Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Bangalore

.Last week election results came and it shocked many many people,.. many christians.. and many of them are still not able to come out of that shock. I was one of them because of late I was keenly watching the election and didn’t expect this result.. At human political level… so many questions.. Why did this happen? How can this happen? No chance of this happening.. Is there some EVM tampering? We can keep struggling with those questions or turn to the word of God…

Word of God such a refuge and light in such times….In the providence of God, at this exact time HS brings an apt verse to us in Matthew 11. In this confusing time, the passage that we are going to see in Matthew gives us a view of God.. we often forget.. .. It gives a high view of Sovereignity God .. In all this dust of questions, blaming, confusion… it lifts our thoughts, gives us higher perspective of what is happening, comforts and helps us trust in God at any negative circumstance.

Let me read Matthew 11;25, 26..

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 

5. அந்தச் சமயத்தில் இயேசு சொன்னது: பிதாவே! வானத்துக்கும் பூமிக்கும் ஆண்டவரே! இவைகளை ஞானிகளுக்கும் கல்விமான்களுக்கும் மறைத்து, பாலகருக்கு வெளிப்படுத்தினபடியால் உம்மை ஸ்தோத்திரிக்கிறேன்.

26. ஆம் பிதாவே! இப்படிச் செய்வது உம்முடைய திருவுளத்துக்குப் பிரியமாயிருந்தது.

This is a wonderful verse about the sovereignty of God and at a very difficult and confusing time when Israel was rejecting their own Messiah. . The view of the God’s sovereinigty can be great help for us at this time. I wonder how people without word of God knowledge will be able to bear this shock and this is the first one.. many shocks are going to in the future.. how will people manage. One MP Madhya Pradesh Rathan Singh died of heart attack.. seeing the result. I don’t know how many Christians be confused and discouraged.. Without this view of sovereign God, you will be very confused and bitter and not able to face things coming in the next 5 years.. May God help us to not only grasp this view, but lift our life to abide in this view..

We see a similar situation In the OT, Is 6.. there was good king Uzziah, he ruled for long 52 years.. when nation of Isreal had evil kings and nation was going down down… sin and destroying itself in idolatory.. .nation was breaking…collapsing.. Uzziah came and he was generally a successful king and brought benefits to his people. He subdued most of the hereditary enemies of Judah and brought them some times of peace. He was able to turn Jerusalem into a fortified city, well-equipped with arms for its own defense, and he gave the people a great sense of security. He developed agriculture and he developed commerce for the nation until it became extremely prosperous. The sad story of Uzziah is that in the end pride lifted up his heart. He looked at all the things he’d done.  he was filled with pride and God gave him terminal leprosy.

He died, apparently there was a certain feeling of panic across the nation. What are we going to do now? They became fearful. Internally and externally, the whole nation was in crisis… Internally, there was terrible division, fighting, sins, horrible idolatory, horrible sins.. rebellion… brewing hot.. nation would blow and callapse.. And in chapters 2 thru 5 of Isaiah, Isaiah chronicles some of the

terrible sins of the people of God. …and it was almost as if as long as Uzziah was around, he sort of preserved the whole thing from blowing… Now he is dead.. when is it going to burst internally… So the fear was probably the greatest in the heart of the God-fearing Jews, how nation will destroy itself with God’s wrath..

Externally, many other enemies waiting when to pounce and attack Judah.. they had lot of wealth.. gold. There was Tiglath Pileser, the ambitious warrior king of Assyria had a grand design to conquer all the kingdoms between the Euphrates and the Nile, .. like today capture all the states from Kashmir to Kaniyakumari.. and to establish in their place the great Assyrian Empire. Surrounding nations were forming alliances against Assyria to destroy Judah. They began to plot political intrigues and sabotage and rebellion. So Judah was not sure when they will attack and destroy them.. now no king.. easy target.. The kingdoms of Samaria and Judah were tottering on the brink of doom.

When this was political situation, people instead of turning around examining their hearts and repenting of sins, crying and mourning, , they said, “Let’s really live it up. It may all end tomorrow.” Let us kill each other, rob, commit all sins.. tomorrow we will perish. That’s how it was when Uzziah died. The king was dead. Nation is turmoil.

In this confused state… not knowing what will happen tomorrow.. maybe even perish. Where is God… what is he doing.. in Is 6, he is very confused and he goes to the temple… it is always in the temple of God, we get the right perspective.. we are able to clearly see things … all the confusion goes out… Is 6:1 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his robe filled the temple.” உசியா ராஜா மரணமடைந்த வருஷத்தில், ஆண்டவர் உயரமும் உன்னதமுமான சிங்காசனத்தின்மேல் வீற்றிருக்கக்கண்டேன்; அவருடைய வஸ்திரத்தொங்கலால் தேவாலயம் நிறைந்திருந்தது.

He sees the Lord.. Hebrew word Adonai.. he is sees in the throne sovereignly ruling everything.  That removes all fear and confusion in his heart.. and he commits himself to go and serve the Lord. That is the sight we all need to catch today. This is the sight.. even when the nation is in turmoil… this sight will calm all our confusion, doubts, and fears.. There cannot be panic when you know God is still on the throne. It may have looked to Isaiah as if the whole thing was falling apart, human king was dead, nation is turmoil, but king of king, sovereign Lord of universe Adonai, Sovereign One is on the throne.

We need to meditate on the sovereignty of God at this point.. nothing gives us more comfort and calm all our fears and doubts at this like this great truth… Our God is a sovereign God. Being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth. Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him.

