The sovereignty of God
means, He can do with whatever He creates as He pleases.
World proclaims
- The world proclaims that you are
speaking in an unknown tongue when you speak of the Sovereignty of God.
– There is no Creator – There is no great design – There is only the
supremacy of the people who take counsel among themselves and will accomplish
whatever they set their minds to do.
- God laughs.
Ps 2:2-4 Men say God is
not in control – God just laughs
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the
rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his
anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast
away their cords from us.
4 He that sits in the heavens shall laugh:
the Lord shall have them in derision. KJV
Gen 11:6-7 – God confuses
their plans and then laughs
6 The LORD said, "If as one people speaking
the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do
will be impossible for them.
7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language
so they will not understand each other." NIV
God proclaims
- Our God
proclaims
He owes His existence to no other. -
He is without origin. - His existence has no beginning and is
without end. - He is dependent upon nothing. – He is self sufficient and self
existent and exists only by His Sovereign will.
- Man cannot possibly comprehend
this.
- He
proclaims
there is NOT a host of lesser gods of whom He is supreme. – There
is only one God - The “oneness” of God is unique and requires we worship
and serve Him ONLY.
- He will be exalted and will reign over the earth, and He will judge the world with
equality.
- He will regulate the outcome
of mans FREE WILL decisions to the most exact order and direct them
to their proper end.
- He
proclaims
that the arrogant man will be humbled and hide himself from God’s
majesty on “The Day of the Lord”, and its coming soon.
Deut 6:4 – Only one
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is
one. NIV
Ps 99:1-2 – God reigns in
the heavens over the nations
1 The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.
2 Great is the LORD in Zion
Ps 46:10 – God will be
exalted in the earth.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I
will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
NIV
Ps 98:9 – God will judge
the earth
9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to
judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples
with equity.
Isa 2:10-11 – The arrogant
man will hide from God’s majesty.
10 Go into the rocks, hide in the ground
from dread of the LORD
and the splendor of his majesty!
11 The eyes of the arrogant man will be
humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in
that day. NIV
Deut 4:35 – There are no smaller gods
35 You were shown these things so that you might
know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other. NIV
Deut 32:39 – There is not another
God
39 "See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. NIV
2 Kings 19:15 – Only one God exist.
15 And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: "O LORD,
God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over
all the kingdoms of the earth NIV
Rom 3:29-30 – One God of
both Jew and Gentle
29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not
the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,
30 since there is only one God, who will
justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith
NIV
Ps 90:2 – God always was
and always will be
2 Before the mountains were born or you brought
forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
NIV
Mark 12:30 – Command - Love God only
30 Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your
strength.' NIV
Matt 4:10 – Command - Serve God only
10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan!
For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' NIV
Omnipotent
- God is ALL
powerful;
nothing is too hard for Him. - His plans cannot be thwarted. - Nothing is
impossible to Him – He is omnipotent.
Gen 18:14 – Nothing is too hard
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? NIV
Job 42:2 – His plan cannot
be thwarted
2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan
of yours can be thwarted. NIV
Matt 19:26 – Nothing is
impossible to God
26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man
this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." NIV
Rev 19:6 – He is ALL
powerful
6 and as the voice of mighty thundering, saying,
Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. KJV
Omnipresent
- God is ALL
present - everywhere – He cannot be contained in heaven or in earth. – He is
ALL present in the everyday life of each person, all the time.
Acts 7:48 -49 – Heaven is His throne and the earth His footstool
48 "However, the Most High does not live in
houses made by men. As the prophet says:
49 "`Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool. NIV
1 Kings 8:27 – God cannot be contained in Heavens
27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold,
the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house
that I have built? KJV
2 Chron 2:6 – No building
can contain Him
6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since
the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? NIV
Jer 23:23 – He is nearby as well as far away.
23 "Am I only a God nearby," declares
the LORD, "and not a God far away? NIV
Ps 139:3 – He knows my
everyday life
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you
are familiar with all my ways. NIV
Gen 28:16 – He is ever present
and we don’t know it.
16 And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said;
Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. KJV
Omniscient
- God is
ALL knowing
– He sees us wherever we are – He sees what we do – He know the motives in
our heart for our actions.
- He knows the names of
the stars – He sees what’s happening in Hell.
Job 12:13 – He has wisdom,
knowledge and power
13 "To God belong wisdom and power; counsel
and understanding are his. NIV
Gen 16:13 – He is the God who sees us.
