God’s Sovereignty and Thanksgiving (Rom. 9:14-23)
Let us bless and greet one another, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Today, may God’s spiritual blessings be upon all those who are worshiping. The title of today’s message is, “God’s Sovereignty and Thanksgiving.” The problems of life happen because we don’t know who people are and we don’t know who God is. The only way to know who God is, is through the Bible. However, people are creating their own god based on their imagination; they think, “God is probably like this,” but they are simply imagining a god who is based on their knowledge and experiences of the world. People also don’t know who people are. They keep on trying to identify who they are based on their knowledge, their experiences, their personality from the world. However, the Bible is telling us who God is and who people are. Especially, it says that humans are created in the image of God. The “Image of God” means we are not God Himself, but we are ones who exist within the will of God. God created mankind so that He can reveal Himself through mankind. More so than angels or any other creation, God has made humans elevated above, and the greatest blessing humans can have is worshiping Him because God reveals Himself through worship, God reveals Himself through His Word, God reveals Himself through power, and God reveals Himself through wisdom.
In this way, God promises to give mankind all of their blessings of being fruitful and abundant, of ruling and subduing over creation. God promises to give us the answer to reproduce more people who have the life of God within them, and to become abundant, spread over the earth, and bless all of creation. However, a problem occurred to mankind. What is the beginning of all problems? It is humans trying to be like God, that’s what we call “sin,” and without a doubt, Satan’s temptation follows. Even right now, our problem is, we try to live according to our standards, we try to think according to our standards, and we always speak from our own perspective. I only want to live with my power, that is where all problems begin, it’s because we don’t know God. We might know God, but we don’t know Him well.
So, the problem of mankind is, we don’t know ourselves and we don’t know God. God made a way for us to know, and that is Jesus Christ. Humans could never solve their own problems on their own. What is “their own problem”? We keep doubting or disbelieving God, we try not to believe in God, we keep trying to live according to our own thoughts instead, and that is the beginning of all problems, but we cannot solve that problem.
Only through Christ have we been set free from that problem. There is no way that we can solve the problem of sin, Satan, and death on our own. The invisible forces of darkness are dragging our thoughts and our hearts along, and we have no way to solve that. Even if I don’t want to do something, I’m continually dragged in that direction. That’s why God sent us the Christ, and if we accept Jesus Christ, then the life of God dwells within us. We can overcome every problem of our past simply by being with the life of God, but we keep trying to overcome it with our hard work, even though Christ has already finished it on the cross, and now, we live our life with the One Who has finished it all. Any kind of mental problems, addictions, God can overcome it, and where is God? With us. It’s not about my thoughts; it’s about Him being with me. Looking at God Himself is power. This is where the answer is, but we keep on trying to receive power from a different source. God Himself is life, but we keep wandering, trying to look for life elsewhere. We keep on trying to live with our own hard work. Even though we have the answer, we’re not able to find it.
1. Is God unjust?
1) Not unjust (Rom. 9:14)
In the midst of this, the Scripture says that while Jacob and Esau were still in their mother’s womb, God had already made a decision, and when God made the decision while the children were still in their mother’s womb, people ask, “Why is God unfair? If somebody is unfair, how could they be God?” However, all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. If we have sinned, we must pay the price of sin and go to hell. However, God has chosen us among those people and saved us. But the people who have been chosen and saved by God’s grace cannot complain, saying, “Why did You only save me and not anyone else?” Or, if someone has not been chosen by God, they cannot say, “Why did you choose them and not save me? That is unjust.” Regarding that question, God is saying, “This is My Sovereignty. Were you chosen by me? Then you should be thankful.” That is today’s content.
(1) Says to Moses (Rom. 9:15)
Today’s scripture is talking about injustice. Is God unjust? Not at all. In Rom. 9:15, it talks about Moses. When the Israelites worshiped the Golden Calf while Moses was on Mount Sinai, they were worshiping idols, having sexual orgies and lots of acts of immorality. During that time, Moses prays to God saying, “Even if you erase my name from the Book of Life, please save all of these Israelites,” and then Moses asked God, “Please, show me Your glory.”
(2) I will have mercy – On whom I have mercy (Rom. 9:15)
At that time, God responded to Moses, saying, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” What is “mercy?” “Mercy” is when someone is rightfully deserving to receive wrath or justice for their actions, but God takes that wrath away.
