Trembling at God's Word, Part 6a

We have told you that the reason we tremble under God's authority is because, number one, it reveals his identity.

Number two, it radiates his majesty. Number three, it reiterates his authority. It is that which reflects his purity and resolves his mystery. If you have not been with us, I would trust that maybe you pick up some kind of tape or CD that you might be able to listen to those and understand what those significantly mean. to you and me. But tonight, we want to cover the last three. There were three more. There are probably more than this, but this is all I'm going to cover for you. And so we want to begin by looking at principle number six as to why God looks at a certain kind of person who trembles at his word.

And that is, the Christian, the believer, trembles and shakes at God's word and humbly bows and submission to God's word because it reinforces his sovereignty. It reinforces his sovereignty. When we read the Word of the Lord, we understand that God is completely, utterly in control of everything and every situation that has ever happened and ever will happen. And I want to show you some of those this evening because I think it's important for you to realize. how crucial this is to your understanding of God and his word.

Psalm 99, verse number one reads as follows. It says, the Lord reigns, let the people tremble. In other words, God is in charge. He rules. And because God rules, there is one result. And that is, the people of God are to tremble under his authority. It goes on to say he is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake. God is in complete control of everything that takes place. And therefore, our response, our duty to God's sovereignty is to tremble with great emotion under his sovereign care.

And yet for the most part, people don't do that. They don't even recognize that the Lord. reigns, let alone that we are to tremble under his rulership. And the reason that is is because man despises God's reign. Man doesn't like it that God is in charge. Man wants to be in charge. He likes to be in control. He likes to rule his universe. Outside of that, if God's in charge, that means I'm accountable to somebody. And therefore, I got to report to somebody. I'm for my words, I'm accountable for my actions.

And I don't like to be accountable to a sovereign God who is holy because that means I'm accountable for all of my sin. And I tend to like my sin. At least that's what the world says. On top of that, man loves to be independent. He doesn't want to be dependent upon another being. He wants to show how autonomous he is, how strong he is, how great he is, how marvelous he is, how powerful he is, he doesn't need anybody, because he is man. And yet, God says, I'm in charge.

And the response is that man is to tremble. Over in First Chronicles chapter 29, David was talking to the people of God concerning the temple that was to be built.

He says, the work is great. verse one for the temple is not for man but for the Lord God now with all my ability I have provided for the house of my God the gold the silver for the things of silver and the bronze for the things of bronze he says with all of my ability I have made sure that the house of God is provided for he goes on and say these words in verse number three moreover in my delight in the house of my God the treasure I have of gold and silver I give to the the house of God over and above all that I have already provided for the Holy Temple.

David says, not only do I give on a regular basis to the temple, but I have given above and beyond what I normally give to God to make sure that God's work is able to continue on. Now, why did David do that? Why did David have a great compulsion to give above and beyond what he normally would give to the work of God? Why is it he was compelled to give? to the work of building the temple of God. Simply this. He says, verse number 10, blessed that art thou, O Lord, God of Israel, our Father forever and ever.

Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. Indeed, everything that is in the heavens and the earth, thine is the dominion. O Lord, and thou dost exalt thyself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from thee. and thou dost rule overall, and in thy hand is power and might, and it lies in thy hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Do you know why David was a man after God's own heart? Do you know why David was the kind of man who would give abundantly to the work of God?

It's because he understood that everything he had was from God. He understood that God ruled the earth. He ruled the heavens because everything in the earth and the heavens are his. He understands that God has complete dominion over everything and he was accountable to God that God was sovereign that God ruled his riches that God ruled his house that God ruled the man and because he had that understanding he had no problem giving to the work of God. He had no problem giving to the building of the temple of God because the things that he had were not his anyway.

They were the God of the universe. And that's what he wanted to show to his people, that they would understand their responsibility before a holy God. David understood his accountability. David understood his responsibility. David understood that there was someone greater than him. And yet man struggles with that. And I would go so far as to say that even those of us in the church today, those of us who claim Jesus Christ's Lord and Savior, we struggle with that. We pull at the fact that we want to be on on our own.

We want to be independent. We don't want to show our dependency. We don't want to be the kind of people that are accountable. We will live our own lives. We will live the way we want to live. It's that great poem, Invictus, that states better than anything man's nature to live autonomously. It goes as follows. Out of the way that we're not going to of the night that covers me black as the pit from pole to pole, I think whatever gods may be for this unconquerable soul. In the full clutch of circumstance I have not whined nor cried aloud under the bloodgings of chance my head is bloodied but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears looms but the horror of the shade and yet the menace of the years finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishment, with the scroll, I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. That's man. I'm unafraid. I rule my life. No matter what happens around me, I'm in charge. And nobody's going to tell me what to do. And nobody is going to guide me. Nobody's going to lead me. I'm going to live my own life.

