I will read what the Apostle Paul says. This is the Word of God. O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to God, that God might be repaid? That he might, excuse me, that the person might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him, to God, be glory forever. Amen. Father, we thank you for your word. We pray that you would use it in a mighty and powerful way in the hearts of your people. Help us to get to the place where Paul is, where he breaks forth in praise, where he cannot contain, Father God, his excitement. His joy of Father God and His thankfulness for who you are and what you've done. This portion of Scripture ends a section of Scripture in the book of Romans. And Paul here, when he considers all that he has taught from Romans chapter 1 to this point, he breaks forth in praise. May we leave here in the same way. Lord, I am painfully mindful of the fact that no matter how I preach this This sermon, it won't be good enough to the extent, oh Lord, that it's trying to capture the greatness and the glory and the praise that the people of God should give you for who you are. It's supposed to capture the greatness of God. And Lord, no man, I think, can do that. But Lord, as we venture forward, give us a bit of that. We will walk out of here, Lord, in awe, knowing that you are the greatest of all great things. the ultimate good of all humanity. We pray these things, Lord, in Christ's name and for his sake. Amen and amen. You may be seated, beloved. Today we reflect on the profound mystery of God's mercy. In our passage, Paul is going to reveal the depth of God's wisdom, grace, knowledge, reminding us that God's way surpasses our human understanding. Up to this point, Paul has taught us that God's work in our lives is always an undeserved grace. He has taught us, beloved, that salvation, it's not something we achieve, but a priceless gift from God, one that we can never repay, one that we could never have earned. So Paul now concludes His teaching on divine election, a teaching that began in Romans chapter 1 and now concludes here in Romans chapter 11 on the last verses. He concludes his whole passage with a powerful word of praise, what we call doxology. He writes his praise down in words. We call that a doxology. With this all in mind, let us look at then Paul's doxology. He has taught all that he can on election. All that He can on what God has done to save us. All that He can to teach us that the gospel is of grace and not of human works. And now He breaks forth in that praise. And that first part is verse 33. Where we learn the unsearchable depths of God. The unsearchable depths of God. Let's look at verse 33. Oh the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways. So verse 33 is a reminder of the greatness of God's richness, wisdom, and knowledge. The Apostle Paul calls us to marvel at the God who has revealed the mystery of the gospel and his perfect plan of salvation. A plan really that defies all human logic and yet has accomplished God's purpose of saving the elect from every nation in every time. He says, who but God? He come up with a plan where every single one of a person that I have set apart for myself, the elect of God will be saved in every nation and every time as I have deemed it to be so. He says what a wonderful God we serve. So as we consider how God saves his people, we are called to contemplate the depth of God. I hope that that already feels heavy to you. How do we as human beings contemplate the depth of God? It's outside of our scope. We can only swim down so far down before we have to come back for air, before we say it's too far down, it's too far deep. In scripture depth refers to something vast and incomprehensible that cannot be measured or fully understood. We understand part of what God has revealed, but we can't get the whole picture. It's far beyond us. Beloved, God's ways, especially in the salvation of the elect, are beyond our grasp. So this leaves us in awe of His greatness, and leads us to worship Him, like Paul does here. Paul burst into this praise, into this doxology. He is overwhelmed by the majesty of God, this God of Scripture, and the profound love that this God has for His elect. Paul's left in awe of God, and invites you and I, the reader, to praise God alongside of him. He says God is so infinitely bigger, and he starts speaking about God, and he starts worshipping God. And he says, don't you, Christian, don't you feel the same way? Don't you feel the same way? Aren't you moved at the thought of who God is and what he has done for you? He's great. He needs to be worshipped. He must be worshipped by us. This is the thought throughout scripture that God is infinitely worthy of worship. It's found throughout the scripture. And a wonderful place is that portion of scripture that we read earlier, Psalm 145 verses 1 to 3. Listen to King David. It's almost like he doesn't have the words to express what he wants to express. I will extol You, my God and King, and bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You and praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable. Great is God, greatly to be praised. His greatness, I will worship Him forever and ever. I will worship Him forever and ever. I will worship Him every day. That's the thought here. God, He says, when I consider who you are, I'm left speechless. I must worship, I must pray. You're great, and your greatness is great, and you're great. And it's like he has no words to capture the greatness of our God. He's overwhelmed before the thought of who God is. That's the goal of Paul here in