The following audio is from Gold Country Baptist Church in Shingle Springs, California. Visit gcb.church to find more resources and to learn about our church. Well, we have a bit of a theme going this morning. As you might be able to discern, that theme would be hope, hope in Christ, hope in his word. And as you know, because Pastor Corey already mentioned it, we do have a conference coming up in just a couple of weeks. And that conference really is about hope. It's about hoping in God's word. It's about learning better how to care for one another in the body. The conference is attended to help equip us to better disciple one another, to equip us for the ministry of building up the body of Christ. We will be subjected to trials. You will be subjected to trials. It's because it's in the furnace of suffering that we grow. And it's the furnace of affliction that prepares us for an eternal weight of glory. But in that furnace, it's all too easy to lose hope. But because hope is the very foundation of biblical change, my message this morning is exactly about that. It's about giving hope to our friends who may be in the depths of hopelessness. How do we offer hope to those who are suffering? We all experience hard times at some point, don't we? The Apostle Peter said that as Christians, we shouldn't be surprised when trials come upon us. And Paul warned Timothy that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted. Trials are coming if they haven't come already in your life. Are you ready for those trials and are you ready to offer your friend, your neighbor, the man or woman that you love in the pews next to us, are you ready to offer them hope? I met with a friend for coffee some time ago He told me that his son, who was in his mid-teens at the time, was struggling with depression. He'd been in a battle with drug abuse for years, and had recently been diagnosed with a chemically-induced form of schizophrenia. He heard voices, and he was suffering from terrible paranoia. He believed that you could hear his thoughts, and he tried desperately to hide himself away. And the psychiatrist, well they offered no hope whatsoever. They put him on a cocktail of drugs and that was that. So the question I have for you this morning is what would you have said to my friend? How would you offer him hope? Would you say that the doctors have it handled and not to worry? They're the professionals after all. Well, this young man died just a few months ago of a drug overdose, so clearly they didn't have it handled, did they? Or perhaps you'd say that God is sovereign and so all things will work out for the best. Well, that's true, isn't it? God is sovereign. But that doesn't always give us hope when we're broken. I mean, how do you tell someone who's just lost her son that it's all for the best? Maybe you'd feel so awkward that you wouldn't know what to say. I think most of us would fall into that category. What if your friend comes up to you and shares that they're feeling really down or anxious, they're worried about the future, or they're immersed in some sin that they just don't seem to be able to climb their way out of? How do you help them? What do you say? Well, that's what this conference is about. It's about discipleship. It's about loving one another enough to spend time with them. It's about working through sin issues with them. Helping them to wrestle through hot issues that are keeping them from growing in the Lord, growing in godliness. Hot issues that are pulling them away from living a life that pleases God. You see, we're all called to this ministry of discipleship, aren't we? The Apostle Paul understood that when he exhorted Timothy to share what he had learned with faithful men so that they could, in turn, teach others. They could build each other up. They could help one another to break those old sinful habits and to pick up new habits that reflect our new identity in Christ. How do you care for someone and disciple them when they're stumbling through the darkest hours of their life? You see, our hurting brothers and sisters need to believe again, or perhaps even believe for the first time that there's hope in the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. There's hope in his word, and there's hope for whatever problem they're struggling with. And so the very first thing we do as biblical counselors, and the very first thing you should do when your friend comes to you, is offer them hope. It's to give them a grounded biblical hope. So to that end, turn with me to Romans 8. We're gonna be reading from verse 28. These verses we're looking at are foundational for what we do in counseling because they offer hope. Hope for change, hope that the Holy Spirit can use your pain. Hope that there's light at the end of the tunnel. Now, the Apostle Paul had been talking about suffering. In Romans 8, 18, he said that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. We groan, he says, as we wait eagerly for the redemption of our bodies. Then he goes on in Romans 8, 28. Look with me there. We're suffering, he says, but we know, verse 28, that for those who love God, all things work together for good. for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. My friends, that is a glorious promise, and it offers tremendous hope. So this morning, I wanna break this passage down into three sections. First, God uses all things. Second, he uses all things for the good. And third, he uses all things for the good for those