Sovereignty
Psalm 103:19; Proverbs 19:21; Act 17:26; Romans 8:28
How comfortable are you with the idea of riding as a passenger in a driverless car?
A national Pew Research survey in 2022 found that 63% of adults surveyed would be uncomfortable with riding in a driverless car. And of the 37% who would be comfortable doing so, only 17% of those people believed that such cars were a safer option.
Fast forward another year, an Economist/YouGov Poll in 2023 found that 76% of U.S. adults surveyed reported being at least somewhat worried about the safety of driverless cars, with 68% feeling unsafe.
Now exploring this question further, how comfortable would you be with the idea of flying in a pilot-less airplane or receiving a major open-heart operation from a computer-operated robot, with no involvement from a human doctor at all?
Then taken in a different direction, how comfortable would you be living in a nation with no clear government in place? We call this a “stateless society” and describe it as anarchy. This would be a nation with no government in place to provide justice, structure, or protection, but such ungoverned nations cannot exist well or provide a good quality of life.
As human beings, we value being in control of our personal lives and we also understand the value of having a government of some kind which governs the affairs of our lives. An ungoverned, uncontrolled state is both dangerous and unstable.
So, if maintaining human, personal control of our transportation is important to us, and if establishing clear systems of government in society is important to us, then how important is it or should it be to us that someone have control of the universe and life at large?
The most logical, rational, and also comfortable, reassuring view of the history, the universe, and our life and existence within these things is that a good, eternal, and all-powerful God is in control and reigns over all. And that’s exactly the way things are. Scripture clearly teaches this reassuring truth.
God is the supreme king over all things.
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)
This statement is not hard to understand. It tells us that God reigns over all things that exist. He is the chief, supreme, ultimate king and ruler over all things. When say this, we are explaining the way things really are. Our universe is not wandering through time in an ungoverned way and on an unpredictable path. It is, instead, guided and governed by God. And that his kingdom rules “over all” assures us that everything, from the macro to micro, from the big picture to the smallest detail, is carefully guided and governed by God.
When we speak about God’s sovereignty, we can actually be speaking about two different but closely related things. If we combine and unify these two things, we could say we are speaking about God’s power. But when we speak about his power, we should have two distinct kinds of power in mind. The first kind of power is ability, and the second kind of power is authority.
The first kind of power, ability, focuses on God’s capability to do things, and the second kind of power, authority, focuses on God’s position and right to do things. When we study history, government, and even current world events, we encounter people who have positions of power but who lack the ability to exercise their authority well. And we also encounter people who have amazing abilities to do exceptional things, but they lack the position of authority to use their abilities in powerful ways.
With God, we have the one and only being who not only possesses both the authority and ability to govern history, the universe, and every other person, but we have a God is able to govern the universe perfectly and properly in every way. And he is in control of all things so completely that everything which ever happens or occurs, in one way or another (and often in multiple ways), brings attention, glory, and honor back to him.
Of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. (Rom 11:36)
When we consider these words, we must embrace the vast scope and size of that little, two-syllable phrase “all things.” There is nothing in history or the future that does not somehow originate in God’s good heart, mind, and plan and purpose for the world, and that great, unlimited “nothing” includes every detail – both major and minor, but encouraging and painful – in your life.
Bible teacher Robert Mounce says this about this great statement of praise to God:
It is God who has set everything in motion by his creative word. He is the source, the agent, and the goal of all that is. All things find their origin in him. Through him everything that exists is sustained and directed. All things exist for his glory.
Or said another way, God is the supreme kind over all things and he is governing and guiding all things to accomplish his good and perfect purposes and will in a way that does and will ultimately demonstrate how good and incredible he really is. Are there any details, experiences, or features of your life that are excluded from this truth, which are disconnected and ungoverned by his sovereignty? The answer is no.
Let us pause to survey, in a big picture way, what the scope of God’s sovereignty includes.
He governs all history.
He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. (Acts 17:26)
From this statement we see that God is creator of all human beings from every nation. But it says more than this. It also says that God has not just observed or responded to the people he has made in history and time, but he has determined their “preappointed times” and the “boundaries of their dwellings.”
Determined means to appoint, decided, and put into place all the various eras and events of human history as well as the places and ways these things and people would exist and occur. When we survey history, for instance, and even current world events, we see migrations, territory disputes, trade wars, and so much more happening throughout history and our present time. This may all seem very chaotic and uncontrolled from our standpoint, but from God’s standpoint, all these things are predetermined and permanently established, just as he has always decided they would be.
