Understanding the Sovereignty Of God

I'm going to turn this morning to God's word.

We're turning to the prophecy of hi guy, haggai chapter 2 and I'm

Haggai 2 · chapter mention

going to read from verse 22. The ant.

Hi guy. Chapter 2.

First 20. Let's hear the word of the Lord.

Hi guy. Chapter 2.

Verse 20. And again, the word of the Lord

came unto High guy in the four and twentieth day of the month,

saying Speak to jerubbaal governor of Judah, saying I will

shake the heavens and the Earth and I will overthrow the Throne

of Kingdoms and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of

the Heathen and I will overthrow the Chariots and those that ride

in there and the horses and their Riders shall come down

every one by the sword of his brother.

In that day, saith the Lord of hosts.

Will I take thee o zerubbabel my servant the son of she LTE.

Saith the Lord and I will make thee.

As a segment for I have, chosen a saith, the Lord of hosts.

My text this morning is taken from high guy.

Chapter 2 verses 2223 that I've read and I want to preach in the

theme today that I've entitled on there.

Astounding, God's Sovereign purpose.

You see how Eye Guy chapter 2 verses 2223 is the last out of

four, sermons preached by the prophet haggai to certain Jews

and the ruined city of Jerusalem.

These Jews had returned from the land of their captivity in

Babylon. They totaled 50,000.

And number the year, was 520 BC and their task was to Build the

templates Arista. Remember the temple has lay in

and ruins for 70 years, every stone, the rubble that they

could see edele as a silent testimony to the true cost of

for seeking God. The true cost of departing from

his law. These ruins testified this is

what apostasy does Jerusalem. Itself was also in ruins, the

walls have been Toppled. The gates have been burned with

fire. The treasures have been

plundered tens of thousands, have been put to Death By The

Sword and hundreds of thousands have been exiled to the land of

Babylon. They were there for 70 years and

after 70 years, God visited his people and after the death of

the last ruler of Babylon, the medes and Persians conquered

Babylon. I'm the first king was King,

Cyrus and under King, Cyrus the King of Persia.

He issued a decree for the Jews to return to their Homeland to

oversee, the rebuilding of the temple.

They remember the temple is the most important building in the

ruined City 50,000 of return to start the work of rebuilding.

This was a momentous occasion this we could say was a fresh

start. This was a new beginning.

This was a day of Revival and as the began the work with all the

pre is that, that would have brought they discovered it

wasn't a fight has problems. Certain hostile enemies, certain

nieghbors opposed the rebuilding of the temple.

At first, they hired counselors to try and interfere in the work

then they offered to come and assist in the work and the ended

up writing to King Cyrus and accusing.

These Jews of treason. King, Cyrus ordered, the work to

stop and for 14 years, nothing more was done in the Tampa.

These Jews, they concentrated on building their own homes.

This was a day and a period of grit, a perfect.

The children of Israel became so busy with their own lives and

houses that they lost hard for the work of God.

This problem of apathy was not their only problem.

The fearlessness persecuting attack from, without these

hostile neighbors. And they also faced the problem

of discouragement, you see, the older man, still at this new

Temple would be nothing in comparison to Solomon's Temple

and these problems. Apathy the problem of this

persecution and opposition from without.

And this problem of discouragement they had a

devastating Stating impact on these random Jews so much so

that they had no stomach for the work for 14 years and then in

God's. Good Providence Helia stop.

Hi guy to call the people back to work.

How guy has of told you preached for messages the first message,

haggai preached Hi guy, 1 verses 1 to 15.

It was a call to repent and to put the Lord First, Matthew 6,

and 33 says seek, ye first, the kingdom of God and his

righteousness and all these other things shall be added unto

you. And I believe that's a message

that we also need to hear in our day, the Church of Jesus Christ

is a problem with apathy, a problem with opposition and

persecution. A problem of discouragement.

Carelessness asset and slack this asset and word in this

asset and in what areas and knowing gaunt and Bible.

Reading some Christians. Never read their Bible from one

week to the next. Do any portion of scripture they

read as the one that's read in the house of God and the Lord

staying in relation to prayer, smallest meeting of the church.

