What Then Shall We Say
- Details
- Sunday Morning Service
- Pastor Terry Eichelberger
- Copalis Community Church
- 10 May 2026
- Romans 8:15-30
So you guys have been through it. Wow. I was thinking, how could some of this be understood? You live in a ocean front. Really wonderful.
But there's signs up. I notice that there's tsunami warnings. I walk down the beach, it has a sign what to do if there's a tsunami. I read it, I said, I got nothing. I don't got to survive that.
I was thinking about that and someone. I got this from somebody else. It's not my idea, but someone was relating that to how it feels sometimes when the shaking comes in our life. Right. And that's what this church has been through in the last while There's a shaking going on, Jim's sick.
What do we do? There's. There's questions about the future. What are we going to do? There's trouble in your own life.
What are we going to do? The shaking. And when the shaking happens, if we relate it to a tsunami, that's just the beginning. If something were to happen and the fault outside in the ocean there, underneath would slip just a little, there would be this process. First thing happens after that shaking.
As I understand how tsunamis work, the water recedes out away from the coast, and there's a quietness. And if you were just to show up in that moment, you say, wow, it's such a quiet day today. Without having any idea what's really happening, you might misinterpret that quiet for just another beautiful day at the beach. But it's not, because, you know, if you know the whole story, that pretty soon there's a huge wave coming, you can't stop it. You better get somewhere safe.
You better find a mountain somewhere, go up, hunker down. Whichever it is, that's going to keep you safe because that wave is coming.
I. Well, I told you my mother passed. That's, I think, a good way for me to say what it feels like when that shaking happens in your life. And that what I would call quiet maybe is really numb. Like, I don't feel anything.
Right. That. That is part of the grief process. Like, all of a sudden my feelings are gone. I can't cry anymore.
I don't feel anymore. I just. I'm just numb. And then. Is this how it's going to be forever?
No. And you don't really get a choice about that either. It's like that tsunami that's coming, that will come, and I can join you in saying we're going to feel it and there'll be more than one wave coming.
And it's not something that we should be afraid of. No, because that's what I talk to you about today. There is a place of shelter. There's a place on a mountain. There is a place that we would call salvation.
Yeah, thank God for that. So as we look in the Word today, I want that to be the encouragement for us, the hope for us. There wouldn't be something called a day of salvation if it weren't for us being in quite a predicament. We need to be saved. That is a message that our world doesn't want to hear very often.
You need to be saved. But we believe. Oh, that's what we're so grateful for, that we have found a day of salvation. And that day continues and continues. We are in that day of salvation.
So the scripture I want to start with is in Romans, chapter eight. I think it's 30 something. Yeah, well, we'll start there. I'll just tell you the feeling I want you to have. Is this what Paul does in Romans 8 is some of the most fantastic words you've ever heard.
In everything, God is at work for the good of those who love him. Some of you have that. Like, that's my verse in everything. God's working for the good of those who love him. Well, it's in that same section where I'm talking about.
Paul says, so what should we say to this? If God is for us, who could be against us?
And then we back up to where I'm going to start reading to this, where he says something about who we are.
And then you know what he does? He starts telling us who could be against us.
That's how I am. I'm a bit cynical now. I mean, I used to have a different color hair, and I wasn't quite as cynical about the way the world is. But I have taught public school. I've been a missionary to Colombia and Russia.
I pastored a church. That's where most of this happened. And I work construction. Those all things that have stress at some level. Okay, so when I read that verse in my present state, kind of melancholy maybe, and I hear Paul say, if God is for us, who could be against us?
Well, I'm pretty sure that my list starts, who could be against us? And I can go pretty far down that list. Who could be against us? I have some Paul. I have a few times in my life experience, who could be against us?
I have. I think you have. It's not just this rosy idea, oh, God is for us. Who could be against us? Jesus knew there was somebody against him when he stood before Pilate.
Pilate asked, who are you? He said, for this reason, I came to this world to testify to the truth. And those on the side of truth will listen to me. What did he just say? The side of truth?
You mean there's another side?