13 She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to
her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have
now seen the One who sees me." NIV
1 Sam 16:7 – He knows our
character
7 The LORD does not look at the things man looks
at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
NIV
2 Kings 19:27 – He sees where we come and go
27 "`But I know where you stay and when you
come and go NIV
1 Chron 28:9 – He knows
why we do things.
9 For the LORD searches every heart and understands
every motive behind the thoughts. NIV
2 Chron 16:9 – God watches
the faithful wherever they are.
9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the
earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. NIV
Ps 119:168 – Everything I
do, He sees
168 I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For
all my ways are before You. NKJV
Ps 44:21 – God knows my
motives
21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the
secrets of the heart. NKJV
Ps 103:14 – He knows my
whole body
14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we
are dust. NKJV
Job 28:10 – God knows
where the treasured are buried
10 He cuts out channels in the rocks, and his eye
sees every precious thing. NKJV
Ps 147:4 – He know the
names of the stars
4 He counts the number of the stars; He calls them
all by name. NKJV
Job 26:6 – He sees what is
happening in Hell.
6 Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath
no covering. KJV
Immutable
- His
nature is changeless or unchangeable – Nothing can be added to or subtracted
from what He has created – He does not take back what He has said – His
word is firm – His gifts are forever.
- I can remember
sitting under a Pastor who started changing his mind on a number of different
subjects, leaving me scratching my head.
I was following a man who was blown about by different doctrines,
and even preached on doctrines that he did not embrace, only because his
domination required it.
- I find
it reassuring to
study with a Pastor who is firm in
what he believes. - Unchangeable.
Isa 40:28 – He is
everlasting
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The
LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. NIV
Mal 3:6 – He cannot change
6 "I the LORD do not change. NIV
James 1:17 – He does not change like shifting shadows.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like
shifting shadows NIV
Num 23:19 – He will not change His mind
19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son
of man, that he should change his mind. NIV
Isa 31:2 – He does not
take back what He has spoken
2 Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he
does not take back his words. NIV
Job 33:14 –
God does not double speak
14 For God does speak - now
one way, now another- NIV
Ps 119:89 – His word is
firm
89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands
firm in the heavens. NIV
Ps 33:11 – His purpose is
firm
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations. NIV
Rom 11:29 – He does not recall His gifts.
29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable
NIV
Eccl 3:14 – Nothing is
added to or taken away from Him
14 I know that everything God does will endure
forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. NIV
Sovereign
- The word “sovereign”
or “sovereignty” does not appear in the King James Version of the Bible, but
is inserted into later translations to amplify the character of God’s
name.
- He just speaks and it
happens. – The breath of His mouth
is His will.
- God is the possessor
of everything; He is the ruler, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
- Grabbing a few verses
from the Bible, we can quickly see that God does what He wants to and
nothing can prevent Him from accomplishing what He intends to do, both in Heaven
and in Earth.
1 Chron
29:11 – Everything belongs to God
11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness
and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the
kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
Ps 50:10 –
He owns the cattle on a thousand hills
10 for every animal of the
forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. NIV
1 Tim 6:14 -15 – He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
14 until the appearing of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 which God will bring
about in his own time-God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and
Lord of lords, NIV
Ps 22:28 – He governs the nations.
28 For the kingdom is the
LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations. KJV
Ps 115:3 –
He does with it as He pleases
3 Our God is in heaven; he
does whatever pleases him NIV
Isa 46:10 –
His purpose will come to pass
10 I make known the end
from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My
purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. NIV
Dan 4:35 –
Nothing can hold back the hand of God
35 All the peoples of the
earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his
hand or
say to him: "What have you done
Ex 15:18 – He reigns forever
18 The LORD will reign for
ever and ever." NIV
Ps 93:2 –
His throne was established in the beginning
2 Your throne was
established long ago; you are from all eternity.
God’s Will
- By the
will of God
all things came into existence; by His wisdom, understanding, knowledge
and His breath.
- Jehovah alone is God
and it’s by our Faith in Him
that we believe that by His will, all things were created.
Isa 44:6 –
He is the beginning and the end.
6 "This is what the
LORD says--Israel
Rev 1:8 – He
was and is and always will be.
