Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans
chapter 9. I want to read just one verse
for my message this morning, Romans chapter nine, and look
at verse 19. Thou wilt say then unto me, why
doth he yet find fault? Here's the question. For who
hath resisted his will? The apostle Paul, beloved brother
anticipated objection to God's immutable sovereign will. He
understood the reality of human nature, probably far more to
a far more degree than I will ever do so, but he understood
even amidst believers that there is that within us that is repulsed
by the absolute irresistibility of God's will. We are such prideful,
selfish creatures that our flesh always demands its will. You know what our Lord said about
a people, they will not have this man to reign over them. Now Paul forms this objection
that he anticipated with two questions, doesn't he? Let's
read it one more time. Thou will say then unto me. Here's
the first question. Why does God find fault then? If what Paul has just written
is true, how can God find fault in anyone if everyone is simply
doing God's will? Now, I understand that in religion
today, that even repulses them in their mind to even think of
saying something like that. And of course, they come up,
their answer is, well, that makes God the author of sin. You know,
and there's no, I'm not dealing with all those, Paul doesn't
even deal with their objections, other than to say this, if you
reply against God's absolute sovereign will, you're replying
against God. That's the only thing he responds
to. So the first question was, why doth he yet find fault? For
who hath resisted his will? Paul never denies the reality
of God's immutable, sovereign will. Some want to say he barely
brought this up, but he was not really proposing that. That is
absolute nonsense. It is to take the clear words
of Paul and throw them to the wind. None has ever resisted
God's will. None has ever resisted God's
will. But what about none has ever
resisted God's will? Oh, Holy Spirit, burn that within
our hearts and minds. Many are ignorant of God's will,
yes. Many deny His will, yes. Many may seek to fight against
His will, yes. Many may pervert His will, at
least with their false and treacherous words. But none ever, ever has
resisted His will. In other words, God's will is
being done in spite of man's rebellion. Yea, God's immutable
sovereign will encompasses all actions, interactions, reactions,
and even objections, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, which will
ever exist in the whole universe. God's will is supreme. And God's
will is being done always. Again, I will say this in a little
different way. Men may rebel against his commandments,
but there's even some commandments that they cannot disobey. Stretch
forth thy hand. Well, that was the one thing
the man could not do because his hand was withered. But with
that command, came the ability to stretch forth his hand. You
see what I'm saying? Take up thy bed and walk. That's
the one thing the man couldn't do. His friends had to carry
him in what we might call a gurney, like a little bed, and tear off
the roof thatching and lower him down in front of Christ. Take up thy bed and walk. With
that command, Jesus Christ gave the power to obey the command. Blind Bartimaeus, who was blind
and couldn't see. Jesus, thou son of David, he
cried and wouldn't shut up when people told him, be quiet. Jesus,
thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus commanded him
to be called. Did you see that? He commanded him to be called.
There was no one going to stop that. Again, thou wilt say them
unto me, why doth he yet find fault? Because there is fault. We're plumb full of fault. Our
whole being is nothing but fault. God's will is in control of absolutely
everything. I love what Don Fortner, and
he may have put it this way for many a years, but I just begin
to hear him say it. Maybe it was God opening my ears
to hear him say it. I don't know which one would
be it, but he said, God manipulates time and tide and men to perform
his sovereign will. Now I'm gonna give you some examples
of this, but this is not going to be some, theological treatise
of me trying to theologically explain these things. We're just
gonna look at what God's book says. I'm not gonna tell you
how many illustrations we're gonna give you, because it'll
scare you, and I know you're hungry. And so am I. And that's
why Henry Mayhead says, sometimes don't tell them how many points
you got. They'll be tired of you before you even get started.
