Romans 8:28

In this part of the sermon: The first identifying mark of those to whom Romans 8:28 applies is that they 'love God,' a love for God as He is revealed in Scripture, contrasting with the carnal mind's enmity.

The text is compared to a sandwich, with the assertion 'all things are working together for good' as the 'meat' bounded by the 'slices of bread' identifying the people of God: 'to them that love God' and 'that are called according to his purpose.'

They are given a specific identity in two ways. One with respect to their own subjective activity and one with respect to God's sovereign activity. In a sense, the text is like a sandwich. And the heart of the sandwich, the meat of the sandwich, that which the deli piles up between the two slices of bread, is the wonderful assertion, all things are working together for good.

23:57 - 24:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains the privilege of true believers: a present and certain knowledge that all things, especially sufferings and infirmities, are constantly and infallibly working…

A five-speed transmission with its gears is used to illustrate how 'all things work together.' Individually, gears are just parts, but when assembled according to a wise design, they work in concert to achieve a specific purpose (propelling a car), demonstrating God's intelligent plan for all events in a believer's life.

He calls us alongside to be workers with him. And the text says that all things are working together. And as I sought for something to illustrate, if the only illustration that came to my mind, and for you who have never seen this, I'll just have to describe it. It would be a transmission, not an automatic transmission, but a five-speed transmission.

42:56 - 43:24 Read in full sermon

The point: It will enable me to render a principled submission and a believing response to the dark providences that presently accompany me.

The story of Jacob lamenting 'all these things are against me' while God was providentially working through Joseph's life is used to illustrate how believers can misread God's hand, contrasting it with the truth that all things are working for good.

how any good can come out of this, but you have said that you are worthy of my trust all the time. All things are working together constantly for my good. Otherwise we are going to be like old Jacob. Right at the time when things in the plan of God were never better, he said, all these things are against me. All these things are against me. You want me to go down to Egypt? I already lost one of my sons, and the other one is being held hostage. And never, never was he closer to being able to say by sight, all things are for me. But it didn't change reality. God was ordering everything from that...

55:51 - 56:37 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God grows some of his most exotic and beautiful flowers on the dunghill of our sin.

God is said to grow 'some of his most exotic and beautiful flowers on the dunghill of our sin,' meaning He brings good and glory out of human failures and repentance, with the dunghill being human doing and the flower being His grace.

All things, all things stop your vain regrets. Learn, ask, yes, apply the biblical principles that you will be wiser from past failures and follies. But the negation of this truth, all things, all things are working. Together, God grows some of his most exotic and beautiful flowers on the dunghill of our sin.

60:36 - 61:16 Read in full sermon

The point: Go forth to serve him unhindered by vain regrets.

The examples of David's sin (Psalm 51, 32, 6), Peter's denial, and John Mark's failure are cited as 'exotic flowers' grown on the 'dunghill of human failure,' demonstrating how God uses even sin for ultimate good and usefulness.

Where would you and I be without Psalm 51 and Psalm 32 and Psalm 6? Those are some of the exotic flowers. Those are the flowers that God grew on the dunghill of David's horrible sin. Where would we be without Peter's denial and his subsequent repentance and restoration to usefulness?

61:34 - 61:58 Read in full sermon

The point: If you don't love God, if you have embraced his general overtures of mercy and pardon in the gospel, my friend, in a very real sense, your existence is a life dodging the bullets of divine wrath, but you won't dodge fore…

The wrath of God abiding upon unbelievers is likened to a mighty boulder hung by a cable strained to its capacity, ready to snap and fall upon their heads, emphasizing the precarious state of those outside of Christ.

It says nothing. You've got to live in this cruel dog eat dog world. Not only with men ready to consume you, but with this very dog having a controversy with you this morning for my Bible says the wrath of God is abiding upon those that believe not right now it is a bite. It hasn't come down upon them, but it abides over them like a mighty boulder hung by a cable that is being strained to its capacity.

63:51 - 64:29 Read in full sermon