0:00 I praise God for last night. It was such a joy to pray with different people and to see people praying. You know, as we talked about the prayer life of Paul, we have to remember that it is very possible that the very conversion of Paul was the byproduct of prayer. Many people believe that when Stephen was being martyred remember Paul was in attendance, and he actually approved of his death. And it was Stephen who prayed before he died, Lord, do not hold this sin against them, and then he fell asleep.
0:33 It could be that God answered Stephen's prayer by saving the apostle Paul. Isn't that a glorious thought? And so perhaps Paul, in realizing that he was somewhat the outcome of a man who believed and loved him enough to pray for him, also prayed fervently. So don't underestimate what your prayers can do. But you also remember, I think, that at the end of our time yesterday, I mentioned a word, a word that many of us are familiar with, some maybe are not familiar with, but the reality, the glorious truth of providence.
1:13 Providence. Sweet, sweet providence. I love to study. I love to preach. I love to think and meditate about God's providence for many reasons, and one of them is because the more you familiarize yourself with that truth, the more you grow in confidence in that God does not work.
1:41 Sometimes. God is always working. So if you've never heard that word or you've heard it but you don't understand what it means, let me give you the the most simple definition I can offer in terms of what does providence mean. Providence really is God sovereignly working in and through the non miraculous events in life to accomplish his will. When God works miraculously, it's tangibly clear, indisputable, obvious this is God.
2:16 When God works in providential ways, it's his hidden work. It's behind the scenes. It's not immediately perceived. But what providence secures for us is that the Lord is constantly on the move, not just in the grand scheme of things, not just in the major stages of life, but in each one of our lives, providence is working. And one of my favorite aspects of providence is that the Lord in his great wisdom takes seemingly insignificant events, non climactic moments, and even, check this out, circumstances that seem to challenge or even contradict the will of God to accomplish the will of God.
3:10 Paul is a glorious testament of God's loving providence at work in each of his children's lives. You know, he comes to the book of Acts and people love reading that because it's a it's a narrative, but because there's so many episodes of the supernatural. Right? And that's right. But there are also wonderful times where God moves in providential ways.
3:36 And I believe one of the most remarkable instances where providence works in the life of Paul is when he arrived for the first time in a region called Corinth and ministered there. And where we find the record of Paul's time in Corinth for the first time is located in the book of Acts chapter 18, and I invite you to turn there with me because I want to take this account and consider five providential spheres or five places, areas in Paul's life where God's providence was at work, and I'm sure it will encourage you. And if you are somebody who likes to take notes, let me tell you in advance how God's invisible hand worked in Paul's life. The first area where we see providence at work is in Paul's relationships, how God brought people into Paul's life. The second way in which we see God's providence at work is in his times of need.
4:42 Providence in times of need. Following that, providence, this is one of my favorites, through disappointments. What a comforting truth it is to know that God's at work even when things don't seem like they're working. Providence through disappointments, that's the third point. But there's also providence in our protection.
5:05 And lastly, providence in pain in pain. Let's read the first three verses of this chapter together to unpack providence in Paul's life in terms of his relationships. After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, and he found a Jew named Aquila, a native Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. Because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome, and he went to see them. And because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
5:52 So Paul before this was in Athens. He arrives to this region called Corinth, a prominent first century city. And Corinth was not only known for its prosperous commercial, realities and prosperity, but also it was notorious for its reputation of immorality. In fact, the name Corinth became a byword in its time. If you wanted to insult someone or if you wanted to describe someone who is corrupt in character or immoral, you would refer to them as a Corinthian.
6:32 And if you think about that, that's what history testifies. And if you look at Paul's letters to the Corinthians, you get that kind of, impression. The people that he is talking to and discipling, they had rough, rough backgrounds. And when I just thought about it, I thought, you know, humanly speaking, then what a strange strategy it would be for Paul to enter into this kind of a city to preach the gospel and expect success. But such is the power of the gospel.
7:00 It can save anyone from anywhere. But that's not the main point of the message. What I wanna highlight at the outset of our reading here of this text is that Paul arrived at Corinth alone. He rarely did this. Paul usually, when he went to go preach somewhere, went with a team unless circumstances compelled him to go solo.
