Is God Defeated? #1

Q: What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

The Bible affirms God's absolute sovereignty over all things, as seen in Isaiah 46:9-10. The Scriptures clearly teach that God is sovereign over all of creation and His purposes cannot be thwarted by human unbelief. Isaiah 46:9-10 states, 'I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.' This reveals that God's counsel will stand and He will accomplish all His good pleasure, regardless of human actions or disbelief. The overarching theme of God's sovereignty is that He has a divine plan and nothing in this world can disrupt His ordained purposes.

Q: How do we know God's promises are unshakeable?

God's promises are unshakeable because He is faithful and His purposes cannot fail, as highlighted in Romans 3:3. In Romans 3:3, Paul asks, 'Shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?' This emphatically states that God's promises remain intact despite human disbelief. God's nature is such that He is unchangeable, and His faithfulness is grounded in His sovereign will and purpose. Throughout the Bible, we see that God has consistently fulfilled His promises, demonstrating that they are not contingent upon our faith or lack thereof, but instead anchored in His character and His immutable will.

Q: Why is understanding God's sovereignty important for Christians?

Understanding God's sovereignty is vital as it assures us that nothing occurs outside His control and plan. Comprehending the sovereignty of God provides Christians with a sense of peace and security amidst the chaos of life. It assures believers that God is in control of all events, as highlighted in Exodus 33:19, where God expresses His freedom to show mercy and grace as He wills. Recognizing His sovereignty also helps believers navigate challenging circumstances with faith, knowing that God works all things for their good (Romans 8:28). It reinforces the truth that salvation hinges on God's purpose and not human effort, emphasizing the gracious sovereignty of God in every aspect of life.

Q: Does human unbelief affect God's plans?

No, human unbelief does not affect God's plans; His purposes will always prevail. The question raised in Romans 3:3 reflects the assurance that human unbelief cannot undermine God's sovereign plans. Regardless of how many may reject God or His Word, His eternal purpose and covenant remain intact and operative. God's declarations in Isaiah 46 highlight His ability to declare the end from the beginning; thus, unbelief does not negate His authority or intentions. This becomes a source of comfort and encouragement for believers, as we see that God's redemptive plan is not contingent on human acceptance, but firmly established in His will.

