going to be talking this morning about our sovereign God. And I approach it in that way on purpose. You know, you could say the sovereignty of God, which is one of God's attributes, a characteristic of God. He is sovereign. Or you can speak of God is the sovereign one. And that's what I want to do this morning. Our sovereign God. I'd like to begin by asking a few introductory questions. Who's in control? Who decides what will be? Now, there's a lot of options out there that people try to explain that by. Is it cruel fate? Some blind, impersonal force that we're all totally subject to? Is it blind chance? Is nothing directing anything, things just happen haphazardly? Or is it fortune or luck, as so many people like to say? Or those who have a little bit more of a biblical background, is the devil the one who's calling the shots and pulling the strings? You know, while he's engaged in a cosmic game of tugging war with God, you know, there's this sort of Christian dualism, you know, good and evil, two forces, God and Satan, fighting back and forth to see who'll win. Or, another one, does man run the show by his own free will? Have you ever seen that one? God's trying to get man, the devil's trying to get man, and man stands there deciding which way he wants to go. And his free will decides what the issue will be. Sorry it doesn't work that way. The devil has every man right from the start. He takes us captive at his will. We're under his absolute power as sinners ever since the fall of Adam. We come into the world that way. We're not in some kind of safe haven where we can decide whether we want to serve the devil or God. We're willing slaves and dupes of Satan. So, is man standing there with his free will while God looks on helplessly, hoping that man will make the right decisions and cooperate with God's plan so that God will be able to do what he wants to do, even though in the majority of cases he's frustrated? So what really determines, or who really determines what will happen to you and me? Well, the first thing I want to say I go with the only option that I can even rest with, which is, I believe, the true one, as the Bible explains it. Would you really feel happy if you knew the devil was in control, or even that you were in control? Would that give you any assurance or confidence or security? No, the Bible teaches that God is a king, a great king. Psalm 47. Oh, clap your hands, all ye people. Shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord Most High is terrible. He's a great king over all the earth. He shall subdue the people under us and the nations under our feet. He shall choose our inheritance for us. Oh, I don't decide whether I go to heaven or hell. He shall decide on my inheritance. The excellency of Jacob whom he loves, Selah. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises unto our King. Sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth. Sing ye praises with understanding. God reigneth over the heathen. God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong unto God. He is greatly exalted." Can I say something? If you do not have a sound biblical grasp of the sovereignty of God, you cannot praise God or write. You got a lot of people claiming to be Christians, oh praise God, oh praise God, singing and, you know, saying these things. And you know what it comes down to? Poor God is up there in heaven, wringing his hands, wishing he could do what he wants, but people keep thwarting and frustrating him. That's not a God to be worshipped. That's not a great king. That's a God to be pitied. That's a God to feel sorry for. You cannot praise a God like that. They're actually blaspheming God when they present him in that way. That is not the God of the Bible. That is an absolute travesty. That's a horrible caricature. That's a defamation of God. God is the supreme being. He's God over all, blessed forever. He's not frustrated and unhappy. He's blessed. He's in absolute control. He's doing whatever he wants. We're going to see that. Now, a king is one who has authority. One who rules. One who is set over subjects. God is an absolute sovereign. That means his sovereignty cannot be bounded or affected by anything less than or outside of himself. God is not restrained to any bounds. That would mean whatever restrains Him is greater than He is. See what I'm saying? God's rule is unlimited. His rule is invincible. His authority is incontestable. It's all-inclusive. His is a universal dominion. Psalm 103 in verse 19 tells us, The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens and his kingdom ruleth over all. God's control extends from the furthest galaxy of the universe right to the worms who are under our feet and everything in between. God's rule is also an eternal one. It lasts forever. Psalm 10, verse 16 says, the Lord is king forever and ever. The heathen are perished out of his land. God's rule was never threatened, never shaken, never in the least bit. taken from him when Satan rebelled or when man sinned or by anything that's happening or will happen under his throne. God's throne is secure. Never was there any slightest danger of its being overthrown. These are all facts that are clearly revealed in the Bible and that we must be sure of if we are to honor God as he is to be honored and live for him as he would have us to live. So that's why in Isaiah 46, verse 5, God says, to