Ps 93.. கர்த்தர் ராஜரிகம்பண்ணுகிறார், மகத்துவத்தை அணிந்துகொண்டிருக்கிறார்; கர்த்தர் பராக்கிரமத்தை அணிந்து,

Lord reigns.. exclusively.. it is not satan, no majority govt, not man, circumstance, fate, luck, the Lord reigns.. exclusively.. blessed and only Soeveriegn ஏக சக்கராதிபதியும்

Lord reigns continually… it is present tense.. he is presenting reigning at this very moment.. we do not have wait

for the second coming of Christ.. he is reigning now.. it is not past tense.. he was.. but now out of control. Lord reigns even now..

He running the human history.. he is running the events of every nation.. every election.. every vote.. every fraud and deceit in election… everything under his control and fulfils his purposes.. there are no random events taking places… everything.. every man, every government.. are his instruments. are part of his plan.. to promote his glory…. He controls the universe so minutely, . not a sparrow.. will jump without his will..how can government come with his will.. All saints.. in the most difficult time.. when they saw their God on throne. It gave them great comfort and stgrenght… like Isiaiah.. when he saw it transformed him.

The history doesn’t depend on human kings, but on the absolute monarchy, the supreme Lord, Adonai, God Himself. And so God in the midst of the crisis, to let Isaiah and His people know that all is not lost, makes a personal appearance/vision, That when the whole world falls apart and everything seems to be going to pieces, God’s still there on the throne. You know John John 12:41 the writer tells us that this was Christ. Really a pre-incarna=te Christophany, an appearance of Christ. If Christ is reigning.. you know what is main purpose in running history…

Eph 1;20 0 he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

20. எல்லாத் துரைத்தனத்துக்கும், அதிகாரத்துக்கும், வல்லமைக்கும், கர்த்தத்துவத்துக்கும், இம்மையில்மாத்திரமல்ல மறுமையிலும் பேர்பெற்றிருக்கும் எல்லா நாமத்துக்கும் மேலாய் அவர் உயர்ந்திருக்கத்தக்கதாக,

21. அவரை உன்னதங்களில் தம்முடைய வலதுபாரிசத்தில் உட்காரும்படி செய்து,

22. எல்லாவற்றையும் அவருடைய பாதங்களுக்குக் கீழ்ப்படுத்தி,

சரீரமான சபைக்கு அவரை எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் மேலான தலையாகத் தந்தருளினார்.

For the church… can you believe … according to this verse, for the good of the church, he brought this govt.. how.. so strange.. maybe…I believe God will use this govt as shown revelation… God will use to sanctify and purify his church. How many churches will have this view today… Don’t we lament the terrible state of Christianity in our country.. how much false teaching and worldliness… maybe a for a reformation.. work of God.. God will use this govt.

At this time for our country which is filled with Arminian teaching… man man.. man rules. I think by this election, God calls all of us to turn to truth of sovereignity of God. .. he does what he pleases.. I wonder what the Arminians will do .. how many people’s faith will crumble who trusted in men. I think by this event… God is teaching the church what he taught Nebadnezzar.

Dan 4;4 he says And at the end of the [k]time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,

And His kingdom is from generation to generation.

35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;

He does according to His will in the army of heaven

And among the inhabitants of the earth.

No one can restrain His hand

Or say to Him, “What have You done?”

4. அந்த நாட்கள் சென்றபின்பு, நேபுகாத்நேச்சாராகிய நான் என் கண்களை வானத்துக்கு ஏறெடுத்தேன்;.. only TV… news.. man.. never see up.. என் புத்தி எனக்குத் திரும்பி வந்தது; அப்பொழுது நான் உன்னதமானவரை ஸ்தோத்திரித்து, என்றென்றைக்கும் ஜீவித்திருக்கிறவரைப் புகழ்ந்து மகிமைப்படுத்தினேன்; அவருடைய கர்த்தத்துவமே நித்திய கர்த்தத்துவம், அவருடைய ராஜ்யமே தலைமுறை தலைமுறையாக நிற்கும்.

35. பூமியின் குடிகள் எல்லாம் ஒன்றுமில்லையென்று எண்ணப்படுகிறார்கள்; அவர் தமது சித்தத்தின்படியே வானத்தின் சேனையையும் பூமியின் குடிகளையும் நடத்துகிறார், அவருடைய கையைத் தடுத்து, அவரை நோக்கி: என்ன செய்கிறீரென்று சொல்லத்தக்கவன் ஒருவனும் இல்லை என்றேன்.

Oh how the church should learn this lesson of Sovereignity of God… not just in national events… elections,. but also God is sovereign in the salvation of every man…. Salvation belongs to God… we cannot save… cursed state of Christianity… Christinaity not growing in our country is because … we quench the HS by trying convert religion people human efforts.. and not expect HS to regenerate people. This event should call us to lift our eyes and get our senses… grasp the great truth of the sovereignty of God.

Ok that was long introduction.. for election result.. In wise providence of God.. today’s passage brings that same topic in Matthew 11. We know the context… that after his ministry described in 10 chappters, we are seeing the reactions of the people in chapter 11. It was indeed shocking… after all these mighty works.. which if done in Tyre and Sidon, even Sodom would have believed, very shocking. These people don’t’ believe and repent.. Christ rebukes them terribly.. Just after that rebuke, Lord prays… He prays loudly. He is speaking to the Father… This is an intertrinitarian counsel…. He allows to hear the great secret talk between son and Father.. let us hear and get some wisdom for our foolish hearts.. Our Lord speaks this loudly so learn some important lessons about God’s sovereignity…

I want quickly see 3 things in this prayer…

Enlightened view of the Sovereign God.

Enlightened view of Sovereign grace

If we are enlightened.. we will follow Christ’s example and bow your head before this and be thankful, praiase and worship God for his soverignity.. .. even though you don’t understand it.

Enlightened view of the Sovereign God.

