The Sufferings of This Present Time

In one paragraph

Pastor Ray opened in Romans 8:18-25, staying longer on verse 18 than anywhere else. He did not want to rush past the sufferings of this present time to get to the future glory, and he did not. Before moving into the text, Pastor Ray read aloud a long list of real suffering he and Tanya have witnessed in four years of full-time ministry in Jackson. Saying goodbye to friends who move away, pets...

Read together

1. Romans 8:15-18 read aloud as the closing verses of last week's passage, leading into this week's text about adoption, crying out 'Abba Father', and sufferings not worthy to be compared with future glory
2. Romans 8:18-25 the main passage for the sermon, covering sufferings of the present time, creation groaning, first fruits of the Spirit, and hope
3. 1 Peter 4:12-19 quoted to show believers should not be surprised by fiery ordeals, and that those who suffer according to the will of God should entrust their souls to a faithful creator
4. Hebrews 11:1-38 quoted selectively to show faith as assurance of things hoped for, Moses choosing suffering over Egypt's pleasures, and saints who suffered mocking, flogging, imprisonment, stoning, and death
5. Psalm 19 referenced to note that the heavens declare the glory of God, with the thought that creation longs to say even more but is restrained by corruption

Talk about it

1. Pastor Ray read a long list of real sufferings he has witnessed in this congregation over four years. Which of those landed on you personally, and why do you think Paul calls all of it 'light affliction'?
2. Pastor Ray said that suffering is 'an essential part of life, but of the Christian life' and that there can be no doubt about it. How does that sit with you, and how does it square with what you were taught or assumed about following God?
3. Pastor Ray said the prosperity gospel is 'hogwash' and pointed to Hebrews 11 to show that faithful people suffered terribly with no rescue in this life. Has that understanding of suffering shaped the way you read Scripture or pray? How?
4. Romans 8 says creation itself is groaning and longing for the revealing of the children of God. What does it mean to you that your suffering is not isolated to you personally but is part of something the whole creation is caught up in?
5. Pastor Ray said hope in the Bible is a certainty that has not yet come to pass, and that we are in the 'already and not yet.' How do you actually live in that tension day to day, especially when the suffering feels heavier than the hope?