Romans chapter 3. Verse 3 says this, Romans 3 verse
3, For what if some did not believe? For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? What if some did not believe
the Bible, the revelation of God, the revelation of His true character
and glory, the revelation of His purpose
in Christ Jesus? What if some did not and do not
believe that? Shall their unbelief make the
faithfulness of God to His Word, to His Son, to His covenant without
effect? Will your unbelief in any way,
mine, the whole world for that matter, will our unbelief in
any way affect the program of God? That's what he's asking. What if some, many most, do not
believe? Shall their rebellion, their
unbelief, and their error make void the purpose of God Almighty,
the covenant of a great eternal God? Does that make it void? What if the so-called great minds
of this world, they say, well, the scientists don't believe
what you believe, that we're the rulers, we're the legislators,
we're the professors, teachers. What if the so-called great minds
do not believe, the rulers of this world do not believe, the
scientific community does not believe, the religious leaders
do not believe. What if they do not believe? Shall their unbelief defeat the
eternal will of God? Shall it? I want you to take your Bibles
and turn to some Scriptures. I read in the Scriptures, this
is what I read in the Word of God, that the living God, and
that's That's what David called him. Turn to Genesis 18. David
said, My, as the deer panteth for the water brook, so panteth
my soul, my soul, after the living God. The living God. The true God, he's called, as
opposed to gods and idols and heathen deities. Our Lord said,
this is eternal life that they might know thee the only true
God. And I read in the scriptures,
I read in the word of God, and what other source do you have
for a revelation of God? I read in the scriptures that
the eternal living God of heaven and earth is absolutely, unchangeably,
sovereign in all his ways. Now that's what I read. Genesis
18, verse 14. Is anything too hard for the
Lord? God announced to Abraham, well
up in years, and Sarah, past the age of bearing children,
that they would have a son. And the scripture says, verse
12, that Sarah laughed within herself. saying, After I am waxed
old, shall I have pleasure, my Lord, my husband being old also? And the Lord said unto Abraham,
verse 13, Wherefore didst thou savour life? Saying, Shall I
of a surety bear a child which am old? Is anything too hard
for the Lord? Is anything too hard for your
God? Turn to Exodus 33. Let's see
what he said to Moses here. Exodus 33. Upon Moses asked God, he said, show
me your glory. Show me your glory. Reveal unto
me the glory of God. And God said in verse 19 of Exodus
33, He said, I'll make all my goodness pass before thee, and
I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee. And I will be gracious to whom
I will be gracious. And I will be merciful. I will
show mercy on whom I will show mercy. That's my glory. God said,
I'll be gracious to whom I will, and I'll show mercy to whom I
will. Let's read over in Isaiah 45. Now, this is what I read
in the Scriptures, and I'm just picking out a few. It's all the
way through the Word of God. This same message, this same
declaration of His omnipotence, He's all-powerful, He's omniscience,
He's all-present, He's all-knowing, He's omnipresent, He's all-present. God is God. Scripture says, let
God be true and every man a liar. But Isaiah 45 says this, verse
5, listen, I'm the Lord, and there's none else, there's
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 is none beside me, I am the Lord,
there's none else, I form the light, I create darkness, I make
peace, I create evil, I the Lord do all these things. Drop down
ye heavens from above and let the skies pour down righteousness,
let the earth and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness
spring up together. Let it be done, I, the Lord,
have created it. World, unto him that striveth
with his Maker, let the potsherds strive with the potsherds of
the earth. Shall the clay say to him that
fashioned it, What maker'st thou for thy work? He hath no hands, Turn to Isaiah 46 now. Let's
read over here in Isaiah 46, now beginning with
verse 9. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, there's none else. I am God, there's none
like me. I declare the end from the beginning. And from ancient times the things
that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, I will
do all my pleasure. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far country,
yea, I've spoken it, I will also bring it to Paris. I've purposed
it, I'll do it. And that scripture I read in
Daniel when King Nebuchadnezzar He said his understanding and
reason returned to him. And this was the conclusion he
came to. He said, I bless the most high
God that liveth forever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion. And he doeth according to his
will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of
the earth. And none can stay his hand or say unto him, what
are you doing? Turn to Romans chapter 9. This
