Things We Must Know
(Pauline Epistles)
I. Our Plans May Not Always Materialize—Even When We Are Striving to Do God’s Will (Romans 1:13)
A. God knows what is best for us
B. God wants what is best for us
C. God does what is best for us
II. Afflictions Are Unavoidable in Christ’s Service (2 Corinthians 1:8)
A. Afflictions are a part of the life of every believer
B. Afflictions cannot destroy us—unless we allow them to
C. Afflictions work the purposes of God
III. The Providence of God Can Take Us through Impossible Situations (1 Corinthians 10:1)
A. We will meet obstacles in life that we cannot overcome on our own
B. But God will see us through if we only trust in Him
IV. There Is Relief Coming from Above for All Believers (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Introduction
Since I have entered into those precarious middle-age years, I have noticed that life is much different than I had perceived it to be when I was a teenager. It seems like so many of the things that I once thought were nonsensical—or at least unnecessary—have suddenly taken on new meaning and importance. In fact, I find myself doing many of those things I once mocked.
One thing that was guaranteed to be “greeted” by my eyes rolling to the back of my head was when my mother would sit me down and give me a parting list of instructions before I left the house. “I want you to keep in mind that there are certain people out there who… (and you can fill in the blank).” The purpose of those talks was to educate me and protect me from things that could harm me or lead me into danger. Of course, at the time, I didn’t appreciate those words of wisdom all that greatly; they seemed to be just a well-intended gesture from an overprotective mother rather than words of life and sound teaching. It’s funny, now that I’m 40 and a father, those words make a lot more sense. And I have a feeling that I will have many of those same talks with my son and daughter in the near future.
Giving our children instructions concerning things they need to know is not something that started with my parents or theirs. It is something that has been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning of time. The originator of this tutelage is God Himself. Since the creation of the first man and woman, children have been taught by their parents that were are certain important things that they must be aware of and heed if they are going to understand the world in which they live and be successful.
I want to take a look at some selected passages from a few of Paul’s epistles. All of his letters were written to individuals or groups with the purpose of instructing his readers in certain matters that he felt they needed to know. Of particular interest to our investigation are those unique instances where the Apostle highlights a subject that he doesn’t want his audience to miss. Six times in Paul’s letters he begins a section with the phrase, I do not want you to be unaware…, or We do not want you to uniformed…, or I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact… Like a father who is concerned about the welfare of his children, Paul felt that these matters were too important to be left to chance. So he made a point of calling these things to their attention.
This morning we are going to look at four of these things that we must know. They all deal with the subject of our relationship to God and the world around us. The purpose of these instructions is to aid us in interpreting the incidents of life and to help us keep our perspective of ultimate reality in check. As Christians, we must never forget that we are but aliens and strangers in this world—our hope is in the unchanging, eternal God. Life in this world will bring us disappointment and heartache. Life in this world is unfair and unpredictable. Life in this world includes hardship and affliction. But our life and trust are not in this world. Our faith is in the God who preserves us and saves us from the destructive forces of this world. Let’s take a look at four things that every Christians must know.
Our Plans May Not Always Materialize—Even When We Are Striving to Do God’s Will
The first thing that we need to be aware of is the fact that our plans may not always materialize—even when we are striving to do God’s will. Please turn with me to Romans 1:13 (p. 836). In 2 Corinthians (1:15ff), Paul informs the believers there that he encountered a similar situation—longing to be with them, but having been hindered from doing so. In both instances, his purpose in wanting to see them was to carry out the function of an apostle. He wanted to do what God had called him to do. Yet, even with the very best of intentions, his plans had to be laid aside.
This was not only true for Paul in the first century; it is also true for us today. Our plans may not always materialize—even when we are striving to do God’s will. Why are our plans sometimes frustrated? Let me give you three reasons that come to my mind.
God Knows What Is Best for Us
The first is that God knows what is best for us. We are finite beings who operate in the realm of observable and empirical facts. Our general modus operandi is to look at the situations that surround us, attempt of gather all the information that we can about the various circumstances, and then decide what would be the most appropriate course of action to take. This is what we present to God. We ask Him to enable us to accomplish these things—things which appear to be good and right given the available information.
Now God operates much the same way that we do with one major difference: His knowledge is vastly superior to ours. We are moved by what we perceive to be the truth; He is moved by what He knows to be the truth. What might seem to be clearly the best thing for us to do based on all the facts that we can gather on the subject may, in fact, prove to be less than the best from God’s perspective because He is able to see beyond the mere observable facts—He knows the truth. God knows what is best for us, therefore, He may not allow our plans to materialize because they would not turn out to be for our best.
God Wants What Is Best for Us
The second reason that our plans may not come to pass is because God not only knows what is best for us, He also wants what is best for us. God is often times portrayed in the Bible as being our heavenly Father. Like any good father, He desires for His children to have only the very best.
