February 10, 2020
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
This is the first of several messages about the sovereignty of God and how His sovereignty and man's responsibility relate to each other. If you have ever seen a commercial on TV about the company called Farmer's Insurance, you know that their spokesman always says, "We know a thing or two because we have seen a thing or two." Likewise, I know a thing or two because I have seen and personally experienced a thing or two about the sovereignty of God. The word "sovereignty" does not appear in the Bible; neither does the word "sovereign." But make no mistake ... God is sovereign. It is God who does all things by His Spirit. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! He will have His way with or without you and with or without me.
Shortly after the Lord sovereignly apprehended me, He stressed two things to me. The first was the sovereignty of God. The Lord has chosen to deal with me very sovereignly from the very beginning and still does so. My experience has been very much like that of Paul, who said,
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14 And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace,
16 To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood. Galatians 1:11-16
Every person since Adam who is born naturally is separated from his/her mother's womb. That is a known fact, but I do not believe that is what Paul talks about in those verses. I believe that Paul is referring to the realm of the Spirit; namely that the Lord sovereignly separated him from the Jews religion, Judaism, which was his spiritual mother's womb. The Lord sovereignly separated Paul from the traditions of his fathers.
Not long before the Lord sovereignly apprehended me, we were going to a Methodist church about 2 miles from where we still live. One day I heard about a couple who also attended that church who were doing some "funny things" like speaking in tongues. When I heard that I became very angry; I was furious! I have seldom, if ever, been so angry in all of my life! I told my wife that if they wanted to do "funny things" like that, then they should get out of the church! A few months later, after the Lord sovereignly apprehended me, I was doing those same "funny things." We knew that we had to leave that church because even the pastor was not born again and the pastor's wife led séances in the church building every Saturday night. But we had to wait for the timing of the Lord, which came between one or two years later. Then the Lord put us into a New Testament house church for about 12 years. I still maintain that house church, which grew to about 80 adults, was the most spiritually mature local church I have ever seen. However after 10 years that church began to go downhill and we saw a repeat performance of what we experienced in the Methodist church, only at a much higher spiritual level. Again we knew that the Lord was calling us out of the New Testament house church, but again we had to wait for the timing of the Lord, which came about 2 years later. So the Lord sovereignly separated us from our mother's womb twice. It is not possible for me to explain or describe to you the new found sense of freedom and liberty that I sensed then, which has continued to this day. But now I ask you an important question ... has the Lord separated you from your mother's womb? from the religion and traditions of your fathers? I do not speak of being born again and baptized with the Holy Ghost.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Revelation 18:4
That is a commandment, with the alternative of being a partaker of her sins and receiving of her plagues. Note that exhortation is addressed to the Lord's people, not to heathens. Three times in that verse we see the word "her." Do you know what "her" refers to? I believe it clearly refers to "our mother's womb" or the traditions of our fathers that Paul addresses in Galatians 1. I could expound on that at length but I strongly suggest that you ask the Lord what is YOUR mother's womb, now that you have been born from above.
I found out many years ago that the Lord can do all things by Himself. He can save people all by Himself; He can heal people all by Himself; He can deliver people all by Himself; He can reveal His word all by Himself. How do I know? Because He did all of those things in my life in the first six months after He sovereignly apprehended me. And no man was involved. From the time that the Lord apprehended me, He has emphasized to me His sovereignty. He sovereignly apprehended me. I do not recall ANY man who ever told me about Jesus. No man ever suggested to me that I should read Romans 10:9-10 or pray the so-called "sinner's prayer." Neither can I say that I was seeking Him. He just sovereignly touched my life, and in a way that I did not at first understand. But I knew that something good had happened. I had two, initial, overwhelming sensations. It was like I had entered a world that I never knew existed (which was a fact), and I remember saying to myself, "Surely this is the peace that passes all understanding."