is what I read in the Bible. You know, all these churches
and denominations and preachers say the Bible is our foundation. We believe the Bible. We preach
the Bible. We walk according to the Bible.
The Bible is our rule of faith. Is it? Romans chapter 9, verse
11. The children being not yet born,
neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of
God, according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him
that calleth. It was said to her, to Rebekah,
the mother of these twins, the elder shall serve the younger.
That's backwards. As it is written, Jacob have
I loved, but Esau have I hated. Now what shall we say then? Is
there unrighteousness with God? Is God unfair? God forbid. He said to Moses, I'll have mercy
on whom I will have mercy, and I'll have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth nor of him that runneth, it's of God that showeth mercy.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, even for this same purpose
have I raised you up. that I might show my power in
you, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom
he will harden. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why
doth he yet find fault? Who can resist his will? Nay, but, O man, who art thou
that replyest against God? Shall the thing formed say to
him that formed it, Why have you made me thus? Hath not the
potter power over the clay, Of the same love to make one vessel
under honour, And another under dishonour? What if God, willing
to show his wrath, And to make his power known, Endured with
much longsuffering the vessels of wrath, Fitting made up for
destruction, And that he might make known the riches of his
glory, on the vessels of mercy which he had afore, before, prepared
unto glory. Even us whom he had called, not
of Jews only, but also the Gentiles. Turn to Ephesians 1. This is
what I read in the Scriptures. This is Almighty God revealing
Himself in the Scriptures. In Ephesians 1, you know this
so, you're so familiar with this passage, let's just begin at
verse 9, Ephesians 1 verse 9. Having made known unto us the
mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he
hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness
of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven, which are on earth, even in Christ,
in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will. He worketh what? All things after
the counsel of his own will. And that's what I read in the
scriptures. And like I say, we could just start at Genesis and
go all the way to Revelation and see the sovereignty and the
power and the will of Almighty God. God is Almighty. But this is not what I'm hearing
today from the pulpit. This is not what is being preached
by the leading religionists of this day. This is not what our
preachers in America and around the world are preaching. I hear
a different God. I hear a different God preached. I hear an impotent God. I hear
them talking about a God who wills to do certain things, but
he's not able. Isn't that right? That's what
I hear. I know my hearing is bad, but I've got two $500 hearing
aids, and I pick up most of it. I hear preached a God who wills
to do certain things, but he is not able because men will
not let him. Isn't that what I hear? Men do
not believe. Paul asks the question, what
if some do not believe? Will their unbelief make void
the program of God, the purpose of God, the faith of God? That's
what I'm hearing preached, that God wills to do these things
and He can't because they won't let Him. The God that I hear
preached today and I read about never was in control. He wasn't
in control when Adam fell. That slipped up on this God I
hear preached today. Where was God when Adam fell? They indicate that he never was
in control, or somewhere down the line he lost control of the
universe. Did your God lose control of
the universe? Well, the God I hear has lost
control. He made all things good and beautiful
and perfect, but something happened beyond his control. Someone came
on the scene. Someone's will was forced into
this good, perfect, and beautiful creation, and God lost control. He lost His grip on things. Somewhere
down the line, Satan and men messed up God's beautiful plan,
and now God wants it back. That's what they tell me, God
wants it back. And He keeps making various offers
to men. He keeps making various offers
to men to let him run things again. Isn't that what I'm hearing?
God has a beautiful plan. Won't you let him work it? God's
trying to get back in control. Is this not what they're saying?
I hear people, preachers say this. I heard this on this television
station out here by a preacher that was preaching out Rose Hill. And he said, this is election.
God loves you and votes for you. The devil hates you and votes
against you. And you have the deciding vote.
That puts God in a minority. That's two to one. Me and the
devil are two to one against God. And he has no power. He
can't do one solitary thing about it. He loves me, he wants to
save me, but I got two votes against him, and that wins. That
may win with your God, but not the God of the Bible. And then
I hear this, give God a chance. You mean Almighty God operates