who love him. So point number one, God uses all things. Well, wait a minute, you say, what are these all things that God uses? What is he referring to? It's easy to think that he's just using the good things of life, isn't it? The blessings, our comfort, our joy, our health, our prosperity. And those are wonderful things. Those are mercies from God. And God does use them for His glory. But what about calamity? Does He use sickness? Does He use unemployment or disability or chronic pain? I have no doubt that you'll affirm those things. Yes, God uses difficult things. But stop for a moment, if you would, and consider specific trials that you have gone through. Even events that you might not consider trials, but cause heartache when you're thinking about specific trials you're going through, pain, medical issues, marital conflicts. Oftentimes you'll recognize that your confession might start to waver. Yes, I believe that God uses all things. But does God actually even use those things? A difficult spouse. Workplace conflict. What about an obsession with pornography? How could God possibly use that? You get laid off and you're optimistic for a while. God is good. But then the hours turn into days, which drag into weeks, months, even years. And you start to wonder, how could God be using this trial for anything good? When times are easy, it's easy to affirm God's promises. But when times are hard, especially for a protracted period of time, it becomes more difficult, doesn't it? When the tears become an every night event or an all night event, or we have to decide between paying the mortgage and paying the medical bills, then our optimism and the veracity of God's word can become a little bit shaky. I was watching this documentary a while back about a rock climber. He took on El Capitan at Yosemite Park. El Capitan is about 3,000 feet high, and this guy was a free climber. That means he climbs without any ropes whatsoever. He free climbs. It's just him and the wall. That's all it is. He was climbing this crazy 3,000 foot high rock face. It took him about four hours to scale El Capitan. And his fingers and his toes were clinging white with tension. Because he knew that if he let go, even for a moment, that he would fall to his death. So he clings confidently, but almost desperately, knowing that he really doesn't have any other options available to him. You ever feel like that when you're trusting in God's promises? Have you ever gone through a traumatic life event, a really hard season of life, and all you could do was to cling desperately to God's promises, especially when that season drags on? We cling to the promises in his word, because to let go of those promises would be unthinkable. We believe God's Word is true, don't we? We believe it's sure. We believe it's authoritative and sufficient for all of life and godliness. 2 Timothy 3.16 says that all scripture is breathed out by God. It's profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. But sometimes it seems like the trials of life are screaming so loudly that it's all but impossible to hold on to that cliff face. Can we really trust God's Word to be true? That's when the doubts start to come in, isn't it? When we're struggling, we're suffering for a protracted and extended period of time. Can we really trust that God's Word is sufficient Can we really trust that God will use all things for the good? How well does your confession hold when you're in the heat of life's furnace? What happens when God brings an unexpected death into your life? What about that tragic shooting last month at the Christian school in Tennessee? Remember that? How could God possibly use a school shooting for anyone's good? And then there's the unspoken question, what kind of God would even allow such a thing? I'm not gonna stand here and tell you that I have all the answers to the question of how. How God uses difficult things, even evil things, for good. We won't always know how God is working in your life, but what I can tell you, wholeheartedly, without hesitation, without reservation, is that God uses all things for good for those who love Him. How do I know that? Because He said so, right? That's enough, amen? But my friends, we are too quick to turn that confession from an emphatic statement to a question. In the heat of the furnace we're drawn to ask, does He really use all things for good? It's an important question because if it's true, if he does use all things, then that should change the way we perceive life events, shouldn't it? That difficult marriage becomes an opportunity to serve and to grow and to love selflessly as Christ has loved you. It becomes a sanctifying experience rather than an agony, something to escape. You see, the all things includes suffering. Hard things generally create greater change in the believer's life, in the believer's heart, than blessing. You say, how do I know that? Well, turn with me to Deuteronomy chapter 8. Deuteronomy chapter 8. We're going to look at verse 11. Israelites were entering the promised land, and they had high expectations that it was going to be a land of bounty, of beauty, of great blessing. Land of milk and honey, it was described as. Great things were in store for them. So they were probably expecting Moses to praise them for their hard work and their faithfulness. They'd just spent 40 years stumbling their way through the wilderness. Sure, times were a little spotty in places. They weren't Faithful to God all of the