Our God Does Whatever He Pleases - [Psalms 115]

Singing Scripture and the Comfort of God’s Sovereignty

Well it is always good to sing scripture. I was reminded uh... that that was the passage that george muller preach from as he gave his wife's funeral. That god was good. That god was good in giving her to him giving her to him for such a long time and giving her to him only to be taking her back because she was a dear christian lady.

He is good. His love endures forever. Will deal. Moody. Some of you know the story evangelistic preacher. And he regularly preach the gospel in large camp meetings large revival meetings and back in those days there's all kinds of hecklers and the people that disagree with him and shout things back.

And the final night of one campaign and usher handed him a note and he thought it was going to be an announcement. So he he quieted the large audience and opened up the little piece of paper and it said one word.

And one word only. It said fool. Cindy you know this. Don't you. But he was a pretty sharp guy. And he said this is most unusual. I have just been handed a message which consists of but one word the word fool.

I repeat. This is most unusual. I've often heard of those who have written letters and forgotten to sign their names. Some are laughing a little later than others. But this is the first time i've ever heard of anyone who signed his name and forgot to write the letter.

And then he changes sermon and preached on the text the fool has said in his heart there's no. But i think there's a another more subtle type of atheism. It's an atheism that manifests itself by believing things about god that are true.

Specifically things about god's sovereignty that are true. How sovereign is god. When you think about god. And even the the root word in sovereign reign. How sovereign. How much does god reign. Does he reign over the big things and not the small things.

Does he reign over the rain and not eternity. How sovereign is god. Is he sovereign over every atom in the universe. Is he sovereign over lyme disease cancer molecules. Calvin said ignorance of sovereignty is the ultimate of all miseries.

Yet it's the highest blessedness. If you understand today we're gonna talk about the sovereignty of god over everything. Uh... i read this week that sixty one percent of churches are attended by females ladies.

That means thirty nine percent. Are men ever. Ask yourself the question why is that. Here's one of the reasons why i think that's true is because so often now churches talk about personal relationships with jesus.

And that's coming from a very feminine kind of aspect where ladies want personal relationships. And yet if you talk to men you know how you get them to follow somebody. You talk about the lordship of christ jesus.

He's king he's savior he's lord. And that when jesus says follow me you'll get men to follow him. It's kind of like when you go to churches and everything's blue lights and loud music and jesus is my boyfriend stuff.

No wonder men don't go to those churches. Okay real men. But i'll tell you something that will strike in the hearts of both men and women is the utter naked sovereignty of god over all things. It's difficult because it's going to be pride crushing.

But the most difficult doctrine is the one that will help you in the times when things are the most difficult. And we're gonna look at today six realms of god's sovereignty designed to help you trust in him and yield to him and be refreshed in him that you might praise him.

I have two sermons ready. One on the holy spirit one on the sovereignty of god. I have two icons to push. I push sovereignty. So you're ready. Turn your bibles to psalm 103. As we're beginning to look at this whole idea of the sovereignty of god.

It is hard for us in our churches because we are pride driven. We are in america. Individualism is king. Don't tell me what my rights are. We tell britain we serve no sovereign here. That was the slogan of the american war of independence.

We don't like someone who's in charge of everything. And we come up with code words like fortune and chance and fate and serendipity. But what does the bible say. And that's our goal. I know that's your dear goal christian.

Because you're here and you want to learn from the bible. What does the bible say. Psalm 103 verse nineteen. The lord has established his throne in the heavens. And his sovereignty rules over. Isn't that amazing.

The sovereignty of god rules over all. Move forward to psalm 115 and you'll see the same kind of language. Remember these are songs. These are our psalms. You sing about this. You have joy when it comes to this you're thinking god is a sovereign god.

Used to sing that song when i was younger. My god is an awesome god. This god he's a sovereign god. He has eternal purposes. He does all his good pleasure. Isaiah forty six. He does everything after the counsel of his will.

Ephesians chapter one. He does everything for his own glory. He fordains everything that comes to pass. And look at how the psalmist writes it in prose. But our god is in the heavens. Psalm 115 verse three.