by chance? When did he start operating by
chance? He talks here in the scripture
I read about purpose and counsel and will declared from the beginning. I hear them say this, let go
and let God have his wonderful way. Does God Almighty wait for
you to let him go and let him have his way? What kind of God
is this that they're preaching? Well, it's an impotent God. It's
a powerless God. And there's no fear of God before
their eyes because the God they've created is not worthy of fear
or worship. God said, is my arm short that
it cannot save? Is my ear heavy that I cannot
hear? Can I not do with my own what
I will? That's the God of the Bible.
I hear them say, God has no hands but your hands. Well, how do
you make the universe for crying out loud? God has no feet but your feet.
Is God disabled? That sounds like a disabled God
to me. Not only impotent, but disabled.
He has no hands and no feet. Then how does he walk about through
the universe? How does he command the lightning
and the rain and the snow? I hear them say, well, God needs
you. God needs Uncle Sam may need you, but God doesn't. God needs you. He needs your
talent. He needs your time. He needs
your time. Then why did He say, if I were
hungry, I wouldn't ask you? If He needs me, why did He say,
the cattle on a thousand hills is His, and the earth is the
Lord's, and the fullness thereof? I don't need a God who needs
me. That's the last thing I need
on this earth in this life is a God who needs me. Preachers say salvation is up
to you. But the Bible says salvation
is up to the Lord. I know I read that in Jonah 2.9.
Salvation is of the Lord. I read in the Psalms two or three
times, the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord, but the preacher
says it's up to me. Somebody's lying. It's a shame to call preachers
liars, but that's what they are. Preachers say we're saved by
our own free will, and I just read a moment ago, God said it's
not of him that willeth. God said it's not. It is not
of him that willeth, it is not of him that runneth, it's of
God that showeth mercy. It says we're not born of the
will of the flesh, we're not born of the will of man, we're
born of God. That's what God said. You say,
you're getting excited now. Well, it's enough to excite me. I don't understand there's a
contradiction here. And nobody's rising up and talking
about it. Nobody's rising up and challenging
anybody. There's a horrible contradiction
between today's God and this God. And people just sit and
bear it, grin and bear it, and put up with it. There's a great
contradiction between the message of the prophet and the message
of the Bible, and I'm amazed that some intelligent human being
in this generation, in this town, doesn't question some preachers. I'm amazed. If Ron Claiborne
over at Paul Blazer High School anymore started teaching that
the world was flat, you parents would be up in arms and going
over there and want to lynch him. Wouldn't you? And yet a preacher stands in
the pulpit and denies a holy God, lies on a holy God, tells
your young people this, that, and the other that's not in the
Word of God, and everybody just says, well, bless his heart. They wouldn't bless your heart.
You'd get barred. Turn to the book of Job. The
book of Job, chapter 38. There's some fellas, three fellas,
sitting around talking to a man named Job. And they were popping
off about God. Job was too, the whole outfit,
popping off about God. And the Lord spoke. He asked
Job about 70 questions. Over 70 questions. I'm going
to read some. I want you to take your Bible.
Now listen, this is God speaking. In chapter 38 of Job, verse 1,
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Who
is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? In
other words, in plain, everyday, Southern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky
language, that's, Who's this popping off about things he doesn't
know anything about? That's what it is. Who's this
popping off about something he doesn't know anything about?
Gird up now your loins like a man, God said, and I will demand of
thee, and you answer me. Where were you when I laid the
foundations of the earth? Now declare, if you have any
understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof,
if you know? Tell me about creation. You know
so much about God and about all these spiritual things. Tell
me about creation. Who has stretched the line upon
it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Who laid the
cornerstone of this universe? This is God asking Job and his
friends some questions. Now, 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 broke forth as if it had issued
out of the womb? when I made the cloud the garment
of, and thick darkness as a swaddling band for the ocean, and break
it up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors, and said,
Hitherto shall you come." Do you know that most of this world
is water, seas, oceans? But it's held in its bank? To
shake this earth and send tidal waves over this world would destroy
all land. But God said, where were you?
When I gave the sea its designated place and put a swaddling band