this portion of Scripture. So the Apostle Paul praises God for the following three unimaginable blessings. Each is a blessing that reveals the depth of God's glory and leaves us in awe. Blessing number one, the depth of the richest of God's grace. The term richest points to the overwhelming blessings and mercies poured out on sinful people through the gospel of Jesus Christ. These blessings are vast and beyond measure and they include all the following. Beloved, consider the pardon of sin that you've received from Christ. the atonement through Jesus Christ, the hope that we have of heaven, and the peace that comes from being reconciled to God, knowing that our sins are forgiven. All of this is freely given to us, a sinful, poor, wretched, and spiritually dead people, before Christ came into our lives. It comes to us through the gospel. He says all the depth of the riches of God's grace. How? How is that grace given to us? It's given to us through the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ. Well what is the gospel? The truth of what God has done. He has taken people who are born naturally sinners and amenity to God. Not morally neutral, but people who are born dead because of trespass and sins. People that have no hope from within themselves. There is no good work that they can do to reconcile to God, for they have committed sin, and God is holy, and the standard is perfection. And so as we stand alienated from God, and the impossibility of ever coming to God, then we realize the doom that lies over us. We are children of hell, living in this life, going to hell. Sons of disobedience, children of wrath, Ephesians says, of all humanity. But God, in His great mercy and His love, sends His Son to become one of us, to live the life of perfection, to keep the law that you and I broke, and to go to the cross, not as a victim, but as a substitute. Praise God. He is substituted for those whom God has set apart for Himself. And He dies for them, carrying their sins to the cross, paying for their trespasses, atoning for their sins before God. And the Father sees those who come to Christ, and faith sees them, not as who they were, but who they are now. People dress in the righteousness of another. The righteous keeping of Christ, the law keeping of Christ, sees them as perfect human beings, and adopts them, and makes them His own. This is the depth of the richness of God's grace, that He has saved you and me. I often tell people when they say, all I want to see is A miracle from God. And then I will believe, I said, here I am in the flesh. I was dead. A citizen of hell. We, we, you've heard me say this in the last couple of weeks. We keep telling people that, you know, that if they don't come to Christ, they're going to go to hell. And that is true. But the idea is there that somehow we're morally neutral between two things. But we're already citizens of hell at birth. Isn't that what the scripture teaches? That God plunges his hand into the depths of hell and pulls us out and makes us now citizens of heaven, his children, taking away our sins through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and dressing us in his righteousness. Isn't that what the gospel teaches? Oh, the depth of the riches of God's grace, right? We start looking at it and say, oh God, how is it that you can save a horrible sinner like me? Well with man, all things, with man salvation is what? Impossible, says Jesus to Peter. But with God, all things are what? Possible. So Paul just considers the depth of the richness of God's grace, and he's overwhelmed. He says, oh, this God, this God that we serve, but he doesn't stop there. He doesn't only think about the depth of the richness of God, he goes to the depth of the wisdom of God in his plan. Not only is he rich in grace, but he had a rich plan for us to save us in that grace. Wisdom is the ability to choose the best means to achieve the best ends. God's ultimate purpose was to show mercy to all his elect, both Jew and Gentile, as we have seen in our Roman study. Saving people by grace and not by their own works. We've seen this truth in Romans 11.32, our last sermon in this series. For God has consigned all, all meaning Jew and Gentile, to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all, meaning what? The elect from the what? Jew, and the Gentiles from all nations of this world bringing us together. In his wisdom, God designed a glorious plan where his mercy and grace would be the central focus in saving all the elect from every corner of the earth, making out of them not distinct peoples, but one people, the Church of God. Amen. Glory be to God. So the apostle marvels at God's wisdom. throughout the epistle to the Romans, acknowledging that all of humanity is sinful and that cannot save themselves. Yet God used the rejection of the gospel by the nation of Israel to bring the gospel to the elect Gentiles, and in His plan He intended for then the elect Gentiles to bring the gospel back to the elect remnant among the Jews. Who but God could come up with such a plan? It makes no human sense, does it? That rejection would float into blessing to a group, and then that group would bring the gospel back, not to the whole nation, but to the elect Jews. And from that, God would make what? One group, his people. It's an incredible thought. God's wisdom shines in how he brings people from all backgrounds together through the love of the gospel and devotion to the one true God and Savior. So as we reflect on this amazing plan throughout history, it becomes clear why Paul is overwhelmed with awe at God's