(3) I will have compassion – On whom I have compassion (Rom. 9:15)
Then, what is grace or compassion? If we have grace, it means we don’t deserve to receive something good, but we receive it anyway.
2) Not people’s standard
(1) Not based on human desire (Rom. 9:16)
(2) Not based on human effort (Rom. 9:16)
(3) Based on God’s mercy (Rom. 9:16)
What God is saying here is, God does not act according to whatever Moses says, but God acts according to Who He is for He is God and He is sovereign, that is Romans 9:16. “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. It does not depend on mankind’s effort. Just because you work so hard to keep God’s law, does not mean that God gives you mercy for it, because we cannot receive salvation through the law. That must be given through God’s grace, so we need to think very well about this. If I think God gives me something because of my righteousness, that’s wrong. We need to place the basis on God, God says He does it, and that is God’s response. Then there is another example.
3) Pharaoh
(1) God raised (Rom. 9:17)
(2) God’s power (Rom. 9:17, Ex. 9:16)
(3) Proclaim God’s name to all the earth (Ex. 9:16)
Rom. 9:17 is the example of Pharaoh, it says that God hardened the heart of Pharaoh of Egypt, and in Rom. 9:17, God says, “I raised you, the Pharaoh, up for this very purpose.” Age by age, God raises up the kings. God is the One Who raises them up, God is the One Who raises and destroys kings. God is also the One Who breaks down nations and raises up new ones. Through Daniel, God actually gives the prophecy of four different empires that will rise and fall in the form of a statue. There is a statue with different materials in the head, the chest, the legs, and the feet; the final age, the feet, represents the Age of Rome that will take over. Then, why did God raise up Pharaoh in the age of Egypt? He said, “I have raised you up, Pharaoh, for this very purpose, that I may display my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.” What does this mean, exactly?
2. God
1) Creator
(1) Has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy (Rom. 9:18)
(2) Hardens whom he wants to harden (Rom. 9:18)
In Rm. 9:18, it says God hardened the heart of Pharaoh. Does it mean God hardened the heart of Pharaoh on purpose? No, his heart was already hard. Even though Pharaoh’s heart was already hard, God did not give grace and mercy upon it. God had already given this Word to Pharaoh, through Moses, to “Let my people go.” But because the Pharaoh’s heart was so hard, he did not listen to God, and then God laid upon Egypt the 10 plagues. The 10 plagues are all of the idols and gods the Egyptians believed in. By enduring these 10 disasters, The Egyptians were able to witness the immense power of God. God used the heart of Pharaoh, which was already hardened, in order to reveal His name and power all the way to the land of Canaan.
Then, what about Moses? Was he a compliant and good individual from the start? Moses also had a hardened heart. All human beings who are born separated from God are sinners and our hearts are stubbornly hardened against God. However, God gave Moses grace. When God called Moses and entrusted His mission to him, Moses kept on rejecting it. Until the very end, he was unable to follow God’s Word. This is how stubbornly wicked we are. You and I do not have faith because we are good people. God continued to give grace to Moses so that he was able to follow God’s Word. Moses originally said, “I cannot go, I’m too old, I have no power,” and then God told Moses, “Throw your staff,” and the staff became a snake. Then, God told Moses to pick up the staff again and it turned back into a staff. God said, “I will be with you, Moses.” Then Moses said, “I cannot speak, and then God said, “I will place my words into your mouth, and if you’re still not capable, then I will bring your brother, Aaron, who can speak well.” But Moses was so stubborn that he continued to oppose the Word of God. He said, “I am wanted for murder in Egypt, and there are many people who recognize me there, I cannot go back. Until the very end, Moses was stubbornly resistant against God’s Word. Even though Moses was like this, God gave Him His grace and His mercy in order to obey His Word; Moses was not originally like that.
