So on our final morning there was another opportunity to hear the inimitable Barry King. I did think at one point this may be ordinary but a ever it was searching and powerful and well worth hearing.
His subject was the sovereignty of God and he spoke chiefly from 1 Chronicles 29. As an assembly we confess to a belief in this but do we really believe it in practice?
After a number of introductory remarks about how to go about the subject, Barry gave us this definition:
God because he is God has the right as well as the might to do whatever he purposes to do whether he chooses to discover the nature of these purposes to us or not
An examination of David's prayer reveals David's view of God -
Who is he? The eternally exalted King of heaven and earth. Who God is - this is something we must see and hold on to.
What does he have? He has greatness and glory, etc.
What can he do? He can do anything (that is morally and logically possible). However, God does only that which he has purposed and decreed. Our problem is usually not with what God can do but what he in fact he does do.
David lists seven things God can do
1. God can give riches and honour to men
God can do this but we are perplexed when he gives it to others and not to his people
2. God can give greatness and strength to men
Similarly we wonder why we do not enjoy more of it
3. God can provide for all his works
"God's work done in God's way will not lack God's provision" (Hudson Taylor). We believe that yet we are perplexed at times at the lack of provision for the Lord's work.
We wonder at our wonder, bewildered at our bewilderment and so we turn inward and nurse our doubts and fears.
4. God can test men's hearts
What about religious charlatans then? Why are we led into ways that are not good for us?
5. God can keep his purposes in the hearts of his people
So why then are so many led astray and why do his people fail so often?
6. God can direct hearts to him
So why does it seem at times that our hearts are going in every other direction
He slipped in that Vance Havner quote
“The church is so subnormal that if it ever got back to the New Testament normal it would seem to people to be abnormal.”
7. God can give our children all they need to obey his statutes and commandments Though God can do everything, he sometimes does not do what he can do. Mother Teresa when asked what would you say to God replied "You have a lot of explaining to do". Are we going to be like her? This is something that the Book of Job deals with. Job is not about "why do the righteous suffer?" If so, it does not answer the question. Rather, it deals with the question of "why the righteous serve?".
Barry then gave a powerful closing illustration of a faithful pastor who had seen no visible fruit yet still loved and served the Lord. The final call was to a full orbed acceptance of God's sovereignty.
He closed in prayer.
Powerful stuff.
His subject was the sovereignty of God and he spoke chiefly from 1 Chronicles 29. As an assembly we confess to a belief in this but do we really believe it in practice?
After a number of introductory remarks about how to go about the subject, Barry gave us this definition:
God because he is God has the right as well as the might to do whatever he purposes to do whether he chooses to discover the nature of these purposes to us or not
An examination of David's prayer reveals David's view of God -
Who is he? The eternally exalted King of heaven and earth. Who God is - this is something we must see and hold on to.
What does he have? He has greatness and glory, etc.
What can he do? He can do anything (that is morally and logically possible). However, God does only that which he has purposed and decreed. Our problem is usually not with what God can do but what he in fact he does do.
David lists seven things God can do
1. God can give riches and honour to men
God can do this but we are perplexed when he gives it to others and not to his people
2. God can give greatness and strength to men
Similarly we wonder why we do not enjoy more of it
3. God can provide for all his works
"God's work done in God's way will not lack God's provision" (Hudson Taylor). We believe that yet we are perplexed at times at the lack of provision for the Lord's work.
We wonder at our wonder, bewildered at our bewilderment and so we turn inward and nurse our doubts and fears.
4. God can test men's hearts
What about religious charlatans then? Why are we led into ways that are not good for us?
5. God can keep his purposes in the hearts of his people
So why then are so many led astray and why do his people fail so often?
6. God can direct hearts to him
So why does it seem at times that our hearts are going in every other direction
He slipped in that Vance Havner quote
“The church is so subnormal that if it ever got back to the New Testament normal it would seem to people to be abnormal.”
7. God can give our children all they need to obey his statutes and commandments Though God can do everything, he sometimes does not do what he can do. Mother Teresa when asked what would you say to God replied "You have a lot of explaining to do". Are we going to be like her? This is something that the Book of Job deals with. Job is not about "why do the righteous suffer?" If so, it does not answer the question. Rather, it deals with the question of "why the righteous serve?".
Barry then gave a powerful closing illustration of a faithful pastor who had seen no visible fruit yet still loved and served the Lord. The final call was to a full orbed acceptance of God's sovereignty.
He closed in prayer.
Powerful stuff.
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