How is God "Sovereign"?

Morning, everyone. I I I don't get a lot of stream feedback. So I'm not sure if it's working. But at least from my perspective it is so hopefully you guys can hear me. Okay, if you're watching and you can hear me or thought he was badly out of sync or whatever else, Let me know. It's probably too late to deal with it now practically speaking, but certainly will learn from this for those of you that are watching its think is about 8 people viewing. I think we this is our first time trying this is a church and I'm the guinea pig. So I tried to put together a slide deck and things like we've done in the past. It's helpful for me and I will do it abbreviated message today. Just something simple but everything was going on. So I appreciate your prayers and patience as we go through this together. Hopefully, we'll all be able to benefit from it and as time goes on so it's summer guards very exciting. I think all of us deserve an opportunity may be to do this under different circumstances. However, it is what it is and as we talked about this and prayed about it, it's been reassuring to know that God's in charge which is exactly what we're going to talk about today. So if you joining us great, once again, feel free to, ask questions, if you're able to come with the LifeStream, I'm for the folks that are watching. I'm I should be able to see these in real-time other people might be able to as well. I will work out some of those Kinks but we're going to have a little time here talk about God's sovereignty and after that if there's any prayer requests, whatever also be happy with those up and in prayer, which is a kind of a unique opportunity given the situation so Anyway, I'll be driving to slides and talking about them as well. So once again patience appreciated. I'm today real talk about how God how is God Sovereign we use that word a lot and new coming to break it down a little bit times like this. I think especially If you helpful for us to remind ourselves through God's word that God is in charge and when we say he Sovereign to ponder that idea he'd be able to communicate clearly to those around us and maybe aren't as confident that God is Sovereign. I'm so the 1st I started with was Romans 9:13 through 24 on this going to be a lot of different person today. Not so much a typical sermon. We were just going to dissect Romans 9:13 through 24 the but mostly as a jumping-off point into what God's sovereignty is so I hopefully all things being equal you're seeing the kind of tradition of you ever been to a church before you probably somewhat saying something familiar. I hope here with the Bible verse on screen. So I want to read it if you got your Bible Grayton open it up follow along if not treasure on the screen Romans 9:13 as it is written Jacob I loved but Esau I hated what shall we say then? Is there a Justice on God's part by no means What he says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human will or exertion but on God who has Mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh for this very purpose. I have raised you up but I might show my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the Earth. So then he has Mercy on whom ever he wills and he hardens whomever. He Wills you will say to me then. Why does he still find fault for who can resist his will but who are you? Oh man to answer back to God will what is molded Sage with Mulder? Why have you made me like this has the Potter? No right over the clay to make out of the same lamp one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use What if God Desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power has endure with much patience vessels of Wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known The Riches of his glory for vessels of Mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for Glory even us who he is called not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles.

The passage focus is a lot on who we are and who God is.

Lots of questions for have to who are we to ask God anything to be perfectly honest and true. Absolutely true. Who are we to do that? And the reason that that is the case is because we would not have got to stop. What's a burn is. This is a definition straight out of Merriam-Webster not to say that this is you know, the absolute truth of the word but I found this to be a fantastic because all these definitions I think applied to God I perfectly this is the adjective form of stop right? There is something as a sovereign like I ate a sovereign leader could be referred to as a sovereign. God would be a sovereign if you would he would be the Sovereign of course, but this is the adjective form of iso superlative in quality, right? So ultimate quality. Of the most exalted kind having generalized Curative powers, like a sovereign remedy in which is great. We would refer to God obviously, it's the great physician. So that's perfect. Not even generalize a very specific and limited. Of powers of an unqualified nature unmitigated having Undisputed ascendancy or Paramount possessed of supreme power unlimited and extent and enjoying autonomy. And the last year is relating to characteristic of or befitting a supreme ruler. And obviously if there was anything that I think would God supreme ruler is a perfect fit. So we talk about God being Sovereign. It's any or all of these parts anything here that we we would look and say well this is its ascendancy disputed. Is there is there a competition for God and will probably not the right as we work through this we understand what God movie say God is Sovereign at this is what we mean by that. But there's another level of this Beyond just what the word sovereign means took knowledge for instance that you know, the president is the commander-in-chief doesn't mean that I necessarily.

