Landmines in the Path of the Believer Pt 4: A Place of Safety

A Place of Safety

Romans 5:1-10

Introduction: The Apostle Paul writes to the church of Rome on how to live and how to believe. In chapter 5 he gives us some insight.

1. We have been justified by faith. We didn’t get justified by the system of religion, background, or works, we got justified by faith. We didn’t have pay etc

Justification is defined as God looks at you and treats you as though you have never sinned.

God said, when you got saved I wiped your slate clean. I justified, you, and when I look at you, I don’t remember what you did. 

And its all done by virtue by faith. And because of this, we have peace with God.

Isaiah 43:18-19 remember ye, not the former things neither consider the things of old behold I’m doing a new thing now shall it spring forth shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert

Have you ever met someone who does not have peace? Truth be told that’s why a lot of people do what they do because they don’t have any peace.

People drink bc they have no peace

Do drugs because they have no peace

Gossip because they have no peace

Landmines: Pride, Jealousy, Envy, Insecurity, Compromise, Unforgiveness, Disappointment, Fear, Immorality, Slothfulness, Hatred

When you get justified you get peace and there are not too many roads to get there but through Jesus Christ. Only he was beaten, stretched, and crucified and took what you should’ve got.

Look at Romans 5:1 we only have access to God by Jesus Christ

Vs 2 We also have access by faith into this grace

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me

Grace is God’s power and anointing that helps you become what you suppose to be and do what you suppose to do. God’s grace is when He smears you with the desire to do right even when your flesh doesn’t want to do right. Even when you surrounded by the temptations that used to trip you up now you can walk right past it. When you have grace you can be around it but not in it. We have grace. 

What are some areas where you have witnessed and experienced God’s Grace?

Romans 5:2 And we rejoice in the hope: What does this mean?

We can shout, celebrate, praise, and worship we rejoice in the expectation of God’s glory. In other words, we don’t have to see it happening we can start rejoicing before it even shows up. We can rejoice in the hope of the glory

1 Thessalonians 2:18-20 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

Glory means: when it shows up its very apparent that it is God. When God shows up it was nobody but God that did it. Not your friend, job, boss, neighbor it was God

We are in a special position and place and now in vs 3 not only that, but there is more we see

2.Glory in tribulation. We don’t shout in tribulations we don’t get excited or rejoice. We don’t say praise the Lord I have a problem. 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I want to be clear in the exegetical context of this glory that it is not the same glory as is in vs 2. The glory in this verse glory means to boast, brag. Paul is saying we brag in our tribulations. God wants us to brag about what we’re going through. Not moan, not complain, not find fault, point the finger, blame but we can brag that we’re right in the middle. Anybody can brag when they come out but can you brag and shout while you in it. Can you give a wave and praise while you have a tear running down your face can you cut a dance and your flesh don’t want to do it?

Say to Yourself, I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but while I’m in the midst I’m going to put  a praise on it. I don’t know how, I don’t know when, but I know God’s gonna do it.

Tribulation: is a Greek word that means pressure. We all are under pressure. Were being pushed on all sides. Tribulation means you just don’t have 1 problem but you have a multiplicity of problems

2 Corinthians 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Problems in front, back, left, right overhead, under your feet at your job, at your house, at your church pressure. Paul says we boast in tribulation.

Tribulation: This word comes from a word that’s rooted from a device that was a piece of wood that had spikes coming out and would roll it over grain, it was called threshing. It was used to separate the good part of the wheat from the bad. Wheat and the shaft. Separate what was usable from what is not. 

The reason you having tribulation is bc God is rolling some stuff over you to separate what’s Good in you from what is not.

We ALL have something that is not quite good (attitudes, language, thinking, secrets) List Yours:

God says Hear is Your Place of Peace, I got to get it out before I take you to what I have designed for you

2 Samuel 24:18-25

8 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David went up, as the Lord had commanded through Gad. 20 When Araunah looked and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he went out and bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

“To buy your threshing floor,” David answered, “so I can build an altar to the Lord, that the plague on the people may be stopped.”

22 Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23 Your Majesty, Araunah[a] gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

24 But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”

So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels[b] of silver for them. 25 David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer in behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel was stopped.

The purpose is to separate what’s good from what’s bad vs 3 boasts because you know

3. Tribulation produces perseverance

Perservance says you take a licking and keep on ticking, perseverance says im going through hell but I still have a smile on my face, im still praising yeah im crying but my hands are still lifted up can you keep on shouting while you wait. I’ve completely accepted and can tolerate the trouble

4. And (Patience) Perseverance produces (Experience) Character

Do you have Character? We have a culture full of people that have no character. Character Means to have been tested. And because you’ve been tested you can be trusted.

Character– not what you put on while you’re around people, but what you cant take off even when no one is looking or around.

2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if any man is in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things become new.

How do you respond when you’re mistreated or when a Landmine detonates?  God wants us to come through it by trusting Him. 

5. Character produces hope. Hope means expectation.

When you’ve gone through something and gone through threshing, perseverance, when you’ve gone through yesterday now you can stand and say what I went through yesterday I sought God out and today and Im ready to rare back and face my tomorrow bc I have an expectation that God is going to do something. He’s gonna fix it, im not loose my mind. 

 Tell Yourself I’m boasting bc He’s Going to do Something.

Here’s what I know before the tribulation crosses paths with your life it crosses God’s desk. And If can’t handle it, God vetos it. I thank Him for the stuff He vetoed that He didn’t let come in my life that the devil wanted to bring. And if it came in your life that means he signed off and knew what was in you. Hope maketh not ashamed. It doesn’t disappoint. When You come through it, You won’t be disappointed. When you get to the end of the journey you won’t be disappointed. When You get to where Your Appointed you will be able to say Thank You.