The Landmark of The Sovereignty Of God

 Temple Baptist Church - 2-25-2024

1 Chronicles 29:10-13

 

Introduction:  When mentioning the sovereignty of God, because of the Calvinistic Movement of our day, I always give an opening disclaimer.  We totally reject the damnable heresy of Calvinism, also called Reformed Theology.  Theology has never need reformation!  Theo – God  logy – knowledge or study of.

 

A.  God is ABSOLUTELY SOVEREIGN!!  He does what He desires, when He desires, where He desires.  He answers to nothing or no man.

 

1.  God stands alone, the pinnacle of all existence, self-existing (Jehovah God – LORD), all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient),  everywhere present (omnipresent), creator of all things, ruler of all things, sustainer of all things, He needs nothing, and He needs nobody!

 

2.  God is Absolutely Sovereign:   completely, entirely, totally, utterly sovereign!  HE TRULY STANDS ALONE! 

 

3.  God has no comparison. God has no competition. 

 

B.  The word “sovereignty” or “sovereign” is not found in your Bible, but neither are the words “trinity” or “rapture” found there either.  Since the word “sovereignty” is not a bible word, let us look at its definition for clarification:

 

Sovereignty – Free from all external control; reigning or royal authority; the dominion of a monarch, the complete authority to govern a state; exclusive in right to control one’s thoughts and actions; autonomous; greatest in status, authority, and power; supreme; exceptional in quality.

 

C.  The doctrine of the “Sovereignty of God” is one of both the least understood and the most misunderstood.  Many believe that things happen by chance instead of through divine providence.  I do not believe in luck.  I believe in the providence of an all-knowing, thrice holy God!

 

D.  Sovereignty is a doctrine that we have allowed the Calvinists to “hold hostage.”  Every time I use the word, I feel that we must give a disclaimer concerning Calvinism. 

 

E.  By the sovereignty of God, it is to be understood that—as Creator of all things both visible and invisible—God is both owner or and ruler over all things. There are many verses in the Bible that show God’s absolute sovereignty and I have listed some for you if you receive or want to receive this sermon in print.

 

Deuteronomy 32:39  See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

 

1 Chronicles 29:11  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, and thou art exalted as head above all.

 

Psalms 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

 

Isaiah 45:9  Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

 

Ezekiel 18:4  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

 

Daniel 4:35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

 

Matthew 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

 

Matthew 20:15  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

 

Romans 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

 

Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

 

Revelation 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

 

F.  Because God is sovereign:

 

1.  He Requires No Counsel - Romans 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

 

2.  He Seeks No Advice - 1 Corinthians 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

3.  He Lacks No Wisdom - James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 

4.  He Asks No Permission – Job 33:13  Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

 

5.  He Answers To No Man - Romans 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

 

G.  In our text, 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, for this morning, we have another Full Mention Principle of Bible Interpretation.  If there had been no other of the afore mentioned verses in the Bible, THESE VERSES SAY IT ALL.

 

1.  Verses 10.  God is Sovereign in His Person.  “Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.”

 

1 Timothy 6:15-16  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;  (16)  Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

 

There was none before Him, there will be none after Him, and there is none like Him! You cannot do anything about Him.  You cannot change Him.  You cannot circumvent Him.  You cannot ignore Him.  And you had better not die without Him!

 

2.  Verse 11.  God is Sovereign in His Power.  “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty”

 

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 

3.  Verse 11.  God is Sovereign in His Possession.  “for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine;”

 

Colossians 1:15-16  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  (16)  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

 

4.  Verse 11.  God is Sovereign in His Position.  “thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all”

 

1 Timothy 1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

5.  Verse 12.  God is Sovereign in His Performance.  “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”  

 

Psalms 75:6-7  For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.  (7)  But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

 

6.  Verse 13.  God is Sovereign in His Praise.  “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”

 

Revelation 4:9-11  And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,  (10)  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,  (11)  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The Sovereignty Of God

 Temple Baptist Church - 1-31-2021

1 Chronicles 29:10-13

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  God is absolutely Sovereign.  The words “absolutely” and “sovereign” are synonyms instead of our usual oxymorons that I use that are antonyms.  My word processor tried to remove absolutely but I did not allow.  God is ABSOLUTELY SOVEREIGN!!  He does what He desires to do anytime He desires to do it!

 

B.  The word “sovereignty” or “sovereign” is not found in your Bible but neither are the words “trinity” or “rapture” found there either.  Since the word “sovereignty” is not a bible word, let us look at its definition for clarification:

 

Sovereignty – Free from all external control; reigning or royal authority; the dominion of a monarch, the complete authority to govern a state; exclusive in right to control one’s thoughts and actions; autonomous; greatest in status, authority, and power; supreme; exceptional in quality.

 

C.  The doctrine of the “Sovereignty of God” is one of both the least understood and the most misunderstood.  Many believe that things happen per chance instead of through divine providence.  I do not believe in luck.  I believe in the providence of an all-knowing, thrice holy God!

 

D.  Sovereignty is a doctrine that we have allowed the Calvinists to “hold hostage.”  Every time we use the word, we feel that we must give a disclaimer concerning Calvinism. 

 

E.  By the sovereignty of God, it is to be understood that—as Creator of all things both visible and invisible—God is both owner or and ruler over all things. There are many verses in the Bible that show God’s absolute sovereignty and I have listed some for you if you receive or want to receive this sermon in print.

 

Deuteronomy 32:39  See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.

