Synopsis of Sermon 05/05/2024 

Delivered by Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III 

Philippians 2:13 KJV
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

I.          INTRODUCTION

1. We should all be aware that God is at work in our lives. Before he formed you in your Mother’s womb, he knew you. God is actively involved in your arrival.
2. Nothing just happens. When you look at your life and the events in your life, you think it is just for the moment, but know that they are tied to something much bigger. We must see ourselves on a journey and the events as something to get us to a place He has set for us.
3. Eventually when you get there, you will realize that God was at work in your life the whole time. No matter the pain, you must know that God is at work on your behalf.
4. In the scripture, Paul writes to the church of Philippi. He is concerned that they must become what God wants them to become.
5. Paul reminds them that God will supply all of their needs and God will take care of them, just as the church had taken care of Paul. As a result, we find assurances of God’s help in the book of Philippians. For example, we see scriptures like, “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me”.
6. Although God will supply our needs, we must work out our own salvation. God is at work for us. We have a human responsibility, however, to do what we can do and then God will do by grace, what we can’t do.
7. God has started and completed something. He is now waiting on you to start it or catch up to what he has already started and completed for us. God sees further down the road than we can see. He already knows how the story ends.
8. God is at work through us.

II.          THE POWER OF DIVINE PERSPECTIVE

• You can’t look at your situation through human lenses. Don’t attribute all of your difficult seasons to being that of the devil. Everything bad is not of the devil. Sometimes God will allow things to better us.
• God allows diverse moments because:
  • Sharpens Your Discernment – You can see clearer now, because of the situation God allowed.
  • For Your Spiritual Development – Look how you’ve grown. You wouldn’t be reading this now, if you hadn’t gone through what you’ve gone through in the past.
  • To Situate You For Destiny – God has taken you out of places and put you into other places. God was situating you. Some see opposition, when you see opportunity.

A.    He’s Working In All Of It 

1. God is at work through all of it. The rain comes and no one likes the rain, but they like how good the yard looks afterwards. Your lawn looks good, because of the rain. There are benefits in the things that seem inconvenient to you.
   1. Job saw God in the midst of all that he was going through. Despite all that Job went through, in the midst of it, he could tell that God was up to something. This is why he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”. James says in James 1:2-4 NKJV, My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
2. God has not abandoned you. He is walking with you through it!

B.  He’s Working In You 

1. All of us are becoming. We never arrive, but we are always striving to become. You are always growing and learning from all that you go through. Stop being hard on yourself because you are becoming!
2. Sanctification – This is a process where we gradually become holy. It’s not an instantaneous thing like some people think.  
3. Types of sanctification:
   1. Positional Sanctification – We are set apart by faith. We are declared holy by Him. We can’t work or serve ourselves in holiness.
   1. Progressive Sanctification – This is an ongoing process where we gradually become more like Christ. It is transformation by the Holy Spirit.
   1. Ultimate Sanctification – This is when you die and go to heaven, and you are made completely Holy. As long as you are in flesh, you have to work out your salvation. For example: Your car is dirty. Puddles and weather has caused your car to be dirty, so you go to a  car wash to get it washed. When you go to get the car washed, this represents Position Sanctification. The act of getting your car washed is representative of Progressive Sanctification. You are in the process of getting clean.
4. Now you have to determine what kind of wash you want. This is determined by the level of investment that you are willing to make.

• What kind of wash do you want for example? You may pick a basic wash, because you are cheap. The basic wash only covers the outside. The problem with this is, you look good on the outside, but the inside still looks terrible. Some people want the basic sanctification. This means they are holy looking on the outside, but on the inside, they are still nasty.
• Look at how patient and resilient you have become. One of the scriptures says, maybe it was good that I was afflicted. Philippians 1:6 says⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; – God will always make certain he gets out of us what he needs for His plan.

III.          THE PLAN TO DEVELOP PROVIDENTIALLY

• We weren’t designed to be static. When you are progressive, you have to be moving.
• Actions tell me where you are on the spectrum of spirituality, not your age. There are those that have been in church all their lives, but they still act like infants.
  • On your job, people make you mad and if you haven’t been saved long, we expect that you might act out, but after 15 yrs of being saved, we don’t expect you to act the same over such situations. When you’ve matured spiritually, we expect you to act a little better and be able to better withstand things that challenge you spiritually.
• Jesus took 12 men to develop. They became the Twelve Disciples. Any relationship needs a development journey.

A.    Don’t Fight The Process 

1. We naturally fight the things that are difficult for us. Stop trying to just take the easy path. Take the path that will develop you.
2. It is in the “no” responses from God, that He develops us the most.

B.  It’s Not About Where You Are, But Where You Are Going 

1. It’s never about your right now, it’s always about where God is taking you. The size of your trial is always an indication of your blessing coming your way. God is setting you up for greater up the road.

IV.          THE PROCESS DISCLOSES PURPOSE

• Purpose is only revealed in the process.

A.  There Is No Revelation Without A Situation 

1. Everyone wants a revelation. Revelation never comes without a situation. For instance, the scripture says, “In the year that King Isaiah died… (this is situation), I saw the Lord high and lifted up and his train filled the temple (this is revelation). Paul was struck off his horse on Damascus Road (this is situation), then the Lord asked, “why are you persecuting me” and his name was changed from Saul to Paul (this is revelation).

B.    There Is A Season When It Will All Make Sense 

1. We will understand it better by and by as the song says. Genesis 50:20 NKJV says 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. – God meant it for my good.
   1. Remain Righteous – Don’t allow what happens to you to change you. You’ve got to be who you’ve always been.
   1. Remain Resilient – Don’t let people run you away from your purpose.
   1. Remain Resolute – Stay focused on your assignment.

V.          THE PRAISE WHEN DESTINY IS PROMISED

• Praise happens when I know destiny is promised. God is doing this for His good pleasure. God knows what its going to look like down the road. If God allowed it, its going to bless you.

A.  If God Allowed It, It’s Going To Bless You 

1. Whatever happens, if He allowed it, it will eventually bless you.

B.    It Was All For His Glory 

1. You have to tap into those things and not be bitter, but instead be better.
2. Every situation gave us a revelation. Everything we go through doesn’t feel good, but it’s necessary.
3. Even though your route has changed, your destination is the same.
   1. Bishop tells the story of getting on a plane, trying to get back home in time to attend his daughter’s Birthday Party. There was a report of severe turbulence, so the Pilot told everyone that he would have to take another route back to Nashville. Even though they had to go out of the way, the plane ended up in Nashville on time, even though they still had to fight some turbulence on the alternate route.
   1. Know that if God changes your route, you still have a guaranteed destination. God is always up to something in and through you, even if you might not see it right now!!