A Comforting Contrast

About this sermon

I’m always amazed when the truth of God’s absolute sovereignty troubles people. I’m not only amazed from a biblical and doctrinal point of view — the Scriptures couldn’t be clearer on the subject. ESV Psalm 115:3 aOur God is in the heavens; bhe does all that he pleases. I’m amazed from a personal point of view. There is no more COMFORTING doctrine in all the Bible than the truth of God’s absolute sovereignty. If God is not sovereign, then nothing is certain. If God is truly sovereign, then nothing is in doubt. Our Lord has just finished with a call to stay awake. He has told of the destruction of the temple. He’s told of the future of the world. He’s told of the certainty of His return. And then, he’s told His disciples how they are to live with this knowledge. They are to live with discernment — which is to say, trusting completely in His words. They are to live with alertness — Knowing that He is coming, they must be busy with their assignments because they do not know when He will arrive. And now Mark gives us a chronology marker. This time marker, by the way, came from Christ’s own mouth, as Matthew account reveals. But in Mark’s account, this represents a transition. He is telling us where we are in the time leading to the cross. And as he does this, he gives us something that should fill our hearts with joy. In a very brief way, He gives a contrast between the purposes of men and the decrees of God. He gives us a contrast between what men wanted to accomplish and what God purposed to accomplish. This same truth is set before us in the 2nd Psalm. ESV Psalm 2:1 aWhy do bthe nations rage1 and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his aAnointed, saying, 3 "Let us aburst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." 4 He who asits in the heavens blaughs; the Lord holds them in derision. 5 Then he will speak to them in his awrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, 6 "As for me, I have aset my King on bZion, my choly hill." 7 I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, a"You are my Son; today I have begotten you. 8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and athe ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall abreak1 them with ba rod of iron and dash them in pieces like ca potter's vessel." 10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. 11 aServe the LORD with bfear, and crejoice with btrembling. 12 aKiss bthe Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his cwrath is quickly kindled. dBlessed are all who take refuge in him. The powerful ones on this earth can conspire against God, and against His King all that they want. God just laughs. What men mean for evil, God means for good. What men plot, they plot in vain. They can multiply their counsels, but God’s Word is the final word. In these two verses we see a contrast that speaks of the sovereignty of God. Man may plan his way, but God’s purpose always triumphs. ESV Proverbs 19:21 aMany are the plans in the mind of a man, but bit is the purpose of the LORD cthat will stand. We will see three things in our text this morning. (1) The purpose of God (2) The purposes of men (3) The comforting contrast.

Topics

• Encouragement