of the saints of God at Rome and for the saints of God in all ages since and for us today. In the ninth chapter, there is a complete change of the emphasis. Paul has been talking about the subject of salvation. He dealt with depravity. He dealt with justification, sanctification, and the work of the Holy Spirit. In the latter part of the chapter 18, he speaks about the certainty and the surety and the security of the saints of God. In all things, God is in control, working for the good of his people and for his glory, and that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God that we have in Christ Jesus. And that in all things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Now the ninth chapter, you'll see a change of emphasis. In the beginning of the ninth chapter, Paul is dealing, chapter 9, chapter 10, and chapter 11, he's dealing primarily with the subject of the nation of Israel and the relationship and the work of God among the Gentiles. This was a very subject. He's writing this book, Epistle, primarily to Jewish believers in Rome. Very first history of the early church was among Jewish converts. The Pentecost, more than 3,000 were added on the church. All the apostles were Jews. One of the things they have to learn, and that God is teaching them, is that he has a people among the Gentiles. The fact of the matter is, Paul ends up his ministry, we have record, in the 28th chapter of Acts, when he is there in Rome, living in his hired house, and he has been discussing and teaching the Jews who would come to him about God's program and the kingdom of God. And then when he mentioned that God was going to do a work among the Gentiles, they walked out on it. They don't want to accept that and believe that. A lot like Jonah, they had their prejudice and they had their idea of what God would be doing and should be doing. Paul will say in this 28th chapter of Acts in verse 28, be it known therefore to you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will hear it. We had a good time, blessed time of the Holy Spirit that last weekend we were blessed to have eight different preachers here preaching on the topic of biblical evangelism. All eight of those men, understand the truth of God of his sovereignty and about the subject of God's election. This past week, I stopped into a store business place in Aberdeen, where I live, and began talking there with one of the employees there who was operating the business. And we began to talk some about religious subjects. I always tried to bring the subject around, if I can at all, talk to people about Jesus Christ. So this was a musical store, and so we got talking something about music. And of course, I invited the young man to come and visit our church here in Mayhew. And I said, you know, we don't use musical instruments. Oh, I know all about you Primitive Baptists. I said, is that right? Oh, yes. He said, I've been among the Pentecostals. I've met among the Church of Christ. I've been among the Methodists and the Baptists. And he said, I have a relative who is among the primitive Baptists. And I know all about you primitive Baptists. He said, I got a question I want to ask you. I said, of course. He said, why do you believe in election? Well, I said, that's a good question, a question I'd love to answer. I said, because it's in the Bible. I said, fact of the matter, it's in the Bible several different times. And I quoted a few verses of scripture to him that supported that it was in the Bible. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verse 13, for instance. Ephesians chapter 1, verses 4 and 5, shows in him before the foundation of the world. He said, well, what do you believe about, what about John 3, 16? I said, I believe what John 3, 16 says. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." I said, do you believe that? Yes, I believe that. I said, well, let me ask you, do you believe it like the Bible is teaching it? I said, in the 17th chapter of John, I read, Jesus Christ spoke and said, I pray not for the world. Now, which world are you talking about? He looked at me. He could not give me an answer. I said, well, I'll tell you how. Both worlds speak about the same thing. There is a world among gods throughout the universe that is the world of God's elect. They are neither Jew nor Gentile. It is those that Jesus Christ came to die for. Reason John 3, 16 uses the word world so that they would understand, the Jews would understand, that God's salvation was not just for the Jews. John 17, he is praying concerning his people, and he is praying to the Father. He says, Thine they were, talking about the elect of God, and they were given to the Son, and the Lord says, I pray not for the world, but that thou should keep them from the wicked one. That's the world of unbelievers. I said, the world of God that Christ died for is the world of God's elect. I said, back when I'm going to be speaking about that subject Sunday morning, invite you to come to church. Oh, no, I don't want to come there. I said, well, it doesn't change the truth any. Here in this ninth chapter of Romans, Paul is dealing with the great subject of the sovereignty of God. And this is the subject that we're going to be looking at, of course, as we deal with chapters 9, 10, and 11. The sovereignty of God. Now, to this congregation here, you don't need much teaching on the subject of God's sovereignty, because as long as I've been your pastor, and that goes pretty far back, we have all been in agreement, and that's what's been taught here at this church, we believe in God's absolute sovereignty. God is the supreme ruler of the universe, and he'll work up all things after the counsel of his own will. Some people have the idea that this universe came into existence by some kind of explosion, or it just happened to be, and that God just kind of, you know, looked at it from a distance and said, well, let's see how things turn out. And that's the way it's going on. Well, I'll tell you, this whole universe is in the control of God, the absolute ruler of the universe. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. This universe is the object of God's divine, sovereign will concerning His existence. Now, I could get lost myself talking to you about the universe, because it is a subject that is far beyond more vast than I can explain to you. I know that last time I read a book about the universe, it said there was nine planets in it. Well, it might be 10 or 11 now because they keep finding out some more about this universe. The bigger these telescopes get, the more they find out that this universe is more vast than what man ever thought it was going to be. God is the ruler over all things. Brother David quoted from Daniel chapter four, Nebuchadnezzar learned the lesson. He doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven among the heavens and earth and none can stay his hand. So we're going to be speaking about the subject of God's absolute sovereignty and we're going to look at it from two different aspects and we're going to see if we really believe in God's sovereignty. First aspect will look at the subject of God's divine sovereign election and the second aspect It's a subject that people don't like to talk about, think about, and it's the subject of reprobation. And we'll talk more about that. Now, beginning chapter 9 and verse 1. I speak the truth in Christ. We spoke about these verses Wednesday night from our Bible study. Paul is talking about a previous condition or an attitude concerning his own people, Israel. Now, Paul had a great love for the nation of Israel. He knew the history of Israel. He was a Pharisee. He was a man who had been schooled in the history of Israel, and he had great ambition for the future of Israel. He hoped that Israel, indeed, like all Jew, would obtain their freedom from the grip of the Roman Empire, and that they would be free to worship their religion in the way that the Word of God taught in the Book of Moses. And when Christianity came on the scene, when Christ would begin to preach and teach, Paul, no doubt, was part of a crowd that was opposed to Christianity. He may have been among the crowd that when Christ, when Pilate stood before Pilate and said, which one would you happen to release unto you, Barabbas or Jesus? He may have been one of those that was hollering, Barabbas, Barabbas. We have every reason to believe that he was part of the Sanhedrin, and it was before the Sanhedrin that Jesus Christ was led from the Garden of Gethsemane. It was also the Sanhedrin that put Stephen to death. Paul was there, and the clothes that the men had on, the coat that they had on, when they were stoning Stephen, they laid them at Paul's feet. Paul was not always friendly. and cordial towards Christianity. In fact, he was leading many people and putting Christians in prison. But it's because of his previous attitude concerning Israel, his kinsmen. So he said, I lie not. My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, for I have a great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. who became a believer and became a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and who became a great advocate of God's free and sovereign grace, has still a burden for his people, his kinsmen. He says in verse three, for I could have, and verse three should be read in the past tense, because this was Paul in the Greek, that's the way it's written, the past tense. I did. wish that I myself were a curse from Christ for my brethren." Now the word Christ would throw you a curve a little bit unless you understand that it means the Messiah. And so let me just read it that way. For I could, I did wish that I myself were a curse from the Messiah for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh. Paul, Saul of Tarsus, saw the worldliness and the sinfulness among his own nation. And so he was anxious that they would be recovered to biblical, what he considered biblical Old Testament religion. And that was his burden. But God worked in his heart and converted him and showed him the truth. So you become to verse four, and he is talking about what Israel was. Who are the Israelites? Now, some people have the idea that Israel is, as a nation, are a people that God has chosen unto salvation. Now, Israel was a nation that God chose to be an object lesson of His grace and of His power. and make known to the other nations around about who he was. In the sixth chapter of Deuteronomy, you'll turn there with me, please. I'll read a verse about God's attitude towards Israel. Deuteronomy chapter six. Verse four, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, with all thy might. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontless between thine eyes. thou shalt write them upon the post of thy house, and upon thy gate. And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land, which thou swarest unto the fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildest, and houses full of good things, which thou fillest not, and wells digged, which thou diggest not, vineyards, and olive trees, which thou plantest not, when thou shalt eaten and be full, then beware, lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name, and thou shalt not go after other gods. of the gods of the people which are around about you. For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you, lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. Now God made Israel to be an example to the nations around about him, that he was to be the God of worship and the object of man's worship. And he chose them, a small nation, He said, I chose you not because you were great, but I chose you because you