time, but generally most of the time they felt pretty good about things. Well, Moses did not praise them for their hard work and faithfulness. Deuteronomy 8, verse 11, he takes the time to warn them to be especially careful during times of blessing. He says, take care, verse 11, lest when you have eaten, and are full, and have built good houses, and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied. Stop there for a second. Is there anything wrong with having a nice home? Good food? Prosperity? No, there's nothing wrong with any of those things, is there? But he says, take care lest you have those things. And then in verse 14, he says, lest you have those things and your heart is lifted up, meaning you're joyful, and you forget the Lord your God. Isn't that interesting? Moses recognized their propensity to forget God. Frankly, the Israelites had demonstrated their propensity to forget God, hadn't they? Life can be so good, though, that our hearts are filled and we forget the Lord. We turn our attention to worldly things. So good things are not always the best things for us. If you're a parent, you would understand that. Good things are not always the best things for us. Moses goes on then to remind the Israelites of all that God had done for them. He brought them out of slavery. He led them through a terrifying and thirsty wilderness. He provided for them, but he knew that their temptation would be to take the credit for their own accomplishments, for their own survival. So he goes on in verse 17. Beware, lest you say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth. Don't forget God in the good times. It's appropriate. We see steps taken in the Old Testament to remember God's faithfulness. Joshua erected 12 stones at Gilgal as a memorial to God's faithfulness. And likewise for us, we're exhorted to remember Christ every time we meet, aren't we? but it's just as important to remember Him in the hard times. Both are intended by God for His purposes. Both the good times and the suffering are intended by God for your good. Do you ever think about Bartimaeus? That's not a name you hear very often. Those of you who are pregnant and looking for a name for your son, Bartimaeus, it's a great name. I think about him a lot. His story actually makes me a little sad. We meet him sitting on the side of the road in Jericho in Mark 10, 46. Imagine for a moment how difficult life must have been for Bartimaeus, for a disabled person back then. There was no welfare for him. He'd get up early in the morning and he'd take his mat if he even had one, and he'd stumble out and he'd find a spot on the side of the road. In the heat of the sun, the beggars would jostle for position, for the best position. Some locations would be better than others. And they'd sit there and they'd cry out to passersby, help! Help me! I need your help. Bartimaeus was a beggar by trade. Uneducated. Unable to do anything but beg for crumbs from passersby. Despised by those around him. Bartimaeus was an outcast from society. I don't know much about Bartimaeus. I know his name. He was the son of Timaeus. We get that from his name, Bartimaeus. But I don't know how tall he was. I don't know if he had brothers and sisters, if he played with them. As a child, did he play games with his brothers and sisters like everybody else would today? I don't know what he dreamt about. I don't know what he liked to do in his spare time, if he had any. But one thing I can tell you about Bartimaeus, his life was very, very hard. If you wanna think suffering, think Bartimaeus. All he could do when he saw Jesus was to beg for mercy. This man needed mercy. He needed hope. In John chapter 9, we see another man who had been blind from birth. Another beggar, this one unnamed. One more person who had suffered terribly. And in this account, the disciples were curious. Why was this man born blind? Was it because of his sin? Or was it the sin of his parents? Who sinned? They assumed that somebody did. And what was Jesus' response? Do you remember? John 9, verse 3. He says that it wasn't this man who sinned or his parents. Sin wasn't the reason that this blind man was born blind. So then what could possibly be the cause of his blindness? Jesus said it wasn't this man who sinned or his parents. And here's the purpose statement. Note this. It's very important. It's because... It wasn't that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. Did you get that? I love it when God gives us a purpose statement in Scripture. Just like Bartimaeus, this man was born blind, a destitute beggar. He suffered horribly. And for what? Why was he born blind? He was born blind as an object lesson for the disciples, for the watching crowd, and for us. I don't know about you, but that blows me away. This man wasn't born blind because of sin. He wasn't born blind because of some random genetic abnormality. There are no random genetic abnormalities, by the way. He wasn't even born blind to teach him a lesson. He wasn't born blind to make sure that he'd remain humble or that he'd be a better husband or better understand the doctrines of the faith. No, his blindness and the resulting lifetime of suffering, and believe me, he would have suffered, was intended to be an object lesson. My friends, it wasn't even about him. Think of that. His suffering wasn't even about him. I'm sure he was shaped by his suffering. Maybe one day if we see him in heaven, Lord willing, we can ask him how he was changed or