You might wonder how these things accomplish God’s good and perfect purposes and plan. After all, many of these historical and present realities involve difficult and painful developments of many kinds. And while there may be many details, layers, and nuances to the complete and full answer to this question from God’s perspective, the simple answer he has given us is in the next verse: “that they should seek the Lord” (Acts 17:27).
Even the reported national and world events of this past week, as terrible and traumatic as they have been, are not outside of God’s predetermined, sovereign rule and in one way or another are intended to motivate people to seek the Lord.
He governs all nations.
In a related point, we also see very specifically that God governs all nations, not just Israel, and not just the United States of America. He governs all nations, no exceptions. Knowing this, we can say that there is no such thing as a sovereign state, only a sovereign God who rules over all nations.
The kingdom is the LORD’s, and He rules over the nations. (Psa 22:8)
When Scripture refers to “the nations,” as it does here, it refers to all the nations, all the ethnicities, and all the people groups of the world with no exceptions. We can mistakenly assume that God only governs Christian nations, or nations which in large majority or as a culture acknowledge and worship the one, true God. But this would be an incorrect and incomplete view.
God rules over “all the nations,” whether they acknowledge and worship him or not. He rules over Muslim nations and Buddhist nations, religious nations or secularist nations, first-world nations and third-world nations, capitalist nations and communist nations, democratic nations and nations governed by a dictator, king, or totalitarian regime. That’s how “in control” God is. And to extend this thought even further …
He governs all government leaders.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (Rom 13:1)
From this clear NT teaching, we see that every government official in every form of government that exists is in some way or another appointed by, chosen by, and placed in their position of power by God. This does not mean that God endorses or personally affirms whatever these people in power may say or do, but it does mean that everything they say or do in one way or another ends up guiding history forward so that sinful people in all nations will “seek the Lord.”
Sometimes good government officials and policies cause people to seek the Lord, but other times (and often times) bad officials and policies cause people to seek the Lord. And only a sovereign God is able to govern all history, nations, and government authorities with this outcome. How in control of government leaders is God?
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Prov 21:1)
This statement uses irrigation ditches to describe how God governs the hearts and decisions that government leaders make. While he doesn’t make their decisions for them (an important point to make since they often make bad, ungodly decisions), God channels and directs their thoughts and choices in a way that resembles how a farmer digs and designs irrigation ditches to move water from one place to another in a way that provides necessary water for the plants throughout their entire farm.
No decisions which government officials make ever prevent God’s plans – they always and only advance and forward his plans. They don’t, of course, always or even often advance and forward our personal purposes and plans, nor do they seem – in the moment – to advance purposes and plans which are godly and good. But in the big picture, they always – one way or another – have the effect of causing people to seek the Lord and of moving history forward in a way that glorifies God.
While we don’t have time in this sermon to do a proper survey of how this has happened in history, whether in the biblical record or even in the record of historical events outside of history, both biblical and all other history shows this to be true time and time again. The OT is filled with examples of government leaders – often ungodly ones – making choices which caused God’s purposes and plans to move forward despite themselves. And the greatest example of this occurred, of course, with the crucifixion of Christ.
Though no one can say that the way that Jewish and Roman political leaders (like Herod Pilate, and the Roman soldiers) was good in any way, neither can anyone deny that the greatest possible good happened not only in spite of but indeed through and because of those very horrible decisions which those government leaders made to crucify Christ. Without those horrible government decisions, we would have no hope of forgiveness and salvation from sin and no hope of a relationship and eternity with God.
He governs all our circumstances.
Yet God is not interested and involved in government activities and leaders alone. His reign affects and governs all the circumstances of our lives as well, those of us who are not powerful government officials.
There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. (Prov 19:21)
This statement reveals that though we as human beings can and do make many choices – choices both good and bad which we ourselves genuinely and sincerely make and which we ourselves will answer to God for personally – only those choices which God has permitted by his eternal counsel and plans will actually occur. Said another way, nothing we choose or decide will alter or vary from God’s eternal plan. This applies to the big picture developments of history as well as to the small, day-to-day choices of our lives.
