WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.080 So I do want to encourage you to be a part of 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:04.179 the closing crusade meeting tonight and to take 00:00:04.179 --> 00:00:09.779 someone with you that needs the Lord. And I want 00:00:09.779 --> 00:00:11.080 to encourage you to get there just a little bit 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:14.900 early tonight, too. Although there's overflow 00:00:14.900 --> 00:00:16.920 outside, I don't think it's going to be the best 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:19.679 night to be out there. So you might want to get 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:23.260 there a few minutes early. We're going to open 00:00:23.260 --> 00:00:25.899 our Bibles together to the book of Jeremiah. 00:00:26.810 --> 00:00:29.850 the 32nd chapter, where we're continuing to study 00:00:29.850 --> 00:00:33.670 about Jeremiah's view of God in this prayer that 00:00:33.670 --> 00:00:37.170 he offers to the Lord. Not only in his prayer 00:00:37.170 --> 00:00:40.009 to God, but in God's response back to him, we 00:00:40.009 --> 00:00:43.130 learn a great deal about God. That's important 00:00:43.130 --> 00:00:48.789 for us, as we're going to see today. In Jeremiah 00:00:48.789 --> 00:00:52.609 chapter 32, we have looked at verses 17 and 18. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:55.880 And today we're going just to get into verse 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:58.539 19, but I'm going to back up into verse 18 to 00:00:58.539 --> 00:01:05.540 catch some of the flow. Where he says, Oh great 00:01:05.540 --> 00:01:11.079 and mighty God, the Lord of hosts is his name, 00:01:11.980 --> 00:01:18.500 great in counsel. Great in counsel. And now turn 00:01:18.500 --> 00:01:21.459 to the New Testament please, to the book of Ephesians. 00:01:21.739 --> 00:01:24.700 and the first chapter where we see a New Testament 00:01:24.700 --> 00:01:27.959 counterpart to what we just read briefly in Jeremiah 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:33.200 in Ephesians chapter 1, beginning in verse 9. 00:01:33.739 --> 00:01:37.260 God made known to us the mystery of His will 00:01:37.260 --> 00:01:42.359 according to His kind intention which He purposed 00:01:42.359 --> 00:01:47.439 in Christ with a view to an administration suitable 00:01:47.439 --> 00:01:50.879 to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing 00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:55.260 up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens 00:01:55.260 --> 00:01:59.439 and things upon the earth, in him also we have 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:03.340 obtained an inheritance, having been predestined 00:02:03.340 --> 00:02:08.319 according to his purpose, who works all things 00:02:08.319 --> 00:02:14.340 after the counsel of his will." Today we look 00:02:14.340 --> 00:02:19.530 at this idea that God is mighty in counsel. Anyone 00:02:19.530 --> 00:02:23.969 with any sense or any reason can see that we 00:02:23.969 --> 00:02:29.330 do not live in a world that is random, that is 00:02:29.330 --> 00:02:33.849 left to chance. Now recognize that some people 00:02:33.849 --> 00:02:40.530 view life as a big chance. Some people view investing 00:02:40.530 --> 00:02:47.610 as gambling. And we have a whole so -called industry. 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:50.699 that is springing up around our country, around 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:57.120 the idea of gambling, randomness, chance. I think 00:02:57.120 --> 00:03:03.539 that that is popular not only because people 00:03:03.539 --> 00:03:07.379 like to take risks and because it raises money 00:03:07.379 --> 00:03:10.860 for the state, at least the state thinks it does, 00:03:12.620 --> 00:03:16.469 but I think it's popular because The idea of 00:03:16.469 --> 00:03:21.889 randomness and chance is the whole philosophy 00:03:21.889 --> 00:03:28.430 of existence in our culture. We have lost in 00:03:28.430 --> 00:03:31.629 our culture the idea that there is purpose to 00:03:31.629 --> 00:03:37.129 life. We need to get that back in our hearts. 00:03:38.449 --> 00:03:41.250 We who are God's people can lose that as well. 00:03:42.349 --> 00:03:45.080 We need to come back to the understanding that 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:47.759 the Word of God gives us, that the universe is 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:53.580 ordered, that it is predictable, that it is constructed 00:03:53.580 --> 00:03:59.199 on laws and principles. We need to come back 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:02.360 to what the Bible teaches us, that intelligence 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:08.060 designed us. And not only us, but all of nature 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:13.219 around us. We sometimes imagine that history 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:20.060 is left to the arbitrary whims of people, or 00:04:20.060 --> 00:04:22.879 as it were, the roll of the dice on the table 00:04:22.879 --> 00:04:28.300 of possibilities. The average person builds his 00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:31.160 life around this idea that there is a lady luck 00:04:31.160 --> 00:04:37.040 or a father fortune who are more real to them 00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:41.100 than the sovereign God who has decreed, in fact, 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:45.740 the events of life. So what I want to talk to 00:04:45.740 --> 00:04:48.459 you about this morning is developing a biblical 00:04:48.459 --> 00:04:54.019 philosophy of life. Developing a way of looking 00:04:54.019 --> 00:04:57.579 at life that is thoroughly grounded in theology 00:04:57.579 --> 00:05:00.660 and what the Bible says to us about God. To do 00:05:00.660 --> 00:05:04.120 that, we have to strip away some of the stuff 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:09.779 