Submit to the president I could say that but is it is quite different perhaps to live that and that's why I want to talk about today. So when we say God is Sovereign, how is God so is God Sovereign over all the good things in my life. This is a common one good things happen. We like to give thanks to God and he gave me this and a hashtag blessed all these things are based on this idea that it's very easy for us oftentimes to to give thanks to God when things are going good. Is he Sovereign over all the good things in life? Not just my life, but just good things in life in general. How about over all the good things? Maybe not even related to life. Just something when I deem to be good. How about just over all the things and finally overall As you move down this list and we start talking about if it's good and bad things of God stopping over those two and what about just something I can't even identify what are things that aren't even in my head something that I'm not even considering or it might be a big deal if somebody else but doesn't even crew doesn't even cross my mind. Is he stopping over that? The answer is of course. Yes. Yes, God Sovereign over all everything Sovereign over everything now. There's a whole nother session we could do probably talking about God's relation to the evil in the world. And there's a specific Cadence for that what I would at when we say that a sovereign over we say that he's in charge and he's a supreme ruler that it doesn't mean he's the author of The Creator that it doesn't necessarily mean that but certainly doesn't mean that God is evil or that he created us in God created the law Man created the Sun.

But God is Sovereign over that he is in charge of it and rules and we know how this ends in the word. All sin will be eradicated. That is part of God's sovereignty the what we see today the state of the world and in the way that it works today God is still in charge over he's not distance from it and it's not like God's in charge of the good things and the devil's in charge of the bad things and they're constantly at war is the who's going to win this what we know how that in God's in charge doesn't make it necessarily easy sometimes but it's the truth and as we study the truth and we meditate on the truth. It does get easier how confident should grow in God if it happened is happening. It will happen. God is well aware. I mention it's a lot when I when I preached sure if I'm just studying or talking but there's nothing that God's taken aback by all. I didn't see that coming or I didn't know they would do that. I can't believe that person walk in the door any of these sorts of things. I can't believe they treated you. That way. He knows he's well aware and this should bring us Comfort not anxiety. What's a good maybe that seems very simple? I think a lot of times though. We we say that we trust God but in reality we are anxious about what God is going to do. If anything, we don't we don't really trust what's happening. We we we try to lean on our own understanding we try to figure it out. We try to cram God into our understanding of the world around us and that's where we get into a place of anxiety because it's very difficult to do that when we hear the God is loving and good and we see terrible things happening and we hate ourselves why I know that he's starving but I don't understand how he could be stopping over this by all means that should be frustrating to us and we should then turn to the word. We should study the scripture and understand that this is not new. There's been suffering in the world and we've seen countless examples of biblical Heroes Cry Out To God In These Times Square that Circle up find comfort in God and knowing that he's in charge of he's going to take care of it and how do we know? Let's focus on three areas here for a brief time together the world around us God's sovereignty related to that the provisions for us and our Redemption. I like the Capstone in our Redemption cuz obviously we would be having this conversation if it had if it wasn't for that if it wasn't for bullet 3 the Notions of bullet 1 and 2 wouldn't weren't any discussion if I didn't have any Redemption and got it and I was standing outside of of of God in Jesus Christ there would really be no discussion to be had about the world around me or what God's provision for me would be because of retained these these make sense to be a speaker speaking to so God is Sovereign over the world around us. He made everything we see and everything we don't see and that's not to say a while. I don't see what's going on perhaps in other areas of the world. That's true. But everything that we don't see God made time and it didn't do as well can't really visualize time. I can't see it flowing around me and then I can can't even see the air without something that you know clouding it. But there's plenty of things that we don't see around us that God is absolutely in charge of he is Sovereign over it. He's a supreme ruler of it. There is nothing higher than him. It is not operating a parallel to God. He made it the including times when we talked about what God knows what's going to happen if he does know what's going to happen because he created time the boundary that we exist in God stands outside of army Sovereign over he can create time and he can destroy time he can have it ceased to be And the Third Wheel here is ex nihilo out of nothing. Maybe you seen this number for maybe if not, but it's very important to understand that God didn't create things in the way that we do know man on Earth has ever created something ex. Nihilo. That's out of nothing. We always take something and turn it into something else always and we start to get that stuck in our head of it. That's how creation is that we have to deal with what we're given and then we start to attribute that to God. God does not have that limitation God is Not forced to deal with what he was given. He was given nothing. He created everything. He has existed forever any Sovereign over everything that he's ever created God created manifested our world EX nihilo. He said let's have a universe and it was one there was nothing before and there was a universe after he spoke the words to do. So once again should be comforting us that that God is Not Just riding along with us in this world and and yes, he's present here, but he is not bound by this he's present because he chooses to be in a glorified when to do so