That’s what Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:9-11 are all about. A good earthly father would not give less than the best that is within his power to give to his child. I cannot recall one time ever having heard my parents say, “I want you to have it worse than I did when I was growing up.” But I can recall numerous times when they said, “I want you to have it better than I did when I was growing up.” It’s natural for our earthly parents to want what is best for us.
The same is true of our heavenly Father—He wants only what is best for us. And He has a huge advantage over our earthly parents: they want us to have what they perceive to be the best for us; God wants us to have what He knows to be best for us. Our plans may not materialize because God wants us to have nothing but the very best.
God Does What Is Best for Us
The reason that our plans are thwarted sometimes is because God not only knows and wants what is best for us, He also only does what is best for us. This is perhaps the most difficult part of this equation to accept, especially when our plans disintegrate before our eyes. From a purely natural perspective, I’m sure that we’ve all experienced moments when we’ve thought, “If God is really all-powerful and all-loving, then why didn’t He do what I asked Him to do?” When we don’t hold in our hands what our hearts’ desire, it’s easy to believe that God is ignoring us.
Theodore Cuyler, a 19th century pastor, told of a young lawyer who was heartbroken by the death of a woman he loved. Despite his grief, he went ahead with his plans and became a powerful preacher of the gospel and a successful soul winner. His great loss increased his effectiveness.
Cuyler makes this comment, “The record book of every Christian has some pages in it that were written at the bidding of that severe teacher called disappointment. Tears may have blurred the page at the time, but as we view it in the light of experience we can write beneath it, ‘Thank God for those losses!’” Our plans may not materialize because God only does what is best for us.
Afflictions Are Unavoidable in Christ’s Service
The second fact that every Christian needs to know is that afflictions are unavoidable in Christ’s service. This is true even of the best and most dedicated among us. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (p. 858).
Paul was explaining to the church in Corinth that his efforts to present the gospel to those who had not yet had the opportunity to hear it was not welcomed by all. This was especially true in the province of Asia where the people reacted violently against his efforts to bring them the truth. The opposition was apparently so great that it was beyond his ability to stand against it—so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.
What does Paul’s experience teach us about affliction in the life of the believer?
Afflictions Are a Part of the Life of Every Believer
First, it is a reminder that afflictions are a part of life, including the life of every believer. We should not expect to go through life without facing hardships or imagine that they will be extricated from our lives as soon as they come upon us. As Charles Colson points out, “It is absurd for Christians to constantly seek new demonstrations of God’s power, to expect a miraculous answer to every need…this only leads to faith in miracles instead of faith in God.” Do you remember what Jesus told His disciples on the night that He was betrayed? “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33).
Afflictions Cannot Destroy Us Unless We Allow Them to
Afflictions are a part of the life of every believer, but they are limited in their ability to overcome us. This is the second truth we can derive from this passage: afflictions cannot destroy us unless we allow them to. Our response to the difficulties that come our way is the key to our success in overcoming them.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox wrote a poem which uses the imagery of a ship sailing across the sea as symbolic of our lives. I encourage you to listen closely to what she has observed:
One ship drives east and another drives west
With the selfsame winds that blow.
’Tis the set of the sail and not the gales
Which tells us the way to go.
Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,
As we voyage along through life:
’Tis the set of the soul that decides its goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
Afflictions cannot destroy us unless we give them the power to do so. I reminded you of what Jesus told His disciples concerning the difficulties they were sure to face in this world, now let me finish what He said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We cannot surrender to our troubles nor should we attempt to overcome them on our own. Christ said that He has overcome the world and its problems. Paul tells us in Romans 8:37, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. It is only through His strength that we can be overcomers as well.
Afflictions Work the Purposes of God
Afflictions do have a positive side for the believer: afflictions work the purposes of God. One of those purposes is to teach us the importance of total dependence upon Him. This is the lesson that Paul learned from the opposition he faced in Asia. The end of v. 9 reads, But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. God sometimes uses trying times to cause us to remember that the only lasting successes in life are those that are accomplished in His strength.
Another purpose that afflictions can serve is to mold us and prepare us for service to God. J.K. Gressett once said, “God prepares great men for great tasks by great trials.” Like gold that is refined in the intense heat of the smelting pot to remove the impurities and enable its luster and beauty to shine forth, so we are placed in the fire of the trials of life to remove the things that would hinder us from reflecting the beauty of the redeeming work of Christ in us. God is in the business of making us into men and women who reveal His ways. Often times the only way that we can be transformed into children who reflect the aura of our Father is by traveling along the rough and bumpy road of hardships.
