Jonah and the Sovereignty of God (Part 1)

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.

No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2 verse 5 where the

Apostle Paul said, "...but we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you."

In short, if you like smooth, watered -down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you.

By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her

King. Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth. Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. My name is

Mike Abendroth. While I'm thinking about it right now, I'm trying to really stay consistent when it comes to Wednesday interviews, interviewing other people.

And so see, that just changes things up with always biblical, always provocative, always Wednesday interview.

And if you'd like me to interview a certain person, why don't you tweet it at nocoradio?

Or you can email info at nocompromiseradio .com, smoke signals.

Probably the way that you could get your request fulfilled the most is if you send some

Pete's coffee. And then inside the dark roasted French roast, Major Dickinson, Guatemalan organic, there's a little note inside.

Remember back in the day when you got Cracker Jacks and there was really a good gift in those? My wife is from the

UK regarding her family. I mean, she was born in California, but we get those English crackers, not the saltines, but the crackers that pop, they have gifts in them.

You pull with two hands. There's usually a paper crown and some gifts. You can get the cheap ones and they're like Cracker Jack gifts inside, but you can buy the expensive ones and they have really nice gifts inside.

So we love the, maybe they're poppers, crackers, black cats, red rats,

M80s, you know, so much fun lighting off fireworks. And then now we don't get to,

I think it's illegal in Massachusetts to own a match. Oh, I'd like,

I'd like to make an amendment to that. You can't own a punk either. Remember matches with punks and black cats, red rats.

Those were the days. February 17th, the next year, we're going to Israel. There's still enough time to register.

I think it's through October for your $400 deposit. And if you want to know more information, email me or go to nocompromisedradio .com.

There's an Israel 2015 tag. Every two years, we try to go someplace. We've been to Israel and we've been to Greece.

This trip will be Israel. And then in two years, maybe a reformation tour in Europe. I'm not exactly sure.

So my name is Mike Abendroth. I am attempting to engage your mind, engage.

And I want you to think biblically about life. And sometimes we talk about current events.

Sometimes we talk about Christianity astray. Sometimes we talk about all kinds of things.

But my favorite subject is who Jesus is. I've written several books. And the first one,

Jesus, the Prince of Preachers, it's about Jesus. He is the greatest preacher. If I were to ask you the question, who's your favorite preacher?

I hope you say Jesus. And then the second book was the Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus.

That's day one's title that I hated. But what are you going to do when you're a young aspiring author?

I'm not young. I'm not really an author. But I am aspiring. I was only inspiring.

And I want to just call it King, Slave King. I actually wrote the book before MacArthur put his slave thing out.

But talking about Jesus as sovereign. So I love to talk about who

Jesus is and how he's sovereign. So I want to talk about that a little bit today. R .C.

Sproul said that God's favorite topic was that he's sovereign. And he said then something to the effect, if you were

God, that would be your favorite topic, too. So while I like to whack mysticism and subjective

Quakerism, Quaker Oatsism, I love to talk about who

Jesus is. I'm impressed with him. I need to focus upon him. When we look to the head of the church, the

Lord Jesus Christ, that's a good thing for the soul to do. Encouragement, worship, adoration, awe, fear in the real way.

And so I want to talk about the sovereignty of God today. With the backdrop, I think, of the book of Jonah.

Because when I read the book of Jonah, I think all kinds of things. It's full of surprises. It's full of sovereignty of God.

It's full of the supremacy of God. Salvation is from the Lord. All kinds of things like that.

Arthur Pink said, from every pulpit in the land, it needs to be thundered forth that God still lives, that God still observes, that God still reigns.

We need to be reminded that as Christians because the world has fallen and it's falling apart.

We live in a world where if it's not for the sovereignty of God, what pillow of comfort do we really have?

Think about the times in your life as a Christian when you needed the most comfort.

From where did that comfort come from? I need an editor.

Aspiring authors want to know. To me, and for me, it was the sovereignty of God.

When my son, Luke, who's now 18 and at the master's college, when

Luke was born and his APGAR, I think that's the test. I forget what the good

APGAR test is. But whatever it was, if it was 8 or 10, Luke's was like a negative 80.

And so basically it was, here's your son. And they showed us the son.