7:24 And this is one of those cases. So Paul here arrives alone. And why I find that inspirational, though not ideal for us because we're called to do life in the faith together, is that when Paul was alone, his faith was still alive. Paul went in there and he influenced Corinth. He didn't allow Corinth to influence him.
7:52 And, unfortunately, there are some believers who are overly dependent upon the spirituality of those around them. And so they are somewhat excited and stirred concerning spiritual matters when they're around spiritual people. But the moment that they separate themselves and are isolated, their spirituality shrivels up, and they are swiftly subject to carnality. Paul wasn't such a Christian. Paul wasn't easily tossed to and fro concerning his surroundings.
8:27 Paul was concrete. Paul was unwavering. Paul was solid, Maybe so of us. But he wouldn't be alone for too long because very quickly in our reading of Paul's arrival here, he would be soon reunited with his ministry team, but God introduces to Paul new friends. Look again here at verse two.
8:49 We we are told that he found a Jew named Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. He quickly encountered them, and I believe that Aquila and Priscilla were saved before they met Paul. Because the book of Acts has a tendency of explaining and showing us that when Paul met somebody, he would have, you know, led them to Christ. But what we see here is that these were believers who came from Rome. We learned that there was already a church in Rome.
9:18 There's no insincere. There's no indication that Paul evangelized them or Paul gave them the gospel. It's most likely that they were Christians when they met. It could have been one thing for the Holy Spirit to tell us how Paul met Aquila and Priscilla. He could have left it at that, but he wants to go above that and tell us how they met.
9:38 And the way that they met is fascinating. It's through providence. Because we're told here that the reason why Aquila and Priscilla even came to Corinth was because of an anti Semitic decree from the Roman government that forced all the Jews of that time to vacate and to leave. And so this couple had to leave Rome without a choice. And I like to make a habit of instead of just reading these things and nodding my head in agreement and getting clarity on some of these things, I like to feel what people go through as I meditate and put myself in their shoes.
10:20 So here's a married couple who probably had a business in Rome, who had a home, obviously, who were probably part of a church, who had a routine and had their favorite spots to go as a couple. And very quickly, all of that was turned over because of something they could not control. In fact, you wanna see another testament to the historicity of the Bible, you can find this historical moment where Claudius actually pushes out the Jews from Rome, and it parallels with what we have in the scriptures. So instead of just rejoicing the fact that our Bible is historically accurate, I wanna rejoice in the fact that this couple started a new life in a new place because of something that you would deem as uncomfortable, unfair, even evil. And yet despite all of that, this law ended up being the catalyst for Aquila and Priscilla to meet the apostle Paul, to come into contact with him.
11:21 And this would radically transform all of their destinies forever. Aquila and Priscilla are one of the most notable couples in the entirety of the New Testament, and they have quickly become some of the dearest friends and ministry partners to Paul. The Holy Spirit highly praises these two through Paul, especially in a text that I want us want you to see with your own eyes in Romans 16. Look at how Paul speaks about this married couple in Romans 16. If you look here at verse three, Paul writes, greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles Epaianidus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.
12:32 So listen, this couple not only blessed Paul, they impacted the wider churches among the gentiles. I wonder if we would have ever heard of Aquila and Priscilla had it not been for the Roman government to force them out and to start a new life? What would have become of Paul's ministry in Corinth and beyond? What would have become of their future? Okay.
13:02 If they stayed in Rome, they would have been more convenient. Who cares about convenience if inconvenience means I get to advance the purposes of Christ? And so it was this turn of events that positioned Aquila and Priscilla to be mightily used by the Lord and to make friendships with some of the greatest people in all of church history. You know, there are a lot of Christians who are nervous about what will become of our politics after this November. But the more I read my bible and sees things like this, the more excited I get.
13:40 The more excited I get and an anticipation builds up in me to see how, like, Claudius in Rome, God supervises over all things and positions his people exactly where they need to be. So I'm kinda looking forward to what's gonna happen in the next few months because I know God is in control. He's over everything. And he's not just in charge of who's gonna rise up and who's gonna come down. He's in charge of who's gonna rise up and who's gonna come down for the sake of his people being where they need to be to fulfill his purpose.
