The Real God - The Sovereignty Of God, Part 2

If God is in control. Why is there so much pain and injustice mean if God knows everything, why doesn't he stop bad things from happening before people get hurt if those questions trouble you, the way they do. Me and you need solid answers around. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping chips are vital to this international discipleship program were studying several key attributes of God's character. Learning how he longs for us to see him series the real God this program to finishes his message on God's sovereignty established some important groundwork previous broadcast listed a great way to catch up later is with the Chip Ingram Alex Jordan for part two of his talk from Romans chapter 8, Jesus whole life demonstrates the sovereignty of God himself. And finally, unlike his very humble beginnings that he's meek and gentle.

He came in his first coming to be the Savior of the world and I think a lot of us may be from our childhoods have a picture of the little children coming to him and those great pictures of a woman caught in adultery being forgiven. In the end though the widow with the her son died touching the colonies rise from the dead and feeding the 5000. In speaking to the storm and in just his compassion and his love and that's God. But when you read the book of Revelation really really fast. No, I mean just read it really fast and quit worrying about what seals are doing what seals and you know what's blowing up and what's a figure and what's not and just ask yourself who is Jesus who was Jesus in the book of Revelation. He's the righteous judge who's coming to bring all things under his rule and power and anything that was unjust and unfair and wrong and every opportunity will be given the righteous judge is coming to judge his world because he's a king listen to the end of the book of Revelation. In Revelation chapter 19. Then I saw the heavens open to behold a white horse and the one sitting on it is called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His clothing as a robe dipped in blood in the name which is called is the word of God on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, king of kings and Lord of lords. That's his coming back.

That's the sovereign God now at the emotional level, at least where I live. The last reason I've given here of God revealing his sovereignty is through redeeming pain in our lives. He redeems pain in our lives. If you are a student of Scripture and you would read the book of Genesis, you would understand that every major doctrine. It's the book of beginnings, every major doctrine is in the book of beginnings, where did life come from creation. Why is there evil will fall. You have the first judgment in the flood, you have the promise after that you have that the choosing of a family, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph, of God's plan. God's lineage of his plan to fulfill this Messiah that was foretold that one day you know his his heel will be bruised but he will defeat the enemy and the God's plan.

It's all laid out in Genesis and you got 50 chapters.

If you are a person who lived a few thousand years ago or born a couple days ago. You don't have to live very long before the probing question and some of you ask. It is if God is really good.

How could the world be dismissed.

Genesis chapter 37 through 50. That's 13 of 50 chapters. It's over 25% of the book is on one man's life.

Joseph Joseph gets a dream from God. It's it's a promise that hangs onto it's good how God is speaking to people at the time.

He has a father whose does poor parenting shows partiality so his brothers hated him. His brothers hated him and they decide to go to killing their jealous of them.

The killing. They're tired of him and he probably didn't handle the revelation from God very well. He's a bit arrogant and that's can get taken care of, so they decide to kill them so they stick him in a pit mother waiting to killing and it just so happens, or God sovereignly brings a caravan from Egypt and they say why kill them in the one brothers trying to get them out anyway so they sell them and so it's unjust. It's unfair. Joseph is just a son. He's the youngest and he's burst his brothers reject the mounting events are a major rejection okay what what's it feel like if all your brothers and you know our rejections are like, you know, emotional. This is likely want to killing and and then and then they sell them so they selling these on the caravan.

He doesn't speak the language he doesn't know anyone, so he ends up on an auction block in Egypt as a slave and a guy named Potter for who basically is equivalent of the Secret Service for Pharaoh. Isaac and so he buys in any makes him a slave. And he obviously learned the language in all chapters 37 through 50. There's this in the Lord is with Joseph and Joseph. No matter what this promise, this God who actually believes fulfills his promises who actually believes is good. Somehow, someway, he hangs on and doesn't abandon his faith and he also seems to have a highly developed gift of administration that when he's in charge of something. It flourishes and so it doesn't take long for part of her to realize this guys got some wherewithal and capacity, he puts him over his business than all of his household and everything he touches the hand of God's blessing. Well apparently he's a pretty good looking young man and Potiphar's wife says you know my husband gone a lot during the day we can have sex would have a great time and most men would say when see rejection. God promised me that is my brother sell me out of been a slave unit but not Joseph. He says how can I sin against your husband is put everything under my charge except for you and I could not sin against my God, and so he rebuffs her seduction, but one day he's kind of just doing a little bit of work in the house is empty and she finds him and she says now come lay with me and he does what almost no man would ever do in the situation is. Is he flees and she grabs his jacket and so she's left with the jacket, and she's humiliated and so her husband comes home.

