Unquestionable Sovereignty

Tonight is all about trust.

Can we trust God even thou we don’t understand everything?

Punchline - Spoiler alert

God is not going to give you all the answers so everything makes sense.

There will come a day it says in 1 Cor 13 that says we will know as we have been known. Everything will make complete sense, but for know I need to trust God.

Context is Sovereignty

Romans begins with covering the issue of

1. SIN (Paul is saying You have to understand you are lost before you can be found)

2. SALVATION (We are saved by grace alone)

3. SANCTIFICATION ( God has not only declared you righteous , He has chose you before the foundation of the world and he has promised Glory for you in Heaven but even right now He puts his Holy Spirit in you to help you become

like his son) That’s sanctification

4 Sovereignty

5 Servant hood

What is sovereignty

One night there was A battle ship was on exercise at sea in bad weather. The captain was on the bridge. It was foggy. Just after dark the look out spotted a light on the starboard side. The captain asked if it was steady or moving. The look out replied the light was steady meaning they were on direct collision course with that ship! The captain ordered the lookout signal to the other ship:

“Change course 20 degrees. We are on collision course.”

The signal came back ‘”Advisable for you to change course.”

The captain signalled ‘”I am a captain. Change course 20 degrees.”

“I am a seaman second class. You had better change course 20 degrees” came the reply.

The captain was furious. He sent back ‘”I am a battleship. Change course!”

Back came the signal, “I am a lighthouse. Your call.”

When you look at how many lives are crashing on the rocks of life you wonder why we don’t remember who the LightHouse is?

Why is it so difficult to remember that God is God and that I am not!

That is a tough one for us.

This issue for us goes all the way back to the garden

Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

The issue is that we think we should be treated like God

That we should know all the answers

It is a pride issue!

Somehow we think that God has to explain everything to my satisfaction or I am not going to honor Him!

That is a big problem!

There will come a day that we will know but not now. Why?

Because now I need to operate by faith but there will come a day I will not have to have faith because I will in the presence of God and will see for myself.

But for now I need to trust him. God said is impossible to please God without faith.

I need to walk with him.

James 4:6 “But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””

When it comes to who is in Charge, GOD IS THE LIGHTHOUSE!

We need to be humble. I need to look at this world and see how amazing God is.

Romans 9:18–29 ESV

So then he has mercy on whomever 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, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump 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 endured 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 whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ” And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”

First thing you see 1. The human perspective (vs. 18-20)

So Paul is imaging a question that is in our heads, How can God hold me guilty if it is His choice.

Romans 9:18-20 “So then he has mercy on whomever 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, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?””

The answer is, We are not guilty by God’s choice, we guilty by are own choice.

Sovereignty doesn’t mean God chose people to be sinful. God does not do that. He is Holy. God is not responsible for the sinfulness of people!

James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”

Habakak 1 says Gods eyes are so pure he cannot even look at sin.

Paul verse 20 - Who are you to hold God accountable

IF God says change, its not like I am going to put my foot down and tell God to change.

I CHANGE

I respond to who He is

2. The prerogative and power of God (vs. 21-24)

Romans 9:21-24 “Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump 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 endured 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 whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?”

Verse 21 is the crux of the problem

We want God to respond to us! Instead of us responding to Him!

Job 38:4-7 ““Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

Job 40:2-5 ““Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.” Then Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.””

Job 42:2 ““I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”

Down through time we have always done that, we have always challenged God

Isaiah 45:9 ““Woe(Judgement) to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?”

We need to get to the place that we Trust Him!

God takes some that he will use for honorable purposes and He leaves the rest to their own choices

It does say makes to lumps of Clay, it is all out of the same lump.

God actually does good to those who will not honor him.

Matthew 5:45 “so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Psalm 145:9 “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.”

Romans 9:22-23 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured 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—”

I AM GOING TO LOVE YOU

WHY ME? I don’t know

That is one of the questions we will get answered when we stand before him.

Mercy means God does not give them what they deserve

Grace - God gives them what they don’t deserve

3. The patience, people, and plan of God (vs. 25-29)

Romans 9:25-26 “As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ””

This is how Sovereignty works.

Romans 9:27 “And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved,”

None of our religeous acts do!

Romans 9:28-29 “for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.””

Genesis 18 ESV

And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The Lord said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, about this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.” Then the men set out from there, and they looked down toward Sodom. And Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him.” Then the Lord said, “Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. And if not, I will know.” So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

But there were not 10 righteous.

THEY ALL BECAME VESSELS OF WRATH

Potter does not have to justify His actions!

WE HAVE TO TRUST HIM

The call here is that we have to Trust in God

Look at God’s track record

Look at God allowing His son to come and die for us!

God is and only does GOOD!

The term predestination - for practical purposes means, GOD Loved you before you loved him

How do you if you are God’s elect

Romans 10:13 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

If you trust in Jesus or not

Beautiful example thief on the cross

I can’t tell you who will believe or when they will believe

We need to trust Him

Our God is amazing beyond comprehension

He is graceous beyond belief

He is Holy beyond comparison

He has no rival no equal

HE IS THE LIGHTHOUSE+++