Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III
Sermon Synopsis 03/23/25

Romans 8:28 NKJV
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I.               INTRODUCTION

1. Last week, we left off, talking about a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece represents pieces of life such as the highs, the lows, the triumphs, and the tears. We hold pieces in our hand, and we wonder where it fits.
2. Our human view can be chaotic, and it makes us doubt whether or not it will ever make sense.
3. God has a grand design for our lives. Like the picture on the puzzle box, God has a complete picture. What looks chaotic to us is part of a grand plan for Him.
4. At some moments, God will give us a glimpse of his handy work, and we are able to sense God is up to something. At that moment it makes sense.
   1. This is when you realize that it was all of the struggles, the waiting, the pain, and the challenges have purpose. They make you realize that God may be up to something.
5. Would you have expected that the things you went through years ago would make sense today? Would you expect that season of frustration would make sense today? If you keep on living, things will literally start to make sense.
   1. This is why the devil wanted you to self-destruct. He knows that if you keep on living, it will begin to make sense.
6. Why is it, the enemy wants to keep you in misery and struggle? It is because he knows it will work for the good.
   1. Tyler Perry suffered abuse from his father. As a result, he used to hide under the house.
      1. He Struggled to get his plays discovered, and now he owns a studio and employs hundreds of people. The struggle was for the platform that he enjoys right now.
   1. Oprah Winfrey endured abuse. She was fired from first job in Nashville, but now she’s one of the most influential people on the planet. This proves that rejection is a redirection for something better.
   1. Steve Harvey slept in his car for 3 yrs, struggling to make it as a comedian, living off of scraps. Now he is a television host. He had no place to sleep, but he owns homes all over the world now.
7. You don’t know my story. If you did, we would have praise service at this very moment! You don’t know like I know, how far God has brought me!
8. Today we preach this to encourage you. We want you to come to a place where you are not discouraged anymore. God is not through with the picture that He is painting in your life.
9. There is a place of revelation that we all come to in God, where we realize it all works together for the good. God is faithful enough to finish what He has begun in our lives. It will all begin to make sense in your life.
10. Come back to the place called Corinth. Ships bring in goods from nearby lands. In a small room sat a man named Paul.
11. Paul was named Saul and he was a terrorist of Christians originally. He met with

God on Damascus Road and began to become a missionary for Him, from then on.

• He spent 3 yrs in Corinth. To be in Rome, was the place where you wanted to be, to do real missionary work. He was worried about the people there, because they were under heavy persecution and false teachings.
• Since he couldn’t get there, Paul decided to write to them. He wrote the book of Romans that explained the power of Jesus Christ. Every chapter of Romans gives a moment of God in humanity.
• Here’s a shortened view of Rome:
  • Romans1 – Revelation – (Gods Righteousness Revealed)
  • Romans 2 – Condemnation (God’s Judgment on Sin)
  • Romans 3 – Justification (Righteousness Through Faith)
  • Romans 4 – Imputation (Righteousness credited by faith)
  • Romans 5 – Reconciliation (Peace with God through Christ)
  • Romans 6 – Liberation (Freedom from Sins Power)
  • Romans 7 – Frustration (The struggle with sin)
  • Romans 8 – No Condemnation (Victory in in Christ)
• At Romans 8, the tone changes from doctrine to assurance. Paul knew the life of a believer was not easy. He knew what the people were experiencing under Rome. He reassured them that all of it would work together for their good.
• Paul doesn’t say this, because he hasn’t endured. He understood that God was one that could turn tragedy to triumph.
• God is still at work. No matter what is happening in your situation, if you receive this revelation, it will all make sense afterwhile.

II.               THE PEACE IN PERSPECTIVE

The scripture says, “And we know…”

• How we view our experiences is based on our perspective. It’s all based on what you know.
• Knowing is based also on lived experiences. Some things are taught, and some things are caught.
• When you know something, you walk and act differently. What you know will show when you go through difficult times. If you knew what I know, you wouldn’t act like I act.
• Through Paul’s writings, it seems apparent that he didn’t want us to be ignorant.
  • 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NKJV says 13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen [a]asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.,
  • Romans 11:25 NKJV says ²⁵ For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own ^[a]opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
  • 1 Corinthians 12:1 NKJV says, 12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:
• This is perspective. This is where our revelation removes our worry.