He does whatever he pleases. This is one of those sermons where you're gonna think. You know i can't do this this kind of sermon anymore. Believe in this kind of well my god would never do that. Well my god's a god of love.

Well my god. It doesn't matter what your brain manufactures as god. This is the god with whom we have to do and whom we have to believe in and trust and submit to. Paul ends said defining sovereignty with reference to god it means that god is the supreme ruler and authority that he ordains whatever comes to pass and that his divine purpose is always accomplished.

Tozer said god's sovereignty requires that he be absolutely free. Which means that he must be free to do whatever he wills to do anywhere at any time to carry out his eternal purpose in every detail without interference.

Where he is less than free he must be less than sovereign. And so you know what's coming. If god is free and sovereign to do everything that he wants to that means we're less than free and less than sovereign.

You begin to read the bible. And and these are some of the words that come at you as you read about god's sovereignty. Lord lord of hosts most high king sovereign almighty throne appointed established reign dominion rule decree ordain command predestined for ordain authority and control.

One thing you won't find in scripture. You won't find scripture saying god's sovereign. But it's all or nothing. And the scriptures teach it's all. He's sovereign over everything. I mean what would the other option be.

Instead of god controlling the world a world uncontrolled spiraling around with no order no guidance. The godness of god is rule. Even the name god implies dominion authority power. Turn to. Daniel chapter four.

Please let me just show you one of the best sets of verses to summarize god's ultimate rule. And i like this because it's from a king. So now a king describes god's kingship. Kings are are totally in control.

Back in those days no wonder when the scriptures say uh... that god turns the king's heart whatsoever way he wishes. If he can do it to a king he can do it to anyone or everyone or no one. Daniel chapter four.

Here's what the king said about the capital. K king of kings verse thirty-four. But at the end of that period i nebuchadnezzar raise my eyes toward heaven and my reason return to me. And i bless the most high and praised and honored him who lives forever.

For his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. But he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.

And no one can ward off his hand or say to him what have you done. That is amazing. And that is a powerful positive side to the sovereignty of god. But that is going to imply the negative side as it were when isaiah says this is the plan devised against the whole earth.

And this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. The lord of hosts has planned it and who can frustrate it. And as for a stretched out hand who can turn it back. The bible teaches emphatically that god is sovereign over everything.

And let's look at these six all-encompassing realms of god's total sovereign control so that you might praise him and think there's nobody like this god. You can't make up such a god. And that you might some of you I think are going through that book that everyone should read sometime trusting god by jerry bridges.

And the subtitle is even when what life hurts because this is the balm that will help you sleep at night. This is when you get the phone call. There's been an accident. Something's wrong. You ought to be thinking i don't know all the details but i know i can tuck myself underneath this god who's good.

He's kind. I see it in the personal work of christ jesus. And i know he's sovereign over everything. And i simply have to trust in him. Number one. The first area where god is having total dominion and sovereign control is over all his creation.

Trust this god because he's in control of all creation. You might ask yourself the question well why are there deserts on the planet. Why is there more water than land. Why are there not twenty five mount everest.

God’s Sovereignty Over Creation

Turn to psalm one thirty five. Please. And i want you to see that god has even called the moon and the stars and the sun servants. Can you imagine i don't know what you call them. I was standing in new zealand looking up.

And i did not see the north star. I saw the southern cross. Fascinating. Did not see big dippers and all these kind of things. And orion's belt. You're seeing things from the south. And i see the southern cross.

And when i see stars i think man that's fascinating. When god sees stars what does he say. Those are my servants. He's sovereign over them. Psalm one thirty five. Verse six and seven. Whatever yahweh that's his personal name or we translate it lord pleases he does in heaven and in earth.

Think about it for a second. I can't even be sovereign over what goes on in my own house my own life. The four ninety five. Excuse me. Four ninety five close. When i'm here twenty five years i'll get it right.

