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Bro. Otis Fisher
Cannot allow or permit anything different. He has already answered all of the prayers that he shall answer. He's already accomplished all of his plans. All of the history of man has been completed, and all of eternity is also done.
Now, this afternoon, I have put together just a few scriptures that will help us understand that God, and no one else, governs everything. You have a copy of it, but I would still like to go through it.
Not that you cannot read, but I want to hear it. And we start off with Daniel 4 .35 that we had this morning. And all of the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What doest thou?
All the people of earth have no input into God in as far as instructing him. God cannot change anything, because from his point of view, everything is already done. Isaiah 46 .10, someone turn to that for me, please.
And someone else go to Proverbs 16 .33. Greg, you have 46 .10? Isaiah 46 .10. Who has Proverbs 16 .33? Alright. Alright, if you'll look at the explanation, the lot is the destiny of each and every person.
You've heard the term, my lot in life? This is where it comes from. This destiny has been cast, means fixed, put in motion, into the lab, meaning for each person, his destiny in life has been fixed and cannot be changed.
The whole disposing, the way this destiny unfolds each day is guided by the Lord. Any person can think, plan, schedule, talk, say whatever they want, but the Lord has him to walk, to go, and to do that which he designed for him.
Now, let's go to three more. Ecclesiastes 8 .3. Margaret, would you look that up for us? Tom, Hebrews 4 .13. Well, I guess we don't have to look it up, we can just read it off of here. So, Margaret, would you read Ecclesiastes 8 .3?
Alright, Tom, Hebrews 4 .13. Fred, would you read Proverbs 16 .9? Alright, now remember, these are just a few scripture to help us understand that God and no one else is governing everything. The next time you plan to commit a sin, all that you'll have to do is get someplace where God can't see you.
Now, Mrs. Fisher, would you read Revelation 4 .11? Joy, the next one, John 1 .3. For of him, through him, to him are all things, to whom be glory forever, amen. For by him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers, all things created by him and for him.
Now, by this time, folks, there should be no doubt in anyone's mind but what he has made everything for himself. All things includes not only man, but rocks, stars, trees, houses, weather, Lucifer, angels, water, sea, air, everything is for him.
Philippians 2 .13, for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do his good pleasure. We do that which pleases him because he's the one that does it in us. We can do nothing, Greg, of ourself.
It is impossible for us to do anything on our own that would ever please God. We cannot do anything on our own anyhow. We think we do. So it brings me to this conclusion, and I know that some of you are really going to have to think about this, but it is impossible for any human being to be out of the will of God, from God's viewpoint.
Now, we can think out of his will, we can talk out of his will, but we cannot walk out of his will. As strange as that may seem, and don't ask me to explain lots of things that are going on because I cannot, other than it is ordained of God.
God by his Holy Spirit is the force that is at work in each of his people to cause them to do and even want to do that which pleases him. Now, it's his force that's working everybody. You remember Pharaoh?
Can you go way back? Pharaoh was doing exactly that which God had for him to do, and God told him so. He said, I have raised you up for this very purpose that I might get glory from it. If we'd been there at that time, there's no way that on our own we could have ever thought this is of God.
The same thing's true today. Ephesians 1 9, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. Psalms 115 3, but our God is in heaven.
He hath done whatsoever he has pleased. Now Fred, that's just about as clear to me as it could ever be. We continue to find more and more scripture to cause us to know that God does all things to please himself.
Now, don't think we're left out. But because God is only good, because he is doing everything that is good, and that brings pleasure and honors his will, that we are also benefiting by it. If he had not done what he has done, we wouldn't be here.
Some may, we continue to find, now someone may ask, well, if all things are already ordained, why should I do anything? My answer to that is, but you will. Go back and read Philippians 2 13 again. Since we love our Lord, we will want to do things for him.
There is no way that you can do nothing. Think about it. It is impossible for anybody to do nothing. You say, well, I'm just sitting here on the pew doing nothing. No, you're not. First of all, you're sitting there on the pew.
That's something. Second is your thinking. That's something. Well, what about when I go to bed at night? Well, you're present, you're sleeping, and you're busy sleeping. Now, if it is utterly impossible for us to do nothing, then when we find ourselves sinning, stop it.
Just stop. Find something every day, if possible, or once a year, if possible, that you know you should not be doing, and just stop doing it. Because it's impossible to do nothing. Therefore, you will fill that space with something else.
You follow? And by filling it with something else, you may find out later that you shouldn't be doing that. Well, just stop it. That space will become full of something else. And Steve, little by little, by the process of elimination, we grow closer and closer to the Lord.
Because someplace, we'll find something that we're doing that pleases Him. Absolutely. Absolutely. So He was the subject that supplied them with opportunity to pray and to reap blessings. Ecclesiastes 9 and 1.
For all this I considered in my heart, even to declare all of this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. No man knoweth either love or hatred but by that which is before him.
You cannot know love unless you hate. God cannot love us unless he hates something. Well, he hates sin, and he hates the seed of Satan. Therefore, he can love us. Man does not know what is good or evil.
We know only as it relates to other things. But God knows all. Ephesians 1, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.
He has chosen us. Thomas is a choice that was never made. For God does not choose upsides as we do. He does not think as man. He does not choose this one and not this one and this one. If you'll study Genesis, and especially the third chapter in the 15th, 16th verses, you'll see that because of sin, the Lord multiplied the conception of the woman.
Meaning that before sin, it was not multiplied. Meaning that if there had never been any sin, there would not been near as many people born. Now, if there'd never been sin, then the only ones that would have been born were his people.
If you wonder how many that will be, then when you get to heaven, count them. Because that's the group that will be there. According as he has chosen us, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.
Predestinated. That's a dirty word in most churches today, but it's a beautiful word. Adoption of children. I think it's so fitting that he used the word adoption. Maybe you're all aware of the law, but an adopted child can never, never be disinherited.
A natural born child can be, but not an adopted one. Ephesians 1, 11, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.
Romans 8, 28 says, well, let's turn to it. Somebody turned to Romans 8, 28. Greg read it. All right. That says that we know all things work together for good. That might leave you thinking that God watches what we do and then works it to where it's good.
That's not what that means. It literally means God is working all things. And we have proof of it right here. In Ephesians 1, 11, he works all things after the counsel of his own will. So that would include all things working together.
God is working all things and he works them in such a way that everything is good for his people and it brings praise to the praise of his glory. Just a few scripture. I'd like for you to keep it, fold it up, put it in your Bibles, put it someplace where you will not lose it.
Look at it every once in a while when you get to wondering. If you do not study the scripture, you'll soon come to doubt in your salvation. If you doubt your salvation, you're not going to be very productive for God.
Stand with me if you will, please. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this brief time that we have spent in your word and how beautiful it is, how it means so much to us, more than we can ever, ever know.
Bless your word as it went out and that that is yet to come today in the name of Christ. Amen.