Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Think of a troubled world. I don't need to spend much time on this. You know that our world is troubled. It's a mess.
It's not going the way it should. We have too many disasters and tragedies and wars and violence and diseases. We live in a very, very troubled world. And we ask, well, if God is sovereign and if He is in control, Why is the world in such a mess? What's gone wrong?
Welcome to The Verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. Does it sometimes seem that the world is spinning out of control? Unexpected and often discouraging events impact our lives and our families. But if God is sovereign and everything is under His control, why is the world in such a mess? That's the next difficult question as we continue our new series called What Would You Ask God?
Here's Pastor John Monroe. Do you ever look at the world and wonder why things are in such a mess? Today we continue our series on what would you ask God? and we're considering a very difficult but a very relevant question. If there is a God, why is the world in such a mess?
I think most of us would agree. that the world is not what it should be. Whether we look at our own lives or the town or city where we live, or whether we look internationally, problems abound. The world isn't a mess. and it seems like it's getting worse and worse.
What does that say about God? I certainly don't have all of the answers, but listen. As I consider this question, If there is a God, Why is the world in such a mess? One of the great tragedies of the modern evangelical church. is that increasingly we are making for ourselves a tame God.
A God who is manageable. A God who serves us. a god of convenience. And in a desire to make life comfortable, in an environment of cultural Christianity. in an environment of easy believism.
We are in severe danger of worshiping a false god. That of course is idolatry. We are worship the true God. We are to let God Be God. AW Toza rights worship is pure or base.
As the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts about God. For this reason, the gravest question for the Church is always God Himself. And the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at any given time may say or do. but what he in his deep heart conceives God Tibke. What is your view?
Of God. One of my goals for church is that every boy, girl, teen adults. that each one of us entertains a high view of God. Can I remind you that this church is not all about you? It is not all about me.
It's not about your views or my views, but it is all about God. And could it be that some of our problems in life, including our church life, Is that for far too long we focused on ourselves, our opinions, our expectations, our needs, our hurts. our agenda rather than focusing on God. In this series we're learning about the true God. Another God that we would like, but the true God.
the guard of the Bible. And as we're going through this series, we're asking some basic questions about God. The question this morning is, if God is in control, why is the world in such a mess? I think you'd agree that the world is NMS, think of our world. Suffering, devastation, messy situations, intractable problems are all around us.
And not only do they impact us internationally and nationally, they impact us personally. We as individuals are often thrown into personal chaos and confusion. Ill health, financial crisis, some emotional trauma, some personal conflict, some family situation. and we are thrown into the middle of our own Personal mega hurricane. For many people, Your personal life is a mess.
The question is if God is in control. Why is the world? in such a mess. Why is your world in such a mess? The first thing I want is to learn that guards And God alone is sovereign.
Let me ask you to open your Bibles. to Job chapter forty two verse one. Job answered the Lord. Job forty-two one. Answered the Lord and said, I know.
that you can do all things. Did you get that? God can do. all things. and that no purpose of yours can be thwart it.
Turn over to the next book, the Psalms. Psalm one one five. Sam, a hundred. And 15. There are 150 Psalms.
We're going to look at Psalm 115. There's Two Why should a nation say, Where now is their God? But our God is in the heavens. He does. Do you got this one?
He does whatever he pleases. That may shock you. But that's true. God does. whatever.
He pleases over a few pages to Psalm 135. Psalm 135. I will read words Five. For I know that the Lord is great. and that our Lord is above all gods.
Verse 6. Whatever the Lord pleases, he does. in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Whatever the Lord pleases to do, he does, is the point. That can only be said about God.
Because only God It's great. Turn over a few more pages to the prophecy of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 4. Five. If you want to learn, About the sovereignty of God.
We're just looking at a few verses. I encourage you. to read from Isaiah forty to the end Of the book of Isaiah. We're going to read two passages. The first is found in Isaiah 45.