A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. (Psa 16:9)
This statement essentially says the same thing. We make actual, genuine choices but when we and as we actually put those plans and decisions into motion, we only and always end up doing things and “taking steps” that one way or another are directed by God – accomplishing and unfolding his plan, one step at a time. This does not mean that every decision we make is good but that every decision we make accomplishes God’s plan and brings glory to him, one way or another. But let’s make good choices so that we glorify God by reflecting his wisdom and goodness, not making bad choices which will then glorify God as he disciplines and punishes us in justice, righteousness, and holiness.
Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? (Lam 3:37)
Consider this truth about God’s sovereignty in our everyday lives in a third way here from Scripture. We can genuinely say, plan, and attempt to do things all we want, but if God has not allowed, permitted, or ordained (indeed, commanded) the outcome in a holy, sovereign way which our minds are unable to comprehend, then whatever we say, plan, or attempt to do will simply not happen or occur. That’s how completely God’s governs the circumstances of our lives. We are not in control – he is.
He governs all things good ends for his people.
For those who follow God by faith in Christ, we have a very special guarantee and promise from our sovereign God.
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)
As we experience and see all the horrible things which have happened in history, all the terrible things which happen today, and the horrible things which will happen in the future, we can never say “it’s all good.” Everything was good when God made the world, that’s why he said not only that everything was good, but that it was “very good” (Gen 1:31).
Yet due to sinful choices which God’s created being have made, including ourselves, the world is permeated by sin and death. This sad and painful reality, though, has not prevented God’s purpose and plan. This widespread, universal sinfulness in all of its forms has caused people to seek the Lord.
And for those who seek the Lord and believe on Christ for salvation, we have a special guarantee. God will and is working together all things not only so that more people will seek him, but so that we who have and do believe on him will experience good, as well. He is weaving together all things, the good and the bad, in such a way that those who love God by faith in Christ will appreciate, enjoy, and experience God’s goodness in a way that is only possible if things happen exactly the way that they have, are, and are going to occur – including those things which are terrible, painful, and hard to figure out.
Do we believe this? Do we believe that the difficult, painful experiences of our immediate, personal lives and in the larger world around us are all being woven together by God into a good and perfect plan which will benefit in a maximum way all those who love God?
How should we respond to this truth of the sovereignty of God?
We must praise God wholeheartedly.
To answer this question, let us return to the psalm we read at the start of this worship service and which I quoted at the beginning of this sermon, Psalm 103. As I comment here, I would encourage you to scroll through this psalm in your printed or electronic Bible.
In the first five stanzas of this psalm (v. 1-5), David tells us with great enthusiasm and conviction what our sovereign God does for his people as the king of all things – he blesses his people with so many benefits. He forgives, heals, rescues, exalts, satisfies, and strengthens his people. He puts his sovereignty over all things to work for our benefit!
In stanzas (verses) 6-14, we see that though God rules and reigns with justice, he does so in a merciful way. Though he punishes and responds to sin with justice, he is also merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy. He also has an end to his anger and isn’t angry forever. He does not punish his people as sharply or severely as our sins require. Why?
We know that answer – because he himself suffered the punishment for our sins on the cross.
In stanzas 15-18, then, we see that the kingdom of this merciful, gracious, forgiving, and sovereign God lasts forever. Our human lives on this earth are temporary and go by quickly and in an unpredictable path, sometimes ending far sooner than we anticipated. But the good news is this – the kingdom of our sovereign God extends beyond this brief, temporary life into eternity, and so does his mercy. Those who believe on Christ are not only forgiven of sin and spared from God’s maximum punishment in this life but will continue to experience God’s mercy and all other benefits in his kingdom forever in eternity. And this is true not only for you but your children, grandchildren, and beyond, as many and as long as they will believe on Christ.
This is where that simple, sweeping statement about God’s sovereignty is given.
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)
This means that there is no place in history, time, or eternity and no place in the universe, visible or invisible, that our great, gracious, and merciful God does not reign and govern all things to his good ends, for his glory and his people. And know this gives us great hope, not only in this world – which seems all messed up – but also in the next.
That leads to the closing stanzas, which repeat in a larger way how this psalm began. At the start of this psalm, two times we are told to “bless the Lord.” Now at the end of this psalm, after we have been able to meditate on the goodness and mercy of our sovereign God, we are told to “bless the Lord” four more times, or twice as much as before.