whom will you liken me, and make me equal, and compare me that we may be like? There's no dualism. There's not God and Satan vying with one another on an equal basis. There's no one overruling God, canceling his purpose, getting the upper hand. There's no one equal to Him. There's no one above Him. God says that as to His nature and position, He is unique. He has no equals. He has no rivals. He's infinitely greater than all others. That's what it means He's holy. He's outside, other, above, greater, distinct, different from. That's why He tells us in Isaiah 46 verse 8, He says, remember this, How easily we forget. In showing yourselves men, bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors. See, sin has blinded and corrupted our faculties, so we have lost spiritual understanding. We do not know God for who He is. We have to remember these truths and lay them to heart, lest we descend from being men to being mere beasts. Lose our reason. We need to go back to the records of history and consider God's great works of creation and providence, how He delivered and defended Israel, His wonderful redemptive works in Jesus Christ when He sent His Son to this earth to become a man and to go to a cross and die for the sins of His people and rise again the third day. All these prove His deity, that He's God. That's why He says in verse 9, Remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like me. Now, if we would remember the former things and bring them to mind, we'll be compelled to confess by overwhelming evidence that Jehovah is the only God and that there's none like him, none to be compared or equal to him. Well, now God gives us the proof of that statement, verse 10. In Isaiah 46.10, God is going to tell us what it is that's unique about himself. What it is that distinguishes him from all others as God alone. Declaring the end from the beginning. And from ancient times the things that are not yet done. Saying, my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. So what is it about God that's different from everyone else that makes him God that no one else can lay claim to being. He declares the end from the beginning and from ancient times the things that are not yet done. Now that speaks not only of God's omniscience that he knows everything perfectly at once, everything. People like to talk about God's foreknowledge as if He has to look down the corridors of time into the future to see what's going to happen. God does not deal with time as we do. Time is not a reality to God. He doesn't dwell in time. For God, everything is present at once. God knows everything with His infinite mind, in a single comprehension. He doesn't have to think things out, plan, scrutinize, investigate, discover. He knows immediately, intuitively, and perfectly, and completely everything there is to know. Well, this could also speak of the infallible nature of predictive prophecy. God tells us in His Word the things that are going to happen far in our future, as the whole Old Testament spoke of Christ, and it was fulfilled perfectly in His life in ministry. Isaiah 41, Verse 21 to 23. Produce your causes, saith the Lord. Bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob. Let them bring them forth and show us what shall happen. Let them show the former things what they be, that we may consider them and know the latter end of them, or declare us things for to come. Show us the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods. Yea, do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together. So he's taunting the idols and saying they don't know the future, but God does. But in Isaiah 46, you have to say, how does God know all that will be before it comes to pass? Well, the main meaning of verse 10 here, it's speaking of God's sovereign, eternal, all-inclusive decree, the decree of God. The decree of God is His infallible determination of all that shall come to pass. Nothing's left up to uncertainty or chance. God, before He created the universe, from all eternity, decreed everything that would ever happen throughout time and throughout His creation. Now, some people try to say that God's sovereignty is based upon His passive foreknowledge. I've already referred to that. That means that God, in His omniscience, saw all that would happen, because He knows everything. And then, He in turn decreed that what would be, would be. Oh, I see that's going to happen, so I decree that'll happen. And so, He incorporated into His plan, after the fact. Is that sovereignty? I see my child is going to obey me, so I tell him to obey me. Oh, see, I'm sovereign, you obey me. Because I saw he was going to anyway, so I decided I would plan for that. No. What's this verse telling us? What kind of sovereignty is it to see what's going to happen anyway and just say, OK, that's what's going to happen? Is that sovereignty? Is that rule? Is that control? No, that's being subject to the creature. That would make God to be subservient to that which He made. He has to allow it to be what it'll be and can do nothing about it. That's not sovereignty at all, just to see what's going to happen and say, okay, that'll happen. Actually, when the Bible talks about God's foreknowledge, it means foreordination. You can see that in 1 Peter 1. To foreordain. First Peter 1 verse 2 says that we're elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. And how