What have you done to bring this crazy Hebrew. He tried to write me and so he ends up in jail so it's gone from bad bad to worse.

So he's falsely accused. Now he goes to jail he goes to jail is administrative gift. Show up again. He seems to have a great attitude no matter what, and pretty soon the head of the geocoding award and have them run this place is so he does and it flourishes and flourishes and flourishes the enemy. Think of this where's God where's God. If God loves me one of my brothers reject me if God loves me. I did all that I could in fact I was righteous and I was falsely accused will then a couple guys in Pharaoh's household cupbearer and the baker have a bad day, and so they end up in prison and and they both have a dream and Joseph said well you know my God is given me an ability tell me what your dreams are and he reveals to me, what dreams are sometimes so that one guy says this is my dream of guys this is my dream. He says one day your good news for you. You can get your job back you to die and a bow and it comes true. You know, and so he says to the cupbearer and I you know this happened. This happened this happened.

This happened don't forget me. You all know I could never forget you.

Thanks so much. He forget how many start asking yourself. We let's get this out of the Bible story rejection, injustice falsely accused forgotten because I feel he's a 17-year-old kid well the story continues in the Pharaoh has a dream and his wise men and sorcerers and he is very frustrated and not giving them good answers that he comes up with a plan. Look either you guys tell me what the dream is and what it means or I kill all of you and I got the cupbearer's memory jogged. He's thinking himself, you know that Joseph did once for May so the text literally says he took a shave. He came in before Pharaoh he hears. He says Pharaoh. This is what your dream is can be seven years abundance followed by seven years of scarcity. Here's the deal you better plan in the future you need to save a bunch of grain because it's gonna be awesome for seven years and then it's going to be the pits and if you're not prepared you and Egypt go down the toilet's is a very loose Ingram translation, but you get the idea. That's the essence of it and so you know, Pharaoh goes well, hey, no one could you're the man you do it so I 30. He's now the second most powerful person in the world, none of which could happen if you not been rejected, sold as a slave falsely accused and forgotten God had a purpose now are all those people responsible for their sin. Yes. Will God judge all those people for what they did righteous. You know it righteous judgment. Yes, the story fast forwards. He uses his gifts.

He has a couple boys.

He names them names that let us know the heartache and the pain and the hurt that and really happened and he names his boys names that remind him of both God's faithfulness and the pain and the hurt and after the seven years. This famine spreads not just to Egypt but to the known world, and the family is about 70 now and finally they come to Egypt to get grain and I'll let you read all the details of the story that he test his brothers but his heart just breaks and he weeps and he reveals himself to his brothers and he asked Pharaoh he brings all 70 people and they get this prime real estate in Goshen, and God uses that as the incubator to fulfill for the next 400 years it grows from 70 people to about two or 3 million people and then dad dies. Jacob and his brothers being the high integrity, faithful God-fearing men that they are think to themselves, Joseph probably was just good to us why dad was alive, and it's going to get bad and so they start making up some stuff to try and get on his good side and I believe with all my heart. Joseph looked at them and I think his head tilted and I think tears streamed down his face guys you still don't get it do you. You didn't send me here you meant it for evil but God meant it for good. To preserve these many people alive. You might charting your notes the Genesis 5020 principle the sovereignty of God is the greatest and deepest comfort in a fallen world because of what we shared a little bit early about the freedom God's given us. He he marks off for a season where evil is allowed in corruption and terrible things happen, but not for everyone, but for those who say I want to follow Yahweh, the God of the Bible follow Jesus hung an essay on your path. Regardless because crisis and pain and injustice and difficulty makes some people and break others. For some it's it's the story of a life of faith that we none of us can understand as God meets them and for others, they abandon God and by the way, one of my greatest concerns about all this prosperity stuff that's being taught is that when people believe that somehow there's some little formula and that God has committed himself to make you healthy, wealthy and everything's going to go your way and when that doesn't happen there completely disillusioned with God. But that's not the God of the Bible because he never promises things that this really brings home for me. I think of when I taught this sometimes things come to me that aren't my notes and I just got done talking and I said this and I looked down I look to my wife and just it just popped in my mind as she she was married before I met her and she wasn't a Christian and and she was married to a guy that found tickets make more money selling drugs and going to work and he had an affair for over year and 1/2 with someone she was unaware of and that he found out that she was pregnant with twins and so he leaves her and she's left that has two babies, no income, no anything. And out of her desperation, she just said I just wanted to quit on life.

