Creation is Groaning | Part 3

``The chaos isn't the end, it's just contractions. K? Groaning means something is wrong. Birth pains mean something is coming. K? That may be different from you. But here, watch this. Please hear this. We are not watching the collapse of God's plan. We are hearing the contractions of his redemption. K? You need to grab hold of that. Why? Because creation is groaning. Creation is groaning. Amen? Stand with me if you would please. Next week, Lord willing, I wanna get into. We're gonna receive communion, [00:22:11] (35 seconds)  #GroaningToRedemption

Ecclesiastes tells us that there's a season for everything. Romans tells us that creation is groaning in labor pains. And our lives in the present where we live tells us that we're often standing in between. We are living in the in between space. Between what was and what will be. Between a promise and a fulfillment. Between pain which is real. It's real, and restoration. And that space can feel very confusing, very confusing. It can feel heavy. It can feel uncertain. But the scripture reframes it for us. He says, the groaning we hear in creation, the unrest we see in our our world, our cities, and the shaking, and [00:23:08] (54 seconds)  #InBetweenSeason

``yes, the earth feels broken. Why? Because it's under a curse. That's why. But it's not abandoned. It's not abandoned. And the pay pain we see in today in the wars, the natural disasters, the decay, the moral corruption, the social unrest. We've seen even in in our state in in Minneapolis and physical suffering. These are not signs that God has lost control. They are signs that what? Redemption is coming. Redemption. That's what it means. I'm gonna get into something here in a moment. But Paul frames history as we have the fall, the destruction, we have the groaning, [00:20:53] (38 seconds)  #AnchoredNotAfraid

this we've been living in, and then there's the glory. That's how it's how it's laid out. And so so we are still living in the groaning stage, but this seems like it's getting more and more intense. Right? There's a lot more sighing going on. And so really, it's the space between curse and restoration It's we're in the middle of it. Here's the thing. Creation is not resigning itself to fate. It's crying out. I believe this verse is saying it's crying out for renewal. So so in other words, you could say it this way, Romans eight twenty two eight twenty two is the earth isn't dying, it's in labor. [00:21:30] (40 seconds)  #CreationGroansTogether

``Things may feel like they're unraveling. No. Creation is groaning. It's groaning. God is still king. The king is still in control. Isn't that I believe he's orchestrating, pulling strings, every little thing that's happening with the wickedness and the free will and choice of man. But God is determined to restore everything that satan has brought destruction, sin, death, and disease. And he will has defeated through the cross and will defeat. It may or may not be in our lifetime, that's okay. We are still to live circumspect without fear. Amen? How many know we are not a fearful people? We are a faith filled people. [00:24:34] (49 seconds)  #FaithfulInTheUnknown

We are a faith filled people. We are not shaken by the times. We are anchored to the eternal one. Amen, church? And I don't believe we're living in the collapse of God's plan. We are living in the unfolding of his plan and purpose for the earth and for our lives. It's the greatest time to live. I thank God for the new testament times. I thank God for all the early believers, the men and women of faith through the centuries. Certain outpourings and seasons that have happened for the church, how the church has continued to expand, but we really, we as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, you, we're living in the greatest of times. [00:25:21] (44 seconds)  #TrustBeyondUnderstanding

``But but but can we trust god when we don't understand? That we shared this last week. Can I trust god when I don't understand what what's going on or or what's happening in the world? And and and really, a lot of times faith is not solely built on explanation alone. It's built on relationship with the Lord. Amen? Can you still hear me out there okay? Are we good? Okay. And so, you know, if God had to explain everything for him to be trusted, [00:08:31] (29 seconds)  #ContractionsNotDeath

``And, we, you know, pulled out this verse and we said the big idea is that we talked about very quickly for a recap. Faith isn't knowing the season. It's trusting God in it. And that there are there are moments in life, that, you know, god is is the question isn't, lord, what are you doing? And I'm the guy that likes to know what's happening, lord, to know, to walk around and think that you know. You know, I really got I got the answer for this and it kinda gives us a false, maybe, sense of security. [00:08:00] (32 seconds)  #NothingFeelsPermanent