You say four ninety five. Or the forty nine. Four ninety five. I know. Do you say the pike or pike. See. Uh uh i don't buy any of that. Psalm one thirty five. Verse six and seven. Whatever the lord pleases he does in heaven and in earth in the seas and all the deeps.

He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. Who makes lightnings for the rain. Who brings forth the wind from his treasuries. That's how sovereign god is. He's sovereign over creation. Go back to psalm one nineteen.

While we're in the psalms can you imagine god telling the moon and the sun and the stars to do what they're told. You go there. You stay here. You come here almost like uh... a man training a dog. What fascinating obedience.

These galaxies instantly respond to the precise commands of god. Psalm one nineteen ninety. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations. You establish the earth and it stands. They stand this day according to your ordinances.

For all things are your servants. And this even comes up in the way we talk about rain now. I was trying to ride my bicycle yesterday and it kept raining. And even the way i say it it was raining. You know in scripture instead of having the theme it rained.

Typically you'll hear this instead. Genesis two. The lord god had not sent rain upon the earth. Deuteronomy eleven. He will give rain for your land in its season. Deuteronomy twenty eight. The lord will open for you his good storehouse.

The heavens to give rain to your land even they're taking any kind of chance out. I mean i have about four weather apps trying to figure out. Is it gonna rain. Is it gonna snow. Do we cancel service. What do we do in the wintertime.

Et cetera et cetera. There's no chances of rain for god because he's controlling the hydrological cycle. I think rain is more than moisture condensing in the sky and then precipitating from the sky. It is that.

But every drop of rain falls exactly where god planned it to drop. One reformer said it is certain that not one drop of rain falls without god's sure command. Now when i think about this it makes me trust in this powerful god.

But here's what it also makes me do something that my grandma taught me to do. I don't want to do. And that is complain about the weather because that's god's weather. And when god sends rain he sends ice.

He sends cold. That's god's weather. And so remember all complaining is wrong. And all complaining against god's weather certainly isn't righteous. It's best to praise the king for the weather whatever it might be fault finding against the king of the weather.

Look at psalm 107. Since we're in the psalms still psalm 107 showing how god controls things that we can't control. Like wind like the sea like the sun. This unpredictable sea this untetherable sun. Who controls such things.

God is in control of all this as scriptures teach us psalm 107 verse 25. These verses here should lend you to think about the lord jesus and how he can still the storm on the sea of galilee. For he spoke and raised up a stormy wind which lifted up the waves of the sea.

Verse 25. Now in verse 29 he caused the storm to be still. Only god does that so that the waves of the sea were hushed. I mean can you imagine joshua it says the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies.

Now you show a god like this and you preach a god like this. There will be more than thirty nine percent of the people who were men. Because this is a god that men and women and children are glad to follow.

No wonder when jesus said follow me he meant it the omnipotent god. And by the way if he's sovereign over all these created things i have a question for you. Are you a created thing. The answer has to be yes.

That means he's sovereign over you deep down. You know you're a created being. You know it's true. Lorraine vetner writes this. Every thinking person readily sees that some sovereignty rules his life.

He was not asked whether or not he would have existence nor when where or what he would be born whether in the twentieth century or before the flood whether white or black whether in america or china.

It has been recognized by christians in all ages that god is the creator and ruler of the universe. And since this is true you ought to say god i praise you and i trust you. It is revelation four that says worthy are you.

Oh lord our god to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things. And because of your will they existed and were created. God is sovereign over all creation. You ought to trust in him. Number two god is sovereign over all history.

God’s Sovereignty Over History

The second all-encompassing realm of god's sovereignty is history not just creation but history again designed for you to trust in him and praise him. And i'm talking about god. I'm certainly talking about the triune god god the father god the son and god the spirit.

We have the essence of god and then we have three persons and so i'm not saying these things only apply to the father or the son or the spirit. I'm saying this is one god and he is sovereign god. The father is sovereign god.

The son is sovereign god the spirit he is god is king over all history. Why don't you turn with me to the book of acts please. Typically at our church we are verse by verse to the book of hebrews. We're probably seventy messages into the book of hebrews.

