Turning our Trials Over to God

No doctrine is more despised by the natural mind than the truth that God is absolutely sovereign. Human pride loathes the suggestion that God orders everything, controls everything, rules over everything. The carnal mind, burning with enmity against God, abhors the biblical teaching that nothing comes to pass except according to His eternal decrees.

Paul is in prison

His dreams are being crushed

His friend as well as enemies are abandoning him .

He must trust the God of order and all knowledge that allowed him to be put here

Colossians 1:17 KJV 1900

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Hebrews 4:13 KJV 1900

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Proverbs 19:21 KJV 1900

21 There are many devices in a man’s heart; Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

illustration - God allows trials and tragic events int outlives:

These are important questions. God’s Word teaches:

1. Accidents and even mayhem are a part of life in a fallen world.

The moment Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, they brought sin into the world¾and deadly accidents and murderous acts soon followed.

Cain, the very first human baby, grew up to become the very first human murderer (see ). And accidents have plagued human kind ever since the race was driven from Eden.

No one is exempt, not even the most godly. I doubt few would question that the apostle Paul was one of the most effective and dedicated Christian workers in history, yet his life was peppered with serious accidents until it finally ended under the blade of a Roman executioner.

Tragedies are always agonizing and often senseless. But thank God, that is not where the story ends.

Unlike us, Paul did not see tragedy as prima facie evidence against the existence of a compassionate heavenly Father. In fact, he could write, “for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (). Don’t misunderstand; Paul was no masochist. He didn’t delight in hardships and accidents because he enjoyed pain. No, he meant that when life overwhelmed him, he knew God would step in to help. Paul delighted in his own “weakness” because it was that weakness that gave God the opportunity to display to the world His own irresistible strength. And for that Paul was grateful.

Jesus, too, told us to expect pain and difficulties in this life. “In this world you will have trouble,” He warned His disciples in . And to the public at large, He said this about the future: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places” (). It isn’t a pleasant thought, but that’s the way life is sometimes in this fallen world. It may shock us, but it shouldn’t surprise us.

Tragedies are always agonizing and often senseless. But thank God, that is not where the story ends.

Events never spiral out of God’s control, as if He somehow lacks the power or insight to direct the affairs of our little planet. That is why the apostle Paul, a man who knew intimately the pain of a fallen world, could tell the ancient Athenians, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth . . . .From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us” ().

The Bible insists that God is sovereign, that “His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. . . . He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you done?’” (). Even when tragedies occur and innocent life is taken or maimed, God remains in ultimate control. Nothing happens that does not first pass through his loving hands.

We may not fully understand how this can be when we face painful tragedies, but our lack of understanding does not diminish or destroy its truth. Before we were born, God knew exactly how long we would live and how we would die. “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be,” the psalmist said to God in . And that remains true whether those days are many or few.

2. God has a purpose in what He allows, even if we don’t know what it is.

From our perspective, tragedies look meaningless and senseless and chaotic, but God knows how to take even tragedies and bring good out of them.

Does the Lord cause some to die so the lives of others could be spared and the souls of still others might be better? No. God is not a murderer. But He does know how to take tragedy and bring good out of it. When we get home to heaven, we will finally see His purposes even in the tragedies of life. Meanwhile, we must continue to believe that He does have a purpose in everything that happens¾even if right now we are unable to see a shadow of what that might be.

3. Tragedy can serve as a wake-up call.

Oxford professor C.S. Lewis wrote years ago that “pain is God’s megaphone to a deaf world.” In that way, some tragedies may serve as wake-up calls for spiritually sleeping people.

A stubborn, secular, and even blasphemous society sometimes will be stopped short only when a tragedy of national proportions takes place. In the flood of the media reports, sometimes redemptive truth gets out.

In a way, “tragedy” is a big reason why the cross and crucifixion of Christ still grip our imagination (even those who reject the Gospel). There is something so profound about Calvary that even people whose religion has nothing to do with Christianity, even people who reject Christ both intellectually and verbally, nevertheless are gripped by the story.

Thank God, perhaps, that He allows tragedy to so grab people. But what a shame that it takes such a horrendous wake-up call for us to open our sleepy eyes.

5. It is possible to embrace hope even in the midst of tragedy.

I cannot imagine what it would be like to endure a tragedy without the hope that God offers. Without Jesus Christ, there is no hope. There is simply an eternal, black, cold, and unrelenting void.

Of course, we Christians grieve when those we love are taken from us, but we do not grieve as those who have no hope. We do not believe that people cease to exist (except as memories) when they die; the Bible tells us that we will again see all those loved ones who put their faith in Christ. As the apostle Paul writes, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who die, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have died in him” ().

