God Is Still At Work Today AM 10-18-26

 I.            Providence defined.

a.      God continues to care for the world He made.

b.      Providence refers to God’s continuing care, preservation, and government of His creation as He accomplishes His purposes – He sustains what He made and remains involved in the lives of His people.

c.       This opposes the idea of deism – God created everything and then abandoned it.

d.      It also opposes the idea that we live in a universe beyond His authority, where His purposes never touch our circumstances.

e.      There are two ways to describe the providence of God: general and special providence.

f.       General providence is God care for all of His creation as well as all people broadly.

          i.      Matt. 5:45.

    ii.      Acts 14:17.

          iii.      God cares for all people in a general way, through the way He sustains His creation.

          iv.      God sustains the atheist farmer through sunshine and rain for his crops.

          v.      God sustains the unthankful still receives blessings.

          vi.      God’s goodness extends beyond those who obey Him.

g.     Whenever we eat a meal, take in a breath, or see another sunrise, we are living in the order that God preserves – ordinary blessings should not become invisible to us just because they are familiar.

h.     Special providence concerns God’s particular care for His people and His response to their prayers.

          i.      James 5:16.

          ii.      1 Peter 3:12.

          iii.      1 John 5:14-15.

i.       This does not mean Christians control outcomes by praying.

          i.      We ask according to God’s will.

          ii.      It also does not mean we will never be sick, get a bad diagnosis, experience loss, or not have a loved one die.

          iii.      It means our prayers are heard by a loving Father who knows our needs and whose wisdom is far greater than ours.

j.       Think about how help often comes through ordinary means.

          i.      A doctor provides treatment.

          ii.      Brethren in Christ provide a mean.

          iii.      Someone encourages us when we are discouraged.

          iv.      We are given an opportunity to serve out of the blue.

          v.      These are just possible means of providential care, not proof that we can identify God’s hidden intention in every event.

          vi.      We can thank God for good gifts while acknowledging that we don’t know.

k.      If we only look for the extraordinary, we can overlook the everyday care we receive from God.

II.            Principles for understanding divine providence.

a.      The first principle is that our understanding of God’s providence must agree with the rest of scripture.

           i.      God never acts providentially in a way that contradicts His holiness, righteousness, or revealed commands (Jam. 1:13-14).

           ii.      An opportunity to sin is not permission from God.

1.      A favorable result does not make a dishonest action right.

2.      We can’t say, “God opened this door for me,” as a way of excusing sinful acts.

           iii.      Suppose we get a very lucrative job offer that, if accepted, keeps us from attending worship in any meaningful way.

1.      The great financial opportunity does not override God’s command to assemble with the saints.

2.      We have to evaluate circumstances by scripture rather than rewriting scripture to fit our circumstances.

           iv.      We need to remember the account of Pharaoh.

1.      Romans 9:17 tells us that God displayed His power through Pharaoh.

2.      Exodus also tells us that Pharaoh hardened his own heart (Ex. 8:15; 9:34).

3.      Other passages that state God hardened Pharaoh’s heart do not turn God into the tempter James says He is not.

4.      Pharaoh remained accountable for his rebellion and God’s judgment and purpose were accomplished through the unfolding conflict.

b.      The second principle is that providence does not remove human responsibility.

          i.      God can use human actions without approving everything people intend.

1.      Isa. 10:5-7 describes Assyria as God’s instrument of judgment but also makes a distinction between Assyria’s destructive intentions and God’s real purpose.