8 "I am the Alpha and
the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to
come, the Almighty." NIV
Prov 3:19-20
– God’s Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge
19 By wisdom the
LORD laid the earth's foundations, by understanding he set the heavens
in place;
20 by his knowledge
the deeps were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew. NIV
Ps 33:9 - God
just speaks and His will happens
9 For he spoke, and it
came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm
Job 26:13 –
He breathed and it was
13 By his breath the skies
became fair; NIV
Ps 33:6 – His
Breath is His Will
6 By the word of the LORD
were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. NIV
Isa 42:5 –
He gives breath to man
5 This is what God the
LORD says- he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out
the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and
life to those who walk on it
Job 38:4 –
He created the foundations of the earth
4 "Where were you
when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. NIV
Jonah 1:9 –
God created the sea and land
9 He answered, "I am
a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the
land." NIV
Isa 45:12 –
He created the earth, the heavens and man
12 It is I who made the
earth and created mankind upon it.
My own hands stretched out
the heavens;
I marshaled their starry hosts. NIV
11 "You are worthy,
our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all
things, and by your will they were created
and have their
being." NIV
Isa 66:2 –
God’s hand made it all
2 Has not my hand made all
these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. NIV
Heb 11:3 –
By our faith we believe it was God alone
3 By faith we understand
that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not
made out of what was visible.
Free
Will vs.: Gods Sovereignty
- Question: Does God’s Sovereignty violate our free will,
by Him “choosing us” to be redeemed from hell fire and damnation? - Does He just choose some and not
others?
- Answer; No - ALL men are
spiritually dead and unresponsive to God’s word and Laws.
- The Holy Spirit sows the seed in the spirit of
ALL men and those whose
spirit has fertile soil are drawn to God. – “God’s will” is for All to come – Most won’t –
- God’s will is not being done on earth. If it was, all would be saved and sin would be no more.
- We have Free Will
which means our life is “Decision Driven” and seeking out His Word
guides our decisions.
- Man is not a robot
that’s been preprogrammed; He is a free moral agent.
- God’s Sovereignty is
a comfort for the believer, just knowing He is in control of our lives
John 15:16 – He chose us
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you
KJV
1 John 4:19 – God loved us first
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
KJV
John 3:16 – God chooses all – Some decline
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but
have eternal life.
2 Tim 3:16-17 – God gives
the scriptures to help us understand
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly
furnished unto all good works. KJV
Matt 13:3-8 –Satan tries
to destroys the good seed
3 A farmer (The Holy
Spirit) went
out to sow his seed.
4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along
the path, and the birds (Satan) came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places (hardness of the heart), where it did not have much soil. It sprang up
quickly, because the soil was shallow.
6 But when the sun came up, the plants were
scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns (cares of the world), which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where
it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. NIV
Matt 7:13 -14 – Many will not receive the seed of the Spirit
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide
is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter
through it.
14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that
leads to life, and only a few find it. NIV
James 1:5 – Ask God for
understanding and wisdom
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
Prov 3:5-6 – Trust God –
Acknowledge Him – He will direct you.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean
not unto your own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall
direct thy path KJV
Sovereignty Exception
- There
are some things that God cannot do.
- He cannot lie
- He cannot change His
nature
- He cannot change His
laws.
- He cannot break His
covenant.
Titus 1:2 – God cannot lie
2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that
cannot lie, promised before the world began; KJV
Mal 3:6 He does not change
6 "I the LORD do not change. NIV
James 1:17 – He does not vary
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning. KJV
Rom 11:29 – His covenant is irrevocable
29 for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable.
NIV
2 Tim 2:12 -13 – He cannot change his nature
12 If we disown him, he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself NIV
God
is the possessor
- God is the possessor
of heaven and earth and everything that’s in it
- He does with His creations
as He pleases and no one can hold back His hand.
Isa 54:5 –
He is God of the whole world
5 For your Maker is your
husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of
Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. KJV
Gen 14:18-19
– God owns it all
18 And Melchizedek king of
Salem
19 And he blessed him, and
said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:
KJV
Gen 14:22 – God is the possessor of heaven and earth
22 And Abram said to the
king of Sodom
Ps 24:1 – He
is God of everything in the earth
1 The earth is the LORD's,
and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
KJV
Prov 21:30 – No one has the wisdom to take counsel against God
30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor
counsel against the LORD. KJV
Dan 4:35 – God does as He pleases
35 All the peoples of the
earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of
heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or
say to him: "What have you done?"
He
makes Kings and Presidents.
- God gives a kingdom
to whoever he wants to. He does not
respect a man’s position in life nor can He be bribed with vows or
promises.
- He puts men in power
and removes them - He can raise up a common unknown person to be the President
of the
- He makes and reshapes men to serve His
purposes and ultimate end.
- He opens doors that
no man can shut and shuts doors that no man can open. It
all belongs to Him
Rom 9:21 – He makes men according to His purpose and end.
