Romans 8:28
What Do you Want?
What do you want for Christmas? When I was a little boy, I heard that
question a lot. I still do but it is different now. Then I had long
lists of things that I wanted and every time we got near a place
where Santa Clause was going to be, I would crawl up in his lap and
tell him my list.
I read the story of a father who had four young daughters. He loaded
took them to a local store to see Santa and listened as each one
crawled into Santa’s lap and answered the questions, "Have you been a
good girl this year? And what would you like for Christmas?" Each
daughter recited her list of requests. When the last one crawled
down, he headed them toward an exit, but he heard Santa call out to
him. "What about you, Dad? What do want for Christmas?" The father
replied, "A small fortune."
But that question does deserve an answer. Not so much, "What do you
want for Christmas?" as, "What do you want this year?" Let me give
you my answers. This is what I want this year.
I. Faith enough to accept whatever God wills for me.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose.
A. This verse is promising that God will work all things out
for my good. I’d like that to happen in my life as I am
sure you would in yours.
B. But I see a problem with the good that is spoken of in this
verse.
C. The good that is spoken of in this verse is our best good.
1. Our best good is not always our goal, but it is always
God’s.
2. There have been many times I have missed the good of what
God wanted to do for me because I did not like what God
was doing.
3. The story is told of the farmer who was clearing some
land. He cut down trees and brush and piled them up,
waiting for them to dry so that he could burn them.
While checking on the progress of the brush, he spied a
bird building its nest in it. He reached in, grabbed the
nest, ripped it apart, and threw it down. The next day,
he came and saw the bird building the nest again. He
reached in, grabbed the nest, ripped it up, and threw it
to the ground. This happened several times until finally
the bird got discouraged and build its nest elsewhere. In
a few days, the nest was filled with eggs and a few weeks
after that it was filled with small birds. At the same
time, the farmer set fire to the brush.
a. That bird would have never understood.
b. The bird had his good on his mind, but the farmer had
the bird’s best good on his mind.
would never understand but the best good of
the bird was that his first nests be destroyed.
c. I am the bird, except I have more options in how I
respond. (complain, pout, resist, be angry,
rebellious)
d. What I need is faith to accept what God wills for me.
D. There is a condition to this verse, "to them that love Him."
1. I must love Him.
2. This is not just love. It is supreme love. I must love
God more than anything else.
3. If I do not love Him, I will not abide with Him.
4. Sometimes, the plan that God has for us is very difficult
to bear.
a. After the cross, Jesus met with Peter alone several
times. We only have the words to one of their
meetings. It was at the seashore. Jesus asked
Peter three times if he loved Him. Three times,
Peter responded yes.
b. We often think that Jesus was giving Peter the same
number of changes to confirm Jesus that he had taken
to deny Him, and that may be right. But perhaps
Jesus was also attempting to tell Peter what was
necessary for such a failing to never happen again.
c. The question asked was not if Peter would confess Him,
or serve Him, or die for Jesus.
d. The question asked was if Peter would love Jesus.
e. It was not will you acknowledge Me, serve Me, or even
die for Me.
E. I see a second condition. "…and are the called according to
His purpose."
1. I must be surrendered to His purpose.
2. The term "called," suggests two things:
a. It suggests an ability to hear God call.
b. It suggests that I answered.
3. When I was 18 years old, I heard God call me to preach,
and I answered that call. In doing so, I surrendered to
God’s purpose.
4. For the promise of all things working together for your
good to apply to you, you must also hear and answer God’s
call for your life.
5. If you do not know or are not determined to answer God’s
call, I know of no promise in all the Bible that says all
things will work together for your good.
a. Some think that one exists, but I have not found it.
b. Christian, you can live for self if you wish, but when
hard things, bad things, difficult things start to
occur in your life, you are on your own.
6. I am mindful of the fact that not every Christian has
heard God call them as I have, but every Christian should
have heard God call them to some purposes:
a. To bring Him glory.
b. To obey His Word.
c. To share His Son.
d. To live holy, pure, consecrated lives.
7. If you can get at least these purposes nailed down in
your life, I believe all things will work together for
your good.
My life is but a weaving,
Between my Lord and me.
I cannot choose the colors,
But He worketh steadily.
Oft times He weaveth sorrow,
And I in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the underside.
Not til the loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas,
And explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful,
In the weaver’s skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver,
In the pattern He has planned.
II. Gratitude enough to thank God for whatever God gives me.
A. When I say "whatever God gives me," I mean whatever God gives
me, including the bad things.
B. There are many verses that teach the importance of gratitude.
Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all
that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all
his benefits:
Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily
loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our
salvation. Selah.
Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies
that we are not consumed, because his compassions
fail not.
