Church Requel
Your Heavenly Father is for you! God is on your side. He doesn’t miss a thing you do. He is cheering you on. He loves you with an everlasting love. God’s love for you endures forever!
God Is For Me
I know I have been blessed by my dad. I have always known that my dad is on my side. He is for me! When i was growing up, my dad never missed a football game I played in, never missed a concert that I sang in, never missed a play I acted in - he came to everything. He always cheered me on! As I stand before you this morning I realize just how very fortunate that I have been in my life to have my dad be on my side. I also know that many of you have not been so fortunate.
With that said, I want you to know this: Your Heavenly Father is for you! God is on your side. He doesn’t miss a thing you do. He is cheering you on. He loves you with an everlasting love. God’s love for you endures forever! God cares for you and me because His love never ends, never tires, never wears out, never falters. As we sang today, “God is for you! God is for you! God is for you! God is for you!”
#1 - God is ___FOR ME___!
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31b
There is no one more important to have on your side than the Almighty God Himself! There is no news that is better than this! Those of you who have been in the church for a long time have heard this so much that you tend to take it for granted. You should not! God created you. God watches over you. God protects you. God loves you. God cares for you. God takes joy in you. Put into other words - You matter to God!!!
Just in case we forget Who we are talking about - This is the Almighty, Creator-Of-All-That-Is, All-knowing, Always Present, Bountiful, Benevolent, Comforting, Compassionate, Eternal, Faithful, Holy, New-Every-Morning, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Redeemer, Savior, True God, Unequaled and Unparalleled, Worthy God we are talking about here. And HE IS FOR YOU!
So as Paul logically asks us, “Who can be against us?” Do you have a relationship problem? Is there someone - a family member, a loved one, a boss or someone you work with - causing you grief? Breaking your heart? Hurting you in some way? GOD IS FOR YOU!
Is there a circumstance you are facing you’re not sure how you are going to overcome? Financial woes - too much month left over when your check runs out? Wrong place problems? Wrong timing problems? No job problems? GOD IS FOR YOU!
Struggling with your health? Bad news from the doctor? Medications not working? Medications costing too much? Weight problems holding you back? Diet not working? Age finally catching up with you? Pain hurting you? GOD IS FOR YOU!
Recognizing the brevity of life? Time has flown by way too quickly? A loved one near and dear to you has left this life and you’re missing them terribly? You look in the mirror and wonder how you have changed so much from the youth you once knew? GOD IS FOR YOU!
#2 - ___WHAT I SAY___ matters!
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things?” Romans 8:31a
If God is for me… if God cheers me on… if God is on my side… more than all that, if God foreknew me, predestined me, called me, justified me and glorified me… if God did all that for me… what will be my response?
My response matters! What I say matters! It’s crucial! Of all creation - I (and you) have been given language. I (and you) have been given the option to respond with words. This is where worship comes in - my response of love, of gratitude, of amazement, of wonder! I do this with my words of prayer and my songs of praise.
I should do this as often as I can - not just a Sunday morning gathering kind of worship, but an everyday kind of worship. This is where living a life of “continuous prayer” comes in, always recognizing my good fortune in my life despite whatever bad fortune may come my way.
It’s not just a positive mental attitude. It’s reminding myself of the truth that I’ve already won the lottery of God’s favor, no matter what else may happen. There simply is no bad news that can outweigh the good news of God’s unending, overwhelming love for me!
#3 - It is easy for us to forget ___GOD’S SACRIFICE___.
“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all…” Romans 8:32a
This is why we must put words and actions into our response to God. This is why purposeful daily private worship and purposeful weekly public worship is so vital to our Christian lives… because without it we are likely to forget about God… forget about God’s love… forget about God’s sacrifice… and forget that GOD IS FOR US!
This is the number one strategy your spiritual enemy will use against you. He knows he cannot defeat you. He knows he cannot stand up against the might and power and authority of God on your behalf. So what does he do instead? Get you to think about anything else in its place. Focus your mind anywhere else other than on God and His love.
He’ll try to focus your attention on the news. The war is terrible. Or he’ll try to focus your attention on that girl or boy who is paying attention to you and making you feel good about yourself. Or he’ll focus your attention on your job and the next promotion and raise that you feel you need to provide for your family. Or he’ll focus your attention on your worry about your health, or your loved one, or that situation that isn’t going the way you want it to go…ANYTHING ELSE but upon God!
Before you know it, your daily devotional time with the Lord has gone by the wayside. Before you know it that Sunday morning worship time with your church family has disappeared - it’s been weeks! How did THAT happen, you wonder?
#4 - It’s easy (and so hard!) to live ___WITHOUT GOD’S POWER___!
“… how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” Romans 8:32b
Mark Twain wrote about two boys, both born on the same day and identical in appearance, yet one - Edward - was born a PRINCE and the other - Tom - was born a PAUPER. The two meet each other and decide to “temporarily” change places. However Prince Edward first hides the Great Seal of England before putting on the clothes of Pauper Tom. The rest of the book is about Prince Edwards living the life of the pauper - mistreated, beaten, learning firsthand the stark reality of the harsh and brutal way the poor are treated. Yet - inside - he never changes! He’s always royalty! Later in the book, when it comes to proving himself as the true Prince Edwards, he produces the hidden Great Seal of England!
Do you know that inside you are royalty also? No matter how much you are mistreated. No matter how unfair the world has been to you. You are royalty! You have been adopted into the First Family! And whether you remember it or not, you possess the Great Seal of God Himself - the Holy Spirit inside you Who testifies that you are indeed a child of God!
It is of the utmost importance that you not allow the evil one to trick you out of your confidence. You must not allow him to steal away your certainty of God’s favor. You must always remember Who you are and Whose you are - no matter what happens, no matter where you go, no matter whether it appears that evil is prevailing in your life, Know-It-For-A-Fact that appearances can be deceiving.
God is for you! God loves you! God will never forsake you! You are royalty inside because you belong to God. Don’t ever allow yourself to forget. Don’t ever stop praising and worshiping your Heavenly Father. Don’t ever stop saying the words of prayer, of affirmation, of loyalty to your Heavenly Father. Know He never stops saying these words of love and affirmation to you:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” Jeremiah 31:3
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit - fruit that will last - and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16
“The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
May we never forget. May we never waiver in our certainty. May we always remember the forever love of Almighty God our Heavenly Father. God is for us! God is for us! God is for me! God is for me! Amen!