21 Does not the potter
have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble
purposes and some for common use?
Isa 64:8 –
We are the work of His hand
8 We are the clay, you are
the potter; we are all the work of your
hand. NIV
Jer 18:4 –
God reshapes us as He pleases.
4 But the pot he was
shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into
another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him NIV
Dan 4:25 – God gives the kingdoms to whoever he chooses.
25 … the Most High is
sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes. NIV
Hag 2:22 – God overturns thrones and powers and kingdoms.
22 I will overturn royal thrones
and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow
chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the
sword of his brother. NIV
Dan 4:17 – God raises the lowliest of men to reign.
17 "`The decision is
announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living
may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and
gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men.'
NIV
Deut 10:17 – God is not partial - nor take a bribe
17 For the LORD your God
is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who
shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. NIV
Rev 3:8 –
God opens door that no man can shut
8 I know thy works:
behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for
thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my
name. KJV
Isa 22:22 – Jesus has the keys
22 I will place on his
shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can
shut, and what he shuts no one can open. NIV
Job 12:14 – God breaks and shuts
14 Behold, he breaks down,
and it cannot be built again: he shuts up a man, and there can be no opening.
KJV
Isa 31:3 –
God frustrates the plans of the wicked
3 But the Egyptians are
men and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the LORD stretches
out his hand, he who helps will stumble, he who is helped will fall; both
will perish together. NIV
Job 5:13 – God catches the wicked in their own trap
13 He catches the wise in
their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. NIV
Ps 57:6 –
They are caught in their own net.
6 They dug a pit in my path-but
they have fallen into it themselves.
Job 5:12 – Their plans just don’t work
12 He disappoints the
devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. KJV
Sin Rabbit Trail
- Did God
create sin? The definition of sin is – a missing
of the mark – If God created the Color white and its perfection value
was 1000, then 999 would fall short,
missing the mark.
- When Adam and Eve
disobeyed God, they missed the mark, bringing sin into the world.
Rom 3:23 – All have missed the mark
23 for all have sinned and
fall short of the glory of
God NIV
Are
we Victims?
- The comedian Flip Wilson coined the phrase “The Devil made me do it”. –
To some degree we see mankind as a victim of “impersonal forces”.
- We take no
responsibility
for our actions because man perceives Satan as in control of what happens
on earth and God as in control of the heavens. – It’s CHECKMATE - This
concept is partly because of the scriptures – But there’s more. – God uses
evil men to HIS own end.
- God referred to
- We have the same problem
today. We just don’t listen to the word of God.
- The word LISTEN appears 135 times in the
New Testament.
- In the letters to the
seven churches of Revelation, the word, HEAR appears 7 times - Seven
is the number of completeness
- We really do not have
the excuse of blaming the Devil for our lot in life, because God’s
word has already revealed his deceptions. We just don’t listen, we just don’t hear.
- Satan is the God of this age, ruling it with
malevolent spirits, but God is the possessor of the earth and the
heavens and He guides the results of the decisions of man to the fullness
of His ultimate end.
Jude 6 – The
angles left heaven to follow Satan
6 And the angels who
did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home-these
he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the
great Day. NIV
2 Cor 4:4 –
Satan blinds the mind of the unbelievers
4 The god of this age
has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the
gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. NIV
Jer 25:3-4 –
My people don’t listen
3 For twenty-three
years--from the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah
4 And though the LORD has
sent all his servants the prophets to you again and again, you have not
listened or paid any attention. NIV
Jer 25:8-9 –
OK –I’m going to get your attention
8 Therefore the LORD
Almighty says this: "Because you have not listened to my words,
9 I will summon all the
peoples of the north and my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
Why
doesn’t God just fix it?
- If God
is Sovereign,
then WHY doesn’t He just get
rid of sin and sickness and evil and death and
suffering and trouble and trials and temptation and CRAP?
- WHY doesn’t God just
save everybody? WHY do the wicked prosper? WHY
can’t I get a job? WHERE was God during
the holocaust of His people?
WHERE was God
when my grandson died?
- Is God unaware or
unconcerned about what happens to His children, does He not take notice
- If God
is Sovereign
and in charge of everything, then what I do really doesn’t matter. – What
happens is just not my fault.
- Are we just
pre-programmed robots or do we have free
will? – It can’t be both.
- READ
ON.
Rom 6:23 – Death is the price paid for Sin
23 For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NIV
Rom 3:19 – We are all accountable to God
19 Now we know that
whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every
mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
NIV
Rom 9:19 - God’s sovereignty is not an excuse for your decisions
19 One of you will say to
me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his
will?"
