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Sermon Notes: notes.cornerstonesj.org
Sovereignty of God
And they went and the call of god is on all of our lives and it reminds us of the evangelism class that just uh... took place here at the church. Uh... that phil the moss taught. And uh... we want to be obedient to god's call too.
So we're going to hear some wonderful things today and we'll get started with some announcements though. First off prayer meeting tonight we're going to be praying for some things we always do. This is six o 'clock right here at the church and we're looking forward to that.
And now an admission of fault this is me made a mistake. We all do. Elise is like yeah me too right. But uh... Men's breakfast. We do not have men's breakfast this month. I erroneously mentioned that last week.
So folks we're not meeting tomorrow for men's breakfast but we are meeting tomorrow night. This is at seven o 'clock here at the church for the men's group meeting. So at seven o 'clock here tomorrow we're going to be studying faith.
Also tomorrow night the ladies precept class is starting again. That's at six thirty so that's before the men they meet longer than we do. They're a little more hearty than we are. They meet six thirty to eight thirty.
This is the precept class with kay arthur. Cindy randall's leading that and if you would be interested in partaking of that she has books so if you'd like to take part in that please see cindy. This is at six thirty tomorrow night.
Also last week we had the tuesday morning ladies group canceled but this week it's back on. So tuesday morning at nine thirty here at the church there is a ladies bible study so any ladies are interested in that just please don't come.
John's going to be talking about battling. So this is my sword this morning and we need to let you all know that we are in a battle. We're in the kingdom of light. We are going to have a battle with our children now.
That doesn't mean parents and children are going to be fighting. It means the children are going to be standing up for the kingdom of light at vbs this is vacation bible school which is going to go from july thirty first to august fourth and we're going to talk about the battle that we have in this world that we live in a battle for truth a battle for god's kingdom.
And we're going to have a wonderful time doing it. If you your children are going to be here please sign up online. This is a cornerstone s j dot org or if you get pastor's pastorgram there is a qr link that you can scan in and go to register by that.
But please sign up because we need to know how many children are coming so we can kind of delegate the classes and also buy supplies. So it would be a great help if you signed up early. Also we have some special opportunities today to hear about what the lord's doing overseas.
Uh... some things that it are just incredible. I hope most of the folks here at the church know that. We said we support a man named hamilton bond who is a missionary to malawi africa. Malawi is down by uh... mozambique on the south east corner of africa.
He was a missionary or he was a street kid. He was a homeless street kid and part of an orphanage and he knew he came to know the lord. Then he came to america. He had a vision. He was educated at cairn university right over in pennsylvania and he had a vision to go back to his country and minister to those street kids and create an orphanage boys and girls ministering to all the children that are there and they need to hear about jesus christ.
So we're going to hear about what's going on in that mission today from a young man named ron jacobs. I'm going to introduce ron in a second. But in addition to that we also have our missionaries to the philippines here this morning steven jane hopson.
And we're so look forward to hearing from them. And there's going to be a time of question and answer and a little bit of lunch after the second service because steven jane are only going to give us a short introduction to what they're doing.
And then later they're going to talk to us for quite a while after the second service. So please if you can stay for that. Okay with all those things in mind let's go to the lord in prayer. And uh... we're gonna pray about some of these things.
Father thank you so much lord for today. We thank you so much that we can exalt your name lord we realize that without you lord we wouldn't be here. There wouldn't be a reason to worship there wouldn't be a reason to rejoice.
But lord because of who you are because of what you've done because you are a good and a great god one who is full of mercy and compassion and has forgiven us for our sins through the death and resurrection of your son jesus christ.
Father we are so grateful father to know that we are people called unto your name lord. And father you use us once we are your children. You want us to be obedient to your call and to be used by you. Father we're so grateful to rejoice in what you're doing in both uh... the ministry in malawi and also the ministry in the philippines.
And of course we also see the camelons are here with us today. And we we lift up the ministry in portugal as well. Father we're so grateful for all that you were doing. Father in so many areas. We're grateful for the hobsons.
We're grateful for the camelons. Father we're grateful for hamilton bond. And we're grateful for ron jacobs. Father and all the folks that are serving you all over including in this area too. Father we are so grateful for our pastor and father we're thankful that he and his family are on sabbatical right now lord.
But father we pray that you would be with him during this entire time a time of tremendous refreshing and regeneration. And father just uh... getting to know you more even in his walk with you. And father just rejoicing in what you have done in his heart and his life.
I'm thankful he's here with us today. And uh... what a great thing that is for us. We lift up father uh... a special request as pastor john's going to teach today. We pray for pastor john. As pastor john is also going to be going away.
He's going to be at the umpire camp up in uh... uh... in new york uh... for the baseball leagues. And that's a ministry that he has. He really wants to minister to not only the children that are there but also the umpires as he takes part in that.
But we additionally lift up his little granddaughter who had a pretty severe accident uh... over the last day or so she had a severe break of her arm as a matter of fact she needed to be transported to a hospital in washington to a for a special uh... uh... just doctor uh... appointment and surgery.
Father to have this arm repair. This is little adelaide who is john's granddaughter. We pray for adelaide today. Father we lift her before you. We lift up her healing. Father now we lift up the rest of the service.
Father we rejoice in who you are. We pray this in jesus name. Oh and i am going to call ron up right now.
Well good morning. Now as i was going down there uh... everything that i saw down there was beyond my expectations. Was better than i expected.