The more we meditate on the goodness and mercy of our sovereign God, the more we are motivated to praise him. We should also be motivated to submit to and obey this sovereign God in humility and faith, as well. And what’s more, we should be motivated to inspire others to do the same, as well. That’s what this psalm does. It is one man, David, urging other people to discover and depend upon the mercy and grace of the sovereign God so that they, like him, may enjoy his many benefits and praise God forever.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” (1 Chron 16:31)
This past week, we have had to work our way through several very difficult headlines. In addition to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in Israel, and the recent unrest and government collapse in Nepal (not to mention so many other distressing world events), we have also had to work our way through a series of deeply distressing events here in our own nation – the recent elementary school shooting in Minneapolis, an even more recent high school shooting in Colorado, a horrible murder on a bus line in Charlotte, NC, then the very horrible murder of Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was a man who, like the rest of us, was a sinner, but in his own flawed but enthusiastic and courageous way, spoke out publicly on matters of faith and freedom – defending biblical, godly morality and even promoting a clear gospel message of salvation, something which though not always the case, became increasingly clear in the later years of his young life.
This death affected many of us here because like us, he believed in Christ as his Savior and spoke up for his faith in public. He was not ashamed of the gospel, did his best to represent Christ to the world in an American context, but died in a violent, horrible way as a result. Events like this seem to be outside of God’s control, to somehow be so horrible, so traumatic, and so evil that we may question the goodness, wisdom, and love of God.
But when we understand that God is in full control of all things – including horrible events like this – we know that God is in full control and that he is turning even events like this, as horrible and evil as they not only seem but truly are, in such a way that people will seek the Lord. This is his great, grand purpose and plan, though I am sure there are so many smaller purposes and plans of which we are not aware, as well.
May past events like this and even more which may occur in the future – though we certainly work and pray to prevent that happening – not cause anxiety, fear, and doubt within our hearts. But may we rest in knowing that our good and merciful God rules and reigns over all things, guiding all things and all people at all times and in all places in such a way that people will seek the Lord.
May this be what happens because of all the terrible events which have happened this past week, including the death of Charlie Kirk. And as a result of God’s sovereign purposes and plan to cause more people to seek the Lord, may our response to events like those of this past week cause us to join God more closely in this purpose. May we more passionately and confidently make friends and seek to serve and influence people to seek the Lord. Why? Because the Lord our God is sovereign, and because people need the Lord.
How comfortable are you with the idea of riding as a passenger in a driverless car?
A national Pew Research survey in 2022 found that 63% of adults surveyed would be uncomfortable with riding in a driverless car. And of the 37% who would be comfortable doing so, only 17% of those people believed that such cars were a safer option.
Fast forward another year, an Economist/YouGov Poll in 2023 found that 76% of U.S. adults surveyed reported being at least somewhat worried about the safety of driverless cars, with 68% feeling unsafe.
Now exploring this question further, how comfortable would you be with the idea of flying in a pilot-less airplane or receiving a major open-heart operation from a computer-operated robot, with no involvement from a human doctor at all?
Then taken in a different direction, how comfortable would you be living in a nation with no clear government in place? We call this a “stateless society” and describe it as anarchy. This would be a nation with no government in place to provide justice, structure, or protection, but such ungoverned nations cannot exist well or provide a good quality of life.
As human beings, we value being in control of our personal lives and we also understand the value of having a government of some kind which governs the affairs of our lives. An ungoverned, uncontrolled state is both dangerous and unstable.
So, if maintaining human, personal control of our transportation is important to us, and if establishing clear systems of government in society is important to us, then how important is it or should it be to us that someone have control of the universe and life at large?
The most logical, rational, and also comfortable, reassuring view of the history, the universe, and our life and existence within these things is that a good, eternal, and all-powerful God is in control and reigns over all. And that’s exactly the way things are. Scripture clearly teaches this reassuring truth.
God is the supreme king over all things.
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)
This statement is not hard to understand. It tells us that God reigns over all things that exist. He is the chief, supreme, ultimate king and ruler over all things. When say this, we are explaining the way things really are. Our universe is not wandering through time in an ungoverned way and on an unpredictable path. It is, instead, guided and governed by God. And that his kingdom rules “over all” assures us that everything, from the macro to micro, from the big picture to the smallest detail, is carefully guided and governed by God.
When we speak about God’s sovereignty, we can actually be speaking about two different but closely related things. If we combine and unify these two things, we could say we are speaking about God’s power. But when we speak about his power, we should have two distinct kinds of power in mind. The first kind of power is ability, and the second kind of power is authority.