Verse five These two verses. I am the Lord. and there is no other Besides me there is no God. There's only one God. No other God.
No one in comparison. No one comes even close to being like God. is the point. I will guard you though you have not known me. Verse six, that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun, and That there is no one beside me, I am the Lord, and there is no Other.
Did you get that? I am the Lord and there is no other. No equals, no peers, no one on the same level. God is in a unique category. He is God and is God alone.
Chapter 46. Isaiah Forty six. Two verses again, verses nine. and ten. Remember the former things long past.
For I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is no one like me. I think we're getting the point, right? Verse 10, declaring the end from the beginning. And from ancient times, things which have not been done.
It's amazing, isn't it? God knows what's going to happen at the end of today. The beginning of the day, he knows the end. The beginning of your life, God knows exactly how your life is going to end. He's that kind of God.
He knows the beginning of human history. He knows the end of human history. Why? Because He and He alone is the Lord. He is above time, above human history.
He is the eternal God. He can declare the end from the beginning. He knows how the story ends before the story has even begun to be written. He is God. End of verse 10, saying, My purpose will be established And I will accomplish all my good pleasure.
What God says is going to happen will happen. His purposes cannot be thwarted. No one can stand in God's way. His purposes will be established. He will accomplish his good.
Pleasure. Turn to the New Testament, the book of Ephesians. New Testament Ephesians chapter 2. Chapter one. Wonderful opening verses.
In Ephesians, where Paul reminds us that we're blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Let me just break in. In verse eleven, Regarding Christ, in him, the end of verse 10, now verse 11. We have obtained an inheritance having been predestined according to its purpose. The Who works?
all things after the counsel of his will. What's God like? He works all things after the Council of his will. Here are some verses describing the sovereignty of God. Think also of the names of God which emphasise his sovereignty.
In Genesis seventeen, God's reveals himself to Abraham. And he says to Abraham, I am El Shaddai. Hebrew, meaning I'm God Almighty. I'm the Almighty God. I'm El Shaddai.
Psalm 47, verse 2. The psalmist describes the Lord in this way: the Lord Most High, a great King over all. the earth. Many people who have wanted to reign over all the world, who wanted to be king or emperor over all of the world, no one has ever succeeded. God not only is king, he is, he is king over all the earth.
The great commission at the end of Matthew chapter 28, when our Lord told us to go into all the world and make disciples of all of the nations, before saying that, he reminds his disciples. that he has all authority in heaven and on earth. Do you get that? There's no higher authority. There is no one higher than God.
God doesn't need to consult with anyone. He has all authority over heaven and on earth. That is, he is sovereign. In the great chapter of Revelation 19, describing the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is described in Revelation 19, verse 16, as king of kings.
And Lord of lords. Not just a king, not just the Lord, but king of kings and lord. Yeah. Lords. You say, now, what do we mean when you're talking about the sovereignty of God?
When we speak of God's sovereignty, then, we mean that God is the absolute ruler over everything. He is the supreme power over the whole universe. It also means that God is always in control. He's God, you're not, I'm not, to say the obvious. Divine sovereignty, then, is God's power of absolute self-determination.
Nothing or no one can thwart His purposes or His control. As we read in Psalm 115, verse 3, God does whatever he pleases. Does that shock you? Whatever God wants to do, He does. Paul says, so well.
Ephesians 1.11, that God works all things. All things yes, all things. Everything that happens, God works after the counsel of his will. God is sovereign. He rules over the fall of the nations.
He is ruling over the fall of the rain this morning. He rules over the fall of a sparrow. Why? Because He's the sovereign God. He's the greatest.
There's no one higher. He answers to no one. You would like to answer to no one, you would like to be independent, but you're not. God doesn't need anyone's permission to do anything At all. His authority is unlimited.
It's unrestrained by anything outside of himself and his own character. Being the Creator, He is the Creator of all things and the Ruler of all things. He does whatever he chooses to do. He is God. And there's no one like him.