2.      Hab. 1:5-11 describes God raising up the Babylonians while exposing the character of those violent people.

3.      John 11:49-52 records Caiaphas speaking about the death of Jesus in a way that carried significance beyond his own understanding.

          ii.      Joseph’s brothers intended harm but God used it to preserve life – but God’s purpose did not make their betrayal and cruelty righteous.

          iii.      Jesus wept because Jerusalem would not come to Him (Matt. 23:37).

          iv.      Rev. 22:17 invites all to come receive the water of life.

          v.      People are called to respond and are accountable for their response.

          vi.      God’s care does not relieve us of responsibility.

c.      The third principle is that providence must be distinguished from a miracle.

          i.      A biblical miracle shows an extraordinary act of divine power, like a virgin conceiving a child, or Jesus calming the sea.

          ii.      Providence involves God working through the means and circumstances that are found in His creation.

          iii.      We have to be careful about drawing hard and fast lines when seeing if natural processes are involved.

1.      For instance, in 1 Sam. 1:19-20, Hannah was able to conceive and give birth naturally but with the Lord remembering her.

2.      The virgin conception in Luke 1:34-35 is obviously miraculous.

3.      Both accounts show God’s care, but they do not describe the same method of God’s handiwork.

          iv.      This is important because we can acknowledge God’s handiwork without claiming that miraculous gifts continue today.

d.      The fourth principle is that we have to be humble about identifying providence in particular events.

         i.      In some biblical accounts, God tells us what He is doing.

1.      The explanation for Joseph is part of inspired scripture.

2.      In Isa. 45:1-5, Cyrus is named nearly 100 years before his birth as someone God would use, even though Cyrus did not know God.

         ii.      In other passages, the language that is used should teach us restraint.

1.      Est. 4:14 – Mordecai’s question challenged Esther to act but in a way that did not show her as possessing a complete understanding of God’s hidden work.

2.      In Philemon 15, Paul’s use of the word “perhaps” is one of the greatest examples of the right mindset when discussing providence.

         iii.      If scripture sometimes uses cautious language, we should use caution as well.

         iv.      This is especially important when talking to people who are mourning over the death of a loved one.

1.      We don’t know God’s plan or why that event happened.

2.      In some cases, it seems that we are blaming God for that individual’s death while trying to praise Him.

3.      All we need to do in those moments is offer what God has revealed: compassion, love, His promises, and hope found in Christ.

         v.      We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

         vi.      Faith rests on what God has said, even when our sight can’t show us everything He is doing.

III.            The scope of divine providence.

a.     God’s providential care reaches the universe.

          i.      Creation is not independent of its Creator – its continued existence rests upon God’s sustaining power (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17).

          ii.      God maintains the order within which you and I live (Gen. 8:22; Psalm 147:8; Job 9:7).

1.      These passages teach us reverence and gratitude.

2.      They don’t give us a revealed explanation for every storm or every famine.

          iii.      We know this is God’s world even when we don’t know why a particular event occurs within it.

b.     His care reaches His people –God supplies His people’s needs (Php. 4:19).

          i.      The context of this verse includes their generosity and Paul experiencing both abundance and need (Php. 4:10-20).

          ii.      This is not a promise every Christian will get wealthy.

          iii.      It is encouragement to trust God’s provision while learning contentment and serving faithfully.

          iv.      Paul’s trip to Rome gives us a powerful example of how God’s purpose can unfold through harsh circumstances.

1.      Paul prayed to visit Rome while acknowledging God’s will (Rom. 1:9-10; 15:32).

2.      He wanted to strengthen them and encourage them, but his eventual journey to Rome was not some uncomplicated answer to prayer.

3.      There were messages from God either directly or through an angel.

4.      There were also pagan soldiers, decisions made by others, all of which are a part of the account.

5.      He prayed to go, but the road to Rome involved arrest, delay, danger, and loss.

6.      What appeared to be obstacles did not defeat God’s purpose.

          v.      Paul’s experience doesn’t allow us to claim that every difficulty in our lives will lead to our desired outcome.

1.      Paul had very specific assurances from God.

2.      We don’t possess that some promise about our individual plans or circumstances.

3.      But Paul’s experience does teach us that hardship is not proof of God’s absence.

          vi.      A delayed answer is not a neglected prayer.

          vii.      A hard journey is not a journey beyond God’s care.