Let's turn to Romans chapter 11. Romans chapter 11. I'll read the doxology at the end of the chapter. Verse 33. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord? or who has been his counselor, or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid. For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Paul here is talking about the ultimacy of God, that He is transcendent, or so high above everything that exists. And to talk about God this way, you have to use words like supreme, or preeminent, or extreme. And then you have to put the word most in front of that. Most preeminent, most extreme, most supreme. And this is so because there is none greater, there is none wiser, and none with more knowledge than he. That's verse 33. For oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments, and how unscrutable his ways. And if that's the case, then None can counsel God. That's verse 34. Neither can any give God something so as to obligate God to do something. That's verse 35. Who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid? And all of this is so because of verse 36. Because all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him. God is therefore the source of all things. He is the means whereby everything comes into existence and is, and it is to Him. He is the goal of all things. And so he is supreme, most supreme, most preeminent over all things. But what does God, what does Paul mean here when he says all things? Well, if words mean anything, all things means all things, all things. Those things can refer to matter, Those things can refer to events. Those things can refer to concepts. And so that's how we're looking at God in his ultimacy. Last time we looked at God's ultimacy in creation. This world, the universe, the sky, the earth, the sea, all beings, angelic, human, animal, all things living, all things inanimate, all organic material, material compound, every chemical compound, all things are from God. Yes, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth so that they are through him, but before that he determined he would make and create the worlds out of nothing. So all things are from him and all things came through him and through him also they exist, they consist, they are held together. That's Colossians 1 16. And then everything finds its goal in God. For to him are all things, 1 Corinthians 8, 6. For us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist. Didn't Job learn this that we read this morning? You see, Job was a very righteous man, pure. And yet God allowed all the calamity to come to Job when Job started feeling sorry for himself and pretty much complaining about what was happening, he being so righteous. And so God, after a series of discussions with his so-called friends, God comes in chapter 38, as we read, and he gets a big dose of God's supremacy and God's preeminence over all things. Job thought he got the short end of the stick, that he was deserving of better treatment, and so God questions him. Let's go back to Job there just a little bit here. Job 38. Notice again how God's words to him begins with a rebuke. Job 38, who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dressed for action like a man, I will question you, and you make it known to me. OK, Job, you know how things should go with you. I'm going to ask you some questions. If you really think you can counsel me, answer me this. And so then we read all of those things, all those questions that God puts to Job. I liked what he says in, let's see, verse 16. Have you entered into the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been revealed to you or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare if you know all this. Okay? Job thinks he knows things. And then he says the same thing, where was it? Oh, what was that verse? Mark it down when you read it, Rick. It was very sarcastic. Godless. Anyway, I can't find it. Let's go to chapter 40. There's some more there. Chapter 40. And the Lord said to Job, shall a fault finder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it. And so Job is getting the point. He's been humbled. He answers the Lord, says, behold, I'm a small account. What shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I'm not going to say an adverb. He's learning it, verse six. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, Dress for action like a man, I will question you and make it known to me. You make it known to me. Will you even put me in the wrong? Will you condemn me that you may be in the right? Have you an arm like God? And can you thunder with a voice like his?" And I can just imagine what happened right then. Boom. Verse 10, adorn yourself with majesty and dignity, clothe yourself with glory and splendor, pour out the overflowings of your anger and look on everyone who is proud and abase him. Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low and tread down the wicked where they stand. Hide them all in the dust together, bind their faces in the world below. Then will I also acknowledge to you that your own right hand can save you. All right, you think you know better? Can you do this? I can. Can you counsel me? No. He gets this dose of God's supremacy over everything, and Job is humbled. And so do we see Job's response in chapter 42? Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Job learned the lesson. that no one is higher and all you have to do is look around and you see God's supremacy, God's preeminence, God's transcendence over all things. When you see the staggering beauty of creation, when you experience the wonder and power of river rapids or waterfalls, When you stand in awe at night on a cloudless night and look up at the starry expanse. When you wonder at the symmetry and intricacies of all things microscopic. When you are intrigued by the knowledge demonstrated by a genius. When you are mesmerized by the skill of a craftsman or an artist. When you cry for joy at the birth of a baby, God is bragging. He's saying, look what I've done. And our response is, wow. Or what Paul does, to Him be glory forever. Well, now let's look on to the next thing of all things. Not only is he preeminent and ultimate in creation, we see his ultimacy in history and providence. God stands supreme over all history because he is absolutely sovereign. All events that occur upon the grand stage of the created universe are from him, through him, and to him." In other words, God is not the God of the deist, who brings everything together and only to then sit on his throne and passively observe what takes place through the course of history. The God of the deist is disconnected from all that he has made. But the God of the Bible, who called all things into existence by the word of his mouth, is a God who continually directs history according to his sovereign plan. He guides individuals. He gives them dreams. He gives them diseases. He raises them to power. He takes them out of power. He hardens hearts. He opens hearts. All things happen according to His plan. He directs it to bring glory to Himself. He providentially works in this world so that we may say with certainty concerning circumstances and events that they are all from him, through him, and to him. He works out all human history according to his master plan so that he will receive the highest possible praise. For example, Let's look back at the Old Testament character of Joseph. You always have to go to him because he's the classic example of God's working in history, his providence. Joseph is one of 12 sons of Jacob. And Jacob loves Joseph dearly. He loves him more than all of his other sons, and that causes a rift in the family. The brothers hate Joseph because of it. And so they end up selling him into slavery. He gets bought by a man down in Egypt, for whom Joseph works hard and diligent. He is very loyal to him, even to the point when the man's wife wants sex with Joseph, and Joseph, because of his loyalty to Potiphar, he refuses. And fourth, because of her bruised ego, Joseph is cast into prison where he remains for 20 years. Now we look at that, it would be easy for us to think, what in the world is God up to? Joseph is so undeserving of such treatment. Joseph is good, he's honorable, he's virtuous. We would find it easy to counsel God in this matter, and even maybe condemn him for treating Joseph so wrongly. But as Scripture continues, we know that God is working out his master plan. for that same Joseph was released from prison in order to interpret the dream of Pharaoh, who would then exalt Joseph to power in Egypt, and then Joseph would be the means whereby all Israel would come into existence, including the Messiah. For it was his wise counsel that provided food for the entire region of the world at that time because of a famine, a famine that Jacob himself was suffering from and all of his sons were, from whom Israel came. You see, as Joseph commented in chapter 50, yes, Joseph's brothers meant it for evil. They couldn't stand Joseph. They hated him. And they meant it for all that happened to Joseph. They meant it for evil. But God meant it for good. Why? Joseph tells us, to save many people alive. To bring about the history of God's people Israel. To bring about, eventually, the Messiah. See, all things are from him, through him, and to him. They work out according to his master plan. God used in Joseph's story, he used hatred, he used envy, he used jealousy, he used immorality, he used dreams, he used famine to bring about his will for the world at that time. And then you can multiply that out to the nth degree of divine activity to every set of circumstances to every individual from the beginning of time until now and continuing on. We see God's manipulation of history in the chance bathing of an Egyptian princess at the Nile River at a time when she saw a basket floating and crying coming from it, a baby. And then we find her, she happened to have her heart go out to him. And so this baby happened to grow up in the house of Pharaoh, being educated in all the languages and all the skills that he would need later to lead Israel to freedom from slavery in Egypt. God was working in all those plans. There wasn't a happen to anywhere. It happened because God determined it to happen. Even the crucifixion of Jesus by the hands of cruel, wicked men happened, Scripture says in Acts 2.23, according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. The Apostle Paul, as we studied in Romans 9, verse 23, says that there are people prepared beforehand for glory. He tells us in Ephesians 2.11, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. God works all things together according to his master plan. Look at your outline in Ephesians 1 verse 11. Dan, would you read that for me? In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him, who