(Sermon by Vicar Kelly Huet 12/31/07)

INTRODUCTION:

Right now in New York City, millions are gathering to watch a giant shiny ball, in downtown Atlanta hundreds of thousands are gathering to watch a giant peach, and in Tempe, Arizona, millions are gathered to watch a giant corn chip.  So what are all the people gathering for?  What’s the big deal about a giant shiny ball, or a giant peach, or a giant corn chip?  It is a custom, an American custom to ring in the New Year by dropping some giant object at the stroke of midnight to signal the New Year has come.  There is another custom that takes place around this time of year as well.

This custom isn’t celebrated with bands and giant objects falling from the sky, but in the quiet hours of the morning or evening or even on the long ride to work.  The custom is that of analyzing the past year and looking ahead to the next.  How was last year for you?  Was it a good year?  Or was it a year full of trials?  Perhaps for you this past year was a year of fighting an illness, the loss of a loved one, struggling to keep work, or whatever the trial.  Whatever 2007 brought, no matter what the trial or joy, this evening (based on Romans chapter 8) we are going to look at why we can...

Enter The New Year With Confidence

This chapter is often referred to as the comfort chapter of the Bible, the place where you can turn when you are feeling down, feeling like right now life isn’t going well, feeling like right now God isn’t paying much attention to you.  For it is in Romans 8 (especially the last verses) that the Holy Spirit reminds us of who we are, we are God’s chosen ones.  Therefore, be confident that God is for you!

You’ve likely heard the words just before this lesson.  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose…and those he predestined he also called; those he called, he justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”

On that basis the question is asked, “What, then, shall we say in response to this?  If God is for us, who can be against us?”  You could just as well cross out the “if” at the beginning of the second sentence and write in "since"!  There is no “ifiness” about this statement; it is fact.  “Since God is for us, who can be against us?”  It is the idea of walking through the roughest neighborhood of town with a platoon of armed marines as your escort.  With them as your escort, do you think you need to worry about getting pick-pocketed or mugged?  God has laid out your salvation from eternity, he chose you, he saved you, and he is with you.  Do you think he can’t handle any of the little things that come up in our lives?

When trials assail us (sickness, long term illness, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, or something worse), do you sometimes turn on God and say, “Where are you now?  Huh?  I really could use your help and this is all you give me!”  We in essence shake our fist at God in frustration and blame him for our pain and suffering.  His answer our temper tantrum is…

“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  We muddle and complain about our lot, and we are reminded of the greatest message in the world, God gave up his son for us. If that message were not glorious enough listen to this, “How will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”  We can enter this New Year confident that God is for us and that we don’t need to sweat the little things.  We don’t need to worry about what tomorrow will bring because God has it in his hands.

We also have the assurance that since God is for us, no charge can be brought against us.  God has declared us not guilty.  Declared us not guilty for the times we raise our fists, voices, and thoughts to him in anger.  He did not spare his own Son but sent him here to earth the take our punishment.  The charges leveled against us for every time we turn on God, for every time we question where he is, or blame him for our plight in life, Jesus paid for each one of them.  Be confident that your slate with God is clean this New Year. Your record has been expunged by Christ, and as his children we live our lives confident of God’s love for us!

There are those days though that our conscience bothers us.  It says, "How could God ever forgive you for that?  Surely that sin isn’t forgiven!"  Or perhaps one of Satan’s favorite phrases, “God must be punishing you by letting this happen.”  Brothers and Sisters, you have been declared not guilty!  That means nothing can condemn you!  No one, not your sinful nature, not even the Devil can charge you with any crime or guilt.  It has been removed!  When a dump truck dumps its load and drives away, it no longer carries the load; it is free of that weight.  In Christ, we all are free!  Christ is currently sitting at the Father’s right hand interceding for us. He is actively working for us with the Father!

So be confident that God is for you in this New Year.  Look to his promises, look to how he has blessed you through Christ this past year and see God’s love in your life.  Be confident that God is for you and that nothing can separate you from his love!

This is Paul’s theme for the last few verses of Romans 8.  Have confidence that nothing can separate you from the love of Christ!  Paul then goes on to list a sample list of all the things that one need not fear.  “Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”  [Troubles]  Everyone has them, even children.  These are the aches, pains, rubs and irritations that cause stress.  Each one of us in this room could make a list of our troubles, but be confident Christ’s love is greater!  [Hardship]  This is an inward distress when the difficulties of life reduce us so much that we are at our wits end. We don’t know what to do or who to turn to.  These are the serious illnesses and surgeries, the family problems and financial burdens we all face.  We are reminded here that not even such trials as this can separate us from Christ’s love.  Be confident that God is for you and you cannot be snatched from God’s hand!

The last four, Persecution, Famine, Nakedness, and Danger round out a list that shows that no matter what physical trial you are enduring, Christ is still holding you fast, his love will not let you be separated from him!  No matter what the physical trial you are facing, Christ is with you.  No matter how far you may sometimes “feel” you are from Christ, he is still there holding onto you, loving you, forgiving you.  This is our joy and confidence for the New Year.  No matter what the year holds we need not fear being taken from Christ!

And as if this were not joy enough, Paul adds, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation.”  We need not fear the earthly trials.  Now Paul adds that we don’t even need to fear the spiritual attacks of Satan or his demons!  We don’t often talk about Satan and demons being around today actively working to tempt us, but they are there.  Yet, we need not worry even about them snatching us from Christ, not even the devil himself can snatch us from Christ!  I just love this picture, the picture that God has me in such a bear hug that no matter what the devil, the world, or my sinful nature does, God isn’t going to let me go.  He has the vice grips of his love locked on me and nothing is going to separate me from him!

After looking at Paul’s letter to the Romans this evening, I might venture to say that Romans 8 isn’t only the comfort chapter, but also the confidence chapter.  If you ever need a boost of confidence in your God and what he has done and is doing for you, pick up Romans 8.  Be reminded of his love for you and don’t sweat the little things.  Enter this New Year with confidence that you are in your Savior’s loving arms!  Amen .

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