A.    His Word Will Keep You From Worry

1. What do we know? We know God’s word. It is the knowledge of God’s word, that gives us peace.
2. The word becomes a shield against worry.
3. When we internalize His word, we have deeper confidence.
   1. For instance, we come to church, because we need a word from God. Some of us drive pretty far to go and receive the word every Sunday morning.
   1. For some of us, we would be on skid-row if it wasn’t the word.
   1. When you get bad diagnosis, you didn’t trip, you just lean on God’s word. God’s word promises that He will keep us in perfect peace if our minds are stayed on him.  His word promises that we can do all things through Christ that strengthens us. God’s word reminds us that God will supply all of my needs according to His riches and glory!
4. You may know the study of life, but you better know who is life! You might know knowledge, but you know nothing until you know His word.
5. His word is a keeper.
6. Paul said it wasn’t good enough for him to know. He wanted everyone to know.

B.    It’s Better When WE Know And Not Just ME

1. It’s better for my community to be grounded in the same revelation that I am grounded in. In other words, your crew matters.
   1. When you have bad day, you ought to have atleast 4 other people that can encourage you to go on. When you’ve got those who just want to smoke or drink problems away, you’re with the wrong people.
2. How can you marry and be in relationship with people that are not rooted in the word of God, when you a believer? They’re trying to drink when you’re trying to pray.
   1. You can’t influence me when you don’t have a word for yourself.
      1. Acts 2:42-47 NKJV says  ⁴² And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ ^[a]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, ⁴⁵ and ^[b]sold their possessions and goods, and divided^[c] them among all, as anyone had need.⁴⁶ So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added ^[d]to the church daily those who were being saved.
      1. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NKJV says ⁹ Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. ¹¹ Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? ¹² Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

1. Psalm 133:2NKJV ² It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. – It’s like the oil that runs down Aaron’s beard. The oil represents the anointing.
   1. If you take a sample from the head and a sample from  the hem, you should get a perfect match. In other words, if we look down the pew, the same oil on the student should match the oil of the teacher.
      1. What you stand under, is what you understand.
2. Why do we need this word?

III.               THE PLETHORA OF PREDICAMENTS

Scripture says “All things work together for the good…”

• Trying to be deep, we looked up the word “all” for a deeper meaning. The only answer we could find for all was, “all”. We don’t get to choose the things we experience. Unfortunately, you don’t get to pick and choose. Just like a game of spades, you have to play the hand that is dealt to you.
• The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike.

A. Life Is Going To Life

1. Paul Lawrence wrote a poem called “Life” that said:

A CRUST of bread and a corner to sleep in, 
A minute to smile and an hour to weep in, 
A pint of joy to a peck of trouble, 
And never a laugh but the moans come double; 
   And that is life!

A crust and a corner that love makes precious, 
With a smile to warm and the tears to refresh us; 
And joy seems sweeter when cares come after, 
And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter; 
    And that is life!

• Jesus said persecution will come in this life. Job said man born of a woman is but a few days trouble, but he also said he would wait until his change come.
  • One bad situation can turn your life upside down. Even though our situation may be crazy, God’s word is consistent!
• All things work together for my good. This makes me have a sense of peace in my life. When life is life-ing, and trials are showing up, I still have peace in my situation.

B.    You Have To Take The Bad With The Good

1. Remember Job’s wife told him to curse God and die. Job asked her, shouldn’t they accept the good with the bad?
2. When bad things happen, you have to praise God during the bad! We must realize that if God allowed it, then it must be here to develop us. When trials come, we need to start asking God what He is trying to develop inside of us?
3. Most of the things we love came out of pain.
   1. Diamonds are transformed under deep heat. Pearls are formed in an oyster ‘s mouth, sparked initially by irritation. Real gold was purified though extreme heat. Islands were created through erupting volcanoes.
   1. Character is built from trials and challenges in life, but in the end, it shapes the person. Our strength, our resilience are things that make up our character. Your character was built based on all you have gone through.