works all things according to the counsel of His will. All right, note there are four important words in there. The word predestined, the word purpose, the word counsel, and then will. All those words talk about what happened when, back in eternity past. Paul has already introduced us to that in verse four of Ephesians one, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world. Now in eternity past, there was God, and God alone. And at some time, if we can say time, because time didn't exist yet, but at some time, the triune God met together to plan out human history. And that is seen in these four words. And we're gonna look at them chronologically, not as they are found in, as Paul writes them in here. First comes council. The word council here is a word that means deliberation. You see, in eternity past, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit held a council meeting at which they considered every conceivable plan for human history. If you watch science fiction movies, this would be... under the realm of parallel universes, where you have the same individuals living out a completely different life in another parallel universe based upon a decision. If you make this decision, you go this way. If you make this decision, you go that way. That's all in science fiction movies. But what the Godhead is doing here in Eternity Past is speaking of reality. What are we going to do with humankind? What are we going to do with this created universe? Now out of that meeting, they could have planned that the sky would be green and the grass would be blue. They could have planned us to be born on the other side of the world. They could have decided that we wouldn't exist or that we would be born in another century. They counseled together themselves with infinite and inscrutable wisdom. And out of their counsel came the second word, the word will. Their will is their divine decision. This was the one best plan that God had chose for all human history. And it is so precise and covers minutia. So much that he says it concerns what, in verse 11? What is God's will conceived of? What is it involved with? All things. Same thing as he says in Romans 11. All things. Even random things? Now what can be more random than a lightning strike? What does the scripture say about that? Look at on your outline, Job 36, 32. He covers his hands with the lightning and commands it to strike the mark. It's God balls up the lightning and there's a target down there and being infinite and it hits the mark every time. Nothing random. God's in control of it all. He planned it all. You see, God's providential will covers not only the macro, but also the micro details of life and history. Not just big events like empires rising and falling and presidential elections, but small minutia like the numbers of the hairs of our head. Even the roll of the die. under God's control. He predetermined it. Again, look at your outline, Proverbs 16.33, the lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord. Every bit of God's will, both good and evil as we view it, comes to pass as they planned. Proverbs 16.10, Something about man makes his plans, but it turns out the way God planned. The third word, purpose. That means determination. Out of God's counsel has come his will and out of his will has come his purpose by which God has resolved or irresistibly determined to execute his plan for human history. And this is such a determination that he will not yield nor alter his plan for anybody or anything. And finally, there's the word predestined. Out of his counsel has come his will. Out of his will has come his purpose. Out of his purpose, God locks it down and determines it to be certain by predestining it to occur. The Greek word predestined here comes from a compound word. It's made up of a preposition meaning before and a verb that means to mark out the boundaries or the limits of a place or thing. In other words, it's to predetermine or to appoint. In ancient days, before a child was old enough to do an occupation, the parents chose one for him. Now, usually it was whatever the father was, millwright, blacksmith, whatever. But on occasion, they would work with another craftsman and make out a plan for their child to become an apprentice when he comes of age, to do whatever that person does. And so before the son reaches that age, his occupation was predestined. His destiny was predetermined. And that's what the word means. It means to determine the destiny of something or someone beforehand. And this is what a sovereign, all-powerful, all-wise, all-knowing God would obviously do when He creates a world that is to be to Him for His glory. He's not going to leave it up to chance. He's not going to leave it up to man because man doesn't choose God at all. He's going to determine that everything will work out according to his master plan so that he alone gets the glory. All events unfold the way they do because they have been predetermined by God to take place. And so with all of these words, we see God not only determining the end of all things, but the means to the end. All events are from God. No man co-authored this eternal decree. No angel gave God counsel. No theologian gave Him insight. God's decree is from Him. And that eternal decree is sure of being reality because it comes only through Him. God doesn't sit back and hope that it'll happen. He guides, He directs, and even