God does not depend on his creation and there was no shortcoming a guy that creation fulfills. I think I may be things intuitive but surprisingly difficult perhaps for us to ponder when we see. Especially when we started we see what we're called to be and do right. We we have a calling as a as Christians to go out and preach the word is the great commandment the Great Commission if the treat others as we would be treated and then to tell them who Christ is and what he did. It is tricky business to say that we do that because we are called to we don't do that because God can't do it without us God chose to engage us that glorifies him to do so and he's in charge of that. He's in charge of our Ministries in charge of every word that we say and do my ability to speak and see and hear and touch and feel and interact with people and having motion. All of it is created by God is Sovereign over it. So the good in the bad in my life what I perceive as good and bad is Got the gig he did it. He created it and he'll see me through it and nothing will ever manifest that God is not aware of a ruling over. When we're really down in the doldrums and we start talking about I don't understand how this makes sense. I can't make heads or tails of this. I feel isolated. I feel alone. I feel abandoned. I can't find God's will in.

Meditate on this idea that God is absolutely well aware of what's going on. He's not scrambling through papers trying to figure out home. I will hold on. I didn't see that coming and I'm going to have to rethink this whole situation with you and none of that ever ever happened what we're doing today me speaking into a camera in my home office trying to do our best to make sure that the The Cove at 19 viruses is spreading around and we're flattening that curve as it were. The well aware that he knew it was going to happen. And this opportunity for us is going to end up being a blessing and then work for our good witch are going to talk about here and we talked about God's provision.

So God is Sovereign over the provisions for us. God wants good for his chosen people and I say that cuz I hope everybody that's listening. I think it's 14 now not say. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. He does something like that. I don't know about that was hopefully receive the Bible here. Let's go to Romans 8:28 and we know that those who love God, I'm sorry, and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose. pretty kundrat everything work together for good. So God wants good for his people his good may not seem good enough to us. This one for me is kind of where the rubber meets the road. I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable. And I'd like to think that I know a great deal about what's right and wrong and good and bad. The reality is I do not it's all based off my perspective if I trust not in God's word and I don't read and I don't study and I don't delve into what God described as good and understand how God's will influences my life be very easy for me to cut up in this trap of well. I don't know who sings Bad to me. This virus seems terrible people are dying because of it. So it must be bad and not to say the death is good death is the enemy but what we see is God is a Perpetual Redeemer of situations and if we know that he is in charge and that he wants good for his people. Then when we filled out and fear start to creep in then we should absolutely turn to his word and study and then depend on the holy spirit for understanding not us a promise a gift to those that of those have been elected chosen Believers in Jesus Christ as your savior than the Holy Spirit dwells within you when you go into the word of God and you read the word the Holy Spirit changes us interpret that word influences, then brings things like peace and in the spinal bullet begins to make sense to us, maybe it takes a minute or two. Maybe we need to spend a lot of time in prayer. And if you think that doubt and fear are intrinsically bad, you should absolutely read some of the songs and some of the way that David cries out. I mean it almost sounds like maybe he doesn't even believe in God's occasionally, but his belief in God is what Drew him to this place where he's confessing to God at that. He's afraid and that he's scared and he doesn't he can't make heads or tails of this. He's tired of being tired and he's sick of being sick in these sorts of thing. And you go back to God you take that to God again. Why do we do that? Because he's Sovereign over all and all things work for our good and when we can trust in that that's when we go back depend again on the Holy Spirit to do to renew us to sustain us a bit further.

