Sermon Tone Analysis

Faith in God’s providence, instead of repressing our energies, excites us to diligence.

We labor as if all depended upon us, and then fall back upon the Lord with the calm faith that depends upon him.

—C.H. Spurgeon

Much of our study of providence has been examining God’s working in the lives of OT saints.

Even much of our study on the incarnation and the crucifixion we spent examining the connection of OT prophecies to the NT fulfillment in Jesus.

One might be tempted to ask the question, does God still work through providential means today in the church age?

Is providence still God’s modus operandi, His primary method of operation?

What does the Bible Say?

To answer our question we are going to survey the book of Acts and draw out timeless principles concerning God’s providence.

What can we learn of God’s providential working in the early church from the book of Acts?

1. God may intervene directly in the affairs of His church and in the individual lives of His people (Acts 5:1-11; cf.

I Corinthians 11:30)

Someone summarize the story of Ananias and Sapphira?

Who struck down Ananias and Sapphira?

What does Peter’s prediction suggest in terms of Jesus’ providential intervention in His church?

Who is the ultimate person in charge of building the church?

What effect would it have on our churches—and on our own lives—if Christ governed His church as actively and directly today?

Maybe, He still does.

It just takes a trained eye to see His hand of providence!

2. God is free to alter circumstances in ways that are humanly impossible (Acts 5:17-24)

Volunteer to read?

How did God alter circumstances in this story that are humanly impossible?

Does God still do these kind of things today?

Illustrations:

John Paton- pg.

191-192

Rosalind Goforth- pg.

192-194

3. God may preserve or deliver His people through aid even from our enemies (Acts 5:33-40)

How did the apostles respond?

How did the council of the Jews take Peter’s words?

Enraged- lit.

“sawn through” the word figuratively pictures these men as enraged by what they heard.

We might say they “came unglued” or (pardon the pun) they were “beside themselves” with rage!

How did God preserve and deliver the apostles?

Angle?

Miracle?

Audible voice from heaven?

What does Gamaliel do?

He urges caution!

And what is his advice?

He counsels restraint in their decision.

Why did he counsel caution?

Was Gamaliel a believer?

Did he believe Peter?

There is no evidence of sympathy or inclination toward Christianity; his advice appears to be primarily pragmatic.

God can raise up the most unlikely defenders for His people!

Illustration:

I. B. Kimbrough’s fundraising travels: pg.

195 (top)

Summarize William Tyndale’s story:

4. God may choose not to intervene even in behalf of His choicest servants (Acts 7:54-60)

Volunteer to read:

So far we have talked about examples of dramatic deliverance, but God does not always choose to intervene.

God allowed Stephen to be martyred.

But martyrdom is no less providential than deliverance, and the martyrdom of Stephen was as providentially superintended by God as was the martyrdom of His own Son.

Such details are part of the outworking of God’s all-wise and always good purposes.

Remember, God both exercies and withholds His sustaining, preserving providence.

Do you know the names Roger Youderian, Ed McCulley, Nate Saint, Jim Elliott, and Pete Fleming?

Jan. 8, 1956 deep jungles of Ecuador lost their lives as missionaries.

Could God have directed them differently?

Could God have protected them?

Did they commit some act of indiscretion that put them outside the realm of God’s protective providence?

Is that even possible?

What, then, is the explanation for this “tragedy?”

Have you every head this statement, “the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will”?

Given our current point on providence do you agree with that statement?

A veteran missionary to Colombia, South America, modified that statement as follows: “The most fulfilling, joyful, and peaceful place to be is in the center of God’s will, but it is not necessarily the safest.”

It seems to me that the Bible is full of examples of God’s people often—not occasionally—being placed in unsafe, uncomfortable, and dangerous situations … Most prayers in Scripture focus not on the personal safety and benefit of believer but on the power, majesty, testimony, and victory of God over his—and our—enemies … The Lord calls us to obedience in spite of the ‘costs’—not to personal comfort and safety!

God’s perfect will may not be the “safest” place by any normal human definition—but it is the place of supreme peace and confidence in His providential oversight over all our circumstances.

5. God is capable of working in people we would never expect, even through events that seem to us tragic, senseless, and counterproductive to the cause of Christ (Acts 7:58-8:3)

We already read the account of Stephen being stoned in Acts 7.

Imagine you are reading Acts for the first time.

What are your initial thoughts about Saul after you read this account?

Do you think any of the early church believers were praying for Saul (except that God would zap him)?

Did any believers suspect God might be working in that man’s self-righteous, hostile, gospel-hating heart?

Think about the last person on this planet you might expect to come to Christ and be used mightly of God.

We have no idea what God might be doing in the hearts and lives of people around you—often in people you might least expect.

6. God uses persecution and affliction to accomplish His purposes for and through us (Acts 8:3-4)

Historically, persecution has been the wind of God's providence to scatter His people and, with them, the seed of the Word.

Nothing in the text indicates that the disciples had been ignoring the commission; quite the contrary.

“What is plain is that the devil (who lurks behind all persecution of the church) over-reached himself.

His attack had the opposite effect to what he intended.

Instead of smothering the gospel, persecution succeeded only in spreading it.”

7. God may direct us to minister in unpromising places and unlikely situations, with apparently minimal potential, for His own purposes (Acts 8:26-40)

God providentially directed Philip to to go where?

desert place!

Where was Philip currently?

Do you think Philip might have had reason to object to God’s leading?

Why go into such a sparsely populated area when God was using him in such great ways in Samaria?

By Philip was obedient to the leading of God.

Whom did Philip meet?

An Ethiopian.

What was his occupation?

He served as royal treasurer in the court of the queen of Ethiopia.

Why is this significant?

Think of the exponential extension of the gospel well into the African continent through this single “coincidental” meeting out in the middle of nowhere.

By the way did Philip understand or know about the potential future reach of his humble act of obedience to God’s leading?

Do you think Philip will be rewarded by Jesus far beyond his imagination one day?

Phillip before the bema seat: “I just shared the gospel with one guy in the middle of the wilderness” Jesus’ reply: “Yes, but I used that act of obedience to reach a nation.

Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.”

So the Spirit of God led Philip and the Spirit of God had directed the Ethiopian to a very particular passage of Scripture.