were small, beginning with Abraham, Jacob, 12 sons of Jacob. And I used you as an object lesson to the other nations around about of my great power and who I am and how I'm to be worshipped. And God gave to them a mode of worship that was to be the pattern for how people in all ages are to worship God. Now, I'm not going to get into much discussion about the tabernacle and the temple, but they are patterns, and there are a lot of lessons to be learned in them, how we are to worship God today. But Israel was that primary pattern wherein that God was to teach the other nations around about. But not all Israelites were followers of the Lord God Jehovah. And so Paul is talking about this in verse 4 of the 9th chapter. Who are the Israelites? And to whom pertaineth the adoption, the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises? And whose are the fathers, of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, and God blessed forever? not as though the Word of God have not taken effect. Now, you know the history of Israel, that God sent prophets, Moses being one of them, Daniel being one of them, Isaiah being one of them, Ezekiel being another one, many prophets, telling them of God's Word, preaching to them the word of the Lord. And yet, as a nation, they did not remain faithful to the Lord God. That's the reason why you read about the Babylonian captivity for 70 years. And God, you'll read in the book of Jeremiah and the book of Ezekiel, Book of Daniel, which was written while they were in Babylonian captivity, that God allowed the Babylonians to come in and to conquer the great city of Jerusalem, which had been raised up by David and Solomon as a great example of God's grace and blessing. And then the Babylonians were allowed by God, the fact of the matter, God raised them up to bring judgment against Israel. now and paul says as if it's not as though the word of god had no effect upon or here it is or they are not all israel which are the israel can you imagine the anger that would have stirred up in the heart of any jew when he would read that paul is writing to jewish believers in it in And they are under the thumb and the rule of a Gentile nation, the Romans. And Israel has to learn that they are no longer the favorite nation of God. And they are not going to be the object of his blessings just because they are Israel. Because God says, I have a remnant among the nations. Not as though the word of God have not taken effect for they're not all Israel which are of Israel now back from the second chapter of Romans Paul has somewhat hinted at this very subject in the second chapter of Romans and verses 8 and verses 28 and 29 Romans 28, I'm sorry, Romans chapter 2. Let me start reading at verse 27. Shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee? Who by the letter and circumcision does not, does transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. Now this was a strict rule among the Jews, that every Jewish male must be circumcised at the eighth day. And if you did not do that, you were cut off from the nation of Israel. Now look at what Paul says in verse 29. For he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, and in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. Now, that's earth-shaking to a Jew who had been schooled, reared, taught for hundreds of years, that by circumcision they identified with the Lord God Jehovah. And here Paul is saying, writing by the Holy Spirit of God, that you're not a Jew just because you've been circumcised, but a true Jew is one who has been circumcised in the heart. Now those who believe in what we refer to as being pedo-baptism, which is the baptism of children, which they teach that because the parents are elect people, then therefore the children are evidently elect people. And so they sprinkle their children and call it baptism because they're children of elect parents. they need to read John chapter 1 and verse 12. John chapter 1 and verse 12 will tell you something that the pedo-baptist people need to be reminded about. John, writing again by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says that Christ, he came to his own, verse 11, and his own received him not. The nation of Israel The kinsmen of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, they received him not. Verse 12, but as many as did receive him, and that word, of course, as I've said to you before, is in the past tense, which means that they were worked upon, moved upon by the Holy Spirit of God. To them gave he the authority, power, to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Well, That makes it all we have to do is get someone to make a confession of faith in Christ. If you just believe, you're a child of God. But look at what John says in the next verse. John chapter 1 and verse 12. Which were born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man. Those who believe that salvation is a matter of exercising your free will, they need to go back and read John 1.13. which were born not of blood, not of genealogy, nor the will of the flesh, not of persuasion, nor the will of man, not of your individual decision, but of the will of God. Now the word will, I added, but it's understood. But of God. It's a sovereign work of God. Now back to Romans chapter 9. Neither, verse 7, neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Paul is showing them the work of the Holy Spirit, and Israel knew this to be a fact, that there was a lineage that came down from Abraham, and not all the sons of Abraham were included in this promise. Paul would tell you in Galatians that the promise was made to one seed, and that seed is Christ. Verse 8, Paul was demonstrating the truth that we just set forth. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. Now again, those who believe in genius, Christianity by genealogy, they need to read that verse. Those who believe just because their parents are Christians, that the children then are Christians, they need to read that verse of scripture. These, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. But, the children of the promise are counted for the seed. That promise is to be had in Christ Jesus. Verse 9. For this is the word of promise, at this time will I come and serve as I have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by her father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to the election might stand not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said to her, The elder shall serve the younger. For as it's written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. Now this turns the world of human philosophy and of human religion completely upside down. And it turned upside down the concept of Judaism concerning the promises. It was customary in the nation of Israel that the firstborn was to be the heir of the priesthood, and he was to receive the honor of receiving a double portion in the inheritance, and he was to be the favored one in the tribe, the firstborn. But here was a case where God demonstrates that it is a sovereign matter of God. His favor and his electing was not because of a natural genealogy, but he says, here are two twins, Esau and Jacob. fathered by the same man, conceived by the same woman, while they were yet unborn, yet in the womb of their mother. It was said to her, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated, and the elder shall serve the younger." Right the reverse. Here God shows and demonstrates that the matter of salvation, the matter of election, the matter of God's favor is not based upon foreseen goodness nor works, but solely upon his sovereign choice. Jacob have I loved. Well, when you read in the Old Testament, experience the life of Esau and Jacob. You say, Jacob, I don't see why he obtained favor from God. Because Jacob was really, that's what the word means, the name, it means a trickster. He was one to play tricks on people. He was one who you would not choose to be a great person. But God works sovereignly in his life. and changed his name from Jacob the trickster to Isaac. Israel, I'm sorry, Israel, the promise, the favor. What God is setting forth here is his supreme sovereignty in the matter of electing. And so he says in verse 11, for the children being not yet born, neither having done good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand not of works, but of him that called. So the first consideration of the matter of the absolute sovereignty of God is in the matter of salvation, election. Now, election, as I said, it is in the Bible many, many times. The word elect appears 16 times in the New Testament. The word chosen, which is another word for election, the word chosen is 28 times. The word election is six times. Those words all speak of the same subject. For instance, when God, when Christ was about to leave his disciples in the 15th chapter of the Gospel of John, You'll find him telling them You did not choose me, but I chose you now Everyone has the idea that coming to Christ and being saved is a matter of us making a decision You give your heart and life to the Lord Well, we believe that that's one of the evidences that one has been born again by the Holy Spirit of God, that their life is transformed. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. We do believe that the evidence of having been born by the Holy Spirit is that a person's life is committed to following Christ. And that's what baptism is all about. It's about acknowledging and confessing. that I'm trusting in Him who died for me as my Savior and He's risen again for my justification. But why does one confess Christ? Why is it that anyone would come to Jesus Christ? The Lord said, no man can come unto Me, except the Father which hath sent Me draw him. Now there is a deficiency in the natural person that we neglect sometimes to talk about, and that's called depravity. We are by nature all depraved individuals, born sinners, living in sin, and as a consequence of our descendancy from Adam, we are all spiritually dead in trespasses and sin, and cannot come to God. I said to the young man that I made reference to earlier, I said, you need to understand that people cannot come to God, come to Christ by their own wills. He said, why would you say that? I said, well, because the Lord said that. You cannot come unto me. No man can come to me except the Father which has sent me draw him. Where is that in the Bible? I said, and I gave him the reference, John the sixth chapter in verse 44. Well, you see, many times, and I'm speaking from my own experience, because I know my attitude, when I first heard the subject of election being spoken about, I just said, that cannot be, that's not right. Well, I, that particular time, was a very naive person, very ignorant about the Bible. I was maybe 17 years of age, something about like that, and I didn't know a whole lot about the Bible. I knew a few things. I had been reared in a Christian home, gone to Sunday school all my life, and so I knew some things about the Bible. But doctrinally, I didn't know much. I'd gone to a Bible school with the idea that they're going to teach me the Bible. You know, just like you would learn math, they're going to teach me the Bible. And so I hadn't spent a whole lot of time in studying the book myself until I had to do that in study. And when the question, the subject of election came up, I wasn't prepared from knowledge of the Bible to make a good answer about it. I just said, that doesn't sound right. And a lot of objections that people have, they do that because of their ignorance, they've not read the Bible. Now there are a lot of preachers that don't believe the Bible too, a lot of Bible scholars