4/1 Fundamental Thoughts - Sermons

The Providence of Our Divine Providence 

 Chronicles 7:11-22  Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.  (12)  And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.  (13)  If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;  (14)  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  (15)  Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.  (16)  For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.  (17)  And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;  (18)  Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.  (19)  But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;  (20)  Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.  (21)  And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?  (22)  And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

INTRODUCTION:           [1]  “It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor.”  George Washington, Thanksgiving Proclamation, October 03, 1789.

              When we read this proclamation written almost 221 years ago, there are some parallel similarities in what George Washington said and what God told Solomon.

              President Washington not only believed that God’s providence sustained him, he also knew that the same providence created and sustained the start of this nation.  “Providence” can be defined as:

Philippians 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Our God in Heaven is our “Providence.”   He does supply all our needs.  There is always an however, there needs also to be a following by “…obeying His will...”

Mark 3:35  For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Only by doing His will can I expect to receive reward.   And all we do the Lord must be done with “…acknowledgement …humbly…implore[ing] His protection…”

              We each, some maybe with rose colored glasses, can see the dire straits our nation [Government] is in.  At the same our Churches, and our Families are in a similar dire strait.

              All of these creations of God, (The Family, The Church and The Government,) have had a reduction in Honour, and a reduction in character.  All based on a lack of the need of the “Providence of Almighty God.”

              For this message on the day prior to “Labor Day” I have been led to preach on this “providence of the Almighty God” that our very first President spoke about.  We not only in the Family, The Church and our Government, we are relying more and more on the Me, Myself and I, of our pride.  We are failing in all of these entities, we are failing God, we are failing ourselves. 

              God appeared to Solomon in a dream, a dream after a prayer from his heart.  I would suppose that Solomon could also say “I had a dream.”

I.            SOLOMON’S DREAM                                                     (v 12)

              A.           God Heard Solomon’s Prayer

                             1.           A prayer lacking in pride

                                           i.            An humble prayer

                             2.           Because of the prayer

                                           i.            God chose the Temple

                                                          a.           As a house of Sacrifice

B.              God Also Had A Warning                            (v 13)     

1.               If you turn your back on God

              i.            He will shut up the heavens

                             a.           No rain

                             b.           Send locusts to devour

                             c.            Send pestilence (Cancer, The                                     Plague, awfulness)

II.           GOD’S SOLUTION                                                         (vv 14-16)

              A.           If My People Called By My Name

                             1.           Shall

i.                Humble themselves

ii.               Pray

iii.             Seek His face

iv.             Turn from their wicked ways

Romans 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  (2)  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2.               He will hear from Heaven

3.               He will then forgive

              i.            Our sin

              ii.           Our land

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

4.               He will make our home with Him

              i.            He will reside with us

                             a.           Eternally

III.         GOD’S PROMISE                                                           (vv 17-18)

              A.           Our Walk Must Be Before Him

                             1.           Walk as David walked

                                           i.            Not as a Murderer and adulterer

                                           ii.           As a devoted believer

2.               Following His commandments

James 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

i.                Be a doer

ii.               Not a forgetful hearer

iii.             Be blessed indeed

Deuteronomy 6:6-7  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  (7)  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

B.              Put God’s Word

1.               In your heart

                                           i.            Teach His Word

                                           ii.           Talk about His Word

                                                          a.           Regardless of where you are

                                                          b.           Sitting or walking

C.              God Will Then Establish His Throne

1.               All according to His Covenant

1 Kings 6:13  And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel.

2.               He will not forsake Israel

              i.            Neither will He fail

IV.         THE WARNING OF GOD                                              (vv 19-22)

A.              To Those Who Are Now Apostate

1.               You have forsaken His statutes

              i.            You have abandoned God altogether

                             a.           Black sliding PLUS

Matthew 7:26-27  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:  (27)  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

ii.               Becoming like a fool

a.               Fool = unbeliever

B.              The Judgment Of God

1 Samuel 12:14-15  If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:  (15)  But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

                             1.           He will be against those in His land

                                           i.            He will remove them

                             2.           He will destroy His Temple

                                           i.            It will become a proverb

                                                          a.           It will be ridiculed by people

                             3.           It will be an astonishment

              C.           Because They Forsook Their LORD God

                             1.           The One who took them out of slavery

                                           i.            He brought sure evil upon them

CONCLUSION:               First know, I love my country, I am a Patriot, but I love my God first and foremost. 

              Lightly re-reading American History, (going back to early history, written by those who experienced the history) it doesn’t take an astute theologian to see that the United States of America is following the same path both Israel and Judah followed.  Our Bible tells us Judah whored worse than Israel.

