GOD IS WITH YOU AND FOR YOU

 

  1. Introduction: In our current series we are talking about developing a right perspective, and we have more to say tonight.  Perspective is the way you see things—your view of reality.  We need to learn to see things the way they really are according to God.
  2. There is more to reality th

an what we see or feel in the present moment.  And, only Almighty God has all the facts about everything past, present, and future, because He is all-knowing (Omniscient) and present everywhere at once (Omnipresent)

  1. When we develop this right perspective, it will give us hope, peace of mind, and joy in the midst of life’s many hardships.
  2. A right perspective is an eternal perspective. An eternal perspective recognizes that there’s more to life than just this life, and the greater and better part of life is in the life after this life.
  3. God has given us a book that helps us see reality as it truly is—the Bible. The Bible reveals unseen realities—things that we cannot see either because they are beyond the perception of our physical senses (God with us), or because they are future (still to come).
  4. We’ve been talking about Paul the apostle, an eyewitness of Jesus. Paul lived a very difficult life filled with hardship and pain, as he proclaimed the good news of Jesus in the Roman world.  But he had the right perspective, an eternal perspective, which eased the load of his life.  He wrote:
  5. II Cor 4:17-18—For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!  So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen.  For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever (NLT).
  6. Paul was able to call his many difficulties momentary and light in comparison to what is ahead in the life after this life. Paul looked forward to what is coming and that gave him hope.
  7. A right perspective, an eternal perspective, sees the big picture (God’s unfolding plan for humanity). A right perspective also accepts the realities of this current temporary life.
  8. God created human beings to become His sons and daughters through faith in Him. And He created the earth to be a home for Himself and His family
  9. When the first man Adam sinned, as the head of the human race and earth’s first steward, his actions affected the race within him and the earth itself. A curse of corruption and death infused all of creation (Rom 5:12; Gen 2:17; Gen 3:17-19).  All people have chosen independence from God through sin, disqualifying them for His family, and the world is filled with hurt and pain.
  10. Following Adam’s sin, God began to reveal His plan to recover His family and the family home through Jesus (Gen 3:15). The Bible is a collection of books that tell the story of God’s desire for a family and the lengths He’s gone to, to obtain His family through Jesus.
  11. The Bible records God’s unfolding plan of redemption—His plan to ultimately deliver creation (humanity and the earth) from bondage to sin, corruption, and death.
  12. The Bible a record of real people. It shows us how God interacted with real people, working in their lives, as He furthered His plan to recover and restore His family and the family home.
  13. The point for us now is that this damaged world is not the way God created or intended it to be—filled with hardship, pain, and loss. But it won’t always be this way, and that must be our focus.
  14. We don’t deny the reality of what we see. We recognize that the troubles and trials of life are real, but temporary, and there is a greater reality that is eternal and unchanging.
  15. We live with the awareness that everything we face is temporary, even if it lasts a lifetime, and with the awareness that there’s reunion, restoration, recompense, and reward ahead.
  16. Paul not only kept his focus on the life after this life, he also focused on the fact that God was with him and for him right now, working behind the scenes and causing everything to serve His purposes.
  17. Paul knew that nothing could come against him that is bigger than God. He knew that God was perfectly present with him, loving and reigning.  Paul knew that God always sees a way to cause what he was facing to work for good, and that God would get him through until He got him out.
  18. These statements are based on specific Bible passages. We’re taking time to look at some of them.  Last week we focused on the fact that nothing can come against us that is bigger than God because He is El Shaddai—the Almighty God.  This means that nothing is too hard or too impossible for Him.  Tonight, we focus on the fact that God Almighty is with us and for us.

 

