Sermons on Romans 11:36
The various sermons below interpret Romans 11:36 through a shared lens of God's sovereignty and glory, emphasizing that all things originate from, exist through, and are directed to God. A common theme is the call to live a life dedicated to God's glory, with sermons highlighting values such as mercy, justice, humility, and obedience as essential components of this lifestyle. The sermons also stress the transcendence and incomparability of God, suggesting that His ways are beyond human comprehension, yet they form the foundation for worship and joy. Additionally, the idea of worship as a holistic lifestyle is prevalent, with an emphasis on living as a "living sacrifice" and prioritizing God's presence in all aspects of life. The sermons collectively underscore the notion that life's challenges are divinely orchestrated to manifest God's glory, turning adversity into an opportunity for divine revelation.
In contrast, the sermons diverge in their specific emphases and analogies. One sermon uses the analogy of a "Paul," a fabric draped over a casket, to symbolize a life marked by living for God's glory alone, while another employs the "universe prize problem" to illustrate the inscrutability of God's ways. Some sermons focus on the comprehensive nature of God's involvement in creation, using the Greek text to highlight the prepositions "from," "through," and "for," while others emphasize the independence of God's salvation plan from human influence, portraying salvation as a gift of grace. Additionally, one sermon uniquely highlights the role of angels and even Satan's influence as serving to glorify God, suggesting that the American church has lost sight of its primary purpose. Another sermon presents the theme of life's adversities as purposeful, serving as a backdrop for God's glory to be revealed, while yet another sermon emphasizes the totality of God's sovereignty in creation and redemption, including the existence of sin as part of His sovereign plan.
Romans 11:36 Interpretation:
Living for God's Glory: Values That Shape Legacy (Resurrection Church) interprets Romans 11:36 through the lens of the Latin phrase "Soli Deo Gloria," meaning "for the glory of God alone." The sermon suggests that living a life dedicated to God's glory involves prioritizing values such as mercy, justice, humility, holiness, obedience, prayer, and trust. The speaker uses the analogy of a "Paul," a fabric draped over a casket, suggesting that one's life should be marked by the letters "SDG" as a testament to living for God's glory alone.
Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) interprets Romans 11:36 as a culmination of Paul's theological exposition in Romans, emphasizing that all things are from, through, and to God. The sermon highlights the transcendence and incomparability of God, using the analogy of a "universe prize problem" to illustrate the inscrutability of God's ways. The speaker emphasizes that God's sovereignty and ultimate purpose are beyond human comprehension, yet they are the foundation for worship and joy.
True Worship: Prioritizing God's Presence in Our Lives (MyConnectionPointe) interprets Romans 11:36 by emphasizing that worship is a way of life, not just a segment of a church service. The sermon uses the amplified version of the verse to highlight that all things originate from, live through, and are directed to God. The speaker stresses that worship involves prioritizing God above all else and living as a "living sacrifice," which means offering one's life wholly to God.
Ambassadors for Christ: Exalting God and Evangelizing (Oak Grove Church) interprets Romans 11:36 as a declaration of God's sovereignty and purpose in creation. The sermon emphasizes that everything, including human existence, is intended for God's glory. The preacher uses the analogy of a foundation, stating that just as a building's foundation supports the structure, God's glory is the foundation of all creation. The sermon also highlights the Greek text, noting that the prepositions "from," "through," and "for" indicate the comprehensive nature of God's involvement in all things.
Manifesting God's Glory Through Life's Challenges (Tony Evans) interprets Romans 11:36 by emphasizing that God's glory is manifested through life's challenges. The sermon uses the analogy of an opposing force to explain that glory is only truly glorious when it is demonstrated against adversity. This perspective suggests that life's difficulties are not random but are orchestrated by God to manifest His glory, turning evil into good and beauty from ashes.
God's Sovereignty: The Source and Purpose of All (Spurgeon Sermon Series) offers a detailed interpretation of Romans 11:36, emphasizing the doctrine that all things are of God, through God, and to God. The sermon uses the analogy of God as the divine architect who planned every detail of creation and history, including the allowance of sin to ultimately display His glory. The sermon also highlights the linguistic detail that the original Greek text emphasizes the totality of God's sovereignty in creation, providence, and grace.
God's Sovereign Grace: The Depth of Salvation (MLJTrust) interprets Romans 11:36 by focusing on the independence of God's plan from human influence. The sermon uses the analogy of human ignorance and arrogance to highlight that salvation is entirely of God, independent of human wisdom or contribution. The sermon emphasizes that God's knowledge, wisdom, and riches are beyond human comprehension, and salvation is a gift of grace.
Romans 11:36 Theological Themes:
Living for God's Glory: Values That Shape Legacy (Resurrection Church) presents the theme of living for God's glory as a guiding principle for life. The sermon emphasizes that true partnership with Jesus involves embodying values derived from scripture, which in turn shapes the character of the church and its members.
Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) introduces the theme of faith as a bridge connecting feelings to the ultimate facts of reality. The sermon argues that faith allows believers to grasp the revealed truths of God's salvation plan, leading to elevated feelings of worship.
True Worship: Prioritizing God's Presence in Our Lives (MyConnectionPointe) explores the theme of worship as a holistic lifestyle. The sermon underscores the importance of prioritizing God in all aspects of life and living as a "living sacrifice," which is described as true and proper worship.
