God's Sovereignty: Providence in Plans and Pain

Devotional

Sermon Summary

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

"Proverbs 16:9, the mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. So it's good and right to be a planner, but don't ever think your planning is the decisive determination of the outcome. The mind of man plans his way, the Lord directs the steps." [00:55:12]

"Proverbs 21:1, the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. Or if you even focus in on the evil hurtful decisions that people make, are they under the control of God's providence?" [02:03:28]

"Listen to First Peter 4:19, therefore those who suffer, Christians who suffer according to the will of God, shall entrust their souls to a faithful creator in doing good or doing what is right. Another one, First Peter 3:17, for it is better if God should will it so that you suffer for doing what is right rather than doing what is wrong." [02:29:68]

"Here's the key text on the providence of God over the sinning deeds of men, Acts chapter 4, verse 27 and 28. Truly in this city, that is Jerusalem, they were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place." [03:19:12]

"God is able to will that sin should happen without himself sinning. Is that category in your brain? If it's not, it needs to be there because that's what this text assumes is in your head. It is designed to put it in your head. You don't bring your brain to the Bible and adjust text; you bring the text to your brain and adjust your brain." [05:04:24]

"Now how should we talk about this? Let me just give you one story and we'll be done with this session, and you all know this story probably, the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. What happens to him? He has these dreams, the brothers are really mad at him, they don't like him, and so they take an opportunity and throw him into a pit, which is of course sin to throw their brother into a pit." [05:44:96]

"Chapter 50, verse 20, as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Now look carefully at these words, it does not say you meant evil against me, but God used it for good. That is not what it says." [07:31:59]

"I have heard it paraphrased that way many times, but it avoids the clear, powerful, crucial teaching. It says there were two intentions, two meanings going on in your sinful treatment of me. You meant it for evil, God meant it for good. There's the category we have to have in our minds." [08:07:19]

"When Christ died, Pilate meant it for evil, Herod meant it for evil, the soldiers meant it for evil, and the crowds of course meant it for evil. God didn't mean for evil, God wasn't sinning at that moment. God was saving us from sin at that moment. We would never be saved from hell and from sin and from guilt into eternal joy if God were not in his providence completely omnipotent over the wills of sinful people." [08:38:56]

"So how do we talk about it when something evil is done to us? Every single time the child of God can say, you meant it for evil, God meant it for good, which is just another way of paraphrasing Romans 8:28, right? We know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose, even sinful acts against us." [09:16:72]

"The gift of providence over the wills of sinning people to us is that we can be sure, though they meant it for evil, God always means it for good." [09:48:59]

"Proverbs 19:21, many plans are in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord will stand." [01:52:00]

Ask a question about this sermon