And at the core of our nature, that's every single one of us. And that's why salvation is bowing Lordship of Christ. Salvation is recognizing that Jesus Christ is king. Salvation is realizing that he has the kingdom and to be a part of that kingdom and to be a citizen of that kingdom, I must submit to the authority of the king. For one day every knee will bow and one day every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. They might not confess it today, but you can be sure of this, that every tongue will confess it one day.

And yet man does all he can to prove that he is sovereign and God is not, that he rules and God doesn't. Charles Spurgeon said it well when he talked about the fact that there is no doctrine more hated by the world, no truth of which they have made such a football as the great stupendous yet most certain doctrine of the sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on his throne. They will allow him to be in his workshop to fashion the worlds and make the stars. They will allow him to sustain heaven and earth and bear up the pillars thereof.

They will even let God ascend, excuse me, let him light the lamps of heaven and rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean. But when God ascends to a throne, his creatures gnash their teeth. And when we proclaim and enthrone God as preachers and his right to do as he will, wills with his own to dispose of creatures as he thinks well without consulting them in the matter than it is that we are hissed and execrated than it is that men turn a deaf ear to us for God on his throne is not the God that men of the world want to love he's right God can do anything he want but rule God can go anywhere he wants except to his throne, because that means that we have to bow and submission to his authority.

And man doesn't want to do that. He wants to rule his own life. And yet, and yet, it's important for us to realize that we who tremble at the word of God tremble because we realize that God's reinforce us over and over again, that God's in charge and we're not, that he rules and we don't, that he's in control, and we can't be in control. In fact, we are completely confused and out of control. That's the bottom line. And yet to admit that we're confused would mean to admit that we're weak. And we don't want to admit that we're weak.

And yet we need a sovereign God to rule in our lives. So let me give you just a few illustrations to show you that God is sovereign, that he rules overall, that God is above all, that God is the ultimate authority, that he has everything in complete control.

Nothing is ever out of control. Nothing is. And nothing happens by chance. Nothing happens because it's a happenstance. It happens because God is in complete control. That's important for all of us to realize. The Bible says in Psalm 147, verse 16 and 18, that God controls the weather.

Did you know that? He makes it rain. He makes it sleep. He makes it snow. makes the sunshine, he makes the wind blow. Did you know that? Do you know that Acts 17 tells us that God determines the length of your days, he determines exactly, listen, where you will live. Did you know that? Acts 17, 26, says that God determines man's appointed time and the boundaries of their habitation. God determines the boundaries of your habitation. God determines everything. You say, well, wait, I chose that place.

I built my house. I bought my car. I did these things. And God says, you did nothing. See, that's the problem. We think we do something. And God says, no, you don't do anything.

I do it all. God determines where you live. God determines how long you will live. Listen to this. For instance, we talked about it on Sunday, Jeremiah 29. God told the nation of Israel he'll be 70 years in Babylonian captivity. And I know the plans I have for you. Plans for prosperity, not for calamity, to give you a future and hope. I know, because I'm in charge. Genesis 15, verse number 13, God told Abraham, your descendants will grow. They will be 400 years in captivity. Until I say it's time for them to get out, and until the iniquity of the Amarites has been filled up.

And sure enough, it was 400 years that they were in slavery. God raised up Moses, and Moses would deliver the nation of Israel. God did it. God was in complete control. God was never out of control. In fact, listen to this. Proverbs chapter 16, verse number four, the Lord has made everything for its own purpose. Do you believe that? Say amen. Okay, let me read the rest of the verse.

Even the wicked for the day of evil. Now the amen's a little bit weaker than the first amen's. See? God has made everything for his purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil. Wow. That's amazing. Because God's in charge. In fact, over in Revelation chapter 13, it talks about this concerning the beast. It says in verse number five, and there was given to him a mouth, speaking arrogant words and blasphemies and authority to act for 42 months was given to him. And he opened his mouth and blasphemies against God to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle, that is those who dwell in heaven.

And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. Four times it says there was something given to the beast. What was given to him? Authority. What was given to him? blasphemies. What was given to him? Control. Who gave it to him? God did. God did. Why? Because everything is for the purposes of God to be fulfilled, even the wicked man for the day of evil. Even the Antichrist for the tribulation.