But what if one foot buying if I ever said this stuff, I've said it a time or two. I'm sure they're not spoken. It allowed. I certainly thought it. I think he's harming me without any notion of doing good right pure punitive retribution from God just he's inflicting suffering with no benefit to me whatsoever because of something I did these ideas that God was not aware of that. It just got by on his guoliang in that be enough for bad things happen at once and got stopped 3 and Hellboy or that God is just turning the screw on you to watch you suffer with no benefit to you. It does not bring you good at pure harm those ideas are not scriptural and they can poison our minds at Sierra. That's a poison her mind having them. I didn't say those ideas are our sinful if you dwell on them and begin to accept them as truth and begin to engineer your life around it that you sent. I think they have these ideas is not scriptural and I know that by going to scripture I think in the in the Bible we see plenty of examples of people who struggle with these feelings that Perhaps God has abandoned them or wasn't aware or that he is just as good as beating me up for the sake of beating me up. And I think of those times when we go back to God we say Okay God your Sovereign and you word says this and this and this and look at all the benefit to look at what you've done for me. That's far. Look how far you've taken me and your people and I Know that heaven awaits and I know that there's good things on the other end of this entire world and no suffering here will ever compare to the glory those things begin to lift us up and pull us out of that doldrum and it keeps our mind from being Poisoned With the fear. That comes from that. God is Sovereign over our Redemption. This is the last bullet point, but I want to talk about today and will be will be wrapped up but What we talked about salvation and we talked about our Redemption which is is is part and parcel to that whole exercise God is Sovereign over that.

Once again, I think this is a an amazing thing that God has chosen to do where any he chooses to save anybody that could be a whole nother discussion, of course, but Grace is not warranted. We don't learn it. Am I putting God in his proper place overall Redemption we see that his plan unfolds beautifully and it's all driven by. All of it by God. He does everything there's a saying that the the only thing that I contributed my salvation is the send that warranted it, I believe that to be true. I don't own it and we see that here in scripture. The first part of this God is Sovereign over there. Nobody comes to God except through Jesus Christ. God made that decision. That's the way that it is. I can't work my way to God. I can't go around Christ is not Christ plus something else or Christ - this or here's the loophole. If you're part of this we did that and whatever else none of that. Let's go in and see this in the word right here John 14:6. Jesus said to him I am the way and the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through me. There's no loopholes that no one except through Jesus Christ. Cut Drive. Nobody comes to Jesus Christ. Unless called by the Holy Spirit.

Now about that may be well, let's see what Titus says Titus 3:5 he saved us not because of work done and done by us and righteousness. But according to his own Mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the holy spirit. So by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

he says he saves us according to his own Mercy. The holy spirit is fundamental in this that gift comes when we are baptized. We saw Jesus himself was was given the gift of the Holy Spirit and now it's it share with all of us the Holy Spirit changes us. Fundamentally, and after the Holy Spirit has changed us now. I understand that Jesus Christ is the way that the way that a father and I accept that but I didn't will this this isn't me this my will would not be to have the Holy Spirit regenerate renew me. My heart is evil and corrupt. This is God Sovereign over this process. And the last one is no one is changed by the Holy Spirit without hearing the gospel. And this is where my mind is kind of perpetually blowing lots of the read about this in Romans.

