Confidence in Troublesome Times - Part 1

Welcome to the InTouch Podcast with Charles Stanley for Thursday, February 17th. As you look at the condition of our world, are you worried about the future? Learn to develop the kind of faith that will sustain you regardless of your circumstances. Life is continually changing. In fact, every day something's different. And once in a while we think, well, why can't we get this thing sort of leveled out a little bit so that we don't have this pressing is here and that pressing is here. And about time you think you've got it leveled out, what happens? Some other challenge crops up in our life.

Life is never going to sort of settle out where you say, well, finally I'm going to drift on in. It's just not that way. And the reason it's not that way is because you and I live in a fallen world.

And the leaders in this world who totally ignore God, they ignore the laws of God, the principles of God, and try to govern their nation on the basis of what human reasoning and human thoughts and ideas and philosophies may provide. But the truth is God has given in His Word very clear direction as to how we ought to live so that we don't have to live in anxiety and so forth. And because all of these changes come along and you add to these basic essentials in life that we need, add to that terrorism, add the rollercoaster stock market, for example, add to that all of these things, and what happens? There is a great sense of uncertainty. And many people live with that and they respond to it in different ways. Some people respond to it, for example, with anxiety and worry, very, very uncertain about the future, almost to the point of despair. Some people are very angry about it.

They want to blame someone. And so, the question is this, things are always going to be in a state of change. And I can remember, for example, when I grew up, I was born in 1932, and so that was the Depression. That was a bad time. Just about time that got over with, the Second World War started.

That was a worse time. And then about time that finished up, the Cold War and the Korean War, then Vietnam. I've lived through war after war after war. As far as I'm concerned, there is no peace. There's never been any peace.

There's always been troubles and trials and difficult times. And the reason is because we live in a fallen world and the leaders of the world, the problem is they refuse to acknowledge this book as the guidebook for governing as well as for living. And so, since we're not going to change it, and we may change ourselves and some things may change, but for the most part, the reason I know it's not going to change is when you turn to the last book of the Bible and read the book of Revelation, what's happening? Everything is coming apart. The whole world is in convulsion. And there's not a single verse in the Bible that says one of these days the church is going to be so successful and so many people are going to be saved, there's going to be peace here and hereafter.

Wouldn't that be fantastic? The only problem is the Bible doesn't say it. It prophesies something totally different.

It's not going to happen that way. So where does that leave us? It leaves us as believers learning how to live with a sense of confidence and assurance no matter what we face in life. And part of the problem today is that many people live in continuing anxiety.

And I think if you ask most physicians, they would say that a major problem is anxiety and stress, stress over what? Home, job, what you eat, how you travel, your children, this, that. We live in a fallen society.

I'm telling you, it's not going to change. So the question is, is it possible for a believer to live with confidence and assurance and a sense of boldness, fearless, with a sense of contentment in life, even when things seem to be so totally opposite? And the answer is yes. And the apostle Paul raises some questions.

And then he answers those questions. So, the title of this message is simply this, and that is Confidence in Troublesome Times, because they're going to be here as long as you and I live. And when we're gone, there's still going to be troublesome times. So how do we live? How do we respond to these things? I want to give you four simple truths of the Word of God.

And I've given you my opinion. Four simple truths of the Word of God, very basic truths which you and I, listen, which makes it possible for us to say reliably, you can, if you follow these four basic principles, you can live confidently no matter what's going on. So, I want you to turn, if you will, to Romans chapter eight. Now, if you recall for a moment that in Romans chapter seven, Paul's gone through some real difficulty in his life.

I mean, he's struggling with living the Christian life. Some people say that chapter was before he was saved, but I don't think so. And so, he says, you know, what I want to do, I find myself not doing, and back and forth he goes. And so, finally in chapter eight, he talks about this awesome victory.

So, here's what I want to do. In order to give me enough time to explain it, I'm not going to read verses twenty-eight through thirty-nine, but what we'll do is each point of this message is going to take a section of this chapter. So, here's what I want you to conclude. When we finish, you've not heard my opinion. Because the whole idea of having confidence in times like these, somebody says, well, that's your opinion.

I'm not giving you my opinion. I want to tell you exactly what God says. And interpret it very simply, very clearly, and I think you'll agree with the interpretation. So, here we go, beginning in number one.