Few calls for half nature prayer and nature prayer, despite the

steel in the land. But where's our passion for

souls and our love for what the sink?

Let the redeemed of the Lord say.

So where's our quest for Holiness and holy living?

See up with a carelessness. Slackness word is all is

ticking. It's tool.

The second message that high guy preached is in Chapter 2, verses

1 to 9. It was a message of get

encouragement of God's people because he said to them, get

your raise and Gold's person. Eurasian God's presence.

God's provision, God's power. The third message chapter 2

verses 10 to 19 emphasize the importance of serving God with a

pure heart and the beauty of Holiness and the ended up with a

promise of divine blessing as the seed yet in the barn.

Yay. As yet the vein and the Fig Tree

in the pomegranate and the Olive Tree have not brought forth from

the stay, Well, I bless you. And then, the fourth message was

preached on. Exactly the same day as the

third message. If you compare 2:10 on 2:20, and

this last message was directed to jerubbaal.

The Civil leader. See the nation was in turmoil.

As I've said, it was a day of great APA thing, a day of

opposition and persecution by these hostile enemies, a day of

great discouragement and in order to Emphasize and reinforce

the message that God was evil, and God was going to bless his

people. He wanted the leader in the

people to understand. This is what the fourth message

about God's Sovereign purpose. And that's what we're going to

think about this morning. I preach this last week and cool

Ray and I preached it a few weeks ago, on a Wednesday night,

prayer meeting, at least I brought a few thoughts.

And that's what we're going to think about at this time.

One think about the sovereignty of God's definite plan.

You see if God is absolutely Sovereign and I believe he is,

then he must have a definite plan for world history.

It must have a definite plan for creation for his creatures for

his children for his church. And when I read, hi guy chapter

2, especially versus 22 rate. Don't and verse 23, I got

excited because I discovered word.

God has a definite plan. Here's a statement of fact,

listen to these words, I will shake the heavens and the Earth.

And I will overthrow the Throne of Kingdoms and I will destroy

the strength of the kingdoms of the Heathen and I will overthrow

the Chariots and those that ride in them and the horses and their

Riders shall come down every one by the sword of his brother.

In that day, saith the Lord of hosts will I take the user of of

my servant the son of shealtiel? Saith the Lord.

And I will make the is a segment for I have chosen thee, saith,

the Lord of hosts. now, six times in the space of three

versus you should notice that you've got 6, I Wills We'll call

them the I Wills of God. And here's what God is saying

by, whoever statement of fact that he was going to do, he

says, in verse 22, I will overthrow the Thrones of

Kingdoms. Who she thinking about well

Nebuchadnezzar ruler of Babylon belteshazzar.

His successor Darius, the mede Cyrus King of Persia.

You see these men represented, the greatest Empire in the

kingdoms of this world. The kingdom of Persia was

explore example, stretch from Egypt to India, 127 provinces,

and these men were powerful, man, man with great Authority

man to be feared. These were totalitarian rulers,

and yet, the Lord of hosts, As such a sovereign, God, who

controls all the Affairs of angels, demons, man, world

events. Tame all human history.

We could say, if it our god, he has the whole world under his

control. It's all under his command, is

he? Jerubbaal knew what the Throne

of Cyrus represented. Because at that time, the Throne

of Cyrus stood for complete, absolute power unchallengeable

power. Unalterable power and yet,

here's the message. There is the Throne of God above

every one of these Thrones. Revelation 4 and 2001 sudden the

film and from that Throne. God sovereignly dispenses, his

eternal plan and purpose. You see God's Throne.

The Throne of absolute greatness because only God is great.

God's. Throne is a god of Throne of

absolute government. Holy and pure and Justin through

government God's Throne the Throne of Greece because that's

the basis that he deals with his creatures.

His children his church, his creation and God's Throne to God

of a throne of glory and surely. That's a message that we need to

hear today. A message about the sovereignty

of God and I believe that even and carried off their PC like

it's true. If the free Presbyterian Church,

we need a vision of the total sovereignty of God.

This is not a mere academic truth.

This is not a mere Theory. This is not even a great

theological truth but this is a fatal truth and it will inspire

confidence. It will bring encouragement.