we get from our culture. Where the idea of randomness 00:05:09.779 --> 00:05:13.949 and accident and chance are constantly bombarding 00:05:13.949 --> 00:05:19.149 us. We have to strip that away and replace it 00:05:19.149 --> 00:05:22.529 with what the Bible teaches that life is ordered 00:05:22.529 --> 00:05:29.629 by a sovereign God. Now because of our culture's 00:05:29.629 --> 00:05:37.709 view that life is random, there is a lot of anxiety 00:05:37.709 --> 00:05:41.930 in our culture. And the whole new religion has 00:05:41.930 --> 00:05:46.829 been built up around it, and new priests. The 00:05:46.829 --> 00:05:50.709 religion is called psychology. I'm not knocking 00:05:50.709 --> 00:05:53.970 on psychology, don't misunderstand me, but I'm 00:05:53.970 --> 00:05:56.850 talking about, well let's just term it psychology 00:05:56.850 --> 00:06:02.870 -ism. Where psychology has become the religion 00:06:02.870 --> 00:06:06.509 of people. And the new priesthood are the psychologists 00:06:06.509 --> 00:06:09.920 and psychiatrists. of our culture. If people 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:12.899 have problems, that's the religion and that's 00:06:12.899 --> 00:06:17.500 the priesthood that they seek out. Not God in 00:06:17.500 --> 00:06:23.060 His Word. Someone has poked a little fun at this 00:06:23.060 --> 00:06:28.959 new religion by imagining this psychiatric hotline. 00:06:30.139 --> 00:06:36.860 Don't you like voicemail? Me neither. But it's 00:06:36.860 --> 00:06:39.220 one of those evils we kind of get into in our 00:06:39.220 --> 00:06:42.459 culture because of the pace of things and to 00:06:42.459 --> 00:06:46.180 try to make things convenient I guess Well, here 00:06:46.180 --> 00:06:49.680 is a here's a psychiatric hotline it answers 00:06:49.680 --> 00:06:53.480 saying hello Welcome to the psychiatric hotline 00:06:53.480 --> 00:06:58.720 If you are obsessive compulsive, please press 00:06:58.720 --> 00:07:05.639 one repeatedly If you are codependent please 00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:11.959 ask someone to press 2 for you. If you have multiple 00:07:11.959 --> 00:07:18.579 personalities, please press 3, 4, 5, and 6. If 00:07:18.579 --> 00:07:22.339 you are paranoid delusional, we know who you 00:07:22.339 --> 00:07:24.480 are and what you want, so just stay on the line 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:29.939 until we can trace the call. If you're schizophrenic, 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:32.160 listen carefully and a little voice will tell 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:36.500 you which number to press. If you're manic depressive, 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:38.579 it doesn't matter which number you press. No 00:07:38.579 --> 00:07:43.560 one will answer anyway. That pokes a little fun 00:07:43.560 --> 00:07:47.699 at some of the cycle babble that we hear in the 00:07:47.699 --> 00:07:52.699 jargon of our culture. Yes, this is a troubled 00:07:52.699 --> 00:07:55.060 age and there are many reasons for anxiety when 00:07:55.060 --> 00:07:58.319 people don't know Christ especially. But the 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:00.560 answer is not found in this new religion. It's 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:06.220 found in God. revelation to us in the Scriptures 00:08:06.220 --> 00:08:09.639 of what He's like. And the way God reveals Himself 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:12.740 is that He is a sovereign God. Now if you will 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:16.259 get a hold of this, it will fill your life with 00:08:16.259 --> 00:08:19.800 wonder, humility, peace, joy, and contentment. 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:25.500 Well, that's not bad. In fact, if you could get 00:08:25.500 --> 00:08:28.600 that from a psychologist or a psychiatrist, he 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:33.120 would be a wealthy man very fast. If one of these 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:35.679 modern gurus could write a book guaranteeing 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:38.179 that you would have wonder in your life, humility, 00:08:38.539 --> 00:08:41.460 peace, joy, and contentment, he would make a 00:08:41.460 --> 00:08:43.360 fabulous amount of money. His book would be on 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:46.019 the New York Times bestsellers list as number 00:08:46.019 --> 00:08:49.000 one. But I want to tell you something this morning. 00:08:49.159 --> 00:08:51.960 The Bible will give you exactly that. If you 00:08:51.960 --> 00:08:55.799 understand what it says to you about God, those 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:58.700 things will mark your life and fit you for heaven. 00:09:00.519 --> 00:09:03.340 The Bible affirms that we live in a universe 00:09:03.340 --> 00:09:06.419 that is created and ordered by a sovereign God 00:09:06.419 --> 00:09:12.860 who has already determined the course of its 00:09:12.860 --> 00:09:17.500 history and has appointed the final day of judgment 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:24.259 already. The time is set for the final judgment. 00:09:28.049 --> 00:09:30.230 Now in light of that, you and I have a choice 00:09:30.230 --> 00:09:35.409 to make. I hope that you will see this morning 00:09:35.409 --> 00:09:37.570 that the most important decision you can make 00:09:37.570 --> 00:09:41.750 is to bring your life in the direction of what 00:09:41.750 --> 00:09:45.769 God's purpose is. Because you see, when we're 00:09:45.769 --> 00:09:48.289 born into this world, we're going the other direction. 