wisdom. Paul is teaching us something incredible here. Every event in history, whether expected or surprising, has been carefully woven into the fabric of God's divine purposes and decrees, including your birth, and including the time of your expiration here on earth. Even in moments that seem chaotic or beyond understanding, even in your worst pain, and some of you have gone through terrible pain, all of it has been in God's plan to bring ultimate two things, His glory to bear and to bring His people home, which includes you. So we can thank God even for the pain, even though it hurts, even though sometimes it's incomprehensible, our pain. Even though we might never have the answers like Joseph got in his pain in the Old Testament. But we know that God is doing something incredible. God's hand is at work orchestrating everything to fulfill His will and to reveal His glory and to bring His people home. So this reminds us that nothing is random in God's plan. Listen, and nothing is wasted in God's plan. Every detail of your life contributes to the beauty and the perfection of the ultimate design of what? Bringing his glory to bear and saving his people and bringing them home. What can we say to that but in a humble what? Amen and thank you God. So he says, the depth of the richness of God and grace, the depth of God's wisdom in creating this plan, and then the depth of God's knowledge in carrying forth that plan. And when Paul says the knowledge, the depth of God's knowledge here, he is speaking of God's foreknowledge, or what we call his omniscience. Not that he's learning something, but those things that he has decreed, therefore he has knowledge of those things. And we see God's omniscience in the way of salvation in all parts of salvation. We see God's omniscience in understanding humanity and its needs and our sinfulness. We see God's omniscience in His plan that is designed to restore and save us. We see God's holy omniscience in His perfect timing for His plan. Think about it. Every prophet was perfectly put in time to further along the gospel. John the Baptist came at God's desired time to prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus Christ came at the perfect moment in time to live, and to live, and to fulfill the law, and to die on the cross, and to be resurrected, and then to be taken up to glory, and to one day return again. Everything is in God's perfect plan. The timing of His plan. God's omniscience is seen in the design in that the Jewish nation rejected the gospel, and therefore the gospel spread to the Gentiles. Beloved, who but God could foreknow by sovereign decree the effects of the Jewish rejection? Who but God could foreknow that the gospel would eventually reach all nations through that rejection? It's an incredible thought. That's what Romans 11 has been to us. So then we consider the changes in history the ups and downs in history, the challenges to the gospel, the trials, the tribulation, the persecution of history. When we consider the evil men and women who have arisen in history, the persecution of the church throughout the ages in history, we are amazed at God's knowledge, His omniscience in creating and guiding such a plan, ensuring its success in every age. We would assume that persecution would mean that Christianity would die. But in God's plan, persecution causes Christianity to flourish even more. Only God can do something like that. The church has been most pure when there's been the most severe persecution. The church has been more in love with God when it's been through the most persecution. And perhaps you know something of this in your own life. You have been closest to God when you have been going through the deepest trials. You have clung to Him because that's all that's left. when everything else has fallen away. You see everything works, and it works in such a way that defies human logic. This great persecution should stomp out Christianity, but instead it thrives, and it grows. We have examples of that throughout history, but the best example we can find is in scripture. Here we have Saul of Tarsus, who would later become Paul, who writes our portion of Scripture, stamping out Christianity as best he can in Jerusalem. But what happens? It spreads to the surrounding neighborhoods. So he says, I will go to Damascus, and I will stamp it out there. And what happens? He becomes the Apostle Paul, by God's grace. Only God. God says to Ananias, go and pray for him, for he is a chosen vessel of mine. And I will show him how much he will suffer for my name's sake. It's an incredible thought, God's plan. So no matter what happens, we might be uncertain, we might be afraid, we might be before God on our knees crying, going, God, I don't know what's happening here, but God is on the throne, and everything's working for his great plan, and for your salvation, and the bringing home of the elect. God is not shocked, overwhelmed, or reacting. He's God. Oh, the depth of God's omniscience, amen? depth of his wisdom. So Paul considers the depth of God's grace, the wisdom of God's plan. He considers the knowledge that God must have in guiding all things to that perfect ending. And he breaks forth in worship again when he says, how unsearchable are his judgments. The word unsearchable means something that cannot be investigated or fully understood. And the word judgment here is not talking about the judgments of God over sin, but in the context of Romans chapter 11, right here, it refers to God's plan for giving the gospel to people. He says, man, how unsearchable, how beyond understanding is how