  1. To live have the right perspective, you must see your true relationship to God—He is for you. For is a word that is used to indicate an object toward which one’s desire or activity is directed.
  2. Paul knew that God was for him (and all of us) because God’s entire plan for humanity was and is directed at him (and us). His plan is directed at recovering and restoring His lost family, a family of sons and daughters, made in His image, with whom He can live in loving relationship forever.
  3. Paul wrote: Eph 1:4-5—Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus (NLT).
  4. Adoption in the ancient world was different than it is today. Adoption meant to place an adult in the position of a son and make him an heir.  When we bow our knee to Jesus, God places us as His sons and makes us heirs of the salvation and redemption that He provides.  This salvation affects this life, but it extends far beyond this present life.
  5. Paul made specific statements about God’s plan for us. Rom 8:28-29—We are assured and know that…all things work together for good and are [fitting into a plan] for good to those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.  For those whom He foreknew—of whom He was aware and loved beforehand—he also destined from the beginning…to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness] (Amp).
  6. God knew us, loved us, and called us for a purpose before we existed. He loved us and called us to join His family through faith in Jesus.  He chose us to become partakers of His Spirit and life through union with Him, and chose us to become sons and daughters who are like Jesus in our character.  Jesus, in His humanity, is the pattern for God’s family (lessons for another day).
  7. Paul continued: Rom 8:30—And those whom He called He also justified—acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself.  And those whom He justified He also glorified—raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition [state of being] (Amp).
  8. Sin disqualified us for His family. So, God the Son incarnated (the Lord Jesus took on a human nature) and died “abolish sin by His sacrifice” [of Himself] (Heb 9:26, Amp).
  9. When we bow our knee to Jesus as Savior and Lord, we are cleansed of sin and returned to God’s family, on the basis of Jesus’ sacrifice (I Pet 3:18).
  10. This is the beginning of a process of restoration that will ultimately restore us to all that we were created to be before sin damaged the family and the family home—sons and daughters who are Christlike in our character and fully glorifying to God our Father (many lessons).
  11. Then Paul wrote: Rom 8:31—What can we say about such wonderful things?  If God is for us, who (or what) can ever be against us (NLT).
  12. In other words, what Paul just wrote about God’s plan assured him that God was for him (and for us). Paul knew that God included him (and us) in His plan—a plan conceived before the world began.  God knew us, chose us, called us, justified us (declared us not guilty), and glorified us (put His Spirit and life in us).  (Lessons for another day)
  13. Paul knew that God was for him (and us) because He loved Paul (and us) and demonstrated His love through the Cross of Christ. God the Father, motivated by love, gave His Son Jesus, who, as an act of love, died as a sacrifice for our sin. John 3:16; John 15:13; John 10:11
  14. Paul knew that nothing could separate him (or us) from God’s love or from the plan and purpose that was inspired by His love and demonstrated through the Cross of Christ.
  15. Rom 8:38-39—Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death…No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ Jesus who loves us (NLT).
  16. The victory Paul preached was not—no more problems. This victory is ultimate victory over sin and death through Jesus.  Paul wrote:  How we thank God, who gives us the victory over sin and death through Jesus Christ our Lord (I Cor 15:57, NLT).
  17. Jesus, through the sacrifice of Himself, broke sin’s power over humanity and conquered death in all its forms. For all who believe in Him, a process of increasing deliverance from sin, corruption, and death has begun, and it will be completed in the life to come.
  18. The problem is, we presume that if He loved us, He would stop our troubles and end our suffering. But that’s not His primary purpose right now.
  19. This life matters, but the life to come matters more because this life is temporary. The life to come lasts forever.  Jesus didn’t die to make this temporary life the highlight of our existence.
  20. Paul wrote: I Cor 7:31—This world in its present form is passing away (NIV). The apostle John wrote:  I John 2:17—This world is fading away, along with everything it craves (NLT).
  21. In the context of surrendering fully to Him, Jesus said: Mark 8:36—For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God] (Amp).
  22. The Bible is very clear that God puts off short-term blessing (ending your trouble now) for long-term eternal results, as He uses life’s hardships to further His plan for a family for eternity.

 