You can turn the baby around where you're kind of holding the shoulders and the neck. And then you put your hand underneath their bottom.

Here's your son. Hi, meet Luke. Give him a kiss. And since he's blue, off to the

NICU we go, the NICU. So what do you do? What do you do when you drive away from the hospital a couple days later because your wife is now recovering, recovered enough to leave the hospital, and you don't have the baby?

Aren't you supposed to go to the hospital? You've got the car seat. You've got all that kind of stuff.

You're supposed to drive off with the baby. And so I know many of you have suffered worse than that because Luke did survive, praising the

Lord God for that. And some of you have lost babies, and you drive away with no one, not even anyone, to go back to visit the

NICU. You lose a mother. You lose a father. And so for me, when

I'm holding my mother's hand as it turns cold, as she's dead in the hospital in Omaha, and the tears are flowing, and I would look at my mother's hands and think, these are the hands that wiped away my tears, wiped my bottom, fixed me food.

I mean, the list could go on. And if I think about it too much now, I'll end up crying on the radio. I want you to know so far on No Compromise Radio, weird things have happened.

We've had interruptions. We've had people outside, you know, with lawnmowers, satanic lawnmowers.

I've had my dog in here. She just lays by my feet as I record the show. There's lots of interesting things that have happened. I've never cried on the radio show.

I cry, but not on the radio because it doesn't work. It's pragmatically speaking, it doesn't work because you can't see me.

So why would I cry? But with the new No Compromise TV show that I'm recording down in Memphis with Brandon House's Worldview weekend deal, see, maybe

I could cry there for effect. But anyway, what gets you through the night? What helps you through those dark days?

And we're going to have more of those. So we need a healthy view of the sovereignty of God.

And that's why I think it's so practical. Doctrine is practical and practical things are doctrinal, right?

I think that's a Lloyd -Jones type of quote. And really when you distill everything down, either

God's sovereign over everything, either God controls everything in the universe or he doesn't.

And if he doesn't, there are molecules and atoms and neutrons and protons that are defying

God, that are rebelling against God, that don't do what they're told. Ever tell a kid,

I told you, I told you to do that, I told you to do this. Daddy loves you and daddy's provided for you.

And in light of that, do this. And so we either have God's incomplete control or he's not. There's no room to wiggle in the middle.

This is a topic where the age old adage, the old adage, the age old adage.

See how if you talk long enough, you can just fix your own problems. That's what you have to do. You just start typing and you type yourself clear.

So on Radio C, I think myself clear. Lee, I'm so mad at my mother and father for having me born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska with an awful public school and see how

I'm blaming everybody else. But at the end of the day, if I really was serious about that, the blame that I would be giving is blaming

God who gave me those parents who lived at that place with that school system.

And so today is going to be very practical because even with the sovereignty of God over our past, it's so helpful over our present.

Oh, thank you. And in those bad days to come over our future, I want you to have a view of God that just rocks your world, that comforts your sorrows.

Because if you've got the wrong view of the sovereignty of God, it's idolatry. You're worshiping a wrong

God. And I'm going to tell you where we're going to go with this on No Compromise Radio. We're going to go to the point where you're going to have to say, yes,

I know God's sovereign over skin color, parents, education, length of life.

But God is also sovereign over who goes to heaven and who doesn't. See, that's the rub.

That's the difficulty that most people have. Tozer said this, the essence of idolatry is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of him.

And unworthy thoughts of God are thoughts that are not biblical. So God didn't have to tell us anything about himself.

He was under no obligation externally to tell us one thing about himself. But he has told us about himself.

And day to day pours forth speech and proclamation of his invisible attributes, his power and his wisdom through creation, through mountains, streams, blue sky.

I'm looking outside now. It's autumn in New England, and we have the changing colors.

And so it's very pretty. All kinds of people come here for those beautiful dead leaves.

Oh, the beauty of death, right? Green is alive, orange, red, and yellow.

The problem with the sovereignty of God is that it is a pride. Now, you're thinking this is going to be just an ad hominem attack.

But show me an Arminian, show me a semi -Pelagian, show me someone else who struggles with the sovereignty of God.