14:12 So you don't need to be nervous today. You don't need to wring your hands. You can rejoice in knowing that even when laws are established, God is controlling something for his gospel to be more effective and efficient. So we see here providence in Paul's relationships, how he moves these pieces to bring people together to create ministries, ministry teams. What a glorious thought.
14:37 But we still have four other observations to make concerning providence. And the second one deals with providence in times of need. Let's read here verse four and five. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul this is how the ESV reads it.
15:03 Paul was occupied with the word testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus. So the apostle Paul not only met Aquila and Priscilla because they had to leave Rome, but also because they shared the same trade. They were tentmakers. So was the apostle. He was trained in this.
15:28 History tells us that it was a rabbinical tradition that when you grew up to study the law, that you also picked up a trade that was transportable so that you can you can take care of yourself if you needed to. And Paul was, in fact, trained in this way. What I find so fascinating, though, is that Paul was set apart to be an apostle. He was set apart to be a missionary, a preacher, full time. So why is he here working?
15:53 Look again at verse four. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks. And so he dedicated one day out of the week to preach and to reason and to persuade and to explain. But what about the other days of the week? He was working.
16:13 He applied for a part time job. And you would think, well, this is a hindrance to his ministry. No. In fact, it was a strategy for his ministry. You see, because Paul was very mindful that there can be suspicions of individuals who would think that he's using the gospel for financial gain.
16:30 This was especially true when he walked into a new place like he does here in Corinth. And so in order to silence any criticism, he would he would work and take care of himself in order for the message to not be muddied by any false accusations against his motives. And that's precisely what he is doing here. But notice that there is a shift that takes place in verse five. When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, the ESV reads Paul was occupied with the word.
16:59 Now if you have the King James or the New King James, you might have it where it says he was compelled by the spirit or pressed in the spirit. And the reason for the differences is due to manuscript variations. And modern translations, more recent translations chose to follow the manuscripts that state that he was occupied with the word. The word occupation implies that Paul suddenly, there is a a change here where he gave most of his energy and his time and his efforts to preaching. And we we are told why.
17:35 It was because these two came. After Silas and Timothy arrived, Paul now says, k. I can now have more freedom to preach the gospel more than just one day out of the week. How did that happen? What happened?
17:48 Was he was he was he not still in financial need? He was. But this is the beauty of the harmony of the bible. You get your answer actually in second Corinthians in chapter 11 verse nine. Paul speaking to the same group of people that he ministered to in acts 18 explains this very this very thing right here, and it sheds more light.
18:06 He says here in second Corinthians eleven nine, and when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way. So what Paul is explaining here is that Silas and Timothy, when they came from Macedonia, they also came with a sizable donation from the Macedonian believers. Sizable enough for Paul to not give as much time to tent making and more full time time to preaching and teaching and evangelizing. And I think this is a good place to kind of think about why we as Christians give to ministries.
18:56 This is one reason, among many reasons. This this moment allowed Paul to be more devoted to preaching. And, realistically, if we desire the word to be excavated in terms of revelation and expanded in terms of reach, it's gonna require more time for people to devote to that kind of service. And that time is created when, like Paul, the people of God rally together and support those who are dedicated to such service in order for them to come to this kind of a point and dedicate more of their time to this kind of work. And I say that because there are some people who boast and even criticize those who are workers of the gospel who actually make a living from the gospel.
19:38 They would even they would even use Paul as an example, as a proof text that he worked in such a manner in which he did not take anything from the people of God. And that was true in some cases, but Paul also advocated that workers of the gospel should make their living from the gospel. And in fact, many of those people who make arguments for that, their ministries, in many ways, suffer. And some people are called to that, and I I'm not criticizing it. I think if they're called to that and their conscious calls into that, then that's what they're supposed to do.
20:10 But Paul shows here something quite amazing, that there is a partnership that takes place even in our giving that gives ministers the experience that they need to help the cause of the gospel. But let me also say this at the same time. It is vital for those who have been given the privilege to serve in full time ministry to be occupied in the word. So ministers who have been given this opportunity have the responsibility to dedicate themselves to being consumed with prayer, studying, and preaching the word of God. There should be no lazy full time pastors or evangelists or apologist.