It will breed comfort for the people of God.

See, I believe that this is what the Church of Jesus Christ needs

today. Its leaders and its people.

It needs to get a vision of the total sovereignty of God.

There's a story told and I told us and went the night.

A couple weeks ago, there's a church in Oregon.

The First Christian Church, I believe it was called They

pastured put an ad in the paper next Sunday.

Here's the subject. Whether it was a table by the

pastor could have been you because he knew me and dyslexic

or it could be in a table by the editor who took the phone call.

But this is what he wrote in the paper Argan tree Saints.

People saw the funny saint. What should it read our god

reigns? But when you change the letter,

i you can turn resigns and Dorien or radians and to resign,

and of course, the tax was the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

But isn't it? Sadly true.

However, that in the experience of many of God's people today,

they live as if God had resigned, as if God had the kid

it has thrown. As if God had left the stage of

world has to be as if God had abdicated.

Well, here's the message, he hasn't he hasn't.

Handed control to the devil even hasn't handed control to the

Wicket. This world is not out of

control. This word is not in Tails.

He has the whole world in his house.

It is under his control and he is working to a definite master

plan. Do you know that our God reans

in the heavens? Not I and the greatness of his

power readings and a holy, just and true government, reans, and

Greece to bring a boat there rien of glory and what he doors.

Is all according to his well he's always all-powerful

all-knowing all-loving. Is he many of us of God's

people, live and defeat. We live in despair.

We live and died. We love with grit and

discouragement and it's very easy to do that.

When you have your age of God's throne, You think of the

apostasy of the professing church?

I think it's true to say the enemy has invaded the church.

You know that there's churches and Northern Ireland like in

England, Scotland and Wales. It's also true in Europe.

It's also true United States of America and Canada.

These churches are openly run by professed.

Practicing homosexuals. What has happened?

They've turned their back and biblical morality.

There's set aside the standards of right and wrong.

The throne The Ten Commandments are to the window.

They've abandoned the authority of the scriptures you know that

even the Lord's Prayer they want that changed its offensive to

them. Is he people see in the church

pastors and elders and deacons and they have this badge of

honor about them that they want to do what's right in their own

eyes and the forgetting that the scripture says to the law and to

the testimony, if they speak act love, not according to this

word, it is because there's no light in them.

You see the gospel of these man preach.

It's not a message that you need to be see of from a life of sin.

It's not a message of Hope, and havin and a message of

deliverance from hell. They use God and the things of

God on Jesus Christ. I Stand as person or and they

use it for personal fulfillment. And again, We call it the health

and wealth gospel, which is a another gospel.

I'm needin high. God's absolute sovereignty.

And they put the sovereignty of man above the sovereignty of

God. The cause of World missions is

gone, there's no passion for Souls.

Have no idea or concept of the sanctity of the Lord's Day.

Some have even Fallen filed by age, just advocating, nine out

of the 10 commandments for today, support for gay.

Marrige you think of the state of the country?

Thankful for the protest yesterday against abortion?

But there's other moral evils homosexual, lifestyle this.

Whoa, chasm. This gender ideology drunkenness

drugs the party. See what is all that I listened

to recently? The can harm and he says it's a

symptom of Abandonment of the complete authority of scripture

and that is true and that's the state of the church.

That's the state of the country, Warren to them, that call evil

good and good evil and yet the Spate that date and despite the

darkness and the despair. And the discouragement. even

though the church is of pasta taste and even though the state

of the country is dark and Blake, It's all under God's

Sovereign control. God controls all events times in

people's at listen, to the word of God.

And as I have 14 and verse 24, it says the Lord of hosts have

sworn saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it come to

pass? And as I have proposed so shall

it? Stand And as I had chapter 46,

we read remember this and show yourselves, man.

Bring it again to mine, don't you?

Transgressors remember, the former things of old for I am

God and there is none else. I am God and there is none like

me declaring the end from the beginning.

And from ancient times the things that are not yet done

saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all my good

pleasure. This is a statement of fact

because I just tell you something else very quickly,

it's a statement of focus. Gold is absolutely Sovereign.

