Notes on Things For and Against Us
Context and Opening Verses
The speaker frames the message from a religious perspective, opening with the invocation “By the grace of God” and citing key biblical references to ground the discussion: Genesis 42:36, Psalm 126:3, and Romans 8:37. There is appreciation for the church in Detroit (Greater Emmanuel) and a humility about names and positions, asking listeners to credit God rather than the speaker. The initial verses establish the core idea: life contains both things that oppose us and things that support us, and gratitude for the positive acts of God should accompany awareness of the trials we endure. The opening references are specific: Genesis 42:36 (Jacob speaks of bereavement and betrayal), Psalm 126:3 (the Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad), and Romans 8:37 (in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us). The preacher then introduces the central theme for the talk: “things for and against us.” This framing sets up a balanced view of hardship and blessing, arguing that negative experiences are not the sole narrative of life and that positive divine interventions deserve attention even when difficulties are present.
Core Idea: Things For and Against Us
The central claim is that life comprises both “things against us” and “things for us.” The speaker cautions against giving excessive credence to adversity, noting that God’s favorable actions are often overlooked when one dwells on trouble. Conversely, we may miss the value of trials if we focus only on the pain. The psalmist’s perspective—considering the good things the Lord has done and becoming glad—offers a model for evaluating life’s experiences. The speaker emphasizes that some blessings would not be recognized without going through certain hardships first, and sometimes people wonder why they are treated harshly or unfairly. The message stresses that hard times can coincide with divine purpose and that the life path of a believer includes both tests and triumphs. The call is to see adversity not as a sign of abandonment but as part of a larger process that can lead to growth and deeper trust.
The Price of Prominence and the Call to Endurance
A recurring theme is that the desire for ministry and spiritual impact often comes with a steep price tag. The preacher warns that those who yearn for the anointing may resist the sacrifices it requires, using the metaphor of desiring a slim trim body without doing crunches. With every level of success comes sacrifice, and the path of effective service to God is not easy. The message underscores that purpose and reward in God’s economy are inseparable from trial. The idea “you want the glory, but you don’t want the story” captures the notion that the public triumph is earned through endurance and the narrative of struggle, not through effortless achievement. Listeners are reminded that true effectiveness in ministry requires disciplined perseverance through difficulty.
Jacob and the Birthright: Lessons on Suffering and Divine Purpose
The sermon revisits Jacob—a figure described as a “prince with God”—who faced an extensive list of trials: being torn from his homeland, living as a stranger for decades, living in fear of Esau, misdeeds of his sons, the loss of his wife Rachel, a wrestling encounter with the divine messenger, and economic hardship. His sons’ actions — especially Joseph’s betrayal and Simeon’s imprisonment — compounded his sorrow. Yet, despite these afflictions, Jacob retained his birthright, illustrating the paradox that God’s purposes can endure even when circumstances seem overwhelmingly against us. The preacher uses Jacob’s life to argue against snap judgments about God’s dealings and to encourage endurance, asserting that there are “black clouds” today, but the sun may shine again. The key lesson is to view sorrow from the “high lands of God’s promise” rather than the low plains of immediate experience.
How to See Adversity: Cross Stitches and High Lands
The imagery of a canvas with cross stitches suggests that God’s design often requires visible marks of hardship. The idea is that God’s plan cannot be fully worked out without some form of suffering on one side of the canvas. Even when life’s skies are dark, there is a promise of future brightness. The preacher urges listeners to acknowledge both the present sorrow and the lasting promise of God’s faithfulness, encouraging a perspective that sustains hope even amid trials. The exhortation to tell others that “things will change” reinforces the forward-looking stance характер of the message: present pain is not the final word, and God can transform even the harsh circumstances into part of a larger good.
The Theological Core: God's Sovereignty, Satan's Restraints, and Divine Purpose
A central theological thread is the interplay between divine sovereignty and satanic opposition. The speaker points to Job as an example where God speaks highly of a servant and Satan is allowed to test him within divine restrictions: Satan is permitted to test, but there are boundaries—“he cannot take his life.” This emphasis on limits placed on the devil demonstrates a belief that God maintains control even in the midst of trial. The sermon challenges the idea that affliction always signals personal failure; rather, afflictions can be part of God’s plan and can even accompany divine bragging about a faithful servant. The speaker notes that suffering is not necessarily a sign of moral failure, but can be the arena in which faith is demonstrated and strengthened. The discussion then broadens to biblical examples of suffering: Job’s afflictions, Moses’ speech impediment, Jeremiah’s despair, Peter’s temper, Mary’s perceived laziness, and Martha’s worry. These examples illustrate that many faithful people endured significant difficulties yet remained usable by God.
Paul and the Thorn: Grace is Sufficient
The apostle Paul is held up as a model of perseverance under trial. He discusses his thorn in the flesh—a form of suffering described as a messenger of Satan intended to torment him. Although Paul prays for relief, God’s answer is not immediate removal but a declaration of grace: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” This insight reframes affliction as a conduit for the display of divine power and sustaining grace. The speaker highlights that Paul’s response to weakness and trial is to glory in infirmities, so that Christ’s power might rest upon him. The passage alludes to the broader claim that adversity can be a means by which spiritual strength and dependence on God are refined, leading to a deeper sense of God’s sufficiency and faithfulness. In explaining grace, the sermon anchors the idea that “God’s grace is sufficient” and that trials can be navigated through reliance on that grace, even as one continues to endure hardship.