I'll be going to california for some vacation later today and so i wanted you to hear these words ring from my mouth. Today god is sovereign. We'll get to the book of hebrews another day. Unless revelation twenty-two the lord comes back that would solve many problems.

And i believe he is going to come back because he's sovereign. He keeps his word. He's sovereign over creation and all history. He rules in every time in every place every speck of dust every rule world leader.

Daniel knew it and now paul knows it too. Acts seventeen twenty-six. Paul's preaching he says that he made from one man every nation of mankind. By the way there's only one race the human race. There's your verse to live on the face of the earth having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.

This is the god that daniel says who changes times and epics who removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to the men of understanding. No wonder paul can write in roman chapter thirteen that government authorities are existing because of god established by god in god's universe.

What ifs and if onlys are actually not reallys and never adouts. Trusting in this king. Jerry bridges writes in that book i referenced earlier confidence in the sovereignty of god in all that affects us is crucial to our trusting him.

If there's a single event in all of the universe that can occur outside of god's sovereign control then we cannot trust him. His love may be infinite but if his power is limited and his purpose can be thwarted we cannot trust him.

You may entrust to me your most valuable possessions. I may love you and my aim to honor your trust may be sincere. But if i do not have the power or ability to guard your valuables you cannot truly entrust them.

God is sovereign over all of history. And whether that's good history or bad history no wonder he jobe said to his wife you speak as a foolish woman speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from god and not accept what adversity in all this jobe did not sin with his lips.

He's sovereign over creation. He's sovereign over all history. But what about the tiny details. What about the the micro details. Macro. Maybe we get kind of deistically. What about micro. Let's learn now that god number three is king over every specific tiny detail.

God’s Sovereignty Over Tiny Details

Turn to matthew chapter ten. Please. And let's look at the lord jesus. As i talk about the sovereignty of god there's something in me that wants to make sure we we see this transcendent attribute properly through the lens of the lord jesus.

Jobe understood that god was sovereign. He just didn't know if god was good or not. He didn't know if god was kind or not. He didn't know if god would love him or not. And of course we know as we see the text of scripture and we see jesus the incarnate god and savior.

We know that god is not just sovereign but he he loves sinners. He wants their best. We think about agape. We think about jesus giving his life a ransom for many. We keep think about jesus who seeks and save.

That was what was lost. What about these tiny details. What about little atoms. What about little molecules. Are they just kind of like fervorously out there matthew. Ten twenty nine. Jesus said now i want you to think about small minute.

Insignificant are not two sparrows sold for a cent and yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Can you imagine every hair numbered.

No wonder proverbs sixteen says the lot is cast into the lap. But it's every decision is from the lord. Luck is out fortune is out. Random chance is out. That exists. But only in the vocabulary of uneducated pagans.

Odds in vegas are one hundred percent certainties in the plan of god. The king god makes things happen. Jonah one. Each man said to his mate let us cast lots so we may learn on whose account this calamity has struck us.

So they cast lots and the lots fell on. I mean it had to happen. Randomness. Our god at the helm. Those your two options. Which ones more reassuring. Turned to ecclesiastes seven. I think what happens is we think about some of these specific details in life.

We're fine with the ones that help us encourage us that might give us hope that god's triumphantly sovereign over. But then there are some some verses that i call gut-punch verses that kind of take your breath away.

Because it's great to say god's sovereign over all these wonderful things. But what about difficult things. All right. Let's just throw it out. There is god's sovereign over sin. Is god's sovereign over calamity.

In the days of prosperity ecclesiastes seven. Be happy. I like that advice. But in the day of adversity ecclesiastes seven fourteen. Consider. When it's a good day be happy. Enjoy what the lord has given you on days of adversity.

Think. Would not believe how many people i meet. And the first word that comes out of their mouth describing what they do is i feel i feel i feel i feel this is a bad doctrine to be the feeling kind of person i think i need to consider.