He's the highest. He is sovereign. He is the supreme ruler over all of human history and for all of eternity. That's what it means. that God is sovereign.
Supposing after the evening service tonight, Yeah. Want to demonstrate some southern hospitality to me, and you invite me to your home. And to your surprise, I agree. I go into your home, I have a look around, as I do when I go into s into someone's home. And when I go into your home, I quickly find out and tell you that I really don't like the way you've arranged your furniture.
I look at a couple of pictures on the wall, and I'm quite amazed by your terrible poor taste in the choice of pictures. As far as I'm concerned, they're totally inappropriate. I can't understand how you could have such horrendous pictures on your wall. And before you can say anything, to your astonishment, I start rearranging your furniture and I take down these awful pictures from your wall. You know the ones I'm talking about.
I take them down. You've got a teenage daughter, you know what teenage daughters are like. I don't, I never had one, but you do. And uh she starts to complain at my actions. She has the audacity to criticize me, and so I quickly assign her to the garage.
Don't like someone contradicting me. She needs to go into the garage. She can stay there all night and cool off. With growing frustration. And perhaps with less and less grace, you begin to explain to me that although I may be the senior pastor of church, it's not for me to rearrange your furniture, take down pictures from your wall, and certainly to assign your teenage daughter, whiner although she may be from time to time, to assign her to the garage.
You say Pastor, this is my home. And if you don't like the way I run my home, that's too bad. You see, in your home Euro. Is that right? In your home, You're the boss.
In my home, I rule sometimes, but that's another story. Think of it this way. Everything in the universe belongs to God. Everything. The psalmist says that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof.
Because he's the owner of everything. Because this universe is like his house, he rules. Not you. Not Me. God created the planets.
and keeps them in the course by the word of his power. And unless you can create a planet from nothing. Unless you can hold that planet in its course perfectly by the word of your power, I would suggest that you cannot challenge God.
Now, once you can make your own planets from nothing. Once you can hold them in course. Once you can command and it's done. As the Samis says, Once you can do that, Then perhaps you can begin to bargain with God. But until that happens, and of course it never will happen.
We have to acknowledge that guard drills. In the whole universe? God wills in your home. And God is to rule in your heart. What do we do?
We try to reduce God to our terms. We want a God to conform to our ideas of fairness. We want a God to behave in a way that we think is appropriate. We want God only to come into our lives when we request Him. In other words, we want God to do what we want.
Oh, I want to follow you, Lord. I really love you, Lord. But when it comes down to it, I want you, God, to do what I say. rather than bow. To your sovereign will.
We treat God then as if He were a genie. in a bottle instead of the Supreme Lord God who has all power and who's all authority and who is sovereign over the whole universe. Is He sovereign over the whole universe? Of course He is. He is sovereign over human government.
Proverbs 21, verse 1. The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord. He turns it whatever he wants. Don't panic. The powers of human government are in the hands of the Lord.
He turns it wherever. He wishes. God is sovereign over human government. God is sovereign over the forces of nature. Remember when Jesus was on earth?
He was in a violent storm in the Sea of Galilee and the Disciples, some of whom were seasoned Fishermen were very afraid because the water was coming overboard, and to their surprise, our Lord was asleep. And they wake him up and they ask this very silly question: Lord, do you not care that we're perishing? He stands in the boat. the Supreme Christ. And does only what God can do, a sovereign God can do, one who's sovereign over the sea, sovereign over the wind.
He speaks to the wind. And he speaks to the seas and says, Peace. Bissell And the Bible says there was a great Come. That's a sovereign God in operation, a split second. He speaks, and it's done.
Why? Because he's the sovereign God. God has the whole world then in his hands. We sometimes sing he's got the tiny little baby in his hands. That's true.
