The Sovereignty of God

We get to make decisions when you think it's the final one, that all depend on what God says Dr. Tony Evans says even when we think we have it all figured out. We aren't the ones with the last say, because God is ultimately some Supreme Court of the universe celebrating the faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of hopeless Bible Fellowship, Alice, Texas and president of the Trinity. There's nothing wrong with looking out for number one. As long as you realize that number one isn't you, Dr. Evans explains as he talked about the sovereignty of God.

Let's join dependence.

That's what Adam wanted independence, sovereignty negates that because sovereignty says that we don't get to make the final decision we get to make decisions when you think it's the final one, that all depends on what God says because God is ultimately sovereignty is the Supreme Court of the universe so lower courts may make a decision your court by court. Autonomy may make a decision by the Supreme Court gets to roll and to overrule by sovereignty I mean God is absolute ruler, control and sustainer of all of his creation. He sits on the throne of the universe. He is the ultimate ruler. The final authority. That's what sovereignty means ultimate ruler final authority which means all things happen.

Even because God made it happen. We gave it permission to happen either because he made it happen. He said this was going to be okay. What anybody says all he allowed it to happen so you can't throw God a surprise party because he saw no you can't surprise him and he never goes I miss that because he is sovereign, everything comes underneath his control number script to put up as we walk through this concept that is life transforming.

When you grasp it.

Psalm 33 verse 10, Psalm 33 verse 10 the Lord nullifies the Council of nations. She frustrates the plan of the people. In other words he can cancel out even what nations decide to do a united nation.

I'm not a nation. So you know if you can cancel out what nations try to do cancel out when you try to do because God is sovereign. The problem today is people want God everywhere but honest about we live in a culture that wants a Jack-in-the-Box God, you know we want to God that'll pop up when we wanted to Joe 23 verse 13 but he is unique and who can turn him and what his soul desires that he does he can do whatever he decides to do now, you may not like that but you probably don't like that about some people in your life brother like that about the person you want to work for the bar that they can overrule you know kids don't like you for the same reason that you have authority to overrule, so we want to have a right that we don't want to give God some 115 verse three God is in the heavens.

He does whatever he pleases.

Thought this what you feel the sting of sovereignty does what he decides to do now to appreciate is already you have to understand all of his other attributes. So so but I am saying this when you gotta get because nothing sits outside of it because of the comprehensive nature sovereignty. Ephesians 111. We know that he does all things after the counsel of his own will. He does all things after the counsel of his own will. There's nothing outside of his will that can happen that is possible. Revelation 19, six says God rated something that many times our God reigns so-called holes, you must establish that in your mind all of his other attributes guarantees a sovereignty I told you that in my house.

I am sovereign in terms of my median home so you coming into my house means you must adjust to my rules by coming to your house. I must adjust your rules. The problem you have with your parents or your teenager, God is paying you back for what your teenagers is wanting to have your rules and somebody else's house the conflict and so we have a creation in conflict with God who want to put their roles in his house. God's sovereignty is all-inclusive.

It includes not only the macro mega issues of life.

But the idiosyncratic minute details of life. Remember we said not want here falls from a person's head, of which God is not fully aware through his sovereignty deals with hair follicles when he goes down to the minute shot. So let's not keep God in the big stuff only, but the micro stuff or mail. If you if you're dealing with God on a microlevel immediately eking. You can leave about anything if he's getting down bows is not one sparrow falls to the ground that he is not fully aware, no birds missing which is not fully aware. This brings in some of the other attributes. His omniscience is all knowing this, that week that we went over so what we try to establish is God's sovereignty and as I said, first Corinthians 86 we exist for him and we exist through him so he is the be the centerpiece of our existence. Once you do that once you make up in your mind.

I make up in my mind we make up in our mind that we are dealing with a sovereign God who goes down to the minute shot of life as well as the mega life. Then there is no such thing as excluding the good things that you just is not possible. Whether you intentionally do it or not, it's not feasible because of the breath of his sovereignty. Now God's sovereignty includes the recognition of our freedom in God's sovereignty. He has granted a measure of freedom that he has not granted absolute freedom.

