Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

I.

A Complete Salvation (vs. 1)

II.

A Commendable Settlement (vs.

2)

III.

A Concluded Sedition (vs. 3)

IV.

A Comprehensive Sovereignty (vs.

4-6)

We have many things that need to be said about this verses and the time to do that is short, but some keys things need to be stated.

The last time we were together we discussed the identity of the 24 elders and the four beasts.

We told that the 24 elders could not be Israel and they could not be angels because other passage in the Bible just do not support that interpretation.

We told you that the most logical and Biblical interpretation was to see these 24 elders as a representative number for the Church.

And since the guys are seen as the Church; these same guys are seen in heaven in the 4th Chapter of Revelation.

Before the Tribulation begins; therefore, the Church is seen in heaven before the beginning of the Tribulation.

We also said that the four beasts, that we also saw in chapter 4, are the Cherubim the guardians of the Throne of God.

And that brought us to the actual throne that John mentions here.

The text tells us that it is God who sits on the Throne.

“Throne” being the word “θρόνος” and speaking of supreme power, total authority.

Last time together I gave you verses, literally, from Genesis to Revelation that espoused to God total Sovereignty.

I gave you, just as a starting point, some basic definitions of the Sovereignty of God.

God’s absolute rule and authority over all things.

God’s supremacy and meticulous control over all that occurs.

Meaning that every detail of His creation is under the total control.

Of course, when you talk about the Sovereignty of God there is always the question of God’s role in sinful actions.

And we have been over this so many times that I am not going to go into great detail here, but just a few things.

I guess I will start with the Doctrinal statement that is on the Churches website regarding the decree of God.

God has decreed in Himself from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably, all things which shall ever come to pass.

– Yet in such a way that God is neither the author of sin nor does He have fellowship with any in the committing of sins, nor is violence offered to the will of the creature , nor yet is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.

www.emmanuelbaptistmineral.org

The point is that God is still sovereignty even over the sinful actions of men and women.

Some people have said, “well, I have a real problem with God being sovereign over sin, that means that he approves of it”.

Remember that I said last time that God can control and use things for His own purposes and yet not approve of the actions that He is using.

Listen, whether or not you say that God was directly the one that controlled the action or that God simply knew, through omniscience, what they were going to do, God still created them and so the control still falls back into the lap of God.

Remember that God is not as we are.

He does not share the same attributes as we do and does not act as we do; He is completely and totally Holy; we have but imputed declared righteousness.

He is righteous to His very being.

A couple of Biblical principles to consider.

First, Solomon, king of Israel, had died.

His son Rehoboam was about to be made king.

Jeroboam, who had opposed Solomon and was driven into exile in Egypt, returned quickly and gathered the people behind him as a popular leader.

He took the people and stood before Rehoboam and offered to serve him if he would lighten their load.

“Your father made our yoke heavy.

Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you” (2 Chron.

10:4).

Rehoboam sought counsel from the old men.

They counseled wisely, “If you will be good to this people and please them and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever” (2 Chron.

10:7).

But Rehoboam abandoned the counsel of the old men and sought counsel from “the young men who had grown up with him.”

They gave foolish counsel: “Thus shall you speak to the people … ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs.

And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke.

My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions’ ” (2 Chron.

10:10–11).

Rehoboam embraced the foolish counsel of the young men.

The result was the tragic split of Israel into two warring kingdoms—ten tribes in the north and two tribes in the south.

Why did Rehoboam react in this sinful and foolish way?

There are layers of answers.

But the writer of 2 Chronicles tells us the ultimate answer:

Second, a few chapters later Ahab, king of the northern tribes of Israel, made an alliance with Jehoshaphat, the king of the southern tribes.

They would go to war together against Syria.

Before going they sought counsel from the prophets.

Four hundred prophets counseled them to go up against Syria.

God would give it into their hands, they said (2 Chron.

18:11).

But these prophets were deceived.

The one true prophet, Micaiah, described to the kings what had happened.

He gave a window into heaven.

He explained that among the hosts gathered before God there was a “lying spirit” who volunteered to deceive the prophets.

“I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets” (2 Chron.

18:21).

So God says, “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.”

Then the true prophet Micaiah said to Ahab, “Now therefore behold, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets.

The LORD has declared disaster concerning you” (2 Chron.

18:22).

Why did the prophets give false and destructive counsel to King Ahab?

There are layers of answers.

But the writer of 2 Chronicles gives the ultimate one:

Seven chapters later in 2 Chronicles, Amaziah, the king of Judah, became bigheaded by a recent victory over the nation of Edom.

In his pride, he decided to press his authority on the northern kingdom ruled by Joash.

Joash resisted and pointed out Amaziah’s pride: “You say, ‘See, I have struck down Edom,’ and your heart has lifted you up in boastfulness.”

Then he gave him wise counsel: “Stay at home.

Why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?” (2 Chron.

25:19).

But Amaziah would not forsake his pride and aggression.

p 24 Why?

Again the answer has many layers.

But the writer of 2 Chronicles gives us the ultimate answer:

I believe that we have more than established the fact that God is absolutely Sovereign, Biblically.

Not to belabor the point, but I want you to have clear understanding on this; particularly given what our next study will be.

What areas is God sovereign?

The quick and general answer is everything.

But more specifically.

He is Sovereign over Slaves

Now, before you fire me because of my use and an unpopular term, keep in mind that the term is completely Biblical.

Your understanding of this word is biased by your reading of English translations; and everyone of them do it.

You are use to reading.

But here it is in the Greek.

“δοῦλος” means “slave”.

You are very familiar with this verse.

We are literally the slaves of Christ and as slaves he is the sovereign one over us.

This goes on and on for two chapters and then Job finally realize the sovereignty of God.

Then Job finally realizes the Sovereignty of God.

Because the Almighty, the one that sits on the throne is sovereign over his Slaves.

2. He is Sovereign over the Sanctuary

3.

He is Sovereign over Salvation

We will explore those things and finish this section next time.