Horatio Spafford (1828-1888) was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son. He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures. His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the day.
At the very height of his financial and professional success, Horatio and his wife Anna suffered the tragic loss of their young son. Shortly thereafter on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed almost every real estate investment that Spafford had.
In 1873, Spafford scheduled a boat trip to Europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation and time to recover from the tragedy. He also went to join Moody and Sankey on an evangelistic campaign in England. Spafford sent his wife and daughters ahead of him while he remained in Chicago to take care of some unexpected last minute business. Several days later he received notice that his family's ship had encountered a collision. All four of his daughters drowned; only his wife had survived.
With a heavy heart, Spafford boarded a boat that would take him to his grieving Anna in England. It was on this trip that he penned those now famous words, When sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul..
Philip Bliss (1838-1876), composer of many songs including Hold the Fort, Let the Lower Lights be Burning, and Jesus Loves Even Me, was so impressed with Spafford's life and the words of his hymn that he composed a beautiful piece of music to accompany the lyrics. The song was published by Bliss and Sankey, in 1876.
For more than a century, the tragic story of one man has given hope to countless thousands who have lifted their voices to sing, It Is Well With My Soul.
It Is Well With My Soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
Refrain
My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
Refrain
And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Philippians 4:6-7) .
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus
SERMON TITLE : IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
3 John 1:1-4 1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers[a] came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
My question to you today, is it well with your soul, ?
Is God in control of your soul?
INTRODUCTION::
1) This third epistle of John is written to one of John’s friends, Gaius.
2) During the salutation, John expresses his desire for Gaius’ good health.
3) Then he compares his physical health with his spiritual health.
4) He says, “.”I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul
5) He recognizes Gaius’ good spiritual health.
6) What he was saying,, that things were well with his soul
3. Is it well with your soul?
The song, It is well with my soul speaks about how things are well regardless of circumstances around us.
3) Let’s focus on this thought in this study.
It can be well with your soul, if the following is true in your life.......…
I. God is in control.
Sometimes, we reach a point in our lives, where we feel so out of control.
There’s not too many worse feelings in this world.
It is easy to want to throw in the towel, and give up when these type situations come along.
Maybe you lose job
Maybe lose loved one.
Maybe your spouse leaves you.
Many fear flying because they are not in control.
I don't like riding with someone else, as much as I like driving, because I want to feel in control.
We don’t like to feel or be out of control.
. Life can sometimes feel out of control.
Perhaps we don’t like what is going on in the government.
What can we do when we feel life is out of control?
. We can know that God is in control of all things.
1) Hebrews 1:3 says .”He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
2) Colossians 1:16-18 states, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”
3) Consider Isaiah 40:28-31 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
. Knowing that God is in control brings peace to our lives.
Consider Matthew 8:23-27.
We can have the attitude of Paul in Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
II. All things work together for good.
1. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
It is hard not to focus on our circumstances, and to focus on Jesus.
The bible tells us to keep our focus on Jesus.....2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
(illustration) When I was a child, my dad would plow the garden with a mule. He would put blinders on the mule, so it would not be distracted by what was going on around it. It would focus on going straight ahead.
4. Consider Jesus.
He was rejected and despised of men.
He was crucified, and beaten, spat upon, and mocked.
But God raised Him up and through His death brought salvation to all.
Consider Acts 3:26 “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
III. Troubles are temporary.
1. The old spiritual proclaims, “All God’s children got troubles!”
Everybody has troubles in life. Jesus said that as long as we were in this world, we would have trials, and tribulations, but He then said, be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world.
2. The Bible teaches that for the Christian, at least, troubles are temporary.
1) Consider 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
3. Knowing that our troubles are temporary gives us peace.
1) James 2:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
2) Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
CONCLUSION:
1. It is well with your soul? It can be, if you place your trust in Jesus.