Ambassadors for Christ: Exalting God and Evangelizing (Oak Grove Church) presents the theme that human existence is solely for the purpose of glorifying God. This sermon uniquely emphasizes that even the creation of angels and the allowance of Satan's influence serve to bring glory to God. It also introduces the idea that the American church has forgotten its primary purpose of glorifying God, focusing instead on pleasing its members.
Manifesting God's Glory Through Life's Challenges (Tony Evans) presents the theme that life's adversities are purposeful, serving as a backdrop for God's glory to be revealed. This theme suggests that challenges are not meaningless but are divinely orchestrated for a greater purpose.
God's Sovereignty: The Source and Purpose of All (Spurgeon Sermon Series) introduces the theme of God's absolute sovereignty in creation and redemption. The sermon emphasizes that everything, including the existence of sin, is part of God's sovereign plan to display His glory. This theme highlights the idea that God's glory is the ultimate purpose of all things.
God's Sovereign Grace: The Depth of Salvation (MLJTrust) presents the theme of the total independence of God's salvation plan from human influence. The sermon emphasizes that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace, independent of human wisdom, effort, or merit. This theme underscores the idea that human beings contribute nothing to their salvation.
Romans 11:36 Historical and Contextual Insights:
Ambassadors for Christ: Exalting God and Evangelizing (Oak Grove Church) provides historical context by comparing the current state of the American church to the Christian church in Germany during the Nazi regime. The sermon suggests that just as the German church caved to cultural pressures, so too are many American churches today, either by accepting sinful lifestyles or by remaining silent.
God's Sovereignty: The Source and Purpose of All (Spurgeon Sermon Series) provides historical context by discussing the cultural understanding of God's sovereignty during biblical times. The sermon explains that the concept of God as the sole architect and sustainer of the universe was a radical departure from the polytheistic beliefs of surrounding cultures, emphasizing the uniqueness of the Judeo-Christian understanding of a singular, sovereign God.
Romans 11:36 Cross-References in the Bible:
Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) references several passages to support the interpretation of Romans 11:36. Romans 5:8 is cited to illustrate God's love demonstrated through Christ's sacrifice, Romans 6:23 to highlight the gift of eternal life, and Romans 8:28 to affirm that all things work together for good for those who love God. Ephesians 3:8 is also mentioned to emphasize the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Ambassadors for Christ: Exalting God and Evangelizing (Oak Grove Church) references Ephesians 1, where Paul speaks to first-century Jews in Ephesus about God's purpose for believers to bring praise and glory to Him. The sermon also cites Isaiah 43, which states that God created people for His glory. These references are used to support the interpretation that all creation exists to glorify God.
God's Sovereignty: The Source and Purpose of All (Spurgeon Sermon Series) references several biblical passages to support the interpretation of Romans 11:36. The sermon cites Genesis 1 to emphasize God's role as the creator, Isaiah 40 to highlight God's sovereignty and wisdom, and Job 41 to illustrate God's incomprehensible power. These references are used to expand on the idea that all things are of, through, and to God.
God's Sovereign Grace: The Depth of Salvation (MLJTrust) references Isaiah 40:13 and Job 41:11 to emphasize the incomprehensibility and independence of God's plan. The sermon also references 1 Corinthians 2:16 to highlight the idea that only those with the mind of Christ can understand God's wisdom. These references support the theme that God's plan is beyond human understanding and influence.
Romans 11:36 Christian References outside the Bible:
Embracing God's Love: Faith, Worship, and Transcendence (Henderson's First Baptist Church) references R.C. Sproul, who is quoted as saying that Romans 11:36 contains the sum and substance of the whole biblical revelation of God's being and character. This reference is used to underscore the transcendence and incomparability of God.
Ambassadors for Christ: Exalting God and Evangelizing (Oak Grove Church) references John MacArthur, who describes God as omnipotent, omnipresent, and eternal, emphasizing that God's word is not flawed because it is impossible for God to lie. This supports the sermon’s theme of God's sovereignty and the reliability of His word.
God's Sovereignty: The Source and Purpose of All (Spurgeon Sermon Series) explicitly references John Calvin, praising him as a theologian who clearly articulated the doctrines of God's sovereignty and grace. The sermon acknowledges Calvin's influence in shaping the understanding of God's sovereignty as articulated in Romans 11:36, emphasizing that Calvin's teachings align with the idea that all things are of, through, and to God.
Romans 11:36 Illustrations from Secular Sources:
Living for God's Glory: Values That Shape Legacy (Resurrection Church) uses the book "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey to illustrate the principle of beginning with the end in mind. The sermon suggests that living for God's glory involves setting values and goals that align with this principle, much like the habits outlined in Covey's book.
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 the complexity of these unsolved math problems to the divine wisdom and knowledge that govern the universe, emphasizing that God's ways are beyond human comprehension.
Ambassadors for Christ: Exalting God and Evangelizing (Oak Grove Church) uses the analogy of a foundation to illustrate the concept of God's glory as the foundation of all creation. The sermon also references the cultural shift in America, comparing it to the Christian church in Germany during the Nazi regime, to illustrate the pressures faced by the church today.
Manifesting God's Glory Through Life's Challenges (Tony Evans) uses the analogy of a race to illustrate the concept of glory. The sermon explains that claiming to be the fastest runner is only meaningful when there is competition, highlighting that God's glory is demonstrated against the backdrop of life's challenges. This secular analogy helps to convey the idea that adversities serve a purpose in manifesting God's glory.