We read the first few verses
just a moment ago. Let's look again at verse 1 here
in Genesis chapter 1. It says, In the beginning, God.
And that's our text. In the beginning, God. Genesis, as you probably know,
means in Hebrew, the word means beginning, beginning. And God's
Word begins with God whose Word it is. If you start anywhere
else, start anywhere else other than God, whether as an explanation
for creation, God. Providence, God working. Salvation, it's God's Word. Start anywhere else especially
with man, you got to go wrong. You can't go any other way but
wrong. Martin Luther, in his day, had
a contemporary, a theologian, named Erasmus. But Erasmus' theology
began and ended with man. His theology made the will of
God subservient to man's will. And of course, Luther was the
very opposite. He told Erasmus one time, Erasmus,
your God is too human. Your God is too human. He's like
you. Everything that he wills is determined
by the will of man. His purposes can be defeated
by the will of man. Your God is just too human. And is that not the indictment
that God charged Israel with? You thought that I was altogether
such a one as yourself. I'm not. I'm not like you. If so, our God would be just
as useless as man is. He couldn't be trusted. He couldn't
be trusted at all. After all, his will might be
set aside. It might be made void. If he
were like you and I, but thank God he's not. The very word here
for God in our text means strong, mighty, the almighty. All things, as we read here,
all things had a beginning, but not God. Nothing exists from
eternity except God. Nothing exists by chance. or
by the Big Bang Theory. That's the explanation of the
intelligent community. The scientists, the smart folks
that had degrees. How did all this come into being?
There was a Big Bang. No. In the beginning, God. That's the explanation. Let me
read it to you, what Paul wrote in Galatians, Galatians chapter
1. Here's the explanation. For by
him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions
or principalities or powers. All things were created by him
and for him. Whoa, say what? You mean to tell
me this world doesn't revolve around me? We live in a me generation,
don't we? Me, mine, my rights, my will,
my worth. No, all things were created by
him and for him and he is before all things. And by him all things
consist. Let me read you another verse.
Revelation chapter 4, verse 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive
glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things,
and for thy pleasure they are and were created. All things come from God. But
God himself was before all things. Isn't that something to think
about? That's something to contemplate, isn't it? Or to try to. I think
I've mentioned this before, but years ago, I was driving along
and Larry and Roger, just little tykes, they were sitting in the
back seat, and one of them asked me, Dad, I've heard you say that
God had no beginning. I said, that's right. He'll have
no end." I said, that's right. He's always been. There wasn't
a starting place for God. In the beginning, God. And one
of them said, Dad, I just don't understand that. And I said,
I don't either. I don't either, but I know it's
so. He existed before time. Time began with him. Time deals
with those things measured by time, but that's not God. God made the clock and started
it ticking. And when He is pleased to do
so, He'll declare that time shall be no more, no more. The matter we read up here is
heaven and earth, but the mover is God. The effect, again, is
heaven and earth, but the cause is God. Of Him, Paul said, as
he bowed down in his heart in true worship. Of Him, Paul said,
are all things. Of Him, and through Him, and
back to Him, God Almighty, are all things to whom be glory forever
and ever. Oh, Lord my God, when I in awesome
wonder consider all the worlds Thine hands have made, I see
the stars, I hear the rolling thunder. It's Thy power throughout
the universe that's displayed. The creation of heaven and earth,
came from God's hand and only God's hand. It is true of creation
what's true of redemption and salvation. The Lord said, there
was none to help. Therefore, mine own arm brought
salvation unto me. And so it is with creation. Let me read you a few verses
from in the as someone has called it, the Gospel of Isaiah. Right now I'm reading from Isaiah
chapter 37, verse 16. Oh Lord of hosts, and notice
as we read these verses, these writers, how they stand in holy
awe and wonder of their great God and Savior. Does your concept
of God do that? Does your concept of God do that? Or is He, as Luther told Erasmus,
like you? There's no wonder about Him.