(3) God is the evidence
2) Question
(1) Then why does God still blame us? (Rom. 9:19)
You and I are originally like that as well, but we keep misinterpreting or incorrectly analyzing people. We think this person is good, but the Bible tells us we are stubbornly wicked. When God gives us His grace, He covers over our wickedness, but humans are relentlessly and originally wicked, but we don’t think that way. That is the beginning of problems. When you think of the pastor, do you think they are perfect or blameless? People keep trying to make pastors as if they are a god, but when they see the pastor make a mistake, they get disappointed, but that was a misconception from the start. Every single human is born separated from God, and we have a nature that opposes God from our wickedness, and even though we have stubborn wickedness, God gives His grace and His mercy to change that person. If you don’t understand this, then you cannot understand people. If we try to understand other people based on our level or our experiences, then we will always be confused. We get married and we try to look at our husband or spouse from the perspective of what I want, and you look at your wife in the same way too. But that is stubbornness. That is a person who has no choice but to side with the devil, because we have the inner nature that rejects or opposes God, and as we live our lives, these things are revealed, but we were always like that, originally. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
(2) For who is able to resist his will? (Rom. 9:19)
Why do we use the word, “Betrayal”? I trusted you. But if you know the Bible, you know that even God was betrayed by people, that is how we originally are. Only when God’s grace enters into us can we truly change. Whether somebody is a pastor or a long-time believer, whether they’ve gone to church or not, people are originally, naturally like this. If you know this, you’ll realize that people need God’s grace. A person does not change based on their education. Do you think education changes people? It might change externally, maybe through education, their personality gets a little better, and you might be able to discern what I should do and what I shouldn’t do, however, the nature of mankind does not change. If somebody is a loss to me or hurtful to me, my nature comes out, but people are just living their lives, covering that up. That’s what humans are like, that’s why we need God’s grace. Today, if you know who people are and you know who God is, the way you see problems will change.
(3) Is it the fault of the hardened one? (Rom. 9:19)
Then, the people who are not chosen by God might start to resent God, “Is it our fault that our hearts are hardened? We are only like this because you didn’t choose us.” The second thing they say is, “God, if you did not choose us, then how is it that we are resisting you. Isn’t it your fault, then, God?” This is how people question God, but what is the background of their question. They are thinking, if I were God, I would not do that. If I were God, I would not act like how you are acting, God. What is that state? It is a state where I am God, that I place myself in the seat of God, and I am judging God as being wrong. If that person remains in that state for the rest of their life, then they will continuously have problems. They have this internal system that leaves them no chase but to have problems, what is that? It means that I am the standard. If something does not align with my standards, then that person is wrong. If something does not work according to my standards, I get stressed out. They say, “You don’t understand my perspective,” or, “You can’t understand my level.” I am really the problem. Humans are the ones who sinned against God, it wasn’t Satan who sinned. Humans are the ones who sinned, humans are trying to be like God. Even at this moment, we live as if we are god, “If it were me, I wouldn’t do that.” And we say that against God. If I were God, I wouldn’t act like that. If God is really alive, then how could He give me a husband like this? It’s because we don’t know who God is and who we are. And in response to that, the Bible is giving us the example of the potter. We’ll talk about that a little bit later, but there is something about that person that is questioning God.
3) Question God?
(1) What is formed say to the one who formed it (Rom. 9:20)
But there’s something about this person that is questioning God. There is another person named Job in the Old Testament. Job is somebody who never missed worship and always gave sacrifices to God with his children. One day, Satan accuses Job to God, saying, “Job is only faithful to you, because you’ve blessed him in so many ways; if you take away all of his blessings, he will curse you.” Then, God allowed Satan to do whatever he wanted to Job as long as he did not take Job’s life. Satan can only do what God allows. Satan gives Job a disease, takes away all of his possessions, his children die and his wife mocks and leaves him. Not only that, his friends come to him and instead of comforting him, they say, “If you’ve not done something wrong to God, why would He do this to you?”
(2) Why did you make me like this? (Rom. 9:20)
So Job gets confused, he has faith but then starting from Job 3 all the way to Job 27, he is saying, “I don’t understand my circumstances right now. Based on my knowledge and experiences, I cannot understand the things that are happening to me right now.” In other words, he is saying, “God, how could you?” It’s the same with us. Even if our husband does not return, we keep on enduring, and we say, “Our children are not returning,” and we keep on enduring. And people say that about their wives, “My wife is not returning.” “Why did you give me these kinds of children, and make my heart so pained? If God is alive, how could He do this? Why are You giving me an abusive husband and making me suffer like this?” That’s the same as Job’s question. “Why is my financial situation always like this? If God has the power, then He could bless us, but why am I always suffering like this?” What does God say in response to that? He does not address Job’s question directly, instead, he explains who God is, and he explains who mankind is.
