I’m not sure that there is a more challenging section of Scripture in all of the Bible than Romans 9-11.

However, congratulations, church: you have made it through.

The deep theological truths contained in these chapters are magnificent, wondrous, glorious, and beautiful.

After Paul is done saying all that he wants to say in these chapters he concludes chapter 11 with a wonderful doxology in verses 33-36.

That doxology is what we will be discussing this morning.

A doxology is a hymn, song, poem, or praise that usually comes at the end of a great teaching or a biblical letter.

Well, Paul does just that with this doxology: he concludes the weight of chapters 9-11 with these exquisite words.

Before we go any further, let’s go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to speak to us.

(prayer)

Romans 9-11, and really Romans 1-11 reminds us of how wonderful God is and how deep His ways are.

There are great moments in Scripture that remind us of the greatness of God.

Once someone experiences God, they are in awe of who He is and Paul is pointing us to that reality.

That Bible teaches this elsewhere also.

Consider Job 42:5-6“I had heard reports about you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I reject my words and am sorry for them; I am dust and ashes.”

Consider Psalm 8:9, “Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!”

Consider Isaiah 12:6, “Cry out and sing, citizen of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is among you in his greatness.”

Consider 1 Chronicles 16:25, “For the Lord is great and highly praised; he is feared above all gods.”

I could go on, but here’s the point: once we truly experience the greatness of God, we are moved to declare how awesome and wonderful He is and to give Him glory.

Further, it moves us to understand who we are in relationship to Him.

So, let us learn from this beautiful doxology about who God is and who we are in relationship to Him.

Let’s look at the passage now. Look at Romans 11:33-36:

33 Oh, the depth of the riches

and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments

and untraceable his ways!

34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?

35 And who has ever given to God,

that he should be repaid?

36 For from him and through him

and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever. Amen.

In light of this passage, today’s sermon is entitled, “To Him Be the Glory Forever. Amen.”

Upon reflection of this passage, let us learn a few lessons.

First, . . .

I. We are not fit to know.

Paul says in verse 34, “For who has known the mind of the Lord?”

Listen, friend: you and I are not able to fully know the mind of God.

There are a lot of things we do not know about God. However, we don’t know everything about God. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that we don’t even know how much we don’t know.

We know that God is loving, we know that God is just, we know that God is full of mercy, we know that God is Creator, and so much more.

However, we don’t know exactly how election works. We don’t know how the end times will unfold. We don’t know all the miracles and mysteries of the Trinity. We don’t know why the righteous fall at times and the wicked prosper. We don’t know why God allows loved ones to pass away in certain ways or at certain times.

Here’s the reality: we are not fit to know.

We are unable to know. We are humans, we are not God.

We are the creation and He is the Creator.

We are not fit to know.

Second, . . .

II. We are not fit to discover.

Not only are we unable to know, we are not even in a position to discover the deep riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God.

Paul says in verse 33, “How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways!”

I don’t know a lot about a lot of things. However, I feel like I can learn a lot about a lot of things. I like to have a go-get-em spirit where I can discover a lot.

When I got married, I discovered how to put the toilet seat down. When I became a dad, I discovered how to change diapers. When I became pastor at this church, I discovered that the restroom lights were on timers. In my life, I have discovered how to write a sermon, I discovered how to change an alternator, I discovered that l like sauce-based BBQ better than vinegar-based BBQ, I discovered that parenting is not easy, I discovered how to wire and hang a fan in my house, I discovered how to secure a mortgage for a home.

We humans can discover a lot if we set our minds and our wills towards that end. God made us that way; He made us to be discoverers.

However, we were not made to discover everything. We were not created to uncover everything about the Creator.

We learn in

Deuteronomy 29:29, “The hidden things belong to the Lord our God . . .”

We can get all the brightest minds in one room, with all the best computers, and all the best research methods and we will still not be able to piece together how God spoke the stars into existence, how the glimmer in our lover’s eyes catches our heart’s emotion, how the miracles of salvation fall into place, how a mother’s intuition works, how God determines who is ready to come to meet Him and who must continue to wait. and so much more.

Paul says, “Oh, the depth of the riches

and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments

and untraceable his ways!”

We are not fit to discover.

Also, . . .

III. We are not fit to understand.

Aren’t you glad there are certain people who understand certain situations?

I remember a while back my shoulder was giving me a fit and so I went to see an orthopedic doctor. I thought for sure I had a torn rotator cuff or something. I was ready to cut my body open and have surgery. Instead, the doctor said that he thought that I had a frozen shoulder, which is something most common in geriatric women (I felt offended). However, he gave me some stretches to do, and sure enough it cleared right up. Even though I was offended that he compared me to an old lady, I was grateful that he understood the human shoulder.

I’m thankful that electricians understand electricity, accountants understand finances, attorneys understand laws, and bakers understand how to bake chocolate chip cookies.

Have you ever encountered someone who doesn’t understand something but they act as if they do? Those people can be a pain in the neck, can’t they? I’ve had young men not even out of college tell me how I should preach a sermon. I had someone who didn’t even know our town tell me that no one would show up to our drive-through trunk-or-treat during early COVID (by the way we had 1,000 people come, some of whom became members of our church).

Now, I don’t understand a lot of things. I still have a lot to learn about preaching and leading a church.

However, isn’t it annoying when people who don’t understand want to start telling you how to do things?

Listen, church: we don’t understand anything about holding the cosmos together. We don’t understand anything about executing divine justice amongst all of humanity. We don’t understand anything about the secret things of the Lord our God.

Not only do we not understand, we are not fit to understand. We do not have the ability or capacity to understand all that God understands.

We are in no position to give God any advice about how He should do things.

Paul said in verse 34, “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?”

We don’t understand the mind of God, we don’t understand what it takes to do God’s job, and we are in no position to give God counsel or advice on anything.

We are not fit to understand.

Finally, . . .

IV. We are not fit to be given.

We are in no position for God to owe us anything or be required to give us anything.

Does God owe us salvation? No. Does God owe us an explanation for anything? No. Does God ever go into debt to anyone so that He must repay them? No.

Paul said in verse 35, “ . . . who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid?”

We’ve not given God anything that He owes to us.

In our sin, we gave God disrespect, disobedience, and rejection, which He did not deserve.

In Jesus, we can give God praise, glory, honor, and thanksgiving, which He does deserve.

However, we don’t give Him anything that He has to pay back to us.

We are not fit to be given by God.

Church, God is the great one; He is the Creator and we are the creature.

We are not fit to know, we are not fit to discover, we are not fit to understand, and we are not fit to be given.

I’ve asked Pastor Dirck to prepare a song for us to focus ourselves as we reflect upon the greatness of God.

Let this video move you to glorify God more. (Steven Curtis Chapman Video)

Church, let this bottom line summarize our passage today:

Bottom Line: We must rest in the greatness of God.

God is God and we are not. We must rest in that reality. We must rest in the greatness of God.

For from him and through him

and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Challenge yourself this week in the following ways:

Weekly Challenge #1 – Reflect.

Reflect upon the greatness of God. Read through what the Bible has to say about God’s greatness.

Reflect upon God’s greatness in your own life.

Take some time and reflect.

Weekly Challenge #2 – Rest.

Take comfort in the reality that God is God and you are not.

Rest in that reality. Take a breath and say to God, “I’m so glad that you’re God and I’m not.”

Church, we don’t have to have everything figured out. God’s got this. Rest in that reality.

(Gospel presentation)

(closing prayer)

Response Song – It is Well

(Announcements – Richard)

(Giving emphasis)

(Benediction)

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