Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast. to think if God's in control, why did that take place?
Anybody else feel like I do? The sovereignty of God, it's a complicated subject, it's a confusing subject, it's a comforting subject, it's all of the above. And I want to begin along these lines in verse 1 of Isaiah chapter 45. The Bible says this, a man that we don't talk a lot about. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus. Now what is interesting, Cyrus in the chapter before had been nominated, this wasn't a preacher.
Cyrus, he was a king, he was a leader, he was a businessman. And God had anointed him, notice this, to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden to subdue nations before him and I will loose the loins of kings to open before him the two levied gates and the gates shall not be shut. I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight.
I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut and sunder the bars of iron. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I the Lord which call thee by name am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant's sake and Israel mine elect I have even called thee by thy name. I have surnamed thee though thou hast not known me. Listen to this, I am the Lord, there is none else, there is no God beside me. I girded thee though thou hast not known me. That they may know from the rising of the sun and from the west rising of the sun where does the sun rise? It rises in the east and it sets in the so he's just saying as far as the east is from the west that there is none beside me, I am the Lord and there is none else.
Don't you love those verses? The sovereignty of God. I want to preach on this subject this morning for a few brief moments. Don't mess with the Maker.
Don't mess with the Maker. Lord we love you. Lord bless your word.
In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. What is interesting about this chapter, this man Cyrus, God called him, God anointed him, God put His hand on him. And what is interesting what we find here is that we are explained. This is how God calls an individual. This is how God then takes care of the individual. And this is what God claims to prove He has the power to do what He said He would do. In other words this, when God leads us to do something God takes care of us while we do it.
God clears the obstacles in order for us to do it. And when it's all said and done God's the only one that gets glory for it. That's the sovereignty of God. He chooses who He's going to use. He chooses what they're going to do. He controls what He allows. And He gets the glory for it.
I love it. In verse really one through four we see the great things that God would do for Cyrus. In verse five to seven we see the proof what God would give to Cyrus. In verse eight we find there's a prayer about Cyrus that God gives. And then verse nine and following it's how God would end up using Cyrus.
So you say what does this have to do with me preacher? I want you to notice first as these verses in verse one I want you to see first the call of God. God's call. Notice what He says Thus saith the Lord to His anointed to Cyrus. What we are told here is we're explaining the call of God. And this is the call of God folks. God anoints those He's going to use.
I'm here to tell you this morning that God has anointed you. You say well I'm not up there preaching you don't have to be to be anointed. Cyrus wasn't a preacher. He wasn't a full time pastor.
It wasn't any of the above. Look at me when God wants you to do something that's His call. That's His leading. And I want you to understand He's sovereign. He decides who He's going to call to do what. We all have a job. We all have a ministry. We all have a place in the family of God. We all have a responsibility and God wants us to do something. And He calls us to do it. Now God doesn't call everybody to be a pastor. Thank God our pastors wouldn't have anybody to preach to. But God calls us all to do something. We find here I want you to notice first that God supports those that become His man.
I love this. He says Cyrus I've anointed you. And notice what He says. He says whose right hand I have holden.
Or as we would use in our vernacular He says I've held your hand. I have supported you through this. When God calls you number one I want you to see this. God supports those that become His man. God doesn't call us and then leave us alone. God doesn't lead us to do something and then say well good luck doing it. God holds our hand the entire way. If you are willing to take God's call on your life to do something for God. God supports you the entire time. It would be mean of God to call and then leave us alone wouldn't it? Notice secondly God doesn't just support those that become His man.
Second God subdues those that oppose His plan. Notice Cyrus I've called you to do this. And notice what He says. I have holden your hand.
Notice this. To subdue nations before Him. He said you know what Cyrus not only am I going to support you but I am going to make sure that I bring into captivity everything and everybody that opposes you.
But look at me. When God leads you to do something it doesn't matter who or what's against you. If God wants you to do it and God's called you to do it He'll make sure it gets done.
He doesn't just support us through it. He subdues all those that oppose it. He said you know what this is what God said.
I love this. I'm going to subdue not a person not an individual not even a kingdom. God said this I will subdue the nations. In other words God says I'm asking you to do this Cyrus.
You're going to be He was anointed shepherd. God would bring redemption to Israel through this man. God would use him for that and He said this if I have to I'll take care of all the nations in order for you to be able to do this. You know there is nothing more powerful than the will of God. Notice this thirdly that God doesn't just support those that become His man. God doesn't just subdue those that oppose His plan. But notice third God surpasses obstacles when you take a stand. This is what God says. Notice look at verse 1. He said I'll subdue the nations before Him.
Listen to this. And I will lose the loins of kings to open before Him the two levied gates and the gates shall not be shut. This is what He says He would do. God says that I will literally I'll subdue nations. I will lose the loins of kings.