Yeah, there's gray hair. There's another side that's going on. And we know Jesus certainly encountered those people. Those people.
I find a lot of encouragement how the early church responded to that. When they came through all of the things they did, Jesus had died. That was rough. Then he was raised. Whew, that was great.
And then he left. No, you can't imagine that. Up and down that they went through. Oh, my goodness. And then they gathered together and Pentecost came.
Whoo hoo.
And then. And it just went like that, didn't it? That's how the beginning of the church was. And should we expect maybe be different for us? No.
This is what this tells you. No, it's not different for us. Here's the encouragement. The prayer that those people prayed comes from Psalm 2. I'm going to go everywhere in the Bible.
That's okay, right? I was a Bible teacher, so it's kind of up there. Psalm 2. They went to Psalm 2 and they said this. Here's what it says in Scripture.
Why do the nations rage? Why do people imagine vain things? Kings of earth gather together against the Lord and his anointed. They say, let's throw off the restraint. Have you heard that on the news lately?
I have. So the world hasn't changed a whole lot in regards to that. And just the nations raging kings doing things against God, saying, oh, we don't need that. Yeah, that's not a news story. It seems like it's been there a long time, but this is what I find still relevant for us.
When the church gathered together, that was their message. That was their scripture for the day. This is where the sermon was going to come from. This is where the prayer was going to come from. You find it in chapter four of Acts.
So they read that and then they said, this right here. Psalm 2 is what's happening to us right now. That's the principle of the Bible. That is why it's been given to us. So we can say.
We look at it and say this, when I look in the book is what's happening to me right now. And it's so alive, it's so powerful. That's why you come and you listen to somebody like me say, hey, this is what the Bible says. Why? Because it has relevance to how you live your life and how you think about the world.
And that's what was happening in the early church. When they read this verse from Psalm 2, I mean thousand year old scripture, they said, this is what's happening to us. And they listed off the things. Herod is against us, Pilate is against us. The Romans crucified Jesus, all this stuff was against us.
The kings of earth of our time, our kings, our people raised up against the Lord's anointed. That was very specific for them. And they said, let's pray. That's the right answer right there. Let's pray.
What shall we say to these things? Let's pray. And they did. They said, oh God, look on our distress. Stretch out your hand and work miracles in the name of Jesus and then give us the boldness to testify.
I memorized that one so that I could pray. When I ask what should I say to this? I like that prayer. God, look at our distress. Reach down and do a miracle here in the name of Jesus and give me that boldness to testify.
So when I look at this passage, I'm going to read it with you. And we want to talk about a few of the things that are our enemies who could be against us. That's Paul's question. You have something to say about that? Christians, we need to have that right.
We need to have our words ready so that the ones that come out by default, like when I hit my hammer on my finger, that's not the one I want. I have to be ready with an answer. Here we go. Let's back up to the beginning at 15, shall we? Yes.
You did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. You have received a spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba. Father, the Spirit himself testifies together with our Spirit. Are we going there that we are God's children? And if children also heirs, heirs of God, co heirs with Christ, seeing that we suffer with him, we may also be glorified.
Let's keep going. I consider that the suffering of this present time not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God's sons to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, not because of him who subjected it, in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption and into the glorious freedom of God's children. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.
Who could be against Us. Well, creation is one. Creation is maybe suffering along with us because of corruption, decay, death. We just had that one yesterday. An acknowledgement that life does not continue forever.
Death is our enemy. There's things about living in this place, earth, where we could ask, what shall I say to this? If God is for us, who could be against us? Well, I'm groaning a bit. Do you feel it?
No. You young people, us old people, we complain that way. When's my next doctor's appointment? I'm groaning when I stand up, when I sit down, we are groaning. All creation is groaning with this same feeling.
That's what it says. We ourselves, who have the spirit of God as first fruits. Woo hoo. We groan. Wait a second.
That's not where the message goes. I want us to be honest about Christian life, right? Sometimes we get this fluffy idea, I'm filled with the Spirit, I have no fear. I'm going to always be a conqueror in Christ. Amen.
