"Buildinging believers who reach others for Christ."
That's our mission. Building believers includes preparing them for the day of calamity. For the day when they get the test results and it is serious; when they get word their children have been in a car wreck; when the spouse leaves; or the teenager is hooked on drugs. Building believers means preparing them to handle victories, job promotions, and abundance so that they will not forget God.
We have looked at four commitments in order to fuflill our mission from Acts 2:42-47:
1. Commitment to the authority of God's Word.
2. Commitment to the intimacy of fellowship.
3. Commitment to the memory of Jesus' death.
4. Commitment to the intensity of prayer.
But what do we do when it does not look like our mission is being fulfilled? Or what is our guarantee that we will be successful in fulfilling our mission as a church? How do we respond to suffering, heartache, loss, and pain while seeking to accomplish God's mission for our lives?
I like what one preacher has said, "God's calling the shots. He's running the show. Either he's in full control or he's off his throne."
A.W. Tozer once said, "The whole history of the world is discovered to be but a contest between the wisdom of God and the cunning of Satan and fallen men. The outcome of the contest is not in doubt."
A Jewish proverb states, "If God doesn't approve, a fly doesn't move."
These quotes are but an echo to what is revealed in Scripture regarding the awesome majesty of God over His creation. God's sovereignty is the foundation for our guarantee that He will accomplish His mission in us and through us. This coming Sunday morning we will look at how.
However for today I want to remind you of God's great providence over every area of our lives to bring comfort and confidence to you: to prepare you for storms, and to equip you to help others through them.
When we study the Bible we often come upon passages that do not seem to make sense. Some passages often go against what we initially think about God or what we feel.
For instance, "love your enemies." That does not come natural for me; how about you? This command is not a real "pick me up" to start a Monday morning for most people. However, when I meditate on it and think about how I was once an enemy of Christ, a rebel under His judgment, and rightly so, and that He conquered me with His love and mercy, the verse takes on a whole new dynamic.
There are many things in creation that we think of as merely "natural" occurrences. Yet Scripture says that God causes them to happen.
1. So-called "natural occurrences."
a. God causes fire, hail, snow, ice, frost, stormy wind, lightning,
seas, clouds (Ps. 148:8). Cf. Job 38:22-30; Ps. 135:6, 7; 104:4.
b. God directs the grass to grow - Ps. 104:14
c. God directs stars in the heavens - Job. 38:32.
d. God directs the coming of the morning - Job. 38:12; Matt. 5:45.
2. Animals. God feeds the wild animals of the field (Ps. 104:27-29; cf. Job 38:39-41). Jesus also affirmed this (Matt. 6:26; Matt. 10:29).
3. Seemingly "random" or "chance" events. From a human perspective, the casting of lots (or its modern equivalent of dice or flipping a coin) is the most typical of random events that occur in the universe. But Scripture affirms that the outcome of such an event is from God: "The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord" (Prov. 16:33)."[i]
4. Events fully caused by God and fully caused by the creature. A botanist can explain why grass grows, a meteorologist can detail the factors that cause rain, and a physicist can inform us on the force and reasons why the pair of dice resulted - but Scripture tells us God brings all of these about. In this way, it is possible to affirm that in one sense events are fully (100 %) caused by God and fully (100%) caused by the creature as well.
The divine cause works invisibly, behind the scenes, and could be called the "primary" cause that initiates everything that happens. But the created thing brings about actions in ways consistent with the creature's own properties and can be seen as "secondary" causes.
5. The affairs of nations. Scripture speaks also of God's providential control of human affairs.
a. God both prospers and destroys nations. "He makes the nations great,
then destroys them; He enlarges the nations, then leads them away" (Job
12:23). "For the kingdom is the LORD'S and He rules over the nations"
(Ps 22:28).
b. God has determined the time of existence and the place of every
nation on the earth. "And He made from one man every nation of mankind
to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed
times and the boundaries of their habitation" (Acts 17:26; cf. 14:16).
When Nebuchadnezzar repented he praised God, "But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, 'What have You done?' (Dan. 4:34, 35).
c. God influences rulers in their decisions. Prov. 21:1; Ezra 6:22; Ezra
1:1.
6. All aspect of our lives.
a. God gives us food (Matt. 6:11; Phil. 4:19).
b. God plans our days before we are born. Ps. 139:16; Job 14:5; Gal. 1:15
Jer. 1:5
c. All our actions are under God's providential care. Acts 17:28;
d. The individual steps we take are directed by the Lord. Jer. 10:23;
Prov. 20:24; Prov. 16:9; Prov. 16:1
e. Our successes and failures. Ps. 75:6, 7; Lk. 1:52
f. Children are from God. Ps. 127:3
g. All of our talent and abilities are from the Lord. 1 Cor. 4:7; Ps.
18:34
h. God influences all of our decisions. When we realize that the "heart"
in Scripture is the location of our inmost thoughts and desires the
following Scriptures are significant: Ps. 33:14 From His dwelling place
He looks out On all the inhabitants of the earth, Ps 33:15 He who
fashions the hearts of them all, He who understands all their works.
i. God especially guides the desires and inclinations of believers
working in us "both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Phil.
2:13).
CAUTION: These Scriptures should not lead us to deny the reality of our choices and actions. God causes all things that happen, but he does so in such a way that he somehow upholds our ability to make willing, responsible choices, choices that have real and eternal results, and for which we are held accountable.
Exactly how God combines his providential control with our willing and significant choices, Scripture does not explain to us. But rather than deny one aspect or the other (simply because we cannot explain how both can be true) we should accept both in an attempt to be faithful to the teaching of all Scripture.
If you have not filled out a Top Ten Most Wanted prayer sheet, please do so this Sunday. We will have upcoming opportunities to pray for the lost without Jesus. We must also prepare ourselves should God move in a mighty way. Many are praying for this to happen, so please pray for the staff that we might equip our people to be ready to receive those who come through salvation or rededications. We must think out of the box in order to accomodate more people.
Thank you for praying for our house to sell. I'm happy to announce that we have a buyer and plan to close on June 15th. God is so gracious!
Again, I feel so honored to be your Lead Pastor!
Yours for fulfilling our mission,
Dr. Mark L. Richardson, Lead Pastor
First Baptist Church, The Colony
