Dear Christian friends:

If we knew about the wonderful things God has prepared for us in the future, we would be much better Christians.

Now we can't see all the wonderful things God has planned for us. We know that God forgives our sins because Jesus died on the cross for us and we have much joy and peace in our hearts because we receive His forgiveness.

But still we have sin and troubles here on earth. Often it does not seem like we are really God's children and that He is our dear heavenly Father. And we wonder if we will ever be fully and truly free and know for sure that we are His sons and daughters.

But don't give up hope! In our text for today St. Paul assures us that soon we will be fully free from all sin and trouble and we will know and experience the glory of God's children. He says that we Christians are like a woman expecting a baby. As the woman waits for the birth of her baby, so we Christians wait and hope for

I. The Waiting Period

Like a woman waits for the birth of her baby, so we Christians wait for the coming or birth of God's new world. (verse 19, read it!)

A woman wonders about the expected baby. Will it be a boy or girl? Will it be healthy? Will it look like me or my husband? So we Christians wait and wonder about God's new world:

1. We wait to see Jesus come in full glory with all His holy angels to judge the living and the dead.

2. We wait for the resurrection of our bodies and for them to be changed from weak and shameful, dying bodies to become like Jesus' glorious, never dying body. Paul says in verse 21 that we wait eagerly for God to show-forth His sons before all because "God will free all CREATED life from slavery of DECAY to the glorious freedom of His sons." No more deafness or blindness; no more weakness or sickness; no more pain or dying; no more tears.

Surely we ought to be waiting eagerly for God's new wonderful world. Are we? Sometimes we seem very happy and satisfied with this old world with all its crookedness and sin and death. We try to find pleasure and joy and hope in it. That is a delusion! I think we often spend too much time and energy trying to save this old world and not enough working and hoping for the new world God has promised to us.

We spend too much for our homes and this dying world and little or nothing to have our home in God's new everlasting world. Here is a short poem to help us see what a foolish thing most of us do:

Look down on us with wondering (surprising) eye;
For where we are but passing guest,
We build such strong and solid nests;
But where we hope to live for aye (forever),
We scarce take heed one stone to lay.

When a woman waits for the birth of her baby does she worry about herself? Some, perhaps, but chiefly she worries about the new baby. She will even die, herself, to give birth to the new one. So we Christians should not love this old world and our shameful, dying bodies too much. All must die to become part of God's new world.

Jesus says, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moths and rust corrupt and where thieves break-in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and rust cannot corrupt and where thieves cannot break-in and steal."

As the woman waits for her baby's birth she begins to have more and more pain. She finally enters into
II. The Groaning Period
While the woman suffers very much she still has hope and joy in expecting a baby, God's precious gift to her and her husband. So we Christians and the whole creation in these last days of the world suffer very much before God's new world is born. (verses 22-23, read them)

"We must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God," the Bible says. (Acts 14:22) And St. Paul tells us: "You have been given the privilege, not only of believing in Christ, but also, suffering for Him." (Phil. 1:29)

As we near the birth of God's new world and the end of this old one we experience more and more sin and trouble. The Bible says that in the last days of the world we shall have terrible times and that many will give-up faith in Jesus and only a few will remain true to Jesus. Unbelievers will mock and persecute the believers. We can see this happening more and more today. How many deaf go to church and really believe in Jesus and follow Him? Not many. Do they mock you? They do if you are a good, loyal Christian.

So we groan (suffer) very much during these last days of the world, just like a woman groans during the last hours and minutes before the birth of a baby. But our sorrow will change to joy as we enter into

III. The Period of Rejoicing

After the baby is born the woman quickly forgets her pain and sorrow because she sees the new son. So we Christians will rejoice when God's new world appears and we see with our own eyes and hear with our new ears all the glorious things God has prepared for us. And we will say with St. Paul in our text: "I say that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that God will show to us."(verse 18)

God's new world is worth waiting for and worth suffering for. The short sufferings that we Christians must endure while living on this are nothing when compared to the tremendous glory and reward that God has prepared for those who love Him. I hope you believe it.

May God show mercy to us for Jesus' sake and forgive us when we complain about our sufferings and troubles. May He help us to wait patiently and to hope with joy for the birth of His new world.

Amen