00:09:49.429 --> 00:09:53.029 We're going against God. That's what sin is all 00:09:53.029 --> 00:09:55.899 about. And it takes a lot of different expressions 00:09:55.899 --> 00:09:59.000 in our lives, but it means going against God, 00:09:59.059 --> 00:10:02.340 going counter to what God wants. So the most 00:10:02.340 --> 00:10:05.039 important thing we can do is to bring our lives 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:09.080 in the direction that God is moving. And when 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:12.700 we do that, we will find wonder, humility, peace, 00:10:12.899 --> 00:10:17.580 joy and contentment in our lives. I want to think 00:10:17.580 --> 00:10:20.879 briefly about a definition of God's purpose. 00:10:22.570 --> 00:10:26.269 Jeremiah said God is mighty in counsel. That 00:10:26.269 --> 00:10:33.149 word counsel means advice. But by implication 00:10:33.149 --> 00:10:35.889 it means not only advice, it means what comes 00:10:35.889 --> 00:10:40.830 out of the advice. A plan. It means that God 00:10:40.830 --> 00:10:43.990 is mighty in His design. God has taken counsel 00:10:43.990 --> 00:10:49.470 with Himself. Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And 00:10:49.470 --> 00:10:52.600 out of that counsel they have as the Trinity, 00:10:52.700 --> 00:11:00.019 God has devised the plan, the purpose. God's 00:11:00.019 --> 00:11:07.200 purpose, theologians call his decree, not degree, 00:11:07.539 --> 00:11:12.740 but decree, D -E -C -R -E -E. You will see that 00:11:12.740 --> 00:11:15.759 term used here and there if you read the books 00:11:15.759 --> 00:11:20.379 regarding theology or the Bible. The decree of 00:11:20.379 --> 00:11:27.779 God. It refers to God's purpose that governs 00:11:27.779 --> 00:11:33.279 everything. The Westminster Shorter Confession 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:37.039 states it this way very succinctly, the decrees 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:42.960 of God are his eternal purpose according to the 00:11:42.960 --> 00:11:46.519 counsel of his will whereby for his own glory, 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:53.419 here's the key phrase, He has foreordained whatsoever 00:11:53.419 --> 00:12:02.100 comes to pass. The purpose of God. Jeremiah is 00:12:02.100 --> 00:12:07.720 expressing in his prayer faith that God is directing 00:12:07.720 --> 00:12:11.200 the history of Judah. That's where he's living, 00:12:11.279 --> 00:12:14.139 remember, and right now as he's... He's offering 00:12:14.139 --> 00:12:16.840 up this prayer. The Babylonians have surrounded 00:12:16.840 --> 00:12:19.100 the capital city of Jerusalem. The rest of the 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:23.700 land is gone. It's under their control. Their 00:12:23.700 --> 00:12:27.019 vast army has surrounded the city of Jerusalem. 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:30.299 They are beginning to build siege mounts up against 00:12:30.299 --> 00:12:33.700 the walls, and eventually will take the city. 00:12:34.840 --> 00:12:38.139 God has already told Jeremiah this, and he has 00:12:38.139 --> 00:12:40.159 told the people. They didn't like it very well, 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:44.220 but he's told them. Now in the midst of this 00:12:44.220 --> 00:12:47.620 pressure and this anxiety, if you want to put 00:12:47.620 --> 00:12:51.620 it that way, Jeremiah is praying and he calls 00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:55.299 God great in his purpose. He is reminding himself 00:12:55.299 --> 00:12:59.679 in his prayer that God has already established 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:06.679 the track on which the wheels of history must 00:13:06.679 --> 00:13:13.039 turn. God's already laid out the road. And history 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:19.899 will move in that direction. And yet, when God 00:13:19.899 --> 00:13:24.279 does this, it is important to understand that 00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:30.519 He is never removing responsibility from man 00:13:30.519 --> 00:13:35.179 for his decisions. You see, if you took that 00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:38.139 point to the extreme, that God has already charted 00:13:38.139 --> 00:13:41.639 the course for history. You might go to the point 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:45.820 of saying, well that means then that God has 00:13:45.820 --> 00:13:53.299 authored sin. And it does not mean that. God 00:13:53.299 --> 00:13:57.419 is not the author of sin. Man is still responsible 00:13:57.419 --> 00:14:02.080 for his choices. But that doesn't mean that God 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:06.940 is the victim of what man chooses. Now, this 00:14:06.940 --> 00:14:09.779 presents a certain difficulty. to our minds. 00:14:10.120 --> 00:14:13.039 We don't fully understand how these two lines 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:16.100 of truth come together. It's called an antinomy. 00:14:16.379 --> 00:14:18.639 That is, an apparent contradiction. It's not 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:22.860 really, but it seems so in our minds. How is 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:25.080 it that God has decreed everything that's going 00:14:25.080 --> 00:14:27.960 to happen and yet man is held responsible for 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:32.120 his moral choices? In response to that, there 00:14:32.120 --> 00:14:34.929 are some theologians who have called themselves 00:14:34.929 --> 00:14:37.669 evangelicals, who are creating a new idea about 00:14:37.669 --> 00:14:43.649 God is very dangerous. Clark Pinnock is an example 00:14:43.649 --> 00:14:45.549 of that, who in the past has written some very 00:14:45.549 --> 00:14:49.590 fine books, but now has turned toward a kind 00:14:49.590 --> 00:14:52.730 of theology that is off base, it's not biblical. 