Text: Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 | Listen to Message
God asks the father of the Jewish people, Abraham, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Is there any power or force in the Universe that can prevent him from doing as he pleases? Is anything impossible for him? The simple answer is no.
Sovereign: As the Creator and Lord of all things, God possesses the freedom, power, and authority to do whatever he wills.
Key Verses: Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:11-12; 2 Chronicles 20:6; Psalm 135:5-6; Isaiah 46:9-10; Daniel 4:34-35; Acts 4:24-28
As author/designer/artist/inventor/creator of the Universe, God has sovereign rights over everything else that exists. Apart from him, there would be nothing. So the something that is there belongs solely to God and he can do with it – with us – whatever he pleases.
God is all-powerful – omnipotent. That means nothing is hard for God. Creating everything out of nothing or raising a dead person is just as easy as adding 1 + 1.
Both the massive and the miniscule belong to God and under his control. As R.C. Sproul famously said, “There is no maverick molecule if God is sovereign.” He’s sovereign over nature (Psalm 135:5-6), history (Acts 4:28), salvation (Ephesians 1:3-11), everyday life (James 4:13-15), seemingly worthless things (Matthew 10:29), seemingly random/chance things (Proverbs 16:33), painful things (Isaiah 45:7), and even death (Deuteronomy 32:39).
Does this cause you to throw up your hands in despair? Does it frustrate you that God already knows and ultimately controls everything that happens? It shouldn’t – not if you understand anything about God’s other attributes that shape and define his sovereignty. And not if you see the great end toward which God’s sovereignty leads all of history to glorify Jesus Christ and to bring us life through his name.
So how should you respond to a sovereign God?
1. Give him everything he’s worthy of.
If God is the eternal, sovereign Creator of the ends of the earth, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the possessor of all freedom, power, and authority to do as he pleases, this isn’t someone you bring in as a consultant on your plans. But isn’t this how so many people treat God – as if he’s support staff, summoned to make your dreams come true? God is worthy of so much more. He worthy of our worship and praise, our faith and trust, our love, our attention, our assets and resources; he’s worthy of every facet of our lives.
2. Let your frustrations and accusations melt into hope.
When we don’t like what God is doing/allowing in our lives, we tend to put him on trial and demand that he explain himself. We question and critique what he’s doing with his sovereignty. It’s an absurd observation when you think about it! Instead, we need to let God be God. And we need to patiently hope in his plan to work all things together for good. If he can orchestrate the salvation of sinners through the bloody execution of his own innocent Son, he can make the real-time trials and frustrations of your life lead to something beautiful, too.
3. Partner with him in his mission.
If you oppose God, you can’t win. If you join him in the renewal of all things, you can’t lose. Stop hijacking God’s mission. Stop making everything about you. Live for Jesus – and live to bring the hope of Jesus to others. Make his mission – the things he promised to do without fail – your life’s mission.
Sermon Notes & Application Questions