              Both nations created by God, both grew under His “Divine Providence.”  Both Nations have become or are almost entirely apostate.  Both have left God.  We have Him locked in the basement of a courthouse somewhere in Georgia.  I do know there are remnants of believers who do follow and rely upon “God’s Providence.”

              We as a Nation are standing at the threshold that both Israel and Judah stood, just prior to Nebuchadnezzar knocking on their door.

              When we view our Government, (The Executive, The Congress, and The Judicial) it has become, for the most part, apostate. They, in their voting and their decisions, have all turned their backs on God.

              I cannot tell you who and the way you should vote.  However, I can urge you to investigate those who are running, and learn what they are about.  Know if they are for abortions (any kind), are they for the relaxing of drug laws, (any kind) or if they are a proponent of any law which is contrary to God’s law, consider what you are about to do.  Are you relying on a corrupt media system to tell you?  They will not tell you, you must dig it out.

2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

              In order for us to change our Government back to God, prayer isn’t the total answer.  First we must humble ourselves.  We must put our pride away, then we must pray and also seek Him.

              One of our biggest problems is our wicked ways.  While we maintain our ways we expect change.  We must repent of these wicked ways, so that God will forgive our sin and the, and only then will God heal our land.

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[1] “George Washington’s Sacred Fire” Peter A. Lillback, Providence Forum Press, 2006,   Chapter 11, Page 207

3/31Fundamental Thoughts - Sermons

The Trust

Psalms 2:1-12  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?  (2)  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,  (3)  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.  (4)  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.  (5)  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.  (6)  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.  (7)  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.  (8)  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.  (9)  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.  (10)  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.  (11)  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.  (12)  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

INTRODUCTION: Four different voices express themselves in Psalm two.  We have the World speaking followed by God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

              This Psalm written by David is unique in character.  Outside of God Himself and the World, David was not acutely aware of these other two speakers.  He knew there was a Messiah to come and I am not sure he knew of the Holy Spirit.  He was aware of the Spirit of God; however, he likely didn’t segregate the two.  They were the one and same.

              We are taught of the existence of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, the great Three in One.

I.            THE HEATHEN ARE RAGING.   (The World)             (vv 1-3)

(Isaiah 57:20)  But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

            A.           The Wicked Cannot Rest

                             1.           They cast up mire and dirt

                             2.           They are in constant turmoil

              B.           Their Heart's Are Rebelling.                      

  

(Luke 19:14)  But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

            C.           Our Hearts Are Rebellious

                             1.           They are not doing God's will?

II.           WE HAVE GOD SPEAKING                                             (vv 4-6)

  

(Proverbs 29:1)  He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

            A.           God's Wrath

                       

(John 3:36)  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

                        1.           God's wrath abides

                                           i.            It is never ending

            B.           We Must Get To Know Jesus

                             1.           Before it is eternally to late

              C.           We Have Holiness Reigning.                                  (vv 6-7)

  

(Jeremiah 23:5)  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

            D.           His Son

                             1.           A righteous branch

                             2.           Shall reign

                                           i.            Prosper

                                           ii.           Shall execute judgment

                                           iii.          Shall execute justice on earth

III.         THE VOICE OF JESUS CHRIST                        (vv 7-9)

              A.           My Father Told Me

                             1.           I am His Son

                                           i.            This day I have begotten You

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

              B.           He Said To Ask of Me

                             1.           I will receive the heathen

                                           i.            Nations / Gentiles

              C.           Those That Resist Me

                             1.           They will be destroyed

                                           i.            Individually

                                           ii.           As a nation

John 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

IV.         WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKING                 (vv 10-12)

  

(Psalms 16:11)  Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

            A.           Rejoice

                             1.           Serve with fear

                                           i.            Admiration

                                           ii.           Morally

                             2.           With trembling

                                           i.            Excitement

                                           ii.           Knowing your doing right

              B.           We Have Trust In The Lord.                                     

(John 1:12)  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

            C.           Blessed Are They

                             1.           That put their trust in Him

(John 3:16)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

            D.           He Gives To Whosoever Believeth

                             1.           Have everlasting life

                             2.           Our souls will not perish

CONCLUSION: Do you have the blessing of God?

              Are you looking back to the good old days and wondering where all the good times went?

              I remember some of the good ole days that were not so good.

I didn't trust the Lord; I had problems insurmountable.

              You can have those good old days, I want these days; days where I walk with the Lord, doing His will.

              I am not really open to going back the way it was, in terms of my worldly life, I want God leading me.