Amen. Amen. And then in the next. See that little dash? Dash.
Ah, groan. Because when we ask the question, what am I supposed to say? We're going to hear who's against us. There are some things against us. Just regular life is hard enough.
And then disease, corruption of the world, death eventually. And we groan. It's not to put us in a place of melancholy. And like I said, I sometimes end up cynical. It's not for that we have the Spirit.
Amen to that. We also groan in ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, for the redemption of our bodies. Now in this we hope and we were saved. Yet that hope seen is not hope. Because he who wait.
I get that. Because who hopes for what he sees. But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience. In the same way, the Spirit also joins to help us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for, as we should. But the Spirit himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.
And he who searches our hearts knows the Spirit's mindset because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And then that beautiful verse. We know that all things work together for good. All right. Did you catch it?
There's a lot of groaning in living out this life filled with the Spirit. Yes. Saved by the blood of Christ. Yes. And we groan.
I related sometimes to the athletic life. I was an athlete. I was an athlete. I'd say I know what it's like to groan under the weight of that. I'm going to push that weight.
I know what it's like to groan when you're on that last stretch and you're almost to the finish. I was that.
So I would say that's a great question. Right. When I grown as an athlete, I'm saying, yeah, I'm getting stronger. Right. I'm almost there.
Yeah. And for those of you that still love to work out, that's true. Right. I'm going to go work out. Yeah.
I'm going to feel the burn. I'm going to feel the pain. No pain, no gain. And we just say it with such confidence till we go. Oh, and we groan.
Now, the thing about it is that this doesn't leave you alone. This is what's exciting to me. And where we're going to close is that the spirit also comes alongside of us. That's what he's called, right? The Paraclete.
That's the fancy word for it. He comes alongside of us and says, I will groan with you. Yesterday I mentioned that that's what condolence is. When you have a funeral and people are, my condolences to you. It's that idea.
Dole is pain. Condole is mean. I'm going to come alongside you. I will come alongside you and help you walk through this. We did that with each other yesterday.
It was a beautiful thing, wasn't it? Feel stronger. You walk away. I'm encouraged. I'm going to get up tomorrow, I'm going to walk out and maybe be a little bit more like my brother Jim, and walk in Christ, walk in salvation.
That's what we're after. And the world, if you remember back there, the world and all creation is groaning in an eager expectation for the sons of God to do just what I said. Did you realize that I get encouragement from that? When I go for a walk, sometimes I look around and say, hey, world, I don't know if you do that. I'm a preacher.
I'm a teacher. I just talk to trees and birds and whoever listen, because not everyone always listens. Did you know that I was a math teacher, man. I got that. Like, the glaze goes over the eyes.
They're not listening anymore. I know what that's. So I'm out walking and I'm saying, creation, hang in there. We're coming. Us Sons of God, we're working on it.
That's the process. All of creation is going to be remade. All of creation is going to be restored. And we somehow, in this mystery of it all, are part of this where we're being said, hey, come on, you can do it. Come on.
You can make this happen. It's not all about you. But without you, we can't do it. All of creation, angels are hoping for that. Angels are celebrating.
When it happens. That's something that's going all around us, even though there are some who could be against us. So I want to leave you with one of the places in the Old Testament I have found to be so helpful to me in answering this question. What shall we say then to these things? If God is for us, who could be against us?
And I would like for you to see it in Isaiah 12. It'll be up on the screen, but have it in your Bible so you know where to find it. Isaiah 12. And we're going to do the whole chapter, so hang in there. It's six verses long, so don't worry.
It's only six verses long. You think Isaiah, it's a huge book. But he puts this in here, only six verses. And if you have subtitles on yours, sometimes it'll say, the day of salvation, or something like that. That's what this is.
And so the scriptures in several places say that we live in a day of salvation. In Christ, we are living in a day. Oh, look who's here. An answer to prayer. Amen.
Right. Can you give us update? We need it right now.
Really? That'll be a fun story. Tell about your cracked face. You got to come up with a good story. All right, here we are.
