In this sermon, Pastor Steve Hopkins explores the topic of suffering in the present time. He explains that all human suffering can be traced back to the entrance of sin into the world and how it affected everything, including creation. The creation was subjected to futility and corruption as a result of human sin. However, there is hope for both creation and believers. When Christ returns, the creation will be delivered from its bondage to corruption, and believers will be glorified and freed from sin and suffering. The sufferings of this present time are temporary and incomparable to the eternal glory and blessedness that await believers. The sermon emphasizes the importance of looking forward to the future hope and trusting in God's provision for restoration.

Welcome back to Burnet Bible Church. Join us this week as Pastor Hopkins continues his sermon series through the book of Romans. Good afternoon again. If you would turn with me in your Bibles once again to the Book of Romans, the eighth chapter. And if you would, stand with me for the reading of the Word of the Lord, verses 18 through 23.

And we'll be working through about verse 21, Lord willing, this afternoon. Let's read together verses 18 through 23, the word of the Lord. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, and not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit even we ourselves grown within ourselves waiting for the adoption to wit the redemption of our body let's pray father once again God we humble ourselves God before you and ask Lord for a work in the heart and the lives of your people, Lord, that only you can do. And we ask, God, that you would give the Spirit, Lord, to do that work. Or we rely completely upon you. Make your word alive to us, God, and conform us in this time more to the image of your Son, for we ask it in His holy name.

Amen. Let's be seated. A couple of weeks ago, I watched a documentary with my sons hosted by former President Ronald Reagan. It was made back in 1962, and it was entitled The Truth About Communism. I don't know if anyone's ever seen that, but if you have the stomach for it, I recommend viewing this brief documentary, historical documentary, detailing the origins and the advance of communism in the world and the horrors and atrocities committed by the disciples of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.

This documentary begins with the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 and then records the sad historical record of one nation after another seeking to build the city of man. How many are familiar with the term the city of man? The city of man, seeking to build the city of man under the influence of Marxist, Leninist ideology. And a common ledger, so to speak, unfolds in this historical account of communism and its advance. And it's a common ledger of untold human suffering, of violence, of bloodshed, and of oppression, of the powerful over the weak.

With every attempt by man to create a utopian paradise on earth in opposition to the Creator, a mad rush to ruin has ensued. And in its wake left mountains of human corpses. But of course, suffering and misery and death didn't begin with communism. It all began 6,000 years ago in a place called Eden with the initial rebellion of man against his Creator. All human suffering can be traced to that garden and the entrance of human sin into the world.

With the entrance of human sin came sickness. With the entrance of human sin came suffering. The entrance of human sin into the world came death. None of which existed in creation before the fall of man. But man's sin didn't just affect man, it affected everything.

The scripture tells us that even the ground was cursed on account of man's sin. In the book of Genesis chapter 1, you start reading, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said there to be light and there was light. And He saw the light and it was good and separated the light from the darkness and the evening the morning of the first day etc etc. He goes on and on and everything's good.

Everything's going great. Everything is moving along quite well. No sickness, no death, no corruption, no decay, no sweat on the brow, and frustration and labor, no pain in childbirth. We read in verse 31 of Genesis 1, and God saw everything that He made, and behold, it was very good. It was very good.

But then sin entered into the world. After Adam rebels against God in chapter 3, in verse 17 we read, Cursed is the ground for thy sake. Cursed is the ground for your sake, Adam, because of what you've done. The sin of Adam affected everything. The sin of Adam affected everything.

With human sin came universal ruin. Man's plunge into sin took with it the entire created order. Dr. Sproul writes here, quote, the entrance of human sin into the world plunged the whole creation into ruin. A ruin that includes not only people, but animals and the land itself.

The earth mourns because of us. When the transgression came into paradise, The curse of God extended beyond Adam and Eve and even beyond the serpent. The land itself was cursed. Close quote. God said to Adam, here's the account, because you've hearkened unto the voice of your wife, and don't anybody go away and say well you're never going to listen to my wife because God said this to us.