20:56 They have no excuse for providing anything less than a deep and meaningful spiritual service, and Paul is a model of that. So now he becomes occupied with the word. That's not the main point of this passage, at least for this message. I want you to see again verse nine of first Corinthians or second Corinthians 11. He writes, and when I was with you and was in need the moment Paul stepped foot in Corinth, he was in need.
21:27 He had basic material issues and requirements. And my question is, if he was always in need, then why why didn't the Lord expedite the donations from Macedonia? Why didn't he have to wait for Paul to apply for a job, work, we don't know how long, and then for Silas and Timothy to come later on. Can I tell you why? Because of providence.
21:55 Because of providence. God doesn't only know what you need, God knows when you need it. He knows when to meet it. He he is so surgically precise. He's aware of your fears, but sometimes your desires will be delayed.
22:16 And there's a beauty in that. Do you know what the beauty is in this? Had Paul come into Corinth with his pockets full, had Paul come only to be greeted by Silas and Timothy with their generosity, the generosity of the Macedonians at least, it's very possible that he would never met Aquila and Priscilla believers, and he would have missed out on something much more important than money. Godly relationships and partnerships that can make a greater impact for the kingdom of God. Do you see God's wisdom here?
22:52 And so this man, Paul, shows us how God knows the timing of his provision for us, of his help for us. And our concept of when God should help us should should always be aligned with the reality of his perfect providence, lest you think that your blessing is being hindered when in fact the delay is meant to deliver you something. Providence in our times of need. When I was in need, the brothers came. Yes.
23:24 But why didn't it come right away? Because you had a couple of Christians to meet. So here you are today praying your heart out because you're somewhere and you don't know why you're there and you wanna leave as soon as you can. And you've you've asked counsel and you even nudged your way out and, you know, doors came to keep keep you in place. Perhaps God is keeping you there for something, for someone to accomplish something.
23:52 Trust him. This is what providence is meant to do. It's it's meant to give you a pillow to lay your weary head on and to trust. He knows my times of need, but he knows when to meet them. Providence, not just in times of need, but providence in disappointments.
24:11 Look at verse six with me, max 18. And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them, your blood be on your own heads. I am innocent. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles. And he left there and went to the house of a man named Tydeus Justus, a worshiper of God.
24:36 His house was next door to the synagogue. I love that. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. Paul had a common strategy whenever he entered into a city or a region. This was his strategy, his preaching tactic.
25:01 He would always go into the synagogues first. And his his ambition was to preach the gospel to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. And so it's no different here. He comes into the synagogue and he preaches, but what began to happen very quickly is that his message was vehemently opposed. And it was met with blasphemy and and gross rejection to the degree that Paul says, you know what?
25:28 I'm done here. And he says here that he shook it says here he shook his garments. Can you imagine that? Imagine a preacher doing that after preaching the gospel and people not responding. He shook his garments, and he he quotes the words of some of the prophets in the Old Testament, namely Ezekiel, your blood be on your own heads.
25:49 And it says here, from now on, I will go to the Gentiles. And this was this was not easy for Paul. The reason why it was not easy for Paul is because he had a tremendous heart for the Jewish people, his own kinsmen. And if you want a a window into the heart of Paul for the people of Israel, read Romans nine to 11, and it will move you. You know, you have people today, I'm not concerned about the world.
26:13 I'm not concerned about how the world thinks. My preoccupation, so is yours, is how the church ought to act. There's a lot of discussion about the Jewish people today, and and how we should think about them, and how should we we should feel about them. I'm not gonna go into that rabbit trail right now, but I would just advocate this. If you're a true born again believer, go to the New Testament and see how the New Testament speaks about these people, specifically the apostle Paul, and see his heart and realize that he was a person who desperately wanted to see the Jewish people saved.
26:45 He wanted to see them come to meet their true Messiah. Is that your heart? Romans nine to 11 is a wonderful window, and yet, Paul admitted with his heart for this people that his calling as a minister had a special emphasis. I want you to see it in Galatians two. In Galatians two verse seven, notice what he says in explaining the emphasis of his ministry in contrast to the ministry of the apostle Peter.