I see nothing in him to adore. I see nothing in him to bow my
heart and soul down at his throne in holy awe. Oh, if not, if not,
he's not to God as he describes himself. Oh, Lord of hosts, God
of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art to God
even thou alone. Of all the kingdoms of the earth,
thou hast made heaven and earth. Now I'm returning to chapter
40. We're still in Isaiah, chapter 40, verse 25. To whom then will ye liken me,
or shall I be equal, saith the Holy One? Lift up your eyes. Lift up your eyes. Lift up your
eyes from self. Lift up your eyes from these
trivial things. Lift up your eyes on high. Look beyond. Look up and behold
who hath created these things, that bringeth out their hosts
by number. He calleth them all by names
by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power,
not one faileth. Chapter 44. Chapter 44. Chapter 44, verse 24. Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer,
and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that
maketh all things, that stretcheth forth to heaven alone, that spreadeth
abroad the earth by myself. My soul, isn't that something? Isn't that something? The heavens, the psalmist wrote,
declare the glory of God. And the firmament showeth forth
his handiwork. I've seen the almighty power
of God that made the mountains rise. They spread the flowing
seas abroad and built the lofty skies. There's not a plant or
flower below but makes his glories known. and clouds arise and tempests
blow by order from his throne. By him all things consist. Psalm 8 says, when I consider,
when I consider the heavens, the work of your hands, all these
things, heaven and earth that you have made, when I consider
that, What is man? Wow! Isn't that a switch? Isn't that a switch? What is
man that you're mindful of him? What is man that you even take
notice of him? Secondly, know this. Not only is God before all things,
having neither beginning nor end, and all things begin with
him, but this God is God indeed. He's God all the time, all the
time. Remember when Elijah was on Mount
Carmel with the prophets of Baal, what were there, 400 of them?
And he said, let's do this. Let's build an altar. Offer your
sacrifice to your God. And the God that answers by fire,
he's God. He said, you go first. And they
built their altar to their false God. And they acted like a bunch
of speaking in tongues Pentecostals, just went crazy trying to get
the attention of their God. And Elijah mocked them. Maybe
he can't hear you. Maybe you ought to talk louder.
Maybe he's on vacation. Oh, but our God, Moses wrote
in Psalm 90, this is what Moses wrote. Before the mountains were
brought forth, wherever thou hast formed the earth and the
world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. In other words, from everlasting
to everlasting, thou art God. You're everlastingly God. You've always been God. God over all. Is that not obvious
in our text? In the beginning, God. We don't read that God attempted
to create. Now, I know you have preachers,
religious leaders, talk that way all the time. They have the
ear of the majority. They talk about a God that's
trying. That's not the God of this book.
In the beginning, God didn't attempt to create. He didn't
try to create or was not able to create. Oh no! God created. from nothing. Think about that.
From nothing. That things which appear were
not made by things which rather that do appear. He made it from
nothing. In verse 3 again, light be and
light was all according to the counsel of his own will. That's what Paul wrote in Ephesians
1, didn't he? All that God does, he does according
to the counsel of his own will. After all, his will is perfect
wisdom. There's no greater counsel than
his own will. To whom would he ask advice?
Who's going to instruct God Almighty? Turn, if you will, to the book
of Job. The book of Job. Now Job and his theological friends
sat around for days trying to figure out why God was allowing
Job to pass through what he was. Job, you must have sinned, and
we're going to help you figure out what you've done. And just
day after day after day, this went on for weeks. And then something
happened. Something happened. God Almighty
came on the scene. God himself appeared, Job 38. Then the Lord answered Job out
of the whirlwind and said, Who is this that darkeneth counsel
by words without knowledge? You don't know what you're talking
about, is what God said. Gird up now thine loins like
a man, for I will demand of thee and answer thou me. Where was
thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Where were you,
Job? Declare if thou hast understanding.
Who had laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who has stretched
the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations
thereof fastened? These are all questions. Or who
laid the cornerstone thereof? When the morning stars sang together,
and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Or who shut up the sea
with doors when it break forth, as if it had issued out of the
womb? When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness
a swaddling band for it, and break up for it my decreed place,
and set bars in doors, and said, hitherto shalt thou come, but
no further, and here shalt thou proud ways be stayed, as thou
commanded the morning since thy days, and caused the day spring
to know his place, God said, answer me, Job. And you remember
the effect. that it had on Job. This is the
effect it had on Job. I guarantee you it wasn't this.