There's a.
Definite desire and hunger for the lord and for his word. Down there uh... before i start that uh... one thing i've been asked. I've been home for about a week and a half uh... since my trip and i've had a lot of friends and family even asking why was it i was going or isn't it dangerous with where you're going.
I wanted to share with uh... you guys there's a whole section of uh... a passage i like to read through isaiah six uh... but there's one verse in particular i wanted to focus on. It's isaiah six eight.
Then i heard the voice of the lord saying whom shall i send and whom will go for us. Then i said here am i send me. I love that whole passage especially since there's so much uh... mourning going on possibly for the passing of king uziah.
And as isaiah has been given this vision and told that the lord's reigning over all he has not flinched he has not trembled. In fact actually everyone else is trembling at him. Having this motive mindset of going out and knowing that he's looking over all and he's in charge.
I have no fear of going out there and going wherever. And with that in mind i did not feel uh... scared or anything at all was not feared or anything. I'd never felt endangered at all when i was down there uh... hamilton was telling me as i talked to him that they call it the warm heart of africa uh... where they will stop drop everything you're doing and just spend time with you.
And i definitely saw that uh... There were a couple times you know we i got the ride on the back of a moped. Lucky me down there and the driving was very dangerous. A couple times the moped broke down and wasn't really starting and people just come they want to help and you know around here a lot of people just keep on driving down there.
It's different down there it's like a community they come to you they want to help you out. We had like fifteen people uh... there were two separate times that people helped us uh... The first time there was like fifteen of them like all trying to start this moped uh... the second time it was i think it was just one person in passing.
They're very hospitable very loving. As far as my trip down there it took me thirty five hours at least uh... just to fly down there and took about the same amount of time to get home. So with that all said and all in mind i was still was not worried or scared or anything.
The job that i've had the past two years requires me to travel. It requires me to uh... leave the comfort of my home often so in a lot of ways the past two years i saw this as the lord prepared me both physically mentally biblically and spiritually.
And going on going further and further into this. Each time i went down i was thinking how incredible this is going to be.
And.
Again it was just beyond my expectations so once i got down there hamilton picked me up immediately and we immediately went right to the campsite uh... or excuse me the school and at first we weren't going to go there but we decided to stop by there.
It was about four or five o 'clock when i got there uh... So the kids were about wrapping up uh... But again these kids were very respectful very loving very uh... welcoming but nervous at first as well uh... so as someone down there who doesn't speak your language and looks completely different to them as expected.
Uh...
You have to find a way to understand their culture and understand them. You know we can get so caught up going down there and thinking that we can do what we want based on our culture because of where we come from.
But there's it's very different. You gotta understand their culture you gotta respect them. There's no compromising in the scriptures by doing so and by doing that you'll actually be able to discern with the bible a lot easier that way.
So as i spent uh... the first the first day i spent kinda just recouping with the uh... just the travels a seven hour time difference uh... So friday he operates these ministries every other day. So monday wednesday and friday are when he takes place in these after school programs uh... he currently has a hundred and fifty kids in the after school program.
And he has a summer program coming up that will have uh... i believe it's the end of july into august that will have three hundred fifty kids partaking in it uh... that's really where he would need people to help out and volunteers.
So again these kids were very welcoming very very shy though at first uh... So definitely don't want to start walking up and just running right at these kids. They might be a little nervous but everything that they want to do down there is to uh... coach them up and they want to grow them towards the lord.
They have a desire to know god's word. They have a desire to walk with the lord and they have a desire to really really learn more uh... But also he's not just focused on getting these kids educated spiritually.
He's getting them educated both with math english and trying to get these kids some form of education most of the kids he works with if not all of them can't really afford any schooling. And with that said getting into college makes it very difficult.
So with the kids he takes in he helps fund them to get them to school uh... And based on their system you want to get the lowest possible uh... score on their exams uh... So there's a young girl named regina who is studying right now for exams uh... actually i think she's taking exams right now and she's trying to get into college.
So what you want what she needs to do based on their school system you need to get the lowest possible score. The lower your score is the better chance you have of getting in a good school. So for example if she got like a three or two she would be considered a genius.
The government would try and get her in a good school and uh... the family would pay less to get them in so he gets them focused and very much educated uh... They these kids have a whole school in the beginning and then hamilton his group comes in as an after school program that which these kids partake in as far as the uh... as far as just everything going on with his uh... orphanage he right now he has only one orphanage for the girls uh... does not have one yet for the boys but that's in progress uh...
With the land that he has now down there that's been purchased uh... Right now he's building it and things are going to get built to where he can fit both boys and girls there uh... But for right now a very smart move on him as well to get these girls off the street uh...
The girls get abused a lot more down there sexually physically mentally and taken advantage of very often. So he works his best to try and get the girls out and off the street first. And what's also incredible is girls you wouldn't get you wouldn't get it from them as I'm talking with these girls they're very happy very joyful and love the people that they're with.
Actually they call their leaders uncle and aunt as a uh... just as family they're treating these girls as they the leaders know these that they're the only family these girls probably have and they're going to treat them as such.
The girls range between thirteen and eighteen years old uh... The youngest girl who was on the pictures uh... Jovita I took a pretty close screenshot of her. She's very shy uh... very quiet very shy at first and then at the end her plus everyone else did not want me to leave which is actually expected anywhere you go and you're able to share the word of god uh...