We're going to close with this. And just in way of equipping ourselves, this is what this chapter does. So the question I started with, what shall we say to this? This has an answer because it begins with this. That day you will say.
All right, you ready? The Spirit of God works through His Word, and He gives you what you need to say. I like that about this. So that's the first part of the verse. In that day, you will say, what day is he talking about?
That day when salvation is there. That day when you see the Lord step in and he's working. That day when you know that your hope has come and you grab hold of it, in that day, which is today, you will say this. I will praise you, Lord. I will praise you.
Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have compassion on me. Keep going. Indeed, God is my salvation. I will trust Him. I will not be afraid.
Because Yahweh, the Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. You will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation. I'm going to stop there. That's first verse or first of the song.
There's two parts to this song. On that day, you will say, God is my salvation. I will not be afraid. I will trust him. And I will take my cup and I will go to the well, and I will joyfully dip in the salvation.
The cup of salvation. I would ask you today, when you look at the contrast of what I said, what are you going to say? Who could be against you? Look at the cup. We talk about this.
The Bible is a lot. The cup. What are you drinking every day into your heart? What are you pouring into yourself every day? Is your cup full of the enemy stuff?
Sometimes mine is. And I have to say, oh, get there. That out of there. Do you ever do that with. I don't know if you said you drink the same coffee cup every day.
I got to say I do. And I wake up sometimes. Oh, I didn't wash that out, did I? Before I make my new cup of coffee, I got to make sure that I have it ready to have the fresh. Cups are important in the Bible.
And what you fill yours with is incredibly important because that's what's going to be in your heart.
So just stop with me for a little bit and let's just do this right.
Cup. Take your heart, your cup, right? Hold it.
And this is what I will say on that day. This is what I will say. Fill my cup, Lord, from the well of salvation, with joy I bring my cup to fill it with your salvation. You've saved me. I will not be afraid.
I will trust you, whatever the circumstance. This is a day of salvation. I call it that because I need to be saved. Here's my cup. I lift it up, fill it.
That's the first thing when I say, what do we do? What do we say in the midst of all of the world that we live in? Well, this is the first thing you say. God is my salvation. I'll fill my cup with him every day.
Like I have a routine every day I'm gonna fill it up. Okay. Then there's another one that says, and on that day I will say, it continues. So you have two really important things to say. God is my salvation.
And then give thanks to the Lord. Proclaim his name, celebrate his deeds among the people. Declare that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things. Let this be known throughout all the earth.
Cry out, sing, citizens of Coppelas Beach. That's what it should say. The Holy One of Israel is with you.
So when you are in the midst of your life and stuff is happening and the earthquake has happened, and the quiet and the numbing and all this process, and then a big wave comes, all that stuff. Paul is saying, what God has in store for us is not worth comparing any trouble to that. So don't start being a whiner and a complainer. Instead, answer the question, what should I say right now? And I hope today gives you something.
Turn to Isaiah 12. On that day, it might not be a very good day, because this could be a rough day. Tomorrow could be a rough day. That's honest, that's real. What shall we say to this?
If God is for us? I have something to say. Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Oh, that's good.
And then I will say to others, praise the Lord with me. Copelis Beach Everyone in this town, let's praise the Lord. Let's sing to him. Let's give thanks to him.
Sometimes it seems like this is it. We go to church again and we do it again. And yes, we do it again.
The joy of coming to the well, of salvation has a mixed feeling there. If you're coming to a well of salvation, that meant something must have gone really wrong, that you need saved. But joy is the emotion that is expressed here. And I would say sometimes you have that mixed feeling. You come to church again, or you come to a gathering again.
You come to two or three gathered together in my name, that sort of idea. You come there again. It's like that. But what the Scriptures say, salvation is something you approach with joy.
And I would say, Jesus, joy might be the overarching emotion right there. Because Jesus is at that well. He is drawing the water with you from that well. He is filling your cup with that well. Like he said to the woman at the well, if you asked me, I would give you life.
Pray with me. Heavenly Father, you have given us life. And I ask you to pour it out in this place, pour it out in these people, that we will know what to say in.