A few weeks after the Lord apprehended me, He sovereignly delivered me from smoking. NO man went through any deliverance ministry. NO man even suggested that I needed to be delivered from smoking. NO man prayed for me. No man laid hands on me. It was an instantaneous, sovereign work of God, in the same manner that He had earlier apprehended me. Even the desire for nicotine immediately and instantaneously left me. I have never smoked another cigarette since. I have never even held one in my hand! A few years later I shared with another elder all the details of how and when the Lord sovereignly delivered me from smoking. That elder, who had a ministry of deliverance, told me that I had not been delivered because no man with a ministry of deliverance had been involved. Well, I know that the Lord can do things all by Himself! It is like the man in John 9 who was born blind. The Pharisees were very skeptical that Jesus had opened the eyes of the blind man. The man born blind said,
Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. John 9:25
A few weeks after the Lord sovereignly delivered me from smoking, He sovereignly healed me of a sinus condition. Just prior to that sovereign healing, a Spirit-filled medical doctor had just told me that he could do nothing for me. My wife has had several sovereign, instantaneous healings of more serious physical disorders and no man was involved, not even me.
The Lord has also continued to sovereignly reveal more of His word to me. I will never forget the first occurrence, in early 1968. As I was reading Matthew 5:13-16, the Spirit of God revealed part (I dare not say all!) of the significance of those verses. I got so excited that I called another brother and drove over to his house to relate what the Lord had just revealed to me. The Lord has continued to reveal His word to me even to this day.
To hear some Bible teachers, particularly those on television, we might begin to wonder who is running the show. Many leaders are mustering all the support possible for the particular project which has captured their attention at the time. They each want us to drop everything else and run to their support. Each of them believes that they are the one whom God has designated to thwart the attacks of the enemy, and they must have our help (particularly our money) immediately. However, let us hear what the word of God says.
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him:11 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:Ephesians 1:9-11
Ephesians, Chapter 1, is full of the words, He, Him, His, and Himself. Note that in the three verses above, those words occur eight times, plus three other times that refer to the Lord (Christ, Whom, and Who). It is good to read all of Ephesians 1, emphasizing He, Him, His, and Himself.
Whatever God has purposed, God will perform. He does not need any help. We found out many years ago that He can do things all by Himself. His purposes will be accomplished. It will be completely on His schedule. Most of the fruitless endeavors we engage in (in the Name of the Lord) are caused by us trying to do what only God can do. That produces only wood, hay, and stubble.
21 There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand. Proverbs 19:2138 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: Acts 5:38
Who helped to bring Jesus Christ on the scene at precisely the right day? He did it by Himself. Was the world ready for Him to arrive? Did they have the stage set for Him by their extensive preparation? From whom did He seek permission to pour out of His Spirit upon the believers on the day of Pentecost? NO ONE!
Will He ask for, or need, our help or permission to do the quick work which He has promised to do in the near future? He will do it Himself! I am sure He will be able to get the job done, with or without any help or permission from either you or me. That is the God we worship.
God can do all things! He is all seeing, all knowing or omniscient, all powerful or omnipotent, and omnipresent. He lives in eternity. Despite all of the failures of man, God will have that which He purposed before the foundation of the world!
God is omniscient and omnipresent.
1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me.2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.7 Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?8 If l ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;10 Even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.13 For Thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.14 I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.15 My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. Psalm 139:1-16
God is also omnipotent. After the resurrection of Jesus, we read,
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them [the eleven disciples], saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.19 Go ye therefore, and teach [disciple] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world [age]. Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20
Some more of the many verses that speak of the sovereignty of God are the following.
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure: Isaiah 46:10For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.Philippians 2:13Daniel 2:21, "And He changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. Daniel 4:17
Twenty-six times in the Book of Ezekiel the Lord says that He will do specific things "that they shall know that I am the Lord."
However, man can frustrate the working in his life of the sovereignty of God.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7
In David's day, a horse was about the most powerful thing they knew about. They were fast and agile on their feet. A good war horse was also relatively fearless - the epitome or quintessence of military power in the time of David. But in the Spirit, David was caused to write that the Lord took no delight in the horse and its strength. It was also vain to trust in the strength and ability of the horse. The present day equivalent of the horse in the United States could easily be nuclear power or our great military might.
