Have you ever wondered why God didn’t answer your prayer? Or if you don’t pray, why bad things happen to good people? Did you ever wish for solidarity in your pain and suffering?
Sermon Outline:
I. Our groans are joined
II. Our groans are honed
III. Our groans are redeemed
Quotations:
To such as love Him, God co-worketh with all things for good; so absolutely all things, that even if any of them go astray, and break out of the way, even this itself He makes to avail them for good, so that they return more lowly and more instructed.
-St. Augustine, 5th c.
So far are the troubles of this life from hindering our salvation, that, on the contrary, they are helps to it. For God trains up the faithful by afflictions, and thereby promotes their salvation.
-John Calvin, 16th c.
Neither the terrors of death on the one hand nor the comforts and pleasures of life on the other, neither the fear of death nor the hope of life. The good angels will not, the bad shall not; and neither can. Neither the sense of troubles present nor the fear of troubles to come. Time shall not separate us, eternity shall not. Neither the height of prosperity and preferment, nor the depth of adversity and disgrace. Nothing from heaven above, no storms, no tempests; nothing on earth below, no rocks, no seas, no dungeons. Nor anything that can be named or thought of. It will not, it cannot, separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It cannot cut off or impair our love to God, or God’s to us; nothing does it, can do it [even sin]. Observe, the love that exists between God and true believers is through Christ. He is the Mediator of our love: it is in and through him that God can love us and that we dare love God. This is the ground of the steadfastness of the love; therefore, God rests in his love, because Jesus Christ, in whom he loves us, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
-Matthew Henry, 17th c.
Scripture text: Romans 8:22-39
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sermon Transcript
Liturgy Bulletin
“Our Groaning Redeemed” preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy, Sunday, August 9, 2026 at 10:00AM at New Life Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, NY. Come see the beautiful Finger Lakes region, and worship God with us. www.newlifeithaca.org.
Sermon music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. www.