The Sovereignty of God

06 February 2011 - Rev. David Bisgrove

12th Sermon in the Series: To Know the Living God

Ephesians 1:4-14

⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹ In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

• There is a plan and purpose to this world under Jesus' leadership.
• Love God and our neighbor.
• Coming to church is a rehearsal for the story of God.
• We are part of his story and glory.

The Unchanging God

23 January 2011 - Dr. Timothy Keller

10th Sermon in the Series : To Know the Living God

Psalm 102: 1-4; 18-28

¹ Hear my prayer, LORD;
let my cry for help come to you.
² Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.

³ For my days vanish like smoke;
my bones burn like glowing embers.
⁴ My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
I forget to eat my food.

¹⁸ Let this be written for a future generation,
that a people not yet created may praise the LORD:
¹⁹ “The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
²⁰ to hear the groans of the prisoners
and release those condemned to death.”
²¹ So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem
²² when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship the LORD.

²³ In the course of my life he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.
²⁴ So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on through all generations.
²⁵ In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
²⁶ They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
²⁷ But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
²⁸ The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you"

God doesn't Change.

• We all, at some point, experience a sense of isolation from one another and a sense of radical impermanence.
• Time takes everything away and is ultimately meaningless.God is unchanging - Plato: How can we know anything if everything changes.
• Hebrews 1 says this psalm points to Jesus.