CrossTrainers

Date: April 14th 2010

Speaker: Bob Stouffer

Title: God Built – Chapter 3: “God is Enough”

My wife Cheryl was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when we first moved to Des Moines.  That diagnosis got my attention, reminding me of the fragility of life, serving as but one of the dominoes which brought me to my knees in submission to Christ in 1994.  Was it fair that Cheryl got cancer?

My daughter Molly is an excellent teacher, far better than I when I was 23.  She has had three interviews for good jobs, but more experienced teachers were hired to those positions.  She seems at peace with a situation which is, quite frankly, frustrating for me.  Is it fair that Molly hasn’t found a job yet?

My son-in-law Jake took the MCATs three times before qualifying for an interview with Des Moines University on a week ago Thursday.  What if he doesn’t get into medical school?  If such is the case, he says he won’t pursue medicine, a passion of his life.  It’s what he wants to do.  He seems at peace with a situation which is, quite frankly, making me anxious for him — unusual for me.  Is it fair if Jake doesn’t get into medical school?

Last week, Cheryl and I had one of our toughest sets of experiences with Hannah yet.  For the sake of some sense of privacy, I won’t share all of the details, but, suffice it to say, I continue to ask God for guidance in raising a daughter who seems impossible for me to parent.  I’m a pretty good guy, aren’t I?  My bride is wonderful.  Why us?  Is it fair that parenting is so difficult for a mom and dad in their 50s?

All interesting questions. . . .

Two weeks ago, Mike centered on a simple, yet profound concept from the life of Joseph from Steve Farrar’s book, God Built –

Joseph made the decision to be a “victor,” not a “victim.”

A week ago, Jerry taught from Steve’s book on a topic which I wish I had able to hear, given my circumstances in life –

God works in the midst of real, devastating, threatening, and chaotic times in our life.  We can’t live in this moments.  Often, if not always, we need the distance of time to look back on how God was working through our circumstances.

When I last taught, we delved into some pretty deep doctrinal aspects of “time.”  I tried to make a case that sound doctrine (orthodoxy) leads to sound living (orthopraxy), which, hopefully, ultimately leads to a right understanding of God – the extent that such understanding is even possible.

As with Job, God gives, and God takes away.  BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD!

Today, we deal with more important doctrine from the story of Joseph –

Jerry also focused on important theology to any Christian. . .

. . .THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD

Thomas Watson once said, “. . .the godly man, when he dies, ‘enters into peace,’ but while he lives, peace must enter into him.”

How?  One reason should be THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

Those who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives talk about. . .

• Luck
• Chance
• Fate
• Coincidence
• Fate
• Randomness
• Accident
• Karma

Some Christians even use these terms as a part of their lives.

How does the fully-submitted follower of Christ respond to the concepts of luck, fate, and coincidence?

Central Analysis

Today, we look at the life of Joseph to determine how providence played such a significant part in his life.

And I hope you will be able to think about how God’s providence has impacted you as well.

Let’s talk about providence, according to Dr. Wayne Grudem and James Montgomery Boice.

Dr. Grudem defines providence in the following manner –

“God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes.”  (p. 315)

Boice rightly points out that God’s laws govern physics.  Gravity causes this book to drop from my hand to the floor [**********].  It’s a law of nature.

In the same way, God created laws of behavior, stated as truth in His Bible.  He seeks our obedience to these laws – boundaries and guardrails which actually allow for freedom in Christ.

Boice wrote, “. . .God will permit the ungodly to go their own way, but he has determined in his wisdom that, when they go, it will be according to his rules rather than their own. . . .spiritual laws are the equivalent of the laws of science in the physical creation.”  (p. 179)

Joseph’s brothers almost murdered him.

He was sold into slavery. Was that “bad”?  No.  Good.

Being sold into slavery actually saved Joseph’s life.

God WAS WITH JOSEPH and prospered him as the head of Potiphar’s household.

Potiphar’s wife falsely accused Joseph of raping her, and Joseph was thrown into prison.

Who favored Joseph?

How?

Joseph was thrown into prison.  Was that bad?  No.  Good.

God WAS WITH JOSEPH and prospered him as the chief jailer, catching the attention of a member of Pharoah’s staff.

Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s cupbearer’s dream correctly, thus saving the cupbearer’s life, but the cupbearer forgot about Joseph for 2 years.

Joseph unfairly languished two more years in prison.  Was that bad?  No.  Good.

God forged Joseph’s character of patience, perseverance, and forgiveness.

God WAS WITH JOSEPH, calling the cupbearer’s attention to Joseph’s abilities as a dream interpreter, which ultimately brought Joseph out of prison and into a position of power second only to Pharoah.

Jerry talked about these incidences in Joseph’s life as “cross-providence.”  Events which seem devastating to us could be working together for our good, and we should never question the goodness of God in our lives.

What about the evil of this story?

What is God’s relationship to evil?

How did God influence the sinful behavior of Joseph’s brothers?

Dr. Martyn Loyd-Jones:

“. . .sinful acts are under divine control, and occur only by God’s permission and according to his ultimate purpose. . . .

“. . .God restrains and controls sin.”

Psalm 76:10 – “. . .God overrules sin for good.”

Genesis 50:20 – “. . .God never causes sin, nor approves of it. . . .People alone are responsible for their sin.”

James 1:13-15

Thomas Watson: “The Lord permits sin, but does not approve it.”

Someone walks up to you and says, “If God is in charge of everything in my life, and evil happens in my life, then isn’t God responsible for evil?”  Doesn’t that make him the author of evil?”  Based on what you have learned about providence, how would you answer someone who asked you those two questions?

