This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Sovereignty Of God" 8/14/2016

THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

Romans 9:6-18

STUDY TO KNOW THE WORD FOR YOURSELF

V:6-8. "  But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants."

A. The Word of God can never fail.

    1. God is infallible

    2. He knows the end from the beginning.

    3. He is the same today as He was yesterday.

B. Our problem is interpreting the Word of God correctly.

   1. We must understand that God's plan for man began before the foundation

       of the world.

   2. We must understand that God's election of those He dedicated to Jesus

        was predetermined before the foundation of the world.     Eph 1:4

   3. Everything happens according to God's sovereign will.

C. "They are not all Israel"

    1. Because you are a descendant of Israel does not make you an Israelite.

    2. God chose Abraham to be the father of many nations and he became faithful

        to God's commands.   Gen 17:4.

       a. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac at the command of God

       b. Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God.     Romans 4:3

   3. The true Israelite follows God's commands.

   4. The true Israelites are descendants of Abraham by God election through faith.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES

V:9-10. " For this is the word of promise: "AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON." 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac."

A. God is faithful to keep His promises through all Generations.

    1. God uses time to develop generations of faithful people.

    2. God election continues through time.

B. In Rebekah's womb, God made an election of Jacob over Esau

   1. God's election has nothing to do with us. It is His sovereign will

       for us.

   2. No one can claim justification by their works.   Justification is by the justifier,

       who is Jesus Christ.     Romans 3:26

C. Notice, God divided the seed of Isaac into two nations.

   1. One would be the nation of the promise.

   2. One would be a nation who would oppose the promise.

GOD'S SOVEREIGN ELECTION

 V:11-13 " For though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God's purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, "THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER." 13 Just as it is written, "JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED."

A. `God has a purpose and a plan for each of us.

     1. God chooses us for specific jobs.

     2. He chooses some for higher positions than others.

     3. He chooses some to lead and some to serve.

     4. Every position is designed to promote God's plan of redemption for mankind.

 B, The Hebrew word for hate is "miseo" which means to love less or to detest.

     1. It seems strange to me that God chooses some to love more than others.

     2. God is sovereign, so I really don't have to understand.

     3. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

     4. It is by His grace and mercy that He chooses to bless who He blesses.

     5. Jacob's name was changed after an encounter with God to Israel.

         a. The name Jacob means supplanter.

         b. The name Israel means soldier , contender with God.    (1900 BC)

         c.  God called out Israel in Exodus 4:22  (1500 BC)

              "Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son."

      6. 400 years before the birth of Jacob God had foretold his position.

         a. We really don't know what God has planned for us until He makes it known to us.

         b. God allows all of our circumstances so that they fit His divine plan.

GOD IS JUST IN ALL HE DOES

V:14-15. " What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, "I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION."

A. The Lord we serve cannot be judged by us.

    1. God is the creator and owner of everything.

    2. What He chooses to do with us is His business.

B. What seems unfair to us, could be God plan for us being worked out.

   1. We can observe the present, but we can't always see how events today

        will work out for our good.

   2. All things work together for those who love the Lord and are called

       according to His purposes.

   3. What seems bad to us by our way of thinking, may be working for

       our good.

   4. It's human nature to want to tell God what to do with His mercy and

       His compassion.

   5. If we had it our way, those we don't like would never be blessed.

   6. It could be that God is using those we don't like to be a future

       blessing for us.

GOD'S ELECTION EXCLUDES YOUR INPUT

V:16. " So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy."

A. God wouldn't be God if we were smart enough to tell Him what to do.

    1. God wouldn't be God if we could tell Him what is just and what is unjust.

    2. God wouldn't be God if we could tell Him what is right and what is wrong.

B. Man has nothing to offer God that he didn't received from God.

    1. Man has no knowledge that he didn't gain from God.

    2. Man has no strength that he didn't get from God.

    3. Man has no worth that God didn't allocate to him.

GOD USES EVIL TO BRING HIM GLORY

V:17. " For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH."

A. God has a purpose for everything to does and everything He allows.

    1. The Egyptians became the caretakers for Israel until God decided to

         fulfill His promise to Abraham.

    2. God told Abraham 400 years before there was a nation, that Israel would

        grow up in slavery.   Gen 15:13

B. The delivery of the Israelites from Egypt served to show the world God's

      power and authority over nations, Kings and the environment.

   1. Israel was delivered from Egyptian army with out one gun being fired or

       one battle being fought.

   2. God used the forces of nature in the form of plagues to force Pharaoh

       to release Israel from captivity.

   3. God was gloried in the exodus of Israel from Egypt.

   4. God used the forces of nature to destroy the Egyptian army.

   5. God cleared a path through the Red Sea to allow Israel to escape.

   6. God used the same path to destroy the Egyptian army.

GOD'S SELECTIVE MERCY

 V:18. " So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. "

 A. God harden the heart of Pharaoh so that he would not let Israel go until

      the tenth plague when He killed all the first born males of Egypt.

    1. God controls the minds and actions of evil people to work for the good of his

        chosen people.

    2. Just as God harden the heart of Pharaoh, He could have soften his heart.

B. God uses the harshness of life to grow His people into maturity.

    1. God uses the harshness of life to give us a testimony of His goodness.

        His power, His authority and His glory.

    2. God uses the harshness of life to control us until He is ready to reveal

        His glory to us.

    3. All while we are going through tough times, God grace and mercy covers us.

    4. God protects us through the tough  times.

THANK GOD THAT HE CHOSE TO USE US

Rev. M. Mitchell

Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

5510 West Sam Houston Parkway

Houston, Texas

For a complete list of my lessons visit my blog

"goodnewsrevmitc.blogspot.com"