Text: Acts 25:1-12, Title: The Providence of God, Date/Place: NRBC, 8/16/09, AM
A. Opening illustration: The story of the guy who wrote “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “The providence of God means the continuing action of God in preserving His creation and guiding it toward his intended purposes…It means that we are able to live in the assurance that God is present and active in our lives. We are in His care, and can therefore face the future with confidence, knowing that things are not happening merely by chance.” –Millard Erickson
B. Background to passage: To refresh your memories, Paul had gone back to Jerusalem against the advice of all his Christian brethren, but in the power of the Spirit. There he was seized and almost beaten, imprisoned, and kept by the Romans. When an assassination plot was hatched, God delivered him, because He had promised him work in Rome. Paul witnessed to Felix, but Felix was looking for a bribe, and kept Paul under house arrest for two years, in which time he crushed a rebellion in Caesarea, and the Jews sent a delegation of men to Rome, and had him removed. Enter Festus, the new provincial governor. And just to show that it was not just a favorable ruler that spared Paul his life, and directed him to Rome, God moved in powerful ways to secure Paul’s trek to Rome.
C. Main thought: God’s providence superintends our lives throughout all circumstances.
A. Providential Delay (v. 1)
1. This kinda reminds you of Joseph being falsely imprisoned, and basically forgotten about. You gotta wonder what is going through Paul’s mind. He knows that the Jews want him dead, and he is just stuck in a Jewish city. But Paul believes that “time spent waiting on God is not wasted time.” He is working on a kingdom agenda while being delayed. Every time that you read the account of Jesus birth in the gospels, and especially in Luke, you read the fruit of Paul’s stay in Caesarea. Speak about Paul’s need of a more Gentile gospel, and the time and investigation that it would take to have Luke (a Greek Physician) look it all up. So the kingdom is eternally affected by Paul’s delay.
2. Rom 8:28, Mar 5:22-25, Gen 50:20,
3. Illustration: even in much flexibility last week, there was a lot of frustration when things didn’t kinda stick to a plan, was working as a law office clerk, and had a godly legal secretary that really helped me out spiritually send me on an errand on an extremely hot day walking, and when I got back I realized that I had left something there, and she said, “God must have had something that He wanted you to see,” have you ever been delayed in the car, gotten mad, then realized an accident happened on the route you would have taken had you been on time? "A valuable study of the Gospels could be made, noticing how many times Jesus gave some of His greatest teachings in circumstances where he had simply been interrupted. How different this is from us; we hate to be interrupted. To Jesus, the importance seemed to lie in the person whose path had crossed His own. Things don’t just “happen” in the providence of God. The interruption may well be our highest task at that very moment.” "Jesus . . . wants us to see that the neighbor next door or the people sitting next to us on a plane or in a classroom are not interruptions to our schedule. They are there by divine appointment. Jesus wants us to see their needs, their loneliness, their longings, and he wants to give us the courage to reach out to them"
4. Most of us are usually on a schedule, and most of those schedules are really busy. And we get really bothered by things that interrupt our day. But we must realize that even if interruptions are caused by things or people that we consider sinful, God has allowed them for a reason. And so if we are angry in a situation like this, we should be angry at God. So if your kids or spouse are slow, be angry with God. So instead of yelling at others, yell at God. But the SS answer is that you don’t get mad at God, and we really deserve to get our way, and be treated better than this. We serve God and He owes us, right? If we want to react biblically, receive the interruption as a God-sent way to slow you down for some reason. Ask God what it is that we are to learn or know, but know that God isn’t required to justify Himself to you or me. But know that He is absolutely sovereign over all interruptions. And that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t plan, but that we shouldn’t fall apart. This brings up how we should deal with anger issues too.
B. Providential Protection (v. 2-5)
1. In these verses the Jews seized the opportunity to give the new governor something to do that would make him appear to “play nice” with everyone. They wanted him to bring Paul to Jerusalem for a trial, which was reasonable. Of course, they were going to murder him once he got there. Could God have sent him to Jerusalem then delivered him out of their hands? Sure! But in this instance, He chose to influence the new ruler to have Paul remain in Caesarea, thus protecting Him from the plotters. It would have been no skin off of Festus’ back to send him, and well within his authority. Remember there was a lot of unrest, and Festus’ #1 job was the preservation of peace.