He didn't stand up, pop his suspenders and say, man, aren't I something? I've seen God. No, no. Chapter 42, then Job answered
the Lord and said, I know, I know, verse 1, Verse 2 now, I know that thou
canst do everything, everything, and that no thought can be withholding
from thee. Whoa, think about that. No thought
can be withholding from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel
without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that
I understood not things too wonderful for me which I knew not. And now instead of trying to
figure it out, Job bows his head and worships. Verse 5, I have
heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, oh, but now, now,
My eye seeth thee. And Job tells us, Oh my God,
how great thou art. This is our God. He changes not. And everything that God has done
is doing or shall do rest on this certain foundation. I am
God and there is none else. I am the Lord, God everlastingly,
and I change not. In other words, God Almighty
is sovereign, which simply means God is God. The meaning of the word is contained
in the word itself. R-E-I-G-N. Reigns. God Almighty reigns. The first article in the booklet,
Line Up Online, by your former pastor, is entitled Four Questions. And the first question Tommy
asked was this. Is God really God? What does
this imply? If God is God, then He is exactly
as the Bible declares Him to be. God is holy and just and
infinite, majestic, glorious, and sovereign. He does as He
pleases, when He pleases, with whom He pleases, and none can
give Him counsel. nor question what he does. God
is God or he is no God at all. Is your God the God of the Bible
or another? God reigns all the time or never. There's no in between. God reigns
everywhere or nowhere. God reigns over all or he reigns
over none at all. Let me read you another portion
from Isaiah chapter 46. This is what God himself says. Isaiah 46 verse 9. Remember the
former things of old. I'm God. I'm not changed. And there is none else. I am
God and there is none like me. I like that. I like that, Don. because nothing less than an
almighty, all-powerful, supreme, majestic, reigning, sovereign
God Almighty is going to do this sinner any good. Thank God I'm
in His hand and cannot be plucked out. 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 Why does this sound
so foreign to what we hear today? God says, I will do all my pleasure. Is that not so? Is that not so? Ask Nebuchadnezzar. He was the
king in Babylon. One day he walked on the balcony
of his palace. And he looked out and said, man,
what a kingdom. Babylon. Not another kingdom
like it. Look what my hands have made. Man, I'm something. I'm something. I did all this. And while the
words were still in his mouth, God Almighty struck him down.
And the next picture we see of that rebel, He's not strutting
about, popping suspenders. He's out in a field, down on
all fours, eating grass like an oxen. Not so proud anymore. Then God restored him to his
right mind. Verse 34, I'm reading from Daniel
4, and at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up
mine eyes unto heaven. And mine understanding returned
to me, and I blessed the Most High. And I praised and honored
Him that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and His kingdom is from generation to generation. and all the inhabitants
of the earth are reputed as nothing and he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth and none and none can stay his hand or say unto him what
doest thou?" My soul, I wonder today if God Almighty would do
to all these proud religionists who exalt their so-called free
will above the will of God Almighty. If he would do to them this morning
what he did to Nebuchadnezzar, man, there'd be a herd of them
out in the field eating grass, wouldn't there? Because they
would learn that God has his way all the time. Nebuchadnezzar
went on to say, I praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven,
all whose works are truths. and his way's judgment, and those
that walk in pride, he's able to abase. Come down sinner and
thank God that he does. God's sovereignty, now as Don
says, we're going to put this in shoe leather. God's sovereignty
is not a high and lofty truth with no practical benefit or
implications. Certainly it deals with the high
and lofty one, in those verses that we read, who inhabits eternity. But it's for that very reason.
Because God is who he is, it gives the practical benefit of
the suite of assurance to pilgrims and strangers as they journey
to that city whose builder and maker is God, knowing that the
God who's promised to take them to glory is able and willing
to bring them to glory and none can stay his hand or say unto
him, what doest thou? None can say, halt, let's stop
this. I'm going to hold your sheep
back. Christ said, that's impossible. That's not possible. Remember
what he prayed in John 17 before he went to the garden where he
was betrayed? Father, I will. I will. John taught us this morning.
He cast out demons just by his word. Come out. Lord, if you
will, you can make me clean. I will. That's all it took. In the beginning, God. And our
Lord prayed, Father, I will also that all those whom thou hast
given me be with me where I am. And none can resist his will.