00:14:53.750 --> 00:14:55.690 There's a book that he has co -authored with 00:14:55.690 --> 00:15:00.899 some others called The Openness of God. Which 00:15:00.899 --> 00:15:04.200 says no in fact God really isn't sovereign after 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:09.720 all and God doesn't know What an individual is 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:11.500 going to choose whether he would choose right 00:15:11.500 --> 00:15:15.000 or wrong and then God has to To direct things 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:17.980 after that person has made his choice. God doesn't 00:15:17.980 --> 00:15:21.500 know what he's going to do in advance And God 00:15:21.500 --> 00:15:28.960 is not all -powerful God is not sovereign And 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:32.000 that is not biblical theology, I'm sorry to say. 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:36.299 And so there are some great minds who have been 00:15:36.299 --> 00:15:40.360 in the mainstream of evangelicalism who, because 00:15:40.360 --> 00:15:43.179 of this apparent contradiction, have gone aside 00:15:43.179 --> 00:15:48.340 to false teaching. Now we have to confess our 00:15:48.340 --> 00:15:51.039 humility before this whole idea. We don't understand 00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:54.539 it fully. But the Bible presents both truths 00:15:54.539 --> 00:15:59.009 side by side. God is absolutely sovereign and 00:15:59.009 --> 00:16:01.549 he has determined exactly what's going to happen 00:16:01.549 --> 00:16:05.850 in history. But in doing that, he has also left 00:16:05.850 --> 00:16:08.649 man with a responsibility for his own choices. 00:16:11.110 --> 00:16:16.269 We see this illustrated in a writing of a contemporary 00:16:16.269 --> 00:16:22.950 of Jeremiah. His name is Habakkuk. But I'd like 00:16:22.950 --> 00:16:25.210 you to turn there. It's one of the minor prophets 00:16:25.210 --> 00:16:30.289 in the Old Testament. Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk. 00:16:33.789 --> 00:16:36.629 Now just to save myself some time, I wrote down 00:16:36.629 --> 00:16:38.750 the page number so if you have a Ryrie study 00:16:38.750 --> 00:16:42.549 Bible, it's 1 ,398. Otherwise, you're on your 00:16:42.549 --> 00:16:48.269 own. In this book of Habakkuk. Now, Habakkuk, 00:16:48.269 --> 00:16:50.330 as I said, is a contemporary of Jeremiah. They're 00:16:50.330 --> 00:16:52.490 living at the same time, the same situation. 00:16:52.549 --> 00:16:56.070 The Babylonians are threatening. He calls them 00:16:56.070 --> 00:16:59.950 the Chaldeans. They went by both names. Now look 00:16:59.950 --> 00:17:04.470 in verse 6. God is speaking now through Habakkuk, 00:17:04.869 --> 00:17:09.650 Jeremiah's friend. And he says, behold, I am 00:17:09.650 --> 00:17:12.710 raising up the Chaldeans. That's the Babylonians, 00:17:12.730 --> 00:17:15.980 the same... evil people who were at the gates 00:17:15.980 --> 00:17:19.420 of Jerusalem, that fierce and impetuous people 00:17:19.420 --> 00:17:22.119 who marched throughout the earth to seize dwelling 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:26.180 places which are not theirs. They had fearsome 00:17:26.180 --> 00:17:29.900 armies, these Babylonians. There were worse ones 00:17:29.900 --> 00:17:33.599 after them, but they were the fiercest army known 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:37.119 in human history up to that point. And notice 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:42.960 what God says, I am raising up the Chaldeans. 00:17:43.630 --> 00:17:47.069 They did not appear by accident in human history. 00:17:47.829 --> 00:17:50.130 They didn't come onto the stage just stumbling 00:17:50.130 --> 00:17:56.269 in. God says, I have raised them up because God 00:17:56.269 --> 00:18:00.289 had a purpose for them. And among their purposes 00:18:00.289 --> 00:18:05.990 was the destruction and the captivity of Jerusalem 00:18:05.990 --> 00:18:09.349 and Judah because of its sin. God's own people. 00:18:10.369 --> 00:18:13.029 Remember last week we said God disciplines nations. 00:18:13.930 --> 00:18:19.849 by other nations That's one way he does it But 00:18:19.849 --> 00:18:22.769 now having said that God is the one who is doing 00:18:22.769 --> 00:18:26.930 this look down in verse 11 He explains in these 00:18:26.930 --> 00:18:29.109 intervening verses what they're going to do with 00:18:29.109 --> 00:18:31.130 their horses and so on and how they will come 00:18:31.130 --> 00:18:35.369 in and and take them take the Israelites but 00:18:35.369 --> 00:18:38.490 verse 11 says then they will sweep through like 00:18:38.490 --> 00:18:47.359 the wind and pass on but They will be held guilty. 00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:54.619 Those whose strength is their God. You see what 00:18:54.619 --> 00:18:58.240 I'm saying here? In verse 6, God says, I am raising 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:00.819 them up and they are going to discipline my people 00:19:00.819 --> 00:19:05.180 because of their disobedience to me. But God 00:19:05.180 --> 00:19:08.140 says they are responsible for what they're doing 00:19:08.140 --> 00:19:14.019 and I will hold them guilty. Jeremiah said similar 00:19:14.019 --> 00:19:16.180 things about a number of other nations as well 00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:19.160 as the Babylonians. Do you see that illustration? 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:26.119 Peter says the same thing really in Acts chapter 00:19:26.119 --> 00:19:30.819 2 when he talks on the day of Pentecost to the 00:19:30.819 --> 00:19:33.759 people there gathered at the temple among them 00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:39.630 those who had crucified Christ. And he speaks 00:19:39.630 --> 00:19:42.069 about the fact that Christ was delivered up by 00:19:42.069 --> 00:19:44.890 the predeterminate counsel and the foreknowledge 00:19:44.890 --> 00:19:48.750 of God. He says, this didn't happen by accident. 00:19:48.890 --> 00:19:52.210 God had determined ahead of time what would happen 00:19:52.210 --> 00:19:55.569 to Jesus. But then he turns to these people and 00:19:55.569 --> 00:19:58.849 says, whom you by your wicked hands have slain. 