I will even open the gates that are closed. There is no obstacle God says that I cannot overcome. When you accept your calling and do what I've asked you to do I can't stop God.
Why? Because He's sovereign. The sovereignty of God.
You need to understand something. God has led you to do something. And it's of God. God will stop everything and everybody that opposes that in your life and God will overcome every obstacle that could possibly come in your way. Because if you're going to do something that God once done Satan is going to fight it but God is bigger than Satan. That's the sovereignty of God. We always talk about well the sovereignty of God is just when you're in trouble and you're having a hard time and that will encourage you. No the sovereignty of God is what calls you. The sovereignty of God is what takes care of the obstacles. The sovereignty of God is what supports you during the entire call.
The sovereignty of God is what overcomes obstacles. He's in charge. Number two I want you to see this. Let me say this if I could put it for the sake of time and I'm going to go ahead and say it. I wrote this down.
I want you to hear it. God says this in verse 1. God says I'll take care of the people in your way. He said I'll take care of the loins of kings. God says not only will I take care of the people in your way I will take care of the obstacles in your way. Notice verse 1. He said I'll open gates and I will literally control the kings. Kings represent people. Gates represent obstacles. God says I'll take care of the people and I'll take care of the obstacles.
Listen to this. That means it doesn't matter how powerful the people are or how insurmountable the obstacles are God can take care of it. That's the sovereignty of God. Second we see God's care. We see okay God called Cyrus now how's he going to take care of him?
Now he's asked Cyrus to do something that's really almost impossible now what's God going to do about this? Look at verse 2. I will go before thee God says and make the crooked places straight.
I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut and sunder the bars of iron. God's care. So God calls and now we see God's care.
Notice first under this and they all go together but you'll understand this. I want you to remember first God says I'll support those that become my man. God subdues those that oppose his plan. God passes obstacles when you take a stand. Notice here under God's care next God shields us from dangers ahead with his hand. God calls you and that's what he says. I will go before thee.
You always heard Brother Tim Lee talk about his accident how he stepped on the landmine there in Vietnam and what was he doing? He was going ahead of everyone else finding the danger. This is what God does. He goes ahead of us. We don't serve a God.
If you notice this and think about this. I used to coach basketball when I was here years ago for our school and I've played basketball and I've coached basketball at different times. Let me tell you something. When I was in high school I've told you that our coach sat over there with his little pot belly and his little whistle and made us run suicides and laps. He didn't do nothing. He burped every once in a while. That was about it. He blew his whistle and run this, run this suicide.
I don't know how many times we'd run by him and I thought give me that whistle. I'll show you. We'll see how you do. You'll want to commit suicide when I'm done with you coach. I would think all these things but we just kept doing all these things. So when I became a coach here I decided that when I coached and Brother Matt.
I know he doesn't even want to remember this. Brother Matt granted some of my team at that time. I decided I was going to run the laps with them. We did things. We would run up and down the bleachers and I would be in the front and they would run behind me. One day we started running through all the school classrooms.
I'm sure the teachers appreciated it. All the guys were following us running. I was just thinking of fun places to run. Needless to say we had the most out of shape basketball team you have ever seen in your life. Because I'd be like shoot around, shoot around. Why did I do that? And I didn't do it as much as I should have.
Why? Because I did not want to be the kind of coach that pushed his players. I wanted to be the kind of coach that led his players.
Now I didn't do so hot as a coach but I will tell you this. It's one thing to push people. It's another thing to lead them. God does not say hey I'll be behind you pushing you. God says I will go before thee.
Notice that's the kind of care God takes by the way. He goes before you. Notice secondly look at verse two.
He said I will go before thee. Notice I will make the crooked places straight. God shields us from dangers ahead with his hand. Next God straightens the crooked places that we don't understand. God says this I'm going to go before you and there's going to be some places that are really crooked and you know what you wouldn't understand it and you wouldn't get it if you came through it. So God says I'm just going to straighten that thing out for you. You know what often times now I want you to think about this.
Now think about it. He is going before here he's telling Cyrus. And he said I will make the crooked places straight.
Now let me ask you something. By the time he's going before and he makes the crooked places straight by the time Cyrus or anybody else that God has led and called as he's referring to in this passage by the time you get there what will the way look like? What that means is half the time you'll not even know that it ever was crooked. God goes before us he makes the crooked places straight and often times we don't even know he's done it. We get there it's just a straight path and we walk it we have no idea what God did to make that possible. Do you know how time we show up at Target or Walmart or wherever and we have no idea how many wrecks God saved us from while we got there. You know often times you and I never even saw the crooked places.
