In the sermon titled 'Providence Pt1', Jamey Stout explores the doctrine of God's providence, emphasizing its significance in fostering godliness among believers. He references 1 Timothy 6:3, discussing how biblical doctrine, when rightly understood, leads to an 'awesome respect' for God. Stout admits his own struggle to fully grasp this doctrine, likening his faith journey to the disciples' fear during a storm, contrasting it with Jesus' calmness, resting in His Father's control. He underscores that God's providence is a source of comfort and assurance, asserting that everything is under God's sovereign control. The sermon references various biblical texts, including Hebrews 1:3 and Isaiah 46:10-11, to illustrate God's sustaining power and foreknowledge. Stout uses everyday examples, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, to convey God's intricate involvement in creation. He also highlights the practical impact of understanding providence, stating it can make believers fearless witnesses for Christ. The sermon concludes with a call to trust in God's providential care and to recognize divine appointments in life, encouraging both believers and non-believers to acknowledge and respond to God's work in their lives.

It seemed like every song today was about the providence of God. We sing, providence, God's oversight, benevolent care, sustaining power of all that is, moving it to be summed up in his wonderful Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, his head over all. Paul instructs young Timothy in 1 Timothy 6 3 and he uses a phrase that I want us to have in our minds as we study this doctrine. He uses this phrase, the doctrine conforming to godliness. One Greek dictionary defines godliness as an awesome respect accorded to God.

Fear of God. Awesome respect accorded to God. And all true biblical doctrine rightly understood and lived upon will produce godliness. So that's why we give ourselves to the study of doctrine of what the Bible teaches in its entirety on a particular topic called systematic theology and thus our confession the London Baptist confession of faith doing just that bringing these doctrines to bear on our minds and our hearts. So if we grasp the biblical doctrine of providence we will grow in an awesome respect for the triune God.

Having said that I would first and foremost confess my desperate need to grasp better the doctrine of providence. I am more like the disciples frantically running around while the waves are crashing over the boat saying Lord do you care instead of like my sleeping Lord in the midst of the storm sleeping because he knows his Heavenly Father has this. And so this great doctrine comes to our aid and gives us rest and all the restless situations of our life so that we become more like our Savior. We look more like King Jesus and we know that our Father has everything under control and we can rest. So this doctrine comes to my soul and I pray to your soul as a comfort It's like the everlasting arms of your heavenly father just coming and saying Holding you it's all good It's all good He's gonna use all things all is well, he hasn't dropped the ball.

So we can test ourselves on how well we grasp the doctrine of providence, not by our intellectual grasp of this. But how do I respond to God? Because every situation in my life I'm faced with the fact I'm coming to terms with God. This is God's doing. This is God's doing.

How am I responding? And that old illustration of the tea bag, we really realize what kind of flavor we have when we're stuck in the hot water of life and what comes out of us. Do I really trust the God of Providence is orchestrating all things foreign-wide. Not a molecule as Bro's Bro would put it, is out of control. Everything is marching to the beat of our sovereign God's drum.

So glad. So let's look at our confession and see how they've laid it out for us and then we're going to look at some passages of scripture. And they told me that I did not have to cover all seven paragraphs and that all I had was 30 minutes and I better stick to it so there you go. So we're not going to cover all seven paragraphs in fact I think we're just we're just going to get to the first one and but it's a great one it's it's wonderful let's Let's listen to the London Baptist confession, then we'll get into the text of why we hold to such a confession. God, the good creator of all things, in his infinite power and wisdom, doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures and things from the greatest even to the least by his most wise and holy providence to the end for the which they were created according unto his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will to the praise of the glory of his grace or the glory of his wisdom power justice infinite goodness and mercy.

So let's unpack this first of all God the good creator of all things When we think about providence we need to have in mind our text like God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. He is good. We have texts like what brother was preaching on this morning. He is holy and true. He's the good creator of all things.

In his infinite power and wisdom doth uphold direct dispose and govern all creatures and things. Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 1 and we're gonna land in verse 3 Hebrews 1 3 we're gonna be in different portions of scripture to see how our God talks about this in his word. So Hebrews 1 3 and we're especially looking at he upholds all things. In this letter to the Hebrews our God is showing the superiority of the revelation that we now have because of the superiority of Jesus Christ the Son who has now spoken to us in these last days And a part of doing that he's laying out the credentials of Jesus Christ and so the text says who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins set down at the right hand of the majesty on high." Let's take apart this phrase upholding all things by the word of his power. Uphold.

One Greek lexicon says to keep or maintain an unaltered condition calls to remain or last. Another to cause to continue in a state or condition to sustain So this word uphold in our confession coming straight from the text of God keeping all things in the state in which they are Texas crystal clear who's doing it or what is Christ doing? He's upholding, he's sustaining, he's keeping, he's causing to remain. What is the extent of his upholding? All things.

What is the means he uses? It's the same means he used to speak it into existence to begin with by the word of his power. So when our confession uses terms like in his infinite power, doth uphold all creatures and things, it is because that's what the text teaches. And a confession is only as good as a text as the text lays it out. So when we think of Providence we need to be thinking about God's infinite power to sustain his creation.

