especially as they're processing grief. Sometimes I feel like the way some of these countries process their grief is similar to what we see in the book of Job, of just sitting in their grief, talking with one another. And I sense that, the way they're processing that. But I think that's kind of what we're talking about here with this word groaning, the sighings that are taking place. And there's a reality here that this has existed since the fall of man. In Genesis chapter 3, we see the fall of man take place with Adam and Eve. And we recognize since the fall of man, groanings have existed in this world. Creation sighs and suffers because we are living in a world that is cursed by sin. Yet it's amazing to me, in the midst of this kind of suffering, God hears us. God listens to us. In fact, in Exodus chapter six and verse five, the children of Israel were groaning. That was a normal occurrence, but they did that, and it says very specifically in Exodus six and verse five that God heard the groanings of his children. God hears us too. Even if sometimes it turns to complaining, God hears us. He hears our sufferings, our grievings, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves, God hears us. We think about individuals like Leah and Hagar in the Old Testament, people with very difficult lives, certainly difficult marriages. And the Lord heard them, and when they prayed, he answered their prayer. He sees us, he hears us, and he's ready to help us. But not only are there groanings in this world, but there's groanings in the life of each believer. Because we are in Christ, sufferings exist for those who are in Christ. Now, just to clarify, here in the context, in verse 15, we have already been adopted spiritually. We are children of God. But now, what are we waiting for? In verse 23, it says we're waiting for another adoption. Well, we're seeing two adoptions here in the passage. We can't confuse them. Verse 15, we have received the spirit of adoption. We are children of God. Verse 23, now we're waiting for the adoption, the redemption, of our body, and therefore, as long as we are in this physical body, there are groanings, there are sufferings in this world. As long as we are in this body, we're waiting for the redemption, the adoption, the glorification yet to come of our body. It's interesting, really, our groanings are a constant indication and a reminder to us that we live in a sin-cursed world. In November, I sprained my ankle pretty badly while I was playing pickleball. You might remember that. And I really, it's better, but every day, I feel it just a little bit. Especially yesterday when I was hiking, at the end of the day, I felt it just a little bit. I could just feel a little bit of pain there. It wasn't too bad, but just a little subtle reminder that I sprained my ankle. Just a little subtle indication that something's not quite right down there. I think the same is true for each one of us as humans, right? Because of our sufferings, it's a daily reminder that something's not quite right in this world. We live in a sin-cursed world, but it's a reminder of the promise that we have that one day, things will be made right. One day. Jesus will restore everything to perfection. One day we have the hope of our eternity, our eternal home with Christ. And so even though every day we experience little sufferings, we have hope because one day all of this will be made right. Let's transition and get even more encouraging. Not only do we recognize that Christ is our partner in our suffering, but then groanings exist in this world. But then thirdly, we see that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in the midst of these sufferings. Verses 26 and 27, let's drop down a few verses. Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. We know that Jesus is our mediator. 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 5 says that. There is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. Romans chapter 5 says that we have access to the throne through Jesus Christ. So we recognize that Jesus intercedes for us on our behalf, but also the Holy Spirit is interceding for us. So let's look just quickly at the role of the Holy Spirit as he is our helper, our comforter. Jesus was meeting with his disciples in the upper room, and he really gave them a lesson on pneumatology. He explained to them the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. And he explained to them that the comforter, the Holy Spirit, would come, that he would come alongside of them. He would be their helper. He would be their advocate in their time of need. And so this is the role of the Holy Spirit, and he lives within each one of us, fulfilling this role as our comforter, as our helper. But the function of the Holy Spirit is to intercede for us according to the will of God, as we see in verse 27. He intercedes for us. He prays according to the will of God. Have you ever been there where you're in the midst of a difficult circumstance and you really don't know what to pray? I know I've been there before and it's a difficult moment where my heart is so heavy, but I don't know what to pray. And so I just pour my heart out to the Lord, and I'm spending time in scripture, and I sense that the Holy Spirit is making intercession for me in a very special, in a very unique way. And that's what's happening here. Even when we don't know what to pray, we can pour our heart out to the Lord, and the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Even though we don't understand what's happening and the why and the circumstances, the Holy Spirit is our helper. The Holy Spirit is our comforter. And he comes alongside of us for the purpose of interceding for us in prayer. When we're crying, when we're overwhelmed, the Holy Spirit is there for us. And fourthly, we see another truth, another assurance for us in suffering is that God's plan for his children is best. God's plan for his children is best. Look with me at verse 28, a verse we know very well, maybe too well though, because we need to understand the truths of it. 