God just made them straight for us. Wow the sovereignty of God. God's so sovereign we don't know half the things He does. Number three in this passage I want you to see God shields us from dangers ahead with His hand God straightens the crooked places that we wouldn't understand. I love this I was looking for a third point because the Bible says that He makes the crooked places straight notice what it says He'll do. I love this look at verse 2 He says I will break in pieces the gates of brass and cut and sunder the bars of iron. He said I'll get you through the gate I'll take you out of jail. I thought this was great God says I'll make straight I'll break the gates and I couldn't think of a third one for cutting the iron bars.
If you think of something that rhymes with all that you let me know. God said I'll make things straight I'll break through the gates. He says I'll even cut down the bars of iron that literally keep you in jail. God said I'll take care of it all. I want you to notice thirdly look at verse 3 God gives us strength to continue when we don't think we can. Let me tell you about the sovereignty of God.
Let me tell you about the care that He gives. Look at verse 2 He said I'll go before you I'll make the crooked places straight I'll break in pieces the gates of brass I'll cut and sunder the bars of iron God says I'll go before you I'll make I'll look ahead for the dangers I'll make the crooked places straight before you even get there I'll make sure the gates are open by the time you arrive I'll cut down the bars and make sure they don't keep you enclosed but notice verse 3 He said I will give you also treasures of darkness. That means even though God goes ahead and even though God makes the crooked places straight and even though God breaks open the gates and knocks down the bars we still face darkness in our life. We still have some dark days.
There are still some difficult things we're going to face. God says even when that happens I'll give you treasures in that darkness. I'll never forget my mom and dad always claimed this verse with all the cancer things that my mom was going through and dying with cancer those were dark days, days that you sit and read your Bible and you're facing death and that's as down and low as you can get and I'll never forget mom would always use this verse and claim this verse that God would give treasures in darkness. God would end up ministering and showing things and encouraging and giving grace at times like that that nobody would probably understand and in the middle of darkness God brings treasure. That's the kind of care that a sovereign God gives us that even when things are dark and even when they're difficult He still brings treasures into our life. Notice this if you would it says hidden riches of secret places. Things you go through in life that nobody even knows about.
Loneliness, sickness, depression. God says I will literally give you riches in those secret places. You see God gives us strength to continue even when we don't think we can.
That's the sovereignty of God. I'll go before you. I'll make those crooked places straight.
I'll make sure the gates are open. I'll knock down the bars if I have to and even when you face darkness and even when you go through things that nobody knows about I'll give you treasure and riches even in those situations. How?
Why? That doesn't make sense. Well why are you giving God glory when obviously we're talking about somebody that's in darkness. Somebody going through a hard time. If God really loved us we wouldn't be going through these things.
Dear friend I'm here to tell you that's not true. God does love us because when we do go through them He's there. God gets the blame for everything doesn't He? He gets the praise for nothing and the blame for everything.
Instead of complaining why did God let this happen to me? Why don't we praise Him for being there with us when we do go through it? He gives us treasures in darkness and He gives us riches in secret places. May I say this third and I love this. This is my favorite part of the passage. We see third God's claim. God's call, God's care and then God just lays it out and I'm going to give this to you. I'll let you go today.
I wish I had more time because I love this. Look at verse five. This is His claim. This is what He says. Cyrus I've called you and I'll go before you.
I'll do all these things for you. But just in case Cyrus you're still wondering. Just in case you're still doubting.
Let me make things really clear. Look at verse five. I am the Lord.
There is none else. There is no God beside me. I girded thee though thou hast not known me that they may know from the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none beside me. I am the Lord and there is none else.
Alright let me give you these principles and I'll let you go out of these two verses. Number one under God's claim. Number one God claims this. He's all you have. Can I tell you about the sovereignty of God? You know what you and I need to understand about the sovereignty of God?
We don't have anybody else. God's not just in charge. He's the only one. If God's not sovereign who is? You're not. This guy ain't.
Excuse the expression. God's sovereign because there's none else. He's it.
Can I tell you today? He's all you have. And that makes Him sovereign. Secondly I want you to notice in verse seven. I formed the light and create darkness. This is where we get, don't mess with the maker. I made everything. I made light. I made darkness. Notice this. I make peace and create evil. What? God creates evil?
Notice what he says. I love this. I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things. Drop down ye heavens from above. Let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open and let them bring forth salvation and let righteousness spring up together.
I the Lord have created it. He says this. Not only He's all you have. Second it all belongs to Him. You know what makes God sovereign? Number one there's nobody else.
Number two He owns it all. That makes Him sovereign. Hey last time I checked of course our law, you know the Bible says that eventually our laws will be so reversed that the criminals will get more freedoms than the innocent. That's not surprising.