There's such a language barrier so I had to use a lot of hand signals a lot. I brought the camera with them and actually Jovita I let her walk around with the camera a little bit and that helped break the ice uh...
So these girls want your time the all everyone down there just wants your time uh... There was one day I stayed with Hamilton when I was down there for two weeks and when I was walking around with Hamilton we took a walk one day around what he calls a block I call it was probably about a marathon.
It felt like.
The first little bit that we were walking around uh... they have it's so dry down there there's not a lot of rain uh... so they actually have some furniture and stuff outside. And they had there were guys playing pool wanting to they wanted me to come and hang out uh... play pool and I was like oh no we gotta keep walking and both of us were kind of saying we're on the walk and we gotta keep going.
I kind of whispered to Hamilton jokingly and it was like I think they tried to hustle me or something. I'm not sure what was going on because they know I'm not from here uh... He laughed and I asked him like do they really just want your time here or is there some other intention.
And he said they just want your time. They don't care about where you came from they just want you to spend time with them. A minute or two later we ran into two other friends of his uh... he's very recognized in the area uh... so they all know his ministry and what he's doing and he's got a very strong support locally there.
And as we were talking to these two friends of his this again shows the culture that they live in. One of them said to me any friend of Hamilton's is a friend of ours and that they will treat you know treat us as family down there.
It's such a big reason why I did not feel scared or nervous or like my life was in danger the entire time I felt safe in the hands of God. And as I went to each of these villages I went to the poorest places uh... that's where I wanted to be.
There's some people especially missionaries coming from America kind of like getting favoritism a little bit. Actually we were told that you are treated like celebrities at the time there but I didn't feel like a celebrity.
I felt like just a man coming to see another culture. And each one of these uh... kids just wants your time. There's a couple there's uh... one of the villages I was at you know I got to take some pictures got to you know hang around the kids a little bit and I kind of turned around.
There's like thirty kids there just standing like staring at me like what's going on. They didn't know what to do or how to react caught me off guard for a second but immediately I took pictures. Another thing I do want to say is when you go on these trips and you have a camera or phone with you I advise don't bring it.
I spent the first uh... two days not taking any pictures. I wanted to be down there and to learn about the ministry first. The kids first. Especially with our day and age it tends to be a problem with our culture uh... the first thing that everyone wants to do is record and unfortunately that's worked in a negative way where if there's a fight or someone in danger the first thing they want to do is take a camera out and film it rather than helping the person.
So one thing I want to do when I was down there was I left my camera at the house. I stayed with Hamilton so I left at his house and I just went around and tried to get a little more personal with him and it really helps.
It really helps to reach another level with these kids that there's nothing blocking you. There's no uh... like you have to get this video you have to get this picture. You don't have any of that. You're not distracted.
You're fully focused on sharing God's word and fully focused on reaching these kids to their level as Paul has said to a Jew I became a Jew to a Greek. I became a Greek a Gentile became a Gentile not compromising but simply getting to their level for them to understand the gospel reaching to their level so that they can understand what's going on and they hold us to such a high standard which is another big issue with a lot of false churches that are down there that are much more much more ahead than churches down there that really preach the gospel.
That's another reason why I kind of had an aspect of an idea that that's what's going to go on down there was uh... some churches that were misleading or even false but what I do want to end with if you are led and encouraged by whether it's giving or serving or simply wanting to spend time with people not just the ministry but with anyone in general do it.
Our culture loves to come up with short-term plans and likes to say they have a long-term plan but they'll give you like a quick short quick idea and then they just say we rely on the Lord but they, Hamilton has a it seems like it's a thirty year plus long-term plan fully relying on God which is what it really is.
And I ask that as well that you guys continue to fellowship with your brothers and sisters as much as you can no matter what's there for that there's a greater sacrifice that we have of spending time with the Lord.
And the motive I had going down here was sacrificing my time my work and time with family and friends to serve God uh... which had such a great joy and a renewal in my mind as well going down there. So right now he's uh... right now they're still teaching uh... they're still trying to get the word out and he meets up with kids uh... a lot of orphan kids that don't have the homes right now and that he's not able to provide right now he still meets up with these kids hangs out with them and still wants to get them off the streets get them educated in the word of God and get them educated uh... in the world too so that they can have a family and a life for themselves so they're not looking to poverty uh... because it's a very very povertish country.
Actually this is the last thing I'll say don't take serving God for granted which is what most of the American culture does not all but most of the American culture especially the younger generation likes to take God for granted uh... don't do that whatever is being influenced here is impacted worldwide and I've seen it first hand twice and it's it can get very dangerous if it's done wrongly.
So I do ask though that you pray for Hamilton and his ministry and the kids that he's talking to and the families that these children are connected with that they continue to hear the word of God and continue to grow in sanctification and that most of these kids that do come to the Lord are saved by God's grace by hearing of the gospel and hearing of the true word so I do thank you for this time and I will be hanging around afterwards for any other questions you guys have.
So thank you.
Our Lord God Our Lord God we do thank you that Ronnie heard the words of scripture who will go and that from the depths of his heart he said send me. We thank you Lord for his obedience to you and his willingness to go.
We thank you for his heart of service. We pray father for Hamilton and his ministry down in Malawi and for all these street children. We thank you Lord that your uh... your work is being done there your kingdom is being promoted.