Here's what I want you to see. The truth that God controls our circumstances. That's a basic number one basis of our confidence that we can have confidence in these trying times. Now, I want you to look, if you will, at verse twenty-eight because that's where we're going to start. And here's what he says, And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Now, notice what he says. He says we know. Now, we hope so.

It could be, it might be. Paul says we know. And the word he uses in the Greek here for know is a word which translated means we know by experience that God causes all things to work together for good. Now, you'll hear people say, well, I believe the Bible teaches everything works for good.

No, it doesn't. That's not what he says. He says God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and to those who are called according to His purpose. God is in absolute control.

And that is the bottom line basis of our confidence that we can overcome no matter what's going on. God has established His throne in the heavens and His sovereignty rules over all. That is, He is ruling over all things, all times, all people, all circumstances. Does that mean that He initiates everything that goes on? No. It doesn't mean, it means that while He's in control, He allows some things.

Listen, He allows, for example, for you to be disobedient and rebellious toward Him. Is that His will? No. Is that what He desires?

No. Does He allow it? He allows a certain amount of self-will. But He is ultimately in control.

So, think about this for a moment. No matter what's going on in your life, somebody, Almighty God is in control. That's why there's no such thing. Listen carefully to what I'm saying. There's no such thing as absolute free will.

There's no such thing. Because you and I see enough hideous crimes and the kind of things that only an evil heart could ever come up with. If man had total free will, it would be unsafe to be alive on this planet. But God is in control. And while the devil seems to be loose in so many situations and circumstances, he's not. God is the only one who's in control.

And because He is, you and I can rest assured, nothing can happen to one of His children unless He allows it. And if He allows it, He will turn it for good somehow in some way. And so, what I want you to see is God is in absolute control, but He gives us a sense, a degree of free will. And some people do not know how to handle the blessing or the free will of God. So, I want you to think about this. If He's in absolute control of all things, can I not rest in this fact that whatever He allows in my life, He's going to turn for good?

Listen to this. That isn't my opinion. That is the clear statement of the Word of God. We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are called according to His purpose. That He's going to control the circumstance. So, He takes difficult circumstances, turns it for our good. He takes painful circumstances, turns it for our good. He takes circumstances in which there's need and want or desire, He turns it for our good.

That's who He is. That is the bottom line and the basis of everything you and I believe. If He is not in control, then where in the world are we? So, Paul starts out and he says this is basic, that He is in control of all things.

All right, the second basis is this. Think about this for a moment. Here's what he says. And that is, in this beginning in verse thirty-two, the truth that God will meet our needs.

Basic foundational truth. Now, watch what Paul says here. He says, for example, in, let's start with verse thirty-one. We're coming back to these other two verses there. What then shall we say to these things, if God is for us, who can be against us?

That is, who can be against us successfully? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all. Here's the question. How will He not also with Him freely give us all things? What I want you to see is this basic truth. If God the Father is willing and was willing to give His only begotten Son Jesus to come into this world, to walk among men to reveal the Father and who He is, and then ultimately for the primary purpose of going to the cross and dying on the cross, paying our sin debt in full, a horrible crucifixion of His only begotten Son, He says this. If He was willing to do that and to give Him for us, how could we ever question that He would give us? Now, you say, well, let's get down to that all things. Right.

What does He mean by that? All things that fit His will and purpose for our life. You say, well, now, wait a minute. Why don't we just leave it at all things?

Because that in itself would expose something in your heart. You say, well, He says He'll supply all things. All things that fit His need and purpose for our life because if He just gave us everything we wanted, that wouldn't be wise and He's a wise God. Listen, this is the wonderful thing about God. He knows what to give us and He knows what to withhold from us because He knows that if He gave us some things we wanted, we would be in such trouble. We'd be saying, now God, why did you allow that to happen in my life? Well, you asked for it.

You asked for it. He will give us all things that we need and that fit His purpose and plan for our life. That's who He is. Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount? He was talking about prayer and He said, you know, you know, you pray to the Father and the Father's going to meet your needs. And then He says a second time, He said, your Father knows your needs even before you ask Him.

You see, here's the awesome thing. This omniscient God of ours already knows every single thing you and I need. He knows, listen, what we think we need and then He knows what we really need. He knows what we desire and what the needs are and He knows the distinction between the two.