So I've already scared you, nonetheless. I should have just lied and told
you two points. Spread about some, right? Preachers lie anyway,
don't they? Turn with me to Genesis chapter
two. Genesis chapter two. What I'm
going to give you is not something new, but it definitely is not
something that's taught in what is called nominal, normal denominational
Christianity. Look at these words, Genesis
two verse 16. And the Lord God commanded. Do you see that one word? For
years, my mind passed right over that. Oh, I knew it was a command,
I'm not saying that, but look. And the Lord God commanded the
man saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely
eat. He commanded him to this. Do
you see it? But, this is still a command. Same sentence, same command. Do you understand this now? Let
us see, this is a command. But of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, thou shalt not eat thereof, or eat of it,
right? He commanded him not to eat,
he didn't command him to eat of it, but he commanded him not
to eat of it. But the command's not done yet.
Look at it. but of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day
that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. With the command he was told,
something's going to happen. God was not ignorant of what
was going to take place. God put the tree in the garden
for a purpose. One, to show his sovereign right.
I have the right, you can eat of everything, everything, but
one tree. It's mine. Don't eat it. And when you do, you will die
that day. He didn't say if you do. This
is a command. Do you see that? Somebody says,
well that makes, stop. Stop the madness. Stop the rebellion
against God. This is thus saith the Lord. God was pleased to show his grace. The only way he's gonna show
grace is if you have objects that need grace. God was pleased
to show his mercy and compassion before the world ever was. But
without an object of mercy and compassion, without an object
that needs mercy and compassion, it don't mean anything, does
it? Even group rebellion. Turn to
Genesis chapter 50. Even group rebellion. Genesis chapter 50. And remember,
I'm not extending this further than Paul did because Paul talked
about even Pharaoh, and for this same purpose have I raised thee
up. And Pharaoh was a rebellious man. And it didn't take God 10
tries to get him to let the people go. God purposed 10 plagues upon
it. The 10th one meant to let the
people go, and it happened. But look at these verses. Genesis
50, verse 20. This is Joseph's words to his
brothers. But as for you, you thought evil against me. Now
when he says you think it, he don't mean this was just in your
mind. He's talking about that's where it started, was down in
there. They actually did what they thought they wanted to do.
Now they began, first they was gonna kill him, and God moved
one of them to say no, we're not gonna do that, right? Just
one. Just turned the whole others
around, didn't he not? But you thought evil against
me, but God meant it unto good. They were still guilty of what
they thought to do and did do to Joseph. They were not excused
of God for what they did, but the very thing they thought as
evil toward Joseph is what God meant for good. Now that's our
God, whether men and women or you out there like it or not. And look, but God meant it unto
good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people
alive. Therefore, now therefore, what
a word, fear ye not. He didn't say you're not guilty,
they were guilty, but don't fear. There is good even in men's sin. but the good is not perpetrated
by them, it is purposed by God. And individuals, look at an individual's
propensity to err, Genesis chapter 12. Genesis chapter 12. I gotta move along, Genesis 12
and verse 14. And it came to pass that when
Abram was coming to Egypt, And he, remember, had to flee because
of his famine. There was trouble. And coming to Egypt, the Egyptians
beheld the woman that she was very fair. That was his wife.
And if the Bible says she was fair, believe you me, she was
a beautiful woman. And the princes also of Pharaoh
saw her and commended her before Pharaoh. And the woman was taken
into Pharaoh's house. And he entreated Abraham well
for her sake. And he had sheep, and oxen, and
asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and asses, and camels. And the
Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because
of Sarai, Abram's wife. You see it? And Pharaoh called
Abram and said, what is it that thou hast done unto me? Huh? Why didst not thou tell me that
she was thy wife? Why saidst thou she is my sister,
so I might have taken her to my own wife? Now therefore behold
thy wife, take her and go thy way. This was a pharaoh. He could have just killed Abram
and been done with him. Had him wiped out and took his
wife. He probably had hundreds at his
beck and call. But what happened? God Almighty
stopped him in his tracks. Aren't you glad for a God like
that? Sometimes, sometimes, not always, but it's still His will
either way. Sometimes He stops us in our tracks. Sometimes He
don't let us go too far. As a matter of fact, it probably
would be better to say we never go too far. Except in our own
rebellion. In our own minds, in our own
hearts. So there's an individual's propensity to err. What about
this? An individual's actual hatred,
2 Samuel. Turn to 2 Samuel. We're looking
at examples of God's absolute sovereignty and his will being
done. 2 Samuel, that's after 1 Samuel,
right? That's where I'll find that one.