              I want to trust Him and be trusted by Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  (6)  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

3/30 Fundamental Thoughts - Sermons

1 THE GOODNESS OF GOD.

Acts 13:13-43  Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.  (14)  But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.  (15)  And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.  (16)  Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.  (17)  The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it.  (18)  And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness.  (19)  And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot.  (20)  And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.  (21)  And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.  (22)  And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.  (23)  Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:  (24)  When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.  (25)  And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.  (26)  Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.  (27)  For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.  (28)  And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain.  (29)  And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.  (30)  But God raised him from the dead:  (31)  And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people.  (32)  And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers,  (33)  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.  (34)  And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.  (35)  Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  (36)  For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:  (37)  But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.  (38)  Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:  (39)  And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.  (40)  Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;  (41)  Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.  (42)  And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.  (43)  Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

              Paul and Barnabas had traveled to Antioch and on the Sabbath day they quietly took a seat among the worshippers in the synagogue.

              As strangers they were asked if they had a word for the people, “Paul stood up” and delivered such a “word” as they had never heard before.

              This first recorded address of the great Apostle Paul to the synagogue maybe entitled, “The Goodness of God.” Paul may have taken the pattern of it from that great address of Stephen's, which, must have been to him most memorable.

Paul deals with -

I.            THE GOODNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED IN CHOSING ISRAEL      (v 17)

              A.           They Were Chosen          

(Deuteronomy 7:6)  For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

                                                 

1.               God had been pleased,

i.                Through grace,

ii.               To make them His people,

iii.             Chosen, Not for the good in them,

iv.          But as the monuments of His mercy

            B.           They Were Delivered                                                (v 17)

1.               They were Strangers in the land of Egypt  .,

i.               “…with an high arm He, brought them out...”

ii.               He saved them from the house of bondage.

            C.           They Were Preserved                                               (v 18)

                        1.           His long-suffering patience bore with their murmurings and unbelief.

2.               Yet, as a people, they were kept from perishing

(Psalms 95:9-10)  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

(2 Peter 3:9)  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

D.              They Had A Place Prepared For Them                    (v 19)

1.               Nations were cast down and destroyed,

i.           That they might have a possession.

              E.           He Supplied Their Need.

1.                          He gave them Judges,

2.               He gave them a prophet;

3.               He gave them a King 

4.               Then He raised up David,                     (vv 20-22)

i.           A man after His own heart

5.               David was a type of Jesus Christ,

i.           A man raised up by God;

ii.          To do His will among the “people.”

II.           THE GOODNESS OF GOD                                                   (v 23)

A.              Revealed In His Son Jesus Christ.

1.           He was the rod out of the stem of Jesse,

2.           And the Branch out of his roots.

(Isaiah 11:1)  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

B.              He Was Heralded by John                                (vv  24- 25)

1.           As the Baptizer with the Holy Ghost and fire

2.               Whose shoes he was not worthy to loose.

C.              He Was Condemned By The Rulers                 (vv 26-29)

1.      Paul makes it clear that Christ was slain by those who found “no cause of death in Him,”

D.              He Was Raised From The Dead                                (v 30)

III.         THERE WAS BITTER OPPOSITION                                 (v 45)

              A.           “The Jews were  filled with envy,

                             1.           We must be prepared for

                                           i.            The “contradiction and blasphemy”

                                           ii.           Of the self-righteous, religious sinners,

(Romans 6:23)  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

IV.         THERE WAS JOY AMONG THE GENTILES                   (v 48)

              A.           “They Were Glad And Glorified The Word Of The Lord”

(Romans 15:9-12)  And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.  10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.  11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Isaiah saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

                        1.           They were glad to get hear His Word.

                             2.           The hungry, Gentiles are fed,

i.                While the self-satisfied Jews are sent empty away.

3.               To the poor the Gospel is preached with God honouring results. 

(John 5:40)  And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

V.           THERE WAS APPARENT DEFEAT          (v 50)

              A.           They Expelled, Them Out Of Their Coasts,"

                             1.           It is melancholy to think of “devout and honourable women”

                                           i.            Lending their influence to such an unholy and dishonourable cause. 

                        2.           They may cast out the servants of God,

i.                But they cannot cast out the seed of the Word that has been sown in the hearts of the people.

                             3.           No; the purpose of God in the lives. of His chosen and consecrated servants can never suffer defeat. 

(Romans 8:28)  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

VI.         THERE WAS GRACE, TRIUMPHANT                                (v 52)

              A.           "The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost"

                             1.           When the preachers were expelled from them

i.                God gave them a greater blessing infilling them with the Holy Ghost,

(Ephesians 1:13)  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

Conclusion: We saw many who would listen with their ears, but not with their heart.  Others the Gentiles and some Jews, wanted to hear more and they not only listened with open ears, they listened with an open heart. 

              That is what God asks of us, to hear with our heart.  We pray from our heart, and we expect God to hear from His heart of compassion.  Yet, we want a one way street, God you listen good, I will listen when I have time.

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1 adapted from “Handfuls On Purpose” James Smith, Eerdmans Publishing Company, Series VIII, Pages 178-183