PROBLEMS AND PROVIDENCE

 

Is God sovereign?  Of course He is or He would not be God. That being the case, do we affirm that when problems come, they are according to His providence?  The Apostle Paul affirms it to be so. Writing to the Philippians, he does not merely resign himself to be confined in chains, but rejoices that he is. 

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.” (Philippians 1:12-18 NKJV)

Joy is the note that sounds over and over in this small letter. Perceiving providence in his problems led to praise. How are you responding to your adversity and dealing with adversaries?  These are inescapable realities in ministry. Being a preacher does not mean we escape them, but assures that we will face them. You either recently faced trouble, or are in the midst of a conflict, or soon will be in one. 

Paul calls on us to STAND FAST, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast…” (Philippians 1:27a). This is a matter of conviction. I am at an age where I can no longer run fast…but I can stand fast!  The man of God dare not compromise. While we seek peace—it is not “peace at any price.”  The preacher who is surrendered to the Word must never surrender to the world.  In this sinful world, we will always face strong winds and surging waves.  Dig in your heels!  Providence has brought you where you are.

We stand fast when we STRIVE FEARLESSLY, “in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God,” (1:27b-28). This is a matter of courage. Satan whispers, “Flee!”  God speaks and says, “Fight!”  The providence that brought you to the problems will bring you through the problems. You can be fearless, when you recall that you are not in this fight alone. Of course, our Commander is there and He is more than sufficient, but it is also helpful to know we have other warriors alongside us. Paul calls for unity—to strive together. Too often we fight with each other. How many churches become a circular firing squad?  Do not see your fellow pastor as a competitor. See him as a fellow soldier!

To stand fast and strive fearlessly, requires a resolve that by the grace of God, we will SUFFER FAITHFULLY, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me,” (v.29-30). This is a matter of consistency. Whatever our circumstances—and problems will often be present and in seasons be powerful—we must consistently embrace that God’s providence has brought us there. He has supplies us with faith to come to Christ and therefore will give us grace to suffer for Christ. Paul was a great man of faith, yet still a man. The same Spirit that empowered him is with us. Others have suffered faithfully, so may we.  Old Isaac Watts asked us:

1. Am I a soldier of the cross,
   A follow’r of the Lamb?
   And shall I fear to own His cause,
   Or blush to speak His name?
2. Must I be carried to the skies
   On flow’ry beds of ease,
   While others fought to win the prize,
   And sailed through bloody seas?
3. Are there no foes for me to face?
   Must I not stem the flood?
   Is this vile world a friend to grace,
   To help me on to God?
4. Sure I must fight if I would reign;
   Increase my courage, Lord;
   I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
   Supported by Thy Word.
5. Thy saints in all this glorious war
   Shall conquer, though they die;
   They see the triumph from afar,
   By faith’s discerning eye.
6. When that illustrious day shall rise,
   And all Thy armies shine
   In robes of vict’ry through the skies,
   The glory shall be Thine.

WHEN A LITTLE MEANS A LOT

 “Little is much when God is in it.”  That was a line from a Gospel song they used to sing in the small church I attended as a lad.  It is the truth we observe in Acts 23:11-22.

But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” And when it was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy. They came to the chief priests and elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great oath that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. Now you, therefore, together with the council, suggest to the commander that he be brought down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to make further inquiries concerning him; but we are ready to kill him before he comes near.” So when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, “Take this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.” So he took him and brought him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to you.” Then the commander took him by the hand, went aside, and asked privately, “What is it that you have to tell me?” And he said, “The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him. But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.” So the commander let the young man depart, and commanded him, “Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.” (Acts‬ ‭23‬:‭11‬-‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬, emphasis added)

Here is when a little meant a lot.

There was A NAMELESS PERSON, “Paul’s sister’s son,” (v. 16a). We know he was Paul’s nephew, but we do not even know his name. Yet, God would use this lad in a large way. The Apostle’s ministry would have been terminated and his impact truncated had it not been for this nameless person. 

There are preachers’ names we know. Like Paul, their impact is huge. But, for all of those, there are many whose names will never make headlines. Maybe you feel that way. But, God knows your name. He has written it down in His Book. One of the strangest things is that the Lord may summon you to the front of the crowd to receive your crown in that eternal day! 

I love Hebrews 11–“Faith’s Hall of Fame.”  Household names like Noah, Abraham, and Moses are prominent. Then, there is this encouraging word:

Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. (Heb.‬ ‭11‬:‭35‬b-‭40‬‬)

“Others,” not even named; no miracles noted. Yet, God sets them up as a shining standard of faith and summons us to join their ranks.  The fulfillment of the promise of God’s ultimate triumph requires both the heroes and the zeroes. We fit in there somewhere!

