God's Gospel Providence

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Philippians 1:12-14 Pastor Rob Kimsey February 19, 2023

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Praise God, what a great song of worship man, I Think I need to start getting some
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Kleenex because I I was almost crying in here in the front seat That's a wonderful song.
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Is it not is he worthy? Yes, he is Wow Well folks, please turn in your
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Bibles to the letter of Paul to the Philippians So if you've been with us the last few weeks we've started to really go through this wonderful letter
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Paul to the church in Philippi as he is Exhorting them and encouraging them in unity and to walk in obedience to the faith a letter that's filled with many many different themes joy coming to the top, but really you could even say it's the letter of Maybe you should add on to that the letter of Christian joy in In obedience to the faith, there's such a joy that is produced in living out the gospel and as Paul Writes about even in his own personal circumstances
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It's a joy that's so strong based on the gospel that he can rejoice in the middle of very serious personal trial
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Dangerous personal trial no matter no matter the earthly circumstance. We see joy coming from Paul So it's a lesson that we can take and live out in our own lives.
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No matter what is going on in our lives We can have joy Because our hope is not in this world or the circumstances.
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Our hope is in the gospel of grace in Jesus Christ So just a wonderful letter the letter of Paul to the
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Philippians So we want to start with We're gonna be looking today at 12 through 14.
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We want to start I think back at verse 1 Let's read it. So we get the full context. We'll read up to verse 14
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So chapter 1 verse 1 Paul and Timothy slaves of Christ Jesus to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi with the overseers and deacons
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father in the Lord Jesus Christ I think my
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God in all my remembrance of you Always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all
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Because of your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now for I am confident
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Of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus For it is only right for me to think this way about you all because I have you in my heart
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Since both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel you all are fellow partakers with me in this grace
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For God is my witness How I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus and this
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I pray That your love may abound still more and more in full knowledge and all discernment
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So that you may approve the things that are excellent in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God verse 12
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Now I want you to know brothers That my Circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel
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So that my chains in Christ have become well known throughout the whole
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Praetorian Guard and to everyone else and that most of the brothers Having become confident in the
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Lord because of my chains have far more courage to speak the
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Word of God without fear And we can think about what an amazing
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Perspective that Paul has here. He's writing this from prison and you can see in this first section.
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He's talking about joy He he is so reliant on God that his circumstances.
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He says they're for good. This has worked out for the progress So I want you to know this and so in the passage this morning we can see
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God's gospel Providence and Providence is a strong theme in this first section really throughout the whole letter and God's sovereignty even if we think about sovereignty versus Providence Sovereignty is that God rules over all things over all the creation and that's including us
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And Providence is related to sovereignty, but it's a little bit different It's God's divine care and preservation for all of his creation and that includes us because God is sovereign then we can enjoy
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God's Providence in our lives and That's really what we want to focus on this morning.