God is sovereign.  He rules over all.  He causes or allows events in your life, and some of those events involve evil.

Grudem wrote, “If we were to say that God himself does evil, we would have to conclude that he is not a good and righteous God, and therefore that he is not really God at all.  On the other hand, if we maintain that God does not use evil to fulfill his purposes, then we would have to admit that there is evil in the universe that God did not intend, is not under his control, and might not fulfill his purposes. . . .If evil came into the world in spite of the fact that God did not intend it and did not want it to be there, then what guarantee do we have that there will not be more and more evil that does not intend and that he does not want?”  (pp. 328-329)

Are you a puppet on a string?

Since God is sovereign, in what sense are you still responsible for your own choices and decisions?

Do we truly have free will?

Grudem wrote, “. . .we make willing choices, choices that have real effects.  We are aware of no restraints on our will from God when we make decisions.  We must insist that we have the power of willing choice; otherwise we will fall into the error of fatalism or determinism and thus conclude that our choices do not matter, or that we cannot really make willing choices.”  (emphasis in original, p. 331)

However, Grudem pointed out, “An absolute ‘freedom,’ totally free of God’s control, is simply not possible in a world providentially sustained and directed by God himself.”  (p. 331)

Joseph was obedient and faithful to God.  Bad things often happen to good people.

Disobedient people who don’t even know a relationship with God sometimes prosper greatly throughout their lives. Good things often happen to bad people.

Is it fair that bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people?

Boice wrote, “It is all things, including evil, that God uses in accomplishing his good purposes in the world.”  (emphasis in original, p. 181)

Some men and women preach the “prosperity gospel [lower-case g].”  The essence of that gospel is that following God will automatically prosper you.

Watch what John Piper has to say about the prosperity gospel in 2 minutes, 46 seconds –

http://www.youtube.come/watch?v=PTc_FoELt8s

[YOUTUBE VIDEO OF JOHN PIPER “ON THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL”]

God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him, even in the midst of suffering.

Did Jesus deserve death on the cross?

God used that unfair death for good, for the saving of many.

Steve Farrar wrote, “So let me get this straight.

He owns it all.

He rules over all.

He has ordained all.

He controls it all.

That means I shouldn’t have trouble sleeping tonight.”  (p. 63)

I encourage you to reflect upon circumstances in your life in which the assurance of those words could be very encouraging and comforting.

I could teach about providence for several weeks.  In fact, today, I purposefully avoided the controversy between Arminianism and Calvinism, a discussion for another day.

Grudem wrote, “Every believer who meditates on God’s providence will sooner or later come to a point where he or she will have to say, ‘I cannot understand this doctrine fully.’”  (p. 336)

Last week, Jerry shared an excellent closing, which I would like to reiterate this week –

God’s plan for Joseph’s life was intentional and purposeful.  His life included suffering.  But this wasn’t random suffering.  The suffering was purposeful, and God wouldn’t leave him in his suffering.  God was refining and testing Joseph.  One day, God would bring Joseph forth as refined gold.  And He did!  Whatever your circumstances, God is purposeful.  God is intentional.

The bottom line for me?

Follow the example of Jesus.  Jesus’ will was perfectly consistent with His Father’s will.  He abided in the father.  As the Father directed Him to speak and act, He spoke and acted.  He did the work of the Father, bringing Him glory and honor.

My will should be perfectly consistent with Jesus, my Savior.  I should abide in Christ.  As the Holy Spirit directs me to speak and act, I should speak and act.

Boice wrote, “. . .our good is to enter into the destiny we were created for: to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ and thus ‘to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.’”  (p. 180)

I must do the work of God, bringing Him glory and honor.

Becoming more like Jesus makes our choices more certain.

Questions to Consider

Imagine waking up one morning with the conviction that everything in your life was random.  How would that affect your attitude toward the events of your day?

Think back to some difficult or devastating event in your life.  Explain how the doctrine of providence will help you in the way you think about that event.

To what extent has thinking about the doctrine of providence increased your trust in God?

Explain how a proper understand of the doctrine of providence should lead a Christian to a more active prayer life.

Closing

Check out a YouTube video that beautifully illustrates my points about providence today.  This is a story that is very close to Jerry Foster, Jr.’s and Sr’s heart –

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR8vyAYFL-I

[“Erika’s Story: Saving Lives Through Organ and Tissue Donation”  (4:31)]

Is it fair that a 16-year-old girl was killed so early in her life?

“Fairness” has nothing to do with it.

God is sovereign.

God has wrought much goodness from Erika’s death, and that goodness will continue with every person who commits to being an organ donor as a result of this testimony.

In 1774, William Cowper (pronounced Cooper) expressed God’s providence extremely well in the famous hymn, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” –

God moves in a mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,

And rides upon the storm.

Deep unfathomable mines

Of never-failing skill

He treasures up his bright designs,

And works his sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,

But trust him for his grace;

Behind a frowning providence

He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,

Unfolding every hour;

The bud may have a bitter taste,

But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,

And scan his work in vain;

God is his own interpreter,

And he will make it plain.

Our focus should not be on ourselves or our circumstances.

Our focus should be on God.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.

God is enough.

FLAME ON!

Resources

Boice, James Montgomery.  Foundations of the Christian Faith: A Comprehensive and Readable Theology. Downer’s Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1986.

Farrar, Steve.  God Built: Forged by God in the Bad and Good of Life. Colorado Springs, Colorado:  David C. Cook, 2008.

Grudem, Wayne.  Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand Rapids, Michigan: InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Holy Bible. English Standard Version.  2001.

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