There was AN OBSCURE PLACE, “Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush,” (v. 16b). Where was he when he heard?  The location is as unknown as the young man’s name. But, he was in the most strategic spot for a service that was spiritually significant.

So, we may labor for the Lord in obscure places. We serve a small church back in the holler. It may be a name associated with a little creek or a grove of trees. There are prime places in large cities with prominent pulpits. Where we serve, maybe not so much. We walk outside on the porch in front of the small country church and do not hear cars going by, but the sound of the creek flowing along. There are more birds singing in the trees than people singing in the congregation. Far from having a worldwide broadcast, we are so deep in the woods we don’t even have the internet.

Take comfort in the fact that though the denominational executives do not know where you are, God does. We may discover on the Judgment Day that a mini-church had a mega-impact. It may be that a young farm boy will get saved in that little chapel, and grow up to be called into ministry.  That man’s service might then have a worldwide impact!  It happens. But, it would not happen without that “Little Brown Church in the Wildwood,” as the song goes.

I will never forget one of my mentors, Dale Fisher, telling me as a 21 year old called to Gospel ministry, “God knows where you are and He can get you where He wants you to be.”  So, I have served Cane River, Oak Grove, Centerview, Sugarfork, and Pole Creek. None of those are household names in the church world. But, I was where God wanted me, and that is good enough. Someone needs to pastor, “Suck Creek Baptist Church,” (yes, that is a real place).  

Here is the crucial part: there was A DIVINE PROVIDENCE, “he went and entered the barracks and told Paul,” (v. 16c). The Sovereign God was directing a nameless person to an obscure place to the fulfillment of His Divine providence. 

The Lord Jesus had the night before showed up in Paul’s prison cell and made a promise, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome,” (v. 11). 

Satan sought to stop that mission. He moved the conspirators to plot Paul’s assassination. Yet, the Lord’s purposes cannot be thwarted. This instead set a series of events in motion that instead of stopping Paul from reaching Rome, brought him there. The Devil did not halt the Gospel, but instead took the Apostle to a worldwide platform!

Man of God, you are in the Lord’s hands. His providence will lift you up and bear you along to places you did not anticipate. I would have never thought it possible that an unknown young preacher speaking to a small group of about 60 (on a good day) of mostly senior citizens would one day regularly preach to 400 on Sunday morning in a place called Pole Creek, located between Milk Sick Cove and Hookers Gap, not quite to Jugtown. When I attended Fruitland as a young ministerial student, I would have laughed had you told me I would someday be a professor at Fruitland Baptist Bible College. After seeking counsel from our Missions Director as I faced a crisis from conflict in the church where a bunch were trying to fire me, I would not have believed that I would one day be in that position dispensing counsel to other pastors. Sitting in the back of an NC Baptist Convention Meeting, where no one knew my name, it would have been the most unlikely scenario that I would one day be on the platform, giving the report as Chairman of the Nominating Committee, and also nominating the man who would ultimately. become President of the Convention.

I never tried to climb the ladder. I just tried to be faithful where I was. Give the Lord the five loaves and two fish and he can multiply them miraculously. Pass on the news you overheard and the Lord can use that to make an enormous difference and save a preacher. He knows your name. He knows where you serve. His providence will direct you. In heaven, you will discover:

In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do;
Hark! the Master’s voice is calling,
To the harvest calling you.

        Refrain:

        Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown, and you can win it,
If you go in Jesus’ name.

        In the mad rush of the broad way,
In the hurry and the strife,
Tell of Jesus’ love and mercy,
Give to them the Word of Life.

        Does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
It is great if God is in it,
And He’ll not forsake His own.

        Are you laid aside from service,
Body worn from toil and care?
You can still be in the battle,
In the sacred place of prayer.

        When the conflict here is ended
And our race on earth is run,
He will say, if we are faithful,
“Welcome home, My child—well done!”    (Kittie L. Suffield)

(The photo is of Young’s Chapel Baptist Church, where I preached my first revival as a Fruitland student, and the chairman of the pulpit committee from Cane River heard me, leading to my call to serve Cane River in my first pastorate.)

PURPOSE IN THE PREACHER’S PAIN

I am allergic to pain. When possible, I scrupulously avoid it—but, it is not always possible. If you are a preacher, you will be subjected to pain. We live on a broken planet, filled with broken people. The curse on humanity, brought by the depravity in our sinful state, will at times lead people to rebel against us. Their rebellion is against God and His rule, but since they cannot get to Him, they attack His emissaries. 