See irrespective of what happens in the world, there is always answer and comfort in the character of God. marvelous attributes of God.. Everything that happens is revelation of God’s character and it is for his ultimately glory.

Think of what is happening in this chapter 11… the situation, Son of God has left all glory and come and his full revelation of his identity by works and words.. is given to his own dear people… Isrealites.. he did his rallies across Phalestine. did mighty works.. .. and what is the result…. In a way.. not one vote for him.. horrible response of criticism and indifference… From human side.. how discouraged the Lord must have been …with how much love .. he came to his own, he told his disciples sending.. don’t go to gentiles, but lost sheep of Israel.. .. his own rejected him… if he would gone to some other place or if born during Tyre or Sidon or even Sodom, they would have accepted, but these hardened Isralite people.. what a horrible response.. if the Lord just had human view.. his mission would have been the greatest failure, he most discouraged, so heart broken and discouraged.. .. humanly speaking.. and just speculating.. probably Satan even could tempted to somehow hinder him from the work of the cross…..

But here we see Lord in the midst of this terrible humanly failure mission, response and circumstance… he lifted up his eyes… and saw God’s sovereign hand in all this.. and that made him thankful and strengthened him..gave him the purpose for his ministry.. See how the verse starts… Verse 25 At that time Jesus answered.” அந்தச் சமயத்தில் இயேசு (answered) and சொன்னது: If you will look at the context you will not perceive that anybody had asked Him a question, or that He was indeed in conversation with any human being. Yet it says, “Jesus answered and said, I thank You, O Father.” Answer comes when we are speaking to someone.. respond. Here the Lord in the midst of all the discouragements he was facing,.. he was communing with his Father. This is where Christ found his strength and comfort. Our Lord teaches us here that we live by horizonal view… looking at politics or circumstances…what will Hinduva.. RSS thought do to our nation… get very discouraged.. constant fellowship with His Father is the secret of all spiritual strength and perseverance.

Do we have this kind of perspective and relationship with God…very easily miss this.. come to Church .. read Bible…outward activities… Sit and quietly think….. do I have a real real constant communion with God… if no, there lies all reasons for discouragement and failures..wordliness… because this is a lifeline for spiritual life and fruitfulness. let us catch this lesson. Keep our hearts, in such a state that when God speaks to you, thoughts come to our mind, remind some verses, he convinces some sin, and we confess, thank him for some mercies through the day… . you may be ready to answer, whatever troubles may ruffle you or whatever trials may disturb you, you will always have peace of God.

Notice.. the enlightened view of Sovereign God… can be seen in how calls God.. Father, Lord of earth and heaven.. பிதாவே! வானத்துக்கும் பூமிக்கும் ஆண்டவரே! What a combination… See what enlightened view Christ had and beautiful balance in this. All problems in Christianiity come in wrong understanding of character of God. it is amazing what gross mistakes men make! One big group… take God is loving Father and remove his sovereign power and he is so loving.. he will not allow anyone go to hell..and has made Christ die for all.. Arminian view. Others take God is so sovereign…no care for those going to hell… hypercalvinism.. Right understanding and enlightened view of God comes when we see all his attributes in balance.. To see the holiness, the love, the justice, the faithfulness, the immutability, the omnipotence, and the sovereignty of God, all shining like a bright ஒளிவட்டக் corona of eternal and ineffable light,.. our mind can grasp how glorious God is in all his attributes… this has never been given perfectly to any human being. our faulty vision has been the ground of divers mistakes.

But our Lord helps us to see God’s character in his prayer with proper balance. “Father, Lord of heaven and

earth.” பிதாவே! வானத்துக்கும் பூமிக்கும் ஆண்டவரே! Look at how Christ group 2 attributes.. he is Father full of love and at the same time Sovereign Lord of earth and heaven. We owe to God the love of children to Father and at the same time.. fear and respect of soverigen Lord of earth and heaven. But here is affection mingled with fear and respect.. Though Lord and ruler of heaven and earth.. he is our loving Father.

Father.. what a sweet word.. It is a great privilege…. So beautiful a word.. we studied a sermon on the Fatherhood of God.. all love of father in world, a drop in the ocean. No angel, Seraphim or Cherubim can call him Father…Christ calls him.. and only way we can call him is by union with him. There is heaven in the depth of that word! Father! There is all I need, all I can ask, all my wishes can contrive. I have all-in-all to all eternity when I can say, “Father.” First understand ocean of love in that word.

You cannot understand Sovereingity of God properly, and Lord of heaven and earth without understanding fatherhood of God. Do not look upon God as a great Sovereign King, unless you can also regard Him as your Father. Do not dare to come into the intense brightness of His sovereignty, or it will be to you thick darkness and confusing unless you can call Him Father.

See balance so important.. many many Christians are weak in their theology, weak in their faith, because while they can say, “Father,” they do not acknowledge God as being Lord of heaven and earth. He is not just Father, but Lord who reigns over heaven and earth…. From movement of wing of the archangel angel down to the painted wing of the fly, all flights of beings are controlled by Him. From the roar of earth’s biggest earthquake to down to the gentle falling of a rain drop, He does as He wills. Natural eyes see only men, govts.. but enlightened eyes discern God doing all. In the toppest man in the country, greatest powers and riches men and all govts, all are JEHOVAH’s tools and nothing more. In all confusions of the world…. all injustice, all political intrigues, EVM tampering, all activities, politicians deceit, in every war, in every catastrophe and calamity there is the reigning God, who is always winning whichever party wins in the elections… behind all that, His purposes and decrees are always winning. He rules everywhere by power. You have not the key of a solid theology till you know this. Great God,

So first we need to have enlightened view of God’s relationship as Father, and yet as Sovereign Lord, then we are ready to see next truth.. that is discriminating character of his grace.