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. For whom he did foreknow, he also did 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 he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. We recognize first, God's plan is best, yes, but God's plan is purposeful. His plan is purposeful. He takes all of the circumstances and he brings them together. All of these circumstances, in fact, Paul talks about this in Philippians chapter one. He's sharing his testimony and the apostle Paul says that all of his difficult circumstances have arrived, they've all come together for the advancement of the gospel. It's kind of interesting if you're, I don't know, if you're following instructions to put something together. You see the picture on the outside of the box and you follow each step and you put all the pieces together and it's supposed to look like that at the end. All of the pieces come together to look like something, to form a purpose. And that's what's happening with our circumstances, even our suffering. Everything comes together to help us be like Christ. That is the purpose. All of these ingredients coming together to form something beautiful. And we see this What is this? It's in verse 29. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. What's the big idea? What's the big purpose? To be conformed to the image of his son. That he might be the firstborn among many brethren. This is the objective and the plan is for our good. It's for our growth, for our sanctification. We've already kind of talked about this a little bit, but at the beginning we became the children of God at the moment of justification. And then through this whole process of sanctification, the objective is to become more and more and more like Jesus Christ until the day that we arrive at glorification when we see him face to face. This process, though, is God's plan, and his plan for his children is always best. It is for our good. It is for our growth to become more like Christ. It is also for God's glory. Yes, we grow through this process, but he receives the glory. Just really quickly, it's interesting, in Genesis chapter 42 and verse 36, Jacob was nearing the end of his life, and he was looking at all of the things that happened in his life. This is just before he knew Joseph was alive. And he was thinking, my life is really hard. And it really was. It was a very difficult life for Jacob. And he said this, all these things are against me. Jacob said this, looking at his life he said, this happened and this happened and this happened, all these things are against me. But then Joseph commentates on Jacob's life in Genesis chapter 50 in verse 23. He really provides the big picture of God's plan when he says, you meant it evil against me, but God meant it unto good. There is a purpose even in the midst of all this. It may seem from our perspective in Genesis 42, all this is against me, all of these difficulties, all of these sufferings. But if we could fast forward and see the big picture, we would see God meant it unto good. There's a bigger picture in all of this. It is for God's glory, it is for our good, it is for our growth. so that we can become more and more like Jesus Christ. The plan is best. It is purposeful. It allows us to be able to put all of the circumstances and sufferings together to become more and more like Christ. Now, we may not understand that plan until we arrive at home in heaven. We might not. We might get little tidbits here and there of understanding what God is doing, but we might not fully understand until we get to heaven. But that's okay, because we can trust Him today, knowing that He knows best. Fifthly, we see that nothing can separate us from Christ's love. As we think about these truths of these assurances that we have in suffering, nothing can separate us from Christ's love. Very quickly, we see here in verses 32 through 39, I won't read the whole passage, but notice, he that spared, verse 32, 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? So what has God the Father done? He's given us God the Son. We have been given the Son. The Bible tells us, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son. This is a gift. We have the Son. We also recognize we have been given his salvation. Verses 33 and 34. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. We recognize that we have been given the Son, we have been given Jesus Christ, we have been given his salvation, and we have been given his security. Verse 39, nor height, listing all these things, 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. Nothing can separate us from Christ's love. In fact, in John chapter 10, a key passage on the assurance of our salvation, Jesus is in the hands of God and we are in the hands of Christ, so we are forever, we are doubly secure, forever. Even in the midst of suffering when it seems like everything is against us. we're still secure in Christ. We still have our security in Christ knowing that nothing can ever separate us from his love. And also we have been given his victory as we see in verse 37. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. So whatever our daily concern, know this, we are incredibly loved by our creator and nothing can separate us from his love. Lastly, we see our future glory is certain. Our future glory is certain. We have the promise of adoption, the promise of redemption, the promise of glorification, and even the promise of heaven, the hope of heaven, and the presence of Christ. We see this throughout the passage. As I mentioned, two words are emphasized or repeated over and over again. We see groanings and the difficulties and the sufferings, but we see glory and the hope and the promises that we have in Jesus Christ. And even through these groanings, glory comes. There is a promise and a hope of this glory for each of us as believers, regardless of our suffering, regardless of the difficulties. We have a home that is certain. A future that is certain, a hope that is certain in Jesus Christ. Let's look very briefly at these verses. I listed here verse 17, the