The first kind of power, ability, focuses on God’s capability to do things, and the second kind of power, authority, focuses on God’s position and right to do things. When we study history, government, and even current world events, we encounter people who have positions of power but who lack the ability to exercise their authority well. And we also encounter people who have amazing abilities to do exceptional things, but they lack the position of authority to use their abilities in powerful ways.
With God, we have the one and only being who not only possesses both the authority and ability to govern history, the universe, and every other person, but we have a God is able to govern the universe perfectly and properly in every way. And he is in control of all things so completely that everything which ever happens or occurs, in one way or another (and often in multiple ways), brings attention, glory, and honor back to him.
Of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. (Rom 11:36)
When we consider these words, we must embrace the vast scope and size of that little, two-syllable phrase “all things.” There is nothing in history or the future that does not somehow originate in God’s good heart, mind, and plan and purpose for the world, and that great, unlimited “nothing” includes every detail – both major and minor, but encouraging and painful – in your life.
Bible teacher Robert Mounce says this about this great statement of praise to God:
It is God who has set everything in motion by his creative word. He is the source, the agent, and the goal of all that is. All things find their origin in him. Through him everything that exists is sustained and directed. All things exist for his glory.
Or said another way, God is the supreme kind over all things and he is governing and guiding all things to accomplish his good and perfect purposes and will in a way that does and will ultimately demonstrate how good and incredible he really is. Are there any details, experiences, or features of your life that are excluded from this truth, which are disconnected and ungoverned by his sovereignty? The answer is no.
Let us pause to survey, in a big picture way, what the scope of God’s sovereignty includes.
He governs all history.
He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings. (Acts 17:26)
From this statement we see that God is creator of all human beings from every nation. But it says more than this. It also says that God has not just observed or responded to the people he has made in history and time, but he has determined their “preappointed times” and the “boundaries of their dwellings.”
Determined means to appoint, decided, and put into place all the various eras and events of human history as well as the places and ways these things and people would exist and occur. When we survey history, for instance, and even current world events, we see migrations, territory disputes, trade wars, and so much more happening throughout history and our present time. This may all seem very chaotic and uncontrolled from our standpoint, but from God’s standpoint, all these things are predetermined and permanently established, just as he has always decided they would be.
You might wonder how these things accomplish God’s good and perfect purposes and plan. After all, many of these historical and present realities involve difficult and painful developments of many kinds. And while there may be many details, layers, and nuances to the complete and full answer to this question from God’s perspective, the simple answer he has given us is in the next verse: “that they should seek the Lord” (Acts 17:27).
Even the reported national and world events of this past week, as terrible and traumatic as they have been, are not outside of God’s predetermined, sovereign rule and in one way or another are intended to motivate people to seek the Lord.
He governs all nations.
In a related point, we also see very specifically that God governs all nations, not just Israel, and not just the United States of America. He governs all nations, no exceptions. Knowing this, we can say that there is no such thing as a sovereign state, only a sovereign God who rules over all nations.
The kingdom is the LORD’s, and He rules over the nations. (Psa 22:8)
When Scripture refers to “the nations,” as it does here, it refers to all the nations, all the ethnicities, and all the people groups of the world with no exceptions. We can mistakenly assume that God only governs Christian nations, or nations which in large majority or as a culture acknowledge and worship the one, true God. But this would be an incorrect and incomplete view.
God rules over “all the nations,” whether they acknowledge and worship him or not. He rules over Muslim nations and Buddhist nations, religious nations or secularist nations, first-world nations and third-world nations, capitalist nations and communist nations, democratic nations and nations governed by a dictator, king, or totalitarian regime. That’s how “in control” God is. And to extend this thought even further …
He governs all government leaders.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (Rom 13:1)
From this clear NT teaching, we see that every government official in every form of government that exists is in some way or another appointed by, chosen by, and placed in their position of power by God. This does not mean that God endorses or personally affirms whatever these people in power may say or do, but it does mean that everything they say or do in one way or another ends up guiding history forward so that sinful people in all nations will “seek the Lord.”
Sometimes good government officials and policies cause people to seek the Lord, but other times (and often times) bad officials and policies cause people to seek the Lord. And only a sovereign God is able to govern all history, nations, and government authorities with this outcome. How in control of government leaders is God?
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Prov 21:1)
This statement uses irrigation ditches to describe how God governs the hearts and decisions that government leaders make. While he doesn’t make their decisions for them (an important point to make since they often make bad, ungodly decisions), God channels and directs their thoughts and choices in a way that resembles how a farmer digs and designs irrigation ditches to move water from one place to another in a way that provides necessary water for the plants throughout their entire farm.