27:14 He writes in Galatians two seven, on the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised. And so he admits here that my focus, my primary focus as an apostle was actually to reach the gentile people, the non Jews. And Peter's focus was to be for the Jews. That does not mean that Paul was unable to minister to the Jews. He obviously does, nor does it mean that Peter had no interactive interaction with the Gentiles on any occasion.
27:53 But he clarifies what their primary focus was. And he knew this about his mission even when he was called by Christ. Christ clarifies to him that he was to be a minister among the gentiles. So Paul was was fully aware of this, but his heart could not help it. Wherever he came and he knew there was a synagogue, he was magnetized to go and to minister to these people.
28:18 And I bring this up because I'm persuaded that the Lord used the periodic rejection of the Jewish people to nudge Paul to turn more of his attention to the Gentiles. And if that is the case, what a thrilling thought for us to ponder as we strive to be in the perfect will of God in our service to him. You know, God guides us not just in opening doors, but by slamming them in your face. God guides you and I even as he allows us to be overlooked. Check this one out.
28:57 God can even guide us through the unexplainable fruitlessness of our efforts in one area, ultimately to to lead us to another area where our efforts will be blessed. Even in that, that's a call for wisdom. Because some people wanna know, is the fruitlessness here telling me that I should stay faithful, or is the prolonged ineffective efforts here a nudging of the Lord? But here we see, I believe that periodically because it's not the only place where Paul says, I will go to the Gentiles. Periodically, the Lord shoves him and pushes him and pivots him so that he can give his attention to those who are not Jewish.
29:39 And look at the fruit of that here in verse eight. Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians hearing Paul believed and were baptized. Do you see that? So here is rejection, and Paul turned his back, and he ministered to the Gentiles, and there was immense fruit, immense fruit. But I love Paul.
30:07 Because, again, he can't help it. Right? He he loves his kinsmen so much. Where did he where did he plant his base? Like, right next to the synagogue.
30:15 So he didn't wanna go too far. He goes, your blood be on your own as I'm going next door, though. I'm right right here. Okay? It's amazing.
30:26 And so people began to be saved. And and Christmas, even the ruler of the synagogue, that was that was a radical conversion, a radical conversion. But I wanna encourage you. Please, please let your heart be built up in knowing that even through disappointments, even in ministry, you have your heart. Your heart is swollen for a specific group or a specific act or a specific service, and things may not be happening the way you would like or the timing that you would desire.
30:52 Do you realize that the Lord knows what he's doing even in that as you pray over it and as you trust him and as you surrender to him? And maybe in his providence, again, through delay, there's something he wants to teach you and build in you before there's fruit or promotion. Because if you have fruit and promotion before your time, it can hurt you and hurt others. Or maybe the Lord is even indicating through that and over time, this is not where you're supposed to be. There's something else that I need you to pray for and pray about.
31:18 I'm I'm not here to give you direction in your certain case. I'm just here to tell you that God is supervising you, and he's watching you, and he's putting something together even through the things that might disappoint you. Providence and disappointment. People often ask how I came to Chicago. There are many ways to answer that, but I can summarize it in this.
31:42 Because of an open door here and many closed doors in Canada. Closed doors that didn't really make sense to me. Closed doors, if I can be transparent in in in ways that I thought I thought this was gonna go in this direction, and I can't I can't explain why this is dissipating, and I can't explain why people are walking and going and traveling and moving. All these all these things began to shut down, and there was a flickering in the horizon on the other side of the border. Providence through disappointments.
32:17 Fourthly, providence in protection. Look at Acts 18 verse nine. And the Lord said to Paul, one night in a vision, do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people. And he stayed a year and six months teaching the word of God among them.
32:50 This is one of the handful of visions, direct revelations that Paul receives from the Lord Jesus in the book of Acts. And every single one of those visions was a turning point in his ministry. And it's no different here. Something happens between verses eight and verses nine. For the Lord Jesus to appear to Paul and tell him, do not be afraid, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand that Paul must have been afraid.
33:19 Jesus is not just greeting him with, you know, a creative salutation. He's telling him, I perceive that there is fear in you, Paul. And I'm here to tell you, do not be afraid. Now why would Paul be afraid? One, this comforts me because the man comes off as a fearless machine.