Discover that today, I'll tell you something else, God has

actively Sovereign, God is at work.

Think of these six. I wills it not only confirms

that God has a definite plan and purpose but God is at work to

fulfill. The plan.

God is at work today for felling.

His eternal purpose, he's not going to feel notice.

He says, I will shake the heavens.

On the earth, the whole of creation is under his control.

There's not a part of that creation that's not under his

control. God is Sovereign even in

relation to the weather patterns and, and climate change Heroes.

The Sun, the moon, and the stars and the planets, he rules the

fish in the sea, he rules over our weather patras, the seasons

of the year are under his control seed, time and harvest.

Has under his control. Genesis, he didn't want me to

see The Wind Blows the reinforce.

The the snow comes, the ace. It's all under his rule.

He's not a wick important and significant irrelevant God.

Our God is Sovereign in the heavens.

I did the earth, I'll tell you something else.

He's not only an absolute Sovereign and an act of

sovereign but God is authoritatively Sovereign.

God can't be overthrown. God can't be overwhelmed.

God can't be outsmarted. Her overcome.

He's also an authentic Sovereign.

He's not pretending he's not a fake.

Is he God's? Sovereign plan is unchangeable.

Malachi 3 and 6 a.m. the Lord a change.

Not therefore, ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Psalm 19 to says, from Everlasting to Everlasting Thou

Art God, as I have 40 ask the question in relation to God in

Isaiah, 40, and verse 28. Listen to these words.

As I have 40 and 20 and house, do I not know hast thou?

Not heard that the Everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of

the ends of the Earth fiend. Of not neither is weary.

There is no searching. Of us Understanding God's plan

is a reversible. He's saying to us, I will do

this six things, he's telling us is going to do and you see what

are we discovered? Well you can't fight against God

and when Because God's plan is irresistible.

He told hi guy and I got chapter 2 and verse 6 for thus, saith

the Lord of hosts yet. Once it is a little while and I

will shake the heavens and the earth and the Sea and the dry

land and I will shake All Nations and the desire of all

Nations shall come and I will fill this house with Glory,

Seth, The Lord of hosts. Where is Bob along today?

Young people where are the medes and the Persians, where's the

create Grecian Empire of Alexander the greed, where's the

Roman Empire? Well, they're gone, why?

Because the kingdom of God, prevails over the kingdom of

mom. And the kingdom of my own does

not able to withstand the kingdom of God and God uses

dreitzer earthquakes floods plagues from damage and he

brings down the armies of man because God's plan is a

resistible and God's plan is unique.

Do you know that haggai chapter 2?

Haggai 2 · chapter mention

Verse 6 was used by the Apostle Paul.

Turn over there to Hebrews chapter 12 and look with me at

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

verse 26. Hebrews chapter 12, and verse

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

26. Here's an important text of

scripture. Whose voice then shook the Earth

but not he have promising. Yet once more, I will shake, not

the Earth only but also heaven. And this word yet once more

signify at the removing of those things that are shaken out of

things that are made that those things, which cannot be shaken.

May remain, who's wherefore? We receiving a kingdom, which

cannot be moved. Let us have Grace whereby.

We may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear

for our gold as a Humming fire. You see Paul applied have high

GI 2 and 6 in the book of Hebrews to the furtherance of

the gospel and the establishment of God's kingdom.

Remember I said it's a kingdom of Greece.

My That's the basis upon which God deals with the children of

man. And of course, it's a kingdom of

glory and government that's yet to come and all that God is

doing and world history today and has been as For the

advancement of the cause of Jesus Christ, and the kingdom of

God, and the advancement of his own church.

In other words, the gospel will succeed and all world events

Empires, Emperor's kings, and queens and world leaders.

They're all under God's Sovereign.

Can't rule. It is true that man make

choices. Men are accountable for those

choices, they're responsible for their choices and for their

actions. But, man, make choices according

to the inclination of their sinful heart.

But over and above man's Choice, stands, a sovereign God, who

will fulfill his purpose. Bring to pass as definite on,

it's interesting. When I read I guy this there's

not one mention of a precondition read it, not one

mention of a precondition it's not I will if you do it's not.