IV.               THE PROVIDENTIAL PROCESS

• God was doing something to remind us that we have to trust Him.
• God is making things happen behind the scenes. You can’t see the hand of God, but you are able to see his handy work.

A.    Everything You Go Through Is Connected To Where You Are Going

1. What you’re going through has little to do with your right now. It is for your not yet. You are going through for something He hasn’t revealed to you yet.
2. What is amazing is that God would trust you to go through what you’re going through right now.
3. Everything is working it ergonomically. Just like God put enough distance between your fingertips and mouth, so that you could feed yourself. Too short or too long, could be an issue.
   1. A doctor can tell when something is not in position. When your body is out of position, the doctor can tell something is wrong.
   1. Nothing happens randomly. Therefore, you have to interpret every intersection.

B.    God Is At Work In It

1. Everything that happens, you have to see God working in it. Look at the closed door as an opportunity to move into the right place and position. God was preparing me through all the decisions.
2. God works like that, because you never know how it starts. God puts you at the right place at the right time, around the right people. When you look back over it, you never forget it.
   1. Bishop explained God took him from Vanderbilt University to a little red brick church called Mt Zion (on Jefferson St). He came in and sat at the back of the church.
   1. A lady name Margaret Wilson asked if he was preacher. Even though he said yes, he had only been preaching for 4 mths. She introduced him to the Pastor of the church, and that Pastor made him an Associate Minister.  Bishop explains that he stands before us now, because he was where he was supposed to be.
3. Take nothing for granted. Everybody trying to talk to you is not trying to holler at you. Some people are simply on assignment, to get you to your next step.

V.               THE PURPOSE IN THE PLAN

Scripture says “Called according to his purpose…”

• Everything that happens in your life should be attached to your purpose.
• Bishop says he teaches, because he wants people around him to be able to teach.
• There is a thing called biblical literacy. It matters, to know the bible. 
• There is a process called Exejesus, which is the process by which serious students of the bible, understand the bible looking at context.
• Isojesus is adding something to the scripture that was never there. You must handle the word of God with integrity.
• We see people in our lives that are not in the word. They are mad at God and church, and they are still living their best lives. Something tragic happens and we show up saying, “All things work together for them who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose”.
  • This is not true for them. This only applies to those who are in alignment with God. Love is what love does.
  • If you love me, you are committed to me.

A.    Your Commitment Should Be Greater Than Your Crisis

1. When you love God, you don’t disconnect with him, just because you go through crazy seasons.
2. We love God so much, we won’t let him go.
   1. There is a woman that lost both of her kids to death and she is still up ushering. There is another woman has who attends 8:15 service. She had Stage 4 Cancer, but she shows up almost every Sunday.  People are in here now that refuse to look like what they are going through!
3. Romans 8:38-39 NKJV says  ³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
   1. The first part of the scripture says, “I am persuaded…” – This means I am not going anywhere, until I get what God has for my life.

B.    It’s Going To Work Out For Your Good

1. We opened by telling you knowledge isn’t based purely on intellectual knowledge. Knowledge is based on lived experiences.
   1. Psalm 119:71 NKJV says ⁷¹ It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes.
   1. 2 Corinthians 4:17 NKJV says ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, – Don’t hate on my glory, if you don’t know my story.
2. Have you ever wondered why movies are called pictures? Because that’s how cinema photography started. It started with still pictures. You can’t get stuck in a bad frame. God is so awesome, if He sees you in a bad frame, He will put you in the right word, to get you back into the right frame.
   1. This is why they call it motion pictures. You have to keep moving. We come against the pictures of stagnation. Keep moving!!
3. In this frame, stop stressing over who got positions and who’s in charge, because remember God is still the director! He is still making this thing come to pass!
4. No more crying after this, because after this, we are going forward! This was all in God’s plan!