IF GOD IS SOVEREIGN, WHY DO ANYTHING?

You might be tempted to say "it's meant for us to have the size church we have, " "We have the size church we do, because it’s the outworking of God's plan which He decreed in eternity." So you might then say, "Why should I do anything that might accomplish something different, God has already decided what will happen."

Of course you would be wrong! That is a little strong statement. We just sit back and do nothing!

Do you mean to say, you know what God has done in eternity? Do you mean to say, "God has meant for us to have our size church ." Therefore, you just rest in what you are doing and let God do the rest, by His sovereign will!! Is it a right view of God's sovereignty? Or is it "fatalism?"

I don't believe in "fatalism?" Which is? Fatalism teaches, I am told, "that no matter what you choose or do, things will turn out the same." The belief that your choices does not really affect what will happen, that is fatalism. (The doctrine that all events are predetermined by fate and are therefore unalterable.)

"So I choose to just let God in His sovereignty do as He will do anyway," you say. That is pure fatalism.

I have the size church I have because that is the size God chooses us to have.

Have you known preachers who say, "It’s the sovereign will of God what has happened in our church." I mean, they have twelve people in Sunday School and twenty five in Worship, and four on Sunday Night, and Wednesday night is shut down. And the pastor said, "It’s in the hand of a sovereign God." Could this be pure fatalism, and a misunderstanding of the sovereignty of God?

Indifference. If God decides everything that will happen, I will stop making choices that might not be God's choice, I will leave that in the hand of God. Haven't you just made a choice? You made a choice not to make a choice.

To use God's sovereignty as an excuse or reason, for the size church you have, (or really anything else) is a wrong view of God's sovereignty. You have the size church you have because of choices you make.

Drafted as a e mail but thought I would put use it as a thread today.

Charity checked this one out. Thank goodness.

The reason we have the size church we have are often for the reasons whe have chosen.