Rom 6:1-2 –
God’s grace does not allow for us to keep sinning.
1 What shall we say, then?
Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
2 By no means! We
died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
NIV
Matt 6:8 –
God know our needs.
8 Do not be like them, for
your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
NIV
16 For by him all things
were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him
and for him.
17 He is before all
things, and in him all things hold together.
NIV
Rom 9:20-21
– God creates as He sees fit – and none can resist
20 But who are you, O man,
to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, `Why
did you make me like this?'" 21 Does
not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery
for noble purposes and some for common use?
NIV
Rom 11:33 – God’s ways are past finding out
33 Oh, the depth of the
riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his
judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Where
were you God?
- The
question always is; Where was God when something bad happened – This
question must be answered in order to understand God’s Sovereignty.
- Listen for a minute
to what God allowed to happen to His people during the beginning of
the Church Age.
- Men of
Faith
were - made fun of – flogged – chained - put in prison - sawed into - killed –
They put on sheep and goat skins like animals to hide in the pastures and
wandered in the desert and mountains and even took refuge in holes in the
ground. – Where was God?
- Why did He deliver
Peter from death, but not Stephen?
He rescued some from prison and allowed others to be killed. Why
Lord?
- Moses’ prayer to live
was not heard by God and he died for just one act of disobedience
and King Hezekiah’s prayer was answered and he lived. What’s
up with that?
- God gives wealth to
some and not to others. – That’s
just not fair.
- He accepted Abel’s
offering, but not Cain’s. – They both gave what they had – What gives?
- God doesn’t
love every body, He HATES some people!
- I know you don’t want to hear that, but He hated Esau and loved
Jacob. He even called Judas who
would betray Him, His Friend. – I
don’t get it.
- Abraham’s
blessing
on the first born, Ishmael was passed over, blessing instead the
last born Isaac. - Ephraim the youngest received the blessing instead of
Manasseh, the first born. - Now that’s
just not tradition.
- When
Jesus was born;
lowly uneducated shepherds and pagan wise men received the announcement of
His birth; not the religious Sanhedrin nor the scribes or governmental
leaders. Go figure.
Heb 11:36 -38 – They ran for their lives – most didn’t make it.
36 Some faced jeers and flogging,
while still others were chained and put in prison.
37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two;
they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins
and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-
38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered
in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground NIV
Deut 8:18 – God gives some people wealth, but not others
18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he
who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his
covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. NIV
Deut 3:26 – Moses prays for his life – God does not listen
26 But because of you the LORD was angry with me
and would not listen to me.
2 Kings 20:1-5 – God answers
Hezekiah’s prayer but not Moses
1 "This is what the LORD says: (Hezekiah) Put your house in order, because you are going to die;
you will not recover."
5 This is what the LORD, the God of your father
David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will
heal you. NIV
Rom 9:13 – He loved Jacob, but hated Esau
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau
have I hated. KJV
Gen 48:14 – Ephraim
received the blessing not Manasseh
14 But Israel
Gen 4:4-5 – God accepted
Abel’s offering but not Cain’s.
4 The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his
offering,
5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look
with favor. NIV
Matt 26:49-50 – Jesus
called Judas His friend
49 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said,
"Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
50 Jesus replied, "Friend, do what you
came for." NIV
What’s the answer?
- The
Answer is: God is Sovereign – He
will have mercy and compassion on whoever He pleases and His ways can’t be
reasoned out. – If we could figure out God’s ways, then He wouldn’t be
God. – Life is about HIM, His
mercy, His love, His grace and His plan.
- We want to believe
God is in Control, but sometimes our pain is so great, it over rides our
faith. Still we must trust God
beyond our ability to comprehend.
- God takes notice of
when a lowly sparrow falls to the earth, how much more He takes notice of us
that were made in His own image.
- God is the Puppet
Master and pulls all the strings. - He desires that we not catch a cold by going out into the snow
without a coat. – But He allows
it so we might receive a lesson. - He is the guiding “unmoved
mover”, desiring the best for us, but allowing something somewhat less,
because in the end, it will be worth it.
- Where
was God when
all the bad stuff happened? He was
right there guiding HIS plan to
the fullness of its ultimate end. – He neither slumbers nor sleeps
Rom 9:15 – God says He will have mercy on who He chooses.
15 "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." NIV
Matt 10:29 – God sees even a sparrow fall to the ground.
