The Sovereignty of God
Sept. 1, 2010
Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction
A Young girl in Springfield
1 Entire city, region is in prayer
a Billboards, yard signs, prayer meetings
b With all the attention...what if she doesn’t get any better?
2 We’ve travailed in prayer for people.
a Seen folks get upset, yell Scripture, proclaim His promises
aa But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well -being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 (NASB)
bb If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:14 (NASB)
b Sometimes at church, at home, in a hospital, at the site of an accident.
3 There is nothing wrong with intercession, weeping, moaning, impassioned prayer, anointing oil, Lord’s Supper, praying Scripture, proclaiming His promises, asking for God to heal, deliver, set free, fasting to get God to move.
B O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Psalms 95:1 (NASB) He is the Rock of our salvation & sometimes He, the Rock, will not (cannot) be moved.
1 24-hour prayer vigils, prayer chains, prayer emails, text messages, prayer lists, prayer requests, fasting, & still He is God, & sometimes God cannot be moved.
2 Stand with a mom & dad who bury a child who died from an overdose
a Counsel a woman whose husband’s infidelity destroyed her life (money, dignity, pride, security, self esteem).
b Pray with a man who’s begging God, “Don’t take my leg.”
aa Don’t take my sight, hearing, mind, job, kidneys, husband, wife, mom, dad, kids...
bb When their prayer goes unanswered, you wonder “why?”
3 Where is the healing? Victory? Deliverance? Breakthrough?
a God is God, & sometimes God cannot be moved.
b We’ve mistaken our frustration & grief for resolve to approach the Throne & enter His courts, & have made demands out of grief, not out of faith.
I God asks us a few questions of His own.
A Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said...Job 38:1 (NASB)
Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me!Job 38:3 (NASB)
Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5 Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it?6 "On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone,7 When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:4-7 (NASB)
Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, and caused the dawn to know its place...Job 38:12 (NASB)
Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?18 Have you understood the expanse of the earth? Tell Me, if you know all this. Job 38:17-18 (NASB)
1 Where were you when I: hung the stars, created the heavens & earth, placed mountains & planted the valleys?
a Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being . Gen 2:7 (NASB)
aa Where were you when I scooped out a handful of sandy clay from earth’s shores and breathed My Spirit into him?
bb We find a whole new reason to repent.
b Just as it is written, "Jacob I loved , but Esau I hated." Romans 9:13 (NASB)
On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it? Romans 9:20 (NASB)
aa You are God, & sometimes You will not be moved.
bb You are sovereign!
2 To co-labor with God, you enter into His labor; He does not enter yours.
a When you pray, pray according to His will/intentions.
aa ...because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so...Romans 8:7 (NASB)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. Prov 3:5 (NASB)
bb We can’t even begin to understand why God does what He does, but He is God, & sometimes God will not be moved.
b Secret to getting your prayers answered: pray the prayers He wants prayed.
aa If you want a miracle, do what He is doing. Don’t know what He’s doing?
bb Get in your prayer closet, close the door.
cc If you don’t have direction, don’t go.
dd If you don’t have anything to say, stay silent until He gives you words to speak.
B I’ve spent too much time trying to move a Rock that won’t move when I should have been breaking myself on it.
1 But because I thought I knew better than Him, frustration, bitterness, disappointment built a wall between He & I.
a I’m still a child of the King, covenant, under the blood...
b He didn’t move-confused, stumbled, disappointment
2 My opinions matter not
a His will is the only one that counts.
b If He gives you a choice, He’ll even tell you which choice to make.
c Your confession is that of Christ’s Himself. Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. John 5:19 (NASB) “I only do what I see My Father doing in heaven”...nothing else.
II Conclusion
A Sometimes, we let our emotions, feelings, strong passion replace a genuine leading of God.
1 A way to avoid this trap is to stay small, bare, still, so you can discern between Son & Spirit. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Heb 4:12 (NASB)
2 We don’t always understand His purposes (sometimes we do).
a Do we really want a God who we can bend His will, twist His arm to give us what we want, instead of what’s best for us?
b Thank God, that in spite of our yelling, ranting, raving, pleading over misunderstood promises, selfishly applied Scriptures, He still won’t budge/move.
c Thank God we can’t back Him into a corner & have Him be our waiter who responds quickly every time we have a whim or petty desire.
B He is God. He is a rock, and sometimes He doesn’t move.
1 In humility, would you smash you plans & desires, will, against the Rock?
2 Pray, “I submit my will to Yours. You do not owe me an explanation, I owe You repentance. You do not have to explain anything. By Your grace, I joyfully embrace Your will.
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