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And that's what Paul is talking about He says I am telling you that this has worked out for the better as he's writing from prison
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Providence one way to define it if we look at the Westminster shorter catechism It's defined like this
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God's most holy wise and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions
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Now we're in Philippians, but I want to I want us to look at that and that's a very really succinct helpful definition of Providence But let's try to think about it from the scriptures and look at a biblical definition
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We're in Philippians. Just turn a few pages back to Ephesians chapter 1 and We'll see
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Paul really define it very clearly. I like this definition better Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11 really verses 11 and 12
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But we're thinking about the biblical definition of Providence and look at what Paul says in Ephesians 1 11
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He says in him. We also have been made and inheritance having been predestined
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Here it is According to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will that's
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Providence and that's a good biblical definition. So circle highlight underline. That's a really great definition
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But let look at what he he adds on to that We can't read verse 11 without reading verse 12 if that's the biblical definition in 11
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Then this is the purpose in verse 12 He says to the end
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That we who have first hoped in Christ would be to the praise of his glory amazing
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God's Providence According to the purpose of him who works all things According to the counsel of his good for his glory and for the benefit of his people
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Now as we are looking at those definitions and thinking about that That's helpful. And before we jump back over to Philippians, you can turn back right now
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We're gonna jump back to 12 through 14 here But what about a biblical example of God's Providence if I say what's an example of God's Providence and sovereignty in the
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Bible? Well, I want to think about one and you may have you may have something may have come to your mind
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Maybe not. We're gonna go to Joseph What a great story 37 through 50 in the the book of Genesis This is the story of Joseph But really it's the story of God It's the story of God's Providence you think about a person's life
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So here are just some images the one on the the one with the pit is actually one of the proposed sites
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In Israel, it's near Shechem Dothan where they think this may have been it. There's three proposed sites
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It doesn't matter where God knows but the truth of this story and what we can learn from it
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What an amazing thing to think about and I still want to point out a few things in this particular Story Joseph is taken by his brothers and he's thrown into a pit and they plan to murder him
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They conspire to murder him and they throw him in this pit It's only the eldest son
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Reuben who talks his brothers out of it And so then Joseph is taken and sold into slavery
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He ends up in Egypt He ends up with a high -ranking official named Potiphar and while he's there
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Potiphar's wife makes false Accusations against him and he ends up in prison He's sitting in prison.
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The scripture tells us for two years for years he's sitting in there, but in prison it says that the hand of Yahweh was with him and Then something amazing happens.
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God gives him the ability to interpret dreams And so he eventually interprets the dreams of Pharaoh and he's put to a very high -ranking position
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Right under the Pharaoh and in God's wisdom in his Providence and his sovereignty over all of that situation he gives
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Joseph the ability to foresee this famine that is coming and it's a famine that is going to kill many many many people and Eventually, he's reunited with the very brothers who conspired to murder him the very brothers that sold him into slavery and now they're there because they want to get part of some of this extra grain and the storage of this provision that Yahweh has allowed not
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Joseph but Yahweh and the most important part of the Joseph story is in chapter 50 verse 20 as For you he says this to his brothers as for you
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You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good
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That's the most important part of the Joseph story. That's God's Providence. Not only sovereign over all of those events, but Caring for the people listen what
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Joseph says He says God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day to keep many people alive
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So God's Providence is for the good and for us as believers
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It just goes a step further as we're going through trials God was in the business of saving people and even in that moment
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You can think about people that are going to be starving to death and then they come to this kingdom and they meet this man
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Whose God is that that God must be the real God. This is a God of salvation this day we owe our lives to his
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God Yahweh, so even early on the Attractional evangelistic nature of the way
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God used the early saints in the scriptures So that's a good way to think about Providence and we can see that a little bit in what
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Paul is going through a very difficult Serious trial very dangerous personal struggles are involved
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But yet he can see God working in it and so we can learn from Paul this morning
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When these things happen in our lives, are we going to trust God or do we?
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Oftentimes doubt God and with Paul's help. I want to be able to say yeah, we're gonna trust the
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Lord Look at what God is doing in Paul's life So as we go back to the letter of Paul to the
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Philippians, let's do just a little bit of a recap We want to think about what was going on Well, while Paul was visiting
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Jerusalem some Jewish leaders had him arrested for preaching the gospel Paul appealed to Caesar to hear his case
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Paul was then escorted by Roman soldiers to appear in Rome in Rome.
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The Apostle was placed under house arrest He remained in house arrest while he was awaiting trial for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ Paul's house arrest allowed him to have some levels of freedom.
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He was allowed occasional visitors He continued to minister the gospel to whoever he could and he was allowed to write letters
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But we have to keep in mind here. This isn't like a normal house arrest. He's chained to a soldier
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So he's in prison. Let's not sugarcoat it Paul relayed to the
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Philippians his circumstances Excuse me of being imprisoned for the sake of preaching the gospel
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So that's important to think about what Paul is doing as he's arrested. He told the
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Philippians he rejoiced in those circumstances and In the verses this morning
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Paul gives us really some great insight Paul shows us three empowering consequences of God's providence so that you can understand your life and your purpose and That's really the sermon outlined before us three consequences of God's providence number one the progress of the gospel
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Number two the publicity of the gospel and number three the proclamation of the gospel.