Such a sovereign God is also sovereign even in the matters of salvation… As fallen creatures, we have lost all rights. Now God declares, and we must acknowledge it to be a declaration of unquestionable/unimpeachable right just, “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.. Who shall find fault or who shall dispute His will? He will save whom he wills and leave others to go hell. No one can question him. That is what our Lord says.. our next heading…

Enlightened view of Sovereign grace_

This God shows grace and that grace is discriminating… THE DISCRIMINATING பாகுபாடு

What does that mean… He doesn’t treat all people equally. There are some to whom He reveals his truth; and there are others to whom He hides it. Our Lord sees the rejection of these people and understands the Sovereign discriminating grace of God and thanks him for it…

5. அந்தச் சமயத்தில் இயேசு சொன்னது: பிதாவே! வானத்துக்கும் பூமிக்கும் ஆண்டவரே! இவைகளை ஞானிகளுக்கும் கல்விமான்களுக்கும் மறைத்து, பாலகருக்கு வெளிப்படுத்தினபடியால் உம்மை ஸ்தோத்திரிக்கிறேன்.

“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things

from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 

This is amazing truth. In Mark 4;11 Jesus had just finished teaching the multitudes that had gathered around Him in a parable. When He had finished teaching, and He was alone with His disciples gathered around Him, they asked Him about the parable.. why he teaches parable… . Others didn’t seem to understand the things He was saying in it; and so they asked Him about it. You know initially I thought parable was to make everyone clearly understand.. in Bible.. in matthew we will see many parables.. he says parables are not make it clear.. but a method of teaching to hide the truth from whom he wants to hide and reveal the truth only to those whom he wants to reveal…  

Last week, election results came, and they shocked many people, many Christians, and many of them are still not able to come out of that shock. I was one of them because, of late, I was keenly watching the election and didn’t expect this result. At a human political level, so many questions arise: Why did this happen? How could this happen? There was no chance of this happening. Is there some EVM tampering? We can keep struggling with those questions or turn to the Word of God.

The Word of God is such a refuge and light in such times. In the providence of God, at this exact time, the Holy Spirit brings an apt verse to us in Matthew 11. In this confusing time, the passage that we are going to see in Matthew gives us a view of God we often forget. It gives a high view of God’s Sovereignty. In all this dust of questions, blaming, and confusion, it lifts our thoughts, gives us a higher perspective of what is happening, comforts, and helps us trust in God in any negative circumstance.

Let me read Matthew 11:25-26:

25 At that time Jesus answered and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”

This is a wonderful verse about the sovereignty of God and comes at a very difficult and confusing time when Israel was rejecting their own Messiah. The view of God’s sovereignty can be a great help for us at this time. I wonder how people without knowledge of the Word of God will be able to bear this shock, and this is just the first one; many shocks are going to come in the future. How will people manage? One MP in Madhya Pradesh, Rathan Singh, died of a heart attack seeing the result. I don’t know how many Christians are confused and discouraged. Without this view of a sovereign God, you will be very confused and bitter and not be able to face things coming in the next five years. May God help us to not only grasp this view but lift our lives to abide in this view.

We see a similar situation in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 6. There was a good king, Uzziah, who ruled for a long 52 years, when the nation of Israel had evil kings and the nation was going down and down, sinning and destroying itself in idolatry. The nation was breaking, collapsing. Uzziah came, and he was generally a successful king and brought benefits to his people. He subdued most of the hereditary enemies of Judah and brought them some times of peace. He was able to turn Jerusalem into a fortified city, well-equipped with arms for its own defense, and he gave the people a great sense of security. He developed agriculture and commerce for the nation until it became extremely prosperous. The sad story of Uzziah is that in the end, pride lifted up his heart. He looked at all the things he’d done. He was filled with pride, and God gave him terminal leprosy.

He died, and apparently, there was a certain feeling of panic across the nation: “What are we going to do now?” They became fearful. Internally and externally, the whole nation was in crisis. Internally, there was terrible division, fighting, sins, horrible idolatry, horrible sins, and rebellion brewing hot. The nation could blow and collapse. And in chapters 2 through 5 of Isaiah, Isaiah chronicles some of the terrible sins of the people of God. It was almost as if, as long as Uzziah was around, he sort of preserved the whole thing from blowing. Now he is dead; when is it going to burst internally? So, the fear was probably the greatest in the hearts of the God-fearing Jews—how the nation would destroy itself with God’s wrath.

Externally, many other enemies were waiting for when to pounce and attack Judah. They had a lot of wealth, and gold. There was Tiglath Pileser, the ambitious warrior king of Assyria, who had a grand design to conquer all the kingdoms between the Euphrates and the Nile, like today, capturing all the states from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and to establish in their place the great Assyrian Empire. Surrounding nations were forming alliances against Assyria to destroy Judah. They began to plot political intrigues, sabotage, and rebellion. So Judah was not sure when they would attack and destroy them; now, with no king, they were an easy target. The kingdoms of Samaria and Judah were tottering on the brink of doom.

When this was the political situation, people, instead of turning around, examining their hearts, and repenting of sins, crying and mourning, they said, “Let’s really live it up. It may all end tomorrow.” “Let us kill each other, rob, commit all sins; tomorrow we will perish.” That’s how it was when Uzziah died. The king was dead. The nation was in turmoil.

In this confused state, not knowing what will happen tomorrow, or if they might even perish, “Where is God? What is He doing?” In Isaiah 6, he is very confused, and he goes to the temple. It is always in the temple of God that we get the right perspective. We are able to clearly see things; all the confusion goes out. Isaiah 6:1: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his robe filled the temple.”