Blessed truth, this blessed truth gives comfort during tribulation. What comfort it gives? I mean,
it's either falling down, finding hope, comfort in the knowledge
that we're in the hands of a sovereign God, or it just pulls your hair
out, one or the other, if that's not true. Oh, this blessed truth
gives comfort during tribulation, because concerning God's people,
we read, they all come out of great tribulation. It gives them
hope in every difficulty. For they go from strength to
strength, every one. Every one of them in Zion appeareth
before God. Oh, yes. My God, how great thou
art. God reigns in creation, in providence,
and in salvation. Let me share just briefly an
article Brother Maurice Montgomery wrote. He said, the greatest
glory, and our dear brother realizes it now so much more than when
he wrote this article because he's in glory. The greatest glory
of God is manifest not in creation, not in providence, but in redemption,
in the salvation of guilty, helpless sinners. Brothers and sisters
in Christ, isn't that a wonder? Lester, isn't that a wonder?
The greatest wonder in the world? That he should save a sinner
like me? God brings more glory to himself
in saving one old dead dog sinner than in the creation and sustaining
of this world. Therefore, it is not with reluctance
that God saves sinners, but with joy and delight. I find this
truth very encouraging. What about you? Yes, child of
God, storms will come. No question about it. And the
waves are going to beat into your little boat. and the winds
are gonna howl, and you may be at your wit's end. I read of
some in the Psalm that David, in one of the Psalms, David describes
that as being their case. Let me read it to you. Psalm
27, or rather 107. They that go down to the sea
in ships, that do business in great waters, these see the works
of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. where he commandeth
and raiseth the stormy wind which lifteth up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven. They go down again to the depths.
Their soul is melted because of trouble. Ever been there? They reel to and fro and stagger
like a drunken man and are at their wit's end. What's going
to happen? What's going to happen? Well,
I can tell you this. According to God's Word and your
experience thus far, child of God, we're not going to drown. We're just not going to drown.
You're not going to perish. You may be at your wits' end,
not thinking straight and feel like you are, but you're not.
You're not going to be plucked from the hands of the great shepherd
of the sheep unless, unless God changes. unless he ceases
to be God, sovereign, unless he himself is overcome. You say, Larry, and I hope that's
exactly what you're thinking, Larry, that's impossible. Exactly. That's exactly right. That's
why the psalmist went on to write, then they cry unto the Lord in
their trouble, and he bringeth him out. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. This rebel would
have perished a long time ago if you hadn't have brought me
out. Louis, I'd have thrown him in the towel a long time ago
if his grace hadn't proven sufficient and he brought me out. He bringeth
them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm Oh,
yes, he does. So that the ways thereof are
still. My name from the palms of his
hands, eternity will not erase. Impressed on his heart it remains
in marks of indelible grace. Our names were written in the
Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world, and
they will never, by no one or nothing, ever be erased. Lamb's book of life, we're his
sheep. And last of all, here's a pillow
to rest your weary head on and your troubled heart. Our God
is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Is that right, David? Is that
right? Man, what a checkered life David
led. Boy, what ups and downs he had.
What mountaintops experience. The Lord is my shepherd. And
oh, what dark valleys against thee and thee only have I sinned,
oh God. And when he lay on his deathbed. These be the last words of David,
David the son of Jesse. said, and the man who was raised
up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist
of Israel said, although my house be not so with God. Man, things
are just not like I would like them to be. And most of it's
my fault. Oh, here's a sweet note, a sweet
song of grace. Although my house be not so with
God. And I imagine that we can all
say that. Yet, yet, yet, he had made with
me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things. Nothing uncertain
about this. Ordered in all things insure,
this is all my salvation and all my desire. Because God cannot
fail or change and must ever reign, that's the reason. That's
the reason why all things work together for our good. That's
why because he is God above all and over all. That is why All
that the Father giveth me, Christ said, shall come to me. Because
he is God, that is why his sheep hear his voice and follow him,
and they shall never perish, and neither shall any man ever
pluck them out of his hand. Because he is God is the reason
why he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it into
the day, of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that good news? Let me
wrap this up by reading just from two other passages. Isaiah
chapter 65. Let me read a couple of verses
there. Isaiah chapter 65. I'm reading from verse 17. For behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth And the former shall not be remembered nor come
into mind." Because God's going to wipe away all tears for his
people. But be ye glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem
a rejoicing and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and joy in my people. And the voice of weeping shall
no more be heard in her nor the voice of crying. Last of all,
I'm going to read from Revelation chapter 19. And a voice came
out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants,
and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard, as it
were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters,
and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. Oh, for grace to praise him now,
to begin that song that will be perfected in heaven. Till
God, all wise, can make mistakes, his power abate, his love forsake,
his children must not cease to sing, the Lord omnipotent is
king. God bless you. Thank you for
your