people usually explain that is, well, God saw who would believe so he chose them based on their prior faith, the knowledge that they would believe. Well, you go down to verse 20, it talks about Jesus Christ himself, the one who redeemed us with his precious blood from our sin, that he who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." That word foreordained in verse 20 is the same word as foreknowledge in verse 2. God foreordained Christ to be the Savior and sent Him to die according to His eternal purpose as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. God purposed the salvation of His people and chose them according to His Sovereign decree his eternal plan and that's why they're Elect not because he saw they believe he saw they believe because he chose them It was his for ordination of them his predestination of them to be saved So this means that God's foreknowledge is not passive but active and Why does God know what will be? What's Isaiah 46 say? I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, I can see ahead of time what you're going to do. That's how I can tell you. Is that how he explains his foreknowledge? Saying, my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. Do you see what that's saying? God foreknows what will be. Because He knows what He Himself will do. He knows what He has purposed or planned. And He knows that He's going to carry out that plan to the minutest detail. Remember what Acts 15, 18 says? It talks about God's purpose to visit the Gentiles and bring out of them a people for His name. How does it explain that? No one unto God are all our works from the beginning of the world. are all His works from the beginning of the world. He's the one who works all things after the counsel of His own will. God is the first cause. He is active in His creation and He's bringing all things to pass. Everything. Without any exception whatsoever. You know, Isaiah says it's God who works all our works in us. They're my works, I'm doing them, but it's God working them. You know, God working in me to will and to do of His good pleasure. See, God knows His works from the beginning. Because He's gonna do it. Everything that happens, God does. Then a lot of people have trouble with, well, does that make God the author of sin? No, it does not make God. God is not sinning. We are sinning, but it's His purpose and decree that we should sin, and He gives us the life, and He guides and overrules, and He works so that we sin just as He wants us to sin. He contains our sin and guides and directs it for His purpose. He made all things for Himself, even the wicked for the day of evil. Now he talks about the king of Assyria going down to defeat the nation of Israel, and it says that's his rod in his hand, beating his people, chastening them. And they were a wicked, godless, pagan nation. God was doing that. They were a rod in his hand. Does that mean God was responsible for their sin? No. But does that mean God was in control, directing, guiding and causing them in His own mysterious way to do exactly what He wanted them to do by the exercise of their sin? Yes, it does. The devil couldn't move or no one could sin if God didn't sustain them and in His sovereignty control and direct them. All He has to do is take His hand off them and they cease to exist. It's not like they're independent beings doing what they want. getting away with it, and God has to stand by and watch helplessly? Not at all. God foreknows what will be by determining in His sovereignty what will be, and by bringing that very thing to pass. Nothing is uncertain. Nothing happens by accident. Everything is predetermined and necessary. It has to happen as it happens. It can't be any other way. God's plan is certain and fixed from all eternity. He never has to adjust it. He never has to react to us. He never has to go to plan B. All things begin in God's decree, they're carried out by God's power, and they end in God's glory. That's what Romans 11 says. Romans 11, verses 33 to 36. Now I'm getting tired of a world that denies God's presence and activity and existence even. And then Christians almost fall right into that very trap and they don't present a God who's much better. One of the world has contempt for Christianity and for our God. The way he's being presented in so-called Christian circles. Verse 33, O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out, far above beyond our reach. For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counselor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? Now look it. For of him, he's the source. Through him, he's the sustainer. And to him, he's the end. Of what? All things. How many exceptions do you see there? What about our sin? What about when a person rejects Christ and goes to hell? What about the devil and all his evil works? All things. To whom be glory forever. Amen. That's the only way God will ever get glory is when this is understood and confessed and followed. So the next thing God does in Isaiah 46 is He tells us how it is that He's able to declare the end from the beginning. Here's what He says, My counsel, have you made any plans for your life? My counsel, God's counsel, or God's purpose, His plan or His will. The word includes both the deliberation and the purpose of doing anything with wisdom, reflection, and skill. It is God's counsel alone. It proceeds exclusively from Him. He is its sole source. God took no creature into consultation with Himself to ask for any advice. He is the architect and designer and purposer of the universe. Look at Isaiah 40 with me. Verse 13 and 14. Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor, hath taught him? With whom took he counsel? And who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding? Are you going to teach God? Do you know better than him? Are you going to correct him? improve on his plan? What's he saying? My counsel shall stand. It means to stand firm, to be established, to continue to endure or to remain. God's counsel is firm and sure. It will never be changed, even one iota. The reason God's purpose is so secure is because it's anchored in God's sovereignty. Is God's sovereignty thwartable, questionable, movable, defeatable? If it is, then so is His counsel. But His sovereignty is absolute, so His counsel will stand. His will is supreme, His knowledge is perfect, and His power is infinite. So His plan is sure. God's decree is eternal. He's not waiting to see what will happen or changing it along the way. And by it, all that happens in time is already predetermined. Look at Psalm 33 with me. Now this should be basic doctrine one. And yet, for so many people, it's not a part of their doctrine or they've never heard it. And it's very sad. Verse 10, the Lord brings the counsel of the heathen to nothing. He makes the devices of the people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord stands how long? Forever. The thoughts of his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. That's part of his predestinating plan, choosing who will be saved. Thus it is that God controls the destinies of men and nations. He overrules them. And it's always His purpose that is carried out, never the purpose of the creature. Proverbs chapter 19. What about men? They make decisions. They make choices. They take actions. They try to do things. They don't even think about God or take Him into account. What about that? God doesn't ask for their permission. Verse 21. There are many devices in a man's heart. All kinds of ideas and plans and purposes. Nevertheless, regardless of that, it doesn't matter. The counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. God's counsel shall stand. Chapter 16, verse 9. A man's heart devises his way. Here's what I'm going to do. Here's where I'm going to go. This is what I'm going to... do in my life. But the Lord directs his steps. Man proposes, God disposes. Have you ever thought of that? You're absolutely under the control of God and you cannot do anything to break loose of that. And all you can do is hope and pray that He has a good purpose for you, that He's included you in His saving plan. God's plan, like God, is unchanging. Even as God is unchanging. Do you realize if God changed His plan, He would not be God? Because that would mean He suffered a change. If God suffers a change, that would mean that He no longer has the nature of God. Because the Bible tells us of God's nature. It says, I am the Lord, I change not. In Habakkuk 3 verse 6. And so, because God has devised a perfect plan, to change His plan would make it less than perfect. And God can do nothing but what is perfect. Hebrews 6 verse 17 talks about God's purpose and how it describes Him and His purpose. We're in God willing to show more abundantly under the airs of promise the immutability of his counsel. He confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. He shows us the unchangeableness of his counsel because he's a God who cannot lie. There's no resisting, thwarting, or altering God's plan by anyone. Try as they might. Proverbs 21, verse 30. It says there, there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord. What can you do? A mere piece of dust. Job 23. Is God double-minded? Is God fickle? Changeable? Is it with Him, yea, yea, nay, nay? No. Job 23 says, but He is in one mind. He has one purpose, one decree. Eternal, unchanging. Who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, even that He does. Does that sound like frustrated? Whatever He desires, He does. according to whatever he has purposed in his own mind, for he performs the thing that is appointed for me. And many such things are with him." You know what? You may not even understand what he's doing in your life. But you know what Job also says? That's not your business. It says he doesn't even give account of any of his matters. He does what he pleases and he doesn't tell us why. It's not our business. That's God's business. We just bow to Him and submit to Him and trust in Him and say, Thy will be done. So what's God going to say in Isaiah 46? And I will do all my pleasure. That's God's pleasure. Not man's, not Satan's. God's pleasure here refers to the willing of that which one has great delight in. God has a great delight in His decree, because it's of God. Whatever God does is right and good and pleasing unto Himself. He has created all things wise for His own pleasure. So, it refers to someone who has a great delight in His will when it's accomplished. It means a delight or that which is precious. God made the universe, it's His, and He can do what He will with His own. And He has seen fit to please Himself, which is only right. That's His purpose in making all things for His own pleasure and glory. So what he's telling us here is what God has determined upon in his decree. That is what he has been pleased to do in his providence. God takes great delight in his plan, and nothing will rob him of its accomplishment. He's not saying, oh, I'd love to do this if only I could, or I wish it would have turned out better or the way I had planned. He has his precious purpose. His plan in which He delights, and that's exactly what's going to take place. No one's going to rob God of His pleasure or delight. Notice what God says. He will do His purpose and pleasure. Not He might do it. No question there. Notice also, God says that He will do how much of His pleasure? As much as we let Him? He will do all His pleasure. Not just some of it. Entirely. 