Sovereign

If you watch the news at all - you're well aware of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, you know of predicted food shortages and rising fuel costs and inflation, you've probably heard of North Korea's nuclear ambitions and China's threats to Taiwan and economic threats to the US, you've probably heard about Putin giving nuclear warnings, and NATO's unrest and even our own President mentioning the peril of nuclear Armageddon... Many are understandably asking, are we on the brink of a nuclear WW3...?

It's certainly unsettling with tensions on the world stage rising quickly. Is the end of the world coming? Should we be worried? - Is there anything I can personally do right now to prevent Putin from firing a nuclear missile...? - No. But I serve someone who can...

Last week Larry talked about some of God's characteristics and personality - the fact that He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. And the natural consequence of those overarching characteristics is that God is sovereign.

I have stated many times that God is in charge. There are a lot of things in this world that God does, or doesn't do, that I do not understand. But just because I don't understand, does that mean that God isn't really in control...? There are a lot of things I will never understand, but I want us to focus today on some things of which I am certain.

I want us to start by looking at a passage this morning from Ephesians 1:4-12 - the Apostle Paul's words about our relationship with God and His plans...

Ephesians 1:4-12 (NIV)

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (5) he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - (6) to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (7) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (8) that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

(9) And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, (10) to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

(11) In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (12) in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

What will happen on the national scene, or what will be allowed to happen will completely depend upon...

I. God's plans

A lot of theologians have discussed this passage in regard to the word "predestined". Is Paul saying that we have no choice in what we do or what happens? Are we 'predestined' before we're even born and no matter what we do - our path is already chosen? I do know that it was always God's plan to bring us back to Him - that was predestined. But perhaps Paul is not making so much a statement about us as believers and our 'free will' as He is communicating something about our relationship with God and His plans.

I find it interesting, in these 9 verses, the words 'He, Him, His' - all pronouns referring to God, those words are used 20 times. 'Us', and 'we' are used 8 times. We belong to God - that was His plan all along, to adopt us into His family for His purposes. We could spend a lot more time discussing all the implications of exactly what 'predestined' entails. But no matter what our personal conclusions, it is Biblical to say here that God's plans and purposes will reign...

A. Despite circumstances

God's ultimate plans will happen, despite circumstances, no matter what we choose in each of our lives. God is never surprised by wars, or threats of war, or rogue national leaders. God never has to hurriedly revert to a lesser plan B. One thing we need to understand and accept about God is that He is a lot bigger than our understanding of Him.

Isaiah 40:22-24 (NIV)

He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. (23) He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. (24) No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

God's purposes will reign, despite circumstances. And understand that God's plans will come about...

B. With or without you

- Or me... Now don't misunderstand, that's not being negative. It is a truth - God doesn't need me to accomplish His goals. God's plans will take place with or without you - but that is in no way a statement about the value that God places on you or me. He loves each of us so much that He gave His Son for us - but, don't think for a minute than any human being will ever be able spoil God's ultimate plan by their action, or lack of action.

Acts 17:24-27 (NIV)

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. (25) And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

(26) From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. (27) God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

God made His plans for the purpose of drawing people to Him - and He will accomplish that with or without me. If you don't show up for a Sunday morning worship service or put your offering in the plate - is God panicked...? Is He diminished by your lack of participation? No. You miss out - not Him.

Of course He has invited us to participate in worship and His plans in spreading the message of Jesus. But - If I personally chose to reject Jesus and renounce Christianity, would God's Kingdom crumble without me? - Absolutely not. I would be the one to miss out, and I'm sure that God would care, deeply, but I don't have the power to make or to break God's Kingdom.

God doesn't need me, but He wants me to choose Him for my benefit AND...

II. For His glory!

Ultimately, I need to choose Jesus for God's glory. Many people may come to Jesus because they're broken or hurting, or looking for something that they are missing. But in the end, we must choose to follow Jesus for who He is. My walk with Christ can't just be solely about what I get out of it - it ultimately has to be for God's glory. Let's look back again at. Ephesians 1:11-12 (NIV)...