29 Are not two sparrows
sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your
Father. KJV
Rom 11:33 – His ways are past finding out
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom
and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past
finding out! KJV
Ps 121:4 – God neither
slumbers nor sleeps
4 he who watches over Israel
Faith
- God is
out of sight and out of mind. - We make too much of man and not enough of
God.
- We have
conflict
with God based of our accumulated knowledge and our life experiences
and we need to go back to trusting Him like when we were children,
trusting our daddy.
- By
faith
we follow the path that God has placed in front of us. – We truly cannot fathom
the mysteries of God. - His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His
ways are past finding out. It
requires FAITH in the things we hope for, but cannot see.
- Where else can we
turn; Christ alone has the words of eternal life and is the Holy
one of God. – Jesus
said, "I am the way and the truth and the life”. John 14:6
Job 11:7-9 – The mysteries
of God can not be measured.
7 "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can
you probe the limits of the Almighty?
8 They are higher than the heavens-what can you
do? They are deeper than the depths of the grave-what can you know?
9 Their measure is longer than the earth and wider
than the sea. NIV
Isa 55:8-9 – You cannot
comprehend His ways or His thoughts
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways,"declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. NIV
Eccl 11:5 - We cannot fathom
the works of God
5 As you do not know the path of the wind, or how
the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of
God, the Maker of all things. NIV
Ps 89:14 God goes before
us and is fair and just.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of
your throne;
love and faithfulness go before you. NIV
Ps 77:19 – We follow
footprints that we cannot see
19 Your path led through the sea, your way through
the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen. NIV
Matt 19:14 – Come to God as a child trusting his daddy
14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come
to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as
these." NIV
Heb 11:1 – Faith is
believing what we can’t see
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen KJV
Rom 10:17 – Faith comes by
reading the word of God – The Bible
17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the
message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ NIV
Heb 11:6 – God rewards
those who seek Him
6 And without faith it is impossible to please
God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he
rewards those who earnestly seek him. NIV
John 6:63-69
–Where else can you turn – Jesus is eternal life
63 The Spirit gives life;
the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and
they are life.
64 Yet there are some of
you who do not believe
68 Simon Peter answered
him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life.
69 We believe and know
that you are the Holy One of God." NIV
Trust
- It all boils down to
one thing - Do you trust that God is good or not?
- Does your faith fall apart
like a house of cards when you are tested or does it stand firm?
- Is His Grace
sufficient for you or are you not sure?
- If you really trust
God, then that’s the comfort you will get on this side of heaven.
- Those who know
the name of God will trust in Him – Psalms 9:10
- The fool hath said in
his heart, there is no God. Psalms
14:1
David’s Song
- The best description of God’s Sovereignty
is written in a song by King David; a man after God’s own heart.
- He says God knows our
thoughts and our words even before we speak them – He sees where we go, when
we lie down and when we get up – David says where ever he is, there God is
too. - He acknowledges that God knew him before he was ever knit
together in the secret of his mother’s womb.
- He ends by asking God
to “search him” for anything that would offend Him and lead him
out of it. SELAH
Ps 139:1-24 – David
describes the Sovereignty of God
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you
perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying
down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it
completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid
your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too
lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I
flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle
on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your
right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide
me and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the
night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me
together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and
wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was
made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written
in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How
vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the
grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
23 Search
me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any
offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. NIV
In the multitude of counselors,
there is wisdom.
Prov 11:14
I
am grateful for those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical
information, and scripture verses.
Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further than I
otherwise ever could have.
90 Minutes in Heaven – Don Piper
A Grief Observed – C.S. Lewis
All the Miracles of the Bible – Herbert Lockyer
Bible Almanac; The – Nelson
Bible Almanac; The – Packer Tenny White
Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry - CARMS
Great Doctrines of the Bible - Christology – W.A. Criswell
Great Doctrines of the Bible – Pneumatology – W.A. Criswell
Great Doctrines of the Bible - Soteriology – W.A. Criswell
Harper’s Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row
Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s
Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The - Tyndale
Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible – Packer & Tenny
Invisible
War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse
International Dictionary of the Bible; The new – J.D. Douglas
Nave’s Topical Bible - Nave
New International Bible – NIV
Person and
work of the Holy Spirit; The – R.A. Torrey
Today’s Dictionary of the Bible - Guideposts
Victor
Journey through the Bible; The - Beers
Webster’s New World College Dictionary – Webster
Where To Find It In The Bible – Ken Anderson
Within Heaven’s Gates – Rebecca Springer
Zondervan NIV Nave’s Topical Bible - Nave
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The
- Zondervan
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