No decisions which government officials make ever prevent God’s plans – they always and only advance and forward his plans. They don’t, of course, always or even often advance and forward our personal purposes and plans, nor do they seem – in the moment – to advance purposes and plans which are godly and good. But in the big picture, they always – one way or another – have the effect of causing people to seek the Lord and of moving history forward in a way that glorifies God.
While we don’t have time in this sermon to do a proper survey of how this has happened in history, whether in the biblical record or even in the record of historical events outside of history, both biblical and all other history shows this to be true time and time again. The OT is filled with examples of government leaders – often ungodly ones – making choices which caused God’s purposes and plans to move forward despite themselves. And the greatest example of this occurred, of course, with the crucifixion of Christ.
Though no one can say that the way that Jewish and Roman political leaders (like Herod Pilate, and the Roman soldiers) was good in any way, neither can anyone deny that the greatest possible good happened not only in spite of but indeed through and because of those very horrible decisions which those government leaders made to crucify Christ. Without those horrible government decisions, we would have no hope of forgiveness and salvation from sin and no hope of a relationship and eternity with God.
He governs all our circumstances.
Yet God is not interested and involved in government activities and leaders alone. His reign affects and governs all the circumstances of our lives as well, those of us who are not powerful government officials.
There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. (Prov 19:21)
This statement reveals that though we as human beings can and do make many choices – choices both good and bad which we ourselves genuinely and sincerely make and which we ourselves will answer to God for personally – only those choices which God has permitted by his eternal counsel and plans will actually occur. Said another way, nothing we choose or decide will alter or vary from God’s eternal plan. This applies to the big picture developments of history as well as to the small, day-to-day choices of our lives.
A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps. (Psa 16:9)
This statement essentially says the same thing. We make actual, genuine choices but when we and as we actually put those plans and decisions into motion, we only and always end up doing things and “taking steps” that one way or another are directed by God – accomplishing and unfolding his plan, one step at a time. This does not mean that every decision we make is good but that every decision we make accomplishes God’s plan and brings glory to him, one way or another. But let’s make good choices so that we glorify God by reflecting his wisdom and goodness, not making bad choices which will then glorify God as he disciplines and punishes us in justice, righteousness, and holiness.
Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, when the Lord has not commanded it? (Lam 3:37)
Consider this truth about God’s sovereignty in our everyday lives in a third way here from Scripture. We can genuinely say, plan, and attempt to do things all we want, but if God has not allowed, permitted, or ordained (indeed, commanded) the outcome in a holy, sovereign way which our minds are unable to comprehend, then whatever we say, plan, or attempt to do will simply not happen or occur. That’s how completely God’s governs the circumstances of our lives. We are not in control – he is.
He governs all things good ends for his people.
For those who follow God by faith in Christ, we have a very special guarantee and promise from our sovereign God.
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28)
As we experience and see all the horrible things which have happened in history, all the terrible things which happen today, and the horrible things which will happen in the future, we can never say “it’s all good.” Everything was good when God made the world, that’s why he said not only that everything was good, but that it was “very good” (Gen 1:31).
Yet due to sinful choices which God’s created being have made, including ourselves, the world is permeated by sin and death. This sad and painful reality, though, has not prevented God’s purpose and plan. This widespread, universal sinfulness in all of its forms has caused people to seek the Lord.
And for those who seek the Lord and believe on Christ for salvation, we have a special guarantee. God will and is working together all things not only so that more people will seek him, but so that we who have and do believe on him will experience good, as well. He is weaving together all things, the good and the bad, in such a way that those who love God by faith in Christ will appreciate, enjoy, and experience God’s goodness in a way that is only possible if things happen exactly the way that they have, are, and are going to occur – including those things which are terrible, painful, and hard to figure out.
Do we believe this? Do we believe that the difficult, painful experiences of our immediate, personal lives and in the larger world around us are all being woven together by God into a good and perfect plan which will benefit in a maximum way all those who love God?
How should we respond to this truth of the sovereignty of God?
We must praise God wholeheartedly.
To answer this question, let us return to the psalm we read at the start of this worship service and which I quoted at the beginning of this sermon, Psalm 103. As I comment here, I would encourage you to scroll through this psalm in your printed or electronic Bible.