Alright now by show of hands, This is not an altar call by the way. Calm down, calm down. How many of you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? All right, when you think of Providence and you put that tasty peanut butter and jelly sandwich in your mouth. And you know, it's salty, it's sweet.

Oh, thank the Lord for peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Guess what? Do you know why a peanut butter and jelly sandwich tastes like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every time you bite into it? And do you know why you have taste buds that enjoy it? Because Jesus Christ is causing the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and your taste buds to do all the things in which he created them to do and is holding that together by the word of his power.

It's amazing. Providence is an amazing doctrine that causes our hearts to just say, wow. So from galaxies to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Our confession says all things doesn't it? I love how God gives us an example of this in Job 38 11.

Job 38 11. Our context is Job finally gets his meeting with God and instead of God maybe answering why this is going on Job, Job this is who I am and His greatness is laid out before Job and Job repents at Dustin Aschison and says, I just don't know anything. So this whisper of God that comes to Job and he begins asking him questions like, were you there? Were you there when I said in Job 38-11 when I said this far you may come but no farther and here your proud waves must stop? Literal translation if we won't when I said as far as here, you will come and you will not add, you will not increase, and here will set your proud waves.

The word of Jesus' power at this very moment is keeping the oceans in check. It's just awesome. This is our God. This is the one who would add to himself our nature, our weak frailty, the ocean checker. And down across, I mean it's just, it's over the top.

It's amazing. This great King. Our confession also says all creatures because the text says this teaches us so clearly and certainly humanity includes all creatures. There's only one category that has the big C creator. If you had a circle here and it was the big C, There's only one in the creator category, the creator.

Everything else is in the uncreated, or is in the created category. Did I say that right? Uncreated? I did say that right, right? I didn't want to put him in a bad category.

So he is in the creator category all by himself. Everything else is created, creature. And so Isaiah 46 10 through 11, the context is this eighth century prophet is naming the king of Persia, the emperor of Persia, Cyrus. And Cyrus didn't come around to about 200 years later 559 to 530 BC Isaiah Bennett being in 740 BC and so Isaiah 46 10 through 11 God tells us declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things that are not yet done saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure, calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes my counsel from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass, I have purposed it, I will also do it." It's very helpful as you read a passage like that to go back and see the context and what's going on and why God does this.

And so in Isaiah 44, 28 we read this, Who says of Cyrus, he is my shepherd, he shall perform all my pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built, and to the temple your foundation shall be laid So here's God naming the ruler 200 years Approximately before he's ever comes on the scene of history Isaiah 45 1 through 7 is worth reading it gives why God's doing this Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings to open before him the double doors so that the gates will not be shut. I will go before you and make the crooked places straight. I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hidden riches of secret places that you may know. Here's the purpose.

That you may know that I the Lord who call you by name am the God of Israel for Jacob my servant's sake and Israel my elect. I have even called you by your name. I have named you, though you have not known me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. There is no God besides me.

I will gird you, though you have not known me, that they may know from the rising of the Sun to its setting that there is none besides me I am the Lord and there is no other I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create calamity I the Lord do all these things. And so that gives us our context of what's going on when God says to us, declaring the end from the beginning, it's literally declaring from the beginning, the end. Wow, this is our God. From the Hebrew parallelism from ancient times things that are not yet done I love how God says the same thing again. I need to hear it again and again.

Saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Aren't you glad that the true and living God has never throttled, never, never throttled. All of world history has been his counsel, has been his pleasure. This is who we serve. Cyrus is God's case and point to his people that he alone is God and what it means to be God is that he makes the plans and he executes the plan.

This is our God. God is the happiest of beings because his pleasure is always being accomplished. Psalm 135 6 says whatever the Lord pleases he does. What's the extent in heaven and in earth in the seas and in all the dark places all the deep places wow this is our God and so can you as you look at verse 11 calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes my counsel from a far country. Here's this Gentile King.

Does he know God? No, the text says though you have not known me. I was reminded of the soldiers at the foot of the cross casting lots for our Lord's clothing. These soldiers do not know that they're fulfilling prophecy, but they are doing the will of their maker. And it's amazing.

This man, Cyrus, though you have not known me, the text says, all people, foreign wide, are marching to the beat of God's providence, whether they know him or not. This Gentile King is unwittingly executing the counsel of the Almighty. His pleasure, this is doing his pleasure while God is doing his pleasure. Figure that one out. And when you do, get back to me.

It's amazing. I ask you brothers, sisters, has our God changed? Did he use Cyrus as a case in point and just say, but that's not how I function today. You want to know Why Biden's in office? You see, he raised up Cyrus for the good of his people.

This is our God. He's doing all things well. And he is using all things for the good of his people and the glory of his most holy name. All the world is a theater. As one brother put out, I believe it was John Piper, wrote a big old massive thing on Providence.

I've not read that in preparation for this, by the way. But I did read some of it. It was good, too. And makes the point. God created, God sustained, and all these things that have come to pass this whole world is the theater by which God puts on display who He is to the everlasting joy of His people.

