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Knowing God #5: From Chaos To Comfort

Pastor Scott Applegate

Sermon Notes:

God is Sovereign: He is ultimately in control of all things. He is working everything toward His ultimate plan and purpose.

“Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Isaiah 46:9-10 NIV

 God’s Sovereignty Is:

  • Humbling

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.  You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’  Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Job 42:2-3 NIV

  • Exalting

“…O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever!Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name!” 2 Chronicles 29:10-13 NLT

  • Mysterious

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV

  • Clarifying

“We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.” Proverbs 16:33 NLT

  • Empowering

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 NIV

  • Comforting

“For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.” Psalm 71:5 NIV

“Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” Ephesians 1:11 NLT

When Life Seems Out Of Control I Need To:

  1. Remember to include God in my plans

“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 NIV

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NLT

“Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 NLT

  1. Remember God’s perspective in my problems

“God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. May God give you more and more grace and peace. All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 NIV

  • God loves me no matter how much bad stuff is happening inside of me or circumstances outside of me

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?” Romans 8:35 NLT

________________________ cannot separate me from the sovereign love of God

  • Can I believe that God has a better plan than just changing my circumstances? That He will work even the worst things for His glory and my good?

In a place called “Dothan” (Genesis 37:17-28 Joseph and 2 Kings 6:12-23 Elisha)

  • Was God just as active in the unanswered prayers of Joseph as He was in the swift answered prayer of Elisha?

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Genesis 50:20 NKJV

  1. Remember why God wants me to pray

“We are certain that God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. And if we know that God listens when we pray, we are sure that our prayers have already been answered.” 1 John 5:14-15 HCSB

  • Prayer doesn’t change God, it changes me