Practical Responses to Things Being Against Us
The preacher outlines several paths a person can take when facing opposition: quit, escape through sensual indulgence, run away like Jonah, offer excuses like Moses, switch allegiances like Peter, or choose to endure and “stick it out.” The exhortation is clear: choose perseverance. The examples of biblical figures (Moses, Elijah, David) who prayed in times of distress reinforce the power of prayer as a source of resilience. Prayer is presented as a potent means of addressing and reframing suffering: it involves acknowledging the problem, pleading with God for relief, and receiving God’s responses, which may come as grace rather than immediate deliverance. The message emphasizes that there is “secret and explosive power in prayer” and that endurance can be accompanied by spiritual growth rather than mere resignation. The role of grace is repeatedly underscored as the sustaining factor through trials.
The Power of Prayer, Gratitude, and Perspective
The sermon leans on biblical patterns of prayer and gratitude. It cites the idea that there is value in giving thanks “always for all things” (a reference derived from Pauline teaching, echoed in Ephesians). The posture of gratitude is linked to a recognition that weakness, suffering, and trials can produce spiritual blessings and deeper reliance on God. Paul’s admission that he would rather boast in infirmities than in his own strength exemplifies a countercultural stance: there is a constructive purpose in suffering when it redirects attention to God’s sufficiency and to the power of Christ resting upon the believer. The message reinforces that trials are not merely obstacles but opportunities for grace, faith, and perseverance to be demonstrated.
Victory Language: All Things Work for Good and Confronting Adversity
A climactic assertion is that believers are “more than conquerors through him who loved us,” a repeated refrain that anchors hope in Romans 8. The speaker frames life’s challenges as things that can be redirected toward God’s purposes: what others intend for harm, God can turn to good, as with Joseph’s experience where he says, “you thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good” (Genesis 50:20). The preacher calls listeners to trust that God can flip the script, turning difficulties into opportunities for blessing and witness. There is an insistence that “things against me won’t work against me because God is with me.” The message invites a communal affirmation: “There are things against me, but God is for me,” and extends that assurance to the broader community with “All things are working for my good.” This theme culminates in a resolve to praise God regardless of circumstances, recognizing God’s unchanging faithfulness.
Everyday Applications and Closing Encouragement
The closing exhortation acknowledges the real possibility of betrayal, misrepresentation, and opposition from those who plan harm or spread scandal. Yet the speaker punctuates the message with confidence: God is with the believer, enabling endurance and victory. The call is to get ready for what God will continue to do, to step on the floor the evil that’s been sent, and to march forward in faith. The closing lines evoke Isaiah-like expectancy, with a reminder of biblical promises that “eyes haven’t seen, and ears haven’t heard, neither has it entered into the hearts of men” (a Pauline idea often cited as 1 Corinthians 2:9) to emphasize that God’s plans exceed human understanding. The sermon ends with a practical charge to encourage one another, to embrace the truth that God’s work continues, and that believers can declare, in every circumstance, that good things, both inward and outward, are working for their good.
Key Biblical References and How They Connect
- Genesis 42:36 and Genesis 50:20 illustrate how life’s trials coexist with God’s purposeful governance of history, including the idea that God can turn what others mean for harm into good, ultimately preserving the birthright and blessing.
- Psalm 126:3 reflects gratitude for God’s past blessings, shaping present hope.
- Romans 8:37 and Romans 8:31 assert victory in adversity and the certainty that God’s presence makes opposition surmountable.
- Romans 8:28 anchors the assurance that “all things work together for good” for those who love God.
- 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 records Paul’s sufferings, illustrating resilience and the breadth of trials from which faith can still endure.
- 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 expresses Paul’s paradox of weakness and divine empowerment: “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
- Ephesians 5:20 (and related Pauline teaching) captures the ethos of gratitude “giving thanks always for all things.”
- 1 Corinthians 2:9 grounds the idea that God’s blessings exceed human anticipation, often cited in the sermon as “Eyes haven’t seen, ears haven’t heard.”
- Acts 20:24 and Romans 8:31 (and related verses) anchor the exhortation to stay the course and recognize God’s protective, purposeful provision.
- The broader narrative weave includes Job’s testing (Job 1–2) and the hedge that God places around him, illustrating divine limits on Satan’s activity.
Summary Takeaways
- Life contains both “things for” and “things against” us; recognizing both perspectives helps maintain balance and hope.
- A high calling (ministry or faithful living) requires sacrifice and perseverance; the glory of victory is earned through the story of struggle, not just through success.
- Adversity is not always a sign of personal failure; sometimes it is the arena in which faith is tested, refined, and displayed for God’s glory.
- Prayer, humility, and dependence on God’s grace are essential means of navigating trials; God’s grace is sufficient to sustain believers through hardship.
- God can redeem and repurpose what others mean for harm; ultimately, all things can work together for good for those who love God.
- The message invites a forward-facing stance: even in darkness, trust in God’s promises, continue to praise, and expect God’s continued activity in one’s life. The concluding exhortation is that God isn’t finished with us yet, so get ready and walk forward with faith, knowing that what looks like defeat can become triumph through divine purpose.