affected by that. But the reason he was born blind, according to the person who created him, the very one who created him, so that God's glorious works might be displayed in him. God sovereignly chose to afflict this man with an unthinkable, lifelong trauma for God's own glory. Well, you ask, how can that possibly be encouraging? This is supposed to be a sermon about hope, right? Blind and destitute is still blind and destitute after all. But my friends, if you think that you're missing the point, the point is His suffering, our suffering, is always, always for a greater purpose. Therein lies the hope. It's not just about affliction for the sake of affliction. It's affliction for the sake of fulfilling God's purposes. Surely that is encouraging. Your pain may never go away. It doesn't sound very encouraging, does it? My friend's son will never come back. But there's still hope in the knowledge that God is working. God is working. Doesn't that give you hope? Your suffering, my friend, is never without purpose. I hope you can see how that might encourage someone who's hurting today. The Apostle James writes in James chapter one, It produces steadfastness. It produces steadfastness. There's the purpose statement. With the goal of making us complete, our suffering is there for the purpose of producing steadfastness, that we may be complete so that we'll be prepared for any work that God has for us. There's a purpose for suffering. There are other examples in Scripture, of course, of men who endured excruciating circumstances for reasons that had no obvious reason to do with themselves. The blind man at Bethsaida, the invalid at the Pool of Bethesda, Lazarus, Job, they all suffered horribly so that we might learn from them. Think of the Apostle Paul. He suffered, didn't he? He suffered terribly. According to 2 Corinthians 11, he was imprisoned, whipped, beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked three times, left adrift at sea. You would think he'd learn not to get into boats at some point. He traveled many long journeys, faced dangers from rivers and robbers, even from his own people who turned on him. He endured many sleepless nights. He was cold, he was hungry, and he faced the violent accusations of false teachers. And on top of all of that, if that wasn't enough, he tells us that he had a thorn in his flesh. We don't know what that thorn was. Perhaps it was chronic pain. But that thorn was intended by God, intentionally inflicted, get that, by God, according to 2 Corinthians 12, to keep him from becoming conceited, to keep him humble. God knew that Paul would need that. For those who love God, all things work together for the good. All things you say, well, what about divorce? What about terminal disease or those starving children in Africa? What about mind-numbing, excruciating, chronic pain? A pain so intense that it eclipses every moment of your life. How could God possibly use those things? What about sin? Could God use someone else's sin for our good? What about your own sin? Now to answer that question, we need to address the issue of God's sovereignty. Does God even have the ability to use all things for good? Romans 8 very clearly says that He does, doesn't it? I mean, Paul wouldn't have said it if God wasn't able to follow through on it. So verses 28 and 29 alone underscore His sovereign ability to do as He pleases. But let's look at a few other passages to back that up. Psalm 50 verse 15, God says to His people, That's sweet. Nothing is too much for God. He'll come to your rescue if you just call on Him. By the way, notice that it's deliverance which comes as a consequence of the trial. And that brings God glory. There's a purpose to our troubles. God is glorified when we handle our troubles rightly. When we go to Him, when we call upon Him in that day of trouble, He will respond. He will come and He will deliver and we will glorify Him. There's the purpose statement. What about Lamentations 3, 37? Who has spoken and it came to pass unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High, note this, is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? As inconceivable as that may be, God ordains or allows or even causes good things and hard things. One more, this one's really good. Noah read it for us this morning. Lamentations 3, 31 to 33. For the Lord will not cast off forever. Now listen to this, the Lord will not cast off forever, but though he causes grief, though he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. Isn't that interesting? Our God is a compassionate God. Praise God for that. Yes, he sovereignly ordains the difficult things. But he doesn't afflict eagerly. And the experience of pain that you're going through is temporary. Consider verse 33 again of Lamentations 3. He causes grief, writes the psalmist, writes Solomon, but he doesn't do it cheerfully. He takes no pleasure in inflicting pain. So then if he takes no pleasure in it, then why would he do it? Why does God inflict pain? Well, the prophet Hosea declared this. Come, let us return to the Lord, for he has torn us, that he may heal us. There's a purpose statement there. He has torn us, that he may heal us. He has struck us down, and he will bind us up. Go back, he says, go back. God has struck us down, but he stands ready to heal. God tears down and He restores. Do you see? Do you see? The suffering has purpose. It's saving up for us an eternal weight of glory. It has eternal value. Psalm 147 verse 8 says