around it and doors about it and said, you can't come a foot
further. Who did all that? God did. But
I have him standing outside some sinner's heart door tapping on
it to see if he'll let him in. Verse 11, Here the two shall
you come and no further, and here shall your proud waves be
stayed. I'm talking about the oceans
and the seas. The mighty oceans with their
mighty waves and three or four miles deep. God said just came. You just come right here and
you stop. That's my God. Hast thou commanded the morning
since thy days? And caused the dawn to know its
place? the exact rising of the sun and
setting of the same, that it might take hold of the ends of
the earth, that the wickedness of evil might be shaken out of
it, the wickedness of darkness. It is turned as clay to the seal,
and they stand as a garment. And from the wicked their light
is withholden, and the high arms shall be broken. Have you entered
into the springs of the sea? Where did the water come from?
Have you walked in search of the depth? Have the gates of
death been opened unto you? Have you seen the doors of the
shadow of death? What control do you have over
that? Hast thou perceived the breath
of the earth declared, if thou knowest it all? Where is the way where light
dwelleth? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof? Explain
light and darkness. that thou shouldest take it to
the bound thereof, and thou shouldest know the path to the house thereof.
Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? That how you
got all your information? When I made all this, were you
born? Or because of the number of thy days is great? How great
are the numbers of your days? Have you entered into the treasures
of the snow? Have you seen the treasures of
the hail? which I have reserved against the time of trouble,
against the day of battle and war? By what way is light parted,
which scattereth the east wind upon the earth? Who hath divided
a water course for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning
or thunder? Who causes it to rain on earth
where no man is? That's a good question, isn't
it? Or on the wilderness where there's no man, to satisfy the
desolate and the waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender
herb to spring forth. Hath the rain a father? Or who
hath begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice
and the hoary frost of heaven? Who hath gendered it? Who hath
given that birth? The water is a head as with a
stone, and the face of the deep is frozen. Can you bind the sweet
influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion, that's the
cluster of stars or the zodiac? Canst thou bring forth Maserat
in his season, or can you guide Arturus with his sons? That's
talking about the stars, the cluster of stars, the so-called
signs of the stars. Knowest thou the ordinances of
heaven? Canst thou set the dominion thereof
in the earth? Can you lift up your voice to
the clouds, that the abundance of waters may cover you? Can
you send lightning, that they go and say to you, Here we are,
send us where you will? Who hath put wisdom in the inward
parts, or who hath given the understanding to the heart? Who
can number the clouds in wisdom? Who can stay the bottles of heaven?
Who can pour out the torrents of rain? when the dust grows
hard and the clods cleave fast together? Will you hunt the prey
for the lion? Will you fill the appetite of
the young lions when they couch in their dens and abide in the
covert to lion weight? Who has provided for the raven
his food? When his young ones cry unto
God, they wonder for lack of meat. Do you know that, watch
this now, do you know the time when the wild goats of the rock
bring forth? Can you mark the time when the
hens do calve, when they give birth to their young? Can you
number the months that they fulfill? Do you know the time when they'll
bring forth, they bow themselves, they bring forth their young
ones, they cast out their sorrows? The young calf or the goat or
the horse, their young ones are strong and good liking. They
stand up and walk the day or two after they're born. They
grow up with corn. They go forth and return not
unto them. Who hath sent out the wild ash free? Who hath loosed
the bands of the wild ash, whose house I have made the wilderness,
and the barren land his dwelling? Who takes care of all these animals
and birds, and teaches them to build their nests, and to give
birth to the young, and provide for their young? Who gives the
horse his strength so quickly and a little baby has to be nursed
for 6, 8, 10 months? Verse 7, He scorneth the multitude
of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of a driver, or
the range of the mountains, his pasture, the wild donkey. He scorneth, searcheth after
every green thing. Will the unicorn, that is the
wild ox, will he be willing to serve you or abide by your crib? Can you bind the wild ox with
his band in the furrow? Can you make him plow the valley
for you? Will you trust him because his
strength is great? Will you leave your labor to
him? Will you believe him that he'll bring home your seed and
gather it in the barn? Did you give the goodly wings