My whole life was wrapped up in that man, I've got two little boys and I don't hung in the sport of Montgomery doing a neighbor watch the kids and her her boss letter to Christ. I met her a couple years later when she was growing into this tender amazing woman of God. Out of all that pain you know what that God meant it for evil God meant it for good to marry her. I got atop those two little boys I got to watch kids that when the door would open. They were so fearful that they would run and stick their head behind her knee. I got to see them become men and I've seen them grow. I say Merry godly women and watching them raise their kids something out God that God meant it for evil. Even if her good can I tell you though that is a reason women to counseling. There's a reason we had all kind of struggles and she had wounds and hurts and I had just as many but mine were more sophisticated. I covered my not better, but I think you 38 years later, when a gift from God that came out of the trail and evil and sin and adultery. I thought as I looked down at her. I thought we had some really bad news and found out she had cancer and after you note been been married over 30 years and after all that struggle week. We just I thought we had about as good marriages we could have a really good normal struggles, like ever, but I mean rich and deep and I remember thinking can hope. I don't know if I'm to have another month or two months or year or two years and I just canceled everything for year other than the local church and you know you not tell the publisher to hear here. You want your money back on the can write a book. I'm not gonna go anywhere and and I after surgery. I drove her to every single one of the Stanford appointments and she would go to the treatments and then after each treatment we would stop at Starbucks and we would get one oatmeal cookie and they would heated up and then we would break it in half and she was just so wiped out those treatments and then we would sit in the car and we eat our oatmeal cookie and I remember looking over and thought I did not know that I could love another human being as much of my life was like I knew there was you, not that we had a four speed and somehow there's another couple years, but those gears came out, of painful, difficult, ugly cancer and by the way for others. The pain is there isn't recovery. Some of you have lost children mates. Some of you had your whole incomes out from under you and what all I want you to know is that what we hang onto. There really is a sovereign God. He really is in control but the invisible faith is. I'm if you ask Joseph how was life going from 17 to 29 1/2 circumstantial.

He had but part of part of what God does is God will leverage in use your pain and take the comfort that he gives to you as the comfort that you can share with others. Right set contains one and there's some things that no amount of Bible study no minus spiritual disciplines. You only meet God in the midst of excruciating pain when the only one that can deliver his God and he meets you in ways that you can't describe.

And something happens in your heart and your life that makes you more like Jesus and gives you a capacity that you would never ever when you look back you never want to go through it again. But you realize it's precious is a part of the journey and by the way, that's what God is actually seeking to develop that that Romans 828 we quote it, but for some reason we just skip 2929 is that he predestined and called us according to his purpose to conform us to the image of his son, how he conforms. As I have news for you. It's painful, but he leverages the evil and the difficulty in the pain but but but you can get there you can get some focus. You can going to pity you can you can somehow unconsciously think that the only thing ruler really is in life is this little window call time, but your mate for eternity. CS Lewis is little illustration for me has been just a lifesaver in the midst my worst pain because if you can imagine like fishing line going through that wall across this room through that wall east to eternity west to eternity that eternity and then there's a a little dot about the size of the pencil on that line and inside that.that's all of time that little dot and inside that dot with a powerful super electronic microscope. There would be as tiny tiny tiny tiny tiny little bot that would be your life and maybe get 70 maybe get 80 years. I don't know and that little dot is just temporal and God is doing all kind of things and some of them are very, very, very painful, but how to respond and what I learn, for ever and ever goes on and when I can have an eternal perspective for a sovereign God who loves me and know that those I've lost love him and I will be with them. You know what most Christians don't really believe in heaven is just a concept is just an idea.