that don't believe election also. So it's not just because of their ignorance, it's because of their blindness, but we'll talk more about that later on. But we have to start to understand who God is and who man is. You see, God is the supreme ruler of the universe. Let me give you some scriptures. Well, let me give you a definition first of all about what we mean by sovereignty. Sovereignty means to have supreme power or authority. It means to have complete control over a state or an individual and to govern one's affairs independently apart from any influence or condition. You just sovereignly make a choice, or you sovereignly decree something. Now, there have been things like that in days past. There have been kings in days past that exercised that sovereign authority. Of course, this modern day, we kind of shun away from that and don't like to have that kind of government and think, well, we don't have it here in America. But there are still parts of the world where Whatever the king says or whatever the ruler says, that's what's done. They are sovereign individuals. Of course, they don't realize that they're under the will of God and they are accountable to God for everything that they decree, but God's sovereignty is totally independent of any other influence, nor is He in any way, any condition implied. He is absolutely, independently sovereign. He worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. That's what you read in Ephesians chapter one and verse 11. Now the Lord says something that tells us that also Matthew the 20th chapter, you turn there if your Bibles if you'd like to, the 20th chapter of Matthew, and you're reading the word of Jesus Christ himself. And here's what he said. Matthew chapter 20 and verse 25. Is it not lawful for me? I'm sorry, verse 25, verse 15. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Let me ask you a question. If you have something that is totally yours, you don't owe anything for it, you brought it into existence maybe, is it not, don't you have complete right to do with it whatever you want to do? If you take a little piece of wood and you make a toy out of it, and after a while you get tired of playing with that piece of wood and you decide to throw it in the fire, oh, why would you do that? Well, it's mine, I made it, I can do with it what I want to. Or if you take some clay and you mold it into a plate or a bowl or something or other and you don't like the way that it looks, don't you have right to discard it and throw it away? Well, my friend, that's the exact kind of sovereignty that God has, and he exercises it. And so he says, verse 15, and this is in your Bible, it's probably red-lettered, And so this is the Lord himself speaking. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? If I have created it, if I brought it into existence, I have every right to exercise my authority and my will over it. And he does. Brother David was talking about Jonah. The lesson that Jonah had to learn is found in the second chapter of the book of Jonah while he was at the bottom of the ocean in the whale's belly. And the thing that he learned was that salvation is of the Lord. It's by God's sovereign will, and it's his sovereign will to display and show salvation to whomever he will. And that's the story about the gourd. God gave the gourd. and it gave shade to Jonah, he rejoiced in it, and then when God sent a worm to destroy it, and Jonah got upset about it, God said, don't I have right to do that? I brought it into existence, I can destroy it. You see, the reason why people object so much to the doctrine of election is because they want to think that they are independent to be and do whatever they want to without any accountability to God. That's the reason why evolution has been taught in our schools, and that's the reason why evolution is so popular among our people, the world, because it gives a false sense of freedom to do whatever I want to be. You can be whatever you want to be. Well, I hate to tell you this, but you are the object of God's creation, and he made you for a divine reason and for a purpose. That's the reason why we're opposed to abortion. We believe that every child, every baby that's ever brought into existence is brought into existence for the divine purpose to do what God has ordained for them to do, to accomplish, and that that child is a life given, got its life from God. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 10, Paul speaking about God's people, said, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. So that's telling us something about our origin and our accountability and responsibility to God. And so I asked the question a while ago, why is it that anyone would believe and come to Jesus Christ? Well, the 13th chapter of Acts And verse 48 says this, and this was the verse that God used to convert me in my opposition to the doctrine of election. I said it's not fair, it's not right. And then I came to understand who God was, and God began to teach me from the Bible what man was. And then I saw the resistance that people have towards Jesus Christ. We are all by nature. There's none that come to understand it. There's none that seek us after the Lord. That's our nature. But why would anyone come to Christ? Acts the 13th chapter and verse 48 will tell you. You'll read, when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. The reason why anyone and everyone come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The reason why anyone and everyone comes to a genuine faith in Jesus Christ is because God has ordained them, chosen them in Christ before the foundation of the world. Now, they did not know that at that moment, but as they began to read the Word of God, and as they began to study the Word of God, they came to understand, hopefully, that God loved them before time ever began. John says we love him because he first loved us. It is not a matter of our nature whereby that we came to Christ, but we came to Christ because God first loved us, having chosen us in Christ before the world ever began, that we should be heirs of eternal salvation. Now, let me just read some scriptures that talked about God's sovereignty. I like this verse in the 29th chapter of First Chronicles. First Chronicles, this is a statement by David, verse 11. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, Thou art exalted as head above all. Now this is the great King David, the latter years of his life, just before he passes away. And he is acknowledging that his kingdom is the results of his kingdom belongs unto God and that God is the supreme ruler over the universe and that God is to be exalted above all because he is over all. Well, there are many other verses of scripture. We quoted Daniel chapter 4 verse 35. In Proverbs the 19th chapter in verse 21 says this, there are many devices in a man's heart, nevertheless the counsel of the Lord that shall stand. Let me just go back and just analyze this verse of scripture for a moment. Proverbs chapter 19 and verse 21. There are many devices in a man's heart. The heart, the word of God tells you, is deceitful and desperately wicked. The heart deceives us. But the idea here is that a man has many choices that he can make. many purposes that he can purpose to do. What are you going to be in life? We're oftentimes asking young people. Well, some of them say I'd like to be a doctor, and some of them, very few of them ever say, Lord, to be a preacher. But I'd like to be a lawyer. I want to be a lawyer. And that was one of my ambitions in life. But we're all the time telling our young people, and it's a good idea to have a goal and profession that you'd like to follow after. There are many devices in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Proverbs 19 and verse 21. Now, look at Isaiah, the 14th chapter. Isaiah, the 14th chapter and verse 24. The Lord of hosts have sworn, saying, surely as I've thought it, so shall it come to pass. And as I have purposed, so shall it stand. People talk about God trying to do things, God wanting to do things. Now let me just read that verse again to us. Isaiah, the 14th chapter and verse 24. The Lord of hosts have sworn. When did he swear? Well, that refers to what took place in the eternal council of God before time ever began. He coveted, he purposed, he willed things to happen in time. Time is simply the unfolding of what God purposed before time ever began. And so, the writer says, The Lord of Hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought it, so shall it come to pass. As I have purposed, So shall it stand. The 26th verse of that 14th chapter says this. This is the purpose that is purpose upon the whole earth. And this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations. God has a purpose for all the nations of the world. He has a purpose for every individual in life. Whatever that purpose is, that purpose will be accomplished in their life. 14th chapter of Isaiah, again, let me read verse 27. I've read 24, 26, now verse 27. For the Lord of God has purpose, and who shall disacknowledge? His hand is stretched out. boost or turn it back. Romans 13 chapter Paul says this, talking about political powers, the powers that be are ordained of God. Whether you like the present president or not, whether you like the past president or not, I want to tell you that Both men came into the position of being President of the United States by the will of God, the sovereign will of God. Whatever that purpose was, God accomplished it during their reign. God rules over the affairs of mankind, whether we're talking about local government or we're talking about national government. whether we're talking about international government or we're talking about just our county government. God is concerned, not merely concerned, but God is sovereign over those governments and rules over those governments to accomplish his will. Let's just go to the second chapter of Luke for a moment, please. And then we'll look at another verse of scripture. Luke, the second chapter. We're talking about the birth of Jesus Christ. First one of Luke chapter two. It came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Augustus Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. all that went to be taxed, everyone to his own city. Now, we're told that something happened by a world ruler, Augustus, Caesar Augustus, over the Roman, he was ruler over the Roman Empire, and that he decreed that all in the Roman Empire, that's the word world there, that time, Roman Empire ruled over the whole world for the most part, that all Rome should be taxed. But this taxing began back under when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, previous even to that. Now the end result of that, of this decree to be taxed, you'll read in the second chapter of Luke, was that Joseph, who was married to Mary, who was heavy with child by the Holy Spirit, Joseph had to go back to Bethlehem where he had to pay his tax and register his loyalty to the Roman Empire. That's what's involved. Mary, who was heavy with child, does travel with him. Now, in the book of Micah, it tells us that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. The decree that was made by Caesar Augustus and the taxing was by their own volition, by their own will, and their own determination. And they didn't care one thing about Messiah, but it was done by the will of God that God, that Christ, would be born in Bethlehem. Now, let's go to Acts chapter 4. Acts the fourth chapter. I would like to start reading at verse 23, but to save time, I'll just tell you the background. Peter and John have been put in prison and been threatened to not preach