We pray Lord for the health of these children and for the spiritual growth. We say thank you that Ronnie went and we pray that you would honor his time and encourage him on his walk. We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
We're going to sing two songs together this morning. If you're able to stand please do so with me. While we were away we visited a church and this was a song that they did. Well I did it years and years and years ago but it really allowed me to focus on one thing that the Lord is most high.
This song has an echo so what we're going to do is split the room in half. If you're in the middle you just need to split yourself down the center. I'll start with this half. Anna will start with the other half as an echo.
Let's sing together in Jesus' name.
From the ends of the earth From the depths of the sea From the heights of the heavens Your name be praised From the hearts of the weak From the shouts of the strong From the lips of all people. This song we explore Throughout the endless ages You will be crowned with praises From the ends of the earth From the heights of the heavens Your name be praised From the hearts of the weak From the shouts of the strong Exalted in every nation Sovereign of all creation.
We come before you because you are the Lord Most High. We know that you, O Lord, are all over the earth. You are exalted far above all gods. We know that you, O Lord, are sovereign Sovereign over everything From the beginning to the end Alpha and Omega.
We love you, Lord. And we want to sing praises to your name Because you are the Lord Most High. How great is your name.
Your name, O God, each day that I awake From dawn to setting sun Your greatness I'll proclaim. Your glory far exceeds all human thought So with each breath I'll bless your name, O God. Your name will be re-entitled to past generations Because you have your strong and you are our own O God, gracious.
We have a great emphasis on missions this morning, as you can see.
Hamilton is sharing the work in Southeast Africa, and the Hobsons will be giving you a taste of what they'll be presenting during lunch in Southeast Asia. We are so thankful to have both of these people here and sharing with us this morning, and we welcome the Hobsons to come up right now.
Steve was the first pastor of Cornerstone Church when it was not Cornerstone Church, and 1979, a long time ago, but they have weathered the storm and they have been serving God faithfully for many years.
Thank you so much.
Thanks, Rick.
It is great to be back. I think our last visit was 2015, and it's so fun to be here for a doubleheader on missions.
How about this?
So it's great.
Thanks.
So anyway, it's good to be here. Thank you for all over the years praying for us, supporting us, making our ministry possible, as you, through us, have impacted so many thousands of leaders now around the world.
I have a question for you.
Okay, what's up?
When you proposed to me 35 years ago, no, 45 years ago, you said we were going into the pastoral ministry. This was our first plant of a church, and I expected to be in the United States forever, but we've been in the Philippines for 34 years.
So how did that happen? Was this a bait and switch or what?
No, no, no, no, no. I was true to my promise. We'd be in the pastoral ministry, and indeed, this is our first experience. We did a lot of growing here personally, and the church did some growing, but then God led us to a church in upstate New York, and there was a real season of repentance and prayer and fasting, asking God to do a special work in this older church, and he did just that.
There was a sense of revival, but most importantly, there was a mission thrust, and out of this church of only about 200 people, we sent 11 individuals to the mission field. We were number seven and eight.
So for us, it was sort of an Acts 13 experience, as you remember.
It was, it was an exciting time, and it was also a scary time. I'd never hardly been outside the United States before, and we left, and we had two little guys, three and five years old, and we thought it was gonna be just for a three-year taste of missions, and we would come back here and be in the pastorate and send other people to go, but we only were there about six months when we looked at each other and said, who are we kidding?
We're never going back home. This is great, and so we stayed, and stayed 34 years, lost track entirely. Well, here's a question I have for you then. You work at the International Graduate School of Leadership.
That sounds like a business school, but you're a missionary, so what gives?
What gives?
Well, the school used to be called the International School of Theology, and indeed, we're biblically rooted, theologically rooted, but doing training and leadership, we've always been doing that, but in our student body, at any given time, there are 20 nations represented, mainly from the Philippines, but also 19 other countries, and they go back to some very restrictive countries.
They go back to communist countries like China or Vietnam. They go back to Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan or Bangladesh and so on, or Hindu-majority countries like India or Nepal, and so when they go back with a degree in theology, it closes doors and they are watched, but when they go back with a leadership degree, it can open doors, and that's why part of the main reason we changed our name to the International Graduate School of Leadership, and it's been a huge door opener for our students especially.
Yeah, the word international in our name is no idle boast. Our students, we have 1 ,500, just about 1 ,500 graduates now, and they are working now in 43 different countries around the world.
Yeah, it's really amazing.
So it's an exciting place for us to be, and we love it, but here's the next question for you.
You're full of questions today.
I am. What do you do there?
What do I do there?
Well, I get to be your husband.
We didn't need to go over there to do that.
That's true.
My mom kept saying, can't you find a job in the States? So now over the years, we've had various roles. I've had so many different roles and more than so many hats, I think it's rubbed my hair off. John, you can relate to that, can you?
Anyway, we are thrilled to be involved in seeing the school grow from 23 students when we first got there to over 300 on an average, but God has been at work, and we are educators at heart. We're developing leaders, and that means not only academic training and education, but we're into mentoring and coaching and deeply involved in their lives.
So we each have a group of mentors, and then we are involved also in not only their spiritual heart and character development, but also their skills, head, heart, and hands. As we teach some leadership skills, get out in the field, share the gospel.
We're always involved in the field work as well.
But what about you?
Okay, I've got a question this time. What about you?
What do you do?
Besides being my wife?
