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The Complete Providence of God

The Urban Alternative / Tony Evans, PhD
The Cross Radio
January 11, 2022 7:00 am

The Complete Providence of God

The Urban Alternative / Tony Evans, PhD

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January 11, 2022 7:00 am

Part of the human condition is wondering, why do the things that happen, happen? Dr. Tony Evans says that the Bible settles that question with a concept called providence."

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The Urban Alternative
Tony Evans, PhD
The Urban Alternative
Tony Evans, PhD

If you are living in concert with God's will to know that Dr. Tony shows no matter how cramped and isolated. We feel from God always has a way for us to meet back up with God's way to run. This is the alternative Tony have other speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative where we find ourselves in life may seem like the result of random or even evil elements at work, but today Dr. Evans will give us a look at how God not only sees the complete picture, but also always has a plan ready for our good, regardless of how dire things may appear. Let's join him as he explains all allows life to devolve likes to travel for the greater accomplishment of his glory and our good. It's hard to see. However, when you're in the middle because all you see is what you see what you see you don't want to see we look at numbers of people in the Bible where they were struggling Joe his whole life unraveled before him. His wife said curse God and die. In other words, get over with. So the Bible is full of scenarios of people whose lives were unraveling Job said Job 23 I looked up that I couldn't find you a look south east west.

I looked everywhere and you would know where to be found in this.

Probably not a person who hadn't thought that we felt that even if you were to scared to sleep but God was not anywhere close one of the things I want to remind you of. I want to remind us of is when God is silent. He is not still may be very silent. He is still not doing nothing in his apparent absence. I brought up our good friend Joseph to bring up today again. He was a young man who had 17 years of age approximately saw his life unraveled for the next 13 or 14 years. His life would keep going south and just when he thought he was about to get a break something else would go wrong you ever been there on the verge of a break and you think is a breakthrough and it turned out to be a breakdown dysfunctional family. That's where he was born. Siblings want to kill you is not the place you live so that the slavery he finally looked like it gets a break and get a good job is to display the number one slave in Potiphar, like salmon, sodas, system.and he's accused illegitimately of rain. Just when it was that she thought he was going to catch a break. His life unravels and that is thrown in jail for crime he didn't commit. Then he's forgotten in jail.

Just break when I got to believe he didn't remember me dedicating the gap against Galveston's few years in prison for crime he never committed that a writing, but the phrase you don't want to miss. When you read the book of Genesis and read the life of Joseph is that the Lord was with. So if you are committed to the Lord and it's going south Lord is with you.

If you are committed to the Lord, and life is unraveling.

It's going south. You can't catch a break. The Lord is with you finally.

He is remembered he interprets the king's dream 70 of the family for you. You prepare for the bad years and he now goes from what I call the outhouse to the White House. He now is made second in charge in Egypt overnight number times in the Bible you'll find that word.

Suddenly, and that is a reference to when God comes out of nowhere and turned your situation around. When he just shows up shows out and it happens suddenly when he turned something on when he comes from nowhere and enjoy whole world is turned upside.

He's gone about 13 or 14 years in this up-and-down life and all of a sudden out of nowhere. Apparently, from the human point of view is like this turned upside down.

Second in charge everybody's comps.

I gotta come to him to eat, including his brother's sold in slavery. She was one of dysfunctional family had a bad life as a prison record even though unjustly the Lord was with him. Why I want to rehearsed one rehearsed that because of these verses I want to read to you. You know the well but I will read them to you again because they really do answer God why are you killing me. Chapter 50 verse 15 when Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead. They said what Joseph bears a grudge against us and pains us back in full for all the wrong which we did take so they sent a message to Joseph saying your father charged before he died, saying, you shall say to Joseph please forgive my big you the transgression of your brothers and their sin. What they did you wrong and now, please forgive the transgression the servants of the God of your fathers and Joseph wept when they spoke to him and his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, behold, we are your servants.

But Joseph said to them, do not be afraid, for I am in God's place. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. In order to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive so therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little one so he comforted them and spoke kindly to them that many of us we can.

Joseph situation we were in the God admits what of enrolling new no I gotcha. I'm sorry you know but Joseph makes this profound statement.