Thank God, some atheists come to recognize their hopelessness and turn from it. A distant relative of mine who for almost seventy years claimed to be an atheist came to me one day and said, “My dad was an atheist. I’ve always claimed to be an atheist. But now I’m reading the Bible and trying to get insights, and Luis, if there’s a God, I want to know Him. If there’s eternal life, I want to have it. Can you help me?” At least he was honest, but he waited far too long to find the hope he lacked.

Hope is readily available to all of us, even in the midst of tragedy. And not only hope for eternal life and hope of being reunited with those we love. Hope is available right now, square in the middle of tragedy, because God has promised to walk with us through any disaster that might overtake us.

6. This world is not our final home.

When loved ones die in tragic accidents or at the hands of wicked men, it is good to remember that this world is not our final home.

We were created for eternity, and tragedy can never change that. This is only a transition period, a prelude, to what God really has in mind for us. But because we usually look only at the present, we often consider someone’s death premature or untimely. Our perspective is enormously limited. We tend to look only at what could have been (and in our minds, should have been) down here on earth. But God looks at all of eternity. If we are to cope with tragedy, we must learn to look at it through eternity’s lens.

Turning our Trials Over to God means

I We Will Glorify God in The Process

Philippians 1:19–20 KJV 1900

19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

exegete ....

The outlook is encouraging.

salvation - deliverance

vs 19 - deliverance by prayer

vs 19 - deliverance by ministry help of Jesus Christ

key - vs 20 - no matter what happens I will not be shamed of Christ no matter what they do.

The apostle knows that the whole course of events will lead to his deliverance. Deliverance (KJV, “salvation”) here does not mean the salvation of Paul’s soul, but rather his liberation from prison.

The means which God will use in effecting his release will be the prayer of the Philippians and the ministry or help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Marvel here at the importance which Paul puts on the prayers of a feeble band of believers. He sees them as sufficiently powerful to thwart the purposes and the mighty power of Rome.

It is true; Christians can influence the destiny of nations and change the course of history through prayer.

The supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ means the power of the Holy Spirit stretched forth in his behalf—the strength which the Spirit would supply to him. In general, it refers to “the boundless resources which the Spirit supplies to enable believers to stand fast, regardless of what the circumstances may be.”

1:20 As he thought of the prayers of the Christians and the assistance of the Holy Spirit, he expressed his eager desire and hope that he might never be ashamed, but rather that he might always have a fearless and outspoken witness for Christ.

During the imprisonment

I will not deny Christ

Not give in to the tmeptations

Not go another route

Romans 8:38–39 KJV 1900

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I will glorify him during this trial ...

Testimony of a miscarriage

By God’s grace, I was able to answer out of our sorrow encouraging our friend to trust in Almighty God.

… magnified by lips that bear happy testimony to Him; magnified by hands employed in His happy service; magnified by feet only too happy to go on His errands; magnified by knees happily bent in prayer for His kingdom; magnified by shoulders happy to bear one another’s burdens.

By God’s grace, I was able to answer out of our sorrow encouraging our friend to trust in Almighty God.

Please don’t despair – we are not! In fact we’re taking great comfort in God’s care for our family. When our situation was in question, we prayed hard that God may save our child. When it became evident that this was not His will, we made the choice to trust in His sovereignty. As Job says, “Will we accept blessings from His hand, but not troubles?”  Remember, God never promised anyone a life of peace or rest on this earth. While we are in the fallen creation, life will be difficult -all the more so for those who follow Christ against the current of this world. But we also have the “peace that passes understanding” given by the Spirit.    Every moment we live is a blessing, every child – even for the shortest time – reminds us of the God who gives life, and will lead us to life incorruptible.

My dear wife also replied:

I know that things such as these are hard for us to understand, but God is always good. I know it, trust it and cling to it in times like these. My God loves me and will never forsake me.   God was gracious enough to take this little one home to himself. I can’t think of a better place for my child to be, but with the Saviour and creator.   My hope is in Him who created me.   I pray that you would not harden you heart to the clear truth of the gospel.    Much love to all,

Since that time, we have received more thank yous that I ever could have imagined, from believers who felt encouraged, emboldened or even rebuked by our public defense of God’s sovereignty and our declaration of faith in His goodness. By request, our message was also posted to my blog, used as an example in a recent sermon, and now you’re reading this on the world’s most popular Christian blog. I don’t say this to boast or claim for even the briefest second that I am anything worth commenting on – other than that the work of God in our family may be glorified and that His name might receive praise.

