As King David stood that day to collect that offering to finance one of the great wonders of the world, he led his people in a prayer of worship directed to the sovereign Lord. And they brought their offerings. And David said in so many words, “God made you rich.” And they stood that day in a moment of strength and power.
And David said, “God gives you strength.” And they stood that day and rejoiced. And David said, “God puts joy in your heart. He’s the sovereign God.” He understood what we’re trying to learn today that our God is sovereign and our response is to praise his name and worship him and honor him for he alone is worthy.
Whatever I have, whatever is in my heart, whatever I’ve done, whatever I’m doing, God is behind it all. I have no reason for pride. I have every reason to bow humbly before him in gratitude that he would be so willing to let me be a part of what he does. In today’s news, we often read headlines relating to geopolitical issues like sovereign borders or sovereign currencies.
That word sovereign literally means to reign over all. And while we may have heard that word used to describe God at some point, that he is sovereign, many forget what that truly means. Our Lord possesses not only infinite power, as we have already discussed in this teaching series, the God you may not know, but as we’ll learn today, God also possesses infinite authority, right, rule, and reign.
The title of today’s message is knowing a sovereign God. And we’ll find out that thinking of God as our sovereign Lord answers one of the greatest questions in the human heart. who is in charge. And you’ll discover how knowing this can mean everything, especially when life seems out of control. Now, here is Dr.
Jeremiah with his message, knowing a sovereign God. Sovereign is a word that means God does everything on purpose. It is a word that inspires a lot of headlines these days. You know this word perhaps better than you think you do. You often spot it in the financial pages of the newspapers, say about Saudi Arabia’s sovereign funds or about sovereign investors who gobble up prime equities in the stock market.
With the surge in refugees around the world, debates are raging about the importance of sovereign borders. And of course, here in the United States, the matter of border security and sovereignty, one of our most vexing issues. How strange that a biblical word should show up in so many headlines.
According to the Bible, there is only one who is truly sovereign and that’s almighty God. But what does that mean? The English word sovereign means having unlimited power or authority. It comes from the prefix so which means over and it’s coupled with the word reign. So when it comes to sovereign, the word means to have total control. When it comes to finances and politics, the term has to do with a nation’s right of self-determination, of answering to no higher authority than themselves, of being independent in their power.
But to say God is sovereign, I mean he’s in charge of everything. He’s infinitely elevated above the highest creature. He’s the most high God, the Lord of heaven and earth, subject to no one, influenced by no one, independent and free in his own being. He does as he pleases, not only as he pleases, always as he pleases, everywhere as he pleases, and forever as he pleases.
No one and nothing can hinder him, compel him, thwart him, or stop him. working on this chapter, I jotted down nearly 50 key passages on the sovereignty of God. And I didn’t even scratch the surface. I’ll just give you four or five of them, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The Lord reigns. Let the people tremble. He dwells between the cherubam.