100% of it. Every detail of his decree will be carried out exactly as he purposed it. Notice again, God says that he will do all his pleasure, not man's pleasure or Satan's pleasure. Notice who's going to do it. Is he waiting for us to cooperate and give him permission or let him? I, God, by my own sovereign power, my invincible almighty power, I will do it. And so it will be done. The reason for this is that because God is sovereign, so His will must and will be done. No matter how much men or devils may fight, God will have His own way. All the time. In every case. God's purpose shall be executed because God Himself says that He will do all His pleasure. You know, there were some people mocking David. David looked like he was on the losing side of things. You know, he was under the power of his enemies. And they started taunting him. Oh, David, you say God's with you, God's helping you. Where is He? Well, David says in Psalm 115, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us. but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake." You know what? If that was every human being's purpose, not to themselves, but to God be the glory, you'd have no trouble with these doctrines of God's sovereignty. It's because man is a proud, glory-seeking, boastful creature that men have trouble accepting that God is sovereign. Wherefore should the heathen say, where is now their God? Huh, where's God? Well, I don't see Him. He's not helping you. We've got you where we want you. What's the answer? But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased. You haven't threatened to change that. The reason for everything is found in the pleasure of God's will. Psalm 135. verses 4 to 6 for the Lord it says here's why we should praise the Lord for the Lord has chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure whenever you read about God electing a people for salvation it's always praising God it's never all that's not fair that's not right I can't accept that it's always praising him if you understand it you can't but praise him for that it says on For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods. That's how I know He chooses. He's God. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He in heaven and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. Everywhere He did whatever He wanted, and does do whatever He wants. Isaiah 14. Verse 24, The Lord of hosts is sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass. Exactly as He thinks, as He decrees. And as I have purposed, so shall it stand. Verse 26, This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. Notice, first He purposes it, Then by his power, he brings it to pass. For the Lord of hosts has purposed, and who shall disannul it? You gonna cancel his purpose? Sorry, don't want that, I'm gonna do something else. And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? You ever had someone reach out to something and grab your hand and say no, and pull it away? You gonna do that to God? He's about to do something, you gonna pull his hand away and say no, you can't do that? And stop him? Impossible. But the great thing is, because God's nature is also loving and kind and merciful and gracious, we know that His will is good. Romans 12 says it's a good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Whatever God does is right. And the way we see that most clearly is we see it in His will for man's salvation. We see the goodness and graciousness of God and His love in that He sent His Son to die on a cross for sinners. Isaiah 53. Did you ever think of that as God's purpose? Why did Jesus come? Did God see man's sin and say, oh, I better do something about this? What will I do? Oh, now that man's sinned, I know I'll send Jesus to die for them. No, that was His eternal plan even before He made the world, even before Adam sinned and fell and brought the whole human race into ruin. God had already made arrangement for man's salvation. Verse 10, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise or to crush Him, Christ. When He put Him on the cross and punished Him for our sin, that was His pleasure. He hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Everyone God intended to save in sending Jesus to die will be saved. That pleasure will prosper, not be frustrated. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. How many is he going to justify? Many. How are we justified? By faith. Well then, who is it that believes and is justified? Everyone who he died for. Because he bore their sin, they will be justified. You see that? He's going to justify many because he bore that many's iniquities. That was his purpose. He knew who he died for and they will be saved because he's going to give them the gift of faith. Acts 2 bears this out. In Acts 2 we find this is exactly why Jesus went to the cross. Why the Jews rejected Him and the Romans crucified Him. It was all God's plan. Verse 22. You men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth A man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know. Him being delivered by the determinate counsel, God's purposed decree, and his foreknowledge. See, not passive, active. God's foreknowledge, his foreordination, caused Christ to be crucified. Not just so he was going to be crucified. It says, um, him, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain, whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. And then in chapter 4, verse 27 and 28, quoting Psalm 2, it says, For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, Both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together for it to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. In that wicked act of crucifying Christ, the Jews and Gentiles and leaders of the people were exactly carrying out God's plan in the midst of their wicked sin and murder. So God's will rules not only in creation, Not only in Providence, but in salvation also. Ephesians 1. Well, I know God rules things, but He certainly can't decide who's going to be saved and who isn't. Isn't that where people have a problem? He can't choose who's going to be saved and who's going to be lost. Yes, He can. We all would have been lost if He hadn't chosen some of us to be saved. Ephesians 1, verse 4. as He hath chosen us in Him, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, not because we were holy, but that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Well, how did this choice come about? Having predestinated us or set bounds and limits beforehand as to what He would do with us under the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself. Well, what did He base this on? If I would believe or not? No. It's according or based upon The good pleasure of His will. It's His good pleasure of His own will to save us. Verse 9 says the same thing. Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure, which He hath purposed... What? In us? No, in Himself. He purposed... In other words, God took nothing outside of Himself into account when He chose who would be saved. It's something that He did within His own being. It's not based on anything outside of His own will and choice and purpose. Verse 11 says, "...in whom also we have obtained an inheritance," that means heaven, "...being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who works all things after the counsel of His own will." We are chosen in Christ, predestinated to adoption and salvation according to the counsel of God's will, which He works all things after. No exceptions. Salvation isn't one area that's left to us. Everything. No ifs, ands, or buts. You know, it says that Jesus came to his own, his own received him not. But to as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God. Even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, not by physical birth, not by the will of the flesh, not by their own free will decision, not by the will of man, no one else could confer salvation on another man, but of God. God was the one who gave us new birth so that we would come to Christ in faith and receive Him. It's of or out of His own will He began us with the word of truth. James 1.18 says, It's all His will. And this sovereignty of God is an intrinsic element of the gospel message. If you don't preach this, you're not preaching the gospel. And I'm sorry to say it. There's a lot of fundamental evangelical Bible-believing churches that are not preaching the salvation gospel of Jesus Christ at all. Because this is part of it, and you'll never hear it. And if you do hear it, they'll say it's not true. And when they say that, they are not preaching the gospel. They're denying the gospel. You go to Psalm. Verse 93, it starts out by declaring that the Lord reigns, or He rules. And then you go to Psalm 96, verse 9 and 10, it tells us to worship the Lord and fear before Him, and to say among the heathen that the Lord reigns. Why don't we go out and tell the unbelievers, God reigns, He's sovereign, that's our message. Not something you leave out and maybe bring in after they've been saved 10 years because you don't want to offend them or upset them or scare them. That's the message you go out to proclaim. Isaiah 52. This is a verse that's quoted in Romans as to the necessity of preaching the gospel for sinners to be saved. You know what the message is? How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace, that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation, that says unto Zion, thy God reigns. That's the beautiful feet. That's the message of good news. That's the message of salvation and peace through Jesus Christ. God is sovereign. Do you hear that in your gospel presentations? Well, it's not the message. You know, in Romans 10, it says, whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. Then it goes on to quote, they have to hear to be saved. So we need preachers. And it quotes Isaiah 52 that says, proclaim that God reigns. Well, what it says, it says, whoever, that's anyone, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you'll be saved. That's