I hope to do this or I will see what I can do.

It's not well at all. Depends and how you respond to

me. It's not if you cooperate you

see, nothing can thwart or stop the plan of God.

God will be glorified in us for fulfillment.

God is being Sovereign but he's been Resolute here.

Can you hear it? Is jerubbaal saying to God but

it would be a few numbers or be of new king or with no weapons

or if new Army nor take a look at the rubble there.

Do you see the state of Jerusalem?

There's no Gates, there's no walls Lord.

There's no Tampa or to remember we're still under Persian rule,

were subjects to Cyrus if he hears that we're trying to raise

an army or fingerprint a king, we're going to get crushed.

Lord, we still have a hostile Enemy at the Gate.

They're powerful. Focus on what God is doing.

Focus on my I will. That's what he was telling

jerubbaal, Zechariah 4 and 6 tells us is not by might nor by

power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord.

And I think we need to focus on what God is doing, get a raise

of our circumstances, and our situation.

And on to the Lord, the sovereignty of God's definite

plan very quickly. The sovereignty of God's

delightful portrait You see, why did God say this?

This is the reason look at our text in that day.

Saith the Lord of hosts. Will I take the user of O, my

servant the son of shealtiel, saith the Lord and I will make

the is a Signet for have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

Now I want you to think of Sir trouble.

Here's a delightful, portrait of the amount of gold, the Mount of

God was chosen. He says for I have chosen these

saith, the Lord of hosts. It's not interesting.

Jerubbaal was selected by God, no.

Moral excellence in jerubbaal. No inherent goodness is

mentioned, chosen, not because he was good or merited or earned

it it's known conditioner. Why did you choose me?

Lord. Here's the answer free, grease.

Free Sovereign Greece. I have chosen thee because I've

chosen. And if you turn over there to

the book of Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4, here's a

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

Greek truth, and I emphasize this in Korean because it

happened in cauldron and you Row the right place with the church

says Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4 tells us according as he

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

hath chosen Us in him before the foundation of Of the world that

we should be holy and Without Blame before him in love, not

chosen because God for sane that you would trust Christ, not

chosen because God, seems something good and you because

we're all Sinners dead in trespasses and said we're all

blind. To God.

We all have Wills that are pre of, than a factions are

deceased. Remember the wages of sin is

death. The gift of God is eternal life

and if he could see her true steel, as a natural man were

dead were Lane were diseased UND how then were we?

They had to lay hold and Christ. We were regenerated by the power

of the spirit of God. You must be born again.

We discovered the great truth, that salvation is of the Lord

and I discovered that truth was a young man standing.

I'd say the Lamppost at the police station & Lodge Road and

cooler in many, many years ago after I was converted after

leaving a meeting and and arguing with the preacher I

asked Christ to be my savior and he said, I know you did, but

where did you get the desire from?

Why did you want to get? See it.

You do fear thought our love for God.

And all of a sudden, you have that desire, your conscious of

sin, you need to see if you want to be.

See it. Where did that come from?

It comes the spirit of God and the new birth because God had

chosen in Christ. The rubble was chosen.

But jerubbaal was certified. If you look at the text again

and go back there to hi guy. He says, in that day, saith the

Lord of hosts will I take the user Rubble?

My servant the son of shealtiel, saith the Lord.

And I will make the as a second. You see that that refers to the

king's ring? He used it to seal and certified

documents. It was a sign of honor and

power. It was a saying that was

Authority behind the king's message.

When it was read out, the King has sent us and that Signet was

a thing of dignity. Because the ring is chosen,

think of the choosing of engagement ring or a wedding

ring that signal was a thing of beauty.

It was, it was, it was precious. God was saying to jerubbaal your

precious. In my sight, just like a Signet

ring is precious. He the king would never really

have taken his ring off because he didn't want it lost or stolen

when he wore it. And Court people recognized that

he was wearing the Signet ring our most precious object, it was

a thing of security, the word couldn't be broken, It was a

sign of authority. It was absolute and Jerubbaal

was described by God, I will make the, as a segment, I will

make thee. As I a person of dignity, a

person of beauty, and security on Authority, your certified by

me. I'll tell you something else.

