Chocolate Cake
Romans 8:28
Anush John
Sometimes its possible to miss the chocolate in the cake
 Criteria for the promise:
 1. God calls us.
 The external call
 Acts 17:30. In the past God overlooked
such ignorance, but now he commands
all people everywhere to repent.
 The internal or effective call
External
(Gospel)

Call
Internal (Effective)
Call
General
Particular (Individual)
External
Internal
Rejected
Effective
 Adapted from Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An
Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids,
MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 692–693.
 The call is based on the eternal purpose
of God.
 Isaiah 14:24 The LORD Almighty has
sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it
will be, and as I have purposed, so it will
happen.
 Criteria for the promise:
 1. God calls us.
 2. We love Him.
 Everything that we do toward god is
based on our love for Him
 The verb (“work”) and the participial
phrase (“those who love him”) are in the
present tense.
 God is continually at work in our lives,
and we should be constantly in love with
Him.
 1 Corinthians 2:9
However, as it is written: “What no eye has
seen, what no ear has heard, and what no
human mind has conceived”— the things
God has prepared for those who love him.
Now, the Promise…
 All things work together for good.
 What is “good”?
 What does the bible say is “good”?
 It is conformity to the likeness of Christ.
 It is note-worthy that the Almighty didn’t act high
and mighty. The Holy One wasn’t holier-than-thou.
The One who knew it all wasn’t a know-it-all. The
One who made the stars didn’t keep his head in
them. The One who owns all the stuff of earth
never strutted it. …His purpose was not to show off
but to show up. He went to great pains to be as
human as the guy down the street. He didn’t need
to study but still went to the synagogue. He had no
need for income but still worked in the workshop.
 He had known the fellowship of angels and heard the
harps of heaven, yet still went to parties thrown by tax
collectors. And upon his shoulders rested the challenge
of redeeming creation, but still took time to walk ninety
miles from Jericho to Cana to go to a wedding. They
called him a blasphemer, but they never called him a
braggart. They accused him of heresy, but never
arrogance. He was branded as a radical but never
called unapproachable.
– Max Lucado, When God Whispers Your Name
 All things work together for good.
 work together: This is a compound word in the present
active indicative. Literally means “all things continue to
work in cooperation with one another for the good.”
 anushdoc@gmail.com
 God, in his infinite wisdom, knew that you needed that
experience that you hated going through.
 All things work together for good.
 3 levels of discipline.
 Level 1: Retributive – always sinning.
 Level 2: Preventive - inclining to sin.
 Level 3: Educative – inclining to God.
 Whom God will use greatly, he will hurt deeply.
- AW Tozer
 God causes
 Saturday morning jumped out of bed and put on my
best suit
Got in my car and raced like a jet, all the way to you
Knocked on your door with heart in my hand
To ask you a question
'Cause I know that you're an old fashioned man
 Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? (Say
yes, say yes)
'Cause I need to know
You say I'll never get your blessing till the day I die
Tough luck my friend but the answer is no!
 Why you gotta be so rude?
Don't you know I'm human too
Why you gotta be so rude
I'm gonna marry her anyway
(Marry that girl) Marry her anyway
(Marry that girl) Yeah no matter what you say
(Marry that girl) And we'll be a family.
- Magic!, Rude, Don’t Kill the Magic
 What is the sovereignty of God?
 (It is)... the supremacy of God, the kingship of
God, the god-hood of God. To say that God is
sovereign is to declare that God is God, … that
He is the Most High, doing according to His will in
the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of
the earth, so that none can stay His hand … (Dan.
4:35).
 To say that God is sovereign is to declare that
He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power
in heaven and earth, so that none can defeat
His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His
will (Ps. 115:3).
 To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He
is “The Governor among the nations” (Ps. 22:28),
setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and
determining the course of dynasties as pleases
Him best.
 To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He
is “the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim.
6:15).
 Such is the God of the Bible.
 AW Pink, The Sovereignty of God
Small Group Questions
 How does the knowledge of the Sovereignty of God affect
 Our view of the past
 Our view of the present
 Our view of the future
 What level of Discipline are you at?
 Since God won’t discipline more than is necessary and
discipline is imperative for a believer, how difficult is it to ask
God to discipline you?
 Can you ask God to discipline you so that you are more
useful for him?