He sees the Lord. The Hebrew word is Adonai. He sees Him on the throne, sovereignly ruling everything. That removes all fear and confusion in his heart, and he commits himself to go and serve the Lord. That is the sight we all need to catch today. This is the sight that, even when the nation is in turmoil, will calm all our confusion, doubts, and fears. There cannot be panic when you know God is still on the throne. It may have looked to Isaiah as if the whole thing was falling apart, the human king was dead, and the nation was in turmoil, but the King of Kings, the sovereign Lord of the universe, Adonai, the Sovereign One, is on the throne.

We need to meditate on the sovereignty of God at this point. Nothing gives us more comfort and calms all our fears and doubts at this time like this great truth. Our God is a sovereign God. Being infinitely elevated above the highest creature, He is the Most High, Lord of heaven and earth. Subject to none, influenced by none, absolutely independent; God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, always as He pleases. None can thwart Him, none can hinder Him.

Psalm 93:

“The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed with strength, with which He has girded Himself.”

The Lord reigns exclusively. It is not Satan, no majority government, not man, circumstance, fate, or luck; the Lord reigns exclusively, the blessed and only Sovereign. The Lord reigns continually. It is the present tense; He is presently reigning at this very moment. We do not have to wait for the second coming of Christ; He is reigning now. It is not past tense—He was, but is now out of control. The Lord reigns even now.

He is running human history. He is running the events of every nation, every election, every vote, every fraud and deceit in the election; everything is under His control and fulfills His purposes. There are no random events taking place. Everything, every man, every government, is His instrument, part of His plan to promote His glory. He controls the universe so minutely. Not a sparrow will jump without His will; how can a government come without His will? All saints, in the most difficult time, when they saw their God on the throne, it gave them great comfort and strength. Like Isaiah, when he saw it, it transformed him.

History doesn’t depend on human kings, but on the absolute monarchy, the supreme Lord, Adonai, God Himself. And so God, in the midst of the crisis, to let Isaiah and His people know that all is not lost, makes a personal appearance/vision, so that when the whole world falls apart and everything seems to be going to pieces, God is still there on the throne. John 12:41 tells us that this was Christ. Really, a pre-incarnate Christophany, an appearance of Christ. If Christ is reigning, you know what His main purpose in running history is:

Ephesians 1:20-22:

20 …He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church.

For the church—can you believe it? According to this verse, for the good of the church, He brought this government. How? So strange. Maybe I believe God will use this government, as shown in revelation. God will use it to sanctify and purify His church. How many churches will have this view today? Don’t we lament the terrible state of Christianity in our country, how much false teaching and worldliness there is? Maybe for a reformation, a work of God, God will use this government.

At this time for our country, which is filled with Arminian teaching—man, man, man rules—I think by this election, God calls all of us to turn to the truth of the sovereignty of God. He does what He pleases. I wonder what the Arminians will do; how many people’s faith will crumble who trusted in men. I think by this event, God is teaching the church what He taught Nebuchadnezzar.

Daniel 4:34-35 says:

34 “And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. 35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, ‘What have You done?'”

Oh, how the church should learn this lesson of the Sovereignty of God! Not just in national events, like elections, but also that God is sovereign in the salvation of every man. Salvation belongs to God; we cannot save. The cursed state of Christianity, Christianity not growing in our country, is because we quench the Holy Spirit by trying to convert religious people with human efforts and not expecting the Holy Spirit to regenerate people. This event should call us to lift our eyes and get our senses, to grasp the great truth of the sovereignty of God.

Okay, that was a long introduction for the election result. In the wise providence of God, today’s passage brings that same topic in Matthew 11. We know the context: after His ministry described in 10 chapters, we are seeing the reactions of the people in chapter 11. It was indeed shocking. After all these mighty works, which if done in Tyre and Sidon, even Sodom would have believed, it was very shocking. These people don’t believe and repent. Christ rebukes them terribly. Just after that rebuke, the Lord prays. He prays loudly. He is speaking to the Father. This is an intertrinitarian counsel. He allows us to hear the great secret talk between Son and Father. Let us hear and get some wisdom for our foolish hearts. Our Lord speaks this loudly so we may learn some important lessons about God’s sovereignty.

I want to quickly see three things in this prayer:

1. Enlightened view of the Sovereign God.
2. Enlightened view of Sovereign grace.
3. If we are enlightened, we will follow Christ’s example and bow our head before this and be thankful, praise, and worship God for His sovereignty, even though we don’t understand it.

Enlightened View of the Sovereign God

Irrespective of what happens in the world, there is always an answer and comfort in the character of God, in the marvelous attributes of God. Everything that happens is a revelation of God’s character, and it is for His ultimate glory.

Think of what is happening in this chapter 11. The situation: the Son of God has left all glory and come, and the full revelation of His identity by works and words is given to His own dear people, the Israelites. He did His rallies across Palestine, did mighty works, and what is the result? In a way, not one vote for Him. A horrible response of criticism and indifference. From the human side, how discouraged the Lord must have been. With how much love He came to His own. He told His disciples when sending them, “Don’t go to the Gentiles, but to the lost sheep of Israel.” His own rejected Him. If He had gone to some other place, or if born during the time of Tyre or Sidon or even Sodom, they would have accepted Him, but these hardened Israelite people—what a horrible response! If the Lord just had a human view, His mission would have been the greatest failure. He would be most discouraged, so heartbroken and discouraged, humanly speaking. And, just speculating, probably Satan even could have tempted Him to somehow hinder Him from the work of the cross.

But here we see the Lord, in the midst of this terrible humanly failed mission, response, and circumstance, lifted up His eyes and saw God’s sovereign hand in all this, and that made Him thankful and strengthened Him; it gave Him the purpose for His ministry.

