By Gary Keller
Romans 8:18 and also reading verse 19. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectations of
the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”
By the help of the Lord, this evening, I want to preach from this passage of scripture. I will title this sermon, “Accepting the Way of the Lord.”
Now in this scripture it would almost seem that verse 18 and verse 19 would not have anything in common, because in verse 18 he talks about sufferings. One of these days, when we get over there, “we’ll understand by and by”, as the song writer put it. Now in verse 19 it seems like he addresses an entirely different subject, for in it, the world looks at us with expectation. They look at us and wait for the manifestation. When you begin to tie these scriptures together there’s a very beautiful common ground that flows together.
People look at the church and they may see you as an individual or they may see a church collectively. They might see that you are going through something or the church may be facing something and there
are some sufferings involved. When the world or the creature looks at you, they wait to see how you will handle the situation you’re going through. That’s why the responsibility is so awesome when it falls into
your lap or my lap as the church of the living God, we need to do what the church says and stand on this Word regardless of the circumstances that might surround our individual lives.
The world is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. They’re tired of somebody professing something and the first little thing that comes along they back down on their profession. They do not
demonstrate the power. “They have a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof.”
Somewhere in our individual experience and the church experience, we get to the place where the suffering cannot detour us. There is no pain that can push us back. The trials cannot cause us to backslide or
slide away from the purpose of God. The sufferings and trials bring us closer to God, deeper into our convictions, stronger commitments to the Lord and with that comes the solidifying of our souls with God. We have confidence in our heart that says, “our sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the Glory of God”. The Glory is coming – it’s on its way! When we get there we’re going to receive all our due rewards.
By us being faithful through our trials, the world looks at us and says, “Hey, they really do have something, they have a real experience.” People are tired of phonies! They’re looking for something that’s real, and we’ve got it! Coke says they’re the real thing, but we’ve got the real thing – right here!
The disciples were constantly getting things all mixed up. Well, I’11 get back to the disciples in just a minute. Please turn to Romans 11:33 – “Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!” Sometimes we don’t know the way of the Lord. That’s where the element of faith comes in, for we do not walk by sight but we walk by
faith. That’s why we say, “Lord, wherever you go I will follow”. That’s easy to say from behind a pulpit, but when you’re dealing with reality sometimes you have a little question mark. You see things from a human
perspective; how could this happen to me, why did it happen. God sees things from a different perspective. As Isaiah said, “His ways are above our ways.” We’ve got to learn to accept the way of the Lord. There’s suffering and there’s pain but through it all there may be the creature that’s waiting for the manifestations of the sons of God.
Sometimes we do not understand everything, but all we can do is follow Jesus and walk by faith.
In the ninth chapter of the book of John, there is the disciples who are always getting things mixed up. The Lord comes into the city and as the Bible says, “He fastened His eyes,” he looked at the blind man. The disciples always getting things mixed up started mumbling saying, “Who’s this sinner, was it he or his parents.” The Lord said, “Nobody has sinned, neither him or his parents, but that the works of God might be manifested in him.” There was some suffering and pain he went through but it was for a divine purpose.
You go to the blind man; he’ll probably say the suffering and pain is not worthy to be compared. “I’ve just gotten a touch of the glory of God.” This glory out-ways the suffering, The steps of a man are ordered by the Lord! If you except His way, He’ll lead you to the path that will direct your steps in the right direction.
The creature was interesting. Everyone wanted to know who healed him. The blind told them that he didn’t know if he was a sinner or a prophet, “AII I know is once I was blind but now I see.” It was the beauty and the glory of the touch of God!
In chapter 11 of John there was the tragedy that struck Mary and Martha’s house, their brother Lazarus had died. God receives the message of Lazarus’ illness and in John 11:4, he declares this sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God. He’s saying this is not a perlanent death that has come upon Lazarus, but it’s done for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Accept the way of God!
Jesus being the Son of God was directly challenged by Satan. He says to Jesus, “If thou be the Son of God. . .” The devil still challenges us today and if you’re the Son of God why are you going through this trial? In the llth chapter of John, Jesus stood with tears in His eyes while the devil put thoughts into the hearts of the Pharisees which caused them to say and know that this was the man who opened the eyes of the blind man. This is the expectation of the creature. If Mary and Martha will go through the pain, God will do more
than what the world expects. In the end there would be Glory for Mary and Martha Then the creature will understand that God is more than the provider, He can go ahead and die but God is the resurrection. Not only did Lazarus arise but the creature has received manifestation of the Son of God.
It’s time to realize who we are and say, “God, I am your son.” Sometimes there’s some suffering but when you go through it the world knows and says, “they’ve got something real.” The world knows that we
have some troubles but we never stop loving God. We keep right on believing. In the end, the good out-ways the bad!
Psalms 37:1-6, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shall thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shall be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.”
Sometimes we take verse four and we turn it around, “If you give me the desires of my heart then I’II delight myself in you. Lord, if you give me a husband then I’II serve you.” Get your principles straight! You’ll go through your whole life and say, “Where did it go?” The Bible says delight yourself in the Lord and then He’ll give you the desires of your heart. Give yourself to God first! Tell the Lord you’ll serve Him
whether you get a husband or not. Give yourself first to the Kingdom of God. Tell the Lord you’re going to accept His way!
David said in Psalms 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” If you accept His way, you’ll never be begging bread. I’ve been young and older and I’ve never seen God let anyone down. Sometimes He may let things happen to make us grow stronger, to get stronger – and sometimes you just have to accept God’s way!
In Psalms 23:4-5 you have to accept God’s way. “Ye, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; 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.” David made up his mind that he was going to live for God regardless of the circumstances. He was going to
take the suffering and nothing was going to detour him. Psalms 23:6, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
I’ve been faithful through hard times and He has put His angels around me. My God is merciful, my cup runneth over, my head is anointed with oil. I show the Lord now wherever I go and goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life.
Thomas sayeth unto the Lord, “Lord, we know not whether thou goest, how can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way, the truth, and the light, no man cometh unto the father but by me.” The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord!
Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Lord, where you go I
will follow. It will be worth it all. Jesus is the answer. People know that Jesus is the answer; they just don’t know how to find him. The way to the answer is to repent of your sins and be baptized by water, and
come up speaking in other tongues. If you follow, He will lead!
Moses had mountains and the Red Sea with Pharaoh behind him , but God parted the Red Sea and Moses walked on dry ground. The soldiers tried to get him but drown in the Red Sea.
Revelations 15:3 – Moses sang and he can sing because he accepted God’s way. He could have took the mountains but he accepted God’s way. “They sang the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints.” He didn’t understand it but he accepted it. The Lord’s ways are just and true. Thank
God that when we accept the way of the Lord, the creatures of the world sees that God is real in our lives.