Christ can also be magnified in our bodies by death—bodies worn out in His service; bodies pierced by savage spears; bodies torn by stones or burned at the stake.[1]

Paul was too wise to rely on his own resolve and his own resources. He based his optimism on the fact that friends were praying for him. God’s throne was under siege as the people of God sent up a barrage of prayer for him and, indeed, for the whole cause of Christ at this critical time.

Turning our Trials Over to God means

Well-meaning people often say to friends undergoing trial, “Everything’s going to be all right.” That variety of optimism is vague and unsatisfactory. Paul’s optimism was based on the solid and substantial spiritual realities of prayer and the Holy Spirit.

Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary (). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.

II We Will Gain No Matter the Outcome

Philippians 1:21–23 KJV 1900

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Philippians 1:22 NKJV

22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.

Philippians 1:21–23 ESV

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

phil 1.21-23

phil 1.22

phil 1.21

wow - Paul is saying :

vs 21-22 - tho live in the flesh i will have fruit for the Philippians

It’s not for me to choose - but my desire is to be with Christ ....

Live for Christ here be a blessing and have fruit

Die and go to heaven be with Christ

..... but to be with Christ is not for me to choose....

I will glorify him in death ....

Heads I win

Tails you loose

The means which God will use in effecting his release will be the prayer of the Philippians and the ministry or help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Marvel here at the importance which Paul puts on the prayers of a feeble band of believers. He sees them as sufficiently powerful to thwart the purposes and the mighty power of Rome. It is true; Christians can influence the destiny of nations and change the course of history through prayer.

Everybody lives for something or someone.

And no matter what the outcome of judicial processes might be—whether he was to be freed or put to death—his ambition was that Christ should be magnified in his body. To magnify does not mean to make Christ greater. He is already great, and nothing we can do will make Him greater. But to magnify means to cause Christ to be esteemed or praised by others. Guy King shows how Christ can be magnified by our bodies in life:

Many people, if they were being honest, would sum up their goals in this life with such statements as these: “For to me to live is pleasure”;

“For to me to live is wealth”; or

“For to me to live is position or power or prestige.”

All such goals fall short of Paul’s target.

Man’s chief aim should be to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

After a wild life of pleasure Augustine confessed, “Oh God, Thou hast made us for Thyself and our souls are restless until they find their rest in Thee.”

1:21. Paul’s main purpose in living was to glorify Christ.

Christ was the essence of his life. Yet Paul knew that if he were martyred, Christ would be glorified through the promotion of the gospel which would result from his testimony in death.

And Paul himself would benefit, for death would result in his being with Christ (v. 23). The words to die suggest the act of dying, not the state of death.[1]

The apostle’s seeming frustration of mind is apparent in these verses. He knew if he could go on living there would certainly be fruit from his labor (v. 22).

God would bless his work and continue to use him as He had in the past. Yet if Paul had a choice between going on living or dying for Christ, he was at a loss as to how to decide. He simply did not know which to choose. Of course the choice was really not up to him anyway.

Keys to glorifying God in death

THE CHRISTIAN, IN ORDER TO GLORIFY GOD IN DEATH, MUST FIRST GLORIFY HIM IN LIFE.

GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED BY THE CHRISTIAN'S DEATH, WHETHER THAT DEATH BE NATURAL OR VIOLENT.

In the case of Peter, the language of Jesus evidently pointed to crucifixion as the mode of that apostle's end. And in the early age of Christianity there were evident reasons why many should be permitted to seal their testimony by their blood.

III> GOD IS GLORIFIED BY THE RESULTS WHICH THE CHRISTIAN'S DEATH PRODUCES UPON SURVIVORS. The consequences which flowed from the early martyrdoms have been generally acknowledged. It is proverbial that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church." Even persecutors have been touched by the exhibition of constancy, fortitude, and expectation of glory which they have witnessed on the part of sufferers. And in how many instances have children traced their new and holier life to the dying confession and victory of their Christian parents! Christ's death was the life of the world; and the death of his followers is ever fruitful of spiritual and immortal good. - T.

GOD IS GLORIFIED BY THE RESULTS WHICH THE CHRISTIAN'S DEATH PRODUCES UPON SURVIVORS.

The consequences which flowed from the early martyrdoms have been generally acknowledged.

It is proverbial that "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church."

Turning our Trials Over to God means

Christ can also be magnified in our bodies by death—bodies worn out in His service; bodies pierced by savage spears; bodies torn by stones or burned at the stake.[1]

III WE will Give Ourselves to Others

Philippians 1:24–29 KJV 1900

24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; 26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. 27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

phil

Philippians 1:24–29 ESV

24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

24- its better for you that I stay here

25- i am pretty sure I will stay for your progress in the faith

26-27 - if i come it will be a miracle and God be thanked you are the beneficiary

let you life be worthy - weather i am present or not ...