33:39 Right? But, no, he's succumb to to natural anxieties like you and I. And I believe the reason why Paul was fearful is because he picked up on a pattern in his preaching ministry. And the pattern was this. He would enter into a place, he would preach, and when there was fruit, his preaching was usually followed by beatings, trials, and imprisonment.
34:01 And so what do we just learn in verse eight? Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, gets saved. And many of the Corinthians get saved because they're believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And who are his neighbors at this time? The Jews.
34:20 And so Paul is realizing, I know where this is going. I know what's gonna happen. I'm gonna I'm gonna get a knock on my door. One one of these days while I'm preaching, a stone is gonna fly and hit me. Something is coming, and Jesus perceives this.
34:36 And he manifests to himself himself in a supernatural way, and he tells him, do not be afraid. And one of the few times the Lord tells him here, I am with you, and look at this. No one will attack you to harm you. That may not mean much to us as Christians in the West, but it should. See?
34:56 Providence. Yeah. Thank you. We see here that he is promised protection. And what I love about this is in any area of life, if the Lord says no one or nothing will harm you, no one or nothing will harm you.
35:19 Right? It's done. It's a done deal. No matter what scheming is going on, no matter what person of power is standing against you, if he is with you, doesn't matter who stands against you. Doesn't matter if criminals are coming against you.
35:30 Doesn't matter if church people are planning to take you to court. Oh, yes. Church people like to take Christians to court. Doesn't matter. If the Lord is with you, doesn't matter who stands against you.
35:42 So Paul was reinforced. Paul was reinvigorated. Paul was was motivated now. We're told here that he preaches for over a year without any fear, without any concern. But what I wanna point out to you is that though this is a supernatural manifestation, the means of God's protection in Paul's life was through providence.
36:02 How would God provide this protection, the shielding around his servant? Well, let's read here in verse 12. But Gallio was proconsul of when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal, saying, this man is persuading people to worship God contrary to the law.' But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallios said to the Jews, 'If it were a matter of wrongdoing or vicious crime, oh Jews, I would have reason to accept your complaint. But since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see it to yourselves, I refuse to be a judge of these things. Case closed.
36:51 Get out of here. So notice this. We're we're reading here in verse 12. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia so it could be that this man now takes this position of a regional judge, and the Jews saw this as an advantage. Here's a man who is brand new to this region, this area.
37:12 He's not really familiar with Paul. And so in their minds, they're thinking, let's make a case against them, and he might be more prone to believe our false accusations. But what the Jews saw as an advantage, God, in fact, was providing a means of protection. So Gallio Gallio is raised up, and they make this case against him, and Paul doesn't even need to open his mouth. As he's prepared to make a speech, the judge speaks on his behalf and he says, I'm not even gonna entertain this.
37:45 This is this is an inner Jewish thing, not my business. It's done. I have other matters to to focus on. This is, this is no way on the same level as Paul. But I remember when I first got saved in college, and, and and our and our school was much more, it the the classrooms were much more small smaller and and intimate.
38:06 So, I remember I got saved and people began to pick up on him. So there was there was a couple people actually, but there was one in particular who was, like, very, very outspoken against my faith and was not ashamed. You know, Paul says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. This person was not ashamed to shoot down the gospel and those who held to the gospel. And so I remember I was in class one day, and this person, before the class started, stormed into the into the room and began to look at me in front of everybody that was sitting in class as we opened our laptops, got ready for the beginning of the session.
38:37 Oh, here we have a guy who believes that gays are gonna go to hell. And you imagine I'm just sitting there thinking, like, I just wanna go to class. You know? I just I'm paying for my tuition here. I I didn't really sign up for this.
38:50 And she began to go on and on and on. In that moment, I was Lord, give me wisdom. How do I do this? And as I'm ready about to say something, I hear another voice. Somebody stands up and absolutely rebukes this person.
39:03 Rebukes this person. I'm just staring at this like, no way. You know why? Because the other person was an atheist. I've had conversations with these other persons, and this person, even challenged me and and made fun of me at some times.
39:17 And here's this person now defending me. I thought, this is great. I I I like this place now. I like this. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs sixteen seven?