And I think we could say, well, I can say, because if you want to protect yourself from a lawsuit on the radio, you just say, in my opinion.

So in my opinion, it's pride. It's pride.

We will not let go short of God helping us with a good exorcism of pride to say, you know, free will, self -autonomy, auto -independence.

There's all kinds of words we could use. It just doesn't hold up. God is sovereign.

If you run full blast into the side of the building, it hurts, smack.

And this sovereign God who's revealed himself not only in nature, but in the

Bible has told us how to think about him. And I'm going to say to you over the next few weeks, he's told us that he is so sovereign.

It's scary. No, it's comforting. And it is awe -inspiring. Spurgeon said, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings.

Men will allow God to be everywhere except on his throne. They will allow him to create stars, give gifts, rule the heavens.

But, and he is right. Yet we look at the Bible. And if we look at Psalm 103, verse 19, the

Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty rules over what? All.

Psalm 115, verse three. But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever, or the

King James, I think says whatsoever he pleases. God's sovereignty means that he has the right to rule.

And he exercises that sovereign supreme rule.

He is the most high. Pink said, subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent.

God does as he pleases, only as he pleases, and always as he pleases.

My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Isaiah 46 .10. Pink goes on, divine sovereignty means that God is

God. In fact, as well as in name. That he is on the throne of the universe, directing all things, working all things.

And then he quotes part of Ephesians 1 .11, after the counsel of his will. If you like catechisms, and I do, his eternal purpose, according to Westminster Shorter, according to the counsel of his will, whereby for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

Everything in the universe, God is sovereign over. No exceptions.

Time doesn't constrain God. He's sovereign over past, present, and future.

God doesn't just wind up the world and let it go. Nothing takes

God by surprise. You cannot say God is sovereign, but, and be accurate.

I mean, you could say it. May I please have a pencil? Can I please have a pencil?

We go through all those machinations that I didn't learn in Omaha public school system. Although I will say it in positive note.

My professor, he wasn't professor, my teacher in fifth grade, I think I should probably look him up,

Dan Sanfilippo. So Dan, if you're still alive in Omaha, Nebraska, you were by far my favorite teacher up through my, until I got into the master's program.

Until I was working on my master's degree in the doctorate. I have other professors there that maybe I think I like better, but for a long, long time, you were a number one.

And still I'm in debt to you for making class fun, math, fun.

I look forward to going to class, Dan Sanfilippo. I commend you.

And if you are a Christian, praise the Lord. If not, there's still time to repent. And so I was thankful.

Maybe Dan taught me that. Maybe Dan did. What are my other memories of fifth grade?

I remember that he had some kind of special voltage thing and he would hand crank this little box and it had two leads with little metal, like nunchuck looking things, cylinders.

And you would get an entire circle in the classroom and everybody would hold hands.

And then the last person on one end would hold the cylinder and it would go all the way around the room. And then the other person on the other end would hold the cylinder making a complete circle.

And he would start hand cranking the pump and you could feel a little shock, a little electricity coming through your hands.

And so this was a good way to get sued, I guess. We can't do this today, I'm sure. And so if you let go, that means you didn't want to take the shock anymore.

And people would start dropping out left and right. Now, for me,

I didn't want to drop out. I wanted to win. So did everybody else. So lots of girls dropped out.

Lots of boys dropped out. And there was a girl who, I don't remember how tall she was.

I remember, I think she'd had kind of maybe had a growth spurt or something like that.

And if recollection is right, her name was Alice Police. And now all of a sudden, everybody's dropped out except Mike Ebendroth, fifth grade.

And remember, for some reason, like in 11th grade, I was 130 some pounds.

12th grade, by the end, I was over 200. I went from a cornerback to an offensive tackle.

I was a late bloomer, is what you say. So anyway, it's Alice Police and Mike Ebendroth holding those leads.

So I'm holding her right hand with my left hand. I'm holding the cylinder with my right hand and vice versa for her.

And he's cranking it harder and harder on my arms. And you can just see your arm muscles just kind of tense up, you know, and flex.

I dropped out. Yeah, thanks a lot.