He said I am in God's place. I am in the location God brought me to. I am here because God brought me. I said a number of occasions. The most important doctrine. The second most important doctrine professionals. Important doctrine for us salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. That's most important. Second of that, once you become a Christian.

The second most important doctrine is sovereignty. Sovereignty simply means God rules and overrules under the definition of sovereignty is the concept of Providence. God is sovereign and he is providentially so Providence has to do with God arranging various things to accomplish a particular goal. Sovereignty means God is in control. Providence is his arranging of that control and Providence is God creating a mixmaster in your life. Most cities have mixmaster's and it's where highways converge. Usually that downtown not always in their smaller mixmaster's but it's where highways converge to connect things to connect different travelers coming in different directions to the central of travel and of reconnection for the believer who loves God and is following God. God has a result he is taking you to individually MS, collectively, a goal, but God is so good at what he does. She never limits himself to one route, nor is he limited himself to only using good things to reach his goal to Joseph's life is full of bad things negative things they couldn't control the fact they can control the fact that you know he was born into this dysfunctional family and everything that he couldn't control her father told him about the coat of many colors. Suppose there was no dream. Suppose it was "Posa was no dream dream to coach the brothers Woodley got mad with the got batch with a sold slave. That would be sold.

Slavery would wound up in Egypt. Egypt.

Woodbridge is a rapist.

When the Jews waged with the gone to jail if he had gone to jail would been available to interpret the dream of what the devil to drink Steve now no longer second in each for the Christian, following the Lord, you can erase the words from your vocabulary luck, chance and fate lot chance and fate, you can erase them from your vocabulary. They are no longer meaningful word for you. Why because you have a sovereign God who functions providentially.

He collects things, but you are on the highway. You may not recognize that you headed toward a mixmaster. It may not be apparent you headed toward connection because of where you are located. In this particular place where you are in your life right now and right now it may not be a good place.

It may not be the best place it may not be the preferred place, but the question on the floor is to the best of your ability is that his place. Are you functioning to the best of your ability as much as you know how in accordance with his will. Because if you functioning there even if you end up bad place you on the road headed somewhere even though you don't quite know when you mixmaster Dr. Evans will come back with more on the complete Providence of God when he continues this message a few moments with his life came from everyone story comes with unique challenges, difficult time convincing that Lena's lasting training and airway to be a financial disaster. The effects of a global pandemic countess a broken relationship by the last seven left-wing Dr. Tony Evans best-selling*Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship understands life's hardships firsthand in a span of less than two years. The last seven family member, including his precious wife in the wake of this pain. Dr. Evans had to fit into the deepest level, the truths he has preached about God for more than 40.

In this practical and comforting hope for the hurting, Dr. Evans gives you practical spiritual principles based on the life of his shows that there is laughter and happiness. On the other side of it on you will learn how to block her enjoying there is hope for the hurting, his name is Jesus. Go to Tony Evans Natalie to find out more and request your help for the hurting in celebration of the release of this brand-new book from Dr. Evans would like to send one of the first copies to you as our gift return for your donation toward keeping this ministry, coming your way. Each day, and for a limited time, along with Tony's hope for the hurting book will also include all 20 messages 10 on CDN tenders digital downloads from the new audio compilation you're listening to today called coming to the comforter. This collection offers a healthy perspective on the pain and trials. We all go through I can help you find the strength you need to hold on during tough times, allowing you to discover the healing and wholeness. God has in store for you request a special package of resources right away. Tony Evans.org. You can even get the companion hope for the hurting Bible study DVD and study guide. Again, go to Tony Evans.org for all the details or let one of our resource team members help you by phone, day or night at 1-800-800-3222 that's 1-800-800-3222 right now. Dr. Evans picks up with part two of today's message to go downtown to downtown Dallas numbers of roots to get you there. God is so good he never leaves himself with one route never leaves himself a one way to arrive at his destination that usually only know one way God is so good. If you don't want you to go that way.

To create an accident or allow an accident to force you want to be to which may be the long way around to get you where you will should be.

If you are living in concert with God's will, then you need to know this. You need to know that as bad as it is these with you right now that's the only Encouraging Word I give you, particularly if you have jail you being a kid is wrong with your result of a dysfunctional family. All that was true of Joseph. All I can tell you is that the Bible says the Lord was with in a bad situation. The New Testament has a well-known verse that we've all quoted that summarizes this concept.