Because God is in complete control. That's the way God works. He's never not in charge. Turn over with me to Acts chapter four. Remember after the Peter and John had been threatened and arrested because they were preaching the gospel and this man who was lame had been healed and and the religious leaders were upset about that fact and they they gave in this order you are not to preach or teach anything about Jesus the Messiah anymore they said I'm sorry we we can't do that we we must obey God and and and not man he's our authority because they were ones who would tremble under the authority of God and his word they weren't afraid of the of the leaders and listen to what it says.

And when they had been released, Peter and John, they went to their own companions and reported all of the chief priests and elders that said to them, verse 24 of chapter 4 of Acts. And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, O Lord, it is thou who didst make the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of our Father David, thy servant did say, why did the Gentiles rage and the people's devised feudal things?

The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ, for truly in the city there were gathered together against thy holy servant, Jesus, whom thou didst anoint both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever thy hand and thy purpose predestined to occur. You see, they were threatened. You cannot preach this gospel. You cannot talk about Jesus and Nazarene in the city of Jerusalem in these streets any longer.

So what do they do? They went back and they prayed. They had a prayer meeting. And they appealed to the sovereignty of God. They appealed to the all-powerful controlling God of the U.S. universe who creates the heavens and the earth who in eternity past predetermined herod pontius pilate the gentiles and the people of israel to do what to crucify their king see they they realized that god was in control and they were more afraid of god and his authority than they were the rulers in their authority and they would go on to to pray these words and now lord take note of their threats and grant that thy bond servants may speak thy were with all confidence.

Take note of the threats, Lord. Listen to what they said, but give us the power to speak with confidence, not to back away, but to be bold with the truth. While thou dost extend thy hand to heal and signs and wonders take place through the name with thy holy servant Jesus, and when they had prayed the place where they had gathered together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. And of course, you know the story? The apostles would be flogged in Acts chapter 5.

They would be beaten unmercelessly. And yet they said, the text says, in Acts chapter 5, these words in verse number 40, and they took his advice, and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them to speak no more in the name of Jesus and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the council rejoicing, that they had been considered worthy to suffer, shame for his name, and every day in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

That is so good. They could be beaten, they could be ridiculed, they could be tortured, but you know what? It didn't stop them from doing the one thing God called him to do, and that was to preach the gospel. Just kept on doing it. Let me give you another illustration.

Turn over to Daniel chapter four. In Daniel chapter four, remember Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. He couldn't know how to interpret the dream. So Daniel came and interpreted it for him and gave him the whole scenario. Daniel was so good. Daniel was able to predict the future of the king. He told the king in verse number 22, it is you, O king, for you have become great and grown strong. and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth. He told him the good news and the bad news.

The bad news was that King Nebuchadnezzar didn't recognize that his dominion came from the great Jehovah God of the universe, that he would come down hard. And so at the end, when Daniel has given to him the interpretation of the dream, he says in verse number 27, therefore, O king, may my advice be pleasing to you, break away. now from your sins by doing righteousness and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity. King, listen, you got to repent.

You got to get right with God. You got to do the right thing. I just told you what your dream was about. This is what the Lord has said to you. You got to repent. No movement from the king until a year later. Verse number 28. All this happened to Nebuchadnezzar, the king. Twelve months later, he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. The king reflected and said, is this not the Babylon, the great which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?

While the word was in the king's mouth, the voice came from heaven saying, King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared, sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beast. of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the most high is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever he wishes. Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled and he was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagle's feathers and his nails like birds claws.

But at the end of period, I Nebuchadnezzar raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me and I blessed the most high and praised and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom endures from generation to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing but he does according to his will and the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth and no one can ward off his hand or say to him what has thou done done. At that time, my reason returned to me, and my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors, and my nobles began seeking me out, so I was reestablished in my sovereignty and surpassing greatness was added to me.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are true, and his ways just, and he is able to humble those who walk in pride. Here was Nebuchadnezzar This was my kingdom Look what I built And it was a mammoth kingdom It was an unbelievable castle It was a tremendous place It was so enormous Look what I have done You ever had that feeling You ever sat down and said boy Look at this Bible study It's flourishing People are coming from all over the neighborhood And look what I have done You ever said that?

Or if you said, oh man, I finally got my house exactly where I want my house to be. I got every nook and cranny redecorated. I got the backyard. Just look what I've done to my house. You ever said that? That's a significant answer said. And yet God told him if you do that, you don't recognize I'm sovereign and ruler overall. And we penny your ways, you are going to be scattered with the beasts of the things. field. And he was until he recognized that God was sovereign, that he ruled over everything.

He says, now I have been humbled. Now I've been humbled. And God says to this man, will I look? To him who is broken and of a contrite spirit, and it trembles at my word.