Besides being your wife, I'm also leading, mentoring, and teaching at the school. But my situation is entirely different. He teaches in the masters and the doctoral programs, and I teach in a certificate program.
There are women who can come and study in Steve's classes at the master's degree level, but not so many women are able to do that. They either don't have the educational background or the English background, or they got too many kids at home, or they have a job.
And so those women married to the men who are studying with Steve come into my classes. It's a certificate program, but it's a two-year, one-day-a-week program. And we teach and train them so that when they leave the seminary with their husband, they are prepared to go out with a shared vision with their husband and to have a ministry.
And I just, I love it. It's my passion. There are pastors' wives all over Metro Manila who come to our school for that kind of training.
That's a great program.
And it's a treat to be there.
Yeah, it's really...
So we've got so many more things we'd like to share with you, amazing stories of how our big God is doing big things in our big world. And I think it'll be really encouraging. That's what we're gonna do after lunch.
But to give you an idea, we'd like to share with you how the gospel through one of our graduates has penetrated the highest levels of Tibetan Buddhism, thanks to a vision of this one student. And we'd like to share with you a little bit more too about how the military has been penetrated by the gospel through our graduates.
In fact, right now, we're leading and training 170 mid-career officers from six different countries. And it's been a thrill to be part of all this.
What about you?
Do you have any stories?
Yeah, I have had a girl from Nepal, a wife from Nepal, who only had a fourth grade education. But after three years, she got a standing ovation at the graduation banquet. Now, the story on how that happened and what it was all about, we'll tell you later.
Yeah, you just gotta come to lunch to join us.
Thanks. What an amazing morning this has been already to hear the stories from Ronnie, from Steve and Jan, and to know that our God is working all over the world. Have you ever doubted that God is sovereign when you just see the work that he is doing?
So you guys were here in 1979. So the families that were here when you came were the Wilts, the Wients, the Bowers, the Dugans, the Plums, and the Millers. Those were the six families that were meeting in a Bible study in the home, and they split time between the Wilt and the Wient house.
And the Holy Spirit gave them a urging to start a church here in Burlington County that would not be too liberal. That would not be too legalistic. The church needed to be Bible-centered. The church needed to be strong in preaching the salvific message.
They had some experience with the E-Free, so they approached the E-Free and, help me with the name, Myron Shuet. Myron Shuet was sent out to help prepare them for starting the church. And so this church was actually launched in 1969 as Fellowship E-Free Church.
It then became Mount Laurel E-Free Church, and it then became Cornerstone Church. But what's constant? And, thank you. Pastor Hobson, Pastor Sheck, Pastor Ferris, Pastor Nathan, Pastor Wallenmayer, Pastor Kleewer.
What's constant? What's constant in all of this? The first public worship held in a travel lodge. They then moved to the Thomas Paine Elementary School in the day and a synagogue at night. And then they went over to Harrington Middle School and now here on 515.
What's constant? The lamp. The lamp is lit. The Holy Spirit is at work. And through all of these transitions, God has been sovereign and he has been faithful. And we have seen the word grow. And so we get then to see the fruit of labors as those from our midst go abroad and spread the gospel.
And we just know that God is sovereign. But what do I mean by that? We just celebrated Independence Day last week. And we claim to be a sovereign nation. And in fact, the majority of nations in the world claim to be sovereign nations.
And as our country grew, territories like the sovereign territory of Texas became a member of the United States. This is the United States of America. We are not are the United States of America. We are one.
We are one. What makes us sovereign? Well, we claim to be sovereign. Merriam-Webster identifies sovereignty three ways. They say that it is a supreme power that is especially in a body politic, not answerable.
It is free from external control and it has controlling influence. That's what sovereignty is defined. There is only one sovereignty. And that's God. We may claim to be a sovereign nation, but nations do come and go.
God does not come and go. God is sovereign. Some of the realities of God's sovereignty, you can go into John 1 and you can understand that preexistent, self-existent God. You go into Genesis 1 and you can understand creation.
You can go into the miracles of the Old Testament, the New Testament, and his authority over creation. The events of the world are clearly discussed on display in the book of Daniel. No matter how powerful the Babylonian kingdom was and the demands they placed on Daniel and his friends, God was sovereign.
He delivered. And so the last half of the book talking about prophecy, we know God is sovereign over all the events of the world. And he's even sovereign over the powers of evil. If you go into the book of Job, Satan said, ha, look at that guy.
You think he's so good, let me have Adam. And God gave him permission with limits. Satan is not sovereign. He is under the authority of God. He is the prince of the power of the air right now and he's working a lot of mischief.
But God is sovereign over all. The United States, we claim to be sovereign. God is sovereign. Scripture teaches us a few things about that in Revelations 4 .11. Worthy are you, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things and by your will they existed and were created. All that is created is created for God's pleasure. He is the sovereign creator. In Genesis 1, it said, God said and he made and he saw.
Ex Nilo. He is the one who creates all. The sovereign God. In Psalm 83, when I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place. Astrophysicists, astronomers, they look in the heavens and they still think they are discovering stars.
He named them one by one. And he holds them in place one by one. And it says that without him, there would not be. But because of his power, not one has ceased to exist. Job was of a difficult time and he was questioning things and God said, where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
God is sovereign. Job 1, God allowed Satan to test but only within limits. And then Pastor Jeff's favorite chapter and verse in Proverbs 16, even the casting of the lots is under the hand of the Lord.