What do you need to consider. God has made the one as well as the other so that men will not discover anything that will be after him. Did you see that the day of adversity god made that he sovereign over it.

Listen to isaiah forty five the one of forming light and creating darkness causing well-being and creating calamity. I am the lord who does all these things. How can that be. The text says it. Just imagine if god was a sovereign over evil where would you be then.

Lamentations three. Who is there who speaks. And it comes to pass. Unless the lord has commanded it. Is it not from the mouth of the most high that both good and ill go forth. If you get that if you get amos chapter three if calamity occurs in a city has not the lord done it.

Then you can truly appreciate romans eight twenty eight. How can god cause all things. How can god work together all things. How can he take all these evil things and turn them up for our good and for his glory.

You can appreciate romans eight twenty eight when you realize god's sovereign over evil. And he can use sin and satan and trouble and everything else to accomplish his eternal purpose. Where are the pastors who teach these verses.

Are they afraid. Are they embarrassed. Are they ashamed of the king of king. God is sovereign over all good and bad and everything that's ever happened to you. God is sovereign over that come now. You who say today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city and spend a year there and engage in business to make a profit.

Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. A vapor that appears for a little while then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say if the lord wills we will live. And also do this. That's james four.

That's the response to this all-encompassing realm of god. He's sovereign over creation history. Tiny details. Number four. Design that you might not worry. Design that you might trust. Rest in this god.

He's sovereign over your birthday and your funeral. He's sovereign over your birthday and your funeral. I visited jack o 'leary this week. And i don't think i've ever met a man face-to-face that i knew had has had two new hearts.

The new heart from the lord jesus granted by salvation. And then he had the heart that was put in him. We think it might have been a lady who was killed and i was talking with him. We were talking about all kinds of people and things and sovereignty and in god's goodness in our our church family.

And we began to talk about some of those here at the church who have died. We thought about tom shepherd and blake and and others. And what we do if if these things are just accidents. What we do if this is just random and maybe we're next.

Maybe we're not. Is god really sovereign over your birthday and your funeral. The king of the universe could have decided that you would never be born. He could have decided that you'd be born in a different country at a different time.

To any parents that pleased him. He chose your exact parents. He chose your exact strands of dna. He chose the day of your birth. He chose the color of your eyes skin whether you're male or female. And everything else about you he chose.

There's nothing about you that was not sovereignly decided upon by the triune. God i mean nothing. And that includes your death. Turn to psalm thirty one. Please i want you to see two psalms that talk about this job says since his days are numbered the number of his months is with you.

His limits you have set so that he cannot pass. I have no idea when i'm going to die in short of the lord's return. I will die. But there's nothing i can do. No amount of exercise. I like to exercise.

No amount of of echinacea or vitamin c or zinc. None of that will decelerate the time of my impending funeral. I like exercise. I i i like doing all those kind of things. But the day that i'm going to die has been ordained.

Psalm thirty one. Verse fifteen. I mean i just i just revel as i i i i just hear myself read these verses. Revel in this great god. My times are in your hand. I mean remember he's singing about this. Deliver me from the hands of my enemies and from those who persecute me.

Lord i can just trust in you. These people are trying to kill me. But i can trust in you. Psalm one thirty nine. How about that. I often read part of this psalm when i visit people if they've got a new baby.

And uh... i think about this with little ones. God's sovereignty over even the day you die you could have ten thousand swat team members protecting you on that day. But if it's your turn to die you're dying.

Matter of fact. If it's not your day to die you can have ten thousand gang members pursuing you. And you will not die. Why. Psalm one thirty nine. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance. Verse sixteen.

And in your book were all written the days that were ordained for me when as yet there was not of them. Amazing. The day that you're going to die is ordained. Pink writes. To deny the divine decrees would be to predicate a world and all its concerns regulated by undesigned chance or blind fate.

Then what peace. What assurance. What comfort would there be for our poor hearts and minds. What refuge would there be to fly to in the hour of need or trial. None at all. There would be nothing better than the black darkness and abject horror of atheism.