that our God provides and sustains. It says He covers the heavens with clouds. He prepares rain for the earth. He makes grass grow on the fields, or on the hills, and He gives to the beasts their food. God is sovereign. Daniel 4.35, all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none can say to him, none can stay his hand or say to him, what have you done? God governs this world and he can do whatever he pleases. Indeed, he does whatever he pleases. Isaiah chapter 46 verse 9. God is sovereign even over sin. Consider our Savior's death at the hands of wicked men. Do you think that was out of God's control? Of course not. God used the sin of wicked men for incredible redemptive purposes. Jerry Bridges writes that if there's a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God's sovereign control, then we cannot trust Him. And that's unthinkable. We plan our steps, but the Lord directs our path. Our confidence in the sovereignty of God is crucial to our ability to trust him. We cannot trust him if he's not sovereignly in control. We can't trust him if we don't understand that he's in control of all things. Do you get the point? The person who says that God cannot be trusted, or that God is not in control of this universe, is the person who is actively and intentionally denying the plain reading of Scripture. Our God is in the heavens, my friend, and He does all that He pleases. Amen? The author and hymn writer Margaret Clarkson writes this. The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident. They may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God. All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. But it's not just the willful, malevolent acts of other people that are under God's sovereign control. So are their mistakes. That driver who ran a red light and struck your car and sent you to the hospital. That physician who failed to notice the signs of cancer at its earliest stages and now it's inoperable. Or the employer who just doesn't like you and makes your life miserable. All of these circumstances are under the hand of our sovereign God. Think of Joseph. Joseph was in prison for a long time. He was left there for more than two years, and do you remember why? Why was Joseph in prison for two years? He was left suffering in prison because Potiphar's cup bearer forgot about him. Imagine that. Potiphar's cup bearer forgot about him. Joseph understood that neither willful malicious acts nor the unintended mistakes of others can deflect or redirect God's purposes for us. God knew that Potiphar's cupbearer would forget him. Nothing, my friends, is too trivial to escape God's attention and nothing is so great as to be beyond his power to control it. Our God is sovereign over nature. He's sovereign over the nations. He's sovereign over the government. He's sovereign over the heavens. He's sovereign over evil. And He's intimately involved, sovereign, over every detail of our lives. Therefore, God is able to use all things. That was point number one. Point number two, God uses all things for good. Romans 8.28 says, for those who love God, all things work together for good. So what is this good that Paul is referring to? Is it a promise of prosperity? Is it a promise that if we behave ourselves, God will bless us with a fancy car and a nice house? Look at verse 29 with me, Romans 8, 29. For those whom he foreknew, that is, those that God predestined to salvation, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Think about that. For those who love God, all things work together for good. And that good, says Paul, is being conformed to the image of his Son. That's God's goal in the all things. It's Christ's likeness. Do you want to resemble Christ? Then submit to the all things that God brings to you. What greater privilege could there be to be conformed, molded into the image of Jesus Christ? That's the very center of God's purpose for us. When you're dealing with life's difficulties, When you're left languishing in prison for an extra two years because somebody's cup bearer forgot about you. You're being molded by the very hand of God. Like a lump of clay by the potter. Molded into something beautiful. The Apostle Paul called this the, the prize of the upward call in Philippians 3.14. He pressed on toward this goal. Not just for the time to come when we're standing, lying, bowing before God. That will be sweet, won't it? But now, here, God wants you to be changed. God expects you to be changed. God has commanded that you be changed. Which then begs the question, how are you doing with that? Are you allowing God to conform you into the image of his son? Are you allowing the potter to shape that lump of clay? Or are you kicking against the goads? That's the accusation God made against Paul when he was still Saul, the persecutor of Christians. A goad was a long, sharp stick. And it was used to get a stubborn ox moving down the road in the right direction. One would stab the beast in its hind leg to get it moving. An ox would kick against that goad. So to kick against the goad meant to be stubborn. It means to be foolish, stupid, to resist the correction you've been given. Jesus had to push the stubborn Saul in the right direction. And that goading caused him pain. But instead of submitting to Christ, Saul kicked against those goads and caused himself even more pain. And that's exactly what we do, isn't it? When we resist God's work in our lives, we fight it, we kick against it, and we cause