(3) Job’s question – God’s answer (Job 38-42)
In fact, these questions come from not knowing God and not knowing people. In Job 38:1, the Lord spoke to Job out of a storm. In Job 38:4, God said, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth, tell me if you understand. Who marked the dimensions of this earth, tell me,” what does this mean? He is reminding Job that he is the creation, and “I am the creator God.” When there is an animal that is already in labor, do you know when the children will be born? Can you understand the movements of the stars in the heavens? Then in Job 40:8, God really points to Job and says, “Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?” What does this mean? “Are you accusing God of being unjust, so that you could exalt your own righteousness?” That is what God is saying to Job. We will step on other people in order to show that we are correct. We do the same thing to God. There are many circumstances that are going around, and we complain to God, saying, “I’m right,” and we exalt our own correctness.
(4) Things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know (Job 42:3)
In Job 42, what does Job confess? He confesses, in Job 42:3, “I know You can do all things, no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” He is saying that if God does it, He will do it, that God fulfills His plans. Then, whatever circumstance I’m in, God is not powerless to stop it, but instead, God allows the circumstance to fulfill His plan. Then in Job 42:3, Job says, “You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too powerful for me to know.” Then Job realizes. He says, “What did I say?” Job is saying, “How could I try to cover the justice of God with my own righteousness and try to understand Him with my own logic? I spoke rashly of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” This is when Job realized who God is and who he himself was. “I will question you and you shall answer me.”
In Job 42:4-5, Job says to God, “You said, ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you.” Until this point, Job had only heard of God and was trying to imagine what God is like. But now that Job has gone through what he had gone through and received God’s Word directly, he was able to see God with his eyes.
God has all the answers, However, if we try to understand our life circumstances based on our knowledge, our experiences, and our standard, then we will only oppose God. I hope that you will have the grace of God to change this internal system going on. From our perspective, we cannot understand our circumstances. Then, instead of being resentful, try asking God in prayer. Then God Who is all knowing will give you His Word. This is our walk of faith. However, most people will only complain about their circumstance. Then even when that person goes to heaven, they will be complaining and grumbling. The system of their thoughts and their heart is only able to complain. We must change this internal system, we must ask that question to God Who is perfect and complete. Then, because God is all powerful-and all-knowing, He will give us His Word. The standard is not whether I’ve gone to church for a long time or how long I’ve been a believer.
The real question is, do you know who God is through Jesus Christ, and through the Bible, do you know who people are? But we are under misconception about both of those things. We’re under the misconception that some people are still okay. Or, we’re under the misconception that God does not understand my circumstances, or God doesn’t care. “Why is He continually hardening my husband’s heart so that he doesn’t believe? If God works right now, He would change my husband instantly,” but God is waiting for you to rise up. Why did God give you a child like this? Because you needed a child like that in order for you to rise up. If you do not know God’s tremendous plan and you just question, “Why did you allow this, why did you allow that?” Then you are only pleasing Satan. God has a reason for everything. And then there is the example of the potter. Does not the potter have the right to make using the same lump of clay, some pottery from special purposes and some for common use? It is saying that humans are clay, humans are dirt. God made man out of dirt and breathed life into him to make him human. If humans are not filled with life, then we go back into the clay of death. What does it mean to not have life in us? It means that our spirit is dead, and in that state, we go to hell.
3. God’s sovereignty
1) Potter’s right (Rom. 9:21)
(1) Lump of clay (Rom. 9:21)
(2) Special purposes (Rom. 9:21)
(3) Common use (Rom. 9:21)
However, if there is a potter making pottery, then of the same clay, he can make something for noble use and something for common use. That is the right of God. But some people ask, “Why did you make me like this?” That question itself means we do not know God. God makes everything exactly as it should. When God creates something, there is a purpose for that creation, but why do people keep on suffering, comparing themselves to other people or feeling the inferiority complex. It’s because we don’t know God well.