In the first five stanzas of this psalm (v. 1-5), David tells us with great enthusiasm and conviction what our sovereign God does for his people as the king of all things – he blesses his people with so many benefits. He forgives, heals, rescues, exalts, satisfies, and strengthens his people. He puts his sovereignty over all things to work for our benefit!
In stanzas (verses) 6-14, we see that though God rules and reigns with justice, he does so in a merciful way. Though he punishes and responds to sin with justice, he is also merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and overflowing with mercy. He also has an end to his anger and isn’t angry forever. He does not punish his people as sharply or severely as our sins require. Why?
We know that answer – because he himself suffered the punishment for our sins on the cross.
In stanzas 15-18, then, we see that the kingdom of this merciful, gracious, forgiving, and sovereign God lasts forever. Our human lives on this earth are temporary and go by quickly and in an unpredictable path, sometimes ending far sooner than we anticipated. But the good news is this – the kingdom of our sovereign God extends beyond this brief, temporary life into eternity, and so does his mercy. Those who believe on Christ are not only forgiven of sin and spared from God’s maximum punishment in this life but will continue to experience God’s mercy and all other benefits in his kingdom forever in eternity. And this is true not only for you but your children, grandchildren, and beyond, as many and as long as they will believe on Christ.
This is where that simple, sweeping statement about God’s sovereignty is given.
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. (Psalm 103:19)
This means that there is no place in history, time, or eternity and no place in the universe, visible or invisible, that our great, gracious, and merciful God does not reign and govern all things to his good ends, for his glory and his people. And know this gives us great hope, not only in this world – which seems all messed up – but also in the next.
That leads to the closing stanzas, which repeat in a larger way how this psalm began. At the start of this psalm, two times we are told to “bless the Lord.” Now at the end of this psalm, after we have been able to meditate on the goodness and mercy of our sovereign God, we are told to “bless the Lord” four more times, or twice as much as before.
The more we meditate on the goodness and mercy of our sovereign God, the more we are motivated to praise him. We should also be motivated to submit to and obey this sovereign God in humility and faith, as well. And what’s more, we should be motivated to inspire others to do the same, as well. That’s what this psalm does. It is one man, David, urging other people to discover and depend upon the mercy and grace of the sovereign God so that they, like him, may enjoy his many benefits and praise God forever.
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” (1 Chron 16:31)
This past week, we have had to work our way through several very difficult headlines. In addition to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the ongoing conflict in Israel, and the recent unrest and government collapse in Nepal (not to mention so many other distressing world events), we have also had to work our way through a series of deeply distressing events here in our own nation – the recent elementary school shooting in Minneapolis, an even more recent high school shooting in Colorado, a horrible murder on a bus line in Charlotte, NC, then the very horrible murder of Charlie Kirk.
Kirk was a man who, like the rest of us, was a sinner, but in his own flawed but enthusiastic and courageous way, spoke out publicly on matters of faith and freedom – defending biblical, godly morality and even promoting a clear gospel message of salvation, something which though not always the case, became increasingly clear in the later years of his young life.
This death affected many of us here because like us, he believed in Christ as his Savior and spoke up for his faith in public. He was not ashamed of the gospel, did his best to represent Christ to the world in an American context, but died in a violent, horrible way as a result. Events like this seem to be outside of God’s control, to somehow be so horrible, so traumatic, and so evil that we may question the goodness, wisdom, and love of God.
But when we understand that God is in full control of all things – including horrible events like this – we know that God is in full control and that he is turning even events like this, as horrible and evil as they not only seem but truly are, in such a way that people will seek the Lord. This is his great, grand purpose and plan, though I am sure there are so many smaller purposes and plans of which we are not aware, as well.
May past events like this and even more which may occur in the future – though we certainly work and pray to prevent that happening – not cause anxiety, fear, and doubt within our hearts. But may we rest in knowing that our good and merciful God rules and reigns over all things, guiding all things and all people at all times and in all places in such a way that people will seek the Lord.
May this be what happens because of all the terrible events which have happened this past week, including the death of Charlie Kirk. And as a result of God’s sovereign purposes and plan to cause more people to seek the Lord, may our response to events like those of this past week cause us to join God more closely in this purpose. May we more passionately and confidently make friends and seek to serve and influence people to seek the Lord. Why? Because the Lord our God is sovereign, and because people need the Lord.
Posted in Sermon Manuscript
Posted in Sovereignty, Government, Theology, Theology Proper, Incomparable, Providence
Posted in Sovereignty, Government, Theology, Theology Proper, Incomparable, Providence
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