Romans 828 all things working together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose. All things are working together.

That's his providential invisible hand turning and twisting and tweaking things and they're working together for good.

But notice was working for today who love God and are called according to his purpose.

So that means you are living in light of his will is will his purpose is your focus, your purpose is his focus your good is his goal. Even though right now you traveling down the highway called bad. You may be on a bad stretch of road right bad stretch of road. We all have everybody in the Bible for me talk about before you look hopeless, but Esther parish to parish. Go back. It just so happened the king could go to sleep now know why you can't sleep if you gotta read a book you want a novel. He was some goes and says, bring me the registry. The names and addresses. Everybody in the king, reading is that he redo the registry of the People's resident of the kingdom and he happens just so happened this to come across the name is Gabi Mordechai and save the nation earlier was interesting about it tomorrow when I wake and it just so happened Mordechai's course tested Mordechai he finds out about Mordechai.

Now Mordechai is praised by the king boy get done now. Jimenez got a problem that he's built a gallows that Mordechai every other Jewish get his hands on. But now the king likes Mordechai. It just so happened that Haman now in trouble with the king and think it's really funny is not funny because the guy got killed but it's really funny because he's going up to Esther banking asked her to plead for the king and he got his hands.

Although best begging her for mercy. The king walks in with a touch of master and came away in about begging about nothing. King said no you will be messing with my wife did know him shall not go to get better.

The Bible says any got home of the very gallows that he built for his goddess in his providence can orchestrate things in such a way that what appeared to be going left was really going exactly where God wanted. Could it be that the thing you're running for most that God keeps block could be the thing that you trying to escape most that he won't let you out of any legitimate forks is because he's taking you somewhere in this piece is a necessary piece to where he's taking I could be.

I'm just saying you have to believe that you have a sovereign God who has providential oversight and let me close by telling you what of great benefit. His brothers were terrified because he thought, now Joseph, the big seat and Joseph is going to do us in.

Because what we did is don't be afraid. Don't be afraid because you many people I know you try to hurt me, but God decided to take your people can make it his good to bring me to this place like this to take the children. It is sovereignty mixed with Providence gives you the power to forgive sleep forgiveness is hard because you did me wrong.

But now, when I discovered you did me wrong because God wanted to usual role to bring good to me, that changes how I look at your rocks almost well.

This well but I can look at it differently and I don't have to yet because God was using your well changes how I look at you, it gives me the ability to forgive if God was using the wrong to help me get right where I was supposed to be. Dr. Evans will come back in just a moment with a challenge for us as he wraps up today's message on the complete providence of God. Now if you like to get a full-length copy of this message, including material we didn't have time to present on the year is included as a part of the comprehensive 20 part series I mentioned earlier coming to the comforter available with 10 on CD and the remaining is digital downloads the complete collection is yours with our thanks when you make a contribution to help keep Tony's ministry coming to this station and other outlets around the world and for a limited time, along with the coming to the comforter series will also send you Tony's newest book hope for the hurting, as always.

The details are waiting for you online@tonyevans.org where you can browse through a huge library of resources and sign up for Tony's free weekly email devotional. Be sure to look into getting the companion hope for the hurting Bible study DVD and study guide as well. Again that's Tony have in stock org or let one of our friendly resource team members, assist with your request at 1-800-800-3222 that's 1-800-800-3222. It's been said kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give Dr. Evans believes we are in a time when kindness is a gift that our society can't afford not to give take the time to show kindness to those you meet every day and in the name of Jesus. Look for opportunities to demonstrate kindness to someone who needs a touch from God will help make our world a better place.

When you display the love of God through your act of kindness every time we let the devil get the upper hand in our lives. We surrender a little bit of territory that doesn't belong to him.

But tomorrow Dr. Evans will help us see why it's not too late to turn those defeats into victories right now though he's back with the closing thought for today's message try something I want you to tell God I am willing to submit to the process you taking me through to get me to my mix next, whatever that is. Things that you can legitimately avoid things that you can go by once paying a bunch of run after paint you can you can legitimately deal with handle get out of what leads that's that's all fine about what you have to illegitimately do it. I am willing God may just be waiting for that.

The alternative with Dr. Tony have brought to you by the urban alternate made possible by the generous contributions of listeners like