The Bible says that's going to happen. But last time I checked you step on my property. I'm sovereign on my property.
Now it's not like that anymore is it? Now they've got to be at a certain place. You've got to say a certain thing.
They can come and try to take everything you have but if you pop them you're going to be in trouble. You all know that. Can I tell you something? God doesn't work by man's laws. He owns it all. He made it. It's His. That's a sovereign God.
Nobody else and He owns it all anyway. Wow. Third thing. Look at verse nine. We're almost done. Woe unto Him that striveth.
That word striveth means to fight against His maker. Don't mess with the maker. I love it. I'm going to use that on my sons. I brought you into this world.
I can take you out. My son didn't appreciate that. Don't mess with the maker. I know I didn't make any.
I know. Look at verse nine. Woe unto Him that striveth with His maker. Let the postherd strive with the postherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to Him that fashioneth it? What makest thou? or Thy work?
He hath no hands. I love this. Let the postherd strive with the postherds. If you're going to fight against anybody, God says, you go ahead and fight with each other. Let the postherds fight with the postherds. But don't you try to fight against me, God says.
Isn't that good? Don't mess with the maker. Let the earthly things fight with the earthly things, but don't think as an earthly thing that you're going to fight a battle against me.
Are you ready? Principle number three. You can fight him, but he always wins. He's all you have.
It all belongs to him. And third, you can fight him, but he always wins. It's like bringing a knife to a gunfight. Fighting against God. God says, hey, woe to him that strives with the maker. Let the postherds strive against the postherds. You want to pick a fight? You want to fight against something? You go ahead and fight against earthly things. That's where you are. But don't let yourself think as an earthly creation that I created that you're going to fight me and win.
Are you looking at me? Through all of history, not one human being has ever won a battle against God. And in all of the future, no one of them ever will. May I say to you today, God is sovereign. You can fight him, but he is always going to win. That's the sovereignty of God. He's all you have. He owns it all anyway.
You can fight him, but you're never going to win. Because he's God. And he's sovereign.
Number four. Look at verse 11. Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his maker. Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, concerning the work of my hands.
Command ye me. I have made the earth and created man upon it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their hosts have I commanded.
Listen to this. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways. He shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the Lord of hosts. I love this in verse 11 and 12.
Principle number four is this. He has it all under control. God says, I did this. I did that.
I made this happen. Hey, listen. There's nobody else. He owns it all. You can fight him, but you're never going to win.
And he's got it all under control. He was doing things before you ever showed up, and he'll do things before you ever done. He was God before you were born. He'll be God after your funeral. He's sovereign. Notice this last, and I love this, under the fact that he has it all under control. Notice verse 13.
Number one. His ways are divine. He said, I have raised him up.
Who? God. Do you know if you did something earlier, it would be human ways. When God does something, it's divine. God's ways, number one, are divine. They are, notice this, I love this, rooted in righteousness. What did God say in verse 13? I have raised him up in what? Righteousness.
Why? Because he's God. God is righteous. God's ways are right. Because he's God. Well, I don't understand what God's doing. It doesn't matter if we understand it. He's right.
Second. His ways are not just divine. His ways are directed.
Notice verse 13. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways. God knows what he's doing. It's all part of a plan. He's the director. And his ways aren't just random.
They're directed. God says, I will direct all his ways. That means there's not one little thing that I didn't plan. God thought of it all way before you even knew about it.
Sometimes my wife and I will be doing something, and she'll be like, hey, we need to get, I said, I already did it. Yeah, but you need to, I took care of it. Yeah, but did you put this out? Yeah, I did that. Oh, okay. I was like, hey, I already took care of it. Are you doubting?
No. And then about the time you get like that this morning I had to bring my dad's car to church because I had taken dad home last night so I had his car so I brought his car to church. He's bringing the suburban so I'm in the kitchen getting ready to come to church and I had my jacket and I had my Bible. I had to take all my stuff in the car and I had my dad's car keys and my wife and my sons are in there and I said, where are the car keys? I looked near, I said, the car keys aren't in here.
And they were just looking at me. I said, where are the car keys? Because I had my dad's car keys. I said, where are the car keys? And they were dangling off my finger right here.
With all my stuff I had the car keys and they're looking at me and Daniel's like, it's in your hand, dad. Alright, I'll see you at church. Just about the time, don't mess with me. Well, I'm human. As soon as you think you're divine you're going to be reminded that quickly you're human. God's ways are directed.
They're divine. They're right. Notice third, His ways are deliberate.
There's a purpose. Look at verse 13. He said this. He said, I will build my city. I shall let go my captives. In other words, God was doing something. What was He doing? He was letting go of captives.
He was building His city. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192. Or via the web at KerwinBaptistChurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you.