00:19:59.210 --> 00:20:01.609 And he goes on to indict them because of their 00:20:01.609 --> 00:20:04.789 crime against Christ. You see, God had determined 00:20:04.789 --> 00:20:07.339 what would happen. but they were responsible 00:20:07.339 --> 00:20:10.380 for the choice they made to reject Him and to 00:20:10.380 --> 00:20:15.539 crucify Him. See my point? When we talk about 00:20:15.539 --> 00:20:19.859 a definition of God's mighty purpose, it means 00:20:19.859 --> 00:20:24.359 that God has in His sovereignty declared ahead 00:20:24.359 --> 00:20:28.299 of time where everything is going. But along 00:20:28.299 --> 00:20:32.660 the way, each of us is held responsible to God 00:20:32.660 --> 00:20:36.910 for the choices that we make. God is not responsible 00:20:36.910 --> 00:20:42.569 for our sins. Now, I want you to turn to Ephesians 00:20:42.569 --> 00:20:44.910 chapter 1, which is a second part of our text, 00:20:44.990 --> 00:20:48.150 because it elaborates a bit upon God's purpose. 00:20:48.190 --> 00:20:51.150 I want to talk about its character. And in doing 00:20:51.150 --> 00:20:54.049 this, I'm just going to go very quickly through 00:20:54.049 --> 00:20:58.609 several statements describing God's decree, God's 00:20:58.609 --> 00:21:03.650 purpose. First of all, it's a single plan. I 00:21:03.650 --> 00:21:05.609 think the best way to understand it is not that 00:21:05.609 --> 00:21:08.910 God has many different purposes, although that's 00:21:08.910 --> 00:21:13.950 true on level B, the sub -level, but level A 00:21:13.950 --> 00:21:18.430 is that there is one overarching purpose of God. 00:21:20.529 --> 00:21:25.390 He says here in verse 11, according to the purpose, 00:21:26.329 --> 00:21:29.230 according to His purpose who works all things 00:21:29.230 --> 00:21:33.359 after the counsel of His will. Notice those words, 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:38.319 by the way. We see predestined, verse 11, purpose, 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:45.779 counsel, will. Each of those words has a different 00:21:45.779 --> 00:21:47.779 shade of meaning, but all of them are talking 00:21:47.779 --> 00:21:49.680 about the same thing that we're talking about 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:53.359 this morning, that God has sovereignly determined 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:55.720 the things that are going to take place, not 00:21:55.720 --> 00:21:59.980 only in history, but in your life and mine. He's 00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:05.099 already determined it. And He works all things 00:22:05.099 --> 00:22:11.200 in the direction of the purpose, the counsel 00:22:11.200 --> 00:22:19.400 of His will. We know that all things work together 00:22:19.400 --> 00:22:22.480 for good to them that love God, to them who are 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:32.309 the called according to His purpose. I don't 00:22:32.309 --> 00:22:34.549 care what happens to you. I don't care how small 00:22:34.549 --> 00:22:38.490 the incident or how life -changing it may be. 00:22:39.509 --> 00:22:45.730 Your life is ordered by a sovereign God. And 00:22:45.730 --> 00:22:47.789 the fact that it's raining today is not because 00:22:47.789 --> 00:22:52.230 Paul was not a good meteorologist. It's because 00:22:52.230 --> 00:22:56.730 God wanted it to rain today. Now, don't tell 00:22:56.730 --> 00:22:58.670 him I said that. He's not sitting here right 00:22:58.670 --> 00:23:01.079 now. Because I want to give them a hard time 00:23:01.079 --> 00:23:03.920 in the next service again, but that's the truth 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:08.400 If you have a flat tire going home from church 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:11.640 today get out of your car and say praise God 00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:19.339 He's working out his purpose in my life That 00:23:19.339 --> 00:23:21.039 seems a little silly doesn't it but I'm telling 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:25.700 you everything that happens to you comes to you 00:23:25.700 --> 00:23:30.490 through sovereign hands God is mighty in His 00:23:30.490 --> 00:23:35.549 purpose. And every little piece of it all relates 00:23:35.549 --> 00:23:39.509 to God's overarching purpose. The first statement 00:23:39.509 --> 00:23:44.029 is, it's a single plan. Number two, this plan 00:23:44.029 --> 00:23:49.650 was formed in eternity past. Before the universe 00:23:49.650 --> 00:23:54.130 even existed, God put this all together. He knew 00:23:54.130 --> 00:23:58.420 you. He ordered your life. He knew the moment 00:23:58.420 --> 00:24:00.200 you were going to be born. He knows the moment 00:24:00.200 --> 00:24:10.900 you're going to die. Before He even spoke the 00:24:10.900 --> 00:24:15.460 world into existence, He determined to save you 00:24:15.460 --> 00:24:17.720 if you're a child of God. That's what it says 00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:24.059 in verse 4. He chose you in Christ before the 00:24:24.059 --> 00:24:27.690 world was even created. He knew you and chose 00:24:27.690 --> 00:24:36.730 you. You say, well did God choose the fall of 00:24:36.730 --> 00:24:42.250 Adam? God made provision in His purpose for the 00:24:42.250 --> 00:24:46.910 fall of Adam. That doesn't mean that God's responsible 00:24:46.910 --> 00:24:51.089 for Adam's sin. Adam is responsible for it. Now 00:24:51.089 --> 00:24:55.859 we get back to that mystery, that intenamy. But 00:24:55.859 --> 00:24:58.779 God made provision for what he knew Adam would 00:24:58.779 --> 00:25:03.339 do. God knew Adam would fall. Just as God knows 00:25:03.339 --> 00:25:06.539 that if you had been in Adam's shoes, you would 00:25:06.539 --> 00:25:14.759 have done the very same thing Adam did. God made 00:25:14.759 --> 00:25:18.220 provision for the fall in his purpose before 00:25:18.220 --> 00:25:22.119 he even created the world. He made provision 00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:27.119 before he created the world for the Son of the 00:25:27.119 --> 00:25:31.440 Trinity to come into the world as a human being 00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:37.940 and to die as a sacrifice because of the sin 00:25:37.940 --> 00:25:42.420 of the Adam who had not yet been created so that 00:25:42.420 --> 00:25:44.500 that child of Adam who's sitting in Grace Church, 00:25:44.500 --> 00:25:48.259 Roseville today could be saved from his sin. 00:25:51.750 --> 00:25:54.109 Before God created the world, all of this was 00:25:54.109 --> 00:25:57.089 already established, and then God carried it 00:25:57.089 --> 00:25:59.750 out. God's decree, His purpose, included the 00:25:59.750 --> 00:26:01.549 creation and the maintenance of the universe, 00:26:02.490 --> 00:26:05.349 the appointment of times and boundaries for the 00:26:05.349 --> 00:26:09.430 world's nations, the length of human life, the 00:26:09.430 --> 00:26:12.789 manner of our death. God's decree includes the 00:26:12.789 --> 00:26:15.890 family and marriage, the propagation of children, 00:26:16.589 --> 00:26:18.970 human government, the choice of Israel and her 00:26:18.970 --> 00:26:21.599 future blessings. the creation of the church, 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:24.160 which unites Jew and Gentile in one body, all 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:29.980 of this. And God's ultimate purpose in verse 00:26:29.980 --> 00:26:34.880 10 is defined as the summing up of all things 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:38.240 in Christ. In other words, all of these events 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:41.839 take place in human history. And just as though 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:45.319 we were doing our arithmetic this morning, God 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:48.920 says I'm drawing the line. I'm going to add up 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:51.700 everything and it's all going to add up to Jesus 00:26:51.700 --> 00:26:54.960 Christ. I'm going to sum up everything in him. 00:26:58.140 --> 00:27:00.640 Another way to look at it is that all these events 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:02.640 are gathered together and everything is going 00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:06.759 to be under the lordship of Jesus Christ. He 00:27:06.759 --> 00:27:10.259 says whether those things be on earth, visible 00:27:10.259 --> 00:27:14.940 things, or whether they be in the heavens, the 00:27:14.940 --> 00:27:21.410 invisible to us. angels, demons, the invisible 00:27:21.410 --> 00:27:24.990 things we can't see. He says everything is going 00:27:24.990 --> 00:27:27.930 to be under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Everything 00:27:27.930 --> 00:27:36.009 is heading toward Jesus Christ's kingdom, for 00:27:36.009 --> 00:27:40.569 He will rule over the entire universe, which 00:27:40.569 --> 00:27:46.599 will be in submission to Him. Now the third statement 00:27:46.599 --> 00:27:48.579 I want to make about God's purpose is that it 00:27:48.579 --> 00:27:51.400 is mysterious. As I've said, there are aspects 00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:53.640 of it that we cannot reconcile in our minds. 00:27:53.700 --> 00:27:57.839 We can't begin to comprehend it. But just because 00:27:57.839 --> 00:28:01.619 we can't understand it, we dare not deny it or 00:28:01.619 --> 00:28:04.460 try to explain it away as some of these theologians 00:28:04.460 --> 00:28:11.920 are doing. If we could get our little pea -sized 00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:14.539 brains around what God is doing, it would mean 00:28:14.539 --> 00:28:18.359 we're bigger than God. So it should surprise 00:28:18.359 --> 00:28:21.119 none of us that God is doing things that we can't 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:23.380 understand. If we could understand it, then we 00:28:23.380 --> 00:28:28.859 would have created God. But He's the Creator, 00:28:30.299 --> 00:28:34.200 and He's good enough to let us in on some of 00:28:34.200 --> 00:28:36.680 the things He's doing, even though we can't possibly 00:28:36.680 --> 00:28:40.899 begin to understand what they all mean. Number 00:28:40.899 --> 00:28:44.819 four, God's plan is all wise. That's because 00:28:44.819 --> 00:28:49.039 the God who has decreed it is all wise. In Romans 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:56.119 9, 10, and 11, Paul presents to us part of God's 00:28:56.119 --> 00:28:59.559 purpose related to Israel and the church. And 00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:02.900 when he's done explaining this to us, revealing 00:29:02.900 --> 00:29:06.380 it to us by the Spirit of God, he concludes by 00:29:06.380 --> 00:29:10.099 praising the wisdom. and the knowledge of God. 00:29:10.420 --> 00:29:19.380 Who can fathom, He says, what God is doing? It's 00:29:19.380 --> 00:29:22.920 all wise. Number five, it's free. What I mean 00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:24.960 by that is not that it doesn't cost anything. 00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:30.039 What I mean is that God does exactly what pleases 00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:36.230 Him. It's free. God has counseled with no one 00:29:36.230 --> 00:29:38.970 else. He didn't consult a psychologist to find 00:29:38.970 --> 00:29:42.150 out what he ought to do. He didn't write Dear 00:29:42.150 --> 00:29:45.750 Abby and get her advice, or you or me either. 00:29:48.029 --> 00:29:50.349 God has determined what he's going to do and 00:29:50.349 --> 00:29:53.210 he has consulted no one except himself in doing 00:29:53.210 --> 00:29:57.630 it. He is independent of everything and everyone 00:29:57.630 --> 00:30:04.279 else. That's why he's holy. He's above and beyond 00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:07.519 everything and that's why Isaiah cried out, woe 00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:09.900 is me when he saw the holiness of God. He saw 00:30:09.900 --> 00:30:16.980 how different God is than we are. He does not 00:30:16.980 --> 00:30:23.900 adjust his plan according to human events, but 00:30:23.900 --> 00:30:27.400 human events rather follow in the course that 00:30:27.400 --> 00:30:37.650 he has ordered. Number six, we understand God's 00:30:37.650 --> 00:30:43.750 purpose conveniently as having two aspects. God's 00:30:43.750 --> 00:30:46.690 decreed will, His directive will, and God's permissive 00:30:46.690 --> 00:30:51.549 will. God's directive will is what He has ordered. 