C. Many times, we are so busy complaining about what is wrong in
our lives that we don’t see what is right in it.
1. The young person who complains about his youth until it is
gone.
2. Some parents complains about children being under foot
until the day they are gone.
3. Some workers complain about their job until they are
unemployed.
4. And I suspect some Christians will complain about going to
church, until the good churches are all locked up.
D. Do you know the sin that destroys nations?
1. It is not abortion? taking prayer out of school? or
legitimizing homosexuality.
2. It is ingratitude.
Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were
thankful; but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened.
a. Back when they KNEW God, they were ungrateful.
b. Then their hearts were darkened.
c. \\#22\\ then they became foolish.
d. \\#23\\ then they worshipped false gods.
e. \\#24\\ then they began their perverted deeds.
f. It is not until you get to \\#29\\ that violence
breaks out, but ingratitude was back in \\#21\\.
E. Friend, take inventory. How thankful are you?
1. Last year at this time, children were complaining about
having to go to school. Some are wishing they could
go to school now.
2. Last year at this time, people were complaining about
the crowds in the stores.
3. People today are complaining about wearing a mask to go
out. Next year you may not be able to go out.
III. Wisdom to accomplish God’s purpose for my life.
Col 4:5 Walk in wisdom….
A. The only hope for a carnal man is to be endowed with wisdom.
1. I say that and I mean it, but I know that wisdom alone is
not enough.
2. Solomon had wisdom and still behaved very foolishly.
3. We actually need wisdom and the Holy Spirit, but even a
carnal man stands a much better change with wisdom than
he does without it.
B. The Bible describes wisdom as the most valuable of
commodities.
Proverbs 2:10 When wisdom entereth into thine
heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding
shall keep thee:
Proverbs 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth
wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the
merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than
fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the
things thou canst desire are not to be compared
unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in
her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all
her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold
upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth
her.
C. In this world, it is going to take wisdom to keep our eyes on
accomplishing God’s purposes for us.
1. The world has its trinkets and lures.
2. But in addition to its trinkets and lures, the world is
growing teeth.
3. I want to finish my race and be faithful to God.
a. I am called to preach.
(1) I want to preach to the end.
(2) I want to preach courageously to the end.
(3) I want to preach faithfully to the end.
b. And you have your purposes:
(1) To bring Him glory.
(2) To obey His Word.
(3) To share His Son.
(4) To live holy, pure, consecrated lives.
4. If we do these things, I believe in this life we can be
joyful and satisfied and in the life to come, rewarded
and honored by our Lord.
D. There is only one source for wisdom:
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask
of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
E. Story:
A man had a difficult job. He was the conductor who
collected the tickets to ride the train. He stood in the
doorway of the car and collected everyone’s tickets as they
boarded. One man, a business man, stepped up, searched for
his ticket, and realized he had lost it.
"Listen," he explained, "I bought the ticket, but I have
lost is somehow. It is urgent that I get on this train. I
have a meeting at the end of the line."
"Sir," the conductor answered. "I cannot let you board the
train without a ticket."
"But I bought a ticket!" the man answered loudly. "I just
lost it."
"I’m sorry," the conductor answered. "You cannot board the
train without a ticket."
The business man grew angry. He yelled, screamed, cursed.
But to everything he said, the conductor replied, "I cannot
let you board the train without a ticket."
Finally, the authorities had to come to take the business
man away. The next man stepped up and handed his ticket to
the conductor. As he did, he remarked, "You are not a very
popular man today, are you?"
The conductor point to a man in a glass booth and said, "As
long as he is satisfied, that is all that counts."
IV. Grace enough to be sweet under all conditions.
A. We are living in a world that often brings out the worst in
us.
1. However, I suppose that has been true of every generation
that has the walked the planet.
2. People are often rude, unthinking, selfish, greedy,
heartless, hard, and harsh.
3. May that not be us.
B. Our carnality comes out in the most horrific ways.
1. Mine might come out in my temper.
a. I have spoken often to you of my short-temper over the
years.
b. Thankfully, God has given me a lot of grace.
c. Most of you have never seen it, and I pray that you
never will.
d. By God’s grace, I saw a need years ago to work to
bring that behemoth under control. I would slay it
if I could be in truth it is too much a part of me.
2. Yours might come out with bitterness, jealousy, whatever.
C. We must work to keep a sweet attitude.
1. We must be sweet when dealing with ineptness.
2. We must be sweet when dealing with heartache.
3. We must be sweet when dealing with disappointment.
4. We must be sweet when dealing with betrayal.
5. We must be sweet when dealing with lies.
6. We must be sweet when dealing with frustration.
7. We must be sweet.
That is what I want this year. What do you want?
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