39:28 When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Now that doesn't guarantee that all your enemies are gonna always be at peace with you, but it does show what God is able to do for those who please him. He's able to do that. So people often ask, well, man, every time I study providence or hear a message of providence, I get so excited. How can I assure that providence will be in my favor?
39:54 And my response is always the same. Don't get so busy figuring out how providence can work for you. Get busy simply in this, please the Lord. Just live your life in a manner in which you please the Lord, and providence will take care of itself. And that's one of the blessings of walking in conscious obedience to the ways of Christ because you are comforted by the peace that providence is going before you.
40:19 Providence is surrounding you. Providence is working even for your protection in many ways. But this is not the only thing. We have a final thing, and that's providence in pain. There's an interesting way how this story ends.
40:34 And I love when any, snippet of the Bible, any snapshot concludes in an obscure or seemingly random way. And and that's what we find here. You would think that this would end in verse 16, and he drove them from the tribunal. And then we would transition to Paul returning to Antioch, but that's not what we find here. I want us to focus in verse 17.
40:56 Look at verse 17. And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but Gallio paid no attention to any of this. So it doesn't end with the dismissal of the charges. It concludes with a vignette of this ruler of the Corinthian synagogue. Now here's question number 31 for our bible quiz.
41:26 Who was the ruler of the synagogue earlier? What was his name? Crispus. Right? But what do we read here in verse 17?
41:33 And they all see Sosanes, the ruler of the synagogue. Now some would say that he's the ruler of another synagogue. I'm not persuaded. I'm persuaded that he became the new ruler of the synagogue that Crispus was in charge of. So what happened to Crispus?
41:49 Well, it's very clear to me. He became a born again Christian, and he was fired. You're no longer gonna oh, you went next door, Well, stay next door. And then they put out a job, you know, application, and Sosthenes came in, and he became the new ruler of the synagogue. So that's what I believe happened here.
42:10 Sosthenes. He's only mentioned twice in the Bible. And the first time here, we're told he's the ruler and he got beat up. I have two questions. Who beat him up?
42:23 Why did they beat him up? There's some speculation. I think the most persuasive argument, persuasive case, is that the Jews beat him up. Why did they beat him up? Because if Sosanes was the ruler of the synagogue, he was probably the spokesperson for the case against Paul.
42:42 And so he was the one who was supposed to persuade Gallio, and he failed. And he didn't fight for the case. And I believe the Jews in their great frustration not being able to attack Paul turned all their anger on Sosthenes. So right there and then, they couldn't even wait till they got to the synagogue. They slapped him around.
43:01 They bruised him up, and they embarrassed him. So Sosthenes was attacked by the Jews. And you might think that this is not a valuable insight until you realize that in all of the Bible, there's only one other place where his name shows up. Go to first Corinthians in chapter one verse one. And notice how Paul greets the Corinthian believers.
43:36 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother, Sosthenes. What happened here? I love when people get excited about the Bible. Our brother, Sosthenes. Well, here's what I believe.
43:58 I believe that Sosthenes' beating was a turning point for him in his conversion to Christ. You wanna talk about providence? Let's talk about providence and pain. Here's this man who was left to lick his wounds, and when he was betrayed by his own people, guess who else was in Corinth to embrace him? Paul.
44:23 I know Paul enough to believe that while while Sosnes was being tossed around, he was there. He witnessed it. Right? He was at the same tribunal. Can you imagine Paul, giving side eye and smearing saying, yeah.
44:39 You deserve that and going back to the house of Titus Justice? This is just me. This is this is not dogmatic. This is just imagination. What if it was he got beat up, the Jews spout on him, kicked him, slapped him, pulled his hair, and once the dust settled, who was only there?
44:59 Paul Left there. And he looked at Sosthenes. And he bent down and he embraced them. I wonder if that's what happened. I wonder if Sosthenes is not only tasting the betrayal of his own people, but also the mercy of a man who is intoxicated with the gospel.
45:18 Cause him to reconsider his opposition to it. Sosthenes is our brother. I've preached long enough, I would think, to understand that sermons are not always the starting point for people to be curious or to be inquiring of Christ. I'm willing to admit that. Can God use sermons?