God is sovereign. This is the truth that remains. We're gonna look today in Philippians 12 through 14 as we continue. We've looked already in Philippians. We've understood God's sovereign purpose, his heavenly purpose is assured.
We've seen that whatever is gonna be done is God. Let me read this part in Philippians 1, 12 to 14. I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to the rest of that my imprisonment is for Christ.
And most of the brothers having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Let's take prayer. Father, we come to you as your children in awe of your sovereignty.
We see the majestic work of your hand throughout the world and we've heard reports from the missionaries. We see your majestic hand even here in Mount Laurel as the lamp has been lit and sustained by your power.
We do know Lord that Satan is on the attack but we hold confident in the fact that you are supreme in Jesus name, amen. Philippians 1, 12. I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.
My thoughts on that. When the world dominates and the world is going to do their best to dominate, whether it is cancel culture, whether it is governments that say you must do this, whatever it may be, the world is going to do their best to dominate and to silence those who would want to proclaim truth.
When the world dominates, thinks they're dominating. When the world suppresses those who hold to truth, one truth remains. All things work together for his good. We are under his sovereign control. I want you to know brothers.
It's how he starts this out. Now Philippians has already talked to us about being partners in the gospel. It has already talked to us about being partners in life. It has already talked to us about he who has begun a good work and you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ and how we grow in the Lord.
And so now we're going to gain this confidence that we get in circumstances and in the trials of life, we get confidence because of God's sovereignty. So how do we know that? This is more than just knowing.
You know, sometimes it's much too easy. It's going to be raining later on, I know. It's going to be traffic if we try, I know. We're very glib to say that. But he is making this assertion here that I want you to know.
There is an assurance. There is a depth of knowledge. There is an unwavering ability to know something. How do we know that? Well, we don't necessarily know it by empirically studying it like a scientist or an engineer.
Hebrews 11 is going to tell us that faith, it's the evidence of things not seen. It's the substance of things hoped for. This is the source of our assurance. And the reason we have that assurance is because God is God.
Because of that, we have no doubt. We don't need to doubt. Paul has a message of sovereignty that he wants to give them. He is experiencing situations and he wants them to consider them. But then on top of that, to realize the sovereignty of God.
And so he says, I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me. There are real trials going on in his life. This is no minimization of the fact that he has been put under confinement. I mean, Paul has been through some very tough times in his travels as he's gone to different towns, been beaten, been stoned, been put in prison.
And he's saying here that I want you to know that what has happened to me. I want you to know that Paul has a focus. And that's that the trials of life are only within the sovereign will of God. He is not being brought down.
He is not being oppressed by a government or by a people. They're the ones doing the work, yes. But Jesus said, nobody put me on that cross. I went there willingly. That's a focus. Paul has this focus to know that in everything, in all trials of life, that nothing that's going to happen to you is outside the will of God.
Satan has temporary and limited power. I want you to catch that thought. It's power to be sure, but it is temporary and it is limited. Now, that doesn't mean God isn't going to allow that power to take you to the nth degree of suffering.
We're considered that suffering even as joy. You see, Jesus in his priestly prayer in chapter 17, in considering what was going to happen to Paul, what will be happening to us. We have a brother in our fellowship whose job is at risk right now because the culture of that company is allowing trans men to go into female bathrooms.
And he's saying, I don't think that's right. So he's being put down for that. We have those in our midst whose jobs were put in trial and perhaps lost because they didn't get the vaccine or because they, the trials are true.
That is not a false statement. The trials are true. In fact, Jesus said in his priestly prayer, I don't want you to take them out of the world, but I want you to keep them in the world. So as these issues, as these trials, as these times come up to you, I want you to know that the father's will remains supreme regardless of what you're going through.
It's the father's will. So here is Paul. And he said, I want you to know brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. That is a great statement. What has happened to me has been so bad.
I feel all alone. I feel dejected. I feel led to know. He said, what has happened to me has really, has really happened for the advancement of the gospel. The word really in the Greek Milan is actually what they call a comparative conjunct, a comparative conjunction.
So you take a thought and you compare it and you come up with a conclusion on this side. What has happened to me, I'm in prison, has really happened for the furtherance of the gospel. It's the reality that Satan's attempts, God's purpose.
It's the reality that Satan's partial power, God's total power. Whenever the world attacks, know this for sure. God is not defeated. He is sovereign. Satan can't even perceive the power of God. He just, he has this mindset that he wants to be like the most high, but you have the ability to perceive.
You have the Holy Spirit within you. The things of the spirit can not be understood by mere man, but with the Holy Spirit, you can understand it. And so when you're considering these trials, think of these two verses, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
It doesn't sound like there aren't problems, but it does sure sound like there are rewards. First Peter 2 .20 talks about, blessed are you when you endure suffering for righteousness sake. It's no good if you've done it and it's your own fault and you get punished for it.
But if when you do right and you suffer for it and you take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. Our perception when we know the sovereignty of God changes. Instead of seeing defeat and instead of seeing despair, we can see hope.
Nobody would have foreseen how quickly God was going to call Louise Ronald's home, our beloved sister within a week. Nobody would have foreseen that. And Dave now having the fallout of that as her husband, but he has this vision of God.
That doesn't mean that he did not lose his wife. That meant that he had a vision of God. Philippians 1 .13, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
I want you to know that when Satan succeeds, temporarily succeeds in his attempt to silence the gospel, even though circumstances are used by God to further his kingdom. Okay, so it has been known. Now there are things about Paul that are common knowledge.