 

1 Chronicles 29:11  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, and thou art exalted as head above all.

 

Psalms 115:3  But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

 

Isaiah 45:9  Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?

 

Ezekiel 18:4  Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

 

Daniel 4:35  And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

 

Matthew 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

 

Matthew 20:15  Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

 

Romans 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

 

Colossians 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

 

Revelation 4:11  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

 

F.  Because God is sovereign:

 

1.  He Requires No Counsel - Romans 11:34  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

 

2.  He Seeks No Advice - 1 Corinthians 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

 

3.  He Lacks No Wisdom - James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

 

4.  He Asks No Permission – Job 33:13  Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

 

5.  He Answers To No Man - Romans 9:20  Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

 

G.  In our text for this morning, we have another Full Mention Principle of Bible Interpretation.  If there had been no other of the afore mentioned verses in the Bible, these verses have said it all.

 

1.  Verses 10.  God is Sovereign in His Person.  “Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.”

 

 

1 Timothy 6:15-16  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;  (16)  Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

 

There was none before Him, there will be none after Him, and there is none like Him! You cannot do anything about Him.  You cannot change Him.  You cannot circumvent Him.  You cannot ignore Him.  And you had better not die without Him!

 

2.  Verse 11.  God is Sovereign in His Power.  “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty”

 

Matthew 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 

3.  Verse 11.  God is Sovereign in His Possession.  “for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine;”

 

Colossians 1:15-16  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  (16)  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

 

4.  Verse 11.  God is Sovereign in His Position.  “thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all”

 

1 Timothy 1:17  Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

5.  Verse 12.  God is Sovereign in His Performance.  “Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.”  

 

Psalms 75:6-7  For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.  (7)  But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

 

6.  Verse 13.  God is Sovereign in His Praise.  “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”

 

Revelation 4:9-11  And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,  (10)  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,  (11)  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

The Blessing of Stewardship

Temple Baptist Church - 4-28-2019

1 Chronicles 29:1-9

Introduction:

A.  In our text this morning, we find Israel preparing to build Solomon’s Temple.  From the time of Israel’s departure from Egypt to King David’s day, God’s presence was found in the Tabernacle, a special tent where God met with man.

B.  David’s desire was to build God a house but was not allowed to do so because he was a man of war so David and Israel prepared by storing up the materials necessary to build the Temple in Solomon’s day.

1.  Verse 1.  The Work was Great.  “the work is great.”  It was to be the greatest building project the world had ever known: a house built for the glory and worship of God. 

2.  Verse 1.  The Temple was Great.  “the palace … for the Lord.” Heretofore, God’s presence had resided in and met with the people of God in a tent, the Tabernacle in the Wilderness.  Israel would now begin building Solomon’s Temple.

3.  Verse 2.  The Effort was Great.  “I have prepared with all my might.”  David prepared with all his might as there was so much to accomplish in such a short time.

4.  Verse 2.  The Cost was Great.  “gold … silver … brass … iron … wood … stones … marble … in abundance.”  Solomon’s Temple was the most expensive building in the world. 

5.  Verse 3.  The Affection was Great.  “I have set my affection to the house of my God.”  The people of Israel were thrilled by the prospect.

6.  Verse 3-5.  The Sacrifice was Great.  “I have of mine own proper good … over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house.” David and the people gave of their “proper good.”  Something put up or a peculiar treasure.

7.  Verses 5-8.  Their Willingness was Great.  “(5) who then is willing to consecrate … (6) offered willingly … (7) gave for the service of the house of God … (8) gave for the service of the house of God.”   They gave above and beyond expectation.  They did not give the minimum required by law, but gave freely of a willing heart.

8.  Verse 9.  Their Rejoicing was Great.  “rejoiced with great joy.” What a privilege and blessing it was to them to give to the work of the Lord.  Their sacrifice was a thing of rejoicing and joy, not sorrow and hardship.

C.  I just wanted to take a few minutes this morning to commend Temple Baptist Church for your willingness to give.  I do not spend a lot of time preaching on tithing and giving because most of you understand both the command to give and the blessing of giving. 

2 Corinthians 9:7  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

D.  This is the greatest giving church that I have ever been associated with!  I do not know who gives what but I do know what is given and stand amazed.

E.  The local church is the place of God’s choosing to edify the saints, teach the Word of God, prepare for the ministry, and carry the gospel to a lost and dying world.

1.  The Purpose of Giving.  It is two-fold.

a.  The Commission is great.  Matthew 28:19-20  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  (20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  (To go into all the world while remaining at home.  The only way to do that is to give to missions.)

b.  The Church is great.  Ephesians 5:25-27  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;  (26)  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

2.  The Proving of Giving. 

a.  Our Attitude towards God’s House - Malachi 3:10a-12  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house … 

b.  Our Attitude towards the souls of men - Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (To evangelize at home and abroad at the same time.)

c.  Our Attitude towards our finances - 2 Corinthians 8:1-5  Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;  (2)  How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.  (3)  For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;  (4)  Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.  (5)  And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.  (The local church is a non-profit organization by design.  God’s money is to be spent wisely.) 

3.  The Pleasure of Giving.

a.  Giving with cheerfulness.  2 Corinthians 9:7-11  Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  (8)  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:  (9)  (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.  (10)  Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)  (11)  Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

b.  Giving with confidence.  Malachi 3:10b-12 … and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  (11)  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.  (12)  And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

2 Corinthians 9:6  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Luke 6:38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.