God decided to bring the gospel to a people who desperately needed it. In the Old Testament, the gospel was present. They were saying in the Old Testament, look forward, look to the cross. The time of Christ, right after the time of Christ, look backwards, look to the cross. The gospel, this plan was given to man, revealed in time by God. How unsearchable are God's judgment. He goes on and he says, how inscrutable his ways. The word ways refers to God's work as divine providence. How he moves through his great plan in the universe. And the word inscrutable means past finding out. This means something that cannot be tracked or traced. His footsteps cannot be followed. And so when you consider how God moves through time, we have to say it's fast finding out. We see through persecution the church grows. But how does that work? I don't know. How did God do it? We just can't, we can't understand it. We just have to say amen. Obviously, if you are in Christ, you are saved, you're sitting here, you're going, I'm a child of God, but how did that all work? How did God move every event in your life? Can you trace God? Can you trace all his footsteps in your life, and the people he touched, and how he brought to the gospel, and how it all worked together, and the events in your life to bring you to that one point where he would open your heart, and you would say, no, I just know that he did. He can't trace Him. I can't plot His path in my life from beginning to end, but I know He's done it, because here I am by His grace. This is a thought of Psalm 77, 19. Your way was through the sea. Only God can move through the sea. Amen? Walk through the sea. It says, your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters, yet your footprints are unseen. We know you've done it. You know, you walked over the water. We know you walked over the sea. We know that you can move in the impossible. But how you did it, your footprints? He says, yeah, those are unseen. We can't, we can't understand how you did these things. We just know that you did. And that's what Paul is saying is here. Has God saved you? Has God saved you? You're saying amen. How? By His grace, yes, but how? What are the footsteps of God in your life? He's God. I just thank Him for doing what He's done in my life. Beloved, verses like Psalm 77, 19, vividly illustrate how God's plans are deep and beyond our understanding. We can see evidence of His presence everywhere, but how He works remains a mystery. We witness His mighty actions in the world, but cannot see or trace the invisible hand that guides history. We just have to say God has done it. Whereas Job says, can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? Not that He has a limit. Is it? He says, it is higher than heaven. What can you do? Deeper than Sheol. What can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the seas. Thaddeus said, we can only understand that which God has revealed about Himself, but the deepness and the greatness of God that goes beyond that, we're at a loss. We're at a loss. So then Paul, from the depth of God, then goes into the incomprehensible mind of God in verse 34. Only an incomprehensible mind can do what God has done in verse 33. Let's look at verse 34. For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And hopefully you can answer that question and say, well no one. No one can know the mind of God as far beyond us, and no one has been His counselor. There are two questions posed for us here, and they are meant to call us to realize that God doesn't owe us an explanation about anything, for His way of thinking and doing is greater than anything we could ever fathom. This verse is a quotation from Isaiah 40, 13. It says, Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? Our passage highlights God's infinite wisdom and His infinite knowledge, showing that no one can teach God or advise God on anything. Listen, beloved. Unlike earthly rulers and presidents and dictators and leaders who consult advisors in times of uncertainty, God does not need counsel. Amen? And especially not from us. He stands alone and does not seek advice from his creatures, because none of his creatures can guide him. So our passage today should put an end to all complaints and objections that men might have regarding God's absolute sovereignty, especially from within the church, which breaks my heart. People questioning God's sovereignty over man, over salvation, over election. Who has known the mind of God? No one. Who can counsel him? No one. Should we object? Absolutely not. The apostle shows us that God's plan, though mysterious at times and incomprehensible to us in time, is divine. Even though we cannot understand everything, we were never meant to understand everything. God doesn't have to explain himself to us in the fullest. We couldn't understand it even if he tried. We are called to trust in God's wisdom and submit to his will and what he has revealed. And I guess that's the point, isn't it? What do we have? We have his word. And whatever God reveals in that is for us to study and pray through and learn. But beyond that, we're locked out. Beyond that, beyond what God has revealed, we should be silent You've heard me quote this verse to you many times before. I will quote it one more time. The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the word of his law. Amen? So, when it comes to the secret things of God, we can't trace them in the waters and his footsteps. We should be silent and say, praise God. But those things He has revealed, His word, the gospel, salvation, that's for us. Amen? For our children, for us to share with others. So we have seen the depth of God. We have seen the incredible mind of God. Now we go to the unrepayable grace of God in verse 35. Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid? The question here, and it is a question that he asked, who could ever say that God is indebted to them? As a pastor over the last 22 years, 23 years, I have heard people say to me, all I want is God give me what is fair. And I always say to people, no you don't. If God gives you what is fair, you'll end up in hell. That's the only thing that God owes you. is eternal judgment. Amen? That's it. That's all that God owes anybody, eternal judgment. It's what we deserve. It's what we've earned. It's by our works, and our living, and our sinfulness, what we deserve from God. We could demand it from God, and He, and He is indebted to us to give us what? Hell. Anything else, life, salvation, love, mercy, grace, the gospel, Jesus Christ, our families, our friends, everything else, anything that's good in our life is given to us as a gift. And gifts are never owed. They can never be demanded. That's the idea here. How could God be in debt to us? It's impossible. Our indebtedness to Him is so great that we are filled with awe when we think of all that He has done, all that He is doing, and all that He will do for us. There is no way to repay God for His grace. Our response can only be one of thanksgiving and praise, and that at times does not seem enough, but that's all we can do is thank God and praise Him for what He has done. Beloved, no one can give God anything that he has not already received from God. Our good works, our best efforts, our services unto the kingdom don't place God under obligation to us. How do we know? What does Ephesians 2.10 say? For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Have you ever done anything good and decent and holy for the kingdom of God? The Bible says you only did it because God prepared that good work for you to do. God gave you that good work. It's not you, it was God working through you. That's an amazing thought, right? Whatever good has flowed out of my life is because of God. Whatever I've preached, however many people have come to the Lord, however many times I've witnessed, however many times I've shown Christ, however many times I've lived appropriately before Him, however many times I've loved an enemy, however many times I've forgiven a brother, however many times I've done what God calls me to do in Scripture, it is because of God. Because left to my own devices I would have done none of it. Isn't that a humbling thing for you and me today? We cannot merit anything from Him, as everything we have comes from Him, and everything we do is done with the strength that He Himself provides in our life through the Spirit. As James 1.17 says, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. God does not repay us as if He owes us anything. Instead, everything He gives is out of His grace. Anything good in our life, it's not because we've earned it, because we're good people. And God says, look, you get a star today because of your effort. It doesn't work that way with God. Anything that we have is because of grace. 1 Corinthians 4, 7, the second part of that verse says, for what do you have that you did not receive? If then you did receive it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? If God has given you everything, why do you walk around like you've earned it? You should walk around in humbleness and say, everything I have has been gifted to me by God. Therefore we learn that God does as He pleases. He owes us no explanation. We can never counsel Him. He never owes us anything. God can do whatever He pleases with what belongs to Him. And Beloved, what belongs to Him? Everything. The world, the universe, the stars, every atom, every molecule of the universe, every supernova, every sun, everything belongs to God. And He can do with it whatever He pleases, because it all belongs to Him. He owes no one anything. Whether choosing one person over another, loving one and rejecting another, or saving some while not saving others, God can do whatever He pleases. And no one can question His actions or demand an explanation. We saw that in Romans 9 15 verse 16, where He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So that it depends not on human will, not on human exertion work, but it depends on God who has what Mercy. Amen. You see why Paul is worshiping God? You see why you should worship God? You consider the depth of God, and His grace, and the richness of His grace, and the wisdom, and His omniscience. You consider the incomprehensible mind of God. You consider the fact that we cannot repay God for anything that He has done. All we're left to do is to say, thank you, Lord. And that's what Paul does specifically in the last verse. He says, all things are for God's glory when he says, for from God and through God and to God are all things. To God be glory forever. Amen. If there ever was a verse for you to memorize, I think it should be this verse. And it might seem very simple, but the depth of this verse is incredible. The greatness and the glory of God, and all that who He is, as best that we can comprehend it as human beings. And our limited understanding is summarized in one verse, this verse. Let's look at it again. For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. It's a verse that we can read rather quickly and move past, but not consider the significance of what he's saying. In this single verse, we see the heart of God's character and