The Lord Reigneth!

 Temple Baptist Church - 6-28-2026

Psalm 97

 

Introduction:

A.  We live in a time prophesied throughout the Bible, but there is much biblical ignorance among God’s people.  I fear that many in our day believe that everything is out of control.

 

1.  In nature.  Stronger storms, greater tragedies.  Romans 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

 

2.  Among the saved.  Greater confusion, greater apostasy among the saved, greater falling away, and a lack of spiritual concern.

 

2 Timothy 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

 

3.  Among the unsaved.  Greater wickedness, greater spiritual blindness and unconcern for eternal things, more atheism and agnosticism, more idolatry.

 

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,  (2)  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  (3)  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

 

4. Politically.  Greater turmoil in government, more wars and political unrest worldwide, greater hatred for the Nation of Israel and the United States.

 

Matthew 24:6-7  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  (7)  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

 

5. More questions seemingly unanswered.

 

B. Psalm 97 is a powerful declaration of God's sovereign rule over all the earth. In a world filled with uncertainty, injustice, and fear, this psalm reminds us that God is still on His throne. The central message is simple yet profound:

 

C. "The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice" (Psalm 97:1).

 

1. Rejoice Because God Reigns (Psalm 97:1-6)  "The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice..."

 

a. His Rule Is Universal.

 

God is not merely King of Israel; He is King over all creation. Nations rise and fall, but God's kingdom stands forever.

Nothing catches God by surprise.

 

b. His Rule Is Righteous.

 

"Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne" (v. 2).

God never makes a mistake.

His decisions are always just and holy.

 

c. His Presence Is Powerful.

 

Fire, lightning, and trembling mountains reveal His majesty.

These images remind us that God is not a weak or distant ruler.

He is all-powerful and worthy of reverence.

When circumstances seem out of control, remember that God is still in control.

 

2. Rejoice Because God Overrules. (Psalm 97:7-9)  "Confounded be all they that serve graven images..."

 

a. Idols Always Fail.

 

Ancient idols were made of wood and stone.

Modern idols may be money, pleasure, success, popularity, or self.

Anything that takes God's place in our hearts becomes an idol.

 

b. God Alone Is Exalted.

 

"For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth" (v. 9).

No person, possession, or power compares to Him.

Every knee will ultimately bow before Him.

Examine your heart. What receives your devotion, attention, and trust more than God?

 

3. Love the Lord and Hate Evil. (Psalm 97:10-11)  "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil..."

 

a. Genuine Love Produces Holy Living.

 

Loving God means embracing what He loves and rejecting what He hates. Christians are called to separate from sin.

 

b. God Preserves His Saints.

 

God protects and keeps His people.

Though believers face trials, they are secure in His hands.

 

c. Light Awaits the Righteous.

 

"Light is sown for the righteous."

Dark seasons do not last forever.

God has prepared joy and blessing for those who trust Him.

The evidence of true love for God is not merely words but a life that turns from evil.

 

4. Respond with Joyful Worship (Psalm 97:12)  "Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."

 

a. Rejoice in Who God Is.

 

Our joy is rooted in God's character, not our circumstances.

His holiness, power, and faithfulness never change.

 

b. Remember His Holiness.

 

Worship begins with seeing God as He truly is.

The more we understand His holiness, the more we appreciate His grace.

 

c. Give Thanks Continually.

 

Gratitude is the natural response to God's goodness.

Thankfulness strengthens faith and glorifies God.

A believer who understands God's reign cannot help but rejoice and give thanks.

 

Conclusion: No matter what is happening in our nation, churches, families, or personal lives, the message of Psalm 97 remains unchanged: "The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice."

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.