Last week, we saw the first answer to the question of why we worship: the creation demands it. Now, that answer might seem like enough, but there are more answers to this question that we find in Scripture. So, today, I want to consider a second reason that we should worship: God’s control over all things.
Simply put, God is in complete control of everything that he has created. This is what theologians call the doctrine of God’s Sovereignty. Abraham Kuyper said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” And, I like the way RC Sproul has put it: “If there is one maverick molecule in all the universe, then God is not sovereign. And if God is not sovereign, He is not God.” To see this from Scripture, let’s consider Psalm 139 together. From this passage, I want you to see three points: the intimate knowledge of God, the immediate presence of God, and the immense power of God.
First, in verses 1-6 we find the intimate knowledge of God. In short, God knows everything. This concept is what scholars call “omniscience”, and it’s the idea that God has infinite knowledge. Or, stated negatively, God is not ignorant of anything. But, as I say that, I am willing to bet that some of you are thinking, “Well of course, God proved through the prophets that he can look down through the corridors of time and knows what is going to happen before it does.” This is not what the Bible means when it says that God knows all things. Understand that there is a difference between foresight and foreknowledge, and we find that right here at the beginning of Psalm 139. In verse 1, David says that the Lord has “known me”, and then he goes on to list all of the things that God knows about him. He knows his every move (sitting down and rising up). He knows his thoughts. He knows his habits and his ways. He knows the words that he will say before he says them. Now, the Hebrew word used for “know” in all of these verses means far more than “to see beforehand.” The first three times the Hebrew word is used in the Bible, it is used to refer to Adam and Eve eating the fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, of them knowing that they were naked, and of Adam “knowing” his wife, Eve, to conceive Cain. So, just from those first few uses you can get the idea that this word means that God knows us intimately.
This intimate knowledge of God demands our worship. To the unbeliever, the fact that God knows us intimately should be a fearful thing. 1 Cor. 4:5 says, “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.” The unbeliever might think that they have everyone fooled, that they can put on a good face and a good suit and go to church and play the game, but God knows! And, it’s not just that he sees what you do when no one is around, but he knows the very thoughts of your heart! He knows the words that you really wanted to say or post, even before you do and even if you choose to hold it in. For the believer, though, the intimate knowledge of God is a great comfort. Jesus tells his disciples in Matt. 10:29-31, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Yes, the fact that God knows all things does mean that he knows your secret sins, but if you are in Christ, it also means that he knows your every need, even before you ask. He knows you so well, that he knows every last hair on your head.
The second aspect of God’s sovereignty that I want you to see is the immediate presence of God. In verses 7-12, we find that God is all-present - what scholars call “omnipresence”. David uses two broad contrasts to show that there is absolutely nowhere in all of creation where God is not present. First, he establishes that there is nowhere in the spiritual realm that we can go where God is not present. We can go to the heights of heaven or to the depths of Hell, and God is still there. Second, he covers the expanse of the physical realm by saying that we can go as high up in the sky or as deep in the ocean, and still God is there.
Again, for the unbeliever, the idea of the immediate presence of God is a terror because it means that there is nowhere that you can go to escape his wrath. He knows your every thought, and you cannot escape his judgment. But, for the believer, this too is a great comfort, and in verse 11-12, David gives us how. He says that even when I would despair because of the overwhelming night, even in that darkness, God is present with me. For the believer, God is present with us at all times through the power of his Spirit. For us, there is no place that is dark because God is our light. Even if we go through the struggle of cancer, God is our light. Even if we face persecution, God is our light. Even we lose everything we own; God is still our light.
The third aspect of God’s sovereignty is his immense power. Verses 13-16 give this beautiful depiction of the intimate way in which God forms each of us in our mother’s womb. If you have been through the process of having a child, you know what David is meaning here. From conception to birth, the formation of a new life is a wonder to consider. I remember – with each of my children – feeling completely helpless, because as a parent, you don’t do anything. Sure, the mother should take vitamins and eat well, but even the mother has no control over the development of that little baby inside her, and yet, week after week, month after month, the baby grows, the heart beats, the blood vessels form, the fingers and toes stretch out until finally, when the time is right, a brand new, independent life is born into the world. And God is involved at every step to bring about that new life.