right. Exactly. But you know what? Preparations in the heart of man, and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. God prepares the heart, works in that heart, produces faith in that heart, and He gives the confession of faith unto salvation. You believe unto righteousness, that's because of the preparation of God, giving a new heart, and putting faith in that heart, and working faith in that heart by His Spirit. And then the tongue confessing Christ, that's God. That's His work. He does that. Now, God goes on in Isaiah 46. He gives one example of his sovereign rule over the affairs of men. He raised up Cyrus to conquer Babylon to send the Jews back to Israel, which was the fulfillment of his prior word of promise. Verse 11 says, calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel from a far country, yea, I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also do it. Yea, truly, surely, I have spoken it. God has said that he would do this. I will also bring it to pass, because God is faithful. He cannot lie. He cannot fail. He keeps all his promises. He does all that he has said he will do. The Lord is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Of course he will. He says that he sends forth his word. It goes forth out of his mouth, and it will not return unto him void. It shall accomplish that which he pleases. It shall prosper in the thing where he sends it, either to save or to harden, to convert or to destroy. It will be accomplished, exactly as God intends. God's Word is with power. What He says is efficient to bring about that very thing. He doesn't just say it and hope we'll accept what He says. His Word carries with it the power and produces the effect that God intends. That's His powerful Word, His Back in Isaiah 46. As we said, God's word is with power. What he says is efficient. The very word he speaks brings about the very thing that he speaks of. That's his effectual call. And so we can have absolute confidence that God will do for us all he has promised. As I read in Psalm 33, he spake and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. He says, I have purposed it. The word means to form, to imagine, or to devise. It's referring to the conception and establishment of the purpose in the mind of God, in the bringing of that plan into fruition in history. In other words, He purposed it in eternity, and then He causes it to happen in time. It's the counsel that He has devised. So God not only thinks or decrees a thing, but He Himself brings it to pass. He both designs and executes His will. Isaiah 28 and verse 29. You know, it's sad with people. We make great plans, but then something happens and we never seem to be able to carry them out. Is that true with God? He has a great plan, but somehow that plan never seems to work out for Him or happen? No, verse 29 says, This also comes forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. Notice, there's no deficiency in God. His purpose, His plan, His decree is wonderful, and then He has all the power and wisdom and resource and ingenuity to carry out that plan. He's as excellent in working as He is wonderful in devising. And so both come to pass. When once God has set His heart upon something, who is going to stop Him? That's the question. Isaiah 43, verse 13. Yea, before the day was, I am he. Again, he says, I'm God. And we have such deficient understandings and views of God that we have trouble with these concepts. If we knew he was God and what that meant, this would be very easy for us to understand. He's God. And there is none that can deliver out of my hand. I will work, and who shall let, or who shall hinder it? Who? Can you think of anyone? There is no one. Daniel 4, in verse 35, talks about the greatness of God, who lives forever. He has an everlasting dominion and a kingdom that rules over all. And it says, and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. How is nothing going to stop you? Hey, look out, don't go over there, there's nothing in your way. Nothing in my way? Yeah, you'll never be able to do what you want to do. There's nothing standing in front of you. So what? Well, we're nothing. Who's going to stop them? And He does according to whose will? His will in the army of heaven, up in the celestial realms and among the inhabitants of the earth in the terrestrial realms. and none can stay or stop his hand or even ask him. What are you doing? You can't even ask God what he's doing. And he wouldn't tell you if you did. Remember what Job says? He does the thing appointed for me. He appoints what my life is to be and my destiny is to be and then he does that for me. Well, does that include salvation? Yeah, 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 Verse 9, this is talking to the believers, what does it say? God has not appointed us to wrath, that means hell and damnation, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. See, we all are headed for hell because of our sin. We're under the wrath of God and headed for judgment. But if we come to Christ and believe in Him, we're forgiven and saved. And we won't go to hell. We'll have eternal life. We'll be in heaven with God. But notice, God appoints us who are saved to salvation. That's His appointment. What about the person who isn't saved? You ever heard of double predestination? God predestines by election who will be saved. God predestines who will