  1. Paul’s perspective was shaped by the Scriptures (the Old Testament), as well as the things Jesus taught Paul about what His death and resurrection accomplished for us. Gal 1:11-12
  2. Paul was a Pharisee (a Jewish religious leader) who was thoroughly schooled in the Scriptures, so he already had a lot of information about God’s unfolding plan of before he encountered Jesus.
  3. Paul knew that a Redeemer (the Messiah) was coming to this world, and that He would establish the visible, eternal kingdom of God on earth and restore the world to pre-sin, Eden-like conditions. Gen 3:15; Dan 2:44; Dan 7:27; Dan 9:24-27; Isa 51:3; Isa 65:17; etc.
  4. Paul knew that God promised to provide for, protect, defend, and deliver His people until God’s visible kingdom comes. Israel’s history is filled with examples of something big coming against them, but the Scriptures record that God got them through until He got them out (deliverance from Egypt, manna in the wilderness, overcoming enemies in their land, etc.).
  5. Paul also knew that even death can’t stop God’s plans for a family on this earth after it is renewed and restored. Paul knew that death will be conquered through resurrection of the dead.
  6. The oldest Old Testament book quotes a man named Job, who lived in the time of Abraham: For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God (Job 19:25-26, ESV).
  7. The prophet Isaiah wrote that at the end: The Lord Almighty will spread a wonderful feast for everyone around the world. It will be a delicious feast of good food, with clear, well-aged wine and choice beef.  In that day he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth.  He will swallow up death forever (Isa 25:6-8, NLT).
  8. The Old Testament is also filled with statements about God’s Omnipresence—the fact that He is present everywhere at once and has been with each of us since we were conceived. God promises that when His people go through trouble, He will be with us. Ps 139:5-7; 15-17; Jer 23:23-24; etc.
  9. The Lord who created you says, Do not be afraid, for I have (redeemed) you. I have called you by name; you are mine.  When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you (Isa 43:1-2, NLT).
  10. Paul experienced God with him in his own life. Jesus both spoke to Paul and appeared to him, to encourage him, during his many trials. Acts 9:1-6; Acts 23:11; Acts 27:23-24; II Tim 4:17
  11. None of this means that Paul enjoyed the difficult and painful times. In the context of his trials, Paul wrote about being sorrowful, yet rejoicing (II Cor 6:10).  The Greek word Paul used that is translated rejoicing comes from a word that means to be (not feel) “cheer”ful.
  12. When you cheer someone, you encourage them by giving them hope that they can make it. Paul learned to cheer himself with facts about reality.  When he was facing execution for his faith in Jesus, his testimony was:  Even if they kill me, it’s not bigger than God who is with me and for me.  I still have a future ahead of me.  II Tim 4:18—The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom (NKJV).
  13. Note how Paul encouraged a group of Jewish Christians who were being pressured to abandon their faith in Jesus. Paul wrote an entire letter that urged them to stay faithful to Jesus no matter what.
  14. Paul reminded them that when they first came to faith in Jesus, they experienced much hardship, including public ridicule, beatings, and jail. Heb 10:32-33
  15. Paul told them: Heb 10:34—When all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy.  You knew you had better things waiting for you in eternity (NLT).
  16. Joy is the same word that Paul used when he talked about being sorrowful, yet rejoicing. In other words, these people cheered or encouraged themselves with what’s ahead after this life.
  17. Paul reminded them of men and women in their history who faced great hardship, but stayed faithful to the Lord. Note that these are all examples of people with an eternal perspective.
  18. He wrote: Heb 11:13—All these faithful ones died without receiving what God promised them, but they saw it from a distance and welcomed the promises (NLT); (They saw) it and greeted it from a great distance by faith, and all the while acknowledging and confessing that they were strangers and temporary residents and exiles upon the earth (Amp).
  19. Heb 11:35—(They) trusted God and (some) were tortured, preferring to die rather than to turn from God and be free. They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life (NLT).
  20. Paul reminded his readers of God’s promise to never leave them or forsake them (Deut 31:6-8). Paul wrote:  That is why we can say with confidence, the Lord is my helper, so I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me (Heb 13:6, NLT).
  21. Paul closed his letter by reminding them: Heb 13:14—For this world (as it is now) is not our home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come (NLT).

 

  1. Conclusion:    In the hard times, we tend to focus on why did this happen?  What did I do wrong?  But God says:  Look at me!  I am bigger than this.  I am with you and for you, and nothing can separate you from my love which has given you a lasting future.  There is a good end ahead.
  2. In the midst of trouble, you need to remind yourself that whatever you’re facing, it isn’t bigger than God who is with you and for you. And He will get you through until He gets you out.
  3. He is and will continue to save you from sin and death, as He restores you to all that you were created for—unending life with Him on this earth once it is renewed and restored, with no more loss, sorrow, pain, or tears. Reunion, restoration, recompense, and reward. Rev 21-22
  4. When you become persuaded that nothing can separate you from God’s love, like Paul, it will give you hope and peace of mind even in the darkest of times. God will complete what He has begun in your life.  Much more next week!