How thankful we should be that everything is determined by the infinite wisdom and goodness of god. What praise and gratitude are due unto god for his divine decrees. Number five does not only sovereign over creation.

History macro history micro your birthday in your funeral. But also he sovereign over every act committed by man every act committed by men and women. He's sovereign over now we're leading some place.

I'm leading you somewhere because some of you will acknowledge many of these things. But point six you can have a hard time with. So i'll just tell you ahead of time i'm trying to force you with this text to say god is sovereign over everything.

He's sovereign over all creation. He's sovereign over every act committed by man. True or false. God called cyrus anything but a godly king. My shepherd. True. He even called him in isaiah forty five.

His anointed are evil people and evil outside of god's sovereign umbrella. Well let's look at a few passages. Number one genesis forty five. Please people easily see that god is sovereign over rain. But when they're confronted by the bible as it clearly instructs every reader that even the sinful and unrighteous deeds of humans are under the auspices of god's sovereign control.

They shudder. They squirm. They don't like it. How and why is this the case. Could it possibly be. And might there be some people here today those who struggle with this concept and this doctrine this god because they have not bowed their hearts and minds to the clear teaching of scripture.

And their only defaults are philosophy logic. Well what about free will. What about this. What about that god makes me a robot. Then. Et cetera et cetera. We'll get there. That's not my point right now.

My point right now is god is sovereign over all of scripture. I mean it's sovereign over all of creation all of people. Because scripture teaches it. Joseph understood the sovereign rule of Yahweh in the midst of his sinful brother's actions.

Do you see it in chapter forty five verse eight of genesis. I'm excited to read through genesis in the next fifty two. Uh... week. How many chapters in genesis? Fifty. Is that right? Is that right fifty?

I get a check sometimes you want to pass through the checks. Alright fifty. Thank you. Fifty weeks. By the way there are some crazy things in there and we're gonna read them every sunday. Because if it's god's word it's good for you.

Yes i'm gonna give those to pradeep to read those hard ones. I'm not dumb. Makes me blush already thinking about it. Genesis forty five verse eight. Now. Therefore it was not you who sent me here. Wait a second.

They did. But not ultimately. But god. And he has made me a father to pharaoh and lord of all his household and ruler over all the land of egypt. And in chapter fifty verse twenty. You know this verse.

You've heard this verse. I just want you to hear this verse and not have a a false theology placed over this these verses to blunt the trauma of our pride as for you. Genesis fifty twenty. You meant evil against me.

And that's exactly what those brothers did. Evil intentions evil motives. But god meant it for what. Because he's sovereign over all those evil intentions. He meant it for good in order to bring about this present result to preserve many people alive.

Sometimes we see how god sovereignly rules over evil and what the benefits are. Other times we don't see. But it's still true. God is sovereign over wicked people. Can you imagine if he wasn't what's the worst sin ever committed on this earth.

There's a particular sin that's the worst sin that's ever been committed. What was that sin. Evil people sinning. It's the worst one. By far. The response must be the crucifixion of the innocent man jesus christ.

No one deserve the execution and torture of jesus less than him. No one deserved it yet. Observe carefully the words of scripture. Turn to acts. Chapter four. This is the one by the way if you're ever talking to someone and they're not getting this god ordains evil.

God is god is using evil. God is sovereign over evil. They're afraid to use this language. They want to say things maybe about allowing. They want to say things maybe permitting. They want to say something else about it.

To blunt this i want you to always go here and think god thankfully wonderfully took the worst sin ever committed and gave you heaven for it. If you'll just trust in him no one deserve this execution less than the messiah.

Excuse me. Acts four twenty three. When they had been released they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priest and elders had said to them. When they heard this they lifted up their voices to god with one accord and said oh lord it is you who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

Who by the holy spirit through the mouth of our father david your servant. Why did the gentiles rage and the people's devise futile things. The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers were gathered together against the lord and against his christ.

For truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant jesus whom you anointed both herod evil man evil intentions and pontius pilate evil man evil intentions along with the gentiles and the people of the peoples of israel.