Grow in Grace 2021 - part 2
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But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Grow - are you spiritually growing - purifying, producing, pruning
in the grace and knowledge - we serve a great God.
Karl Barth
The divine perfections of God - how has the Father, Son and Holy Spirit revealed themselves to be? Specifically, how did Jesus live and act and speak? Everything that Jesus is must be exponentially expanded to the trinity since we know that Jesus temporarily was limited in his emptying, his act of submission when he took on flesh and walked on earth. But then we see the full return of his divine perfections at his resurrection and exaltation.
I have a drop of water from the Pacific Ocean. Can this in any way help us understand the vast greatness of the Pacific?
And so it is with the sovereignty of God. Can we truly understand what we mean by the terms omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient
God is the supreme ruler and creator and determiner
How can I make 2020 the best year ever? How can I make it out to be one of the greatest years?
What would I need to focus on?
The Sovereignty of God
Do you believe in the sovereignty of God
Do you read the Bible? The entire Bible?
The Lord is in control. The lord is never surprised. The Lord is never without power, without strength, without an answer to every need.
The foundational truth of who God is.
God actively presiding over the universe - he is not a spectator.
God is on the throne and exercises his sovereignty every single day.
The world may seem to be in chaos but God is in control. The king of kings and the lord of lords.
(1) God is supreme and superior - above and above all things, people, nations
The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
the judge of judges
The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt. Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
(2) The Lord oversees the events of our lives
There is no such thing as luck, good luck, bad luck. Only the reign of God.
No blind fate, no accidents, good or bad karma, these are superstitions
There is only God on the throne
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
God causes, God allows, but he controls all.
Our God comes; he does not keep silence; before him is a devouring fire, around him a mighty tempest.
no vote, no survey
Predetermined
No plan b, God determined before.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
Marked out the destination of the journey before the journey begins
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
chose to be saved and all the events of our lives, the circumstances
the means to the accomplishments of all things
appointed we should pray, witness, live a godly life
Spurgeon, give an account to men on the sovereignty of God
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
(3) We are to praise and exalt the One who is Sovereign
Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.
Creation is trinitarian
God is executor of all he predetermined would take place. He is the initiator and the fulfiller.
Think of walking cats
remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
The affairs of providence
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Charles Spurgeon says this about the Sovereignty of God: (Divine Sovereignty)
There is no attribute of God more comforting to his children than the doctrine of Divine Sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe troubles, they believe that Sovereignty hath ordained their afflictions, that Sovereignty overrules them, and that Sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children of God ought more earnestly to contend than the dominion of their Master over all creation—the kingship of God over all the works of his own hands—the throne of God, and his right to sit upon that throne. On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings, no truth of which they have made such a foot-ball, as the great, stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the Sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on his throne. They will allow him to be in his workshop to fashion worlds and to make stars. They will allow him to be in his almonry to dispense his alms and bestow his bounties. They will allow him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof, or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean; but when God ascends his throne, his creatures then gnash their teeth; and when we proclaim an enthroned God, and his right to do as he wills with his own, to dispose of his creatures as he thinks well, without consulting them in the matter, then it is that we are hissed and execrated, and then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on his throne is not the God they love. They love him anywhere better than they do when he sits with his sceptre in his hand and his crown upon his head. But it is God upon the throne that we love to preach. It is God upon his throne whom we trust. It is God upon his throne of whom we have been singing this morning; and it is God upon his throne of whom we shall speak in this discourse. I shall dwell only, however, upon one portion of God's Sovereignty, and that is God's Sovereignty in the distribution of his gifts. In this respect I believe he has a right to do as he wills with his own, and that he exercises that right.
We must assume, before we commence our discourse, one thing certain, namely, that all blessings are gifts and that we have no claim to them by our own merit. This I think every considerate mind will grant. And this being admitted, we shall endeavour to show that he has a right, seeing they are his own to do what he wills with them—to withhold them wholly as he pleaseth—to distribute them all if he chooseth—to give to some and not to others—to give to none or to give to all, just as seemeth good in his sight. "Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?"