Eventually, every preacher will face the need to make decisions that are unpopular with a carnal crowd. He will be called to express convictions that are assailed by those driven more by culture than Scripture. Rejection, ridicule, pressure, and persecution are thorns in our side—thorns that accompany creation under the curse.

Then, there is the pain we all are subjected to—sickness, sorrow, stress in our family, shortage in our finances, and the like. We can grow weary from the daily demands of life and ministry. Being a man of God does not exempt us from adversity. Paul’s life stands in marked contrast to the false “prosperity gospel.”

The issue is not whether we will have pain.  The question is, “How will we respond?”  We wonder, “Is there purpose in the preacher’s pain.”  The overarching purpose for all of creation—for time and eternity—is this, “the glory of God,” (2 Cor.4:15). That is at the heart of the text we will consider. 

1.      THE PURPOSE OF OUR PAIN IS THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD’S GLORY IN CHRIST. 

⁷ Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. ⁸ We are afflicted in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; ⁹ we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’s sake, so that Jesus’s life may also be displayed in our mortal flesh. (2 Cor.4:7-11 CSB)

It is the glory of Christ that we show in our response to suffering. Twice Paul says, “so that,” pointing to the purpose in the frailty of our flesh (v.7), and that Christ would be “displayed,” (twice repeated, v.10-11). The old King James has, “manifest”—the manifestation of Christ’s life. 

What a treasure we have—the life of Christ indwelling!  The wonder of it all, is that He has chosen to manifest it by placing that glorious One in a jar of clay!  God allows us to be cracked pots—broken by the ravages of life—ready for the garbage dump. Yet, in a weak and worthless being, God’s extraordinary power is displayed!  Who gets the glory?  Only the treasure—Christ, the glorious One!

The preacher may suffer affliction, confusion, hostility, and brutality. Yet, the promise of God is that we will not be crushed under the weight of our burden, we will not be overcome by despair in our perplexity, nor abandoned by God when attacked by men, neither destroyed when struck down by those who hate us. 

Jesus was betrayed, bruised, beaten, scorned, scourged, struck, crowned with thorns, and crucified on a tree. Following Him, is to walk the Calvary Road that He trod. It was in His death that Christ brought life—in dying and rising from the dead, He vanquished death. Here is the principle, “Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.” (John 12:24) 

2.      THE PURPOSE OF OUR PAIN IS THE PROCLAMATION OF GOD’S GLORY IN CHRIST.

¹³ And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak. ¹⁴ For we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you. ¹⁵ Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that, as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God. (2 Cor.4:13-15 CSB)

It is the glory of Christ that we speak in our response to suffering. Two times in these verses, the Apostle mentions what is spoken—in a quote from Psalm 116:10 and in his example in following that imperative.  Don’t miss the connection between what Paul believed and what he proclaimed. 

Satan seeks to undermine our faith—to whisper words of doubt. If we are not careful, we may allow the painful circumstances to give credence to the lies. Then, we can find ourselves speaking words of complaint, anger, bitterness, and unbelief. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 

Rather than complain about his pain, Paul chooses to celebrate God’s providence. He proclaims his confidence that life will overcome death, that grace will conquer sin, and that the present woe will be overwhelmed by eternal worship. He restates the Romans 8:28 promise in saying, “everything is for your benefit” (v.15). In his pain, the preacher proclaimed the Gospel—resting in grace and offering grace. More and more people would be impacted in the ongoing proclamation as the witnesses’ commitment, despite their suffering, gave credibility to their claim!  If Paul (and the other Apostles) had not seen Christ in resurrection glory, it makes no sense that they would suffer and die for a lie!

Paul chose to be thankful that he was counted worthy to suffer for Christ. Others would join him in thanksgiving and thereby magnify the glory of God.  Preacher, what do you say about your difficulty?  Do you whine about your suffering or witness for your Savior?

3.     THE PURPOSE OF OUR PAIN IS THE TRANSFORMATION BY GOD’S GLORY IN CHRIST.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. ¹⁸ So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor.4:16-18 CSB)

It is the glory of Christ that we share in our response to suffering.  Imagine—the very glory of God within us, transforming us from glory unto glory, making us more and more like Jesus!  We share in His life and experience His glory. 