45:42 Yes. And I pray that he uses every single one that I've ever preached. But I also realize that sickness, loss, devastating consequences of sin are also catalyst for people to reconsider their spiritual standing and their need of a savior. I hope it's not the case, but it's very possible that some in here you didn't hear anything that was said from this pulpit, nor will you after I preach the last message. Perhaps what it will take for you is to experience pain, a level of pain that will give you a different ear to what somebody preaches to you.
46:30 I'm convinced of that. I know I've seen it enough. And God in his providence, loving providence, allows for that to happen for some to make their first steps towards receiving Jesus. But this providence is not just in pushing people to be saved. It also has a way of sanctifying those who already are.
46:52 Providence and pain. Pastor Ben opened up this conference with Psalm one nineteen, and this was prepared before he mentioned anything, but I want you to revisit with me these two verses. In Psalm one nineteen verse 67, the psalmist says, before I was afflicted, I went astray. Before I was afflicted, when I was whole, when everything was going well, I was going astray. But once I was afflicted, what does he say?
47:20 But now I keep your word. Affliction is what shackled me, was what kept me, is what anchored me. Affliction. Not a three point sermon, though God uses three point sermons. It was affliction that started this man's journey or brought him back to where he was supposed to be.
47:40 And notice what he says about affliction right after verse 68. You are good and do good. That's in the context of him being afflicted. When he realized the fruit of the affliction, when he realized what the affliction did, it's usually in hindsight. It's usually when we look back or realize he was good and you do good.
48:00 Even when you wound me, even when you chastise me, even when you bruise me. You are good and do good. Teach me your statutes now. Now I keep your word. Now you've won me over.
48:13 You you persuaded me even through pain. So now teach me. I'm where I'm supposed to be. Was Paul himself persuaded? Because we're reading this is a narrative.
48:22 Right? This is us kinda from a helicopter view seeing what's happening in Paul's life. But was Paul himself aware of providence? Was he convinced of this truth that we've been rejoicing in this this morning? Absolutely.
48:36 Absolutely. And there are many comments that he makes in his writings that prove so. Let me give you one as we close our time together. Listen to how he identifies himself while writing one of his prison epistles, while jailed, while chained, while confined, while limited. In Rome, in prison, he says this in Ephesians one or excuse me, Ephesians three verse one.
48:59 Let's turn there together. Shall we? For this reason, I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles. One simple point. You know what he could have said?
49:22 I, Paul, a prisoner of Rome, a prisoner of whoever was the emperor at the time. He doesn't say that. He says, I am a prisoner for Christ Jesus. In another place, he says, I'm a prisoner of Christ Jesus. What does this reveal of Paul?
49:42 The authorities did arrest him, though they did watch him. Though he was in house arrest, he ultimately understood that I am a slave and I am not a victim. I'm exactly where the Lord wants me to be. The Lord permitted this. The Lord allowed for this.
49:59 You wanna know how I believe the Lord in providence showed Paul that he was in fact a prisoner of Christ Jesus in many ways. But listen, if Paul had not been in prison, we would not have four of the epistles that we love and we quote all the time, including Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians. So God in his providence through pain, blossomed something beautiful. You can't lose in this life if you're in Christ. You can't.
50:31 And the more you rehearse this truth of providence, the greater peace you will inherit. Because providence is there in relationships, the people who come in your life, the people who leave your life, disappointments, and times of need, and your protection, even in pain. What a mighty god we serve. Let's pray and thank him. Shall we?
51:09 What a mighty god we serve. Lord, we give you glory for your marvelous truth that we are secure in your hand. And in this very room, you are writing hundreds of stories. Even in the mundane, even in the moments that seem to be dull or even painful, you're writing a 100 stories. Hundreds of stories, thousands of stories, millions of stories.
51:36 You are the greatest author in the universe. Lord, we give you all the honor, all the glory, all the praise. Now open our mouths that we might praise you and give you what is your due. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
51:52 Are you happy in Jesus? Amen. Amen. I'm telling you, if you get this down deep in your soul, you won't have to hit your steering wheel when that flat tire comes. You won't be so bothered when without explanation or any kind of update about your job, You lose it all of a sudden.
52:18 It's just amazing how this this provides a fortitude, and it's all of ours to experience if we believe it. Take it away, guys.