As the end starts to draw near in Acts 20, Paul is being led to, by the Holy Spirit, to go to Jerusalem. And he's had counsel from various people on what to do, but his focus is to go to Jerusalem. In Acts 21, then when he's there, he is taken by the Jews, captive because he's preaching Christ.
In Acts 22, Paul then starts to testify and sort of the counsel of his new birth and then proclaims, oh, by the way, I am a Roman citizen. In Acts 24, he proclaims, I follow God. And in Acts 25, he appeals to appear before Caesar, as was his right as a Roman citizen.
And so then we get to the end of Acts in Acts 28. He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God, teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
I love that God focus that Paul has. He's been taken to Rome. He's been put in house prison. And what is he doing? He is spending his time proclaiming and teaching with all boldness. Now the Philippians knew the story about Paul getting to Rome.
That's not what he's saying. It has become known. That's not what he's saying. What he wants to know, what he wants to proclaim is that what has become known is through the circumstances, what's happened.
Paul is in captivity in Rome. I downloaded an article about captivity in Rome and it talked about during his missionary journeys, different cities, Paul was taken, beaten, stoned, put in prison, and went through all those hardships.
But as we get now into this time, the end of Acts 28, Paul's Roman citizenship meant he was eligible for daily food allowance. And Paul depended on his friends and fellow believers to supply this food.
But there's prison reform, oh, by the way. While under house arrest in Rome, Paul was guarded around the clock by soldiers of the elite Praetorian Guard. And so what is known is Paul is now in house arrest and Rome believes, Satan believes that they have put Paul in captivity to the extent that they have taken the best of the best, the elite Praetorian Guard, and 24 -7 they have him shackled so that he knows he's a prisoner.
That's Satan's approach. But what's God's approach? He's got Rome shackled to Paul and they can't get away. And what does Paul do while he's there? He proclaims the gospel message in Acts 31, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
Who is he teaching? The Praetorian Guard. They can't get away. I was on a flight for five hours. I had a chance to talk to a young lady about Christ. Ronnie was on flying for 37 hours, opportunities to talk about Christ.
But here's Paul. And from Satan's perspective, Paul had the audacity to preach Christ. And so the Jews took him to the Romans. Paul says, I'm a Roman citizen. I appealed to Caesar. And so they sent him to Rome so that he could be put in prison, albeit house arrest, and shackled to a guard.
Silence his audacity. And what does he do? He sees the sovereignty of God in all situations. So he proclaims and he teaches with all boldness, without hindrance. The shackles are not a hindrance. They're actually encouraging the opportunity.
It says here that what has been known is known throughout the whole Imperial Guard. This was a number of individuals, not just those who on a rotation were shackled to Paul, having to hear Paul. There are others back at the garrison.
This to me says, and throughout the whole Imperial Guard, that these dudes, they come off of their watch with Paul. Can you believe what this guy was telling me about Jesus? And through Paul's talking to those who were shackled to him, that word then proceeds out to the whole Praetorian Guard.
And God's word goes on from there. Who was in prison with who? Yeah, our sovereign God put Rome in prison on that event. Luke 1 .37 says nothing is impossible. Now I know this is a passage speaking to Elizabeth about she's going to get pregnant, but I still think that this applies to the situation of God's word is going to go out when God's word is going to go out.
Satan is not going to stop it. Nothing is impossible. And then it says, not only to the entire whole Imperial Guard, but all the rest. He has had visitors. He has had people come. He has people bring provisions.
The word has gotten back to the other churches to encourage them. I think the word gets out and it says to all the rest that other people, those who perhaps are thinking about it, who God has said, I will reach them, give them a new heart where his grace is going to reach down.
The message that Paul proclaims is coming out because God is sovereign and Paul is not in prison. Paul is free to proclaim the truth, even to the Roman culture. That's part of all the rest. The word gets out.
Matthew 24, it talks about many false prophets will arise, lead many astray. And then it says in 14, and this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations.
There are places like Rome that were wicked. They were being driven by Satan. They were following his gospel message. They're false prophets, but then there's the true gospel and God and his sovereignty sent Paul from the missionary journey back to Jerusalem, into arrest, back in front of the council and to Rome and in the guard and in house arrest and his sovereignty.
The word gets proclaimed because God moved according to his will. He is sovereign. He wants them to be encouraged. It says, because that my imprisonment is for Christ. What a change in Paul's perspective.
Think about what he was like before Damascus. He followed religion. Now he's seeking after truth. He saw those who followed and he hated those who followed and he attacked those who followed the way. Those who oppose the religious teaching.
Now he sees, he loves, he ministers to those who has been transformed. What a change in his view because of the sovereignty of God. He saw a threat. Now he sees an opportunity. I don't think he saw Rome as a threat.
I think he saw it as an opportunity. He used to be zealous to persecute. Now he can't wait to preach all because he is in prison for Christ. He is not imprisoned by Rome. John MacArthur, back in the time of the pandemic, I read an article of the time, John MacArthur, mega church pastor John MacArthur has shrugged off threats of prison time over his refusal to comply with COVID church closure orders.
And so the governors and those in authority at that time were telling John, you have got to stop this. We're gonna send you to prison. And he said, if they want to tuck me into jail, I'm open for jail ministry.