Nobody has absolute freedom because the UB God could you be in final control, but he has given mankind relative freedom that is freedom to a point. Freedom allows for choices and choices allow for sin walking again. Freedom means you can choose freedom allows for choices and you can only have a choice. If you have options to choose from. If there is no option.

There is no choice.

So God in his sovereignty allows for freedom so you can choose God you can reject God choose the right to choose to do wrong, let me say this now. Freedom does not cause sin, but it allows for because it allows for choice and so we get to choose so the Bible tells us in Deuteronomy 30 because choose life.

Since choose to. You have a choice now. God is sovereign so when you choose to go against him, he will give you the freedom to do that. What he will not let you choose the consequences see if we could make a choice and control the consequences. Okay, but what he has done is taken the consequences of what giving you the freedom to choose me.

Probably most of the city.

I can talk about a time when we made the choice of something and we had no idea consequences will go. Come back on us like that, no, because what you don't get to choose of the consequences. That's why it's freedom to appoint Dr. Evans will continue our look at the sovereignty of God comes back to share a personal story. Just a moment. As we come into the celebration of the 40th year since the beginning of the urban alternative.

Words cannot express my gratitude to God for his faithfulness to the development of this ministry.

Little did I know when we began with cassette tapes and we were begging them up because people were requesting the sermons that he would take humble beginnings and turn it into an international ministry now 1400 stations daily and 30 countries around the world reaching hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people with the truth of God. I am humbled by his faithfulness to me and took us to the urban alternative and I'm certainly grateful for all the frenzies given us who been faithful to praise God for 40 years of his fame on us.

You know Tony you said that the more people who meet Jesus more lives will be transformed. It's a simple equation and it's the driving purpose behind this ministry. None of what we do here would be possible without the faithful contributions of people like you and that's why I want to let you know about a special package we put together as a way of saying thank you, when you make a donation to keep this ministry going. It starts with Tony's newest book prayers for knowing God in times of crisis and change knowing God is the only path to heart deep stability and peace and a better grasp his love, character and strength as you work through these 50 topical prayers, all designed to help you understand and experience God more deeply along with the book will also send you on CD and digital download all 12 full-length messages in Tony's current series God's heart revealed a compilation that can help you delve deeper into an understanding of who God is and how he wants to work and then through your life. This is a limited time offer so don't miss out. Visit Tony Evans.org today to make your contribution and request or give us a call at 1-800-800-3222 where one of our friendly resource team members standing by to assist have our contact information for you again after part two of today's message and this is roles of husbands and wives. The source of our authority as believers. Understanding the concept of grace, meaning spiritual battles are all important subjects that seem as different as night and day surprise you to know there's a common thread running through all you can discover what it is like taking the corresponding lesions in the Tony Evans training center 151. Dig into the powerful themes of this book and make new discoveries about what Jesus death accomplished how to maintain home and church spiritual armor is all about. The course includes custom content from Tony not available anywhere else to run pace collaborate with other students. Your specific questions answered online for connecting the Tony Evans training center Tony Evans.org.

It's like having a seminary on your smart phone or device. Start today Tony Evans.some years ago I told you about my brother's passport.

Now my brother was the Allstate wrestling champ for the state of Maryland unlimited weight class so he was. He was a beast and roughly play football with the college football scholarship but it was also the wrestling team and he was Allstate so he would like the man on campus. One day, came home my father asked him to do something and he said to my father or I'm not going to do with my father said oh you know you will do it. He said I'm not going to find something to put like this, if you will stay in this house tonight you going to do it. So my brother in rebellion that what I like to stay here, to which my father said back okay so he was given a direction by my father. He chose to rebel. He said I'm going to get my stuff. He said oh no no no no evidence that the only thing you get is what you have all could you and going up in my room that I people. You can leave now, so my brothers huffing and puffing in his rebellion and he leaves the house in his rebellion he had forgotten something.