See how the verse starts: Verse 25, “At that time Jesus answered and said.” If you look at the context, you will not perceive that anybody had asked Him a question, or that He was indeed in conversation with any human being. Yet it says, “Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, O Father.'” Answer comes when we are speaking to someone, in response. Here, the Lord, in the midst of all the discouragements He was facing, was communing with His Father. This is where Christ found His strength and comfort. Our Lord teaches us here that we live by a horizontal view, looking at politics or circumstances: “What will Hindutva, the RSS thought, do to our nation?” We get very discouraged. Constant fellowship with His Father is the secret of all spiritual strength and perseverance.

Do we have this kind of perspective and relationship with God? We very easily miss this. We come to church, read the Bible—outward activities. Sit and quietly think: “Do I have a real, constant communion with God?” If no, there lies all the reasons for discouragement and failures, for worldliness, because this is a lifeline for spiritual life and fruitfulness. Let us catch this lesson. Keep our hearts in such a state that when God speaks to you, thoughts come to our mind, remind us of some verses, He convicts us of some sin, and we confess, thank Him for some mercies through the day. You may be ready to answer; whatever troubles may ruffle you or whatever trials may disturb you, you will always have the peace of God.

Notice the enlightened view of the Sovereign God can be seen in how He calls God: “Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” What a combination. See what an enlightened view Christ had and the beautiful balance in this. All problems in Christianity come from a wrong understanding of the character of God. It is amazing what gross mistakes men make! One big group takes God as a loving Father and removes His sovereign power, believing He is so loving He will not allow anyone to go to hell, and has made Christ die for all—the Arminian view. Others take God as so sovereign there is no care for those going to hell—Hyper-Calvinism. Right understanding and the enlightened view of God come when we see all His attributes in balance. To see the holiness, the love, the justice, the faithfulness, the immutability, the omnipotence, and the sovereignty of God, all shining like a bright corona of eternal and ineffable light, our mind can grasp how glorious God is in all His attributes. This has never been given perfectly to any human being. Our faulty vision has been the ground of divers mistakes.

But our Lord helps us to see God’s character in His prayer with proper balance: “Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Look at how Christ groups two attributes: He is Father, full of love, and at the same time, Sovereign Lord of earth and heaven. We owe to God the love of children to a Father and at the same time the fear and respect of a Sovereign Lord of earth and heaven. Here is affection mingled with fear and respect. Though Lord and Ruler of heaven and earth, He is our loving Father.

“Father”—what a sweet word. It is a great privilege, such a beautiful word. We studied a sermon on the Fatherhood of God. All the love of a father in the world is a drop in the ocean compared to His. No angel, Seraphim, or Cherubim can call Him Father. Christ calls Him, and the only way we can call Him is by union with Him. There is heaven in the depth of that word! “Father!” There is all I need, all I can ask, all my wishes can contrive. I have all-in-all to all eternity when I can say, “Father.” First, understand the ocean of love in that word.

You cannot understand the Sovereignty of God properly, and Lord of heaven and earth, without understanding the Fatherhood of God. Do not look upon God as a great Sovereign King unless you can also regard Him as your Father. Do not dare to come into the intense brightness of His sovereignty, or it will be to you thick darkness and confusing unless you can call Him Father.

See how important balance is. Many Christians are weak in their theology, weak in their faith, because while they can say, “Father,” they do not acknowledge God as being Lord of heaven and earth. He is not just Father, but Lord who reigns over heaven and earth. From the movement of the wing of the archangel down to the painted wing of the fly, all flights of beings are controlled by Him. From the roar of earth’s biggest earthquake down to the gentle falling of a raindrop, He does as He wills. Natural eyes see only men, governments, but enlightened eyes discern God doing all. The topmost man in the country, the men with the greatest powers and riches, and all governments, all are JEHOVAH’s tools and nothing more. In all the confusions of the world, all injustice, all political intrigues, EVM tampering, all activities, politicians’ deceit, in every war, in every catastrophe and calamity, there is the reigning God, who is always winning whichever party wins in the elections. Behind all that, His purposes and decrees are always winning. He rules everywhere by power. You have not the key of solid theology till you know this. Great God!

So, first we need to have an enlightened view of God’s relationship as Father and yet as Sovereign Lord. Then we are ready to see the next truth, which is the discriminating character of His grace.

Such a sovereign God is also sovereign even in the matters of salvation. As fallen creatures, we have lost all rights. Now God declares, and we must acknowledge it to be a declaration of unquestionable/unimpeachable right and justice: “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.” Who shall find fault or who shall dispute His will? He will save whom He wills and leave others to go to hell. No one can question Him. That is what our Lord says, our next heading.

Enlightened View of Sovereign Grace

This God shows grace, and that grace is discriminating.

What does that mean? He doesn’t treat all people equally. There are some to whom He reveals His truth, and there are others to whom He hides it. Our Lord sees the rejection of these people and understands the Sovereign discriminating grace of God and thanks Him for it:

“I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes.”

This is amazing truth. In Mark 4:11, Jesus had just finished teaching the multitudes that had gathered around Him in a parable. When He had finished teaching and was alone with His disciples gathered around Him, they asked Him about the parable, why He teaches parables. Others didn’t seem to understand the things He was saying in it, and so they asked Him about it. You know, initially I thought the parable was to make everyone clearly understand. In the Bible, in Matthew, we will see many parables. He says parables are not to make it clear, but a method of teaching to hide the truth from whom He wants to hide and reveal the truth only to those whom He wants to reveal.

Before He explained the parable to them, He said, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them’” (Mark 4:11-12).