And if you've lived the Christian life very long, then it won't take you long to figure this out. God give me what I need, not necessarily what I want. Because if He gives us what we need, He will, listen, oftentimes He will so work in our life that we'll be wanting what He wants us to have.

Because that's the way He works in life. You see, His whole idea is to train us up. And His idea is not just to grant our needs. God's ultimate purpose for us is stated right here.

Here's what He says now. Verse twenty-eight, we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who call according His purpose for. Watch this, verse twenty-nine, those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. Now, watch this, when He saved you and me, what was His ultimate goal and purpose for our life? His ultimate goal and purpose for our life is to be conformed to the image of His Son.

Now, that being the case, what is He going to do? He's going to begin to work in your life and mind the moment we're saved to do what? To begin the schedule and to pattern and to diagram and to direct your life and mind so that what would happen? Every circumstance of our life, God would use to do what? To conform us to the likeness of His Son. That includes good things, fun things, happy things, generous things, abundant things. It includes times of trial, times of difficulty, times of pain, times of loss.

All of those things are included, why? Because His goal is that He predestined, that is, God predetermined before you and I were ever saved that when we're saved, He would begin to set at work to do what? To conform us to the likeness of His Son.

Most Christians, I'm afraid, they think God's goal is and certainly their goal oftentimes is to give them everything they need to make them happy and joyous and contented and safe and secure and on and on they go. That's not anywhere found in the Word of God. And when somebody says, you know, you send me this and here's what God's going to do for you. That is man's talk. That is not God's talk. He says He predestined us. Listen, He didn't say He predestined us to have everything we need.

He says He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. And in the process, He will meet that need whatever it might be. Now, when I think about that, I think about times in my own life when I've had need and sometimes I thought they were needs and they weren't needs at all, they were desires.

And here's what I've learned. When I finally wake up and realize that's what I want, that's not what God wants, it is a very airy feeling. That is, I'm free of something. I'm free of something that I wanted, that when God showed me it wasn't His will and I wanted to surrender His will, there's a happiness there. There's a joy there. Why? Because all of a sudden you stepped back in the will of God. God, send me what You want me to have.

Give me what You know I need. And I think so many people are wrapped up in getting their needs met. But you see, you and I can face difficult times when we know that He's in absolute control and when we know that He's going to meet all of our needs. And I have met people who've said, lost my job.

But you know what? Amazingly, I'm not anxious, I'm not angry, I don't want to blame anybody, which is oftentimes the response of things like that. And somehow I just have this overwhelming sense of confidence that God is going to open the right door for me at the right time. Now, that is spiritual growth. Do we have that attitude soon as we get saved?

No. Because we're all in the process of learning to do what? Learning to trust Him. And it's all based on a matter of, watch this, not trusting what you hear, but trusting God to be what He says He is. That He's in absolute control. That His goal for us is to be predestined according to His will, like His Son.

And He asked the question. Now, if God is willing to give you His best, His most precious, best, His eternal best and His Son, why would you and I think that He's going to cheat us out of something good? Why would we think that He's going to withhold something that's good? Anything God withholds from us, there is a purpose behind it.

Either He's in the process of teaching us to rely upon Him or He withholds it because He knows it's not good. And all of us who are parents have practiced on our children what God practices on us and we don't like it. We say to our children, now the reason I'm not giving you this is because it's not best. I want you to grow up and be a fine young man. I want you to be a fine daughter, sweetheart. That's not best for you.

And they go, wah, wah, wah, and they complain about it. Shame on you. We turn right around as adults and treat God the same way. Well, I've got to ask you this, and why not? He's not going to always tell us why. The issue is this, do I want God's best? Then I'll wait for His timing. I'll let Him do the choosing. And so Paul is simply asking a logical question. If He did not deprive us of the best gift and the only one like that He had, His only begotten Son, would He withhold from us some genuine need that we have?

No, He would not. We're talking about reality. Reality is that God is in absolute control. And for those of us who are believers, we live on a higher level. Watch this.

I didn't say it made us better. We live on a higher level, a higher plane, because we're confident that He's in absolute control and, secondly, that He is going to meet every single need of our life. Thank you for listening to Confidence in Troublesome Times. If you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or In Touch Ministries, stop by InTouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of In Touch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.