Sermons on Romans 11:33-36

Romans 11:33-36 Interpretation:

Glorifying God: Embracing His Wisdom and Purpose (First Baptist Church of Bolingbrook) interprets Romans 11:33-36 by emphasizing the incomprehensibility of God's wisdom and knowledge. The sermon uses the analogy of human limitations in understanding complex concepts like gravity to illustrate the vastness of God's wisdom. It suggests that if humans could fully understand God, He would not be much of a deity. The sermon also highlights the rhetorical questions posed by Paul to emphasize that no one can counsel God or give Him anything that He should repay, underscoring God's self-sufficiency and sovereignty.

Embracing God's Grace: Purpose Beyond Materialism (Forward Church Cambridge) interprets Romans 11:33-36 by focusing on God's self-sufficiency and the concept of incommunicable attributes. The sermon explains that God's self-sufficiency is an incommunicable attribute, meaning it cannot be transferred to humans. It uses the analogy of standing on a building and claiming to fly to illustrate the delusion of human self-sufficiency. The sermon also introduces the theological term "aseity" to describe God's self-existence, emphasizing that God is the source of all things and exists independently of creation.

Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) interprets Romans 11:33-36 as a doxology that encapsulates the depth of God's wisdom and knowledge, emphasizing that living faith connects our feelings to the revealed facts of God's magnificence. The sermon highlights the word "Oh" as an expression of overwhelming awe, suggesting that Paul's response is a natural outburst of worship in light of God's saving work. The sermon uses the analogy of a "universe prize problem" to illustrate the inscrutability of God's ways, comparing it to unsolvable mathematical problems that only God can solve.

Embracing God's Wisdom and Grace in Our Lives (Oasis Church PHX) interprets Romans 11:33-36 as a celebration of God's wisdom and grace, emphasizing that God's judgments and paths are beyond human comprehension. The sermon uses the analogy of a treasure chest to describe the inexhaustible riches of God, suggesting that there is always more to discover about God. It highlights the paradox of the cross as both the ultimate act of rebellion and the ultimate act of redemption, illustrating how God can turn disobedience into a blessing.

God's Grace: Salvation, Inclusion, and Irrevocable Promises (Asbury Church) interprets Romans 11:33-36 by emphasizing the sovereignty and unsearchable wisdom of God. The sermon highlights the depth of God's wisdom and knowledge, suggesting that human understanding is limited and cannot fully grasp God's plans. The preacher uses the analogy of a mathematical equation to describe the certainty and unchangeability of God's promises, emphasizing that God's ways are beyond human comprehension.

God's Unwavering Faithfulness and Grace for All (Daybreak Church) interprets Romans 11:33-36 by focusing on the mysterious and unconventional ways God accomplishes His purposes. The sermon uses the metaphor of a rollercoaster to describe the unpredictable nature of God's plans, emphasizing that God's wisdom and judgments are beyond human understanding. The preacher highlights the idea that God's grace and faithfulness are constant, even when circumstances seem chaotic or confusing.

Embracing the Journey of Sanctification in Christ (Evolve Church) interprets Romans 11:33-36 by emphasizing the depth and richness of God's wisdom and knowledge. The sermon highlights the idea that everything is from God, through God, and for God, and that our purpose is to give Him glory. The pastor uses the analogy of a steaming pitcher rinser in a coffee shop to illustrate the process of sanctification, where believers are filled, poured out, and cleansed repeatedly, much like the pitcher is rinsed and prepared for use. This metaphor underscores the ongoing nature of sanctification as a process of being made holy and set apart for God's purposes.

Romans 11:33-36 Theological Themes:

Embracing God's Grace: Purpose Beyond Materialism (Forward Church Cambridge) presents the theme of God's self-sufficiency as good news for humanity. It argues that because God is self-sufficient and does not need anything from humans, He invites them to participate in His work out of love and desire for their well-being, not out of necessity. This perspective reframes human participation in God's mission as an act of worship and gratitude rather than obligation.

Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) presents the theme of God's magnificence in history, emphasizing that God's saving plan is perceived through living faith. The sermon suggests that the Bible is a history book recording God's work in time and space, and that true worship arises from recognizing our insignificance in light of God's grandeur.

Embracing God's Wisdom and Grace in Our Lives (Oasis Church PHX) introduces the theme of God's ability to turn rebellion into redemption, highlighting the paradox of the cross as both an act of rebellion and a means of salvation. The sermon emphasizes that God's wisdom and grace are beyond human understanding, inviting believers to continually discover more of God.

God's Grace: Salvation, Inclusion, and Irrevocable Promises (Asbury Church) presents the theme of God's irrevocable promises, emphasizing that God's gifts and calling are unchangeable. The sermon highlights the idea that God's grace is not based on human works but is a gift that cannot be earned or revoked. This theme is distinct in its focus on the permanence and reliability of God's promises.

God's Unwavering Faithfulness and Grace for All (Daybreak Church) introduces the theme of God's faithfulness and grace being constant despite human unfaithfulness. The sermon emphasizes that God's purposes are accomplished in unconventional ways, and His grace is available to all, regardless of their past actions. This theme is unique in its focus on the inclusivity and unpredictability of God's grace.

Embracing the Journey of Sanctification in Christ (Evolve Church) presents the theme of sanctification as a continuous process of being made holy and whole. The sermon emphasizes that sanctification is not a point of arrival but a journey of progressive spiritual growth and purification from sin. It highlights the importance of living a surrendered life to Christ's lordship over every part of our lives, including spirit, soul, and body. The sermon also stresses the idea that sanctification is both God's will and calling for believers, and it requires an active role in pursuing a holy life.