to the peacocks, the wings and feathers to the ostrich? which
leaves her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in the dust,
and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, the wild beasts
may break them. She is hardened against her young
ones, as though they were not hers. Her labor is in vain without
fear, because God hath deprived her of wisdom." I'm telling you, this God, the
living God, ruleth and overruleth all things. He's asking Job these
questions. God hath deprived her of wisdom,
neither hath he imparted to her understanding. What time she
lifted up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and the rider.
Have you given the horse strength, Job? Have you clothed his neck
with thunder? Can you make him afraid of a
grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible. He poureth
in the valley, he rejoiceth in his strength, he goeth out to
meet armed men. He mocketh after fear, he's not
afraid, neither turneth he back from the sword." Can you give
him that kind of strength, fearlessness? "...the quiver rattleth against
him, the glittering spear and the shield, and he swalleth the
ground with fierceness and rage. Neither believeth he that it
is the sound of the trumpet, He saith among the trumpets,
Ha! Ha! He smelleth the battle afar,
the thunder, the captains, and the shouting. Does the hawk fly
by your wisdom, stretch her wings towards the south? Who tells
her to go south? She dwelleth and abideth. Does
the eagle mount up at your command, verse 27, and make her nest on
high? She dwelleth and abideth on the
rock. Upon the crag of the rock, a strong place, from thence she
seeketh to pray, her eyes behold afar off, her young ones also
suck up blood, and where the slain are, there she is. Moreover,
the Lord answered Job and said, Shall he that contended with
the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him
answer it." Boy, I tell you, that just takes the strength
out of me. Who am I? preachers, these spokesmen, these
religionists, picturing God as an impotent
God and a powerless God and way off yonder somewhere who's left
creation and gone off somewhere and just let this thing run its
own course. Everything, every drop of snow
he sends, every flake of snow, every drop of rain to the ocean
controls all And Job answered the Lord, and he said, Behold,
I am vile. What shall I answer thee? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once
have I spoken, but I'll not answer. Twice, but I'll proceed no farther.
Gird up your loins now. Then God answered, verse 6. One
more time. Listen. Let me read a few more.
God answered Job by the whirlwind. He said, Gird up your loins now
like a man. I'm going to demand of you and you're declaring to
me, will thou disannul my judgment, my covenant, my purpose? Will
you condemn me that you may be righteous? Is that what you're
going to do? I'm going to heaven. I'm saved. I did it myself. I earned my way. You're going
to do that? You going to condemn God that you may be righteous?
You going to condemn God that you may get some kinfolks into
the kingdom of God? You going to disannul my judgment?
Disannul my and condemn me? Have you an arm like God? Can
you thunder with a voice like God? Deck yourself with majesty
and excellence. Array yourself with glory and
beauty. I tell you, we have to literally clean up and bathe
twice a day and buy all the perfume Avon can produce and wash our
clothes. We do. We fight this thing to
look decent. And God talks about deck yourself
with majesty. Step out in the excellency and
array yourself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage
of your wrath. and behold every one that is
proud and abase him." Let's see you do that, God says. Look on
every one that's proud and bring him low. Tread down the wicked
in their place. We can't even stop drugs from
coming in this country. That won't stop evil. Hide them in the dust together,
bind their faces in secret, and then God said, well, I confess
to you that your own right hand can save you. That's it, isn't
it, Mike? You do that. You just do that. Just that one thing that God
does. Array yourself in beauty and
excellence and majesty and glory. And stop the flood tides of evil.
and say to the proud, be abased, and to the haughty, be brought
down. And God said, then I'll confess you and save thyself.
All right, what are we going to do? What are we going to do? We've
got a whole nation of preachers and so-called theologians. They're
training, they're taking our young men into these seminaries
and they're training them to deny God. They're training them
to lie on God. They're training them to present
an emotional, sentimental, impotent God. Isn't that right, John?
What are we going to do? I'm going to do what Job did.
Let's see what Job did. Job 42. When you get home, you
can read the rest of that chapter 41. I'm going to do what Job
did. Verse 1 of chapter 42, then Job
answered the Lord and said, I know you can do everything. God can
do everything. And I know this, that no thought
can be withholden from thee. In other words, no thought or
purpose of yours can be stopped. You look that up and see if that's
