Sermon Tone Analysis

March 26, 2012

By: John Barnett

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One of the most powerful truth to strengthen and guide you through life is found in Jeremiah 1:12.

The Creator and Redeemer, the Lord God Almighty who is the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe tells us that there is something He is very focused upon.

The Book you hold in your hands this morning, the Bible God's Word is like none other—because God says, “I am watching over my Word—to perform it!”

Perhaps the greatest way that you and I can affirm the reality of God today is through this facet of His Sovereignty.

God’s rule over the nations is the context of this claim—and the clearest way to see God’s Rule over the nations is through Biblical Prophecy.

This book is unique in that God has mapped out specific events in the future.

Only the Living and True God of Heaven and Earth has ever dared to say, “Let me tell you the future”.

In fact, He said that was the way you could know that He was real, and that you and I could place our faith and trust in Him.

God declares the future in His Word because He “watches over His Word to perform it!”

*Jeremiah 1:12 /Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”/

NKJV

*Jeremiah 1:12 /The LORD said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.”

/NIV

*Jeremiah 1:12 /Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”/

NASB

No where is God’s Rule over the nations seen more clearly than in prophetic Scriptures!

In the 15 years since Jerry Bridges wrote the words of chapter 5 of his book Trusting God (1991)—God’s Rule over the Nations is only getting clearer and clearer.

What is the simplest and yet most profound evidence the Bible offers concerning God’s Rule over the Nations?

It is prophecy fulfilled--the irrefutable verification reserved to the Scriptures alone.

Prophecy is the missing element in all other sacred scriptures of the world's religions; It is not to be found in the Koran, the Hindu Vedas, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Book of Mormon, the sayings of Buddha, the writings of Mary Baker Eddy (Christian Science).

By contrast prophecy comprises about one third of the Scriptures!

So the huge amount of prophetic verses in our Bible can become another strong support for our understanding God’s Sovereignty and are a great and comforting place to encourage our trusting God.

There are daily benefits of trusting God that I want to apply this morning.

But first, the God who rules the Nations!

As we begin this morning open with me to Isaiah 41:21:

*"Present your case," says the LORD.

"Bring forth your strong [reasons,"] says the King of Jacob.*

(NKJV)

PROPHECY IS THE TEST TO SHOW WHO IS GOD.

The true God rules over the nations!

*1.

TRUST THE ONLY GOD WHO ACCURATELY KNOWS THE FUTURE.*

Isaiah 41:23 *Show the things that are to come hereafter, That we may know that you are gods;* Yes, do good or do evil, That we may be dismayed and see it together.

*2.

PROPHECY PROVES GOD IS REAL.*

Isaiah 42:5-9 /Thus says God the Lord, *Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it:* 6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.

8 I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.

9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them.”/

*3.

PROPHECY PROVES GOD IS RELIABLE.*

Isaiah 46:9-10 /Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 *Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done,* Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’/

*4.

PROPHECY REVEALS TO US THE GOD WE CAN TRUST.*

Isaiah 48:3-5 /*“I have declared the former things from the beginning;* They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it.

Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass. 5 *Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you*, Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.’/

*5.

TRUSTING GOD DETERMINES OUR ETERNAL DESTINY.*

Isaiah 48:17-18, 22 /Thus says the Lord, *your Redeemer,* The Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, Who teaches you to profit, *Who leads you by the way you should go*.

18 Oh, that you had heeded My commandments!

*Then your peace would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea*.

22 “There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”/

*We are to trust the God who is ruling over the nations by giving us the Word He is watching over to fulfill! *Jeremiah 1:12 Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to perform it.”

NASB

In our brief moments together today let’s dive into what made up 1/3rd of the Bible as it was written and still makes up almost 1/5th of God's Word today.

The Rule of God over the Nations as seen in Biblical Prophecy.

God has already described in detail what will happen in the future.

Every time what He has declared will happen—happens, it is literally just what He said.

But when examined closely, those involved make their own decisions and have no intention or awareness of following God’s plan!

We live in the most written about period of time, from God’s perspective.

Fully 20% of the Bible is consumed with describing the events that God calls the end of days.

These end of days are more described and detailed for us—than even the days when Christ walked the shores of Galilee.

The end times Biblical prophecies that are powerful pictures of God’s Rule over the Nations are many, here are just a few:

*1.

Trust the God who promised Israel would return as a nation in Ezekiel 36-37.