This is why we cannot give up.  Whatever painful problem we face today, we know that eventually it is going to be better. That will ultimately be eternity, but how glorious!  God may give us a reprieve from our pain now. Difficulties today may yield to deliverance tomorrow. This will not last, however. More storms are on the horizon. These bodies of ours are subject to the grinding wheels of time, that at last turn us to dust.  

The outer person is decaying. I see it in the mirror. That is only the old house I am living in. It is not fit for eternal habitation, anyway. The inner man—my true self in Christ—is getting stronger and stronger, even as my body grows weaker and weaker. This is salvation in three tenses: I have been saved from sin’s penalty (justification); I am being saved from sin’s power (sanctification); I will be saved from sin’s presence (glorification). 

I need the proper perspective.  My afflictions placed in the scales of God’s purposes are momentary and light when weighed against the incomparable weight of eternal glory!  Shall I mourn travelling the temporary trail of tears, when it is leading to the destination of everlasting joy?

If we look around us, we will grieve. Let us look above us and be glad!  There is an unseen world that can only be seen with eyes of faith.  Yet, it is eternal. That which we see in the flesh is doomed for the trash dump. 

Preacher, we have a choice. We cannot always evade pain.  That is not the choice. What is in our hands is to choose to embrace God’s purpose in our pain.

I think of this scene in the Fellowship of the Ring as Frodo, the hobbit, complains to Gandalf, the wizard, about the burden he carries:

Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times; but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES CONCERNING GOD’S OMNIPRESENCE: SOME KEY WORDS DEFINED

Creation itself speaks of God’s existence and His power.  There is enough evidence to make us accountable to seek Him, but we must look to the Scripture to truly know Him.

Paul, addressing a pagan audience in Acts 17:22-28 points to the general revelation and then proclaims the specific application.

“Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, “For we are also His offspring.”’”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭17:22-28‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Let me share with you some key words—theological terms you should know.

The first is IMMANENCE—God is fully present in His creation.  Wherever He is, all that He is as God is fully present.  Yet, He is not some mere Star Wars “Force.”  God is the source and sustainer of all matter, yet He is not composed of matter.  Deism sees God as distinct from creation and detached from it.  God’s immanence means He is directly involved in His creation.

The next word is TRANSCENDENCE—Though fully present in His creation, God is wholly independent of His creation.  Pantheism sees God as part of the creation—that He is in the water, the trees, and so forth.

Next, consider God’s PROVIDENCE—God is actively directing His creation.  God rules and overrules all that occurs, directing everything in every time to the fulfillment of His perfect will. the hymn writer, Isaac Watts wrote: “Within Thy circling power I stand; On every side I find Thy hand; Awake, asleep, at home, abroad; I am surrounded still with God.”

Finally, there is SUSTENANCE—God is continually preserving His creation.  “For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2 Pet.3:5-7). Without God’s omnipresent grip, all things would fly apart.

Find comfort today that, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”  Such a profound truth in a simple childhood tune!

ONE MORE ARROW

 

Now a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joints of his armor. So he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and take me out of the battle, for I am wounded.”  (1 Kings 22:34)
 

The battle was winding down.  The armies of Israel had been routed.  A lone Syrian soldier looks into his quiver and there a single arrow remains.  What is the point of returning home with it?  He places it to his bow, pulls the string taut, and fires at random.  Like a guided missile, that last arrow finds the smallest of openings in the wicked King Ahab’s armor—and it would be fatal.  The Word of God by His prophets was fulfilled, exactly as uttered by God’s men, Elijah and Micaiah.
 

So, this Lord’s Day, I come into battle for the souls of men.  Who am I, but one solitary soldier of the cross?  Yet, I will do my duty.  There is one more sermon in my quiver which I will launch.  Is it the last one?  I never know.  I only know that there will be a final message someday—and each sermon delivered might be the last arrow.  What shall I do?  I will stand in front of the congregation and fire that arrow.  I will trust God to guide it to the target He has ordained in His sovereignty.
 

Men, let us all do likewise—pulling back the Bible bowstring with all the strength God gives.  We claim the promise of the Lord of Hosts, “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”  (Isaiah 55:11) 
 

Did the nameless archer with one more arrow know what he had accomplished that day—that his act would be recorded in Holy Scripture and read countless times across thousands of years?  I doubt it.  So, we may judge that the sermon was launched into the air, but wonder how it might possibly have been effective.  God knows.  More may be accomplished than we are aware.
 

Now, weary warrior, after a week of battles, set that arrow to flight and trust God to bring it to His target.  By God’s grace, next week He will furnish another arrow, and another after that—until the last arrow is sent into the air.  For today, He has given one more arrow.