2nd Samuel chapter 16 2nd Samuel 16 verse 9. Oh, yeah,
then said Abishai the son of Zeruih unto the king Why should
this dead dog curse my lord? And that's this man shimmy out
there cursing David throwing rocks at him Why should this dead dog curse
my Lord the King? Let me go over, I pray thee,
and take off his head. And that's all it would have
took would have been a wink from David. He went over and took off this dead
dog's head. King the king said what I've
got to do with you you sons of Zerah I Let him but so let him
curse because the Lord has said it to him curse David what? What What that's what David said Somebody
says well, I believe David exaggerated well you believe wrong I You believe wrong. Even blatant defiance, Exodus
chapter five. Exodus chapter, even blatant
defiance. God controls it under his sovereign
will. Exodus 5, and afterward Moses
and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord God of Israel,
let my people go that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
And Pharaoh said, who is the Lord that I should obey his voice
to let Israel go? You see the defiance here? Smart
aleck in the face of God. I know not the Lord, neither
will I let Israel go. And they said the God of the
Hebrews hath met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three
days into the journey. And it goes on, and guess what?
They did. And they went even further. They
left Egypt forever. You see that? Why? Because God
made it happen. God even used Pharaoh. And when
that 10th plague happened, And that firstborn in every house
died where there was no blood on the doorpost and the lentils.
The Israelites, the Jews, did not simply walk out with a few
ragged slave things. They spoiled the Egyptians. The Egyptian says, here's some
gold. Here's some silver. Take it with
you. Take it with you. Turn to Psalm 76. Say what I
got to say here in just a moment. Psalm 76. Psalm 76. Listen to me. All human wrath
is subservient to God's will. Psalm 76 verse 10. Surely the
wrath of man shall praise thee. And when I finish with these
examples, I won't even have scratched the surface. There's just a few
that caught my eye as I was reading through the scriptures. Surely
the wrath of man shall praise thee, the remainder of wrath
shalt thou restrain. So there, man would do a lot
of wrath, but if it's not according to God Almighty's sovereign will
to do what? To bring him praise? He will
restrain it. The, what does it say? The remainder
of wrath shalt thou restrain. So if it happens, it meant God
Almighty decreed it could happen. Even undue action was proposed
by God to declare free grace. And I want to turn to it, Hosea
1 verse 2. Hosea, go marry a whore. Now nowhere else did God tell
anybody to go marry some whore. Now did he? Why? to demonstrate His free mercy
and compassion. What a beautiful account that
is of Hosea and Gomer. Hosea, I love the way Don put
it, Hosea was in her house with her lovers. We're not even gonna talk about
it. You know what they were doing in there? She'd get up in the morning and here
was all these bags of groceries laying around. That's the way
Don put it. wine, flax, and oil. She said, look what my lovers
gave me, what they left me. Their price, she thought, well,
they paid up. Uh-uh, it was Hosea sneaking up there at night and
putting groceries on her porch. Folks, that's what God did for
us even when we were in rank rebellion against him. He was
giving us our groceries. He was taking care of us. Even when we had our fists shoved
in the face of God, He loved us, and he gave himself for us,
and he was protecting us from ourselves even then. But it doesn't mean he wiped
away everything either, does it? We're still bragging about
our lovers, aren't we? Bragging about our lovers. Here's
another one. God's will is confessed by believers
even if the circumstances seem to dictate to the contrary. Turn
to Daniel. That's one you all might have
to help me find. I should have bookmarked that one for sure.
Paul I'm not I agree. I had to look in front of my
Bible find out where Daniel or Jonah was Where is Daniel's after
Ezekiel, right? Keep the help. I'm in Hosea.