Romans 11:33-36 Historical and Contextual Insights:

Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) provides historical context by explaining that the Bible is a history book documenting God's work to restore humanity. The sermon references the significance of Holy Week and the real events of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday as pivotal moments in God's redemptive history.

God's Grace: Salvation, Inclusion, and Irrevocable Promises (Asbury Church) provides historical context by discussing the role of the Israelites and their hardened hearts, explaining that this was part of God's plan to extend salvation to the Gentiles. The sermon references the historical relationship between Jews and Gentiles and the significance of the Jewish remnant in God's redemptive plan.

Romans 11:33-36 Cross-References in the Bible:

Glorifying God: Embracing His Wisdom and Purpose (First Baptist Church of Bolingbrook) references several biblical passages to support the interpretation of Romans 11:33-36. Isaiah 40:13 is cited to emphasize God's unmatched power and wisdom, reminding Israel of God's promises despite their fear of the Babylonians. Job 41:11 is used to illustrate God's rhetorical questioning of Job, highlighting human limitations in understanding God's ways. Jeremiah 23:18 is mentioned to show that no one can stand in the counsel of the Lord, reinforcing the idea of God's incomprehensible wisdom.

Embracing God's Grace: Purpose Beyond Materialism (Forward Church Cambridge) references Acts 17:24-25, where Paul speaks of God's self-sufficiency and independence from human needs. This passage is used to emphasize that God does not dwell in temples made by human hands and is not served by human hands as if He needed anything. The sermon also references Ephesians 2:8-9 to highlight the concept of grace and the idea that salvation is a gift from God, not earned by human works.

Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) references Ephesians 3:8, which speaks of preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ, to emphasize the depth of God's wisdom and knowledge. The sermon also mentions Proverbs, highlighting that God's ways are beyond human counsel.

Embracing God's Wisdom and Grace in Our Lives (Oasis Church PHX) references 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 to explain how the Spirit reveals the mysteries of God to believers, emphasizing that the Spirit helps us understand God's wisdom and plan. The sermon also references Colossians 3:1-2 and Romans 12:2 to encourage believers to set their minds on things above and be transformed by the renewing of their minds.

God's Grace: Salvation, Inclusion, and Irrevocable Promises (Asbury Church) references Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 69 to support the discussion of Israel's condition and the concept of a remnant. The sermon uses these passages to illustrate the idea that God's promises to Israel are based on grace, not works, and that the remnant is saved by faith.

God's Unwavering Faithfulness and Grace for All (Daybreak Church) references Isaiah 55 to emphasize the idea that God's ways and thoughts are higher than human ways. The sermon uses this passage to support the notion that God's plans are beyond human understanding and that His grace is available to all.

Embracing the Journey of Sanctification in Christ (Evolve Church) references several Bible passages to support the interpretation of Romans 11:33-36. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 is used to emphasize the prayer for God to sanctify believers completely, making them holy in spirit, soul, and body. Isaiah 1:18 is cited to illustrate the prophetic promise of God making sins as white as snow through Jesus. Romans 1:16 is mentioned to highlight the power of the gospel for salvation and the importance of living in the truth of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 1:30 is referenced to explain that Jesus became wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for believers. Hebrews 10:14 is used to emphasize that through Jesus' sacrifice, believers are perfected and being sanctified.

Romans 11:33-36 Christian References outside the Bible:

Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) references R.C. Sproul, who stated that Romans 11:36 contains the sum and substance of the whole biblical revelation of God's being and character. The sermon uses this reference to emphasize the transcendence and incomparability of God.

God's Grace: Salvation, Inclusion, and Irrevocable Promises (Asbury Church) references John Newton, the author of "Amazing Grace," to illustrate the transformative power of God's grace. The sermon discusses Newton's life story as an example of how God's grace can change a person's life and lead them to repentance and faith.

Embracing the Journey of Sanctification in Christ (Evolve Church) references Eugene Peterson's paraphrase of 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 from The Message translation, which describes God as the one who makes everything holy and whole. The sermon also quotes Brian Glubisch from the Full-Life Bible Commentary, who writes about the transformative power of the gospel to make Christians whole and liberate them to lead new lives.

Romans 11:33-36 Illustrations from Secular Sources:

Embracing God's Grace: Purpose Beyond Materialism (Forward Church Cambridge) uses the analogy of shopping at Costco to illustrate human perceptions of needs versus wants. The sermon humorously describes the experience of discovering items that seem necessary while shopping, paralleling this with the human tendency to accumulate material possessions. This analogy is used to contrast human dependency on material goods with God's self-sufficiency, emphasizing that God is the only being without needs.

Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) uses the example of the Clay Mathematics Institute's Millennium Prize Problems to illustrate the inscrutability of God's ways. The sermon compares God's governance of the universe to solving an unsolvable math problem, highlighting that only God can comprehend and solve the complexities of creation.

God's Unwavering Faithfulness and Grace for All (Daybreak Church) uses the example of a Cubs fan witnessing the team's World Series win after a long drought to illustrate the unexpected and miraculous nature of God's actions. The sermon also references a personal story of narrowly avoiding a shark attack while parasailing, using it as a metaphor for God's protection and the surprising ways He works in our lives.

Embracing the Journey of Sanctification in Christ (Evolve Church) uses the analogy of a steaming pitcher rinser in a coffee shop to illustrate the process of sanctification. The pastor describes how the pitcher is filled with milk, steamed, poured out, and then rinsed and cleansed, drawing a parallel to how believers are filled, poured out, and cleansed in their spiritual journey. This metaphor is used to convey the ongoing nature of sanctification as a process of being made holy and set apart for God's purposes.