Isn't that awesome? So that we can see Him. You notice in Ephesians 1 what He says to the praise of His glory. True enjoyment of God comes when you just can't help it but say wow there he is that's him he's awesome you can't help it because you see for who he is he is awesome He is awesome. Look at how set our God's counsel is.

The text says, indeed I have spoken. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it and now go read up on your own time Go read it Ezra one, right? No Lord stirred up size That's awesome.

I love this book because this book just puts the true and living God on display. Whoops, I'll get that later. It's awesome. When you think about all the factors that go into this, Putting Cyrus' parents together, the naming of their son Cyrus, the raising up of the Persian Empire, the setting up of Cyrus upon the throne, etc. Etc.

Etc. Etc. Is there anything that our God's not over? This is awesome. This is our king.

Our confession states as well, from the greatest even to the least, our Lord said, in Matthew 10, 29 through 31, are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin, And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your father's will but even the hairs of your head are all numbered Therefore or do not be afraid therefore You are of more value than many sparrows What does the doctrine of providence do for us? Well, in the context of Matthew 10, it will make you a fearless witness of Jesus Christ. That's what it will do. Rightly understood, it will make you a fearless witness of Jesus Christ. Because you know notice what the text says fathers will when you know the sovereign might and purposeful sovereignty of our father You and I will be fearless witnesses.

We will not fear those who can destroy the body, cannot hurt the soul. And we will not fear to confess our king before men. Because we were brought into that very moment in time with those specific people to say, Jesus is Lord. May God help us. May God help us.

Not just have an intellectual grasp, but live upon it. Live upon it. That's what I want. God has so kindly slapped me around quite a bit in my Christian experience. I don't say that bad when I say that.

Don't get that the wrong way. But he is so kind in giving us hard knocks. I need hard knocks. I'm really thick-headed. Just ask my wife.

All right, lastly, because we have to land this plane brothers and sisters. Our confession once again says that God does all of these things that we've been talking about by his most wise and holy providence to the end for the which they were created according unto his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable counsel of his own will to the praise and the glory of his wisdom power, justice, infinite goodness, and mercy. Ephesians 1-11. I love this wonderful paragraph of just awesome praise to our God. You remember in Ephesians chapter 1, the paragraph begins, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

In Christ Jesus. And then he begins to list. And guess what the first thing on his list is? Election. Did you know that the doctrine of God's sovereign election it's not for us Christians to argue with each other do you know what Paul's doing in this whole section blessed be he's praising God the doctrine of election the doctrine of God's sovereignty over all things, doctrine of Providence has a purpose.

It is for us to worship. It's for us to explode that this great King is our King and worship him for who he is and what he's done for such ruined men and women and boys and girls like us. So Ephesians 1 11 in him in Jesus Christ all these blessings come to us in him and here is one of those that is listed also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will this is why Our confession is justified in using words like infallible foreknowledge, free immutable counsel, his own will. And why at the last part of our confession, God's attributes are being put on display by this great providence of our King. It's because of texts like this one.

So, I would just want to note the practicality of that. Friend, as I've thought about this and sought to have it bear upon my own heart and mind. I should glad God gave you men, women in your life that loved you enough to tell you about Jesus. Do you know why you're in this place? Do you know why God's planted you right here to hear His truth proclaimed?

He did that. He did that. This is a divine appointment every time we come. Every moment of our day is a divine appointment. But he put you here.

He chose to have you be born in a place, in a country, where you are free and you have heard the word of God. He did that. He brought it to pass. You know, my own wife, I was blessed to have a godly mama. And mama told me about Jesus.

She showed me Jesus through loving an honorary boy like me and I'm telling you all these good gifts all these things And even if that's not the case with you, if you came to Christ in another way, God used another instrument. All these things was His plan. It's His providence. Be encouraged. Be strengthened.

Know that your father is in charge and everything is happening according to plan in your life and in the whole universe. And so he gave you an inheritance when it says, according to him who works all things according to the counsel of his will? Does that not include the parents that you have? Does that not include the church that you're at? Does that not include all the ways in which God has sovereignly appointed for you to hear the truth of him?

So for you as a believer, that says, man, he's invited me to come and enjoy him. For you as a lost person, my friend, are you going to keep ignoring the one who's placed you in all these situations and giving you all these people that say this Savior is real and He is sufficient for you as a sinner Come to Him and enjoy God for eternity could he get any plainer look at what he's put in your life to make himself plain will you pray with me father To try to talk about such things is like trying to swim to the deepest part of the ocean without any equipment whatsoever. We acknowledge, Lord, we're over our heads. But we're glad to be here, Lord, because this whisper is what we need. Because so many times, Lord, we're just, we're in awe of ourselves.

Lord, we're in awe of circumstances. We need to be in awe of you. We need to be still and know that you are God and that you, oh God, have brought all things and all of history, including our little speck, on the map of history to pass. And I'm grateful, Lord, for that. I'm so glad to be in your hands.

I pray, Father, that you would truly help all of us to have more rest in your fatherly care of us. You who did not spare your own son. Oh God, hallelujah for you. Thank you for these things. We pray for your blessing upon all your blood-bought people, and we ask it in Jesus' holy name.

Amen.