Good Shepherd Community Church

1. Suffering WITH Jesus leads to glory WITH Jesus.

If you suffer WITH Jesus, your sufferings will be WORTH IT!

2. Creation GROANS with HOPE.

• Instead of frustration, there will be fulfillment.
• Instead of decay, there will be strength and newness.
• Instead of pain, there will be only joy.

3. Believers in Jesus GROAN with HOPE.

“[God] will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a… dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) his own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful; but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what he said.”

-C.S. Lewis Mere Christianity

4. Believers in Jesus GROAN with HELP.

The Spirit takes our weak and confused groanings in prayer, carries them to the Father, interprets them for us, and ENSURES that the will of God will be done for us.

5. Believers in Jesus GROAN for God’s GOOD PURPOSE.

God’s good purpose for those who love Him is that all things work together to conform them to the image of His Son.

“Do I want to be strong like Christ, so I will be admired as strong, or so that I can defeat every adversary that would entice me to settle for any pleasure less than admiring the strongest person in the universe, Christ? Do I want to be wise like Christ, so I will be admired as wise and intelligent, or so that I can discern and admire the One who is most truly and all-satisfyingly wise? Do I want to be holy like Christ, so that I can be admired as holy, or so that I can be free from all unholy inhibitions that keep me from seeing and savoring the holiness of Christ? Do I want to be loving like Christ, so I will be admired as a loving person, or so that I will enjoy extending to others, even in sufferings, the all-satisfying love of Christ?”

– John Piper

Big Idea:
Groan for God’s good purpose with hope and help!

“Next Step” takeaways:
With God:
• Confess your weakness and confusion to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you in your trials with groanings too deep for words.
• Ask God to fulfill His good purpose for your life and conform you to the image of Jesus.

“Next Step” takeaways:
With Others:
• Memorize Romans 8:26-30 with another believer this week, adding one verse per day. Write out a prayer in response to each verse and share it with each other.
• Attend the “Prayer and Worship Night” in the North Auditorium at 5pm Sunday. We will be praying through Romans 8 together.

“Next Step” takeaways:
On Mission:
• Find a practical way to connect with your unbelieving friends, neighbors, or co-workers this week. When you do, ask how you can be praying for them, and share with them some of what you are learning from Romans 8.