anymore. And, uh, they go back to the church and tell them what's happened. Verse 23, being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God and with one accord and said, Lord, thou art God, which hath made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is. They acknowledged the sovereign, omnipotent power of God. In verse 28, They've been praying about what's happened with Christ the Messiah. Here's a lesson, verse 28. What all's happened for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel, there it is, thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. What do they pray for? And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant to thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. By stretching forth thine hand to heal, and thy signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken, for they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. They understood God's absolute sovereignty and that what had happened in their own personal persecution and what had happened to Christ in His crucifixion, all was happening by the will of God and it was happening according to His predetermined will and counsel. Now then, they don't pray that God would stop the persecution. What they pray is that God would give them boldness to be faithful to preach in the face of the persecution. But they based it upon this. They understood that God was in absolute control of all events that was going on in their lives. The sovereignty of God is a great comfort and a great strength to God's people in their troubles and in their trials. Take away the sovereignty of God. Take away the absolute omnipotent power of God to accomplish his will. Why would we pray? Why would we pray? If we don't believe that God is capable of doing what he's pleased to do. Well, someone says we pray because we want God to do so, and then we convince God to do it. That's not the way the Lord taught us to pray. You recall the Lord teaching us to pray, said, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy will be done. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We are praying in submission to the will of God that he would work according to what he had already determined to do. And that's how God tells us to pray, if it's the Lord's will to do such and such. Prayer doesn't change God's mind. It changes us and brings us into conformity and submission to the will of God. When you understand that whatever God does, is good for his people. That's the reason why Romans 8 28 is so important. Those who deny what the murder, what the word of God is teaching in Romans 8 28 is denying God's people a great source of comfort and peace for the troubled world that we live in. We know, we know by divine revelation and by direct in teaching of the Holy Spirit to our hearts, we know that all things work together, they are synchronized, controlled by God Almighty for the good of His people, for good for them that love God, who are they called according to His purpose. God's absolute sovereignty is the basis of our salvation. For by grace are you saved. through faith, and that is not of yourselves. It is a gift of God, not of works, that any should boast. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13, Paul says this, we're bound to give thanks always unto God for you, beloved, because God had from the beginning chosen you unto salvation through the sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. See, from before time ever began. God's sovereignty made a choice that we, as his elect people, would be brought to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Now, I could go on and talk many more hours, or not maybe an hour, but I could talk a lot longer about this matter of God's sovereignty and God's election. And Lord's willing, we'll talk more about it next week. And then we'll ask the question, do we really believe in God's supreme, absolute sovereignty? We'll see. as we look at our lesson from the ninth chapter of Romans. Is God absolutely sovereign in all that he does? Sometimes it's hard to submit to because it's not what we want. I remember many years ago when Richard Nixon was running against John F. Kennedy. I was greatly impressed with Richard Nixon, and I wanted him to win the election. We went to bed that night. We were told that the vote was very close, but yet the vote in Chicago had not come in yet. I won't make any comment about that right now. We got up the next morning. We found out that John F. Kennedy hadn't got enough votes from Chicago, and he'd won the election. I was so disappointed. And then I had to temper my disappointment by acknowledging that God had sovereignly displayed his hand. For whatever reason it was, it was God's will that Nixon would win, that Kennedy would win the election. There are many, many times things in our lives, friends, that we want things to go a certain way. We want some people to live, some people to be favored, or some people to win an election. But the question is, Do we understand and believe that God is in control and whatever he does is for his glory and for the good of his people? That's what Paul was going to be teaching to us and showing us as we continue on with the Book of Romans. Let's pray. Our Father, we come to you here this morning hour. How we thank you that we have a great God, one who works all things according to his eternal will and counsel, who works for the good of his people, to bring out our salvation, our glorification, our eternal time with you forever and ever. May you be pleased, Lord, to encourage us, help us to be ever faithful to your word. We pray, Father, that you would give understanding to those who do not understand this great doctrine, that the Holy Spirit of God would reveal it to them. In Jesus' name, I pray and ask it. Amen. Amen. If you take your Gatsby, please. Turn to number.