It was February in Baltimore, Maryland. It was freezing outside that night it started to snow so it's freezing start to snow anyway. Maybe get his coat and lab lady came knocking on the door apologizing and he did whatever it was, my father would do because why he could rebel he could control the weather today was some things out of his control. God's sovereignty does not negate man's principle of freedom and limited equipment all suffered a fully sovereign, but it allows for it. Genesis 50 Joseph told his brothers, you meant it for evil but God meant it for good to bring me to this place and your evil help get me. So when people choose against God, that's just another way of helping God out. The devil is not just the devil.

The devil is God's devil Bob 722, Satan has asked Peter to see if you like we why was I asked why can't you just sit them as we could leave in the devil can do what I don't get permission for so so evil when even when chosen does not have the last word so sovereignty Lamentations 3 verse 37, who is there who speaks in a comes the past unless the Lord has commanded it, not from the mouth of the most high, that both good and ill come forth. I know we sing about good God is good all the time over them. God is good, but even though it doesn't come forth without him permitting it or causing say what does God call you because it when he's jumping something presumably causes sometimes in trials to develop as he causes ill but it all and all permeates through his fingers. So what does this mean what we do with this concept of a God who is in control of everything down to the shop.

First of all you want included in the level because many things that start off his mind to become major. Many things that I love you think that was what the big deal and return it to be a big deal you expect everyone got on the big deal becomes big deal. It means that you go to get away from luck, chance, happenstance, accident date lot all the words that are antithetical to sovereignty. You cannot have luck and have a sovereign God.

You can have chance and have a sovereign… If he's covered all the details.

What we call rock is actually Providence how God connects things behind the scenes so that it looks like there is no luck. If you have sovereign God now with sovereignty, you begin now to look for God's sake with his fingerprints and everything you look for his fingerprints. God, where are you in this. What are you doing in this what you saying to me by this.

How will I come to understand this. Whether something that looks like luck will look like something that's unlucky, but since we're not dealing with luck what we dealing with a sovereign God. Do not ship the story. I got the balance this one. Prof. this past Monday. One day, said have you ever thought about Dallas passing comment easily been dismissed when it was really a sovereign moved by God. You and I must begin to look for God in the ordinary and not just be extraordinary not just things that blow your mind. But in the thing that seemed like it didn't even matter. God are you doing something now that I need catch a hold of the way God works sometimes he takes something from years ago in connection with something now things that you thought were not connected. Connects this, but see if you don't have that view of some repeating you're looking for that you are you and asking about that you're praying about when we have this view of sovereignty that God is in control of the big stuff and the stuff doesn't even look like it matters how God is included in everything is included and everywhere you just kind of watching him do his thing in and through you and into life so Dr. Tony Evans with a look at God's power and direction over the big picture back to the final question for each of us in just a moment. In the meantime, I wanted to remind you of that package of resources I mentioned earlier that includes all 12 messages from Tony's current series God's heart revealed as well as his just-released book prayers for knowing God. These resources can help you connect with God more deeply than ever before, and they're all yours when you make a contribution to help us keep Tony's teaching on the station so be sure to drop by Tony Evans.org right away to make the arrangements before this limited time offer runs out. That's Tony Evans.org or reach out to our resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 were team members are standing by around-the-clock to help the word love is used a lot in this world is been associated with everything from fast food to fast cars, although it is tied to feelings. Dr. Evan says love shines brightest when it's put to work tomorrow will take a look at the ways God demonstrates love and the example he sets for us right now though Tony is back with this final thought. How does this understanding of sovereignty affect your view of God. Our youth is make you think of God differently in the Sumitomo could say with this understanding. What does this make you think about God and how you look at life differently like this, maybe deal with something right now as you see things happen in your life like you talk about that.

I want sovereignty just to be a theory thesis. I wanted to be a perspective operating the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by the end of an alternative celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you