Sermon Mark 4:38-41 The Sovereignty of God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard
Sermon Mark 4:38-41 The Sovereignty of God
Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church
June 21, 2009

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We are continuing our celebration of the 500th anniversary of the birth of a great reformer of the church, John Calvin. As we saw last week Calvin, who was born on July 10, 1509, went on to reform the church at Geneva and his influence has been felt all over the world. His way of interpreting scripture is still being taught in seminaries. His way of organizing the church is still used in the Presbyterian churches. And his ideas about God still cause us to think. Today we will be looking at an important doctrine of the church that Calvin gave us. This doctrine is called the Sovereignty of God. But first, let’s pray.

Father in heaven, creator of the universe, our King and Lord, we bow before you as your faithful subjects. We acknowledge that you are in control of the world and our lives. And since you are a God of love we trust that you rule with our best interests in mind. In this we take great comfort. Amen.
Mark 4:35-41 35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

How do we know God? And how to we know ourselves? These were the central questions in Calvin’s thinking. Calvin believed that if you try to know yourself you are immediately confronted with a problem. Sin so stains us that we cannot fully know ourselves until we first know God. And Calvin said we know God in two ways. First everyone knows God from creation, the work of God. We see God in the beauty of creation. This is why we have religions, and why, at times, our consciences are troubled. Calvin called this the “general knowledge of God” and is shared by all of us. But because of sin our knowledge of God in this way is limited. So we need help to fully know God. And God gives us this help by revealing himself in scripture by using language that we can understand.

As God reveals himself in scripture we find God’s providential nature. God did not create the world and then leave it to go someplace else. Scripture teaches us that God remains with all of creation and uses his power for its benefit. This gives us great comfort knowing that there is nothing that we have to worry about because the God, who created us, still loves us and is in control. Every week we sing these words, “I cast all my cares upon you. I lay all of my burdens down at your feet, and anytime that I don’t know what to do, I will cast all my cares upon you.” Every week we pray, “For Thine is the kingdom and the power and glory forever.” Every week we confess, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” When we do these things we are affirming our belief in doctrine of the Sovereignty of God.

But is God in total control of the world and our lives? Current events cause us to ask some very important questions: If God is in control how could the Holocaust happen and 6 million Jews die in Europe? If God is in control how could the killing fields happen in Cambodia? If God is in control why would thousands die in a terrorist strike on the World Trade Center? If God is in control why are members of this congregation sick, in hospitals, or living on the street? Our recent history has shaken our confidence in the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. So we no longer take comfort in God’s providence because we just don’t trust it anymore. And when we lose confidence that God will care for us, our only choice seems to be to care for ourselves.

The problem is not about God and God’s apparent lack of control over or indifference to the problems of the world. No, God is a God of love and passionately wants the best for all of creation. What is flawed is our understanding of the relationship between God and the world.

The Bible teaches us that God is a loving parent, and we are told to call God abba. God is responsive to our needs but does not exert dictatorial control. There is a give and take between us and our God. It is within this give and take relationship that history is made. God does not determine everything, but everything is determined in the interaction of God with humankind. Of course God is free to create whatever world God wants to make. But it looks like God has chosen to create a world where creation occurs in God’s relationship with us and thus not completely determined by God. God has given us freedom, and has given us power over a portion of creation. Evidently, God’s desire is to interact with people who have the ability and freedom to exercise dominion over some part of the created world. The Bible confirms this in Genesis:

Genesis 1:26-28 26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth."

So God did not want us to just sit back and watch history develop on television. Rather we were created to be active participants with God as we move toward the future. God was not forced to give us the gift of freedom and ability of autonomous action. Rather, God wanted us to have these things because God loves us and wants us to have the freedom to choose to love God.

Of course in giving us freedom God was taking a risk. God chose to be vulnerable by allowing us to choose to work against God’s own purposes. God permits us to disrupt God’s plans by our disobedience. God did this because by giving us this freedom God has an opportunity to genuinely have a relationship with us.

And this leads us to the question of why evil exists. Why did God create a world with evil in it? Why would God create a world with nuclear weapons? Why would God create a world with grinding poverty? The answer is that God created a world where evil was not necessary but possible. God did not create evil, we did by misusing our freedoms. So even though God created us, God is not to blame for what we do in our freedom, we are the ones responsible. Therefore we, not God, are accountable for the evil in the world.

But God is not satisfied with this situation. God wants evil to go away and to bless us richly. So God has offered us a deal. Turn from our evil ways and go back to how we were created. Remember that we were created in God’s image and required to obey God’s will. If we all stopped sinning evil would disappear from the world and God would be back in control. But, sadly, all of this is easier said than done. We may want to stop sinning, but try to do it and you will find it is extremely difficult if not impossible. We need help to stop sinning and be restored to a right relationship with God.

Our help has come in the person of Jesus Christ, who in his life and death exemplified the sacrificial lives God is calling us to live, and who in his resurrection from the dead gives us hope that we can trust that God will provide for us. I can’t prove any of this to you. The missiles in North Korea and demonstrations in Iran indicate that the Kingdom of God is a long way off. But I can tell you that our only hope for a better world is in our faith in Jesus Christ. And though faith we will experience the comfort of a loving God who has the power to control of all of nature and bless us richly.

Lord Jesus, as you settled the storm that day with your disciples, settle the storms of our lives. Help the leaders of the world to find peace. Help us to find hope as we face difficulties. And we praise you and honor you as our Lord and King. Amen.