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So let's look at verse 12 He Says now I want you to know brothers that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel
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The meaning from Paul's perspective here is simple to understand. He is telling us he says
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I want you to know The verb Paul uses here for want can mean to desire to have or experience something
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With the implication of planning accordingly a wish a want or desire But it can also mean to plan on a course of action
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Intend plan or to will and here Paul is using it in the latter sense
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It is not just a wish or a want Paul is intent on his course of action
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It is his plan and will that the Philippians Understand he doesn't want them to be merely aware
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Paul wants them to get it. He wants them to understand He is saying he wants them to be ones who know
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He's expressing the intention that they will be ones who have come to the knowledge of God's Sovereignty in the progress of the gospel and you can't get any more plain than that Paul is saying his personal circumstances which are not great at the time that he wrote this letter
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His life is uncertainty. Will he be served up on a platter?
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Is he gonna die? What's gonna happen? You know what's gonna happen God knows what's gonna happen and Paul can trust in that that's what's gonna happen
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But his personal circumstances were very serious at the time but he says they've turned out for the profit of the gospel and What a what a way to view a personal trial just think about that when you go through bad
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Circumstances in your life. Do you think in that moment? How can I spread the gospel more and that's what
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Paul was doing think about that mindset Paul was a human being like you or me
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The power to have that mindset is from God not Paul The same
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God that had providence over Paul's life Has providence over our lives
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Paul is very straightforward here He wants his dear Philippians to know that his arrest and imprisonment are nothing to worry about They have actually been a benefit to the gospel
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Paul is rejoicing Paul is encouraging them Paul's concern is for his dear friends and new family in the faith
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Paul's concern is for the gospel Paul starts his thought here in verse 12 the furtherance or the progress of the gospel in the next two verses
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He'll give examples of what that progress means. This is the idea of forward movement
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Think like armies moving forward despite having serious obstacles When we go through personal trials, it is easy for us to become bitter or to give up Being arrested and imprisoned would cause many people to become bitter or to give up I mean just think about that I'm called to go be the
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Apostle to the Gentiles, but but Lord you're locking me up in prison How can I be out there preaching and and sharing the gospel you why am
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I in prison? But no Paul did not become bitter Paul trusted God. He trusted
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God's providence Paul saw his imprisonment as an opportunity an opportunity to spread the gospel
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Just think about it in your times where nothing is going on in terms of trial things seem like they're going well smooth sailing
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Do you look for opportunities to share the gospel in the good times? Oftentimes God uses trials to grow our dependence on him and when we're going through something serious
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We are thinking a lot about our salvation and we're thinking a lot about God in our lives
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Often our response to challenge is to seek the reason in order to escape from the circumstance
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Job is helpful here Job teaches us that the proper response to Trials is not to seek the reason but it's to trust
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God and fear him alone The Apostle Paul understood that his present circumstances were not as important as what he chose to do with them
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Paul's bonds were not a hindrance to the gospel Paul's bonds provided new opportunities to spread the good news of salvation
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Paul did not turn a bad situation into a good one And and I and I have a note here
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God did but really it was already a good situation Because in eternity past God had already ordained this to happen
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No, Paul didn't turn a bad situation into a good one the Lord already had a good situation
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But it was a negative circumstance Paul was involved in Paul's situation was a benefit because God is faithful God was faithful in his
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Providence Paul was faithful to Christ Paul had a Christ Mindset he did a little outreach right there in prison
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I mean think about that you think about prison ministry. What a new way to think about prison ministry Chained to a guard his life on the line not knowing what's gonna happen
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Can you imagine he's locked up for preaching the gospel and he's in prison preaching the gospel to the ones that have him locked up That's a prison ministry to a new level.