Because you obeyed her instead of me is what he's saying. Because you have hearkened into the voice of your wife and asked and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded you saying you shall not eat of it cursed is the ground for thy sake thorns also and thistle shall it bring forth to thee and that's the way it's been ever since The old hymn says change and decay in all around I see. Everything is in a state of decay. For man's sake, for Adam's sake, because of Adam's sin, even the ground was cursed. All of creation came under the curse because of man's sin all of the sufferings of this present time and the sufferings of every age of man since sin entered into the world must be laid at the foot of man.

It must be laid at the foot of fallen man. When man fell, everything fell. When man was ruined, everything was ruined. The entire created order was plunged into ruin and misery. And our text this afternoon tells us that it was, quote, subjected to vanity.

It was subjected to vanity. Your translation might use the word futility. It says the creature was made subject to vanity or to futility. When sin entered into the world, creation was diverted from its intended end, from its intended purpose and proper use. In the following verse, verse 21, the Apostle Paul describes it in terms of bondage to corruption.

Everything is subjected to vanity. It's all futility. Everything is subjected in bondage to corruption. Nothing is as it was when God said, it's all very good. He looked at everything he created said it's all very good.

Nothing is as it was. Nothing is as it was intended to be, nor is it used by sinful men as it should be used to bring glory to God. But look at what the text says here, brothers and sisters, nature, creation, did not subject itself to the curse. It is a sentence of God. It is the sentence of God.

Paul says it was not willing, but subjected. It is God's sentence on account of man's sin. Scottish theologian Robert Haldane, back in the 1800s, writes, quote, the creation on account of sin has by the sentence of God been subjected to vanity or to futility. And thus the whole creation groans together and is under bondage on account of the sin of man and has suffered by it immensely. That's the history of the world.

MacArthur agrees, quote, the verb was subjected indicates by its form that nature did not curse itself, but was cursed by something or someone else. Paul goes on to reveal that the curse on nature was executed by its creator. God himself subjected it to futility. Decay, disease, pain, death, natural disaster, etc. Will never cease until the one who sent the curse removes it and creates a new heaven and a new earth." Close quote.

Human sin is the cause of the futility. Human sin is the cause of the universal slavery of the creation in bondage to corruption. And not until man is restored to righteousness will the universe be restored. Until then everything is in a state of decay. Houses have to be repaired, Got to stay on top of it.

Gardens have to be weeded. My grandfather's old rusty truck sitting out in my field didn't roll off the line looking like that in 1963. Everything in the created order is subject to corruption on account of man's sin. And then you'll notice that in the passage before us, the Apostle Paul personifies the whole of creation. He describes the creature, that is the whole of creation, with emotions like that of a man.

Again I'll quote Haldane, the like emotions of joy and sorrow are here ascribed to the inanimate and unintelligent creation. In this way the prophets introduced the earth as groaning. Do you remember these passages? The prophets of old, they introduced the earth as groaning, as animals crying unto God, in sympathy with the condition of man. The land mourns, Isaiah says in Isaiah chapter 24.

The land mourns. The corn is wasted, the new wine's dried up, the oil languishes. That's Isaiah 24, four. How do the beasts groan? The beasts of the field cry also unto thee, the prophet Joel says in chapter one in verse 20 of Joel.

Where's the passage that says that the land of vomits out its inhabitants because of the sin of the people. That's not on my notes, just came to mind. Even the land itself vomited out the inhabitants because of the wickedness of the people that were dwelling therein. The prophet Jeremiah says, how long shall the land mourn in the herbs of every field wither for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? The earth mourns and fades away.

The world languishes and fades away. The earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed God's law. Changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, for this reason, hath the curse devoured the earth. But the good news is it will not be that way forever, not for the people of God and not for creation.

The Bible that you're looking at uses the word creature. It's talking about the creation, the animate and inanimate things of the earth. The creation was subjected to vanity, but the creation was not subjected without hope. That's what the word says here. The creation was not subjected without hope but in hope it says.

The creation itself is going to be delivered from the bondage of corruption. When the sons of God are revealed in their new nature at the coming of Christ, when this corruptible, that we're indwelling in, these corruptible vessels, when they put on incorruptibility, when we see Christ as He is, and our bodies are fashioned like unto His glorious body, the creation will also be liberated from its bondage to corruption and decay It's gonna be a glorious day Don't get too attached to this thing Don't fall in love with it too much. It's all going away. The creation will also be liberated from its bondage to corruption and decay, and on that day, the land will stop mourning, and all the sufferings caused by human sin will come to an end. The righteous judge who subjected the creation to vanity and consequence of the disobedience of man has made provision for its final restoration.