Heaven is real. It's a place I not going to float around in a cloud and sing in a worship service and sip iced tea and get wings and ring bells. It's going to be a new earth in a new heaven and new relationships and the people you love, that are in the Lord, and you can have life and culture, and future and work and it's the line and I love Lewis's words are you living for the.or are you living for the wine and the sovereignty of God gives me hope in the midst of the worst tragedies in the world. It also gives me the faith to not give up. I just have to think that Joseph had more than a few days, where it was like Lord.

Where's the dream where is the promise and all the while this is what God is doing in Joseph's character his character his character see if God's gonna put you over something like this has to do a lot of this in the only way to get a lot of this depth of character is going through the crucible of life and God has that plan for all of us. He wants to make you like Jesus, there's two questions that this raises. If God is sovereign, why does he allow evil pain-and-suffering and I would say the problem of pain by CS Lewis is is the shortest best work on that.

There's lots of writing you might write down Ken boa.

He's a friend is a brilliant writer thinker that he has lots of good information on this. The second question is if God is sovereign over all people and events in history. Doesn't this make a sham of human responsibility and Norman Geisler, one of my former professors did 10 years as a philosophy teacher tenures as Bible and then theology and chosen, but true I think is the best book that's balanced on the sovereignty of God and responsibility of man.

It's really interesting. I didn't I was reviewing this and and praying earlier I thought to myself, you know some some of the responses to all of God's attributes. They start looking a lot like me, this sovereign God, that every knee will bow. Application number one how to respond bow before the king of the universe you're going to. Everyone is, the sooner the better and voluntarily is way better than by compulsion, surrender all you are and all that you have there has to come a specific day and a point in time. You don't slide into surrender.

It's a decision when you make that decision and mean it. I watch Christians who bit they basically say my life is I think change more than when I was born again and all I can tell you is if God is really good is the King of the universe. I mean the only other option is you. You decide you be God, and you use your knowledge and your wisdom. You shuck and jive and you try to figure out make your life work. Good luck good luck. The wisest, most intelligent, most emotionally satisfying and rewarding life for a follower of Jesus is to offer. It's up it's it's in its and what's called Aris tents at the point in time. Offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable. This is your spiritual service and and and what it means is this what God really wants. Maybe you were thinking about it. I'm just going to say maybe should think about it a little bit more. The second application is the believe that all that comes into your life is either allowed or decreed by a good God who will use it for your benefit and what I mean by this is not intellectually believe it.

I mean I mean believe it to the point where you say despite how my emotions are screaming I'm going to choose to be faithful and by the way, for some of you faithful just means you just get up and take a step because the pain and the difficulty in the hurt the loss and the grief is so excruciating. God understands he's kind member he's tenderhearted.

He's quick sympathy. How did Jesus treat people that were hurting his arms were crossed.

He didn't say you pull up your bootstraps, get with the program. You should be serving more peaches just left you. He just wants to help you. He just wants to nurture you through this, but believe believe, to the point of trusting and here's what I would say by way of application is absolutely refuse to worry, it's one of those you know III think someone has written a book you know since the Christians, we all give each other a pass on or something like that acceptable sense.

If the Bible says don't be anxious for anything and it's a command. I'm guessing that being anxious is sinful, but you know there's some sins were like dominant mom and if you're like well since I was just it's an insult to God if he's a sovereign God.

He needs good now. Is it hard not to worry. You have to practice Philippians 4, six and seven. Don't be anxious for anything but in everything by prayer, a general word, get your focus on God and supplication know the word you can ask very specific things, with thanksgiving, choosing to rejoice make your specific request. So yes, it's a practice and as you heard and as your anxious you do that and and you know what you can learn Oswald Chambers big line was really his and his whole life is Galatians 220. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ lives within me and this life that I now live. I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. It was this abiding life that God is in control. Therefore I can't project tomorrow. I refuse to worry about outcomes, I can't control but I'm going to trust that to God if he sovereign you can do that if you believe that third is beholden all the mystery and the majesty of his kind, compassionate, just in sovereign rule over all that is or will ever be in the application for some of you this is very easy for some of us high productivity driven type a people. This is very difficult to worship God for who he is not merely for what he's done singing to the Lord reading Psalms out loud.