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Yeah, he preached the gospel to the soldiers He strengthened all the Christians who were terrified of persecution
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Paul's intention is clear the implication of what Paul is saying demonstrates God's Providence over Paul's life this demonstrates
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God's sovereignty over the gospel God is sovereign over all things despite Paul's dangerous circumstances
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God remains in sovereign control and not only that God is using
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Paul's persecution for the Advancement or progress of the gospel is
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God sovereign over trials And we can answer that is God sovereign over trials
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Yes Amen. Yes, he is one supporting scripture may be from Luke in Luke chapter 21 in the context of Christ's disciples asking him
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Teacher what will be the sign of when these things are about to take place? Referring to the end times
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In Luke 21, it says this then he continued saying to them nation will rise against nation and Kingdom against kingdom and there will be great earthquakes and in various places
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Famines and plagues and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven But before all these things they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you
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Delivering you to the synagogues and prisons Bringing you before kings and governors for my name's sake.
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It will result in an opportunity for your testimony So set in your hearts not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves
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For I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute but you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends and They will put some of you to death and you will be hated by all because of my name
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Yet not a hair of your head will perish by your perseverance.
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You will gain your lives God was sovereign over the situation with Paul and God is sovereign over the future situation with what will happen to the church
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God is sovereign in eternity past God is sovereign today
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Presently and God will be sovereign for eternity So whatever is going to be waiting for the church.
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God's got it covered he's ordained that it's happening and in God's providence we will be like Paul as Persecution ramps up in this world.
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We have nothing to worry about when the Lord told his disciples to go there for it and Make disciples baptizing them teaching them to observe all that.
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I've commanded you. He said lo I am with you even to the end of the age and think about what he said all
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Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth Yet God is sovereign and in his providence.
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He will take care of us Forever no matter what you're going through and no matter what's going to happen tomorrow
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God is sovereign and because of that he has providence over your life a caring and preservation and enabling to proclaim
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So as things are ramping up in this world The gospel is only going to ramp up more and it's all because God's providence.
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I like to think about God's sovereignty over creation in a way that helps me to think about how great and Powerful the
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Lord is so one example, I'd like to share with you just by way of illustration is God's sovereignty over creation
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God's sovereignty over creation and One one thing that's kind of neat in the nation of Israel or in the land of Israel It's actually the acoustics of the
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Mount of Beatitudes Traditionally thought to be near the northwestern shore of the
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Sea of Galilee Near Capernaum on the southern slopes of the Khorazin Plateau. This is where Traditionally, it's accepted that the
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Sermon on the Mount took place We know from the scriptures that it was near Capernaum And it says that the
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Lord walked up on top of the mountain and sat down But this really kind of just crazy thing as you're sitting there looking at it.
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These pictures don't really do it justice it's almost like a natural auditorium and it's just this huge area where you can
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Visualize in your mind, maybe just tens of thousands of people a large number of people were there that When Jesus gave the
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Sermon on the Mount But some experiments have been done here. And if you're at the very top of this thing looking down at the
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Sea of Galilee I mean, maybe just an image here for our help You can think the water would just be below those group of people there
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Some folks were in a boat and they had a decibel meter and they were taking sound And they had a person go to the very top in in an area where you know
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Christ may have been and that person just speaking no no amplification you know maybe raising the voice a little bit as if you were preaching the person in the boat could hear them perfectly and Pick up all of that sound
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But think about that in Eternity past before God made the earth
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He already knew that he was going to make this thing because someday the Sun in his earthly ministry was going to be there
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Preaching the Sermon on the Mount Not randomly before he made the foundation of the world.
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God is sovereign over creation and that means that he's sovereign over us and That's a really awesome thing to think about because God is sovereign we can rely and we can trust in his
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Providence This morning Paul shows us three empowering consequences of God's Providence So that you can understand
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God's purpose in your life number one the progress of the gospel despite unique circumstances despite unique circumstances and number two the publicity of the gospel verse 13 so that my chains in Christ have become well known throughout the whole
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Praetorian Guard and to everyone else Now that Paul has made it crystal clear what he wants to say in verse 12, he then proceeds to give two examples of what the
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Furtherance or the prop the got the progress of the gospel means. What is this progress?