00:30:51.869 --> 00:30:55.190 God's permissive will is what He allows to, He 00:30:55.190 --> 00:31:01.450 brings to pass through secondary causes. And 00:31:01.450 --> 00:31:07.890 finally, God's purpose is all for His own glory. 00:31:08.230 --> 00:31:10.150 That's the seventh statement I want to make. 00:31:11.349 --> 00:31:14.109 Here in Ephesians chapter 1, you see the phrase 00:31:14.109 --> 00:31:16.769 a number of times, to the praise of His glory, 00:31:17.769 --> 00:31:21.470 to the praise of the glory of His grace, to the 00:31:21.470 --> 00:31:24.750 praise of His glory. That, my friend, is the 00:31:24.750 --> 00:31:30.069 reason that we're here. That's the reason we've 00:31:30.069 --> 00:31:37.990 been saved. Did you know that? We in this culture 00:31:37.990 --> 00:31:43.809 that is so concerned about self -esteem have 00:31:43.809 --> 00:31:47.230 begun to see salvation as something that God 00:31:47.230 --> 00:31:52.269 did for our benefit. And we're the center of 00:31:52.269 --> 00:31:56.650 it. Well, my friend, it is to our benefit. Praise 00:31:56.650 --> 00:31:59.329 God for that. But let me tell you something. 00:31:59.329 --> 00:32:04.700 He is the center of it. It is all for the glory 00:32:04.700 --> 00:32:09.640 of God, not man's glory. The focus of salvation 00:32:09.640 --> 00:32:16.460 is not man, it's God. And when God saves us, 00:32:16.500 --> 00:32:20.500 we bring Him the glory for what He's done. Now 00:32:20.500 --> 00:32:22.359 I began by saying that if you could get a hold 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:24.079 of what I'm talking about this morning and make 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:26.279 a difference in your life, and I used five words 00:32:26.279 --> 00:32:29.099 to describe the difference. Let me explain how 00:32:29.099 --> 00:32:32.710 it works. I said it would bring wonder to your 00:32:32.710 --> 00:32:36.269 life. If you could see how mighty God is in His 00:32:36.269 --> 00:32:40.390 purpose. Here's why I say that. Because it brings 00:32:40.390 --> 00:32:43.970 into focus the centrality of God and His glory. 00:32:45.490 --> 00:32:48.470 And it reminds us that even our choice of salvation 00:32:48.470 --> 00:32:53.529 was settled before eternity passed. And we just 00:32:53.529 --> 00:32:56.630 have to wonder at this and be in awe of it. We 00:32:56.630 --> 00:33:01.480 sing that chorus, our God is in what? Awesome. 00:33:03.240 --> 00:33:05.720 And that word is kind of a slang word these days. 00:33:06.420 --> 00:33:08.339 It's too bad because that word really ought to 00:33:08.339 --> 00:33:14.720 be reserved for God. We are struck with awe at 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:21.180 what God is doing. It will fill our lives, secondly, 00:33:21.259 --> 00:33:24.980 with humility. Why? Because it abases our pride 00:33:24.980 --> 00:33:28.579 and our tendency to think of ourselves as able 00:33:28.579 --> 00:33:37.049 to run our own lives. We're not. We're not. And 00:33:37.049 --> 00:33:39.450 when we try to do it, we're going to turn the 00:33:39.450 --> 00:33:42.269 ship of our lives into the stream against the 00:33:42.269 --> 00:33:45.349 flow of God's purpose, and we will head to the 00:33:45.349 --> 00:33:50.230 rocks. So how much better to get out into the 00:33:50.230 --> 00:33:53.150 flow of things and steer our ship in the direction 00:33:53.150 --> 00:33:58.029 that God is heading everything? Thirdly, it will 00:33:58.029 --> 00:34:01.460 bring peace to your life because When we observe 00:34:01.460 --> 00:34:03.980 the tumultuous events in our world and our own 00:34:03.980 --> 00:34:07.579 lives for that matter, we can know that God is 00:34:07.579 --> 00:34:12.179 governing all things. God is governing. If the 00:34:12.179 --> 00:34:14.719 Babylonians knock down the walls and enter into 00:34:14.719 --> 00:34:17.840 the city and destroy it and take captives away, 00:34:17.900 --> 00:34:24.099 we still know that God is in control. And if 00:34:24.099 --> 00:34:27.030 the walls of your life fall down flat and and 00:34:27.030 --> 00:34:30.030 you're carried away captive as it were by circumstances 00:34:30.030 --> 00:34:33.449 you can't control. Listen, God's in control. 00:34:34.710 --> 00:34:37.170 Therefore you can be at peace deep in your heart 00:34:37.170 --> 00:34:39.469 even though outwardly your life may be filled 00:34:39.469 --> 00:34:42.530 with turmoil because of what we're talking about 00:34:42.530 --> 00:34:46.449 today. I said it would bring you joy and I say 00:34:46.449 --> 00:34:48.710 that because this all -wise and all -powerful 00:34:48.710 --> 00:34:56.170 ruler who is mighty in purpose is our Heavenly 00:34:56.170 --> 00:35:02.070 Father and our friends who loves us and who is 00:35:02.070 --> 00:35:06.409 for us and not against us. That's why we can 00:35:06.409 --> 00:35:12.050 have joy. And I said you could have contentment. 