Rubble was cold, you know, jerubbaal points to the Lord

Jesus Christ. He tells us here and not, they

said, the Lord of hosts. Will I take the user?

Rubble. My servant.

What did he call? My servant and it points to

Jesus Christ God's perfect servant.

Let me just draw a parallel. Here's a rubber bullet was from

the tribe of Judah. So was the Lord Jesus Christ.

He's called The Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Durable was the key figure in the rebuilding of the temple and

who's the key figure in the building of God's spiritual

Temple today. It's Jesus Christ.

Zerubbabel was stirred and moved by the Holy Spirit.

Who received the Holy Spirit without measure the Lord.

Jesus Christ at his baptism. oh, Jerubbaal give himself to the

work. The Lord Jesus said was she not?

I must be about my father's business, zaraba was a chosen

vessel lakhtin precious, so was the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jerubbaal was God segment. So was the Lord Jesus Christ

jerubbaal was honored by God. So was the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see. God is going to give great

blessing to his people. That's what he says.

In Chapter 2, 19 from this day. Will I bless you?

The 24th day of the ninth month, according to the Jewish

calendar. And how is God going to give

great blessing to his people today?

Well, he does it through the Lord Jesus Christ, not without

him, the Lord. Jesus Christ is at the center of

all of God's plans in human has strength and all spiritual

blessings. Come to us through.

Han is not what Paul says, in Ephesians 1 and verse 3 blessed,

be the God, and father of our Lord.

Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in

Heavenly places and Christ In Christ, he pardons us in Christ,

he provides for us in Christ, we are precious to him and Christ.

He is provision and power for us or that we get her Asian Christ.

Christ is a blessing for you today.

You're full of cares and concerns for the slave, you're

struggling. You're stumbling along and all

that. He is and all that he has as for

us as people. Isn't it wonderful to know that

he's the mediator of the New Covenant, the Redeemer, the Sea

of your the friend, the Lord, The Seer.

And the father accepts us because of him and we are n hem.

We've died and hand. We've been raised him or sheet

it in him. Surely, that should be great

encouragement today. The sovereignty of God's

delightful portrait I have chosen you I've certified you I

have called you my servant. That's a wonderful picture of

Christ. One final thing, the sovereignty

of God's delightful purpose. If you go back to the tax that

says I will, when was God going to do this if you link it up

with haggai, Chapter 2 Verse 6 yet once it is a little while.

Haggai 2:6

That speaks of tame you see? This was not for felled and

jerubbaal Tuesday through Rubble, never got the sit on the

throne, its Aroma will never got to wear a king's robe.

He did not live to see the King of Persia overthrow 1.

It had an initial fulfillment, a partial fulfillment, but one

day, it will have a complete and final fulfillment.

Little wife, God says, I will do this.

So not only is there an element of tame here but there has to be

an element of trust. And I finished with this, this

morning, over there in the book of Psalms and Psalm 118.

And in the verse it we read it is better to trust in the Lord

and put confidence in Mom, it is better to trust in the Lord than

to put confidence and Princess trust in the Lord.

That's the key trusted him at all times you.

We pour out your hearts before. God is our refuge for us.

We must learn to take God at his word.

We must stand on the promise, if you read High guy very

carefully, You will read in Chapter 2 and particular 14 x +

12 versus the Lord of hosts is mentioned.

We need to get her eyes at him. We live in a frightening, world,

full of kilometers. We feels powerful enemies in

relation to the gospel. People are no longer got the

fear of God, and that's true of Northern Ireland.

Loyalist, communities, so-called Protestant Community have no

fear of God, And the churches in need of reformation.

I'm tired of that, we need to Reformation.

We need Revival, we need a move of God's spirit and our hearts

are discouraged. But God is able.

We have got to focus on the sovereignty of God's.

Definitely. Our focus on God's delightful

portrait of his people because what was tree of zerubbabel is

true of us. And focus on the sovereignty of

God's delightful purpose. He has a time when he will

fevers I am and we've got to trust him and take him at his

word and get her eyes on this one.

That calls himself, the Lord of hosts.

May the Lord help us this morning as we meditate on his

word.