I've done a lot of other ministries and haven't had the opportunity to do that one. So bring it on. What a vision of the sovereignty of God. My brothers and sisters, when you go where God sends you, he is going to be with you and amazing things are gonna happen.
Mark 16, we're told to go into all the world, proclaiming the gospel. And in 2 Timothy 4, we are told to preach the word in season and out of season. Satan wants to stop you and he's gonna do everything he can to stop you.
But I tell you what, the situations that you get into, as you stand true, as you stand true to faith, it becomes a testimony to all the world. Philippians 1 .14, and most of the brothers having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
The world claims success when it tries to exert its will over you. It claims success. But our confidence is God. He ensures success. The world can only claim it. He ensures success because in the end he wins when he exerts his sovereign will over all creations.
Most of the brethren having become confident in the Lord in my imprisonment, to have those brothers and sisters see that Paul is thrown into prison and instead of despair and instead of feeling defeat, how could this great apostle who has planted so many church still be effective now that he's in prison?
But it says they've become more bold because of his imprisonment, because he is proclaiming the truth, because the truth is going out. They can find hope in his sovereign will. You can find hope in his sovereign will.
All things are under the sovereign will of God. For by him, for Colossians 1 .16, by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and by him.
This is our God. Be assured of these things. There's nothing in creation that is beyond God. There is nothing that man has created that can stop his sovereignty. There is no power that man can exert that can overcome God's sovereignty.
There is nothing that man does that is over God's sovereignty. What man can do is try to make you afraid. It may be that I don't want to be ostracized. It may be I'm afraid of losing my job. It may be I'm afraid of being thrown into prison.
Maybe I'm afraid that my family will be persecuted. What Satan can do is he can use the world to give you fear. You guys can probably quote Matthew 10 .28 with me. Do not fear those who kill the body.
They cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. We got hope that the world is not able. They can make life. They can even kill you, but they cannot kill the hope that you have within you because it's God who's sovereign, not man.
October 28th, 1949. James Elliott, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Roger Udarian, and Ed McCauley didn't listen to the counsel of those all around them because going to Ecuador to try to reach the Aka Indians is going to result in death.
The cannibals, they were told don't go, but they listened to God. They had a vision of God's sovereignty. And so day after day, week after week, they flew over the sand spit and they dropped food down and put down messages that would try to indicate we are your friends until finally they felt that they had reached an accord with them.
And so very bravely, they landed their plane and were killed. Did Satan win? No, he is no fool who gives up that which he can't keep in order to gain that which he can't. I blew that one. You know what I'm saying.
Several years later, Elizabeth Elliott goes there and the story is beautiful on how she reaches that tribe. It was, from the world's perspective, a loss of those five men, but from God's perspective, it was a victory because he is sovereign.
No circumstances out of God's control. Psalm 118, 16, the right hand of the Lord exalts, the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. We are encouraged to speak the word without fear. Acts 4, Peter and John are being challenged whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God.
You must judge for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard because 1 8 says you're going to receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you. When God gives you a word to speak, I want you to hold this truth.
There is no power on earth that will stand in the way. God is sovereign. When you see the amazing power of God's sovereignty, it can only gain one conclusion when you see that God wins. And if you're part of it, it's an awesome experience, but it's to God's glory.
So what do we do with this? I have some truths that I want to remind you of. Number one, we are God's children. If you have bowed the knee, you are God's child. We have the Holy Spirit. We are called to abide in him, to grow in him, and we are called to make disciples.
That is our calling. But our enemy, the deceiver is on the prowl. He is going to seek to draw you away from devotion to God. He is going to work everything he can to silence you. He is in a world that opposes God.
John 15, Jesus taught, if the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hates you. Don't feel like you're in this alone. We have a God who is sovereign and he knows. The same time and at all times, when the evil one is on the prowl, Jesus promises to be with you.
He that is in you is greater than he who is in the world. And so our assurance is this. Number one, we will be on trial. Number two, God is faithful and he is sovereign. He will not be defeated. And when we abide in him, we will be victorious.
I want you to be sure of this, my brothers and sisters, be sure of these truths. God calls us to go into the world by the power of the Holy Spirit. The world will try to resist you, but God is sovereign.
And I want you to recognize and to hold true in him, in him, there is hope and there is victory for his glory. Amen.
Will you stand with me?
Forever perfect in love you are sovereign. Wisdom unimagined Can understand your ways Reigning high above the heavens Reaching down in endless grace You're the lifter of the holy Passionate and kind You surround and you uphold me Your promises are my delight Your plans are still to prosper You have not forgotten us You're with us in the fire and the flood You're faithful forever Perfect in love you are sovereign.
Oh, your plans are still to prosper You have not forgotten us You're with us in the fire and the flood You're faithful forever Perfect in love you are sovereign. Oh, our sovereign Oh, we're a. Hi, a little lunchtime instructions.
So lunch is in the back room to the left and we weren't sure how many folks were going to stay. So please, if you're going to stay, grab a little bit and come on back into the sanctuary. This is where the Hobsons are going to tell us about the ministry and we can have our Q &A.
Probably about 10 minutes after we release right here. So I hope all of you can stay and talk to the Hobsons.
Deuteronomy 20 is a word of encouragement to the nation of Israel, but I want to give it to us as his children. Hear, O Israel! Hear, O child of God! Today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies.
Let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them. For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies and to give you the victory. Go in the sovereign peace of God.
