Imprisonment plus isolation plus a death sentence equals . . . joy? Wait, that can’t be right, can it? In this message, Dr. Stanley examines the apostle Paul’s triumphant joy in the face of dire circumstances. It may seem absurd, but as Christians, we’re enabled by the Holy Spirit to experience overflowing joy even when our lives only seem to be adding up to despair. Explore what it means to trade in superficial happiness for steadfast joy. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch
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[Music]
in touch with Dr Charles Stanley
celebrating 45 years of God’s
faithfulness in sharing the gospel
worldwide
next on in touch Christmas the wisdom of
God
it’s always a source of comfort and
peace to know that
Our God every day all day long who’s
guiding our life is god of wisdom
which means he always chooses the best
in every single decision that he makes
Not only does he choose the best but he
chooses the best way for us to get to
the best
not only that wisdom is more than just
the fact that God knows everything but
when you think about the decisions that
God makes
he always makes wise decisions which
always brings the best results so if a
person really wants the best results in
their life they will choose God’s way
they will choose to follow the decisions
that God sets out for their life and
when you think about that I think about
Romans 8 28 when the Apostle Paul who
was affirming this very idea of the
wisdom of God he said 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 why
because he’s an all-wise God and he
always chooses the best
likewise if you look around you look at
your life would you not agree that when
you and I follow his will and his
purpose and plan we always come out with
the best
well what I want to talk about in this
message I want to talk about a decision
that God made I want to talk about the
wisdom that is found in this decision
because from Genesis to Revelation
here’s what you’ll find god making
decisions and you see his wisdom all the
way in one event after the other you see
the wisdom of God being expressed and
lived out and played out in life and if
you’ll turn to Romans chapter chapter 11
for a moment and
Paul had been in this Romans epistle
what he had been doing is he had been
expressing and declaring and expounding
the wisdom of God in God’s whole
Redemptive plan have very very wise it
is and so when he comes to this 11th
chapter and the 33rd verse he just burst
out in this awesome sense of praise to
God and he says oh the depths of the
riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God how unsearchable are his
judgments and unfathomable his ways so
when I think about God’s wisdom and
think about how unfathomable his ways I
want us to choose one of those events
in history one of those events that
probably as good as any share with us
the wisdom of God look how wise God is
in every single aspect of that well what
is it well the title of this message is
Christmas the wisdom of God and what I
want us to see I want us to see how
God’s wisdom is so clearly and
beautifully explained and expressed in
the whole scene of the birth of the Lord
Jesus Christ beginning with the timing
of it so somebody says well what’s so
wise about the timing of it here’s
what’s wise about it
and Eternity past God the Father God the
son God the Holy Spirit made a plan
and so creation came
and so God let time go by and if we can
just start with some of those
civilizations like Egypt for example and
all of their emptiness and all of their
many many gods that they worshiped that
was not God’s timing
and so then you move on to other
generations and while we’re moving on to
those I want you to turn and follow up
with me because I want you to see
something in Galatians chapter 4.
Galatians chapter 4 look in verse 4 if
you will