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Well in verse 13, he gives his first example the gospel has become well known to everyone and the verb
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Paul uses to communicate this state of becoming is the idea to experience a change in nature and so indicate entry into a new condition to become something and it's used here with the adjective whole to paraphrase the passive idea that the gospel is
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Becoming known to all the palace guard as Paul puts it my chains in Christ or my
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Bonds in Christ the gospel was becoming known The people witnessing
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Paul's imprisonment recognized that Paul was not a criminal Did you know that when you go through a personal trial?
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Unbelievers are watching you they're watching you people look at how
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Christians react to bad circumstances Because you can't fake being a
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Christian During a trial. It's obvious to everyone watching whether they are looking at a genuine
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Christian or not The people watching Paul knew he had become a criminal because of his preaching of Jesus Christ crucified
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There is a change in condition Because of Paul's trial his imprisonment brought awareness of the gospel to many his personal
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Circumstances brought awareness to the gospel to many his personal trials brought awareness of the gospel to many
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Paul wants to make this known This kind of resolve does not originate from Paul.
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It is Paul's Understanding of who God is it is
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Paul's understanding of who Christ is trusting in the gospel believing in God's providence an
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Understanding of Christ that develops a fearlessness What is your understanding of Christ today, who is
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Christ to you if You entrust yourself to the Father You show you understand
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Christ when Jesus was here in his earthly ministry Christ entrusted himself to the
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Father every day. He was on this earth Christ's life death and resurrection are the ultimate example of God's sovereign plan of redemption for mankind a plan of Reconciliation and peace with God set from the beginning in eternity past with Christ at the center
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Paul understood this and he wanted the Philippians to understand this
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Today this is for us to understand to trust in God's providence
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Paul knew God was sovereign And I think
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I even need to be careful about that language Paul Knows God is sovereign.
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Paul is alive. Oh, yes He recognized while he was here that God's providence was part of his imprisonment
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He knew that it was for the benefit of the gospel Paul knew the benefit of knowing
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Christ Paul could rejoice in the middle of personal Persecution because others will understand the benefit of knowing
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Christ That's what that's what his focus was on the benefit of others during Paul's imprisonment.
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He continued to preach the gospel He was allowed visitation and he was allowed to send letters out
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Paul's priority in the midst of his persecution was the gospel His priority was not to be delivered or rescued his priority was for the benefit of others
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His priority was the gospel be known to everyone. He came in contact with God is sovereign over Paul's persecution because God is sovereign over the gospel
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Paul is on house arrest amongst the elite soldiers of the Roman Empire. I mean you just think about you like handcuffed or chained to Seal team six.
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These were the most elite soldiers. These were the guys that guarded Caesar For what is a terrible situation for Paul God has used it for the publicity of the gospel
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Because of Paul's incarceration He is in a unique position to share the gospel with the top tier of Roman citizens the very elites of society
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This display of providence is a benefit for Paul's life because his life was the gospel
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I Have you ever seen God's providence in your life? You think about a trial that you went through and on the other side of it you think wow
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Look at how God did everything look at how he worked everything out Have you ever felt
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God's divine protection in the middle of a difficult circumstance? If you're a
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Christian you have If Paul had not been arrested this opportunity to make public the gospel may not have happened
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This was God doing this Paul could publicize the gospel now more than he could have us on his own
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God's gospel providence is on full display is God's providence
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Stronger than your personal trial Yes Amen, yes it is
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And even a supporting scripture might be from 2nd Timothy 2nd Timothy chapter 2 in the context of Paul encouraging the young pastor
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Timothy to Persevere and what it means to be a good soldier under Christ's kingship
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He says remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead of the seed of David According to my gospel for which
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I and your hardship even to chains as a criminal But the Word of God has not been chained
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For this reason I endure all things for the sake of the elect so that they also may obtain the salvation
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Which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory It is a trustworthy saying for if we died with him
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We will also live with him if we endure we also will reign with him if we will deny him
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He also will deny us if we are faithless He remains faithful for he cannot deny himself
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No matter what God will be faithful towards you
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Because he's never going to deny himself as believers. We can rely on it. It's the truth
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It's a fact and it's right here in the scriptures. Paul was sovereign over Paul's life
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Paul trusted in God's providence You know
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God's providence, you know really in allowing endurance just a little picture here
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I mean imagine this he's he's chained to a guard He doesn't know what is going to happen to him.