ourselves unnecessary strife, unnecessary pain. The Apostle Paul says that all things work together for good. We've established that the all things are all things, right? Good times, worship here together with the saints, family victories, that new job that enables you to better provide for your family, health. It's also the hard things that God is using. In fact, I would suggest that Paul's testimony is that pain and suffering is a requisite for growth. God used that thorn to mold and conform the apostle. And Paul pleaded with God three times that the pain would be taken away. that God chose to leave him with that pain as a demonstration of His grace. If you're struggling, beloved, know that His grace is sufficient. It's enough. Paul understood that. 1 Corinthians 10, 13, God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, He will also provide you a way of escape. that you may be able to endure it. God's grace is sufficient. Rather than fighting it, the suffering Paul experienced taught him how to be content even in the weakness, even in the insults, even in the hardships, the persecutions, the calamities. His physical weakness translated into spiritual strength. He fought valiantly, straining every muscle to win the prize. He ran the race with endurance, and he set his eyes on Jesus Christ, the founder and perfecter of his faith. And Jesus chose Paul for the ultimate purpose of being conformed to his own glorious image. Jesus Christ chose you, Christian, to be conformed into his own glorious image. That's Romans 8, 29. And that's the goal for which Paul fought with his very life. Jesus is the standard for our spiritual maturity. Jesus is the standard for our perfection. God, therefore, wants every believer to appropriate, to take on the very qualities of his Son. That's the good that comes from the all things. Do you see how we can experience pain? We can experience suffering. And then even experience joy. That God would choose to give us even these painful things. Because they have purpose. They have purpose. The blessings of life are wonderful and they're gifts from God. They're God's grace for us. But we can also consider suffering and pain to be gifts as well. And we can even thank Him for those gifts, can't we? Martha Snell Nicholson wrote a wonderful poem called The Thorn. Some of you are familiar with it. I want to read it for you. I stood, a mendicant of God before His royal throne. A mendicant is a type of beggar, a royal beggar, someone in the court who begs from the king. I stood a mendicant of God before his royal throne and begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own. I took the gift from out his hand, but as I would depart, I cried, but Lord, this is a thorn. And it has pierced my heart. This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which thou has given me. He said, my child, I give good gifts. and gave my best to thee. I took it home, and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore, as long years passed, I learned at last to love it more and more. I learned he never gives a thorn without this added grace. He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides his face. Suffering will come. Trials will come. Pain will become a reality. Are you ready to proclaim in those docus of days, my friends, that this is God's best for me? This is God's best for me. The suffering is God's best. The world will never understand that. The world will never understand our attitude towards suffering. Suffering is God's best. We are all, writes the Apostle Paul, being transformed into the image of Christ from one degree of glory to another, one step after another. And that transformation isn't a snap your fingers and you're changed kind of thing. It takes time, it takes a catalyst, an impetus, a driving force to keep you going. So turn with me to Psalm 51. You know this passage. King David had sinned egregiously with Bathsheba. Committed adultery. And then he caused the death of her husband. And then he refused to repent. And he kept his sin hidden away. He wrote in Psalm 32, and you don't need to turn with me there, but he wrote in Psalm 32, when I kept silent, that is when he didn't confess his sin, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand, God's hand, was heavy upon me. My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. God was breaking him down. And so in Psalm 51, he's come to this point where he's ready to repent. To seek forgiveness, the prophet Nathan had gone to him and pointed out what was going on in his life. Convicted him of his sin. And he says this, Psalm 51, verse one. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love. According to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against you and you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight." That's what true repentance looks like, isn't it? A recognition of harm done, a recognition that you've sinned and that your sin, frankly, isn't primarily against this other person, although that's certainly true. It is against another person. But a recognition that your sin is first and foremost before God, against God. Repentance involves seeking restitution, mercy from the one that you have offended. Drop down to verse seven, he continues. He was laboring under the pain of unconfessed sin. It's a warning to those of us who haven't confessed sin. If you have unconfessed sin, now is the time to repent of that sin and confess it. He goes on, verse 9, Isn't that sweet? But then in verse 13, we have this wonderful punchline. It's a punchline that I think we often miss. We often stop at verse 12. That's where the song stopped. Remember that old song? Stopped at verse 12. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, or the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. David has begged God for mercy. He's asked him to purge him, to cleanse him, to forgive him. And then he goes on to say these interesting words, perhaps maybe a turning point in his life. Verse 13, then he says, I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will return to you. That's biblical counseling. That's discipleship. That's us, you, me, friends, doing the work of ministry together. You don't need to be certified or a seminary degree carrying pastor or counselor or elder or church leader to help your brother or sister work through their suffering. You don't need to be a professional therapist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist to help your friend work through difficult life problems. Repent of your own sin and teach others God's ways and they will return to Him. Don't you think God used David's wickedness for his own good and glorious purposes? This man murdered Bathsheba's husband to cover up his crime. He took sin and took it to the next level. He was wicked, but eventually he got to this point in his repentance of singing God's praises. Look at verse 14. Oh Lord, open my lips. And my mouth will declare your praise. He repented of his sin and sought God's face. He turned from his sin. He was broken by his sin and the recognition that he had sinned. And God forgave him. And as a result, he was able to sing God's praises again. There were also consequences that weren't there for his sin. God used his sin. God used his suffering. But his sin came with a cost, a terrible, terrible cost. The death of his infant son. But God used even that to further his own plan of redemption. How do I know that? Because God uses all things for the good of those who love him. One of my favorite counseling passages is in 2 Corinthians chapter one. Turn with me there. 2 Corinthians chapter one. starting in verse 3. I love it because it gives us a direct and specific purpose for the trials we go through. Remember I said I love purpose statements. I love it when God makes it really clear to us why he's working. This is one of those passages. We'll never know all of the reasons that God is working and why God has us go through trials, but here's one reason for it. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's suffering, as those trials of life, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. Verse 6, if we are afflicted, It is for your comfort and salvation. And if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we endure, that we suffer. There's a reason why we experience suffering. So that God might comfort us. Does that seem strange? It seems almost like it's reverse thinking there. It's not strange because that comfort isn't merely for our own benefit. The Lord comforts us in our suffering, in our trials, so that we might share that comfort with others. I think there's hope in that, isn't there? Not only are we comforted so that we'll comfort others, but we're comforted in direct proportion to the number and severity of the trials that we're going through. The more we suffer, friends, the more God comforts us. Praise God for that. Which means, by extension, the more we're comforted, the more we can comfort others who are hurting. That's discipleship. And a byproduct of that, perhaps the sweetest of all, is the sense of Christian community we get to enjoy when we share one another's burdens. Fellowship in the body is sweet. And when we share one another's burdens in the body, somehow that gets sweeter still. You can be sure that if you're willing to share your burden with others, then they will benefit from the experience. You don't have to go through your trials in a vacuum. God's people stand ready to love you. God's people stand ready to support you, to disciple you, to counsel you, to comfort you. My friends, this is what Christians do. It's your ministry. It's your ministry to comfort others with the same comfort that you have received from God. 1 Corinthians 12, 26 says that if one member suffers, all suffer together. And if one member is honored, we all rejoice together. And if you're suffering today, we suffer with you. We stand with you. And our hope for you is unshaken. But for the comfort of 2 Corinthians 1 to work, guess what? I need to know what you're going through. Your friend here in the chair next to you needs to know what you're dealing with, what you're going through, what your sufferings are. How can he comfort you? How can she comfort you if she doesn't know what you're dealing with? How can we fulfill the mandate in 2 Corinthians 1, verse 3 and following to comfort one another with the comfort that God has given to us if we don't know what others are going through? To be able to comfort you, we need Christians willing to be vulnerable enough to cry out, help, I need you, I need help. And so God uses all things. He works all things together for the good. That's point number two. Point number three. It's for the good of those who are called according to His purpose. It's for the good of those who love Him. There's a condition, even a warning in this verse. Romans 8, 28 and 29 is not for everybody. You should know that. They're only for those who have