Doctrine: Sovereignty of God (John 6:1-21)

Text: John 6:1-21 Doctrine: Sovereignty of God Bridge to Doctrine: Through feeding more than 5,000 people and walking on water, Jesus put His sovereignty, power, and authority over all creation on full display. Key Points and Insertion of Doctrine into Passage: John 6:2, 5-6, 11, 14-15

My girls LOVE to play Queen- if you come into my house, someone is almost always walking around with a crown on and often there is fighting over who gets to be the Queen and who gets to be the servant.

It’s interesting that from a young age- the desire and longing to be in charge comes out in full display.

We all- at some level- desire to be sovereign...

To be sovereign means to be in control of all things, to have supreme power and authority.

We all tend to want to be sovereign over our own little sphere of life.

Most of us don’t walk around with crowns on anymore, announcing that we are the queen- but if we are honest- How often are we trying to rule and run our own kingdom?

But what happens- when the world around us feels completely out of control?

When our best laid plans get interrupted?

When our solutions to the problem in front of us come up short?

Or when the storms of life hit us out of no where?

One author says: “In a world that seems out of control, where difficult things happen to you, to those you love, and to people you’ve never met, it is hard to hold on to the reality that the one who is perfect in every way is in absolute control of the world.”

Understanding God’s sovereignty is really a lesson in trust.

If trust is difficult for you, this may be a difficult thing for you to come to terms with.

We can trust God because His sovereignty flows out of who He is, every single attribute always, all the time.

He always knows the right thing to do. All things on earth and in the entire universe rest within His Sovereign control that flows from His heart of love and His desire to bring about ultimate, eternal good for His people.

We so often function with complete trust in ourselves to deliver and then become frustrated, discouraged, or anxious when life is out of our control...

so in those moments when life is obviously out of control…we have a choice...

…we can keep frantically rowing like the disciples…trying to stay in control of our kingdom....or, we can let go and TRUST in the one who IS in control.

Because when we trust in Him....we find REST knowing He has it…and we don’t have to.

When I struggle to believe in God’s sovereignty, I’ll get thrown off-balance, feel shaken to my core, or fall into despair when things don’t go how I think they should go.

I’ll think God forgot or doesn’t care about me or people I love.

I’ll be tempted to believe things about God that aren’t true—that He isn’t who He says He is.

Or when I encounter difficulties, I will think it is up to me to solve the problems or that there is no way through them.

When I do believe God is sovereign, I experience freedom and joy.

I understand that my loving God perfectly rules over my life.

Even in the darkest moments, I know God will never forsake me because all that happens is a part of His perfect plan.

His Spirit lives within me, and I gratefully hold onto the truth that I have everlasting life with my eternal King.

-Because He is sovereign, Jesus knows the heart of EVERY person and what they truly need.

Because he is sovereign, He has the power to make that happen. - So who in your life do you need to entrust to Jesus’ sovereign control? - How does knowing He knows what you need...what your loved ones need...what the entire world needs AND has the power to accomplish what needs to be done encourage you to take the next step in whatever He is calling you to do?

- God’s sovereignty means we can rest confidently in Him and find assurance in His care.