August 11, 2012

^"The earth belongs to the Lord. And so does everything in it. The world belongs to him. And so do all those who live in it. He set it firmly on the oceans. He made it secure on the waters. Who can go up to the temple on the hill of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? Anyone who has clean hands and a pure heart. He does not worship the statue of a god. He doesn't use the name of that god when he makes a promise. People like that will receive the Lord's blessing. When God their Savior hands down his sentence, it will be in their favor."  Psalm 24:1-5

 

In 40 years of pastoring I have never had a parishioner plead with me, "Pastor, would you please preach about sovereignty?"

I probably won't in the next 40 years either. But even though this in not a burning issue on the frontal lobes of the average person, it IS a crucial concept for those who want to follow Christ. God's sovereignty is fundamental in understanding who He is and how He operates. It is a foundation stone upon which solid faith is built.

There has never been a time when this doctrine has not been important, but in these chaotic and unpredictable times IT IS REALLY good to be reminded your God is LARGE AND IN CHARGE! That is why I am devoting an entire week to it and a sermon about it Sunday.

Trust me, you need to know this!

God Is Sovereign because:

1)       He Is Creator, Vv. 1-2 - ^"The earth belongs to the Lord. And so does everything in it. The world belongs to him. And so do all those who live in it. He set it firmly on the oceans. He made it secure on the waters."

He is sovereign over nature! When you create something you get to be in charge of it! God created your world and your universe and He is the only One smart enough and powerful enough to rule over it. The precision He built into the universe was on full display this week when the space probe landed on Mars right on target.

He is sovereign over history. History, after all, is HIS story, the story of good and evil played out in time. History began with God and it will end with Him and it will be a happy ending for those who are on His side of history!

He is sovereign over morality. Morality is an essential element of His sovereignty. In time and space occupied by fallible people, it is absolutely necessary to know what is absolutely right and always wrong. There can be no peace, no social order without clear rules to guide the behavior of society. Not only did God establish those rules - He is the Ruler and you live by His rules or you answer to Him.

He is sovereign over His grace. Grace is God's mercy and goodness extended to people who don't deserve it and can't earn it but who desperately need it. It would not exist if He hadn't thought of it and offered it AND purchased it by the blood of His Son!

2) He Is Christ, V. 5 -   "People like that will receive the Lord's blessing. When God their Savior hands down his sentence, it will be in their favor"

He Is Savior. When the perfection of paradise was destroyed by the sin of Adam, God announced a plan to redeem His creation. It would cost Him His Son but the Second Adam would provide a second chance for a lost race of beloved people.

He is Sanctifier. This is the completion of God restoring His perfect creation. By the atonement of Christ's shed blood on the cross not only can sins be forgiven but the sinful nature can be cleansed! The heart and mind of God can be restored to you by appropriating His grace fully. 

He is Sustainer. As Paul told the Greeks on Mars Hill, "It is in Him we live and move and have our being." God did not just create the universe and check out on it, He is intimately involved in sustaining it every moment. Because God is an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God, nothing happens without His awareness and His approval.

Sovereignty may not occupy your thoughts but it affects every moment of every day! It is the result of God's presence in your life. God is able to do what you wish you could do for your own children - be always present and always protecting.

Will you take a moment and thank God for His sovereignty in your life? Will you surrender to His sovereignty?