Thank you very much. And so forever and ever, I guess my worst teacher in all time was

Dan Sanfilippo. Okay, what does that have to do with anything? Who knows? My name is

Mike Ebendroth, this is No Compromise Radio. You can't think of the sovereignty of God and then include in that doctrine a true accident, a true random event, true luck, true fortune.

You can't think that way. God's plans will come to pass.

God's decree will not be frustrated. No one know how. Isaiah 14, this is the plan devised against the whole earth.

And this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations. For the Lord of host has planned and who can frustrate it?

And as far, and as for his stretched out hand, who can turn back? The sovereignty of God, even over my dropping out with Alice Police.

Oh, by the way, we had a little game called travel. You'd stand up next to another student. They'd show flashcards for math.

And whoever said it first would go to the next person farther to the front of the class because you wanted to get in that front seat to win.

And the standing up person and the sitting down person would try to figure it out. And if the sitting down person won, then they would stand up and travel and you would have to sit down in their seat.

And so it was always Melanie Corns. You know, see, this is Nebraska. Alice Police, Melanie Corns, Mike Ebendrop, you know, names like that.

And it was always down to Melanie Corns. Maybe it was Corn. And Keith Richards, Keith Richard, I don't know.

And so it was always a battle between the two of us. Melanie and Mike. And I have to say, eight times out of 10,

I won. So there, my self -esteem is back. Isaiah 46, remember the old things long past for I am

God and there's no other. I am God and there is no one like me. Declaring, listen, the end from the beginning and from ancient times, things which have not been done saying my purpose will be established.

I will accomplish all my good pleasure. Truly I've spoken, truly I will bring it to pass.

I have planned it, surely I will do it. So see, God is just sovereign over everything. And I'm going to try to convince you that when you read the

Bible, you'll see that. So here's what happens. If you really want to know God's sovereign and you're struggling with a few things, you know, how does man's will, free will, free agency, moral accountability, how do all these things fit?

Well, then you should have listened to my four -part series we just did. But what you should do instead or first is just to begin to read your

Bible and you will be confronted seemingly on every page that God's sovereign.

And once your eyes are open to the sovereignty of God, it's just everywhere.

You cannot run from the scriptures that portray God as king because that's exactly who he is.

Daniel 4 .35. But at the end of that period, I Nebuchadnezzar raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the most high and praised and honored him who lives forever.

Excuse me, who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. But he does according to his will and the host of heaven.

And among the inhabitants of the earth, no one can ward off his hand or say to him, what have you done?

Why? Because God is so sovereign. And see, even though that smashes our pride that we're not our little sovereigns, do you know, it's true though.

Think about your life. How many things can you control really? How many things can't you control? There's so many things in our lives we have zero control over.

And so what if there was no one to control things? But there is someone. We have a triune

God who controls things and that should give you comfort. No matter how bad your trials are, no matter how difficult your situations will be and have been, to know that God's sovereign over those, works through those, has ordained these, has used these things and will use them to help transform us into the likeness of Christ.

Will use them in such a way that he's sovereign over evil, even sovereign over sin, even this is a good thing.

The slogan of the American war of independence, we serve no sovereign here, may be true for the sentiments of those men and women, but you're going to see in the

Bible, we serve the sovereign. And by the way, what we love in ourselves, our own little sovereignty, why do we hate in God?

Why did I pick my wife? Why did I grow up loving the Green Bay Packers? Why did

I root for the Nebraska Cornhuskers? Why do I like asparagus and not

Brussels sprouts? Why do I like coffee and not tea? Well, there's all kinds of things because I like my sovereignty.

I like to pick and choose where I live and what I do. Why am I a pastor and all these other things?

I like to be my own little sovereign. I want to do as I feel right to do and think rightly to do.

And so why are we bugged at God? We're image bearers. And so as image bearers, we reflect often some of the communicable attributes of God.

And here in a very small way, I grant, but still God's sovereign. And it shows as he's made us little sovereigns to control and to conquer.

And even when he says in the garden, here's the mandate to take over things. Well, my name is

Mike Abendroth. This is part one on sovereignty of God. And if you'd like to know more, you can always read the

Sovereignty and Supremacy of King Jesus. No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.

Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life -transforming power of God's Word through verse -by -verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We're right on route 110 in West Boylston.

You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.