The Providence of God Can Take Us through Impossible Situations
In 1 Corinthians 10:1, we find a third important truth that every Christian must know (p. 853). You’re probably scratching your heads and wondering, “What important truth can be learned here—it just sounds like a history lesson?” The events that happened to the Israelites as they escaped from bondage in Egypt and made their way to the Promised Land teach us that the providence of God can take us through impossible situations. Let’s see how this relates to our lives.
We Will Meet Obstacles in Life that We Cannot Overcome on Our Own
First of all, it is important that we understand that we will meet obstacles in life that we cannot overcome on our own. We will encounter circumstances and situations that are so overwhelming that if God does not step in and act on our behalf, then we will never make it through. Paul uses two illustrations from the lives of those who had experienced the exodus from Egypt. To be freed from bond-age in Egypt was a dream come true for all the Hebrews, but it was not without its own set of new problems—problems in many ways greater than the ones they faced when they were forced to work as slaves.
One of those obstacles was the task of finding the land that had been promised to their forefather, Abraham, as an inheritance forever. They were free to go to this famed “Promised Land,” but it was a place to which they had never been and they did not know the way. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they quickly ran into obstacle number two: apparently Pharaoh had second thoughts about releasing his labor force, so he decided to go after them and bring them back.
At this point in their journey to the Promised Land, the Israelites had just come upon a large body of water and were trying to determine just how they were going to get to the other side. You’ve all probably seen Cecil B. DeMill’s, The Ten Commandments, or DreamWorks’, Prince of Egypt, so you can picture the scene in your minds. On one side of the screen is this vast, uncrossable body of water, on the other side, roaring over the hills, are the chariots of Egypt, and smack dab in the middle of the two is this perplexed, confused and angry group known as the Israelites.
Have you ever felt like that before? Like you know that you need to go somewhere, but you don’t know how to get there? Or, like you’re trapped between two forces, both of which are threatening to take your life?
Annie Johnson Flint begins one of her poems asking those same kinds of questions:
Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,
Where, in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
But God Will See Us Through if We only Trust in Him
The fact is, we will meet obstacles in life that we cannot overcome on our own, but God will see us through if we only trust in Him. The Israelites were told to go to the Promised Land and God was fully aware of the fact that they did not know how to get there. So He provided a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide them along their journey. And when they were caught between the chariots of Egypt and the sea, God provided once again. He caused the pillar of cloud to move between the Egyptians and the Israelites so that were was darkness and frustration in the camp of the Egyptians, while the Israelites remained in the light. Then He sent a strong east wind that made the waters separate and create dry land for them to cross over in safety.
What God did for Israel of old, He will do for us today. When we face circumstances that are too difficult for us to handle, He always provides a way out and into the safety and security of His loving arms. He is not deaf to our cries. He takes no pleasure in seeing us suffer. It is His desire to see us through, but it is our responsibility to seek out His help in our times of desperate need.
Let me finish the poem I began to read earlier:
Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,
Where, in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene
Till the night of your fear is gone;
He will send the wind, He will heap the floods,
When He says to your soul, “Go on.”
There Is Relief Coming from Above for All Believers
The final vital truth that I’d like us to consider this morning is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (p. 879). What Paul wants us to know is that there is final relief coming from above for all believers. We will face some difficult, even seemingly impossible, situations in life. But we have this hope and assurance: one day—and I believe that Day is very soon—Christ will call us home to be with Him forever. Soon, all the heartache and pain will come to an end. Soon, all the tears will be wiped away by the loving embrace of our Lord. Soon, we will see Him face to face and the sufferings of this life will be erased in that moment. There is a sure and certain relief for all of us who have placed our faith in Jesus. Someone once said, “God has not promised us a quiet journey—only a safe arrival” (Anonymous). This is a truth that we dare not forget.
Conclusion
Paul wanted to make sure that the believers in the churches he had helped to establish were made aware of some vital truths that would aid them in understanding the circumstances they were facing or would certainly face in the future. They are important truths that you and I need to keep in mind as we make our way through this journey called life:
• Our plans may not always materialize—even when we are striving to do God’s will.
• Afflictions are unavoidable in Christ’s service.
• The providence of God can take us through impossible situations.
• And there is relief coming from above for all believers—Jesus is coming again!
I’ve never been accused of being a “three points and a poem” kind of preacher. However, I’d like to close this sermon with the lyrics from two stanzas of a hymn written by A.B. Simpson entitled, The Everlasting Arms:
Art thou sunk in depths of sorrow where no arm can reach so low?
There is One whose arms almighty reach beyond thy deepest woe.
God th’Eternal is thy refuge, let it still thy wild alarms;
Underneath thy deepest sorrow are the everlasting arms.
Underneath us—Oh, how easy! We have not to mount on high,
But to sink into His fullness and in trustful weakness lie.
And we find our humbling failures save us from the strength that harms;
We may fail, but underneath us are the everlasting arms.