Are we reading that right? Is it actually true that God “gives” these things to some, but intends for others not to receive a clear picture of the mysteries of His kingdom, lest they hear and believe and turn to repentance? YES. This is a stumbling truth, one we don’t fully understand, but it is revealed in the Word. Clearly, God does discriminate! Clearly, He reveals kingdom truth selectively.

Now, I would hasten to stress two things in this. First, God is never unjust in hiding His truth from some and revealing it to others. The fact is that, as fallen creatures in Adam, none of us would ever understand any of the truths of His kingdom in a saving way unless He had first taken the initiative to reveal them to us. And He is obligated to reveal saving truth to no one! If He reveals saving truth at all, it is as an act of His grace, and never because He is obligated to do so. If it has been revealed to us, and we believe, then our response should be to thank Him and praise Him for showing such grace to anyone at all—and especially to us! We are not to find fault with it.

And second, the Bible always holds unbelieving men and women responsible for their unbelief. This is a mystery—how those two things fit together: the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of men. We don’t understand it with our minds, but it’s true. Just before this verse, Jesus rebuked Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum and told them their judgment would be terrible. That is human responsibility. And here He points to the truth that they didn’t accept because it was not revealed to them—the other side of God’s sovereignty.

The Discriminating Grace of God

Notice how God the Father is selective.

1. The Father Hides and Reveals “These Things”

First, notice that the Father “has hidden” what Jesus calls “these things” from some and “has revealed” them to others. I take the “these things” to be the kingdom truths revealed in the mighty works of Jesus that lead one to repentance and to salvation. These are deep spiritual truths that were implied in His works and teaching and cannot be understood by flesh and blood; the natural man cannot understand these things. As He said to Peter, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.” The revelation of these deep spiritual truths by God will lead one to repentance and salvation. Many are not repenting and are not saved because God has hidden these things from them.

Some could see those works and be impressed by them, but not be led to repentance by them. Others could see them, have their spirits opened up to the truths implied in them, and believe unto repentance and salvation. To some, the saving potential of these things is “hidden”; and to others, the saving potential of these things is “revealed.” And the choice of which is which belongs to God the Father.

2. The Father’s Selective Favor

Second, notice in whose favor God the Father has chosen to be selective. He has chosen to “hide” these things from “the wise and prudent”—or perhaps, we should say those who “think” themselves wise and prudent. And He has chosen instead to “reveal” these same things instead to “babes”—or perhaps better, to those who are “babes” in this world’s estimation.

You don’t get saved because you’re intelligent; no one is shut out because they’re stupid. The smart you are, the more trouble you’re in, not because God doesn’t want smart people in heaven. That’s not what it’s saying. Historically, God has revealed His truths to greatly educated and wise men. They’re hidden from the people who think they can discover the truth with their intelligence alone. They are hidden from those who are dependent on their wisdom and their intelligence.

It is not intelligence, but intellectual pride that God hides these truths from. If you think you know, are intellectual, wise, trusting in it, and glorying in wisdom, that is the disqualification. God will hide these things from you.

And it is not intellectual pride which gets one into the Kingdom. The first step to the kingdom is humility. The general problem with the wise and prudent is their pride that hinders them. Intelligence, then, is not the issue; intellectual pride is the issue. Such men do not glorify God.

Christ says, “I thank You that intellectual pride shuts men out because that wouldn’t glorify You. But I’m also thankful that You have revealed these things unto babes, for that does glorify You. And that lets the least of men have access to Your Kingdom.”

He reveals it to the babes, the spiritually dependent. He said, “Except you become as a little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom.” “Babes” (nepios) means a baby, a suckling. You’re talking about a very small child, and the one word that best sums up that kind of person is dependent. If you just leave a baby, it will die; it is totally dependent.

Who are the ones who can enter into salvation? They are the dependent, not the independent; the humble, not the proud. Those who are humbly confessing their dependency. They are helpless and they recognize it. They are empty and they know it. They are nothing and they are aware of it. They are deeply aware that they have no resources in life, none. And they turn in utter dependency, and that is what our Lord means when He says, “Except a man become as a little child he can’t enter the Kingdom.”

You see, the babes are the men described in the Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” What does that mean? A begging spirit. The poverty spoken of here is a word that means poverty so abject that it can do nothing but beg. The one who has no resources and knows it. The one who is ashamed to lift up his head. The one who cringes in a corner with his hand out. He is the one who gets the Kingdom, see. Further, in verse 4 it says, “Blessed are they that mourn,” who not only are aware of the brokenness of their spirit, but who mourn over their condition. And then the next: “Blessed are the meek,” who are humble. And then who are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. They know they don’t have it, and they hunger and they thirst for it. God has revealed these things concerning His Kingdom to those kinds of people. This was absolutely the opposite of everything that the Jews had been taught by the Pharisees and the scribes.

So, the comparison between the wise and the babes is not a comparison between smart and dumb people, not a comparison between educated and uneducated people. It is a comparison between those who think by their own intellect they can save themselves and those who know they can’t, and are totally dependent on God’s grace. It is a grace-and-works comparison. It is a God-and-man comparison.

Applications of God’s Selectivity

There are two applications to this.

1. God’s Plan for the Nations

This is primarily applicable to the Jewish nation then. Jesus Christ came into this world as the promised King of the Jews. But though the Jewish people heard Jesus’ teaching and saw His mighty works performed in their midst, they did not repent and receive Him as their King. That’s why He rebuked them. They were so wise and prudent in the Word of God; they thought they didn’t need the grace of God. So self-righteous, already knowing so much of God, filled with intellectual pride.

But Jesus expresses no sense that the kingdom plan is somehow defeated. He loves the precious Jewish people; He grieved over their unbelief; but He does not act as if the kingdom is now forever lost. Instead, it is offered to someone else. Jesus will later tell the unbelieving Jewish people that “the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruit of it” (Matthew 21:43).