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His head could be lopped off So what is he doing? He's writing letters to the churches that he planted.
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He's thinking about his own disciples He's thinking about those that he loves in Christ He's not thinking about how he's gonna get sprung out of the situation
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He's thinking about his brothers and sisters in Christ and he's thinking about The lost and unbelieving in the world
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He's thinking about the salvation of the very guards that are holding him in prison
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His focus is not on himself. It's outward First it's toward God and his trust in God's providence and then it's toward others
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For the glory of God and for the good of his people Paul was Trusting in God's sovereignty through this situation
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Nobody could write these words if they weren't and Paul was three empowering consequences of God's providence the progress of the gospel and here we see the publicity of the gospel despite serious difficulties and number three the proclamation of the gospel and And that most of the brothers having become confident in the
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Lord because of my chains have far more courage to speak the Word of God without fear
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Remember in verse 12 Paul laid out his intention in writing these few lines. He wanted people to know his personal circumstances
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While negative and even scary from a human perspective They had worked out for good
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His imprisonment had worked out for the progress of the gospel in verse 13
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He gave his first example of this reality the publicity of the gospel God uses redeemed sinners like you and I to make the gospel public a born -again
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Christians personal testimony is a public testimony And that's a really neat thing to think about your testimony is a public testimony
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I pray it's a genuine testimony that you know Christ that you trust in God and You seek
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God's providence in your life during difficult times that your focus is on him and how you can share the gospel in these difficult situations in This verse
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Paul gives another example of what he meant by the progress of the gospel He makes it clear trusting in the
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Lord more as a result of Paul's difficulties the ones who have heard of Paul's struggle are more confident and The word
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Paul uses here for confident comes from a word that actually has the meaning to cause to come to a particular point
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Of view this is a particular point of view or course of action to persuade or to convince
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Here Paul is using the word to describe the state of persuasion of the ones who have heard
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They are not doing the persuading they are persuaded. They are convinced.
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They have become Confident Paul is using the word in the sense to be so convinced that one puts confidence in something to depend on it to trust in it
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You can be confident in God today through Jesus Christ Confidence through the
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Word of God Have you ever considered that your personal testimony is a witness to the gospel?
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Have you ever considered that your personal testimony may give an unbelieving sinner?
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confidence in the gospel and Your personal testimony may give a brother or sister in Christ Confidence to share the gospel in a way they wouldn't have before when they look at your reaction to the negative circumstances you're going through and they see a
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Person that is trusting in God and it is full of joy in the gospel of grace They say wow that person's a real
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Christian What do I have to be afraid of and now I'm confident and without fear
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I'm gonna share the Word of God That's what Paul has for us here. That's what he has for the Philippians Paul gave a powerful witness to the gospel as a prisoner.
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It was a demonstration of God's faithfulness to his children The believers and fellow prisoners were emboldened not because they were very courageous people
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And I'm sure some were courageous But that's not the point The point is is that their courage comes from the knowledge that God is the source of their strength
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They have seen God's providence and provision over Paul's persecution and the result
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They trust God more. They are convinced and so we have to ask the question
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Are you convinced? Are you convinced? Being convinced of God's sovereignty.
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The people are now Courageous and speak the word without fear More Christians were proclaiming the word with courage
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Are you afraid of sharing your faith? Whether it's a good time or things are smooth sailing.
