How to Receive from God Part 1
Understanding God’s Sovereignty
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
I. How to Receive from God
A.Understanding God’s Sovereignty
1.(Eph. 2:8-9) Receiving from God is a matter of living in the balance of grace and faith.
a. Grace is G-od’s R-iches A-t C-hrist E-xpense. It’s God’s unmerited favor towards all humanity independent of man’s works or efforts.
b. Faith is our positive response to what God has already provided by grace. Faith is how grace is appropriated or received.
c. A hyper-faith doctrine (works) or a hyper-grace doctrine (sovereignty of God) will cause well-meaning, sincere believers not to receive.
2. Hyper-faith doctrine says my faith moves God. God won’t do anything without my faith.
3. Understanding the Sovereignty of God. God is sovereign, meaning He is all powerful, the supreme ruler or monarch. But God IS NOT in control of everything! Some think, if it happened God had to allow it to happen.
a. (Jas. 4:7) Some things are of God and we should submit them. Some things are of the devil and we should resist them.
b. (2 Pet. 3:9; Deut. 30:19) God’s will is not automatic!
c. God is the owner, but mankind stewards the earth.
~(Gen. 1:26)
~(Ps. 24:1-2, 89:11; 115:16)
~(Ps. 8:1-9)
~(John 10:31-36; Ps. 82:6)
4. (Rom. 8:28, 26-28) Many use v28 to say God caused everything and it will somehow work out for your good. That’s not what this verse is saying!
[Pastor Lee Stokes]