God Is Still in Control, Even When the Doors Are Shut

8 min read

Introduction

"I have a big challenge, my beloved, and it's to share this word with you in 15 minutes." That's how Pastor René OUANDJI opens his sermon. The title fits in four words: God is in control. Behind that title lies a pastoral conviction you may need to hear today: when a door closes, when you're waiting for a job, an internship, a healing, a spouse, a child, God hasn't lost the reins. He remains sovereign. In this sermon, he walks through five areas where that sovereignty is at work, then he holds out a very concrete call: let go of everything. Lay it down in his hands. Come to him like a child.

Sermon Outline

1. God is sovereign over all his creation

  • To say God is sovereign means he's the only one who makes the decisions, that he's the Almighty, that he depends on no one and is subject to no one.
  • When God declares something, it comes into being. That house, that job, that internship you were looking for, God has the power to bring it about, even out of nothing.
  • Look at the events unfolding in the world: earthquakes, tsunamis, storms. In Matthew 24, Jesus taught us to read the signs of his return. Everything happens according to God's plan and will.
  • Isaiah 45:7: "I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things."
  • Psalm 135:6: "Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done." Not what you want. Not what your boss wants. Not what your parents want. What God wants.

2. God is sovereign over the direction of the world

  • Daniel 4:17 reminds us that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever he wishes. The apostle Paul confirms this in Romans 13: all authority comes from God.
  • Even when you disagree with a president or a governing body, the Bible asks you to pray for them, because it is God who put them in place.
  • God doesn't bless only the righteous by our standards. Some Christians are surprised to see unbelievers succeed: a car, a house, doors opening. True blessing is knowing God.
  • When you understand that God does what he wants and not what you want, you interpret the circumstances around you differently. Your mind opens up. You stand before a great, sovereign, almighty God.

3. God is sovereign over the direction of the Church

  • Pastor René OUANDJI issues a warning: in some congregations, pastors are idolized, held above God, respected more than God. That's where Christians start drifting, because they aren't reading God's word.
  • Don't exalt men, exalt God. Those who exalt men are always disappointed, because no man is perfect.
  • 1 Corinthians 12:28: it is God who appointed in the Church apostles, prophets, teachers, gifts of miracles, healings, helps, administration, and tongues. He is the one who organizes the gifts and ministries so his Church can function.
  • Don't cling to servants. Don't cling to services. Cling to God. He is the one who takes care of his Church. And when a servant forgets that their gifts come from God, God can revoke their ministry.

4. God is sovereign in your own life

  • God is at work in the midst of your circumstances, even when nothing seems to be going your way. It's often hard to believe, when everything is falling apart, that God is in control. But even in the shadow of the valley of death, he is (Psalm 23).
  • Reread the story of Joseph. Sold by his brothers, thrown into a pit, enslaved in Egypt, then raised up to be governor. He ends up telling his brothers: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive" (Genesis 50:20).
  • Pastor René OUANDJI shares his own testimony: a year of unemployment, after having had a good job before the economic crisis hit. At the time, he couldn't see God in control. But looking back, he saw all that precious time with his little girl, the walks, the cookies, the bike rides to school. God wanted to build a close relationship. It was only afterward that he understood God had been sovereign in that season.
  • You too are looking for a job, an internship, a child, a healing, an apartment. Sometimes you think God doesn't see your situation. Psalm 139: "Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar." God knows you better than you know yourself.

5. God is sovereign over his plan of salvation

  • God's will is that all people come to the knowledge of him. This word is for you if you haven't yet given your life to the Lord.
  • Don't come to God out of fear. Come to this God of love, who is patient and kind. Maybe you've already heard about him and thought, "That's for ignorant people, poor people, people in trouble." This word of love you're reading right now is for you.
  • Salvation cannot be bought. You won't find it at school, at university, at work, or through your good deeds. Salvation is a grace, a gift from God.
  • Romans 3:23-24: "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."
  • Without Christ, your life is lost. The only way God has provided is Jesus Christ. Do you know who at your table you could talk to about Jesus without shame?

The preacher's call: let go of everything

Toward the end of the sermon, Pastor René OUANDJI shifts gears. He's no longer just informing you, he's exhorting you. "If God is to be sovereign, if he's to be in control of your life, you have to let go of everything. You have to let go of your thoughts, your worries, your burdens, your endless calculations." Paul and Silas let go of everything inside the four walls of their prison. They sang praise to their God, and the prison walls were shaken (Acts 16:25-26). Why won't you let go? Because you think your hand is strong enough. That your bank account is enough. But God can take it all away from you in an instant. Let go of everything into his hands, because he is sovereign, he is the one who creates things that don't yet exist.

Key Takeaways

  • God is sovereign: he does what he wants, not what you want. This truth changes how you interpret your circumstances.
  • God blesses according to his sovereignty, not according to our standards. True blessing is knowing God.
  • Don't exalt men, don't idolize pastors. Exalt God. He's the one who organizes the gifts in his Church.
  • Even in adversity, God can turn an unfavorable circumstance into a plan of blessing (Joseph, Genesis 50:20).
  • Salvation is a grace, not a merit. The only way God has provided is Jesus Christ.
  • Let go of everything into his hands. Stop your calculations. Come to him like a child.

Personal Application

  • In what area of your life are you telling God "here's how this needs to go" instead of acknowledging that he is sovereign?
  • What unfavorable circumstance are you going through right now? How might God, as he did for Joseph, turn it into a plan of blessing?
  • Do you tend to exalt a pastor, a servant, a ministry above God himself? How can you refocus on Christ this week?
  • What are you holding tightly in your hands (worry, a burden, endless calculations), that God is inviting you to let go of today?
  • If you've never given your life to Jesus, what's holding you back? Salvation is a gift, not a merit.

Verses Cited

Further reading

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean that God is sovereign?

God is sovereign, meaning he's the only one who makes the decisions, that he's the Almighty, that he depends on no one and is subject to no one. He does whatever he pleases (Psalm 135:6), he forms the light and creates darkness (Isaiah 45:7). This sovereignty touches five areas: creation, the direction of the world, the life of the Church, your own life, and the plan of salvation.

How can I believe God is in control when everything is falling apart?

The story of Joseph (Genesis 50:20) shows that God can turn an unfavorable circumstance into a plan of blessing. Even when you're at the bottom of the valley, God remains sovereign. Pastor René OUANDJI shares that after a year of unemployment, he understood in hindsight that God wanted to build a close relationship with his little girl. God knows you better than you know yourself (Psalm 139).

What does it mean to let go of everything into God's hands?

Letting go of everything means stopping your calculations, letting go of your worries, your burdens, your endless thinking, and coming to the Lord like a child. It means recognizing that your hand isn't strong enough, that your bank account isn't enough, and that God alone creates things that don't yet exist. Paul and Silas let go inside their prison, they praised God, and the walls were shaken (Acts 16:25-26).

All articles on “Église”

to take notes and ask questions.

Related articles

ECVIE INTÉRIEURE
Jesus, Prince of Peace: Light in the Darkness

沼津シオン・キリスト教会

ECRELATIONS
Recognizing Your Sin, Receiving the Forgiveness of the Cross

Efficient Church

ECRELATIONS
The Love That Builds Unity

Efficient Church

Sermon published by Efficient Church. Watch the full teaching on their channel.

← Back to Blog

God Is Still in Control, Even When the Doors Are Shut | Efficient Church