work. What is the apostle telling us? God is the source of everything, the sustainer of everything, and the purpose of everything, especially our salvation. Salvation comes from God, is accomplished through His power, and exists for His glory and His glory alone. Everything God is the source of everything, the sustainer of everything, and the purpose of everything in life. What a verse. Amen? Let's look at each one of those clauses together. All things are of Him. God is the creator, the owner of everything, the world, the universe, and all that exists belong to Him. He is the source of everything we see in this life. Scripture opens with this truth in Genesis 1.1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Again, another verse that we can read rather rapidly, but not consider the enormity of what it's saying. In the New Testament, echoes this verse in John 1.3, where it says, All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Everything was made through Christ our Savior. Not only is God the source of creation, then according to the Word of God, but He is also the source of our salvation. Salvation flows from His sovereign grace. When did God purpose to save you? Well, according to the word, in eternity past. Before there was a time, there was a time when God said, you are mine, if you can follow that statement. That's an incredible thought, isn't it? Yes, there was a point where you repented. Yes, there was a point where you put your faith in Christ, but you are marked to be his since before eternity. He is the source of everything. But not only is He the source of everything, the next clause, all things are through Him. The phrase through Him reminds us that God is not only the creator, the source, but also the sustainer and the ruler of all things. As Brother Eric said, God didn't create the world and just left it. He sustains it. Praise God. What would happen if He had left it? None of us would be here. So nothing happens outside His sovereign will. He sustains everything. Every historical event, again big or small, unfolds according to His perfect plan. Paul teaches us this in Romans 8, showing that God works all things together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. He's a sustainer of all things. Beloved, I think this truth is a source of great comfort for me as a believer, and it should be for you as well. Knowing that God governs all things assures me and should assure you that even the hardest trials in our lives are being used by God for his purposes and for ultimate good. I often ask myself about Joseph in the Old Testament. Hopefully you're familiar. Our brother went through terrible pain and suffering, not for a day, not for a month, but for decades. He was stripped down from the highest position of the most beloved son into a slave. He was accused wrongly of evil intention of sexual abuse. He was sent to an Egyptian prison back in that day. Could you only imagine what that was like? And he spent over a decade there. And I think that that scripture is there in scripture for a myriad of reasons, but one of those reasons is to show you and me that everything does work together for what? Good. So that when you're going through the trials in life, when you're going through the most difficult times in your life, but God, I don't see how this is working too good. God says, you don't have to. Look at Joseph. You know it is. Amen. There have been many times I've run to the book of Joseph and read the story and say, OK, God, I know that even this It's for good. I might not have, you don't have to reveal to each and every one of us how our trials are working to good. You just have to reveal that it does in the life of one believer so that we can believe it for ourselves. Amen? And I thank God by his mercy and his grace. Although I've suffered in this world, I've never suffered like Joseph, I'll be honest. And by his grace, I hope that I never do. I'm going to be honest with you there too. But if God can take all of that and bring forth his ultimate good, then he can take whatever I'm going through and bring it for his good. The same God that controlled all aspects of Joseph's life and brought all those things to pass is doing the very same thing in me. His brothers bowing down before him, something they swore they would never do, bowing down before him for the umpteenth time. They come, it says, our father said, our father said that after he was gone, please don't kill us. We know that what we did to you is wrong. We know that you forgave us while our father was alive, and you said you would never kill us, but now our father has died, and we're thinking no man can forgive what we've done to you. We're thinking that perhaps you are like Esau saying, as soon as my father dies, this brother of mine, Israel, would die, Jacob. We're thinking you're like that. You played at peace. You acted like it was all good for these last couple of decades. You welcomed us. You fed us. You blessed our children. You blessed our father. But deep down you're thinking as soon as dad is dead, it's on. I'm not going to grieve my father now by bereaving him of his sons, but as soon as he's dead. These brothers of mine that did these things to me took decades of my life. They're going to pay with their heads. Our Father asked us to tell you these words. Please remember me and forgive your brothers. And Joseph began to weep. How could you think that I would do such a thing? That's what men would do. That's what men should do. What we've done to you is incomprehensible in its scope. And Joseph says, no. I told you before and I'm