Our Place in the Sovereignty of God

Purpose: Discover what part we have in God’s will being accomplished here on earth.

Does God’s will automatically happen on earth?

In some ways, Yes

In some ways, No -Example, it is God’s will that not one person would perish

Is God in control?

Do we have free will?

The authority of God

What is authority?

What does it mean that God is sovereign?

Definitions

Def. of sovereign -one who has supreme or absolute power

Def. of “in Control”-in the position of one who makes decisions

Def. of Controlling -inclined to control others' behavior : DOMINEERING

We will only be looking at two aspects of God’s authority

His judgement for sin

The promises he makes

Example of God’s sovereignty: The future of Abraham’s descendants

God not only knew what was going to happen, he had the absolute power to make it happen

Genesis 15:13–16 KJV 1900

13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

God knew Abraham’s descendants would be in Egypt 400 years

God knew that Egypt would be judged

By the time they come to Canaan the iniquity of the Amorites would be full

We can see throughout scripture that judgement always follows sin unless someone appeals to God’s mercy

God is looking for someone to stand in the gap

Examples where people interceded and changed God’s mind regarding judgment

Ezekiel 22 records that God was looking for someone to appeal for mercy, but no one was found

Ezekiel 22:26–31 AMP

26 Her priests have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things. They have made no distinction between the sacred and the secular, neither have they taught people the difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 27 Her princes in the midst of her are like wolves rending and devouring the prey, shedding blood and destroying lives to get dishonest gain. 28 And her prophets have daubed them over with whitewash, seeing false visions and divining lies to them, saying, Thus says the Lord God—when the Lord has not spoken. 29 The people of the land have used oppression and extortion and have committed robbery; yes, they have wronged and vexed the poor and needy; yes, they have oppressed the stranger and temporary resident wrongfully. 30 And I sought a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none. 31 Therefore have I poured out My indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their own way have I repaid [by bringing it] upon their own heads, says the Lord God.

These verses show that God was looking for a man to intercede for the people so that they wouldn’t be destroyed, but he didn’t find anyone.

Why did God need an intercessor?

There is a law of sowing and reaping and nothing will stop that apart from the mercy of God

Abraham interceded for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah

Gen 18:17-33 -Abraham appeals to God’s mercy and justice to not destroy the righteous with the wicked

Moses interceded for the Israelites several times

Exodus 32:9–14 -when they worshiped a golden calf

Numbers 14:11–20 -when they were filled with unbelief about their ability to inherit the land of Canaan and threatened to stone Moses and Aaron

Although God is all powerful, he desires to work through us

Elijah

1 Kings 18:1 -God said he was going to send rain

After having the false prophets killed, Elijah knelt down and prayed for the rain to come. It wasn’t a casual prayer. It wasn’t one prayer. He sent his servant to go look for rain 7 times before a small cloud was seen

There were several steps in bringing the rain:

God said it was going to rain -and Elijah heard

Elijah confronted the evil that was the cause for the drought

Elijah came into agreement with God by speaking what he heard -the abundance of rain

Elijah prayed earnestly with expectation until the promise was manifested

James 5:17-18 mentions Elijah when discussing the importance of fervent prayer

Daniel

Daniel 10:12-13

When Daniel was in captivity he saw that their 70 period was at the end so he set himself to pray and seek the Lord regarding this. It took 21 days for God’s messengers Gabriel & Michael to break through the power of the prince of Persia

If God has placed a burden on your heart, keep praying, press in -until breakthrough takes place

God’s will is accomplished on earth as we partner with him in prayer

God in his sovereignty gives us promises, but has delegated to us the authority to receive them

God told Abram to walk through the land

Genesis 13:17 KJV 1900

17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.

Walk (halak) -to go, walk -used over 1,500 in the OT

When God makes a promise we first need to see it, we need to walk through it

Look at what God says when the time came to take it

Deuteronomy 11:7–9 KJV 1900

7 But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did. 8 Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it; 9 And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

Key: obedience comes before the victory

A couple of verses later God tells Moses

Deuteronomy 11:22–25 KJV 1900

22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; 23 Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. 24 Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. 25 There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.

Joshua 1:3 -God told Joshua that every place that their foot treads, he has given it to them

Now God is using a different Hebrew word translated here as tread (darách)

It has several meanings (used 62 times)

A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible 1869. דָּרַךְ

1869. דָּרַךְ dârak, daw-rak´; a prim. root; to tread; by impl. to walk; also to string a bow (by treading on it in bending):—archer, bend, come, draw, go (over), guide, lead (forth), thresh, tread (down), walk.

According to wiktionary.org

to step on, to walk on (something or someone)

to tread (grapes, etc.)

to cock (to lift the cock of a firearm), to draw (to pull back the bowstring)

This is a military term!

I believe God is saying they need to walk in authority, ready to fight, to step on the enemy and defeat them

God has given great and precious promises, but it is up to us to receive them

Just like God promised the land of Canaan but required Joshua to conquer each city through battles, we also are called to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, listening to his voice and violently taking out the strongholds of the enemy so we can receive the kingdom of God here on earth -as it is in heaven.

It’s not that God is making it difficult for us, it is principalities, powers and spiritual wickedness

Ephesians 6:12 KJV 1900

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

While God is sovereign, he has delegated authority to to us. We are his body here on earth and he wants to go in his name (his authority)

Conclusion

This is only part of the very large subject of the sovereignty of God, but I’ll stop with this.

Is there something or someone that God wants us to intercede for? to stand in the gap and ask for mercy?

Take time to pray for our nation...

Are there promises God has given you, but you haven’t received yet?

Have you recieved the greatest gift -forgiveness of sins? It is available to everyone who recognizes Jesus as Lord of their life and surrenders to him.

God is all powerful, but he is limited according to our free will. He wants to save every person, but can only save those who respond to him in faith.

Have you taken a few steps into the promise land but stopped for some reason?

Heb. 11:6b

King James Version Chapter 11

he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him

James 5:16b AMP -The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].