Slowly believing them mean. Isn't it amazing that when you when you read the Psalms, how David in the midst of responsibility and warfare at all. The rest help. He praises God he thanks God he laments that he is a worshiper and the more you begin to be in all of rather than argue about sovereignty and responsibility – we would be in all of who God is and worship him as you worship him. What happens is you will begin to believe and experience a God. It was bigger when you experience a God was bigger and holy and loving then what happens is the truth that you have begins to transform and get ingrained into what you actually believe in your values and how you actually live and I just think it's easy not to be a worshiper. I think it's easy to be a Christian. Get stuff done person in the some of you that you know my wife is the opposite.

She's a worshiper. While an elf. Sometimes I think if I got time with Jesus and my wife.

I think ago.

Some think this trees not been working out a lot of issues over the last few decades with you Chip and we appreciate you running all the errands for us on serious llama activity. A Holly coming I just I see what could be you know God wants to do this in. I just feel this whole section to say oh this is true, got so I have them and maybe that some of you back in just a minute. Just a quick reminder this message sovereignty of God is from his series, the real God. In this eight parter.

Chip explains that we naturally tend to imagine God with human characteristics. Moody, impatient, unforgiving, because it's what we know about ourselves and others, but nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to God. That's why it's essential to see him as he really is. That's what this series the real God is all about. If you're ready for a clear understanding of who God is and how that changes everything you've ever thought about the best way is to do this study with a small group of friends. So for a limited time. We've discounted these resources because we want to do everything we can to help you get to know the real God. For more information or to order your small group materials today go to LivingontheEdge.org Special offers on the chipping remap or give us a call at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003. Now here's Chip with a quick thought. One of the great joys of my life is the letters, emails, Facebook messages that I get from people literally all around the country and all around the world and they tell me these amazing stories of how Living on the Edge has been a tool used by God to change their life.

Maybe you're one of those people that have really been impacted by the ministry. I mean I hear from people from every age, profession background, every person imaginable and what I here's this same constant drumbeat of God spoke to me. I took a step of faith. Now God's using me and what I want you to know is that that's the heart of our ministry. We want to put teaching and tools in small group materials and downloadable things that we actually give away to help people, not just live like Christians but be ambassadors and agents of change and grace in their homes, their schools and their workplaces. And if you're one of those people that God has impacted you and actually you're impacting others because of Living on the Edge have a very specific request.

Would you consider becoming a monthly financial partner and of course it helps us practically no doubt about it.

It would really help us to know that X amount of dollars are coming in from a monthly partner, but literally, even more than that.

It's about a group of people saying we want to be a part of this mission to make a difference in the crazy world that were living in. We want to make impact. We want to make impact with you all. God spoken to us. God's changed us. We want to help you help others, and so here's my request today. Would you pray and just simply say, Lord, if this is part of your desire for me to partner with Living on the Edge on the monthly basis, will you show me and then show me what that looks like and how much what I will say is what ever amount that is it's perfect. Whatever God shows you but what I long to see is people who partner that are on the team a part of the family and we make a difference together each and every day. Thank you in advance for doing whatever God chose you to do if that mission resonates with you. We'd love to have you join us helping Christians get a high accurate biblical view of God will change the world we live in, to give a gift today. Call us at AAA 333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003. If you prefer to give online, go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners just Donate your generosity is greatly appreciated. Now here's Chip with a final thought about today's message think on this one thought as you go throughout the day.

Nothing today or nothing in your past. In fact, nothing in your future will ever enter your life that God has not willfully decreed or allowed to occur. There isn't haphazard issues floating all around that are messing up your life.

God is in control. What a comfort of all the things in Scripture that bring great comfort to my heart. I think that's one of most important things with regard to the character of God that I've learned in my life.

God is sovereign and what I know is that regardless of what happens he is working and using every event, every person, every hardship, every difficulty for my good. He does work all things together for my good and I don't know about you that produces a deep rest in my soul and then it produces worship. Imagine the power the Majesty the all knowing that it requires to orchestrate every life on the planet to fulfill his purposes and are good want you worshiping today just before we close our mission that Living on the Edge is to help Christians live like Christians. One of the ways we do that is by making it easy for you to share messages you find helpful. So when you hear a message that really hits home. We hope you'll pass it on a couple of taps on the chipping remap and a great messages on its way to someone you love.

That's all for this program.

Until next time, this is Dave saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge