Thoughts After the Sermon, "God Is Great - So We Do Not Have to Be in Control" Isaiah 40:12-31, Mark 4:35-5:43

Thoughts After the Sermon, “God Is Great – So We Do Not Have to Be in Control” Isaiah 40:12-31, Mark 4:35-5:43
by Vermon Pierre, Lead Pastor

1. Our doctrine directly relates to our life practice. So if we believe the doctrine that God is great and sovereign over all things, we will make choices and respond to situations in ways that show that we really do believe God is great and sovereign over all things. We will be more given to having joy and peace and having confidence in life, because we trust that God is a great God and knows what he is doing. If on the other hand we do not really believe that God is great and sovereign over all things, we will act and respond in different ways. We will be frustrated because we can’t control everything around us, which will lead to us being angry, bitter, stressed, pessimistic, procrastinating, impatient, fearful, or resentful.

2. Our faith in Jesus is the basis by which God lives within us by his Spirit. Our faith in Jesus is also the basis by which we will be able by the power of the Spirit to face and overcome the difficulties and hardships we must inevitably face in our lives. Faith is the means by which we draw upon and trust in the great power and strength of God, casting out our frustrations and replacing them with hope and joy. Indeed, when it comes to every trial of life, it is as Jesus says to Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe.” (Mark 5:36)

3. “We often associate the sovereignty of God with theological debates. But for all of us it’s a daily practical choice. For me, the issue is escapism. I have to choose between a fantasy in which I’m sovereign and the real world in which God is sovereign, between my false sovereignty and God’s real sovereignty. When I feel like running away, I have to choose to find refuge in God.” – Tim Chester, You Can Change