Again, that's Haldane, amen? He's made a provision for its restoration. Just as our suffering will come to an end, the creation will also be delivered. The creation will also be emancipated. It will also be liberated.

It will be free from the bondage of corruption when Christ returns and brings in the new heaven and the new earth. MacArthur writes here in his commentary, just as man's sin brought corruption to the universe, so man's restoration to righteousness will be accompanied by the restoration of the earth and its universe to its divinely intended perfection and glory. Brothers and sisters, we long for that day as believers. We who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ, we can't wait to be clothed in His glory. We long for that day.

We long for that day because we long for that time to come because we've grown within ourselves, not only because all the sin and decay and corruption and devastation in human history and all of the evils that befall us because we don't want to sin against God anymore. We groan, we long for that day where we can be perfected, we can be as Christ is and no longer be in these bodies that are susceptible not only to corruption but the temptation to sin. We long for that. And what we're told here is that even the creation longs or waits for the day in eager expectation for the day when the sons of God are going to be revealed. That's interesting isn't it where it talks about the sons of God being revealed?

Well, aren't they just revealed right here in this church? I mean, we're all sitting in church, right? So the sons of God are revealed. We come to church because we're all the sons and daughters of God. Not necessarily, right?

I mean there could be somebody sitting here right now that's kind of disinterested in what's going on. Their mind could be, their body could be here, but their mind could be somewhere else. The sons of God are going to be revealed one day. That word, when He says that they're going to be revealed, I mean, it just infers that they're not revealed right now. You know, even Our Lord says that there are going to be many who are going to come before Him on that day, and they're going to say, Lord, Lord.

They're even going to think themselves to be saved. And He's going to say, I never knew you. I never had a relationship with you. I never had a relationship with you. But the day is coming when they're going to be revealed.

The true sons and daughters of God are going to be revealed. And the new heavens and the new earth were in dwelleth righteousness. And the scriptures tell us that on that day, even the creation is going to applaud. The creation that's now languishing and mourning because of the sin of man. The creation that sometimes vomits its inhabitants out because of the sinfulness of those dwelling therein.

It's going to applaud. The creation is going to applaud. Isaiah writes in Isaiah 55-12, the mountains and hills shall break forth before you into singing, and the trees of the field shall clap their hands. But until that time, all creation groans and suffers, and we ourselves also groan, but then it will all cease. It will be free from sin and suffering and pain and death.

I want to go back, instead of going forward here, as I draw to a close to the Apostles' words of encouragement in the first verse that we read, nothing that we suffer can compare to what we will experience in glory. I sat my kids down, children down, there's no kids left. I've sat my adult children down this past week in family worship time. So what does it mean, glory? What do you mean?

What does it mean when we say glory? That one day you're gonna be in glory. One day you're gonna be glorified. You know if we talk about being glorified on earth, we talk about, well if I'm glorified, somebody's going, wow he's great. No, that's not what we're talking about.

Coming to glory, entering glory, and being glorified is when we are made like Christ. When these corruptible bodies put on incorruption, we're made like unto His glorious body. No longer able to sin, no longer able to get sick or die. That's what's coming for the people of God. We're gonna be freed from sin and suffering and pain and death.

But even all the things that we endure on earth can't compare to the glory that is to come. It can't compare to that. It can't even come close, Paul has been saying. There's no comparison. Charles Hodge says this future glory that he's talking about transcends immeasurably the sufferings of this present state.

The apostle's not saying that human suffering is not real. He's not saying that. He's not saying that it's not immense. In many places, Paul chronicled his own suffering in various places in the New Testament. What he's saying is that those things, that those sufferings aren't worthy to even be compared with the glory that awaits us, with what God has laid up for His children.

I talked to a brother recently and He has a loved one that's dying. But he knows that, and this loved one knows, that the suffering in this valley of the shadow of death that his loved ones walking through can't even be compared with the glory that awaits. I've said this before about my grandmother. I was there, it was the last one to see her alive. My grandmother on my mother's side.