not what that's saying. Job said, I found out two things. You can
do everything. and nothing you decree or purpose
can be stopped. My friends, 40 years ago, 1950,
is when I heard this gospel, this God, purpose, that one word,
purpose. I know you can do everything
and I know nothing you purpose can be defeated. Verse 3, you said to me, Who
is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? That's what you said
to me. Who is this that darkens and obscures counsel by words
without knowledge? That's what you said to me. Therefore,
I now see, I uttered things I didn't understand. I uttered things I understood
not, things too wonderful for me. This is what we're doing.
It's not only the older folks, it's young people, it's teenagers.
It's fellowship of Christian athletes, it's boys and girls
in junior high school. They've all got something to
say about God. They've all got their ideas of
God, their opinions of God, and they're hasty to utter it. It
doesn't matter who it is. Without understanding, without
knowledge. Their mouths are just batched
forth, all of this God's this and God's that, and I believe
God's this and God's that. They don't have any hesitancy
to speak about God. And he said, you said to me,
who is this? Who is this? Who is this that
darkens counsel without knowledge? And therefore I confess, I have
uttered things I didn't understand. And things too wonderful for
me, which I knew not. Verse 4, I virtually said to
you what you said to me. Here I beseech thee, and I'll
speak. You remember back in the early part, Job, he said that
to God? He said, You hear me, and let
me speak. Now he said, You said the same
thing to me. You hear me, and I'll speak. I'll demand of you, and you declare
unto me, this is what I said to you, and now you're saying
it to me. Here I beseech thee, I will speak,
I'll demand of you, where were you when I did this?" Well, verse
5, I've heard of you, by the hearing of the ear, and now mine
eye seeth thee. You know, it's one thing to,
that's hearsay. I heard someone say. I heard
them say these things about God. Now I see God in His majesty. I see God in His power. I see God in His might. I see
God in His glory. Now I see something. It's not
hearsay anymore. I see it. Now what's the response? Wherefore, I hate myself. My weakness is made glaringly
obvious before His power. My wickedness is so obvious before
His holiness. My shame is so exaggerated before
His glory. And I repent. I repent in dust
and ashes. That's what must be done. Paul said, I've preached two
things, repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. My generation has got to come
down off their high horse, their pedestal of self-righteousness
and so-called dignity and wisdom and knowledge Everybody's an
authority on spiritual matters. If you turn on your television,
there's, I mean, I told ourselves today, I saw
some woman on there, if she, twenty years ago, she'd been
considered a harlot, the way she was dressed, and the way
her hair was, and those long earrings down to her shoulders,
and paint, she looked like a painted wall, and she's up there popping
off about God. That's right, 20 years ago. But
this generation sits and listens to those brainless, godless,
heathen, who know nothing about God's Word. And they quote Scripture.
They'll go over here and find one, over there and find one.
They don't dare set a course and start through that Scripture
and read it. Well, Job said, I hate myself. I'm coming down in the dust.
fallen before a holy God. Now we're going to meet Him here
in the dust of repentance, and we're going to meet that God
at the judgment. Is He defeated? Not for a moment. Not for a moment. And He's going
to get glory out of everybody here, either in His mercy or
His justice. We're going to be instruments
of His purpose and His glory. He's God. That's right. And I'm going to continue this
tonight, because this is imperative. This is where it all starts.
This is where it started with Job. You gird up your loins like a
man. I've got some questions. Read
those 70 questions again. It just does something for me. I just want to glorify Him. Kind of slip out the back door,
don't you? Say, Lord, if it be Your will,
Glorifying to you and pleasing in your sight. Show mercy to
me. Don't pass me by. Peanut. I'm a peanut. I'm nothing. Absolutely nothing. But I sure
would like to see that glory. I'd like to see it. Alright,
let's sing a hymn. Mike, you got one there? Stand
up and bless the Lord. That's it. It's number 33. Number
33. We'll sing it to that other tune. Number 33.

Is God Defeated? #1

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know God's promises are unshakeable?

Why is understanding God's sovereignty important for Christians?

Does human unbelief affect God's plans?

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Is God Defeated? #1

What does the Bible say about God's sovereignty?

How do we know God's promises are unshakeable?

Why is understanding God's sovereignty important for Christians?

Does human unbelief affect God's plans?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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