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Are you afraid of sharing your faith? Do you speak the gospel boldly with co -workers with fellow students?
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with friends or with family the dreaded family category
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Sometimes sharing your testimony with your immediate family is more difficult than even with a stranger
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Do you speak the gospel boldly With co -workers with fellow students with friends or with your family being convinced of God's providence equals fearlessness
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The progress of the gospel is that Paul's imprisonment has caused believers to proclaim the gospel without fear
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Not only were they not afraid of imprisonment. They were bold to speak the word
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Paul is letting the Philippians know that his imprisonment is directly causing believers to have more confidence in the
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Lord Today we might not be in prison But any day can be filled with enough trouble to cause us to be discouraged
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Personal struggle is little littered really throughout all of our lives times of uncertainty
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Times of indecision There are financial burdens family conflict church conflict the loss of a job
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The loss of a loved one our own health is threatened. I Believe how we respond to the trials in our lives reveal what we really believe
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Whatever you've been through God is sovereign Whatever you're going through God is sovereign
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Whatever is going to happen tomorrow God is sovereign God cares about you and loves you and Desires for you to trust him we can trust
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God completely because of Jesus Christ and Paul is a marvelous example for us as believers
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Let us be like Paul in this example because Paul is imitating Christ Jesus is the ultimate example
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We can look for opportunities to proclaim our faith despite difficult circumstances
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We can demonstrate our faith in the midst of a bad situation The situation may improve the situation may worsen
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No matter the circumstances of the trial faith will grow stronger if the priority is the gospel is
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God sovereign over your personal circumstances Yes Amen.
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Yes, he is One supporting scripture to think about for this outline point would be 2nd
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Corinthians chapter 3 In the context of Paul writing to the Corinthians explaining to them what it means to be ministers of the new covenant
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He says therefore having such a hope We use great boldness and are not like Moses who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel Would not look intently at the consequence of what was being brought to an end, but their minds were hardened
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For until this very day at the reading of the Old Covenant the same veil remains unlifted
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Because it is brought to an end in Christ But to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their heart
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But whenever a person turns to the Lord the veil is taken away Now the
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Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom But we all with unveiled face
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Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory
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Just as from the Lord the Spirit Because of our hope in the gospel
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We can have boldness to share the gospel We can make the gospel the priority of the situation and that's
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God's purpose in every single Believers life that you would go out and tell people about Jesus Christ What has he done for you your salvation and sharing the gospel?
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That is the purpose of our lives as Christians to the praise and glory of God the Father just as it was with the
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Son When Jesus was here in his earthly ministry He entrusted himself to the
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Father and he lived his life according to this purpose To share the gospel to the praise and glory of God the
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Father He is our master. He is our teacher. We are his disciples. We should be just like him if We say we abide in Christ we ought to walk as he walked
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You know this this is what Paul is talking about trusting in God's gospel providence
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One example from this and I think to kind of wrap it up to the sort of connect this to the beginning introduction
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Thinking about the definition of providence We're gonna look at this quote from John frame
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It's from his article titled providence in all of life. It's from 2012. I think this is really helpful
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He says to start quotation the Westminster shorter catechism defines providence in the answer to question 11
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God's works of providence are his most holy wise and powerful Preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions
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First notice that God's providence is universal it extends to all
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God's creatures and all their actions So Ephesians chapter 1 verse 11 speaks of God who works all things according to the counsel of his will
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It is right for us to see God's hand in the special blessings of life
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But it is important for us to see God's hand in our trials our pain and suffering even our own decisions
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God's loving hand operates in everything that happens to me and in everything
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I do so Paul calls us to be thankful in everything in first Thessalonians 518 and Everything give thanks for this is
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God's will for you in Christ Jesus I think that's a really helpful way to think about God's providence no matter what is going on Nothing comes into our lives that hasn't first passed through the hand of the
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Father in the verses this morning Paul shows us three empowering consequences of God's providence
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So that you can understand God's purpose in your life three empowering consequences of God's providence the progress of the gospel the publicity of the gospel and the proclamation of the gospel despite personal struggles despite personal struggles, that's gospel providence
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Romans 8 28 through 30 in the context of Paul discussing future glory and God's everlasting love this passage connects
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God's providential care for believers in relationship to the gospel and it gives an amazing explanation of the order of salvation and we know
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That for those who love God all things work together for good For those who are called according to his purpose because those whom he foreknew
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He also predestined to become conformed to the image of his son So that he would be the firstborn among among many brothers and those whom he predestined
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He also called and those whom he called he also justified and those whom he justified.