I'm up Okay, I'm go okay here we go here we
go Daniel I got Daniel chapter 3 Daniel chapter 3 Let me give
it to you again. I kind of God's will is confessed
by believers even if circumstances seem to dictate to the contrary.
Because it's not about what we see. It's about who God is and
what he's doing. Now let's look at it, verse 16. Chapter three, verse 16. I hope
I'm, yes. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not
careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God
whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace.
And he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king, but if not. You see it? They know he's able,
the only thing they don't know is he willing. But if he's willing,
it's gonna happen. They're not afraid to answer
this. They're not afraid to say it. And some people say, well,
I believe that, but I'm afraid to say it. Then you don't really
believe it. You don't really believe it. But if not, be it
known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set up. That's what
the gift of faith does. That's not courage, that's faith.
You understand what I'm saying? That's not bravery, that's faith.
That's faith. Because I'm gonna tell you something,
even if he'd have cast them in there, and remember, it was heated
up, he was so angry, they heated it up, what was it, seven times?
Seven or eight times hotter than normal, so that it was so hot
that the men who were casting them bound into the fire died,
it was so hot. If it had burned them to a crisp,
where would they have went? To be with Christ. God would
have delivered them from Nebuchadnezzar. Here's another one, turn to Acts
chapter four. Acts chapter four, some of you said preacher, you've
been preaching that for years, I hope so. I really hope so. You and Paul and Joe just say
the same things over and over and over, I hope so. Acts chapter four, let me give
it to you, the statement, then we'll read the passage. The whole
of God's gracious purpose in salvation has God's will as the
one preeminent foundation. Even though in that will were
the very wicked acts of men against his beloved son. Everything they
did to him, God determined before for it to be done, and they were
guilty. He still found them at fault.
And Peter on Pentecost told them they were at fault. You murdered
a just man, right? But let's read what the book
says. Verse 23, and being let go, they went to their own company
and reported that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God
with one accord and said, they weren't in disagreement about
this. Lord, thou art God, which has made heaven and earth and
the sea and all that is in them, who by the mouth of thy servant
David has said, why did the heathen rage and the people imagine vain
things? Even David said they were gonna
do this. The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ for
of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed
both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people
of Israel were gathered together. And here it is. For to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. I don't mean to be brash, but
every nodule of hocked up spit that they spit upon our Lord,
God Almighty ordained it. The hands with which they slapped
his face and the fists with which they buffeted him was determined
before by God. The tree on which he hung, God
made sure that tree, when it sprouted up, grew into a tree
big enough for them to make a cross out of. Huh? Yeah. Now Lord, here we go. Behold
their threatenings and grant unto thy servants that with all
boldness they may speak thy word. You see, when God actually saved
me and began to show me who he really was, I had something to
tell then. I really did. All I had to tell
before then at best was fundamental Baptist doctrine. That was it. But when God opened up my eyes,
it's like, whoa, this book's talking about somebody. This
somebody is the God of all glory. And that God of all glory came
in human flesh to redeem a people. I got something to say now. God
give me boldness to do it. boldness to do it. So again,
the whole of God's gracious purpose in salvation has God's will as
the preeminent foundation. God ordained wicked acts of men
that my soul might be saved when they did it against our Lord
on our behalf. Here's the last one. That was
10 of them, or that was nine of them. Here's the 10th one.
Turn to Revelation 17 first. Let me turn to Revelation 17. And like I said, I will not have
even scratched the surface. I would venture to say that almost
on every page of the Bible, just according to how big your pages
are and how big the print is, you're gonna find this decreed,
declared, manifested, illustrated in God's word. None can resist
God's will. And you can pick out a few isolated
verses and try to combat that, but you will never succeed. All
right, Revelation 17, here's my statement. Even unified anti-Christ
devoted rebellion. Hear I said, even unified anti-Christ
devoted rebellion is God's will being done.