I was introduced to some little tiny little babies from China. and praise God for putting them in the hands of Christian parents. God has the tiny little baby from China in his hands. But God not only has the baby in his hands, God has you. And me in his hands.
He's got all of the world's governments and nations in his hand. Don't panic. He's in control. He's in control of the fall of the little sparrow as well as the fall of the world empire. And we thought that the Soviets that they would dominate the world with communism.
God has brought them down. Why? God. is in control, and God is always in control. Even when, from our perspective, things seem to be spiraling out of control.
They are never ever out of God's control because God is always in control, because God is always sovereign.
Now what's the implication of God's sovereignty?
Well, because God is both sovereign and eternal, His sovereignty isn't eternal. His sovereignty is immutable, that is, it's unchanging. Human kingdoms rise and fall. The powerful Roman Empire. Gone.
Alexander the Great, gone. The Greeks gone.
Soviet Empire gone. The power of the British Empire gone. Why? God is in control. Human kingdoms rise and fall.
But the Bible speaks of one kingdom. which will last forever and And this is the kingdom of God, which is an everlasting kingdom. No one and nothing can overturn that kingdom. Why? Because it's under the control of God, and no one is higher, and no one is greater, and no one is more powerful than God.
He is sovereign. He does whatever he pleases. No one and nothing can ever stand in his way because he and he alone is God, and there's no one beside him. That's Oh God. The question then for you and for me this morning is.
Are you part of that kingdom? As most of you know, recently Goody and I became American citizens. and I'm proud to be a an American citizen. But I'm Rejoice much, much more that I am a citizen of the kingdom of God. Because that kingdom will never ever end.
What's the kingdom of God when our Lord Jesus began his earthly ministry? Mark said he came preaching and saying, the kingdom of God is Is at hand. What did he mean? The kingdom of God is at hand. He, the king, king Jesus, had now come to earth.
And it's true, his the full power and majesty and brilliance and glory of his kingship were not immediately evident during his lifetime. In fact, when he died on the cross, it seemed to people that his kingdom was at an end. But it wasn't. Of course not. Because at the cross God is still in control.
What happens He raises his son from the dead with power. He is eternally alive. And as we read our Bibles, as we come to the end and we read that magnificent chapter, Revelation 19, the hallelujah chorus, we hear of this king who is king of kings and who is lord of lords. And that each one of us who is part of that kingdom will sing of his reign and share of his eternal reign forever and ever. This is the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe.
There's still more to hear when John returns in just a moment, so stay with us. From matters of truth and identity, to the subjects of love and grace, our world seems more confused than ever. But to find truth and certainty about who we are and find peace, we must turn our attention away from the world and look to the Word of God. To help you do that, John wrote a booklet titled Eternal Security, Finding Certainty in a Chaotic World. Through this special resource John shares his personal testimony, along with a careful examination of Scripture, to offer us clarity on matters of eternity.
Get your copy today by visiting our website at the verdict. org. While you're there, consider making an investment in this Bible teaching ministry. Whether it's $5, $50, or more, your gift today helps cover the cost of sharing these gospel messages to listeners around the world. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to the Verdict Podcast, featuring John's weekly podcast exclusive called Avizandam.
It's available wherever you get your podcasts, or simply go to our website. Again, that's theverdict.org. The verdict is a ministry of Calvary Church in South Charlotte. We're located on the corner of Highway 51 and Ray Road. If you've been looking for a church home or a community to help you grow in your walk with Christ, we invite you to join us for our Sunday services.
For more details about Calvary and our service times, visit theverdict.org.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe.
Well, what's your verdict? Why is the world in such a mess? How would you answer that? Does it change your view of God? Do you agree that God is sovereignly in control?
Or do things just happen randomly without any reason or purpose? I'm praying that you will put your trust in God. A God who is sovereign over all, a God who loves you, a God who is working out His purposes in your life. Don't forget to join me next time as we continue to consider this very important question. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict.
I'm Michelle Davies. Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
