Sermon Notes for the third of our thankful series. Video HERE.

An English writer, once wrote a story about a janitor at St Peter’s Church in London. One day a young vicar discovered that the janitor was illiterate and fired him. Jobless, the man invested his meager savings in a tiny tobacco shop, where he prospered, bought another, expanded, and ended up with a chain of tobacco stores worth several hundred thousand dollars. One day the man’s banker said, “You’ve done well for an illiterate, but where would you be if you could read and write?” “Well,” replied the man, “I’d be janitor of St. Peter’s Church in Neville Square.” Bits and Pieces, June 24, 1993, p. 23.

Often times, bad things happen and we don’t know what to do with them or why they happened until later in life.

Jesus was clear, “In the world you will have tribulation.” John 16:33

Tribulation: affliction, distress, oppression 

John 15:18-John 16:33: Hated, murdered, sorrow for loss.

Encouragement: “Have peace, take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Today we’re going to explore the concept of God’s sovereignty, understanding the difference between God being in control and being controlling.

I. Understanding God’s Sovereignty

God’s sovereignty is His supreme authority and control over all things.

• Nothing happens without His allowing it, or making it.

Hear this!

God is a God in Control but not OF Control

When it comes to us as humans, His creation, HE is in control of our lives but He does not control our lives.

We will dive into that further a little later. 

We can trust His Sovereignty, His control.

God’s sovereignty as the foundation of our trust and hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

• For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

• This is part of a letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent to the Jewish exiles who had been deported to Babylon.
• The Babylonians had conquered the kingdom of Judah and destroyed Jerusalem in 587 BC. Many Jews were taken captive and exiled to Babylon.
• Jeremiah wrote this letter to the exiles around 597 BC, about 10 years after the first wave of Jews were deported.
• The exiles were living in a pagan land and surrounded by unfamiliar customs and false gods. They longed to return home.
• False prophets were telling the exiles they would be able to return to Judah very soon. Jeremiah contradicted this, saying the exile would last 70 years.
• Jeremiah encouraged the exiles to settle down in Babylon, build homes, plant gardens, marry, and seek the welfare of the city.
• In the midst of the difficulties of exile, Jeremiah wanted to give hope that God still had a future and purpose for His people.

Again, here we see in action, God’s control of the situation, He allowed it. But He did not control His people’s response to it.

He used Jeremiah to speak encouragement to them, but it was ultimately theei choice to receive the encouragement.

God was offering them hope in the situation that looked horribly dire.

Hope was slow in coming though, 70 years in the making.

II. Examples of God’s Sovereignty in the Bible

One of my favorite stories of God’s Sovereignty is that of Joseph.

Joseph’s Story

• Joseph’s Dreams: Joseph is 17 years old when he has his dreams (Genesis 37:1-11).
• Sold into Slavery: This event happens shortly after the dreams, so Joseph is still around 17 (Genesis 37:12-35)
• Purchased by Potiphar: This happens soon after Joseph is sold into slavery. (Genesis 37:36)
• Falsely Accused and Imprisoned: The Bible doesn’t specify how long Joseph served in Potiphar’s house before being imprisoned, but it implies he was there for a significant period, during which he gained trust and authority. It’s possible a few years passed, but the exact time is not specified. (Genesis 39:1-20)
• Interprets Prisoners’ Dreams: Joseph spends an unspecified amount of time in prison before interpreting the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker. This could add several more years to his age. (Genesis 39:21- Genesis 40)
• Interpreting Pharaoh’s Dreams: Joseph is 30 years old when he stands before Pharaoh. This is when he interprets Pharaoh’s dreams and proposes the plan for the grain. (Genesis 41:1-36)
• Second-in-Command in Egypt: This happens immediately after he interprets Pharaoh’s dreams, so he is still 30. (Genesis 41:37-57)
• Brothers Come to Egypt: The seven years of plenty are followed by two years of famine before Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt. This would make Joseph approximately 39 years old at this time. (Genesis 42-45)
• Joseph Reveals His Identity: This occurs during the same visit, so Joseph is still around 39. (Genesis 45)
• Family Moves to Egypt: This happens shortly after Joseph reveals his identity, so he is still around 39. (Genesis 46)
• Joseph Reflects on God’s Providence: This reflection likely happens towards the end of the narrative, but no specific age is mentioned.
  • Genesis 50:19–20 (ESV)
  • But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

You think Joseph would have questioned Jeremiah’s words if he were to have known them prior to the events of his life?

Have you questioned God’s plans for your life? 

If you were in control, how would you be different?

Have you suffered in this life?

“Suffering gets our attention; it forces us to look to God, when otherwise we would just as well ignored Him.”

Many of us desire to end our suffering, and maybe even the suffering of others.

“I just want to be normal.”

What if your current suffering is part of God’s plan of hope for you, or someone you love?

Would you be thankful?

III. Embracing God’s Sovereignty with Thankfulness

Remember 

God is a God in Control but not OF Control

He controls the situation but not our response to it. 

Illustration of Our Control

A man found a cocoon of the emperor moth and took it home to watch it emerge. One day a small opening appeared, and for several hours the moth struggled but couldn’t seem to force its body past a certain point.

Deciding something was wrong, the man took scissors and snipped the remaining bit of cocoon. The moth emerged easily, its body large and swollen, the wings small and shriveled.

He expected that in a few hours the wings would spread out in their natural beauty, but they did not. Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the moth spent its life dragging around a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to pass through the tiny opening are God’s way of forcing fluid from the body into the wings. The “merciful” snip was, in reality, cruel. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need.

We have to relinquish our desire for control and instead embrace God’s perfect plan.

Often it is the struggle of life that helps us to value it.

Steven Hawking once said, after receiving his ALS diagnosis and at first had that initial shock, became extremely positive in his acceptance of the illness that would likely take his life in the next two years, saying:

“When one’s expectations are reduced to zero,” he said, “one really appreciates everything that one does have.” 

Stated another way: contentment in life is determined in part by what a person anticipates from it. To a man like Hawking who thought he would soon die quickly, everything takes on meaning–a sunrise or a walk in a park or the laughter of children. Suddenly, each small pleasure becomes precious. By contrast, those who believe life owes them a free ride are often discontent with its finest gifts. James Dobson, New Man, October, 1994, p. 36.

Knowing that God is sovereignly in control of our circumstances, helps us to accept the hard parts of life.

We can trust that He has a plan and purpose for our struggle.

IV. Trusting in God’s Sovereignty

Romans 8:28 (ESV): “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

The Apostle Paul is another example that we can learn from.

Written from Prison:

• “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” (Philippians 1:12)
• “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” (Philippians 1:29)
• “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)
• “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)
• “And we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

Can we trust God?

Isaiah 46:9-10

• “Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.‘”

Conclusion:

We can trust the Lord with all of our lives on this earth.

• Suffering
• Trials
• Tribulations

But I want you to remember:

God is a God in Control but not OF Control

He doesn’t force you to accept His plan or His outcomes.

It is up to you to trust Him. This includes trusting Him in this life and for the next.

Have you trusted Him with your eternity? 

He has allowed you to hear the message today, but He is not forcing your response to it.

Salvation is a gift He offers to us, but it is up to us to receive it.

This is why we should be thankful for the Gift of His Sovereignty.

His Sovereignty brought you here, but the response is up to you.

Will you receive His Gift of salvation?