28-29 -

a. His Assessment (1:24)

“Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.”

Paul’s beloved friends at Philippi who were still going on for God needed him.

Persecution might break out. They would need him to inspire them by his example and encourage them with his letters and visits. He pulled out his prayer list

b. His Assurance (1:25–26)

(1) Looking at the Realities (1:25a)

“Having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all.”

Feeling confident that he was more needed here for the time being, Paul had the inner assurance that he was not going to die yet.

pass along buckets of water to the fire.

“I know,” Paul said, using the Greek word meaning “know something intuitively.” His knowledge was subjective, but he had no doubt about its validity. The Holy Spirit, it would seem, gave him this assurance as he wrote.

E. The Prisoner and His Pulpit (1:27–30)

Paul urged the Philippians to be unyielding, undivided, and unafraid in the battle against the enemies of Christ.

1. Unyielding in the Battle (1:27a)

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.”

The meaning of the English word conversation has changed since the translation of the King James Bible. The word translated “conversation” here means “citizenship” or “manner of life.” In this verse the word can be rendered “citizen-life” or “life as citizens.”

The Philippian Christians were citizens of two worlds. They were citizens of the Roman world and they were citizens of the world that ruled Paul’s desires.

The two worlds were at war. The Christians’ heavenly citizenship had to take priority over their human citizenship, as the powers that be soon came to understand.

In a Roman colony like Philippi, the issues would be clear even before formal persecution broke out.

The church at Philippi had been born amid harassment. There Paul had been beaten and imprisoned and there too he had been forced to make one of his rare appeals to his own Roman citizenship. His heavenly citizenship did not annul his human citizenship. Although he was not of the world, he was yet in the world.

The line is clearly drawn in many countries today, as those who live in communist, Hindu, and Islamic lands know only too well.

The line is drawn, although not always so distinctly, in all lands. In our society the pagan world often wears a friendly mask, but it is still the enemy and we cannot settle for compromise. We must determine not to allow the issues to be blurred.

2. Undivided in the Battle (1:27b)

“That whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

This is the first intimation that there was discord in the Philippian church. Later on Paul bluntly named names. Here he urged believers in general to strive for unity in the Spirit. The things that unite us are far more important than any personality clashes that may divide us. Satan’s strategy has always been to divide and conquer.

The story is told of a man who had several sons who were always squabbling. Their disunity was hurting the family business on which they all depended for their livelihood. The father called his sons together and handed a thin bamboo cane to the strongest of them. “Snap that cane,” the old man said. Thinking his father had taken leave of his senses, the young man complied. The old man tied two thin bamboo canes together. “Snap these,” he said. Again the young man had no difficulty. The father kept adding more and more canes to the bundle. Soon the son was sweating and straining to snap them and before long he found the task completely beyond his strength. Singly or in small bundles the canes could be snapped easily, but united the canes had more strength than the young man had. The object lesson needed no comment.

Paul’s concern was that the saints at Philippi unite in the task of getting the gospel out. Whether he talked to them in person or received news about them from afar, he wanted to hear that they were standing fast, united in a common cause, battling with a single mind for the faith of the gospel. There were too many real adversaries, too many golden opportunities, and too much to be done for Christ, for Christians to split the church over nonessentials.

In Paul’s words there is perhaps an echo of the Lord’s words recorded in : “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

3. Unafraid in the Battle (1:28–30)

a. Paul’s Exhortation (1:28–29) exegete

Philippians 1:28 ESV

28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

(1) The Opposition They Faced (1:28a)

“In nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition.”

“Don’t be scared out of your determination to live out your heavenly citizenship by anything your enemies might try to do to you,”

Paul was saying. “Their opposition to you is their own condemnation. Your calm collective courage in the face of danger and persecution is a sure token to your enemies of the perdition that awaits them.”

It has been said that more people have died for Christ in the twentieth century than in all the other centuries of the Christian era combined. We could dwell on our danger, but it is better to heed Paul’s exhortation not to be afraid of our enemies.

(2) The Opportunity They Faced (1:28b–29)

(a) Of Being Different (1:28b)

“But to you of salvation, and that of God.”

To the enemies of the gospel, the bravery of believers was a witness to the coming perdition of the persecutors. To the faithful, the bravery of believers was a witness to the genuine and victorious salvation of the persecuted.

Turning our Trials Over to God means:

I We Will Glorify God in The Process

II We Will Gain No Matter the Outcome

III WE will Give Ourselves to Others

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