God will Bring Us Out

What God did...

Paul and his companions had found themselves in a tough place. It was so bad that he says it was overwhelming. So much so, that they despaired of life.

God stepped in right on time (sentence of death)

He rescued us. God sent his son Jesus

The problem with our view of deliverance is that we assume it means that God didn’t allow us to experiences the suffering. NO! This deliverance is that God was there an the danger, in the pain, in the experience, but God brought you through it. (Elaborate this view will caused your faith to stumble)

In Birmingham, there is a store that sells scratched and dented merchandise. The stuff at this store is there because somewhere between the time the stuff left the warehouse and before it reached its destination, it received a scratch or a dent of some sort. Since the items have scratches or dents, most people don’t want them, but the owner of the scratch and dent store takes the merchandise. The reason he takes it is because he understands that, although the merchandise may have a few scratches or dents, it can still serve the purpose for which it was created. A stove with a slight dent in the side will still cook food, and a recliner with a scratch in it will still recline. Like the store owner, God recognizes that although we’ve been scratched and dented, we can still serve our purpose.

God

What God is Doing...

This next part of the scripture is more difficult because it is apparently in the future tense. And where gonna get to that in a minute. But here Paul is more or less saying that even in the course of his ministry now, God is willing to deliver him. Because Paul is still in danger. Because Paul knows what God did, he has something to rest his hope that God will work it now now.

God is working where he is…Macedonia.

God is working where we are. (list conditions of contemporary context Trump. Oklahoma. Black heath suicide)

The Benefit is that it while you are waiting, you are learning to trust God.

This “God will deliver” is reminiscent of OT language.

Moses-Stand still. Joseph-God meant for Good. Ps 34:4 I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me. Ps 107 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. Three Hebrew boys, He said: “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me.

What God will Do...