The Providence of God

Bruce Mackenzie

Acts • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

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Welcome! Today we are continuing in our current series in the book of Acts. We are dividing the whole series into 4 subseries and we are currently looking at the Acts of God. Today we are looking at “The Providence of God.”

That is an interesting word. You won’t find that word much in the Bible but it is a word that describes the acts of God. In many ways it is a Christianese word that we use about a time when God delivered us from something or we see doors opening for us in supernatural ways and we respond – “God in His providence stopped me...” But it is a good word!

So what does the providence of God actually mean?

I like what JI Packer writes -

“The doctrine of providence teaches Christians that they are never in the grip of blind forces (fortune, chance, luck, fate); all that happens to them is divinely planned, and each event comes as a new summons to trust, obey, and rejoice, knowing that all is for one’s spiritual and eternal good (Rom 8:28).”

So it is seeing God working and knowing that He is Sovereignly doing all things for our good (even when we can’t see it or won’t believe it!) and for His glory.

What we see then it is the activity of God of His constant care, and absolute care, over all creation for His own glory and the good of His people.

Read Acts 2:22-41 (Listen to the language used)

1. Providence taught

This is clearly As we look through the book of Acts, read the sermons, watch their lives, we find this teaching coming out again and agin.

1.1. God conducting history

It is like His symphony – He’s in control and directing and involved and each person does their part.

Sovereignly involved

Part of this is witnessing God sustaining this world that we live in. Upholds all things with the power of His word (Heb 1:3). He brings the rain and He withholds it. He raises kings up and He brings them down. In Acts 17 Pauls even says God has determined times and places where men should live. In Psalm 139:16, “your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Acts 17 says He gives life and breathe and everything else - Everything!

Redemptive plan

This is even more about God accomplishing His redemptive purposes in this world. The Bible says, in Galatians 4:4, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son…”

Prophetic fulfilment

Think of the many prophecies fulfilled. These speak about a God who is in control and sustaining this world. In the Old Testament there were over 60 prophecies given hundreds of years before Jesus was born but fulfilled in Jesus in perfect detail. What are the chances of that? Someone worked out that just having 8 prophecies fulfilled perfectly, would, according to the science of probability be 1 in 10 to the power of 17.

We see God working out His plan – even through the evil of mankind.

It is amazing to see how God has worked the events of history, and continues to do so, so that He can accomplish His purpose.

1.2. God entering history

The miracle of the incarnation - God coming to live among us – the angel said that He was Immanuel meaning, “God with us”. Peter, here, stands up and teaches that even putting Jesus on the cross was by God’s providence. Acts 2:23 says that it was according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. There were no surprises in this. This was God’s A plan and there was no B plan.

This is what the prophets said would happen Acts 3:18. Jesus would enter history and suffer. Acts 3:26 says that God raised up His servant and sent him first to the Jews, but His plan was for the whole world.

Here’s where the problem of evil becomes interesting. God used man’s evil intentions to accomplish His will.

Augustine wrote, “Nothing happens unless the Omnipotent wills it to happen: He either permits it to happen, or he brings it about Himself.”

1.3. God making History

All the way through this book, we see God working out his plan of redemption – saving people. So you see explosive growth that isn’t geographical only, but it is like a movement that spreads across the globe – Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

Even when God’s grace was extended to the Gentiles, Acts 11:18 says, “And they glorified God, saying, “then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” God breaks open doors that were shut. e.g. Lydia in Acts 16 who gets saved and Paul and Silas get delivered.

1.4. God ending history

God has appointed times and seasons and God will bring things to an end. Jesus will return.

2. Providence observed

Mainly in the confidence they had through the knowledge that God was at work.

2.1. In confidence in preaching the Gospel of grace

This was God’s appointed time. As they preach, thousands get saved. It is a powerful message that they preach. Preaching carries a confidence that God is at work.

2.2. Confidence in trials

We cringe at the thought of trials. Yet it is during those times when we question the goodness and sovereignty of God. I think it is in the fire that God makes greatness.

Fancy cars and big houses impress a few people – not many. Yet people who have been through trials and come through victoriously – that impacts me big time! An example is Joni Erikson. At 17 breaks her neck. She’s in her 70’s now and marching on for Jesus. I love hearing how people, through trials, grow as God uses them. Trials are a unique opportunity.

We all know the story of Joseph who ends up sold as a slave – what could possibly have been good? Yet at the end he says, “You meant evil – God meant good…” Gen 50:20.

Think about Paul being put in jail. The Roman governor Felix left Paul in prison for over 2 years . Felix committed a totally unjust act because he wanted to grant favour to the Jews (Acts 24:27). Ever wonder why we struggle if God is for us and He has the power to take hardship, death, misery away from us. Yet how many of you have found comfort and strength when Paul speaks about in 2 Cor 4:7-18.

Jerry Bridges writes, “If we are going to learn to trust God in adversity, we must believe that just as certainly as God will allow nothing to subvert His glory, so He will allow nothing to spoil the good He is working out in us and for us.”

2.3. Confidence in God’s care - His preservation of and deliverance of His people

In Acts 12 you have an amazing picture of God’s deliverance when Peter is put into jail and an angel comes and frees him. The church is praying but when they get their answer they don’t believe.

In Acts 23 Paul is in jail and his nephew “happens” to be in the right place to hear a conversation of a plot to kill Paul.

This still happens! Our story of God through trial; Thato’s money

2.4. Confidence in God’s guidance

Acts 16:6-10 – the account of the Holy Spirit not allowing Paul and Silas to preach in Asia and Bithynia. Then he gets a vision where he hears the call to Macedonia.

2.5. Confidence in Prayer

I don’t think there is a reason to pray unless we believe that there is power in prayer. But look how the church prays – Acts 4:23-31.

3. Providence applied

3.1. He’s the same God

3.2. Enlarge your view of God

3.3. Look at life through the lens of God

Let’s face it – doesn’t always turn out as planned but see God everywhere. Look at James 4:13-15.

3.4. Trust God

What we are talking about today means that you can!

Jerry Bridges writes, “If there is a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of God’s Sovereign control then we cannot trust Him. His love may be infinite, but if His power is limited and His purpose can be thwarted, we cannot trust Him.”

But we are secure – see 2 Timothy 1:12.

3.5. Give God glory

“For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things!” Romans11:36.

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