2. Ps 31:14-15, Pro 16:9, 33, 21:1, Ex 21:13, Eph 1:11, 2 Cor 4:17,
3. Illustration: the story of Hawaii’s first missionary dying before he got there, and thousands going in his stead, and the revival that broke out, and the work that God did, in the late 1800’s a member of Britain’s Parliament went to Scotland to make a speech. He got off the train in Edinburgh, and then took a carriage south toward his destination. Unfortunately, the carriage became stuck in deep mud. A local farm boy came to the rescue with his team of work horses. In his gratitude, the politician offered a reward, but the boy refused, saying he wanted nothing. "Well,” persisted the legislator, "Is there anything I can do for you? What would you like to do with yourself when you grow up?" "I’d like to become a doctor" the young man replied. The Member of Parliament promised to do what he could, and in fact se¬cured admission to the university for the young man. During World War 2 more than 50 years later, Winston Churchill lay dan¬gerously ill in Morocco, suffering from pneumonia. A new wonder drug was admin¬istered to him, penicillin, which had been discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming, the Scottish farm boy of so long before. And the politician who had sponsored him to the university? He was Randolph Churchill, the father of Winston.
4. God can protect and preserve our life or any aspect of it, if he pleases. His abilities are not limited whatsoever. He even has the capacity to guide the wills of unbelievers to accomplish His ends if necessary. Sometimes He delivers and sometimes He doesn’t. We are not promised an explanation for all the times that God delivers vs. the times where He does not. But we must remember that He is always good, all the time! And whether or not He delivers or allows suffering and delay, we must continue to cling to Him, trust in Him, rest in Him! His faithfulness never ends, fails, falters, or lacks. His wisdom and goodness are from everlasting to everlasting. No better plan can be conceived (knowing all the facts) than God’s plan. And His grace and resources are sufficient, in fact, more than sufficient for any need.
C. Providential Privilege (v. 10-12)
1. During yet another mock trial with no evidence, no witnesses, and no case, the Jews accused Paul of crimes deserving of death. And according to Festus’ own testimony later, Paul should have been set free. But in order to keep the peace, he was willing to send Paul to Jerusalem, if Paul was willing to go. And upon this inquiry, Paul asked to be tried in front of Caesar. This was a privilege granted to Roman citizens from the earliest days of Rome’s existence. It is one of the reasons that being a Roman citizen was a good thing; it came with privileges. It was serious thing to say. And the results were immediate. Game, set, match, Paul is on the way to Rome, where God told him he would go.
2. Acts 25:16-21, 19:21, 23:11, Dan 4:35, Ps 33:9-11, 115:3, 135:6; Isa 14:24, 46:10, Prov 21:30, Job 42:2,
3. Illustration: it’s kinda like that right to an attorney thing on police TV interrogations,
4. We must often be reminded that we serve a God who is absolutely sovereign. Tell about Mackenzie and Kaitlann asking God to stop the storm on Fri, and asking if God hears us, and why doesn’t He stop it. “If I was God…” Mack said. If there are places God wants us to be in, we will be there. If there are things that we are to do, we will do them. Not that we are puppets, or that your will is violated, but that God is powerful enough, wise enough, and good enough to bring our lives, this world, and everything in it to His intended goals and purposes. And many times God uses ordinary means to achieve His ends, such as governments, privileges, parents, jobs, and school. And sometimes God uses painful experiences too like prison, sickness, divorce, heartbreak, etc. to bring about the greatest glory and the most good. Our duty is to stay close to Him devotionally, hear from Him regularly, and be flexible enough in our plans, and confident enough in Him that when things go different from our expectation, we can lift our hands in authentic praise and gratefulness, even in pain, and be willing to walk through the fire with Him and for Him, remembering our light momentary affliction is fueled by His sufficient grace.
A. Closing illustration: recap the story of Elimalech, Naomi, and Ruth, and the providential hand of God
My Life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me;
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.
Oft times He weaveth sorrow
And I, in foolish pride,
Forget He sees the upper,
And I the under side.
Not ‘til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver’s skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.
B. Recap
C. Invitation to commitment
Additional Notes
• Is Christ Exalted, Magnified, Honored, and Glorified?