last phrase. that we may be also glorified together. Speaking of our future glorification with Christ, verse 23, we are waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. This is speaking of our future. It is certain we're waiting for this, where one day we'll experience glorification. And then also verse 25, but if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it? And then we see in verse 30, moreover, whom he did predestinate, to them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. We have these things that are guaranteed to us, our redemption, our adoption. Yes, we're saved. Yes, we're justified. We're talking about our future glorification when we arrive in heaven, when we see Christ face to face. I was thinking about David, King David, and I was thinking about the difficulties in his life and running from King Saul and all of, running from his own son, Absalom, and all of the difficulties that he experienced. But then he wrote one of the probably most famous Psalms for us, Psalm 23. And I wanna just read it in conclusion here. Psalm 23, as we think about the difficulties of this life, but yet our future is certain. And the glory that is promised to us. Psalm 23 says, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. And then he's not just talking about God, now he's talking to God. For thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. And then verse six, he is turning to glory and he's thinking about his future home. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. throughout this psalm, it's a short psalm, but it's dealing with the sufferings of this world, the groanings of this world. But one day we're going to experience not just the groanings throughout all of the sanctification growing process, one day we will arrive at home and we'll see our Savior face to face and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And one day it will all be made right. We'll see Christ face to face. For the moment, it seems like everything's against us. It seems like there's too much suffering. And suffering is certain in this world. We can bank on that because we live in a sin-cursed world. And even for us as believers, there's groanings as a daily reminder to us that things aren't quite right yet, because Jesus, one day, will make everything right. But for the moment, we live in this sin-cursed world. But as I mentioned in the beginning, the objective is to bring us closer to Christ. And that's always a good thing. If something is drawing us closer to Christ, it is positive. So the things that we saw this evening in this passage are six assurances for us in suffering. We can bank on these things, and we can draw strength from these things in the midst of the difficulties that we experience. But I just want to encourage us that even though our suffering is certain in this world, and we will experience groanings, our glory, our future glory is certain. One day we will see Christ face to face, and everything will be made right. And as we saw in Psalm 23, the shepherd will take care of us. Even in the midst of suffering, because we're in Christ, that means Jesus is near. He's walking with us. He is our great shepherd. And so I just wanna encourage us this evening, let's follow Jesus' example. As I mentioned briefly, Jesus set a pattern for us of suffering. Let's follow in his steps. Let's keep our eyes on Jesus. As we see in Hebrews chapter 12, to look unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Let's run our race with patience by keeping our eyes fixed on our shepherd, on Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for the privilege it is to preach through this passage. I pray that you would help us to be able to understand it, to be able to apply it, and then when we understand that we're going through a difficult moment, I pray that our eyes would be fixed on Christ. And even though it's difficult, and even though there are trials in this world, I pray that you would help us to remember the glory that is to come. and the glory that is promised to us in our future home in heaven. Thank you, Lord, for your love for us and that you care and that you are watching and you hear us even in the midst of our suffering. In Jesus' name, amen. Let's stand to our feet. The pianist is going to begin to play. And if there's something that you've just wanted to pour out to the Lord, I want to encourage you, tonight's a good night to do that. We can just take this time, and as we think about the character of our God, let's just take a moment and say, Lord, we're going through this, we're going through this difficulty, would you help me to be able to trust you in the midst of it? Would you help me to draw closer to Christ? Let's keep our heads bowed and our eyes closed just for a moment as we just take a moment to pray and give this time to the Lord, no matter the difficulty, no matter the trial, that He cares, that He hears. He is there. He is close. In his message, he mentioned God hears us, God sees us, and God is ready to help us, and that's what he is. That's who God is to us. I'm gonna ask Brother Smith to come up and lead us in that song, Surely Goodness and Mercy. You all will probably need your, excuse me, your hymnal 207. Surely, goodness, it will not be on the screen. We're gonna sing the first and last. We're gonna wait to sing the coda until the last verse. First and last of 207. ♪ A pilgrim was I, and a wandering man was I ♪ In the cold night of sin I did roam When Jesus, the kind shepherd, found me And now I am on my way home Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. All the days, all the days of my life. Now verse number three. When I walk through the dark, lonesome valley My Savior will walk with me there And safely His great hand will lead me To the mansions He's gone to prepare Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days, all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And I shall feast at the table spread for me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days, all the days of my life All the days, all the days of my life