*

In Ezekiel 36-37 the God who rules tells us that Israel will one day be reborn as a modern country, that Jews will pour back into the Holy Land after centuries of exile, that Jews will rebuild the "ancient ruins" and make the deserts bloom, that Israel will develop a vast and powerful military, and that Israel will become remarkably wealthy.

These prophecies have all come true in our lifetime.

They began to be fulfilled in the early 1900s, accelerated in 1948 and 1967, and continue to come true to this day.

To benefit from the power of the God who rules, we are asked to see what He has done.

Note with me the predictions found in Ezekiel 36-37 that have already come true.

These are the famous prophetic chapters that foretell the future of Israel as a nation, that were written almost 600 years before Christ's birth!

* *The rebirth of the State of Israel in the end times (both chapters)*: Did the British politicians and early Zionists that fought for the establishment of the nation of Israel do all that because they wanted to or because God ruled over them?

Both of course.

That is how God works.

God was watching over His Word to fulfill it!

* *The return of the Jews to the Holy Land after centuries in exile* (36:10-11, 36:24, 36:37-38, 37:12, 37:21): Did the countless thousands of Jews all over the world (100 nations and counting) get up one morning and each decide to obey God's Word that said they would return?

No they just had a longing to be safe, to be free, to have a land of their own—and in all that they obeyed the God who rules over the nations by watching over His Word to fulfill it!

* *The rebuilding of the ancient ruins in Israel* (36:36): Did God make the early settlers name their cities after the Biblical sites they were building upon?

No, they wanted to tie themselves to the past, their heritage and God's Word! God was watching over His Word to fulfill it!

* *The re-blossoming of desolate, desert lands to produce abundant food, fruit and foliage* (36:8-9 and 36:30-35): Did those agricultural engineers, irrigation pioneers, and desert scientists devote their lives to Israel in its wasteland condition just to make Ezekiel come true?

No. God was watching over His Word to fulfill it!

*The creation of an "exceedingly great army" *(37:11): Did the atomic scientists, the military weapons engineers and the businessmen that listened to them all want to fulfill Ezekiel?

No, they were trying to protect themselves, defend themselves and make a living.

But in the process became the third or fourth most powerful military in the world when the atomic weaponry is factored in.

God was watching over His Word to fulfill it!

*2.

Trust the God who declares Russia is the leader of the anti-Israeli coalition described in Ezekiel 38-39.*

True, Ezekiel never uses the word Russia.

Instead, he says a dictator referred to as "Gog" will arise in the land of "Magog," and will be the "prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal."

The first century historian Josephus wrote in his classic work, Antiquities of the Jews, that the "Magogites" are the people that the Greeks refer to as "Scythians."

Study the history of the ancient Scythians and you will quickly discover that these were a brutal and bloodthirsty people that settled north of the Black Sea in the area we now call Russia and the former Soviet republics.

In Moscow the State Historical Museum on Red Square has numerous Scythian artifacts prominently displayed.

Russia is proud of its Scythian tradition, and this helps us pinpoint Russia as the modern country to which Ezekiel was referring.

Other Bible scholars note that when Ezekiel mentions "Rosh" he is using the root word for Russia.

Others believe "Meshech" refers to Moscow and "Tubal" refers to the Tubal River in Siberia and the Siberian city of Tobolsk.

Numerous leading Bible scholars agree that Russia will certainly be the leader of the anti-Israel coalition in what Ezekiel describes as "the last days."

*Russia Sells Arms to Iran*

Just a few days after Ahmadinejad's inflammatory remarks about Israel, these headlines appeared around the world:

• Iran and Russia in $1 Billion Arms Deal—Aljazeera.Net (12/2/05)

• Moscow Inks Arms Deal with Tehran—Moscow Times (12/5/05)

• Russia Agrees to Sell Missiles to Iran—Associated Press (12/5/05)

*The Lens of Scripture*

Russia's enormous military sales to Iran—especially on top of its sales of nuclear technology to Iran and training of more than 1,000 Iranian nuclear scientists—do not make classic geopolitical sense.

But, chapters 38 and 39 of the Book of Ezekiel speak of a dictator "who would one day take over Russia, form an alliance with Iran and the radical Islamic world, and take up arms against a modern State of Israel."

For those viewing current events through the lens of Scripture, the fact that Russia is building a military alliance with Iran for the first time in human history is actually not so bewildering.