2) Objects of wrath
(1) Make his power known (Rom. 9:22)
(2) Prepared for destruction (Rom. 9:22)
(3) Bore with great patience (Rom. 9:22)
There is a reason and a goal with which God made me like this. These people have hardened hearts and say, “God did not choose us,” then of course, the wrath of God comes upon. There is one pottery that is made for noble purposes by the grace of God, and God made this person to know the riches of His glory.
3) Objects of mercy
(1) Object prepared in advance for glory (Rom. 9:23)
(2) Make the riches of his glory (Rom. 9:23)
(3) What to say? – Thanksgiving (Rom. 9:23)
But what can we say against that? This means we have nothing to be but thankful. I was relentlessly wicked, I was enslaved by Satan and only opposing God, but God has given His grace and mercy to know His glory. But the only problem is, we keep on saying,” Okay, I understand that, but why aren’t you giving me what I want?” We say, “I get that, but how could you’re still not giving me money? How come you’re still making my child bad at studying? I understand you’re giving me grace, but still, why are you giving me a husband like this? I thought You were all-powerful.” I hope you will believe in God’s absolute sovereignty, that God did this for me. God is perfect and complete, and God wants to use me and make me into a person of God.
Conclusion
1. Give thanks every day to Jesus Christ who liberated us from our past problem (Rom. 8:2)
2. Give thanks every day for the indwelling, guidance, working of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:4-5)
3. Give thanks to reveal life and peace with the thoughts of the Spirit (Rom. 8:6)
So in conclusion, we must be thankful. Every day, hold onto Christ Who set you free from your past. When I say, “the past,” that also includes your family line and your nations’ background. Mongolia has the background of demon work through shamanism, and then that problem goes down the family line like things like alcoholism or drug abuse or mental problems, and we can never escape from our own past with our own power. Christ crucified it on the cross, and if you hold onto that Christ, then you will be set free. Your thoughts continue to be bound by the past, don’t they? Even though it’s been finished on the cross, your thoughts keep going back. You keep on going back to the scars of your past, don’t you? You cannot escape from that. Only Christ can set you free from that past, I cannot escape with my own strength.
You need to hold onto the covenant of Christ Who has set you free already. We cannot escape from our scars, but Christ is the One Who crucifies it on the cross, and Christ is with me as life. So through Christ, you have been set free from your past, and in your present life, you are with Christ. If the all-powerful God is with me right now, there is nothing that can overcome Him. He himself is power, He himself is wisdom. He is life. He is the wisdom, and all we have to do is be with Him, and He is with us. There is nothing for us to solve; all we do is be with Him, and He is with us. So, our thoughts must be changed into the thoughts of the Spirit. The thoughts of the flesh are my thoughts and that leads to death. It will only result in spiritual death. But we must think the spiritual thoughts. What are the spiritual thoughts? The words of Jesus Christ are life and spirit. Then, we must think the thoughts of Jesus being our Lord. Then, our Lord will work upon us with life and peace. Then, that will be revealed through others through me, because we are the image of God, and the God Who is within me will be revealed through me. That is missions and evangelism. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that you will be filled with God’s sovereignty and thanksgiving.
Message Prayer
Let us pray, holding onto the Word we have received…
Offering Prayer and Newcomer Blessing
We thank You for we were dead in our transgressions and our sins, yet You have saved us by the blood of Christ on the cross and made us children of God. As we live on this earth, we pray You will use our life to restore true thanksgiving and faith in your absolute sovereignty. We have returned Your material blessings as offering. We pray You will bless the hands that have given the offering, so that wherever the offering is used, it will shine light upon those who are suffering under darkness. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.
God, we thank You. We pray Your Word will be fulfilled upon the two newcomers’ lives. May they be set free from their pasts through Christ and live with true faith and thanksgiving in Your sovereignty. May they be the witnesses to save Mongolia. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray, amen.
Announcements
1. Baptism, communion: 11/16
2. 11/23 Thanksgiving Sunday.
3. RU lecture – 10/13-11/13
4. Offering can be given to the church venmo: @Antiochmissionchurch
Benediction
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, working, guidance, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be upon the heads of all the believers of God, the people of all nations, and the future generation remnants who desire to be with Christr Who has set them free from their past and live within the absolute sovereignty with thanksgiving, be with them now until forever always, amen.