“It Is Well With My Soul”

1. Have you ever felt out of control?

1) There’s not too many worse feelings in this world.

2) I’ve had some auto accidents in which I was out of control.

3) Many fear flying because they are not in control.

4) We don’t like to feel or be out of control.

2. Life can sometimes feel out of control.

1) Perhaps things aren’t going well in our jobs.

2) Perhaps we have family members who have made bad choices.

3) Perhaps we don’t like what is going on in the government.

4) What can we do when we feel life is out of control?

3. We can know that God is in control of all things.

1) Hebrews 1:3 says that he upholds “all things by the word of His power.”

2) Colossians 1:16-18 states, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

3) Consider Isaiah 40:28-31 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

4. Knowing that God is in control brings peace to our lives.

1) It means that I don’t have to have all of the answers.

2) It means that God will deal with the choices of others.

3) It means that regardless of what happens to me in my life, God will take care of me if I seek him first (Matthew 6:33).

4) Consider Matthew 8:23-27.

5) We can have the attitude of Paul in Philippians 1:21 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

1. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

2. It is sometimes hard to see the good in a bad situation.

1) It is easy to focus upon bad things.

2) We tend to worry about the problems that don’t yet exist.

3) Instead we should be focused upon the possible good that might come.

4) Lukenbill example.

3. Consider Joseph.

1) His brothers hated him.

2) They wanted to kill him.

3) They sold him into slavery.

4) He was then lied about and sent into prison.

5) But God raised him up.

6) When Joseph’s brothers feared him, he said, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive” (Genesis 50:20).

4. Consider Jesus.

1) He was rejected and despised of men.

2) He was cruelly beaten and crucified.

3) But God raised Him up and through His death brought salvation to all.

4) Consider Acts 3:26 “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”

5. Because God can work all things for good, we can have peace knowing that good will come even under bad circumstances. Consider Romans 8:35-37 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

1. The old spiritual proclaims, “All God’s children got troubles!”

1) Everyone has troubles in this life.

2) Disagreements with friends, neighbors, family.

3) Shortage of finances, debt.

4) Some have more basic problems: hunger, nakedness, lack of shelter.

5) There are troubles associated with war.

6) Some have diseases.

7) All must deal with death.

8) Our problem becomes how to cope with the troubles we have.

2. The Bible teaches that for the Christian, at least, troubles are temporary.

1) Consider 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

2) Consider Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

3. Knowing that our troubles are temporary gives us peace.

1) James 2:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

2) Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

1. Consider a world in which the possibility of salvation doesn’t exist.

1) One would be without hope.

2) There would be no reason to live.

3) One would have no peace or comfort from death.

2. But now salvation is available for all.

1) 1 Timothy 4:10 “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.”

2) John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

3) 1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

4) 1 John 4:14 “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”

3. Because salvation is available for all, we can have peace with God. Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

1. How does it feel when you know you are going to win?

1) Have you ever watched a game in which you know your team is going to win?

2) Ever played a game in which you knew you were going to win?

3) There is a certain peace of mind that comes with winning.

2. The Bible teaches that God and His people are going to win!

1) 1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2) 1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

3) Revelation 17:14 “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

3. Because the end result is victory, we can have peace.