God's Sovereigny & Man's Prayers

Introduction:

1) The Fate Of A Nation Belongs To God

A. God’s words are more powerful

Perspective: Have you ever watched a movie when you said, “There is no way that guy is going to win?”

That is the picture that seems to appear here.

Two desert shepherd boys going up against a Pharaoh that only has to speak one work and end their lives.

Notice the pattern through the next several chapters:

Plague is threatened

Plague is implemented

Plague is imitated

Plague is removed

Few exceptions:

Third one can be imitated.

Fourth and on can’t be imitated.

All are removed except the 10th.

Notice who’s words puts the plague in motion; GOD’S!

“Thus saith the Lord...”

Highlights the fact God is in control of every step of the way.

God answering Moses’ prayer is still in accordance to His own plan.

A direct assault on Pharaoh’s rule.

B. God’s words lead us to worship

(v1) “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

Look at these verses:

4:23; 5:1; 7:16; 8:1

The broader context of worship of God, also entails serving Him as the only Lord and Master.

It is also worshiping Him in all of life.

Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

C. God’s word frogged the nation

For what reason would God choose to use frogs?

There are possible a few reasons:

First — God challenges the frog idol of Egypt.

A fertility idol.

Pictured often as a sitting frog.

Was it not Egypt that threatened the fertility of God’s people?

God would show them who the real God of life is!

Second — God shows He can take the weak and small to defeat the strong of this world.

The size of the vessel is not indicative of it’s value or impact.

Illustration: David and Goliath / feeding 5,000 / Caleb’s army / the early church

Notice the IMITATION attempt.

They simply made their own misery worse, lol.

The imitation from the world will reveal it true LACK OF POWER!

Illustration: thats just like a bunch of pride and arrogant men.

Question??? Has God ever taken something very simple and fixed (according to you) a larger than life problem?

2) The Fate Of A Nation Is Influenced By God’s People

A. God’s sovereignty and man’s prayer

Let’s be honest, there are truths about God’s sovereignty that perplexes our feeble minds.

You might say, “If God is sovereign over all things, we should not bother praying, reading out Bibles or evangelizing.

LISTEN…Where tension seems to be in your mind, makes perfect sense in God’s mind; it came from His mind.

God choses to work His sovereign plan in and through the prayers, work and worship of His children.

REAL POWER is not in the hands of kings and politicians, but in the person of God to whom YOU PRAY TOO!!!

Application — Keep praying, keep serving, Keep studying, stay faithful, keep walking in the Spirit, keep depending on God...

Notice (vv8-13) WE SEE THIS TRUTH HERE...

Pharaoh sees his own weakness!

Petitions Moses and Aaron to plead with God to remove the frogs.

Question: Did Moses disrupt God’s sovereign plan? NO!

B. Man’s idolatry stinks

Moses allows Pharaoh to decide when he wanted the plague to be lifted.

Pharaoh says tomorrow for some prideful reason.

Maybe it is because he wants to show how weak their God is.

God brings the stench of idolatry too light.

God never said he would cause the frogs to RETURN to the river.

They had to personally remove the dead carcasses from their land.

God also wanted this to be a lesson to His children.

Idolatry will always bring disappointment and death!

LISTEN, the world will say, “All the help you need is what can be found in the things that make your flesh happy.

LISTEN, God is saying, “Not level of idolatry can ever equal the power of my sovereignty.”

Conclusion: Perhaps you are in a situation that makes you feel utterly powerless. Consider this scene. Whatever is powerful at a human level in your experience, cannot match the power according to God’s sovereign mercy, if your prayer of intercession is in accordance with His sovereign will.

God’s people may look powerless in this world, but by prayer they are the chosen instruments of the future of time and history.

You are never completely powerless in this world when you serve a sovereign God.

I don’t know where you are. I don’t know what situation is totally out of your control and is driving you bananas. Maybe your health is going on you, and you feel so out of control. This is your body, you’ve always been in control of your body and suddenly your body is not serving you like it used to. Maybe it’s a family situation. Everything you try, it doesn’t work. And you feel utterly powerless and God is saying to you, “You’re never powerless.” I use the instrument of prayer. I hear my people. And Pharaoh can’t measure up to the influence that you have with me. God is sovereign, and He’s sovereign in prayer.