And it was at the hospital right here in Burnett, Texas. And I don't remember how it all happened, but I ended up being there. And she was on a machine and, you know, just it was giving air to her lungs. And she was just, you know, just, I mean, it was like blowing her up like a balloon and then releasing. And then they said the Star Flight's coming and they're gonna take her to Austin.

Probably gonna need heart surgery. And I remember her just looking up into the into the corner of the emergency room and just the brightest happiest smile on her face that I've ever seen I've ever witnessed on her face and her looking up and her saying oh Steve can't you just see him wow I saw her off on the helicopter and when I got to Austin, she died on the transport there. She died in joy, joyfully, just joyfully. On the one side of the scale is set before us all the sufferings of this present time, all the pain, the sickness, the sorrow, the sadness, the loss, the grief. And on the other side, Christ.

Remember a couple of weeks ago, we went through this passage, it's our inheritance. We are heirs of God Himself and of Christ. He is our inheritance. On the scales, all of this terrible stuff, and it's not minimized. It's awful.

It's horrible. The things that people are going through and have gone through, it's terrible. There's horrible things, terrible sicknesses, terrible diseases, terrible atrocities committed to people. Horrible things that they've endured for years and years and years and years. And for those who are in Christ, on the other side is Christ.

What could possibly compare? Christ and the blessedness and comfort and joy that awaits the children of God in His presence. The sufferings of this present time are temporary. The blessedness that awaits us is eternal, and Paul says it is incomparable. The sufferings of this present time cannot be compared either in immensity or duration with the glory and blessedness of the eternal state of the believer.

I don't remember who it was that he was talking about, but my good friend Chris was telling me one time—I don't know where he heard this, but he was talking to a friend who was suffering greatly. And the friend recounted, I don't know if it was a sermon that he heard or what, but he said, you know, the pastor said, and some of y'all may know this quote, he said, how long, how long do I have to go through this? How long, oh Lord, do I have to go through this? And the pastor that was not trying to be cruel, but was just really trying to comfort, really. He said, you know, only a lifetime.

How long? Just a lifetime. And then it's eternity. Then it's eternity. If you're a believer, there's an end to your present suffering, but there is no end to your future happiness.

In the Song of Solomon, the bridegroom calls, arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Lo, the winter is past. Think on these words. This is the bridegroom calling to his church, to his bride, arise, my love, my fair one. This is the day of resurrection.

And come away. Lo, the winter is past, the rain is gone, the flowers appear. The flowers appear. When Christ returns for His Church, the bitter winters of this life will become a distant memory, forever forgotten as they are swallowed up in the wonder of His presence and love and glory. Amen.

Let's pray. Father, we do thank you that nothing we can possibly go through on earth can possibly compare to the eternal weight of glory that awaits us as the children of God. We thank you, God, that eye has not seen nor ear heard, rather has entered into the heart of man the things that you've prepared for those that love you. We thank you, God, that we are, who are in Christ by faith, are the children of God and that we have the earnest of the Holy Spirit as a down payment on the glory that is to come. We thank you, God, that we are who believe are heirs of you, God, yourself, and of Christ.

We thank you, God, that one day we will get the final installment, the redemption of our mortal bodies, the final of the adoption. We thank you, God, that we are not like the world and those of the world who have no hope, that we have a certain hope grounded upon your promises. We thank you, God, that we can be patient and wait on you and bear whatever troubles press on us in this life because we know the end of the story and we know who awaits us at the end of this life. So we praise you God and we thank you for the salvation we have in your Son, for the life we have in your Son. And that, Lord, one day our sufferings will end, Our afflictions will end on that day when the world will only really be beginning.

And we thank you, Lord, that that's all on account of Christ, because He came and He bore our sins, carried our sorrows, and was stricken, smitten, and afflicted of God for our sakes, who knew no sin, to pay our sin debt and to bring us to God. We thank you, God. We thank you, Father. Lord, we ask now that as we approach the communion table, that we would examine ourselves if we be in the faith, and we would examine ourselves to see if there is any sin, unrepentant sin in our lives, and Lord, that we would deal with those things now and that you would be with us God and bring conviction and bring comfort in this time Lord as we look upon Christ and Him crucified for our sins and risen from the dead. We ask it in His name, Amen.