repented and trusted in Christ for salvation. If you're not a believer in Christ, God isn't promising you that all things will work out in the end. Sure, they will in God's plan. But without repentance and faith, your plans, frankly, are going to come to a crashing and abrupt end. You see, the clause repeats itself. I like the NASB a little bit better in this regard. The NASB presents the words in a sequence that I think is easier to understand. Here's what it says. God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Those who love God and those who are called according to His purpose are references to the same people. It's simply two of the many titles or descriptions the New Testament uses of Christians. So from a human point of view, we are those who love God, and from God's perspective, we are those who are called. It's just referring to the same person from two different directions. It's the same thing. If you're effectively called, then you will love Him. And if you love Him, all things will work together for good. All things is an utterly comprehensive statement. I hope you can see that. All things encompasses every event, every pain, every shout of joy, every trial without restriction or condition. And that promise is for you, beloved, if you love Him. So I have to ask the question, do you love Him? Do you love Him this morning? We don't love Him because of the benefits. We don't love Him so that we can be confident that all things will work out in the end. We don't love Him because we're fearful of hell like He's some sort of cosmic fire insurance policy. We don't love Him so that our life will be easy. I think this message in Romans 8, 28 and 29 in Paul's writing makes it clear that that's not gonna happen. We're not gonna have an easy life. We love Him because of what He has done for us. what He did for us in sending His beloved Son to die for allowing Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb, to suffer more than any other and to pay the penalty for our sin, a penalty we could never repay, that we might be able to stand before Him in glory, washed clean by the blood of the Lamb, boldly able to proclaim, not by my works, not by my works, but by the work of Your Son. We could never earn a pardon for the sin we've committed. But even if we could, that would only get us so far. Jesus' death, the event that we remembered last Friday, Good Friday, paid the penalty for our sin. But one more step was necessary in that process in order for us to be able to stand before God in glory. He arose. Praise God, He arose. The grave could not defeat Him, and now He is seated with the Father, ready to receive His own, His work of redemption It's redeeming you and me, friends. It's complete. It's complete. So now it's your task, believer, to grow in godliness. All things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose, for those who are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Yes, life continues to be difficult. There are always going to be challenges in the Christian life. Life is hard. Like Job or Bartimaeus, we may never understand the reason for our pain. And when we don't understand or see a specific purpose for our pain, it's really easy to doubt God's goodness toward us. But I trust that you can see that hope that we have in God's word, hope in our suffering, hope in our trials, our suffering has eternal value. So perhaps you can see why I'm so excited about Romans 8, 28 and 29 and 2 Corinthians 1 as they apply to discipleship. We can offer hope to our friends who are suffering. That's the first thing you need to do when someone comes to you broken hearted because they can't escape the sin that just won't go away or they're dealing with some painful, painful event, trauma, difficulty in life. We can offer hope to our friends who are suffering. That's why I'm so excited about this conference that's coming up, because it's there and it's intended to help to equip you, brothers, sisters, to help equip you to love your brothers and sisters in Christ better. So I hope you're gonna go to that conference. There is eternal value to your suffering. The Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthians, we do not lose heart. We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. You ever feel like your outer self is wasting away? Our bodies may be failing, but our souls are energized daily. Praise God by the Holy Spirit working in us as we submit to His will. For this light momentary affliction, writes Paul, is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient. They're temporary. But the things that are unseen are eternal. Amen? Pray with me. Father, thank you for your glorious Word. Thank you for the hope that we have in your Word. A hope that gives us The ability to wake up in the morning and know that even difficult things are for your purposes, even difficult things are by your grace, they're gifts to us, that we might grow in Christlikeness. And so, Father, as we go out this morning, as we go out today and into our week, I just would ask, humbly ask, that you would help us to remember that. Help us to remember and apply these truths that we might recognize that even difficult things, the good things, yes, and even the difficult things are mercies, are gifts from you that we can use, that you use perfectly and sovereignly for our good and for your glory. So we give you praise for that in the name of your very precious Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.