Does God merely know the future, or has He ordained it? Is there anything that God is not in control of? What about the evil in this world – is God in control even of that?  Find out in this message!

Teaching Notes:

The God of the Bible is Sovereign – Pt. 1

1. Meaning of the Sovereignty of God: “God’s absolute freedom to do as He pleases, and His absolute control over the actions of all His creatures.” “God’s absolute right to do all things according to His own good pleasure.” Same God that made the world runs the world. He is subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent. He does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him or hinder Him. Ps.115:3; Dan.4:35.

2. The Sovereignty of God in Creation: Before God created was sovereign. Could create or not create according to His good pleasure. Heavenly Bodies: Could create 1 or 1 million worlds. Could create whatever creatures He desired to. Why are some stars big and others small? Earth: Why 2/3 of earth covered by water? Why 1 country fertile and another barren? 1 have earthquakes and another free of them? Plants: Why does 1 flower emit fragrant aroma and another have none? Why 1 tree have wholesome fruit and another poisonous? Why 1 plant capable of enduring frost, and another wither under it? Why 1 plant flower 12x a year, and another bear blossoms only once a century? Animals: Great variety of animals: some intelligent, others dumb. Some fit for food, others not. Some beautiful, others ugly. Some great strength, others weak. Some fleet of foot, others scarcely crawl. Some live 100 years, and others few hours? Some tame, others fierce. Humans: Why 1 healthy, other frail & sickly? Why some black, others white, some idiots, other geniuses? Why some quiet, others extroverts? Some gifted in music or art, others in mechanics or business?

3. The Sovereignty of God in Providence:

1) Meaning of Providence: Westminister Shorter Catechism: The Providence of God is His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions.” Jerry Bridges: “God’s constant care for and His absolute rule over all His creation for His own glory and the good of His people.” Providence covers the good as well as bad (car accident & raise). Providence is constant. Don’t believe God intervenes only at certain points in lives but only interested spectator rest of time. Heb.1:3; Col.1:17. John Calvin: “Our heavenly Father so holds all things in His power, so rules by His authority and will, so governs by His wisdom, that nothing can happen except He determine it.” Westminster Confession of Faith: “The decrees of God are His eternal purpose according to the counsel of His own will, whereby for His own glory He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.”

2) The Bible Teaches That God Governs:

1. The Heavenly Bodies
Is.40:26 Caused star to go before magi and settle over home of baby Jesus. Josh.10:12-14 Caused sun to stand still for Joshua for 1 day.

2. Nature and Animals
Brought worldwide flood at time of Noah. Hail & Darkness at Exodus. Sent plagues of frogs, flies, gnats, locusts at Exodus. Sent raven to feed Elijah. Caused donkey to speak to Balaam. Causes 2 she-bears to devour Elisha’s tormentors. Dogs to eat flesh of Jezebel. Seals mouths of lions for Daniel – causes them to devour his accusers. Causes great fish to swallow Jonah – then causes to vomit forth on dry land. Causes fish to carry coin to Peter for tax.

3. The Devil and Demons
Job 1:12; 2:6; Lu.22:31; 1Sam.16:14. See also Judges 9:23.

4. Political Rulers
Rom.13:1-4; Prov.21:1 (king’s word was law; authority unrestrained. Stubborn will of most powerful monarchs on earth directed by God as easily as a farmer directs the flow of water in an irrigation canal.) See also 1 Kings 12:1-15; 2Sam.17:1-14.

5. Military Victories
Prov.21:31; 2Kings 5:1; See also 2Chron.13:14-16.

6. The Bearing of Children
1Sam.1:4-5; Gen.29:31.

7. Random or “Chance” Events: Prov.16:33

8. Success or Failure: Ps.75:6-7

9. Our Talents and Spiritual Gifts: Ex.31:1-6; 1Cor.12:7.

10. The Length of our Lives
Job 14:5; Ps.139:16

11. The Afflictions in our Lives
Ex.4:11 Donald Grey Barnhouse: “No person in this world was ever born blind that God had not planned for him to be blind; no person was ever deaf that God had not planned for that person to be deaf. If you do not believe that, you have a strange God who has a universe which has gone mad and He cannot control it.” Amos 3:6; Is.45:7; this does not say that God Himself does evil, but should be understood to mean that God ordained that evil would come about through the willing choices of His creatures. Though God ordained that it would come about, both in general terms and in specific details, yet God is removed from actually doing evil, and His bringing it about through “secondary causes” does not impugn His holiness or render Him blameworthy. Lam.3:37-38. See also 1Pet.4:19; 1Pet.1:6; 1Thess.3:3

12. The Actions of Men in General
Ezra 1:1-5;Ex.34:23-24 (like today furloughing all military personnel & gathering all into 1 giant assembly 3 times/year. Nation would be defenseless! But other nations wouldn’t even want to attack!

13. The Good Actions of Men
Phil.2:13; Heb.13:20-21

14. The Evil Actions of Men
Gen.45:5; 50:20. Joseph’s brothers were jealous, hated him, wanted to kill him, sold him into slavery, lied to their father. Judges 14:2-4; Josh.11:19-20; 2Sam.24:1; 2Chron.21:1 – afterwards David recognized this as sin (2Sam.24:10), and God sent punishment on land (24:12-17). However, it is also clear that “the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel” (2Sam.24:1), so God’s inciting of David to sin was a means by which He brought about punishment on the people of Israel. Moreover, the means by which God incited David is made clear in 1Chron.21:1: “Satan stood up against Israel, and incited David to number Israel.” In this 1 incident the Bible gives us a remarkable insight into the three influences that contributed in different ways to one action: God, in order to bring about His purposes, worked through Satan to incite David to sin, but Scripture regards David as being responsible for that sin. 2Thess.2:11-12.

God uses the evil actions of men to fulfill His purposes: If we say that God does not use evil to fulfill His purposes, then we would have to admit that there is evil in the universe that God did not intend, is not under His control, and might not fulfill His purposes. How could we affirm Rom.8:28. If evil came into the world in spite of the fact that God did not intend it, and did not want it to be there, what guarantee do we have there will not be more and more evil that He does not intend and does not want? What guarantee do we have that He will be able to use it for His purposes, or even that He can triumph over it?
God never does evil Himself, and never can be charged with evil If we say that God Himself does evil, we would have to conclude that He is not a good and righteous God, and therefore is not really God at all.

God Rightfully Blames and Judges Evil Men for the Wicked Actions They Commit: Acts 2:23

We Make Real Choices With Real Results: John Grisham may write book where terrorist assassinates the President. Question: “who killed the president?” 1 level – the terrorist. Another level – John Grisham. Wouldn’t be right to say because the terrorist killed President, John Grisham didn’t. Nor that because John Grisham killed President, the terrorist didn’t. On level of characters in book, terrorist fully caused President’s death. On level of author of book, Grisham fully caused President’s death. God fully causes things in 1 way, and we fully cause things in another way.

We need to make the Distinction between God’s Secret Will and His Revealed Will: sometimes God decides something will take place which is according to His secret will, that is not according to His revealed will. Cross of Christ. Or Sovereign Will and Moral Will. When ask question, “Is this the will of God?” have to ask what kind of will are you referring to?

15. Literally ALL Things: Ps.103:19; Eph.1:11; Heb.1:3; Col.1:17

Application:

1. We Don’t Need to be Afraid: no such thing as chance, fate, or luck. All determined by all-wise, holy, good God. You are indestructible until God is through with you.

2. We Can Be At Peace: we can be anxious for nothing. God is in control and he loves me!

3. We Can Rejoice: A sovereign God is working all things together for my good!