Romans 10:14 how then will they call on him in whom they have not believed. And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard and how are they to hear without someone preaching and how are they to preach unless they are sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news? What's being walkthrough here is? I need that. Like I said, it blows my mind, but how then will they call on him in whom they have not believed. How am I going to call on Christ if if I've never believed him, how could I how can I go clean to the father in my time of distress if I don't believe in the father? And how can I get to the father except through Christ? And how can I Believe In Christ unless the Holy Spirit regenerates me and why would I accept anything of the Holy Spirit and we see this here, how are they to believe in him? And who they never heard? How are they to hear without someone preaching? How are they to preach unless they are sent. God has chosen in his sovereignty to send people to preach his word and as the gospel is preached and heard the Holy Spirit. Begins work starts changing hearts and the hearts begin to cling to Christ and then they because they've cleaned they they they've given their they've given her the affection to Christ in there. They put him as Lord of their life and I accept him and who he said he was now I'm welcome to be in the presence of the father because of the blood that I'm covered with a Christ because of the regenerative effort of the holy spirit because people were faithful in my Christ told them to do because they believe our part in this is glorious we get to how beautiful the feet of those are if you preach the good news your feet are beautiful. I need that the that doesn't necessarily mean that they're a sight to behold and that's necessarily maybe some people have some really intrinsically beautiful feet. But the reality is when we go out and we talked about the good news when we when we preach the truth of scripture when we talk about what Christ has done in us and what he can do and others and that God is Sovereign especially in situations. Like we're in today where there's so much fear and panic and out in the world of a what's going to happen tomorrow and who is in charge of people are letting us down and people that we may be trusted in this regard now, they're not doing the job at Hope and this isn't one thing after another doesn't change who got his doesn't change who we are Redeemed by and it doesn't change who we serve. How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news? So I pray in the midst of this time be some beautiful feet get out there and preach good news of who Christ is and who God is and when people say I don't know about this the world right now is kind of crazy don't know if a guy is in the middle of this or not. But yeah, yes, we reviewed some scripture today talking about that yet. God is absolutely in charge. He is running the show same as he ever was and that everything we see around us works for the good of those who believe in him. That's what I had for today. I hope it was an encouraging word. I'd like to pray. I don't see any anything here in the Facebook live chat for a prayer request. So I'll just pray generally obviously we've got a lot going on us meeting like this and things are happening the world around us and it's a blessing to have this opportunity blessing to have this platform don't want to take it for granted and I want to be able to I think it's appropriate to give thanks for that. But at the same time I looked up all those that I know right now working specially the First Responders and Healthcare professionals. I know they're working double time right now to take try to to take care of us attempt to be people's felonies in the world. That's really important and we're very thankful for them. We have people on our own congregation other two doing that right now. So going to join me in a quick word of prayer and after that we'll probably call the stream over. It's been great seeing everybody for what it's worth. I look forward to getting together in person as soon as it makes good sense to do. So, let's pray. Heavenly Father we are we're thankful for this time today to gather if you will, even if it's around a computer screen or on a cell phone or whatever Lord. We know that you are sovereign as we study today. You were in charge you want good for us you take care of the world around us. You take care of our provisioning and you take care of our Salvation my lord. It's the last one that we're most thankful for that. No matter what this world throws at us no matter which will you be at the end of a famine or disease or pestilence or whatever job security all these things that begin to weigh in our minds and be going to take a toll on us if we're not careful Lord. We know that you are in charge and that one day all this the whole world's going to pass away and there's going to be something brand-new where there is no sin or sickness or death In order these times help us not be callous to the fear of the world around us and a brush them off and just say God is good a point to heaven and walk away Lord, but to share with them to bring good news and the good news for some people may not be as cut-and-dried as a as we might think it might be helpful to have patience and help us to tell them the truth and I loving and kind way in to mourn and weep with them if that's required is Wailord. Obviously when times like this come through there's there's lies that have been lost in that is going to impact people and I'm in and help us to be sensitive to them compassionate to them. Just as you were we know that before he resurrected Lazarus you went and you knew you were about to bring him back to life, but still the state of this world. It's sad and grief is a real thing Lord and we know that you experienced it when you were here. We're going to experience experience it while you're sitting on the at the right hand of the father Lord help us to to take that grief had to bring it to you and to not dwell on it. And as we see others that are struggling with the Lord to pray with them and it just sit with them and be with him to be compassionate with the lord. It's a wonderful gift that we can share I just to be near somebody else into to try to understand them and try to relate to the morning. Thank you again for this time together. Thank you for all the folks out there that are not able to listen to scream because they're busy helping others working with them praying with them. Curing them medicating them all the things that are happening. Obviously we are so thankful for those folks that don't get that break that don't take time off but rather are working extra hard to try to preserve life and try to take care of those who are unable to take care of themselves or thanks again for the time together. Thanks for the blessing of a platform to 20 to share your good news. Even on a even on a Sunday where we are not gathering in the same location that it's in that your son's name. I pray amen.

All right. Well, that's it for me. I think Mike will be taking over next week in some regard. Any feedback is welcomed. If the stream was bad or choppy or you couldn't hear me very well or anything like that. Obviously, you still learning experience for us as well. So thanks for those that tuned in the entire time. And with that I bid you farewell. Hopefully we'll see each other soon. If you got the email great. We sent out an email and some texts one thing to watch out for and next week. We'll have something put together. I'd like to get ahead of that on Facebook, especially to have people update their information in our system. You can do that yourself if we have your email on file and if we don't you can call the Elders that something will get you added but going forward it be great for us to have to do to get that information updated so that we can get these communications out in a proper manner and let people know what's going on. But without trying to be so disruptive. Anyway for what? It's worth the great is this was this was exciting and I pray that everybody has a wonderful day and we'll see her ready soon. Take care.