God is powerful enough to make every human life that has ever existed. He is powerful enough to make the universe with all of its immense glory. He is powerful enough to sustain that bright burning Sun and to cause life on this wonderful planet to flourish. God is all-powerful! He is omnipotent! For the unbeliever, this should just add to his terror. Not only does God know your sins, not only can you not hide from him, but he is all-powerful and able to consume you in one dreadful act of judgment. And yet, for the believer, God’s omnipotence is a great comfort, because the God who is the all-powerful judge is also the God who is the all-powerful savior. This immense power of God is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. And, if he is able to do that, he is also able to raise you as well.
There is one last unifying aspect of God’s sovereignty that I want you to notice. David makes a point that we can’t miss in verses 5 and 16. In verse 5, he says that God “hems him in”. Then, in verse 16 he says, “in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” Understand that God’s sovereignty is purposeful. God rules - through his knowledge, presence, and power – over everything. So, in Proverbs 16:33 he says, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” Just think of that! Every time you roll a dye, God is in control of every result. And, in case you are thinking that God is only in control of the physical world of dice, Proverbs 16:9 says, “the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Even the plans of men are under the sovereignty of God. Remember how terribly the brothers of Joseph treated him. They plotted and planned, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father so that he could suffer for decades. But, when Joseph was finally reconciled to his brothers and they begged for mercy, he said in Genesis 50:20, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”
I was reminded just this week in a fresh way of just how applicable the truth of God’s sovereignty is for us today. There is a quote attributed to Billy Sunday floating around social media that says, “You cannot pray ‘Thy kingdom come’, and then rush to the polls and vote for the thing that is preventing that kingdom from coming.” Now, there are a number of things that are wrong with that statement, but I only have time to address one part. If God is sovereign, then there is no way to prevent his kingdom from coming! It concerns me that so many people think this statement is right, because it betrays the fact that we think that the polls can control God. I mean, do we honestly believe that God is up in heaven, just wringing his hands, hoping that we will vote the right way in the next election? Do we honestly think Joe Biden is now thwarting the purposes of God and that with the stroke of his pen by his feeble hand he is preventing God from accomplishing his will? If God is truly sovereign, then we must say with all our might, “Absolutely not!” King Herod, one of the most unstable kings to ever live, could not snuff out the life of the infant Jesus. The best educated, most politically connected religious leaders had their hypocrisy laid bare by the answers Jesus gave to their questions. And the most powerful empire to ever rule the earth could nail him to their favorite instrument of torture, but they could not keep him in the grave! If all of these powers could not defeat the risen Son of God, why do we think that our modern political leaders can? God is completely sovereign, and his kingdom has come and it will come in its fullness on the day that he has set. And he will do this, regardless of how Americans vote.
Friend, God’s control over all things demands your worship. You may think that nobody can truly know you, nobody can judge you, and nobody can control you, but you are wrong. God knows exactly who you are, and you will be completely helpless to escape his judgment. But, the God who knows your sin is also the God who loves you and has given his Son to pay the full penalty of that sin. Won’t you trust in Christ today?
Brothers and sisters, God’s sovereignty means that he knows our every need before we ask. It means that he is with us, even as we face trials of many kinds. And, it means that he has conquered the greatest enemy we can face: death itself. This should call us to worship him alone, but instead, often times we find ourselves worshiping political leaders who we think can give us some sense of control. Or, if not political leaders, we worship money, power, or career, because maybe they can give us control. But those are feeble gods who will ultimately be judged by the one true, all-knowing, all-present, and all-powerful God. May we devote our lives to rightly worshiping him alone.
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