Sermon Tone Analysis

What should the Christian worldview be of God’s involvement in our life?

How should we view God’s hand in our life?

Is God simply there as a gracious Father to help us when we need it?

Is he really sovereign and in control of everything?

Intro

Many of us claim that God is in charge, but our actions don’t really support that claim.

Many of us live just like the world.

The Christian Worldview should be that based off of Scripture and not off of the reasoning of the world.

Problem: Christians have adopted the worldview of the world when it comes to providence.

Latin

Pro - before

vid - see

Foreknowledge or to see beforehand.

Many have this view.

That God simply can see into the future and knows the choices we will make and therefore reacts to those choices.

The problem with this is this view of God isn’t the Biblical view.

Let’s look at what Jesus says about God’s involvement in the Christian life:

Drama

John lacks in some detail in this story

Matthew and Mark - full of action and more detail

Matt

Luke includes a disciples question to the attack

Jesus and His disciples were in what seemed to be a dreadful situation

The human response to a dreadful situation

Jesus response

Jesus knew what was going to happen

Jesus has his disciples buy swords

Why? to fight?

no

to fulfill scripture

How did He know?

He is God

Ἐγώ εἰμι.

Completion of the seven “I Am” statements by Jesus

Bread of Life -

Light of the World -

Good Shepherd -

Resurrection and the life -

the Way, the Truth and the Life -

The true Vine -

“I Am” -

God refers to himself as THE I AM - the one who is

No need for explanation

Jesus uses this same term for himself, taking on the identity and very name of God

Names are important - the names of God are important

It is how he reveals himself to us

The names of Jesus are important, it is who he reveals himself to be to us

He is God

SO, what seems a very common and basic response was actually very profound.

Then he seeks to be in line with the will of the Father

Puts himself before his disciples

John 18:

To preserve the church, the men who would be used by God to witness the unfolding events of Redemptive History

Peter’s response

Used the sword bought prior for protection

Was obviously different

John 18:

Self preservation and self defense - physical defense

This is us - we often seek to preserve self over all things

Jesus response was one of obedience because he knew that God the Father was providentially making all things happen

It is my role and responsibility to carry out the will of the Father

Even to be captured and brought before the authorities and led to his own death

Doctrine

Divinity of Jesus

“I Am” - ego eimi

Jesus equates himself with God the Father through this simple term

Providence

God the Father orchestrates and ordained everything that led to Christ’s death

He uses Scripture to attest to the work He was doing through Christ

He moved all persons involved to fulfill His plan

God is working through us and our actions to fulfill his will and plan for us and for His glory

GOD, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things,b from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge,e and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.g

God is in control of all things.

We don’t live in a closed system that excludes God.

We live in a world that HE has created and ordered.

“I Am” - ego eimi

II.

Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, he ordereth them to fall out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.i

First causes and second causes are both under God’s providence and His control.

As Horton puts it this is God’s stage.

III.

God in his ordinary providence maketh use of means, yet is free to work without,l above, and against them,n at his pleasure.

God is free to rule and do as He wishes.

WCF “to His own Holy Ends.”

Doxology

Joseph

His Brothers sold him into slavery because of Jealousy

Yet, he ends up in the Pharaohs court and a trusted advisor

Then in the drought the brothers come for help and find out it is him they become scared and feel guilt

Joseph’s response

We should Praise God for his providence

It should be a comfort for us - God is in control

We should live our life this way

James 4:13-17

We should seek to walk by faith and trust in His providence as Jesus did in this very passage

John 1