He Reigns
iGod: His Character Playlist, part 6 of 10
God is sovereign. This is one of the most comforting thoughts and facts about God because when we understand that God is sovereign, things that appear to not make sense, do make sense because they are in His control. God has control over nature, history and our lives. We will see how the fact that God has the control over everything affects our life. We will see how our plans, problems, and prayers are shaped and determined ultimately by God’s sovereignty.
Download the notes.“Yours is the mighty power and glory and victory and majesty. Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything.” (1 Chronicles 29:11, LB)
I) WHAT GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY MEANS
1) God has the absolute ___RIGHT TO RULE THE WORLD___.
2) God is in absolute ___CONTROL OF EVERYTHING___.
II) HOW GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY WORKS
1) God is in control over all ___TIME___.
“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.” (Isaiah 46:10, NIV)
2) God is in control over all ___CREATION___.
“The Lord does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” (Psalm 135:6, NIV)
3) God is in control over all ___HUMANITY___.
“From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined the exact places where they should live.” (Acts 17:26, NIV)
*If God is in control, do we have any free choice in matters?
___YES___, but it isn’t ___TOTALLY FREE___.
III) HOW GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY AFFECTS US
Because God is in control….
1) All of our plans have a determined ___LIMIT___.
“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s will that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21, NIV)
“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spends a year there, carry on business, and makes money.’ Why, you don’t even know what will happen tomorrow…Instead, you ought to say,’If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’.” (James 4:13-15, NIV)
“We should make plans — counting on the Lord to direct us.” (Proverbs 16:9, LB)
*Since God is sovereign, we must be __FLEXIBLE__ toward the future.
2) All of our problems have a divine ___PURPOSE___.
“…at present, you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials. This is no accident — it happens to prove your faith, which is infinitely more valuable than gold.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, JB)
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20, NIV)
“This is the reason we never lose heart…These troubles (which are temporary) are winning for us a permanent, glorious, and solid reward out of proportion to our pain.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17, JB)
*Since God is sovereign, we should look for __PURPOSE__ in our pain.
3) All of our prayers have a definite ___IMPACT___.
“The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” (James 5:16b-18, NIV)
“We are sure that He [God] hears us if we ask for anything that is according to His will. He hears us whenever we ask Him…” (1 John 5:14, TEV)
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” (Romans 8:26, NIV)