telling you now. You did not bring me to Egypt. God did. In order that I would preserve life. So arise my brothers. Be okay. Know that I intend to you no harm, because I see that in my suffering God had a plan. God will deal with you for what you have done on and off. And if you repent it, praise God. But am I God? What you meant for evil, finish it with me church, God meant for good. Wow. We can run to Joseph and see those words, and say, my suffering, God is good. I don't know why I'm suffering, and I don't know why it's so hard. And God might never reveal to me, and not here at least on this planet, why I'm going through the things I'm going through, but I know something. It's working for His glory and for the salvation of the elect. And if that's the case, all I can say is what? Amen. That's what Paul is teaching us here. Amen? What a wonderful lesson. It's all working for His plan. And what was the plan of God in Joseph's life besides saving the... But to bring the Messiah. Remember, his brother Judah was one of the people who betrayed Him. But from his brother Judah would come the Messiah that would save the what? The world. If Joseph killed Judah, he damned himself and his family, his children, and all of us to what? Hell. So he needed to understand, and he did. That all things were working together for good. And he accepted it. Beloved, this truth should be a great source of comfort. I know that my suffering has a purpose. And I've had people come to me and say, Pastor, but what is my purpose in this suffering? I'm like, I wish I could tell you. But again, the secret things belong to our God. All I can tell you is that it does. I can't tell you how I am not God. And that might be a little comfort to you right now when you're going through that pain and suffering, but if you grab onto that truth, it will carry you through. And I will ask this one question. How many of you have suffered in life and didn't understand it then, but now you see it as a blessing? There's a lot of us, amen? You're like, oh God, you did an incredible work. I went through a season of terrible persecution and came out of it better because of it. And I think this church went through a season of terrible persecution and came back forth better because of it. You're here, beloved, and you love the Lord more deeply than you ever loved him before. Praise God. So all things are of him, all things are through him, and the last things, all things are to him. God is the source. God is the sustainer, and here all things are to Him. God is the purpose. God is the goal and purpose of all creation. History, and nations, and the universe are moving toward fulfilling God's divine plan. Everything exists to display His glory alone. As the psalmist says in Psalm 91, the heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God then as believers. From the foundation of the world, God has appointed everything for His glory. And you and I need to grab hold of that truth, so that we don't trespass in unbelief. Amen? Everything has a purpose. Everything is to the glory of God. Even this. Amen? Even this. So when he considers the richness of God's Grace. When he considers the depth of the riches of God's grace, the depth of his wisdom, the depth of his omniscience. When he breaks forth and says how inscrutable, how unsearchable is God. When he tells us the mind of God and how we cannot repay God and then starts worshiping God, he concludes with this, to him be glory forever. What other words could there be but ascribing glory to God? Paul ends with a powerful declaration. To Him be glory forever. God's glory is in His greatness and majesty, says Paul. It is unique, eternal, and unmatched. We respond to His glory the only way we can, with reverence, humility, and awe in worship. As Paul reflects on God's plan of salvation, he praises the One who designed it and accomplished it all. The Source, the Sustainer, the God who does it for His glory. So says Paul, it is right that all glory belongs to God alone. So he worships Him. To Him be glory forever. Not me, not you, not the church, not the pastor, but to God be the glory forever. That should be the song of our hearts and the words of our mouth. And to prove that Paul believes it, he closes everything with an emphatic Amen. What does it mean? So be it. May it be that way forever. Amen. To God belong the glory forever. Amen. To Him belong the worship. Amen. We should be all of Him. Amen. He is the great God who has done these things. Amen. He is the God of Romans chapter 1 to chapter 11. Election belongs to Him. The church belongs to Him. Our salvation belongs to Him. Amen. This is the God that we serve. Amen. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word. And we pray, oh, Father God, that it have been a blessing to your people. Again, Lord, I don't feel that any man can capture the truth of these verses. They're just too deep, too great, oh, God, too incredible when we consider who you are. We are left in awe, speechless, wordless before this God, oh, Lord. How casually the apostle calls us to investigate, to explore the depth of God. Something that he couldn't do, nor can we. How incredibly we hear, O Lord, that no one can counsel you. No one can tell you what to do. How incredibly, Lord, do we consider the fact that no one is owed anything by you, O Lord. At least nothing good. How marvelously, Lord, we end up saying this is the God of heaven, the one to him, through him, and for him that all things are. And so we close with the mouth of Paul, the words of Paul, to you be glory forever and ever in Christ's name. Amen.