What is the horse for us as Christians? our knowledge of the Bible? our anointed sermons? our good works? our church? our pastor? our ministry? our family?
God needs none of these things for His plans and purposes. Rather, the Lord takes note of and takes pleasure in those who fear Him and hope in His mercy.
Too many of us are keenly aware of our position in the things of the Lord and His Church. We try to maintain a high standard of righteousness and holiness ... believing that it will get us favor with the Lord when the goodies are passed out. Without realizing what we are doing, we tend to compare our degree of attainment with that of other people ... usually putting ourselves a bit higher on the scale than we do them.
It is a very subtle deception we indulge in, for a good percentage of what we call righteousness or holiness is cosmetic only, applied when we are going out to church or to other functions. The standards which are enjoined and encouraged have become a measuring device by which we gauge ourselves and others. Can it be that this has become a horse to us?
The most important thing that we can do is to repent. This does NOT necessarily mean that there is known sin in our life; it does not mean that we have committed some dastardly deeds. Rather, there should be an overwhelming sense of an inability to muster up righteousness or holiness within ourselves. We cannot depend on our knowledge of the word, nor the fact that we have ministered the word for many years, nor the glory that we experienced in years past. Those may be good, but they do not pay the bill.
There is no record that Isaiah had done anything "wrong" when he saw his total unworthiness in Isaiah, Chapter 6. There is no record that Daniel had done anything "wrong" when he identified with his people by saying, "we have sinned" (Daniel 9). There is no record that Nehemiah had done anything "wrong" when he identified with the children of Israel and confessed that "both I and my father's house have sinned" (Nehemiah 1). There is no record that Ezra had done anything "wrong" when he wept, prayed, and confessed his sins and those of the people (Ezra 9:10-10:1).
We must come to actually embrace with joy being made low at His feet. It brings a sense of completeness that correct doctrine can never do. My righteousness and holiness are likewise totally inadequate to bring the sense of completeness.
Matthew 5:4: Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted.
Repentance is the essence of mourning over the inability of my flesh and my will to produce the kind of righteousness and holiness we may think that we have. The righteousness and holiness which He looks for is that which only His Spirit can produce in our lives. It is not anything of our own making, which is mostly external in nature.
Repentance is the Lord leading us into mourning because of our inability to produce the true fruit of righteousness and holiness. My efforts will never satisfy God because they were produced more for the eyes of man than for the eyes of God.
God delights in and has pleasure in those who fear Him and hope in His mercy.
If my horse is inadequate, the only thing left for me to do is to repent and hope in His mercy.
Every Sunday morning, hundreds of thousands of professing Christians recite what men call the Lord's Prayer, which ends with, "For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory." To what degree is that a tradition of men as compared to what has been made real in their heart?
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7
God is certainly moving today in a sovereign way. But it is largely a hidden work, in the hearts of a faithful remnant, which is being purified by fire in the wilderness ... in the desert. That remnant is called overcomers.
The real key is the Lord Himself. The only horse for us is the Lord Himself! He is our shield and our exceeding great reward. It is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can do anything. We cannot even take our next breath, except by the grace of God. All we really can do is to cry out to the Lord, Help, Lord!
In all of Paul's epistles to the various churches he starts off with "Grace and peace be unto you." But when he addresses individuals, like Timothy and Titus, Paul adds an extra word of salutation. He says, "Grace, mercy, and peace to you." We as individual believers need the mercy of God.
In the beginning, God. In the end, God. Everywhere in between the beginning and the end, God.
Corinthians 15:28, "And when all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son also Himself be subject unto Him that put all things under Him, that God may be all in all."
Further, God even arranges all of our circumstances to help us to cry out to Him. There will be a repeat of great persecution and tribulation among His people from without, just as recorded in Acts 8. That will leave the Church no alternative except to cry out unto Him from the depths of our being. Jesus is the way when there is no way. May the word and call of the Lord in this hour burn within the very depth of our heart.
In our next several messages, prepare to be amazed at the sovereign work of Divine order in all things.
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