So, the prosperous, self-sufficient, egotistical, works-righteousness inhabitants of the Galilean towns never did understand, but here and there, less sophisticated people, deeply distressed over their own emptiness, humble and broken, were open to the revelation of God in Christ.

And so, one way I believe we should look at this morning’s passage is through the perspective of God’s plan for the nations. The Jewish people of the time were the “wise” and “prudent” ones who had possession of the law and saw the mighty works of God; but they did not repent. The truths of the kingdom were hidden from them. And instead, these truths were revealed to those who were outside of the covenants of promise, and who were ignorant of God, and who were not wise or prudent—to the Gentile nations, who were mere babes in comparison.

2. God’s Work in Individuals

But another perspective from which I believe we should see this selective work of God is in respect to individuals. Even when it comes down to individual people, God hides His kingdom truths from those who think themselves “wise and prudent,” and reveals it instead to those who are mere “babes” in comparison. He does this to make the wisdom of this world look foolish.

The apostle Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Corinthians. They over-emphasized the value of human wisdom. But Paul wrote and said:

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

Bowing and Thanking God

Though we don’t understand this, we have to bow our head to this truth and believe this and join Christ in thanking God.

Follow Christ’s example and bow your head before this and be thankful, even though you don’t understand it.

Everything in us wants to question God, ask Him why, how: “Why does God not reveal His truth to everyone? Why does He not save everyone? Why now did the Congress not win? Why did He allow the BJP?” The only answer the text gives is: “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (v. 26).

Look at our Lord. He thanks Him for it in such a way as to praise Him and worship Him, and He affirms it by saying, “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight.”

We are tempted to want a more satisfactory answer for why He does this. We want to probe for a reason that we can call “logical.” The only answer we will get from His prayer here in this passage is, “for so it seemed good in Your sight.”

For the wise and prudent, this is not enough; they will not accept and they will reject. But only the babes, though they don’t understand, will realize they are babes and believe it. This again is the test and differentiator between babes and the wise and prudent.

The text reminds us He is “Lord of heaven and earth”; as Creator, He holds the exclusive Creator Sovereign King rights to do whatever He wishes with His creation in accordance with His own good will.

If you are saved by His discriminating grace, the only thing you and I can do is bow to it and praise God for it. Praise God that you were a babe. If you want to argue, consider what our Lord did with that fact. He thanked the Father for it in such a way as to give Him glory!

When you want to ask questions, see how Apostle Paul answers you in Romans 9:14-24:

“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. For the Scripture says to the Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.’ Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. You will say to me then, ‘Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?’ But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? What if God, wanting to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”

We may have a problem with the idea of God’s choice being strictly on the basis of His own good will. We may struggle with it. But in the end, we must also be humbled by it, and take notice of the fact that our Lord Jesus didn’t struggle with it at all. He set the example for us in the fact that He thanked and praised the Father for it.

By His example, THE SAVIOR WOULD HAVE HIS PEOPLE THANK GOD FOR THIS TRUTH. Can you say that? We should, for you were babes. Ah, we were each of us but babes. If he is chosen of God, as he trusts he is, he certainly never belonged to the wise and prudent.

So what do we learn? Understand our God is our Sovereign God, and at the same time, a loving Father.

But whenever we encounter this doctrine in the Scriptures, someone may take it wrong, so there is no way to know for sure that they are among those that God has chosen to reveal kingdom truth to in a saving way. They may come away with fears and doubts and uncertainties. Wonderfully, the Scripture balances this with Christ’s one of the most beautiful universal invitations to all heavily laden men to come to Him.

On one hand, you believe the Scripture of God’s sovereignty; at the same time, you have your responsibility to come to Christ. He calls you to come. God’s divine sovereignty and man’s human responsibility meet in a relationship with Jesus Christ Himself. When it comes to questions of “election” and “divine sovereignty,” Jesus gives us a wonderful answer. He just calls us to trust in Himself. If you come and believe in Him with a sincere heart, then you are sovereignly chosen by God.

So this is the prayer of the Son to the Father, an intertrinitarian counsel, and God wanted us to know this truth of sovereignty. We have to grasp that God is sovereign and rules over everything, even salvation. Understand His discriminating grace and bow and praise God for it. We may not understand, but we can believe and praise God for it.

Applying Sovereignty to the New Government

More towards the new government: We need to learn to view this from a higher viewpoint, biblically.

Romans 13 reminds us that without God, no government can be formed; all authority is from God. So, honor the government and pray for the officials that they may be converted. Recognize God has brought this government for the good of the church—for the sanctification of the church.

At this crucial time, examine your heart and repent of any sins against God, as we will be living in a time where God will use the government to purify the church.

Commit yourself to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ and be faithful at these times. Be ready for persecution. Matthew 10, all we read, all that probably may come.

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.”

For Christ’s sake, you will be delivered and brought before kings and authorities. Be a true disciple. A disciple is someone whose life goal is to become like Christ and so lives a lifestyle of discipline by submitting his mind to the teaching of Christ and his will to the commands of Christ.

Then He goes out to point out five marks of true disciples:

1. A true disciple fears not men (verses 26-31). We have seen that by giving three commands and three reasons for not fearing men:
   • Truth vindicated: “Therefore do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”
   • Fear God alone: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
   • God’s minute providential care: Two sparrows sold for a penny, yet not one falls without the Father’s care. “And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
2. A true disciple unashamedly confesses Christ.
3. A true disciple hates his family (in comparison to Christ).
4. A true disciple hates himself (denies himself).
5. A true disciple lives for an eternal reward.

May God help us to be true disciples and lights for our country, which is going towards greater darkness and blindness. We are only salt and light.