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He also glorified God is not only sovereign over the trials in our lives.
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God is sovereign over all things everything in creation every aspect of life
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God is sovereign over the gospel Because God is sovereign. He perfectly cares for us in his providence there is no thing or abstract in the whole creation that is not subject to and Indominated by the will of God in his providence
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How are we to remain? Joyful with Thanksgiving if we are in the middle of a trial
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How can we trust God's providence Paul gives us the answer in the verses this morning now
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I want you to know brothers that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel
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So that my chains in Christ have become well known throughout the whole Praetorian Guard and to everyone else and that most of the brothers having become confident in the
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Lord because of my chains have far more Courage to speak the Word of God without fear verses 12 through 14
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Demonstrate God was sovereign over Paul Paul's life Paul's trials
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Paul's ministry of the gospel And this is a wonderful encouragement God is still sovereign over Paul and he will be forever
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God is sovereign over all of our lives God is sovereign over all of our trials
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God's gospel providence is an anchor for every Christian while Paul was going through persecution
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God was in sovereign Control when you go through a trial
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God is in sovereign Control while the ones in control treated
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Paul harshly God had Paul's best interest in mind When you are going through difficulties
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God has your best interest in mind in God's amazing providence
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He took Paul's gospel ministry to new heights If you desire to evangelize
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God will make it happen. God will do it God is with you
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This is an amazing reality You can share the gospel and it will go forward because God Wants it to go forward.
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He will enable us God's gospel providence means that the gospel will progress despite ourselves
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Your personal struggles can influence the gospel. It can influence the gospel's publicity and proclamation
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God is sovereign over the gospel and therefore trials cannot hinder your purpose in living
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God's power is greater than any tribulation God's incredible sovereignty is on display in this passage
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God's providence gives us three overwhelmingly Powerful consequences in our lives as Christians the progress of the gospel despite personal trial
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The publicity of the gospel despite personal struggle and the proclamation of the gospel despite personal difficulty
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And we'll just think about this with a closing illustration I Read a story and this is kind of a famous one.
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You may have heard this before I read a story of about a believer named Frederick Nolan Frederick Nolan He was fleeing from enemies at a time of intense persecution in North Africa He's a
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Christian Frederick was pursued over many hills many valleys with no place to escape eventually
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He fell utterly exhausted into a wayside cave and he he was just trying to hide he knew they were gonna shoot him
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Fully expecting his pursuers to find him quickly and kill him. He's desperately just trying to jump in some hole.
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He sees he finds a cave and Essentially while awaiting his death He saw a spider weaving a web
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This tiny spider had woven this huge web across the mouth of the cave
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The pursuers arrived and expected Nolan to be hiding nearby upon seeing it
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They noticed that it was unbroken. So they they they knew he's there but they observed this unbroken and perfect web
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Nolan's pursuers came to the conclusion that it was impossible for him to have entered the cave without destroying the web so they went on and Nolan escaped his pursuers
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Escaped certain death Knowing he had escaped Certain death at the hand of the enemies.
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He burst out and exclaimed where God is a spider's web is like a wall. I Mean that's an amazing
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Where God is a spider's web is like a wall and where God is not a wall is like a spider's web
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God is sovereign over all creation every single thing every person
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God is sovereign over the gospel and therefore trials cannot hinder the purpose of our lives
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Trials cannot hinder your progress God's providence equals trust
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Entrust yourself to God For the glory of the Father through the power of the