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (12) in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

As you mature as a believer, you learn that following Jesus isn't just about having your needs met - but ultimately it's about Him. We see Christ's death on a cross, His sacrifice - that was all about us. He died and rose again in order to provide us a way to heaven. However, all of creation, everything that ever was and ever will be - was made for the express purpose of God's pleasure. Everything is all about Him!

Now as I say that everything is all about God, it's all for His glory and He is in control; His purposes will reign - there's a troubling question that inevitably comes up. - Does God cause 'bad things' to happen? Since He is in control and it is all about Him AND bad things do happen - doesn't that mean He's to blame? Since God is in control - why do bad things happen?

I don't fully know. But what I do know is this - there is a difference between what God does and what He allows. And that may sound like I'm splitting hairs here - but I want us to look at Isaiah 45:5-7 (NIV)...

I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, (6) so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. (7) I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

Now, in this verse - there's no denying that God does claim that the buck stops with Him. God does control good things and bad things - but we also have to acknowledge that there are those in this world who choose to do evil. There are bad people in this world. They are allowed, for whatever reason, to cause a lot of problems and pain in this world. And we're seeing that on a global scale currently...

But, just because God did cause 'bad things' in the Bible doesn't mean that He causes all bad things. And, sometimes, there are things that are seen as completely bad from my perspective that may not be as hopeless as they appear. One thing I repeat often, because I need to be frequently reminded...

A. God's ways are always best

It's true that there are awful tragedies in this world, but that doesn't mean that God isn't working in all things - good and bad - to bring about His ultimate purpose. Why does He do what He does, or allow what He does? For assurance, I have to personally rely on this passage from Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)...

"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."

There are times that I get very frustrated with some of the garbage of this world. Why did God allow the holocaust? Why did God allow the first two world wars? Why did God allow all of the suffering and economic harm of this recent global pandemic? Why does God allow brutal dictators and vicious tyrants to endanger entire nations and threaten nuclear devastation the likes of which the world has never seen? Why? What purpose does that serve..?

But it is in my frustration that I realize a fundamental truth - God doesn't owe me an explanation. As much as God loves me, He doesn't answer to me. He asks me to trust Him and to walk by faith.

Romans 9:14-24 (NIV)

What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! (15) For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." (16) It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. (17) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."

(18) Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden. (19) One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" (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?

(22) What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath - prepared for destruction? (23) What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory - (24) even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Even Paul, in his writings to the Romans, had to say, "What if God did this for whatever reason". Even Paul didn't know everything about God and His ways - but He knew, he trusted, that God's ways were the right ways. So I end up with more questions than answers. But since God is in control - I think that's okay for now. And since I don't have all the answers - what am I supposed to do in scary and uncertain times? The same thing I'm always called to do...

B. Remain faithful

There are times that God allows tragedies to occur. Other times God intervenes. And there are times when God allows us to see some answers; when we see God take a horrible situation and actually bring some good out of it. But whatever happens - we need to be about God's purposes - the things that He has told us in the Bible to do.

Despite any circumstance - we can know with complete confidence that no tragedy - no famine or natural disaster, or even threat of global war is bigger than God. We can trust that God is in control and He will work things out for the good of those who love Him.

Romans 8:27-31 (NIV)

And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. (28) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (29) For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

(30) And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (31) What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

What better hope is there than that? If I am working for God's purposes, even if I don't understand His plan - He has planned from the beginning of time that He would love me and take care of me even to the point of eternity.

So What?

Are things going to get worse in our nation before they get better? Is war coming? Are we headed toward Armageddon? Are these the end times? I don't know. But whatever happens - my hope is in a sovereign God!

Are you willing to let your lack of understanding about God keep you from Him? Any answers we seek are only found in Him! If you have questions about why God allows bad things - get in the boat, we're all there. Everyone wants answers, but those of us who have accepted Jesus know where to find those answers.

You can trust God - even if you don't have all the answers. Can you trust Him enough to let Him know some things that you can't? Your heavenly Father loves you. He is in control, nothing will ever change that. He wants you to be in Heaven with Him for eternity - that plan has been in place before time began, it was predestined! And it's His plan for you to trust Him and to share that hope with others!