manipulates events, people, and decisions so that His determined purpose will come to pass. Look at Isaiah 14, 26 and 27 on your online. This is the purpose that is purposed concerning the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out over all the nations. For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who will annul it? His hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back? Now, the answer to all of those rhetorical questions, of course, is no one. None of us can frustrate the purposes of God. Nothing takes God unawares, causing Him to worry. At no time does God ever say, oh, I didn't know that was gonna happen. Isaiah 46, nine. I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me. Now what distinguishes God as God? If He says there's no one else like me, what distinguishes Him from, say, other so-called gods or idols. What distinguishes God as God? Look at verse 10. Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done. The reason God knows the end of all things is not because he looked down through the tunnel of time and saw them happening. The reason God knows what will happen is because He determined them to be so. It's been divinely predestined. The destiny has been set by God and nothing will deter it. And so He says in the last part of verse 10 of Isaiah 46, My counsel shall stand and I will accomplish all my purpose. If God says it's going to happen, it will. Isaiah 48.3, the former things I declared of old, they went out from my mouth and I announced them. Okay. Then suddenly I did them and they came to pass. Truly history is his story more than we realize. And then all history and providence finds its end in him. Not only is it from him and through him, but it is for him. Whenever God acts, and however God acts, he does so for the honor, glory, and majesty of his own name, and he will share his glory with no one. Isaiah 48, 11, for my own sake, for my own sake, I do it. For how should my name be profane? My glory I will not give to another. In other words, any denial of the doctrine of divine providence over human history is a frontal attack on the glory of God. And so the ideologies of Good or bad luck, blind faith, random chance, superstition, or what's your sign, should never, ever cross the lips of a Christian. And the reason Christians shouldn't believe or say these things is because these are all defamation and degradation of the Supreme God. How can we say these things when we know all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose? Some people, you know, so therefore we don't say good luck, we say good providence. Some people make a joke of this a little bit. So therefore, church dinners are never potluck. It's pot providence. But, you know, it's going overboard, but you get the point. He is the God of whom we can say all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him. And if that weren't true, then I'd be scared out of my head for all that's going on in this world. I can understand why there's suicide. Because without God, a Supreme God, God who's determined everything for a good purpose, where's the hope? I mean, I'd be scared to walk out of my house. I'd be scared to get in a car and drive. I'd be scared to get in an airplane. I'd be scared to do anything. But because all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him, we can be confident and we can be bold to face each day knowing that God's goodwill for my life that day will be carried out to every minutiae detail. Because Psalm 37, 23 and 24 says, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he will not be cast headlong, for the Lord holds his hand. You see, the devil is not in the details. God is in the details. Again, Ephesians 1.11, He works all things after the counsel of His will. In other words, God never asks for permission to do anything. He gives permission. We know that from the book of Job, don't we, that even the devil has to ask permission to do what he does. And though he means it for evil against us, God means it for good because it works according to his master plan for our lives. This is the God of history and providence. So let's apply this. Let's apply it first to your natural characteristics or talents. What is their source? Where does your keen mind come from? The quirky things about your personality, your nice smile, your intellect, your whatever. Where do they find a source? They all come from God. He designed them by sovereign decree and providentially imparted them to you. So how are you supposed to use them? Paul gives us the answer in Romans 11, to him be glory forever. We go to the Corinthian church, 1 Corinthians, and we find a church that's all messed up. And one of the things that they were messed up on was this matter of natural gifts and gifts of the Spirit. They thought, you know, they had this gift, a particular gift, and they looked down their noses and said, you, Bill, you didn't have that gift. And they thought, they were arrogant. And so, they were using their gifts for what? Their own glory. Look at me. When Paul says it's to be done for God's glory. In fact, he tells them in 1 Corinthians 4, 7, who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? Look at me. This is what I did. You did? Or did God did through you? You receive everything. You are no different from anybody else. Everything you are is because of God. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your minds, which are God's. Let's apply this to events in your life, that is, your history. Where do you live? Boring Schuylkill County. What is your station in life? Barely getting by with a dead end job. What is your state of health? Constant pain. Continual cough. What is your marital status? Single? Married? A little unhappy? Unhappily married? Now, what is your attitude about all these things? Is it faith, resting, contentment, or vigorous complaint? Maybe I should ask it this way. What is your attitude toward God about these things since they are from Him and through Him? You see, when you put it like that, we see what complaining really is, don't we? It's dissatisfaction with God's master plan. And who are we to think that we know better than God and can counsel Him. In other words, where you live today, who you're married to, who your parents are, what your intellect is, how you look, how you feel, is exactly what God wants for your life at this time. It was predetermined. It was predestined by God from before the world began. Everything that happens to you in your life is from him, through him, and is ought to be to him. So God be praised. To him be the glory forever. Let's apply this to current events. Are you wary about the next election? No. As you see ISIS activities, are you worried that terrorism will come to our streets? Now, to be concerned about it, to be prepared for disaster is one thing. To take precautions for the safety of your home and your family is prudent. But to be preoccupied with such things rather than being occupied with a God who not only controls things, but who planned them all, is wrong. Remember Proverbs 21.1, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, and like rivers of water, he turns it however he wants. Or Job 12.23, he makes nations great and he destroys them. He enlarges nations and leads them away. World events happen according to God's master plan, and if we are God's children, we must trust our lives to the care of our Heavenly Father, our loving Heavenly Father, who works all things together for good for those who love Him. But we can't leave this subject without applying it to the spiritual realm, though all the other things are really spiritual as well. And that's God's predetermined plan for the salvation of his people. And we're gonna get to this next time. That's the third aspect. We're gonna look at God's ultimacy in creation, history and providence, and then in salvation. But remember chapter eight, verse 29. There is a people for whom he predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1.5, He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ. You see, God's predetermined counsel and will, God's master plan includes those He saves. Acts 13.48, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. The only reason anyone believes in Christ or loves God is because God loved them first and set them apart for his own special people. And God makes no apologies for doing this. He tells Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. All things are from him and through him and to him. Now, God could have decided to save everybody. He had the power and authority to do that. He could have determined not to save anybody, because none of us deserved it. But he chose a people unto himself. And guess what? They believed. You know what? I believed. Why? Because He predetermined all ordained to eternal life. Believed. And so, what is your response to that? To Him be glory forever. Let's pray. Our dear Heavenly Father, Lord, forgive us for our complaining, maybe even despairing because of things that happen in our lives. Oh, Lord, it's the height of conceit and arrogance to think we know better how to run our lives than you do, for your ways are past finding out. Your wisdom is inscrutable. We are nothing. You are everything. You are all. And all in all. And help us to never forget this. Help us to put our trust in you and you alone. That what is happening in our lives is right. But not only right, It's good because you are a good God. So help us to rest in these doctrines, for they are foundational to confidence and boldness and peace in a world that's rushing headlong to hell and destruction. We can be safe and secure from all alarms. leaning on the everlasting arms. But Lord, we do pray there may be someone here who is still trusting themselves, their own ingenuity, their own wisdom, their own way to forgiveness and everlasting life for heaven. May they realize it only comes by trusting the work of your Son, because way back in eternity past, in that council, you, Father, chose a people unto yourself. And then, Jesus, you said, I'll secure those people by giving my life as a sacrifice for them, as their substitute, shedding my blood for the forgiveness of their sins. And then, Holy Spirit, you said you would apply Christ's work to our hearts. you would change that heart so that they would call on the name of the Lord and be saved. Lord, help everyone here to realize that is the only way that salvation can come, by trusting the work of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in salvation. Not by us, not by our decision, just trusting the triune God. May that be so today. Work in your hearts, Holy Spirit. Change hearts today for the reception of your word, for the glorification of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To you be glory forever. Amen.