be lost. by passing them over and not giving them the grace to believe. And 1 Peter chapter 2 tells us the very same thing. It talks about Christ in verse 7. You therefore which believe, to you he is precious. Believers love Jesus and trust in him for salvation. But unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed." Those who reject Christ in unbelief and are lost, they were appointed to that by God. Everything is within His purpose and plan, including who will be saved and who will be lost. God initiates His plan. He places his plan into motion. He carries his plan on, and he brings it to completion. God does all things. Of him, through him, and to him are all things to whom be glory. And what a comfort for the child of God to know it is his Father who plans and directs his life. And he does it in wisdom and in love and goodness, according to what is best for us. You think about that. God from all eternity knew us, and loved us, and chose us in Christ. He purposed to send His Son to die on a cross to procure our salvation by paying for our sins. And He orders all the events of our lives so as to bring about our eternal good, our spiritual good, and His own glory. Isn't that your confidence? God is in control, taking care of me? You better believe what I'm preaching this morning or you have no right to have that confidence. How can we know that God is ordering all the events of our lives to our ultimate good, in His own glory? Because, and only because, God is sovereign. We'll close in Romans 8. You better be careful if you're going to say, God works all things after the counsel of His own will. Accept, accept, accept. Because those exceptions might be the very things that you may be lost because of. Romans 8, verse 28. We love this verse. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the call according to His purpose, those He purposed to save and that He sent forth His power by His Spirit to bring to Christ in faith. They're the ones that all things work together for good, too, because God has loved them with a special personal, distinguishing, peculiar love, and it's only because He works all things after the counsel of His own will that we can know this to be true. And what is His will? What is His purpose? Whom He did foreknow, or foreordain, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called Whom He called, then He also justified. Whom He justified, then He also glorified. Whoever God chose to be saved, He calls to faith. Whoever He calls to faith, believes and becomes justified by faith. And those who are justified by faith can never be lost. They will be glorified. Nothing will keep them from reaching heaven. Verse 38 says, I'm persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come your height, your depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The love of God, the everlasting love of God for us as individuals, the love that He showed when He chose us in Christ before the world began, and that love which will never be taken up from us, but will continue with us until it brings us safely to heaven. That's what we have to know and believe before we can have any assurance of salvation or any confidence that we will persevere to the end. Because God is sovereign. And you know, one day everyone's going to confess God's sovereignty. You know, that's the very thing. When you get saved, what do you have to do? Confess Jesus is Lord, sovereign God and King, master and owner and ruler. You have to submit to his authority to be saved and put yourself under his rule and subject yourself to his commands. And in the end, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That's what God is moving the whole universe to, to the confession of His sovereignty through Jesus Christ, the Mediator King. And so we need to recognize these things and bow to God and confess Him for who He is, the Sovereign One, the One who is a great King, an absolute ruler, over all the earth, and over all things, in all time. Let's close in prayer. Lord, again, we are so thankful for this precious truth, that you are God, and that you are King, that you are Sovereign Lord over all, that everything is carried on, Lord, by you, and everything utterly is in subjection to your power and will, and that your eternal decree is what causes all things that come to pass. And Lord, how we thank you for that assurance and certainty and security, especially if we are those who have come to repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because Lord, we know that could have never happened apart from your eternal purpose and your sovereign, invincible, almighty grace that works conversion in our hearts and brought us to Christ. Lord, help us to be diligent to make our calling and election sure that we have really experienced a saving work and that we were really God's loved and chosen from all eternity. Lord, if there's someone here who has not believed, Father, the only way they can ever know that you love them and that Christ died for them and that you chose them is if they confess their sin and come to Christ and put their faith in him for salvation. Believing he died on a cross and rose again, that all who believe in him will be saved, as you promised. Lord, glorify yourself in the salvation of those who are here, who have not yet come to Christ. And we'll praise you and thank you for it forever. In Jesus' name, amen.