00:35:12.110 --> 00:35:15.150 And I say that because God will care for you 00:35:15.150 --> 00:35:18.489 and satisfy you with what He knows is for your 00:35:18.489 --> 00:35:22.889 good and for His glory. So you can be content 00:35:22.889 --> 00:35:26.369 in life. if you understand that God is mighty 00:35:26.369 --> 00:35:29.050 in purpose. And so you and I are left with a 00:35:29.050 --> 00:35:33.630 choice to make at the end. To accept what the 00:35:33.630 --> 00:35:36.789 Bible says and to adjust our philosophy of life 00:35:36.789 --> 00:35:39.690 according to what the Bible says about God or 00:35:39.690 --> 00:35:43.710 to live in the misery and the ruin of the ideas 00:35:43.710 --> 00:35:51.010 of our current culture. And when we understand 00:35:51.010 --> 00:35:53.610 what the Bible says about God, we can then choose 00:35:53.610 --> 00:35:58.170 to turn our lives in the direction that God is 00:35:58.170 --> 00:36:03.090 moving. And that's what I want to ask you to 00:36:03.090 --> 00:36:06.289 do this morning. You say, well, I'm going to 00:36:06.289 --> 00:36:08.329 go the other way. Well, my friend, you can do 00:36:08.329 --> 00:36:12.550 that. God gives you that freedom. You are also 00:36:12.550 --> 00:36:15.630 responsible for that choice. And He's appointed 00:36:15.630 --> 00:36:17.730 the day of judgment when He will deal with you. 00:36:21.880 --> 00:36:25.940 Or, by His grace, you can make the decision to 00:36:25.940 --> 00:36:27.639 say, yes, I'm going to turn in the direction 00:36:27.639 --> 00:36:32.500 God wants me to go in. And when you do that, 00:36:34.599 --> 00:36:37.440 you will know blessing in life. You will know 00:36:37.440 --> 00:36:40.420 these qualities we just talked about. And when 00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:42.699 life comes to an end, you'll enter into the presence 00:36:42.699 --> 00:36:46.679 of the Lord and be rewarded, welcomed by your 00:36:46.679 --> 00:36:51.610 Father. Will you do that this morning? Will you 00:36:51.610 --> 00:36:54.349 submit to Christ's Lordship? You say, well, I'm 00:36:54.349 --> 00:36:56.349 not sure what God's wanting for me. I'm not sure 00:36:56.349 --> 00:36:59.889 what direction He's heading. Well, we all have 00:36:59.889 --> 00:37:04.489 big question marks in our lives, don't we? Well, 00:37:04.489 --> 00:37:08.510 we have a Lord who sees right through the question 00:37:08.510 --> 00:37:10.369 marks that we have, and He knows where things 00:37:10.369 --> 00:37:12.989 are heading. So we can say in advance, Lord, 00:37:13.769 --> 00:37:22.210 I don't know that I'm trusting You. That's important 00:37:22.210 --> 00:37:26.769 for some of you here this morning to read. Because 00:37:26.769 --> 00:37:31.750 your lives have been heading toward danger. And 00:37:31.750 --> 00:37:35.309 that ship is moving toward the rocks. And it's 00:37:35.309 --> 00:37:38.889 time to adjust the rudder. And to bring yourself 00:37:38.889 --> 00:37:41.190 in the direction of what God wants in your life. 00:37:42.510 --> 00:37:47.900 Let's bow together in prayer. Almighty God, we 00:37:47.900 --> 00:37:51.820 worship you today as the one who is mighty in 00:37:51.820 --> 00:37:57.739 purpose in your decree. And we have just touched 00:37:57.739 --> 00:38:01.079 on this vast topic that you have revealed to 00:38:01.079 --> 00:38:04.980 us in your Word. God, write it on our hearts. 00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:09.780 However difficult it may be for us to understand, 00:38:10.179 --> 00:38:12.679 write it on our hearts that we may believe it 00:38:12.679 --> 00:38:20.139 and live in the light of it. And may each of 00:38:20.139 --> 00:38:22.659 us be surrendered to your Lordship today for 00:38:22.659 --> 00:38:26.659 whatever that may mean for us. With our heads 00:38:26.659 --> 00:38:28.599 bowed and our eyes closed, I wonder if there's 00:38:28.599 --> 00:38:31.739 someone here who would say, Pastor, God has spoken 00:38:31.739 --> 00:38:33.940 to my heart this morning and I know that I need 00:38:33.940 --> 00:38:38.820 Christ as my Savior. I've been resisting what 00:38:38.820 --> 00:38:41.539 God has wanted to do in my life. I've known I've 00:38:41.539 --> 00:38:44.179 needed the Lord, but I've put it off. I've had 00:38:44.179 --> 00:38:49.800 excuse after excuse. Today, I want to trust Christ. 00:38:50.699 --> 00:38:52.480 Maybe you've been down to hear Billy Graham this 00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:53.960 week and you didn't go forward, you can make 00:38:53.960 --> 00:38:56.539 a decision there, but today you're ready to do 00:38:56.539 --> 00:39:00.639 it. I want to ask you just to lift your hand 00:39:00.639 --> 00:39:03.539 where you are and say by that lifted hand, just 00:39:03.539 --> 00:39:05.840 be saying from your heart, today I am receiving 00:39:05.840 --> 00:39:09.719 Christ as my Savior. Is there one here this morning? 00:39:13.340 --> 00:39:16.260 Is there one? God helped you to do the right 00:39:16.260 --> 00:39:20.679 thing. Is there a believer here today who's trusted 00:39:20.679 --> 00:39:22.780 Christ that your life has been moving in the 00:39:22.780 --> 00:39:24.599 wrong direction? And by your lifted hand you 00:39:24.599 --> 00:39:27.559 would say today I am freshly coming back to this 00:39:27.559 --> 00:39:31.159 point of Christ Worship. I don't want my life 00:39:31.159 --> 00:39:33.079 to be going in the wrong direction. I don't want 00:39:33.079 --> 00:39:36.119 to be going against what God has purposed. I 00:39:36.119 --> 00:39:39.420 want God's will in my life. And even though I 00:39:39.420 --> 00:39:42.099 may not understand it, by faith I am committing 00:39:42.099 --> 00:39:46.039 myself to it. And I'm submitting to Jesus Christ 00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:49.409 as Lord. Would you lift your hand? God bless 00:39:49.409 --> 00:39:53.349 you. Yes, thank you. God bless you. Anyone else? 00:39:55.050 --> 00:39:59.010 Yes. I don't know what that may mean for you. 00:39:59.050 --> 00:40:02.969 God knows you perhaps have an idea. But you're 00:40:02.969 --> 00:40:05.110 doing the right thing right now, making that 00:40:05.110 --> 00:40:09.449 commitment. Anyone else? Let's stand together, 00:40:09.530 --> 00:40:12.369 please. And with our heads bowed, I'd like for 00:40:12.369 --> 00:40:17.059 us to sing a chorus, Have Thine Own Way. Let's 00:40:17.059 --> 00:41:03.070 sing it from our hearts to the Lord. Lord, I 00:41:03.070 --> 00:41:10.030 pray that waiting yielded and still might be 00:41:10.030 --> 00:41:12.590 words describing the heart of each of us as we 00:41:12.590 --> 00:41:17.010 leave here this morning. And may we know that 00:41:17.010 --> 00:41:23.030 we rest in sovereign hands. And may the fruit 00:41:23.030 --> 00:41:30.170 of our lives be changed by that assurance. May 00:41:30.170 --> 00:41:34.349 your grace and peace be upon all of you in Jesus' 00:41:35.090 --> 00:41:36.050 name. Amen.